– Amandeep Singh
“Jin prem kayo, tin hee Prabh payo.”
(These who practice the art of love, realize the Almighty)
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji
When the blessings of love shower upon a soul, they shape the course of life. Even a tiny creature, like the rain bird, may reveal the meaning of love more profoundly than we, the learned scholars, can grasp. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in ‘Asa Di Vaar,’ uses the symbolic reference of the Simbal tree to teach us a powerful lesson about love and humanity. The Guru reveals:
“The tree is tall but has bland fruits, insipid flowers and even its leaves are futile.”
In contrast, trees that bear the sweet fruits bend in humility, offering their bounty to all. Such trees live like prayers – just as love-filled souls live to uplift and nourish everyone they encounter. Puran Singh beautifully reflects this sentiment:
“The greatest miracle that a man of Simran performs is to heal the wounded souls.”
The depth of a river determines how much water it can hold. Still waters run deep – they are not disturbed by pebbles or stones thrown into them. Similarly, hearts filled with love hold an immense reservoir of compassion, absorbing both small and large criticisms without loosing their tranquility. This inner depth grants stability, making love-filled souls resilient to the fleeting disturbances of worldly affairs.
Once Guru Teg Bahadur Ji visited the Satluj region, where Afghan Sikhs traveled to seek His blessings. A special ‘divan’ was organized to honor the ‘Sangat,’ and the devotees offered precious gifts to the Guru as a mark of their reverence. Nearby a peasant, working in his field, heard of Guru’s presence and hurried to join the divan. Wanting to offer something to the master, he brought the simple food that he carried from home. Unaware of whether his offering was small or insignificant, he presented it with love and respect. The purity of his heart drenched the Sangat in his devotion, and in that moment, love and prayer became one.
Syed Ameer Ali once remarks:
“Prayers are the utterance of the sentiments, which fill the human heart. All these emotions, however, are the result of a superior development.”
These sacred emotions must be nurtured and preserved. Love for our Guru brings His presence into our actions, and prayer, devoid of love, becomes a hollow ritual. Without immersing ourselves in the Guru’s love, we cannot truly experience His essence in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Prayers become mere flower offerings – beautiful yet lifeless.
The prayer is born from the immensity of love, and when two merge, they elevate the soul. In that state, prayer is no longer something we recite; it becomes a living experience of love.
As Kahlil Gibran writes:
When you are in love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
Love is not something we control – it finds and transforms us. When we are worthy, love becomes the guiding force that shapes our journey. Let us cultivate that love, so our prayers are not just words, but an expression of the divine connection that unites us with the Almighty.
