God...according to Sikh Teachings
Guru Nanak described God perfectly in our Mool Mantar.
He was so much in awe that he had to elaborate his original thoughts and did so in the form of our Japji, 38 stanzas dedicated to describing God.(Osho)
Guru NanakJi described God as beyond form, time and thought and even imagination. Any description attributed to God would immediately become obsolete or deficient as God would be far greater, far more and far beyond the description.
Upon this premise, we intend to put forth a base description for children and students of all ages to grasp and build upon.
The most important thing to understand is that God is One and the One!
God is the truth and expresses only one emotion LOVE.
God is the light in all our darkness and upon accepting and embracing and knowing and loving and uttering and thinking God (naam simran) one brings light into their life.
How could one explain God to an innocent child?
Can a man claim to be God?
Can a book be God?
Can God be a statue?
What is our souls true purpose?
Where can one be one with God?
What are the distractions to achieving oneness with God?
Where does one find God?
How can one know God?
Can you prove God exists?
Can you communicate with God?
If one finds God does he become better than the rest of us?
What does one do with knowledge of God?
How does one approach God?
Is there a belief that is superior to ours?
How do you treat people with beliefs that are not the same as yours?
These are some of the topics we hope to touch on but with absolute respect and love for all and with no intention but to reveal the truth to and for all.
If you disagree with any of the views expressed herein please take no offense, we respect your views and will definitely entertain alternative viewpoints.
Please forgive us as we are not claiming to be any authority on God but mere students in search of the truth, contemplating and meditating upon the knowledge presented to us buy our blessed Gurus.
God to a child
It is said that it is only as a child that one can experience God. God can only be realized if one searches for God with the innocence of a child, with absolute trust and blind faith and total acceptance of the fact that God exists.
I asked children to describe God and write an email describing their concept of what God is to them.
My eldest son who is 12 wrote very simply... God is love. He then attached a picture of a beautiful stairway leading over the oceans to heaven.
He then said “To me God is a light full of love. God takes care of each and every one of us. Sometimes people get lost and think that God is a living person – we must teach them with love and kindness the way to get back on track.”
He very aptly described one of the reasons we are writing this.
My younger boy of 10 wrote “God is a light full of love and care. God is in us, around us and in our minds and dreams and in our hearts. I see God everywhere. In the clouds, the light of the sun and the moon. God is in front of us and in us – God is everything in life.”
I am quoting from a book whose name I am still searching for but this next story helps shed light on the concept of God very concisely.
A little girl wanted to know how God could be in all people and everywhere at the same time and asked her Dad to explain the reason to her. He was stumped and replied that he would find out and get back to her after some research. A week passed and she went running to her Dad and exclaimed that she now knew how God did it. She explained to her Dad that she was playing with a large mirror in the park when she lost hold of it. The mirror smashed into thousands of little pieces. In each of those tiny pieces she saw her own reflection. “We are God's mirrors Dad!”
Simple but beautifully put.
We Sikhs happily teach our children the Mool Mantar and the Japji believing we have imparted knowledge to them. Now reflect on the words.. do you yourself understand the simplicity and depth of just the Mool Mantar and the first Pauri?
Have you ever taken the time to explain this to the precious souls under your care?.. of course assuming you actually grasped its meaning or did you like so many of us just utter the Japji Sahib from memory with little contemplation or understanding of its true meaning?
Essentially then in Guru Nanak's words there is only one God who is the truth, who created everything and everyone and is immortal and the only truth.
God is beyond our comprehension. Without God, peace of mind cannot be achieved, hunger cannot be satiated and all wisdom is useless.
How can one understand our true purpose and destroy ignorance?
It is only by accepting God.
The above is a translation of the first Pauri of Japji Sahib. Here Guru Nanak reveals one of the Naunidh – Hukam. Hukam means to accept completely.
What is a Sikh?
A sikh is a student in search of God.
What is our souls true purpose?
A seeker aiming for the ultimate purpose of each soul – union with the higher consciousness that is Waheguru.
God and the truth can manifest in statues, books and people but is not the statue, the book or the man and hence the statue, book or man cannot be worshipped as God.
Infinite can manifest into unlimited number of finites, but any number of finites, alone or together, cannot be equal to the Infinite.
So any finite form cannot be worshipped as God, Who is Infinite and Formless:
"God is Formless, colorless, markless, He is casteless, classless, creedless; His form, hue, shape and garb Cannot be described by any one, He is the Spirit of Eternity, Self-Radiant, He shineth in His Splendor." (Guru Gobind Singh) |
The Unseen, Infinite, Inaccessible, Inapprehensible God is not subject to death or destiny.
