An Evolution and Revolution in my mind! How do fix it?
While driving, a few thoughts came into mind the other day and I started to analyze as to why one needs to go thru this everyday ritual (nitnem) of connecting with one’s soul, singing Gurbani to meditate on God’s name 24/7, sadhna, praising the creator, thanking the creator and so on? I guess this mind just starts wandering in all kinds of directions, places and thoughts, questions, ideas about various things like Gurus, prophets, children, people, human divisions and labels,, wars, why people live lives the way they live, different societies, different religions, why some eat meat and some don’t , why some kill and some save, why people get angry, why people abuse children, why and how goodness, death, happiness, sorrow, courage, goodness, evil, anger, sexual lust, greed, rape, murder comes to people in different ways, shapes and forms? These thoughts just keep coming and going. I mean this wandering goes from questioning and accepting all kinds of things at times in the form of His Will and wandering again into oblivion at other times. Why? Why? Why?
Yes, some of you out there would tell me, why don’t you just read Gurbani and answers are all in there? And, I agree, Guru Nanak has given us the best answer to all these things life in Jap Ji Sahib. And, that is “Accepting His Hukum” and living and residing in “His Will” for all kinds of life issues, problems, questions etc. Life makes perfect sense to me when I read Japji or other bani, when Guru Nanak says things like, Karmi aavay kapda, nadri mokh duar, or when he says “Karmi aapo apnee, kay naiday kay door”. Good and bad things happen in life to people because of their karma and each one receives the fruit at the Dharmrai’s court based on the actions in their past, present and future lives. Well, who is this Dharm Rai? Is he some man or just a name Guru Sahib picked to describe Ultimate Judgement? I mean it gets mentioned so many times in Gurbani. If we analyze this word, it is made up of two words, one is Dharm meaning Path of Righteousness and other Rai (I think it means Opinion here but could be wrong). So I think Dharm Rai is the entity that has the ultimate opinion or castes a judgement on good or bad actions of all of one’s 8.4 million lifetimes and decides if someone is worthy enough for his Duar and his Nadar or his Darshan (his door, his glance). If not worthy, then what? Well, Christians and Muslims think one goes to Hell, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists belief is that we are back to the life cycle of 8.4 million lives until we graced with a human life again to perform good actions to merge with the Creator. His door will not open till this doorman called “DharmRai” decides if you are worthy enough to enter. Seems so simple, yet people make life and religion so complicated and this mind does all kinds of funny things to people from cheating, looting, lusting, anger, hatred, killing, wars, ego, greed to at the same time protecting, loving, understanding duty and responsibility, defending, saving, nurturing, compassion, serving humanity, sacrificing, living truthfully, learning and doing good in life.
Ah! The “MIND”, this is what it is all about! Focusing it do jaap, focusing it do good, focusing it do seva, channeling the human thoughts and actions and energy to do good things in life. Guru Granth Sahib teaches us over and over and over again in many shabads. My favourite is, “Man too jot sarup hai, apna mool pachan”, oh! My mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine, recognize your origin. What a beautiful shabad! Even, Yogi Bhajan and other real Gursikhs also try to tell people the same thing. I remember one of his Punjabi lectures, where he says “Karam Dharm day adheen kar”, meaning keeping, thinking and doing the right things within your mind followed by good actions. It didn’t make sense to me at times, but it makes perfect sense now. And, yet, many of us, including me still fail in life to bring that courage, to do that good, to do that great seva, to do that karm under the dharm, and keep living lives like robots and zombies and having all kinds of good and bad thoughts in our minds. I mean Guru Nanak says it clearly, “Soche soch na hovaee, je soche lakh vaar”, and yet my stupid mind keeps wandering in thoughts. Why can’t it just accept His hukum, live in his will and get rid of these stupid thoughts? I don’t know. May be that is His Hukum and Command too. I mean, I feed my body all day long, why can’t I feed my mind and soul at least three times a day or all better yet, all day long with good foods like the “Naam” or the “Word” of our Husband Lord as Gurus, Bhagats, and Sages put it. So what food is it and how do we churn this milk to get the best cream or butter for our soul. Guru Sahib simply tell us, just utter “Satnam” or “Waheguru” and sing Gurbani all day long! The following shabads come to mind about uttering “satnam”
“Ram ka naam, japo din rati” (Utter Ram’s naam day and night”)
or
“Papi Jioriya Bol satnam” from movie “Manjeete Jagjit. (Oh! Sinner being, Utter Satnam”)
Aaaaah! The Gurbani, the real food for the soul!
And, while we are on the subject of singing Gurbani, what about dancing to Gurbani? I know some say that dancing has no place in Sikhism since Gurus thought it to be waste of time, and Sikhs usually don’t dance. But what if one was dancing in Praise of God and meditate while dancing. After all Gurbani allows one to work, do farming, do seva while meditating on God’s Name subconsciously. Now I would think if singing God’s praise all day long with Gurbani is okay, why not jumping with joy in God’s praise as long as my mind is focused on His name? But is it really possible to focus on God’s name while jumping at the same time? Why do some people sit in Gurdwaras with open eyes? Why do some sing and some don’t in Gurdwaras? Some work and meditate, some sit quietly and meditate. Oh! The many ways, we do things. And, yet, many get into this who is wrongfully and who is rightfully following Sikhi or Christianity or Hinduism or Sufism or Islam etc. Anyways, it is one of those thoughts again and I better shut up before this mind starts wandering again into wrong or right, judgement, karma again. One day, I would like some Gursikhs to discuss and enlighten me with this more.
