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                           JOYFULLY I SURRENDER
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    All Great Souls Who have come to this world told mankind, "You have
great potential within you, and you are, therefore, exceedingly blessed to
have been given human birth." But, what is the purpose of this human life?
Why is it highly praised, and what is this great potential it holds?

    The value of human life lies in the fact that only in the human form
can God be realized. But, we must remember that it is the soul which can
experience knowledge of the Lord--not the mind, not the senses, not the
intellect, nor vital airs. Through every age this subject has been
explained by sages: that to establish clear understanding, the intellect is
made to work; but as those sages have proved, realization is a different
matter. Intellectual understanding at the level of mind and senses is both
useful and, in nearly all cases, necessary; but man must gain knowledge of
what he really is--what he is as soul--then only does it become possible
for him to realize what God is.

    So, on the spiritual path to God-realization, one must first take steps
toward self-realization. And, what does it mean to know oneself?. It is not
enough merely to say, "I am not the senses, I am not the mind; I am a
conscious entity, I am soul." This is just a verbal expression of feeling,
or is the sum total of inference gained by reaching a conclusion through
the intellect. Realization is something separate from all this.

    In the Upanishads it says, When the senses are controlled, the mind is
stilled, the intellect is also stilled, then the soul is united. So, it can
be understood from this that as long as the soul does not gain freedom from
mind, senses, and intellect, it cannot experience or know itself, and,
therefore, also cannot experience God. If this highest knowledge is not
gained in life, then man has not derived the full benefit or potential that
lies within his grasp as a human being.

    We must create conditions wherein we can see the Lord, if we want to
realize Him. As long as I do not see with my own eyes, I cannot believe
even the Guru's words. All Masters say that there is a God, that He is
everywhere, that there is no place without Him. They say also that He
resides in this body that we are carrying, in which we also reside; and so
the body is truly the temple of God. But, in what form is the Lord
experienced by the soul? He is experienced in the form of Light. To praise
Him without having seen Him is like a description of the sun by a blind
man.

    One Master advises to See Him and then sing His praises; Such praise
will bear forth fruit. But, to be able to see Him, He must be revealed by
One Who has this spiritual sight already--One Who can make others see also.
Who can reveal such knowledge? God has no father, mother, brothers, or
other relatives; so we must accept that He Himself will reveal Himself,
when and as He so wills, by His own mercy and through His own methods.
Electricity is everywhere, but we control it at a definite point called a
powerhouse; and by connection to that powerhouse, electricity can be made
to do our work. Just like this, God is everywhere--there is no place
without Him--but the soul can only get a direct connection to Him through
that Powerhouse or Pole where He is manifested. The true temple of God is
the body wherein the Light of Truth is aflame. When He gives His darshan,
He gives it in the form of Light.

    So, without the Guru--the Powerhouse in this world--one cannot have
this Light. The very meaning of the word Guru is "dispeller of the
darkness." He Who gives His Life-Impulse through the Light is the Word made
Flesh and is also called a Guru. He manifested Himself in the Guru and
distributed the Shabd. It is most necessary that the seeking soul find
Someone in Whom God has manifested Himself, for only such a Complete
Personality is competent to rejoin the soul back to Him. God is everywhere,
but He is not manifested everywhere. Why? Because our soul--that spark of
the All-Consciousness--is under the control of mind and senses, and through
its sojourn in creation has become the image of the body and the image of
the world, thereby forgetting its true self. It must just know itself, then
it can have the experience of the Overself; if it does not rise above
body-consciousness, how can God be manifested? Do you understand this?

All Masters have advised, Man, know thyself in Their various languages.
What is it in the Guru that does this delicate work? It is God manifested
in the Guru Who performs the operation--it is the type of work that God
alone can do. Maulana Rumi says that God pointed out that He cannot contain
Himself in all the heavens, the earths, or the skies He created, for none
of these are sufficient to contain Him: O my loved one, believe in Me, all
these things are incapable of containing me--I am so big. And, yet I can
dwell in the heart of a True Devotee--if you want Me, go to Him. Such a
True Devotee is called a Sadhu, Sant, Mahatma, Master, etc. Different outer
garbs cannot make a Mahatma. Many are accepted as great men in this world
who can give very powerful lectures, but have they realized God? How can
anyone truly say he has experienced that which he has never seen?
Furthermore, this holds no meaning for others unless they can be made to
see also. It is a delicate point; but it is most necessary for the true
seeker to meet a Competent Person Who can reveal the Lord within.

