As I understand what you are trying to say is in the process we need to go for meditation by repeating a word, in order to silence the mind.But gurbani cautions me, ' ਕਾਹੇ ਕਉ ਕੀਜੈ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਜਪੰਨਾ ॥ ਜਬ ਤੇ ਸੁਧੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਮਨੁ ਅਪਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ SGGS. 485.17.Since duality originates from within Guru sahib outrightly condemns hypocrisy of dhiyan instead tells us to spend time on manh shud karna so it is the manh which needs to be transformed by getting rid of avguns and gurbani doesn't suggest purifying of the mind by repeating or focusing on a word by saying that while repeating God's name you still are practicing deception, 'ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਕਪਟੁ ਕਮਾਵਹਿ ਹਿਰਦਾ ਸੁਧੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਕਰਮ ਕਰਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੇਰੇ ਸੁਪਨੈ ਸੁਖੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥੧॥ . Gurbani even does not suggest adopting unnatural means to silence the mind as mind cannot be silenced, 'ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥ or by force, 'ਜੋਰੁ ਨ ਜੁਗਤੀ ਛੁਟੈ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥.
Repeating a word is one of initial ways in shabad surat aspect of divine. It's not so much repeating a word is problem, its repeating a word with no receptivity like robotic parrot is a problem with no love and people making out to be all or end all is a problem. It just one of aids which helps mind more focused on shabad-resonance(naad) which takes one consciousness to higher reality as gurbani talks about one of aspect of divine and creation-everything came from shabad resosance(naad) will go back there eventually. These things are not meant to be conceptually debated but rather tried yourself. If it resonates with you thats great if it does not thats great too.
Off course one has to adapt right actions/right attributes-guns to help loosen conditioning of mind before one start doing dyan. Dyan is contemplation and abidance on ultimate nature of reality mentioned in gurbani, after a while unnatural mind conditioning will fall away.
Gurbani purifies mind as I strongly believe in gurbani is of 4th dimension-Turiya if one connects to gurbani after adapting good attributes with openness, receptivity it purifies mind but if one is approaching gurbani with their egoic mind conditioning shield around then one may try life times nothing will happen.
Dogmatic means are confined idiloized un-natural means, mind conditioning be it wrapping our head to certain ideology is un-natural. Off course you cannot still mind by un-natural means or by force. One can still mind(Achal-nature of mind as described in gurbani) by love, devotion, intuitive gyan-wsidom, openness, receptivity, jaap concentration/abidance on our real self (Man tu jot saroop hai, apna mool painchain ||)
You may have noticed, despite ever accelerating trends of Fake Naam Japna Apostasy, Drugs, Alcohol, foeticide and SUICIDES are increasing thus this practice has not been fruitful. Something has to change. Thus how you react that is important and not how you act. Manh is raja and gurbani says manh manh tai mania through introspection and listening inner voice and in order to qualify to listen the inner voice the process is simply be honest, be humble, stop exploiting etc etc. In other order words gurmat's bhakti is manh saaf karna and that bin shabdai shud n hoey.
We need to look at naam jaap as different aspects of divine, different stages in divine. For eg- doing vichar is quite higher stage where there is vichar-introspection and listening inner voice within themselves not just conceptually or intellectually with others only but via inner unconditioned intuitive consciousness because conceptual/intellectual/conditioned mind has limitations.
Listening inner voice via dyan of shabad gyan/abidance in our unconditioned consciouness(surat) is much more intimate, deeper and profound its revealing of our true nature, its much more profound than confining inner voice following -honesty be humble etc. These good actions/attributes which are supposed to be followed from very beginning before when one starts enter in sikhi.
But confining sikhi to only following basic human attributes such as honesty, be humble does not do full justice of great gurbani revelation of ultimate nature of all of us... confining anything its unnatural its conditioning itself. In fact, we do not need to try so hard with our egoic conditioning to adapt honest, and be humble. In deeper exploration of sikhi, one finds right actions/speech rises effortlessly risen automatically at right time/right place from directly ultimate divine nature thats beauty of our universal intuitive intelligence its does not rely on conditioned response from conditioned mind which is confined/always have agenda to self egoic preservation. I am not against right actions/right speech- honesty, be humble, stop exploitations. The main question is from absolute point of view- whos is doing? If egoic conditioning does it, since its confined its seems dogmatic/unnatural but if its natural spontaneous response from our true nature then its much more profound and deepening as our true nature does not have much attachment to outcome for eg- love,humility, compassion, honesty risen from our real nature its just as is without any agenda/strategizing/attachment by confined conditioned mind. Our true nature just loves, is embodiment of compassion thats all, its unconditioned its NOT subject of conditioned circumstances.
It's been long discussion. I will retire from this thread now. All i would say, ultimately these deep spiritual discussions are best left for one own experience/deep exploration. Conceptual discussion has limitations. Conceptual mind/conditioned mind simply cannot understand whats beyond conceptual mind/conditioned mind.
Enjoy.