THE GURU:
MEANING & BUSINESS OF THE GURU

ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡੁ ਬਲਾਇਆ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥:
Gur giaan parchand balaaiaa agiaan anadheraa jaai ||2||:
The Gur has lit the Brilliant Light of Spiritual Wisdom, and the darkness
of ignorance has been dispelled ||2|| (sggs 29).
<><><><>

In an another part of this Gurbani Reflection ("Who Is The Satguru In Sikhi?"), two aspects of the Guru were reflected upon: (a) who the Satguru (True Guru) in Sikhi is, and (b) how one can connect to Him. In this Reflection, the meaning of the Guru or Satguru and his business will be reflected upon. As discussed in the the previous part of this Reflection, the Satguru is not a physical form; for he is the omnipresent Spirit, Light, Giaan (Self-knowledge), and so on. Just as the butter exists in the milk and fire exists in the wood, similarly Giaan is present in the Shabad, Naam or Anahad Naad. The Essence of this Shabad or Naam dwells deep Within the Home of our Inner Being, and it reflects only through our the Gurmukh Lifestyle or the Divine Life.

Because of ignorance of our True Being (Joti-Svaroopa, which is of the nature of Pure Consciousness), occultation has long taken place in religions. Consequently, the Gurudom — with the emphasis on lust, money, power and name — has become a very paying business of all gains and no loss. It does not mean the world is without genuine Gurmukh, who are not wrapped up in sex and money, but they are very "rare" and far in between.

Due to the lack of genuine Spiritual yearning, taking on an embodied (time-bound or Dehadhaaree) Guru for some has merely become an another mundane fashion! For example, some take on embodied Guru out of shear fanaticism, some because of worldly problems (financial, legal, health, etc.), while some just for the heck of it! Such people change their embodied Gurus for another like they change their clothes! These Guru hoppers can be likened to a thirsty person who keeps searching for wells indefinitely! Why? Because they don't know who the Satguru really is. It's like the deer unaware of the presence of musk within his own body, keeps searching for it outside in bushes!

In reality, we are never without a Satguru; for he is timelessly present in the "cave" of our Heart. As indicated in the Gurbani (Gurmat or God's Teaching), No one is empty of the Satguru.

Many bogus, embodied (ਦੇਹਧਾਰੀ) Gurus use this material mentality (Mayaic living in egoism) of the people for their exploitation; which results in a widespread religious corruption, cheating and swindling in the name of Spirituality, Satguru or God. As a result, the empires of Gurus are created, where their bodies and portraits are worshipped; cults and new religions with their own complex adherents and antagonists are invented; various gods and goddesses of lower and higher grades are created; fanatics with blind hatred towards other religious communities are created; worthless rituals, creeds and dogmas are created; false claims like "my religion, my holy book and my Prophet, alone is true" are made; and so on. The Gurbani calls such false embodied Gurus "thugs".

The Word "Guru" Defined

The word "Guru" consists of two words namely "Gu" and "Ru". Here "Gu" stands for attributeless (Gunateet), and "Ru" signifies formless (Nirankaar or Rupavarjita). So, Parameshar, Sahib, Sajjan, etc., who is attributeless and formless, is the Satguru, within. The name Satguru consists of two words, Sat and Guru. The word Sat means that which holds True in past, present and future — which holds the knowledge of past, present and future. As the Truth is eternal, the Sat represents the eternal nature of the Guru; the one without beginning, middle, or end. It simply means that the Guru or the Satguru does not take birth; thereby, never dies.

There is another interpretation for the word Guru. "Gu" signifies darkness and "Ru" denotes Knowledge or Light. Thus, the word Guru denotes that Divine Light or Divine Knowledge which removes the darkness of Spiritual ignorance, arising out of the body attachment or body-consciousness.

As discussed in detail in Part 1 of this Reflection, whenever there is a mention of Guru or Satguru in the Gurbani, it points only towards the non-dual Divine Principle (Shabad, Hukam, ਸਚ ਦਾ ਗਿਆਨ, etc.). Therefore, the Gurmat's Guru or Satguru or Divine Teacher is situated in the True Home within (Heart). Hence the Gurbani's Satguru neither takes birth nor dies; for he does not have material mother and father. As the Shabad is the Expression of the Satguru, hidden in the Shabad is the mystery and the Essence of this Illuminating Factor. Thus the Satguru, Raam, Gobind, Gopaal, Sahib, Sajjan, Sant, Saadh, Shabad, Naam, Bani, Hukam, Amrit (Immortality), Blissful Realm, Truth, Nij Ghar, and so on, are in essence one and the same.

One may ask: "If I don't know God, and if I don't have any living or embodied Guru, then how am I to attain Self-knowledge (Aatam-Giaan) and remove my ignorance?"

God has given us the gift of the Divine Shabad (Naam-Giaan...). He is hidden in it just as the bird is hidden in the egg or the sweetness is hidden in the sugar. Since God's Transcendental as well as Immanence qualities are represented by the Shabad, it can be thought of as a subtle interpreter or bridge between the Supreme Essence and the Jeeva (individual being). In other words, the Divine Knowledge (Aatam-Giaan...) capable of roasting the seed of one's ignorance of his True Being is hidden right in the Shabad, just as the tree is hidden in the seed. One who searches in it with Pure Heart (the Gurmukh) finds It! But, unfortunately, very "rare" is the Gurmukh because the earnestness is very rare, the willingness is very rare, the faith is very rare, conviction is very rare, right living is very rare, and the clarity of vision is very rare. Therefore, as indicated in the Gurbani, very "rare" one understands (ਸੂਝ-ਬੂਝ) the Gue-Shabad (Gur-Giaan...). Consequently, majority of us feel satisfied with mere lip service or parrot-like and mechanical reading and listening of the Gurbani!

