D
dhillon
Guest
GRACE
Everything is within the home of the Self; there is nothing beyond. One
who searches outside is deluded by doubt. By Gur-Prasaad, one who
has found the Divine within is happy, inwardly and outwardly. Slowly,
gently, drop by drop, the stream of nectar trickles down within. The
mind drinks it in, hearing and Reflecting on the Shabad.
It enjoys bliss and ecstasy day and night, and plays with the
Lord forever and ever (sggs 102).
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As time and again we are reminded by the Gurbani, the True Guru is none other than the All-pervading Divine Presence called God in English. In essence we are That — "Joti-Svaroopa". Also called Shabad, Waheguru, Raam, and so on, most importantly, this undivided Divine Principle dwells within our own hearts as the Divine Self. Clearly, if God is ever present inside the body, then His Grace must also be ever present within; for the Divine and His Grace are not separate from each other. Hence Grace is not exterior. In fact our very longing for Grace is due to Grace that is already in us!
In short, the Divine Grace is man's enduring Wealth (Spiritual Knowledge, Self-realization, Aatam-Giaan, etc.) which is not to be found outside; for It's ever present deep in the core of man's own True Being. It can only be merited by becoming a Spiritual Being (Gurmukh). God has no preferences. Whether one is good or bad, His Grace is equally illuminating everyone. The reason some experience His Grace more than others is the purity, refined composure or stillness of the mind — some seekers are more in tune than others. The mind in focus becomes pointedly conscious of thought (Manna), word (Bachan), and action (Karma), and cognizes the lesson of each experience of the life. As the soul unfolds, Grace pours forth from within just as fragrance from the incense.
Everything is within the home of the Self; there is nothing beyond. One
who searches outside is deluded by doubt. By Gur-Prasaad, one who
has found the Divine within is happy, inwardly and outwardly. Slowly,
gently, drop by drop, the stream of nectar trickles down within. The
mind drinks it in, hearing and Reflecting on the Shabad.
It enjoys bliss and ecstasy day and night, and plays with the
Lord forever and ever (sggs 102).
<><><><>
The Gurbani's edict is that the Divine Grace ("Gur-Prasaad", "Nadar", or "Kirpaa") is essential in Spiritual Realization. But who is "Gur" or "Guru" in the Gurbani? Where can He be found? How can we ask Him to give us His Grace? Is His Grace separate from Him? Is He sitting "up there" somewhere, distributing His Grace? What is Grace? Why we need It? Is it lost? If It is, why did we lose It in the first place? Where did It go after we lose It?
As time and again we are reminded by the Gurbani, the True Guru is none other than the All-pervading Divine Presence called God in English. In essence we are That — "Joti-Svaroopa". Also called Shabad, Waheguru, Raam, and so on, most importantly, this undivided Divine Principle dwells within our own hearts as the Divine Self. Clearly, if God is ever present inside the body, then His Grace must also be ever present within; for the Divine and His Grace are not separate from each other. Hence Grace is not exterior. In fact our very longing for Grace is due to Grace that is already in us!
- ਆਪੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਹੈ ਆਪੇ ॥: Aape Satgur Shabad hai aap: God is the Satguru as well as the Shabad (sggs 797).
- ਪੂਰਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਤਾਂ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਾਂ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਈ ॥: Pooraa satgur taa milai jaa nadar kreyee: One meets (Realization) the Perfect True Guru only when the Divine Grace is manifest within (sggs 424).
- ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੁ ਕਾਇਆ ਖੋਜੈ ਹੋਰ ਸਭ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਈ ॥: Gurmukh hovai su kaaiaa khojai hor sbh bharami bhulaaee: One who becomes Gurmukh (Spiritual Being) searches within his body; all others just wander around in confusion (sggs 754).
- ਵਿਚਿ ਕਾਇਆ ਨਗਰ ਲਧਾ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਲੀ ॥: Vichi kaaiaa nagar ladhaa har bhaalee: Searching within the body-village, I have found the Lord (sggs 1134).
