Sikh religion is the youngest and latest among all organized religions. The scriptures of earlier religions give the impression that God abides in some remote or high places and communication with Him is restricted to only a few. Also it is believed that knowledge about God is restricted only to a selected few. In Hindu belief only the Brahmin can know about God. The Old Testament shows God talking only to Adam in the Garden of Eden, to Abraham or Noah at unspecified places and to Moses on Mount Sinai. The New Testament mentions Him as Jesus’ father in in heaven and no one goes to God except throgh Jasus. According to Muslim belief God talked to Mohammad through the angel Gabriel on Mount Hira in Arabia. This shows that only these spiritually exalted persons were able to communicate with God. In contrast according to the Ssi Guru Granth Sahib, God transcends both time and space. He is all pervasive, not as a person but as Spirit, ever present in every one and every thing that exists any where. Communication with God is through the inner self; there is no time or place fixed for this. All existence bears His stamp. Guru Nanak says:

ਜੇਤਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਤੇਤਾ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋ ਥਾਉ ॥ ੧ ੪
All creation bears the Creator’s Name; there is no place without the Name (SGGS, p 4).

Understanding that the Creator abides in all creatures enables direct communication between the Creator and every creature, within the mind. For this they do not have to go to mountains or pilgrimages. Among all the life forms the humans have been granted the highest intellect. Human birth is attained after going through many other life forms and is an opportunity for the soul to reunite with the source, the Creator.

Here is a sample of conversation between the Creator and the seeking soul longing to unite. The soul prays:
ਅਨਿਕ ਜਨਮ ਬਹੁ ਜੋਨੀ ਭ੍ਰਮਿਆ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਤੁਮਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਤੇ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਦੇਹ ਪਾਈ ਹੈ ਦੇਹੁ ਦਰਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ੫ ੨੦੭
I have been through many births suffering great pain of wandering in numerous life forms; with your grace I have been given human form, pray grant me the vision of You (M: 5, SGGS, p 207).

The Creator advises the soul how it can be with Him:
ਪਹਿਲਾ ਮਰਣੁ ਕਬੂਲਿ ਜੀਵਣ ਕੀ ਛਡਿ ਆਸ ॥ ਹੋਹੁ ਸਭਨਾ ਕੀ ਰੇਣੁਕਾ ਤਉ ਆਉ ਹਮਾਰੈ ਪਾਸਿ ॥੧॥ ੫ ੧੧੦੨
First accept death and give up aspiration for life; be the dust of the feet of all and then come to Me (SGGS, p 1102).

Thus God tells us that in order to be able to meet Him we need to kill our ego, stop asserting ourselves and be humble. This is acceptable to the yearning soul who says:
ਮਰਣੈ ਕੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਨਹੀ ਜੀਵਣ ਕੀ ਨਹੀ ਆਸ ॥ ਤੂ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲਹੀ ਲੇਖੈ ਸਾਸ ਗਿਰਾਸ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਤੂ ਵਸਹਿ ਜਿਉ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਉ ਨਿਰਜਾਸਿ ॥੧॥ ੧ ੨੦
I am not worried about death and wish not for life; You have already allotted me the life-span and food; (I am confident that) You will take care of me; You abide in every one and manifest through the Guru’s word; whatever pleases You is just (M: 1, SGGS, p 20).

The soul is further advised that if he wants a lasting relationship it should not look elsewhere:
ਆਪੁ ਸਵਾਰਹਿ ਮੈ ਮਿਲਹਿ ਮੈ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਫਰੀਦਾ ਜੇ ਤੂ ਮੇਰਾ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਹਿ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੯੫॥ ਫ ੧੩੮੨
If you reform yourself you will meet me and find comfort: If you be mine the whole world will be yours (Farid, SGGS, p 1382).

The soul accepts the advice, acts on it and says:
ਇਨ ਲੋਗਨ ਸਿਉ ਹਮ ਭਏ ਬੈਰਾਈ ॥ ਏਕ ਗ੍ਰਿਹ ਮਹਿ ਦੁਇ ਨ ਖਟਾਂਈ ॥ ਆਏ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਪਹਿ ਅੰਚਰਿ ਲਾਗਿ ॥ ਕਰਹੁ ਤਪਾਵਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਰਬਾਗਿ ॥੭॥
I have given uo all vices and they are now strangers to me; (I realize that) both evil and Divine cannot coexist in the mind; I have come to the Lord tagging on to the Guru; O Lord You are omniscient pray decide (if I am acceptable).

God blesses the soul:
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਹਸਿ ਬੋਲੇ ਕੀਏ ਨਿਆਂਏਂ ॥ ਸਗਲ ਦੂਤ ਮੇਰੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਲਾਏ ॥ ਤੂੰ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਇਹੁ ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰਾ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਆ ਨਿਬੇਰਾ ॥੮॥੧॥ ੫ ੧੩੪੭
The Lord smiled and said He had taken the decision; “all vice will now be in your control; you are the master and this body is your dominion”. The Guru has resolved this for me in my mind (M: 5, SGGS, p 1347).

The soul acknowledges Divine grace and addresses the Master thus:

ਜਬ ਹਮ ਹੋਤੇ ਤਬ ਤੁਮ ਨਾਹੀ ਅਬ ਤੁਮ ਹਹੁ ਹਮ ਨਾਹੀ ॥ ਅਬ ਹਮ ਤੁਮ ਏਕ ਭਏ ਹਹਿ ਏਕੈ ਦੇਖਤ ਮਨੁ ਪਤੀਆਹੀ ॥ ਕ ੩੩੯
When I identified myself with my ego, You were not there in my mind O Lord; now that my ego has been extinguished it is only You and not me any more; You and I have now become one and seeing this unity the mind is contented (Kabir, SGGS, p 339).

The soul now resolves that in order to be the permanent recipient of Grace it will never to get caught in ego again. That is the spirit of
one who dies in order to meet the Creator; he dies while still alive. He belongs to the category of the living dead; those who have killed their egos:
ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਣੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥੮॥੩॥ ੧ ੧੩੪੩
One who kills his ego, know him as living dead; with Divine grace such a person understands what grace is (SGGS, p 1343).

This is the profound relationship between the Creator and man taught by SGGS, the eternal Guru.