He is of no caste, unborn, self-existent, without fear or doubt.
I am a sacrifice to the Truest of the true.
He hath no form, or color, or outline;
He becometh manifest by the true Word.
He hath no mother, father, son, or kinsman;
He feeleth not lust, and hath no wife
Or family; He is pure, endless, and infinite; all light is Thine, O Lord.
God is concealed in every heart; His light is in every heart.
He whose understanding's adamantine doors are opened by
the Guru's instruction, fixeth his gaze on the Fearless One.
God having created animals made them subject to death, and retained all contrivances in His Own power.
He who serveth the True Guru obtaineth the real boon, and is delivered by repeating the Word.
Truth is contained in pure vessels; few there are whose acts are pure.
By seeking Thy protection, saith Nanak, the soul blendeth with the Supreme Soul.
(Sorath Mohalla 1, p-597)
He is of no caste, unborn, self-existent, without fear or doubt.
I am a sacrifice to the Truest of the true.
He hath no form, or color, or outline;
He becometh manifest by the true Word.
He hath no mother, father, son, or kinsman;
He feeleth not lust, and hath no wife
Or family; He is pure, endless, and infinite; all light is Thine, O Lord.
God is concealed in every heart; His light is in every heart.
He whose understanding's adamantine doors are opened by
the Guru's instruction, fixeth his gaze on the Fearless One.
God having created animals made them subject to death, and retained all contrivances in His Own power.
He who serveth the True Guru obtaineth the real boon, and is delivered by repeating the Word.
Truth is contained in pure vessels; few there are whose acts are pure.
By seeking Thy protection, saith Nanak, the soul blendeth with the Supreme Soul.
(Sorath Mohalla 1, p-597)
The lesson for us here is to teach our children to accept God.
God created them in perfection and they are here only because God willed it.
To begin to understand God one must first accept God.
Then all will be revealed as we contemplate and utter his name in Simran.
If we focus on Naam and ask all questions at this heightened state of mind, all answers and all truths will gradually be revealed by God within, whom Guru Nanak referred to as Sargun.
Is it right to Idolize?
Human nature tends to idolize rather than idealize, We are all guilty of treating someone or some object or statue as much more than it should be.
The someone may be a Parent, a Spiritual Teacher, a War Hero, a Great Leader, a Beautiful Model or Movie Star.
The object might be the Bible, Bhagavad Gita, Granth Sahib, Quran or a religious artefact or photo or painting.
The statue might be of a deity or person.
What we must learn is to look at what they each represent.
Extract and value the ideals that they stand for but not idolize the object, statue or the person.
Guru Gobind recognized this human tendency to idolize and treat the Gurus as God.
He tried to explain this to his followers but realized the difficulties for both the Gurus and the followers to maintain a spiritual relationship, free or ego, pride and greed.
That is when he was forced to end the Guruship and to ask his followers to accept the Granth Sahib as The Word of the Gurus and to go to the Granth Sahib to search for the Truth.
Can a man claim to be God?
Yes but if he truly understood God he would realize with humility that he is but a tiny aspect of God and if he were God then all humanity is God but a very small aspect of God who is beyond our imagination, beyond humanity, beyond earth, beyond our Galaxy and even beyond our Universe.
Such a man who claims to be God would have fallen to Ahankar – ego and pride.
Even the Gurus though much loved and respected would never for an instant allow anyone to regard them as God.
Japji Sahib 32nd pauri
How can one realize the Eternal and all embracing Divine?
If in the place of one tongue we acquire hundreds of thousands tongues and these are again multiplied twenty times. Then with each of these tongues we repeat the Name of the Divine Father with love and devotion, one hundred thousand times, we slowly and steadily travel the various stages of self-realization, and become at-one with Him.
However there are persons who on hearing that His Bhagtas have reached the stage of at-one-ment, verbally claim without any effort to meditate on the Divine name that they are God themselves. Such persons are just like ants who acquire wings in the rainy season, and try in vain to soar in the sky like the eagle or the hawk. But such self-conceited persons fall down into the pit of burning desire, and grovel in the worldly dust of attachment.
Sayeth Guru Nanak, such bombastic and wordy claims lead one no where. The door of self realization can be opened through constant devout meditation, humility and leaving everything to His grace. Then and then alone the cloud of selfishness (egoism) is removed and the Divine within shines in its full effulgence.
If one finds God does he become better than the rest of us?
Upon God-realization one should shed all sense of I and think of we. In essence it means that a God-realised soul should work to help all other souls realize God too.
