Meditation

3.Meditation
Simran: The Path of Awakening our True Self
Dr. S. S. Sodhi*

* 22 Woodbank Tr. Halifax, NS Canada.B3 M3 K4
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/essays-on-sikhism/20396-meditation.html
The writer of the article taught at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

-kindly Google out-
*

 
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I think, quiet time, meditation, solatary time, reflection time, whatever people want to call it, i.e. an invetory of ones deeds and actions and asking Waheguru to help you against the 5 thieves for that day is benficial.

Meditation: Call of the Divine
Gajindar Singh*

* 2983, Sector 61, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar. 160 062. (Punjab).

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=20396

-kindly Google out-

-as above-

Sikh 80 ji

These are good articles but for ordinary people it is hard to do all that. For the beginners like me, analyzing our deeds in context of Hukamnama we take every day( and Gurbani we recite every day). I think it will be better to improve ourselves this way in stead of trying meditation in the beginning. Just sharing my views in context of meditation.

in my limited understanding, meditation is a core component of sikh life. it seems to me that "leaving it for later" would not be in harmony with Guru sahib's teachings.

sorry if i've misunderstood something.

ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
Sirīrāg mehlā 3.
Siree Raag, Third Mehl:

ਸੁਖ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
Sukẖ sāgar har nām hai gurmukẖ pā*i*ā jā*ė.
The Name of the Lord is the Ocean of Peace; the Gurmukhs obtain it.

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਸਹਜੇ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
An*ḏin nām ḏẖi*ā*ī*ai sehjė nām samā*ė.
Meditating on the Naam, night and day, they are easily and intuitively absorbed in the Naam.

ਅੰਦਰੁ ਰਚੈ ਹਰਿ ਸਚ ਸਿਉ ਰਸਨਾ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥੧॥
Anḏar racẖai har sacẖ si*o rasnā har guṇ gā*ė. ||1||
Their inner beings are immersed in the True Lord; they sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||1||

ਭਾਈ ਰੇ ਜਗੁ ਦੁਖੀਆ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ॥
Bẖā*ī rė jag ḏukẖī*ā ḏūjai bẖā*ė.
O Siblings of Destiny, the world is in misery, engrossed in the love of duality.

ਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਸੁਖੁ ਲਹਹਿ ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Gur sarṇā*ī sukẖ laheh an*ḏin nām ḏẖi*ā*ė. ||1|| rahā*o.
In the Sanctuary of the Guru, peace is found, meditating on the Naam night and day. ||1||Pause||

ਸਾਚੇ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਲਾਗਈ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਇ ॥
Sācẖė mail na lāg*ī man nirmal har ḏẖi*ā*ė.
The truthful ones are not stained by filth. Meditating on the Lord, their minds remain pure.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਪਛਾਣੀਐ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
Gurmukẖ sabaḏ pacẖẖāṇī*ai har amriṯ nām samā*ė.
The Gurmukhs realize the Word of the Shabad; they are immersed in the Ambrosial Nectar of the Lord's Name.

ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡੁ ਬਲਾਇਆ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥
Gur gi*ān parcẖand balā*i*ā agi*ān anḏẖėrā jā*ė. ||2||
The Guru has lit the brilliant light of spiritual wisdom, and the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled. ||2||

ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੈਲੇ ਮਲੁ ਭਰੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
Manmukẖ mailė mal bẖarė ha*umai ṯarisnā vikār.
The self-willed manmukhs are polluted. They are filled with the pollution of egotism, wickedness and desire.

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਉਤਰੈ ਮਰਿ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਹੋਇ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥
Bin sabḏai mail na uṯrai mar jameh ho*ė kẖu*ār.
Without the Shabad, this pollution is not washed off; through the cycle of death and rebirth, they waste away in misery.

