Sahaj means being comfortable with who you are. It is accepting yourself exactly as you are. The meaning of Sahaj is that which is your true nature; that which you have not learnt from others; that which you have to search and discover within yourself. Sahaj means that which arises out of you. The opposite […]
Guru Nanak prays that, give me just one secret, one method – that I never forget the lord of all creatures. Remembrance is the secret of life. Remembrance is also the method by which to learn the art of living. Remembrance means that you are conscious continuously. Whatever you do, walk, talk, sit, stand, you […]
Guru Granth Sahib provides a blueprint of the kind of life that one should lead. It gives practical advice on how you should model your life so that you may be able to fulfill the purpose of your life and return to the source as soon as possible and as effortlessly as possible. Since the […]
Ek Omkar Satnam Karta Purukh Nirbhau Nirwai Akaal Moorat Ajooni Saibham Gur prasad. Omkar is the all-pervading sound The only one that pervades all around It is the only truth that exists For it is, has been and ever will be The creator resides in the creation Making it creativity, an ongoing process. Creativity is […]
Listening is a life transforming experience. He who has learnt the art of right listening knows all that needs to be known. Guru Nanak sings in praise of listening. On the surface they might appear to be exaggerations because he says that you can attain everything if you listen properly. But, our truth is that […]
The opening line of Asa-di-Var is about the darkness all around. What is this darkness? We know of the darkness of night, but that is dispelled by the first rays of the sun. Yet Guru Nanak says that not a hundred moons or a thousand suns can dispel the darkness. He is obviously referring to […]
Sahaj is the state of being that is considered the ultimate state in Gurbani. Sahaj means being in your natural state. Sahaj means living life as it comes. Sahaj means doing your duties but without being the doer. Sahaj means effortless effort. The only effort we need to make is to remove the dust of […]
Hukam is the cosmic law. Hukam is that which is. Whatever is and whatever is happening is Hukam. Whatever is happening is like the river flowing. It is up to you to go along with the flow or to go against it. When you go along with the flow you surrender your will to the […]
From the Book – Understanding Guru Granth Sahib by Satjit Wadva …. I have studied the scriptures of the great religions, but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind as I find here in these volumes (English translation of Siri Guru Granth Sahib). They are compact in spite of […]
God and the world are two sides of the same phenomenon. God is not someone sitting up in the clouds watching your actions and rewarding and punishing you accordingly. God and his creation are one. God is not just the creator of this world. Creation is the creator. God is creativity. God is expanding all […]
Death is an occasion for celebration. It is homecoming. The separated soul returns to the source. What can be more joyful? Life, in Sikhism, is an opportunity given to the soul to find its bearing and its way back to the fountainhead of life. Death is the culmination of life. The quality of death describes […]
ਚਿੰਤਨ Aisa naam niranjan hoye. Je ko mann janey mann koye. If right listening has happened, it will transform you. But, for those who have not yet got the knack of listening, Guru Nanak says the next step is of contemplation. Not thinking, but contemplating. The difference between thinking and contemplation is the difference between […]
ਭਵਸਾਗਰ Bhavsagar: This world is considered as an ocean of fire (agan-sagar) which is impossible to cross. It is what keeps us bound like prisoners and we strive in every possible way to break these chains and become free. From the moment we are born to the time of death we are thrown from one […]
The Nine Treasures (Nau Nidhi) Padam = gold, silver Maha padam = pearls, diamonds Sankh = rich food and clothing Makar = valour, mastery of martial arts Kachhap = merchandise trade Kund = gold/precious stones trade Mukand = mastery of fine arts The Eighteen Spiritual Powers (Atharah Siddhi) Anima = To take on another’s […]
Approaching the Guru It is an extraordinary miracle that the Guru is so easily available, but we must know how to approach the Guru in order to derive the maximum benefit. Here are a few hints: A Specific Room The first and foremost thing to do is to make a place for the Guru in […]
