Guru Is the Greatest Giver. {243.}

Guru Is the Greatest Giver. {243.}
****

“My mind, my mind the True Guru
has blessed it with love ...
The Name of the Lord,
dwells within my mind;
it is the Destroyer of all pain.
By great good fortune, I have obtained
the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan;
blessed, blessed is my True Guru.
While standing up and sitting down,
I serve the True Guru; serving Him,
I have found peace and tranquility.
My mind, my mind the True Guru
has blessed it with love.
I live, I live, and I blossom forth,
beholding the True Guru....
He has implanted the Name of the Lord within me;
chanting the Name of the Lord, ...
the heart-lotus blossoms forth,
and through the Name of the Lord,
I have obtained the nine treasures.
The disease of egotism has been eradicated,
suffering has been eliminated, and I have
entered the Lord’s state of celestial Samadhi.
I have obtained the glorious greatness of
the Name of the Lord from the True Guru;
beholding the Divine True Guru,
my mind is at peace....
Cutting my mind and body apart,
cutting them into pieces,
I offer these to the one,
who recites to me
the Words of the True Guru.
My mind has become disillusioned
and renounced the world;
obtaining the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan,
it has found peace....
If only someone would come,...
and lead me to meet my Perfect True Guru.
A Giver as great as the Guru,...
I cannot see any other.
He blesses me with the gift of the Lord’s Name,...
those very fortunate ones meet Him;
their minds are attached to the Guru’s Feet.
Says Nanak, the Lord Himself causes us to meet the Guru;
meeting the Almighty True Guru, peace is obtained.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Guru’s Sanctuary Grants one Consummation. {236.}

Guru’s Sanctuary Grants one Consummation. {236.}
****

“I bow in reverence to the Lord, I bow in reverence.
I sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, my King.
By great good fortune, one meets the Divine Guru.
Millions of sins are erased by serving the Lord.
One whose mind is imbued with the Lord’s lotus feet
is not afflicted by the fire of sorrow.
He crosses over the world-ocean in the Saadh Sangat,
the Company of the Holy.
He chants the Name of the Fearless Lord,
and is imbued with the Lord’s Love.
One who does not steal the wealth of others,
who does not commit evil deeds or sinful acts,
the Messenger of Death does not even approach him.
God Himself quenches the fires of desire.
O Nanak, in God’s Sanctuary, one is saved.

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

The Ways of the Devout. {229.}

The Ways of the Devout. {229.}
****

“The Jewel of the Lord’s Name
abides within my heart;
the Guru has placed His hand on my forehead.
The sins and pains of
countless incarnations have been cast out.
The Guru has blessed me with the Naam,
the Name of the Lord,
and my debt has been paid off.
O my mind, vibrate the Lord’s Name,
and all your affairs shall be resolved.
The Perfect Guru has implanted
the Lord’s Name within me;
without the Name, life is useless.
Without the Guru,
the self-willed manmukhs are foolish and ignorant;
they are forever entangled
in emotional attachment to Maya.
They never serve the feet of the Holy;
their lives are totally useless.
Those who serve at the feet of the Holy,
the feet of the Holy,
their lives are made fruitful,
and they belong to the Lord.
Make me the slave of the slave
of the slaves of the Lord;
bless me with Your Mercy,
O Lord of the Universe.
I am blind, ignorant and totally without wisdom;
how can I walk on the Path?
I am blind O Guru,
please let me grasp the hem of Your robe,
so that servant Nanak may walk in harmony with You.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Beneficial Company of the Holy. {222.}

Beneficial Company of the Holy. {222.}
****

“The Lord and Master destroys the pain of the poor;
He preserves and protects the honor of His servants.
The Lord is the ship to carry us across;
He is the treasure of virtue; pain cannot touch Him.
In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy,
meditate, vibrate upon the Lord of the world.
I cannot think of any other way; make this effort,
and make it in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga.
In the beginning, and in the end,
there is none other than the perfect, merciful Lord.
The cycle of birth and death is ended,
chanting the Lord’s Name,
and remembering the Lord Master in meditation.
The Vedas, the Smritis, the Shastras
and the Lord’s devotees contemplate Him;
liberation is attained in the Saadh Sangat,
the Company of the Holy,
and the darkness of ignorance is dispelled.
The lotus feet of the Lord
are the support of His humble servants.
They are their only capital and investment.
The True Lord is Nanak’s strength, honor and support;
He alone is his protection.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Chant Name for Divine Elixir. {208.}

