Congratulations to everyone on celebrating the Sikh new year.
The Sikh new year falls on Sangrand of the month of Chet.
The first day of the first month in the Sikh calendar
which is Chet.
In this video we are going to be looking at the Pauree
of the Chet month in the Bani of Barah Maha
by Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji is going to guide us
and give us teachings for this month of Chet.
At the end of this video I will be sharing three things
that we need to do in this month.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji starts off the Pauree by saying
Chet Govind Araadheeae Hovae Anand Ghana
Everybody in this world seeks peace,
Anand, the state of bliss, of Sukh.
Even in English calendar in the month of January
when a new year comes
we all have our new year resolution
and one of that is always seeking for happiness.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji says that for us to seek for that Sukh,
that Anand, the permenant Sukh
is through Araadhana, is through Naam Simran,
meditation on Parmatama.
We might ask this question
that Sache Paatshah, where can we get inspiration and that guidance
or directions to do Naam Simran?
Also to ensure continuity when we do it?
Guru Sahib then continues in the next Pankti,
They say,
It is through the sangat of the Saints,
the Mahapurakhs, the Gurmukhs
that we are inspired to do Naam Simran,
we are blessed and guided to do Naam Simran.
Sangat ji, especially walking on the path of Sikhi as a new person
it is very important to get that inspiration and that guidance.
Just like someone in this world
who seeks to become a doctor
or a businessman or a business woman,
what do we do?
We read the life story, the biography,
we watch videos of the person
who is a successful doctor or a successful business person.
Then being inspired by them
we also try to walk on the same path as well.
It is the same thing here as well Sangat ji.
Seeking for that inspiration and guidance from the saints.
Raja Shiv Nabh during the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
he was the king of Sangladeep which is now modern Sri Lanka.
Raja Shiv Nabh got inspiration to do Naam Simran from Bhai Mansukh Ji
who has done Sangat of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
who has learned so much from Guru Nanak Dev Ji
and was doing Bhagti from the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Raja Shi Nabh listened to the Saakhiyaan of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
was so inspired that he too started doing Naam Simran
he too started remembering Guru Nanak Dev Ji
and one day the time came when through that remembrance,
through that Araadhana Guru Sahib Themselves
came to Sangladepp to bless Raja Shiv Nabh with Their darshan.
Guru Ji says in the next Pankti,
That those who have found Parmatama
those saints, those Gurmukhs
who have through Naam Simran found Parmatama,
their coming into this world is fortunate, is fruitful.
Guru Sahib says that this too can be our situation as well.
Where through Naam Simran, through meditation, Bhagti
we also can find Parmatama
and our coming into this world will also become fruitful.
Remember what Guru Sahib says
That we have come here to gain a profit.
Profit of what?
Through Naam Simran, union with Vaheguru.
In the next two Panktiaan Guru Sahib is giving us advice
on after getting inspiration and guidance to do Naam Simran
how should we be doing Naam Simran.
Guru Sahib says,
That even for a moment,
Khin here means the moment taken for a blink of an eye.
It is so instant,
Guru Sahib says even for an instant if we forget Parmatama,
we do not remember Vaheguru Ji
then that moment, that breath that we have taken
has become useless, our life has become useless infact.
Then we ask this question again to Sache Paatshah that
Vaheguru Ji, Sache Paatshah,
Guru Sahib, You have guided us,
You have told us to do Kirat Kamaaee,
to live in a Griht Jeevan
and in this world we have our families to take care,
we have to earn money,
we have to provide education
we have to go to work.
There are so many things that we have to do.
How is it that through all of this we can still do Your Naam Simran?
Guru Sahib then says in the next Pankti, They say,
Understand this, know this and realise this
that Parmatama, Akaal Purakh is where?
Is not just somewhere in space
or in Heaven that the world has made such.
Guru Sahib is saying that Parmatama
is in the Jal - in the water,
in the Thal - in the Earth,
in the space - in the Sky
everywhere
is even in the jungles,
even in the blade of grass that we see.
Parmatama is basically in every core of every single atom, cell
** that we can see and we cannot see in this world as well.
Sangat Ji, to be able to come this state
where we can remember Parmatama
through everything we see with our physical eyes
it really requires us to be conscious,
to be in the present moment.
Think about it.
The Araadhana, the Simran of Akaal
can only be done in the present moment.
Because past is gone and the future no one knows.
So all we have is this present moment
which we have to be very conscious about.
Once we are conscious and aware about our surrounding,
about the people we are with
and we are so aware that Sache Paatshah You are in the air,
You are in the Pani, You are in this building
I can even hear You from the sound of the traffic life
from the sound of the rain, the river flowing.
Every moment then we are constantly reminded
to say Vaheguru Vaheguru.
We are in that awe,
we are in that state of Vismaad where we constantly just say Vah
and we remember Vaheguru then.
Gurbani says,
That the creator is within the creation
and the creation is within the creator.
So it is basically us having the eyes to see that.
It is human nature Sangat ji,
that we only believe what we see with these physical eyes.
When we look at a glass of milk, all we see is milk
but we cannot see the ghee in that milk.
We cannot taste it, we cannot feel it,
we cannot smell it.
But we cannot deny the fact as well
that from this milk that ghee is produced.
