ਹਰਸਿਮਰਤ ਕੌਰ ਖਾਲਸਾ

ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੧ (੮੬੨)

Raag Gond, Fifth Mehl, Chau-Padas, First House:

By Harsimrat Kaur Khalsa

President

Guru Granth Parchar Mission of USA, Inc.

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ।।

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace of the True Guru:

ਸਭੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਭੁ ਭੁਗਤਾ।। ੧।। ਰਹਾਉ।।

“He is the Creator of all, He is the Enjoyer of all. ||1||Pause||”

Creation is the process of manufacturing an item without pre-existing elements. Akal Purekh has already fashioned all the elements in the universe. An element is simplest ingredient that contains nothing else. An element is any of the 118 known substances (of which 93 occur naturally) that consist of atoms with the same number of protons in their nuclei. An element is one of the fundamental or irreducible components making up a whole. An element is known for its fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity. It is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. To enjoy means to experience joy or have benefit over something. God’s enjoyment is enormous and lasts forever.

Everything in the Universe, in all of creation is a reaction from the greatness and compassion of the Creator. Cycles of nature cause things to move, alter shape, appear, and disappear. Nothing gets completely destroyed; it only gets reabsorbed into the Universe. Everything is a part of the one whole complete universe. The human mind tends to separate and differential and discriminate the breakdown of the complete creation by the Complete Creator.

There is not much we can study about the Creator Himself. He creates and he appreciates His handiwork. Nothing stops Him and nothing compares to His enjoyment ਭੁਗਤਾ. As we explore creation and study Guru Granth Sahib, we get as clearer understanding of who the Creator is and what Creation is all about. Contemplating on this creation topic alone is enough to keep even the most stressed out person at peace.

ਸੁਨਤੋ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੇਖਤ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator listens, and the Creator sees.”

Sound is the patterns of waves that hit a surface, whether it is an eardrum, a percussion instrument, the ground, a wall, or any surface stuck. The nervous system sends the wave patterns to the brain, and the brain interprets the pattern and intensity of the sound. One reacts in different ways, according to what he or she is conditioned to hear in everyday life and in unusual occasions. The Creator has no need for ears and no need for eyes. He is all understanding and all knowing.

Vision is also explained as the brain’s interpretation of light reflected in the eye’s lenses, passed through neuro-receptors to the brain, then the brain produces a reaction of pleasure, or discomfort to the listener. Both hearing and vision are not visible in themselves. They are the mind’s reactions to the endless motions and vibrations of God’s hukam.

ਅਦ੍ਰਿਸਟੋ ਕਰਤਾ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟੋ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator is unseen, and the Creator is seen.”

God is not defined by anything at all. Since He is the initiator of everything, then everything is but a mere reflection of His majestic hukam. If one was born without physical sensations, deaf, and blind, he or she still wouldn’t be able to perceive anything about God. Most of us are blessed with these senses, and we thing we know so much about God. We tend to judge against Him when we suffer. We are greatful to Him when we have pleasure. How can we see the Creator, since Gurbani says the Creator is seen? ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟੋ ਕਰਤਾ Only through study of Guru Shabad can we see with our third eye, eye of wisdom and understanding. We start with elementary topics and gradually learn deeper and deeper. As we drink the Amrit of Guru Ji’s teachings, we begin to see nothingness (emptiness of ego inside us). We discover the treasure of Naam inside of us. We appreciate creation and accept everything that comes in our path within God’s hukam. We adapt to changes as Guru Ji instructs us to maintain our body and spirit.

ਓਪਤਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਪਰਲਉ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator forms, and the Creator destroys.”

God fashions different shapes, dimensions, colors, sizes, and then regroups everything. All is done simultaneously non-stop. There is no beginning and no end to His cycles of Hukam. Nothing gets completely destroyed, only re-absorbed. Nature feeds on nature which follows the perfectly balanced laws of God’s physics.

ਬਿਆਪਤ ਕਰਤਾ ਅਲਿਪਤੋ ਕਰਤਾ।। ੧।।

“The Creator is everywhere, and the Creator is detached. ||1||”

Everywhere one looks, there is God. All of creation is dependent on Him, but He is ਸੈਭੰ (self illuminating) not dependant of His creation. ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ।। “One Universal Creator God. The Name is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image of the Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace.”

