DEVOTIONAL LOVE (REVISED)

 

THOUGHTS ON DEVOTIONAL LOVE

जो तऊ प्रेम खेलन का चाओ, सिर धर तली गली आओ//

इस मार्ग पैर ध्रीज्ये, सिर दईए कान न कीजे//--GURU NANAK DEV JI (SGGS PAGE 1412)

 

IF YOU WISH TO PLAY GAME OF LOVE WITH ME, THEN STEP ONTO MY PATH/LANE WITH YOUR HEAD ON THY PALM

FOR TREADING PATH OF LOVE, ONE MUST SURRENDER (EGO-SELF) WITHOUT ANY HESITATION.

 

                                                                                     NOTE

DIVINE LOVE HAS---------------------

          1.         FIRST STAGE---PRAYER—helplessness of the devotee for self and petitioning the Lord for his support in life.

          2.         SECOND STAGE—PREM (Bhakti)—loving the Lord for knowing His mysteries, and seeking knowledge of self as per the instructions of the Master Murshid of current time and space

          3.         THIRD STAGE—ISHQ—Intense love-- through meditative concentration-- (when no shortcomings/ deficiencies are felt for the Beloved and the Murshid.) Beloved becomes beautiful without any reason.

          4.         FOURTH STAGE—BIREH—Desperation in meeting the Beloved and stung with deep pain of separation from the Lord and inner form of the Master.

          5.         FIFTH STAGE—GRACE- with Grace of the Master Murshid—Lord accepts (खुदा की कबूली) of love of the seeker.    

          6.         SIXTH SATGE—FNAA (फना)— Annihilation of self.

Love for the Lord God alone is devotion. Devotion sans love is a deception of devotion. प्रेम ही भक्ति है // मोहब्बत ही इबादत है.//  जिस भक्ति या इबादत्त में प्रेम नहीं वह एक कारवाही है या एक प्राथना है अपनी मांग के लिए// Devotion where love is absent may be, at best, a prayer of demands by the mind to the Lord which presumes that Lord is ignorant of our needs. We make prayer a transactional arrangement.  We pray to get something from the Lord. We confuse desire, attraction, infatuation with love… and… its fulfilment with possessing & having… the object of our desire as love. That is a very selfish form of prayer though we may coat our pleadings with vagueness of love.

 HAZUR would often explain that Love is the gift of the beloved. It is the beauty of the beloved that stimulates love in the lover. Lover cannot claim that HE LOVES. The moth loves the flame at night. It is thus combination of the night and the light of the flame that arouses love. In the daylight , flame has no impact on the moth.

 Another aspect of love is that the more one loves, the less he feels that his love is. Love being infinite, cannot be measured. It swells all the time without boundaries. The moment one starts measuring love –it leaves bitter memories

Rabia Basri speaks of Divine love in a totally dispassionate manner, which is disinterested in hell or paradise. Rabia has no interest in the world as well. Her focus is Allah alone. Wealth, property, power, family do not necessarily prove to be the source of happiness for which man strives throughout life. The very fear of losing them any time and attachment of retention becomes the source of misery.

 All worldly wishes ultimately transmute to Kud—trash and rubbish of nothingness-- as mentioned by Guru Nanak Sahib.कूड़ कूड़े निहों लगा विसर्या करतार// किस नाल कीजये दोस्ती सब जग चालनहार// कूड़ मीठा कूड़ माखियों कूड़ डोबे पूर// नानक विखाने बेनती तुध बाज कूड़े कूड़ //   This Kud has two implications—it makes us forget the Lord and we are tempted to acquire rubbish, fall in love with trash and finally sink deep in the messy conundrum. Except You oh Lord all is a debris. Then Guru says सच ता फिर जानिए जे सच धरे प्यार –if you want to know the Lord—the truth, then love the Truth.