In nutshell, the Satguru is none other than the Aatam-Giaan (Self-knowledge, Bibek-Budhi...). And that Giaan is boxed in the Shabad, just as the fragrance is boxed in the flower. Thus, the Essence of the Guru (or God) is hidden in the Shabad. The Shabad, or Pure Knowledge, has two aspects: Subtle (Inner or Transcendental) and gross (external or immanent). Thus, if someone longs to meet the Inner Guru ("ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੁਰੁ"), He can be realized within by understanding the True Essence of the written form of the Shabad. If intuitively understood, the universal Divine Knowledge or Intuitive Wisdom contained in the Gurbani is sure to guide the devotee to upgrade his consciousness so that he may realize the Transcendental aspect of the Shabad located within, the Antarguru, bringing him liberation from the disease of ignorance and falsehood (Maya), and union of his Mool (Source, Origin...). Like the bumblebee who sucks honey from the flowers, we can also train our mind to drink the Wisdom from the Gur-Shabad. Then we can offer up our ignorance in the fire of this Wisdom (Aatam-Giaan)! Guru's Business

The only reason the living entity is suffering is the ignorance of his True Nature, which is Joti-Svaroop. Thus, the Guru has only one business — to rescue Jeeva (individual beings) from this ignorance. His Shabad or Bani is the torch of Divine Knowledge, which, if applied truthfully, can relieve the living entity enveloped in the suffering resulting from ignorance of the Truth.

In essence, to enable the seeker link with his Mool, the Guru's function is to Impart the Self-knowledge (Aatam-Giaan...). We have been provided with the Gurbani for Divine Knowledge (Aatam-Giaan). The practice of Shabad-Vichaar with conviction and earnestness can lead us onwards from animal nature to Divine Nature (Spiritual Realization). Just as a Doctor treats the illness to restore health in a patient, the Gurbani removes the ignorance, which is the cause of bondage by constantly guiding theseeker's Spiritual evolution.

Our Soul-consciousness is the Light of Knowledge (Joti-Svaroopa). As discussed in Part 1 of this Reflection, the Satguru, the Original Source of all Knowledge, is situated within, but we do not know about it. This is our ignorance. We are urged by the Gurbani to awaken this Divine Subject within; the Original Source of all Knowledge. That is Self-realization.

How can one go about experiencing the Satguru within the Inner Home (Heart-ਹਿਰਦਾ-ਘਰ)? Briefly, the Gurbani's instructions are as follows. There is only One God; He is situated within all; dive deep within and find this All-pervading Principle through Shabad-Vichaar ; eradicate desires and fear; control (or conquering) of the wandering mind-elephant by holding it in focus and by becoming pointedly aware of thoughts, words and deeds; Truthful living; break bonds with Maya; placing reins in the mouth of this body-horse; meditate on the Naam (Gian); destro duality (Doojaa Bhaav); roast the seeds of ignorance of our True Identity in the Aatam-Giaan; surrender falsehood, egotism (haumai); cultivating Divine Attributes such as humility, dispassion (Bairaag), compassion, true contentment; keep the True Company (Sach) within, and Sangat of the Gurmukh without; abandon association of Manmukhs (material or ego-beings...); shun all worthless religious rituals because they only increase the fire of false ego (Haume); eradicate Bikaar (lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, enviousness and stubborn mindedness); remove doubts; living in the "now", not in the past or the future; understand that this world of names and forms is illusion (Mithiya); pilgrimage or bathing at shrines is a waste of time; and so on.

Are we willing to do it? Very "rare" one does it; rest of us (over 99.9 percent) just talk! Because we are selfish. In selfishness one cannot be objective, honest, truthful, moral, and righteous; thereby, one cannot see things in their proper perspective.

If we follow the Way of the Truth as outlined in the Gurbani, there is no need of any embodied or living Guru (Dehadhaaree Guru). To the contrary, if we don't, then it does not matter how many Dehadhaaree Gurus one takes on; for it will not make diddly-squat difference! Because falsehood (egoism) and Truth or Naam (Giaan...) cannot coexist!

Simply put, through meditation on the Gur-Shabad with Love, the Satguru stands awakened within. Which, in turn, unfolds the Transcendental form of the Name or Shabad to the seeker. To say it in our relative language, the Truthful living (Dharma) upgrades our nature from "animal-man" to human; in turn, the human unfolds to us the Satguru within and we become Spiritual Being, whereby the Satguru unfolds to us the Transcendental form of the Shabad or Naam and we link to our Mool (Source, Origin...).

The Gurbani has thus provided us with all the true answers and guidance. What we need to do is give up our selfishness, sublimate our weaknesses, beautify our perversions, and straighten our crookedness (i.e., give up ways of Maya). Such Intuitive Understanding calls forth a diligent attempt, consistent self-effort (Shabad-Vichaar), and continuous mental alertness.

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Updated on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 10:36 AM (PST)

[Home] [Article Menu]