Gurbani

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Gurbani stands for “Sri Guru Granth Sahib”, SGGS, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs. Various themes mentioned in the SGGS are reflected upon through the Gurbani As It Is. Written in a simple to read language; currently there are over 300 Gurbani Reflections. New ones are continually added.

The Gurbani (and the holy texts of other religions for that matter) is of the nature of God, for it teaches us Truth. A complete guide to practical and pure life, it provides all that is needed to raise one's consciousness to the highest possible dimension. However, since God cannot be understood with material nature, likewise, the Gurbani cannot be understood with material tendencies either. Also, being in the framework of time and space, the human body-mind-intellect is limited. Consequently, man's language is also limited. But Absolute Truth, the scriptures and the Masters try to explain using this limited human language is unlimited and infinite.

Further, the majority of us read the SGGS and listens to the Wise with identification to the body-consciousness and the quagmire of various types of concepts ("Haume" or ego regime). For the mind identified with the menacing body-consciousness, spiritual knowledge has no meaning. As a result, many of us end up misunderstanding the gist of the spiritual Teaching and secret of its Knowledge ("Giaan"). Because the Divine Word or the Wise speak without such identification or material concepts. This is the reason the true way of understanding the Unworldly Wisdom is indicated to be through intuitive perception — attuning oneself to the Inner Realization of the Truth. Otherwise — if read, studied or listened to through the mundane consciousness (Haume or false ego-sense) — the entire spiritual Teaching or spirit will get misconstrued and misunderstood. Consequently, the Divine Word would read meaningless and even incongruous; and the Wise would sound crazy or dull.

Earnest spiritual practices — meditation (Naam-Simran or Japa) truthful living, selfless service, selfless love and compassion for all, detachment, devotion, diligent study of the scriptures to know the Truth, Self-inquiry, introspection, keeping Holy Company ("Saadh-Sangat"), being content in all situations etc. — performed with conviction, concentration and humility is said to awaken the Divine Grace, Guidance or Self-knowledge ("Aatm-Giaan") within; enabling one learn how to use the nutcracker of intuitive perception to crack open the hard shell of language and ambiguity to get at the kernels of the underlying Truth in the scriptures. The edict of the Gurbani is: without realizing the Truth, we cannot link back to our Pure Being within.

The Gurbani has a simple message: there is One, All-pervading God. He is one's own Self within the body. The purpose of human life is to understand and know this Truth while alive, "here" and "now", through self-purification and self-observation. So that we can take off from the levels of ignorance, falsehood and selfishness (negativity and defilement) into the heights of selflessness (the state free of Haume), spontaneity ("Sahaj") and perfection in life ("Jeevan Pada"). Therefore, by abandoning the realm of relativist consciousness ("Haume") and realizing the Truth of our essential nature or godly status ("Joti-Svaroopa"), the Teaching of the Gurbani (Gurmat) urges us to: live a Divine Life by becoming a spiritual Being ("the Gurmukh"); make the truthful living the core of one's daily life; make the selfless service to the world our prayer; make selfless love for all the people the greatest devotion; make compassion and mercy for all living beings the noblest conduct; make unsullied Knowledge, humility and contentment our temple withing; enshrine the rosary of meditation in the heart; make harmony, peace and integration within and without; realize that the real Self in me is the Self in all — recognize Oneness with the Universal Spirit; realize and enjoy the true Bliss ("Anand"), Peace or Happiness while living in the body (the state of becoming Pure within, living liberated or "Jeevanmukta") not after death, and so on. Otherwise of what good is any practice of religion, spirituality or reading of the scriptures? Also, of what good is one's reasoning and intellect?