If we study various reputed references in Sikh Literature, then one finds different meanings of the word “WAHEGURU” given by various scholars supported by their own reasons and logics. Though the ultimate meaning of the divine word remains the same, but still before giving my own interpretation of the word, I would like to state the different meanings I could find in my research on the subject:

A. In simple terms, the word “Waheguru” means – Wonderful Guru or The Wonderful God or A wondrous enlightener.

B. As per some scholars, the word ‘Waheguru’ is combination of four first characters by which we can state the names of four Gods representing different yugs (ages), i.e.
W – Wishnu (Vishnu)
H – Hari
G – Gobind
R – Ram

C. According to modern scholar’s, “Waheguru” is a compound of two words, one from Persian and the other from Sanskrit, joined in together to define the indefinable Ultimate Power.

“Wah” is a Persian word meaning wonder or admiration and “Guru” in Sanskrit means great, respected or admired. Together they again mean A Wonderful Guru or A wondrous enlightener.

D. Another section of scholars explain it as a combination of three words,

“Wahe” meaning wonderful , awe inspiring Divine Force, “Gu” means spiritual darkness and “Ru” is the ray of light, brought to eliminate the darkness. Together “Waheguru” means “A Divine Light eliminating spiritual darkness”.

Now, coming to my interpretation of the word, it’s nothing hugely different from all the above mentioned versions. But the difference mainly lies in the way I would like to interpret the word from a distinctive point of view.

Before coming to the divine word “Waheguru” let me take examples of few words spoken in the similar style in URDU language.

Like “Haal-E-Dil”, “Shehenshah-E-Hind” or even “Shah-E-Shehenshah” which is used for singing praises of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Now as the above mentioned words are written in a particular style, similarly they are also defined in a particular way where the second word (after the -E- ) comes first defining the other.

For instance “Haal-E-Dil” means Dil Ka Haal or The State (Condition) of Heart,
“Shehenshah-E-Hind” means Hind Ka Shehenshah or The Emperor of Hind.

Similarly “Shah-E-Shehenshah” used in reference of Guru Gobind Singh Ji means Shehenshahon Ka Shah or The Ultimate Emperor of all Emperors.

Taking cue from all the above examples let me take the liberty to interpret the divine word, WAHEGURU in my own way with due respect towards all the already accepted scholarly meanings stated before.

Now as pronounced the word “WAHEGURU” can also be written as “WAH-E-GURU” like in Urdu as the above mentioned examples.

And defining it in the similar manner it brings us to its easiest and simplest meaning which says,
Guru Ki Wah  or  The Praise of Almighty  or  Wah Hey Guru.

So for me, the word “WAHEGURU” purely means as if one is saying “Wah Hey Guru” or “Wah Mere Maalka” and believe me, the recitation really works like wonder in that way.

So for myself it would always be “Wah-E-Guru” for eternity.

Harpreet Singh (Bobby Sing)
A Seeker On The Path.

HIS BLESSINGS

(C) Copyrights 2011 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

(The above mentioned meaning of the Divine word is my own personal interpretation with love towards the almighty and is not meant to oppose or deny any other accepted meaning by the renowned scholars. So I request all to take it sportingly.)

In the last few months, I realized that in the present times, the most wide spread spiritual act in every religion is of giving spirited discourses talking about various topics around religion, its history and spirituality. The whole LOT of different Devotional TV channels have numerous teachers or speakers giving hundreds of discourses every week on various topics in their own attractive styles. And on the other side there are crores of people listening to their either self made or borrowed thoughts with great interest and passion.

Studying these various speakers and their discourses I found that somewhere or the other, all these so called teachers are not talking anything about the real thing i.e. meditation but on the contrary, are simply interested in proving their own religion the most authentic, original and even better than the other by their own logic and arguments. As I have learned, no religion teaches this kind of lesson anywhere in there Holy books. In fact every existing religion in the whole world, teaches us to respect the belief of the other too along with believing in your own being the best. That way they all teach us to maintain a sweet harmony among each other and live a more joyful life in our given time on this planet.

