SGGS On Death

From SikhiWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

The wind merges into the wind. The light blends into the light. The dust becomes one with the dust. What support is there for the one who is lamenting? Who has died? O, who has died? Meet together with the God-realized, and inquire into this. What a wondrous thing has happened! No one knows what happens after death. The one who is lamenting will also arise and depart. Mortal beings are bound by the bonds of doubt and attachment. When life becomes a dream, the blind man babbles and grieves in vain. The Creator Being created this creation. It comes and goes, subject to the Divine Will. No one dies; no one is capable of dying. The Soul does not perish; it is imperishable. That which is known, does not exist. I am a sacrifice to the one who knows this. Says Nanak, the Guru has dispelled my doubt. No one dies; no one comes or goes (sggs 885). <><><><> The literal meaning of the word "Sansaar" is "material world or Jagat, the place of repeated birth and death". Thus, by its very definition, the material world is tied to birth and death: if there is a birth, there is a death. To that end, death is inevitable. This is also the destiny of all Jeeva (individual beings) — "that whoever is born, will die", says the Gurbani. There is no escape from this reality. Man is caught in this vicious cycle by his own doings.

jo jnmY so jwnhu mUAw: Jo janamai so jaanahu mooaa: Know this well, that whoever is born, will die (sggs 375). jMmxu mrxw hY sMswru: Jamman maranaa hai Sansaar: The world is tied to birth and death (sggs 364). hMsw srvru kwlu srIr: Hansaa saravar kaal sareer: Like the swan on the lake, death hovers over the body (sggs 325). Awvxu jwxu n cukeI mir jnmY hoie KuAwru: Aavan jaan na chukaee mar janmai hoe khuaar: Their comings and goings do not end; through death and rebirth, they are wasting away (sggs 19). The present birth is a product of the previous Karma, and the present Karma will become the blue print for the future. This life is like a field ("Khet"), in which, our Karma is the seed. We harvest exactly what we sow. No less, no more. This infallible Law of Karma holds everyone responsible for what he is or going to be. Based on the total sum of past Karma, some are more close to the Source in this life than others. This Law of Karma is responsible for man's greatest suffering — his repeated birth and death. Physical death is not the end of Cosmic Drama ("Leelaa"). Our Karma or accounts (good or bad) go with us. Under the Divine Law, each Jeeva (individual being) is required to settle its own accounts. Consequently, for many death results in rebirth to reap what they have sown. This constitutes the painful birth-death cycle.

kMtku kwlu eyku hY horu kMtku n sUJY: Kantak kaal ek hai hor kantak na soojhai: Only death is painful; I cannot conceive of anything else as painful (sggs 1090). mnmuK mrih AhMkwir mrxu ivgwiVAw: Manmukh marahi ahankaar maran vigaarriaa: The Manmukhs (material being) die in egotism, their death is painfully ugly (sggs 86). ibiKAw rwqy ibiKAw KojY mir jnmY duKu qwhw hy: Bikhiaa raate bikhiaa khojai mar janamai dukh taahaa hae: Imbued with poison, they search out poison, and suffer the pains of death and rebirth (sggs 1057). jMmx mrxu n suJeI ikrqu n myitAw jwie: Janman maran n sujhee kirat na maetiaa jaae: Man does not understand birth and death; the inscription of one's past actions cannot be erased (sggs 1009). pUrb jnm ko lyKu n imteI jnim mrY kw kau dosu Dry: Poorab janam ko laekh na mittee janam marai kaa ko dos dharae: The record of one's past actions cannot be erased; who else is to blame for one's birth and death? (sggs 1014). jYsw kry su qYsw pwvY]Awip bIij Awpy hI KwvY: Jaisaa kare so taisaa paavai. Aap beej aape he khavai: Man is rewarded according to his actions; as he sows, so does he eats or reaps (sggs 662). jyhI suriq qyhw iqn rwhu: Jehee surit tehaa tin raah: As is your awareness, so is your way (sggs 25). jYsw syvY qYso hoie: Jaisaa sevai taiso hoi: As you think, so you become (sggs 224). caurwsIh nrk swkqu BogweIAY]jYsw kIcY qYso pweIAY: The faithless cynic suffers the ignominy of having to undergo the "hell" of 8.4 million reincarnations — the viscious cycle of death and rebirth. As he acts, so does he suffer (sggs 1028). mrqI bwr ieksr duKu pwieAw: Martee baar iksar dukh paaeiaa: But at the time of death, you will have to endure the agony all alone (sggs 792).

That which is born must end. This inevitability of death brings horror and fear into to the hearts of those caught in the grip of illusion or ignorance. What is this death? Who comes and goes? Is death an end? What happens to the Soul (Self or Aatmaan) when death occurs? Is there such thing as Soul? What is relationship between the body and the Soul? For whom is the fear of death? Whose death do we fear? How can we get freedom from birth-death cycle? All sensible men are challenged by the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) to inquire into all these pertinent questions.

kaunu mUAw ry kaunu mUAw]bRhm igAwnI imil krhu bIcwrw iehu qau clqu BieAw: Koun mooaa rae koun mooaa. Brahm Giani mil karahu beechaaraa eihu tao chalat bhaeiaa: Who has died? O, who has died? Meet together with the God-realized — Brahm Giani — and inquire into this. What a wondrous thing has happened! (sggs 885). buJu ry igAwnI mUAw hY kauxu: Bujh rae Giani mooaa hai koun: Understand, O Giani, the Wise one, who has died (sggs 152). kauxu mUAw kauxu mwrsI kauxu AwvY kauxu jwie...: Koun mooaa koun maarasee koun aavai koun jaae...: Who has died, and who kills? Who comes and who goes? Who is enraptured, O Nanak, and whose consciousness merges in the Divine? In egotism, he dies; possessiveness kills him, and the breath flows out like a river (sggs 1091). mweI sunq soc BY frq: Maaee sunat soch bhai darat: O mother, I hear of death, and think of it, and I am filled with fear (sggs 529). Death Is Of The Body, Not The Soul

If we follow the Gurbani's instructions and inquire, "to whom is this death?", then we will come to know that which dies is not real us! What actually dies is the ego-born body which depends on the movement of the Praana or life-breadth. Untruth depends upon external things; for it is unreal. Only that which exists on its own can only be called Real and True. As the body depends on Praana, it never has its independent existence. Any thing that depends on some thing else must go. That which is born must die. With the death of the body, dies the world of names and shapes. Thus, death is a change in time and space. Since our false "I" (egoism) identifies with time and space, we are afraid of this change. Consequently, there arises the desire to prolong the life. We try to control the material nature, and become subjected to its effects in the process — lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride, enviousness and stubborn mindedness.

hau muAw mY mwirAw pauxu vhY drIAwau: Hau muaa mai maariaa poun vahai dareeaao: In egotism, man dies; possessiveness kills him, and the breath flows out like a river (sggs 1091). moih pcy pic AMDw mUAw: Mohi pachae pach andhaa mooaa: But, engrossed in attachment, the blind fool wastes away to death (sggs 392). iehu jgqu mmqw muAw jIvx kI ibiD nwih: Ihu jagat mamataa muaa jeevan kee bidhi naahi: This world perishing in attachment and possessiveness; no one knows the way of life (sggs 508). Awsw krqw jgu muAw Awsw mrY n jwie: Aasaa karataa jagg muaa aasaa marai na jaae: Building up its desires, the world dies, but its desires do not die or depart (sggs 517). haumY ivic jgqu muAw mrdo mrdw jwie: Houmai vich jagat muaa marado maradaa jaae: In egotism, the world is dead; it dies and dies, again and again (sggs 555). Esu Arlu brlu muhhu inklY inq JgU sutdw muAw: Ous aral baral muhahu nikalai nit jhagoo suttadaa muaa: He babbles incoherently, and foaming at the mouth, he dies (sggs 653). iks hI vwiD Gwit iks hI pih sgly lir lir mUAw: Kis hee vaadh ghaatt kis hee pahi sagalae lar lar mooaa: By contradicting the world around, people fight with everybody and waste away their life to death (sggs 673). duK suK krq jnim Puin mUAw: Dukh sukh karat janam fun mooaa: Experiencing pain and pleasure, one is born, only to die again (sggs 804). inMdku muAw aupij vf qwpu: Nindak muaa oupaji vadd taap: The slanderer died after contracting the deadly fever (sggs 199). JUrq JUrq swkq mUAw: Jhoorat jhoorat saakat mooaa: The faithless cynic dies in sorrow and pain (sggs 255). bhuqw jIvxu mMgIAY muAw n loVY koie: Bahutaa jeevan mangeeai muaa na lorrai koe: Everyone begs for a long life-no one wishes to die (sggs 63). The idea that there is such a thing as the Soul (Self or Aatmaan) independent of the body is shared by almost all world religions. Although the word Soul has different meanings in different contexts, it is, however, generally agreed that the Soul is nothing material, and that it is the nucleus of our very Being. As indicated in the Gurbani, the Divine Spirit and the Soul is essentially one and the same — Eternal, Pure, Perfect, Consciousness, Life Force that sustains the body, Immortal, Unborn, Ever-existing, Primeval, Non-destructible, Unbreakable, Insoluble, Changeless, Immovable, Invisible, Inconceivable, Immutable, Imperishable, free from limitations and conditioning. Being Eternal in nature, the Soul is never born nor will it ever die. It can neither be cut nor slain by any weapon, nor burnt by fire, nor moistened by water, and nor withered by wind. It is the True Image of the Divine Light ("Joti Svaroop"). Unaffected by the movements of the body or mind, the Soul is not subject to our grief, despair, disease or ignorance.

