Gurbani To Combat Anxiety/Stress

Greetings

I experience intense feelings of anxiety and stress in my life (like everyone else probably), and was wondering if anyone can recommend a soothing sentence of Gurbani that I could employ as a mantra to increase my level of calm. I would like English translation and transliteration if possible please.

I’m not looking for a magic mantra (*spew *), I’d just like to put a Sikh spin on a common calmness technique which is mantra. After all, why not take every opportunity to remember Waheguru? It’s got to be better than “Goosefabaaa”, the chant from the Anger Management movie (teehee)!

My goal of course is to minimise my levels of anxiety by going with the flow of Hukam and remaining in Chardi Kala, but I’m not there yet and sometimes I need a little help.

Thank you for any ideas!

Sat Sri Akaaaal!

Ishna

re: Gurbani to Combat Anxiety/Stress

Each line of GURBANI in the SGGS is a stress reliever and giver of inner peace...DHUR KI BANI AYEE TIN SAGLEE CHINT MITAYEE..meaning the BANI comes form the CREATOR and it DISPELLS all fears and worries..is a shabad by Guru Arjun Ji Sahib..penned when a serious epidemic of small pox broke out in the Majha Districts of Punjab and Guur Ji took his wife and infant son Hargobind along on a "Parchaar Tour" of the region bestowing calm on a terrified populace, doing missionary work, helping with medicines etc etc. Hargobind also was struck down by the disease and when he recovered Guru Ji penned ashabad THANKING the CREATOR for His Mercy for restoring good helath to Hargobind...and this being Gurbani is meant for all who recovered at that time and also to console those who inevitably didnt recover !! ( At that time...and even NOW..people beleive that Small pox is caused by a curse of the Small pox DEVI Mata (that is why this disease is called MATA )..and Guru ji dispelled this notion as well.

For me Personally the MOOL MANTAR is the BEST for all ocassions..happiness..stresss..anger...sadness..despair...I REPEAT the Mool Mantra and peace is always there in a few moments...

Peace and stress free..
Jarnail Singhwelcomekaur

re: Gurbani to Combat Anxiety/Stress

Sat Sri Akaal

I like to do word searches at this Sri Granth Sahib: http://www.srigranth.org

I went there and searched the word fear. Here are a few short verses that are about decreasing fear (worry, anxiety).

- O Destroyer of Fear, this is Your Ceremony of Light.
- O mind, meeting with the True One, fear departs.
- I serve the Guru, the Transcendent Lord, the Dispeller of fear; my suffering has been taken away. ||3||
- Suffering, agony and fear do not cling to one whose heart is filled with the GurMantra.

The word fear got 844 results! As a person who also experiences a lot of anxiety and worry, I am going to challenge myself to read all of them. I'm also going to search words like worry and anxiety.

Jasnoor

re: Gurbani to Combat Anxiety/Stress

What a good idea Jasnoor! I'll meet your challenge and post any shabads I find particularly touching to me.

Ishna

In the Context of Gurbani..BHAEAH..* loosely translated a "fear" is actually a variation of BHAO..."LOVE"....

Toordinary humans, especially those coming form a Western Background, christiabased education/environment, or Islamic semitic based religious environment....FEAR ...is FEAR...of Hell..Fires and Brimstones..Satans devils demons burning and torturing souls in boiling cauldrons etc etc...FEAR of God's PUNISHMENTs Plagues sent as in stated in the Bible....striking down entire cities, turning people like soddom and gommorah into stone etc etc...

IN GURBANI..the CREATOR has NO SUCH CONNOTATION....the SIKH "LOVES" Him and "fears" HIM in such a LOVING WAY as a good son would LOVE his dad and "fear" disobeying Him or hurting him in even the tiniest way by doing soemthimg that shoudlnt be done..... The Gurnai concept of "fear" is thus a Variation of LOVE...and NOT the Burning hells and Brimstones raining down form a FURIOUS GOD hell bent on destroying an ENTIRE CITY just for the sins of a FEW...

These POINTS vis a vis GURBANI and its CONTEXT must eb kept in MIND when doing ...."word" searches...Translations done by various persons....it all DEPENDS on the Translators Background/upbringing...the FARIDKOTEE TRANSLATION was doen by perosns deeply steeped in the Nirmala/hinduism/sanatan based environment... they translate GURBANI in SAFFRON COLOURS....they see the "vedas..simrtees..hinduism..brahminism..panditism..long before they see GURMATT. To them the SGGS was just an extension fo the VEDAS !!
Similarly a person educated in the Modern Context...would eb influenced by hsi own educationa dn vlaues imparted by a Western based education..just see how Manmohan Singh who couldnt get away from using archaic ENGLISH WORDS like THEE THOU etc....instead of MODERN ENGLISH. YOU, YOURS, etc .becasue he was of the opinion that because the SGGS is a RELIGIOUS TEXT..so its ENGLISH has to be BIBLICAL ENGLISH !!...even when the Bible itself was laready being published in Modern English !!

Ang 713 http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=713&g=1&h=0&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0

ਟੋਡੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
Todī mėhlā 5.
Todee, Fifth Mehl:

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਆਇਓ ਸਰਣਿ ਤੁਹਾਰੀ ॥
Saṯgur ā▫i▫o saraṇ ṯuhārī.
O True Guru, I have come to Your Sanctuary.

ਮਿਲੈ ਸੂਖੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਸੋਭਾ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਲਾਹਿ ਹਮਾਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Milai sūkẖ nām har sobẖā cẖinṯā lāhi hamārī. ||1|| rahā▫o.
Grant me the peace and glory of the Lord's Name, and remove my anxiety. ||1||Pause||

ਅਵਰ ਨ ਸੂਝੈ ਦੂਜੀ ਠਾਹਰ ਹਾਰਿ ਪਰਿਓ ਤਉ ਦੁਆਰੀ ॥
Avar na sūjẖai ḏūjī ṯẖāhar hār pari▫o ṯa▫o ḏu▫ārī.
I cannot see any other place of shelter; I have grown weary, and collapsed at Your door.

ਲੇਖਾ ਛੋਡਿ ਅਲੇਖੈ ਛੂਟਹ ਹਮ ਨਿਰਗੁਨ ਲੇਹੁ ਉਬਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
Lekẖā cẖẖod alekẖai cẖẖūtah ham nirgun leho ubārī. ||1||
Please ignore my account; only then may I be saved. I am worthless - please, save me! ||1||

ਸਦ ਬਖਸਿੰਦੁ ਸਦਾ ਮਿਹਰਵਾਨਾ ਸਭਨਾ ਦੇਇ ਅਧਾਰੀ ॥
Saḏ bakẖsinḏ saḏā miharvānā sabẖnā ḏe▫e aḏẖārī.
You are always forgiving, and always merciful; You give support to all.

ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਸੰਤ ਪਾਛੈ ਪਰਿਓ ਰਾਖਿ ਲੇਹੁ ਇਹ ਬਾਰੀ ॥੨॥੪॥੯॥
Nānak ḏās sanṯ pācẖẖai pari▫o rākẖ leho ih bārī. ||2||4||9||
Slave Nanak follows the Path of the Saints; save him, O Lord, this time. ||2||4||9||