THE TRUE WINE

By drinking the wine, man's intelligence departs, and madness
enters his mind; then he cannot distinguish between his own
and others' — he remains separated from his God. By drinking,
he forgets his God, and he suffers the consequences. Don't drink
the false wine at all, so long it is in your power (sggs 554).
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Once Baabaa Nanak was imprisoned by the emperor Baabar. Upon knowing Baabaa Nanak's Spiritual State, Baabar realized his mistake and released him from the jail. As the history tells us, kingly lifestyle is generally dominated by indulgence in addictive substances, eating unnatural foods, illicit sex, corruption, and so on. Naturally, before seeing Baabaa Nanak off, Babar (pronounced Baabar) invited him to partake some intoxicants (Bhang, wine, etc.). But Baabaa Nanak refused. Instead, he expounded the following Divine Wisdom to Baabar:

As indicated in the above verses, the True Wine is none other than the Divine Name; and the True Intoxication is the Name-consciousness (Shabad-Surti or God-consciousness). One who drinks this True Wine remains permanently intoxicated and enraptured in eternal Bliss, while the effect of worldly intoxicants wear off in an instant and bring only anxiety. The Gurbani (sggs) sums it up as follows: Also called "Mahaan Rasa" in the Gurbani, the True Wine of the Divine Name is located within the core of one's Inner Being, the real Self. In fact, in our Essential Nature, this is exactly what we all are! However, due to the deluded state of our mind and intellect (Haume), the majority of us are unable to taste this "Mahaan Rasa" and, instead, waste this rare and precious life searching for it in the false wine (the term "false wine" is used herein to indicate all addictive substances) and other unnatural tastes. Such addiction of external substances is declared by the scriptures to be a vice that will ruin one's body, mind and intellect. The ramifications is the degradation of the individual Soul. The Gurmat (Shabad or Divine Teaching of the Gurbani) has divided all foods into two categories: Bhakh and Abhakh. Bhakh means those foods which are conducive to Spiritual Unfoldment and, to the contrary, Abhakh means those foods which are unconducive to Spiritual Unfoldment. To put it in other way, Saatavic foods are Bhakh, and Taamasic and Raajasic foods (such as intoxicants, flash of dead animals called meat, etc.) are Abhakh. As the Gurbani says, the person who consumes foods belonging to Abhakh category is no better than a "mad dog"! Ironically, the consumption of addictive substances is on the rise in almost every society. Their use is glorified to the extent that taking them has become a fashion among people from all walks of life. For some time now, unfortunately, intoxicant taking has reached to the grade-school level. Apparently, it is an easy source of revenue for corrupt officials, criminals, multinational corporations, politicians and political parties.

For example, throughout Punjab, the place of the ten Gurus who told us not to use intoxicants in the first place, the number of liquor houses (Theke) and the amount of related sale and consumption of intoxicants is mind boggling! In fact the flow of liquor in the state is so much that it is now known as the "sixth river" (Punjab meaning the land of "five rivers")! It is like this in spite of the fact that, since the independence of India in 1947, the state of Punjab has been ruled many times by the Akaalee Party, the Sikh religious Party!! Also, in spite of Baabaa Nanak's advice against the use of addictive substances, during the celebration of Holaa Mahallaa in Anandpur Sahib, for instance, plenty of Bhang taking goes around at the Deraa of Nihangs! Seems strange; but it is true! By comparing wine with other vices, the Gurbani teaches us:

History tells us that if you want to ruin a people, get them addicted. Because it is much easier to enslave, exploit and manipulate addicts. This how it is. The reason being so is that the societies addicted to the substance abuse fall prey to mental thralldom which leads to moral, intellectual as well as Spiritual emasculation. By comparing wine with other vices, the Gurbani teaches us as follows: The more society allows addictive substances, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, rogues, plunderers, criminals, swindlers and larcenists. One who uses intoxicants is also sure to have many other unwanted habits, the chief of which are illicit sex, gambling, and eating of dead animals (meat). Scriptures declare that persons who commit such sinful activities cannot be a Spiritual or a Self-realized person. In the present time of Kali Yuga, such sinful activities are to be seen throughout the world. On the screens of cinema halls and television sets, as well as in many homes and streets (particularly the western countries), scenes of a drunken, half-naked woman embracing a drunken man are a very common sight. Consequently, promiscuity is visible in so many places, and one must wonder the position of a young child who sees such behavior day in and day out! After incessantly observing all of this, restraining oneself to remain steady in life is very difficult indeed! What is the end result of this madness? Indulgence in the passionate play of intoxicants reduces the user to a physical and mental wreck. Unfortunately, most of the political and social institutions are controlled by such immoral people, creating breakdown of the social fabric. Also, most of the religious places and their institutions are managed and run by the same, causing breakdown of the "True Religion" or Dharma described in the scriptures. As a result, the Real Religion is again being replaced by mere rituals and forms, as was the case when Baabaa Nanak came to this world! Religion means action according to the Hukam (the Divine Law) of the Lord. To the contrary, the irreligion means action that goes against the Hukam. Those who do not believe in the Hukam and act according to their own materialistic whims are called Manmukhs, demons or Asuras in the scriptures.

Thank to the faulty modern education, material development or industrial revolution which is producing plenty of Manmukhs, demons or Asuras everywhere! Inherited in material progress are seemingly unending barrage of psychological stress, tension, and worries; which, ultimately, create breakdowns both physically and mentally. In a futile hope to get relief from these unseen ailments, the man takes refuge in intoxicants designed to wreaking havoc. As a consequent of this, man becomes more abominable in the process.

As we know it, sugar is very dangerous for a sick person suffering from diabetes. The disease of the worldly mind can be likened such illness. Surrounded by sugar or molasses in the form of sense-objects, the addicted mind craves to enjoy them through lust, greed, desires, attachment, pride, enviousness and stubborn mindedness, and suffers the consequences. What is the cure? The Gurbani tells us of a Mystic Wine drinking which one can remain eternally "High" and still have his feet firmly established on the ground! What is that True Wine made of? Where it can be found? How is it created? How can one drink in it?

The Divine Name is the True Wine, the Divine Ecstasy is intoxication ("Naam Khumaaree") with that wine; the Gur-Shabad is the "Bearer" of this Mystic Wine. God is the "Beloved", and linking to this Beloved is but union with the Absolute Truth. How can such Sublime Wine be created? The process to create this True Wine outlined in the Gurbani is as follows:

In summary, the false wine takes man away from Reality, the True Wine takes closer; the false destroys, the True preserves; the false pollutes, the True purifies; the false wreaks havoc, the True brings inner peace; the false wears off, the True is changeless; the false is poison, the True is Amrit; the false is unstable, the True is immutable; the false is temporary and finite, the True is permanent and infinite; the false is demoniac, the True is divine; the false is unconsciousness, the True is all-awareness; the false is filth, the True is purity; the false can be purchased, the True can only be awakened within; the false may provide fleeting pleasure, the True is eternal happiness; the false is restlessness, the True is equanimity; the false is lust, the True is pure love; the false is madness, the True is pure intellect; the false is ignorance, the True is knowledge; the false is forgetfulness, the True is all-remembering; the false is bitter, the True is sweet; the false is sense-slavery, the True is liberation; the false is sickness, the True is haleness; the false is ugly, the True is beauty; the false is cowardliness, the True is fearlessness; the false is shame, the True is grace; the false is illusion, the True is Being; and the false is suffering, the True is Bliss.

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

To read Gurbani verses in Gurmukhi, click here to download Gurmukhi font.

Updated on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 3:07 PM (PST)

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