Heartbeat IV: Sant Mani Singh (UK)'s Bachans

What is Love? Answering this question is like answering the question: Who is Vaheguru? Vaheguru is Love. Love cannot be understood by the mind but definitely experienced. The mind can only eliminate the things it thought were part of Love. Through this elimination, the mind becomes convicted of chasing True Love. Love was not what you thought it was. Amidst, this chase you will become that Form of Love.
Daas' words fall short to explain even the process of understanding love but Gursikhs perfectly word them in their bachans. They feel as if they perfectly grasp what has always been familiar to the Heart.
Sant Mani Singh Ji are a saint who grew up in the UK. They did Akaal Chalaanaa in 2008 at the age of 37. Sant Mani Singh Ji being fluent in English, They give us an introduction to the topic of love. The following is a transcription of a veechar that happened in San Francisco:

"What is love? It is madness, where you lose consciousness, the greatest drug even that exists on Earth. The only difference is it's an inner chemistry. Love is crucifixion. Only love is the light in which life becomes known, what we call resurrection. Only in love are you truly transformed. In reality you will only feel life when you are in love. Love opens windows towards the beyond. The love people talk about is the phenomenon of the mind. The love of the mind is like a dream because it is from the mind and only the mind can dream and the dream can't be reality. This love cannot be eternal. So what is eternal love? When love comes out of meditation, it's qualities are different from the ones of the mind. The love of the mind – the essence of it is foolishness. You fall in love, the love of meditation, the essence is wisdom, you rise in love. Wisdom can't be attained. You can gather as much knowledge, learn the scriptures by heart, still there will be no wisdom. Wisdom is that which liberates you. In this love there is a quality, just as a light surrounds the flame. The quality of love surrounds you. Whoever comes close, he/she will be enchanted, enriched, and this love of quality will shower around you. This is the real longing of the heart"... from a veechar in San Francisco

In short, Sant Mani Singh addresses a few points about love. Love is life. Without Love, life is nothing. Love of the desires of the mind are short-lived. The Eternal Love which never ends is a result of meditation upon Vaheguru. Vaheguru is forever. So when you love Vaheguru then your Love will last forever. The realization of our life's purpose and the secrets of our existence are in this Love. The love which we thought was love (of people and desires) is not True Love.

How did Sant Mani Singh Ji love in their life? Having Vaheguru always on Their Mind, They had the desire to see Maharaj in a Saroop of 24K Gold. This Gold did not go around Their Body but rather Their Isht Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj. They also went through a state of vairaag (detachment) where they felt extremely emotionally separated from Vaheguru. Sant Ji then went through an enlightened state which was out of Their own control. This was a State of no return. Not a temporary experience but an Eternal One.

Sant Mani Singh Ji themselves describe this experience a little bit:
"Because nothing can be said about love. The only way to know is to become a lover. But the lover has to disappear, love can only be known when you love absolutely... I was absolutely drunk on the divine, so drowned, and so drunk, in the beatitude of realization. Divine was flourish. I was intoxicated with Divine. The ecstasy was uncontrollable; I was ruptured into eternal bliss"

Doesn't this experience make us curious? Isn't this something we want to experience? Let us beg for this from Maharaj. Sant Ji says the only way to know about Love is to become a lover. Becoming a lover, we lose ourselves and dive into Divine Love – Itself.

They also state the following:
"Love is the alchemy, where there is love, ego doesn’t exist. That’s what I always said, love is spiritual and only love can change lives. Only in love is there reconciliation and a great transformation. That is why a man of love faces more difficulties. That is the fundamental fact of life. Where there is no love, life is about to move smoothly"

There is no "I" in this Love. There is no difference between the Beloved and the Lover. Sant Mani Singh Ji became One with Vaheguru. This journey is against the currents of the world. The world wants us to increase the "I" and take the path of least resistance. Love is testing and is not easy.

This gives more context to the Shabad by Bhagat Ravidaas Ji:
ਜਬ ਹਮ ਹੋਤੇ ਤਬ ਤੂ ਨਾਹੀ; ਅਬ ਤੂਹੀ ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
Jab Ham Hothae Thab Thoo naahee Ab Thoohee Mai Naahee
When "I" exist, then You [Vaheguru] are not present/realized;
When You [Vaheguru] are present/realized, then "I" doesn't exist
(Ang 657)

This gives birth to the act of completely surrendering our minds to Guru Sahib. When this mind is surrendered then Vaheguru will be realized by us with Kirpa.

Going through the hardships of worldly pain allows us to stop seeking happiness in this world. Instead, we look elsewhere. This worldly pain of breakups, deaths, not getting along with society, etc will open up our hearts to look for Vaheguru's Protection.

Guru Maharaj tells us about the state :
ਦੁਖੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਸੁਖੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਭਇਆ ਜਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਤਾਮਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥
Dhukh[u] Dhaaroo Sukh[u] Rog Bhaeiaa Jaa Sukh[u] Thaam[i] n Hoee
Pain is the medicine, [temporary] pleasure is the disease where there is no desire for [Permanent] pleasure [Anand/Bliss of Spiritual Love]
(Rehras Sahib)

Sufi Saint Inayat Khan share this spiritual wisdom along this same point:
"God breaks the heart again and again until it stays open"

Let us search for this Love and beg for this Love. We may not know what this experience is or what the ego is but we can make an honest ardaas to Guru Sahib to let us experience this True Love and make our lives worthy of coming into human form.

We can do Jaap of this Shabad by Dhan Dhan SatGuru Ramdas Ji Maharaj Ji in Raag Aasaa:
ਮੈ. ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਨ ਚਾਖਿਆ, ਮੇਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ; ਭਾਉ ਕਰੇ ॥
Mai Praem[i] n Chaakhiaa Maerae Piaarae Bhaao[u] Karae
I have not tasted Love, Oh my Beloved, may I love
ਮਨਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਨ ਬੁਝੀ, ਮੇਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ; ਨਿਤ ਆਸ ਕਰੇ ॥
Man[i] Thrisnaa n Bujhee Maerae Piaarae nith Aas Karae
The mind's desires have not been extinguished, Oh my Beloved, yet I keep hope everyday [that I will taste this Love]
(Ang 451)

Please see the full-length quotes and more information on Sant Mani Singh UK here: http://akalbungasahib.com/babaji.html
–
Guru Panth da daas,
~Aaeenaa