THE TREASURE BENEATH THE SILK

Here lies the greatest treasure on earth, waiting to be uncovered. It is not buried below the depths of the sea or beneath a bed of rocks; it exists gracefully under the silk. One need not travel far or fumble with a pick-axe to find this priceless treasure.

The treasure of the Sacred Sri Guru Granth Ji is a unique compilation of divine hymns, set to musical measure. These are the original, unedited sacred words uttered by the Sikh Gurus and several other saints. A Living Text of one thousand, four hundred and thirty pages of poetic verses, glorifying God while leading the journey home.

Armed with the pick-axe of the mind, the I opened this road map to the Beloved, and tried to read and imbibe the sacred words. For so long I had heard that the sacred act of reading the Granth was the way to connect with the priceless legacy of the Gurus. I read not as a pure analyst, but as an ignorant child of God who was given the wonderful privilege of reading her Father’s most prized and precious diary.

At first I struggled with the difficult words and language. Referring to several translations did not ease the task of understanding the message. Many times the translation was so literal that I became discouraged. However, over a period of time I was better able to pronounce the words and gathered much pleasure from listening to others and myself read the special verses. Simultaneously a deep yearning to sing and write verses arose from some unknown depth.

At times the message of the Guru sounded like a broken record (pardon the phrase) but given the stubborn nature of the human mind, the message had to be repeated many times in different words. In time I found that some parts of the Granth were clearer than others. The ones that I had repeated more often were slowly seeping in. Even though I did not fully understand the root words, there was a sense of connection. I also noticed that the Hukam naama or divine order of the day was very closely and sometimes directly related to my current circumstances and state of mind. At times it seemed that the Guru knew exactly what was on my mind! When this miracle of communion takes place, one is drawn into a constant conversation with the Creator. One looks for answers and finds them readily. The Granth becomes a Living Guru.

In spite of reading so many times that Guru is the medium that connects the soul to God, it is only recently that I have felt a necessity to establish a very personal and intimate relationship with “The Guru”. The fact that this "Bani" or words are directly coming from my Guru, has made the reading of the Granth a very special and sacred time - a divine romance. Guru Nanak said that God is realized by the grace of the Guru. Each day seek the Guru’s Grace to guide the journey home. By opening the Sacred Text the hands are sanctified; by touching the pages a bond is established with the Guru. By reading the Words, the mind feels a sense of satisfaction; as if the hunger of the soul is temporarily assuaged.

No one can fully understand the Holy Guru Granth, because something that speaks of the Eternal is beyond the scope of the human mind. In time one’s understanding becomes deeper. However this does not come through mere reading of words. Real understanding transcends words. It is an inner knowing that cannot be put to pen. Before any of us can approach that state we must cultivate a sense of loving devotion, while surrendering the intellect and ego before the Beloved. Thus one begins to uncover the Treasure beneath the silk.

DaasanDaasi