In this context, the best self explanatory reference can be given of “Sri Guru Granth Sahib” – The Holy Granth (Book) of Sikh Religion which is the one and only perfect example of communal integration in the whole world. In fact it’s the only religious scripture which has in it the divine poetic expressions of enlightened saints from different castes and religions, included with the same respect and love as given to all the SIKH Guru Sahibans. In fact no-where in the world, there is a HOLY BOOK which has such a wide vision to include the writings of great saints of different religions and sections without making any kind of discrimination at all. And that has rightly made many renowned religious writers and historians accept the importance of “SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB” all over the globe, which in turn has also forced them to study and explore this Great Gift to Mankind in their own way.

Coming back to the topic itself, one has to bow down to the humility expressed in “Sri Guru Granth Sahib”, when the Holy Granth gives us a great lesson in this following line by Saint Kabir.

“Beyd Kateb Kaho Mat Jhoothey ….. Jhootha Jo Na Bichaarey”

The divine words humbly teach us that we don’t have any right to say that any VEDA or HOLY Scripture is false….., actually false are those who don’t contemplate or study them.

The beautiful meaning of these few words is enough to make any one fall in love with the Divine Shabads of “Sri Guru Granth Sahib”. Truly speaking the moment I heard this one line, I felt like really blessed to have read such sacred words, which very humbly teach us not only to respect but also study every HOLY Scripture of all the other religions and then move on to a much higher level of consciousness on our own. What a heavenly way to teach us the way of life without criticizing or dis-respecting any other person and his religion.

In straight words, the above stated lines strongly teach a much needed lesson to every preacher, teacher, missionary and present leader of all religions including Sikhism. They right away tell us that if we wish we can easily go on praising our own religion as the best, but in this process there is no need of pulling down the religions of others and their sacred beliefs.

Putting it differently, if you are really skillful, then just draw a bigger line of your own to show your superiority over the other. BUT there is no need to effort-fully rub off the line drawn by others, to prove your own better and bigger.

I really hope and pray that we all read the divine expressions of SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB as a must and get our essential lessons of life at the earliest.

Harpreet Singh (Bobby Sing)
A Seeker On The Path.

HIS BLESSINGS

(C) Copyrights 2011 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This subject was there in mind from the day I started going to religious places of worship with my whole mind and soul having a feeling of gratitude. And now when I have a platform to share my true experiences with all my friends as an open book, the thought compels me to share itself frankly with everyone here for the first time ever.

May be it was my shyness or unwillingness, that I was not able to express it before, but today I would readily like to write about it with all my respect towards every divine deity worshipped anywhere in the world. And before even starting I would like to admit that the thought may not get appreciation and agreement from many friends reading it, so its requested to please take it sportingly as my personal expression only and not anything in general.

Let’s start with your childhood memories of going to a place of worship and just try to remember what your father or mother used to give you before entering the divine place……………In more than 80% of cases (or may be 90%), parents usually give coins to their kids to put it in the money box kept right in front of them before bowing down to the Almighty. And that too is the coin with the least possible value, lying somewhere in the corner of their pocket or wallet.

The child doesn’t know anything, so he takes the coin, puts it in the money box and bows down very innocently. But this regular childhood practice imposed upon the child goes deep down into his psyche and his first encounter with the God itself gets related to the concept of money unknowingly.

But has anyone ever given a thought about this questionable ritual of ours. Does anyone care about what kind of relationship this practice builds between a devotee and his God. Yes, undoubtedly we should contribute our bit to the cause but certainly not in such a way which shows no love, warmth or respect towards the Supreme Power. (Here I would also like to add that it’s since this last decade only that huge money boxes have been kept in the places of worship. Earlier we even used to throw coins and notes in front of our beloved master which was definitely not a pleasant sight.) For me this kind of act certainly takes us to a much lower level and I would readily like to give my elaborate reasons for that.

