These divine words of the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) are spoken by Baabaa Nanak. As also indicated in other verses, Gurmat (divine Teaching of the Gurbani) does not counsel worshiping, serving or visiting tombs (Samaadh, Marree etc.) of the dead. But how many abide by this instruction of the Gurmat? Instead, many customarily engage in celebrating days of the dead; building memorials (Yaadgaars) at places of the dead; and then worshiping, serving or visiting them! What's more, elaborate fairs (Melaa), processions or celebrations are organized at many such places!

• duibDw n pVau hir ibnu horu n pUjau mVY mswix n jweI: Dubidhaa na parrou har bin hor na poojou marrai masaan na jaaee: Do not read regarding duality (or do not be stuck on duality or fancy it), do not worship any other than the Lord; do not visit tombs or crematoriums (sggs 634).

Why does the Gurbani ask us not to engage in worshiping, serving or visiting tombs of the dead (or observing celebrations there)? First, such activities are working of the duality (Doojaa Bhaav). What we call Maya is nothing but the dualistic principle. In other words, all dualistic activities (of our ego-mind) are in Maya. In nutshell, the school of duality postulates God, soul and the world as distinct and separate realities. Thus, according to the philosophy of dualism the reality is composed of two irreducible principles, entities, truths etc., which are fixed or not transcendable. The Gurbani ardently rejects such conclusions of the pluralistic realism or non-monism. This notion of duality (division in consciousness etc.) between the seer and the seen is termed "darkness" or "ignorance" in the Gurbani. Only after cessation of duality, the Pure Consciousness awakens within. Those of us wedged in the consciousness of duality are called Manmukhs (material, ego or unenlightened beings) in the Gurbani.

• mnmuKu AMDw dUjY Bwie lwgY: Manmukh andhaa doojai bhaae laagai: The blind Manmukh are attached to the love of duality (sggs 113).
• igAwn hIxM AigAwn pUjw]AMD vrqwvw Bwau dUjw: Giaan heenan agiaan poojaa. Andh vrtaavaa bhaayu doojaa: Without spiritual wisdom, the people worship ignorance. They thus grope in the darkness, in the love of duality (sggs 1412).
• duibDw baurI mnu baurwieAw: dubidhaa bouree manu bouraaiaa: The delusion of duality has deluded the mind (sggs 1342).
• mnu mYlw hY dUjY Bwie: Manu mailaa hai doojai bhaai: The mind is polluted by the love of duality (sggs 121).
• iqRsnw kdy n buJeI duibDw hoie KuAwru: Tarisnaa kaday na bujhee dubidhaa hoi khuaar: One is ruined by duality, his hunger is never satisfied (sggs 649).
• duibDw ivic bYrwgu n hovI jb lgu dUjI rweI: Dubidhaa vichi bairaagu na hovee jabb lagu doojee raaee: There cannot be detachment in delusion, as long as there is even a particle of duality (sggs 634).
• mUriK piV piV dUjw Bwau idRVwieAw]bhu krm kmwvY duKu sbwieAw: Moorkh parh parh doojaa bhaav driraayaa. Bahu karak kamaavai dukh samaayaa: The fool reads and reads, but holds tight to duality. He performs all sorts of rituals, but still suffers terrible pain (sggs 424).
• mnmuK syvw jo kry dUjY Bwie icqu lwie]puqu klqu kutMbu hY mwieAw mohu vDwie: Manmukh saevaa jo karae doojai bhaae chit laae. Putt kalat kattamb hai Maya mohu vadhaai: The materialists may perform service, but his consciousness is attached to the love of duality. Through Maya, his attachment to children, spouse and relatives increases (sggs 1422).
• iesnwnu dwnu jyqw krih dUjY Bwie KuAwru: Isanaan daan jaetaa karahi doojai bhaai khuaar: People take their cleansing baths, and give to charity again and again, but they are ultimately consumed by their love of duality (sggs 34).
• iqn qUM ivsrih ij dUjY Bwey: Tin toon visrahi ji doojai bhaayee: O God, those who are in love with duality forget You (sggs 160).
• jig haumY mYlu duKu pwieAw mlu lwgI dUjY Bwie: Jagg haumai mailu dukh paaiaa mall laagee doojai bhaai: Because of the love of duality, the world is polluted with the filth of egotism, and suffering in pain (sggs 39).
• dUjI mwieAw jgq icq vwsu: Doojee maya jagat chit vaas: The duality of Maya dwells in the consciousness of the people of this material world (sggs 223).
• dUjY lgy pic muey mUrK AMD gvwr...: Doojai lage pach muye moorakh andh gavaar....: Attached to duality, the foolish, blind and stupid people waste away and die. Like worms, they live in manure, and in it, they die over and over again. O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Naam are dyed in the color of truth; they take on the intuitive peace and poise of the Guru. The color of devotional worship does not fade away; they remain intuitively absorbed in the Reality (sggs 85).

