God created man in his own image1 aptly reminds us that we, as human beings, are the creation, and God – the Almighty Power -, the Creator. The Creator is pure, subtle energy; the creation is its issue we see all around, which is animated with its own essence that we call atman or the soul. While we are here on earth on a journey that we call life, finding the Creator2 within its creation is our prime goal.
But confused and coloured by the temporal, material world, we not only forget our essential nature, we also work against it. We are the only creatures to do so. The sun, stars, solar systems and galaxies exist exactly as per their nature. The fauna lives by its senses, and flora, by its nutrition. But when it comes to people in the guise of human beings, they continue to act like beasts, a million miles away from their true nature. They get so used to their base, animal instincts, that they fail to decipher that they are spiritual beings on a quest to find themselves.
Unlike animals, we are unique, in that we have the capacity to rise above ourselves to reach and embrace the Divine. Those who do so can be called human beings; those who do not, are human in appearance, but no more than animals in essence (in that animals also live, eat, procreate and build homes for themselves, without contemplating the purpose of their existence).
As human beings, we are here to find a Satguru (spiritual teacher) who can show us the Creator within its cosmic creation. For with such an introduction, we miraculously realise that the Almighty God that we thought was such a distance away, is actually closer than our jugular vein. Living within its omnipresence, guided by its omnipotence, and steered by its omniscience, then becomes possible.
We begin to live in the light as human beings, under the auspices of humanity, humility and fraternity. That, which has always been with us and within us – i.e. the All-pervading God (Nirankar) – becomes actualised. It then becomes possible for us to relate to God directly. We begin to make moral decisions, knowing full well the difference between right and wrong. All this takes place through spiritual development.
We cannot purify ourselves without a Guru – as it has been written;
Whose feet should I touch before the Guru and God
I’d surely honour the Guru, who unites us with God!
– GGS
The Guru that is spoken of is pure and has the power to make us realise our essential nature. Such a Guru offers us a framework by which we may stay on the straight and narrow, without straying from our goal. Let’s take an example.
Once, Chanakyaji met a young king called Chandra Gupta Maurya, who was shooting an arrow without hitting the target. Chanakyaji observed him for a moment and then guided him to stay still and concentrate totally on the bullseye. Following Chanakyaji’s teaching, the king was able to accomplish his task. Similarly, a True Master or Satguru helps us maintain our poise and focus, so that we reach our target and goal.
Satguru takes us from darkness to light, as Baba Avtar Singhji testifies:
For those at his door, the Guru can fill their coffers to the brim
In an instant, remove their blindfold and fill them with celestial vim
– Avtar Bani
Contemporarily, it is Mata Sudikshaji who is guiding and steering us towards our goal. With her messages of love for humanity at large, she is making sure we get back on track with Simran – our celestial remembrance of the Formless Creator. She reminds us to adhere to Simran, not only to remain focused, but also to safeguard against distractions.
For yearnings aplenty, there is but little time,
To amuse the heart, still there is enough time
– Roshan Dhelvi
Just as in the case of learning to drive, when our focus and concentration become automatic, life too becomes stable. When learning to drive, we make a conscious effort to concentrate on the road, the breaks, the gears, the accelerator, and indicators. With time and practice, the effort becomes less conscious and more and more subconscious. So much so that we can chat and sing with our co-passengers, while we drive with ease at the same time. Similarly, if we practice spirituality in our everyday life, we can not only enjoy our family, friends and work, we can slowly and steadily become stable.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic has touched the world at large, it has affected different people differently. On the one hand, there have been major social and economic upheavals, including domestic violence. On the other, the spiritually-inspired people have been as calm as they were prior to the Corona Virus
Nirankaris, members of the Mission around the globe, have been communicating through online meetings for their strength and stamina. They have remained connected however adverse the conditions.
Similarly, we have learnt that stability can be found even in the most hostile of situations. Through Seva, Simran and Satsang, we simply have to remember the source of our stability – Nirankar. And for our stability to endure, we have to go by the adage, a family that prays together stays together’.
– Satish Chander, Melbourne, Australia.
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