22. Being Jyote Swaroop

In one of my early post I had written about our Divine Origin. This post is about being "Jyote Swaroop " - a share of my understanding from my experience on the path.

This I had shared in a Group on Simran Experience in Sikhnet Sevadars.

"O mind, you are a form of Divine Light - recognize your own origin."
- SGGS page 441

These words of Guru Sahebji that assert in clear terms our origin and direct us in the choice of our path had first stuck in my mind while reading the book “Sarab Rog ka Aukhad Naam “by Bhai Ragubir Singh Bir. Bir Sahebji had written a number of Books and emphasized that Gurbani is a science. The principles underlying gurbani worked only when understood and applied in the proper way.

The aim of simran should be to recognize and experience “our divine origin.”
It so happens that we keep on reading gurbani and the words do not strike a cord within to evoke related experience and understanding. When these strike it is Gurparshad meaning Grace.

Grace is the moment of transformation. Grace attracts the trigger for change. And it is happening to all of us. Grace is ever in our life. Grace comes in many forms.
About our being Jyote Swaroop, one understanding came while reading the following words from the Arti.

"Thousands are Your eyes, and yet You have not even one eye. Thousands are Your forms, and yet You have not even one form. Thousands are Your lotus feet, and yet You have not even one feet. You are without a nose, yet thousands are Your noses. Your play enchants . The Divine Light is within everyone, You are that Light. Within you is same Light that shines within everyone. "
-SGGS page 663

The meditation that developed out of these words is –

“When looking Feel that who is looking is HIM. When walking Feel that who is walking is HIM. While using the hands Feel that who is working is HIM. And so on …”

The simran meditations are have an essential element of pre acceptance . This pre acceptance is ‘Manne” of japji Saheb.
This pre acceptance is what actually is and has to be accepted first without any doubting or questioning. This is where surrender before the Guru comes in. It is acceptance of guru’s teachings.
The pre acceptance has also been expressed in the form of state of being. Feel the state and you transform to that state.
Words have meaning and evoke a response of experience within us.
You want to feel enthusiastic, think and just act enthusiastic and you will be so. Want to be happy, think of happiness and act happy.

Gurbani tells us that all qualities and everything is HIM. So being jyote swaroop we can any time access and be in that state of being.

AASAA, FIFTH MEHL:

“He does not die, so (being His light) I have no fear of death (will be living even after life on earth). He does not wither (his virtues remain same), so I do not stumble (get enticed by vices). He is not poor (is abundance), so I have no greed (I am satiated).He is never diseased, so I have no disease. 1The giver of life is our life Himself; and there is no other, only Him (EK ONKAR). When he is the only one, then there is no other Destroyer (a threat to existence). 1 Pause He has no bonds, so I have no bondage. He has no occupation, so I have no entanglements. He has no impurities, so I have no impurities (of mind). He is bliss, so I am ever in bliss. 2He has no anxiety, so I have no cares. He has no stain (affected by vice and virtue), so I have no afflictions (have become clean). He has no need, so I have no desires. As He is immaculate (pure), so I am chaste. 3Says Nanak, the Guru clears away doubts and misgivings. (That) I have no separate existence; He is the only One and there is oneness. Before and after (here and there) He alone exists. When I meet him (in a state of being), we are of same color (are similar).”
- SGGS page 391

This awareness of being Jyote Swaroop is possible in a mind state of ‘unman’ meaning when we keep focus of our awareness inward.
Simran is the way to detach our ever outward directed awareness and thinking inward. Simran leads us to Naam – our origin.