Developing a relationship with Waheguru

Your relationship with Waheguru will determine the quality of your life, the people you attract and the worldly success you achieve. When you start putting in the time and effort to build a relationship with Waheguru, your perspective and, inevitably, your life begins to change. External circumstances and people no longer have the same ability to impact your internal peace, and the chaos around you has less of an impact on the clarity within you. The biggest ally you will have in this life is Waheguru, the only unconditional love, support and guide who will show you the truest meaning of loyalty. When you make Him a priority, everything begins to fall into place. I’ll share some ways I have utilised to develop a connection and relationship with Waheguru, which is only through His beant kirpa.

Ardaas

When I look back to see how far I’ve come, I realize that the moment Waheguru set the motions for my life to change for the better was when I sincerely said to Him, through despair; that I am nothing without you, the power and control of my life are in your hands.

Faith is saying a prayer, taking steps, making an effort, and trusting Waheguru to decide what is best for you. When you do an ardaas from the depths of your soul, you set the motion of that prayer in ways you will never be able to predict or imagine. Waheguru has the power to transcend your mind from the depths of darkness into an abundance of light.

In order for Waheguru to hear your cry for help, you have to do an ardaas to Him with true love and surrender that no one else can help. You then need to wait patiently for His support in full faith. Once He hears your cry for help, He will come to you. He doesn’t look at the type of person you are or what the world thinks. So pay attention to the people around you because He might just be answering your prayers through them.

It is essential to have balance in life, to pray in both times of pain to help deal with sorrow and in happier times to show gratitude. Ask Waheguru to remember you, to keep showering kirpa over you and for Him to keep you at His charan. Everything you could ever want in life comes through the energy of this ardaas.

Inner journey

The journey within will always be ongoing and everchanging, providing new things to learn along the way. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you must meet worldly expectations to be wealthy and successful. Its true and lasting form comes from connecting with Naam which resides within you. Once Waheguru shows and gives access to that treasure, it will always be overflowing and abundant. You have to disconnect from the narrative of the world and tune in to His frequency. The more you search inwards, the more receptive you will be to your own voice, allowing you to experience increased moments of bliss throughout your life through connecting to Waheguru.

The inner journey, voice, and light will take you further than where you will ever be able to reach in the external world. Those looking in from the outside will never be able to understand, and that’s ok because you will cross paths with those who align with where Waheguru’s taking you. Your elevation might require your isolation. Don’t worry about losing people, he will bring the right people to you.

Conversations with God

There are countless conversations that I only have with Waheguru because He’s the only One who understands the workings of my mind and can truly hear me. Every day with compassion and love He provides answers and reassurance through various sources. We all have access to an open line of communication with the Creator 24/7, with no judgements or delays.

It is important to be honest with Waheguru for our own good. He already knows our innermost thoughts, insecurities, doubts and anxieties, sometimes we have to admit them to ourselves so we can move forward. We all have internal or external battles that hinder us from walking and progressing on the path of Sikhi. I discuss everything with Waheguru along the way, including any barriers, whilst taking steps to get to know Him better. You can’t wait until you deem yourself worthy before reaching out to Waheguru, otherwise, you will never make any progress. Don’t allow your own barriers to hinder you from connecting to Him, He is forgiving and is always with you no matter what.

Sangat

Sitting in Waheguru’s sanctuary in various divans, Sikhi camps and smagams, amongst those that are coloured in His love, has given me the opportunity to meet new people that I wouldn’t have got to know in everyday life. It has brought a whole different vibe, no drama, just positivity, new insights and great times. There have also been countless people, who I have never even spoken to, who have unknowingly and inadvertently supported me through some of my hardest times. This is the power of just sitting in sangat, being in the company of Gursikhs allows you to experience the bliss and fragrance of Naam through their kamai.

Darshan of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Once I told Waheguru the condition of my mind and realized that He is the only One who can save me, He put into motion a sequence of meticulously planned experiences to change my life, by changing my thoughts and subsequently my mindset. When I look back it makes sense how all of the darkness was actually part of good karam and has become my greatest blessing for it led me to the door of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s house. No matter how much we think we are going off our own accord, we can’t enter the sanctuary of Guruji without a personal invitation from him. It’s a place you get to lay down all your ‘secrets’ that may be weighing you down, where there’s no judgement, only unconditional support in return. Guruji let me in with open arms, straightened my lekh and filled my life with so much light and peace which could never have been attained without the struggles. You have to become vulnerable, pour your heart out to Guruji and embark on an inner journey.

Never underestimate the power of bowing down at the charan of the King of Kings. Falling at the pavitar charan of Maharaj has the power to take sadness, pain and suffering away and replace it with peace, bliss, contentment, acceptance and gratitude. The warmth that is gifted in Waheguru’s sanctuary is unparalleled. No matter what is going on in life, His darbar offers a sense of peace, comfort, strength and guidance that I will never be able to find anywhere else. There’s no other place of rest I can seek, no one else that I can confide everything in and no other way to get sustainable peace of mind than through the light, khoj and darshan of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Connecting to Gurbani

There’s so much inspirational faith embedded within our history. Learning about it can develop our relationship with Waheguru and our connection to Gurbani. Kirtan and katha give us the opportunity to talk and hear from Waheguru. This quote sums up how I feel whilst sitting in Guruji’s sanctuary, listening to and singing His praises:

“Kirtan allows us to enter into a mystery world – a world where all the logic of our minds, all the conditions and learning are left outside. And in this mystery, we create a temple inside of our hearts, a place of refuge, a place of love, a place of just being”

Any advice we will ever need in life can be found within Guru Granth Sahib Ji, so it’s important to ensure we put in the effort to learn how to read Panjabi/Gurmukhi correctly. There are some words and concepts that lose their true meaning when they are translated into English. Santhiya classes have allowed me the opportunity to develop a deeper connection to Gurbani whilst being in sangat. Gurbani is an ocean of treasure; the key to unlocking it and manifesting its magical power into our lives is a sincere ardaas from the depths of our soul.

Cultivate gratitude

I’ve lost count of how many times Waheguru has compassionately answered my prayers. His showering of unconditional love and support is a priceless blessing that never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes you need to take a step back to realise the worth of all that you already have instead of focusing on what else you would like to obtain and thank Waheguru for everything He has so graciously gifted. He has the ability to give you everything and also has the authority to take everything. Gratitude changes your perspective about life which inevitably brings contentment.

Every breath is a priceless gift; the present moment is all we ever really have, and our lives are under Waheguru’s control. So each and every day, make it a necessity to thank Waheguru, for He is our sustainer. The reality is life runs on a scale from immense pain to intense happiness; wherever we find ourselves, the only thing that will consistently keep us going is gratitude.

Personal journey

Waheguru’s grace and guidance in life require a great good fortune. I’m so grateful that He continuously and unconditionally showers His blessings upon me. His mercy, love and compassion have no restrictions or limitations. There are no words to explain all that He has done for me or describe His greatness. Other people will try and define you, put you in a box and make assumptions based on what they see or hear, but they will never understand your story, and it’s not their place to anyway. Your connection with Waheguru and your journey in life is unique, so just be you and focus on whatever path of inner peace you want, whichever way you wish to travel it. Only Waheguru knows where He is taking you, and not even ourselves have the capacity to understand. He is in control; we’re just the passengers on this ride of life so hold on, learn to live without expectations and embrace the journey. He has shown me that you have the power to manifest the life you want, you just have to let go of everything that you are trying so hard to hold on to and give it all to Him.

Remember, once you develop a love for Waheguru, it can never be taken away from you no matter how far you wander, it only deepens and brings you back home to yourself.