The current Sikh society is going through an extremely deep dark time period due to a serious lack of practice of true divine wisdom (Gurmat) in our daily routine. The meaning of Gurmat has been reduced to just a few external rules and regulations called “Rehat Maryadas”. These were not written by the Gurus, but came about afterwards by “religious” leaders and groups of politically established “religious” entities. The net result is that they have promote hatred, selfishness, ego, anger and all kinds of ill feelings among the masses. These so called “religious” and political bodies with their “Rehat Maryadas” have not been able to spread the unconditional love for humanity, maintaining and promoting harmony and humility in the community.
Nobody talks about the real compliance – the real and true Eternal “Rehat”, which is the inside compliance. The compliance of
· cleaning up the soul and heart (Hirda),
· becoming a completely truthful person,
· earning the Amrit, the Ek Boond Amrit, the Atam Rus Amrit;
· becoming a Puran Khalsa;
· becoming a Jivan Mukt;
· seeing, speaking, hearing and serving the Eternal Truth.
The word “Gurmat” means
· the divine wisdom;
· the word of Akal Purakh;
· the Eternal Truth;
· the road map to the Sach Khand;
· the mandatory laws which should be followed to earn the Eternal Compliance – Rehat as described above.
It is the order of God (Hukam of Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar) for us :
· to learn and earn the total inside compliance (Puran Sachyari Rehat);
· to make our life sublime and earn the purpose of our human life;
· to understand that the entire Gurbani is the Gurmat;
· and the Mool Mantra is the Guru Of all this Gurmat.
However, the human wisdom at the present time has touched unimaginable heights, but the practice of the divine wisdom has diminished in the past few centuries to its lowest level at present. This time period has been defined as Kal-Jug – the Age of Darkness – in Gurbani by Dhan Dhan Shree Guru Nanak Dev Ji:
In the Age of Kal (Darkness) , fire is the chariot
and falsehood the charioteer. ||1||
SGGS 470
Perhaps the Kal-Jug is at its peak at the present time. The darkness of this age is due to the lack of contentment (Sat Santokh). Every soul is burning in the fire of desires – Hopes, Desires, Wishes due to an unimaginable influence of Maya. All the illusions, delusions, doubts and misdeeds originate from this fire of desires. The desire is the backbone of all kinds of physical and mental crimes in the present time period. The desire is responsible for creating all kinds of sorrows and distractions to us. The illusions and delusions are caused due to the over powering of the true mind by the untrue mind, the true mind is the same as God’s Light (Jyot Saroop)
O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light –
recognize your own origin.
SGGS 441
This Light Of God within us (Jyot) is so dim that it is almost non existent, and the darkness of the untrue mind has become dominating factor in our day today behavior. The Non-Truth actions, reactions and deeds form a major part of the daily routine of a common person. Such deeds are called misdeeds and they lead to a fake and unreal happiness and bring no Eternal Joy or Eternal Peace to our soul. Instead these desires bring a continuing stream of sorrows in our daily life.
We as members of the current society are largely responsible for the Spiritual and Eternal downfall of our society, because every soul living on this earth forms the society, the human society. We as a society need to enlighten our souls with this Eternal Truth. We need to eradicate the untrue elements from our daily life, and rise to that level of Serving the Truth, that each one of us become a completely Truthful Person – Puran Sachyara. This will eradicate the darkness of Kal-Jug and form the advent of Sat-Jug – the Age of Truth.
What is the basis of the formation of an Age? It is the nature of the human thoughts and conversion of these thoughts to daily actions, reactions and deeds that form the basis of a Age. So in Sat-Jug everyone led a completely truthful life, that is why it is known as Sat-Jug – the Age of Truth. If each one of us becomes committed to see, speak, hear and serve the truth and nothing but the truth then this age of Kal-Jug will be converted in to the Sat-Jug. That was the dream Guru Nanak Patshah Ji saw when He said:
Every “GHAR” (home) has become a “DHAM SAAL” (place of dharma)
where “KIRTAN” (God’s prasies) continues forever.
Bhai Gurdaas 1
The “Ghar” meaning home, is the inside of our soul and mind. And “Dharam Saal” means a completely pure and pious place. This verse means to make our heart (Hirda) and soul
· completely pure and pious
· a completely truthful and clean place,
· free of impure thoughts with all thoughts leading to goodness only.
