58 GURU NANAK'S CONCEPT OF GOD Manjeet Kaur Minhas 1 ABSTRACT The paper aims to study the concept of God as given by Guru Nanak, the most venerated and the most read philosophers of the Bhakti period. Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs lived in one of the most turbulent stages of Indian History. The people of his times were subjected to the most unreasonable upheavals and hardships. In the turmoil, the religious edifice seemed to crumble down and became totally inefficient. Guru Nanak was a born genius who could see things more clearly than ordinary men, went deeper into the meanings and events he experienced and presented a comprehensive and unified outlook. Living in the midst of people, Guru Nanak took an in depth view of the atmosphere around and formulated a religious outlook which extended beyond his times into the future. Rejecting the outdated and meaningless rituals and ceremonies preached by religions of the day, he dwelt upon the direct approach to God, omnipresent and omniscient, in the simplicity of the heart. That he is remembered as the 'Guru of Hindus and Pir of Mussalmans' speaks volumes about his secular approach to religion. Key words: Comprehensive, inefficient, outdated, simplicity, turbulent, upheavals 1 Assistant Professor,Department of English,Sarup Rani Govt. College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
59 INTRODUCTION It is said that when the world is caught in the thraldom of passion and is engulfed in the darkness of ignorance, saints and prophets are born to redeem it from these evils. The 15th century Punjab was a miniature world in all its confusion and conflict. All the conquerors, be it Persians, Greeks, Huns, Arabs, Mongols or Turks found Punjab as their gateway to India. Each of them stayed here and laid the foundation of his kingdom. The two major religious traditions of India, Hinduism and Islam met, fought against each other and finally came to live side by side in the Punjab. At his time, the true spirit of religion had vanished. The Hindus and the Muslims alike identified religion with rituals or ceremonies. Futile practices such as wearing of the sacred thread, mechanical telling of beads, sacrifice of animals etc. to appease gods and had come to acquire the essence of religion. The unity of godhead was lost. Buddhism and Jainism also suffered from degradation of the human spirit. The kernel of religion had been lost and it had been reduced to mere dogma, an empty show. Into such a world was Guru Nanak born. He brought home to his fellowmen the idea that religion should provide a healing touch to the humanity and should not be instrumental in imposing tyranny, oppression and injustice. Rather than erecting physical and emotional barriers between man and man, religion should be a unifying. Guru Nanak came in the line of great saints who emphasized that personal experience of the Divine is the core of true religion; denouncing all kinds of hollow rituals and religious practices. He was the man who gathered the teachings of the Bhaktas into one comprehensive system and by putting his precepts into practice set an example. He cleared the minds of men of the cobwebs of caste distinctions, superstitious and bigotry. Also he vigorously protested against the inhuman practice of untouchability and tried to root it out. Guru Nanak's teachings were different from those of other medieval reformers in two respects. First, they had the precision and directness which were lacking in the mystical utterances of Kabir and others. Like the others, the Guru did not give any floating ideas which held the people in a mystic grip but did not