ਧਾਤੁਰ ਬਾਜੀ ਪਲਚਿ ਰਹੇ ਨਾ ਉਰਵਾਰੁ ਨ ਪਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
Ḏẖāṯur bājī palacẖ rahė nā urvār na pār. ||3||
Engrossed in this transitory drama, they are not at home in either this world or the next. ||3||

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਪ ਤਪ ਸੰਜਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
Gurmukẖ jap ṯap sanjmī har kai nām pi*ār.
For the Gurmukh, the love of the Name of the Lord is chanting, deep meditation and self-discipline.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਦਾ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਏਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥
Gurmukẖ saḏā ḏẖi*ā*ī*ai ėk nām karṯār.
The Gurmukh meditates forever on the Name of the One Creator Lord.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਸਭਨਾ ਜੀਆ ਕਾ ਆਧਾਰੁ ॥੪॥੭॥੪੦॥
Nānak nām ḏẖi*ā*ī*ai sabẖnā jī*ā kā āḏẖār. ||4||7||40||
O Nanak, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the Support of all beings. ||4||7||40||

Jasleen_kaur ji

You have totally taken my comments in a wrong way There are some people who sit alone then meditate, how they do it is beyond my understanding because mind needs to be stilled. If we dont start working on our minds as per guidance from Gurbani, mind will keep wandering. I pointed out about the beginning. The preparation to be worthy of Him is a must as stated about the different realms in Jap Ji. It is also called a systematic character development. By the way, during Satguru Nanak, there were yogis practicing meditation(tap), Guru ji questioned it and told them that without unconditional love and faith there would be no liberation. Guru ji also said" While doing meditations and other hardships, you never get out of ego"
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=20396
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=20396
I was just pointing out that in the beginning, the preparation of heart for His love is a must. Going over different techniques of meditation will not help. People teach meditation even without mentioning name of God at all.
What you are trying to say with this Guru shabad is not clear because Gurgani doesnt advocate these kinds of special tapas(meditations). When I get time I shall support this statement with Shabad. Thanks for pointing out, because it has given me a chance to give detail of what I said in a few words.

PK ji

i'm sorry to be unclear. (veerji? bhenji?)

i'm not trying to say anything with Guru's Shabad... Guru sahib is. i was simply trying to show that meditation is a necessity in the life of a gursikh.

yes, Guru sahib tells us that meditation WITHOUT love for God is useless. but that's not the topic of discussion, is it? i assumed that since this is a sikh forum, a topic on meditation would be meditation from a sikh point of view. i apologize if i misunderstood.

you yourself have stated in other topics that there are no stages of development in sikhi, so i do not understand how one would not be ready to engage in meditation on naam from the very beginning. how does your theory of "preparation" and "systematic character development" fit in with there being no stages of development in sikhi? i apologize if you find my questions stupid, i'm new at this and have difficulty understanding what appear to my simple mind to be contradictions.

fateh!

(btw, what is your name, if you don't mind? i would feel more comfortable having discussions with people if i could address them by name. sorry if this makes you uncomfortable)

Jasleen _ Kaur ji
Guru Fateh
Sorry I am late in responding to your questions
You can call me G N Singh if you wish !

Let me answer your question regarding my comment about levels of Sikhi.
I strongly feel that there are no levels for understanding Gurbani. Why? Because, as I have encountered some people with long experience in understanding Gurbani, sadly I have found their minds totally closed and they are glued to what they strongly believe in. Speaking about such people, there is no level to understand Gurbani. At whatever level they start, they
just stick there, if any one try to share a new idea, they will draw their swords to defend what they believe in. If they note some other one is convinced with the new idea, they dont forgive him/her either. Growth is stopped totally. It will not be odd to say here another thing also, even though as I have stated above there is no level of understanding Gurbani; there are levels of Sikhi as Satguru ji has beautifully expressed in Jap Ji Sahib. In Japji Sahib in Stanza 34, Satguru ji states about the purpose of life. Here the realm of dharma is discussed,it is followed by realm of knowledge where one widens once approach towards the world with the help of knowledge achieved through Guru guidance. Efforts are put to develop character systematically. Karm khand starts. After winning over all five primal forces with the Guru guidance and by obeying His Ordinance. Levels of Sikhi become very clear. Realizing the purpose of life, following Guru Guidance, seeker starts battling with in to over come ego, anger, lust, greed. Earlier, Guru ji teaches about falling in love with God. Even for that, negative forces make us battle with them. I hope I have answered your questions.
Last not least, I have found your questions very interesting.