CHAPTER TEN

 

BEFORE AND AFTER GURU NANAK

 

THERE is always food for the hungry and water for

the thirsty. A babe that was born five hundred years

ago was provided by Dame Nature with milk from the

mother's breast; and so was the case with one who came

into the world a thousand years back. Those who are

born in the present age are also being provided with

similar means of sustenance.

 

The law of supply and demand is an immutable one

in Nature. In exactly the same way this law works

inexorably in spiritual matters also.

 

For the aspirants before the time of Guru Nanak or

in this age or hereafter, Nature cannot but provide the

means of satisfying their aspirations.

 

To delimit a particular period of one or two centuries

as the period of Gurus and to say that there were no

Master Souls before or after that particular time, is

against the fundamental law of supply and demand, and

hence incorrect.

 

The teachings of the Masters are for all times and not

for any particular period. They utter eternal truths which

hold good for eternity, and are the common heritage of

mankind in general. Their seed-dictum for instance is

that God is One and is the Gift of a Godman. It is an

axiomatic truth, self-evident, and hardly needs any

comment.

 

In Anurag Sagar, Kabir Sahib tells us that he came

into the world in all the four yugas or cycles of time.

 

Bhagat Bani was in existence long before Gurbani.

From Guru Granth Sahib and the verses of Bhai Gurdas,

we learn that from age to age people benefited from

Shabd or Bani.

 

Krishna and Balbhadra both bowed before a

Guru.

Namdev the calico printer and Kabir the weaver

learned the esoteric science from a Guru.

Bani has been in existence in all the four cycles

of time and carries the message of Truth.

Shabd is true, and Bani is true. Godmen have

from age to age explained this.

 

In the biography of Guru Nanak by Bhai Bala, Guru

Nanak is said to have stated that in this Kali Yuga (Iron

Age) many a Saint would come to lead people Godward.

 

Seventy Bhagats and fourteen Saints would

come during this period.

 

The Saints would carry shiploads of people

Homeward. Those who would not believe

would flounder, and those who are slaves of

their lower selves would not be accepted.

 

From the above it is clear that both Guru and Gurbani

have always existed side by side. It is the Guru who has

ever been the means of helping the seekers after Truth.

 

O God! Thy Saints have at all times been in

the world.

O God! throughout the ages the line of Gurus

has been in existence. The succession of

Satgurus continues throughout and they have

ever preached the lesson of Naam.