Wahe Guru Mantra - Deathlessness
S.S. Gurutej Singh Khalsa
Saudi Arabia
The Wahe Guru mantra is actually an ancient name of God, first revealed by Rishi Patanjali. In the 1600s, Guru Amar Das taught it widely, and in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh, at the time he gave us Amrit, gave us the Wahe Guru mantra as our personal mantra.
Guru Nanak taught against the mindless and exclusive ritual practices of the yogis who hid out from the world rather than help those people who needed it, and against the practice of black magic. Guru Nanak was not opposed to mantra as the Name of God, only its misuse, which takes one further away from God. In fact, Guru Nanak’s first son, Baba Siri Chand, lived to be 125 years old and was the greatest yogi who ever lived. As long as he was alive, the ritual black magic could not be practiced.
As Sikhs, we have been given only one commandment, JAP, to recite the Name of God. That means repeating a sound vibration which changes our frequency of vibration to that of God Himself. When that occurs, we have the experience of our own greatness, our own deathlessness. The most effective mantras are those that have a balanced vibration of both Infinite and Finite. Wahe Guru has that. Wahe is the sound vibration of the Infinite in a total state of surrender and ecstasy. Wahe means "wow, indescribable, beyond our capacity to comprehend." Guru has several roots, and creates a Finite vibration. Gu is darkness, and Ru is light. Then there is the word Gur, which means formula. Guru then is that formula which takes you from darkness to light, creating Guru, which is wisdom.
The further advantage of the Wahe Guru mantra is that it is also a Guru mantra, which means that it connects us directly with the Guru. There is gur, which is formula, there is guru, which is wisdom or teacher, there is Sat Guru, which contains those vibrations that connect you to Universal Wisdom, there is Shabd Guru, which is the sum of the naad, or sound current, and there is Wahe Guru, which is the totality of Infinite and Finite and brings us in harmony with God Himself, through the Grace of the Guru (Sat Gur Prasad).
The job of a Sikh is to identify himself to God, through the Guru. We do that by the practice of Nam Japa, which changes our frequency of vibration. You make that link, that connection. When your frequency of vibration changes, certain glands begin to vibrate, causing them to secrete. That produces an effect on the brain and you have the experience of consciousness that allows you to see the unseen and know the unknown.
Each morning, sit on your left heel with your right knee up. This is called virasan. Put your palms together at your heart and inhale through your nose. Pull back on your navel and recite Wa, lift your diaphragm and recite He, and then purse your lips like a big kiss to God, and recite Guru. This is all done in one breath. Then inhale and repeat. Do it each morning before sunrise and each night before bed for 31 minutes each time. After 90 days, let us know your experience.
By your own experience you will be able to answer any questions and resolve confusion. This is Guru’s gift to us. Keep the Rehit Maryada, the form, and pray to the Guru to guide you to the Truth. Guru will always come through for you