60 activate it; rather he told the people what to aim at and how to proceed. The second point to be noticed is the originality of Guru Nanak s teachings in two vital respects. His renunciation of asceticism was a significant breach with Indian religious tradition. Never had people seen that the Guru and the disciple could from an integrated community. Secondly, Guru Nanak was only saint of the Bhakti period who established guruship as a continuing institution, thereby giving birth to a new religion. Not only did he introduce reason into the examination of religious beliefs but had a positive message to give a message of hope and cheer to dispel the allpervading gloom of the sceptic and the cynic. Guru Nanak offered a simple and straightforward approach to the common masses; one to which they could easily relate. Neither were there any scholarly pretensions, nor any philosophical squibblings. It was this simple straightforward approach and down to earth manner which appealed to the masses. Herein they saw their deliverance from all the complexities of the prevalent religions. In spite of this, never did he claim to be a saint or a seer, a savior or a redeemer, much less Almighty God or God incarnate. He did not arrogate to himself any attribute of God; always referred to himself as just a human being. He said, "I am composed of five elements and my name is Nanak." 1 He preferred to be known as 'man', a man among men about whom, including himself, he has said: "We are men of but one breath, and do not even know the span of our existence and the time of our death." (Dhanasari, P. 650) If anyone ascribed him Divinity, he said: "Call me a goblin, some a spirit. Some call me a mere forsaken man. But I, the mad Nanak, have lost my reason in pursuit of
61 the king, God, and I know none other than God." (Maru, 991) So that his followers do not deify him or regard him as God or His incarnation, he stressed that all the seers and prophets were insignificant in the context of that Ultimate Reality. He says repeatedly: "My master is one, one alone, one-in one" (Asa, 350) "The Infinite, Transcendental Lord, the Supreme God is the one whom Nanak has known as His Master" (Sorath, 599) He calls himself His slave, just one of His countless slaves, though a lucky one: "I am a bond-slave of the Lord and my name is lucky. I was sold at the Master's shop at His bidding and now I go the way. He bids." (Maru, 991) At times he calls himself a pedlar of God: "I am a pedlar of my all-pervading Lord and deal only in the merchandise of his name." (Gauri, 158) Moreover, he thought and uttered only in the name of God. He himself stated: "I spoke only when Thou, O God, inspired me to speak" (Wadhans, 566) "As the word comes to me, So I make it known, O Lalo (Tilang, 722)
62 He said that he was a man commissioned by God. While describing his audience with the Supreme Lord, he sang out: "I was a bard out of work. God blessed me with his service and commanded me to sing His praises night and day. He summoned me to His eternal abode, bestowed on me the robe of the praise of his true Name and fed me with the Nectar-Name of the Great Truth." (Majh, 150) The earliest available record of the above mentioned event of enlightenment and divine assignment is recorded as:- "The Baba went to the Divine Court and received from there the gift of the priceless Name and sweet humility. From there he fixed a thoughtful gaze on the world below and found it ablaze in agony. There was no guide or teacher and a chaotic darkness prevailed all around. The whole humanity was crying in anguish. The Baba then donned the garb of a monk, laid the path of true renunciation, and set out for the reformation of the whole world and the regeneration of all mankind." 2 Guru Nanak's concept of the Ultimate Reality or God came after this Enlightenment. Guru Nanak's religious doctrine was based on the sole aim of leading man from ego-centered self into the court of Lord. He wanted man to realize the transcendental truth which is the essence of his being. Says Nanak: O Wonder of wonders! Then art the spirit that pervadeth all 'Tis thy light, that lights all hearts'. 3 Guru Nanak felt that man must be saved from the obsession of following limited gains and accumulations, so that he does not miss the wider context of his life. He should rather be firmly grounded in the work of the Lord where selfish motives have no sway. He believed in mans ultimate capacity to win the higher life as there was no gulf between man and God; it only appeared to be so.
