Most of us are familiar with Gurmat Dietary Bibek but this Bibek is only one of the many Bibeks that a Gursikhs must adopt. One such Gurmat Bibek is Gurmat Fear Bibek. What is Gurmat Fear Bibek?

Gurbani mentions divine fear many times and gives Hukam to the spiritual seeker to adopt the divine Fear of Vaheguru. So much so that this Divine Fear is considered to be a prelude to Divine Love. Fear of Vaheguru comes before true Divine Love for Vaheguru can develop. Love is not something one can create or develop on own but it is a divine gift of Vaheguru and ones who are blessed with Divine Love of Vaheguru, cannot do anything else but Love. It is the mixture of Divine Love and Divine Fear that really accelerate one's spiritual progress when chanting the Sacred Gurmat Naam.

Presented below is a loose translation of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee’s thoughts on Divine Fear of Vaheguru. This has been taken from one of the best books of Bhai Sahib – Gurmat Bibek.

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਰੰਗਾਏ ਬਿਨੁ ਭੈ ਕੇਹੀ ਲਾਗਿ ॥4॥8॥41॥

Meaning: The ones who are imbued with Naam are so because of their adoption of divine Fear of Vaheguru; without the fear of Vaheguru, what kind Naam-drench state can they have? In other words, without Fear (of Vaheguru) the tendency to get drenched in Naam does not occur:

ਭੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਲਾਗਿ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਨਾ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਬਿਨੁ ਭੈ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵਣੇ ਝੂਠੇ ਠਾਉ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥4॥

This fear is not the same as the fear that the worldly people have. Nor this fear is similar to the fear that other religions teach and the fear that causes horror in the heart and the fear that makes one a coward. Rather, this true fear in Gurmat means respect (for Guru) and this respect is filled with strong emotion of love, faith and trust (in Guru). One who has in his mind the fear of the Truthful One (Vaheguru), he alone has the true faith and trust. In whose mind this fear resides, he always considers Vaheguru to be on his side and considering Vaheguru on his side he does the righteous Karma; he does only those actions that are sanctioned by the Guru. He has full faith on the following Pankiti:

ਏ ਮਨ ਮਤ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਦੂਰਿ ਹੈ ਸਦਾ ਵੇਖੁ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥
ਸਦ ਸੁਣਦਾ ਸਦ ਵੇਖਦਾ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਭਰਪੂਰਿ ॥1॥

This is why he considering the True, Fearless, Akal Purakh always “ਨੇਰੈ ਹੀ ਤੇ ਨੇਰਾ” (nearest of the nearest) and “ਪੇਖਤ ਸੁਨਤ ਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਸੰਗੇ” (always sees ,hears and is near) does Gurmat Karma drenched with fear and love of Guru. This True Fear and Love is obtained only when one meets the True Guru. Then the Sikh seeker always stays intoxicated in this substance of divine Fear and for this reason, the True Lord comes and resides in the heart of such Bibeki person.

ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਸਦ ਭੈ ਰਚੈ ਆਪਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ॥1॥

In the initial stages, the Sikh seeker must have true faith on the Bachans (words) of the True Guru. Ones who are without this faith, such non-Bibeki persons are totally ignorant and possess bad intelligence. Without this divine Faith on the words of Guru, whatever they do is all sinful earnings as per the following Gurvaak (Gurbani Pankitis):

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਅਗਿਆਨ ਭਈ ਮਤਿ ਮਧਿਮ, ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਪਰਤੀਤਿ ਨਾਹੀ॥
ਅੰਦਰਿ ਕਪਟੁ ਸਭੁ ਕਪਟੋ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਕਪਟੇ ਖਪਹਿ ਖਪਾਹਿ॥

Ones who have true Faith on the true Guru and on the words of the True Guru, the True Fear of the Truthful One resides in their hearts, and:

ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਟਿਕਹਿ ਤਿਸ ਕੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਭਉ ਭਾਵਨੀ ਹੋਈ ॥
ਬਿਨੁ ਭੈ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਭੈ ਪਾਰਿ ਨ ਉਤਰਿਆ ਕੋਈ ॥

And the ones who don’t have this divine Fear and Love, it is against Gurmat to have friendly relationship with them, as per the Gurvaak:

ਜਿਨਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਚੇ ਕਾ ਭਉ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਕਰਹਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਨ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਚੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਜਿ ਆਪਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ਕਰਤਾਰਿ ॥1॥

In the first state of spirituality, unless one adopts this Gurmat Fear Bibek along with divine Love, merely stating or talking (about spirituality) does not help at all. If one always stays intoxicated in this divine fear, then effortlessly one gets imbued in the colour of divine Husband Vaheguru.

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Bhul Chuk di Maafi jee.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh