The Siri Guru Granth Sahib with Granthi (Sevadar) in attendance.
A
Sahaj Path is a continuous reading of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
Reciting
these words is a formula for experiencing one's own divinity, inspiring
and uplifting
for all involved. Reading can be done in English, original Gurmukhi
or a transliteration.
Participants may read for an hour at a time, or at their convenience.
Today's
Hukamnama.
Welcome
to
Siri Guru Granth Sahib.com
Ardas
Sangat reciting Ardas
An Invocation
Ik
Ong Kar, Whaheguru ji ki fateh. Siri Bhagauti ji sahae. Var Siri Bhagauti
ji ki
patshahi dasmeh. Pritum Bhagaute simar kai, Guru Nanak lain dhiae.
Phir Angad,
Guru te Amar Das, Ram Dasai hoin sahae. Arjun Hargobind no, simrau
Siri Har Rae.
Siri Harkrishan diaiai, jis dithe sabh dukh jae. Guru Teg Bahadar
simriai, ghar nau nidh
avai dhae. Sabh thain hoe sahae. Dasvan Patshah, Siri Guru Gobind
Singh Sahib ji,
Maharaj, sabh thain hoe sahae. Dasan Patshah di jot, Siri Guru Granth
Sahib
Ji de path didar da dhian dhar ke bolo ji, Sat Nam! Siri
Whahe Guru!
Translation
The
One Creator of Creation, all victory is His. May God's Sword be our
protection.
After first worshipping the Adi Shakti, the Primal Power, meditate
on Guru Nanak.
Then Angad, Guru Amar Das, and Ram Das,
may they grant us their protection.
Meditate on Guru Arjun, Hargobind, and Siri Har Rae. Meditate on Siri
Harkrishan,
upon seeing whom all sufferings shall depart. Meditate on Guru Teg
Bahadur,
and the nine treasures shall come to you. Supreme is Guru
Gobind Singh, protector of the Faith, Master of the unity, may he protect us
everywhere.
The Light of the ten gurus, the living Guru, Word of God, and Truth
of truths,
the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, by meditating on it Words, all sufferings
vanish.
Meditate O pure ones and utter Sat Nam! Siri
Whahe Guru!
"God
is nothing but your own inner consciousness.
Now I will agree with you that you cannot always
feel this God, but that is because you think that you
are separate from God. We call it Maya.
Maya is the
illusion of separateness: it is the quicksand of this life.
Sometimes we sink into this quicksand and then we
need a hook; we need some guidance to help us pull
ourselves out so that we can continue our journey. The hook that we use to do this is called the Guru."
From Life According
To Yogi Bhajan.com.
Click
the 'Fullscreen' button in the
lower right corner for easier viewing.
Click the 'Esc' key to return to normal viewing.
"Our
purpose is the celebration of Nam (the Word)."
Sikh
Dharma was founded by Guru Nanak Dev
in the Punjab area of Northwestern India, now Pakistan, in the 15th
Century. The Sikhs that live there speak the Punjabi language. The
word “guru” means one who can take you from darkness to
light and guides you on the right path. After his death a series of
nine Gurus led the Sikh Panth, i.e., the Sikh community, until 1708
CE.*
At this time this function passed to the Panth and the Siri Guru Granth
Sahib, which is the 11th and remaining Guru.
The
Siri Guru Granth Sahib is composed and compiled by the Sikh Gurus
themselves. Therefore, it is original and authentic.
All the Hymns (Gurbani) are written in a poetic form with specified
musical Raags (a total of 31). Singing these poetic Hymns
with musical notes calms and soothes the mind. See A
'Sound' Spiritual Experience. See The
Science of Mantra.
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib does not contain any autobiography of any
of the Gurus, or Sikh history. It contains Hymns, i.e., Psalms, which
direct one to lead a truthful and spiritual life, a message for the
whole of humanity.
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi script, the actual
contemporary language of the Gurus. See WhaHe
Guru.
The
Sikhs
"...
