THE MYSTIC'S PATH

The Only Path

The True Kings:

The Khalsa, metaphysically, represents the apex of Sikh mysticism. It is the fraternity of self-realized beings forever pursuing perfection and ruling over the discordant masses by virtue of its exemplariness and militarism. It was designed to be forever warring with its own base self on the individual level and external tyrannies that would be chagrined at its uniqueness. In this light, the Khalsa mystic is neither a renunciate like the Sanataanis nor a pacifist victim like the Christians. Nor is it a myopic fundamentalist like the Islamist. It is of a more higher class; a distinct entity whose religiosity is more supreme than the false religiosities of other faiths. Thus, the Khalsa mystic is the true King whose rule is rooted in the divinity and transcendence of the true Akal as revealed by Guru Nanak.

ਤਖਤਿ ਰਾਜਾ ਸੋ ਬਹੈ ਜਿ ਤਖਤੈ ਲਾਇਕ ਹੋਈ ॥

ਜਿਨੀ ਸਚੁ ਪਛਾਣਿਆ ਸਚੁ ਰਾਜੇ ਸੇਈ ॥

ਏਹਿ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਰਾਜੇ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥

ਕੀਤਾ ਕਿਆ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਸੁ ਜਾਦੇ ਬਿਲਮ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥

ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਸਚਾ ਏਕੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬੂਝੈ ਸੁ ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਹੋਈ ॥੬॥

“Those rulers should sit astride thrones who actually deserve to be on thrones. The worthy rulers are those who recognize the truth, only they are worthy to be epitheted as the true rulers. Do not declare them the rulers of the world who are attached to others and resultantly drown in pain. Why should one sycophantically adhere to those who will fade away and vanish over time? There is one eternal Master emulating who the Gurmukh becomes eternal themselves.”

-Guru Granth, 1088.

With the Khalsa expected to be the emulative Gurmukh, it is no wonder then that Guru Nanak has entrusted it with the mission of being the true King who is the personifying medium of Akal on earth.

The Mystic’s Path:

The only true path to divinity is the Khalsa mystic’s path as revealed by Guru Nanak. But how does one tread this path? How does one become a mystic of Akal’s persuasion? But more crucially, why mysticism? What is its use? Socrates, in his works, defines it as:

“It is impossible to entirely efface evils…there must always be something opposed to good to ensure its existence. Humans, naturally, cannot be causelessly placed among the gods, but must inevitably hover about this earth with their mortal nature. We, as mortals, must try to escape from this earth to the dwelling of the gods as swiftly as possible. And how can we escape? By emulating the gods until we assimilate our nature with theirs.”

-Works.

The ‘gods’ for Socrates represent the transcendent good that man must acculturate himself with to escape mundane earthly confines. Then, he can preserve his individual essence forever by becoming a god of sorts in his own right selflessly guiding seekers after him through his legacy. However, this definition raises more questions than it resolves, namely how can one become such a mystic? For Plotinus, the mystic is one who is able to effectively separate the soul from its mortal residence: the body.

“We may treat the soul as in the body-whether it be set above it or actually within it-since the association of the two constitutes the one thing called the living organism, the animate. From the soul using the body as an instrument, it does not follow that the soul must share the body’s experiences: a man does not himself feel all the experiences of the tools with which he is working.”

-Enneads, 1.3.

But although Plotinus provides a brief but comprehensive analysis of the mystic’s essential characteristics (the self-willed separation of the body and the soul), he fails to underscore how to acquire these in the first place. The Dominican friar Meister Eckhart takes up that challenge in his works opining,

“Whoever has God in mind, simply and solely God, in all things, such a man carries God with him into all his works and into all places, and God alone does all his works.”

-’On Solitude and the Attainment of God.’

The semi-zombie like state that Eckhart delineates, though, does disservice to the selfhood of the mystic. While of course even Sikh metaphysics concur that at a higher level the mystic’s selfhood dissipates, the crucial distinction here is that the base selfhood entrenched in a bestial unenlightened mind obviously dissipates. But the enlightened, truly human, selfhood refined through the anvil of Gurmat supplants it allowing the mystic to enjoy life untouched by the pains and pleasures of their earlier ignorant and immature intellect. But how does one acquire this mystic’s path and reach such a state?

