Throw Off the Veil of Illusion: March 2014

by Amar Prakash

"Truth is available only to those who have the courage to question whatever they have been taught." (Unknown) And the real crime is that very few have the courage to do this.

"Guru Nanak opposed what he considered to be the ineffective and distracting rituals of Hinduism and Islam. Insistence of their careful observance resulted in the formalism which kept the worshiper preoccupied with the temporal to the neglect of the spiritual. Thus he would assert that 'Rituals and ceremonies are the chains of the mind.' p. 635."

krm Drm bMDkwrI ]

Religious rituals and ceremonies are traps.
Guru Nanak p. 135

It's rehits that have "resulted in the formalism" which keep us separated from the Spiritual and in these "chains" and "traps," Sikhism has built it's own prison, unable to see beyond the Veil of Illusion to attain the Spiritual or Transcendent World.

The following are quotes from the Adi Granth. I find it amazing that the first two are from pages 2 and 3 of Jap Bani. These are read every day but no one seems to be paying any attention.

qIriQ nwvw jy iqsu Bwvw ivxu Bwxy ik nwie krI ]

If I am pleasing to Him, then that is my pilgrimage and cleansing bath. Without pleasing Him, what good are ritual cleanings?
p. 2 Guru Nanak

mMnY mgu n clY pMQu ]

The faithful do not follow empty religious rituals.
p. 3 Guru Nanak

isrIrwgu mhlw 3 ]

mnmuK krm kmwvxy ijau dohwgix qin sIgwru ]

syjY kMqu n AwveI inq inq hoie KuAwru ]

ipr kw mhlu n pwveI nw dIsY Gru bwru ]1]

Siree Raag, Third Mehla:

The self-willed manmukh performs religious rituals, like the unwanted bride decorating her body. Her Husband Lord does not come to her bed; day after day, she grows more and more miserable. She does not attain the Mansion of His Presence; she does not find the door to His House. ||1||
p. 31 Guru Amardas

isrIrwgu mhlw 3 ]

kWieAw swDY aurD qpu krY ivchu haumY n jwie ]

AiDAwqm krm jy kry nwmu n kb hI pwie ]

gur kY sbid jIvqu mrY hir nwmu vsY min Awie ]1]

Siree Raag, Third Mehla:

You may torment your body with extremes of self-discipline, practice intensive meditation and hang upside-down, but your ego will not be eliminated from within. You may perform religious rituals, and still never obtain the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, remain dead while yet alive, and the Name of the Lord shall come to dwell within the mind. ||1||
p. 33 Guru Amardas

suix pMifq krmw kwrI ]

ijqu krim suKu aUpjY BweI su Awqm qqu bIcwrI ] rhwau ]

Listen, O ritualistic Pandit: that religious ritual which produces happiness, O Siblings of Destiny, is contemplation of the essence of the soul. ||Pause||

p. 635 Guru Nanak

siB sMjm rhy isAwxpw ]

All strict rituals are just clever contrivances.

p. 72 Guru Nanak

It is because of these rituals and regulations that understanding becomes nearly impossible. It is ironic that at one time I enjoyed the rituals of gurdwara and was a strict adherent of the rahit. But since I have had glimpses beyond the Veil of Illusion, I see these rituals as road blocks to true understanding and result in Duality.

As I have said in the past: the Gurus were almost never talking about the temporal but only speaking of the transcendent. It is the rituals that keeps everyone from seeing this. In other words, the transcendent has become the temporal and everything is seen as real and not metaphors for the transcendent. Let's take a look at how rituals have led to much confusion and misunderstanding.

The first misunderstanding concerns Gurdwara. This the most important because from this other misunderstanding have arisen.

The big misunderstanding concerns the definition of Gurdwara. Gurdwara doesn't mean "Door to the Guru."

cMdnu cIiq vswieAw mMdru dsvw duAwru ]

Like the essence of sandalwood, He permeates her consciousness, and the Temple of the Tenth Gate is opened.
Guru Nanak p. 54

The Tenth Gate, Dasam Dwaar, is the true Gurdwara that exists in the Spiritual Realm. The door to the Guru should be referred to as the gate to ritualism because that is what it really is. The Guru's Gate is one way. The Guru goes through it to the Spiritual World of your mind.but you don't. It's a one way street.

I would like to ask: Is there any real learning happening in gurdwara? I really don't think so. They are held captive by Grantis who have little or no understanding of what the Gurus were talking about. And all the misunderstandings and misconceptions are perpetuated. This is what Guru Nanak meant on page 464: `The leaders of Sikhism are "the magicians (who) perform their magic in the market place, creating a false illusion."

In the Guru's times they had Dharmasalas. There, people were living and learning the Dharma. That doesn't seem to be happening today.

The teachings of Guru Nanak are about being liberated and not how to become liberated. There are no tools or technologies. Otherwise the teachings would be nothing more than a "How to Book" or even worse: "Liberation for the Complete Idiot." If it were so easy, but it isn't and that's the reason there are so few who are liberated.

gurmuiK ivrlw bUJY koeI ]5]

How rare is that Gurmukh who understands.
Guru Nanak p. 224

jlu iblovY jlu mQY qqu loVY AMDu AigAwnw ]

The blind ignorant mortal stirs the water and churns the water, wishing to obtain butter. Following the Guru's Teachings, one churns the cream, and the treasure of the Ambrosial Naam is obtained. The self-willed manmukh is a beast; he does not know the essence of reality that is contained within himself. Guru Nanak p. 1008

Also it is gurdwara that leads the guru panth down the path away from Gurdwara and Guru.

