There is utter Darkness without the Guru

There is utter darkness without the Master, Guru. The reality cannot be clearly apprehended because it is beyond the mind and the intellect. It expresses itself in an unspoken language. But the Master makes the disciple understand through contemplation.

Without a Master, one remains entangled in ignorance. Falsehood appears to be the truth, and one becomes trapped in it. There is no other way to reach the goal except through the Grace of the Master.

Without a Master, success is not obtained and one is not freed from attachment, maya and the three gunas.

There is utter darkness without a Master; such a life is worse than death. It is like drowning in desert sands, a tragedy in a waterless waste.

Without the True Guru, there is utter darkness; they drown there, even without water.

Guru Nanak Dev –
Adi Granth, Malar M1, Ashtapadi, p. 1275

One does not gain emancipation without a Master, nor does one know the secret of True Spirituality. What is learned from the Master is the secret of the heart and is practical knowledge. It is a practical matter.

There is utter darkness without a Master. One cannot understand without a Master. Without a Master the soul is not realized. Without a Master release is not attained. Seek a Master, meditate on truth. When you meet a Master, the Shabd will remove all your sufferings. Let the Master dwell in the eyes. Let the Master dwell on the tongue. Oh! Praise the Master always. Nalh Kavi has said so. They who have not seen the Master, they have done nothing. They have wasted their lives.

Without the Guru, there is utter darkness; without the Guru, understanding does not come. Without the Guru, there is no intuitive awareness or success; without the Guru, there is no liberation. So, make Him your Guru, and contemplate the Truth; make Him your Guru, oh my mind. Make Him your Guru, who is embellished and exalted in the Word of the Shabd; all your sins shall be washed away. So speaks Nall the poet: with your eyes, make Him your Guru; with the words you speak, make Him your Guru, your True Guru. Those who have not seen the Guru, who have not made Him their Guru, are useless in this world. (In Praise of Guru Ram Das)

Bhatt Bani -
Adi Granth, Swaijas of the fourth Guru, p. 1399

Ordinary people are in utter darkness. On closing the eyes there is nothing but darkness. In addition, the darkness of ignorance pervades everywhere. The person who can dispel this darkness is the Guru.

'Gu' means darkness and 'ru' means light: one who can light up the darkness, one who can take us from utter darkness to the Light of Truth.

The celebrated poet Kalidas says that the Guru is one who can produce light in darkness and take one by the hand into the presence of the Lord.

The Guru shows light in the darkness; He takes one by the hand into the presence of the Lord.

Being in darkness, whatever one does becomes the cause of one's bondage. Saints say that very little is gained by reading or listening to religious books, the performance of formal religious practices and rites, worship, repetition, meditation and praising God's virtues. These do not give release from bondage.

Kabir Sahib says that without a Guru, charities and the repetition of holy words are of no use; the Puranas and the Vedas confirm this fact:

The counting of beads without a Guru; giving in charity without a Guru; all are of no use whatsoever. The Puranas and Vedas say it so.

Without a Guru all actions and observances are fruitless. Without a Master all worship is a waste. Unless the Inner Eye is opened and unless one knows the reality, one cannot gain emancipation. It is, therefore, necessary to take shelter with some Guru who can turn us away from external practices and connect us to the Inner Practice of Naam and take our soul to its original Home, beyond this lower universe of vast regions.

On meeting a Master, darkness is dispelled. He is seen as being radiantly present on all sides.

On meeting a Master darkness is dispelled. He is present wherever one may look.

Meeting the True Guru, the darkness is dispelled. Wherever I look, there I see Him pervading.

Guru Nanak Dev –
Adi Granth, Ramkali M1, p. 876-877

Even if there were hundreds of moons and thousands of suns, our eyes, if they had no sight, would find utter darkness. Similarly, there may be millions of lights on the Spiritual Path, but unless our Third Eye opens it is all dark.

The Guru Granth Sahib says that without a Guru these lights remain hidden and the darkness persists. The Guru opens our Inner Eye and we begin to see the Spiritual Light.¹

Even if there be hundreds of moons; even if there be thousands of suns; with all their light, there is darkness without a Master.

If a hundred moons were to rise, and a thousand suns appeared, even with such light, there would still be pitch darkness without the Guru. (Guru Angad Dev)

Guru Nanak Dev –
Adi Granth, Var of Asa M1, p. 463

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Footnote:

1) Spiritual Lights are yellow, white and gold. (Reference: From an interview by Robert Redeen with Kirpal Singh.)