38 Steps (Pauris)

Fourth Step:

Verily true

When a person, through application of his physical / mental faculties achieves some success, his sense of I’ness gets further accentuated.  He gets a feeling that the achievement is the result of his own efforts.  Guru Sahib states the truth that the whole world has been created by Almighty and is perishable.  Only Almighty Himself is the eternal Truth.  Along with Him, His Name too is true.  As per Guru Sahib one ought to say this, feeling utmost filled with abundant love and happiness:

True Lord, true (His) Name,

(Have) said (with) emotional abundance.

Further Guru Sahib explains that it is the bountiful Almighty Himself Who fulfils everybody’s wishes.

(People) demand,

(and) beg (of Him,

 to) give (and) give,

Lord gives (them) alms. 

When Almighty Himself is the source of fulfillment of wishes of everyone, then is it possible to please Him by offering to Him any worldly present or gift?  

Then what (offering,

be) placed before (Him),

whereby (His) court (may be) glimpsed? 

What prayer can be made unto Him? 

What words,

(may be) spoken (from) mouth,

(by) hearing which,

(He would) bestow (His) love? 

Without leaving any scope for doubt, Guru Sahib has given the candid answer that getting up early in the morning, reciting Divine Name and pondering over Almighty’s praises is the way to earn His grace:

 (At the) time (of) pre-dawn,

Ponder (on the) true Name (and His) praises.

Rumination of Divine Name and recitation of Gurbani, understanding the full import of its meaning, is itself pondering over His praises.  Guru Sahib explains that human life has been granted to an individual by The Almighty. 

(His) benevolence,

begets (human) body,

(His) grace (gets us,

the) door (of) deliverance. 

He is to be praised, not with any wish, but by being devoid of desires, because the resultant benefit / salvation for one’s soul is to flow not because of his own efforts but due to Almighty’s grace.  But at the same time, only those are eligible for His grace, who have toiled and made effort in this direction.

Guru Sahib clearly instructs that one must feel the whole worldly creation as The Almighty personified:

Nanak (says), consider as (if),

(The) truthful (Almighty) Himself (is) Everything.

     There is thus but One Almighty and He is Truth all by Himself.

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Third Step:

Awesome grandeur and magnificence

Great is the glory of The Lord of the Universe.  Such enormous is His power that it can not be equalled by anyone else.  As per one’s own understanding / capability, everybody describes the quality and praise shaped ordains of Almighty. 

(Those) who have strength,

they sing (of Almighty’s) strength. 

Some sing (of His) creations,

considering (them as His) symbols. 

Some sing (of His) virtues,

(and) beauteous praises. 

Some sing (of Him through) knowledge,

(though His) comprehension (is) difficult. 

Some sing (that He) creates,

(and then) converts body (to) dust. 

Some sing (He gives) life,

takes (back and) gives again. 

Some sing (He) appears,

(and) looks (to be) far (away). 

Some sing,

seeing (His) presence everywhere. 

However, despite making effort at great length, the complete explanation of Almighty eludes everyone. 

Describing (His) description,

can’t be overdone. 

(Even by) saying over (and) over (again),

many million times. 

Any attempt to say everything about that great Almighty would finally result in expression of one’s helplessness.  It is so because complete explanation can only be given if what is being described has a limit.  How is it possible to describe the limitless?  The whole Universe is progressing in accordance with His wishes.  His power of creation and expansion is unlimited.  This realisation itself would, in part, be enlightening.

Almighty makes provision for everyone at all times. 

(Almighty) continues giving,

(those) receiving (may) get tired. 

Through (the) Ages,

(they) continue availing (His bounties). 

It is Almighty’s will that prevails.  An individual has been given limited choice of option.  It is not possible for him to totally break away from the influence of The Almighty.

(The) Ordainer,

(through) ordain,

(makes everyone) follow,

 (the chalked) path. 

Almighty cheerfully takes care of all.  

Nanak (says,

 He) merrily (is) carefree. 

