What Is Naam?

[Sherdil]

that's fine...but gurbani says the world is driven by the 5 thieves...so if you're managing to overcome them then thats great which is something we all must try and do,
but the 'knower of all hearts' seems to think most people even if their ego thinks otherwise are somewhat under their influence far beyond money being just paper, or sex being just for procreation , so much so, that Guru Ji mentions this over and over...surely Guru JI is on to something.

You can't rid the five thieves completely. You can only control them. They all serve their purpose. They should work for you. You shouldn't be controlled by them. Focusing on Waheguru Simran may take your mind off of unwanted thoughts, but that is just avoidance. You are avoiding confrontation with what plagues you. It is no different than a hermit distancing himself from things than entice him. Guru ji clearly says this is not the way.

anger is and always is a negative...as an experience to observe the opposite of calm, focussed and awareness though difficulty,anger is a good experience...one must experience the dark to appreciate the light. Anger in any martial art is to be overcome, it provides nothing but a loss of control to something created in the mind...god consciousness is surely beyond anger.

Even anger has its place. People become angry when they feel threatened or helpless. Anger releases adrenaline that helps you physically overcome any perceived threat. Sikhs have a long military history. I'm sure anger served them well on the battlefield. It's only when anger becomes out of control, that you become further from the divine. Someone who is always angry at the world will not find enlightenment.

 

[Sherdil]

love it!

even though i like talking about simran, meditation etc etc...
if the unraveling of truth was exactly the same for everyone, gosh it would be boring...

and thats why i dont like giving names to types of meditation or methods of simran...because eventually we realise no method is correct or false, but the one things that cannot be denied is ones love and yearning to experience the truth and that is fact! and that is what lifts us up.

Agreed. There are many different methods of devotion. That is why there are so many different religions. The point is to determine what method Sikhs believe in. I don't think Waheguru simran, or any simran besides truth, was advocated by our gurus to achieve enlightenment.

 

[chazSingh]

You can't rid the five thieves completely. You can only control them. They all serve their purpose. They should work for you. You shouldn't be controlled by them. Focusing on Waheguru Simran may take your mind off of unwanted thoughts, but that is just avoidance. You are avoiding confrontation with what plagues you. It is no different than a hermit distancing himself from things than entice him. Guru ji clearly says this is not the way.

i agree, you can;t get rid, gurbani says to reverse the control they have on you to having control of them.
the benefit of their experience is surely to gain new appreciation of the opposites, truth, trust, faith, compassion etc etc.

waheguru simran, or any shabad simran allows me to regain that control...it has nothing to do with avoidance, although maybe at the early stages some avoidance has to occur to fight off any habitual tendencies.
some effort has to occur, and if your heart longs and yearns then the rest is done via grace....one day you are plagued by the desire to drink alcohol, watch porn, desire for more and more money and within a matter of moments you wake up and this day feels different...the sight of alcohol all of a sudden has no pull on you..

what has happened in that moment..or moments...gurparsaad...a blessing from beyond the mind...a blessing from beyond any human effort or method or anything...

i felt this when i overcame my habit of drinking, of desire to get drunk and party all night... or when i overcame my desire for eating meat all the time... the feeling of sudden liberation from the mental desire to do these habitual things...wooosh, gone with the passing of the wind, but the 5 thieves are still there...lirking, and waiting for a moments weakness...one has to remain aware of them...the true battlefield

Even anger has its place. People become angry when they feel threatened or helpless. Anger releases adrenaline that helps you physically overcome any perceived threat. Sikhs have a long military history. I'm sure anger served them well on the battlefield. It's only when anger becomes out of control, that you become further from the divine. Someone who is always angry at the world will not find enlightenment

there is only one type of anger, and that is out of control...everything you descibe above can be attributed to resillience, bravery, fearlessness, awareness, focus...to get out of a dangerous situation, anger servers no purpose....the experience of anger is surely a manifested emotion created by the mind...it cannot be a true emotion that comes from the soul

in many of my life situations i am glad that i felt anger, it allowed me to see its destructiveness, it doesn;t seem right to me anymore, now i appreciate the exact opposite...the exact opposite is where i want to dwell

 

[ActsOfGod]

This is not directed at anyone in particular...just some thoughts that came up after reading this thread (and others like it).

