Tejwant Singh ji what according to Gurbani is the way to experience Waheguru? Is it through intense practice of Naam or it is through high moral living? I know many people in my social circle who have high morals. They are all nice people, who do honest jobs, help out each other even strangers at times, they also recite Gurbani, yet they have not attained any spiritual avastha. So I wonder, when you say:
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understanding Gurbani in order to practice it in our everyday lives
what do you really mean by that? Do you mean a good moral living consisting of being honest, speaking truth, not resorting to dishonest means, not hurting anyone by words, deeds and actions etc ? Will a good moral living in itself give us the Supreme Experience of Anand which Guru Amardass ji talks about or will that make us Brahmagyani as described in Sukhmani Sahib?
Or is there something more required than just a good moral living? What about Naam jaap? What about Gurbani's paras kala which Bhai Randhir Singh ji talks about?
The statement that 'its important to understand Gurbani and practice it in our lives' is commonly used in sikh community and most often it is not made clear what it is that is to be practiced and further that will that practice make us Brahmgyani or lead us to Supreme Anand.
For me it is clear:
ਇਕ ਦੂ ਜੀਭੌ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਲਖ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਲਖ ਵੀਸ ॥ ਲਖੁ ਲਖੁ ਗੇੜਾ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਗਦੀਸ ॥
Guru Sahib clearly lays out the path and method of Gurmukh Gaadi Raah. Naam is to be recited:
ਗਾਵੀਐ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਮਨਿ ਰਖੀਐ ਭਾਉ ॥ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਰਹਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਘਰਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
Further we have a long history of people who have walked the bhagti maarg as per Gurmat, eg in modern times, Baba Karam Singh ji Hoti Mardan, Baba Atar Singh ji Reru Sahib Wale, Baba Isher Singh ji Rara Sahib, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh ji, So many other Gursikhs of AKJ as mentioned in the wonderful book Rangle Sajjan, Sant Attar Singh ji Mastuana. All these Gurmukh pyare have reached their avastha through NAAM and GURBANI. Sant Jarnail Singh ji Bhinderawale used to do continuous Japji sahib in his surtee.
So for me Naam jaap, reading Gurbani (even if sometimes I do not do it with full concentration) is the way to God realization. There are days when one does not feel upto doing the Nitnem. There are days when you are too tired. There are days when you are very distracted with other things, such as family, job, social things etc. In those days it is important that you somehow try and find a way to complete your nitnem. And not let a break come in. These things happen with everybody who is a Nitnemi. But for those who never tried Nitnem over a long period of time it is easy to say reading gurbani without understanding it is useless.
So, Tejwant Singh ji, what are your views on all this?
- What is the way of attainment of Waheguru as per Gurbani? Is it simply by living a high moralistic life?
- What about Naam jaap which is talked about in Gurbani all over 1430 angs of Guru Granth Sahib?
- Does Gurbani not have any paras kala?
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
