Discovery of Self through Naam-Simran Gulshan Jeet Sing Sikhism ...

Discovery of Self through Naam-SimranGulshan Jeet Sing5-Rampur Mandi Road, Dehradun-248001. U.P.Sikhism advocates ‘Naam-simran’ for allmankind as the means to attain DivineKnowledge, the Self realization at ‘Finite andInfinite’ levels of Creation. The philosophybehind naam-simran is projection of pure,positive word, or Sabad, which leads humansoul to libration. Silent repetition of Wahiguru,Satnam or a Hymn, is a tonic and a potentremedy for all psychosomatic diseases. Naamsimran restores human happiness, generichealth, and elemental wisdom.Naam Simran is a purely spiritual experiencewithin reach of all humanity irrespective ofrace creed on social status. Success varies anddepends on the practitioner’s earnestness aswell as the Master’s grace.

Why we must practice ‘Naam simran’? Becauseit brings inner tranquillity. This practice issuperior to all other forms of worship. It is atthe root of Gurbani. It places no restriction oftime and space and does not need the help ofany other person or material posture.Amongstall religious practices ‘Naam-simran’ is thesimplest, a purifier for both mind and heart. Itis like the all-pervasive light of the sun.‘Naam-simran’ reins in the mind and intellect(man aur budhi) from within, order tounderstand the physical phenomenal word andtranscend its wisdom. Naam is the holiest of theholy; practice of simran destroys the cause ofour bondage, namely, our Karma (good or badactions). Even the greatest sinner attains to thesupreme position through Naam-simran. Theonly focus that one discovers by study of GuruGranth Sahib is that we must always andconstantly meditate on Him and His Name. Justas the furnace melts gold and other metals so asto purify them, so the Name of the Lord acts as

the best solvent of all problems of this world.No evil can befall one who is engrossed inNaam.There are however some pitfalls. Sadly ‘Naamsimran’has become a topic of discussion ratherthan of practice amongst our intellectuals.Argument is the antithesis of meditation.Efforts for conducting seminars on topic aremerely intellectual exercises, missing the Naam- Amrit and initiation.Internalising the Divine Spirit: The word‘Naam’ is the object of simran (meditation)whereas the word ‘Simran’ is remembering,uttering, or Jap in meditation. Thus ‘Naamsimran’is remembrance of God’s Name. Thequestion arises, what or whose name? Thesimple answer is Satnaam Waheguru the nameof True Wonderful Lord, who is All-pervadingTrue and Eternal. The Lord is One Alone, WhoEver was, Is Now and Ever shall be, - the AkalPurukh, ‘Waheguru’. His name is True. Guru

Nanak and successor Gurus, throughout theholy Gurbani, maintain that one mustcontemplate upon formless God, Infinite Godalone, Who is Creator, and dwells everywhere."Life makes it opportuneTo seek the glorious DivineThe Divine is within and not withoutProperly attune-or One’s out".Guru Nanak: Raag Prabhati"niralamb nirahar nehkewal nirbhav tadilawai" (....resting mind on the Self, Detached,Hungerless and Fearless God). In an answer tothe Siddhas, Guru Nanak replies thus: "antarbahar eko janai" - focus the mind upon OneLord (who is One within and outward)Fix thy mind on the Enternal Being, the TruePurusha" sat-purkh akal murat ridai dharohdhian"."Ved puran jas gun gavat tako naamhiai mai dharre".

Guru Tegh Bahadar says, in Raga Gaudi.Enshrine yea His Name in thy heart Whosepraise is sung by Vedas and Puranas".Guru Arjun : Sukhmani Raag Gaudi."naam ke dhare sagle jant-naam ke dharekhand brahmand,Naam ke dhare sagal akar-naam ke dharepuria sabh bhavan."Thy Name (the All Pervading DivineSpirit) is support of all beings, O Lord.Thy Name is the support of the worlds,verify the Universe.Thy Name is Support of all life forms.Yea, Thy Name is the support of allcontinents and spheres.The Tenth Master, Guru Govind Singh,defined the objective as follow :"tahi ko dhian parman hie jou tha, ab hai aragai u jaiv hai".

A Slow Process : We must understand that ifour meagre and early practice of ‘Naamsimran’does not produce any earth-shakingresult we should not lose patience. We shouldfeel encouraged by the belief that the path hasbeen found out, and it is only a question of timewhen we will reach our destination.There are some hymns which must necessarilybe taken from the Guru Granth Sahib with thehelp of a pious friend, or elder or scholar -Granthi. The most popular technique is therepetition and daily reciting of Gurbani. ‘SatNaam’ or ‘Waheguru’ is very powerful jaap;several practitioners reveal that without ‘Satnm,Waheguru’ the seeker cannot achieve hispurpose. For the name and the object named arenot different. When the heart is purified by thepractice of Pranava, or Dhun/Naad, the practicehears same sound. In the first stage, one feels athrilling sensation in the skin, gradually passesthrough several stages to reach last and final(tenth) stage; that through devotion to

Waheguru, the Self is known, and thedifficulties are removed.Realisation Within: By practicing ‘Naamsimran’the seeker of Truth, or Gursikh, comesto know the secret of Gurbani within himself,in second to fourth stage he perceives the finerspring of words, hear cosmic (Naad) sound,next he starts loosening of worldly sense and atlast stage the knowledge of Divine Self comesin full effulgence.