NAAM – SIMRAN and failure
It is like chasing the wind, nothing materializes but the race goes on, isn’t it very strange that after liking it, dreaming it, the effort of Naam-Simran still doesn’t bring the stillness of mind as it is meant for? Isn’t it necessary to understand the reason behind this failure as it is described in Gurbani? Let’s look over it seriously. First, let us understand what is meant by Naam as per Gurbani.
To make it very simple, as per Gurbani, NAAM means the Creator
ਮਿਲੁ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਭਜੁ ਕੇਵਲਨਾਮ॥੧॥( SGGS 12)Mil sāḏẖsangaṯ bẖaj keval nām. ||1||
Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; meditate on Name, the Lord. |
ਲਿਖੁਨਾਮੁ ਸਾਲਾਹ ਲਿਖੁ ਲਿਖੁ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰੁ ॥੧॥
Likẖ nām sālāh likẖ likẖ anṯ na pārāvār. ||1||
Write the Praises of the Naam, the Name of the Lord; write over and over again that He has no end or limitation. ||1||
(ਮਃ 1 SGGS 16)
ਨਾਮੁਜਪਤਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੇ ਬੀਚਾਰੇ॥
Nām japaṯ nām riḏe bīcẖāre.
Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and contemplating the Naam within our hearts,
(ਮਃ 5 SGGS 202)
. Many names are attributed to the NAAM
.(ਤੇਰੇਨਾਮ ਅਨੇਕਕੀਮਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈ ॥ (SGGS 1067)
Ŧere nām anek kīmaṯ nahī pā▫ī.
Your Names are countless; your value cannot be estimated (Here it is expressed how with different names, Naam, the Lord, is addressed but still He is inexpressible).
So let’s move on to “Naam Japna” and “Naam Simran”, in Gurbani, Naam Simran or Naam Japna” is considered above all religious deeds.
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਾ ਸਿਮਰਨੁ ਸਭ ਤੇ ਊਚਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਉਧਰੇ ਮੂਚਾ ॥(SGGS 263)
Lord's meditation is the most exalted of all. Through Master's meditation many have been saved.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਪਾਵਹੁ ਸੂਖ ਘਨੇਰੇ ॥੧॥
O my soul, through the Guru, utter the Name of God. O Nanak thus shalt thou have many comforts. (SGGS 264)
So what is literally Naam japna ?, how it can be done and how He can be realized? How Naam can be achieved? A lot of scholars have tried to define it; the more they define the more difficult it becomes to comprehend its concept for a layman. Is it just reciting His Name? If just reciting is enough then how come Brahmins were questioned by Guru Nanak as they would recite “mantras” like parrots? Certainly it is more than that. Do you remember Guru Vaak that says clearly that by merely saying His name, HE is not obtained? Here it is
” ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਕਹਿਐ ਰਾਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Rām rām sabẖ ko kahai kahi▫ai rām na ho▫e.
Everyone says the Lord's Name, Raam, Raam; but by merely saying, the Lord is not obtained.
ਮਃ 3 SGGS 491)
This has been my struggle for a while. Every time I studied Gurbani, I kept looking for an answer to this puzzling question. I knew it would be there. Once I came across a Guru Vaak in context of “bowing”, surprisingly Guru has given a new meaning to it, have a look at that Guru Vaak
ਤੁਧਨੋ ਨਿਵਣੁਮੰਨਣੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
Ŧuḏẖno nivaṇ manaṇṯerā nā▫o.
To place one's faith in Your Name Lord, is true obeisance.
ਮਃ 1 SGGS 878)
The stress is again on “faith”. As by merely reciting Lord’s name is not enough, by merely saying “I believe in Him” is not enough either. Believing in HIM is total surrender to His ordinance. Other than that “ I believe in Him “ is a self deception
ਜਪੁ ਤਪੁ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਮੰਨਿਐ ਅਵਰਿ ਕਾਰਾ ਸਭਿ ਬਾਦਿ ॥
Jap ṯap sabẖ kicẖẖ mani▫ai avar kārā sabẖ bāḏ.
Meditation, austerity and everything come through belief in the Lord's Name. All other actions are useless.