In Gurbani love/ishq/bireh are mentioned as  वार जांवा, बलहारी जांवां, घोल गुमाई, खिन खिन वारी जांवां – means annihilation of the self or Fnaa or  हस्ती नू नेस्तोनाबूद कर  देना //

बलहारी गुर अपने देओहड़ई स्द्वार// in the shabd (जिन मानस ते देवते कीने करत न लगी बार)

जन नानक खिन खिन वारया---  in the shabd (गुरु सुंदर मोहन पाई के)

अनक बार दंडोत बंधना बार बार ज्यों बारे – in the shabd (प्रभ जी तू मेरे प्राण आधारे)

घोल घुमाई लालना गुरु मन दीना—in the shabd (सुन शब्द तुम्हारा मेरा मन भीना)

 

 

Guru Nanak Sahib in Jap Ji Sahib says, “साचा साहिब साचा नाऊ बाख्या भाऊ अपार”,” Simran of the  True name of the True Lord should be done with utmost Love.  This is the essence of devotional love described by Guru Nanak Sahib. Soami Ji says that यह मार्ग है प्रेम भक्ति का, चलना चड़ना सुरत शब्द का// Paltu Sahib, “साहिब के दरबार में केवल भक्ति प्यार // Tulsi sahib of Hathras says , “ यह राहे मंजिल इश्क है और पहुंचना मुश्किल नहीं// मुश्किल कुशिदा है रूहबरू जिस ने तुझे पंजा दिया // All mystics endorse that  road map of Divine realization and destination of the Universal Self, is love and love alone.) At another place Guru Nanak Sahib says in Japji—गावीए सुननीये मन रखिये भाऊ—that His  remembrance  through simran/dhayan that is meditation should be done with loving mind.

The question now arises is what is love or Prem or Mohabbat. Sufis call प्रेम as Ishq (इश्क) with the Yaar (यार) , Friend—the Lord, Khuda or Allah while Indian  mystics have termed Lord as the Beloved—प्रीतम या प्यारा// It is difficult to define  love but suffice to say that it is an inherent emotion blessed by God to heart and soul of human beings. (Let heart may not be misconstrued as the physical heart- but emotional Centre of the body—where incidentally human heart beats too.

True love flows freely of its own free will, beyond realm of reason and none can force open any tap of love. There are no schools in which metaphysics of love is taught. Love can be caught but not taught. The phenomenon of love can be relatively understood in terms of mother’s love for the child—which is largely selfless. Again there are no schools where instructions of “how to love like a mother’ are given. It so happens that when a woman becomes a mother, she is instantly blessed with that love for her child.

 But love that comes and goes is a very poor manifestation of love. Kabir Sahib, the initiator of Bhakti movement in India says प्रेम प्रेम सब कोई कहे, प्रेम न जाने कोई,, आठ पहर भीना रहे प्रेम कहावे सोई// Likewise Soami Ji says in his shabd of प्रेमी सुनो प्रेम की बात that a sincere lover of the Lord remains immersed in the thought of His beloved –His Murshid or Pir or Satguru all the time-- खाते पीते चलते फिरते सोवत जागत बिसर न जात//  Guru Arjan Dev Ji says—इक घड़ी न मिलते तो कलजुग होता, हुन कद मिलये तुध प्रभ भगवंता//मोहे रेन न विहावे नींद न आवे बिन देखे गुर दरबारे जीओ//

Sufi Moinuddin Chishti says that if a forest is to be washed by sweepings it cannot be washed or scrubbed. But if fire is lit, forest is charred and nothing remains. Mind is akin to a forest which cannot be cleaned or tamed by any means except that of fire of Love or Prem or Ishq.

God is present in all entities while God is not an entity. Deception of duality creates illusion of separation from the Lord. The objective of love is to attain “oneness” with the Lord—that is the most predominant thought process in Sant mat and Sufism. The love as understood amongst physical entities is represented in duality of “I and you”. Usually we say “I love you”—if the core and crux of love is oneness, then “I and you” have no relevance in love. Both “I and you” are manifestation of ego self in which God is absent.  Unless “I and you” cease to exist— solitary intimacy of love with the divine cannot be experienced.

Baba Bulle Shah recites aloud in one of his kafi---- जद में रमज़ इश्क दी पाई, मेंना तोता मार गवाई// अंदरों बाहरो होई सफाई, जिस वल देखां यारो यार//-- the duality of you and me has vanished. In Oneness all is Divine, undivided and I behold Him from within and out.

Hazur Maharaj Ji used to explain the same concept by giving example of Heer and Ranjha--- राँझा राँझा करदी नी मैं आपे राँझा होई// सदो नी मेनू दीधो राँझा हीर न आखो कोई// मैं रांझे विच राँझा मेरे विच होर ख्याल न कोई –again one of the kafi of Baba Bulle Shah.