When the heart and soul are pure then the real “Kirtan” – God’s praises – is heard inside your own body. This inner kirtan never stops and is called “Akhand Kirtan”. It never stops. It is continuous and forever. It is heard in the tenth door (Dassam Duaar – Panch Shabad Anhad Naad). Once the spiritual heart (Hirda) becomes as pure as Akal Purakh Himself, as truthful as Braham Himself, then this continuous divine music (Akhand Kirtan) is heard. That was the dream of Dhan Dhan Guru Nanak Patshah Ji, and let us try and make it happen and turn this Kal-Jug to a Sat-Jug.
There are a lot of reasons for the Spiritual downfall of the society and the degradation of moral and ethical standards, the increase in hatred and anger among the people, abusing each other, absence of humility and humbleness, promotion of ugly and dangerous thinking patterns, increase in our sorrows and sufferings. Let us talk and find out the reasons behind this down fall of the society:
1) OUR OWN MISDEEDS
The first reason for the Spiritual downfall of the society is our own misdeeds, our daily actions and reactions, our conduct, our behavior. Whatever we have done in the past of this life and the past lives is what we have sown and that is what we are reaping today:
As you plant, so shall you harvest,
according to what you planted in the past.
SGGS 309
We ignore this universal Eternal Truth when we act in our today’s daily routine, therefore, we should always keep in mind that whatever we speak, do and act in the current moment we will have to reap in the future. So if we sow good now we will reap good in future, and if we are sowing bad now how can we hope to reap good in the future? Our deeds determine what will we reap in the future. The real rules and regulations (Rehats) are the ones that apply to our deeds. Our deeds should be according to divine wisdom (Gurmat) as explained earlier, and not according to worldy wisdom, selfish wisdom, and evil wisdom (Manmat, Durmat and Sansarik Mat).
All our actions and reactions are conducted by the five senses – (Panj Gyan Indreys). The basis for these five senses is our mind. Basically our own mind controls these five senses and whatever our mind will direct will be done by these five senses. Our mind in turn is directed by our own wisdom (ManBudh). Our own wisdom is based on our deeds and experiences in this life and all the previous lives. The major influence on our own wisdom is our formal education and the kind of environment we have been brought up.
For a normal person in today’s society our own wisdom is largely based on the worldy wisdom (Sansarik Mat). We tend to follow the surrounding environment, we are afraid of being criticized by the society if we do something different, even though if we know that whatever we are doing is not correct, we will still tend to do things which will please the people around us and not annoy anybody without caring for the truth. The result is obvious, using the worldy wisdom we destroy our truthful deeds and indulge in sowing bad and not good.
The next thing, which prompts us to indulge in bad deeds is our own wisdom (Manmat). This is when we ignore the divine wisdom (Gurmat) and follow our own wisdom. We think that our thinking is superior and whatever we are doing is the only right thing and everything else is discarded as wrong. This is also ego. Regardless of how educated we might be and whatever our status is n our society, we totally ignore divine wisdom. Divine wisdom for example is telling us:
Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks,
but not even one of them will go along with you in the end.
SGGS 1
We might be reading this in the prayer Jap Ji on a daily basis, but when it comes to practicing this in our daily deeds we just ignore it completely, and we act according to our own wisdom. And you can find this happening every day when we hardly realize what we read on a daily basis. Another example is:
Everyone is subject to His Command;
no one is beyond His Command.
SGGS 1
If we read that everday and truly believed it then why do we still indulge in criticism? By indulging in criticism and complaining we are not honoring the divine wisdom (Gurmat). Instead we are following our own wisdom (Manmat).
The evil wisdom (Durmat) is the worst child of our own wisdom. This is when we
- indulge in abuse and misuse,
- indulge in slandering and doing bad to others,
- spreading hatred and animosity in the society,
- stealing and cheating others,
- usage of bribery and unfair means to realize personal goals.
The three types of non divine wisdom ( Sansarik Mat, Munmat and Durmat) are children of our own mind. These are operated by Five thieves – Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment and Pride, Hopes, Desires and Wishes. We will have to eliminate our own wisdom and replace it with divine wisdom.
The divine wisdom is the yardstick of Truth to measure our own deeds against at every moment. This is the yardstick that will tell us at every step what is wrong and what is right, what is truth and what is not true. We can become a completely truthful person just by making our deeds completely truthful.
2) LACK OF DIVINE WISDOM AMONGST LEADERS
The next reason for the spiritual downfall of the society are the entities that run the religious places and lack of divine wisdom among these people who run these places. The lack of divinity and spirituality in the people who run these places of religious descriptions is responsible for the lack of divine wisdom. This is a very serious disease that is eating the roots of the society on a daily basis. These places are supposed to be run by highly Eternally and Spiritually enlightened people. Case in point –
- The first priest (Granthi Ji) of Harmander Sahib (Golden temple) was Dhan Dhan Baba Budha Ji, who was a Puran Sant, a Puran Braham Gyani.