Chant Name for Divine Elixir. {208.}
****

“Wash the vessel, sit down and anoint it with fragrance;
then, go out and get the milk.
Add the rennet of clear consciousness to the milk of good deeds,
and then, free of desire, let it curdle.
Chant the Name of the One Lord.
All other actions are fruitless.
Let your mind be the handles,
and then churn it, without sleeping.
If you chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
with your tongue, then the curd will be churned.
In this way, the Ambrosial Nectar is obtained.
Wash your mind in the pool of Truth,
and let it be the vessel of the Lord;
let this be your offering to please Him.
That humble servant who dedicates and offers his life,
and who serves in this way,
remains absorbed in his Lord and Master.
The speakers speak and speak and speak,
and then they depart.
There is no other to compare with You.
Servant Nanak, lacking devotion, humbly prays:
may I sing the Praises of the True Lord.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Become True Warrior & Conqueror. {201.}

Become True Warrior & Conqueror. {201.}
****

“He alone is called a warrior,
who is attached to the Lord’s Love in this age.
Through the Perfect True Guru, he conquers his own soul,
and then everything comes under his control.
Sing the Praises of the Lord and Master,
with the love of your soul.
Those who seek His Sanctuary,
and meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
are blended with the Lord in celestial peace.
The feet of the Lord’s humble servant abide in my heart;
with them, my body is made pure.
O treasure of mercy, please bless Nanak
with the dust of the feet of Your humble servants;
this alone brings peace.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

The Way of the Gurumukh. {194.}

The Way of the Gurumukh. {194.}
****

“Everything comes from the Naam, the Name of the Lord;
without the True Guru, the Naam is not experienced.
The Word of the Guru’s Shabad
is the sweetest and most sublime essence,
but without tasting it,
its flavor cannot be experienced.
He wastes this human life in exchange for a mere shell,
who does not understand his own self.
But if he becomes Gurumukh,
then he comes to know the One Lord,
and the disease of egotism does not afflict him.
I am a sacrifice to my Guru,
who has lovingly attached me to the True Lord.
Concentrating on the Word of the Shabad,
the soul is illumined and enlightened.
I remain absorbed in celestial ecstasy.
The Gurumukh sings the Praises of the Lord;
the Gurumukh understands.
The Gurumukh contemplates the Word of the Shabad.
Body and soul are totally rejuvenated through the Guru;
the Gurumukh affairs are resolved in his favor.
The blind self-willed manmukh acts blindly,
and earns only poison in this world.
Enticed by Maya, he suffers in constant pain,
without the most Beloved Guru.
He alone is a selfless servant,
who serves the True Guru,
and walks in harmony with the True Guru’s Will.
The True Shabad, the Word of God,
is the True Praise of God;
enshrine the True Lord within your mind.
The Gurumukh speaks the True Word of Gurbani,
and egotism departs from within.
He Himself is the Giver,
and True are His actions.
He proclaims the True Word of the Shabad.
The Gurumukh works, and the Gurumukh earns;
the Gurumukh inspires others to chant the Naam.
He is forever unattached,
imbued with the Love of the True Lord,
intuitively in harmony with the Guru.
The self-willed manmukh always tells lies;
he plants the seeds of poison,
and eats only poison.
He is bound and gagged by the Messenger of Death,
and burnt in the fire of desire;
who can save him, except the Guru?
True is that place of pilgrimage,
where one bathes in the pool of Truth,
and achieves self-realization as Gurumukh.
The Gurumukh understands his own self.
The Lord has shown that the Word of the Guru’s Shabad
is the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage;
bathing in it, filth is washed away.
True and Immaculate is the True Word of His Shabad;
no filth touches or clings to Him.
True Praise, True Devotional Praise,
is obtained from the Perfect Guru.
Body, mind, everything belongs to the Lord;
but the evil-minded ones cannot even say this.
If such is the Hukam of the Lord’s Command,
then one becomes pure and spotless,
and the ego is taken away from within.
I have intuitively tasted the Guru’s Teachings,
and the fire of my desire has been quenched.
Attuned to the Word of the Guru’s Shabad,
one is naturally intoxicated,
merging imperceptibly into the Lord.
The Name of the Lord is known as True,
through the Love of the Beloved Guru.
True Glorious Greatness is obtained from the Guru,
through the Beloved True Name.
The One True Lord is permeating and pervading among all;
how rare is the one who contemplates this.
The Lord Himself unites us in Union, and forgives us;
He embellishes us with true devotional worship.
All is Truth; Truth, and Truth alone is pervading;
how rare is the Gurumukh who knows this.
Birth and death occur by the Hukam of His Command;
the Gurumukh understands his own self.
He meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
and so pleases the True Guru.
He receives whatever rewards he desires.
O Nanak, one who eradicates self-conceit from within, has everything.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Transitory Relationships & Worldly Possessions. {187.}