MIRDAD –a mystic of Lebanon –proclaims that “Love is the law of God. Love is blind but that blindness is the height of seeing”. In that blindness no fault lines, failures, shortcomings or deficiencies are seen. When beautiful scenery of a mountain is loved—broken rocks, barren boulders twisted trees, pale yellow leaves—all look perfect. Infact that blindness of love makes the scenery beautiful. Love is full of forgiveness that forgets all faults in others.

Love is a reward to oneself. Hate is a punishment to oneself. When one hates, one hates none other than oneself. Love is not a virtue, but a necessity for overcoming irrationality of life. There is no more or less in love. Love gives all and takes nothing, expects nothing.

 There are no rewards of love except that love rewards itself anyway. Love cannot be measured. There are no more or less in love—except that one feels that more one loves the less one feels intensity of love because love is infinite potentiality like God.

You Love so that you may learn to live. You live so that you may learn to Love. In Love alone one can learn to live in His will or Bhana.

Love is the harbinger of compassion, rather than passion. Compassion or दया is the very basis of religious thought. दया धर्म का मूल है // Says Guru Nanak Sahib in Japji --धौल धर्म दया का पूत that religion/righteousness rests on the horns of mythical bull of compassion. जब दया आ गई , तब क्रोध कम हो गया,लोभ कम हो गया,अहंकार कम हो गया, काम कम हो गया, मोह कम हो गया//All five perversions of the mind namely lust, anger, greed, possessiveness, ego/arrogance diminish. Love combined with compassion then keeps the fickleness of mind in check.

Love brings obedience –the virtuosity of living in His will. One can attempt to live in His will when one loves Him. Without loving it is not possible to live in His will. Says  Mirdad—“We love so that we may learn to live. We live so that we may learn to love”. What is meant by “learn to live” by loving? In love alone one can abide by His will!! And when one lives that way, Divine love is naturally bestowed!! Loving and living have to be indistinguishable in a manner that all events of life be cheerfully accepted as a gift of God with utmost gratitude. Guru Nanak Sahib–“किव सचायरा होईये किव कूड़े तुटे पाल// हुकम रजाई चलना नानक लिख्या नाल/ In these two lines Guru Nanak sahib is himself the a querist and the respondent—How can one know the Truth and cast away falsehood-- veil of illusion?? Living in His will with karmic paraphernalia as determined by His Hukam or Ordinance is the way to realize Him.  मुहब्बत से ही रब की रज़ा में राज़ी रहा जा सकता है//

Another Sufi says—

माली दा कम पानी देना भर भर मशकंआ पावे,

मालिक दा कम फल फुल लोअना लावे या न लावे 

 

Love (mohabbat) brings directional change—Love and loving brings change. Rain will wet all.  When the beloved is Lord, then mind is focused on Him always rather than the material creation.   

The riddle of “Why this creation” was conceived by the Creator is best answered through the Sufism belief that God’s purpose of this creation is to make souls “experience” love. This experience is created by projecting an “illusion of separation”—because essence of love can best be understood in “separation” from the Omni self. In the real sense there is no separation of soul from the Real self—but an illusion which looks real. Just as magic which show of mesmerism? The lyrics of a sufi Kafi are—

इस प्यार दी खतिर अर्श (sky) बने; इस प्यार दी खातिर फर्श (earth) बने//

God created sky and earth for understanding of Love

में सच कहंदा कुरान समझ//

(This statement I make by swearing on the Holy Book of Quran)

एहो प्यार रब मिला देंदे, सुते लेख नसीब जगा देंदे//

Love can make unity with God by transforming destiny

इक चाह्वन प्यार दा सोखा है, पर तोड़ निभाना औखा है//

It is easy to start the game of Love but very difficult to live through this game.

जिस दिल विच प्यार दे डेरे ने,ओह दिल तूं बस इरफ़ान (enlightened) समझ//

Heart that is smitten with love, that heart is enlightened.

जो दिल प्यार सुजान नहीं, ओह दिल तूं बस वीरान समझ//

Heart that lacks awareness of love—that heart is totally deserted.

 

Just to highlight understanding of love through separation—a metaphor can be given. For example if we live in air conditioned room for say 100 years we are not able to fully appreciate the effect of air-conditioning (at say 18 degree centigrade)—but one when goes out in hot summer of 40 degree centigrade and returns to AC room—only then real value judgement of AC can be experienced.  Likewise Lord arranged an illusion for souls of going out of domain of His love and return to Him to appreciate what Divine Love is.