- The Akal Takhat was instituted by a Puran Sant Satguru, a Puran Braham Gyani Dhan Dhan Shree Guru Hargobind Singh Sahib Ji.
These divine places belong to such divine souls and not anybody else. They can only be run by such souls and not by anybody else. That is what was established and shown to us by all the Gurus (Dhan Dhan Guru Sahibaan Ji) when they made such things happen, because only an enlightened soul (a Gurmukh, a Puran Sant a Puran Braham Gyani) can disseminate divine wisdom (Gurmat) to the masses. And nothing less than that can do it.
This is the kind of standard that was set by the Gurus for such religious places, but the current conditions are nowhere near those standards. We need not to comment on the current situation further. The same standards should be followed all across, or at least try to follow at all such religious places.
The divinity and spirituality comes only by doing loving devotional worship of the Lord (Bandgi) and not by any other means. The divine wisdom comes only with Bandgi and not by any other means. The charge of all religious places, should be given to those souls who have achieved highly spiritually and eternally enlightened stage. They can
- really help the masses with the divine wisdom,
- disseminate the eternal treasures,
- deliver the divine wisdom (Gurmat),
- make a difference in people’s lives
- help people to learn and earn the true and inside compliance, and not just deliberate on external rituals and outside compliance.
One of the main reasons for our sorrows is the misguiding of the people by these people who run the religious places. Case in point:
- buying and selling Gurbani,
- putting a price tag to Akhand Path,
- putting a price tag to the Kirtan,
These acts are not the divine wisdom, they are crime against God’s court (a Dargahi Crime). It has become a business for the people who run these places. All these religious activities should be a service to the community not a fund raising activity. The community ought to give tenth of its earnings (Dasvandh) to the Guru. This is how the money was raised at the Guru’s times. Bhai Gurdas Ji introduced this idea to Guru Arjun Dev ji and the community used to give tenth of their earnings. That is how Guru Arjun Dev ji was able to fund projects like building the Golden Temple. The Guru’s never encouraged any kind of buying or selling of God’s word in any form. What we have now in the religious places is a business deal. The sangat doesn’t give a tenth of their earnings, but to get some worldy problem fulfilled they buy a reading of the Guru Granth Sahib,( Akhaand Paat). The fault lies on both sides, both the community and the management of the religious places. Both are to be blamed for this status of affairs.
Another problem area is Ardaas. Ardaas is the standing prayer done by the Giani at the end of the religious programme. Ardaas for worldly things is performed on a daily basis all over the world. Gurmat is:
He knows everything, without being told;
unto whom should we offer our prayers?
SGGS 1420
In light of this divine wisdom (Gurmat) do we really need to do any Ardaas?
And then Gurmat also says:
The prayer of the Lord’s humble servant is never offered in vain.
SGGS 819
Which means that only a “Jan” can perform Ardaas. “Jan” is a very highly eternally and spiritually enlightened soul because again the Gurmat says:
There is no difference between the Lord and the humble servant of the Lord;
O Nanak, know this as true. ||29||
SGGS 1428
Wwhich means that this is that level of eternal and spiritual attainment where remains no difference between a Jan and Paar Braham Himself. Therefore a Jan is a Puran Sant, a Puran Braham Gyani. So the only Ardaas that will be accepted by God’s court (the Dargah) is the one which is performed by a Jan. Because the Jan , the Brahm Gyani, is the one who only can change the fate of a person,
The God-conscious being is the Giver of the way of liberation of the soul.
SGGS 273
Gurmat also says:
The devotee can release anyone from my (God’s) bondage,
but I cannot release anyone from his.
SGGS 1252
This means that our fate can only be changed by a Bhagat, by a Puran Sant, by a Puran braham Gyani, even God Himself can’t change our fate no matter what and how many times we do Ardaas.
Whatever happens in our life is merely the fruit of our own deeds and nothing else. The result of an Ardaas performed by the Sikh priest who is by himself not anywhere near the Padvi of a Puran Sant, is therefore null and void. Infact by doing Ardaas for worldy things is promoting our desires “our wants” instead of accepting what God wants for us. The Gurdwara system by encouraging people to pay for getting their wants actually takes the Sikh priest and the sangat who participated in such an Ardaas into more sorrows and sufferings. The Guru Granth Sahib ji whome they are praying infront of, tells them to get our of desires, because asking for desires to be fulfilled is just asking for diseases : SUKH = ROG.