First of all the said practice at once builds up an unnecessary relationship between a devotee, his deity and money. A child is not aware of any such thing, but deep inside he simply starts linking devotion with offering of money and keeps practicing it all his life. Slowly and steadily as he lives more years of his gifted life, in most of the cases, the devotion part keeps diminishing and the money part starts getting more importance quite effortlessly due to the never ending demands of life.

Now what must have happened, if we had not taught him/her anything about offering of money and just introduced him to the divine place only meant for worship? In that case, he unarguably would have made a completely different kind of relationship with the divine place which would have really meant more respectful, peaceful and meaningful for his entire life till death. And regarding the contribution he should be making for the same, we should be teaching him the concept of a fixed percentage to be given out of our earned income for the betterment of the society in any way. (As mentioned in my article about the DASWAND).

Secondly, the above mentioned practice also associates worship with the least amount of coin lying in your pocket. Putting it differently, just think of the time, when a person searches his pocket to find some money to offer before entering a divine place. He simply goes for the least value of coin or note with him. Now what kind of gratitude feeling it is for your GIVER OF LIFE, to pay him such minuscule return? What kind of impact we would be making on our small kids who are innocently watching their parents keeping all the big notes aside and giving them the least amount note or coin from their pocket to offer in a divine place? Thinking about their future years, how many of them would be able to break this disrespectful habit of paying the minimum to the Almighty in their entire life. And how many would even go on passing this ritual to their future families unconsciously?

Yes, I admit that we all have to adjust with our limited earnings and hence are not able to go for the maximum value note in our pockets. And also there is no one forcing anyone to put in some money in front of the deity as a compulsion. But that’s not the question or point I am trying to make here. What I wish to convey is that Just imagine, how beautiful it would have been if we had designed our places of worship, un-related with the concept of money boxes lying in front of us to be filled. How enigmatic it would have been if we all used to come to a place of worship just for singing praises for our LORD and nothing else.

If you can just imagine that for a moment then in the above scenario our whole concept of A Divine Place goes through a drastic welcome change unassociated with any monetary motives or politics. And then every such big or small temple suddenly becomes ALIVE as if God really stays there as his home.

Coming back to the subject of “Sounds of Coins”, I would like to show my disliking for the concept by relating it to a real life incident, we all face almost every day. The example may not be liked by all but it’s indeed a burning truth which cannot be denied by anyone through any kind of explanation.

For a moment, just picture the time when we encounter many less privileged and poor people standing on the Red Light Crossings, who come rushing towards ourselves as we stop. They normally refuse to move away, until they are offered something out of compassion.

Now what most of the people do in this given situation? They simply start searching their pockets for the least value coin they might have, which can be given it to the person standing there with the open hand. Now doesn’t this search of the least value coin also remind you of something else?

Isn’t this the same kind of practice a person normally does while visiting a place of worship too? Doesn’t he also search for the minimum value coin lying in his pockets there too?

Honestly the answer is Yes, which clearly shows us the ugly mirror of our society wherein we shamelessly treat both kinds of diverse situations in the same way. And truly speaking, how sick it is to even think that Yes we all do behave in the same manner both while standing at the door of a divine place and while waiting at the red light crossing.

Perhaps this is my own personal observation or conclusion which may or may not force you to seriously think about it. Moreover the fact is expressed here is as per my own understanding or experiences and therefore should not be considered anything written in general. However as far as I am concerned, my consciousness simply does not like the sound of coins falling in the money boxes kept in the places of worship. Listening to that sound makes me feel as if I am standing on the red light crossing all alone. It makes me feel both sad and helpless at the same time.

And the only thing I can do at this particular moment is to pray that May The Almighty bless us all with more ability and understanding to grow over offering least value coins in those big money boxes. And may we all treat our HOLY GIVER OF LIFE in a more respectful manner.

With a hope that my observations force you to think at least once!

Harpreet Singh (Bobby Sing)
A Seeker On The Path.

HIS BLESSINGS

(C) Copyrights 2011 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

As an extension to my previous article based on “The Concept of DASWAND in Sikhism”, here I would like to explain the importance of each and every contribution in a social religious project irrespective of its magnitude, with the help of two real life incidents of my past years. Though both these incidents are not related to each other in any respect but they do explain the value of a true contribution or define the concept of sharing in the best possible manner I have ever seen so far.