Second, the Gurbani says that any efforts (i.e., worshiping, serving or visiting tombs of the dead etc.) carried out in duality are useless. Usually, caught in Dubidhaa, people go to these places to get their worldly wishes or passions fulfilled. Baabaa Nanak says "useless is the birth of those who are lured by duality." Because, there is no Yoga (union or linking with God) — the purpose of life — to be attained there.

• ibrQw jnmu dUjY loBwie: Birathaa janam doojai lobhaai: Useless is the birth of those who are lured by duality (sggs 362).
• pYDw KwDw bwid hY jW min dUjw Bwau: Paidhaa khaadhaa baad hai jaan mani doojaa bhaaou: Wearing clothes and eating food is useless, if the mind is filled with the love of duality (sggs 1411).
• inrjIau pUjih mVw sryvih sB ibrQI Gwl gvwvY: Nirajeeo poojahi marraa sarevahi sabh birathee ghaal gavaavai: Those who worship lifeless stones and serve the tombs of the dead; all their efforts are useless (sggs 1264).
• jogu n bwhir mVI mswxI jogu n qwVI lweIAY: Yog na baahar marree masaanee yog na taarree laaeeai: Yoga is not wandering to the tombs of the dead; Yoga is not sitting in trances (sggs 730).
• pUrn pRym pRqIq sjY bRq gor mVHI mt BUl n mwnY: Pooran praem pratheeth sajai brath gor marrhee matt bhool na maanai: He decorates himself with perfect love and faith, and believed not in fasts, tombs, crematoriums and hermit cells, even by mistake (Guru Gobind Singh Jee).

So cautions us the Gurbani. Further, we are urged to become Gurmukhs (Self-realized or spiritual beings); seek and keep the Holy Company (Saadh-Sangat) of the Gurmukhs, embrace love for the One (i.e., non-duality); and burn away duality and doubt by the divine Shabab or the Name. In the Saadh-Sangat, the love of duality vanishes.

• gurmuiK hovY su ieksu isau ilv lwey: Gurmukh hove so ekas siyu chit laaye. Doojaa bharam gurshabad jalaaye: One who becomes Gurmukh embraces love for the One. Doubt and duality are burned away by the Shabad (sggs 115).
• jip rwm nwmu nwnk insqrIAY horu duqIAw ibrQI swKI: Jsp raam naam Nanak nisatareeai hor duteeaa birathee saakhee: Chanting the Lord's Name, O Nanak, I am emancipated; other teachings of duality are useless (sggs 1227).
• BRmu ktIAY nwnk swDsMig duqIAw Bwau imtwie: Bhram katteeai Nanak saadhasang duteeaa bhaaou mitaai: O Nanak, in the Company of the Holy, doubt is eradicated and the love of duality is eliminated (sggs 296).
• haumY duibDw ibnis jwie shjy suiK smweIAY: Hayumai dubidhaa binas jaayi sahje sukh samaayeeai: When egotism and duality are eradicated, one merges in Intuitive Peace, or Sahaj Avasthaa (sggs 163).
• kUV gey duibDw nsI pUrn sic Bry: Koor gye dubidhaa nasee pooran sach bhare: When falsehood is vanished and duality is erased, one become completely filled with Truth (sggs 136).
• qnu Dnu klqu sBu dyKu AiBmwnw]ibnu nwvY ikCu sMig n jwnw]1]rhwau]kIcih rs Bog KusIAw mn kyrI]Dnu lokW qnu BsmY FyrI]KwkU Kwku rlY sBu PYlu]ibnu sbdY nhI auqrY mYlu ]2] gIq rwg Gn qwl is kUry]iqRhu gux aupjY ibnsY dUry]dUjI durmiq drdu n jwie]CUtY gurmuiK dwrU gux gwie: Geet raag ghan taal si koore. Trih Gun upjai binsai doore. Doojee durmati darad na jaai. Shootai gurmukhi daaroo gun gaai: The various songs, tunes and rhythms are false. Trapped by the three qualities (deceptive Maya), people come and go in birth-death cycle, seprated from God. Because the disease of duality, (in spite of various songs, tunes and rhythms) the pain of their evil-mindedness does not leave them. The way to become emancipated (from duality and evil-mindedness) is, by becoming Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), take the medicine of chanting the Divine Name (sggs 832).

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Updated on Friday, November 14, 2008 11:20 AM (PST)

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