It really irks me when people attempt to apply the Judeo-Christian ethic or Hindu philosophies to Sikhism, and then get up on a stage and preach to others that "this is what Sikhi is". They have totally failed to understand Guru's wisdom or teaching. In fact, they haven't even attempted to learn. All they've done is take their old belief systems and apply it to the exotic new religion they have found. This is pure ignorance. Blindness. It demonstrates a lack of understanding and intellectual laziness. If you want to be a Sikh, you should learn what Guru Nanak Sahib is teaching. Japji Sahib contains the essence of Sikh philosophy and belief.

There is a different and unique world-view, philosophy and belief system in Sikhi than in other religions. We would all be well-served to learn it well before we start espousing "how-to's" and beliefs and get into debates over what is wrong or what is right.

Everyone is free to believe whatever they want. But if you want to follow Guru Nanak Sahib, then your responsibility is to learn what Guru Sahib is teaching, and that is accomplished by diligent study of Gurbani.

AoG

 

[chazSingh]

Agreed. There are many different methods of devotion. That is why there are so many different religions. The point is to determine what method Sikhs believe in. I don't think Waheguru simran, or any simran besides truth, was advocated by our gurus to achieve enlightenment.

true simran occurs when the grace of remembering starts to dawn on man, remembering what was once forgotton (god consciousness) and feeling the ego subside and the light shine forth to manifest a true reality and not one dominated by the ego.

it's hard to remember anything in life when one is so pre-occupied with false desires, anger, greed, lust and attachment...

at some point one must withdraw for some moments and pull away from these negative tendencies to gather breath of life, a moments silence and maybe the voice of god will be heard,

maybe just maybe i might start to remember who i truely am, what i truely am, my true purpose, and henceforth god consciousness

maybe just maybe, my fear of death will diminish, no more need to get angry with anyone...for i hold no fear...no more need to seek revenge...to whom am i seeking revenge, as all is God...my arms and legs may be cut off...my life may be taken out...but so what...i am soul...one with God, what can happen to me? nothing...

 

[chazSingh]

This is not directed at anyone in particular...just some thoughts that came up after reading this thread (and others like it).

It really irks me when people attempt to apply the Judeo-Christian ethic or Hindu philosophies to Sikhism, and then get up on a stage and preach to others that "this is what Sikhi is". They have totally failed to understand Guru's wisdom or teaching. In fact, they haven't even attempted to learn. All they've done is take their old belief systems and apply it to the exotic new religion they have found. This is pure ignorance. Blindness. It demonstrates a lack of understanding and intellectual laziness. If you want to be a Sikh, you should learn what Guru Nanak Sahib is teaching. Japji Sahib contains the essence of Sikh philosophy and belief.

There is a different and unique world-view, philosophy and belief system in Sikhi than in other religions. We would all be well-served to learn it well before we start espousing "how-to's" and beliefs and get into debates over what is wrong or what is right.

Everyone is free to believe whatever they want. But if you want to follow Guru Nanak Sahib, then your responsibility is to learn what Guru Sahib is teaching, and that is accomplished by diligent study of Gurbani.

AoG

so that i understand...


which Judeo-Christian ethic or Hindu philosophies do you mean?

I've never researched or studied the above, so cannot put it into context with what is on this thread

Thank you ji

 

[ActsOfGod]

so that i understand...


which Judeo-Christian ethic or Hindu philosophies do you mean?

I've never researched or studied the above, so cannot put it into context with what is on this thread

Thank you ji

Start with the concept of God. How many can say that they actually comprehend the paradigm of the Creator in Sikhi, as opposed to the Judeo-Christian concept of God. They are, in fact, very different theologies.

Take this thread for example. We are discussing Naam in this thread. None of us can even grasp at the concept, and yet it is something that is very central to Sikh thought and philosophy of living. And here we are all struggling to even define it. This, to me, means that we have not understood the basics.

Why do people say things like "Read this shabad eleven times and your pain will disappear"? Or why do some people avoid wearing black clothes for fear that it will attract negative energy? These are Hindu thought-processes (I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just not for a Sikh to indulge in). The very way we approach our spiritual practice is overloaded with stuff like this. We take what is familiar to us, whether it is a belief or ideology or way of doing things, and try to paste it onto Sikhi. Thus, we are bringing our filth with us, and not really seeing clearly. Sikhi by it's very inclusive and flexible nature is very susceptible to this kind of treatment.

