Barah Maha (Mahala 5)

Guru Arjan Sahib

Through the month of Chet (mid-March to mid-April), Guru Arjan gently guides us to a profound question: Can we end the separation from the One this year? Message through the month of Chet: If Gobind is worshipped, immense bliss arises. Here, Gobind highlights the creative and Earth-knowing quality of IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One). As the world blossoms in the fresh breath of spring, we are reminded that true and lasting renewal is not just a change in the seasons but an invitation to transform our inner selves. In the landscape of Panjab, as spring stirs the earth into new life, the question shifts from the external celebrations of the new year to the inward search for union with the creative One. What, then, is the teaching for this time of new beginnings? The question arises: How do we bring an end to this aching separation? If we desire the profound bliss that transcends the ordinary, Guru Arjan offers a simple yet powerful path—contemplate the creative One who resides in all. This is not just a mental exercise but a heartfelt practice—reciting the Nam (Identification with IkOankar) on the tongue in the company of those virtuous beings who show us the way towards union. For Guru Arjan, true success in life is measured not by worldly achievements but by the deep, intimate connection with the creative One. For those who find it through Identification, their lives blossom and are fruitful. Prabhu highlights the sovereign and protective nature of the One. And in feeling the absence of the sovereign One, life begins to feel meaningless. Forgetfulness of the One who resides in the land, the waters, the skies, the forests, and even the very space between them wells up a hollow, aching separation. The pain of that separation is not just emotional—it is deeper, for it comes from being distant from the One who is the very essence of our being. But those fortunate enough to have the One enter their consciousness live with quiet joy and a sense of fulfillment. Their lives are not wasted in the empty pursuits of the world but are deeply connected to the One. At the end of the stanza, Guru Arjan expresses a deep yearning, laying bare the longing for a connection with the One. I seek the union with Hari and bow to the feet of those who have realized the truth and live it. I seek the union with Hari, Guru Arjan says, and I bow to the feet of those who have realized the truth and live it. The divine name Hari surfaces a layer of all-pervasiveness to the limitless qualities of the sovereign and creative One. Embracing the Wisdom (Guru) and trusting the experience of the ones who live the truth paves the way for an eternal promise. In a humble plea, we fall at their feet, surrendering our fears and anxieties to those who not only realize the truth of connection but enjoy its comfort every day of the year. In this, we express the depth of our yearning and our deep desire to return to the sovereign One in union, even if it means offering our very being in submission to another. 

When nature is changing and a time of new beginnings, why not change our habits and inner landscape? On this first day of Chet, this first day of the new year, Guru Arjan invites us to reflect: What kind of renewal do we seek? What kind of blossom do we strive to cultivate in the ripe soil of our trust of those who experience union daily? What might it feel like to surrender, not in defeat but in trust?