Too Many Hukamnamas!

[Ishna]

Gurfateh!

My understanding is that the hukamnama is the 'thought for the day' for Sikhs. The daily guidance and inspiration. A passage to contemplate and imbibe.

However, when there are hukamnamas issued daily from Harmandir Sahib, from one's own community Gurdwara, and if one finds their own in the morning, which one do you contemplate?

Sometimes I like to write down the Hukamnama from my Gurdwara on Sunday and I think of it as a bit of a hukamnama for the whole week since that's the only time I'm able to visit.

What do you think?

 

[Hardip Singh]

"Auj da Hukamnama" stands for Order of the Day from our Guru Sahib. While whole of the Gurbani is HIS order for us as how we can change our life styles for the BEST.
It could be from any source but the main point is to think over and over it and try to change our life style as per HIS HUKAM. All his SHABADS as in SGGS jee are for betterment of our lives only so that we can easily be with HIM one day.

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

The GURU is EVERYWHERE...Satgur Mera nit navaan....He is RENEWED Daily...One to One...for a Sikh and His Guru its always ONE ON ONE...no need to worry about too mnay or too much...there can never be Too much of a GOOD THING..and the Guru is a GOOD thing ...in fact it would be Extremely Challenging to even IMPLEMENT FULLY in our daily Life..the Complete Mool mantar...what else to say about the entire SGGS.....SATNAAM..His Name is TRUTH..can we IMPLEMENT TRUTH the SOLE TRUTH and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH daily 24/7 for a START...i have been trying for the past 62 years..and its difficult...a tiny weeny UNTRUTH seems just waiting to gate crash my life..always..everywhere i go...I open my door..neighbor says Good Morning..I garee although its definitely NOT a "Good Morning" for me...I meet a salesman at the door..i tell him i dont have time..although i have LOTS of it and could listen to him for hours selling me his Adventists Day Bible....i answer the phone....24/7 UNTRUTHS dogging my heels at each step...and I am a HYPOCRITE IF i claim i am SATNAAM all the way...and THIS is just the BEGINNNG...1429 pages to go before I sleep for ever....BHOG Paath !!

 

[Harry Haller]

and let us not forget the correct answer to the question "does my bottom look big in this"..................

 

[Awakeand Singh]

... because, if you say the wrong answer, YOU'D BETTER DUCK!!:disguestedkudi:
Or, start saying Kirtan Sohila!

 

[Ishna]

Harry Bhaji, there is no right answer. Much like there is no spoon.

And my bum ALWAYS looks big in this. And yes I will hit you. :grinningkaur:

 

[Harry Haller]

Actually this does lead on to an interesting subject, the truth.

I have always tried to tell the truth, I find it makes for much less pain later, however, I can be blunt and tactless, and as for small talk, I just cannot do it.

However, lately, I have been thinking that the truth does not need to be that painful, for instance, does my bum look big in this, well, its a relative question, the truth could be that a bum could look big no matter what was being worn, so the answer should be 'no', ie, it does not look big in this, it looks big no matter what,

I think only a fool (raises hand) would try and tell the whole truth all the time with no regard for consequences, but we must remember we were gifted a brain, nothing is black or white, we must be objective, thoughtful, show discretion, intelligence in our thinking.

 

[Ambarsaria]

Ishna Bhain ji great question. Some comments below.

ਹੁਕਮਨਾਮਾ ---- Hukamnama
ਹੁਕਮ--- Direction, Guidance, Order
ਨਾਮਾ --- Of “ਨਾਮ”
- Understanding of the creator, understanding of the creation of the creator

Gurfateh!
My understanding is that the hukamnama is the 'thought for the day' for Sikhs. The daily guidance and inspiration. A passage to contemplate and imbibe.

One really has to think of it beyond thought for the day. Thoughts come and go. Somehow one has to make it part of better living as a tool not to remember the words but actions taken based on the message.

Let us look at a practical example. Many people have gone to Harmandir Sahib for reading or listening to Hukamnama or done so online. If one were to ask these to repeat the messages of all they have read, can they do so? The answer for myself at least is unquestionably "NO". So what was the sustained effect of the Hukamnama. Perhaps little unless it became almost an unconsciously embedded way of thinking and living.

Can you have too much of wisdom in one day. Perhaps if you cannot act on all that is in the wisdom. For me the messages in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the Hukams are pretty straightforward and much aligned with good thinking and good living. These can be perhaps used to do a bit of fine tuning as applicable and one can move on to the next one.

Pat yourself on the back if your thinking and living already coincides with a Hukamnama lol

However, when there are hukamnamas issued daily from Harmandir Sahib, from one's own community Gurdwara, and if one finds their own in the morning, which one do you contemplate?