    God is most merciful; He continues to send these Competent Persons to
the world to help suffering humanity. Even the company of such a Person is
highly beneficial to a soul; and what is infinitely important, one may do
the whole world's work through the intellect and senses, but one cannot
realize the Lord without the company of such a Saint. Even the very best
actions will only gain reward; they will not enable you to realize God. It
is only through seeing Him and knowing that He is the Doer and not I, that
the rounds of births and deaths can be stopped. A True Guru or Saint must
have the knowledge Himself and be able to give the same experience to
others so that they may increase it steadily. The Sant gave the capital to
me. A little capital to start with is worth something. Even in business if
a man gives a very fine lecture on how to succeed in business, and yet the
poor people listening have not a penny of their own to start with, what is
the use of the lecture? If he also gave some capital along with the
lecture, there would be some ground for success.

    Competent Masters have come in every age, and will continue to come.
But, how many know Them? When Christ asked His disciples, "Who do men say
that I am?" they answered, "Some say John the Baptist; some, Elias; and
others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." But, when He asked them, "Who
say ye that I am?", Simon answered, "Thou art the Christ."

    All good actions bear the fruit of reward; but unless one sees for
one's own self, the I-hood remains; and so we remain chained to the wheel
of births and deaths. How can the ego be killed? Shabd burns the ego and
attachment when the Gurumukh sees the Jyoti [Light] within. It is then that
one begins to see that the Lord is doing everything. What can the poor
wooden puppet do? The Puppeteer knows. I will now relate to you a hymn by
one such Great Soul Who had this realization:


     The true facts and stories of the Lord are told by the Guru,
      Who is the True Friend;
     Unto Him I joyfully surrender myself in sacrifice.

This is a hymn of Guru Ramdas, Who saw His Guru as He truly was: One Who
spoke to them of His experience with God. There are those who give
statements about God from the level of the intellect; but there are the
rare few also who speak from actual experience. Many are just lecturers--we
should be grateful to anyone who has taught us even a little. Every Saint
has His past, and every sinner a future. Guru Amar Das says, From the
lowest I became pure, ever since I sat at God's feet, in the Guru. I was
like a stone sinking in water; He lifted me up, praise be to the Lord. When
one is pulled up above the level of the senses, one realizes how low one
was. Great is the Guru, Who not only pulls us up and gives an experience of
the Lord, but remains our True Friend always.

    What is a true friend? A True Friend is One Who is always with you and
never leaves you; He appears even when one is called upon to account for
one's actions. Worldly friendship is plentiful enough--children, relatives,
acquaintances--but lasts only as long as selfish desires are fulfilled.
Without this, who remains faithful? The very same person who may appear to
be a beneficent friend at one moment can turn into a thief at the next. A
True Friend is One Who will remain with you always--even when you have to
pay up your accounts. This is a True Guru. What is more: He gives new life,
and through devotion connects you with the Lord. He bestows a new life upon
us; and what is that new life? It is Light; it is Sound. Out of His mercy,
He gives His own Life-Impulse; and nothing could be a greater gift. You can
find many who will give gifts of money, clothing, articles, etc.; but how
many can give their very life? With this Life-Impulse He enthuses new life
into others; and if the accounts are to be rendered, He will do that also.
And, for whom will He do all this? For a gurusikh only--a true disciple of
the Guru.

    He says that one would give oneself in complete surrender or sacrifice
unto such a Guru. Brothers, would you not also joyfully surrender at the
feet of a Complete Guru, if you were fortunate enough to meet One? But make
sure you surrender only to Him in Whom the Truth is awakened. Guru Ramdas
is telling us about His Guru. Only a True Master can know what a Master
truly is. He tells of how He has found a True Master, and how abounding and
unlimited is His Guru's love. Only those with full faith can ever come to
know of it; but how many have the inner conviction of their Guru being a
Guru? He who really knows what the Guru is becomes a Gurumukh.

     Come, my gurusikh, come;
     You are the beloved of my Guru.

