Naam : what it is
Question has been asked what is meant by ‘Naam’ in one of the Khalsa discussion group. What I understand I share with you.
Language is utilitarian. It has words only for entities that are real or abstract that are talked about in a specific group of people - commoners or specialists of one country or another or some community in some part of this planet. The word is an arbitrary verbal sound which is agreed to have some specific meaning with that group of people. This gives a word certain content. This way all words limit the entity that one is talking about by using the specific verbal sound. This is the limitation of language.
How can one refer to the ‘Absolute’ within which the entire creation is and which itself is limitless. Can there be a word for this ‘Absolute’. Yet we as human being need some word which means this ‘Absolute’. Such problems exist in science also. We use the term infinity in Mathematics; can any one figure out what infinity is; it is a concept which conveys that it is a number beyond our grasping ability. We all know the outer space is boundless; it has no boundaries; it is endless. Can any one imagine what a limitless space can be; this too is a concept beyond our comprehension.
‘Absolute’ is also beyond our mental abilities. Any specific name we give to this ‘Absolute’ from our dictionary, it immediately limits this unlimited because any word has defined meaning and thus has content; it immediately distorts my limited understanding of ‘The Sat’.
As scientists and philosophers have coined words that give meaning to a concept viz. infinity, outer space etc; so have Guru Sahib give us a word ‘Naam’ which conceptualize ‘The Sat’ for us.
See the vision and beauty of Guru Sahib’s conceptualization. The word ‘Naam’ means name. This word does not contain ‘The Sat’ in any way as it devoid of any physical meaning yet the entire creation, every entity of it is contained in it. This is because all the entities have some appellation; the generic word for all of them is name i.e. ‘Naam’. This as ‘The Sat’ is the source of all that constitute creation; ‘Naam’ is generic words for all appellations. Hence is logical and correct to use the word ‘Naam’ for ‘The Sat’. This is what Guru Sahib has done.
‘Naam’ is a concept which helps us to perceive the unperceivable in a limited way, to the extent our human faculties allow. This concept which Guru Sahibs have given to their Sikhs has to be lived through by them in their lives. We have to become imbued with ‘Naam’. It means the being of Sikhs should reflect ‘The Sat’. It means we have to become intrinsically like ‘The Sat’ to the extent human can. I elaborate: ‘The Sat’ is selfless, so the Sikhs should shed ‘Ahamkara’ and selfishness. ‘The Sat’ is self-existent, so the Sikhs should become self-sufficient, in other words they should live within their means. ‘The Sat’ is sustaining the entire creation, so the Sikhs should fully support themselves and their family and to the extent they can the creation of ‘The Sat’. ‘The Sat’ never wastes (you can see this in nature when you study the food chain of various species), so the Sikhs should be useful and thrifty. “The Sat’ never show-off the powers, so ‘The Sikhs should be humble. ‘The Sat’ supports evolution (as evident from evolution of higher and higher forms of lives over a long period of time), so the Sikhs should be creative …………. When the Sikh is imbued with ‘Naam’ i.e. the being of the Sikh is soaked with the ‘Sat-like’ attributes (as explained above), the Sikh is living with ‘Naam’; she or he is resonating with ‘The Sat’; she or he is experiencing Anhat Naad i.e. Un-struck sound.
Source: Post of s AmarPal ji [what is naam, on sikhphilosphy.net.]