The Khalsa’s Path:

The Guru Granth, as the repository of the Gurus’ injunctive wisdom, elaborates that the path to mysticism is rooted in Naam.

ਨਾਮ ਰੰਗਿ ਭਗਤ ਭਏ ਲਾਲ ॥

ਜਸੁ ਕਰਤੇ ਸੰਤ ਸਦਾ ਨਿਹਾਲ ॥

ਨਾਮ ਰੰਗਿ ਜਨ ਰਹੇ ਅਘਾਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਨ ਜਨ ਲਾਗੈ ਪਾਇ ॥੪॥੩॥੫॥

“When immersed in Naam, one acquires the priceless jewel of adherence (to the divine). One then becomes praiseworthy and is recruited by the jubilant seekers of the truth as one among themselves. One who is immersed in Naam remains forever satiated and lacking in nothing. Nanak, such are the individuals who should be followed.”

-Guru Granth, 863.

What are the characteristics of this Naam Gurbani so profoundly describes? What does it bequeath the mystic?

ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਹਮ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਭਏ ॥

ਨਾਮੇ ਆਵਨ ਜਾਵਨ ਰਹੇ ॥

ਗੁਰਿ ਪੂਰੈ ਮੇਲੇ ਗੁਣਤਾਸ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੪॥੨॥੪॥

“Naam makes me fearless. Naam liberates me from the fears of life and death. The wholly perfect Guru has blessed me with the divine wisdom of virtues. Says Nanak, this is the path to residing forever in contentment.”

-Ibid.

To acquire this Naam that is the constitutional fount of reality, the essence of existence, one must adhere to its incorporeal aspect: divine wisdom or the ਗੁਰ.

ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਕੇ ਚਰਨ ਰਿਦੈ ਲੈ ਧਾਰਉ ॥

ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਸਦਾ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੧॥

ਮਤ ਕੋ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲੈ ਸੰਸਾਰਿ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਬਿਨੁ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

“Etch the existence of the divine wisdom within your mind. Accept the divine words (the medium of conveying this wisdom-the Guru Granth) as the injunctions through which to truly gratify the mind. Be humble enough to invite the personified Guru’s (the personification of this divine wisdom’s) feet within your mind. The (personified) Guru is indeed the emulation of the transcendent Master and is forever worthy of our obeisance. Wandering in the haze of doubt, the world forfeits its intellect. But without the divine wisdom, none will ever cross from this end to the other.”

-Guru Granth, 864.

The divine wisdom retains three forms: the physical Guru or the ten Gurus whose legacy for posterity exemplifies the embodiment of Gurbani on the mortal plane, the Shabad or the divine word itself that guides their Sikhs to do likewise as enshrined in the Guru Granth and the Khalsa itself which is the Guru Panth or the embodiment of the Gurus ad infinitum. What is required is total humility to tread the path of the Khalsa mystic where one opens their mind to the legacy of the Gurus and wholeheartedly decides upon emulating their examples to live a life of liberty from one’s own bestial self and and an equally bestial world even selecting death above suppression. Without this divine wisdom, one cannot liberate themselves and triumph in the battle of life.

ਗੁਰੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਕਰਣੈ ਜੋਗੁ ॥

ਗੁਰੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਹੈ ਭੀ ਹੋਗੁ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਇਹੈ ਜਨਾਈ ॥

ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੫॥੭॥

“The (physical) Guru is the doer and reveals the path of worthy deeds. The Guru and the Supreme Maker are forever existent. Says Nanak that the Creator has revealed this to him, without the divine wisdom liberty is not possible for anyone brother.”

-Guru Granth, 864.

Whether as the Guru Granth or the ten human Gurus, the Guru as the embodiment of Naam and the bequeather of divine wisdom is that doer that compels its adherents to do worthy deeds. This is why even in a non-human form, the Guru is credited as the great doer that compels the execution of worthy deeds.