As can be said:

mnmuK mUV mwieAw icq vwsu ]

The leaders of Sikhism are `the magicians (who) perform their magic in the market place, creating a false illusion.

Guru Nanak p. 464.

Only the Guru can break the Veil of Illusion by opening your tenth Gate and showering you with true Amrit.

The two other concepts that are misunderstood are Ishnaan and Amrit.

mÚ 4 ]
gur siqgur kw jo isKu AKwey su Blky auiT hir nwmu iDAwvY ]
audmu kry Blky prBwqI iesnwnu kry AMimRq sir nwvY ]

Fourth Mehla:
One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name.
Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar.
Guru Ram Das, p. 305

This is probably most quoted and the most understood Shabads written by any Guru. Guru Ram Das is speaking about performing Ishnaan.

Most people believe that Ishnaan is physically taking a dip or taking a bath. But this is not true. How can you take a dip in something that is ethereal, Amrit?

Ishnaan is a mental state where you feel that your Tenth Gate (the True Gurdwara) has been opened and within your brain you are taking a bath in the Ambrosial Nectar:

mnu mqvwr myr sr BwTI AMimRq Dwr cuAwvau ]1]

"Let your mind be intoxicated with the stream of Ambrosial Nectar which trickles down from the furnace of the Tenth Gate.1" Bhagat Kabir page 1123

Your eyes tear:

AMimRqu bolY sdw muiK vYxI ] AMimRqu vyKY prKY sdw nYxI ]

"Those who continually chant the Ambrosial Words of Nectar see and behold this Amrit everywhere with their eyes." Guru Amar Das page 118

And you can taste the Amrit:

siqguir idqw hir nwmu AMimRqu ciKAw ]

"The True Guru has blessed me with the Lord's Name, and I have tasted the Ambrosial Nectar." Guru Arjan page 523

These and many others, such as Sach Khand, Kirpan, Sadh Sangat, GurPrasad and Lavaan, exist only in your Transcendent Mind.

Although the Gurus teachings are about the Transcendent Realm, They are also important in the temporal world, as George Harrison wrote: "I'm living in a physical world."

And what does Gurmat tell us how to live in this world without being caught up in the Duality of Maya.

We are to be detached:

jl purwiein rs kml prIK ]

This is the true mark of wisdom: that one remains detached, like the water-lily, or the lotus upon the water. Guru Nanak p. 152

We are to be humble:

rwm Bgiq jnu rhY inrwrw ]2]

The humble devotee of the Lord remains unattached.
Guru Nanak p. 354

We are to live modestly:

nwnku AwKY rwih pY clxw mwlu Dnu ikq kU sMijAwhI ]4]27]

Says Nanak, you will have to walk on the Path of Death, so why do you bother to collect wealth and property?
Guru Nanak p. 24

We are to live with daily remembrance of the Guru's Grace:

qIrQu sbd bIcwru AMqir igAwnu hY ]

My sacred shrine of pilgrimage is spiritual wisdom within, and contemplation on the Word of the Shabad.
Guru Nanak p. 687

We are to live as a Householder:

so igrhI so dwsu audwsI ijin gurmuiK Awpu pCwinAw ]

He is a householder, he is a renunciate and God's slave, who, as Gurmukh, realizes his own self.
Guru Nanak p. 1332

Renunciate is a key word here.

There is nothing that tells us to walk around with majesty wearing a crown on our heads.

There is nothing that tells us to attain wealth and live in mansions.

We are to live humble and simple lives, understand Gurmat, honestly earn our living and share those earnings with others.

But it is easy to see that especially in the West the lives of Sikhs are completely the opposite of this. We have become caught up in the Life of Prosperity or as Guru Nanak said on page 222:

mnmuK mUV mwieAw icq vwsu ]

The consciousness of the foolish, self-willed manmukh is the dwelling place of Maya.
Guru Nanak p. 222:

As can be said:

swcy gur kI swcI sIK ] qnu mnu sIqlu swcu prIK ] jl purwiein rs kml prIK ] sbid rqy mITy rs eIK ]3]

True are the Teachings of the True Guru. The body and mind are cooled and soothed, by the touchstone of Truth. This is the true mark of wisdom: that one remains detached, like the water-lily, or the lotus upon the water. Attuned to the Word of the Shabad, one becomes sweet, like the juice of the sugar cane. ||3||

Guru Nanak, p. 152

Awsw mhlw 5 ]
BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw ] goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw ] Avir kwj qyrY ikqY n kwm ]
imlu swDsMgiq Bju kyvl nwm ]1] srMjwim lwgu Bvjl qrn kY ] jnmu ibRQw jwq rMig mwieAw kY ]1] rhwau ]

Aasaa, Fifth Mehla:
This human body has been given to you. This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe. Nothing else will work. Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; vibrate and meditate on the Jewel of the Naam. ||1|| Make every effort to cross over this terrifying world-ocean. You are squandering this life uselessly in the love of Maya. ||1||Pause||

Yet, most everyone continues to squander this human birth.

Throw Off the Veil of Illusion

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Table of Contents

Friday, March 7, 2014

Eliminate Duality