THE GURU IN SIKHISM
Gurbani - THE GURU IN SIKHISM:
The way of religion, as shown by Sikhism is not a set of views or doctrines, but a way of life lived according to a definite Model. It is based, not on rules or laws, but upon discipleship.
In the career of the disciple the personality of the Guru is all along operative, commanding his whole being and shaping his life to its diviner issues. Without such a personality there would be no cohesion, of direction in the moral forces of society, and in spite of a thousand kinds of knowledge 'there would still be utter darkness,' (Asa-di-Var,i) There would be no force to connect men with men and them with God. Everybody would exist for himself in moral isolation 'like spurious sesames left desolate in the field' with a hundred masters to own them ('Nanak the true Guru must be such as to unite all men' - Sri rag, i) it is the Guru who removes the barriers of caste and position set up by men among themselves and gathering them all unto himself unites them with God. In this way foundations are laid of a society of the purified who as on organized force strive for the good of the whole mankind.
Such a creative personality must be perfect, because 'men take after whom they serve.' (Guru Amar Das in Var Bihagra) if the ideal person is imperfect, the society and its individuals following him will also get imperfect development. But those who serve the saved ones will be saved (Majh III).
The Sikh Gurus were perfect and are described as such in the Sikh Scriptures, Guru Nanak himself says in Sri Rag ; "Everybody else in subject to error." Only the Guru and God are without error." And Guru Arjun says in Rag Bhairon: Whoever is seen is defective; without any defect is my true Guru, the Yogi," The state of perfection attained by the Gurus is lucidly described in the eighth and the eighteenth octaves of Guru Arjun's Sukhmani the same Guru says in Rag Asa:
God does not die, not do I fear death,
He does not perish, not do I grieve.
He is not poor, not do I have hunger.
He has no pain, not have I any trouble.
There is no destroyer but God.
Who is my life and who gives me life.
He has no bond nor have I got any.
He has no entanglement, not have I any care.
As He is stainless, so, am I free from stain,
As He is happy, so am I always rejoicing.
He has no anxiety, nor have I any concern.
As He is not defiled, so am I not polluted.
As He has no craving, so do I covet nothing.
He is Pure and too suit Him in this.
I am nothing; He alone is everything.
All around is the same He.
Nanak, the Guru has destroyed all my superstitions and defects.
And I have become uniformly one with Him.
The Guru is sinless. In order, however to be really effective in saving man be must not be above man's capacity to imitate, as he would be if he were a supernatural being. His humanity must be real and not feigned. He should have nature, subject to the same laws as operate in the ordinary human nature and should have attained his perfection through the same Grace as is available to all men and through perfect obedience to God's will. The Sikh Gurus had fought with sin and had overcome it. Some of them had lived for a long time in error, until Grace touched them and they were perfected through a constant discipline of knowledge, love and experience in the Association of their Gurus. When they had been completely attuned to the Will divine and were sanctified as Gurus, there remained no defect in them. They became perfect and holy. There after sins did come tempt them but they never grave way and were always able to over-come them. It is only thus that they became perfect examples of men and transformed those who came under their influence to veritable angelic beings.
Author : Gurbaani.com
The way of religion, as shown by Sikhism is not a set of views or doctrines, but a way of life lived according to a definite Model. It is based, not on rules or laws, but upon discipleship.
In the career of the disciple the personality of the Guru is all along operative, commanding his whole being and shaping his life to its diviner issues. Without such a personality there would be no cohesion, of direction in the moral forces of society, and in spite of a thousand kinds of knowledge 'there would still be utter darkness,' (Asa-di-Var,i) There would be no force to connect men with men and them with God. Everybody would exist for himself in moral isolation 'like spurious sesames left desolate in the field' with a hundred masters to own them ('Nanak the true Guru must be such as to unite all men' - Sri rag, i) it is the Guru who removes the barriers of caste and position set up by men among themselves and gathering them all unto himself unites them with God. In this way foundations are laid of a society of the purified who as on organized force strive for the good of the whole mankind.
Such a creative personality must be perfect, because 'men take after whom they serve.' (Guru Amar Das in Var Bihagra) if the ideal person is imperfect, the society and its individuals following him will also get imperfect development. But those who serve the saved ones will be saved (Majh III).
The Sikh Gurus were perfect and are described as such in the Sikh Scriptures, Guru Nanak himself says in Sri Rag ; "Everybody else in subject to error." Only the Guru and God are without error." And Guru Arjun says in Rag Bhairon: Whoever is seen is defective; without any defect is my true Guru, the Yogi," The state of perfection attained by the Gurus is lucidly described in the eighth and the eighteenth octaves of Guru Arjun's Sukhmani the same Guru says in Rag Asa:
God does not die, not do I fear death,
He does not perish, not do I grieve.
He is not poor, not do I have hunger.
He has no pain, not have I any trouble.
There is no destroyer but God.
Who is my life and who gives me life.
He has no bond nor have I got any.
He has no entanglement, not have I any care.
As He is stainless, so, am I free from stain,
As He is happy, so am I always rejoicing.
He has no anxiety, nor have I any concern.
As He is not defiled, so am I not polluted.
As He has no craving, so do I covet nothing.
He is Pure and too suit Him in this.
I am nothing; He alone is everything.
All around is the same He.
Nanak, the Guru has destroyed all my superstitions and defects.
And I have become uniformly one with Him.
The Guru is sinless. In order, however to be really effective in saving man be must not be above man's capacity to imitate, as he would be if he were a supernatural being. His humanity must be real and not feigned. He should have nature, subject to the same laws as operate in the ordinary human nature and should have attained his perfection through the same Grace as is available to all men and through perfect obedience to God's will. The Sikh Gurus had fought with sin and had overcome it. Some of them had lived for a long time in error, until Grace touched them and they were perfected through a constant discipline of knowledge, love and experience in the Association of their Gurus. When they had been completely attuned to the Will divine and were sanctified as Gurus, there remained no defect in them. They became perfect and holy. There after sins did come tempt them but they never grave way and were always able to over-come them. It is only thus that they became perfect examples of men and transformed those who came under their influence to veritable angelic beings.
Author : Gurbaani.com
posted by eprayas | 4:41 AM
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