nh ibnsY AibnwsI hogu: Nah binsai abinaasee hogu: The Soul does not perish; it is imperishable (sggs 885). Awqm mih rwmu rwm mih Awqmu: Aatam mahi Ram ram mahi aatam: God is in the Soul, and the Soul is in God (1153). mn qUM joiq srUpu hY Apxw mUlu pCwxu: Mann tu jot saroop hai apnaa mool pashaan: O my mind, you are That (God's True Image), know your Reality (sggs 441). ijnI Awqmu cIinAw prmwqmu soeI: Jinee aatam cheeniaa parmaatam soee: Those who understand their own Soul, are themselves the Supreme Soul (sgg 421). Awqm mih pwrbRhmu lhMqy: Aatam mahi paarbraham lahante: Within the Soul, find the Supreme God (sggs 276). nw iehu mwnsu nw iehu dyau...: Naa ihu maanas naa ihu daeo...: It is not human, and it is not a god. It is not called celibate, or a worshipper of Shiva. It is not a Yogi, and it is not a hermit. It is not a mother, or anyone's son. Then what is it, which dwells in this temple of the body? No one can find its limits. It is not a house-holder, and it is not a renouncer of the world. It is not a king, and it is not a beggar. It has no body, no drop of blood. It is not a Brahmin, and it is not a Kh'shaatriya. It is not called a man of austere self-discipline, or a Shaykh. It does not live, and it is not seen to die. If someone cries over its death, that person loses his honor. By Guru's Grace, I have found the Path. Birth and death have both been erased. Says Kabeer, this is formed of the same essence as the Divine. It is like the ink on the paper which cannot be erased (sggs 871). However, as the body is made of five elements (space, air, fire, water and earth), it is bound in the framework of time and space. Upon its destruction, the elements go back to their respective source — the earth merges with earth, the air merges with air, the fire merges with fire, the water merges with water, and the space merges with space. Thus, in reality, death is only the five elements returning to themselves. All die but the Real Self lives. Thus, this material body by itself is inert. It becomes enlivened only when the Spirit Soul is infused in it; without which this body is nothing more than nine holes in the flesh and bones! Thus, the proof the Soul exists is that when it deserts the body, the body cannot act.

pvnY mih pvnu smwieAw...: Pavnai mahi pavan samaaiaa...: The wind merges into the wind. The light blends into the light. The dust becomes one with the dust. What support is there for the one who is lamenting? (sggs 885). Ehu muAw Ehu JiV pieAw vyqgw gieAw: Ouhu muaa ouhu jharr paeiaa vetagaa gaeiaa: But he dies, and the sacred thread falls away, and the Soul departs without it (sggs 471). gur kY sbid iehu guPw vIcwry]nwmu inrMjnu AMqir vsY murwry: Through the Word of the Gur-Shabad, search this cave of the Heart. The Immaculate Naam abides deep Within the Self (sggs 127). kWieAw hMs QIAw vyCoVw jW idn puMny myrI mwey: Kaaneiaa hans theeaa vaeshorraa jaan din punnae maeree maaeae: The body and the Soul are separated, when one's days are past and done, O my mother (sggs 579). aufir hMsu cilAw PurmwieAw BsmY Bsm smwxI: Ouddar hans chaliaa furamaaeiaa bhasamai bhasam samaanee: When the Soul flies away, by the Divine Order, dust mingles with dust (sggs 1111). kwieAw imtI AMDu hY pauxY puChu jwie: Kaaiaa mittee andh hai pounai pushahu jaae: The body is merely blind dust; go, and ask the Soul (sggs 511). That which is born is the body. It is the creation of false ego (Haume or false "I"). Thus, in reality, death is of the ego, by the ego and for the ego. Therefore, its natural for ego-beings to be afraid of death. In ego we are born, and in ego we die. Like the incense stick, the body and mind born of false ego must also finish. Born of the symptoms of the spiritual ignorance and misapprehension, the body and mind must perish one day. That which dies with the death of the body is the "I-am-the-body" idea. The Self does not die because It is bodiless, spaceless, timeless and beyond all material logic or philosophical speculations.

hau ivic jMimAw hau ivic muAw: Hayu vich janmiaa hayu vich muaa: In ego they are born, and in ego they die (sggs 466). haumY mohu aupjY sMswrw: Haumai moh upjai sansaraa: Out of egotism and attachment, the Universe is born (sggs 1057). haumY sBu srIru hY haumY Epiq hoie...: Haumai sabh sareer hai hayumai opati hoe...: Ego is within all the bodies; and through ego the beings are born. Egotism is total darkness; in egotism, no one can understand anything. :In egotism, devotional worship cannot be performed, and the Hukam of the Lord's Command cannot be understood. In egotism, the soul is in bondage, and the Naam, the Name of the Lord, does not come to abide in the mind (sggs 560). imil mwieAw suriq gvweI: Mil Maya surti gavaayee: By associating with the Maya (illusion), the mortal loses Divine Understanding (sggs 989). The fear of death is due to "I-am-the-body" idea. The True Giani (Gurmukh, Spiritually Wise or Self-realized being), however, is not afraid of death because his state is beyond body-consciousness or time and space. It is natural for the person established in his Self to be fearless, but to be afraid of death or anything is not. Since the Giani knows he is neither the body nor the mind, the event of death has no effect on him. He is established in the Timeless Consciousness, beyond mental limitations and conditionings. Being so situated on the platform of Immortality, he is dead to the phenomenal world of names and forms, thus, untouched by the death of the body. In other words, the loss of this world of names and forms do not affect the Giani; for he is aware of the fact that death does not mean non-being. Therefore, he loves death as he loves deep sleep, because in deep sleep their is no body-consciousness either. To the contrary, Agiani (Manmukh, ignorant or ego-being) loves sleep but not the death, because he does not perceive the world like a Giani. He let the egoism interpose between the Self and the non-self. So long as there is false ego, there will be fear. This is why a body-conscious person is always afraid of death.

kwlu ibkwlu khy kih bpury jIvq mUAw mnu mwrI: Kaal bikaal kahae kahi bapurae jeevat mooaa mann maaree: What can poor death or birth say to him? Conquering his mind, he remains dead while yet alive (sggs 907). swkq jm kI kwix n cUkY: Saakat jamm kee kaan na chookai: The ego-being is not rid of his fear of death (sggs 1030). qb jwinAw jb jIvq mUAw: Tabb jaaniaa jabb jeevat mooaa: When I became dead while yet alive, only then did I come to know the Truth (sggs 327). krxI kwr Durhu PurmweI Awip muAw mnu mwrI: Karanee kaar dhurahu furmaaee aap muaa mann maaree: The Primal Being has ordained the tasks to be done; self-conceit is overcome, and the mind is subdued (sggs 689). kbIr jw idn hau mUAw pwCY BieAw Anµdu: Kabeer jaa din ho mooaa paashai bhaeiaa anand: Kabeer, on the day when I die (yet alive), afterwards there will be Bliss (sggs 1364). Amru QIAw iPir n mUAw kil klysw duK hry: Amar theeaa fir na mooaa kal kalaesaa dukh harae: He becomes immortal, and will not die again; his troubles, disputes and pains are dispelled (sggs 545). bRhm igAwnI sd jIvY nhI mrqw: Brahm Giani sad jeevai nahee martaa: Brahm Giani ever lives and never dies (sggs 273). mnmuKu muAw Apunw jnmu Koie: Manmukh muaa apunaa janam khoe: The self-willed Manmukh (ego-being) dies; his life is wasted (sggs 1418). Even though the physical body of a True Giani and a worldly man (Agiani, ego-being or unwise) both come to an end, but there is a difference in the death of both entities. A Giani dies in Divine-consciousness and becomes one with the Timeless Principle. To the contrary, a worldly man dies in time-bound consciousness (egoism) and falls down again into the cycle of birth and death. Thus, death is natural to all beings, but the manner in which one dies is man-made. In other words, Spiritually Wise knows how to die, while the ego-being does not know how to truly die. Accordingly, death terrifies a worldly man, while a Giani rejoices it!