ਨਾਨਕ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਮੰਨੀਐ ਬੁਝੀਐ ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦਿ ॥੨॥ (SGGS 954)
Nānak mani▫ā mannī▫ai bujẖī▫ai gur parsāḏ. ||2||
O Nanak, believe in the One who is worth believing in. By Guru's Grace, he is realized. ||2||( Here Tr. Is not accurate, mania=believing in, manniai= accepted, bujhi ai= realization, it means, ‘Nanak says when He is believed truly by some one, with the grace of Guru one is accepted and realizes the Lord”)
Now here it is clearer interpretation, the act of being accepted and realization of Lord also comes with grace of Guru to understand HIM, to know HIM otherwise we just say that we believe in HIM but literally we don’t. So believing starts the real journey with a ticket, the otherwise there is just sheer talk. Sorry to say so but it is true. We say His Name everyday but come back to the situation of “business as usual”. If we believe in HIM then why don’t we change ourselves and why do we keep “I” in front seat? Why we want that thing more and more that actually builds barrier between Him and us. There is another truth; we want more because we don’t believe that without asking He will give us. That is the fall. That is very strange too. If we just do not believe that He would take care of us without asking anything, how we can say we have faith in Him then ( manaṇṯerā nā▫o.)?. In Gurbani to do prayer to Him to have basics of life to go on is not prohibited but “greed” is which is prohibited. If faith in Him is there, the subject of the prayer changes to His Naam If that faith is not there how our recitation of His Name can be sincere and fruitful? Bhagat Kabir ji states that with the complete faith in Him, all recitation of His`Name will materialize in nothing.
ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਗਉੜੀ ॥ ਕਿਆ ਜਪੁ ਕਿਆ ਤਪੁ ਕਿਆ ਬ੍ਰਤ ਪੂਜਾ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਰਿਦੈ ਭਾਉ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੧॥ Gauri Kabir Ji. What avails meditation, what penance and what fasting and worship to Him, in whose heart there is the love of another( Maya etc)?
So while being attracted to other Maya, faith in Him remains fragile. Kabir ji’s warning is a fact, we hear it but we have become habitual of ignoring it easily. If the element of “tudh no mannan”( having faith in Him) lacks, Jap or Simran remains a kind of conditional ritual..
What is the reason here that negates all efforts of our getting close to Him, into nothing, what is that? Answer by Guru ji is very clear in the following
ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਮਾਇਆਧਾਰੀ ਅਤਿ ਅੰਨਾ ਬੋਲਾ ॥ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਸੁਣਈ ਬਹੁ ਰੋਲ ਘਚੋਲਾ ॥ (SGGS 313)
3rd Guru. The man attached to mammon is very blind and deaf. He hears not the Name and makes a great uproar and tumult.
So what is the right way then to proceed on this path? Gurbani doesn’t advocate to abandon this world to become indifferent to Maya, actually supports the idea to be immaculate while living right in it and enjoy the state of mind to be with HIM
ਮਃ ੫ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਭੇਟਿਐ ਪੂਰੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਜੁਗਤਿ ॥ ਹਸੰਦਿਆ ਖੇਲੰਦਿਆ ਪੈਨੰਦਿਆ ਖਾਵੰਦਿਆ ਵਿਚੇ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੁਕਤਿ ॥੨॥ (SGGS 522)
5th Guru. O Nanak, by meeting the True Guru, man comes to know the perfect way, and while laughing, playing, dressing and eating, he gets emancipated. ( means while living right in Maya)
So the one who surrenders to Guru, shows interest only in Him and meditates on Him; however, the faith in HIM should be a base of that meditation. It shouldn’t be done just for the sake of doing, it shouldn’t be done to show others or to show the Lord like a favor” I remember you Lord, I do Bani recitation, so take care of me” That is the lowest behavior towards the Lord.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਪੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਮੰਨੇ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
Gurmukh meditate on Guru Shabad, they do recitation of Name They hear and believe in God's Name and in God's Name they are absorbed.
Here is the real surrendering which we rarely do, we say that we love His “ordinance” but never stop commenting on an incident that does not go in our way. We do not in true sense believe in His care. While surrendering, only in Him, the faith is put and we should take all things good or bad on our way as they come as a token of acceptance of His ordinance. There should be no “ cry- baby” attitude. There should be awareness of His being in control.
ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਇਆ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਵਜਦਾ ਜੰਤੁ ਵਜਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
Whatever pleases Him that He does and causes to be done. Nanak human being the instrument, plays as the Lord causes him to play.
Unless an effort to comprehend His Ordinance is not done, we are prone to slip away from Him due to the net of temptations we ourselves weave due to multifarious influence of Maya. In Jap Ji Sahib, to understand His Ordinance and to abide by it through understanding, it is considered the key to progress in spirituality. Sometimes, if we follow our mind, His Hukam is misunderstood, so Guru is needed.
ਕਥਉ ਨ ਕਥਨੀ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥
[/FONT]Katha▫o na kathnī hukam pacẖẖānā.
[/FONT]I do not speak empty speech; I have recognized the Hukam of His Command.