So what do we need to do?
We churn the milk, we put so much effort,
so much time and energy
and then finally from the milk we get ghee.
Similarly Sangat ji,
what we see with these eyes given to us
is the creation of Akaal Purakh
but it will take a lot of effort,
a lot of Naam Simran,
Araadhana, meditation and constant reminder,
being conscious and being in the present moment,
for us to see and realise that the essence,
the core of every being in this world is Parmatama.
Just because we cannot see that Nirgun Saroop Parmatama
we cannot deny the fact that They are everywhere.
Gurbani says,
So that is the state of all these Gurmukhs,
all the saints who have done so much of Naam Simran
that where ever they look,
who ever they see, where ever they go
they only can experience Parmatama.
Through this message Guru Arjan Dev Ji then says and tells us
that there are two types of people in this world.
One who do Simran and one who do not do Simran.
The first type of people Guru Sahib says,
Those who do not do Naam Simran,
who do not remember Parmatama
they go through so much of pain,
so much of Dukh.
Even though we might say that this person is wealthy,
his life is amazing
but again, that is what we see with these physical eyes.
We do not know what is going through the person's mind.
Maybe that person is going through Dukh.
Bhai Randhir Singh Ji says,
they share their Sakhi in their book;
they say that they had one cousin
and his whole life his cousin has not done any Bhagti
and when his time of death came,
he was on his death bed,
and he was struggling, he was in pain
because he had that fear of death, the fear of Jamdoots
who were circling around him, pulling him and torturing him
and it was only through reading Gurbani
and doing Simran with him that he felt at peace.
and that is how he left this wold.
The second type of people Guru Arjan Dev Ji says
those who could do Simran.
Guru Sahib says,
That those who have enjoyed Parmatama,
those who have found Parmatama through Naam Simran
they are so fortunate, they are so blessed.
Even though they might go through so much of pain,
Bhai Mati Daas Ji, Bhai Dayaala Ji, Bhai Taru Singh Ji,
they went through so much of physical pain
but they were still that state of Chardikala,
in the state of high spirit.
They were not bothered by the pain that they were going through
because they were already in the state of Anand,
in the state of bliss.
Gurbani says,
That the Bhagats, the Gurmukhs are so blessed
who recite the Name of Parmatama
with their mouth, with their tongue.
In the end of this Pauree Guru Arjan Dev Ji does this benti
They say,
Guru Sahib tells us, and this is the Ardaas that we should do as well
that I am so thirsty, I am yearning to have Your Darshan
and in this month of Chet I will touch the feet
I will bow down to them,
I will kiss the feet of those
who untie me with You
who guide me to do Your Naam Simran, to remember You
and eventually unite me with You Parmatama.
Just like when we feel hungry Sangat Ji,
when we feel thirsty
and someone comes and gives us pani, gives us food
at that point we are filled with the sense of gratitude to Parmatama,
and to the person who has brought us food and pani.
Just like food and water is necessary for this physical body
similarly, for the spiritual body, the aatama
Naam Simran and Gurbani is the khuraakh - the food for the aatama
and is equally important as well.
So Sangat ji, coming to en end
what are the three things that we need to do in this month of Chet?
The first thing we need to do is start doing Ardaas to Parmatama everyday
to please bless us with the true Sangat,
with the right Sangat that will guide us,
and inspire us to do Naam Simran,
to read Gurbani,
to walk on the path towards Vaheguru Ji.
The second thing we need to do
is that along side our Ardaas we need to put in effort as well.
Watch videos, Kathas, listen to Kathas about Sangat,
about what is true Sangat, where do we find Sangat?
There are so many Saakhiyan in our Itihaas
that speak about Sangat.
Infact Sangat ji, let's start reading the life stories, the biographies
of all the saint and the Gurmukhs
who through Naam Simran have found Parmatama.
We have so many of these Gursikhs and all these resources,
Maharaj di Kirpa de naal it is available to us.
All we have to do is put that effort and read them.
We have life story of Bhai Randhir Singh Ji,
Bhai Rama Singh Ji, Baba Anand Singh Ji, Baba Harnaam Singh Ji,
Sant Giyaani Gurbachan Singh Ji and many many more.
They are even available both in Punjabi and in English as well.
Physical books, audio books, PDF.
So reading them and getting inspiration from their life
will really help us to walk on their path as well.
The third thing we need to do in this month
is reflect on our surrounding,
our environment and our own Sangat.
Ask ourelf this question,
the Sangat that I am in right now,
is it guiding me,
is it inspiring me to do Naam Simran,
to walk on the path towards Vaheguru
or is it taking me away from that path?
If it is guiding and inspiring you, it is positive then its good
but if it is negative Sangat,
it is taking you away from your very core,
your very purpose of life
then we need to evaluate the type of Sangat that we are in
and start doing Ardaas
and putting in that effort to find right Sangat.
Once you are able to do that Sangat ji in this month
do share with us in the comment below
how your journey has been
in finding the true Sangat, putting in that effort,
did you go through any challenges
when you were finding for that Sangat
or evaluating your current Sangat now?
So don't forget to like, share with your family and friends
so that other people too can get the message of the month of Chet
and don't forget to subscribe to our channel as well.
Forgive me for any mistakes that I have made.