Who is actually beloved of the Guru? He who becomes a true disciple--who
lives up to the teachings of the Guru--who obeys the Guru's every command.
Such a follower is a gurusikh. Otherwise, he is a mansikh or disciple of
the mind. Who loves a true disciple? Whoever has true love for his Guru.
Would anyone who truly loved his Guru stand and fight in the court, or tell
lies and cheat, as some people do? How could anyone do this type of thing
if he truly loved his Guru? Try to understand these things fully, for they
are an integral pan of the Master's teachings. A person who declares love
for his Guru and sits at His feet should have love for each and every other
person coming to His feet--especially those who are on the same path. And,
he who has this true love for everyone is a gurusikh. He says, O gurusikh,
let me embrace you. Why? Out of love for his Guru.

    In the story about the love between Laila and Majnu, it is said that
one day Majnu was seen kissing the feet of a dog; and when he was asked why
he was doing this, he replied, "I have seen this dog on occasion going
along the street where my Laila lives."  This is an example of the extent
of even the worldly kind of love; so if people say they love their Guru and
do not love one another, this is nothing but a lie. It is also a lie if
anyone claims love for God and yet does not love Him in Whom He is
manifested. One's whole life can be changed with meditation and love for
the Guru. The Guru will then appear within. This is why Christ advised His
disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments.

    The dear ones often ask, "How can we develop love for You?" You have
all been given the proof of this path; so remain linked with it, for the
more you are joined to that, the more will the love flow out of that union.
This union is the only thing lacking.

     God likes God's own attributes--which can be realized through the
     Guru.

Here He is telling us that God loves anyone who tries to adopt His own
attributes; so we should find out what they are, and also inculcate them
into our being. If there is a vacancy in a certain office, and the man in
charge has good talent in handwriting, he will naturally be more attracted
to those applications which have been written in a good hand. So, if we
desire the Lord's pleasure, we should adopt His attributes. But, how can we
know what they are, when no one has seen Him? We can only observe His
attributes as they are demonstrated in the Guru, Who is the Word made
Flesh--God manifested in human form. Whatever God's attributes are, the
Guru will have them. By loving the Guru and placing all our attention on
Him, we can imbibe all virtues, and those very virtues will then manifest
in us. As a man thinks, so he becomes. If one goes on thinking of some
depraved person who has broken away from God and all things Godlike, one
will become like that in a short space of time. The Lord's love is innate
in whomsoever He has manifested Himself. God's attributes can be seen when
you see the Guru.

    When my Guru, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, was stationed in the Murree Hills
while in service, He returned to His residence one day, and as He entered
the courtyard a man passed Him on his way out. When the Master inquired
from a servant what was the nature of the man's visit, He was told that the
man was a tuberculosis patient who was looking for accommodation, but no
one was giving him a place. The Master then asked why he was also turned
away from this house and was told that not only was the man suffering from
tuberculosis, but worse than that, he was an atheist. Hazur said, "Even if
the poor fellow does not know there is a God, at least we know; and what is
more, God is in him also." The man was at once called back and given a room
in Hazur's house. This is a simple example of God's attributes being
expressed through the Guru. Would you not also become the Lord's loved one,
if you expressed His own qualities? If you have not yet seen the Lord, then
you will find His qualities manifested in Whomsoever He has manifested, Who
sees Him and can give you an experience of Him. Even though you may try to
leave Him, such a Friend will never leave you. As Christ said, Lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world. Our Hazur also used to
say, The Guru will never leave he who has been given the Naam.

    In 1962 a certain man wrote to me for the first time since his
initiation nine years earlier. He complained of many things, and at the end
of the letter said, "I am leaving You." I replied to him, "No matter what
you do, that Power will never leave you." The Guru does allow a long rope
in order to test the disciple's depth in the water, but He never leaves
him.

    When Pakistan was formed, many trainloads of Muslims left India to take
up residence in Pakistan. Hazur gathered a number of disciples together and
took baskets upon baskets of bread to distribute to the weary traveling
people. Whoever truly loves God, truly loves each and every being,
regardless of religion, caste, or nationality.

     We are enraptured by those who obeyed the Guru.

He explains that He could even sacrifice Himself for anyone who lives
completely according to the Guru's wishes. The Guru may give happiness or
misery, for He has to make a beautiful form from a rough piece of stone
and, therefore, has to wind up all the karmas; but a true follower will
never complain, no matter what condition he has to face in life--no matter
what hardships the Guru allows.