 

Sufis discard ritualism which they term Shariat ; call it fake and regard Ishq-- the Love, the only potent force in devotion..  All forms of Sharia are rejected in preference to Ishq –neither sayings of Mullah/Priests, nor daily prayers, nor reading or recitation of holy books have any relevance. They feel content only in Vireh—sense of blessed separation—and hoping themselves to end themselves in Fnaa (annihilation of the self).  Mansur , Sarmad, Shamz Tibrizi , Maluna Rum are the Sufis quoted who played the game of Fnaa by abiding the will of their Yaar—Friend, God.

Tulsi Sahib endorses--

मनसूर सरमद बु-अली और शम्ज़ मौलाना हुए

पुहंचे सभी उस रह से जिस ने की दिल पुख्ता किया//

Mansoor Sarmad, Bu-Ali and Shmaz Maulana Rumi

All have reached the pinnacle of Divine realization by keeping steadfast devotion of love in their hearts.

Baba Bulle Shah narrates a dialogue between shariat and Ishq (mentioned below- see translation also) with punch in the last two lines where the incident of annihilation of Mansur –Al-Haj of Bhagdad is highlighted who was sent to Gallows for he proclaimed slogan of “Anal Haq” while in a state of Divine intoxication in unawareness.

“Anal Haq”  means that I am god which is blasphemous Shariat.    

 

शरा इश्क दा झगड़ा पे गया, दिल दा हाल सुनावां मैं

सवाल शरा दे जवाब इश्क दे , हज़रात आख सुनावां मैं //

Once an argument ensued between shariat and Ishq ; I am narrating my version from my heart

What Shariat says and what are the responses of  Ishq are given below

 

शरा कहे चल पास मुल्ला दे, सिख ले अदब अदब अदाबां नू

इश्क कहे इको हर्फ बथेरा , डप रख होर किताबां नू //

 

Shariat says go to the Maullah or clergy class to imbibe the mannerism of praying to Lord.

Ishq says only one name of the Lord is sufficient and no books are required whatsoever.

शरा कहे कर पंज इश्नानी और मंदिर की पूजा रे

इश्क कहे तेरी पूजा झूठी जे बन बेठा दूजा रे //

Shariat says perform all rituals of saying namaz or doing worship in a temple

Ishq says all form of worship is fake because thee worship not the God but what is not God.

 

शरा कहे चल मस्जिद विच , हक नमाज़ अदा कर ले

इश्क कहे चल महखाने विच, पी के शराब न्फ्ल पड़ ले //

Shariat says proceed to masjid and perform Namaz of the truth

Ishq says proceed to  wine shop and drink the elixir of Divine by reading real Namaz.

 

शरा कहे कुछ शर्म ह्या कर, बंद कर इस लिशकारे नू

इश्क कहे क्यों गूंघट करना, खुल्न दे नजारे नू //

Shariat says  have some modesty  and shyness; don’t brag

Ishq says why should I veil my valor , let it be a spectacle for all to see//

 

शरा कहे शाह मनसूर नू, असी फांसी उत्ते लाया सी

इश्क कहे तुस्सी चंगा कीता, बूहे यार दे वड्या सी //

Shariat says I sent Mansoor to gallows

Ishq says ‘Well done” He alone was received with full reverence by God.

 

How is this love blessed? By a perfect Master, Guru, Pir-O-Murshid to his disciple, seeker, murid.  Murid and Murshid are bound by an eternal contract of timelessness. None can renege from this bond at discretion or sweet will. Yes, this bond takes place when Murshid and murid are both in physical bodies ---but thereafter it is perpetual till both of them are dissolved in God. It is neither a written or registered contract but of love and faith to which Baba Ji used to call preet and perteet  प्रीत और प्रतीत  through which murid abides by the guidance and instructions of the Murshid with love and fear भाऊ और भय. Fear is the fear of offending the beloved and nothing else, that too sprouts from love—which means that murid feels the presence of the Beloved Master all the time—even He may not be physically seen and felt. खुदा का खोफ खुदा से मुहब्बत के शोक की निशानी है//

Love is triggered by the Darshan of the Master and through meditation. Guru Arjan dev ji says

गुरु सुंदर मोहन पाए करे हर प्रेम बानी मन मारया

मेरे हिर्दय सुध बुध बिसर गई मन आसा चिंत विसारया

मैं अंतर बेदन प्रेम की गुरु देखत मन सधारया

वडभागी  प्रभ आये मिल जन नानक खिन खिन वारया//

(When I met my beautiful guru in shabd form, my mind became unaware of the self and no desire or hope survived. My inner pain of separation was relieved by the vision of the guru. Oh Lord awaken my destiny and meet me. Each and every moment I am sacrifice to you.)