kbIr ijsu mrny qy jgu frY myry min Awnµdu]mrny hI qy pweIAY pUrnu prmwnµdu: Kabeer jis maranae tae jagg darai maerae man anand. Marne hee te paaeeai pooran parmaanand: Kabeer, the world is afraid of death - that death fills my mind with Bliss. It is only by death that Perfect, Supreme Bliss is obtained (sggs 1365). kbIrw mrqw mrqw jgu muAw mir iB n jwnY koie: Kabeer marataa marataa jagg muaa mar bhi na jaanai koe: Kabeer, the world is dying - dying to death, but no one knows how to truly die (sggs 555). duie rwh clwey hukim sbwey jnim muAw sMswrw: Due raah chalaaeae hukam sabaaaeae janam muaa sansaaraa: All follow these two paths, by the Hukam; the world is born, only to die (sggs 688). kbIr bYdu mUAw rogI mUAw mUAw sBu sMswru: Kabeer baid mooaa rogee mooaa mooaa sabh sansaar: Kabeer, the physician is dead, and the patient is dead; the whole world is dead (1368). jnm jnm Brmq iPirE imitE n jm ko qRwsu: Janam janam bharamat firio mittio na jamm ko traas: Mortals wander lost and confused through countless lifetimes; their fear of death is never removed (sggs 1428). The event of physical death itself is of no importance to a Self-realized Giani; for he does not react to the events. It's not that the Giani has no feelings or that he has a stone-heart. In reality, he is very compassionate for the suffering beings. If someone dies, he suffers with those who suffer. But he is always aware that the birth and death is for the body only, not for the Soul.

Ehu n mUAw jo dyKxhwru: Ouhu na mooaa jo daekhanahaar: But the One who sees does not die (sggs 152). Ehu n mUAw jo rihAw smwie: Ouhu na mooaa jo rahiaa samaae: The One who is pervading everywhere does not die (sggs 152). hau n mUAw myrI mueI blwie: Hau mooaa maeree muee balaae: I have not died - that evil nature (ego) within me has died (sggs 152). kbIr sMq mUey ikAw roeIAY jo Apuny igRih jwie: Kabeer sant mooay kiaa roeeai jo apunay garihi jaai: Kabeer, why cry at the death of a Realized Being? He is just going back to his Home (sggs 1425). Birth and death are but two points in time and space; Maya's dualistic principle. Thus, life and death, joy and sorrows, pain and pleasure, and so on, are real to the man in bondage (false ego). But to the True Giani, they are all in the world-play ("Jagat Tamaashaa"), as unreal as the show itself! He is already dead while living in the body ("Jeevanmukta"). What the death can do to the man who is already dead? We Agiani (ignorant), on the other hand, feel sad as we grow older because we identify the Self with the finite frame of the body. So long there is this error, there will be the fear of death. But as the Giani grows older, he becomes more happy and peaceful. His mind becomes happy with the reel of destiny coming to its end. He knows at last he is going to the True Home ("Nij Ghar", "Sach Ghar", etc.)! He has conquered death while still alive.

muieAw ijqu Gir jweIAY iqqu jIvidAw mru mwir: Mueiaa jit ghar jaaeeai tit jeevadiaa mar maar: To reach your True Home after you die, you must conquer death while you are still alive (sggs 21). imiQAw qnu swco kir mwinE ieh ibiD Awpu bMDwvY: Mithiaa tann saacho kar maaniou ih bidh aap bandhaavai: You see this false body as true; in this way, you have placed yourself in bondage (sggs 1231). qh pwvs isMDu DUp nhI ChIAw qh auqpiq prlau nwhI...: Tah paavas sindhu dhoop nahee chhahiaa tah utpat parlayu naahee...: There (True Home) is no rainy season, ocean, sunshine, shade, creation or destruction. No birth or death, no pain or pleasure is felt there. There is only the Primal Trance of Samaadhi, and no duality. The description of the state of intuitive poise is indescribable and sublime (sggs 333). jIvq mrY mrY Puin jIvY AYsy suMin smwieAw: Jeevat marai marai phun jeevai aise sunn samaayaa: Who remains dead while yet alive, will live even after death; thus he merges into the Primal Void of the Absolute (sggs 332). mY hau prm purK kau dwsw]dyKn AieE jgq qmwSw: Mai hayu param purakh kayu daasaa. Dekhan aayo jagat tamaashaa: I am the servant of God; witnessing the Jagat Tamaashaa (Paatshaahee 10). The True Giani, thus, leaves this world like a traveler, who reaching his destination collects his baggage and leaves the train or plane without any regrets. He knows that the death waits from the moment the body was born! So he treats death like a guest who has been patiently waiting to see him since the birth of his body. He anxiously opens the door for death and entertains it! Since the Giani has already left his body all along (living dead), for him there is nothing in death to regret! To the contrary, for an ignorant person, there is nothing but regrets at the time of death.

jb pkVI qb hI pCuqwnI: Jabb pakarree tabb hee pashataanee: When Death seizes you, then you will regret and repent (sggs 1275). inhPlu jnmu iqn ibRQw gvwieAw qy swkq muey mir JUry: Nihafal janam tin brithaa gavaaeiaa te saakat mueae mar jhoorae: They have wasted away their whole lives in vain; those faithless cynics die a regretful death (sggs 574). jim pkiVAw qb hI pCuqwnw: Jamm pakarriaa tabb hee pshutaanaa: Caught by the Messenger of Death (the Divine Law of Karma), you will regret and repent in the end (sggs 230). sc Gir bYsY kwlu n johY: Sach ghar baisai kaal na johai: Dwell in their True Home, and Death will not touch you (sggs 227). igAwn hIxM AigAwn pUjw: Giaan heenam agiaan poojaa: Without Spiritual Wisdom, the people worship ignorance (sggs 1412). Accordingly, a True Giani looks at death only a form of change, not horror. Childhood goes and makes way for youth, which again ends to bring old age. It may be painful, but Spiritually Wise bears with such change; for the death is necessary and desirable for the new beginning and new opportunities. Material body is said to be the Soul's "Cholaa" (garment or vesture); for the Soul is encased in it. As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the Soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. To put it otherwise, the body is the "chariot" and the Soul is the "Charioteer". The "Charioteer" remains the same, but the "chariot" keeps changing! This is the relationship between the body and the Soul. Baabaa Nanak explains this as follows:

nwnk myru srIr kw ieku rQu ieku rQvwhu]jugu jugu Pyir vtweIAih igAwnI buJih qwih: Nanak meru sareer kaa ik rath ik rathavaah. Jugg jugg feri vataaeeahi Giani bujhahi taahi: Nanak says: human body, the crown of the creation, is the chariot, and the Soul is its Charioteer. In age after age they change; only the Spiritually Wise understand this (sggs 470). idn QoVVy Qky BieAw purwxw colw: Din thorare thake bhayaa puraanaa chola: Few are your days, you have grown weary and the body-vesture, Chaulaa, has grown old (sggs 23). In essence, a less intelligent man sees death as an end, but the True Giani sees it as an interlude, a pause before a new beginning! It is the start of a new life, a new field of experience, a new phase in the struggle a Soul makes to reach its ultimate Goal — liberation from birth-death cycle. Buddha describes death as "a great release". Death releases mortals from senility and diseases, and unites the Spiritual Beings with "Parmaanand", the Supreme Bliss.

jIvq mrY mrY Puin jIvY AYsy suMin smwieAw: Jeevat marai marai phun jeevai aise sunn samaayaa: Who remains dead while yet alive, will live even after death; thus he merges into the Primal Void of the Absolute (sggs 332). kbIr ijsu mrny qy jgu frY myry min Awnµdu]mrny hI qy pweIAY pUrnu prmwnµdu: Kabeer jis maranae tae jagg darai maerae man anand. Marne hee te paaeeai pooran parmaanand: Kabeer, the world is afraid of death (of the active mind or worldly bondage) - that death fills my mind with Bliss. It is only by dying (from the active mind or worldly bondage) the Perfect, Supreme Bliss is realized (sggs 1365).