We gladly accept all, and we will exclude none, for after
all, we're the same - we are all One." -- Guru
Gobind Singh
"Sikh
Dharma is a householders' spiritual path by which practice
one may, by God's grace, be blessed with the virtue known as
humility along with the good fortune to overcome the mental and
spiritual affliction known as pride." -- M.S.S. Hari Singh Khalsa
"From
a woman all men are born. How then can any
man degrade any woman?" -- S.S.
Hari Kaur Khalsa
The
12 Aspirations of the Sikhs
Believe God is Truth and Word
is Guru.
Believe God is the One Creator,
and all of Creation is God's manifestation.
Espouse the role of woman as
representing the Universal Mother.
Are vegetarians and do not
eat flesh food, i.e., red meat, chicken or seafood.
Refrain from using tobacco,
drugs or alcohol.
Perform sadhana,*
i.e., spiritual practice before sunrise, and recite banis daily.**
Believe all religion and scripture
is an expression of the One Creator.
Respect the rights and freedoms
of all spiritual paths.
Espouse the sanctity of the
path of the householder.
Believe it is God's blessing
to serve others, and to protect the weak.
*Sadhana:
Derived from a Sanskrit word meaning, Sa-all, and Dhana-blessings.
"The
problem at this moment is the majority of us do not want to do sadhana
(spiritual practice). These unfortunate people are really cursed.
With all the teachings and all the knowledge,
isn't it a curse? It is. Sometimes you use the children as an excuse,
sometimes the husband. One way or the other, there is an excuse. To
be realistic with you, an excuse is an excuse, and sadhana is sadhana.
I know on some days, I am dead tired. I feel I can't do my sadhana.
Then what do I do? I go to the bathroom, I take cold water, and I
wash my face again and again, and again and again, until I understand
that I am fully awake. When I am doing my sadhana, sleep sometimes
wants to overtake me; I get tired. Sometimes I get home late and I
have to get up very early. Then I do pranayam
and I apply some yogic locks.
I do a lot of things that I have learned and I go through it as gracefully
as a humble human being should." -- Yogi
Bhajan
"The
greatest reward of doing Sadhana is that the person becomes incapable
of being defeated. Sadhana is a self-victory, and it is a victory
over time and space. Getting up in the morning is a victory over time,
and doing it is a victory over space." -- The
Siri Singh Sahib of Sikh Dharma
**Banis
are specific passages taken from the Guru and read each day.
Father
of the Khalsa Guru
Gobind Singh
Sikhs
believe in one formless God with many names, Who can be related to
by anybody through meditation. Sikhs
recite the Name many times each
day. And Sikhs do not worship idols or icons. Sikhs believe in karma
and reincarnation as Hindus do, but
they shun the caste system. Sikhs see everybody as having equal status
in the eyes of the Creator.
During
the 18th century, there were a number of attempts to prepare a codification
of Sikh customs. Sikh scholars and theologians started in 1931 to
prepare the Reht Maryada, the Sikh code of conduct and conventions.
This action has achieved a high level of uniformity in the religious
and social practices of Sikhism throughout the world. The Reht contains
27 articles. Article 1 defines a Sikh as: "Any
human being who faithfully accepts ...
The utterances
and teachings of the ten Gurus, and
The baptism bequeathed
by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe a primary allegiance to any
other religion, is a Sikh."
Sikh
Articles of Dharma
The Five K's
There
are five articles or symbols that identify a person as a Sikh. These
include uncut hair Kesh, which is worn under a turban;
a small comb, Kangha; a style of breeches,
Katchera, or shorts, that are worn underneath one’s
clothing; a steel bracelet, Kara, and a small ornamental
sword, Kirpan, which are worn at all times.
KESH,
the God-given hair and beard, kept unshorn
to sustain him or her in higher consciousness, and to be covered with
a Turban,
the crown of spirituality. The unshorn hair is coiled, and worn in
a jura or knot (bun) on top of the head (crown
chakra), and under the turban. See
Beards
KANGHA,
the wooden comb, symbol and reminder of the commitment to cleanliness,
and used to groom the hair.
KATCHERA,
the specially designed cotton underwear, symbol and reminder of the
commitment to purity, and to refrain from sexual relationships outside
of marriage. (Khalsa Sikhs
also vow to refrain from eating meat or using tobacco, alcohol, and
all other intoxicants.)