Transitory Relationships & Worldly Possessions. {187.}
****

“Does anyone know, who is our friend in this world?
He alone understands this, whom the Lord blesses with His Mercy.
Immaculate and unstained is his way of life.
Mother, father, spouse, children, relatives, lovers, friends and siblings meet,
having been associated in previous lives;
but none of them will be your companion and support in the end.
Pearl necklaces, gold, rubies and diamonds please the mind,
but they are only Maya.
Possessing them, one passes his life in agony;
one obtains no contentment from them.
Elephants, chariots, horses as fast as the wind,
wealth, land, and armies of four kinds,
none of these will go with one;
one must get up and depart, naked.
The Lord’s Saints are the beloved lovers of God;
sing of the Lord with them.
O Nanak, in the Society of the Saints,
you shall obtain peace in this world,
and in the next world,
your face shall be radiant and bright.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Difference between Gurmukh & Manmukh. {180.}

Difference between Gurmukh & Manmukh. {180.}
****

“Everything comes from the Naam, the Name of the Lord;
without the True Guru, the Naam is not experienced.
The Word of the Guru’s Shabad is the sweetest and most sublime essence,
but without tasting it, its flavor cannot be experienced.
He wastes this human life in exchange for a mere shell;
he does not understand his own self.
But, if he becomes Gurmukh, then he comes to know the One Lord,
and the disease of egotism does not afflict him.
I am a sacrifice to my Guru,
who has lovingly attached me to the True Lord.
Concentrating on the Word of the Shabad,
the soul is illumined and enlightened.
I remain absorbed in celestial ecstasy.

The Gurmukh sings the Praises of the Lord;
the Gurmukh understands.
The Gurmukh contemplates the Word of the Shabad.
Body and soul are totally rejuvenated through the Guru;
the Gurmukh’s affairs are resolved in his favor.

The blind self-willed manmukh acts blindly, and earns only poison in this world.
Enticed by Maya, he suffers in constant pain, without the most Beloved Guru.
He alone is a selfless servant, who serves the True Guru,
and walks in harmony with the True Guru’s Will.

The True Shabad, the Word of God, is the True Praise of God;
enshrine the True Lord within your mind.
The Gurmukh speaks the True Word of Gurbani,
and egotism departs from within.
He Himself is the Giver, and true are His Actions.
He proclaims the True Word of the Shabad.

The Gurmukh works, and the Gurmukh earns;
the Gurmukh inspires others to chant the Naam.
He is forever unattached, imbued with the Love of the True Lord,
intuitively in harmony with the Guru.

The self-willed manmukh always tells lies;
he plants the seeds of poison, and eats only poison.
He is bound and gagged by the Messenger of Death,
and burnt in the fire of desire;
who can save him, except the Guru?

All is Truth; Truth, and Truth alone, is pervading;
how rare is the Gurmukh who knows this….
He receives whatever rewards he desires.

O Nanak, one who eradicates self-conceit from within, has everything.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Meditation Leads to Eternal Bliss. {173.}

Meditation Leads to Eternal Bliss. {173.}
****

“My tongue sings the Praises of the Lord of the world, the ocean of virtue.
Peace, tranquility, poise and delight well up in my mind, and all sorrows run away.
Whatever I ask for, I receive; I serve at the Lord’s feet, the source of nectar.
I am released from the bondage of birth and death,
and so I cross over the terrifying world-ocean.
Searching and seeking, I have come to understand the essence of reality;
the slave of the Lord of the Universe is dedicated to Him.
If you desire eternal bliss, O Nanak, ever remember the Lord in meditation.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Pure Devotion Leads to Fulfillment. {166.}