Therefore, Spiritually Wise views change with optimism for more meaningful struggle for ending the birth-death cycle. He neither cries over things that are unavoidable, nor does he cling to passing objects. The less intelligent try to cling to passing objects and suffer in the process; because, the pleasure (and security) that objects bring leads to fear and sorrow. Spiritually Wise knows that the worldly objects were not with us before; they came in the middle; they will not be with us in future. So he does not grieve. Truth never loses; falsehood never endures. Thus, the True Giani sees the Changeless Truth even as everything changes.

ibgirE kbIrw rwm duhweI: Bigariou kabeeraa raam duhaaee: Just so, Kabeer has changed (sggs 1158). Akul inrMjn eykY Bwie: Akul niranjan eaekai bhaae: The Unknowable and Immaculate Truth is Changeless (sggs 343). khu nwnk sunu ry mnw ismrq kwih n rwmu: Kahu Nanak sun re manaa simarat kaahi na raam: Says Nanak, listen, mind: why don't you meditate on God? (sggs 1426). ikau n hir ko nwmu lyih mUrK inlwj ry: kio na har ko naam lehi moorakh nilaaj re: Why don't you chant the Divine Name, you shameless fool? (sggs 1353). khau khw bwr bwr smJq nh ikau gvwr: Kahau kahaa baar baar samajat nah kio gavaar: Why am I telling you this again and again? You fool - why don't you understand? (sggs 1352). On A Higher Plane, No One Goes Anywhere

For whom is the fear of death? The fear of death arises only after the ego ("I-thought") arises. Ego is nothing but identification of the Self with the time-bound body. So long as there is this obstinate error, there will be fear. As indicated in the Divine Teaching of the Gurbani, all changes or happenings (birth, death, etc.) are perceived at this lower plane of consciousness — ego consciousness, material consciousness, time-bound consciousness or body-consciousness. However, on a Higher Plane (Soul Consciousness, Timeless Consciousness or Spiritual Realization) no one goes anywhere! We were, we are and we will be. No one dies; no one comes or goes. We are That Spirit Soul or the Self: the Immortal Joti Svaroop, Naam Savroop or Anand Savroop; which neither perishes, nor comes or goes.

jo iehu jwxhu so iehu nwih]jwnxhwry kau bil jwau]khu nwnk guir Brmu cukwieAw]nw koeI mrY n AwvY jwieAw: That which is known, does not exist. I am a sacrifice to the one who knows this. Says Nanak, the Guru (God, Self, Spirit, etc.) has dispelled my doubt. No one dies; no one comes or goes (sggs 885). nwnk mn hI qy mnu mwinAw nw ikCu mrY n jwie: Nanak mann hee te mann maaniaa naa kish marai na jaae: O Nanak, through the mind, the mind is satisfied, nothing comes or goes (sggs 514). mn qUM joiq srUpu hY Apxw mUlu pCwxu: Mann tu jot saroop hai apnaa mool pashaan: O my mind, you are That (God's True Image), know your Reality (sggs 441). Awqm mih rwmu rwm mih Awqmu: Aatam mahi Ram ram mahi aatam: God is in the Soul, and the Soul is in God (1153). Awqmu cInY su qqu bIcwry: Aatam cheenai su tatt beechaarae: One who understands his own Soul, contemplates the essence of Reality (sggs 224). If you know your Soul you know your God (Sufi Giani Jalaluddin Rumi). nwmu sMpiq guir nwnk kau dIeI Eh mrY n AwvY jweI: Naam sanpat guri naanak ko deeee ouh marai na aavai jaaee: The Guru has given Nanak the wealth of the Naam; it neither perishes, nor comes or goes (sggs 497). Thus, the Gurbani affirms that the death is an illusion, a foolish notion. When the Gurbani declares, "I am Joti Svaroop," it is affirming the unified field of Higher Plane of Consciousness that exists in, around, and through everything and everyplace. For example, when we travel from one point to another, upon reaching the destination we claim we have arrived there. But, in truth, we never left our Source; it is always in everything and everyplace. This Source is the true Self in us which is not rooted in time and space. Thus, the Self (the Virtual Reality) being everywhere and in everything cannot be taken from place to place! The reason we do not share this Higher Plane of Consciousness, the unified field of most complete sense of Being and belonging, is the fear of death. For most of us, death represents that fetal break or change where life ends and the unknown begins. In reality, it's not like this! The Gurbani says:

mwDvy ikAw khIAY BRmu AYsw]jYsw mwnIAY hoie n qYsw: Maadhve kiya kaheeyai bhram aisaa. Jaisaa maaneeyai hoe na taisaa: O Lord, what can I say about this illusion; what we deem a thing to be, in reality, it is not like that (sggs 657). eykw suriq jyqy hY jIA: Ekaa surati jete hai jeea: There is One Awareness among all Jeeva or beings (sggs 24). bRhmu dIsY bRhmu suxIAY eyku eyku vKwxIAY...: Brahm deesai Brahm suneeyai ek ek vakhaaneeyai. Aatam pasaaraa karan haaraa parabh binaa nahee jaaneeyai: The One Unique Reality is seen everywhere, the Unstruck Celestial Music is heard everywhere, the One Creator is present in all creation; there is none else than He Himself everywhere (sggs 846). There is a Buddhist story about two disciples looking at a flag fluttering in the wind. One says, "Look at that moving flag". The other disciple disagrees, "No, it is the wind that is moving. The flag has no motion of its own". They continue the debate until their Master shows up, and he says, "You both are wrong. Only your consciousness is moving." What it means is that, in reality, nothing comes and goes. What comes and goes, or that which wanders around is our mind: false ego!

mnu BUlau Brmis Awie jwie: Manu bhoolau bharamasi aai jaai: Movements — coming and going — is seen in the mind deluded by doubt (sggs 1187). jo dIsY sB Awvx jwxI: Jo deesai sabh aavan jaanee: All that is seen is movement — coming and going — of consciousness (sggs 1021). idRsitmwn hY sgl imQynw: Dristimaan hai sagal mithnaa: All that is seen is an illusion (sggs 1083). Material world is a product of our time-bound consciousness. Just as the ocean is one; but, it is the substratum for countless waves, wave-lets, foam, ripples and bubbles. These waves and wave-lets, ripples, foam and bubbles have no existence apart from the ocean. They all merge out of the ocean, exist in the ocean and ultimately sink themselves back into the ocean. So too is life. The matter ripples out of the bottomless pool of the Timeless Essence to form the universe in time and space, and ultimately all merge in this Homogeneous Oneness. In the Buddhist story, the flag stands for waves or gross objects that seem to move, the wind is the subtle force or consciousness that creates the motion, but in reality, nothing is moving. Its only the mind (intellect or ego-consciousness) that creates movement where there is none. When the mind takes refuge in its all Serene Soul Consciousness (Sahaj Avasthaa), its all movements or wanderings cease to be.

haumY mohu aupjY sMswrw: Haumai moh upjai sansaraa: Out of egotism and attachment, the Universe is born (sggs 1057). jl qrMg Aru Pyn budbudw jl qy iBMn n hoeI]iehu prpMcu pwrbRhm kI lIlw ibcrq Awn n hoeI: Jal trang ar phen budbudaa jal te bhinn na hoyee. Ih parpanch paarbrahm kee leelaa bichrat aan na hoyee: The waves of the water, the foam and bubbles, are not distinct from the water. This manifested world is the playful game of the Supreme Being; reflecting upon it, we find that it is not different from Him (sggs 485). swgr mih bUMd bUMd mih swgru kvxu buJY ibiD jwxY...: Saagar mahi boond boond mahi saagar kavan bujhai bidhi jaanai...: The drop is in the ocean, and the ocean is in the drop. Who understands, and knows this? He Himself creates the wondrous play of the world. He Himself contemplates it, and understands its true essence (sggs 878). shj guPw mih qwVI lweI Awsxu aUc svwirAw jIau...: Sahaj gufaa mahi taarree laaee aasan ooch savaariaa jeeo...: In the cave of Sahaj, I sit, absorbed in the Silent Trance of the Primal Void. I have obtained my seat in the heavens. After wandering through many other homes and houses, I have returned to my own Home (Inner Being), and I have found what I was longing for. I am satisfied and fulfilled; O saints, the Guru has shown me the Fearless One (sggs 97). Thus, the universe and its experience is born with the body and perish with the body. It has its beginning and end in the Infinite Consciousness, but the Infinite Consciousness knows no such beginning and end. What begins has to end; what ends has to reappear somewhere to die again. Thus, the body comes and goes, but the Soul is eternal, free of birth and death. To the man aware of this Truth, birth and death are all in the world-play, as unreal as the show itself! Such a man of immaterial intelligence, detached witness or observer, is already dead Within while living in the body ("Jeevanmukta").

