DAILY PAATH VS. DAILY NITNEM
Well, here it is very early Monday morning, have been up since 12:30AM or so and couldn't go back to sleep. The usual wake up time is between 4 and 5AM, with a few exceptions here and there where just can't get out of bed till even after 8AM, which I am ashamed off especially when I call myself a Sikh. It is nights like these sometimes, that mess up the whole sleeping schedule. I like this quite time though with everyone sleeping and snoring. Did some treadmaster and decided to go back to sleep since I have to go to work in the morning. But still stared at the ceiling. So here I am, writing on the blog. Started thinking about a conversation with one of the office managers last week where my mother lives. He started talking about some documentary on history channel that he saw on Sikh martial art, Gatka and Nihangs. He told me how they showed that many of the other martial art forms were born out of Gatka. I mentioned how Sikh history is full of battles of handful against many. Now I haven't seen the program since I only have basic cable to cut down on expenses, but I wish I did. He may make me a CD of the program. I gave a few Sikh websites since he seemed interested in India/Sikh things. Anyways, thoughts came to mind about saint-soldiers, sikhs etc. about how they fought in history with so many odds against the. A handful against thousands. I mean "wow"!
From that I started thinking about daily Paath that Sikhs do and my father did all his life and I do sometimes. Comes to think of it and if one stops for a moment and thinks about it, the actual meaning of Paath in Indian and Punjab languages is "Lesson" and not prayer as many of us in ordinary lives think of. I mean, it feels useless, when someone says "oh, do you Paath". You don't just do your paath, you learn your "paath" or lesson. A Sikh is a learner of Guru Ji's teachings. Sometimes, I wish I could do "learn more Paath" than "Do more Paath", if you know what I mean. Still, I do believe that it still woudn't hurt to " do paath' since reapeting something again and again even if you don't know see the use of it, is also a great way to learn. Kind of like "Muliplication" tables in Math or "Memory Words" in English. You just have to memorize some things to really learn by repeating them. But there are other lessons in Guirbani that has to be learnt than memorized. Or may be you just memorizes it to the extent that it just becomes a regular habit and becomes so ingrained in your life style and Sikh way of life that you don't even think about it. It is good as long as you put your lesson or "Paath" to practise in daily life. It would be kind of like daily Hukumnama which a Sikh is supposed to live by in his or her daily affairs.
That brings the question of Nitnem. What is Nitnem? So what is the difference between Daily Paath and daily Nitnem? Nitnem or "Daily repetition of God's Name" to me is meditation or focussing on God's name or is the real prayer or the real ardas. "It could be repetition of words "satnam" or "Waheuru" or "a mantra" out of Sri Guru Granth Sahib or Sri Dasam Granth banis or "your own conversation or prayer or thank to the Creator.
Well, it is 3:19AM as I type, and I am still not sleepy. Boy, going to be tired and messed up at work. Sometimes, I wish I could retire so I could do the things that I want to, which are so many. I wish I could be in Haiti right now helping the Earthquake victims. It is great to hear about United Sikhs volunteers out there. Actually, wife says just go but I just can't because of other stupid committments which I can not expalin in addition to being lazy and indecisive.
From that I started thinking about daily Paath that Sikhs do and my father did all his life and I do sometimes. Comes to think of it and if one stops for a moment and thinks about it, the actual meaning of Paath in Indian and Punjab languages is "Lesson" and not prayer as many of us in ordinary lives think of. I mean, it feels useless, when someone says "oh, do you Paath". You don't just do your paath, you learn your "paath" or lesson. A Sikh is a learner of Guru Ji's teachings. Sometimes, I wish I could do "learn more Paath" than "Do more Paath", if you know what I mean. Still, I do believe that it still woudn't hurt to " do paath' since reapeting something again and again even if you don't know see the use of it, is also a great way to learn. Kind of like "Muliplication" tables in Math or "Memory Words" in English. You just have to memorize some things to really learn by repeating them. But there are other lessons in Guirbani that has to be learnt than memorized. Or may be you just memorizes it to the extent that it just becomes a regular habit and becomes so ingrained in your life style and Sikh way of life that you don't even think about it. It is good as long as you put your lesson or "Paath" to practise in daily life. It would be kind of like daily Hukumnama which a Sikh is supposed to live by in his or her daily affairs.
That brings the question of Nitnem. What is Nitnem? So what is the difference between Daily Paath and daily Nitnem? Nitnem or "Daily repetition of God's Name" to me is meditation or focussing on God's name or is the real prayer or the real ardas. "It could be repetition of words "satnam" or "Waheuru" or "a mantra" out of Sri Guru Granth Sahib or Sri Dasam Granth banis or "your own conversation or prayer or thank to the Creator.
Well, it is 3:19AM as I type, and I am still not sleepy. Boy, going to be tired and messed up at work. Sometimes, I wish I could retire so I could do the things that I want to, which are so many. I wish I could be in Haiti right now helping the Earthquake victims. It is great to hear about United Sikhs volunteers out there. Actually, wife says just go but I just can't because of other stupid committments which I can not expalin in addition to being lazy and indecisive.
posted by SikhsRus at 2:38 AM
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