Friday 12 December 2008

Separateness


Photo Credit: ichaz

A sea of clouds, a sky of waves - they arise, only to subside.

I aim to update this blog every two days. However, due to work and family committments, on those days I don't have much time to write something very detailed, I'll try to post something brief relating to the Hukamnama (Command for the day) from Darbaar Sahib ('Golden Temple', Amritsar, Panjaab). By definition, it will be a limited personal understanding.

Ultimately, I hope to stimulate some of the readership, so that we can share our spontaneous thoughts and feelings via comments. After all, to contemplate The Satguroo is to connect with The Satguroo.

The following Du-panktee ('two-liner' i.e. couplet) is from yesterday's Hukamnama:


ਜਬਹਮਹੋਤੇਤਬਤੂਨਾਹੀਅਬਤੂਹੀਮੈਨਾਹੀ॥
jab ham hothae thab thoo naahee ab thoohee mai naahee
When I am, then You are not. Now that You are, I am not.

ਅਨਲਅਗਮਜੈਸੇਲਹਰਿਮਇਓਦਧਿਜਲਕੇਵਲਜਲਮਾਂਹੀ॥1॥
anal agam jaisae lehar mae oudhadhh jal kaeval jal maa(n)hee 1
The wind may raise up huge waves in the vast ocean, but they are just water in water. 1

ਮਾਧਵੇਕਿਆਕਹੀਐਭ੍ਰਮੁਐਸਾ॥
maadhhavae kiaa keheeai bhram aisaa
O Master, what can I say about such an illusion?

ਜੈਸਾਮਾਨੀਐਹੋਇਨਤੈਸਾ॥1॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
jaisaa maaneeai hoe n thaisaa 1 rehaao
Things are not as they seem. 1 Pause


(Ang/Page 657)


The Satguroo speaks to me above by telling me that although I may identify myself as different, all things arise from The One and all things return to The One. There is nothing aside from Vaheguroo. There is never actually any separateness.

The waves of illusion, of thought, of self-identity, which constantly assail me and lead me to mistakenly perceive myself as separate from others, separate from this universe and ultimately separate from Vaheguroo, are just temporary phenomena, by-products of ego.

Ego is like the grey cloud that blocks the sunlight, casting darkest shadows. Eventually, it will have to pass. In my prison of perception, what I perceive as reality is not reality. Things are not as they seem, because the cloud has not passed, and so my reality is made-up of mere shadows.

Reading the above, I am reminded how through nature Vaheguroo reveals so many spiritual truths. I reminisce regarding how when I was an atheist, Vaheguroo constantly hinted to me through nature, towards which I was always attracted. But I was too dumb to realise. Nature is the only voice I ever truly related to in those days; that I accepted as unadulterated truth. Even if it was and still is a temporary projection, I see now how it led me towards The Satguroo. I see now how it challenged my sense of separateness.

Please share how The Satguroo speaks to you.

Ps - Don't be shy!

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

vaheguru :)

Anonymous said...

I remember when i used to be an atheist, so much bairaag, like a splinter in my head. And then Maharaj did kirpa, tuhee tuhee tuhee, vaheguroo, you are the trees, the grass, the sky, the pencil, the carpet, you are me, vaheguroo, what beauty. One energy vibrating at differnt frequencies. How blessed one is to be placed on such a beautiful path/journey of self-discovery.
vaheguroo.

Atma Singh said...

_/\_

Veer/Bhain Jee,

Thanks for your words.

The concept of Vaheguroo (God) in Sikhee is amazing - when I speak to non-Gursikhs, including Panjabees, they are astounded regarding the concept of Vaheguroo.

( ( ( :-)>>>

Anonymous said...

Its strange tho paj, because i've come across many pyaare gursikhs, with when veechar occurs, they find the concept of maharaj being everything bizarre and almost 'blasphemous'. And then i'm left confused, thinking perhaps i've got the wrong end of stick, and should head off back to tao. But i think perhaps more western philosophies have seeped through and influenced, where God is an external force, sitting on his chair, watching and judging.
Didnt mean to offend. But then again, maharaj says
'aap aapunee budh hai jaethee | baranath bhinn bhinn thuhi thaethee'. vaheguroo

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