Gurbani Awareness Series-10
Sikh Missionary College
DUALITY
Duality means a dual state or quality, an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something. People caught in duality are indecisive, confused and waste the precious time. A scholar’s view:
“Time=Life, therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life.”
Sikhism propagates non-duality of absolute Reality. Duality stops spiritual development. Guru Nanak Sahib advised to have faith in One God, who is the Creator and resides within us. Gurbani of Guru Sahibans and all other respected contributors to Sri Guru Granth Sahib have  emphasized that all is done by One God and there is none parallel to Him. This is maintained by some other faiths too.  However, from times memorial many people trust in some ‘other’ so called powers as well as in God, which creates duality. They believe in superstitions, consider some places, days or moments as ‘special’  which creates a sense that it denotes a lack of trust in the divine providence of God.
Guru Nanak Sahib has made very clear in his Sabad when he says:
ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਨ ਪੜਉ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਹੋਰੁ ਨ ਪੂਜਉ ਮੜੈ ਮਸਾਣਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
I am not torn by duality, because I do not worship any other than the Lord; I do not visit tombs or crematoriums
With the material development people are engrossed in endless desires which has destabilized the life. In search of peace they wander from one door to another which creates duality. This gives rise to countless rituals, superstitions, fallacies and delusions.   In the next line of this Sabad Guruji tell
ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਰਾਚਿ ਨ ਪਰ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਵਾ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਨਾਮਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥
I do not enter the houses of strangers, engrossed in desire. The Naam, the Name of the Lord, has satisfied my desires.
ਘਰ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਘਰੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ ਸਹਜਿ ਰਤੇ ਮਨ ਭਾਈ ॥
Deep within my heart, the Guru has shown me the home of my being, and my mind is imbued with peace and poise, O Siblings of Destiny.
 ਤੂ ਆਪੇ ਦਾਨਾ ਆਪੇ ਬੀਨਾ ਤੂ ਦੇਵਹਿ ਮਤਿ ਸਾਈ ॥1॥
You Yourself are all-knowing, and You Yourself are all-seeing; You alone bestow intelligence, O Lord. ||1||
Gurmat has rejects the concept of several rituals such as shraadh, sutak-patak, days of the Moon phase such as Purnima, Amavas and transition of the Sun (Sangrand) and all kind of superstitions. The Sikh Reht Maryada clearly rejects all this. The Gurbani of  the Guru Granth Sahib also warns against all such beliefs.
ਚਉਦਸ ਅਮਾਵਸ ਰਚਿ ਰਚਿ ਮਾਂਗਹਿ ਕਰ ਦੀਪਕੁ ਲੈ ਕੂਪਿ ਪਰਹਿ ॥2॥
On the fourteenth day, and the night of the new moon, you go out begging; even though you hold the lamp in your hands, still, you fall into the pit. ||2||(SGGS 970)
Duality! What to talk of common people, Sangrad, Amavas, Purnmashee is celebrated as a special day in most of Gurduaras including Historical places under the nose of SGPC and DSGMC etc.
Guru Amardas said on page 160 of Sri Guru Granth as under
ਅਸੰਤੁ ਅਨਾੜੀ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਬੂਝੈ ॥
The unsaintly blockhead shall never understand.
ਕਥਨੀ ਕਰੇ ਤੈ ਮਾਇਆ ਨਾਲਿ ਲੂਝੈ ॥
He babbles on and on, but he is infatuated with Maya.
ਅੰਧੁ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਸੀਝੈ ॥2॥
Blind and ignorant, he shall never be reformed. ||2||
 ਸਚਿ ਕਾਲੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਕਲਿ ਕਾਲਖ ਬੇਤਾਲ ॥
There is a famine of Truth; falsehood prevails, and the blackness of the Dark Age of Kali Yuga has turned men into demons.
ਬੀਉ ਬੀਜਿ ਪਤਿ ਲੈ ਗਏ ਅਬ ਕਿਉ ਉਗਵੈ ਦਾਲਿ ॥
Those who planted their seed have departed with honor; now, how can the shattered seed sprout?
ਜੇ ਇਕੁ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਉਗਵੈ ਰੁਤੀ ਹੂ ਰੁਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
If the seed is whole, and it is the proper season, then the seed will sprout.
ਨਾਨਕ ਪਾਹੈ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਕੋਰੈ ਰੰਗੁ ਨ ਸੋਇ ॥
O Nanak, without treatment, the raw fabric cannot be dyed.
Duality detracts us from the path of Truth and throws us to worldly desires. See the following lines composed by Guru Amar Dass Jee:
ਕਨਿਕ ਕਾਮਨੀ ਹੇਤੁ ਗਵਾਰਾ ॥
The fool loves gold and women.
ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਲਾਗੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਾ ॥
Attached to duality, he has forgotten the Naam.
How to save ourselves from Duality?
The only way is to come to the sanctuary of the  True Guru.
ਜਿਸੁ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਇ ਅਨੰਦੁ ਸੋ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਕਹੀਐ ॥
Meeting Him, the mind is filled with bliss. He is called the True Guru.
ਮਨ ਕੀ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਬਿਨਸਿ ਜਾਇ ਹਰਿ ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਲਹੀਐ ॥੧॥
Double-mindedness departs, and the supreme status of the Lord is obtained. ||1||
Such a person attains the purpose for which was blessed with this human form and is considered a brave person. Let’s see a Sabad composed by Guru Arjan Sahib in Raag Gauri:
ਜੋ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਸੋਈ ਸੂਰਾ ॥
One who kills this is a spiritual hero.
ਜੋ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਸੋਈ ਪੂਰਾ ॥
One who kills this is perfect.
ਜੋ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
One who kills this obtains glorious greatness.
ਜੋ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਦੁਖੁ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥
One who kills this is freed of suffering. ||1||
ਐਸਾ ਕੋਇ ਜਿ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਮਾਰਿ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥
How rare is such a person, who kills and casts off duality.
ਇਸਹਿ ਮਾਰਿ ਰਾਜ ਜੋਗੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Killing it, he attains Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. ||1||Pause||(SGGS 237)