Ik Oankaar SatNaam SatGurParsaad.
Dandauth Bandhna ji,
most of us at some time have read the articles on the website ora talked to the blessed souls and thought how great it would be if we too could get up early, do our Amritvela simran for long hours, and then do another hour of Simran in the evening, as requested by Dassan Dass ji.
And most of us have probably tried to do it but have found that apart from now and again we mostly are stuck in our old routines of sleeping late, getting up late, and busy all evening with firends and family, TV and internet.
After a while we may find even though we are reading these emails and articles on the website as well as getting inspiration from the going to Sangat, on a daily basis we are just getting worse. Getting into bad eating habits, little or no excercise, sitting for long hours at home, work and in commuting. On top of which maybe our friends and family occupy alot of our time as well as staying up late on the computer or watching useless TV programmes that lead us into lust.
This then leads to feeling worse about ourself, feeling really guilty about not doing our Amritvela Simran, feeling even worse for indulging in untrue deeds, chasing women/men, money, excitement, worldy pursuits, drinking , smoking, partying or whatever it is.
We may even confess a few times in our ardas to God, go to the Gurdwara make a few dontations and try to sit to clear our mind and our guilt. We may even promise to be better, to get up , to follow the divine wisdom and change our ways. But no matter what we do, we just seem to end up back in our old habits, just getting more bogged down in lower consciousness living. We may beging self-loathing - hating ourself and then take it out on our family and kids by shouting at them, getting angry and becoming more short-tempered.
In the end, we may even give up trying to get up, give up trying to do Ardas for help, give up confessing our misdeeds, give up going to the Sangat, start thinking bad of those who are doing Bhagti, get jealous of them, then feel even worse about ourself. Then we may even say to ourself, "I am not destined to meet God in this life. I am just weak-minded and too lazy. A complete loser."
And at that point, if we have no Guru's Blessing, we will go spiralling back into the web of maya to entangle your mind for as many years or lifetimes that it takes for us to learn our lessons.
Actually, what we have to realise is that when we say we are too weak-minded and too lazy, that infact it really is a sign that our ego is VERY, VERY STRONG. We are not weak-minded or lazy at all, because we dont sit doing nothing all day. We get up and are very active in wordly pursuits, wether it is for getting the food and drink we like, or meeting/phoning, emailing/texting/facebooking the people we like, or doing the work we like. It is just out EGO is SO STRONG that it is resisting as hard as it can, with all its might, to CHANGE ITS WAYS.
And what does Gurbani say about it:
haumai deerag rog ha
daru bhee is mahi.
Kirpa karay je apanee
ta gur ka shabad kamaai.
Ego is the most chronic disease,
but there is a medicine for it as well.
If He gives His grace
then we earn the Guru's word.
....Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Without Grace, His Kirpa, the Guru's Eternal Blessings, we can never get up at Amritvela and do long hours of Simran. Gurbani says that Naam and Ego are opposities. When EGO fills our head, there is no God, no Naam.
Jab hum hota tab tu nahee,
ab tuhi ma nahee.
Whilst "I" existed, You did not.
When you came, "I" ceased.
...Gurbani.
So if your mind is telling you that you are too lazy and too weak-minded, realise that it is YOUR EGO that is super-strong, and that you have let it get that way over this lifetime. A Swami ji wrote that the greater the age, the stronger the ego. The younger the years the less the ego. And Guru Nanak Dev ji wrote that ego is very strong around middle-age and the one that runs people of this age in particular. So if we have left it this long to do our bhagti, then we have a big battle with EGO ahead of us. But as Guru Tegh Bahadur ji said, "even now it is not too late to start taking God's Name." So start by not believing your mind when its says that you are too lazy and weak-minded. Remember if you have the GurParasaad, the Guru's Eternal blessings are with you and He will not let you spiral down back into Maya. Put your hands together, head low and pray from the depths of your heart to be cured from the chronic disease of ego. Start daily reading of Gurbani and the website and start putting the divine wisdom into practise. Accept you are a complete beginner, but even taking one step at a time you can conquor the highest mountain - your ego mountain.
Keep praying all day long, keep doing little ardas'es to god in your heart and mind all day long, Gurbani is full of verses confessing how low and mean our deeds are, but still asking for God's kind Kirpa, so it costs us nothing to start holding onto these little gems of gurbani , for example
Daya karo baso man aye.
Mohi nirgun leejay lar laai.
Be merciful and come into my heart,
I have no virtues, but attach me to your skirt.
...Guru Arjun Dev Ji.
mere satguru ma tujh bin avar no kee,
hum moorakh mugadh sarnaagati kar kirpa milay har soi.
My Satguru, I have no one other than you.
I am a stupid dumb fool who has come into your shelter
grant me Your grace and unite me with You.
...Guru Ram Das Ji.
Waho Waho Sachay Ma Teree Tek
Hau papee tu nirmal ek.
Wondrous, wondrous True One I seek your shelter.
For I am a sinner and you ar the Perfect One.
...Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
EGO maybe very strong, but we have been blessed with the medicine of Gurbani, so at least become humble enough to hold tight onto these gems as they are
the only way out for us with the Guru's Eternal Blessings - GurParsaad.
Dhan Dhan Sukhee Raho - Blessed Blessed. Stay in Eternal Peace.
Dust of your feet
Harjit