ਬਕਤੋ ਕਰਤਾ ਬੂਝਤ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator is the One who speaks, and the Creator is the One who understands.”

God is the commencer of all activities and God also has the last say (the beginning and end of all actions). We study for years and haven’t even begun to understand. God does not speak from a mouth. Speech is a verbal expression of a will, thought, or feeling. The vibrations of hukam are the actions of His royal declarations. All action sof God are truthful. The royal vibrations of Guru Ji’s shabad in our minds also stimulates us to chose to imitate God by living truthfully.

ਆਵਤੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਜਾਤੁ ਭੀ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator comes, the Creator also goes.”

This is a constant presence. He is everywhere at the same time. For Him there is no need for travel. When a manmukh falls into sinful life, he loses his vision of God, as if God leaves him, yet God is there waiting for him to return. When he fills his mind with Gurbani and practices sincerely, he begins to realize that God never abandoned him. By Guru’s grace, the cloud of blindness is thus removed off his eyes. He beings to accept God’s hukam and decides to react harmoniously to the beat of the celestrial naad.

ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਰਗੁਨ ਕਰਤਾ।।

“The Creator is absolute and without qualities; the Creator is related, with the most excellent qualities.”

All qualities are a product of His completeness. Nothing can compare to Him. ਘੁਨ is something only applicable to something created by Him, and nothing can be without Him. There is none like Him, there is no other flavor like Amrit Shabad, Amrit Har Bani. ਮੈ ਨਿਰਗੁਣਿਆਰੇ ਕੋ ਗੁਣੁ ਨਾਹੀ (੧੪੨੯, ਮੁੰਦਾਵਣੀ, ਮਹਲਾ ੫) “I am unworthy - I have no worth or virtues at all.” God is not subject to ego and so should we be free from enslavement of the 5 vices. ਤਨੁ ਮਨੁ ਥੀਵੈ ਹਰਿਆ।। ੧।। “I live, and my body and mind blossom forth.” When we humble ourselves to partake of Guru Ji’s way, the only way, we too benefit and enjoy creation. People will look at us differently, too.

ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਮਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਾ।। ੨।। ੧।।

“By Guru's Grace, Nanak looks upon all the same. ||2||1||”

Who are we to judge what is good and what is bad? Who is worthy and who is not?

Which is greater and which is worse? Since everything came out of the perfect Creator, then everything is perfect in itself. We make foolish choices that result in uncomfortable results, so we should never blame God for our discomforts. He has already given us the remedy to our sufferings. This is why we must study and promote Guru Granth Sahib. We were not created for Him to enjoy watching us suffer. Guru Nanak looks at everything of equal importance. All of creation is good, and not everything we do is good. ਮਾਟੀ ਏਕ ਅਨੇਕ ਭਾਂਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਜੀ ਸਾਜਨਹਾਰੈ।। “The clay is the same, but various ways by the Fashioner.” ਨਾ ਕਛੁ ਪੋਚ ਮਾਟੀ ਕੇ ਭਾਂਡੇ ਨਾ ਕਛੁ ਪੋਚ ਕੁੰਭਾਰੈ।। ੨।। ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ।। (੧੩੪੯) “Nothing is wrong with the pot of clay – nothing is wrong with the Potter. ||2||

In conclusion, we live in a transitory cycle of the perfect creation of God. His hukam is infinite and eternal. Our surroundings are part of that infinite hukam. Things around us change, so we should never be contempt with the changes around us. The Gurmukh merges with the unchanging hukam, while the manmukh clings to the very things that the hukam changes. When we see the Creator who is truly ਸਭੁ ਭੁਗਤਾ enjoying everything, we can start enjoying life with Him, no matter how difficult life seems. ਸਭੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਭੁ ਭੁਗਤਾ If we imitate God, then everthing that a Gurmukh does in the spirit of pure Sikhism, everything he benefits from. Thus he enjoys all of Creation.