If we just put all the junk aside and tried to learn what Guru Sahib is teaching us, with an open mind, we would have some enlightenment.

This goes for what we do in our personal lives too. Yes it's true that everyone relates in their own way, but there is also a way that Guru Sahib has prescribed. Who are we to contradict it or find spurious meanings that don't exist just to satisfy our own personal tastes?


AoG

 

[Ishna]

The coversation should be careful not to dwell too much on meditation, meditation techniques, or "simran" when it [the thread[ is essentially supposed to be about Naam. Perhaps then it won't go down the same rabbit hole as so many other threads.

Take this thread for example. We are discussing Naam in this thread. None of us can even grasp at the concept, and yet it is something that is very central to Sikh thought and philosophy of living. And here we are all struggling to even define it. This, to me, means that we have not understood the basics.

This is a good re-focuser. Thank you.

 

[Sherdil]

What is Guru ji telling us about Naam in this Shabadh? GGS, panaa 9:

ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
आसा महला १ ॥
Āsā mėhlā 1.
Aasaa, First Mehl:

ਆਖਾ ਜੀਵਾ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਉ ॥
आखा जीवा विसरै मरि जाउ ॥
Ākẖā jīvā visrai mar jā▫o.
Chanting it, I live; forgetting it, I die.

ਆਖਣਿ ਅਉਖਾ ਸਾਚਾ ਨਾਉ ॥
आखणि अउखा साचा नाउ ॥
Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.
It is so difficult to chant the True Name.

ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗੈ ਭੂਖ ॥
साचे नाम की लागै भूख ॥
Sācẖe nām kī lāgai bẖūkẖ.
If someone feels hunger for the True Name,

ਉਤੁ ਭੂਖੈ ਖਾਇ ਚਲੀਅਹਿ ਦੂਖ ॥੧॥
उतु भूखै खाइ चलीअहि दूख ॥१॥
Uṯ bẖūkẖai kẖā▫e cẖalī▫ahi ḏūkẖ. ||1||
that hunger shall consume his pain. ||1||

ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਇ ॥
सो किउ विसरै मेरी माइ ॥
So ki▫o visrai merī mā▫e.
How can I forget Him, O my mother?

ਸਾਚਾ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸਾਚੈ ਨਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
साचा साहिबु साचै नाइ ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥
Sācẖā sāhib sācẖai nā▫e. ||1|| rahā▫o.
True is the Master, True is His Name. ||1||Pause||

ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਤਿਲੁ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
साचे नाम की तिलु वडिआई ॥
Sācẖe nām kī ṯil vadi▫ā▫ī.
Trying to describe even an iota of the Greatness of the True Name,

ਆਖਿ ਥਕੇ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਈ ॥
आखि थके कीमति नही पाई ॥
Ākẖ thake kīmaṯ nahī pā▫ī.
people have grown weary, but they have not been able to evaluate it.

ਜੇ ਸਭਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਆਖਣ ਪਾਹਿ ॥
जे सभि मिलि कै आखण पाहि ॥
Je sabẖ mil kai ākẖaṇ pāhi.
Even if everyone were to gather together and speak of Him,

ਵਡਾ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਘਾਟਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
वडा न होवै घाटि न जाइ ॥२॥
vadā na hovai gẖāt na jā▫e. ||2||
He would not become any greater or any lesser. ||2||

ਨਾ ਓਹੁ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੋਗੁ ॥
ना ओहु मरै न होवै सोगु ॥
Nā oh marai na hovai sog.
That Lord does not die; there is no reason to mourn.

ਦੇਦਾ ਰਹੈ ਨ ਚੂਕੈ ਭੋਗੁ ॥
देदा रहै न चूकै भोगु ॥
Ḏeḏā rahai na cẖūkai bẖog.
He continues to give, and His Provisions never run short.

ਗੁਣੁ ਏਹੋ ਹੋਰੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ ॥
गुणु एहो होरु नाही कोइ ॥
Guṇ eho hor nāhī ko▫e.
This Virtue is His alone; there is no other like Him.