    The stages of discipleship are many. Using a worldly example to explain
a spiritual matter, we can take a married woman whose heart is not with her
husband. In the world's eyes she is respectably married to one man, but in
fact, she is not a faithful wife. On the other hand, there is the type of
wife who, although she remains faithful, yet is constantly demanding
something from the husband. Her demands never cease; though her neighbors
may be starving, she will have concern only for her own selfish desires.
There is yet a third kind of wife who does request her husband to supply
various needs, but if he does not comply she accepts the fact and drops the
subject. The fourth and last type of wife is one who loves her husband so
much that her clothes may be torn and worn, but she never asks him for
anything. All she wants is his love, and is concerned for nothing else. If
her worn and torn clothes please her husband, what more is required? This
is the highest kind of love.

    Guru Ramdas goes on to tell of the greatness of the gurusikh:

     I will sacrifice myself for he who has seen the beloved Satguru.

There is so much love in this statement. One glance from such an imbued
Person is enough to change one for life. It never wears off. Hazrat Junaid
Sahib once went to the house of the Prophet Mohammed, but the Prophet was
not at home at the time; so Junaid Sahib left. When the Prophet Mohammed
arrived, his servant told him of this visit, and Mohammed Sahib asked him
if Junaid had spoken to him. The servant said that He had not. "Then did
you have His darshan at least?" asked the Prophet. The servant explained
that he had arrived on the scene just as Junaid Sahib was leaving, and only
caught a glimpse of His back. The Prophet told him, "You are indeed blessed
with good fortune to see the back of such a Great Soul."

    Just consider this story carefully. You want parshad, but with what
kind of mouth will you eat it? Guru Ramdas is saying that He is willing to
sacrifice Himself for that fortunate person who received even a brief
glimpse of His Guru. People usually have a very critical attitude toward
each other: one is not initiated, another has no Guru whatsoever, another
belongs to a different religion, and so on. But, Guru Ramdas says He would
sacrifice Himself for anyone who had seen His Guru. Only a Realized Person
Who sees the Truth can sincerely make such a statement, for He sees the
Lord in everyone, and has love for each and every individual because of
this--whether they call Him Paramatma, Khuda, God, Shabd, Naam, or any
other name. God is in all men, even in those who do not realize or believe
it. In the first epistle of John, he tells us, If a man says, "I love
God"and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his
brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? John
also says, And this commandment have we from Him [Christ], that he who
loveth God loveth his brother also.

     I will sacrifice myself for those who serve the Guru,
     Hari, Hari, is Your Name;
     In the depth of our misery You appear;
     By serving the Guru, the Gurumukh gains his freedom.

There are four kinds of people who journey toward God. One is a
gurusikh--the beloved of the Guru. Another is he who lives according to the
Guru's wishes. Yet another is he who is fortunate enough to have seen the
Guru. Fourth is the still more fortunate one who has the opportunity to
serve the Guru. And, who can truly love all these disciples? Only he who
loves the Guru truly, who, in the Guru's company, has had the love of the
Lord awakened in him.

    How is this kind of love developed? It can only develop through contact
with Naam, whereby the love which is innate will break forth, manifest, and
overflow. If you sit beside a fire, all your chills will leave. Similarly,
to sit beside something cool, such as ice, all heat in the body fades away.
Many, many blessings can be yours when connected to the Naam, for it is the
most powerful force. Hari, Hari, is the Pure Naam which created all
Creation. The Supreme Lord is nameless; but He came into expression, and
that expression is called Naam. Naam is controlling Khand and Brahmand. We
can go as far as to say, "Oh Lord, this Naam of Yours is the dispeller of
all unhappiness"--and where can we get it? Through the grace of the
Guru--and then by serving Him. Merely bowing down before Him does not make
a disciple; one must obey Him, and then bow before Him in devotion. This is
what is meant by serving Him. In the Gurbani it is written, Satguru's
words--words ARE the Satguru. Whoever bows down to His words and obeys them
is a true gurusikh. Otherwise, The whole world sees the Satguru, but by
just seeing, there is no salvation as long as love for the Satguru's Shabd
is not developed.