If ego and pride take over the soul his God-realization is short lived because Ahangkar or Ego has come in and the soul has fallen from its self-created pedestal. The soul has fallen to a lower level. Until it can work out its ego issues it will not be able to ascend the level to God-realization again.
A truly God-realized soul will understand how small he is as compared to God that love, awe and humility will fill his heart and he will do all in his capacity to serve God and to fullfil the divine order.
Is God within me?
Of course God is everywhere and in everything. He is within you and me but we are not God we are just a part of God but next to God we are tiny almost like an atom within a cell within us. With Naam we can be one with God the personal but in no way can we be greater than God.
It is by shedding all ideas of “I” (ego) that one can perceive God. The gurus reveal that reciting Simran or Gurbani – (Naam) will help one achieve oneness with God through his own consciousness.
What are the obstacles one faces in their attempt to reach oneness with God?
The pancadosh – 5 evils or panj vikar – 5 thieves.
They are considered the five major weaknesses of humanity.
The pancadosh will distract or obstruct one from the spiritual path.
They are;
- Kam – lust and addiction or craving
- Krodh – anger or rage
- Lobh – greed or materialism
- Moh – unhealthy attachment to worldly possessions and relationships
- Ahangkar – pride and ego
What qualities must you have to be a Gur-Sikh?
A Gur-Sikh is one who follows the path set by the Gurus in devotion to his search for God-consciousness.
Gursikhs are required to walk on the Guru's Path, as described by fourth master, Guru Ram Das: gurasikh meeth chalahu gur chaalee O Sikhs of the Guru, O friends, walk on the Guru's Path. Guru's path means the three concepts of Sikhism:
- Kirat Karna - Earning an honest living
- Vand chhakna - Charity
Are you still able to realize God if you somehow are not able to follow all the rules of Sikhism or of your religion?
Some of our brothers have cut their hair,
Several of our ladies wax,
Some drink and some even smoke.
Some believe in Hinduism as well as the teachings of our Gurus.
Some turn to other beliefs or religions.
Some see God in a great teacher or their parents or partner.
Some pray to idols and others may idolize a person.
A few may have even committed crimes or cheated on their spouses or taken a life.
As humans we are prone to make mistakes or not obey rules. God does not judge but is only love and light. It is we humans who judge others and often we even judge ourselves too severely.
Is someone lesser or beneath us just because his views are different or he has made some mistakes?
Nanak parkhe aap kayu ta paarakh jaan:
O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge (SGGS 148).
Is mann kayu koee khojo bhaaee:
Let each person examine his own mind, O brother (SGGS 1128).
Be very careful when you judge for before you judge others judge yourself. Imagine how God would treat each of these souls and try to be God-like in your response to them. Love and light, love and light and if you waver, love and light.
All athmas are one and we are all athmas.
Remember waheguru is in all and all are within Waheguru.
In essence God is for all of us and if we deny someone God, we deny ourselves God too.
God realization comes from Naam. Waheguru loves all athmas, so all who search have within them the power to realize God.
Understanding, analyzing and knowing oneself is a good way to realize who you are - a process called self-realization.
Pranvat Nanak giaanee kaisaa hoi.
Aap pashaanai boojhai soi:
Prays Nanak, what’s the nature of the Giaanee (the Spiritual Being, the Wise one, etc.)?
(He is the trure Giaanee) who recognizes his Real Self (Originality, Essential Nature, etc.), such (the Self-Realized one) understands God (SGGS 25).
How does one cope with failure, insecurity or mistakes?
We often judge ourselves too harshly.
We have to employ our God-mind and learn not to be too self-critical and self-effacing and take our failure badly.
If God will forgive us and bless us with love, why do we have to put ourselves through so much pain.
The trick here is to take failure as a lesson to garner the keys to success.
Introspect and attain self-realization, know your nature, your aspirations and your limitations.
We have to learn our lesson, forgive and forget our mistakes, then let go of the failure and work towards success.
What does being God-realised achieve?
It is said that upon achieving God-consciousness or oneness with God, one will be blessed with Nau-nidh.
Nau-Nidh means the nine spiritual treasures of a Brahm Giani - one who is God-realized.
What are the Nau-Nidh or nine spiritual treasures?
They are;
- Hukam - acceptance (P1)
- Bharosa - faith and dependance in God (implies it in P28)
- Vairagya - Detachment from the world (P6)
- Leenta - absolute attachment and absorption in God (P17)
- Sehej - balance and equilibrium within the mind (P10)
- Anand - state of delight and joy (P36)
- Vismaag - forgetting oneself in ecstasy because of God (P36)
- Santokh - contentment (P28)
- Nadar - realization that God is the reason for everything in one's life (P38)
We were asked to reference the NauNidh to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib to verify that these indeed were the 9 spiritual treasures. The NauNidh are the nine treasures of a Brahm Giani and can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts.