Yes, some of you out there would tell me, why don’t you just read Gurbani and answers are all in there? And, I agree, Guru Nanak has given us the best answer to all these things life in Jap Ji Sahib. And, that is “Accepting His Hukum” and living and residing in “His Will” for all kinds of life issues, problems, questions etc. Life makes perfect sense to me when I read Japji or other bani, when Guru Nanak says things like, Karmi aavay kapda, nadri mokh duar, or when he says “Karmi aapo apnee, kay naiday kay door”. Good and bad things happen in life to people because of their karma and each one receives the fruit at the Dharmrai’s court based on the actions in their past, present and future lives. Well, who is this Dharm Rai? Is he some man or just a name Guru Sahib picked to describe Ultimate Judgement? I mean it gets mentioned so many times in Gurbani. If we analyze this word, it is made up of two words, one is Dharm meaning Path of Righteousness and other Rai (I think it means Opinion here but could be wrong). So I think Dharm Rai is the entity that has the ultimate opinion or castes a judgement on good or bad actions of all of one’s 8.4 million lifetimes and decides if someone is worthy enough for his Duar and his Nadar or his Darshan (his door, his glance). If not worthy, then what? Well, Christians and Muslims think one goes to Hell, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists belief is that we are back to the life cycle of 8.4 million lives until we graced with a human life again to perform good actions to merge with the Creator. His door will not open till this doorman called “DharmRai” decides if you are worthy enough to enter. Seems so simple, yet people make life and religion so complicated and this mind does all kinds of funny things to people from cheating, looting, lusting, anger, hatred, killing, wars, ego, greed to at the same time protecting, loving, understanding duty and responsibility, defending, saving, nurturing, compassion, serving humanity, sacrificing, living truthfully, learning and doing good in life.
Ah! The “MIND”, this is what it is all about! Focusing it do jaap, focusing it do good, focusing it do seva, channeling the human thoughts and actions and energy to do good things in life. Guru Granth Sahib teaches us over and over and over again in many shabads. My favourite is, “Man too jot sarup hai, apna mool pachan”, oh! My mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine, recognize your origin. What a beautiful shabad! Even, Yogi Bhajan and other real Gursikhs also try to tell people the same thing. I remember one of his Punjabi lectures, where he says “Karam Dharm day adheen kar”, meaning keeping, thinking and doing the right things within your mind followed by good actions. It didn’t make sense to me at times, but it makes perfect sense now. And, yet, many of us, including me still fail in life to bring that courage, to do that good, to do that great seva, to do that karm under the dharm, and keep living lives like robots and zombies and having all kinds of good and bad thoughts in our minds. I mean Guru Nanak says it clearly, “Soche soch na hovaee, je soche lakh vaar”, and yet my stupid mind keeps wandering in thoughts. Why can’t it just accept His hukum, live in his will and get rid of these stupid thoughts? I don’t know. May be that is His Hukum and Command too. I mean, I feed my body all day long, why can’t I feed my mind and soul at least three times a day or all better yet, all day long with good foods like the “Naam” or the “Word” of our Husband Lord as Gurus, Bhagats, and Sages put it. So what food is it and how do we churn this milk to get the best cream or butter for our soul. Guru Sahib simply tell us, just utter “Satnam” or “Waheguru” and sing Gurbani all day long! The following shabads come to mind about uttering “satnam”
“Ram ka naam, japo din rati” (Utter Ram’s naam day and night”)
or
“Papi Jioriya Bol satnam” from movie “Manjeete Jagjit. (Oh! Sinner being, Utter Satnam”)
Aaaaah! The Gurbani, the real food for the soul!
And, while we are on the subject of singing Gurbani, what about dancing to Gurbani? I know some say that dancing has no place in Sikhism since Gurus thought it to be waste of time, and Sikhs usually don’t dance. But what if one was dancing in Praise of God and meditate while dancing. After all Gurbani allows one to work, do farming, do seva while meditating on God’s Name subconsciously. Now I would think if singing God’s praise all day long with Gurbani is okay, why not jumping with joy in God’s praise as long as my mind is focused on His name? But is it really possible to focus on God’s name while jumping at the same time? Why do some people sit in Gurdwaras with open eyes? Why do some sing and some don’t in Gurdwaras? Some work and meditate, some sit quietly and meditate. Oh! The many ways, we do things. And, yet, many get into this who is wrongfully and who is rightfully following Sikhi or Christianity or Hinduism or Sufism or Islam etc. Anyways, it is one of those thoughts again and I better shut up before this mind starts wandering again into wrong or right, judgement, karma again. One day, I would like some Gursikhs to discuss and enlighten me with this more.
posted by SikhsRus at 11:23 AM
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