Waheguru Gurmanter

I have recently begun attending simran sessions at the Gurdwara at Amrit vela and am really struggling to:

a) Stay awake
b) Feel anything spiritually. I find my mind wonders, even on days when I am fully awake.

I attend and I say ‘Waheguru’ for but I have no idea what I am supposed to be thinking of/ concentrating on for the duration of that hour. Any guidance, hints/tips and techniques would be very much appreciated.

When I sing ‘Waheguru’ at rainsubaees I feel more emotion, maybe because it allows more expression through tone of voice. But during the sessions in the morning…that 1hr seems like an eternity. Instead of looking forward to attending, it seems more like a chore (which I know is an awful thing to say!) but that’s the reality of it.

I thought I would try to find and focus on the negative aspects in my life, as this often makes the emotion of them make me yearn/long for God….but…dare I say it…im not upset about anything in my life....yet!

I would be really grateful if you could provide some tried and tested practical solutions.

Thank you

You are very fortunate to be having Amrit Vela Sangat. Amrit Vela Sangat is the best sangat a Gursikhs can have . Amrit Vela Sangat really builds Gursikhs jeevan. Don't give up because you are feeling tired or not feeling any rass. Amrit vela sangat is the hardest to attend but at the same time most rewarding.

There are so many tips that one can take if they wont full laha of sangat. It would take me too long to rite each one down. Here are some basics tips in attending sangat especially amrit vela sangat.

Resect sangat
Clean sangats shoes before attending Darbar Sahib
Thank Sri Guru Ji for giving you the opportunity to come to sangat and pray that he will continue to give the blessing.
Recite Gurbani while travelling towards Sangat.
wear clean bana
Do naam simran at the same tune/pace with sangat and listen carefully. Don't listen to your own thoughts like " this time seems eternal" just keep your thought on the Gurmantar.

Dear Learner ji,

I follow one method while in solitude), you may find it useful.

- The target is to stop all thought and listen to the mantar with a rapt attention

- Treat one's own voice as if its coming from a some outside source. Set a target for oneself that I must listen to this sound with as much rapt attention as I can.

- Do not expect anything to happen. Do not look for any swaad or anand or anything. Any and every expectation shall become a hindrance as well as produce an immediate thought movement. The mind shall then wander away from the 'dhuni'.

- Listen to akhand paath recordings ( I particularly like Bhai Balbir Singh Sidki or Bhai Sarvan Singh ji) and shabad after shabad exhorting the virtues of Naam brings back the mood for jaap.

Singh sahib jeo

Continue practice on your own especially early morning without break. You will be blessed.

Gurmukh rom rom har dhiave
The Gurmukh meditates on the Lord with every hair of his body.

SGGS ji

Having read the above advice, as difficult as it is, I have forced myself to continue attending.

I have good days and bad days. Today, whilst sitting with my eyes closed and repeating Waheguru, I think I slept through most of the hour. I had a late night though so that was my fault.

Sukhdeep Singh paji and eyesacademic, of the basic steps you mentioned I already do the following:

Respect sangat
Thank Sri Guru Ji for giving you the opportunity to come to sangat and pray that he will continue to give the blessing.
Recite Gurbani while travelling towards Sangat.
wear clean bana
Do naam simran at the same tune/pace with sangat and listen carefully. Don't listen to your own thoughts like " this time seems eternal" just keep your thought on the Gurmantar.
Treat one's own voice as if it’s coming from an outside source. Set a target for oneself that I must listen to this sound with as much rapt attention as I can.

However, the last 2 steps are proving to be a challenge!

Eyesacademic, what do you mean by saying ‘The mind shall then wander away from the 'dhuni'’. Is this a particular point that I should be focusing on?

Learner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Eyesacademic, what do you mean by saying ‘The
> mind shall then wander away from the 'dhuni'’.
> Is this a particular point that I should be
> focusing on?

By Dhuni I do not mean anything other than the complete sound of the mantar, the full word. My personal understanding of gurbani tells me that expectation of something to happen becomes a hindrance and often brings frustration and then disenchantment. There has to be an interest but that interest should not have a target.We have to make the mind get into the habit of listening with an interest. But its a easier said than done. The body is weak and mind is weaker still, and it shivers like a leaf in cold wind. May Guru ji waive off our past karams and bless us with higher consciousness.

I’ve heard that if you concentrate on Harminder Sahib when you do Naam Simran then you are essentially there in reality- ie 'Haajree lagdi hai'. Is this true?

Also, we all know that if you read Gurbani or do Simran at Harminder Sahib it is multiplied many times. If you imagine you at Harminder Sahib and do Paat or Simran, does it have the same multiplier effect?

All these questions about Naam Abhyaas are arising because one has not received Gurmat Naam according to Gurmat Vidhi from Tyaar bar Tyaar Punj Pyare. At the time one receives Khande Pahul, one also receives Gurmat Naam and Vidhi or technique to Japp Naam. Naam is the way to attain Naami Vaheguru and one can only get proper technique to meet Vaheguru the True Guru i.e. Punj Pyare in the Hazoori of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee (Laridaar Saroop only).

Once one gets Gurmat Naam as per Gurmat Vidhi, then one must keep full Gurmat Rehit ordained by Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee which includes Kakaars, abstaining from Bajjar Kurehits, Daswandh and Gurmat Aahaar (food) Bibek etc. Ones who don't keep this Rehit of Siri Dasmesh jee, can never reap full benefits of Gurmat Naam Abhyaas Kamaaee. First of all such person who is devoid of Rehit will not be able to do Gurmat Naam Abhyaas and if he or she does manage to do some Abhyaas, then such person can't concentrate properly and if one does get some concentration, then one can't get full benefits of Gurmat Naam Abhyaas Kamaaee.