ਨਾ ਕੋ ਹੋਆ ਨਾ ਕੋ ਹੋਇ ॥੩॥
ना को होआ ना को होइ ॥३॥
Nā ko ho▫ā nā ko ho▫e. ||3||
There never has been, and there never will be. ||3||

ਜੇਵਡੁ ਆਪਿ ਤੇਵਡ ਤੇਰੀ ਦਾਤਿ ॥
जेवडु आपि तेवड तेरी दाति ॥
Jevad āp ṯevad ṯerī ḏāṯ.
As Great as You Yourself are, O Lord, so Great are Your Gifts.

ਜਿਨਿ ਦਿਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਕੈ ਕੀਤੀ ਰਾਤਿ ॥
जिनि दिनु करि कै कीती राति ॥
Jin ḏin kar kai kīṯī rāṯ.
The One who created the day also created the night.

ਖਸਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਹਿ ਤੇ ਕਮਜਾਤਿ ॥
खसमु विसारहि ते कमजाति ॥
Kẖasam visārėh ṯe kamjāṯ.
Those who forget their Lord and Master are vile and despicable.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਵੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਸਨਾਤਿ ॥੪॥੩॥
नानक नावै बाझु सनाति ॥४॥३॥
Nānak nāvai bājẖ sanāṯ. ||4||3||
O Nanak, without the Name, they are wretched outcasts. ||4||3||

 

[angrisha]

Why do people say things like "Read this shabad eleven times and your pain will disappear"? Or why do some people avoid wearing black clothes for fear that it will attract negative energy? These are Hindu thought-processes (I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just not for a Sikh to indulge in). The very way we approach our spiritual practice is overloaded with stuff like this. We take what is familiar to us, whether it is a belief or ideology or way of doing things, and try to paste it onto Sikhi. Thus, we are bringing our filth with us, and not really seeing clearly. Sikhi by it's very inclusive and flexible nature is very susceptible to this kind of treatment.



AoG

I think there are plenty of reasons why this type of thinking has lingered in sikhism, same reason its around every other relgion...peope like an easy out, sometimes doing the actual reading and comprhending is hard and if someone of 'authority' is telling you to do something people will listen.

I recently had this discussion with one of my friends, who was having bad dreams. She went to the gurdwara, and one of the Gani's there gave her a book (she doesnt know which book) with a karpan on top and she put it on her bookshelf. She claims it helped, and im inclined to believe her that in her mind it did.... She never opened the book, nor does she have any idea whats inside... Comfort plays a big role, ppl do what they're comfortable with.


For me, defining Naam is something to do this day that has constantly changed for me. To me simran doesnt mean simply reciting, (Jap is more like that in my head), simran to me means making the essence of 'God' apart of every moment of your life. Simran is to be in constant alignment with Sat Guru,that essence is a very part of your being... thats what true simran to me would mean... that idea that it is in everything that you do/think etc.

I think to find that essence of Sat Nam, is essentialy that hunger to get to its core. Once, i think people get that feeling in their heart, they will begin their path to understand what that means to them.

 

[Sherdil]

I think to find that essence of Sat Nam, is essentialy that hunger to get to its core. Once, i think people get that feeling in their heart, they will begin their path to understand what that means to them.

I agree that everyone has their own way of connecting to gurbani, but isn't it our duty to come to a definitive consensus on what Guru ji is saying? If we left it up to individual interpretation, then even a word like Naam drastically changes the meaning our faith from one person to the next.

 

[Sherdil]

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.
It is so difficult to chant the True Name.
ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗੈ ਭੂਖ ॥
साचे नाम की लागै भूख ॥
Sācẖe nām kī lāgai bẖūkẖ.
If someone feels hunger for the True Name,
ਉਤੁ ਭੂਖੈ ਖਾਇ ਚਲੀਅਹਿ ਦੂਖ ॥੧॥
उतु भूखै खाइ चलीअहि दूख ॥१॥
Uṯ bẖūkẖai kẖā▫e cẖalī▫ahi ḏūkẖ. ||1||
that hunger shall consume his pain. ||1||

Let's just take the above piece and break it down:

Guru ji says it is difficult to chant the True Name. Could this be because the name is not a a word, but rather a concept? Moreover, why does Guru ji repeatedly say "True Name" or "His Name is Truth"? Could he be hinting at objective truth (Sat) stated in the mool mantar?