What is the Naam? There is the word Naam--just as there is the word
"water," or pani, aqua, aab, etc. But, by merely repeating the word
"water," one's thirst is not quenched until the liquid which is denoted by
the word "water" is drunk. When Christ met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's
well, she was surprised when He asked her to give Him water, knowing that
the Jews did not mix with Samaritans. But, Jesus explained that if she
really knew Who it was that was asking her for water, she would have asked
Him for the Living Water, by drinking which all thirst is quenched forever.
So, that Water of Life is also known as Naam. It is the God-in-Expression
Power, which came into being, and which has two phases--Light and Sound. A
connection with this awakens the soul and makes it aware of the God within.
It is no good saying, "dollar, dollar," if one wishes to have money; it
must be earned in some way. By uttering the Name of the Lord, one may gain
some small interest in Him or get some direction toward Him, which will
certainly earn good karma; but it does not give a connection with Him. It
is something quite different to see that Power working in reality, and to
thereby know that oneself is not the doer of anything.

    Naam can be given through the Guru only, Who is the Naam or the Word
made Flesh. Only the Lord Himself can give His own gift, and He is working
through the form of the Guru. Though He resides in every form, it is only
the Guru Who can give the way up by bringing the soul above the senses. So,
there are two indications by which the seeker can know that he has got the
connection: the Naam's two phases must be experienced within--the Light and
the Sound, or the Music of the Spheres. God comes in the form of Light.
And, that Personality where He is manifested will give that new life of
Light to the true seeker. Many will give happiness or worldly achievement,
but how often can you find Someone to give His own Life-Impulse? Through
His Life-Impulse you get the bhakti and the connection with God. It is the
Satguru's work. And, With the Gururmukh's bhakti, the Sound is easily
heard. A Gurumukh is he who has become the mouthpiece of his Guru, one who
truly takes the Guru as the ever-present Lord and keeps his head low before
all his Guru's commands. Thereby, he has become the mouthpiece of the Guru;
and the Guru is the mouthpiece of God. It is a constant law which never
changes.

    God-realized Souls are always present in the world, but in the past
They were few, and even now They are very rare. Who then are the privileged
ones who get to meet Them? Those whose hearts are true. Those without
deceit in the heart not only have the privilege of the Lord's own
arrangements for meeting the Guru, but with a clean heart, they are able to
absorb the full benefit of that meeting. The best attitude of mind is to
sincerely serve in humility, and in more and more humility. Then the Guru
will come by Himself. God Himself makes the soul hungry--and then He feeds
it. There is really no need to worry about anything: simply be sincere and
true to your own self. He has sent you to the right place, and He is the
Giver. It is a very subtle and exacting subject; what can I say about it?
If a person thinks of Him as a Guru outwardly, tremendous change will take
place; and if that person gets the higher contact--then?

    Hafiz Sahib once wrote a poem in Arabic saying that if one wishes to
realize God, one should leave one's home and go to the wild places. Bhai
Nandlal was a great gurubhakta (of Guru Gobind Singh) and when he read
this, he said, "God? God is here!" and indicated his Guru who was nearby.
He then added, "Where will you go? What is there in the jungles? He is
standing here." Who can say this sort of thing with any accuracy? Only he
whose eye is developed--he who has seen and then speaks of what he has
seen. Those who boast of their Guru, without truly seeing what He is, speak
without real knowledge; their words are empty. For such people the Guru is
the Guru when conditions are favorable; but when the conditions become
difficult, they turn their backs on Him.

     Those who do the dhyan of the Naam are accepted at God's court;
     For them, O Nanak, will I forever sacrifice myself.

Those Who meditate on Naam not only succeed spiritually, but in worldly
attainment also. They are the Lighthouses which give Light to the whole
world--as long as They are in the world. Christ also said, As long as I am
in the world, I am the Light of the world [John 9:5]. When They leave,
another Light replaces Them, in an unbroken chain. So, there is always food
for the hungry and water for the thirsty. The Master gives the Light, and
when He leaves, whoever has become attuned to Him continues the work, when
the Master hands over that precious gift to Him. One bulb fuses, but
another is put in its place; and when that fuses, another is placed, and so
on. But, the Light remains the same; the Light is the Guru, not the body,
although the physical form is respected because of the Light working in it
and shining forth from it.