Almighty is independent and free of all kinds of bondages.

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Second Step:

Pre-ordainment of writs

If human beings are to live as per the decree of The Almighty, it becomes important to know what is His decree. 

When Almighty decided to acquire physical shape, He manifested Himself as this worldly creation.  He in miniature form does exist in everything.  The interconnection is maintained throughout the Divine attraction, similar to gravitational pull.  Role of each part is pre-programmed and is performed / controlled through the said Divine attraction.  In this manner, the great drama is being enacted.  The mega play goes on in accordance with the unfolding of Divine Writ / Decree and changes take place.  Explaining this, Guru Sahib states that all shapes are manifestation of Almighty Himself.  His Divine decree is so widespread that it can not be fully described. 

Ordainer creates shapes,

ordain can’t be explained.

He creates all living creatures and it is only by His order that one gets praised. 

Ordainer creates life,

ordain brings praise. 

He creates good and evil persons.  He also makes them happy or puts them in agony.

Ordain (makes a person),

 high (or) low,

writ (of) ordain begets,

happiness (and/or) sorrow. 

Some get graced by His benevolence while others devoid of it are always in trouble. 

(On) one,

Ordainer (showers) generosity,

other (by) Ordainer’s (wish,

is) always (on the) run.  

Whatever exists or is happening is His ordain.  In other words, complete creation is within the ambit of His control. 

Under ordain every one,

free (of) ordain no one. 

If a person follows the path described by Guru Sahib, he realizes that nothing happens because of his own doing and that he himself is not the real doer.  When this fact dawns on the person, his I’ness is automatically lost. 

Nanak (says),

if (His) decree (one) understands,

then I’ness claims no one. 

I’ness is also described as a situation where the focus of one’s mental tuning gets shifted from Almighty to any other aspect of worldly existence.  In other words, this is another facet of ‘veil of untruth’.

On becoming aware of this perception of I’ness, which as per Guru Sahib’s teachings is the greatest ill, one realizes that he is merely a small chip of the gigantic worldly wheel created by The Almighty.  Everything happening here is not a coincidence of disarray, but is in programmed order.  It is the hand of Almighty which is behind all this.  He Himself is the supreme Doer.

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First Step:

Search for truthfulness

Guru Sahib comments on the four religious practices then in vogue as follows:

(1)             Mere baths at holy places can’t bring cleanliness; 

(Just by) bathing,

 (one) can’t get clean,

(even) if (he) bathes,

(a) hundred-thousand times.

(2)            Keeping silence can not result in silencing the mental thoughts; 

Silence can’t bring,

 peace (of mind,

even) if (one) continuously sits,

 (in) samadhi.

(3)        Attempting to satiate one’s worldly desires can not be fruitful even with loads of worldly wealth;

Hungry’s hunger,

 can’t (be) satiated,

(even) if (one) gets,

 wealth (of) Puris.

and

(4)          Reasoning of mind alone is of no avail. 

Wisdoms (may) be (in) thousands, 
(or in) hundred-thousands,

but not (even) one,

(will) carry through (beyond death).

These are, therefore, worthless on the spiritual path.

Under these conditions, the question that naturally arises is whether it is possible for a human being to rend the veil of worldly untruth and attain the position of truthfulness?  If so, how? 

How (to) be truthful (being, 

and) how (the) veil (of) untruth,

 (be) shred? 

Guru Sahib clearly affirms this possibility.  He also mentions that for this, one must voluntarily, unconditionally and totally, without an iota of vacillation in his mind, surrender himself to and mold his actions, speech and thoughts in tune with the will of Almighty:

Live (as per) Almighty’s ordains,

(Says) Nanak, (that are) written (in) life.

An arrangement too exists within every individual whereby he can test the appropriateness of each of his own actions.

In such a state, the human being also becomes capable of knowing and happily accepting whatever is pre-ordained for him by The Almighty.  This is thus the easiest way to realize Almighty.

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