Perhaps it is the hunger for truth that consumes us. All religions and philosophies attempt to discern the truth about human existence. Why are we here, what is our purpose, what happens after death? These questions have plagued mankind from the beginning of rational thought. I think this is what Guru ji is highlighting here.

 

[chazSingh]

Start with the concept of God. How many can say that they actually comprehend the paradigm of the Creator in Sikhi, as opposed to the Judeo-Christian concept of God. They are, in fact, very different theologies.

Take this thread for example. We are discussing Naam in this thread. None of us can even grasp at the concept, and yet it is something that is very central to Sikh thought and philosophy of living. And here we are all struggling to even define it. This, to me, means that we have not understood the basics.

Why do people say things like "Read this shabad eleven times and your pain will disappear"? Or why do some people avoid wearing black clothes for fear that it will attract negative energy? These are Hindu thought-processes (I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just not for a Sikh to indulge in). The very way we approach our spiritual practice is overloaded with stuff like this. We take what is familiar to us, whether it is a belief or ideology or way of doing things, and try to paste it onto Sikhi. Thus, we are bringing our filth with us, and not really seeing clearly. Sikhi by it's very inclusive and flexible nature is very susceptible to this kind of treatment.

If we just put all the junk aside and tried to learn what Guru Sahib is teaching us, with an open mind, we would have some enlightenment.

This goes for what we do in our personal lives too. Yes it's true that everyone relates in their own way, but there is also a way that Guru Sahib has prescribed. Who are we to contradict it or find spurious meanings that don't exist just to satisfy our own personal tastes?


AoG

if you cant define naam then it has nothing to do with anyone understanding the basics lol ... it suggests naam is beyond all intellect and understanding...and can only be experienced through gurparsaad...and after being experienced you probably wont be able to explsin it to any one afterwards...

All the rest that you.ve written is the typical response to hearing the words naam simran or meditation...the usual parroting responses or the idea that everyone who japs gurbani or meditates on gurbani is on some ',I.ll read gurbani 12 times and I.ll be blessed'.

I think its disrespectful that you disregard the fact that people actually have a heart and soul and are not robots and that humans can speak from their heart... gurbani came from the source...we are part of the source. And gurbani is our sword to battle the ego...and when the soul yearns the truth....these words, these vibrations when spoken from deep in the heart can unite us back with our source.

remember... there is a big difference in saying 'I love you' like a parrot to your partner...it means nothing and has no power to transform...

whereas if you speak from your soul and say 'i love you' to your partner...it is powerful...

I hope one day ji you can tell this difference. God bless.... waheguru

 

[ActsOfGod]

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.
It is so difficult to chant the True Name.
ਸਾਚੇ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗੈ ਭੂਖ ॥
साचे नाम की लागै भूख ॥
Sācẖe nām kī lāgai bẖūkẖ.
If someone feels hunger for the True Name,
ਉਤੁ ਭੂਖੈ ਖਾਇ ਚਲੀਅਹਿ ਦੂਖ ॥੧॥
उतु भूखै खाइ चलीअहि दूख ॥१॥
Uṯ bẖūkẖai kẖā▫e cẖalī▫ahi ḏūkẖ. ||1||
that hunger shall consume his pain. ||1||

Let's just take the above piece and break it down:

Guru ji says it is difficult to chant the True Name. Could this be because the name is not a a word, but rather a concept? Moreover, why does Guru ji repeatedly say "True Name" or "His Name is Truth"? Could he be hinting at objective truth (Sat) stated in the mool mantar?

Perhaps it is the hunger for truth that consumes us. All religions and philosophies attempt to discern the truth about human existence. Why are we here, what is our purpose, what happens after death? These questions have plagued mankind from the beginning of rational thought. I think this is what Guru ji is highlighting here.

I wonder if that is an accurate translation, though?

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.

Maybe I'm wrong but isn't Akhan more like "to advise", or to tell, give advice to, instruct?

AoG

 

[ActsOfGod]

if you cant define naam then it has nothing to do with anyone understanding the basics lol ... it suggests naam is beyond all intellect and understanding...and can only be experienced through gurparsaad...and after being experienced you probably wont be able to explsin it to any one afterwards...

