A Happy New Year to All!
As we welcome the New Year, the twelve months ahead come fresh and new from the storehouse of Time. Let us be reminded that this is a gift from the Divine. We have done nothing to deserve it or to earn it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.
On the eve/dawn of the New Year let us look into Gurbani:
Who or what is ever fresh and ever new?
1. With the ushering in of the New Year, come thoughts of how to start afresh, leaving behind the negative experiences of the previous year. It is a time of reflection. Where would this freshness come from?
Gurbani states that the Divine - the treasure of virtues - is ever fresh and new and His gifts are perfect and complete. Why don't we open the door this New Year to the Truth of the Divine, the all-pervading consciousness and to His gifts?
The Divine, the Creator, manifests within His creation. Some believe He is Immanent, deep within mankind, smaller than small yet all-pervading. Others say He is Transcendent, an onlooker from outside the universe.
Our Gurus believe that the divine spirit is an unchanging essence that is a part of the Creator and it exists in all mankind. It has, it is and it will always remain fresh, new and up to date. We are reminded to be conscious of this essence in us, to reflect on the wisdom of the One and the treasure store that is open to us.
Gurbani asks us to fall in love with the true Lord who does not come and go, as He is pervading amongst us all. He loves His devotees and removes pain and suffering.
Why not start the year afresh with a new, stable and steady companion who is wise, giving and tender hearted?
ਗੁਣ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਨਵਤਨੁ ਸਦਾ ਪੂਰਨ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਦਾਤਿ॥
The treasure of virtues, the Divine, is ever-fresh and new and His gift is perfect and complete. - GGS: 47
2. The Guru's true teachings or divine wisdom has been passed down over the years to mankind. Just as we wake up every morning to a fresh, new day, this wisdom remains fresh and new every day. It is timeless in its value and applicable for eternity.
We are indeed fortunate to have the Guru Granth Sahib to provide us with guidance to establish a relationship with the Divine, to understand divine wisdom. Due to our ignorance and egoistic nature we have removed ourselves from this experience.
In the New Year, let us strive to understand the advice of the Guru. Let the timeless words of the Guru Granth Sahib challenge our stereotyped thinking. Let us open our minds to an understanding of the Guru's teachings which are fresh and new.
Let us look at the true word of the Divine and the love enshrined in this. Let us move into His fold, enjoy His love and the peace that it brings into our lives. Let us choose the more loving direction, the kinder impulse, the more encouraging word in our daily interactions.
ਸਾਚ ਕੀ ਮਤਿ ਸਦਾ ਨਉਤਨ ਸਬਦਿ ਨੇਹੁ ਨਵੇਲਓ॥
The teaching of Truth or the true Word of the Guru is ever fresh, and the love for the Almighty created through the true Word is ever new. - GGS: 242
3. As the Divine is considered to be timeless, then His love is timeless too. It therefore remains fresh and new throughout the ages. When He bestows His grace upon us, we are immersed in this fresh love.
As we enter the New Year, with new resolutions and hope for fresh beginnings, this is an opportunity to connect to the Divine as the object of our devotion. By remaining absorbed in devotional worship, we blend with Him. As our mind dedicates itself to His love and His virtues, it becomes steady and calm amidst challenges we may face in life.
With a love that is ever fresh and new, let us nurture a relationship with the Divine who is our support and our strength. Let us experience Divinity in every breath that we take. Let us be aware that behind every life experience, the True Teacher is there.
ਓਹੁ ਨੇਹੁ ਨਵੇਲਾ॥ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਸਿਉ ਲਾਗਿ ਰਹੈ॥
The love which is placed in our Beloved is ever fresh and new. - GGS: 407
In conclusion, do we remain where we are and keep believing in what we have been taught? Or is this an opportunity for a fresh perspective on life?
Why not start the New Year with the Divine as a guide and be open to fresh, new and more exciting experiences.
We give ourselves a priceless gift when we open ourselves to the Divine. It is only an awareness of divine wisdom that is clean sweeping enough to free us from the old ways of thinking and make the fresh and new realizable.
Let us be more aware of our limited time on earth. Let us seek a connection with the Divine, His wisdom. We need to surrender willingly to what is quiet within us - the divine essence. Why not accept the resources and the strengths that it offers?
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Compiled and edited by
Team AWAT