KARA, the steel ring-bracelet, symbol of Infinity, worn on
the wrist, signifying the unbreakable bondage with Truth, The One
God, The One Reality, and freedom from every entanglement.
KIRPAN,
the small sword, the symbolic Sword of Righteousness, with which a
Khalsa is committed to righteously
defend the innocent, and the fine line of Truth.
Guru
Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, gave these five gifts to the Sikhs.
All Sikhs that choose to go through an initiation ceremony called
Amrit, wear these articles of faith. Sikh men take the name Singh,
meaning lion, and women take the name Kaur, meaning princess.
"Sikh
Dharma is a householders' spiritual path by which practice
one may, by God's grace, be blessed with the virtue known as
humility along with the good fortune to overcome the mental and
spiritual affliction known as pride." -- M.S.S. Hari Singh Khalsa
Sikhism
is founded on the principles of global interfaith communities and
mutual inter-community respect and harmony. The founders of Sikhism
defined and preached the principles of interfaith respect, dialogue,
and harmony. All members of the Sikh religion believe in only one
God. Sikhs are monotheists like Jews,
Christians and Muslims.
The Sikh religion promotes equality among all people. That means that
everyone -- men and women -- are treated in the same way. Sikhs are
expected to work hard, to be good and giving people, to worship God,
and provide service for all humanity. A Sikh, by definition, respects
and accepts all other world religions.
Further, the Sikh protects, guards, and allows the free practice of
the customs and rituals of other religions.
Today,
many Sikh youths belong to youth groups that are designed for Sikh
children and young adults. These groups teach Sikh youth about their
unique religious and cultural history and traditions. Many of these
youth groups are sponsored by a Sikh Gurdwara.
For Sikh families, the Gurdwara, i.e., Sikh church or temple, is a
gathering place for people to share their religious traditions. It
is the center for Sikh life and is a place where people can gather
for special social ceremonies like those marking a marriage, the birth
of a baby or a death in a family.
Gurdwaras maintain a tradition of 'free' kitchens where food is prepared
and shared with the entire community. People of every
religion are welcome at Gurdwaras, and in the community kitchen.
Also, when people pray and worship in the Gurdwara, everyone sits
on the floor, grouped together. No one sits in front of or higher
than, anyone else. In this way Sikhs demonstrate their sense of social
equality.
From
The Sacred Writings of the Sikhs Jap Sahib Meditation by Guru Gobind Singh
There
is no mark, which sets apart
The Ever Changeless Light of hearts.
No caste or sect, shape, form or hue;
Imagination can't construe
His Greatness or His countless Names;
The King Who o'er the three worlds reigns;
A million Indras can't compete;
God's men and demons touch His feet.
The
world's vast fortunes seem as weeds
Amidst the garden of His deeds.
Thus, by His deeds His Name is
placed;
Breath of Wisdom, Grace of grace.
Even forests slim or small
In glades and glens repeat the call,
"He is Infinite and All ... Infinite and All."
I
bow to Thee, Eternal,
Beyond death the Beauteous Form.
To the Merciful and Mighty,
O, I bow to Thee, Unborn;
To the One Who has no costume,
Who’s beyond all destiny,
Without treasure, without body, Indestructible is He;
Who is Nameless and cannot be named,
Who occupies no space,
Beyond karma, beyond dharma, beyond need of dwelling place.
O,
I bow to Thee Unconquerable, the Stranger to defeat.
To the Fearless, Self Sufficient One, the One without deceit;
To the One Who has no color, no beginning and no end,
Who is Bountiful and Faultless, Far Too Great to comprehend;
O, I bow to Thee Who art but One and Thee Who many be.
Beyond earth, air, water, fire and gas, I bow my Lord to Thee ...
Beyond earth, air, water, fire and gas, I bow my Lord to Thee.
I
bow to Him beyond all deeds, Who wears no special dress,
Who has no country, name or manner, the Desireless.
I bow to Thee Imperishable, Thee from sorrow free;
Beyond attachment, anger, pride, desire and greed is He;
To the One in need of no one, Who is worshipped in three worlds;
The Source of every treasure, He Who cannot be installed.