jnm mrn kw BRmu gieAw goibd ilv lwgI: Janam maran kaa bharam gaya Gobind liv laagee: The illusion of birth and death is gone; I lovingly focus on God (sggs 857). jIau CUitE jb dyh qy fwir Agin mY dInw: Jeeo shoottio jabb daeh te daari agani mai deenaa: Will throw your body into the fire, when your Soul departs from it (sggs 726). jIvn mukiq giq AMqir pweI: Jeevan mukat gati antari paaee: One becomes Jeevan Mukta - liberated while yet alive. He finds this state deep within himself (sggs 904). What comes and goes (body) has no Reality. What is Real (Soul) never dies, and that which dies is unreal (body). Since the True Giani's mind is already dead (of egoism), he has no reaction to changes occuring at the material plane. For him it's natural for the body to die, as it is natural for the incense stick to burn out. Thus, he understands body and Soul are two separate entities. The body comes and goes, but the Soul is eternal, free of birth and death. All Jeeva (individual beings) are the Spirit Soul. The reason one identifies himself with the material body is the ignorance born egoism ( "I-thought"). Truth ever remains steady; falsehood never stops moving. Thus, as indicated in the Gurbani, all changes "are the lot of the false and the insincere".

jnim mrY so kwco kwcw: Janami marai so kaacho kaachaa: Birth and death are the lot of the false and the insincere (sggs 288). kUVu mwry kwlu auCwhwVw: Koorr maarae kaal oushhaahaarraa: Death viciously kills the false beings (sggs 1025). The True Giani does not cling to the body-consciousness, therefore, he is not a body, visible or invisible. He has become the Light (Gian); for he identifies with the Self only. For him nothing comes and goes. The scriptures repeatedly remind us not to cling anything made from the five elements and the mind. As any form made from the five elements is unreal (transient), they tell us not to depend on any material object. The Self is the only Reality, all else is a passing show. If we hold on to "all else", then we are sure to regret at the time of death. Therefore, if the vague idea associated with the form of the body is rejected, only the Supreme Reality will remain!

mmw mUl gihAw mnu mwnY]mrmI hoie su mn kau jwnY]mq koeI mn imlqw iblmwvY]mgn BieAw qy so scu pwvY: Mammaa mool gahiaa...: Mammaa: Clinging to the Source, the mind is satisfied. One who knows this mystery understands his own mind. Let no one delay in uniting his mind. Those who obtain the True Divine are immersed in delight (sggs 342). igAwnI jIvY sdw sdw surqI hI piq hoie: Giani jeevai sadaa sadaa surti hee pat hoyi: Only the Giani live forever; they are honored for their Intuitive Awareness (sggs 1412). Therefore, the Giani is aware of the Truth that death of the physical body does not mean non-being. The Self is never born, for that he could never die. Since the contending mind (false ego) functions in the framework of time and space, all movements pertain to the body or instinctive mind only; but they are superimposed on the Self, giving rise to the delusion that birth and death relate to the Self. This is the error. The Self exists before the birth of physical body and will remain after its death. Thus the birth and death are phenomena in the Self, but the Self ever remains unbroken, untouched and unaffected.

ipMif mUAY jIau ikh Gir jwqw]sbid AqIiq Anwhid rwqw: Pindi mooai jeeyu kih ghari jaataa. Shabadi ateeti anaahadi raataa: When the body dies, where does the soul go? It is absorbed into the untouched, unstruck melody of the Shabad (sggs 327). The True Giani and the rest of us live in the same world. However, he sees the world as it is, while we do not. For example, we see ourselves in the world, while the Giani sees the world in himself; for everything exists in the Infinite Consciousness. Consequently, to us, we get born and die; while to him it is the world that appears and disappears! The Giani thus is a Timeless Being, and there is no birth or death in the Timelessness. He neither broods over the past, nor worries about the future. He lives in the "now". He is at Eternal Peace, for he has realized his own unassailable Being.

jnm mrn kw BRmu gieAw goibd ilv lwgI: Janam maran kaa bharam gaya Gobind liv laagee: The illusion of birth and death is gone; I lovingly focus on God (sggs 857). mrxY kI icMqw nhI jIvx kI nhI Aws: Marnai kee chintaa nahee jeevan kee nahee aas: (When mind is attuned to the meditation on the Divine) I have no worry about dying, and no craving for living (long life) (sggs 20). soie AicMqw jwig AicMqw: Soe achintaa jaag achintaa: Sleep without worry, and awake without worry (sggs 1136). Looking at a tree standing beside a pool of water, we will notice that the tree on the bank looks inverted, that is, it reflects upon water with its branches down and roots up. The True Giani takes this body or material world as only a reflection of the Reality. In other words, most of us take this world real (permanent), and live our life cycle only to find death at the end! To the contrary, the Giani takes the life cycle backwards; he dies first, gets the death out of the way, and then he goes on living as "Jeevanmukta" (living liberated).

ault BeI jIvq mir jwigAw: Ulatt bhaee jeevat mar jaagiaa: When I turned away (from world), and became dead while yet alive, I was awakened (sggs 221). jIvq mrY mrY Puin jIvY AYsy suMin smwieAw: Jeevt marai marai funi jeevai aisae sunn samaaeiaa: One who remains dead while yet alive, will live even after death; thus he merges into the Primal Void of the Absolute being (sggs 332). eyhw Bgiq jnu jIvq mrY: Ehaa bhagati jan jeevat marai: True Devotion is to remain dead while yet alive (sggs 365). nwnk jIviqAw mir rhIAY AYsw jogu kmweIAY: Nanak jeevatiaa mar raheeai aisaa jog kamaaeeai: O Nanak, remain dead while yet alive - practice such a Yoga (sggs 730). jIvq mrY buJY pRBu soie: Jeevat marai bujhai prabh soe: One who remains dead while yet alive understands God (sggs 741). shij mrau jIvq hI jIvau: Sahaj maro jeevat hee jeevo: I have died in Sahaj, and now I am alive to live (sggs 1189). jIvq mukq sdw inrbwn: Jeevat mukat sadaa nirabaan: Those who are Jeevan-mukta, liberated while yet alive - are forever in the state of Nirvaanaa (sggs 1167). Therefore, instead of mourning, a true Sikh celebrates death. Why? Because a Sikh is supposed to be a True Giani. If he is not a True Giani yet, he is not a Sikh yet! This is why to be a Sikh (or Khaalsaa) is not a question of heredity, family of birth, ancestry, race, region, social status, caste, creed, education, titles, religion or any peculiar external appearance of a person; it is a question of Self-realization!

so gurU so isKu hY BweI ijsu joqI joiq imlwie: So guru so sikh hai bhaaee jin joti jot milaaee: He alone is the Guru and he alone is the Sikh (spiritual student) who has become one with the Divine Light (sggs 602). pUrn joq jgY Gt mY qb Kwls qwih nKwls jwno: Pooran jot jagai ghat main tab Khaalas taahi Nakhaalas jaano: One becomes Khaalsaa (pure Within) only when he realizes his Complete Self Within; otherwise know him to be an impure one (Guru Gobind Singh). Awqm rs ij jwnhI so hY Kwls dyv: Aatam ras ji jaanahee so hai khaalas dev: He who has realized the Self Within is alone the godly Khaalsaa— Pure Being (Guru Gobind Singh). khu kbIr jn Bey Kwlsy pRym Bgiq ijh jwnI: Kahu Kabeer jan bhaye Khaalse prem bhagti jih jaanee: Says Kabeer: Those persons become Khaalsaa (pure Within) who have realized the Prema Bhagti Within—Loving Devotion, Divine Name, Self, etc. (sggs 655). kwlY kvlu inrMjnu jwxY: Kaalai kaval niranjan jaanai: One who knows the Divine chews up death (sggs 1040). The Gurbani declares that one who dies in the Word of the Shabad (Naam) is truly dead. A real Sikh is dead in the Shabad while incarnated. Death does not crush him, and pain does not afflict him. When he hears, perceives, and contemplates the Truth, his time-bound consciousness merges and is absorbed into the Timeless Consciousness. In it nothing comes and goes; because, in it everything disappears — false ego, 'I-ness' and 'my-ness', Vaasnas of material life he lived, and the phenomenal world of names and forms. Only Intuitive Understanding and Spiritual Silence (Sahaj) remain. His joy is Divine, and his suffering is Divine too. That's why a true Sikh celebrates both the happy as well as sad occasions — he celebrates both birth and death, without being attached to either one of them!