Suffering is the medicine, and pleasure the disease,
because where there is pleasure, there is no desire for God.
SGGS 469
Requesting an Ardaas for worldy desires and also the performance of such an Ardaas makes our deeds worse. We don’t sow goodness by doing such an Ardaas for worldly comforts. As a result the sorrows and sufferings don’t diminish, but they are enhanced. Therefore the best thing to do is not to perform any Ardaas for worldly comforts. If we really want to ask for something we should ask for the biggest gift and that is Gur Parsaad and His Gur Parsaadee Naam – “Ik Oankaar Satnaam”. This is the highest and biggest Eternal Treasure, we should ask for Bandgi and Seva.
Once we start moving on this path of Truth, and do our Bandgi then all our sufferings will automatically start to diminish. Eventually the everlasting Eternal Happiness – Sat Chit Anand, which is the Param Anand, will be achieved inside our Hirda. The goal of human life will be achieved, we will get Jivan Mukti.
There are five Khands of spiritual levels as defined in the Gurmat: Jap Ji Gurbani, these are
- Dharam Khand (First),
- Gyan Khand (Second),
- Saram Khand (Third),
- Karam Khand (Fourth) and
- Sach Khand (Fifth).
The boundary of the religion starts in the Dharam Khand and goes up to Saram Khand. During this time period the soul goes through the transformation from understanding the need for following and doing Gurmat, and starts to put concerted effort in that direction (detailed description of these spiritual stages is a whole new subject is an a separate article “Journey To Sachkhand”).
When we get highly motivated to achieve our objective of current human life, which according to Gurmat is:
This human body has been given to you.
This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.
Nothing else will work.
Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy;
vibrate and meditate on the Jewel of the Naam. ||1||
SGGS 12
We get highly motivated so we start to surrender completely to the Gur and Guru. Then a stage comes when we are eternally blessed by Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar with Gur Parsaadi Naam, which is “Ik Oankaar Satnaam”, either directly or through a Puran Sant Satguru.
With these eternal blessings we reach the stage of Smadhee (deep meditation). This happens when the soul is instituted in Karam Khand. Karam means “Rehmat” – Eternal Blessings. This is where the real loving devotional worship (Bhagtee) starts and the following happens
I am lovingly centered on the One Lord forever.
I enshrine the Lord’s Name within my mind. ||4||
SGGS 122
A Bhagtee account is opened in the Dargah of Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar. This is a very highly elevated and enlightened state of the soul. When the soul reaches this Khand then it crosses the boundary of the religion.
When the Bandgee goes further and soul reaches the Sach Khand level, winning completely over Five thieves, desires and Maya, there remains absolutely no Dharam. This is the stage where a Jan, a Puran Sant, a Gurmukh, a Puran Braham Gyani resides, and whose Ardaas gets accepted in the Dargah.
Therefore, a normal person or a priest (so called “giani”) conducting Ardaas for worldly comforts is the biggest illusion the community is living in. The false deeds full of illusions and delusions will never be considered good deeds in the Dargah of Akal Purakh.
So we will have to reap in the future as we so today. This is one of the major cause leading to more and more sufferings and sorrows in our lives we see on a continuous and daily basis. Anybody who does such Ardaas for worldly comforts is cheating and deceiving himself and not doing any good to the self.
Everything comes down to our deeds. If our deeds at present are good, meaning we are sowing good, so we will reap goodness. If our current deeds are bad that means we are sowing bad so we will end up with sorrows and sufferings. Eventually we will have to clean up our inside completely and earn the real compliance, real “Rehat” of complete truthfulness and complete silence of Hirda. We will become a Puran Sachyara, a Puran Khalsa, a Puran Sant, Jivan Mukt, a Puran Braham Gyani, and then only we will achieve the real objective of our current human life.
Let us take a few minutes to evaluate our deeds in light of the above discussed Gurmat and find out where do we stand. This will provide us with a the right direction for making our deeds good ones, Gurmat ones, True deeds. We will then be able to diminish our sufferings and sorrows and realize the Almighty.
This is a Gur Parsaadee (Eteranlly Blessed by God) writing, which has been written under the Puran Hukam of Agam Agocher Dhan Dhan Shree Paar Braham Parmesar Ji and with His Gur Parsaadee Gurkirpa and with the Gur Parsaadee Gurkirpa of Dhan Dhan Sant Baba Singh Ji, a Puran Sant Satguru, a PuranBraham Gyani.
Dassan Das (Slave Of God’s Slaves)