The Society of Saints - Saadh Sangat

Sikh Dharma continually emphasises the importance of Saadh Sangat or Holy Company. When nothing else works, the only way out is to choose to commit oneself to a group of people that meets regularly, worships regularly, eats food cooked with consciousness and blessings regularly and sings the praises of God regularly. When the individual concept has become too distorted, complicated or ineffectual, then only the group concept can help to balance it out and give the individual the necessary direction, vitality and vision. This is most beautifully and intricately described in this hymn by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Master of the Sikhs on Part 1120 of the Sikh Holy Scripture the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The hymn is written in melody Kaydaaraa or Kedara,which creates the mood of contemplation, sadness, and longing for the Divine:

ਕੇਦਾਰਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
kaedhaaraa mehalaa 5 ||
Kaydaaraa, Fifth Mehla:

ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥
pria kee preeth piaaree ||
I love the Love of my Beloved.

ਮਗਨ ਮਨੈ ਮਹਿ ਚਿਤਵਉ ਆਸਾ ਨੈਨਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਤੁਹਾਰੀ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
magan manai mehi chithavo aasaa nainahu thaar thuhaaree || rehaao ||
My mind is intoxicated with delight, and my consciousness is filled with hope; my eyes are drenched with Your Love. ||Pause||

ਓਇ ਦਿਨ ਪਹਰ ਮੂਰਤ ਪਲ ਕੈਸੇ ਓਇ ਪਲ ਘਰੀ ਕਿਹਾਰੀ ॥
oue dhin pehar moorath pal kaisae oue pal gharee kihaaree ||
Blessed is that day, that hour, minute and second when the heavy, rigid shutters are opened, and desire is quenched.

ਖੂਲੇ ਕਪਟ ਧਪਟ ਬੁਝਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਜੀਵਉ ਪੇਖਿ ਦਰਸਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
khoolae kapatt dhhapatt bujh thrisanaa jeevo paekh dharasaaree ||1||
Seeing the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, I live. ||1||

ਕਉਨੁ ਸੁ ਜਤਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਿਨੇਹਾ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਉਨ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
koun s jathan oupaao kinaehaa saevaa koun beechaaree ||
What is the method, what is the effort, and what is the service, which inspires me to contemplate You?

ਮਾਨੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਹ ਸੰਗਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥੨॥੩॥੫॥
maan abhimaan mohu thaj naanak sa(n)theh sa(n)g oudhhaaree ||2||3||5||
Abandon your egotistical pride and attachment; O Nanak, you shall be saved in the Society of the Saints. ||2||3||5||

The Society of Saints - Saadh Sangat

Sikh Dharma continually emphasises the importance of Saadh Sangat or Holy Company. When nothing else works, the only way out is to choose to commit oneself to a group of people that meets regularly, worships regularly, eats food cooked with consciousness and blessings regularly and sings the praises of God regularly. When the individual concept has become too distorted, complicated or ineffectual, then only the group concept can help to balance it out and give the individual the necessary direction, vitality and vision. This is most beautifully and intricately described in this hymn by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Master of the Sikhs on Part 1120 of the Sikh Holy Scripture the Shri Guru Granth Sahib. The hymn is written in melody Kaydaaraa or Kedara,which creates the mood of contemplation, sadness, and longing for the Divine:

ਕੇਦਾਰਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
kaedhaaraa mehalaa 5 ||
Kaydaaraa, Fifth Mehla:

ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਕੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥
pria kee preeth piaaree ||
I love the Love of my Beloved.

ਮਗਨ ਮਨੈ ਮਹਿ ਚਿਤਵਉ ਆਸਾ ਨੈਨਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਤੁਹਾਰੀ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
magan manai mehi chithavo aasaa nainahu thaar thuhaaree || rehaao ||
My mind is intoxicated with delight, and my consciousness is filled with hope; my eyes are drenched with Your Love. ||Pause||

ਓਇ ਦਿਨ ਪਹਰ ਮੂਰਤ ਪਲ ਕੈਸੇ ਓਇ ਪਲ ਘਰੀ ਕਿਹਾਰੀ ॥
oue dhin pehar moorath pal kaisae oue pal gharee kihaaree ||
Blessed is that day, that hour, minute and second when the heavy, rigid shutters are opened, and desire is quenched.

