<i>Surat</i>: Higher Consciousness Of Divine Engagement

Surat: Higher Consciousness Of Divine Engagement ¹

This article is about the proper comprehension of the Sabad (Gurbani, Guru’s teachings). Here, Prof. Lal interprets Gurbani through a Brahmanical lens of Vedanta, which is contrary to the Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat).

1. On page 29: “According to Gurbani those not relating to Surat miss the boat in their life; they will continue to cycle in the circle of birth and death. For example, Guru says that without connecting one’s Surat to Sabd one continues to remain in the cycle of birth and death.”

“Without the Sabd-Surt, one comes and goes in the cycle of birth and death, and is humiliated through recycling in this coming and going.”

AGGS, M 1, p. 1031.

According to the theory of Karma and Transmigration, there could be numerous chances to meet God -- theoretically unlimited! The AGGS categorically rejects the belief in “cycle of birth and death” (transmigration), as it rejects the concept of past or future life and instead lays utmost stress on the present life with a clear warning that this is the only opportunity to realize God. For example:

One earns what one does right here, do not believe that the benefits of deeds performed in the current life will be rewarded in the next world.

AGGS, M 1, pp. 729-730.

O my mann (mind) listens again and again to my advice (inner voice)! Only good deeds account in life. This is your only chance to realize God through good deeds, as you won’t have another life.

AGGS, M 1, p. 154.

O my mind, my dear friend, this is the time for you to meet the Creator. Moreover, this opportunity will last only as long as the body is healthy and full of vitality.

AGGS, M 1, p. 20.

Being born, as a human is a blessing indeed as this is the only opportunity to meet God.

AGGS, M, 5, p. 378.

Nanak says, “Don’t look to the past, make efforts to move ahead (to realize God). This is the chance (to meet God) because there won't be a birth again for you.”

AGGS, M, 5, p. 1096.

Why should one who wants to have a glimpse of the Beloved, should bother about the salvation and paradise?”

AGGS, M, 1, p. 360.

“Make efforts to obtain liberation (realization of God) right now, as you won’t be born again. Praising the Merciful One, will take you across the ocean of worldly temptations,” says Nanak.

AGGS, M 9, p. 220.

This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe, meet Him. It took a very long time for this human body to evolve.

AGGS, M 5, p. 176.

“Kabir, human birth is difficult to obtain because the same person is not born again and again, like a ripened fruit once fallen on the ground, does not get attached to the branch again.”

AGGS, Kabir, p. 1159.

When we know that after death we are not going to come back then why waste our life in the pursuit of perishable worldly things?”

AGGS, Farid, p. 488.

“Listen o enlightened beings (bhagtoh),” warns Beni, “Who finds salvation after death?” In other words salvation is achieved while being alive by living in harmony with Hukam.

AGGS, Beni, p 93.

Guru Nanak’s composition on creation makes it abundantly clear that gods and goddesses, karma and transmigration, hell and heaven, reincarnation and religious ceremonies and rituals are the inventions of man, not the creation of God.

For immeasurable length of time there was darkness. There was neither earth nor sky nor day nor night nor moon nor sun, except the One Entity (Reality) and It’s Hukam. The Entity was in a transcendent mode filling the void like fog fills space. … The cosmos was brought into being according to the Hukam without any visible support upholding the vast expanse. … There was neither heaven nor Earth nor the under-world. There was neither hell nor heaven nor time, the destroyer. There was neither hell nor heaven nor birth or death nor anyone being born or dying. There was neither Brahma, nor Vishnu nor Shiva. There was no one else except the Entity. … There was neither caste nor caste based birth.

AGGS, M 1, p. 1035.

Furthermore, AGGS rejects the Hindu view of Karma by asking:

When there was no creation, how did the first being inherit karma? Or who created karma initially? The reality is that it is God, Who created the world. For God creation is a game and It continues to play.

AGGS, M 5, p. 748.

You say that the body is made of five elements, but from where were the elements created? You say that the law of karma determines man’s fate, but who created the law of karma?

AGGS, Kabir, p. 870.

When there was neither mother, nor father, nor body, nor karma, or when neither I was there, nor you were there, who knows what came from where? When there was no Veda or Shastra, there was no karma? How did the karma originate?

AGGS, Namdev, p. 973.

Besides, the verse “sabad surat bin aavai javai pat khoee aavat jata hai” quoted by Lal is from a long Sabad covering almost the entire page. In this Sabad Guru Nanak has emphasized that the panacea for all human problems is Naam Simran (constant meditation/focus on the attributes of God). Naam Simran transforms a person to a “God-centered being,” (gurmukh), who becomes one with God (Jiwan Mukta). Becoming one with God is the purpose of life according to Guru Nanak. This verse is about Naam Simran and Hindu belief in transmigration (cycle of death and birth). So in this verse Guru Nanak advises someone who believes in “the cycle of birth and death” that without Naam Simrran, one suffers humiliation in the “cycle of birth and death.” “Cycle of birth and death” is not Guru Nanak’s belief, nor he endorses it. Hence, the verse cited by Lal should be interpreted as:

Without focussing on Guru’s teaching one is humiliated as one experiences spiritual degeneration and regeneration continuously.

2. On page 31, Lal contradicts himself when he quotes the following verses to emphasise that the present life is the only chance to meet God.

“Meet the Lord of the Universe - now is the time to meet Him. Taking so very long, this human body was fashioned for this purpose.”

AGGS, M 5, p. 176.

“You have been blessed with this human body and mind (in contrast to other forms of animal kingdom). This is your opportunity to meet the Manager of the Universe.”

AGGS, M 5, p. 378.

Here Lal contradicts his earlier statement “Without the Sabad- Surt, one comes and goes in the cycle of birth and death, and is humiliated through recycling in this coming and going.”

3. Later, on page 32, while interpreting another verse, Lal contradicts what he said earlier on page 31, discussed above.

“This mind is blackened with many cycles of birth and death.”

AGGS, M 3, p. 651.

Here, Lal has interpreted “janam janam” as “many cycles of birth and death” either literally or he believes in the “cycle of birth and death.”

First, expressions/phrases like avan jan, avai javai and bhavayai as cycle of birth and death or cycle of transmigration occur frequently in the AGGS. However, these expressions are used as metaphors for spiritual (moral/ethical) degeneration and regeneration, which human beings experience in their lives or they represent the Hindu belief of transmigration. The Gurus did not endorse the concept of transmigration as they unequivocally rejected all the essentials of Hinduism.

Second, let me also point out the pitfalls in the literal translation of Punjabi expressions. When a mother says “jug jug jivae mera lal),” she is not talking about the mythical Hindu ages, she is wishing a long life for her son. Similarly, other expressions like “duniya char dina dee khaid hai ja duniya char dina da mela hai) mean that our sojourn in this world is limited, not literally four days. As I mentioned earlier, AGGS rejects the concept of “cycle of birth and death.” Therefore, “janam janam” means different experiences in life and the verse should be interpreted or translated accordingly as:

This mind is blemished with the ill effects of various life experiences.

Reference

1. H. Lal. “Surat: Higher Consciousness of Divine Engagement.” Understanding Sikhism Res. J, 2003, 5 (1), pp. 29-35.

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