(Random thoughts of devotion on the "Gurgaddi Divas" of Guru Gobind Singh)

What an irony! The Guru says :

Pio dade ka khol ditha khazana, tan mere man bhia nidhana.
Khawen kharchen ral mil Bhai tot na awe vadho jai.

( I delved into the treasures left by my forefathers and my heart and mind were full of wealthy material. The brothers mixed together and ate out of that treasure: there was no dwindling of the wealth; in fact the wealth kept on increasing) The Sikh quarrels incessantly with himself, ignoring Guru’s commands. The Sikh quarrels with his parents, with his wife, with his neighbors, with his environments and remains utterly in want- trishna(wanting material wealth).

The Sikh leadership is sold out to the money-oriented aggrandisement and does not hesitate to abuse, hate, even kill the opposing leadership. What kind of leadership and what kind of Sikh we present today.

And another tragedy of the worst order is that we have made Shabad Guru, about whom we boast so much in pointing out the follies of Nirankaris, Radhaswamis and others depicting them as victims of personality- Gurus, as pawn in the mischievous game of one-upmanship!

When I begin writing out the outpourings of my wounded heart with a grateful heart, I had something else in mind like our Guru’s unambiguous universality and catholicity in declaring that The message of the Guru gives is for all the four varnas of the Hindus. But I am struck by an American Sant-Mat(led by late Sant Ajaib Singh - a variation of Radhaswamis). Carol Garzona, now 39, whose interest in Guru granth Sahib, whose respect for the Shabad Guru and whose in-depth effort to live the commands on our Holy Scripture are matched in truth and in practice by her devotion to her Guru, i.e. Sant Ajaib Singh.

We are responsible for not only disowning the commands of our Masters in our daily lives but also for doing everything in not spreading so universal a message. How could we do so ?.

We are involved in internecine quarrels and we are saddled with an S.G.P.C. Akali combine who have nothing to show in terms of religious and spiritual advancement of the flock but the entire record for the last few decades is of personal itch for power, spread of falsehood and for undermining the sanctity of the holiest places of our heritage after the glorious period of sacrifices for the liberation of Gurdwaras.

Incidentally Sant Attar Singhji had already predicted that although the Gurdwaras were liberated for selfless service but they were not serving the purpose at all.

In 1982, I visited America--Seattle, to be more precise-- to see my daughter, come across Ms Corol Garzona, a housewife, deeply entrenched in spirituality. She is introduced by my Sikh friend, whom I met accidentally in the monthly ‘mela’ type satsang the Sikhs organise in material splendour to quarrel about contributions and ‘chaudharship’. And the Sikh friend I happen to meet after 32 years is an old classfellow of mine , the Giani in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi when we studied together in 1949-50. He agrees and realises that , in response to my query about a serious student of spirituality, he could not think of a Sikh who could associate with me in devotion to Guru Granth sahib. But he has a friend in Carol, who, he thinks, is deeply drenched in love of God, And he is right.

I invite her to my daughter’s house and introduce to her one of the Sanchis which I have taken with me to Seattle. And while I read the messages, translate them and quote the Saints and Gurus who have written and talk about their lives and devotion as Sikhs and as Gurus, she is overwhelmed and asks me in an astonished countenance : " How is it that you say that you have no personal Guru ? I am astonished that you have this kind of devotion without any personal Guru?" I shed tears not on account of her praise but on the beauty of Guru Gobind Singh’s successor and on his words :

Sab Sikhan kau hukam hai Guru manio Granth,

Guru Granth ji manio pargat Guran ki deh.

(All Sikhs are commanded to recognise Guru Granth Sahib as their Guru and to recognise as the appearance of the Body of the Guru)

And yet again :

Jo prabh kau milobo chahe, khoj shabad mein le
(Anyone who wants to meet God, let him search out
from the Shabad dwelling in Guru Granth Sahib.)

