Shallow Readings and Meditation

Currently, I'm taking a class on conciousness. Alot of it has to do with meditation. Obviously, if one is reading to understand then ofcourse, comprehension helps :P. But if one is reading for a "meditative" reasons so to say. Then there is nothing withing the words or sounds that can really "add" to the experience. You can meditate effectively while speaking gibberish (indeed, many buddhist and hindu schools of meditation do not rely on hymns or anything of "meaning"—they just utter gibberish and as are as effective as meditators that are uttering meaningful words).
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Shallow reading is like crawling before learning how to walk and run marathons and it is must and a very important step.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/33792-shallow-readings-and-meditation.html

Now, the question arises that shall we spend all our lives crawling?

If the answer to the above is yes, then wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the name Sikh?

Anything is possible. By shouting and through noise you basically are doing the following,

• Shutting down senses

• Shutting down your ears
• Shutting down your speech engine with repetition
• Closing your eyes you essentially shut down your vision
• If you are clapping, etc., or jumping or swaying you are shutting down your sensory feelings of touch
• Smell is generally shut down once you are in stable environment with whatever the smell is around if no changes are taking place during the exercise

• Now you are in La La land and you can call it meditation or give it other names
  • It is just a feeling what happens when all senses are shut down and brain is left alone, more or less
• There of course may be benefits from all this but I don't have any personal experiences to share but perhaps it is no different than the following videos ,

Sat Sri Akal.

Even amongst the worshippers who become particularily obsessed with the words/meaningins/etc and memorizing all the hymns. A good lot of them end up regurgitating them in such rapid fire pace that it is akin to gibberish. In the two most general forms of meditation, the point is to either focus ur attention on a specific object, thing, sensation, idea, etc (Focuses attention meditation) or to openly monitor your conciousness as it flows from moment to moment (open monitoring meditation) hymns can help people get into these kinds of states—regardless of what they mean. But meditation is inherently different from comprehension. So i'm not saying that the words arent important at all, they are important for comprehension. Just not for meditation.

Besides—alot of this is just over active placebo effect. If you believe its going to work, itll work wonders for yeah

On a personal level. I had the entire Jap Ji Sahib memorized as a kid (despite the fact I didnt understand what I was sayin) I can defintly say that at times, it was a comforting/positive experience just saying the words out in successive order. But the effect left as I grew more skeptical. (Yes, theres even a negative placebo effect—If you believe its not going to work [even with medicine proven to work] the effects lessen and may not work for you).

sorry to make a little comment but do feel first one has to be capable enough to read gurbani in it's pure sense to be able to understand it. once u can do that waheguru will guide u

waheguru is the utmost & purest light out there in this world that can guide u

Just a short comment apropos of nothing. Deep or shallow understanding of Gurbani, any understanding of Gurbani is good. What is not good is when those with a shallow understanding think they have a deep understanding and teach that to others as "the Truth."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33792

very rightly put as there is so much to learn and one can spend whole life doing that

CRAWLING..is a part of the learning process...then we learn to walk..then we learn to RUN..then sprint..then have stamina for Marathon Runs...etc etc...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33792

Just as a kindergarten student is also a studnent similar to one in the PHD class doing his PHD thesis...BOTH are "STUDENTS"....

Simialrly a SIKH is a Life long learner..a SIKH for LIFE...BUT that doesnt mean he has to stay in "kindergarten" to qualify as a studnet/sikh...and when he goes to primary school..secondary school etc..he "loses" the sikh title ??
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33792

SO just as a babay will not be crawling forever..a Sikh will not be shallow reading all his life..He will PROGRESS daily..and still remain a SIKH.