The Sikh New Year | Chet | The Barah Maha Series - #1

Congratulations to everyone
on celebrating the Sikh new year.

The Sikh new year falls on
the Sangrand 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

Everybody in the world seeks peace,

Anand, the state of bliss, of Sukh.

Even in the English calendar inthe month of January when the new year comes

we all have our new yer resolution

and one of that is always seeking for happiness.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji says that for us to for that Sukh,

that Anand, that permenant Sukh

is through Araadhana, is through Naam Simran,

meditation on Parmatama.

We might ask this question that

Sache Paatshah, where can we get that inspiration and guidance

or directions to do Naam Simran?

Also to ensure continuity when we do it?

Guru Sahib 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 e new person, it is very important to get that inspiration and that guidance.

Just like someone in this world who seekd to become a doctor

or a businessman or a business woman, what do we do?

We read the life stories, 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 them 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 a 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 the 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 Sakiyan 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 rememberance,

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 too can be our situation as well.

Where through Naam Simran, through meditation,

Bhagti we can also 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.

Inthe 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.

That even for a moment

Khin here means the moment taken for a blink ofan 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 uselss 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 family 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 w have to do.

How is it that through all of this we can still do Your Naam Simran?

Guru Sahib 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 a space or in Heven that we have to

the world has nmade such.

Guru Sahib is saying that Parmatama

is in the Jal, in the watr,

in the Thal - Earth,

in the space - Sky

everywhere

is even in the jungle, 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 concious

to be in the present moment.

Think about it.

The Araadhana, the Simran of Akaal

Can only be done in the present moment.

Because the past is gone and the future no one knows.

So all we have is this present moment

which we have to be very concious about.

Once we are aware and conscious about the 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 reminded to say Vahegur 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 the human nature Sangat ji,

that we only believe what we see with these physical eyes.

All we speak 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 that

from this milk the ghee is produced.

So what do we need to do?

We churn the milk, we put so much effort

we put 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 qill 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 htat Nirgun Saroop Parmatama

we cannot deny the fact that they are everywhere.

Gurbani says,

So that is the state of all those Gurmukhs,

all the saints who 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 messag 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 may say that this person is wealthym

his life is amazing

but again that is what we see from these physical eyes.

We do not know what is going through the person's mind.

Maybe that person is going through Dukh.

Bhai Randhi Singh Ji says,

they share their Sakhi in their book;

they say, they had one cousin

and whole life their 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 Gurbani and 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 Dayala 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,

they were in the state of bliss.

Gurbani says,

That the Bhagats, the Gurmukhs are so blessed

that 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 od as well

that I am so thirsty, I am yearning to have you 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.