Shabad Kirtan: “Daras Tere Ki …”  Bhai Maninder Singh Ji Srinagar Wale.  Beautiful Soulful Kirtan.  Thank You.

by Harnaak Singh

In Part 1 (see LINK A) we discussed a video clip by Baljeet Rajpura claiming the Gurbani rejects the concept of REBIRTH; his words “Satgur’s banee rejects past life.  It also rejects the next life after death”.  He was unable to substantiate this claim in his talk.

We will continue the discussion and now look at why in Part 1 Baljeet Rajpura was “OFF THE MARK” on his interpretation of Gurbani.  We will then continue with the question of REBIRTH/ REINCARNATION from the perspective of Gurbani in future parts.

INTRODUCTION 

In Part 1, we summed up that Baljeet Rajpura was unable to substantiate his claim that Gurbani rejects REBIRTH.  

He talked about 

• KARAM, SANT, 
• demean present day SANTS 

but did not address his claim (i.e. Gurbani rejects REBIRTH).  While trying to support his claim his lack of understanding of the Shabads he was quoting was exhibit by him.  Therefore MISLEADING and MISGUIDING preaching the Sangat on Gurbani knowledge is inevitable.

Why was his explanation of the shabads so “OFF THE MARK” i.e.incorrect?

UNDERSTANDING WHY BALJEET RAJPURA IS SO OFF THE MARK IN EXPLAINING THE GURBANI VERSES HE CHOOSE

To explain this, it is important to understand how a particular view can cloud the understanding of concepts.  

This means that if one has a certain knowledge base, then that person will understand a particular concept within the bounds of this knowledge base.  Let us understand this with pictures.  

While doing this we will explain why Baljeet Rajpura is making incorrect interpretations of Gurbani as highlighted in Part 1.

We will use two main areas to illustrate this.

HOW KNOWLEDGE LEVEL CAN LIMIT ONE’S UNDERSTANDING

We use a picture of Guru Nanak as shown in Figure 1 to illustrate this.

Figure 1: Guru Nanak Dev Ji 

The image in 1(a) is the original image.  Image 1(b) is seen through a green lens and 1(c) a blue lens.

Note how the robe of Guru Nanak appears greenish in 1(b) and bluish in 1(c) BUT we know that the actual is as shown in 1(a).  

You see how a lens can cloud our view.  Therefore if we view anything, a concept, a picture (as shown in Figure 1), a person or anything for that matter with a “certain perspective” sort or having “blinkers” then we may not perceive what actually is.

Two of these blinkers related to interpretation of Gurbani are

• level of knowledge  AND
• alignment to a particular view.

Consider the first point, level of knowledge.

Incorrect interpretation can be due to lack of depth of understanding.  This is illustrated with the case of the missionary Baljeet Rajpura (see Part 1 of article comments at time 10:07 LINK A).

In this part he explains ‘gehnay’ jewellery in the verses to mean “kirt karni” earn an honest living.  

The actual meaning, far from this, is teaching us the ways in which we focus on God metaphorically using a husband-wife relationship. 

With insufficient knowledge, i.e. not having understood the correct intent of the shabad, he misinterprets the verses.  This is why it is necessary to refer to multiple credible resources to make an interpretation.   This is mainly because Gurbani imparts very deep philosophical thought.

Now to the second dot point.  

Here one tries to interpret in such a manner so as to fit the interpretation of Gurbani into the “particular view”.  

For example, again referring to Part 1, Baljeet, at time 10:07 refers.  Now we know that his alignment is the “rejection of mythological (Sanatan) references” in Gurbani.  So he interprets it incorrectly.   He is blind to the word “Damodar” which means “Krishna” and hence explains ‘gehnay’ jewellery in the verses to mean “kirt karni” earn an honest living.  

 BUT the actual meaning is teaching us the ways in which we focus on God metaphorically using a husband-wife relationship. 

To understand the verses, it is necessary to understand the Sanatan story of Krishna who is the 8^th incarnation of Vishnu.  Vishnu is considered the Parmatma God in Sanatan Matt, so Krishna is the 8^th God incarnate.  Briefly Krishna had great love for his mother Yasodha, then his kinship with milkmaids is well known, and also Krishna and Radha are said to rule “love and romance” in Sanatan Matt.  

Krishna is  

• an incarnate of God and  
• the ruler linked to love and romance. 

Therefore Gurbani uses Krishna i.e. Damodar to METAPHORICALLY represent GOD and the characteristic KAAM in the Shabad.  With this background it is easy to decipher the meaning of the Shabad which we have done in Part 1.  

If we do not understand this then we will not understand the verses or the Shabad.  

The Kala Afghana Brigade (KA) rejects links between Gurbani and mythological references to Sanatan Matt.

