Just as the sun is the real self of all sunlight and the ocean is the real self of all waves, Wahe Guru alone as the substratum of the whole Cosmos is your real Self and the one real Self of ALL forms of existence, there is nothing anywhere that Wahe Guru is not (Wahe Guru is also labeled as Paramatama, God, Khuda, Christ, Buddha-nature, Tao, Ein-Sof, Jehovah, Brahman, etc, etc - the real Self of all). That which out of ignorance is perceived as the universe or Cosmos is in reality nothing but the Self-experiencing and Self-expression of the one Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself. On this supreme reality the Sri Guru Granth Sahib being the true Guru and final authority for all Sikhs reveals:

He who recognizes God within himself and is pierced through with his name is satisfied. When man understands his own self through the Guru, what more is left for him to do or to get done? * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - Sri Guru Granth Sahib Pg. 60

He who recognizes his own self (the divine substance of which he has been created) comprehends Him. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Page 25.

Within thee abides God. Do thou attain to peace by serving the Guru. * SGGS Pg. 33

From the absolute viewpoint and in the highest reality - what appears as all the endless diversity throughout the infinite Cosmos is again truly nothing but the spontaneous Self-experience and Self-expression of the one Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself (known in the East as Raab Di Leela - God's Play).

It is He Wahe Guru (also labeled by differing cultures merely due to language differences as Paramatama, God, your real Self, Allah, Khuda, Christ-consciousness, Buddha-nature, Tao, Ein-sof, Brahman, the Infinite etc, etc) who is shining as the sun and the stars. He is the mother earth, and the stars and all the galaxies. He is the ocean and He is the gentle air that we breathe in. He Himself is your body and mind and the force at work within. He is the speech that is uttered and He is the sound and ear that hears. He is the musician singing and He is the audience listening. He is the stage upon which the musician sits and He is the light through which the audience can see the artist's face. He Himself is the cause of all religions that like the flow of all rivers - whether winding or straight - ultimately all find their rest in the one ocean that is He. He Himself is the cause, substance and real Self of the whole Cosmos. Everything lives within the one Wahe Guru and the one Wahe Guru lives within everything because Wahe Guru is everything.

Here then are a few additional excerpts from the highest guru - the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Japji Sahib, Rahiras, Kirtan Sohila and Sri Raga with any related commentary in parenthesis) on the reality of Wahe Guru being your real Self residing within every atom of your being as the substratum yet unseen by divine design due to the limitations of our 5 senses of perception and the veiling curtain of the restless dualistic thoughts of the mind: -

In this world, the Lord Himself is the life of the entire universe. * Sri Guru Ram Das Ji - Sri Guru Granth Sahib Pg. 41

In the universe, the union of sensitivities and stupefaction, wherever I see, I find God pervading there. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 21

Know thus O Nanak ! that the True One is all by Himself. That Pure One is all in all Himself. He is neither established nor created by any one. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 2

(Note: Just as an ocean whilst creating ever-changing forms of waves upon it's surface itself remains as it always was - with nothing added not taken away from it's whole, so Wahe Guru creates countless forms and dramas within Himself and yet remains completely unaffected).

Nanak, the One Lord is pervading everywhere. There is no second whatsoever. * Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 57: 43-46

(Note: Here Guru Nanak Dev Ji states that apart from Wahe Guru merely appearing as all the diverse forms within the universe, nothing else exists - there is no second entity or reality).

Beside God, there is no other second. On His Name alone, do thou meditate. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 46

Everything the Lord Himself is. There is no second (there is no other reality). When that Lord Himself causes us to speak, we speak just as He wants us to speak. * Guru Ram Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 39

Thou art the river, All-knowing and All-seeing. How can I, a fish find thy limit? Wherever I look, there Thou art. Getting out of Thee I burst and die. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 25

The One Lord is within thy home (body) and the One without. He Himself is found within all places. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 45

Thou art everywhere and in everything, I thought Thee distant. Whatever I do, that is in Thine presence. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 25

The One Lord is dwelling amongst all. He, the Unique One is pervading everywhere. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 27

Ye saints, see with the searching glance that God abides close by and is fully pervading everywhere. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 27

Make brotherhood with all the highest sect of yogic order and deem the conquering of self (one's real Self) the conquest of the world. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 6

God is Himself the Master and Himself the servant. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 10

(Note: Since Wahe Guru alone is within everything, He Himself is both Master of the universe and at the same time being within every atom in existence is the true experiencer through all the diverse forms He has created within Himself. This whole spectacle of the universe is nothing but His own Self-experience and Self-expression - phrased by many mystics as Raab Di Lila - God's Cosmic Play).