"Don’t be surprised", I tell her for, after all her Guru is also not always by her side. She lives only by his commands whether in his presence or when he is away in another town. We have satsang a number of times, sometimes extending 7-8 hours.

When I leave Seattle, she runs to Vancouver, acquires four volumes in English of DR Gopal Singh’s translation of our Shabad Guru and is entrenched in the beauty , splendor, versatility, and universality of our Sacred Scriptures, which most Sikhs only adore outwardly either in Gurdwara or in homes or parade their Guru in 5-Star hotels on marriages and other functions showing scant respect in their daily lives to its commands.

Here is another wonderful case of devotion tour scriptures by a simple Marathi lady, who prays with me at Amritvela and who has husband’s illness (later , his death). "Do you feel, Shalini, that Guru Granth Sahib, as a Holy Scripture whom we recognise as our Guru, means to you more than a Holy Book? For example do you really imagine GGS to be inculcating in you the live message as from a personality", I ask and I am surprised at her answer. "Indeed, I feel His presence, I feel His warmth and also I feel that the grace of Guru Granth Sahib has made me accept my husband’s death and accept the Lord introduced by GGS as my husband, father, mother and everything". Where are we?

A Tamilian girl tells me: "Papa, the beauty of guru Granth Sahib is that of its power, its majesty and its wonders in changing people’s lives". Hundreds of other examples have come to my notice where non-Sikhs have derived greater advantage of Guru Granth Sahib’s all-inclusive guidance in non-denominational oneness but I now concentrate on my Guru for myself. Let me look at my Guru as a child looks at his father and wonders!

I ask my Guru :

-Are you Hindu, Sikh, Muslim or you belong to all mankind?

-Is Your Majesty concerned only with my robes or external obeisance or you expect me to listen to you and live your commands?

-Am I in any way superior to others who have different systems of prayer?

-Are you not completely universal and transmit the same message to a Sikh as you give to others?

-While it is privilege for me as a Sikh to take amrit and belong to you, do you refuse to bestow your love on those who listen to you with respect and abide by your commands in their daily lives?

-Are not Naamdev, Farid, Kabir, Ravidas and other saints entitled to receive my devotion to their sayings in the same fashion as your commands?

If your answers are stressing universally and oneness and are based on the following, what am I quarreling about?

-Ham nahin change bura nahin koe (I am not good : none is bad)

-Why am I haughty , then?

-Na ko mera dushaman reh, na ham kise ke bairai. (No one is now my enemy , nor am I alien to anyone) Why is then my Sikh brother , alien to me?

- Sab ko meet ham aapan keena, ham sabna ke sajan. (I have made everyone my friend and I have become the friend of everyone)

-Why do I run to courts or shout at home and in streets like mad dog?

- Jau tau prem khelom ka chao, sir dhar tali gali meri aao. (If you want the game of love, come with your head on your palm.)

Then, how is it that gurdwara presidents are mostly those who do not even know how to appreciate the messages that you give, leave aside their un-sikh activities?

You will say that I am becoming impertinent. No, father, No. I just wish to seek your guidance in how to make it possible for myself to live the message you say is for all varnas and, as I have seen, for all mankind. Then if I have been able to live it, how to spread it to the whole world because I have, by my shameful conduct and negligent outlook put you in a narrow enclosure of limited use. I do not let you enter my heart, I do not let you enter my business. I don’t let you enter my private life. I do not let you guide me in anything. I become your guide by parading you for the sake of money, for Akhand Paaths of monetary sale, for external show of piety and purity, would you not, near your Gur Gaddi day lead me into your inner recesses and let me share from you the reason why Gur Gobind Singh ordained you as my perpetual Guru? Yes, you will because you never refuse your children!

I have got the answer. Your smile shows that I know what is lacking in me. I lack love which alone melts your heart. And if I begin to love, I shall see the truth of your command: Kar Kirpa jau satgur milio, mann mandir mein deepak jalio (when with His Grace, I met my Guru, a lamp was lit in my heart). This is guru Granth Sahib !