    We find throughout history that whatever land has been touched by the
holy feet of the Masters is worshipped and Their Names are praised, but
while They are living in the world, very few value Them or recognize Them.
Guru Nanak was termed an atheist, but when He left the world, many places
He frequented became places of pilgrimage. But, if one gains faith and
knowledge in what the Guru is while He is in the world, what more is
needed?--for He is the One Who will give. And, whoever loves the Guru and
loves all who go to Him is truly a gurusikh.

     Whatever pleases Thee, 0 Lord, that is the real worship;
     The Gurumukh is one who truly serves the Guru--he sees and enjoys
     God.

What can cause the Guru's pleasure? There is no criterion for that.
Whatever may appeal to Him may incite His pleasure; for instance, the way a
true Gurumukh lives by serving the Lord in humility, having love for
everyone, and whose meditation is fruitful. This kind of service is true
and is likely to appeal to the Guru; so first become a Gurumukh, then one
can truly serve the Lord. St. Paul said, I live, yet not I but Christ
liveth in me. There is also, Father and Son are drenched in the same color.
It is a condition which comes when the inner knowledge is really awakened.
God's attributes are in the Guru, and Guru Ramdas is saying that if even
the slightest reflection of that is seen in the disciple, then He would
sacrifice Himself for such a follower. Guru Nanak Sahib had one such
follower, Who later became Guru Angad. Guru Angad had one disciple Who was
a Gurumukh and He became Guru Amar Das, the Master of Guru Ramdas Who has
written this hymn. So, to obey the Guru's commands is the first and the
last lesson on the path of Spirituality. Those who do not obey, who show
one thing on the face and feel something different in the heart, will never
gain the Guru's pleasure.

     God never leaves those who have true love for Him.

God is with those who love Him each and every moment; they are aware of
Him. If one truly loves someone, does not that person reside in one's
heart? In that case, can one love any other? This constant loving
remembrance of a loved one comes after getting to know them, enjoying some
happiness together, or living together in harmony; but what real love can
one have for someone one has never seen, known, or lived with? We cannot
develop love by just saying we love.

     Whenever the Beloved is remembered by such, new life surges
     within.

So, the Gurumukh's life is lived in constant remembrance. The new life
starts from initiation, and then he lives on remembrance, remembrance,
remembrance, which increases that new life--it begins to surge within. As a
person thinks, so does he become. It starts as a remembrance, but
eventually the remembrance occurs by itself--that means he has become that
very remembrance. Only a person who has given his heart to another can know
what it means to give the heart. It is a practical matter, for in true love
there is incessant remembrance of the loved one--perpetual. Gurumukh's
remembrance is only one--continuous. It continues without pause or end,
unlike us who remember many times with breaks in between. What kind of love
is here today and gone tomorrow--with this person one day and another the
next? Love is only one. That is not love which changes. And, the truest
love is that which the soul receives through experience; that never
changes.

     I am a sacrifice to those who serve the Gurumukh with love;
     He is free himself, he frees his family, and the whole world.

Here he is not speaking of the Guru, but the Gurumukh; and those who serve
the Gurumukh sincerely with love not only will receive salvation for
themselves, but also for their relatives and friends, for the Gurumukh
comes to give salvation to the whole world. Gurumukh frees millions with a
spark of Naam. His resources are everlasting, but those people who have
gained a little and start distributing it everywhere only end up with
regrets. They are doomed themselves and so are those who follow them.

     Guru serves the Lord with love--hail to the Guru's name;
     Guru showed the way to God--O sacred endeavor!

Now He speaks of the Guru with praise, for He truly serves the Lord. He
shows the way to those seeking the Lord by connecting them to the Naam;
there can be no higher service, no more sacred service. Many take payment
for what they do in God's name, but He gives freely--just as God is free,
air is free, water and sun are free. It is the blessing of the Guru.

     Gurusikhs who serve the Guru are fortunate;
     Again and again, O Nanak, do I sacrifice myself on them.

There can be no higher destiny than this; for human birth comes with past
good actions, and after receiving the human birth, those who become true
disciples of a True Master have great virtue awakened within them. People
who have the darshan of such a Soul, or who serve Them, also receive the
Guru's blessing:

     All Gurumukhs are beloved sisters in God, who are accepted by
     Him.

