Gurgaddi, the Throne of the Guru, is the hot plate, meaning, it is Self-Sacrifice. Without Self-Sacrifice, the Guru is not the Guru.
Sacrificing yourself for the right things, for the right principles. This is what leads to Greatness.
“Guru Arjun Dev ji sits on the throne, the Guru’s canopy shines above his head.” – Guru Granth Sahib, 969
The Mughals lit a fire under Guru ji and made him sit on the hot plate.
On Guru ji’s head and body, they poured hot sand.
The Mughal Emperor Jahangir ordered that Guru ji convert to his religion.
Guru ji refused and so they tortured him.
Guru ji forgave them and sat on the hot plate, as if it were his throne, as if the hot sand was the shade of his canopy.
This idea filled my eyes with tears.
When I contemplated the torture of Guru Sahib, I could not imagine the amount of pain he must have felt.
When I contemplated how Guru ji dealt with it, I felt overwhelmed by a cascade of emotions.
I realized that the Throne of the Guru, is the hot plate, meaning, it is Self-Sacrifice. Without Self-Sacrifice, the Guru is not the Guru.
Sacrificing yourself for the right things, for the right principles. This is what leads to Greatness.
This is the insight that emerged when this shabad intermingled with this painting.
My painting cannot capture the entirety of the scene, and it cannot even capture what I saw and felt. However I have tried my best to depict that moment when Guru ji, the King of Kings, sat on the hotplate as if it were his throne.
