ਸਿਮਰਤ ਕੌਰ ਖਾਲਸਾ
ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਃ ੫।। (੬੧੯) Sorath, Fifth Mehl:
ਗਏ ਕਲੇਸ ਰੋਗ ਸਭਿ ਨਾਸੇ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਅਪੁਨੈ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਧਾਰੀ।।
“My sufferings have come to an end, and all diseases have been eradicated.”
ਸਿਮਰਉ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਉ।। “Meditate, meditate, meditate in remembrance of Him, and find peace.” ਕਲਿ ਕਲੇਸ ਤਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਮਿਟਾਵਉ।। (੨੬੨, ਗਉੜੀ, ਮਹਲਾ ੫) “Worry and anguish shall be dispelled from your body.” When something bothers a person, he gets relief from taking the golden wisdom of Guru Ji; then doesn’t let anything interfere with his progressive life. He see obstacles as challenges, not as superstitious phenomena.
ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਆਰਾਧਹੁ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਘਾਲ ਹਮਾਰੀ।। ੧।।
“God has showered me with His Grace. Twenty-four hours a day, I worship and adore my Lord and Master; my efforts have come to fruition. ||1||” ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਆਰਾਧੀਐ ਪੂਰਨ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ।। ੧।। ਰਹਾਉ।। “Twenty-four hours a day, dwell upon the wisdom of the Perfect True Guru. ||1||Pause||” God has furnished the universe with His entire essence expressed in nature. This is His infinite grace (Guru’s Riches At Creator’s Expense). Nothing can equal the gift of a giver. If you were given a rare and precious gift out of love, but you wouldn’t dare offer something else in return to match the giver. The same is with God. We cannot bribe for His riches. He is the riches. Tu meri ras. He is the fruition. We do nothing without Him. Our efforts are part of the game God plays (we think we do things by our own will). ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ।। (ਜਪੁਜੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਮਹਲਾ ੧) “Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond His Command.” So we must play by the rules to win the gift of life.
ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਤੂ ਸੁਖ ਸੰਪਤਿ ਰਾਸਿ।।
“O Dear Lord, You are my peace, wealth and capital.” This is the heavenly state where there is no hunger or thirst. One becomes satisfied in the space of the Creator; He himself is all that man ultimately longs for but searches in the wrong places how to acquire this divine treasure. ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਅਬਿਗਤ ਅਗੋਚਰ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਤੁਝ ਹੀ ਹੈ ਲਗਾ।। ੭।। “O imperishable, eternal, unfathomable Lord, everything is attached to You.” (੧੦੮੨, ਮਾਰੂ, ਮਹਲਾ ੫)
ਰਾਖਿ ਲੈਹੁ ਭਾਈ ਮੇਰੇ ਕਉ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਆਗੈ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ।। ਰਹਾਉ।।
“Please, save me, O my Beloved! I offer this prayer to my God. ||Pause||”
Salvation is the state of equanimity ਸਮਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਾ where challenges in one’s life cannot disrupt one’s peace of mind. As long as he centers his focus on God, he will not taste be trapped by pain or enslavement to the five vices. ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਮਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਾ।। ੨।। ੧।। “By Guru's Grace, Nanak looks upon all the same. ||2||1||” (੮੬੨ ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੧) 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 (੮੬੨) If we imitate God, then everything that a Gurmukh does in the spirit of pure Sikhism, everything he benefits from. Thus he enjoys all of Creation.
ਜੋ ਮਾਗਉ ਸੋਈ ਸੋਈ ਪਾਵਉ ਅਪਨੇ ਖਸਮ ਭਰੋਸਾ।।
“Whatever I ask for, I receive; I have total faith in my Master.”
This does not refer to selfish greed, because if one is sick with greed, he is never satisfied with what he craves. Even if he is given triple or 100 fold more of it, he will react as if he received nothing. His lifestyle will show no appreciation for what the Divine Giver has provided. ਵਡੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ ਜਾ ਪੁਛਿ ਨ ਦਾਤਿ।। (੪੬੩, ਆਸਾ, ਮਹਲਾ ੧) “Great is His greatness, as He gives without being asked.” God is not waiting for us to ask; he faithfully provides everything even before we are born. He gives His own self which sustains the universe and furnishes the space for all things. Asking means realizing that one has a need. If one possess all the gold, silver and rubies in the world and all of creation, but ignores the wisdom how to use everything, then these gifts are useless.
ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਭੇਟਿਓ ਮਿਟਿਓ ਸਗਲ ਅੰਦੇਸਾ।। ੨।। ੧੪।। ੪੨।।
“Says Nanak, I have met with the Perfect Guru, and all my fears have been dispelled.”
The Perfect Guru always gives the perfect gift that lasts forever. The perfect wisdom of the Guru Granth Sahib gives us the Perfect Wisdom for the Perfect Gift from the Perfect God. We should no longer hide this wonderful secret from the world and start doing parchar outreach to spread Guru Nanak’s wisdom.