This rejection of mythological references due to his alignment with the KA ideology leads Baljeet to lack the appropriate knowledge to correctly understand and interpret the SHABAD and hence the VERSE.

HOW LIMITED OR ‘WINDOWED’ INFORMATION CAN LIMIT ONE’S UNDERSTANDING

To illustrate this we use a wavy line representing the variation on a quantity.  This information is presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Wavy line representing the variation in a quantity

Figure 2 shows four pictures representing the variations (waviness) that affect a quantity (the line).  Depending on the WINDOW size used our knowledge of effect on the quantity differs.  

In 2(a) the effect looks quite smooth.  

In 2(b) the window size has increased and we get more information which shows the effect becomes quite wavy on the right hand side.  

The window is further increased in 2(c) and with further information we see the wavy effect on the right hand side as well as the left hand side and they are both different.  

Finally in 2(d) with the full information we see the total effect on the quantity (line).

Consider that the effect of karma (waviness) on us (the line).  So depending on the time span (the window) we consider, we will understand the different effect of karma on us.  

What this means is let us say karma affects us only in this lifetime.  Then we will think that we are able to control what we do to achieve what we want.  This is what Baljeet means when he says the person who wanted to be a dentist studied dentistry and became a dentist.  His karma was, he studied to become a dentist.  Essentially the dentist is controlling his karma.  

We control our own karma?  Maybe to a some extent, yes, but not totally!

To illustrate this let us go back to Baljeet Rajpura and his monkey story.  In his monkey story he says that the monkey being caught is 

• due to him being greedy and 
• the juggler laying the trap

and that is the monkey’s karma.

This is not true because we are not in total control of our destiny. 

Of course the monkey was caught because of these two events.  Now the question is, why was the monkey at that location and why did the juggler choose to look for the monkey at that particular time and location?  

We can go on asking questions up to the point when the monkey and the juggler were born.  

Now, when they were born, is the beginning of life for the monkey and the juggler.  Baljeet Rajpura does not believe in REBIRTH/REINCARNATION.  Therefore here the knowledgebase of Baljeet Rajpiura, i.e. his WINDOW related to the concept of REINCARNATION, comes TO A HALT.  

He can go on explaining events up to this point but what happens before that is OUTSIDE HIS KNOWHOW.  

How does he explain why the monkey was BORN A MONKEY and why the juggler was BORN A JUGGLER?  

We, with our larger WINDOW, will say that this is due to the KARMA earned in OUR PREVIOUS LIFE.  He cannot!  

So he cannot explain why the monkey was BORN A MONKEY and why the juggler was BORN A JUGGLER.  

Going a step further, based on Baljeet Rajpura’s understanding, we (and our soul) exist only for this lifetime.  Hence we will consider the effect of karma only in this lifetime and act accordingly.  

We will not consider the effect of past lives on us in this life.  We will also ignore the effect of the karma in this life which may affect our future life.  

What happens if karma in this life actually affects future life?  Let us divert for a moment and look at this video which is giving us good adivse.

Video: Things rarely turn out the way we want to

 

Though this video is only part of a movie, but it makes a very important point.  Just think about our own life.  How many times things have not turned out the way we want.  Just think deeply about this.

So “THINGS RARELY TURN OUT THE WAY WE WANT THEM TO” is a very important statement.  There is an unseen hand controlling our destiny, and this destiny, Guru Ji says, is also impacted from our past lives.

We would have already started on the wrong footing by ignoring REBIRTH/ REINCARNATION.  Hence we (our soul) will have to bear the consequences in the future life.   

Are we being wise by listening to Baljeet Rajpura and the Kala Afghana Brigade’s FALSE PREACHING and going against our Guru Ji’s teaching?  

Has anyone before these new age missionaries told us that Gurbani rejects REBIRTH/REINCARNATION.

CONCLUSION

We have analysed and explained how Baljeet Rajpura’s knowledge level and his alignment with the Kala Afghana Brigade, has resulted in his misleading preaching.

He has not been able to support his ideology that Gurbani rejects REBIRTH/ REINCARNATION.  Thus his claim is FALSE and against the teaching of Gurbani.

Remember when you are sick we will want to go to see a doctor who we know has been successfully practicing good medicine.  We would not go see a doctor who is known to be not a capable doctor.  How do we know the doctor is good?  We look at what others say and references from others. 

Likewise would you want to listen to a preacher, (doctor for our soul), who is preaching Gurbani which is what our forefathers exposed us to or one who is preaching distorted Gurbani?  We should ask ourselves this question?  

Considering this, do we still want to go and listen to the distorted Gurbani preaching?  

Thank You.  ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ  ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਹਿ

… to be continued

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