We could not find them enumerated as a list but interestingly Guru Nanak had referenced several of the NauNidh within the Japji Sahib. We show in brackets where in the Japji Sahib reference to each of the Nau-Nidh was made.
Can one confirm the existence of God?
The very fact that life exists on earth is testimony to God's existence.
In the study of evolution, the basic structures of cells of plants and animals are similar but different pointing to variation of a common theme that plays itself out to the highest levels of plant and animal life but with a range and elegance that can only be attributed to a higher consciousness, a divine plan.
In basic physics the study of atoms and molecules further shows a recurring pattern and trend with symmetry and fractals occurring that again can only point to the divine.
The structure of the planets and the way the planetary bodies obey the simple laws of physics hints to it.
The consciousness that drives this divine plan, that creates order from all the chaos, that puts meaning and sense in the unfathomable.. that consciousness is God.
Humanity is gradually but surely realizing its connection to every other soul on earth, first to all other human souls, then to the animals and even plants and even to the mineral world.
More and more souls are being driven not to the limits of an outer consciousness but rather to an inner consciousness that hints towards a higher existence that we are only beginning to fathom but the means to which our Gurus had so eloquently laid down in the pages of the Granth Sahib.
How do we realize God?
- Hukam - The first key to God is to accept and stop questioning.
- Bharosa - Upon acceptance of God and beginning a quest in search of him, expand your mind, read all that is written and develop faith.
- Vairagya - When you have exhausted every outer search then begin your inner quest with detachment from any negative unhealthy relationship to the world and family.
- Leenta -Using Naam attain an absolute absorption in and attachment to God.
- Sehej - If you actually quieten your mind, aim for balance and listen to the silence within, a point of equilibrium will be reached where
- Anand - a light will fill your mind and your heart will quicken with Joy
- Vismaad - as you feel the LOVE and presence of God, you will be in a state of spiritual ecstasy
- Santokh - contentment will follow.
- Nadar - and after a deeper realization of the wonder that is God one will attribute all to God and only God and not think about his personal contribution as one is nothing without God.
Naam is the secret and the Nau-Nidh the keys to unlock Sargun - the God within, and gradually realize the true infinitesimal nature of NirGun to further our understanding of the Satguru or Waheguru.
Can one communicate with God?
Every-time we utter Waheguru or Satnaam, with love and pure devotion to God or we contemplate God through Gurbani or Shabads, we are at some level tuning in to God's frequency.
Some call it achieving a level of super-consciousness or higher consciousness. Prayer is the main form of communication with God but one must be careful and not join the masses in begging or bargaining with God.
How should one pray?
When one asks God for something he should invoke rather than ask repeatedly. Once you have asked, leave it in Waheguru's hands and then believe that it is done.
What one asks for is important as God, being pure love and truth, shall never do anything against his divine plan. Invoke for all and not for yourself alone, no being should suffer or be beholden as a result of what you ask and what you ask for should never be for personal gain or to satisfy Maya (illusion).
Always consider the needs of all before your own and you will be working within God's plan.
It is said that when we say 'I', we sway to Maya but if we think and say 'We', we sway to God.
What is the Saadh Sangat?
It is here that one must tune=in or wakeup to the idea that we as athmas are not separate individuals living out our own lives but in truth are all connected to each other as one – The Saadh Sangat.
Our role is to raise not just our consciousness to God's but that of all souls as one Saadh Sangat.
As we raise our consciousness our role turns to one of helping others raise theirs for what we must realize is that our consciousness is tied in with God's.
If we do not all strive to be one with God then we would have missed an opportunity to work with God in helping one and all.
The highest form of Sewa (service to God) one can do is to assist another soul to the light that is God.
Moving from our own soul's consciousness, realizing we are connected to a larger group consciousness, to strive for all earthly souls to earth-consciousness and ultimately that all souls in our universe are connected to the universal-consciousness.
What does one do with knowledge of God?
It is believed that if one wants more knowledge or more of anything, one has to share or distribute what one already has to keep more coming in.
Basically if one wants knowledge, teach. The more one shares with others the knowledge received the more precise will be his knowledge of the relevant material and the more knowledge will flow to him through the universal-consciousness.
Realize too that you are insignificant as compared to all athmas and nothing if not for God and your pride and ego will not deter your progress across the ocean of Maya to reach full union with God.
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