The first one takes me some eighteen years back when I was in college enjoying life as a free bird. One of those days I was in my friend’s place attending a party given for the farewell of my friend’s elder brother who was leaving for US. Every guest of his was bringing some gift for their dear friend departing from them and we were all having fun looking at the expensive and distinctive gifts being offered to our elder brother.

But there was one friend in their circle, who was still standing with his gift in his hand and was not giving it. (At that moment I was also informed that the person was a follower of the great mystic OSHO.) He had a big box of steel in his hand which seemed to be hot, looking at the way he was holding it. On being called by his name, he came forward to the middle very slowly and just uttered these golden words which are still fresh in my memories till today.

He said, “Friend, as you know, I don’t have enough resources to buy you a gift from the market and also I didn’t want to give you any artificial gift which can be easily bought with some rupees from anywhere. I really wished from my heart to give you something with my own personal touch and warmth, so I have brought these hot boiled potatoes which I could find in my home, cooked with all my love and friendship. I only knew this much of cooking, so I hope you will enjoy these with all of us together.”

And that evening, in spite of all the delicious dishes lying on the tables waiting to be served, all the dear friends ate those hot potatoes along with salt and pepper with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts in front of all the family guests.

That day I realized that its always more important that you contribute with your complete heart and soul to a cause, without caring about its magnitude. The form, scale, price or value of your contribution is not of that importance at all. It can be 10, 100, 1000 or 10,000 rupees or may be in kind or through giving your precious time and effort to a cause. But in reality, what’s more important is that you do contribute and make your presence felt in every noble act taking place in your surroundings.

That beautiful night continues to sparkle in my eyes till date and I still don’t miss any chance of sharing this incident whenever I get an opportunity……….In fact, all those close friends are still eating the hot delicious potatoes right in front of my eyes along with salt & pepper.

The second instance reminds me of the day when a dear friend of mine took me to meet Sant Baba Harbans Singh Ji, Kar Sewa Wale at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib few years back. Many readers might be familiar with his name and must be knowing the unbelievable kind of construction work being done under his guidance at more than 5-7 sites simultaneously. Seeing him work such elaborately at the age of 80 plus, is really amazing and undoubtedly it is only possible with the blessings showered by the Supreme Almighty upon him.

After sitting in his gracious presence for a few minutes, as we were about to leave his room, he called us and gave my friend a golden rule which I religiously continue to follow even today.

He said to my friend, “It’s good that you visit me often after taking time out of your busy activities, but it is even better when you inspire your friends too for coming along and give their valuable time to the Divine Almighty. One can easily think about himself and his salvation but it is really great if your heart can care about your beloved friend’s salvation too. Its very fine to contribute yourself to a humble cause but its even more appreciable if you can inspire others too to willfully get involved in such generous work. That way you become even more important person both in the eyes of the Lord as well as in the life of your dear friend. So keep inspiring people to contribute in any way they can in activities which may help to make this world more peaceful, calm and beautiful.”

His golden words at once made an impact on my thinking pattern and I started following it consciously. Before that day, I didn’t care whether any of my friends did contribute towards any such social cause or not and I only used to think that its their personal choice. But now I do make sure to inspire everyone around me to share whatever they can to a noble cause and believe me the process is a huge satisfactory process in reality.

So, as a conclusion I would like to say that its not only huge sums of money with which you can contribute towards a cause. One can contribute even more through offering his valuable time, talent or physical presence which at times is even more precious than loads of money being offered without any care. Hence just don’t worry about how small or big you can contribute, but just make sure that You Do contribute and share your bit in a social activity happening around you and make yourself happy.

With a hope that my personal experiences shared above may become instrumental in bringing some change in our souls and unconscious living styles.

Harpreet Singh (Bobby Sing)
A Seeker On The Path

HIS BLESSINGS

(C) Copyrights 2011– ALL RIGHTS RESERVED