63 He is within and without his creation. 4 But having become engrossed in ourselves, we have lost the deeper light within the heart. To clear this utter confusion, the Guru asked that we meditate on the Name. This was the only way to gain stability and know the truth of things. The efficacy of Lord s name for the redemption of the soul is beyond questions. The remembrance of God is the likeness of god; and forgetfulness is the illusion of life. God has countless names and it matters not which name the devotee utters, so long it is done lovingly, with attention to the exclusion of everything else. Name or Nam is an unfailing answer to all doubts, difficulties and disturbances which must be remembered and recited both in joy and grief. The addition to this, the seeker, should have a high moral conduct. Vices like lust, anger, greed, infatuation, egoism, avarice, jealousy, intoxicants and indulgence in sensual pleasures should be avoided. He should understand the meaning of Name and be like a lotus in the pond which grows through the mud and the water and yet is detached from both. Man's quest for the infinite light ends with dwelling on Name of God who is the Ultimate Reality. Speaking about this Ultimate Reality. Guru Nanak stressed on the Oneness of God. Nanak echoed with simplicity the message taught by past masters. He states that God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. His well known definition and description of God reads: "These is but one God. His name is Eternal Truth. He is the creator of the universe and maker of everything. He is devoid of fear and enmity. He is immortal, unborn and self-existent." (Mul-Mantra) This God, whose reality is absolute, unblemished and eternal has countless attributes. To him, God is incomprehensible and indescribable because he has infinite attributes, each with infinite perfection. Countless are thy Names, countless thy Abodes,
64 Completely beyond the grasp of imagination are the myriad realms, even to call them myriad is foolish. (Japji, 19) None of his compositions indicate that he regarded the unity of God as incompatible with the diversity of his attributes He is Saguna God is not only a being with attributes, but also a person. The highest truth about God is that. He is the self-existing being and also the ground of all that exists. Guru Nanak s conceptions of God finds him the Supreme Person who has created the world according to his free will. He orders, sustains and rules over it. God is generous, just and merciful who loves immensely and forgives instantly. Man may receive rewards or punishment, according to his actions. He is not just to be contemplated admired and praised but also to be feared, loved and trusted. Guru Nanak is of the view that God is the object of love, surrender, obedience, devotion and worship. Having asserted the Oneness of God, he goes on to oppose the very idea of His incarnation. He demolished the very idea of divine incarnation, both by word and deed, and thus surpassed every other reformer. This ultimate reality i.e. God or Brahman as he is also called is the creator of the heavens and the earth. The saints, prophets, Buddhas, the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva all are created by God. He is ever-generous, gracious and helpful, sharing His nature with all, manifesting His beauty to all, and showering His blessings on all. He says, "Brahman is the creator of the world. He is the material as well as the efficient cause of the world. He is the source of all beings and the support of the universe. He has placed the sky without any prop. He is the creator, sustainer and destroyer. Everything is born of him and is finally absorbed in him." 5
65 God has created this universe of souls and matter joyfully; and equally joyfully does he observe all this work of creation- a manifestation of his own blissful nature. This is reminiscent of the doctrine of bliss- the 'Ananda Tatva' according to which the whole universe is nothing but a beautiful manifestation of God's own bliss. "He Knew Brahman to be bliss. From bliss alone all these beings arise, by bliss are they sustained, to bliss do they return." 6 Thus, according to Guru Nanak and our seers and saints, the entire universe is a bliss. Human beings in their ignorance and sorrow make it a sinful place. The universe is an expression of His infinite power and wisdom. Guru Nanak uses the term "Maya" to express the idea that the working of God's creative power is a profound mystery. "Maya, the mythical goddess, Sprang from the One, and her womb brought forth Three acceptable disciplines of the One: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma, it is said, bodies forth the world, Vishnu it is who sustains it; Siva the destroyer who absorbs, He controls death and judgement. God makes them to work as He wills, He sees them ever, they see Him not; That of all is the greatest wonder." (Japji, 30) God is not dependent on any external matter in order to create the world; everything comes to exist the moment He wills it. "All creation emerging from Thy one Word flowing out like a multitude of rivers." (Japji, 16)
66 "All creation is His word made manifest". (Japji, 19) For Guru Nanak, the world is nothing but a play on the part of God who is both transcendent and immanent; inside His own creation, yet outside it. In Guru Nanak's compositions, the transcendence of God is greatly emphasized. "Infinite is his goodness, and infinite His praise; Infinite are his works and Infinite His gifts; Where are the bounds of His seeing or His hearing? Unfathomable is the infinity of His mind; There are no bounds even to His creation. How many vex their hearts to know his limits, But seeking to explore Infinity, can find no bound, The more we say, the more there is left to say, High is our lord and high is his throne, His holy Name is higher than the highest. (Japji, 24) God as one indivisible, partless Being, is present fully in all, yet He is not wholly exhausted in any of the parts. When God created the universe of souls and matter out of his own nature, Out of his infinite bliss, He becomes both transcendent and immanent. God is immanent in the universe of souls and matters, yet he is 'Nirakar' or formless. Neither the material objects and neither the immaterial souls are actually His representations. All of Nanak's descriptions of God were admissions of his enability to define him. "Thou hast a million eyes, yet no eye hast Thou. Thou hast a million forms, yet no form has Thou. Thou hast a million feet, yet no feet hast Thou.
