“Enshrine the ‘Charan’ in the mind is enshrining the ‘word’ of true Guru in the mind. Nanak has clearly under stood this (principle)”.
Page 680/13
“Bowing with respect at the lotus ‘Charan ‘ (of Guru ) is that one should deliberate on the merits of the world-creator.”
Page 679/4
So the word ‘moorat’ means Entity (of God), and ‘Charan’ means word (of true Guru). I told that sikh scholar, with due respect, that many times one does not consider other meanings of a particular word and so understands the meaning of the word incorrectly and based on that forms a particular idea which is not correct. It is a natural principle that when one hears another thought, which is opposed, to the idea that he has formed then differences of opinion emerge. All of us have to become disciples of the True Guru (Shri Guru Nanak Dev) and not of our own self-willed or self-conceived ideas. The sikh scholar agreed with the above explanation but said that God is Formless and can’t be seen and how can one meditate on Him. The author replied that to meditate on God, we need not get help from any other source even from the system of Yoga developed by Shri Patanjal and we should get guidance only from Gurbani. We should never depend on Yoga and its different postures, systems of meditation and ‘Samadhies’ as described by Sh. Patanjal the originator of Yoga. Gurbani tells a very straight and simple method of meditation, which is as under:
“O’ mind meditate on NAM of the Destroyer of sins (God) and you shall obtain honour in God’s court. Fixing your attention of the Guru’s word (Gurbani) you shall obtain all the fruits that you desire.”
Page 1313/14
The above quotation answers the questions that how can one meditate on the Formless very clearly. The answer is that to meditate on Formless God you fix your attention on the Guru’s word (Gurbani). So we should keep our mind in the meaning of the word(s) or lines of Gurbani which we are hearing reading or singing. In this manner we should move our mind along the words/lines of Gurbani which are being repeated and the mind would remain absorbed in the word (God and word is one and so the mind would remain absorbed in God. This is the way to meditate on Formless God). By meditating on God in this manner with the help of the ‘Word’ (Gurbani) one would start realising God.
“Deliberate over the Guru’s word and in this manner meditate on HIM.”
Page 740/15
So one should meditate on God through the Guru’s Word (Gurbani) i.e. by fixing one’s intent in the
‘Word’.
“Through the Guru’s Word (Gurbani) great contentment wells up (in the mind) and ones ‘ attention is perfectly attuned to the Lord.”
Page 682/19
“By hearing (NAM i.e. Gurbani) with intent in the word) one procures the meditation of the Lord.”
Page 3/2
Now we examine the following lines which are quoted by those who meditate on the Photo or image of the living Guru:
“Akal moorat hae sidh saanten kee Thahar niki dhian ko.”
Page 1208/7
Those who say that one should meditate on the Photo/image of the Guru they place the coma, while explaining the above quotation, after the word ‘kee’ and say the quotation means “Immortal image of saints, is to be meditated upon.” So they place the coma, while interpreting this quotation, at a wrong place and derive the above meanings. These meanings go against the fundamental principle of meditation laid down by True Guru about which numerous quotation’s have already been given. If the coma is placed after the word ‘Moorat’ the meaning of this quotation is as per the fundamental principle of meditation laid down by True Guru the quotation would mean:
“Immortal Entity (moorat) i.e. God, is the sublime place and is meditated upon by the saints.”
In the end the author wants to say that the true Guru (Shri Guru Nanak Dev and other Gurus) had forbidden his followers to bow before the idols and to pay abesience to idols of different deities and we are again becoming idol worshippers and leaving the worship of the Formless God. Even in our historical Gurdwaras (Sikh religious places) paintings of the Gurus, which are not even correct/True are being displayed and many devotees first bow before such paintings; as these are many times outside the sanctum-sanctorum, and after that pay obeisance to Shri Guru Granth Sahib. To bow before the paintings, even of Gurus and to meditate on paintings/images/Photos of the Guru is against the principles of Gurbani. The Gurus never allowed any body to make their paintings during their life times. Supposing a painter, who has not ever seen your father, makes a painting of your father, brings it to you, and says that this painting is of your father, would you accept this?
Even if a photograph is a real one. Even then, to meditate on that photo is against the principles of Gurbani. If this preaching, that Photo/image of the Guru is to be meditated upon is not checked stopped it would take us back to idol worship and we would suffer due to ignorance. Gurbani says that all people see the True Guru one is not emancipated unless he understands the Guru’s word and lives according to the instructions given through the word. The relevant quotation is as under:
“All the mortal in the world see The True Guru.
But merely by seeing the True Guru on is not emancipated unless one reflects on the guru’s word (Gurbani)”.
Page 594/11
Shri Guru Nanak Dev was seen by many people but only those were emancipated who obeyed his instructions, which are given in Gurbani. Two sons of Shri Guru Nanak Dev, who saw him day and night, were not emancipated. They refused to obey the Guru’s instructions. If by seeing the True Guru one could get emancipation then Shri Guru Nanak could not have said:
“Some say Nanak is a devil, some say he is imbalanced the some call him a helpless man.”
Page 991/
Shri Guru Nanak Dev is telling his personal experience & says that many people talk ill of him & even abuse him.
The principle laid down by Gurbani is that by seeing the real physical body of a true Guru one cannot get emancipation from the clutches of Creation, unless one obeys the True Guru’s instructions. If by seeing the physical body of the True Guru one cannot get emancipation, how can the paintings of the Gurus conceived by the painters, give the desired fruits.
Experience the True Guru with help of Gurbani alone.
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