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Reason, Argument (Cavil), and Spiritual Wisdom

Reason is the name of such an arrow (weapon) which has the ability to cut
through falsehood. The reason that can completely cut through the illusory
web of falsehood is a fruition of the hearts of spiritually wise people. That is
why spiritual wisdom has also been called sword of knowledge in Gurbani.
It has the ability to expose all types of deception and no plea of false
knowledge stands a chance in front of it. Reason has a second form too.
The reason given by someone having fake knowledge which shall actually
be called an argument (or cavil), although the person with fake knowledge
will still call it reason. Thus, in Gurbani any reason that originates from false
knowledge has been condemned using the word reason (ark) itself:

Mi k kira cod gav bag sr na jnai.


Be ssar kao arkan lg a jog na pacnai. (Aasa, M-5, Page 381)

Here, Satguru ji is saying to a confused intellectual who is bereft of the


essence of the truth and devotional understanding, that you yourself are
ignorant and know nothing about devotion. But you are giving arguments
against true knowledge which has the capability to stabilize the mind and
make it free from wishful thinking. The word Be stands for knowledge and
the word Ssar means a compendium for governance. Therefore, Be
ssar means that knowledge which is capable of governing, and
eventually winning over the mind. When our intellect understands this
core-knowledge, then it becomes competent to stop the mind from
engaging in self-willed thoughts. This spiritual stage has been called as
Man jai jag j in Gurbani which means that no intellect in the whole world
stands a chance in front of the one which has attained the capability to win
over the mind. At the same time, such a spiritual wisdom is never in conflict
with another one of its own kind because they are identical in essence to
each other. They are ek jo ue mr.
On the other hand, when an unenlightened or confused intellectual argues
against this core-knowledge, his arguments are called huja (cavil) in
Gurbani:
Gurma sc huja r. Bahu siap lgai r.
Lg mail mitai sac ne. Gur pars rahai liv le. (Aasa, M-1, Page 352)
Here, Satguru ji is saying Gurmat is unlike the arguments (cavil) of a
confused-intellectual because Gurmat is a truthful doctrine and nothing can
rebut the truth. The intellect of anyone who tries to oppose truth in fact gets
more polluted, and cannot be purified without the knowledge of truth. One

who argues against truth, if becomes a subject of the blessings of God, can
become truthful after accepting Gurmat.
Although it is prohibited in the Gurbani to argue against the truth, but the
question asked by a seeker in order to understand truth has not been
considered an argument. People had been getting their doubts cleared
from Bhagats and Guru Sahibaans, which they used to do on a regular
basis. A real religious teacher must be considered as the one who after
clarifying the doubts of people has the capability to dispel their illusions. For
those who call themselves religious leaders, and craftily conceal their
ignorance by rendering the genuine questions asked by a seeker to get his
doubts cleared as mere argumentation, Bhagat Kabir says:
Kabr me mndao ih gur k j e baram na je.
p dube cahu be mh cele e bahe. (Salok Kabir ji, Page 1369)
Kabir ji is saying that the fraud of the false doctrine (me) of such a Guru
must be exposed who is incapable to dispel all types of illusions of his
Sikhs. He might be learned in the four Veds, but due to himself being
drowned in the ocean of the physical world, that is being materialistic, will
drown his disciples in that ocean as well.
The various worldly doctrines have been frequently reasoned against by
the authors of Gurbani. Bringing to fore the flaws of each temporal doctrine,
the solution has also been suggested along with. This means that when
Gurmat points out flaws in other doctrines, it also provides appropriate
remedial action thus proving its noble intention to guide them in the right
direction. It is not done in ill-will or to debase any of these doctrines. But the
contemporary religious leaders in front of us, instead of answering the

questions asked by seekers in order to get their doubts cleared, all of them
shut the seekers up saying that you dont have enough devotion (towards
us). This clearly means that they dont have any answers for the seekers.
In order to hide their ignorance, they misuse the word Sar. In Gurbani,
Sar means good intention, which is evident from the following verses:
Sagur hoe ail a sar prai.
Sagur hoe ail na kabah jrai. (Majh ki Vaar, M-1, Page 149)
Anarjm purak bie sar man k pre.
Nnak s ihai suk mgai mo kao kar sanan k re. (Raag Gauri
Poorbi, M-5, Page 13)
The above verses do not reflect desire of any materialistic things or
pleasures. Here it is a supplication in front of God for satiation of the
hunger for true Naam (or knowledge). But in the world of confused
intellectuals, the meanings of the word Sar have been distorted to mean
blind-faith. A confused intellectual is a fake Guru (Saint) and has to adopt
this measure to save his falsehood. He can only maintain his sainthood by
propagating this illusion. That is why saints today in the garb of Sikhs also
have to take refuge of such craftiness to save their sainthood. They dont
have the understanding of the truth in the Gurmat. These fake saints, gag
the seekers by saying One must not argue, whenever the seekers ask a
question.
The knowledge of truth, though always remains preserved in the written
form, but these materialistic people in order to save their false dogmas,
misrepresent the eternal doctrine by giving it temporal meanings. Similar
misrepresentation that has happened with Gurbani is now in front of us. But

when the correct meanings reflecting the fundamental ideology of Gurbani


will emerge, then obviously there will be all types of clamor from the
adherents of Sanatani doctrine. Through various arguments they will try to
rebut the truth in Gurbani in eyes of their disciples. Eventually they will be
unsuccessful because confused-intellectuals can only cavil, which they try
to pass off as reason.
The conclusion of this whole discussion is that spiritual wisdom is the only
wisdom from which reason (or logic) can originate. From inside the
confused-intellectuals, only empty arguments can emerge which is nothing
but cavil according to Gurbani. Whenever a seeker with an intention to
know the truth, asks a question from a religious person who does not have
an answer for him, in that case the spiritual stage of the seeker is higher
than that of that religious person. That particular question for knowing the
truth has also originated from the spiritual wisdom of the seeker. The
intellect that that is trying to acquire understanding of the truth will also be
called spiritual wisdom, although it might be incomplete at that time. Each
question asked from the spiritual wisdom of a seeker is like a blow of
reasoning for the fraud Gurus, while for a complete Guru, such a question
is a sign of progress of the seeker. Because wherever there is no reason,
there is illusion (ignorance).
arak na c.
Barm c. (Dhanasri Bhagat Namdev Ji, Page 693)

-Nihang Singh Dharam Singh

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