Summary of 'Sri Guru Nanak Chamatkar (Volume I)' By Bhai Vir Singh Ji 

Emerson, a pious soul lived in America. He felt the sensation and ecstasy of meeting the Lord. But he clamored: "Tell me, how this sensation would become incessant"? Guru Nanak showed the way, how to make it incessant. Alas! Emerson had known Guru Nanak. Similarly, Girthe felt ecstasy and wondrousness sometimes. Inspired by Emerson, Carlyle and Girthe a few persons in Europe and America gained new thoughts, like Trine and]. Elen. They wrote nice words about Emerson's sensations of the Lord and feelings of ecstasy and wondrousness of Girthe. Trine described the incessant sensation in an excellent manner. Had they known the true Spiritual path that Guru Nanak told, then, all their doubts would have gone.

Similarly, Bergson of France said: In our body we have two minds. One is intellectual mind and another is intuitive mind. Maybe we can feel the presence of the Lord with that intuitive mind. But he could not gain the intuition. Guru Nanak said in a very simple language: "The intuitive mind can be developed by recitation of the Lord's name with love". Jesus Christ said: 'Pray incessantly'. Guru Nanak said: To pray incessantly, one has to make an endeavor. Guru Nanak told us the practice that we have to do to be on the religious path. He told us that good deeds alone are not sufficient to meet the Lord.

The Guru said: Mind is an instrument to look after the body, and to give outwardly comforts to the body. But since it can wander anywhere, it has gone beyond and is wandering in desires. If it is reined, only then, it will stop wandering and become tranquil. Then, it will experience some inward elevation as against the outward wandering. Then inwardly it will get a touch of the Lord and strength of the Lord. Then, this connection will become incessant. One will get inner happiness. If one wants to understand what is needed for the inner happiness, then it is evident that the need

i) to rein the mind from wandering in sensual and other desires.

'ie mind has to be reined. The mind is thinking outwardly all twenty-four hours. In the same way we have to give some attachment to the mind that should turn the mind inwardly all twenty-four hours. Guru Nanak provided us with the stairs that will tum the mind inwardly. The Guru elabourated this path in the Holy Scripture. Injapu ji he says: Recite the Lord's name by the tongue, once, twice, million times, twenty million times. Recite the One Name of the Lord million and million times. These are the 'stairs' to meet our beloved Lord.  

One should not think that it is unimaginable to recite so much. Bhai Sahib Bhai Vir Singh has explained that when the Name enters the mind, heart and body cells, then, when you recite the Name once, the one recitation becomes a million because the entire body cells recite in unison.

The Guru said: H you take one step towards the Lord, the Lord will take one million steps towards you. Meaning: The Lord will bestow His grace that is unlimited. The Lord's name that our tongue recites is in the form of words on the tongue. But beyond the tongue it becomes a feeling of love. Further down it becomes a silent prayer of love (Recitation without the movement of tongue).

Again, Guru Nanak said: Tread on the religious path in a relaxed way. Do not leave the family and the world. One does not have to renounce the world. One should keep on doing the worldly chores such as earning and supporting the family, but with mind attached to the Lord. It is like the lotus lives in mud but is not affected by it. He said: Twenty minutes, half of that, half of that half (i.e. five minutes) Whoever recites the Name, he gains.

Meaning: One can start recitation of Name for five minutes a day, then go on increasing the time steadily. Relaxed way means one can do recitation in the early morning or evening or whatever time is free or even while doing other chores. The Lord's name is a living name. It enters one's mind, heart, body cells and breath. It permeates in the body. One feels the sensation of Name in the body. When it enters the breath, then after sometime it becomes automatic. Effortlessly, the recitation of Name goes on in the body. One feels ecstasy. It becomes 'pray incessantly'. That is what Jesus Christ had also said. Regarding the God's name, it is one's individual liking to choose the Name.

Christians may recite 'O Lord'. Mohammedans may recite 'Allaah'. Hindus may recite Rama or Hare Rama. Sikhs may recite WaheGuru. Even a Hindu may recite 'O Lord' if he likes to choose that. Lord is One.' He can be addressed by any Name. What really matters is that the recitation of Name should be with love, respect and attention towards the Lord as our father, mother, Saviour Lord. One doesn't have to change one's religion. Guru Nanak's message is universal. It appears that in most religions, the first thing i.e. 'the stairs' has been lost in the sands of time. It is here that we have to awake ourselves to these 'stairs' of religion and awake the world to these 'stairs' of religion.

The endeavor is 'Recitation of the Lord's name with love and singing His praises'. The Guru said: Recite the Lord's name while sitting, standing, walking and sleeping and also sing the praises of the Lord.

If we have not started as yet, then we should start the endeavor. If already in endeavor then we must remain steadfast in endeavor. The grace will surely come because the Lord is all graciousness. The gist is that without this endeavor nobody can meet the Lord. This seems to be the main reason why we do not see any saints in this world. In the times of Guru Nanak there were saints in thousands.

However, now the world is abundant with people who would like to meet the Lord, we may call them Lord-seekers. But either they do not know the real 'stairs' or they are not steadfast. The temples get packed with people supposed to be devotees. The churches are full. The mosques are crowded. But still one cannot find a true saint, reason being that the true endeavor is either not known or is missing.