- 'The Lord is the Truth, Truth light.' [1]
- 'The True Lord is the ever-existing Truth.' [2]
The definition of truth as given by Guru Nanak is different and more deeply defining what the modern scientists could ever dream of. It is beyond the limits of our five senses. The Guru uses the word ‘sach(u)’ for truth, the ultimate reality [3] the true Lord whose name is considered as true (satnam), the Self-created (saibhang) and is beyond time & space. He is the creator (karta) and destroyer of the entire universe and is living in His creation [4] in the form of soul [5]. All His creation is true [6]. The limit of the Lord is far beyond nether, sky and the earth [7].
The choice of 1 is the unmistakable indication of characterization of the highest reality as positive presence and affirmation, not negation. The world emanates from the positive essence; as such it is a real world, and not merely an illusion. The world in which the Providence is immanent, cannot be pure falsehood. Thus, the living, all-extensive, all-comprehensive reality, which is unitary yet multi-faceted, is the object of estimation in the mool mantra. In the very next symbol of sat (i), The God is actually described as the real. It is the basic substance of all the modes of existence; it is the reality of the things and forms of the world. The first characterization is the reality which, starts with Satnam: The Eternal Holy Truth. …True is the Lord, true His Name.[8] He was true in the prime, true in the beginning of ages, true He is even now and true he shall ever be.[9]
All the universes and its parts and the galaxy systems are all real. All the light and the figures created by Him are real. All His doing and deliberations are true. His order and His court are also all real. Whatever His Will and whatever His utterances are all true. True is His Grace and true is His sign. Millions and billions call Him the True. All the power and might is in Him. True is His praise and true is His commendation. All His nature is True. They too are true who remember Him. Falsest of the false are caught in the circle of life and death. [ 10]
The Guru had the vision of a power expressing the Being, immanent in the world-order. Now, he is considering this power as the real, the focus of all, that is, the ultimate object of all pursuit of knowledge. Reality is not a matter for reason; it comes by revelation of God through nadar or Grace and by anubhava or mystical experience. Says Guru Nanak; "He is not accessible through intellect, or through mere scholarship or cleverness at argument. He is met when He pleases, through devotion." [11] The true reality is thus not in the falsehood of life and death but in the continuity of entire universe.[12]
The ultimate truth is the energy supreme. Truth is the conscious knowing of the energy supreme: the ultimate truth and then living its pure refection, that of love absolute within your earthly life journey. Truth is taken to be essence of God, which accords well with our age of the scientific quest.[13] Truth is the remedy of all; only truth can wash away our sins.[14] Falsehood exhausts itself; only Truth prevails in the end.[15] Truth never gets old.[16] That is being true, when the True One is in the heart, when the filth of falsehood departs, and the life is made clean. That is being true, when man fixes his love on truth, and finds pleasure in hearing of the Name; and finds himself liberated. When one receives true instructions, understands a mercy to living things, and performs some acts of charity, he is true. He is true when he resides at the sacred font of spirit. Consulting the true Guru, he abides in peace [17] and the True Lord puts an end to man's transmigration. [18]
References
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), the sacred scripture of Sikhs, contains hymns of Sikh Gurus and Hindu and Muslim saints in 1430 pages. Compiled in 1604 by Guru Arjan Dev and penned by Bhai Gurdas, it consists of hymns of devotion to God, inspired reflections on the cosmic order, the vision of the higher life and exhortation to man towards lifting himself to the state of spiritual peace and the attainment of liberation. The universal doctrines of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are based on truth, compassion and justice and provide light to the spiritual as well as scientist community specially regarding origin and development of universe i.e., cosmology: SGGS p. 1020
