I agree. I'm not asserting that Sikhi is the one and only way to become a gurmukh, although this shabad from page 33 (which is also relevant to my current thoughts on reincarnation) does make me feel like this path is the one for me.
ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
सिरीरागु महला ३ ॥
Sirīrāg mėhlā 3.
Siree Raag, Third Mehl:
ਕਾਂਇਆ ਸਾਧੈ ਉਰਧ ਤਪੁ ਕਰੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
कांइआ साधै उरध तपु करै विचहु हउमै न जाइ ॥
Kāʼn▫i▫ā sāḏẖai uraḏẖ ṯap karai vicẖahu ha▫umai na jā▫e.
You may torment your body with extremes of self-discipline, practice intensive meditation and hang upside-down, but your ego will not be eliminated from within.
ਅਧਿਆਤਮ ਕਰਮ ਜੇ ਕਰੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਕਬ ਹੀ ਪਾਇ ॥
अधिआतम करम जे करे नामु न कब ही पाइ ॥
Aḏẖi▫āṯam karam je kare nām na kab hī pā▫e.
You may perform religious rituals, and still never obtain the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜੀਵਤੁ ਮਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥੧॥
गुर कै सबदि जीवतु मरै हरि नामु वसै मनि आइ ॥१॥
Gur kai sabaḏ jīvaṯ marai har nām vasai man ā▫e. ||1||
Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, remain dead while yet alive, and the Name of the Lord shall come to dwell within the mind. ||1||
ਸੁਣਿ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਜੁ ਸਤਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾ ॥
सुणि मन मेरे भजु सतगुर सरणा ॥
Suṇ man mere bẖaj saṯgur sarṇā.
Listen, O my mind: hurry to the Protection of the Guru's Sanctuary.
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਛੁਟੀਐ ਬਿਖੁ ਭਵਜਲੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਗੁਰ ਤਰਣਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
गुर परसादी छुटीऐ बिखु भवजलु सबदि गुर तरणा ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥
Gur parsādī cẖẖutī▫ai bikẖ bẖavjal sabaḏ gur ṯarṇā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
By Guru's Grace you shall be saved. Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, you shall cross over the terrifying world-ocean of poison. ||1||Pause||
ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਸਭਾ ਧਾਤੁ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਉ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
त्रै गुण सभा धातु है दूजा भाउ विकारु ॥
Ŧarai guṇ sabẖā ḏẖāṯ hai ḏūjā bẖā▫o vikār.
Everything under the influence of the three qualities shall perish; the love of duality is corrupting.
ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਪੜੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਮੋਹ ਬਾਧਾ ਨਹ ਬੂਝੈ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਪਿਆਰਿ ॥
पंडितु पड़ै बंधन मोह बाधा नह बूझै बिखिआ पिआरि ॥
Pandiṯ paṛai banḏẖan moh bāḏẖā nah būjẖai bikẖi▫ā pi▫ār.
The Pandits, the religious scholars, read the scriptures, but they are trapped in the bondage of emotional attachment. In love with evil, they do not understand.
ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਤ੍ਰਿਕੁਟੀ ਛੂਟੈ ਚਉਥੈ ਪਦਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥੨॥
सतगुरि मिलिऐ त्रिकुटी छूटै चउथै पदि मुकति दुआरु ॥२॥
Saṯgur mili▫ai ṯarikutī cẖẖūtai cẖa▫uthai paḏ mukaṯ ḏu▫ār. ||2||
Meeting the Guru, the bondage of the three qualities is cut away, and in the fourth state, the Door of Liberation is attained. ||2||
ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਮਾਰਗੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਚੂਕੈ ਮੋਹੁ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ॥
गुर ते मारगु पाईऐ चूकै मोहु गुबारु ॥
Gur ṯe mārag pā▫ī▫ai cẖūkai moh gubār.
Through the Guru, the Path is found, and the darkness of emotional attachment is dispelled.
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਉਧਰੈ ਪਾਏ ਮੋਖ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥
सबदि मरै ता उधरै पाए मोख दुआरु ॥
Sabaḏ marai ṯā uḏẖrai pā▫e mokẖ ḏu▫ār.
If one dies through the Shabad, then salvation is obtained, and one finds the Door of Liberation.
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਮਿਲਿ ਰਹੈ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
गुर परसादी मिलि रहै सचु नामु करतारु ॥३॥
Gur parsādī mil rahai sacẖ nām karṯār. ||3||
By Guru's Grace, one remains blended with the True Name of the Creator. ||3||
ਇਹੁ ਮਨੂਆ ਅਤਿ ਸਬਲ ਹੈ ਛਡੇ ਨ ਕਿਤੈ ਉਪਾਇ ॥
इहु मनूआ अति सबल है छडे न कितै उपाइ ॥
Ih manū▫ā aṯ sabal hai cẖẖade na kiṯai upā▫e.
This mind is very powerful; we cannot escape it just by trying.
ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਦੁਖੁ ਲਾਇਦਾ ਬਹੁਤੀ ਦੇਇ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
दूजै भाइ दुखु लाइदा बहुती देइ सजाइ ॥
Ḏūjai bẖā▫e ḏukẖ lā▫iḏā bahuṯī ḏe▫e sajā▫e.
In the love of duality, people suffer in pain, condemned to terrible punishment.
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮਿ ਲਗੇ ਸੇ ਉਬਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਗਵਾਇ ॥੪॥੧੮॥੫੧॥
नानक नामि लगे से उबरे हउमै सबदि गवाइ ॥४॥१८॥५१॥
Nānak nām lage se ubre ha▫umai sabaḏ gavā▫e. ||4||18||51||
O Nanak, those who are attached to the Naam are saved; through the Shabad, their ego is banished. ||4||18||51||
I take from this that our emotional attachment and our ego are what keeps us imprisoned in duality. The love of duality is what keeps us imprisoned in the cycle of reincarnation. Through the Guru's word and by the Guru's grace we are led to understand our true nature which kills the ego. There is then no more individual self. We become dead while alive. No longer in love with duality we kill the ego, recognize through the Word that our Creator is all pervading (including ourselves) and that is how we are saved. All by Guru's grace. This is my current understanding.