Thou art the river, and all are within Thee. Beside Thee, there is none else. * SGGS Pg. 11

As seconds, minutes, hours, quarters of a day, lunar days, weekdays, months and several seasons spring from the lone sun, even so - many forms originate from the Creator, O Nanak ! * SGGS Pg. 12 & 13

(Note: Just as all the divisions of time originate from the movements of sun, so all the seemingly diverse forms of creation emerge from and appear within the one Wahe Guru alone).

Thousands are Thine eyes, yet Thou hast no eye. Thousands are Thine forms, yet Thou hast not even one. Thousands art Thine pure feet, even then Thou hast not one foot. Thousands Thine noses and yet Thou art without a nose. I am bewitched by these plays of Thine. Amongst all there is a light and that light art Thou. By His (God's) light, the light shines within all souls. * SGGS Pg. 13

The True Lord is fully filling every heart. God Himself unites man in His union, and he then sees the True mansion close by (within everything and everyone). * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 20

He who perceives God's light within every heart comes to understand the essence of Guru's teaching. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 20

(Note: What the ignorant call the universe, the enlightened recognize to be nothing but the one God spontaneously experiencing and expressing Himself to Himself within Himself).

Lord Himself is the Relisher. Himself the Relish and Himself the Enjoyer of the Relish. He Himself is the Bride and Himself the Couch and the Bridegroom. My Master is dyed with love and is fully pervading everywhere. He Himself is the Fisherman and the fish and He Himself is the water and the net. He Himself is the metal ball of the net and Himself the bait within. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 23

By separating, He separates not and is contained amongst all. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 46

(Note: Just as water in an ocean cannot be separated, but may appear to be so when appearing as a wave, even so the forms appearing within Wahe Guru are not separate from Wahe Guru).

Pervading God ever sees, hears and is just near. He resides in every heart. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 47

I have seen with me the Lord for seeking whom I assumed this body. The Lord who filleth the water, earth and space beholdeth everyone with His grace. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 48

Thou Thyself art the pure pearl and Thyself the devotee and intercessor. By the Word of the Guru, the Invisible One is praised and seen in every heart. Thou Thyself art the ocean ad the ship and Thyself this shore and the yonder one. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 54:

(Note: This states that Wahe Guru being everything is Himself both the devotee and the Guru that saves the devotee leading him back to God).

They who recognize their own self (Wahe Guru), find the Lord's Mansion in the good place of their home heart. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 56

By recognizing his own self (the real Self being Wahe Guru), man abides in his own home and his ego and desire depart. * Pg. 57

The Truest of the true is pervading everywhere. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 73

With thy sight behold in every heart, the Lord of the world-forest who is fully pervading the ocean and land. * Guru Ram Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 79

The foolish and ignorant man recognizes not the Creator who is within his self (Wahe Guru who is the substratum of all existence). Because of the love of duality, he instructs the world and himself understands not Divine Knowledge. * SGGS Pg. 86

Wahe Guru who is infinite consciousness and consciousness being one - can never be divided or separated although by His own power He may appear to be so, just as a movie with lots of diversity may appear on one screen. but when the movie is over - the unaffected screen alone remains as it always was, the screen is permanent, the projected movie is impermanent. And ultimately without the screen as the substratum, the movie could not be seen.

Ultimately then from the absolute viewpoint -

This universe is nothing but the spontaneous Self-expression and Self-experiencing of the infinite Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself (since He is all that exists) and in the East this is known as Raab Di Leela. This can also be summed up as simply as: -

1. Wahe Guru alone is real.

2. The universe is unreal.

3. Wahe Guru is the universe

(i.e. To think of the universe as separate and distinct reality from Wahe Guru is a false idea arising only as a result of ignorance of the truth as stated again and again in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib).

This truth should be contemplated again and again, from beginning to end so that although engaged in diverse activities, one is not bound if one's consciousness is saturated with this reality, because no truth can affect one until it passes the mind and enters the heart for the heart is the real source of our being. This truth can be stated a million different ways a million different times, but in conclusion it can be summed up as simply as -

by Pardeep Singh