Major Sahib, our venerable head granthi and research scholar, is often called by Maharaj to discuss esoteric topics or matters of spiritual history. Today Major Sahib is reading to Maharaj a paper about Baba Siri Chand, elder son of Guru Nanak (the First Sikh Guru) and one of Maharaj’s two revered teachers (the other being Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Guru). Major Sahib reads something about the blissful mind, and then reads that Baba Siri Chand encouraged the inner virtues, rather than outer qualities. Maharaj smiles and nods, with his eyes closed. Then he comments,

For enlightenment, you must understand the nature of your Guru. The Guru is light. The Guru is sound. The rigid person who tries to understand the Guru’s words literally without enlightenment will never understand, and enlightenment will never come in this way. The Guru is love. You see the Guru’s body: He eats, he laughs. Love that also. And when you meditate on the Guru, love that image as the vehicle through which the Light manifests.