From the Darkness of Ignorance, into the Light of
Realisation
‘Sat’ means “Truth’;
signifies ‘darkness’; ‘RU’ represents light. ‘Satguru’ (True
Guide) may then be interpreted as the truth leads one from the darkness of ignorance into
the light of spiritual awareness.
In this world there are many gurus:
Mathematics ‘gurus’, Science ‘gurus’, Music ‘gurus’ –
the list is endless. A Satguru however, is a teacher of the ultimate eternal Truth (what
we consider to be the formless power Nirankar). It is true that many Satgurus have walked
on this earth – Lord Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Lord Rama, Guru Nanak Dev Ji to
Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Lord Krishna, and many others, including Baba Buta Singh Ji to the
present era of Satguru Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj. All have had the same light within
them, and have come for the same purpose. They came for the benefit of all of humanity, to
unite mankind so that people would share their lives with each other and live
fulfilled lives. Baba Avtar Singh Ji has said,
“Satguru aondai dunia
utte, sare hi sansar layee;
Satguru
The True Master sets foot on the
earth for all mankinds, and for the purpose of doing good to all.
However, today we see many people in
the world claiming to be religious and spiritual figureheads. So how can we differentiate
between the genuine Satguru, and those who would otherwise lead us astray? Well, Baba
Avtar Singh Ji has said quite simply,
“Avtar, guru je poora hove, chin
vich Ram mila denda ey”
The mark of a True Master is that he
reveals God to the seeker within an instant.
Today, we observe His Holiness Baba
Hardev Ji has made it possible for us to enjoy the privilege of knowing Nirankar. There
cannot be a shadow of a doubt in anyone’s mind that Baba Ji is not the Satguru of the
present time. He is so pure at heart, loving, caring, tolerant and sympathising. His love
turns the stonehearted into the most humble and loving person in the world. The Satguru is
the Master of the universe, the true composer and conductor of this dancing creation;
there is nothing that He cannot do,
“Satguru hunda jag da data, jo
ih chahe kar sakda ey”
The True Master is the Lord of the
Universe and can do whatever he pleases.
A small light bulb illuminates the
whole room. If we were to gather all of the light in the room, and push it back into the
light bulb, it would be so bright that we would not be able to look at the bulb.
Similarly, God Almighty is shining His greatness all over the world, and the Satguru is an
intensification of all that greatness. He is so great and illuminating that we cannot look
back into His powerful eyes – the Satguru’s greatness just cannot be expressed
fully in words – He is beyond praise and human intellect. There are no limits to His
greatness,
“Kahe Avtar, is Par Brahm da ant
na paya janda ey”
Nobody can define a limit on the
Almighty
It is only the True Satguru who
unites our souls with the Super soul. Whosoever receives His Divine blessings is indebted
to Him; there is no way that we can fully repay the Satguru’s grace upon us,
“Kahe Avtar guru da qarza, janam
janam nahi lah sakda”
Even in numerous lifetimes one cannot
think to repay the debt owed to the Master
We must however, start living our
lives the way He wishes – as true human beings. Loving and caring for others, being
tolerant and living humbly, these are the basic virtues of a spiritually enlightened
individual,
“Pyar, nimartha aur samdrishty,
jeevan ka aadar hanayi”
Make love, humbleness, and
broadmindedness a part of ones life
The whole of humanity is our family.
We must rejoice in their happiness, and provide comfort in times of difficulty and
despair. Only by imbibing such attributes, as exhibited by Satguru, can begin to progress
on the path which Baba Ji desires.
There are many people who go on holy
pilgrimages in search of God; happiness and contentment. However, they seldom find what
they are actually looking for. They may feel happy and content whilst on pilgrimage or
taking holy baths, and even when they come back home to their families – but it is
short lived. After some time the environment in which they lives starts affecting them
once more and they get lost in the materialistic see of and negative emotion. The
intoxication soon wears off. But, those who find shelter and surrender themselves to the
Master’s teaching have achieved and accomplished the greatest of all pilgrimages.
Abiding by the Master’s word one finds true and eternal contentment. The intoxication
of spirituality will never wear off so long as one has completely surrendered himself to
the Satguru. We are extremely fortunate to have been blessed with such a great Satguru.
“Avtar guru di charnin dhai ke,
ath sath tirath naha laiey.”
By submitting to the Masters shelter
one experiences the benefits of the sixty-eight pilgrimages
True Spiritual knowledge inspires one
to a spiritual realisation that completely transforms the way we lead our lives. We are
encouraged to do Sewa (Service), Simran(prayer) and Satsang (congregation of enlightened
individuals) on a regular basis in our lives to keep us motivated and in a positive
frame of mind. When a journalist once asked Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Maharaj about
meditation, to which he replied, “I don’t have special timings for meditation.
My entire life is one continuous meditation. I’m always with God.”
In essence, Simran means that we are
aware of Nirankar’s presence. We need to shed our ego, the sense of ‘I-ness’,
which drives us to inconsiderately pursue selfish desires. Baba Ji has mentioned many a
time that we must keep ego under control. Even if we do have to put ourselves in the
‘I’ context then we should do so in humility. For example, in our prayers we
say: ”Ik Tuhi Nirankar; Mein Teri sharan hoon; Main nu baksh lo.” – which
translates as ‘You are only one oh Formless Power; I am in your shelter; Please
submission rather than one of ego.
Only with sincere submission can true
service be enjoyed. Someone who is proud of their actions or expects rewards for what they
do cannot be classified as a devoted Sewadal. We must remember that Sewa means ‘Self-less’
service, and not ‘Selfish’ service. We are just instruments of the almighty
doctor. He control all our actions, and gives us the opportunity to serve others and
benefit from this self-less service.
“Sadh di seva oh kar sake, jis
ton aap karave eh…”
Only he can serve the Saints,
whosoever God wishes to serve through
Baba Ji has defined ‘Bliss’
as, “The true happiness that lies beyond the senses.” All three powers, namely
Sewa, Simran and Satsang, can make one Truly Blissful if done regularly and sincerely. We
must not expect anything in return, but perform each of these as our duties, and enjoy
them. As the example goes: when we turn our backs and walk away from the light (of
Knowledge), our shadow is in front of us. No matter how hard we try, we will never be able
to catch our shadow. On the other hand, walking towards the light means that our shadow
will follow us wherever we go. Having turned our backs away from the Master we can never
succeed in our pursuit to catch up with material fortunes completely – no matter how
hard we try. However, materialistic needs will automatically follow with endless peace of
mind, happiness and success in life when we walk on the path described by Satguru.
Just as food, water and clothing are
important in our practical lives, similarly, Sewa, Simran and Satsang are vital in our
Spiritual lives.