- ਵਿਣੁ ਕਾਇਆ ਜਿ ਹੋਰ ਥੈ ਧਨੁ ਖੋਜਦੇ ਸੇ ਮੂੜ ਬੇਤਾਲੇ ॥ ਸੇ ਉਝੜਿ ਭਰਮਿ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ਜਿਉ ਝਾੜ ਮਿਰਗੁ ਭਾਲੇ ॥੧੫॥: Vin kaaiaa ji hor thai dhanu khojade se moorr betaale ...: Those who search for this Treasure (Naam) outside of the body, in other places, are foolish demons (in the human body). They wander around in the wilderness of doubt, like the deer who (not knowing that the musk is ever present in his own body) searches for the musk in the bushes ||15|| (sggs 309).
- ਹਉ ਢੂਢੇਦੀ ਸਜਣਾ ਸਜਣੁ ਮੈਡੇ ਨਾਲਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਅਲਖੁ ਨ ਲਖੀਐ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਦੇਇ ਦਿਖਾਲਿ ॥: Hau dhoodhedee sajjanaa sajjan maide naal: I search for my Sajjan, the Divine, outside, but He is already with me. O Nanak, the Unseen Lord cannot be seen; He is revealed only to the Gurmukh (sggs 1384).
- ਬਾਹਰਿ ਢੂੰਢਿ ਵਿਗੁਚੀਐ ਘਰ ਮਹਿ ਵਸਤੁ ਸੁਥਾਇ ॥: Baahar dhoondh vigucheeai ghar mahi vasat suthaai: Searching outside of themselves, people are ruined; the object of their search is in sacred place within the body (sggs 63).
- ਗੁਰ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਮੋਹਿ ਅਸਨਾਹਾ ॥: Gur kirapaa te mohi asanaahaa: It's also Divine Grace that I love Him (sggs 187).
- ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥: Nanak nadaree nadari pashaan: When Divine Grace is manifest, Divine is Realized (sggs 1343).
- ਨਦਰੀ ਭਗਤਾ ਲੈਹੁ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥: Nadaree bhagataa laihu milaaye: When Divine Grace is manifest, the devotees unite Him (sggs 1068).
- ਤੇਰੀ ਨਦਰੀ ਸੀਝਸਿ ਦੇਹਾ ॥: Teree nadaree seejasi dehaa: When Divine Grace is manifest, one's body is blessed and sanctified (sggs 112).
- ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਈ ॥: Kirapaa kare sabadi milaavaa hoee: When Divine Grace is manifest, Shabad-Surti, God-consciousness, is obtained (sggs 158).
- ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਵੈ ਜੋ ਭਾਡਾ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਊਂਧੈ ਭਾਂਡੈ ਟਿਕੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥: Naam smaavai jo bhaandaa hoe. Undhai bhaandai tikai na koe: The Name can be treasured up if the mind-vessel is up-right; in the inverted vessel, nothing can be contained (sggs 158).
- ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਬਾਹਰੇ ਰਾਚਹਿ ਦਾਨਿ ਨ ਨਾਇ ॥: Nanak nadaree baahare raachahi daani na naai: O Nanak, those who lack the manifestation of Grace cherish neither charity nor the Divine Name (sggs 15).
- ਤੂ ਨਦਰੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਤੋਲਹਿ ਤੋਲ ॥: Too nadaaree andari tolahi tol: The Divine weighs us in the balance of Grace (sggs 25).
- ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਸਭ ਕਰਣ ਪਲਾਹ ਕਰੇਇ ॥: Nanak nadaree baaharee sabh karan palaah kareyi: O Nanak, all those who lack Grace, cry and weep and wail (sggs 1280).
- ਸਾਚੌ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਮਨਿ ਵਸੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਮਾਰੀ ॥: When the Divine is realized within, the poisonous ego stands conquered (sggs 419).