ਖੂਲੇ ਕਪਟ ਧਪਟ ਬੁਝਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਜੀਵਉ ਪੇਖਿ ਦਰਸਾਰੀ ॥੧॥
khoolae kapatt dhhapatt bujh thrisanaa jeevo paekh dharasaaree ||1||
Seeing the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, I live. ||1||

ਕਉਨੁ ਸੁ ਜਤਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਿਨੇਹਾ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਉਨ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
koun s jathan oupaao kinaehaa saevaa koun beechaaree ||
What is the method, what is the effort, and what is the service, which inspires me to contemplate You?

ਮਾਨੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਹ ਸੰਗਿ ਉਧਾਰੀ ॥੨॥੩॥੫॥
maan abhimaan mohu thaj naanak sa(n)theh sa(n)g oudhhaaree ||2||3||5||
Abandon your egotistical pride and attachment; O Nanak, you shall be saved in the Society of the Saints. ||2||3||5||

Quote of the Day - Mankind

"Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind." - Bahá’u’lláh

Quote of the Day - Mankind

"Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind." - Bahá’u’lláh

Life's Drama

Life is full of interesting and not so interesting 'Drama'. In the words of a great song from Cool Runnings, 'Rise above it, you can do it. Rise above it.'

Peace.

Life's Drama

Life is full of interesting and not so interesting 'Drama'. In the words of a great song from Cool Runnings, 'Rise above it, you can do it. Rise above it.'

Peace.

Completion of 40 Days of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

Today (1st of February 2010), I have successfully completed 40 days of 31 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, which is the first 40 day meditation I have ever completed - a true milestone in my life! There have been many challenges along the way and events happening that have tried to interrupt my meditation practice, but I have always been able to move around the circumstances and do my meditation more or less at 9:15pm every day for 40 days. It certainly required commitment, but it was not difficult to follow this commitment through as I might have imagined previously.

Initially doing this meditation, or more correctly this kriya, was very difficult especially due to the extended period of holding the breath along with the pumping of the navel point. It gave me a thumping headache, I felt sick and I felt I was not able to breathe in enough oxygen! However after about three days it became much easier, and throughout the 40 days has become increasingly easier and natural to breathe in this way.

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya has put me into various meditative states both during the meditation and afterwards whilst going to sleep. Towards the middle of the 40 day period there were a number of occasions of altered states of consciousness during sleep, a more aware type of sleep. Also, there was a number of occasions of 'dreaming the world into existence' in which a very conscious dream is had about the future but there is a freedom to change the events of the future and bring that change back into the present moment (which is not the same as dreaming about the future). Towards the end of the 40 day period I have been increasingly absorbed into the meditation without any thoughts distracting my attention, which I believe is the purpose or goal of Sodarshan - to become crystal-clear minded (not that I'm quite there yet!). Overall, the main effect of Sodarshan on me has been a heightened intuition during the day.

I thoroughly recommend everyone to do 40 days of this kriya for 31 minutes, it generates a lot of inner heat, it is very calming and gives heightened intuition. Also, it is good for those who enjoy a physical challenge and wish to commit to a substantial meditation.

Sat Naam.

Completion of 40 Days of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

Today (1st of February 2010), I have successfully completed 40 days of 31 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, which is the first 40 day meditation I have ever completed - a true milestone in my life! There have been many challenges along the way and events happening that have tried to interrupt my meditation practice, but I have always been able to move around the circumstances and do my meditation more or less at 9:15pm every day for 40 days. It certainly required commitment, but it was not difficult to follow this commitment through as I might have imagined previously.

Initially doing this meditation, or more correctly this kriya, was very difficult especially due to the extended period of holding the breath along with the pumping of the navel point. It gave me a thumping headache, I felt sick and I felt I was not able to breathe in enough oxygen! However after about three days it became much easier, and throughout the 40 days has become increasingly easier and natural to breathe in this way.

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya has put me into various meditative states both during the meditation and afterwards whilst going to sleep. Towards the middle of the 40 day period there were a number of occasions of altered states of consciousness during sleep, a more aware type of sleep. Also, there was a number of occasions of 'dreaming the world into existence' in which a very conscious dream is had about the future but there is a freedom to change the events of the future and bring that change back into the present moment (which is not the same as dreaming about the future). Towards the end of the 40 day period I have been increasingly absorbed into the meditation without any thoughts distracting my attention, which I believe is the purpose or goal of Sodarshan - to become crystal-clear minded (not that I'm quite there yet!). Overall, the main effect of Sodarshan on me has been a heightened intuition during the day.

I thoroughly recommend everyone to do 40 days of this kriya for 31 minutes, it generates a lot of inner heat, it is very calming and gives heightened intuition. Also, it is good for those who enjoy a physical challenge and wish to commit to a substantial meditation.

Sat Naam.