The Cosmology and Methodology of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib

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Kamalla Rose Kaur

The Siri Guru Granth reminds me, over and over again, that God is the Infinity of the Whole Cosmos – Creator/Creation, the One Reality, and One Being. The Siri Guru Granth helps me look at myself, Sikhs, and all humanity from the vantage point of three galaxies over. The Sikh Guru helps me see that everything that happens in this universe, at the level of the atom, or at the level of the quazars, or at the level of various life-forms here on earth, including humanity, are small parts of the wondrous Play of the Ultimate Consciousness – the Beloved One and Only One – the All That Is – God Supreme.Yet the Siri Guru Granth Sahib assures me that the Infinite Creator of the Universe is intimate and personal and actually cares about me – as well as being vast and unknowable, ineffable, incomprehensible and mind boggling. The Sikh Guru teaches me to hold God, the Cause of All Causes, the Doer of Everything, as my Beloved, my Divine Husband, my Best Friend, my Mother, my Father, and as my advocate and my own personal coach and trainer and healer.The Sikh Guru shows me that from the vantage point of Infinity, from the All-Knowing Consciousness of the All That Is, from the perspective of the whole universe, our species’ chauvanism and our individual human egotisms are quite silly (and exquisitely sad and painful).

According to the Sikh Guru we humans are fundamentally designed to surrender our puny egos and limited agendas to the Creator/Creation. To successfully accomplish this soul-surrender, the Guru Granth suggests that we all need an authentic spiritual Guide or Guru. Christians call on Jesus to help them, guide them, and teach them. Sikhs depend on the Sikh Guru/scripture.

The Siri Guru Granth is very reassuring, reminding us that there have been many humble teachers/Sants down through the ages. Some of these true and humble holy Sants have been famous, and many more have been quiet and traceless.

The Siri Guru Granth Sahib, itself, is a compilation of writings transmitted by several enlightened humans who have been dead now for centuries. Yet for Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, our Holy Scripture, is honored as an enlightened being; alive and fully animated. The Guru of the Sikhs is always available to answer our questions and help flip us into God-awareness.

To accomplish this shift in perspective, to transcend dualistic thinking, the Guru Granth suggests that we meditate on the Naam, that we call on God by Name. The Naam is a cosmic mystical concept like “the Word”, “the Logos”, “Gnosis”, the identity of God, or the Primal Hum of Creation, and it also means ceaseless awareness of God in every moment. At the most practical level the Naam is a mantra, a name of God, that we repeat to invoke the presence of Creator/Creation moment to moment. Many Christians repeat “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” and Muslims repeat “Allah, Allah, Allah”. Sikhs repeat “waheguru, waheguru” which means “wondrous teacher” or “Wow Guru!”.

Finally the Siri Guru Granth Sahib instructs humans everywhere to search out and find faithful and truthful people to associate with, labor with, worship with, serve and fund – independent of race, sex, caste/class, religion or culture. The Guru Granth teaches us to discern the noble and honest people around us from the con-artists and egotists, the small minded, tyranical, snooty, hypocritical, and/or vengeful people.

I experience the Sikh Guru/scripture as a universal teacher and spiritual guide, happy to help all people from all cultures and religions. You do not need to be a Sikh in a cultural or religious sense to be a Sikh (student) of the Sikh Guru Granth. Like all the great scriptures of this tiny world, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib belongs to all people everywhere.

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