gur kY sbid jIvqu mrY gurmuiK Bvjlu qrxw: Gur kai sabad jeevat marai gurmukh bhvajal taranaa: Through the Word of the Guru-Shabad, the Gurmukh remains dead while yet alive, and swims across the terrifying world-ocean (sggs 69). jpu qpu squ sMqoKu ipiK drsnu gur isKh]srix prih qy aubrih Coif jm pur kI ilKh]Bgiq Bwie BrpUru irdY aucrY krqwrY: Jap tap satt santokh pikhi darsan gur sikhah...: Gazing upon the Blessed Vision of His Darshan (Self-realization), the Gursikh is blessed with chanting and deep meditation, truth and contentment. Whoever seeks Divine Sanctuary is saved; his account is cleared in the City of Death. His heart is totally filled with Loving Devotion; he chants to the Divine Creator (sggs 1395). gurmuiK jIvY mrY prvwxu: Gurmukh jeevai marai paravaan: The Gurmukhs are celebrated in life and death (sggs 125). gurmuiK jmkwlu nyiV n AwvY...: Gurmukh jamkaal nerri na aavai....: The Messenger of Death does not even approach the Gurmukhs. Through the Word of the Shabad, they burn away their ego and duality. Attuned to Divine Name, they sing God's Glorious Praises (sggs 231). Do Not Fear The Death, But Remember It

Fear of death and constant remembrance of it are two different things. Fear of death is based on our ignorance of death, while constant remembrance of it (without fear) is a spiritual practice which helps keep the seeker in the scale of morality, detachment from worldliness, physical and mental control, attachment to the Divine Name, and so on. Therefore, the seeker is urged by the Wisdom of the Gurbani not to fear the death, but always keep it in mind until the Self is realized. It forces us to look into our false conduct, so that we may mend our ways to move from time-bound consciousness to Timeless Consciousness, and avoid the vicious cycle of repeated pain and delusion.

bwd swd AhMkwr mih mrxw nhI sUJY: Baad saad ahankaar mahi maranaa nahee soojhai: Entangled in conflict, pleasure and egotism, man does not remember death (sggs 809). mrxw mulw mrxw]BI krqwrhu frxw: Maranaa mulaa maranaa. Bhee kartaarahu daranaaa: Death, O Mullah-death will come, so live in the Fear of Divine Creator (sggs 24). boil n jwxY mwieAw mid mwqw mrxw cIiq n AwvY: Bol Na Janay Maya Mad Mata Marna Cheet Na Aavay: The mortal being does not know how to chant Your Name - he is intoxicated with the wine of Maya, and the thought of death does not even enter his mind (sggs 749). kwlu n AwvY mUVy cIiq: Kaal Na Awe Moodhey Cheet: Death does not even come to mind for the fool (sggs 267). dim dim sdw smwldw dMmu n ibrQw jwie]jnm mrn kw Bau gieAw jIvn pdvI pwie: Dami dami sdaa samaaladaa danm na birathaa jaae. Janam maran kaa bhayu gaeiaa jeevan padavee paae: With each and every breath, he constantly meditate on the Divine; not a single breath passes in vain. His fears of birth and death depart, and he obtains the honored state of eternal life (sggs 556). A little story may help us understand the importance of remembering death. It is said that once a king paid visit and homage to the Darbaar of Sri Guru Gobind Singh. Upon seeing beautiful women in the congregation, the king question the Guru regarding the presence of women and their impact on a man's lustful propensities. After listening to his query, the Guru told the king that he had only seven days of life left and that he should go home and finish his unfinished affairs and enjoy everything he wanted to before death. The king went away to his palace. On the seventh day, before death devoured him, he prayed to the Guru for his Darshan. The Guru arrived and asked the king if he had done whatever he wished to before death. The king replied that as he was constantly thinking of death, even an iota of evil passions did not dare enter his mind. It was at that time the Guru told the king that a true Sikh never forgets death, thereby, no evil notions dare enter his mind.

Those who remember death do not crave for lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment, pride, enviousness and stubborn mindedness. The more one remembers the end-result of the visible body, the more detached one feels from the ephemeral life (the world of names and shapes), and more attached to the Eternal Factor. In other words, remembering the reality of the death-bound body helps us to disconnect from the fleeting pleasure of the "gifts", and connect us to the "Giver" — the Real Source.

dwiq ipAwrI ivsirAw dwqwrw: Daat piaaree visariaa daataaraa: Man loves gifts, but he forgets the Giver (sggs 676). sBu jgu bwDo kwl ko ibnu gur kwlu APwru: Sabh jagg baadho kaal ko bin gur kaal afaar: The whole world is bound by death; without the Guru (God), death cannot be avoided (sggs 55). Overcoming the Illusion Of Death

The quest for the Self (Soul or Aatmaan) is a journey Within and it becomes evident to one who embarks on it that there is an Underlying Consciousness beyond the levels of the body (perceiveing of objects), mind (feeling of emotions) and the intellect (thinking of thoughts). This Pure Consciousness is very subtle and Self-luminous (Saibhang), and all the human faculties are able to act as instruments of knowledge because of it.

sdw sdw Awqm prgwsu: Sadaa sadaa aatam paragaas: Forever and ever, the Soul is illumined (sggs 378). nwrwiex Git Git prgws: Naaraain ghatt ghatt paragaas: God illumines each and every heart (sggs 868). inj Gir vwsY swic smwey]jMmxu mrxw Twik rhwey: Nij ghari vaasai saachi samaae. Jamman marnaa thaaki rahaae: They (Gurmukhs) dwell in the home of their own inner beings, and merge in the True Being. Their cycle of birth and death is ended (sggs 222). The mind and the itellect are in the grip of Maya — illusion, duality, evil passions, evil intent, ignorance, egoism or wrong self-identity). Our Body is the play-thing of this fickle and unsteady mind and intellect. What is Maya? As defined in the Gurbani, Maya is that illusion which makes us (1) forget the Divine ("Hari Visrai"), (2) gives rise to emotional attachment ("Moh Upjai"), and (3) creates duality ("Bhaau Doojaa") where there is none. Freedom from Maya is freedom from the fear of death.

sRpnI jIqI khw krY jmrw: srapanee jeetee kahaa karai jamaraa: When the Maya, she-serpent, is overcome, what can the Death do? (sggs 480). Awlw qy invwrxw jm kwrxw: Aalaa te nivaaranaa jamm kaaranaa: O God, please save me from Maya, the cause of death (sggs 694). mwieAw mueI n mnu muAw sru lhrI mY mqu: Maya muee na mann muaa sar laharee mai matt: Maya is not conquered, and the mind is not subdued; the waves of desire in the world-ocean are intoxicating wine (sggs 992). dUjY lwig jgu Kip Kip mUAw: Doojai laag jagg khap khap mooaa: Attached to duality, the world is distracted and distressed to death (sggs 113). kbIr dunIAw ky doKy mUAw cwlq kul kI kwin: Kabeer duneeaa kae dokhae mooaa chaalat kul kee kaan: Kabeer, the mortal dies of his worldly troubles and pain, after worrying about his family (sggs 1373). mnu vis dUqw durmiq doie: Mann vas dootaa durmati doi: The mind is in the control of evil passions, evil intent, and duality (sggs 222). cMcl cpl buiD kw Kylu: Chanchal chapal budh kaa khel: Body is the play-thing of fickle and unsteady intellect (sggs 152). eyh mwieAw ijqu hir ivsrY mohu aupjY Bwau dUjw lwieAw: Eh Maya jit Hari visrai moh upjai bhaau dooja laya: This is Maya, by which the Lord is forgotten; emotional attachment and love of duality is born (sggs 921). mweI mwieAw Clu: Maayee Maya Chhall: O my mother, the Maya is deceitful (sggs 717). hm kau idRsit prY qRiK fwieix: Hum ko drisat parai trakh daaein: Maya appears to me like a blood-thirsty witch (sggs 871). nwnk mwieAw kw mwrxu hir nwmu hY gurmuiK pwieAw jwie: Nanak Maya kaa maaran hari naam hai gurumukh paaeiaa jaae: O Nanak, Divine Name is the antidote to Maya; the Gurmukh obtains it (sggs 513). The Self (Aatmaan) is ever present Within us, anchoring us to the Timeless Essence. Those who are fully aware of this Divine Connection Within are living liberated ("Jeevanmukta"); for they have overcome the body-identity, thereby they have conquered the fear and threat of death. To become "Jeevanmukta" means to come out of ourselves to selflessness. Simply put: to become a living liberated is to annihilate the false ego ("I-ness") while living, before the physical death!

