An illuminated soul initiated me to Gurbani (Guru’s composition) during young age. As I continued analytical study and research, gradually I realized that we are unable to understand and comprehend the intrinsic meaning and profound concepts of Gurbani (sacred text). That is why, we are unable to appreciate and value the inspired word of God i.e. Gurbani.
The reason for our inability is that Gurbani has come into being from the ‘Spiritual Realm’, which is full of secrets of wondrous quintessence knowledge and its aims and objects; it can be comprehended, realized and enjoyed only in the light of institutional knowledge. This quintessence knowledge (knowledge of reality or essence) is beyond understanding and comprehension of our limited intellect.
Due to this reason, our professed beliefs, lifestyle and deeds are just opposite and contrary to Spiritual aim of Gurbani or far from it. Although we venerate Gurbani as our Guru and spiritual guide, yet we not practice the spiritual aspects of its teachings and goals in our daily life. Because of this, our egocentric mind is deeply engrossed in materialistic pursuits that is ‘Maya’ and our way of life as stated in Gurbani is ‘tempted by false concern and involved in illusions that is the reason all creation is perishing.
Guru Baba (venerable) Nanak, 500 years ago had described the worldly condition of that times as follows:
‘Kaliyuga’ is turned knife, rulers butchers;
Righteousness on wings is flown
ਕੂੜੁ ਅਮਾਵਸ ਸਚੁ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਦੀਸੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਹ ਚੜਿਆ॥
This is dark night of evil (Amavas of falsehood),
The moon of truth is nowhere visible, nor rising.
ਹਉ ਭਾਲਿ ਵਿਕੁੰਨੀ ਹੋਈ॥
For light have I searched to distraction.
ਆਧੇਰੈ ਰਾਹੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ॥
No path in this darkness is visible.
ਵਿਿਚ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਰੋਈ॥
Humanity in egoism involved, in Suffering wails,
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਿਿਨ ਬਿਿਧ ਗਤਿ ਹੋਈ॥
This Nanak seeks to know: how may liberation then be found?
ਜੁਗ ਗਰਦੀ ਜਬ ਹੋਵਹੇ ਉਲਟੇ ਜੁਗੁ ਕਿਆ ਹੋਇ ਵਰਤਾਰਾ
During downfall of an age (change of a regime);
People set aside their duties and behave in a contrary manner.
ਉਠੇ ਗਿਲਾਨਿ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਿਚ ਵਰਤੇ ਪਾਪ ਭ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ।
Due to hatred and contempt people get involved in remorseful activities, sin and
corruption prevail.
ਵਰਨਾ ਵਰਨ ਨ ਭਾਵਨੀ ਖਹਿ ਖਹਿ ਜਲਨ ਬਾਂਸ ਅੰਗਿਆਰਾ।
Different sects (castes) develop hatred and engage in squabbles,
Like bamboos produce fire due to friction, which burns one and all.
ਨਿੰਦਿਆ ਚਲੇ ਵੇਦ ਕੀ ਸਮਝਨਿ ਨਹਿ ਅਗਿਆਨ ਗੁਬਾਰਾ।
They condemn sacred books and knowledge, and in the darkness of ignorance
and folly, nothing remains visible.
It is quite evident from our daily life that during the past 500 years, the ‘celestial
Gurbani’ has been-
Recited,
Elucidated,
A subject of religious discourse,
Deliberated,
And sung for countless times
But our mental and religious state is deteriorating instead of becoming higher
and nobler.
Gurbani is being used for-
Routine worship,
Rituals,
Societal functions,
Selfish purposes,
Money making,
Earning compliments and appreciation,
Expression of musical measure,
Debate,
Display of intellectual knowledge,
Elucidation, writing essays,
Publishing books,
Pretentions of nobility,
And as an ego booster.
We are devoid of the following attributes of Gurbani, namely-
Underlying meanings,
Intrinsic feelings,
Deeper sentiments,
Spiritual flights,
Empirical knowledge,
Spiritual secrets,
Hidden mysteries,
And knowledge of quintessence (reality or essence).
ਪੜੀਐ ਗੁਨੀਐ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਭੁ ਸੁਨੀਐ ਅਨਭਉ ਭਾਉ ਨ ਦਰਸੈ॥
One may study and contemplate scriptures, and listen to God’s traditional
names; still may not be obtained sight of the Lord Realized by intuition and
love.
ਲੋਹਾ ਕੰਚਨੁ ਹਿਰਨ ਹੋਇ ਕੈਸੇ ਜਉ ਪਾਰਸਹਿ ਨ ਪਰਸੈ॥
How many iron without touching the philosopher’s stone turn into gold?
ਕਿਆ ਪੜੀਐ ਕਿਆ ਗੁਨੀਐ॥ਕਿਆ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨਾ ਸੁਨੀਐ॥
What good reading and study-and listening to Vedas and Purans?
ਪੜੇ ਸੁਨੇ ਕਿਆ ਹੋਈ। ਜਉ ਸਹਜ ਨ ਮਿਿਲਓ ਸੋਈ॥
What good come of reading and listening; unless realization of God is attained.
Gurbani illustrates the following:
Intuitional knowledge,
Spiritual feeling,
Hidden secrets,
Quintessence knowledge,
Unstuck celestial sound,
Unstuck melody,
Unstuck chime,
Blissful play,
Wondrous miracles,
Celestial love-play,
Divine life current, wordless word,
Divine will,
Ambrosial nectar,
And concentration on the word, etc.
But we are--
Ignorant,
Negligent,
Careless,
Deliberately inattentive,
Immune to advice,
And disregardful of these attributes.
