Gobind in Me is Gobind in All

The edict of the Gurmat Giaan (Wisdom) of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS teaches us that people call the Universal Energy (Hukam: System-Rule-Law of Nature…) by many names. Call by whatever name you like, Universal Energy is One – the common denominator of all beings and all that exists.

• ਸਭੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ਹੈ ਸਭੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ਹੈ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਈ॥: Gobind (Universal Energy) is All (i.e., in everything and everywhere), Gobind is All (i.e., in everything and everywhere); without Gobind, there is nothing at all. (sggs 485).

However, duality-ridden mind does not and cannot grasp this simple truth of ONENESS or SAMENESS. This is why the SGGS has to remind us that the intellect to yoke with Gobind within is of different kind (ਹੋਰ ਕਿਸਮ ਦੀ – free of Bikaar: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy, animosity etc.).

• ਗੋਵਿੰਦ ਭਜਨ ਕੀ ਮਤਿ ਹੈ ਹੋਰਾ ॥ ਵਰਮੀ ਮਾਰੀ ਸਾਪੁ ਨ ਮਰਈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਸੁਨਈ ਡੋਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ : The intellect to unite with ‘Gobind‘ (Mool, Truth…) is different. If one does not listen to the Naam (then his external religious Karamkaand is akin to beating the snake-hole instead of the snake, but, by just) beating the snake-hole, the snake is not killed! ||1||Pause|| (sggs 381).

Spirituality is to compassionately consider others. Specifically, the Gurbani says know others as you want yourself to be known or treat others as you like to be treated!

• ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਿ ਤਰਸ ਕਰਿ ਜੀਅ ਮਹਿ ਮਾਰਿ ਮਣੀ ਕਰਿ ਫੀਕੀ ॥ ਆਪੁ ਜਨਾਇ ਅਵਰ ਕਉ ਜਾਨੈ ਤਬ ਹੋਇ ਭਿਸਤ ਸਰੀਕੀ ॥੪॥: (O Qazi), recognize (same One) Rabb in all and have compassion in mind, kill false ego-sense and render it insipid. When a person makes himself aware – that Rabb is within – and understands others like himself, then that person becomes a partner of heaven (i.e. he lives a heavenly life here and now, NOT after death – a state beyond duality). ||4|| (sggs 480).

The Gurbani’s Wisdom teaches us there is but One Reality or One Universal Energy. This one Universal Energy is the substratum (Support-Aadhaar) of all. It is this Reality, the Homogeneous Oneness, the highest plane of Universal Energy, which runs in and through all beings.

In other words, a person must first understand onself (i.e., his own Essential Nature as Jot Saroop), and then understand others as himself. A person of such untainted Awareness lives peacefully with all and dies peacefully.

The implication is that without first understanding oneself, mind’s moss of doubts (Bharam) will stick around. And without eradication of one’s own moss of doubts, one cannot see or treat others as his ownself.

• ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਿਨੁ ਆਪਾ ਚੀਨੈ ਮਿਟੈ ਨ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕੀ ਕਾਈ ॥੨॥੧॥: ‘Jan’ Nanak says, without KNOWING one’s ownself, the moss of doubt from the mind does not go away. ||2||1|| (sggs 684).

The Gurbani asserts the One Light has become everything!

• ਏਕ ਨੂਰ ਤੇ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਕਉਨ ਭਲੇ ਕੋ ਮੰਦੇ ॥੧॥: The entire universe has taken place from One ‘Noor‘ (One Universal Energy, Hukam, System or Law of Nature, ਕੁਦਰਤ ਦਾ ਨਿਯਮ). So who is good, and who is bad? ||1|| (sggs 1349).

Thus, the Gurbani says ‘Gobind’ in me is ‘Gobind‘ in all. Hence there is no ‘other‘ at all.

• ਜੋ ਦੀਸੈ ਸੋ ਤੇਰਾ ਰੂਪੁ ॥: Whatever is seen is Your form (sggs724).
• ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥: O my mind, without ‘Hari‘ (Mool, Prabh, Gobind, Raam, Alah…), there is no other at all (sggs 47).

This One Reality appears as many because of different names and forms which are superimposed on it.

The names and forms are not Real for they change. Everything we see around us changes. In fact the whole phenomenal world is changeful, thus unreal (Mithiya or dream…).

If the test of Reality is that it does not change, then is there anything Real? The Gurbani says there is something that never changes, that is there in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. It is not only Unchanging, it is everywhere, in the small as well as in the big, in the good as well as in the bad! This Ultimate Reality cannot be fully explained or defined. Things originate from it, subsist on it, and ultimately merge in it.

• ਨਾਨਕ ਸੋ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿ ਸਭਸੈ ਦੇ ਆਧਾਰੁ ॥: O Nanak, praise the One who gives Support to all (sggs 791).

The diversity is only in terms of names and forms, but, at the Transcendental level, there is nothing but Unity. The feelings of diversity or ‘otherness’ is the ego-mind (Haumai) in action.

• ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮੈਲੁ ਭਰ ਨਾਲਿ ॥: O my mind, you are filled with the filth of egotism (sggs 35).

In the divided consciousness (Haumai or Mayaic intellect, Manmukhtaa…), there is always the feeling of ‘Me’ and ‘You’, which now marks all our relationships. When there is no sense of ‘Me’ and ‘You’ and ‘otherness’, there is only the selflessness, true love, peace, harmony, joy, and happiness. The Gurbani assures us that our mind can reach its Jot Saroop here and now, because that’s essentially what it is!

Thus, we all are One with the Universal Energy at this very moment. However, due to the madness of the rebellious ego-mind (Haumai), we do not see that way. Consequently, we have made this world the play of the self-centered false ego-sense, which is inherently selfish. This is why the Gurbani time and again reminds removing the negative impact of it.

The universality of the Gurbani thus lies in the fact that it deals directly with the human mind and personality. The potentials and possibilities of the inner personality that are pertinent and applicable to the human race at all times are addressed at great length.

Unity in thought, word and action makes one an integrated personality.

The truth is that we carry two personalities — the body-frame and the True Self (Mool, Jot Saroop…). According to the Gurbani, the greatest hurdle is our identification with the temporary body/mind/intellect component and not with the mind’s Jot Saroop within (i.e Mool). Unlearning this habit and seeing the Jot Saroop as our True Nature brings about a change in our entire outlook. As a result, instead of perceiving the differences in the universe, one sees Totality or Reality. The Gurbani’s Wisdom taken through Shabad-Vichhar affords us the ability to live with Unity in thought, word and action (the Gurmukh Lifestyle).

Thus, Universal is the Gurbani’s Message (Wisdom, Gurmat Upadesh or Way of the SGGS)!

Gurbani sees all mankind as One, and teaches us to joins in Oneness. If there has to be harmony at the individual or collective level, it must be on the bedrock of this Oneness!

So, the Gurbani asks us not to forget Gobind Naam (Brahm-Giaan…):

• ਅੰਤਿ ਕਾਲਿ ਜੋ ਲਛਮੀ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਐਸੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ॥ ਸਰਪ ਜੋਨਿ ਵਲਿ ਵਲਿ ਅਉਤਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਅਰੀ ਬਾਈ ਗੋਬਿਦ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਤਿ ਬੀਸਰੈ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਅੰਤਿ ਕਾਲਿ ਜੋ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਐਸੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ॥ ਬੇਸਵਾ ਜੋਨਿ ਵਲਿ ਵਲਿ ਅਉਤਰੈ ॥੨॥ ਅੰਤਿ ਕਾਲਿ ਜੋ ਲੜਿਕੇ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਐਸੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ॥ ਸੂਕਰ ਜੋਨਿ ਵਲਿ ਵਲਿ ਅਉਤਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਅੰਤਿ ਕਾਲਿ ਜੋ ਮੰਦਰ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਐਸੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ॥ ਪ੍ਰੇਤ ਜੋਨਿ ਵਲਿ ਵਲਿ ਅਉਤਰੈ ॥੪॥ ਅੰਤਿ ਕਾਲਿ ਨਾਰਾਇਣੁ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਐਸੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ॥ ਬਦਤਿ ਤਿਲੋਚਨੁ ਤੇ ਨਰ ਮੁਕਤਾ ਪੀਤੰਬਰੁ ਵਾ ਕੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਬਸੈ ॥੫॥੨॥: (Forgetting Naam while alive – the final opportunity to realize God) should one spend human life contemplating Maya or material wealth to the end, spiritual death occurs in such focus and contemplation. (Spiritual death occurs under the influence of Maya because) it’s a life lived in the cycle of negative traits of a serpent. ||1|| O mind of mine, never forsake the Naam (Spiritual Wisdom, Virtues) of the Creator Lord. ||Pause||  Should Human Life be spent in contemplation of carnal pleasures to the end, spiritual death occurs in such focus and contemplation. (Spiritual death under the influence of carnal pleasures occurs because) it’s a life lived in the cycle of negative traits of a prostitute. ||2|| Should Human Life be spent in contemplation of offspring to the end, spiritual death occurs in such focus and contemplation. (Spiritual death occurs under such influence because) it’s a life lived in the cycle of negative traits of a hog. ||3|| Should Human Life be spent in contemplation of one’s property (mansions etc.) to the end, spiritual death occurs in such focus and contemplation. (Spiritual death occurs under the influence of collecting possessions because) it’s a life lived in the cycle of demonic traits. ||4|| Should Human Life (the final opportunity to realize God) be spent in contemplation of the Creator to the end, and should one die from worldly desires, Tirlochan says doing so offers Freedom (from undue focus on material, carnal pleasures, offspring, property, possessions) and invites the Creator to reside within one’s thoughts. ||5||2|| (sggs 526).