67 Thou art without odour, yet millions of odours emanate from Thee. With such charms, O Lord, hast thou bewitched me. They light pervades everywhere. (Dhanasari) The dominant note in Guru Nanak's compositions is God's benevolence, love and mercy. His merciful nature does not wait for any specific conditions for its manifestation. His compassionate nature is manifesting itself everywhere for all, irrespective of merit or demerit. just as the sun shines for all, God's mercy is poured on all irrespective of all the differences. Guru Nanak was a firm believer of the ideal of Nishkam-Karma i.e. all good deeds should be performed without any selfish motives; simply for the sake of duty. A deed to be defined as good should be absolutely unselfish. As soon as the performer expects anything in return, he ceases to be a performer of good deeds. A human beings actions shape his life and character. By insisting on achieving merit through virtuous actions, Guru Nanak is seeking to create within each person the capacity to reach into his deeper nature. The idea of justice is also there. Guru Nanak speaks of Divine Court of Justice wherein the good are separated from the bad. "All these lives are judged by their actions, God is True and in his Court is truth dispensed; There the elect are acceptable to him, And by his grace and his mercy Honoured in His presence In that court, the bad shall be sifted from the good When we reach his court, O Nanak, We shall know this to be true." (Japji, 34)
68 Guru Nanak has emphasized that the merciful God's will is absolute. He believed in the reality of human freedom and responsibility but they almost pale into insignificance before God's will. The whole universe is created and governed by Him. For Him there is an absolute difference between the Creator and the created. "God is inaccessible, unfathomable, altogether distinct from his creation." 7 It is on this principle that he rules out incarnation. The seers inspired by God are not his incarnation; rather his humble servants. "There never was nor there ever will be Another like the Lord." (Sodar-Radhiras, 3) Islam's influence is most pronounced when he says God can neither be begotten, nor has he any family. All the virtues and perfections of man are due to his grace. "All truths, all fervent-austerities, every excellent act, Every sublime achievement of the adepts, Are They Gifts, O Lord: Without Thee No man could attain perfection" (Sodar-Rahiras, 2) He denounced idols and image worship and gives the argument that one who is formless cannot have an idol. "He cannot be installed like an idol, Nor can man shape his likeness." (Japji, 5) Having talked of the Oneness of the Ultimate Reality or Brahman or God, of his formlessness, of his attributes, Guru Nanak goes on to explain the two aspects of Brahman. He differentiates it as 'Nirguna' the one without attributes and 'Saguna' the one with attributes.
69 The Lord without any form colour or lineage is called the higher Brahman or Par Brahman. The other aspect with name, form and colour is known as Lower Brahman or Ishwar. The Guru, at several places asserts that the Lord is indescribable. However describing Ishvar, at one place he says- "Thine eyes are radiant and teeth exquisite; Thy nose is stately and they hair is long. Thy body is golden." (Vadhans, 1, 567) Before the Creation, the Higher Brahman was absorbed in abstract meditation. When it was his will, He as Ishvar, created the universe in association with Maya. The realization of the Par Brahman is the highest ideal set for man by Guru Nanak. "When the light of the soul merges into the Universal Light, And the human mind comingles, With the mind of all things, Then our petty being, With its violence, doubt and sorrow disappears, Through the grace of the Guru Such spiritual union taketh place Blessed are they in whose hearts is the Lord!" (Sri Rag, P. 21) The State described here is when the Finite will is in complete harmony with the Infinite will. A devotee's mind is at rest due to Divine knowledge and he attains peace and equanimity of mind. This state is achieved by ceaseless remembrance and contemplation of his name. "I would repeat the Holy Name of the Lord; Thus let the soul step by step
70 Mount the stairs to the bridegroom And become one with Him. (Japji, 32) This "merging in God" (Japji, 37) is also referred to as the realization that the finite self is one with the Infinite self. But the state cannot be achieved without the grace of Guru. "Without the Guru's help we cannot burn To nothingness the ashes of self-love, For the Guru kindles in human hearts The fire of the love of God, Through the Guru's word alone There comes the moment of knowing; My self is that self." (Sri Rag, P. 59) The True Guru or the Divine witness stands in the two worlds- his ultimate footing lies in the Court of the Lord, but he roams among mankind to relieve their sufferings and create in them that attitude towards truth which lies hidden within. Yet the bare existence of the Guru is not enough. Man needs to work ceaselessly to bring out the deeper side of his being. Nanak believes, "The whole world meets the Guru. But merely meeting the Guru does not bring salvation unless one meditates on the Guru's word" 8 What does Guru Nanak mean by 'True Guru'? If we try to understand it in the modern sense of the word, we would say Guru Nanak was advertising his own services. Actually, he means by 'Guru' an activity of God himself in the human psyche. Obtaining the Guru is not mere submission to a human leader, but something inward in which the knowledge of God is finally attained.