jIvn mukiq so AwKIAY mir jIvY mrIAw: Jivanmukata so aakheeye mar jeevai mariya: He who effaces his ownself and is dead in life, is said to have been liberated while alive (sggs 449). jIvn mukqu min nwmu vswey...: Jeevanmukata man Naam vasaye...: By abiding the Divine Name in the mind, one is liberated while living. Becoming Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), he merges into the True God (sggs 412). The mystery of "Die before death" is this: After dying come the spoils. Other than dying no other skill avails with God, oh worker of deception! (Sufi Giani Jalaluddin Rumi). Overtaken by the spell of deceptive Maya, however, the majority of us are not fully aware of the Divine Connection of the Self with the Source, because we simply accept the body-mind-intellect as the Immortal Self. Therefore, for the majority of us the inevitability of death becomes the source of fear and dread.

Thus, death is essentially an illusion, our "disconnect" from the Real Source. In other words, death is the result of our forgetfulness or separateness from the Divine Factor, which is Immortal (Amrit), Unborn and Undying. What it means is that Immortality is our True Nature, but we do not know it. As a result, we search it in ephemeral objects. This is our ignorance, bondage and suffering.

sBu jgu ibnsY nwmu ivswrw: Sabh jagg binasai naam visaaraa: Forgetting the Divine Name, all the world perishes (sggs 1057). hir ibsrq so mUAw: Har bisarat so mooaa: One who forgets Divine is dead (sggs 407). so mUAw ijsu mnhu ibswrY: So mooaa jis manahu bisaarai: One who has forgotten the Divine, is already dead (sggs 292). ibnu sbdY muAw hY sBu koie: Bin sabadai muaa hai sabh koe: Without the Shabad, everyone is dead (sggs 1418). ibnu siqgur syvy jgqu muAw ibrQw jnmu gvwie: Bin satigur saevae jagat muaa birthaa janam gavaae: Without serving the True Guru (the Divine), the people of the world are dead; they waste their lives away in vain (sggs 591). jm vis kIAw AMDu duhylw: Jamm vas keeaa andh duhaelaa: The miserable spiritually blind person is caught in the power of Death (sggs 1031). The Gurbani says even though we are alive, but in reality we are dead because of our separation from the Immortal Reality; but nobody mourns for us! Why? Because of our ignorance of the death, what is already dead seems alive to us, and what is alive seems dead! Thus, true understanding is indicated to be the key to Life Eternal.

jIvq kau mUAw khY mUey nhI roqw: Jeevat ko mooaa kahai mooeae nahee rotaa: The living are said to be dead, and no one mourns for those who have died (sggs 229). muAw jIvMdw pyKu jIvMdy mir jwin: Muaa jeevandaa pekh jeevandae mari jaan: See, that only one who has died, truly lives; one who is alive, consider him dead (sggs 1102). nwm ibnw iDRgu jIvxu mUAw: Naam binaa dhrig jeevan mooaa: Without the Naam, both life and death are cursed (sggs 1156). pVih guxih qUM bhuqu pukwrih ivxu bUJy qUM fUib muAw: Parrahi gunahi toon bahat pukaarahi vin boojhae toon doob muaa: You read, and reflect, and proclaim out loud, but without understanding, you are drowned to death (sggs 435). jIvqy kau jIvqw imlY mUey kau mUAw: Jeevnante ko jeevataa milai mooeae ko mooaa: The living mingle with the living, and the dead mingle with the dead (sggs 788). AriJ auriJ kY pic mUAw cwrau bydhu mwih: Arajhi ourajhi kai pachi mooaa chaarou bedahu maahi: He rots and dies in the perplexities of the four Vedas (sggs 1377). eyku kbIrw nw mUAw ijh nwhI rovnhwru: Ek kabeeraa naa mooaa jih naahee rovanahaar: Only Kabeer is not dead; there is no one to mourn for him (sggs 1368). We are repeatedly warned by the scriptures and the Men of Light that if we do not set our vision right, that is, if do not set right our ideas of ourselves, then what gave us this present body will surely give us next one also! There is the Self and there is the physical body. Between them is the false ego (deluded mind). As the mind gets purified, it moves toward the Self, causing the body-consciousness to disappear! Accordingly, attaining liberation from the menacing body-consciousness or fear of death is the first teaching of the holy texts and the World Masters.

kwieAw kusuD haumY mlu lweI: Kaya kasudh hayumai mal laayee: Body soiled with the filth of ego is impure (sggs 1045). so suKIAw ijsu BRmu gieAw: So sukhia jis bharam gaya: He alone is happy whose delusion is dispelled (sggs 1180). Spiritual Wisdom (Aatm-Gian) is the destroyer of all fear. By the negation of the false and the assertion of the Truth (Shabad-Vichaar), the mistaken superimpositions (false concepts, material conditioning, self-limitations, etc.) are destroyed, and what remains over is the Pure Self. When the mental distortions cease the world-illusion also ceases, and the mind reverts back to its natural state of Being (Timeless Consciousness or Sahaj Avasthaa). As the dirt is washed with the dirt, a thorn is removed by another thorn, a poison antidotes poison, similarly, the mind is purified (conquered) by the mind!

mn kUtY qau jm qy CUtY: Mann koottai tau jamm te shhoottai: Pounding down his mind, he escapes from Death (sggs 872).

ijh mrnY sBu jgqu qrwisAw]so mrnw gur sbid pRgwisAw: Jih maranai sabh jagt taraasiaa. So maranaa gur sabadi pragaasiaa: That death which terrifies the entire world, the nature of that death has been revealed to me, through the Gur-Shabad (sggs 327).

mmw mn isau kwju hY mn swDy isiD hoie]mn hI mn isau khY kbIrw mn sw imilAw n koie: Mammaa mann siu kaaj...: Mammaa: The mortal’s business is with his own mind; one who disciplines his mind attains spiritual Perfection. Only the mind can deal with the mind; says Kabeer, I have not met anything like the mind (sggs 342).

iehu mnu skqI iehu mnu sIau ]iehu mnu pMc qq ko jIau]iehu mnu ly jau aunmin rhY]qau qIin lok kI bwqY khY: Ih manu sakti ih manu seeou. Ih mnu panj tat ko jeeou...: (By identifying with Maya) This mind also becomes Maya, (by identifying with God) this mind also becomes God, and (by identifying with the body this mind becomes body (i.e. it indulges in sense-gratification). When this mind is channeled and guided upward to the Fourth State (Turiya Avasthaa or Enlightenment), it can describe the secrets of the three worlds (sggs 342).

nwnk mn hI qy mnu mwinAw nw ikCu mrY n jwie: Nanak man hee te man maaniya na kish marai na jaayi: O Nanak, through the mind, the mind is satisfied, and then, nothing comes or goes (sggs 514). mwxku mn mih mnu mwrsI sic n lwgY kqu: Maanak man mahi manu maarsee sach na laagai kat: The Jewel Within the mind subdues the mind; attached to the Truth, it is not broken (sggs 992). Therefore, a true seeker constantly and thoroughly trains himself for Spiritual fitness by practicing detachment to the sense objects, and thereby removing his false ego by disconnecting mind from the senses and educating the intellect. Removal of false ego means harmoniously and spontaneously reuniting it with the Self Within. One then learns to withdraw his false ego at will from the physical body and the world-appearance and unite it with the Bliss (Anand) of the Soul Consciousness Within. At the end, he happily exits from the bodily prison or sense-slavery. Such liberated being (Jeevanmukta) does not come back to this material world again, unless so ordained by the Divine, for he has learned all the lessons that this earthly life was to teach.

