Understanding “Mool-Mantr” A Prelude To Jap-Ji
If we, the Sikhs, don’t understand Mool Mantra (A prelude To Jap Ji), we know nothing about Sikhi; without understanding the concept of the Creator in “Mool Mantra”, we simply build our mansion of knowledge on stories told over times by those who were more interested in pursuit of their own quest than understanding fully the goal of our Gurus, or we are indulging in implying ideas of our own limits to every word used in Mool Mantra; if so, we often forget that every word used in Mool Mantra is elaborated in Sri Guru Granth in detail with examples ( Please check on 33,SGGS, 54 ,SGGS, 73,SGGS,78,SGGS,108,SGGS,391,SGGS,720,SGGS 748,SGGS, 930 SGGS, 931,SGGS,1385,SGGS and1412 SGGS); we cannot imply our own thought for which the words used in Mool Mantra do not stand. First Nanak introduces to us the Creator he has adored, praised and realized; his goal is to take the followers away from prevailed misconceptions about Him and to lead them directly to Him who, even being Formless and Invisible, keeps His presence in all. Through Many shabdas it is made clear that indeed, He is ikkonakaar which means “One All Pervading:; in other words, He is present very much within all (Please check for references on 11. SGGS, 25 SGGS, 33 SGGS, 47 SGGS, 56 SGGS, 128 SGGS, 152 SGGS, 181 SGGS,and 342 SGGS).  
     It is commonplace practice of defining “ ੴ / Ikk Onakaar” as a new and complete description of “OM” in some Sikh circles, but It is not true if we look at its description in entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib. First Nanak elaborates it further through the words that follow it. From where he has taken the word “ਓ” is very clear from its own form; it is not found “as it is” in any ancient scriptures of India. While reading Upanishad and Simirtis, we come across a word “Aum” used for “Atam”; in Mandukya Upanishad (1-12), it is stated, “ Aum”, this is an eternal word. It symbolizes” what was, what is, and what shall be”. It also represents what is beyond the present and beyond the future”. Interestingly this concept keeps changing though, please read on: “God is all and the soul is God. The soul has four conditions. First condition is wakefulness, when the senses are turned outwards focusing on external world. The second condition is dreaming, when the senses are turned inwards focusing on past deeds and present desires. The third condition is dreamless sleep when desires are resting. The fourth condition is purity. The senses are neither turned outwards nor inwards; there is neither wakefulness nor dreaming. This condition is supreme consciousness, when there is complete awareness of the Soul. This fourth condition is expressed by the syllable “Aum”. This Upanishad calls the soul God but it also expresses “Aum” not as God but a Syllable that represents fourth condition of the soul. After reading that sometimes, the words like “Aum”, “Soul or Supreme Soul” and “God” appear to be conveying meaning of the Creator, but sometimes they appear to give different meanings, for example: God is all and the soul is God” as stated above, but look at this another example, “ by means of the soul, all living beings can know God; and this knowledge fills them with joy … “ Taittiriya Upanishad 2-6, 7. If through a soul, God is known; obviously, it appears that God is separate from the soul; by reading this, the mind certainly get confused about the concept God and the soul. In Rig Veda, Aum is expressed as divine syllable, the sustainer of the world:  
   “The four quarters of the sky, reach down to the oceans on the edge of the universe, and from there, the waters flow, the whole universe is sustained by the divine syllable, Aum, which flows everywhere” Rig Veda 1:164-4, 45-46,51-52  
    Later on in Rig Veda it is stated that God is one with many names but wise men know that He is one. No wonder, the Guru refers to such thought in Veda in Gurbani by saying that what the reality is expressed in Veda, they don’t believe but they follow later on sages who led them to idol worshiping ( Please check on 919 SGGS, 556 SGGS). Well, that is not topic of this article; therefore, let us see How the Guru expresses the Creator in His full concept.  
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Sincerely yours
 Anant Singh