It is our inner "filth" ("mall") that covers the true Self and Grace. This inner "filth" is none other than the sense of separateness, wrong identity, body-consciousness, individualness, mental impurities or egoism, which conceal the Presence of God and His Grace. When we liquidate all our "filth" through self-surrender, we unfurl within ourselves Divine Grace (Gur-Prasaad) or Spiritual Perfection, which is necessary to fathom glory of the Spirit. To put it otherwise, with the destruction of the falsehood comes the total loss of duality. When duality is lost, there is Oneness. When there is Oneness, there is the Self-realization, the full vision of Divine Grace within.
- ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਹੋਇ ਪ੍ਰਗਾਸੁ ॥: Prabh kirapaa te hoi pragaas: By Divine Grace, enlightenment comes (sggs 271).
- ਕੂਕ ਪੁਕਾਰ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਨਦਰੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਨਿਹਾਲ ॥: Kook pukaar na hovaee nadaree nadari nihaal: When the Divine Grace is manifest, the mortal no longer weeps and wails (sggs 1283).
- ਤਉ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਤੁਟੈ ॥: Tau kirapaa te houmai tuttai: By Your Grace, egotism is eradicated (sggs 180).
We are oftentimes reminded in the Gurbani that only a very rare one on the path of Spiritual evolution truly yearns for Grace. Why? Because the impetus of most of us is to strive for worldly pleasures. While some are trying to awaken from this sleep of unenlightened existence, but find themselves caught in between the sensual pleasure and God, not knowing which way to go. One thing that need to be remembered here is that Grace can neither be made to order nor passed on by one person to the other person as a mundane gift. It has to be earned and awakened within by the seeker himself. Nobody else can do it for him.
How then is it possible to have Grace awakened or set in within? Only sincere, unconditional and nonverbal surrender of the falsehood will make us intuitively understand Grace, which will ultimately lead us to God-realization. The true state of surrender is accepting that whatever happened happened by Grace of the Eternal Law (Hukam, Bhaanaa, or Will). This attitude of self-surrender helps one accept everything, including our Aatmaan, as the result of God's Grace. Thus, although Grace is always present within, It's realized with earnest practice alone.
- ਸਰਣਿ ਪਏ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਆਪਣੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਹੋਆ ਕਿਰਪਾਲੁ ॥: Saran paye prabh aapane gur hoaa kirapaal: When we surrender to God, we invoke His Grace (sggs 48).
- ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਨਦਰੀ ਜਗਤੁ ਪਰੋਵਹਿ ॥: Toon aape nadaree jagatu parovahi: By Your Grace, You weave the thread of the world (sggs 125).
- ਚਿਤੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਵੇਖਿ ਨਦਰੀ ਹੇਠਿ ਚਲਾਇਦਾ ॥: Chitai andar sabh ko vekh nadaree hethi chalaaidaa: All are within Divine Consciousness; He sees and moves us under His Grace (sggs 472).
Grace is adopted to our senses and latent tendencies. For example, this present human life was determined by the past Karma. The present Karma will determine the next. By focusing on the Self and practicing selfless service (Sevaa), meditation, inner inquiry, love and devotion, etc., we come to find that we are performing virtuous Karmas. Consequently, we turn toward all that is Spiritual, good and holy. Then the reactionary Karamas no longer torment the mind; Maya or world-appearance becomes less and less enchanting; our mind begins to become intuitively more and more balanced; and our egocentric lifestyle loses its grip on us, allowing us to feel unselfish and universal love in life. At the right moment in life, this will allow the Grace to awaken within, and one becomes Self-realized. Grace can make one's all past Karma fly away.
- ਦਦੈ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੇਊ ਕਿਸੈ ਦੋਸੁ ਕਰੰਮਾ ਆਪਣਿਆ ॥ ਜੋ ਮੈ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਪਾਇਆ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੀਜੈ ਅਵਰ ਜਨਾ ॥: Daddai dos na deooo kisai dos krammaa aapaniaa. Jo mai keeaa so mai paaiaa dos na deejai avar janaa: Dadda (a letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet), I should not blame anyone else (for my suffering); I blame instead my own actions. Whatever I did, for that I have suffered; I don't blame anyone else (sggs 433).
