There has been much discussion about whether the Guru Granth is to be taken literally or metaphorically. I have tried to answer that question in "Break on Through to the Other Side." I believe that I have shown that the language of the Guru Granth is written totally in metaphor.

What I want to do in this article is discuss two of the most misunderstood metaphors, Amrit and Ishnaan.

Everything in Sikhi is Transcendental, it's all in the mind, and what most people believe, is grounded in Maya. Somewhere along the line, what was symbolic became real and what was real became symbolic. To quote Tsao Hsueh-chin who said: "When the unreal is taken for the real, the real becomes unreal." It's as if Sikhi has been hijacked by the people who most do not understand their path. Guru Arjan warned us about this many years ago but we have not heeded his warnings. The farther away we get from the Guru's teachings the more we will stray.

"Aasaa, Fifth Mehl: They give you donations and worship you. You take from them, and then deny that they have given anything to you. That door, through which you must ultimately go, O Brahmin - at that door, you will come to regret and repent. 1 Such Brahmins shall drown, O Siblings of Destiny; they think of doing evil to the innocent. 1Pause Within them is greed, and they wander around like mad dogs. They slander others and carry loads of sin upon their heads. Intoxicated by Maya, they do not think of the Lord. Deluded by doubt, they wander off on many paths. 2 Outwardly, they wear various religious robes, but within, they are enveloped by poison. They instruct others, but do not understand themselves. Such Brahmins will never be emancipated. 3 O foolish Brahmin, reflect upon God. He watches and hears, and is always with you. Says Nanak, if this is your destiny, renounce your pride, and grasp the Guru's Feet. 48" Guru Arjan, page 372

This confusion of what it transcendental and what is real can best be seen in the misunderstanding of the use of metaphor in the language of the Guru Granth.

When you take the two metaphors, Amrit and Ishnaan, and combine them into a Ceremony (Khande di Pahul,) as did Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, the result is a "Living Metaphor." Because it is a Metaphor unto itself.

The first aspect of this Ceremony is Amrit. This ceremonial Amrit is made up of water, the essence of life, Shabad, the word of Truth, and sugar, the sweetness of the Truth. These are all stirred together with a Khanda, to add strength, producing a symbolic Amrit, a metaphor for the ambrosial nectar of the Truth.

But what really is Amrit?

Many people believe that the water in the Sarovar at Harmandir Sahib or the water used in Khande di Pahul, is Amrit. But Amrit is "the Ambrosial Nectar of the Truth." What do the Guru's have to say about what Amrit is:

"The more the Lord and Master dwells within the mind, the more the Gurmukh drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar. " Guru Nanak page 20

The important words here are "within the mind." Sometimes the word Sarovar is defined as the "Pool of Amrit." Because Khande di Pahul is referred to as the "Amrit Ceremony," there is confusion about what Amrit is.

The following quotation from Guru Arjan is used to support the misconception that the water at Harmandir Sahib is Amrit.

"Bathing in the nectar tank of Ramdas, the residues of all sins are erased One becomes immaculately pure taking the cleansing bath, The Perfect Guru has bestowed this gift. …. In the Sadh Sangat, the company of the holy, filth is washed off" Guru Arjan page 625

But he also wrote:

"One who bathes in the healing pool of the Saints, that humble being obtains the supreme status." Guru Arjan page 623

Is Guru Arjan referring to the Sarovar as Amrit or is he referring to Amrit as "the healing pool of the Saints?"

Ishwinder Singh wrote in the 'Sikh Spectrum:' "Thus ‘Ram Das sarovar ’ refers to the assembly of devotees (Das) of the Almighty (Ram) and not to the sarovar constructed by Guru Ram Das. This should not be surprising because Guru Arjun has himself used the word sarovar at other places to denote the company of holy people."

The second aspect of this Ceremony is Ishnaan.

Because of this misunderstanding of Amrit, there is also a misunderstanding of what Ishnaan is.

Most people believe that Ishnaan is physically taking a dip or taking a bath. But this is not true. How can you take a dip in something that is ethereal, Amrit?

Ishnaan is a mental state where you feel that your Tenth Gate has been opened and within your brain you are taking a bath in the Ambrosial Nectar:

"Let your mind be intoxicated with the stream of Ambrosial Nectar which trickles down from the furnace of the Tenth Gate.1" Bhagat Kabir page 1123

Your eyes tear:

"Those who continually chant the Ambrosial Words of Nectar see and behold this Amrit everywhere with their eyes." Guru Amar Das page 118

And you can taste the Amrit:

"The True Guru has blessed me with the Lord's Name, and I have tasted the Ambrosial Nectar." Guru Arjan page 523

These last three quotes are the basis for Khande di Pahul. It is an initiation into the true meanings of Amrit and Ishnaan, thus resulting in a ceremony that was intended by Guru Gobind Singh to be a "Living Metaphor." This is also the point where the difference between ceremony and ritual is most striking. If you see Khande di Pahul as this "Living Metaphor," then you see it as a ceremony. However, if you see Khande di Pahul as something magical or mystical, such as: transforming you into Khalsa or even a Sikh, or making you face death, or erasing your karma, then you have missed the meaning and you have nothing more than an empty ritual.

For those of us that have taken Khande di Pahul, how many of us have had this understanding. I know that when I took Khande di Pahul, I didn't and I doubt that many others understood this "Living Metaphor" either.