[/FONT]ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥੮॥੧॥(SGGS 221)
[/FONT]Nānak gurmaṯ sahj samānā. ||8||1||
CONTINUES
[/FONT]
It is like chasing the wind, nothing materializes but the race goes on, isn’t it very strange that after liking it, dreaming it, the effort of Naam-Simran still doesn’t bring the stillness of mind as it is meant for? Isn’t it necessary to understand the reason behind this failure as it is described in Gurbani? Let’s look over it seriously. First, let us understand what is meant by Naam as per Gurbani.
To make it very simple, as per Gurbani, NAAM means the Creator
ਮਿਲੁ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਭਜੁ ਕੇਵਲਨਾਮ॥੧॥( SGGS 12)Mil sāḏẖsangaṯ bẖaj keval nām. ||1||
Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; meditate on Name, the Lord. |
ਲਿਖੁਨਾਮੁ ਸਾਲਾਹ ਲਿਖੁ ਲਿਖੁ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰੁ ॥੧॥
Likẖ nām sālāh likẖ likẖ anṯ na pārāvār. ||1||
Write the Praises of the Naam, the Name of the Lord; write over and over again that He has no end or limitation. ||1||
(ਮਃ 1 SGGS 16)
ਨਾਮੁਜਪਤਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੇ ਬੀਚਾਰੇ॥
Nām japaṯ nām riḏe bīcẖāre.
Meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and contemplating the Naam within our hearts,
(ਮਃ 5 SGGS 202)
. Many names are attributed to the NAAM
.(ਤੇਰੇਨਾਮ ਅਨੇਕਕੀਮਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈ ॥ (SGGS 1067)
Ŧere nām anek kīmaṯ nahī pā▫ī.
Your Names are countless; your value cannot be estimated (Here it is expressed how with different names, Naam, the Lord, is addressed but still He is inexpressible).
So let’s move on to “Naam Japna” and “Naam Simran”, in Gurbani, Naam Simran or Naam Japna” is considered above all religious deeds.
ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਾ ਸਿਮਰਨੁ ਸਭ ਤੇ ਊਚਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਉਧਰੇ ਮੂਚਾ ॥(SGGS 263)
Lord's meditation is the most exalted of all. Through Master's meditation many have been saved.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਪਾਵਹੁ ਸੂਖ ਘਨੇਰੇ ॥੧॥
O my soul, through the Guru, utter the Name of God. O Nanak thus shalt thou have many comforts. (SGGS 264)
So what is literally Naam japna ?, how it can be done and how He can be realized? How Naam can be achieved? A lot of scholars have tried to define it; the more they define the more difficult it becomes to comprehend its concept for a layman. Is it just reciting His Name? If just reciting is enough then how come Brahmins were questioned by Guru Nanak as they would recite “mantras” like parrots? Certainly it is more than that. Do you remember Guru Vaak that says clearly that by merely saying His name, HE is not obtained? Here it is
” ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਕਹਿਐ ਰਾਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Rām rām sabẖ ko kahai kahi▫ai rām na ho▫e.
Everyone says the Lord's Name, Raam, Raam; but by merely saying, the Lord is not obtained.
ਮਃ 3 SGGS 491)
This has been my struggle for a while. Every time I studied Gurbani, I kept looking for an answer to this puzzling question. I knew it would be there. Once I came across a Guru Vaak in context of “bowing”, surprisingly Guru has given a new meaning to it, have a look at that Guru Vaak
ਤੁਧਨੋ ਨਿਵਣੁਮੰਨਣੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
Ŧuḏẖno nivaṇ manaṇṯerā nā▫o.
To place one's faith in Your Name Lord, is true obeisance.
ਮਃ 1 SGGS 878)
The stress is again on “faith”. As by merely reciting Lord’s name is not enough, by merely saying “I believe in Him” is not enough either. Believing in HIM is total surrender to His ordinance. Other than that “ I believe in Him “ is a self deception
ਜਪੁ ਤਪੁ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਮੰਨਿਐ ਅਵਰਿ ਕਾਰਾ ਸਭਿ ਬਾਦਿ ॥
Jap ṯap sabẖ kicẖẖ mani▫ai avar kārā sabẖ bāḏ.
Meditation, austerity and everything come through belief in the Lord's Name. All other actions are useless.
