Like most eastern religions Sikhism teaches that the individual soul or jiva is something other than the physical body. According to Hinduism and Sikhism there are 8.4 million types of beings in the world. Half of these beings live in the water the other half are divided between the land and the air. All of these embodied life forms are transient shells or vessels through which the Soul constantly passes through the processes of conception, birth, aging and death. Through this process of transmigration jivas pass from one life form to another, gradually working their way up the ladder of rebirth, until the human form is achieved. In the human form liberation is possible because of the advanced consciousness of human beings. In Sikhism the human form is said to be the highest and the only one from which the jiva may attain liberation. This is confirmed in Gurbani (the Divine Word):
This time having born as human being
This is thy turn to meet the Supreme Lord.
Thy other activities will be of no avail at the end,
Seek the company of the holy men
And only contemplate on God.
Set thy mind on crossing the sea of life,
For life is being wasted away
In pursuits of pleasures of the world.
(Asa Mohalla, quoted in SR 253).
Human life is the door to liberation (PoM vol 3, 1). In order to utilize this golden opportunity one must resist the temptations of the material world, especially the tendency to see ones self as a material being rather than a spiritual entity. Sikhism is a form through which the the Masters instruct those who are serious about how to attain liberation. The goal of these teachings is not the attainment of a Christian/Islamic paradise, nor is it the Swarga or 'spiritual realms' of popular Hinduism. The ultimate goal of life according to the Sikh Gurus is mergence into the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Brahman). Those more familiar with Hindu Dharma will appreciate that this view Nirguna Brahman is closer to that of Srila Sankara than that of Srila Madhvacharya or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The teaching is not identical with Sankara however and there is within the teaching room for the acintya bheda abheda tattva of Sri Caitanya if strictly contemplated. Sikh writers refer to the Uninterrupted Bliss which one experiences after liberation, however it must be understood that the ego-self is not the one experiencing this Bliss. Again, this experiential enlightenment leaves open the interpretation of acintya bheda abheda. Once the jiva is united with the Holy One, all independent existence ceases, as in the teachings of Srila Sankara, and one is utterly and eternally reabsorbed into Nirguna Brahman, the only Reality (SR 254). Hence the view is different from Sri Caitanya's but it perhaps more open to this acintya bheda abheda understanding than is immediately apparent. The Soul then is eternally part and parcel of God and ultimately returns to its Source.
Part 9: The Path to Liberation
We have seen thus far that One God is both nirguna and saguna and that existence occurs as a temporal manifestation of Brahman through the auspices of saguna. In reality, as explained above, everything is Nirguna Brahman and Oneness with God. Also discussed above is the Sikh view that it is due solely to avidya or ignorance that we perceive ourselves to be distinct from the Whole. In this section I will present the Sikh understanding of how this situation can be remedied and the method by which the individualized jiva can attain reemergence into Nirguna Nrahman or ultimate oneness with the One God.
According to Gurmat (the teachings of the Guru), prior to creation nothing existed except God. In other words, as of yet there had been no individuation of the totality of Nirguna Brahman. When the One God made Himself manifest, which is to say, when Saguna Brahman emanated from Nirguna Brahman, God first formed Himself into Nam, His Divine Name. This Name being Supreme is known as Sat Nam. After this manifestation, through or as Saguna, Sat Nam created or manifested Nature note 33.. Once Nature was established, the One possessed it by His own Spirit. According to Judaism and her two offshoots, Christianity and Islam, God made everything and then rested for a cosmogonical 'day.' Such is not the case here. After creating everything which is (as Brahma), God "entered into" creation and sustained it (as Vishnu). In this role it is said that God felt delighted (SR 258). Sat Nam is existence, pervades existence and yet exists as separate from existence. Existence exists as separate from Sat Nam and yet is part of the One and eventually returns to Sat Nam. It is only avidya or ignorance and maya or illusion that makes the creation appears separate from the One.
As Sat Nam is utterly transcendent, it is impossible to know Him. As God is utterly imminent, it is impossible not to know Him. God is manifested by His Name ('Nam'). God and His Nam are identical in every way. Through Nam God sustains the universes. Nam is not a mere noun therefore; Sat Nam is the Totality of Existence. It is not that God has only one Name, there are a limitless number of Names, Brahma, Vishnu, YHVH, Allah, Ahura Mazda; endless are the Names of God. All these Names are attributes of the Holy One and any of them can rightly be used, but none can adequately express the Glory and Majesty of the One Being, Ek Devata.
Of all the Names or Attributes of God, according to the Sikhs, the highest is Sat (Eternal Truth). The word Nam is considered a mystic utterance and is often used in practical religious life and meditation. Beyond these is a word which is given to an individual (Prophet) directly from God. Needless to say, such does not often occur. These are called True Names and are known as Waheguru note 34. or Wonderful God ('Thou art Wonderful'). These Words do not describe an object, but the Totality of Reality, they reflect the Nirguna Aspect of Sat Nam. The Gurus revealed these Names to "sum up mystic power and experiences of His presence all around ... Contemplation or meditation on true Name (Waheguru) is called practicing the presence of God in ones conscious" (SR 259).
By thoughtful repetition of these Names, or any one of them, especially Waheguru, coupled with tap (austerities), one can merge with Nam. This process of chanting is known as Nam Jap (PoM vol 3,3). "These efforts [of Nam Jap and Tap) result in bliss, for remembrance of God is the essence of happiness. Therefore repeat the Name of the Lord (Gobind) note 35., the essence of wisdom" (PoM vol 3,5). By this method all ignorance, desire, false-ego and care is destroyed and the heart is filled with love, happiness and bliss. Through Jap one's meditations easily and naturally merge into divine trance (Sahaj avastha). Devout Sikhs silently or audibly utter Waheguru constantly (PoM vol 2, 235).
This sadhan (sadhana) or spiritual discipline is specifically known as Surat Shabd Yoga or the "Yoga of the Sound Current" (SoS 17). It is also called Sehaj Yoga or the "easy Path" because anyone, regardless of social or financial conditions, can practice it. Spiritual attainment is the job or concern of the Guru, not the student. The student simply places him or herself in a position which is conducive to receiving the Guru's Grace (SoS 17). If one receives this Grace, at the time of initiation one is given a direct experience of the transcendent Truth. By regular practice (two or three hours a day) this kernel experience can be nurtured into self-realization (SoS 17). This experience is like the bacteria which enables one to create yogurt from milk. Without this ingredient, no realization is possible (S 53; P).
As the gursikh (Guru's disciple) continues his or her sadhana, they pass through five khands or realms of spiritual awakening. These are piety (dharan), knowledge (gian), spiritual effort (saram), grace (karam) and truth (sach). The higher realms can only be reached by the grace of Guru and God (GiS 51).
- Note 33: This is similar to the Upanishadic doctrine that nirguna brahman was first manifested as Om and thereafter established prakriti or nature (M 1). Return
- Note 34: Pronounced "Vaheeguru" (P). Return
- Note 35: The Name Gobind is the Punjabi form of Govinda, Who is Krishna (as a cowherder) or Vishnu. Return
No comments:
Post a Comment