 

Meditation is love and love is meditation for the murid, as Murshid or Satguru is Love personified. Guru Nanak concept of divine realization is based upon “ eko satguru prsad” एको सतगुर प्रसाद –that Divine can be realized by the grace of the सतगुरु . And what is to be understood by Satguru? Satguru is the perfection or Word made flesh, the Truth incarnated while the disciple is imperfection in human form, a seeker of perfection. If imperfection is attempting to perfect itself, then it must understand what is perfection is!! Imperfection has to merge in perfection to become perfect. That is what the love does. That is what loving meditation does. जहाँ आसा तहां वासा—one goes where one is attached to   

 

 Kabir sahib says

यह सतगुर उपदेश है जो मानो परतीत

कर्म भरम को छोड़ के चले सो भव जल जीत

सतगुर तो सत भाव है जो अस भेद बताई//

धन्य शिश  त भाग ता, जो ऐसी सुध आयी

जन कबीर बंधन करे निस दिन कीजे सेव

वार पार का गम नहीं नमो नमो गुरदेव//

(Satguru is manifestation of true love –declares Kabir. And the one who realizes this fact is blessed. With humility and folded hands Kabir says that sewa or meditative concentration be done by the disciple on his Master to get rid of cycle of transmigration.)  

 

And who gets to meet the Satguru—when God in his compassion and mercy wishes to pull out a soul from mire of misery of “come and go”, an arrangement is made  by which a Master redeems soul by meeting Him in flesh and blessing the seeker with Nam.

तरस पया मैं रहमत होई सतगुर सज्जन मिलया,

नानक नाम मिला ता जीवां तन मन थीवे हरया//--GURU ARJAN DEV JI

At another place  

नानक सतगुरु तिने मिलाया जिना धुरा पया संजोग//

At another place

ज्ञान ध्यान कुछ कर्म न जाना सार न जाना तेरी

सब तों वड्डा सतगुरु जिन कल राखी मेरी

 

VIREH

 

Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi  states that unless one is fired by a passionate yearning (Vireh) or तड़प for the Divinity, mystic  path cannot be traversed.  Only the soul that is burning with intense (inner) craving can complete this journey.

What is that passionate yearning or Vireh?? When the yearning for the beloved Master and the Lord ascends above a threshold of tolerance; when the only thought survives is that of Murshid; when the heart aches to have his vision; when one feels shackled in the mind and body, then Vireh is blessed-- that may be termed sadness of longing in love. It is not denial of love, neither a frustration in love. It is infact silent pull of heart to meet its beloved irrespective of response from the beloved. Vireh is a state of unqualified and undiminished submission in love.

In mysticism it is the helplessness of the disciple to effectively communicate the intensity of feelings of his physical separation from the Master. Spiritually the Master and the devotee never suffer separation. Both are in each other all the time. They are neither apart, nor do they meet. It is Oneness all the time. Vireh is a state beyond the realm of love.

The mood in Vireh is of calm desperation, oblivion of time and space, self-absorption, totality of material and mental detachment. There could be tears or smile; both convey the excitement of expectation of a glimpse of the Master. It is that inexpressible void of spirituality where perhaps both Master and the Lord are envious of the devotee. But such a feeling is a gift of the Master to the disciple and he humbly acknowledges with gratitude this sense of surrender to Him.

Can you imagine a cocktail of joys and sorrows, of pain and pleasure, of unity and illusion of duality, of deep devotion and emptiness, of love and remorse, of inner bliss and nothingness? This is the game in which you lose all to win, and if you win you are no more. A perpetual loser can only experience Vireh.

 

WHEN Jesus pronounced “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”, He was alluding to deep mystical experience of those suffering pain of separation from the Beloved (Lord). In eastern mysticism Sufi Sheikh Farid (1188-1280 AD) defines Vireh as “Vireh tu Sultan” as follows 

बिरह बिरहा आखिए बिरहा तू सुल्तान

फरीदा जित तन बिरह ना उपजे सो तन जान मसान

“Vireh—you are the feeling of Supremacy of Love,The bravest of the brave. Body devoid of Vireh is shadow of grave.” At another place sheikh Farid says

 काली कोयल तू कित गुण काली ,अपने प्रीतम के बिरहे जाली

Oh black bird what has turned you black? Burnt I am in separation of my beloved.