He Who’s free from all affliction, independent of all breath;
He Who organizes and destroys, Who is the Death of death.
O,
I bow to He Who generates, the One Who can't be known.
The Source of passion, strength and grace;
I bow to Thee, Unborn;
He Who is the Supreme Yogi, far beyond all intellect;
He in need of no support, yet Who supports the ocean's depth ...
He in need of no support, yet Who supports the ocean's depth.
I
bow to He Who has no caste, religion, faith or creed;
Sublime and All Prevailing Beauty, with no lineage;
The Countryless, the Garbless, Homeless, Spouseless, King of all,
Who dispenses death and mercy, He Who takes the shape of all.
O, I bow to the Creator, the Sustainer, the True Lord;
To the One Annihilator, low I bow to Thee Unborn;
To the One Who has no secrets, He Who is the Death of all;
The Creator of all beauties, their destruction and their fall.
O,
I bow to the Sustainer, Omnipresent in all hues;
Who prevails throughout the universe, the Endless Well of Truths.
O, I bow to Thee, Immortal Lord, to Thee untouched by age;
To the Doer, the Forgiver, to the Fearless and the Sage ...
To the Doer, the Forgiver, to the Fearless and the Sage.
He
Who is Every Occupation, no relations, no restraint;
To the kind and constant Husband, Aspiration of the saint;
To the Endless and the Infinite, the Love of every soul;
The Creator and Destroyer, bend thou low, this mortal coil.
Bow down to the Lord of Yogis, the Sustainer of the wife;
The Enjoyer of all pleasures, the Caretaker of all life.
He
Who's kind and understanding, more impartial than the sea;
He Who dries up all life's fluids, O, I bow my God to Thee.
To the Bountiful and Fruitful, Who is not sustained by breath;
Who is Fearless and Desireless, He Who is the Death of death;
Who is Infinitely Gracious, Who’s
within and out of me;
To the Only God whose Name is Truth, I bow, my Lord to Thee ...
To the Only God whose Name is Truth, I bow, my Lord to Thee.
I
bow to Thee, O Virtuous, upon Whom all rely;
He Who lives in everyone, the One from Whom all shapes arise;
To the Moon of moons, the King of kings, the most respected One;
Unto He Who has no comrade, Hymn of hymns and Sun of suns;
He Who is the Dance within the dance, the Sound within the sound.
To the Music of all music, to the Current, I bow down;
To the One Who is the Hand and is the hand's Activity,
Who contains all forms, all maya,
Great and Glorious is He.
The
Dispute of all disputes, the Supreme Siddha of the verse;
To the User of all weapons, Mother of the universe;
Who is All-Supreme in wisdom, without lust and costume free;
To the Master of maneuvers, O, I bow my Lord to Thee ...
To the Master of maneuvers, O, I bow my Lord to Thee.
I
bow to He Who cures disease, Who takes our daily care;
Present in both gods and demons, Who is Dutiful and Fair.
He Who knows all forms of cunning, the Embodiment of love;
Who bestows all life and charity, All Seeing Lord above;
To the Mantra of all mantras, Pure of fire and the Pure;
To the Jantra of all jantras, Conqueror of the universe;
The Immortal, Without Master, to the True and Blissful Form;
To the Tantra of all tantras, low, I bow to Thee Unborn.
O,
I bow to He Who rules all wealth, the Brightest of the bright;
To the Seed of seeds, the Song of songs, the Form of dark and light;
To the Honored of all honored, without fear or mystery;
Object of all meditation, O, I bow my Lord to Thee ...
Object of all meditation, O, I bow my Lord to Thee.
I
bow to the Bestower of all knowledge time and space;
To the Source of love, the Source of strength, salvation, bliss and
grace.
He Who takes the form of passion, He Who takes the form of pain;
To the Harshest of the harsh, the Many and the One again;
To the Everlasting Sculptor Who is pleased with every mold;
The Embodiment of kindness, the Controller of the soul;
The Destroyer of the three conditions, future, past and now.