Pure Devotion Leads to Fulfillment. {166.}
****

“I meditated on my Guru.
I met with Him, and returned home in joy.
This is the glorious greatness of the Naam.
Its value cannot be estimated.
O Saints, worship and adore the Lord …
Worship the Lord in adoration,
and you shall obtain everything;
your affairs shall all be resolved.
He alone is attached in loving devotion to God,
who realizes his great destiny.
Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam,
the Name of the Lord.
He obtains the rewards of all joys and peace.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Benefits of Meditating on God. {159.}

Benefits of Meditating on God. {159.}
****

“When the Lord God shows His Kindness, O Nanak,
one is no longer engrossed in Maya.
The burning fire has been put out;
God Himself has saved me.
Meditate on that God, O Nanak,
who created the universe.
When God becomes merciful,
Maya does not cling.
Millions of sins are eliminated,
by meditating on the Naam,
the Name of the One Lord.
The body is made immaculate and pure,
bathing in the dust of the feet of the Lord’s humble servants.
The mind and body become contented,
finding the Perfect Lord God.
One is saved, along with his family,
and all his ancestors.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Cut the Noose of Death. {152.}

Cut the Noose of Death. {152.}
****

“The noose of Death is cut, and one’s wanderings cease;
victory is obtained, when one conquers his own mind.
O Nanak, eternal stability is obtained from the Guru,
and one’s day-to-day wanderings cease.
After wandering and wandering for so long, you have come;
in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga,
you have obtained this human body,
so very difficult to obtain.
This opportunity shall not come into your hands again.
So chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
and the noose of Death shall be cut away.
You shall not have to come and go
in reincarnation over and over again,
if you chant and meditate on the One and Only Lord.
Shower Your Mercy, O God, Creator Lord,
and unite poor Nanak with Yourself.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib; Raag Gauree, 108:38.
****

The Sheer Joys of Gurubhakti. {145.}

The Sheer Joys of Gurubhakti. {145.}
****

“I sacrifice everything for Him.
Twenty-four hours a day,
sing the Glorious Praises
of the Lord of the Universe.
Do not forget Him,
for even one breath.
He is a companion, a friend,
and a beloved of mine,
who reflects upon the Lord’s Name,
in the Company of the Holy.
In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy,
cross over the world-ocean,
and the noose of death shall be cut away.
The four cardinal blessings are obtained
by serving the Lord.
The Elysian Tree, the source of all blessings,
is meditation on the Unseen and Unknowable Lord.
The Guru has cut out the sinful mistakes
of sexual desire and anger,
and my hopes have been fulfilled.
That mortal who is blessed by perfect destiny meets the Lord,
the Sustainer of the Universe, in the Company of the Holy.
O Nanak, if the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
dwells within the mind,
one is approved and accepted,
whether he is a householder or a renunciate.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Service of Guru is All. {131.}

Service of Guru is All. {131.}
****

“Serve your True Lord and Master,
and you shall be blessed with true greatness.
By Guru’s Grace, He abides in the mind,
and egotism is driven out.
This wandering mind comes to rest,
when the Lord casts His Glance of Grace.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Evil is a Weighty Karma. {124.}

Evil is a Weighty Karma. {124.}
****

“Sin is a stone that doesn’t float on water.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Perform Pilgrimage to Soul Within. {117.}

Perform Pilgrimage to Soul Within. {117.}
****

“For the sake of it, you journey
to sacred shrines and holy rivers;
but this priceless jewel
is within your own heart.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Stop Squandering Soul for Rubbish. {110.}

Stop Squandering Soul for Rubbish. {110.}
****

“The jewel of the soul is priceless,
and yet it is being squandered like this,
in exchange for a mere shell.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Service of Guru is Greatness. {103.}

Service of Guru is Greatness. {103.}
****

“Serve your True Lord and Master,
and you shall be blessed with true greatness.
By Guru’s Grace, He abides in the mind,
and egotism is driven out.
This wandering mind comes to rest,
when the Lord casts His Glance of Grace.”
---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Shun Selfishness to Attain God. {96.}

Shun Selfishness to Attain God. {96.}
****

“Give up your selfishness,
and you shall find peace;
like water mingling with water,
you shall merge in absorption.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****