All the rest that you.ve written is the typical response to hearing the words naam simran or meditation...the usual parroting responses or the idea that everyone who japs gurbani or meditates on gurbani is on some ',I.ll read gurbani 12 times and I.ll be blessed'.

I think its disrespectful that you disregard the fact that people actually have a heart and soul and are not robots and that humans can speak from their heart... gurbani came from the source...we are part of the source. And gurbani is our sword to battle the ego...and when the soul yearns the truth....these words, these vibrations when spoken from deep in the heart can unite us back with our source.

remember... there is a big difference in saying 'I love you' like a parrot to your partner...it means nothing and has no power to transform...

whereas if you speak from your soul and say 'i love you' to your partner...it is powerful...

I hope one day ji you can tell this difference. God bless.... waheguru

You are reacting to things I did not say.

AoG

 

[Sherdil]

I wonder if that is an accurate translation, though?

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.

Maybe I'm wrong but isn't Akhan more like "to advise", or to tell, give advice to, instruct?

AoG

You are right. The translation is embellished. Perhaps the translator was trying to convey Guru ji's intent, as some meaning is lost when translating from one language to another.

Akhan = To say/tell

"Mai ounoo aakhiya" = I told him/her

"Mai ki aakhiya?" = What did I say?

Aakhiya is often shortened to khiya. "Mai ki khiya?"

 

[ActsOfGod]

You are right. The translation is embellished. Perhaps the translator was trying to convey Guru ji's intent, as some meaning is lost when translating from one language to another.

Akhan = To say/tell

"Mai ounoo aakhiya" = I told him/her

"Mai ki aakhiya?" = What did I say?

Aakhiya is often shortened to khiya. "Mai ki khiya?"

This is why I'm so wary of translations.

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.

So to me this seems like "It is advised (or I advise or say to you), that it is difficult [to obtain?] the True Name"

Or something similar. Not sure how so many people interpret that to mean "chant". There's nothing about chanting in there that I can see.

AoG

 

[Sherdil]

This is why I'm so wary of translations.

Ākẖaṇ a▫ukẖā sācẖā nā▫o.

So to me this seems like "It is advised (or I advise or say to you), that it is difficult [to obtain?] the True Name"

Or something similar. Not sure how so many people interpret that to mean "chant". There's nothing about chanting in there that I can see.

AoG

Akhan means "to recommend" when it is an intransitive verb (when there is no subject).

There is a subject here (sacha nao). So the meaning of akhan becomes to say/tell.

So the accurate translation should be:

"It is difficult to say the true name" or "It is difficult to say what the true name is".

Either way, it hints at the same thing: The name is beyond mere utterance. Perhaps that's why they chose to use "chant". It conveys the same meaning if you think about it. Although, it's probably not the best word to use.

 

[chazSingh]

What does the Sangat think of the following shabad?

ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
आसा महला १ ॥
Āsā mėhlā 1.
Aasaa, First Mehl:

ਨਿਵਿ ਨਿਵਿ ਪਾਇ ਲਗਉ ਗੁਰ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਆਤਮ ਰਾਮੁ ਨਿਹਾਰਿਆ ॥
निवि निवि पाइ लगउ गुर अपुने आतम रामु निहारिआ ॥
Niv niv pā▫e laga▫o gur apune āṯam rām nihāri▫ā.
Bowing down, again and again, I fall at the Feet of my Guru; through Him, I have seen the Lord, the Divine Self, within.

ਕਰਤ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਹਰਿ ਰਵਿਆ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਦੇਖਿ ਬੀਚਾਰਿਆ ॥੧॥
करत बीचारु हिरदै हरि रविआ हिरदै देखि बीचारिआ ॥१॥
Karaṯ bīcẖār hirḏai har ravi▫ā hirḏai ḏekẖ bīcẖāri▫ā. ||1||
Through contemplation and meditation, the Lord dwells within the heart; see this, and understand. ||1||

ਬੋਲਹੁ ਰਾਮੁ ਕਰੇ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥
बोलहु रामु करे निसतारा ॥
Bolhu rām kare nisṯārā.
So speak the Lord's Name, which shall emancipate you.