He
Who is the Life of life, bestowing undestroyable power;
To the Battle of all battles, the Embodiment of peace;
The Unalterable Essence, Formless through eternity;
To the Righteous Lord of Indras, Who’s within and out of me;
Meditation of all meditations, Lord, I bow to Thee ...
Meditation of all meditations, Lord, I bow to Thee. --
*The
dates are given in BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era). These
years correspond to the same dates in BC and AD but by defining the
current period as the "Common Era" the nomenclature attempts
to treat all religions and beliefs as equal.
A
HEAVENLY BLESSING
A DIVINE MIRACLE
A GURU, WITH NO HUMAN FORM
BUT AN OCEAN OF ‘NAAM’…
SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI
NOT JUST A HOLY BOOK
BUT ‘THE GURU’ FOR ANYONE THAT CHOOSES
TO LEARN TO BE A ‘SIKH’
OF ANY CAST, COLOR OR CREED
A BANI FROM ‘AKAL PURAKH’
WITH THE OMNIPOTENT’S SPIRIT
AND STRENGTH
‘DHUR KI BANI’… AS BEAUTIFULLY SPOKEN
BY OUR BENEVOLENT
GURU’S…
BLENDED WITH THE MAGNIFICENCE
OF THE BANI OF THE ‘BHAGATS’
MAKES US COME TO A REALIZATION SO TRUE
GURBANI IS THE HEAVENLY LIGHT
THE BEAUTIFUL INSIGHT
AS IT PREPARES A PATH
FOR US TO FOLLOW
IN THE AFTERMATH
AND A PATH
TO FOLLOW IN THIS
EARTHLY FORMAT…
AS WE REALIZE THIS WORLD IS BUT
A BUBBLE
THAT WILL BURST ON THE RUBBLE
AND THEN, THE RIVER OF LIFE
IS NO MORE
NO MORE, IS THERE ANY STRIFE
AS WE HEAD TO GOD
TO ANSWER TO THE LORD
FOR DECEITS, LIES AND ALL…
SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI
A LIGHT HOUSE
IN THE STORMY SEAS
OF THIS EARTHLY FIRE HOUSE…
A HEAVENLY SHIP
THAT WILL TAKE US
ABOVE
AND BEYOND THE TURMOIL AND THE BONDS
OF THE EARTHLY PRONGS
THE ANSWER TO OUR EVERY QUESTION
THE DIRECTION TO OUR EVERY MOTION
THE FORGIVER OF OUR EVERY SIN
A CONNECTION…
THAT TAKES US ON TO A JOURNEY
THAT LEADS TO RESURRECTION…
AS WE READ THE PEARLS OF THE ‘GURMUKHI’
THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS
FORM A STRING SO STRONG
UNABLE TO BREAK, SUSTAINING ALONG
AS WE HOLD ON TO IT
FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
FOR NOW…
AND IN THE HEAVENS BEYOND…
WE ARE IN AWE OF THE MIRACLES OF GURBANI
FOR THE GURU IS IN OUR HEARTS
AS WE READ THE SCRIPTURE OF GURBANI
AS IT LEADS US ON TO A DEEP UNDERSTANDING
FOR OUR REASON TO LIVE…
AS GURBANI STATES “EHO TERA AVSAR EHO TERI BAAR”
AND WE TRANSCEND INTO A STATE OF ‘SEHEJ’
WHERE THERE IS NO NEED
NO WANT
BUT A FEELING BEYOND
UNDERSTANDING...
TO JUST WANT
TO SING
THE PRAISES OF WHAHEGURU…
EARTHS MAY COME AND EARTHS MAY GO
MOUNTAINS WILL TURN INTO RUBBLE
THEN TURN INTO PEAKS WITH SNOW…
BUT GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI WILL FOREVER BESTOW
BLESSINGS UPON US
AND CARVE A PATH FOR US
BEFORE THEN, FOR NOW, AND FOREVER MORE! --
MORE POETRY.
*'Bole
So Nihal': "One who speaks this shall be blessed."
An exaltation traditionally expressed on occasions when
a rallying affirmation is appropriate. The answer to this
call is 'Sat Siri Akal': "Truth is supreme and
undying."
Believe God is Truth and Word
is Guru.
One Immortal Being,
