It is the month of Maghar (mid-November – mid-December), and the elements awaken, stirring with whispers that weave secrets into the breath of the wind. The air hums with an unseen energy, a quiet yet profound presence that presses gently against my spirit. It is a feeling, a longing so deep it aches yet comforts. The wind seems to carry voices from beyond, voices that know the stories I yearn to hear. With every breath I take, the whispers grow clearer, like a melody just within reach, inviting me into their divine song.

I ask, my voice trembling with yearning: “Tell me about my Guru. I do not have the eyes to see Him, yet my heart aches to know Him. Tell me what you know so I may feel my Guru’s Presence.”

They murmur, hesitant, as though guarding a precious treasure:
“Go, ask Bebe Nanaki of her brother’s grace.
Go, ask Rai Bular of the friendship he held dear.
Go, ask Bhai Mardana about the music of his companion.
Go, ask… and let their answers echo like a precious song within your being.”

I cannot ask them. My heart feels the weight of its solitude. “I only have you,” I whisper to the wind, “please, will you share something about my Guru?”

The elements shift, their whispers turning tender. I close my eyes, surrendering to their song, and ask: “I think about Him walking those distances. I wonder if the elements were kind to Him.”

I hear their answer, soft yet certain: “The elements bowed before Him.”

“Was the earth gentle to His feet? The vision of blisters on His feet torments me,” I whisper, my voice heavy with concern.

They reply, their voices carrying awe: “His feet were above the ground.”

The Earth speaks then, its tone reverent: “Had He walked upon me, I would have cradled His every step. His presence was too divine for my embrace, so I lifted Him gently above, ensuring no harm would come to Him.”

“And the rivers He crossed, did they rise in defiance or flow in surrender?” I ask.

Like a quiet prayer, the wind answers: “The rivers stilled their currents to let Him pass, as though yearning for His touch.”

“And the skies above—did they look down with indifference or awe?”

The elements reply as one: “The skies scattered their stars like offerings, their vastness humbled by His Presence.”

Tears flow. The whispers pause as though they, too, feel the weight of this moment. Then, to comfort my aching heart, they say: “We know you love; we know you are devoted. But to feel the Guru’s Presence is to embark on a journey inward. It is not a path paved with logic or proof, but one lit by faith and devotion.”

They continue, their tone deepening, gentle yet firm, as if to guide me further: “Miracles are seeds; they take root as symbols and blossom into truths. The Presence cannot be proven; it is lived. To feel it, you must loosen the distractions that cloud your vision and return to the simplicity of devotion. Your Guru does not dwell in the past or in distant places; He is here, now, breathing with you, waiting for you to awaken to His Presence.”

Their whispers deepen, flowing from stories of His journey through nature into the Eternal Wisdom He revealed to all. They speak of how the Guru described the interconnectedness of all things in nature, each existing within the vast Order of the One.

“Everything exists under the Command, the Hukam. In this vast Order, there are no mountains and valleys, no higher or lower—only one plain where all move together. The One flows endlessly through everything: the fully divine and those still striving toward the divine, all journeying within the same embrace.

“Destiny is a small path winding through an individual’s life, whispering, ‘It is out of my hands.’ But Hukam is the vast sky beneath which rivers flow, winds dance, and stars keep their watch. Nothing strays outside it; everything belongs within its embrace. Destiny is personal; Hukam is universal, carrying everything within its vast embrace.”

Yes, even within this vastness, the elements grieve, for humans often forget this embrace. They sigh: “Eternal Wisdom cannot be packaged or sold. It cannot be caged in clever words or fleeting displays. Eternal Wisdom is not performance. Humans dim its radiance—when power is sought in its name, when recognition is traded for depth, when fear and insecurity are fed instead of love. These are the small commands of the world that pull humans into the ego. Hukam is different—it gathers humans back, inviting them to dissolve into grace.”

Gentler now, they add: “The grace is this: the One who commands all brings the Guru into our lives. The Guru imparts the Wisdom, and that Wisdom belongs to everyone. Grace is always present. The question is, do you feel it?”

Their voices fade, but their meaning remains: this is the path to experience IkOankar, the One. The revelation of the Guru was so profound that it shook the spiritual world of its time. The hold of the middleman was over; the grip of the charm protectors, the mantra-givers, and the thread-bearers was broken. Divinity was no longer restricted to a caste or sect. The Guru uplifted all by declaring:

ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥
O Consciousness, you are an embodiment of the Light; recognize your Origin.

     Guru Granth Sahib 440

The elements hum with joy, echoing the Guru’s revelation: “The Light is within every being. None is born of sin; all are vessels of infinite wisdom and grace. What an incredible gift has been bestowed upon creation!”

They urge me to imagine: “Picture this: infinite wisdom lies within you, waiting to be accessed.”

“But how do you access it?” I ask.

Their answer flows like a song: “Look at the goldsmith. Raw gold is placed in the blazing furnace to remove impurities. The molten gold is poured into a mold, then hammered and chiseled into beauty. This process requires patience, discipline, and resilience.

“Just as the goldsmith refines raw gold into a work of art, so too must the seeker endure fire, chiseling, and shaping to radiate divine beauty. When the seeker is ready, they are poured into the crucible of Love—not a love tainted by obsession, but a noble love born of Divinity.”

Their voices soften: “In this Love-Crucible, the jewel of Nam—the remembrance of the One—awakens within you. Vastness enters. Freedom graces. And with freedom, love emerges. A love so profound that you are no longer yourself but dyed in the color of the Beloved, the One. The Divine is love, and love is Divine.”

The air grows still, filled with the echo of their words. Slowly, they sink deep, reminding me that love is not just felt, but lived; not just given, but surrendered to. So I sit with their answers, holding them close like a cherished promise, as my heart swells with longing for His Presence, His Wisdom, and His Love.