SatNaam
The story/play of Guru and disciple is very old, much older than SGGS. In essence the SGGS explains how the disciple becomes a Guru and vice versa. Firstly one has to realize the purpose of life, the SGGS says
ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਤੂੰ ਆਇਆ ਲਾਹਾ ਲੈਣ॥
Parāṇī ṯūʼn ā▫i▫ā lāhā laiṇ. page 43
O being you came here to earn a profit.
What is this profit, let us go back
ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਬੀਜੁ ਬੀਜੇ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਸਭੁ ਲਾਹਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Kalijug bīj bīje bin nāvai sabẖ lāhā mūl gavā▫i▫ā. page 446
In the age of Darkness(Kali Yuga), if one plants any other seed than the seed of Naam/Name then one looses all the profit and capital i.e. the life and its purpose is lost.
In SGGS the biggest suffering is considered as the continuation of life cycle i.e. taking birth & dying. Furthermore the Bani says that one can not get out of this cycle by doing religious rituals/actions or good deeds alone. By going to a place of worship, singing/listening holy verses/hymns one is just doing a deed. The purpose of congregation, service is to change your fate, so one can receive and retain/practise the Truth/Naam. The good deeds will only help in taking you to a True/Holy being who can plant the seed of Naam. In the congregation of Holy Beings, with Naam Recital the real nectar drips which washes away the filth of falsehood.
ਆਦਿ ਮਧਿ ਅਰੁ ਅੰਤਿ ਪਰਮੇਸਰਿ ਰਖਿਆ ॥ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਦਿਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਚਖਿਆ ॥ਪਾਏ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਸਭਿ ਜੋਨੀ ਨਹ ਭਵੈ ॥
Āḏ maḏẖ ar anṯ parmesar rakẖi▫ā. Saṯgur ḏiṯā har nām amriṯ cẖakẖi▫ā .Pā▫e manorath sabẖ jonī nah bẖavai. page 523The beginning and the end are in the hands of Lord, how the middle will be in your hand. When the True Guru blesses with the Lord’s Naam/Name only then one tastes the Ambrosial Nectar and one can fulfil the real objective of not wandering in the cycle of life & death/reincarnation again.
ਮਨੁ ਦੇਵਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਸਾਜਨ ਜਿਨਿ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਲਾਧੇ ਜੀਉ ॥
ਸਾਧ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਉਨਿ ਭਉਜਲੁ ਤਰਿਆ ਸਗਲ ਦੂਤ ਉਨਿ ਸਾਧੇ ਜੀਉ ॥
Man ḏevā ṯis apune sājan jin gur mil so parabẖ lāḏẖe jī▫o.
Sāḏẖ kai sang un bẖa▫ojal ṯari▫ā sagal ḏūṯ un sāḏẖe jī▫o. page 120
I offer mind to my Beloved Ones who met the Guru and found The God. In the Company of Holy Saints they conquered all their five vices/doots and ferried across the materialistic world.
God is everywhere, in everything, in every bit of creation not only in holy books/places. In a holy being the God has manifested itself, where it is visible in action, where the candle is lit i.e. the light is illuminated. Only a person who has realized the Lord can light/illuminate another being. Who themselves are empty, how can they give the Naam to others. Let us see what the Bani in SGGS says about a Guru
ਗੁਰੁ ਦਰੀਆਉ ਸਦਾ ਜਲੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਮੈਲੁ ਹਰੈ ॥ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਪਾਇਐ ਪੂਰਾ ਨਾਵਣੁ ਪਸੂ ਪਰੇਤਹੁ ਦੇਵ ਕਰੈ ॥
Gur ḏarī▫ā▫o saḏā jal nirmal mili▫ā ḏurmaṯ mail harai.Saṯgur pā▫i▫ai pūrā nāvaṇ pasū pareṯahu ḏev karai. page 1329
Guru is like River containing pure water, bathing in which i.e. meeting whom one’s egostic mind and filth is eradicated.
Meeting the True Guru, the perfect/cleansing bath is obtained, which transforms even the beasts and ghosts into gods.
ਤੀਰਥੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੋ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਏ ॥ਓਹੁ ਆਪਿ ਛੁਟਾ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਸਿਉ ਦੇ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਭ ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਛਡਾਏ ॥
Oh āp cẖẖutā kutamb si▫o ḏe har har nām sabẖ sarisat cẖẖadā▫e. Jan Nānak ṯis balihārṇai jo āp japai avrā nām japā▫e. page 140
The True Guru is like pilgrimage in Holy Water. Night and day, He meditates on the Name of the Lord. He and his family gets salvation and by bestowing the Name/Naam of the Lord, He saves the others in the world.
ਨਾਨਕ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਅਤਿ ਨੀਕਾ ਨਾਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਜਾਇ ॥ਹਉਮੈ ਮਨੁ ਅਸਥੂਲੁ ਹੈ ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਵਿਚੁ ਦੇ ਜਾਇ ॥ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਹਉਮੈ ਗਈ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਹੀ ਸਭ ਆਇ ॥
Nānak mukaṯ ḏu▫ārā aṯ nīkā nānĥā ho▫e so jā▫e. Ha▫umai man asthūl hai ki▫o kar vicẖ ḏe jā▫e. Saṯgur mili▫ai ha▫umai ga▫ī joṯ rahī sabẖ ā▫e. page 509
Nanak ji says, the gate of salvation is very small; only the very tiny i.e. the lowest ones can pass through. When the mind is full with ego/pride, How one can pass through? Meeting the True Guru, egotism departs, and one is filled with the Divine Light.
ਤਿਸੁ ਆਗੈ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਕਰਿ ਜੋ ਮੇਲੇ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਨਾਮ ਕਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਜਿਸੁ ਭੰਡਾਰੁ ॥
Ŧis āgai arḏās kar jo mele karṯār.Saṯgur ḏāṯā nām kā pūrā jis bẖandār. page 49
Offer your prayers to Him, who can unite you with the Creator. True Guru is the giver of the Naam and he is filled with it.
ਧਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਪਿਤਾ ਧਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਕੁਲੁ ਧਨੁ ਧਨੁ ਸੁ ਜਨਨੀ ਜਿਨਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਜਣਿਆ ਮਾਇ ॥
ਧਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਜਿਨਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਰਾਧਿਆ ਆਪਿ ਤਰਿਆ ਜਿਨੀ ਡਿਠਾ ਤਿਨਾ ਲਏ ਛਡਾਇ ॥
Ḏẖan ḏẖan piṯā ḏẖan ḏẖan kul ḏẖan ḏẖan so jannī jin gurū jaṇi▫ā mā▫e.
Ḏẖan ḏẖan gurū jin nām arāḏẖi▫ā āp ṯari▫ā jinī diṯẖā ṯinā la▫e cẖẖadā▫e. page 310
Praise-able is the father; is the family; is the mother, who gave birth to the Guru. Great/Praise-able is the Guru, who meditated & practised/lived the Naam; He ferried across himself, and salvaged those who see Him.
One should not forget that Bani was sung/written by the great Masters who had and lived by Naam. They always showed/practised humbleness, humility, kindness, equality and said we are full of mistakes, how one can say that they are better than others.
Let us not forget that Guru Arjun Dev ji send Bibi ji to Babba Bhudha ji for the blessing of a son not to SGGS; when the small pox was killing people in Delhi, the Child Guru took it on himself so that people can get the relief; Guru Gobind ji asked his father for the sacrifice in order to save the religion. The Lord lives and plays through the creation. He is inside you, when will you believe it. Get yourself activated and start your meditation now. We are not asking you to come to us, you can go anywhere you can get the Naam. You will not come/go if it is not your destiny. Probably more karma has to be played out. However we can tell you that the generation/kul of Babba ji is very large/big and you do not know which is yours. Every saint comes back to take his generation back but the beings do not understand. Sometimes we wonder that other lifeforms & dead are being ferried across, why humans are not taking advantage.
All was written with the blessings of Guru Gur. we are nothing, can do nothing. we ask for your forgiveness because you are our Lord.
(Rajinder Chahal rajinderschahal@yahoo.com )