The Mystic:

How does one become the Khalsa mystic? There are the external conformities such as the initiation into the Khalsa, the retaining of the Panj Kakkars, and the conformance to the Rehat. All these, though, should impel one to live Gurbani and immerse themselves in the divine presence to transform them into a mystic. The path to this is enunciated within Gurbani:

ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਨ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਗੁਰੂ ਬਿਨਾ ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਹੋਰ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਟੇਕ ਰਹਹੁ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥

ਜਾ ਕੀ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਮੇਟੈ ਦਾਤਿ ॥੧॥

ਗੁਰੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਣੁ ॥

ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

“Forever remember Guru, Guru, Guru my mind. Without the Guru, I have none other. The Guru’s divine wisdom supports me day and night. The Guru’s bounties are never effaced. Know the Guru and the Divine Creator to be one and the same. Whatever pleases the Master, only that is acceptable.”

-Guru Granth, 864.

The path to imbuing Naam, the process that refines the Manmukh and evolves them into the Gurmukh, is achievable when one forever remembers the Guru. The physical legacy of the ten human Gurus, their role as the only true enlighteners of humanity, and their personification of the divine wisdom-these are the three foremost attributes of the Guru that must be remembered by the Sikh in their waking and sleeping lives. The Khalsa mystic is one who is forever immersed in remembering their Gurus to emulate their virtues in their own lives. The Guru is the human reflection of the Akal and the personification of Akal’s divine wisdom; the true discloser of Naam.

ਗੁਰ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਮੈ ਥਾਉ ॥

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਜਪਉ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

“Besides the divine wisdom, I have no other refuge. I am forever remembering the Guru’s divine wisdom and its beneficence.”

-Guru Granth, 864.

The ancient Bijai Mukt Dharam Shastar Granth relates how Guru Gobind Singh was questioned by his Sikhs at Anandpur that those who were itinerant among them could not recite the Guru Granth that was in textual form so how then could they immerse themselves in Naam? The Guru answered that a Sikh must alter their life for Sikhi and not Sikhi for their life. No laxity could ever be tolerated from a Sikh. To immerse themselves in Naam, the Sikhs were to memorize segments of the Guru Granth and train their minds to almost subliminally recite them. However, repetition alone would not bring them anything as it was to influence their daily doings which were to be conducted forever keeping the transcendent Akal in mind as a result of their memorization.

The Guru Granth is the repository of divine wisdom. While it is imperative to note that mere repetition alone does not convey any benefits if it is not practically realized in life through implementation, neither should the training of the mind to forever remember its injunctions in daily life be discounted either. The Khalsa mystic is one who has not only mastered the art of remembrance but pragmatically realized it in their lives living as would Akal if Akal was to enter the mortal sphere.

ਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥

“The Guru (the Guru Granth) is (the source of) my wisdom and the object of my focus.”

-Ibid.

Such is the path of the Khalsa mystic who forever remembers their Guru and their Guru’s legacy seeking forever to uphold it while adding to it.

End:

The eminent Khalsa mystic and veteran Ghadrite anti-imperialist Baba Wasakha Singh would delineate the art of remembering the Guru to theologian Daljeet Singh post-independence. With a decrease in Sikh theology, the question of Naam Jaap or remembering Naam would antagonistically divide the Sikhs into multiple camps with Sikh missionaries presenting it as secularistic scientific knowledge and self-alleged traditionalists plagiarizing neo-Yogic meditation to present it as Naam. Baba Wasakha Singh, drawing upon the Lahore Singh-Sabha tradition and its earlier Hazuri antecedents, would highlight that Naam was a refining process and not mechanistic chanting or textbook knowledge. It was total immersion and surrender to the divine will and its disclosers, the Sikh Gurus and the Guru Granth.

In this day and age, as society steadily erodes under the confluences of nihilism and delusion it is only the dynamism of the Khalsa mystic’s path that can not only ensure that Sikhs survive but also thrive by emulating their Gurus and adding to their legacy.