All that you can find the time to act on rather than contemplate on. It is better to act and embed within self rather than just contemplate. If doing one takes all the time don't worry about it. There is much wisdom and with access through online resources you can pace yourself.

Sometimes the resources of time or otherwise we find ourselves limited in. Guru ji (our teacher) won't be upset and the creator is far too benevolent to be offended

Sometimes I like to write down the Hukamnama from my Gurdwara on Sunday and I think of it as a bit of a hukamnama for the whole week since that's the only time I'm able to visit.

What do you think?

In the truest of sense, the Hukamnama is for life unless we are just providing lip service to the concept. It is not for a day, a week or a month. It is for all times through learning the message and living accordingly for the rest of our lives.

So with every Hukamnama we should seek a positive change, an improvement and so on in our lives.

Sat Sri Akal.

PS: Some further thoughts on the meaning of the word.

ਹੁਕਮਨਾਮਾ ---- Hukamnama
ਹੁਕਮ--- Direction, Guidance, Order

ਨਾਮਾ --- Of “ਨਾਮ”
- Understanding of the creator, understanding of the creation of the creator

Most usage of Hukam in SGGS,

ਹੁਕਮੁ --- Of ਹੁਕਮ

ਹੁਕਮੈ --- In consonance with ਹੁਕਮ

ਹੁਕਮੀ --- By ਹੁਕਮ

ਹੁਕਮਿ --- In ਹੁਕਮ

 

[linzer]

As to the "do I look fat?" question I find that dodging the that's truth works well. Such as "you look great" or "that color is really pretty on you." Or "oh no! who let the dog out!! then run away .

 

[Ishna]

Thanks Ambarsaria ji for your thoughtful response. I am drowning in attachment to maya and so far from living in Hukam it's not funny. :{-

I think though, to act without contemplation is to act blindly. When I read the Hukamnama from Harmandir Sahib at lunch time every day (that's when it kindly arrives in my inbox), I read it and ponder and try to take it with me for the rest of the day. It's very difficult when the hukamnama is very long! It's not necessarily a neat little command that one can apply practically striaght away in life, and point to the result and say "there! I did it!" It's to be read, understood, imbibed (taken within and allowed to permeate one's being so the right actions come naturally).

I think Gurbani is more than a list of instructions, it's also motivational, comforting, liberating, and generates courage, focus and gives direction. Theres are abstract effects of the hukamnama and not necesarily a command. And if we focus on the direct action parts of the hukamnana only we miss out on understanding the more complex universal truths and concepts the Gurbani is trying to explain.

Yesterday's Hukamnama from ang 767:

Raag Soohee, Chhant, Third Mehl, Second House: One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: Meditate on the Lord, and find peace and pleasure. As Gurmukh, obtain the Lord's fruitful rewards. As Gurmukh, obtain the fruit of the Lord, and meditate on the Lord's Name; the pains of countless lifetimes shall be erased. I am a sacrifice to my Guru, who has arranged and resolved all my affairs. The Lord God will bestow His Grace, if you meditate on the Lord; O humble servant of the Lord, you shall obtain the fruit of peace. Says Nanak, listen O humble Sibling of Destiny: meditate on the Lord, and find peace and pleasure. ||1|| Hearing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, I am intuitively drenched with His Love. Under Guru's Instruction, I meditate intuitively on the Naam. Those who have such pre-ordained destiny, meet the Guru, and their fears of birth and death leave them. One who eliminates evil-mindedness and duality from within himself, that humble being lovingly focuses his mind on the Lord. Those, upon whom my Lord and Master bestows His Grace, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, night and day. Hearing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, I am intuitively drenched with His Love. ||2|| In this age, emancipation comes only from the Lord's Name. Contemplative meditation on the Word of the Shabad emanates from the Guru. Contemplating the Guru's Shabad, one comes to love the Lord's Name; he alone obtains it, unto whom the Lord shows Mercy. In peace and poise, he sings the Lord's Praises day and night, and all sins are eradicated. All are Yours, and You belong to all. I am Yours, and You are mine. In this age, emancipation comes only from the Lord's Name. ||3|| The Lord, my Friend has come to dwell within the home of my heart; singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, one is satisfied and fulfilled. Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, one is satisfied forever, never to feel hunger again. That humble servant of the Lord, who meditates on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is worshipped in the ten directions. O Nanak, He Himself joins and separates; there is no other than the Lord. The Lord, my Friend has come to dwell within the home of my heart. ||4||1||

I'm seeing, maybe, 30% command, 70% other stuff there.

It would be nothing short of ritualism to take one's own hukamnama in the morning, receive another from the community Gurdwara, and yet another from the Golden Temple in one day because I'm not sure anyone can give adequate thought and application to all three of them.