To become an 'adult' means to know 'What am I?' Therefore, to answer the GREAT QUESTION -WHAT IS WAHEGURU? - the first step is to know,'WHAT AM I? "I" is tangible to all of us, hence easily knowable. Waheguru is immanent and at the same time also transcendent, hence not visible and difficult to understand. "I", being a child of Waheguru, is a reflection of Waheguru. Once we 'grow' spiritually, we can understand "I" and we can then understand Waheguru.
Waheguru Resides in Mankind:
(i) Today' I am old. 'Yesterday' I was young and proud of my health, looks, physical strength, political power, etc. The 'Day Before Yesterday', I was just a baby crying or sleeping most of the time, but a joy and a hope to My parents who are no longer here to look after Me. Tomorrow' I will be dead and buried or cremated. Nothing will be left of Me except My children who, in their turn, will also die. Their children will continue this cycle. No one can tell when this cycle began. Furthermore, no one can tell when this cycle will end, if it ever will.
Now you know 'MY' history. But can you tell who I' am or who I' was? Am I' a baby, a child, a young man, an old man, or nothing but dust, My final form? Maybe, I' was none of these; at the same time, maybe I' actually was. To answer this question, let us have a second look at what I' had been. We thought I' was born, grew old, and died. Actually not I', but 'MY' body was born, it increased in size, grew old and finally died. When 'MY' body returned to the earth, its constituents, all of which came from the earth, became earth again. They were picked up by the plants and trees to start another cycle. All through this cycle, everybody had the illusion that 'MY' body was I'.
If you ask now what ' I' was, the answer would be "All through this cycle I' was the "livingness," soul,or life in the body." 'MY' body, not 'I, underwent continuous changes in its form and size. I', (inside MY body) remained unchanged with the physical changes in my body. I' did not grow or become old or die. Neither could I do anything to 'MY' body such as stop its growth or make it grow more quickly. For example, a person of fifteen years of age cannot become thirty years old in a couple of months, or a thirty-year old man remain the same forever without becoming old or dying. 'MY' body underwent all changes independent of 'ME' and 'MY' wishes. The birth ,growth, and death of 'MY' body were controlled by nature according to the time cycle decided for 'ME' and 'MY' body. After the clock ran out, I' and 'MY' body became separated. This phenomenon is described by Gurbani like this:
The beloved (body) tells the lover (soul),
I can enjoy only when you are with me. Therefore, I request you to
promise not to ever leave me.
The lover (soul) says,
I obey my Master (Waheguru) Who is the Greatest and is not indebted (obliged) to anyone. (He does not need to consult anyone. He makes independent decisions.) Whenever He recalls me, I
shall have to go. [Guru Granth Page 1073 ]
When I' was in 'MY' body, you could see 'ME'.When I' became sad, angry, or happy, I' was able to express 'MY' feelings to the people through 'MY' body. Otherwise 'MY' body is just inert matter; it cannot become sad or angry. It can express 'MY' mood only when I' am there in it. The moment I' leave the body, it cannot hear, see, or move. It was I' who listened,who saw, and who reacted. 'MY' body was only a medium. Do you understand now, who I' am?
(ii) Let's attempt to look at 'ME' from another angle. One evening I' was enjoying a cup of tea in a cheerful mood. 'MY' son brought his school report showing very poor progress. 'MY' mood changed instantly and I' became very angry in a moment after reading the report. Can you trace the source of 'MY' anger, or trace the path on which 'MY' happiness left 'ME'? If you had cut open every cell of 'MY' body, you will not discover any happiness or anger anywhere. You know that I' become angry and happy almost every day. In 'MY' body, there is no place where you can find any mind or mood even though we know it is always there directing 'MY' actions and feelings.
(iii) Let's try to understand this paradox - I' am in 'MY' body but I' am nowhere in it. Holy persons say that each of us consists of two things, inert matter or our visible body and "livingness" or soul, the cause of our life. The soul is the reflection of Waheguru, the
Cause of all lives. Our soul (Atma) is a part of the Whole (Parmatma), Waheguru.
Now let us assume that the physical Universe (which we know is limitless), is the visible form of Waheguru. The principle (about which we do not know anything) which keeps it working in a regular and systematic manner ever since its origin is the. Great Soul,the invisible Waheguru. This means we cannot and will never be able to describe Waheguru in our words or in the physical forms known to our senses.