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦਿ ਰਤਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਲਾਭੈ ਮਿਟੈ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਉਜੀਆਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
गुर परसादि रतनु हरि लाभै मिटै अगिआनु होइ उजीआरा ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥
Gur parsāḏ raṯan har lābẖai mitai agi▫ān ho▫e ujī▫ārā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
By Guru's Grace, the jewel of the Lord is found; ignorance is dispelled, and the Divine Light shines forth. ||1||Pause||

ਰਵਨੀ ਰਵੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਨਹੀ ਤੂਟਹਿ ਵਿਚਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
रवनी रवै बंधन नही तूटहि विचि हउमै भरमु न जाई ॥
Ravnī ravai banḏẖan nahī ṯūtėh vicẖ ha▫umai bẖaram na jā▫ī.
By merely saying it with the tongue, one's bonds are not broken, and egotism and doubt do not depart from within.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਤੂਟੈ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਲੇਖੈ ਪਾਈ ॥੨॥
सतिगुरु मिलै त हउमै तूटै ता को लेखै पाई ॥२॥
Saṯgur milai ṯa ha▫umai ṯūtai ṯā ko lekẖai pā▫ī. ||2||
But when one meets the True Guru, egotism departs, and then, one realizes his destiny. ||2||

ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮੁ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਉਰ ਧਾਰੇ ॥
हरि हरि नामु भगति प्रिअ प्रीतमु सुख सागरु उर धारे ॥
Har har nām bẖagaṯ pari▫a parīṯam sukẖ sāgar ur ḏẖāre.
The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is sweet and dear to His devotees; it is the ocean of peace - enshrine it within the heart.

ਭਗਤਿ ਵਛਲੁ ਜਗਜੀਵਨੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਮਤਿ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੇ ॥੩॥
भगति वछलु जगजीवनु दाता मति गुरमति हरि निसतारे ॥३॥
Bẖagaṯ vacẖẖal jagjīvan ḏāṯā maṯ gurmaṯ har nisṯāre. ||3||
The Lover of His devotees, the Life of the World, the Lord bestows the Guru's Teachings upon the intellect, and one is emancipated. ||3||

ਮਨ ਸਿਉ ਜੂਝਿ ਮਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਪਾਏ ਮਨਸਾ ਮਨਹਿ ਸਮਾਏ ॥
मन सिउ जूझि मरै प्रभु पाए मनसा मनहि समाए ॥
Man si▫o jūjẖ marai parabẖ pā▫e mansā manėh samā▫e.
One who dies fighting against his own stubborn mind finds God, and the desires of the mind are quieted.

ਨਾਨਕ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਜਗਜੀਵਨੁ ਸਹਜ ਭਾਇ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਏ ॥੪॥੧੬॥
नानक क्रिपा करे जगजीवनु सहज भाइ लिव लाए ॥४॥१६॥
Nānak kirpā kare jagjīvan sahj bẖā▫e liv lā▫e. ||4||16||
O Nanak, if the Life of the World bestows His Mercy, one is intuitively attuned to the Love of the Lord. ||4||16||

Some of the light i get from this shabad is below, would be nice to hear other Sangat members views on this shabad also. God Bless

1. speak the lords name\naam
2. just verbally speaking the lords name is pointless (parroting)
3. instead to the devotee the name\naam means so much to him/her, enshrine it in your heart instead...envelope it in your love and thirst, we do not yet understand or comprehend our creator, but we have His Bani
4. the lord dwells within us, within our hearts, understand this through contemplation. Love comes from God, love is God and love comes from the heart...
5. the one who fights his mind will find God...desire and ego are removed through this
6. Bani is Guru and Guru is Bani, and through the grace of this bani, the light within shall shine and we will be engulfed in it...literally

in short, fight your mind, speak his naam by enshrining it in your heart where god dwells, this {censored}tail will surely remove all fog and allow grace to dawn upon us

just my thoughts

 

[chazSingh]

For me, Feeling his presence within my body, within my being is Naam...nothing that can be described in words or spoken of...a ery personal experience...but one we can all have, making each and every one of us special...equal.

my body is the sponge, and just like the sponge soaks up the water, naam is soaked within me...but through my life and through my ego i have let myself forget this and his presence is no longer felt...in fact all my life i have denied his presence...i walk alone through Ego, not knowing who i really am and what lies within me

How could i have let this happen...
Bani came from Him, it is now my only hope back to feeling his presence, feeling his naam within me.