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There are moments when I feel close to Waheguru, rare that they may be, but it does happen and I think many of us have experienced a heightened spiritual experience one time or another. But how many of you experience this on a regular basis?
Right now, for me, it feels like one of the hardest things in my Sikhi is sustainability. It can be a challenge to wake up at Amrit Vela but to maintain that and uphold rising from your bed in the ambrosial hours is the true challenge. Consistency is the key, when something grows or you become better at something it’s because you do it regularly not just once in a while.
The driving beliefs I have with me right now whilst I embark on following my Rehat, and even reach a point of excelling and going beyond my Rehat, is that this human life is so difficult to attain. It’s so easy to forget that we were given this body, the opportunity to finally return home, our true home and join the Supreme One. The second belief driving me to keep that consistency is that for me to attract the partner I want I need to be living to those high standards. I have to become what I seek and be the best I can be to even be considered by my ideal partner.
My thoughts often wonder about becoming closer to Waheguru. I often hear about people falling in love with the Guru and I feel like it’s an impossible task, since right now it’s hard to know what I feel about Waheguru. I am for sure grateful for what I have been given, or try to be, and acknowledge what I have, but to have that deep feeling of love for the One, I can only imagine what that is like.
After this train of thought another one came to me: What am I doing to nuture love for Waheguru? How is that love going to grow if you don’t work on that spiritual relationship – the most intimate relationship we can experience as humans. If we take a worldly relationship for example like a husband and wife, behind the deep love, there is some real work going on. Sacrifices are made, there is that locked in time that each have spent with the other, something that cannot be replaced. They have gotten to know each other to the point where they know almost everything about one another. How is this true for Waheguru. Do I take time out to do bani outside of my Nitnem or an Ardaas to just thank Guru Sahib for another day to be able to serve and take another step closer to her. Where is that sacrifice, the time to learn, understand and feel every Ang of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib?
Perhaps a lot of this comes down to our vision. I’m sure most of us have a vision about what our perfect jobs are, or finding that special person or maybe even a future car, but how many of you have a vision for returning to Waheguru. For example, right now my vision for returning to Waheguru is Hoping he takes me out of pain from the cycle of birth and death and brings me back home. I think to myself is that a vision that’s going to get me excited and want to work on this special spiritual relationship? I doubt that, of course I’m going to do things probably out of fear, but am I going to fulfil my full potential and give everything, which Guru Ji has given me in terms of this body and mind to reach him. The simple answer is no, I’m not.
Just imagine if I re-evaluated this vision and decided what my vision should be Vs, one that was probably formed unconsciously based on my life experiences and my emotions, such as fear.
My new vision (off the top of my head)
Work on yourself everyday to strip away the dirt off my soul and return it to a state of purity. Strengthen this soul by immersing yourself in perfect Gurbani, carry out Seva from the heart and make yourself beautiful and radiant so that all Waheguru wants to do is bring you into his embrace forever.
Visions can be constantly worked on and especially as you encounter life experiences you may wish to tweak yours, but the one above is just to give an example of what type of life someone would live with a vision like that Vs the previous one about fear. And this is just the beginning; now you can think of ways to serve and schedule that time for Waheguru, where you communicate with the One through reciting Sukhmani or any other Bani; where you lock in that time with Waheguru, which again is something that can’t be replaced. You can now take action and footsteps towards your ultimate vision of what you want.
Sadly if you don’t have a compelling vision than what chance can someone really have? If a relationship doesn’t have a compelling vision is it going to strengthen and grow? Hmm, maybe something to think about.
I can only hold my hands together and hope that this has touched at least one person out there and has given them a new direction or discovery in this path of Sikhi. If this post gives just one person something positive and something they can use then that’s all I can ask for.
I encourage you to post your own visions up in the comments below, as I’m sure it’ll only inspire and help your fellow brothers and sisters on the most important journey of their souls!
Bathe in the waters of Goodness and apply the scented oil of Truth to your body, and your face shall become radiant. This is the gift of 100,000 gifts. -Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Ji, Ang 16
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