At another place, Farid Sahib gives a call to a crow to notch and munch his entire corpse (when dead) save the eyes, so that, his hope of seeing beloved survives. 

Another anecdote of intensity of Vireh--- a lover was waiting for his beloved in a depleted hut for umpteen years. One night the beloved appears in pitch darkness and lover is unable to sight him. The lover blazes alight with matchstick his hut—his only prized possession-- for visibility of Object of his adoration. The beloved departs after giving a momentary glance to the lover. All is lost in unawareness, for the Beloved. In fact what is lost was never ours. So there is no loss whatsoever. Yet all is gained spiritually.

GURU ARJAN DEV writes

 

मेरा मन लोचे गुरु दर्शन ताईं, बिल्प करे चात्रिक की निआयीं

त्रिखा न उतरे सांत न आवे बिन दरसन संत दरबारे जिओ

My minds yearns for the blessed vision of my satguru and it is crying like thirsty song bird; my agony does not end till I get a blessed vision of beloved saint.

 

Saint Ravidas says in a state of bireh in Guru Granth Sahib page 694

 

बहुत जन्म बिछरे थे माधो एह जन्म तुमाहरे लेखे

कह रविदास आस लग जीवो, चिर भयो दर्शन देखे //

 

For eons/many births have I suffered separation from you Oh, Lord, I dedicate  this lifetime in your service. I live with the only hope that You may bless  me with Thy vision.

 

Gulam FARID writes about this type of vireh—

इश्क अनोख्ड़ी पीड सौ सौ सूल अंदर दे

नैन व्हावन नीर अलड़े जख्म जिगर दे

तांग अव्लड़ी सांग कुल्लड़ी जिंदडी क्ल्ड़ी बिरहों ज्ल्ड़ी

तन मन विच मरे तीर यार हुनर दे

इश्क अनोख्ड़ी पीड सौ सौ सूल अंदर दे

यार फरीद ने पया मुथाड़ा लाया दर्द दिलां दा जेह्ड़ा

नी सड़ गया सीस सरीर वे असी दाग कबर दे

 

मिल मेरे प्रीतमा जीयो में तुझ बिन खड़ी निमानी

में नेनन नींद न आवे जीयो भावे अन्न न पानी

पानी अन्न न भावे मरिये हावे पिर बिन क्यों सुख पावे

गुर आगे करों बिनंती जे गुर भावे जीयो, जिन्वे मिले तिन्वे मिलावे

आप मेल लाये सुख दाता आप मिले घर आवे

नानक कमान सदा सुहागन न पिर मरे न जावे

 

 

FNAA AND BAQA

The only veil that seeker has from the Lord is the existence of the self. When in state of divine intoxication that veil is removed then there is no pardah/veil and state of oneness with Lord is attained, called baqa-in Sufism. Hazur used to explain that “apni hasti nu nasto na bud ker do”. Fnaa thus means removal of the curtain of self to be one with  Lord. Mansur Al Haj proclaimed “Anal Haq”--I am the Truth-- and thus deleted himself from the temporal world to attain baqa—state of oneness with The Lord.

This act of Fnaa was performed by Jesus, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Guru Tegh Bahadur and many unknown mystics by annihilating the self or obliteration of the self –though on this planet earth they seemed to be tortured /killed/ hanged.  

It is not necessary to presume that they must die unnatural death. The state of self/bodily unawareness of the self  is also Fnaa –where they attain totality of awareness.

 

Baqa is a state beyond Fnaa when a murshid is fully conscious of the Lord and also the Creation without being attached to the creation. An understanding of Fnaa and Baqa is given below

 

Fnaa is a state of consciousness in which personal (ego) features are eclipsed by an awareness of the totality of reality (""God").

 

 Baqa would be a ongoing experience from God’s perspective or totality "level" of consciousness.

 

Fnaa: 100% connected to Allah while being 100% disconnected from creation.

Baqa: 100% connected to Allah while being 100% connected to creation. 

Baqa is a higher state. It means the creation does not distract you from Allah.

 

Before baqa there are two intermediate stages ---Fnaa-fi-Sheikh—that merging in the master and then Fnaa-fi-Allah—that is merging in the Lord which occur simultaneously