Satguru is Always Awake

 Bijla Singh

Status of Gurbani

     As stated above, Gurbani is the true Guru of the Sikhs. It has been the firm belief of the Sikhs that the true Guru is the Shabad and not a human, idol or object. Shabad is not an idol because it has no shape or form. Furthermore, the true Guru never takes birth, dies, sleeps, and gets hungry or ages over time. It is the true knowledge of Waheguru and provides guidance to live complete way of life. Ever since Sikhi came into existence, the Guru has always been the Shabad and not a human body. When Sikhs bowed to Guru Nanak Sahib, they bowed to the Shabad not to a physical body. Gurbani and Vaars of Bhai Gurdas Ji make it crystal clear that human body, an object or an idol is never to be worshipped and only Shabad is the true image of the Guru.

Meditate on the image of the Guru within your mind by letting your mind recognize the Word of the Guru's Shabad, as a Mantra. (Ang 864)

You should practice sustained mentation (dhyan) on the Word of the Guru, and consider it alone to be the image or statue of the Guru who is always with you. The seekers who are Guru-oriented acquire the knowledge of the Guru’s Word. This way they do not leave any space or distance between them and the Guru. (Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 3, Pauri 10)

The Word of the Guru is the image for worship; the Guru-oriented Sikhs listen to it and make use of the holy congregation as the metaphoric seat of the formless Creator. (Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 2, Pauri 11)

The Word of the guru is the physical body of the Guru. It becomes perceptible in the holy congregation. (Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 24, Pauri 25)

     According to the Janamsakhis (the biographical accounts of the lives of the Gurus written by their contemporaries), Gurbani was written from the times of Guru Nanak Sahib and collected over time in the form of pothis. These compositions were passed down to later Gurus. Guru Arjan Dev Ji took over the stupendous task of compiling the first Sikh Scripture called Pothi Sahib (later known as Aad Granth Sahib) by collecting hymns of earlier Gurus and other Sikhs. After the Pothi was compiled it was brought to Darbar Sahib, Sikhs’ holiest shrine, with a grand procession where it was formally read in 1604. Guru Sahib placed the Pothi Sahib at a higher place and himself sat on the floor as a mark of reverence to the revealed Shabad and signifying its status in the Panth. At night, ‘Sukh Aasan’ (closing of the Pothi Sahib) was done and it was taken to Kotha Sahib (built solely for this purpose). Guru Sahib slept on the floor while Pothi Sahib was placed on the bed.  This was to show the Sikhs how Gurbani must be revered, respected and treated. The same tradition has been in practice at Darbar Sahib ever since. This proves beyond the doubt that the Sukh Aasan ceremony was practiced and given to the Sikhs by the respected Gurus themselves.

     Sukh Aasan is performed at night only when there is really no one to attend to Guru Sahib's saroop and no one who can do seva (service) or read the saroop. Guru Granth Sahib is taken from the Darbar (main hall) to a more secure room where the saroop is left overnight. When Akhand Path (continuous reading) of Gurbani is done, Sukh Aasan is not performed because there is someone who is reading Gurbani and a guard is present to ensure that no interruptions occur. Guru Granth Sahib is not treated casually because it has the jot of Satguru Nanak Sahib resting within it. Sikhs recognize this fact and any respect they give to the saroop is not enough. So the finest resting area is created with the highest quality things.

     There is nothing more precious than Guru Granth Sahib, the holy word of God. That's why Guru Granth Sahib is brought in with ceremony in the morning and Sukh Aasan is done at night. This is how highly Sikhs revere and respect the divine word of God. We must emphasize the fact that it is not a book and has never been treated such by Guru Sahib in human form or by any Sikh. It cannot be bought or sold at any book store, cannot be placed on any book shelf and cannot be carried like an ordinary book. It must be kept in a separate room where it is not placed on the floor and covered in special clothes. One must perform ablution before reading it. Ever since it was revealed, Sikhs revered it to the highest degree because it is the holy word.

     On the other hand Muslims show no respect to their holy book Quran. If it really was word of God, how could it be sold for a few dollars in a book store? Why is it placed along with other books and treated no differently than a book? Anyone can carry it in their backpack or in an armpit and open it without washing their hands. How respectful is it to treat the word of God with such manners? This treatment alone shows that Quran is just a book whereas Guru Granth Sahib is the true Guru.

Gurbani and Idol Worship

     It is important to show that Gurbani speaks strongly against idol worship. Idols do not give any knowledge and provide no guidance and spiritual benefit. Sikhs only worship the One Almighty Waheguru and none other.

The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord; they are going the wrong way. As Naarad instructed them, they are worshipping idols. They are blind and mute, the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them. But when those stones themselves sink, who will carry you across? ||2|| (Ang 556)

The faithless cynic wanders around, deluded by doubt. He churns water, and after wasting his life away, he dies. ||1||Pause|| That stone, which he calls his god, that stone pulls him down and drowns him. (Ang 739)

Their service is useless. Those who fall at the feet of a stone god their work is wasted in vain….The stone does not speak; it does not give anything to anyone. Such religious rituals are useless; such service is fruitless. (Ang 1160)

You wash your stone gods and worship them. You offer saffron, sandalwood and flowers. Falling at their feet, you try so hard to appease them. Begging, begging from other people, you get things to wear and eat. For your blind deeds, you will be blindly punished. (Ang 1240)

So what if you worshipped statues, monuments or pictures? Worshiping these, your soul has been tired (meaning you are close to death) but you have not found anything…Oh fool! What do you get out of performing these rituals? What can a stone give you? If this stone had life, then it would have been able to give you something. Think this over and start reciting God’s praises, then you will know the right path and you will know that without God, you cannot get away from this cycle of birth and death. (Shabad Hazaray, Guru Gobind Singh Ji)

While worshipping stones some people are bowing before them and some others are withholding idols of stones in their necks. Some people have faith that God is in the south while others consider God, is toward the west and they are bowing their heads in those directions. Some people are worshiping idols foolishly while others are adoring the dead. The whole world is busy in such false performances without knowing the secret mystery of God. (Akal Ustat, Guru Gobind Singh Ji)

Why do you worship stones? The Lord-God is not within those stones; you may only worship Him, whose adoration destroys clusters of sins; with the remembrance on the Name of the Lord, the ties of all suffering are removed; ever mediate on that Lord because the hollow religious will not bear any fruit. (33 Swayeas, Guru Gobind Singh Ji)

     Many more quotes can be given but it is clear enough the Sikhs are not idol worshippers. Sikhs only worship Waheguru through meditating upon the Shabad. Sikh Gurus never raised any temple where an idol was installed. Sikh Gurdwaras do not carry any form of idols or pictures to be worshipped. If revering word of God is idol worship then Muslims should discard Quran.

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