To gain the Guru's pleasure is to gain the Lord's pleasure, for the Lord is
manifested in Him. Though we have all respect for the physical form wherein
He resides, yet the Guru is not the physical form; He is the Shabd in the
physical form. Guru Gobind Singh explains it in this way: From the
beginning to end, there is only One--and that is our Guru. That Power has
ever been One, and always will be. The True Master never says, "I am the
Guru," but rather, "God is the Guru." Guru Gobind Singh says, Think of me
as the servant -- but there is no difference between us. He also says, I
have come to see the world's play. He tells us that He was ordered by the
Lord to go into the world and work, and also that those who say they are
the Guru are not Gurus. How can the one who sees that God Power working say
that he is the Guru doing everything? The True Guru cannot say it.

     They shine in the Lord's court, and He embraces Them.

Those who become gurusikhs are the Lord's souls, but He also has love for
the others who go to the Guru's court; He has love for all mankind, for
those who love the Lord, love everyone. He suffers with the sufferers--and
the result? O Nanak, the Naam is ever-ascending; May peace be to all the
world over, under Thy will, O Lord. A Muslim prophet explains that if one
part of the body has pain, the rest feels it in sympathy. He is likening
this to those who have love for the Lord. Excuse me, but where are those
with this love? Today it is like a business in the Lord's name. One Master
says, Think of the lowly as great, if in his heart the Lord dwells. There
is no heart greater than that in which the Lord resides. That physical form
is beautiful in which the Lord resides. The eyes become astounded to see
this sight--that form in which the Beloved is manifested.

     Give us darshan of those Gurumukhs absorbed in Naam;
     We would wash their feet and drink that water.

There is a Sikh daily prayer which says, Give us association with a
Gurumukh, company of a Sadhu, color of the Naam; 0 Beloved, through such
true connection, Naam awakens within one. The Saint's darshan is
invaluable. Washing the feet is an expression of love. Majnu wanted to kiss
the dog's feet because it had walked along the street where his beloved
Laila lived. Surely lovers of the Lord should respect that Form in which He
resides. We are lacking in love. Our love is not true love; it is driven by
selfish motives. The heart is the rightful abode of the Lord--do not let
anyone or anything else live there.

     Chewing betel-nut and betel-leaf, a cigarette in his mouth--
     God is never remembered by such people, and the Lord of Death
     will take them.

He has been speaking about the Gurumukh, and now he refers to the typical
manmukh who even by mistake never thinks of the Lord at all, and lives only
for worldly enjoyments. This type of person ends up in the hands of Yama,
the Lord of Death. The continuous cycle of births and deaths that they
revolve on cannot be broken. If you appropriate anything from another, you
will have to return it in some way or other. If you hurt someone, you will
have to bear the reaction of that also. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

     Enlightened are the hearts of those who remember the Lord;
     Yama cannot approach these gurusikhs, the Guru's beloved.

The Lord of Death has no power over those who have received the Naam and
who have true love for the Lord. He rules only over that which is governed
by the law of debt and payment. He who oppresses no one and hurts no one,
who sees the Lord above, and in all things is filled with a serene
tranquility--how can such a person be under any law? If He in Whom the Lord
is manifested places His hand upon someone's head, the Lord of Death will
not be able to come near that person either. What power has the Lord of
Death in the face of such Light? He cannot enter the place where a true
gurusikh is sitting, not to speak of anything else. To become a gurusikh is
a great thing.

     God's Name is a Priceless Treasure, known only by the gurusikh;
     O Nanak, those who see the Satguru, they dwell in bliss.

Naam can only be properly valued by those who know what It is, those who
live in the Lord's color instead of the world's color. Outside there is
light and music; inside there is Light and Sound. Worldly people are in a
state of intoxication through the worldly atmosphere, and those who have
met the True Form and live their lives according to the Guru's behests hear
the inner Sound twenty-four hours a day. This inner Light is infinitely
more attractive than any outer light or sight, and gives a vastly different
intoxication. The intoxication of Naam, O Nanak, inebriates day and night.
Guru Nanak met the famous King Babar and boldly told him, "The intoxication
you enjoy in the evening wears off in the morning, but the intoxication I
enjoy remains night and day." It is the soul's color--or you can call it
the color of Ram. He who meets the Satguru and follows His word gets this
color.

     Satguru is the Giver of this blessing, which He gives out of
     compassion.