- ਜੇਹੀ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਤੇਹਾ ਤਿਨ ਰਾਹੁ ॥: Jehee surit tehaa tin raah: As is (beings') awareness, so is (their) way (sggs 25).
- ਜੈਸਾ ਸੇਵੈ ਤੈਸੋ ਹੋਇ ॥੪॥: Jaisaa sevai taiso hoi ||4||: one becomes just like the One he serves (as one thinks, so he becomes). ||4|| (sggs 223).
- ਜੇਹੀ ਮਨਸਾ ਕਰਿ ਲਾਗੈ ਤੇਹਾ ਫਲੁ ਪਾਏ ॥: Jehee mansaa kar laagai tehaa phal paae: As are the desires (ਮਨ ਦੀ ਕਾਮਨਾ ) one harbors (when he serves the Satguru), so are the rewards one receives (as is the aspiration, so is the reward) (sggs 116).
- ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਨਰਕ ਸਾਕਤੁ ਭੋਗਾਈਐ ॥ ਜੈਸਾ ਕੀਚੈ ਤੈਸੋ ਪਾਈਐ ॥: The faithless cynic suffers the ignominy of having to undergo the "hell" of 8.4 million reincarnations — the viscious cycle of death and rebirth. As he acts, so does he suffer (sggs 1028).
- ਕਰਮੀ ਆਵੈ ਕਪੜਾ ਨਦਰੀ ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥: Karamee aavai kaparraa nadaree mokh duaar: By the past Karma the robe of this physical body is obtained. By Divine Grace the Gate of Liberation is found (sggs 2).
- ਸਭ ਨਦਰੀ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵਦੇ ਨਦਰੀ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥: Sabh nadaree karam kamaavade nadaree baahar na koi: All do their deeds under Divine Vision; no one is beyond His Vision (sggs 66).
- ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥: Gur ka Shabad kaatai koti karam ||3||1||: The Guru's Shabad eradicates millions of (past bad) Karma ||3||1|| (sggs 1195).
In short, the Divine Grace is man's enduring Wealth (Spiritual Knowledge, Self-realization, Aatam-Giaan, etc.) which is not to be found outside; for It's ever present deep in the core of man's own True Being. It can only be merited by becoming a Spiritual Being (Gurmukh). God has no preferences. Whether one is good or bad, His Grace is equally illuminating everyone. The reason some experience His Grace more than others is the purity, refined composure or stillness of the mind — some seekers are more in tune than others. The mind in focus becomes pointedly conscious of thought (Manna), word (Bachan), and action (Karma), and cognizes the lesson of each experience of the life. As the soul unfolds, Grace pours forth from within just as fragrance from the incense.
- ਏਕ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖੈ ਸਭ ਊਪਰਿ ਜੇਹਾ ਭਾਉ ਤੇਹਾ ਫਲੁ ਪਾਈਐ ॥: Ek nadar kar vekhai sabh oopar jehaa bhaaou tehaa phal paaeeai: (The Satguru lovingly) looks alike upon all, but we receive the fruits according to our own motives (ਭਾਵਨਾ, ਨੀਅਤ, etc.) (sggs 602).
- ਨਦਰਿ ਤਿਨਾ ਕਉ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜਿ ਸਾਬਤੁ ਲਾਏ ਰਾਸਿ ॥: Nadar tinaa kaou Nanaka ji saabat laae raas: O Nanak, those who preserve Intact Consciousness realize God's Grace (sggs 1238).
- ਹੋਇ ਨਿਮਾਨਾ ਜਗਿ ਰਹਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਪਾਰਿ ॥: Hoi nimaanaa jagi rahahu Nanak nadaree paari: Be humble in this world, O Nanak, and Divine Grace will carry you across (sggs 259).
- So as you begin to apply it (spiritual consciousness) in practice, your actions will become purified, your conditions (inner and outer) will become successful, your words will become perfected, blessings of divine grace will hasten toward you (Sufi Shams Tabreiz).