71 Meditating on the Guru's word, the devotee does not need to repudiate his selfidentity, but to surrender his ego to God. For this, only the love of God is needed which should be strong enough to dominate every other love. It is this love which is the key to delivery from this circle of births and deaths. This truth saturates the Guru and reveals its nature through him, he being a finer embodiment of the Divine. "When the mind is polluted with sin, We must scrub it in the love of the Name, We do not become sinners or saints By merely saying we are; It is actions that are recorded, According, to the seed we sow is the fruit we reap, By Gods' will, O Nanak, Man must either be saved, or endure new births." (Japji, 20) So, the personal experience of Divine is the ultimate goal of man according to Guru Nanak. It is this experience which leads to the consummation of all desired ends; taking one beyond the realm of time and space and all its attendant evils. It gives one release from sorrow and suffering, release from the cycle of birth and death; and produces bliss, beatitude and eternal peace. This mystic experience is a vision of the Self by the Self. A plenitude of finer emotions and impulses, penetrating intelligence, feeling and will are transmuted into the love of God. Where love is there God is. Starting with devotion, the mystic ends in unitive experience. He attains Mukti- all knots are unraveled and all doubts resolved. Guru Nanak, thus, gave the people and insight into the nature of the ultimate reality. He made them realize, not just intellectually but in personal experience of the Divine that the all pervading One resides within all men. All men are equal; the differences being superficial. The chain of births and deaths can be broken by surrendering to the Lord and being One with him.
72 CONCLUSION To sum up, it can easily be said that Guru Nanak's advent was marked by the resurgence of the true religious spirit in the people. Men's minds which had been enclosed in the rigid framework of rituals and ceremonies were opened up and Nanak revived the faith of man in man and the faith of man in God. He brought about a beautiful amalgamation of Hindu philosophy and Islam and exhorted people to follow the best in both; doing away with everything fake and sham. He gave the people a vision of the Supreme Being and taught them that the elements of permanence can be found in the Name of God and his will. He gave God the central place in life. His greatness infinite and his love boundless. His doctrine was God is all in all, and we should believe in the Creator, the Lord of Lords, the One God, self existent, incomprehensible, omnipotent, who is without beginning and is everlasting. Man's salvation lay in surrender to this fountainhead of love and grace and the repository of Wisdom, Justice and Mercy.
73 REFERENCES 1. Janamsakhi, Bhai Bala 2. Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, P. 33 3. Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Trans Gopal Singh, Vol I (New York, 1965), p. 16 4. Max Athur Macaulife, The Sikh Religion, Its Gurus, Saved writings and Authors, Vol I Oxford, 5. Sri Rag, 1, 20. 6. Taittiriya Upanished, 3.6 7. M.A. Macauliffe, The Sikh Religiom, Vol I, P. 363 8. Narain Singh, Guru Nanak Re-interpreted, (Amritsar, 1965), P. 401