The Universe, the 'Body of Waheguru', like 'MY' body is undergoing changes all the time and the Great Soul like 'Me' (soul) remains unchanged and ever continuous. I' existed before the birth of 'MY' body, and will continue to exist after the death of 'MY' body till I' merge with Waheguru as a river merges in the sea. Similarly, the Great Soul existed before the Universe was created and will continue to exist even after the destruction of the Universe.
To be contd.
More...
Waheguru Resides in Mankind:
(i) Today' I am old. 'Yesterday' I was young and proud of my health, looks, physical strength, political power, etc. The 'Day Before Yesterday', I was just a baby crying or sleeping most of the time, but a joy and a hope to My parents who are no longer here to look after Me. Tomorrow' I will be dead and buried or cremated. Nothing will be left of Me except My children who, in their turn, will also die. Their children will continue this cycle. No one can tell when this cycle began. Furthermore, no one can tell when this cycle will end, if it ever will.
Now you know 'MY' history. But can you tell who I' am or who I' was? Am I' a baby, a child, a young man, an old man, or nothing but dust, My final form? Maybe, I' was none of these; at the same time, maybe I' actually was. To answer this question, let us have a second look at what I' had been. We thought I' was born, grew old, and died. Actually not I', but 'MY' body was born, it increased in size, grew old and finally died. When 'MY' body returned to the earth, its constituents, all of which came from the earth, became earth again. They were picked up by the plants and trees to start another cycle. All through this cycle, everybody had the illusion that 'MY' body was I'.
If you ask now what ' I' was, the answer would be "All through this cycle I' was the "livingness," soul,or life in the body." 'MY' body, not 'I, underwent continuous changes in its form and size. I', (inside MY body) remained unchanged with the physical changes in my body. I' did not grow or become old or die. Neither could I do anything to 'MY' body such as stop its growth or make it grow more quickly. For example, a person of fifteen years of age cannot become thirty years old in a couple of months, or a thirty-year old man remain the same forever without becoming old or dying. 'MY' body underwent all changes independent of 'ME' and 'MY' wishes. The birth ,growth, and death of 'MY' body were controlled by nature according to the time cycle decided for 'ME' and 'MY' body. After the clock ran out, I' and 'MY' body became separated. This phenomenon is described by Gurbani like this:
The beloved (body) tells the lover (soul),
I can enjoy only when you are with me. Therefore, I request you to
promise not to ever leave me.
The lover (soul) says,
I obey my Master (Waheguru) Who is the Greatest and is not indebted (obliged) to anyone. (He does not need to consult anyone. He makes independent decisions.) Whenever He recalls me, I
shall have to go. [Guru Granth Page 1073 ]
When I' was in 'MY' body, you could see 'ME'.When I' became sad, angry, or happy, I' was able to express 'MY' feelings to the people through 'MY' body. Otherwise 'MY' body is just inert matter; it cannot become sad or angry. It can express 'MY' mood only when I' am there in it. The moment I' leave the body, it cannot hear, see, or move. It was I' who listened,who saw, and who reacted. 'MY' body was only a medium. Do you understand now, who I' am?
(ii) Let's attempt to look at 'ME' from another angle. One evening I' was enjoying a cup of tea in a cheerful mood. 'MY' son brought his school report showing very poor progress. 'MY' mood changed instantly and I' became very angry in a moment after reading the report. Can you trace the source of 'MY' anger, or trace the path on which 'MY' happiness left 'ME'? If you had cut open every cell of 'MY' body, you will not discover any happiness or anger anywhere. You know that I' become angry and happy almost every day. In 'MY' body, there is no place where you can find any mind or mood even though we know it is always there directing 'MY' actions and feelings.
(iii) Let's try to understand this paradox - I' am in 'MY' body but I' am nowhere in it. Holy persons say that each of us consists of two things, inert matter or our visible body and "livingness" or soul, the cause of our life. The soul is the reflection of Waheguru, the
Cause of all lives. Our soul (Atma) is a part of the Whole (Parmatma), Waheguru.
Now let us assume that the physical Universe (which we know is limitless), is the visible form of Waheguru. The principle (about which we do not know anything) which keeps it working in a regular and systematic manner ever since its origin is the. Great Soul,the invisible Waheguru. This means we cannot and will never be able to describe Waheguru in our words or in the physical forms known to our senses.
The Universe, the 'Body of Waheguru', like 'MY' body is undergoing changes all the time and the Great Soul like 'Me' (soul) remains unchanged and ever continuous. I' existed before the birth of 'MY' body, and will continue to exist after the death of 'MY' body till I' merge with Waheguru as a river merges in the sea. Similarly, the Great Soul existed before the Universe was created and will continue to exist even after the destruction of the Universe.
To be contd.
More...