DMDw muAw ivgUqI mwieAw: Dhandaa muaa vigootee maya: Their worldly entanglements are ended, when Maya is conquered (sggs 936). ivchu Awpu muAw iqQY mohu n mwieAw: Vichahu aap muaa tithai mohu na maya: When selfishness and conceit (false "I") are eradicated from within, then there is no attachment to Maya (sggs 121). loBu mUAw iqRsnw buiJ QwkI: Lobh mooaa trisunaa bujh thaakee: When greed dies, your thirst (desires) will be quenched (sggs 742). By inquiring into the nature of the Truth and falsehood, one can resolve the confusion between the body and the real Self. Just as the diamond fallen into the mud is never spoiled, just as the sky is not affected by the dust particles floating in it, similarly, the pure Self is untainted by the body. Birth and death is of the mind (false ego), not the Self. Therefore, the material expansion or growth is also of the ego-mind. And when this Truth is clearly understood, it is the mind that is liberated from its own ignorance (false ego). Upon dawning of the Knowledge of the Truth, or upon Realization of the Self (God, Naam, Shabad, Sat Guru, Unconditioned Consciousness, etc.), the man's mind settles down in Complete Peace (Sahaj), just as grains of dirt floating in water settle down when the water is absolutely steady. This is the state of the mind liberated from both birth and death.

rhMq jnmM hir drs lIxw: Rahant Janamam har daras leenaa: Reincarnation is ended, Divine Darshan (Self-realization) is obtained (sggs 1355). gurmuiK hayumY sbid jlwey: Gurmukhi hayume sabadi jalaae: By becoming a Gurmukh, burn your ego through the Shabad, or Naam (sggs 942). sy mukqu sy mukqu Bey ijn hir iDAwieAw jI iqn qUtI jm kI PwsI: Se mukat se mukat bhae jin har dhiaaeiaa jee tin toottee jamm kee faasee: They are liberated, they are liberated-those who meditate on Divine. For them, the noose of death is cut away (sggs 11). ddw dyiK ju ibnsnhwrw]js AdyiK qs rwiK ibcwrw: Daddaa dekh ju binsanharaa. Jas adekh tas raakh bichaaraa: Whatever is seen will perish. Engage in the spiritual inquiry of the One who is unseen (sggs 341). sbid mrY su muAw jwpY: Sabade marai su muaa jaapai: One who dies in the Word of the Shabad is truly dead (sggs 111). sbid muAw ivchu Awpu gvwie: Sabadi muaa vicahu aap gavaae: One who dies in the Word of the Shabad, eradicates his self-conceit from within (sggs 361). sbid mrY iPir mrxu n hoie]ibnu mUey ikau pUrw hoie: Sabadi marai fir maran na hoe. Bin mooeae kio pooraa hoe: One who dies in the Word of the Shabad, will never again have to die. Without such a death, how can one attain perfection? (sggs 153). kwl ibkwl sbid Bey nwsu: Kaal bikaal sabadi bheae naas: Through the Shabad, death and birth are ended (sggs 832). mwieAw nwmu grB join kw iqh qij drsnu pwvau: Maya naam garabh joni kaa tih taj darsan paavo: Maya is the name of the power which causes us to be born; renouncing it, we obtain the Divine Darshan — Self-realization (sggs 693). We are of the Timeless Essence. The Gurbani urges us to hold on to this Truth and cling to nothing else. As a result, all our fears, anxieties, the feeling of coming and going, and so on, will vanish and the Bliss will remain over. Immortality downs on us when the river of our separateness (false ego) is discharged into the bottomless Ocean of Divine Consciousness. We are urged by the Gurbani to go Within; for there is no difference between us, Immortality, Self, Divine Substance or Light (Joti Svaroop). By becoming Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), we can reclaim our Immortality "hear" and "now" through meditation on the Divine Name, our True Nature. Since the Self is always Within, we are never apart from It. As such, it is not the matter of realizing the Immortality, but of realizing that we never were not Immortal!

bwhir FUFq bhuqu duKu pwvih Gir AMimRqu Gt mwhI jIau: By searching around on the outside, you will only suffer great pain; Amrit, Immortality, is found Within the Home of your own Being (sggs 598). AMqir KUhtw AMimRiq BirAw sbdy kwiF pIAY pinhwrI: Deep Within this body is the well verflowing with the Amrit, Immortality; the water-carrier (Naam Japist or Spiritual Being) draws and drinks it in the Word of the Shabad (sggs 571). nau iniD AMimRqu pRB kw nwmu]dyhI mih ies kw ibsRwmu: The nine treasures and Amrit, Immortality, is the Divine Name. Within the human body is its place of rest (sggs 293). muAw kbIru rmq sRI rwmY: Muaa Kabeer ramat sree raamai: Kabeer died chanting the Divine Name (sggs 326). hir AMimRq rsu pwieAw muAw jIvwieAw iPir bwhuiV mrxu n hoeI: Har anmrit ras paaeiaa muaa jeevaaeiaa fir baahurr maran na hoee: Obtaining the Ambrosial Essence of the Divine, the dead are restored to life, and do not die again (sggs 447). gurmuiK mrih su hih prvwxu]Awvx jwxw sbdu pCwxu: Gurmukh marahi su hahi paravaan. Aavan jaanaa sabad pashaan: The Gurmukh, while remaining dead, is respected and approved. Through the Shabad, he comes to understand coming and going (sggs 1059). ijh kwl kY muiK jgqu sBu gRisAw gur siqgur kY bcin hir hm bwcy: Jih kaal kai mukh jagat sabh grasiaa gur satigur kai bachani hari ham baachae: The whole world is caught and held in the mouth of Death. Through the Teachings of the True Guru, God, I am saved (sggs 169). siqgur ivic Awpu riKEnu kir prgtu AwiK suxwieAw: Satgur vich aap rakhion kar Pargat aakh sunaayiyaa: God has placed Himself within the True Guru (Self or Aatam); awaken ("Pargat") Him Within through chanting and hearing His Name (sggs 466). gurmuiK ijMdU jip nwmu krMmw...: Gurmukh jindoo jap Naam krammaa....: O my Soul, by becoming Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), do this deed: chant the Divine Name. Make the Divine Teaching (Shabad-Giyan) your mother, that it may teach you to keep the God’s Name in your mouth. Let contentment be your father; and the Primal Being, who is beyond birth, be the Guru. By great good fortune, you will meet Him (sggs 172-173). kauxu mUAw kauxu mwrsI kauxu AwvY kauxu jwie...: Koun mooaa koun maarasee koun aavai koun jaae...: Who has died, and who kills? Who comes and who goes? Who is enraptured, O Nanak, and whose consciousness merges in the Divine? In egotism, he dies; possessiveness kills him, and the breath flows out like a river. Desire is exhausted, O Nanak, only when the mind is imbued with the Divine Name. His eyes are imbued with the eyes of the Divine, and his ears ring with Divine Consciousness. His tongue drinks in the sweet nectar, dyed crimson by chanting the Divine Name. His inner being is drenched with the Divine fragrance; his worth cannot be described. In this age, the Divine Name is the treasure. Only the Divine Name goes along in the end (sggs 1091). Thus, the only way to avoid death is to know the real Self, "now". Death only takes the body, the dress made of five elements. The physical hearts die, but the Eternal Heart, the Self, lives. But, death torments one who has become something other than the Self, or who identifies with the non-self -- "I am the body" idea. In other words, death only comes to a deluded or an active mind full of lust, anger, greed, sense attachment, self-conceit, enviousness, stubbornness, attraction and aversion, and so on. Therefore, the Gurbani asks us to know the true Self by becoming Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings), and when death comes, go laughing!

gurmuiK hoie bhuir nhI mrnw: Gurmukh hoi bahuri nahee marnaa: Become Gurmukh, and you will never die again (sggs 872). kbIr ijsu mrny qy jgu frY myry min Awnµdu]mrny hI qy pweIAY pUrnu prmwnµdu: Kabeer jis maranae tae jagg darai maerae man anand. Marne hee te paaeeai pooran parmaanand: Kabeer, the world is afraid of death (of the active mind or worldly bondage) - that death fills my mind with Bliss. It is only by dying (from the active mind or worldly bondage) the Perfect, Supreme Bliss is realized (sggs 1365).