Kulbir Singh

Kulbir veer ji,

Im not for a second trying to discount your views above. I absolutely agree, you cannot obtain the full benefits of naam abhyaas without first having taken Amrit from the Panj Pyaarey. However, I do not believe that as you say, trying to do naam abhyaas in the absence of Amrit/Rehit it is in effect pointless. Bhai Rama Singh Ji met Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a Kureti through his excessive meditation...

I have a great amount of respect for your views and the values that you hold. I appreciate that there is no straying away from the truth when it comes to Sikhi, so by all means it was correct for you to state that it is difficult to concentrate etc on naam abhyaas in the absence of Amrit/Rehit. However, with all due respect I found your post above to be extremely discouraging. When a child is learning to walk it is wrong to push them to the floor and say 'You’re not strong enough to walk yet. Stay on the floor until you build the strength in your legs to walk, and don’t ask questions'. That strength is built up over time through effort/trying/practice. No child will wake up one day and start walking on 2 feet (unless Waheguru does kirpa on them). So any effort made should not be discounted/ discouraged as it is through this effort that one will build the strength and faith to learn how to walk. With Maharaja's kirpa hopefully one day I too will be blessed with Amrit by the Panj Pyaarey. But in the mean time please don’t push me down. I look to this forum, to the Gursikh of the Dasam Patshah, to hold both of my hands and help me up and show me how. The truth hurts- that is undoubtedly true. But I think telling someone that any effort is in essence a waste of time is untrue.

"Charan Sharan Gur Ek Painda Jaye Chal, Satguru Koth Painda aagei Hoye Leht Hai"

Bhul Chuk Maaf Karna Veer Ji

I just felt the need to say that it’s important to encourage people who are trying to take steps in the right direction and not knock them down when they are already struggling. I appreciate as a passionate Gurskih who has an immense amount of knowledge it is difficult to be patient with manmukhs like myself who still have a lot to learn and ask (what may seem to you like obvious or silly) questions.

I just fear that not everyone on this forum may have reacted in the same way that I did and some people would have given up altogether. My thought process is that ‘It doesn’t matter if I don’t get the full benefits/ can’t fully concentrate on naam abhyaas just yet. One day when Waheguru hopefully blesses me with Amrit I will be ready to reap the full benefits because I am already blessed with a routine of waking up at amritvela’.

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However, I do not believe that as you say, trying to do naam abhyaas in the absence of Amrit/Rehit it is in effect pointless. Bhai Rama Singh Ji met Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a Kureti through his excessive meditation...

"Learner" jeeo, you have misunderstood my post. I never wrote anywhere that Abhyaas without Rehit is pointless. What I did write was that in order to reap full benefits of Abhyaas, one should keep Guru Sahib's Rehit. Naam/Gurbani are always beneficial, no matter what. So one should never give up on doing Gurbani Paath/Kirtan and Naam Simran.

Kulbir Singh

Apologies if I misunderstood your post.

> First of all such person who is devoid of Rehit
> will not be able to do Gurmat Naam Abhyaas and if
> he or she does manage to do some Abhyaas, then
> such person can't concentrate properly and if one
> does get some concentration, then one can't get
> full benefits of Gurmat Naam Abhyaas Kamaaee.

The above to me implied - it is pointless to do naam abhyaas as a kureti because in some shape or form you’re not going to benefit from it (if you’re able to continue doing it at all!). With due respect, I feel you failed to mention the benefits of continuing with Gurmat naam abhyaas.

Personally, I would have taken the approach of 'Continue to do the good work that your doing with maharaja's kirpa. To reduce your tiredness try doing xyz and another great tip is xyz but if you keep Rehit it has the added benefits of enabling you to reap greater rewards, obtain a greater level of concentration etc'.

Im just saying, its important not to focus solely on the negative aspects of ones effort but also highlight the positives and provide some encouragement. But again, honestly, its fine. Clearly, the truth upset me a little. I don’t feel ready to take Amrit and upon reading that without Amrit/Rehit you will not be able to concentrate made me feel like there was no point in doing naam abyhaas, because without concentration you’re not reaping any benefit. But I see the flip side to it and think- at least I am getting into a routine in preparation for when that day does arrive ie when I am an amridhari.

Quote

But again, honestly, its fine. Clearly, the truth upset me a little. I don’t feel ready to take Amrit and upon reading that without Amrit/Rehit you will not be able to concentrate made me feel like there was no point in doing naam abyhaas, because without concentration you’re not reaping any benefit.

Naam Abhyaas starts only after one has taken Amrit because only during Amrit Sinchaar, the new candidates are blessed with Naam by Punj Pyare. Unless one has Naam Gurmantr, how can one do Naam Abhyaas? If one does Naam Abhyaas by imitating Amritdhaaris, without approval or initiation from Satguru jee, then it does not produce the required spiritual results. Sure one would get Anand but the spiritual aspirations don't come true unless one becomes an Amritdhari. For this reason, it's recommended that non-Amritdharis do as much Gurbani Paath as possible because Gurbani can be recited by anyone but Naam Gurmantr can only be chanted by one who gets initiated by Guru Sahib. Gurbani Paath and Kirtan cleans ones mind of the dirt of sins and this way moves one towards becoming a candidate to get Naam.

The above may discourage you but it's the truth.

Guru Sahib Kirpa karan.

Kulbir Singh

wahe gguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh
iagree with kulbir singh because guru sahib said
ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿ ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਸੁ ਥਾਿੲ ਨਾ ਪਵੈ ਦਰਗਹਿ ਹੋਿੲ ਖੁਅਾਰੁ||੨||
ਭਾਵ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਜ ਕੇ ਰਹਿਤਵਾਨ ਬਨ ਕੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਦਾ ਜਿਅਾਦਾ ਫਲ ਹੈ|