Sat sri akaal!
I´m new to sikhism and currently reading mostly different translations on the SGGS.
I found some translations of the japji sahib in Swedish and German that differ a lot from the English ones I´ve previously read and leaving me confused. They´re mostly from 3ho, kunalini yoga lessons and books.
I would like to offer you the beginn of Japji Sahib (I hope you don´t mind that I retranslated it into English, I did my best) to start a discussion about this, in my opinion, more westernized translation:
Japji sahib,
god, we are one.
Our inner truth is creating the world
with love and courage.
Free from body, free from time
your mind is teaching us perfection.
Meditate!
On the truth of heaven, the truth of the world.
The truth now, so speaks Nanak, the truth always been.
Thinking, thinking, so much thinking doesn´t make us understand.
Silence, silence, remaining in silence for so long doesn´t calm the mind.
Our longing is not to be pleased by the riches of this world.
Of our great ideas there is none that keeps/holds us.
How can we live in truth, destroy the net of illusion.
Nanak says, let us listen to god´s will on the way. 1.
His will formed our bodies, His will is not to be described, His will gave us live,
His will let us grow, His will makes us small or big, His will gives us happiness and pain,
His will is blessing on earth and lets us be reborn.
All beings live after your will, no one lives on his own (will).
Nakak says, if we could understand god´s will we wouldn´t be so selfcentered. 2.
Some that know your power, sing of your power.
Some that you presented with wealth, sing of your strenght.
Some sing of your miracles, see, "you are so beautiful".
Some sing of your wisdom, so deep not to understand.
Some sing " you make your bodies and reduce them again to dust".
Some sing " you´re taking our souls and sending them out again".
Some sing "you are the next and most distant one". Some sing "you are alway with us".
You are the one we´re meditating on in so many forms, contemplating and discussing.
You are the one giving and keeping us life/alive.
We take and take, you are giving. On your will the world goes round.
Nanak says, " be happy, grow and be carefree and glad". 3.
My true Master, my true self. We are calling your neverending love.
We beg, "please, give us, give!" and you give and give.
What can we offer you to find your kingdom? Which words can we speak to fell your love?
In the ambrosial hours of the morning. Search your true existence! Struggle in deep meditation to experience your union with god!
All our karma will vanish. We can find the door to freedom.
Nanak says, a person filled with truth, contains the whole universe. 4.
Uncreated, unrestrained, are we pure in our Self, all alone.
Nanak says, sing of this precious gift. Who is conceiving him will be successfull.
To sing fo him, to hear of him takes all pain away.
It fills the mind with love and gives us happiness in the heart.
The guru opens the stream of sound in us. The guru opens the knowledge in us.
The guru shows us, we are one. The guru shows us god in a form, that´s not beyond our mind. The guru shows us god as maya, the mother, the great creator.
Would I know what to say, what use would have speaking?
One thing the guru showed me: there is only one being, that lives in us all as soul, I shall never forget it! 5.
To remember my Self shall be my ritual.
Without everything is unreal. In what ever forms we might find it.
It is our effort and our doing, that defines our life.
To listen just once to the guru, could lead us to the pearls of our mind.
One thing the guru showed me: there is only one being, that lives in us all as soul. I shall never forget it! 6.
If someone had lived for a 1000 years, would be known everywhere, popular as a superstar, his name named with awe.
couldn´t he see in the non-visual, it would be no longer of interest.
Wouldn´t he be more than a worm among worms, people would despise him.
God, you are illuminating the ones in darkness and you are illuminating the ones in light.
Nanak says, the ones illuminating you, they are not existing. 7.
I will stop here. If you want some more, ask for it.
I´m new to sikhism and currently reading mostly different translations on the SGGS.
I found some translations of the japji sahib in Swedish and German that differ a lot from the English ones I´ve previously read and leaving me confused. They´re mostly from 3ho, kunalini yoga lessons and books.
I would like to offer you the beginn of Japji Sahib (I hope you don´t mind that I retranslated it into English, I did my best) to start a discussion about this, in my opinion, more westernized translation:
Japji sahib,
god, we are one.
Our inner truth is creating the world
with love and courage.
Free from body, free from time
your mind is teaching us perfection.
Meditate!
On the truth of heaven, the truth of the world.
The truth now, so speaks Nanak, the truth always been.
Thinking, thinking, so much thinking doesn´t make us understand.
Silence, silence, remaining in silence for so long doesn´t calm the mind.
Our longing is not to be pleased by the riches of this world.
Of our great ideas there is none that keeps/holds us.
How can we live in truth, destroy the net of illusion.
Nanak says, let us listen to god´s will on the way. 1.
His will formed our bodies, His will is not to be described, His will gave us live,
His will let us grow, His will makes us small or big, His will gives us happiness and pain,
His will is blessing on earth and lets us be reborn.
All beings live after your will, no one lives on his own (will).
Nakak says, if we could understand god´s will we wouldn´t be so selfcentered. 2.
Some that know your power, sing of your power.
Some that you presented with wealth, sing of your strenght.
Some sing of your miracles, see, "you are so beautiful".
Some sing of your wisdom, so deep not to understand.
Some sing " you make your bodies and reduce them again to dust".
Some sing " you´re taking our souls and sending them out again".
Some sing "you are the next and most distant one". Some sing "you are alway with us".
You are the one we´re meditating on in so many forms, contemplating and discussing.
You are the one giving and keeping us life/alive.
We take and take, you are giving. On your will the world goes round.
Nanak says, " be happy, grow and be carefree and glad". 3.
My true Master, my true self. We are calling your neverending love.
We beg, "please, give us, give!" and you give and give.
What can we offer you to find your kingdom? Which words can we speak to fell your love?
In the ambrosial hours of the morning. Search your true existence! Struggle in deep meditation to experience your union with god!
All our karma will vanish. We can find the door to freedom.
Nanak says, a person filled with truth, contains the whole universe. 4.
Uncreated, unrestrained, are we pure in our Self, all alone.
Nanak says, sing of this precious gift. Who is conceiving him will be successfull.
To sing fo him, to hear of him takes all pain away.
It fills the mind with love and gives us happiness in the heart.
The guru opens the stream of sound in us. The guru opens the knowledge in us.
The guru shows us, we are one. The guru shows us god in a form, that´s not beyond our mind. The guru shows us god as maya, the mother, the great creator.
Would I know what to say, what use would have speaking?
One thing the guru showed me: there is only one being, that lives in us all as soul, I shall never forget it! 5.
To remember my Self shall be my ritual.
Without everything is unreal. In what ever forms we might find it.
It is our effort and our doing, that defines our life.
To listen just once to the guru, could lead us to the pearls of our mind.
One thing the guru showed me: there is only one being, that lives in us all as soul. I shall never forget it! 6.
If someone had lived for a 1000 years, would be known everywhere, popular as a superstar, his name named with awe.
couldn´t he see in the non-visual, it would be no longer of interest.
Wouldn´t he be more than a worm among worms, people would despise him.
God, you are illuminating the ones in darkness and you are illuminating the ones in light.
Nanak says, the ones illuminating you, they are not existing. 7.
I will stop here. If you want some more, ask for it.
