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Summary of Question:	Gurbani And Enlightenment
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Thursday, 9/07/2006 11:25 AM MDT

Dear Sikhnet,

Often Gurbani refers to enlightenment as seeing the "light", which is presumably Waheguru. Sacred texts of other religions also refer to God in such way.

However this description is rather misleading. I am a little knowledgable of enlightenment and rather than being referred to as the light, Enlightenment is the realisation that everything in the universe is a reflection of your self. Rather that there is no differenciation between oneself and God(universe). This talk of light is confusing. It conjurs images of a divine being that has a personal(egotistical) identity.
Of course there is no personal saviour in that sense because thats who we are.

Whats your take?
And what is the light that Gurbani sometimes refers to?

Kamaljit Singh

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reply
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Sat nam. For scholars and those literally working towards enlightenment, this may be important. For most everyone else, this distinction is not important. Teachings are clear in SGGS: Practice the technology (nam simran). This builds the light (jot) within and one's understanding of the jot. Process continues and continues. Sabh meh jot jot heh so-ee (from Kirtan Sohila). Thy Light is within all and all are within Thy light. So here Guru references Waheguru in his/her form of Light. If Waheguru is the Creator and the Creation, then Waheguru as Jot and Form within Jot/Jot within Form is a logical corollary. In many many paths, Light is another name for the Creator/God/Waheguru.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK