THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO!

The foolish Manmukh — the one in material or conditioned
consciousness — does not understand; he goes out
searching for the Divine externally (sggs 754).
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The words of the Gurbani are abrupt, concise, direct, immensely profound but simple, terse yet potent — cutting to the core and wasting no effort on nonessentials. These deep yet plain words are able to trigger shifts in our egocentric consciousness, producing pointed and fine intellect (Viveka Budhi) coupled with conviction and faith about our Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...), leading to intense and direct abidance in ourJoti-Svaroopa right here where we are. The Truth revealed in the Gurbani is thus meant to annihilate our outgoing senses or body-consciousness (Haumai...) and jolt us into Awareness of our Mool.

The Gurbani bluntly asks us to stay where we are. Which simply means there is nowhere to go to discover one's Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...). That is to say, there is no need to search for Mool in the externalities of the world because Parameshar was never lost! He is our very Mool. Wherever we go, we will find the same Mool everywhere. Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam Giaan) is the comprehension of this Truth at this very moment. But this will not happen until we gain insights into the disorder our conditioned thinking has created.

What makes us wander around is the mental confusion or psychic disturbances resulting from psychological conditionings — relativist consciousness or false ego-sense (Haume). Everything is only subsequent to this modification of the consciousness. Before that, there is only Pure Awareness. But with the rise of mental confusion comes agitation in the life-forces. On account of this confusion, one is unable to perceive his path clearly. Living in the external area of the mind, thoughts (notions, concepts, systems and customs) always keep changing. There can be no peace once the consciousness is so caught in vast illusion of the externalities of the instinctive mind. When we see the outer things, we do not see the inner Self — one's own Reality. For it is impossible for the same person to be engaged in thought of externalities of the world (sense-objects) and to have the Vision ("Darshan") of the Mool as well.

Man's ailments are twofold: ordinary and serious. The ordinary ailments arise from day-to-day happenings; thus they can be corrected on a daily basis by simply correcting attitudes or mindset. Additionally, they can also be dealt with by appropriate medication and right action. Serious or psychosomatic ailments are congenital. Psychic disturbances that cause us scurrying, wandering and searching around is a serious ailment. It will not cease until Spiritual Wisdom ( Aatam-Giaan) is awakened within. It is like the snake seen in the rope in the darkness of the night dies only when the rope is seen again as the rope. However, the Divine Knowledge will not dawn until earnest Spiritual Life (Gurmukhtaa) is adopted.

We are repeatedly reminded by the Gurbani that the ultimate frontier of Spiritual evolution is within man himself. In fact, it never leaves him! The reason one does not see it within is that the mind's involvement in the externalities of material existence inhibits his turning inward. In scriptures this is called "darkness" or "clouding" of the mind-mirror, which distorts seeing and confuse understanding. Because of this clouding of the mirror of the mind, we lack the seeing of what has always been there. In other words, we are what we are searching for! But due to ripples of disturbance on the mind's surface we are unable to see the Truth; just as when rising waves are seen, the ocean is not seen. Consequently, we wander around, wasting our energy and time in useless Mayaic activities.

As we can see, Spirituality is very simple. It is as simple as winking of an eye or crushing of a flower in the palm. The reason it is so simple is that the life is meant to be very simple. However, the confused mind not contented with simplicity makes simple things complicated. It sees substance in everything visible. But the truth is to the contrary — anything visible has no substance, only a temporary existence. It is the mind alone that comes, goes, wanders, scurries, searches, and so on.

The Gurbani unequivocally point out only the unwise people follow the external desires or external attachment, which results in suffering. External wandering and searching is outside attachment, which does not let sitting still and meditating. The moment in which one forgets all external attachment will be the experience of Immortality within. Thus, as indicated in the scriptures, what's needed is to Be still and quite where one is — free of past and future — then one will know his True Being within.