It is not an ordinary gift, and It can only be gotten from a Satguru. He
gives you the gift from the Lord, Who has manifested Himself in Him. He
sees the child's misery and in compassion saves him from wretchedness. The
Father has great love for His children, and the more unhappy they are, the
greater is His compassion--especially in this dense Kali Yuga. Through His
compassion, at least those who have their faces turned to Him can be saved,
if not all.

     I sacrifice myself on the Guru Who gave me Naam;
     Praise be to Him Who brought us this message of God.

He is full of praise for such a Guru--at least we should value this gift
and take full advantage of it. Kabir says, we are the Knowers of the secret
of that faraway Home, bringing the Lord's orders. It is given free, out of
the Lord's compassion; but, excuse me, there s hardly anyone to take it,
and from those, very few receivers value it. Most of them are like the
woman who marries for outer appearance of respectability only, and then
lives in an outrageous and immoral manner.

Listen to the Complete Guru's advice and see Par Brahm brought nearer. The
purpose of Naam is that one should be aware of the Lord always. But, what
is the use of advice from those who are not exemplars of it? This is why
people cannot escape from the law of birth and death. Man must be sincere
to his own self. I always advise, "Be true to yourself, God is within you
and Guru is within you." Could a person go on sinning if he was constantly
aware of the Lord within him? We first deceive ourselves and then others.
Many people forge wills, cheat, lie, give false evidence--the courts are
full of such liars--forgive me. But, no one can deceive God Who is within
each and every man.

     When gazing upon the Guru, I blossom forth; The Guru--Satguru
     Deva.

This is the condition of one whose Beloved has come: he cannot take his
eyes from his Beloved, and the more he gazes, the more he blooms. Guru
Ramdas greatly loved His Master, Guru Amar Das Ji, Who lived for more than
one hundred years. His love was so strong that He would attend to all His
Master's needs, in constant service. If one has true love for someone, that
love extends to the body also. Maulana Rumi Sahib explains it in this way:
that this love is the love of the soul, and yet, when one sees even the
physical form of the loved one, great happiness and joy sprout forth from
within.

     The Guru's tongue speaks out the words drenched
       with ambrosial beatitude of Naam;
     For those who obey His words, the inner hunger will be satisfied.

The Guru's tongue is drenched with the Lord's Nectar, and when it speaks, a
charged intoxication radiates forth; so wherever the Guru goes, He
intoxicates others. No matter how sweet may be the words of a lecture, if
the person delivering it is not imbued with the love of God, there will be
no spiritual effect. When the Guru's words are heard and put into practice,
all hunger leaves, and that charging gives a tranquil and perfect peace.

     How can I travel the Path of the Lord?

He asks this question, and then He Himself answers it:

     Naam is Thy Naam, O Lord,
     Which helps here and hereafter.

To return to the Spiritual Home, Naam is the means; and It lies within each
being. When the connection to Naam is made, it then must be increased. It
is the treasure of the two worlds: physical and spiritual. When you meet
the Sant, brothers, value the True Naam; This treasure of life remains here
and hereafter. It is potent in both phases of life.

Those who love the Lord, love everyone; but this can only happen in One Who
has seen the Lord within. Guru Arjan Sahib, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs,
had the foundation stone of the holy city of Amritsar laid by the Muslim,
Hazrat Mian Mir. History tells us that Hazrat Mian Mir, Chaju Bhagat, and
Guru Arjan were great friends. When they get that higher degree, all are
one: there is no consideration of religion or different outer society. When
the illusion lifts, Who is a Hindu, who is a Turk? This is the Truth.

     Gurumukhs who have worshipped the Lord have the wealth of the
     Emperor.

Masters are often called Emperors, for They have an abundance of the true
wealth, and the Gurumukh is the one who receives liberally from the Guru's
Treasure-House.

     I sacrifice myself on that Satguru, Who is one with His Guru's
     words;
     You are the Lord, the Master, the Saviour;
     Your virtues are intrinsic, Your pleasure is the true bhakti,
     You are one color, yet all colors;
     O Nanak, Your pleasure is the best thing.

This was a hymn of Guru Ramdas, but all Masters come for all mankind. They
are the Light of the world - as long as They remain in the world. One bulb
fuses and another is placed there to continue the supply. We are all the
Lord's children, and He has concern and compassion for us all. There is,
therefore, bread for the hungry and water for the thirsty.

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