GURBANI GEMS
The whole of the Guru Granth is the voice of a wedded woman pinning in love for the Beautiful. Her nobleness in Guru Granth is infinite, her freedom is of the highest. Both man and woman as sexes are forgotten in her voice. She becomes the supreme reality and a freed soul. In the freed soul alone is the subordination of one to the other effectively abolished and all disputes hush(Prof. Puran Singh)
And for me, the entire Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of poetic love letters, which I savor and read over and over. Something profound opens within me with each reading.
And when Guru says:
ਧਨੁ ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਪਛਾਨੈ॥
ਮਾਨੈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਤਜੈ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੈ॥
ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਸਿਉ ਰਾਤੀ ਰਲੀਆ ਮਾਨੈ॥
Blessed is the bride-lover who recognizes her Beloved.
Obeys Hukam; renounces ego.
Immersed in her Lover, exults bliss.
(First Nanak, Rag Suhi, SGGS, p. 737)
My head falls. Love fills me.
In this Divine Collection, the pangs of a lover yearning for the Beloved are revealed - the Beloved that resides within us all. These Love Letters are to be read with an open heart, for only then can one feel the presence of the Beloved.
Songs of Love repeating the Name of the Beloved resound from this Divine Collection. Those who do not ache with this agony of love will find them repetitive. But for those who suffer these pangs - they will find joy and bliss in them.
This Divine Collection is impossible to adequately translate into the English language, for it flows from a place of exquisite Beauty and Sound. It can only be understood and sensed when sung by a heart that is immersed in the love of the Beloved. Verses with images, symbols and metaphors flow effortlessly, raising our consciousness.
And when consciousness is raised:
Ignorance dissipates.
Illusions fade.
Silence descends.
And the lover stands before the Beloved.
Can anything be sweeter than this meeting?
Nectar cascades.
Life blossoms.
Fragrance emanates.
Gratitude flows.
Realization dawns…
Only when the lover dies into the Beloved, does the lover realize how much the Beloved loves? Exquisite intimacy and tenderness flow throughout this entire love process.
For lovers, this Divine Collection is treasure trove of infinite love and wisdom. Precious jewels reside within. Lovers yearn to adorn themselves with these jewels.
And for those yearning to experience this love process, please allow the AWAT Team to guide you. They have delved deeply into Gurbani, researched the meanings of the words that appear in multiple languages, and have made it easier for those who rely on the English language to fall in love. Meanings, origins of words, their usage, and context create powerful visuals, enabling one to experience the depth of Gurbani.
This initiative of theirs has made the study of Gurbani accessible for those wanting to experience Guru's Wisdom.
They truly deserve our thanks for nurturing us daily via the internet with gems from this Divine Collection and now with this compilation.
May we all yearn to experience this love process and be graced with perennial inspiration and inner illumination!
Inni Kaur
CEO, Sikh Research Institute, USA
(From Foreword of Gurbani Gems, Vol 1)
The AWAT content of Year 1 is ready in two beautiful volumes!
Bibliographic information:
Title: Gurbani Gems Vol. 1 & 2
Author: Team AWAT
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://awordathought.com/
Publishers: Singh Brothers, Amritsar
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.singhbrothers.com