ਨਾਨਕ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਮੰਨੀਐ ਬੁਝੀਐ ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦਿ ॥੨॥ (SGGS 954)
Nānak mani▫ā mannī▫ai bujẖī▫ai gur parsāḏ. ||2||
O Nanak, believe in the One who is worth believing in. By Guru's Grace, he is realized. ||2||( Here Tr. Is not accurate, mania=believing in, manniai= accepted, bujhi ai= realization, it means, ‘Nanak says when He is believed truly by some one, with the grace of Guru one is accepted and realizes the Lord”)
Now here it is clearer interpretation, the act of being accepted and realization of Lord also comes with grace of Guru to understand HIM, to know HIM otherwise we just say that we believe in HIM but literally we don’t. So believing starts the real journey with a ticket, the otherwise there is just sheer talk. Sorry to say so but it is true. We say His Name everyday but come back to the situation of “business as usual”. If we believe in HIM then why don’t we change ourselves and why do we keep “I” in front seat? Why we want that thing more and more that actually builds barrier between Him and us. There is another truth; we want more because we don’t believe that without asking He will give us. That is the fall. That is very strange too. If we just do not believe that He would take care of us without asking anything, how we can say we have faith in Him then ( manaṇṯerā nā▫o.)?. In Gurbani to do prayer to Him to have basics of life to go on is not prohibited but “greed” is which is prohibited. If faith in Him is there, the subject of the prayer changes to His Naam If that faith is not there how our recitation of His Name can be sincere and fruitful? Bhagat Kabir ji states that with the complete faith in Him, all recitation of His`Name will materialize in nothing.
ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਗਉੜੀ ॥ ਕਿਆ ਜਪੁ ਕਿਆ ਤਪੁ ਕਿਆ ਬ੍ਰਤ ਪੂਜਾ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਰਿਦੈ ਭਾਉ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੧॥ Gauri Kabir Ji. What avails meditation, what penance and what fasting and worship to Him, in whose heart there is the love of another( Maya etc)?
So while being attracted to other Maya, faith in Him remains fragile. Kabir ji’s warning is a fact, we hear it but we have become habitual of ignoring it easily. If the element of “tudh no mannan”( having faith in Him) lacks, Jap or Simran remains a kind of conditional ritual..
What is the reason here that negates all efforts of our getting close to Him, into nothing, what is that? Answer by Guru ji is very clear in the following
ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਮਾਇਆਧਾਰੀ ਅਤਿ ਅੰਨਾ ਬੋਲਾ ॥ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਸੁਣਈ ਬਹੁ ਰੋਲ ਘਚੋਲਾ ॥ (SGGS 313)
3rd Guru. The man attached to mammon is very blind and deaf. He hears not the Name and makes a great uproar and tumult.
So what is the right way then to proceed on this path? Gurbani doesn’t advocate to abandon this world to become indifferent to Maya, actually supports the idea to be immaculate while living right in it and enjoy the state of mind to be with HIM
ਮਃ ੫ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਭੇਟਿਐ ਪੂਰੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਜੁਗਤਿ ॥ ਹਸੰਦਿਆ ਖੇਲੰਦਿਆ ਪੈਨੰਦਿਆ ਖਾਵੰਦਿਆ ਵਿਚੇ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੁਕਤਿ ॥੨॥ (SGGS 522)
5th Guru. O Nanak, by meeting the True Guru, man comes to know the perfect way, and while laughing, playing, dressing and eating, he gets emancipated. ( means while living right in Maya)
So the one who surrenders to Guru, shows interest only in Him and meditates on Him; however, the faith in HIM should be a base of that meditation. It shouldn’t be done just for the sake of doing, it shouldn’t be done to show others or to show the Lord like a favor” I remember you Lord, I do Bani recitation, so take care of me” That is the lowest behavior towards the Lord.
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਪੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਮੰਨੇ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
Gurmukh meditate on Guru Shabad, they do recitation of Name They hear and believe in God's Name and in God's Name they are absorbed.
Here is the real surrendering which we rarely do, we say that we love His “ordinance” but never stop commenting on an incident that does not go in our way. We do not in true sense believe in His care. While surrendering, only in Him, the faith is put and we should take all things good or bad on our way as they come as a token of acceptance of His ordinance. There should be no “ cry- baby” attitude. There should be awareness of His being in control.
ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਾਇਆ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਵਜਦਾ ਜੰਤੁ ਵਜਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
Whatever pleases Him that He does and causes to be done. Nanak human being the instrument, plays as the Lord causes him to play.
Unless an effort to comprehend His Ordinance is not done, we are prone to slip away from Him due to the net of temptations we ourselves weave due to multifarious influence of Maya. In Jap Ji Sahib, to understand His Ordinance and to abide by it through understanding, it is considered the key to progress in spirituality. Sometimes, if we follow our mind, His Hukam is misunderstood, so Guru is needed.
ਕਥਉ ਨ ਕਥਨੀ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥
[/FONT]Katha▫o na kathnī hukam pacẖẖānā.
[/FONT]I do not speak empty speech; I have recognized the Hukam of His Command.
[/FONT]ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥੮॥੧॥(SGGS 221)
[/FONT]Nānak gurmaṯ sahj samānā. ||8||1||
CONTINUES
[/FONT]