So the Gurbani tirelessly tells us there is no need to go to any shrines of pilgrimage to discover oneself. There is no secret. We are ever Free, Realized or Liberated, "here" and "now". There is no need to hop from one "guru" to another. There is no need for searching or talking to any self-proclaimed "saint" or "enlightened" men. There is no need to change one's external religion — wandering from one institutionalized religion to another. It is the churches, Gurdawaaraas, Mandirs, Mosques, Synagogues, etc., which have contributed to people's confusion about their True Being ("Joti-Svaroopa") in the first place! Since man's True Nature is Simplicity (Sahaj), he does not have to try hard at all to realize it. We already are That! There is no difference. But due to confusion, doubts, selfishness, worthless worldly entanglements (Karamkaand) and superstitions we end up spending more than two-third of our lives in wandering in the externalities of the world. What a foolish and destructive use of precious human life!

Those who search places other than the inner Home of their own Being are compared in the Gurbani with the wandering street-dog, or the deer who is unaware of the musk-scent present in his body but roams around searching for it in the bushes, or the camel who wanders around eating thorny bushes even though they make its mouth bleed! In lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, selfishness, ignorance, etc. (i.e., corruption of Bikaars) we also wander around like the street-dog, the deer and the camel. In this wasteful searching, one's breath of life runs out in vain, and death takes over.

The mind, being thoughts-stuff (Phurne), is created every moment. Thus, depending upon the self-created condition of the mind, we live either as Spiritual Beings (Gurmukhs or the state of Higher Consciousness), or in external mind which reflects darkness (the state of being unenlightened or Manmukh). Externalized awareness is the root of man's suffering. This ego-state — lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, enviousness, stubborn mindedness, and numerous variations of these — makes us incapable of expressing ourselves in full Freedom (Mukti).

With awareness externalized — external ego — we are unable to see the All-pervading Spirit which permeates all. It is the deceitful nature of the outgoing mind that shield this Truth from us. The so called coiled or dormant Kundilini, deluded mind, Maya, ego-sense, and so on, are nothing but various names for the modified or conditioned awareness. But, owing to lack or absence of perfected Naam-Simran (Shabad-Vichaar...) , we are unaware of it. Therefore, the scriptures demand the mind must be cleansed of all its impurities, ignorance, restlessness or agitation. Meditation on the knowledge "I am Pure Awareness — Joti-Svaroopa" is said to be the powerful cleanser. Because it produces that seed from which the giant tree of Divine Knowledge grows, bringing halt to the mind's madcap wanderings. Thereafter, we can move towards rediscovering godly virtues within ourselves.

Thus, in nutshell, what makes us scurrying around in wasteful Mayaic activities is the imagination of the externalized mind. It is the confused mind that sees wind separate from its movement. How can we reverse the course? The Gurbani time and again tells us all confusion and related wandering will come to full-stop only if one can bring about the cessation of the mere awareness of the involvement of the ego-sense in this material world. The truth is that what exists is only the Undifferentiated and Unmodified Awareness. When the false notion of a knowable apart from the knower ceases, the ego-awareness disappears and Jeeva (conditioned individual) regains its equilibrium. In other words, when the demon of external mind (ego-sense) is dead, all wanderings, agitations, worries and anxieties are also dead. Then we laugh at our own past foolishness!

Spirituality (Gurmukhtaa or Divine Life) is the path that leads inwards, where all wanderings or searching ends. However, even though it's all within, we must transcend the material or conditioned consciousness to know it. Spirituality is the body of Ultimate Truth, which teaches us the art of living right to know the Reality about True Nature within. It removes the hold of names, shapes, time and space from the mind by removing emotional attachment to any object, thought, or action. The more we look at means to apply Truth in our daily life, the more it becomes easier to progress in Spirituality. When a rare man of discrimination — discerning intellect or Bibek Budhi — longing for real Immortality, turns his senses away from outer things, then he sees his True Self within which is the homogenous mass of One Pure Consciousness.

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Page modified: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 12:11 PM (PST)

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