Thus we are devoid of our ' Divine Heritage' and its heavenly bounties, namely-
Divine love currents,
Taste of divine love,
Silent love,
Loving devotion,
Heavenly love play,
Self-elation(euphoria),
Gift of life,
Glance of grace,
and celestial boons and blessing.
Through continuous research of Gurbani and practice of 'Naam Simran', my heart was filled with euphoria and enthusiasm to present before a holy congregation these spiritual aspects of Gurbani.
With this divine and dynamic motivation, the present holy congregation was started 60 years ago, firstly while in service, and again after retirement, in Punjab.
These holy congregations in the beginning were held every month in different villages and subsequently according to the demand of the aspirants these sessions were held at two or three week intervals. With the gradual expansion of the congregations, besides Punjab, these spread to Haryana, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Canada, America, England, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The spiritual sessions have been going on approximately for the last 30 years and these are held in high and rising spirits. In these sessions, only hymns from Gurbani are sung, religious discourse and deliberation take place and intrinsic meanings of 'Gurbani' are brought to light. Except for the aim or goal of Gurbani in our life, no other issue is discussed. These spiritual sessions are held in villages and towns for two days, charmed with Divine currents of godly love and light.
Brahm Bunga Sahib in village Dodra, tehsil Budhlada, district Mansa, has come up as a central place of congregations where eight-day-long sessions are held every three months, and at the end of December, a ten-day-long special annual congregation takes place. In these spiritual sessions, countless aspirants come from different states of India and abroad.
In Gurudwara Brahm Bunga Sahib, Naam Simran (changing of God's name), 'Nitnem' (prescribed daily recitation of sacred text), religious discourses and singing of hymns takes place every day and meals are served free of charge. In all these congregations, aspirants are administered 'ambrosial- nectar' (Amrit Sanchar) by the Five Beloveds of the Guru, in a solemn ceremony held according to the tenets of Sikh religion. Numerous persons have boarded the 'Guru's Ship' till now.
In every session, souls of many seekers are charmed by the power of divine love, devotion, celestial music, and spirit of service reveled through the practice of Naam-Simran and Gurbani. Steeped in the taste of powerful spiritual love, they feel intoxicated and become carefree. This wondrous miracle is a new experience in their lives, which gives them a fresh spiritual direction and their life changes.
No individual, saint, holy person, or a chief priest is in control of Gurudwara Brahm Bunga Sahib. 'Brahm Bunga Trust' Dodra (registered) controls the entire administration.
I was deeply pained by the ignorance and carelessness of the general public regarding the spiritual aspects of Gurbani, its intrinsic meanings and underlying ideals. I would sigh with pain, alas! The people were totally bereft of noble-pure and spiritual ideals, divine love, mysterious tenets, and knowledge of divinity, which is hidden in Gurbani.
Deep down at center of the earth, elemental fire keeps smoldering and when it comes to a boiling point, the earth shakes, which we call an earthquake. But when this conflagration of elemental fire bursts open the earth, due to its extremely powerful and dynamic energy, we call it eruption of volcano, out of which burning lava gushes out and spreads all around.
In the same manner, a spark of Gurbani was lighted by a 'Gurmukh' (guru oriented pious person) in my heart, which kept smoldering and gradually became a conflagration; and through its inherent high velocity dynamic power, it kept boiling, gushing, thundering and 'spouting'. In the dynamic flow and motivation of this spiritual power, the noble, pure and lively holy congregations are going on. 'Brahm Bunga Sahib' has come up as a central place, which is being entered by dynamic currents of 'devotional love' because of underlying spiritual focus and emotions of the participants.
My intrinsic spiritual sigh of pain or 'devotion' kept on becoming keen and intense and ultimately took the form a powerful spiritual movement, which could not be contained within the limits of my body, mind or intellect. In this manner, the dynamic sigh; erupted from the core of my heart, like a volcano, it took the form of series of published writings on various percepts of Gurbani, which are spreading all around like lava.
In fact these writings, based on the ideals of Gurbani, are the expression of a 'divine flame; which originated as a 'spiritual spark' within my inner-self due to grace of the Satguru (true guru).
My writings are-
Bubbling excitement of,
Bursting of,
Thundring of,
Illumination of,
Glow of),
Gushing of 'lava' and,
Will or pleasure of the 'divine- light',
In other words, these 'writings' are manifestations of the fulfillment of reputed nature of the 'Satguru' through my old physical frame and insignificant intelligence. These are the symbols and expressions of grace of the Satguru.
Oh yes! These writings are my own -self's.
Empirical visions,
Unique revelation through the visions,
Deep spiritual feelings,
Powerful flow of the feelings,
High speed of the flow,
Rising tides of the flow,
Rise and fall of tides,
Rainbow created by rise and fall of tides,
Swings of the rainbow,
Ecstasy of the swings,
Feelings of love in ecstasy,
Currents of love and affection,
Taste of love,
And intoxication due to the taste of love. These writings are the expressions and
manifestations of my own self.
I knew little of Punjabi (language) since I had received my education abroad. I neither studied a commentary or a dictionary; nor took a course in 'Gyani' or 'Vidvani' (degrees). It was difficult for me even to reply the letters in Punjabi, but 'Satguru' ministered to my limited intelligence, with His spiritual power, and enabled me to elucidate the deep, hidden, intrinsic, and underlying ideas of Gurbani. In this manner, 'Satguru' cherished me, and put to use my aged body and petty mind for 'His work'.
I am just a fool, O Nanak, but the Lord has appointed me to perform His service (p-449)
He Himself is the pen and He Himself is the scribe, He Himself inscribes His inscription (p-606)
If these writings have any error, shortcoming or deficiency, it is entirely the result of my ignorance or limited intelligence, for which I beg forgiveness.
'Khoji'
Ludhiana
February 13, 1989