Amritvela, And Nitnem?

[mit]

Hello all!

Its been a long time, and i hope all are well! What is the earliest time i can do nitnem? can it be at 12:30am or does it have to be between 2 and 4 am?

Many thanks and remain blessed,

Mit

[Matheen]

After 1230am (roughly) i.e. 'pichla pehr'. You have to start with ishnan though.....

[mit]

Cheers for the reply. But whats 'pichla pehr'?

[laalsingh]

One 'pehar' is 3 hours. A very much used term 'Dopahar' means exactly noon. That means first 'pehar' should be around 6am. 'Pichchla pehar' is most probably last 'pehar'.

Anyway don't be so literal with these timings.

Here what Satguru Nanak says on Ang 146,

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੧ ॥

ਸਬਾਹੀ ਸਾਲਾਹ ਜਿਨੀ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਇਕ ਮਨਿ ॥

ਸੇਈ ਪੂਰੇ ਸਾਹ ਵਖਤੈ ਉਪਰਿ ਲੜਿ ਮੁਏ ॥

ਦੂਜੈ ਬਹੁਤੇ ਰਾਹ ਮਨ ਕੀਆ ਮਤੀ ਖਿੰਡੀਆ ॥

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਪਏ ਅਸਗਾਹ ਗੋਤੇ ਖਾਹਿ ਨ ਨਿਕਲਹਿ ॥

ਤੀਜੈ ਮੁਹੀ ਗਿਰਾਹ ਭੁਖ ਤਿਖਾ ਦੁਇ ਭਉਕੀਆ ॥

ਖਾਧਾ ਹੋਇ ਸੁਆਹ ਭੀ ਖਾਣੇ ਸਿਉ ਦੋਸਤੀ ॥

ਚਉਥੈ ਆਈ ਊਂਘ ਅਖੀ ਮੀਟਿ ਪਵਾਰਿ ਗਇਆ ॥

ਭੀ ਉਠਿ ਰਚਿਓਨੁ ਵਾਦੁ ਸੈ ਵਰ੍ਹ੍ਹਿਆ ਕੀ ਪਿੜ ਬਧੀ ॥

ਸਭੇ ਵੇਲਾ ਵਖਤ ਸਭਿ ਜੇ ਅਠੀ ਭਉ ਹੋਇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਮਨਿ ਵਸੈ ਸਚਾ ਨਾਵਣੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੧॥

Shalok starts with Satguru comparing hardship for getting up early in the morning to the kings who die fighting for their duty at the right time. (This is start.)

Then shalok explains how mind got engrossed in duality and physical needs like hunger and sleep for rest of the day.

In the last tuks, Satguru says that if we remember our beloved during all the eight 'pehars'. Then He is obtained. (This is manzil.)

[dalsingh101]

Been trying to keep amritvela lately and finding myself COMPLETELY knackered by late evening (say 7.30 onwards). Literally almost dozing off when I'm doing Rehras!

Any advice from you experienced people?

[Silence]

http://gurmatbibek.com/forum/read.php?3,160,166 chek out bhai sahib kulbir singh ji's posts, tips for getting up at the end of one.

[below taken from the link]:

"Some Tips for getting up at Amritvela

1) Let’s face it. We are not Brahmgyanis. So we should not try to imitate them either. Brahmgyanis may sleep (in so called sleep too they japp Naam) at midnight and still get up an hour or two hours later. But we are mortal beings. We must sleep early if we want to get up early.

2) One may sleep late and still get up early for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days or even a week but eventually he will be fatigued and sooner or later will lose or miss Amritvela.

3) A normal person needs at least 5-6 hours of sleep. If one wants to get up at 2am, then one must strive to sleep at 8pm.

4) Another thing to note is that if we sleep well at night, there is much more energy to japp Naam at Amritvela and concentration is much deeper.

5) If one is to sleep at 8pm, one must eat dinner by 6pm and then walk a little after eating. If one takes dinner at 9pm and sleep at 10-11, it is much harder to get up at Amritvela. As per experience of many Gursikhs heavy dinner, late at night, is an impediment in getting up early.

6) Do Kirtan Sohila with full concentration and do ardaas before Guru Sahib for Amritvela.

7) Before sleeping, one should try to concentrate on Naam Abhyaas or repeatedly do short Gurbani paaths like Ramkali kee Vaar and Basant kee Vaar.

8) At Amritvela, one should strive to do Ishnaan with cold water. This helps in concentration.

Despite all the efforts and tricks, we must realize that Amritvela after all is a gift of Vaheguru. For this reason, the foremost thing to do is to supplicate and beg before Guru Sahib for this gift. If Guru Sahib beholds us with the eye of grace, then Amritvela is done effortlessly.

Daas,

Kulbir Singh"

Edited January 8, 2011 by Silence

[SinghMunda]

Why not split sleep between waking up at Amritvela and doing Paath. For example 4 hours sleep before waking, and then 2-3 hours of sleep again (if that fits in with going to work/school early).

[chatanga1]

Been trying to keep amritvela lately and finding myself COMPLETELY knackered by late evening (say 7.30 onwards).

that is normal, bro. if it is troubling you try power-napping, while you are doing something that is not thought intensive, like marking homework, driving your car, or talking to your wife etc, you get the idea.

[dalsingh101]

that is normal, bro. if it is troubling you try power-napping, while you are doing something that is not thought intensive, like marking homework, driving your car, or talking to your wife etc, you get the idea.

That's seriously funny. It implies one is talking to someone incapable of thought provoking conversation (which is probably true for too many people actually...)

hee hee

I'm trying the napping thing in the afternoons sometimes (as I have the time these days) and find I am frequently conking out for hours on end!

[Xylitol]

a nap longer than 25 mins will take you into deep sleep territory. 20 mins is good for me... but i honestly feel like i need something even more. perhaps a proper yoga program to help energize me.

[SURYADEV]

A tewchnique for power napping:

Drink a strong coffee and go straight to sleep for no more than 40mins.

You will get your powernap and by the time you wake up in 40mins time the sffects of caffine should start kicking in thereby preventing that groggy feeling.

[laalsingh]

1) Let’s face it. We are not Brahmgyanis. So we should not try to imitate them either. Brahmgyanis may sleep (in so called sleep too they japp Naam) at midnight and still get up an hour or two hours later. But we are mortal beings. We must sleep early if we want to get up early.

Daas,

Kulbir Singh"

can we use our mind while we are still sleeping? i read a book 'MILD' sometime back. if we can be aware while asleep, can we do nitnem there? it looks little off topic though. i can't write much now, later. ta.

[dalsingh101]

can we use our mind while we are still sleeping? i read a book 'MILD' sometime back. if we can be aware while asleep, can we do nitnem there? it looks little off topic though. i can't write much now, later. ta.

Well, the mind is certainly working when sleeping hence dreams and the way you sometimes wake up to find solutions to problems you've been trying to solve, or understand something you've been trying to figure out but couldn't.

My guess is that if someone does hefty amounts of simran and largely automates the practice, the unconscious/subconscious mind gets effected and may well carry on doing what the conscious mind has been doing? But that supposes that we get some sort of control over that mechanism that seems to continually create and project thoughts into our conscious stream. Something I find next to impossible. Right now, it's like the 'thought generator' (is it haumai?) has fathomed out how to pierce my focus after having been thwarted for a short while when I first started trying to meditate??

I know brothers here have already told me that the bar goes up significantly and suddenly after initial progress when we first start these things but boy, that mind of mine just keeps on rabbiting more than ever.

I was thinking, a large part of it obviously stems from issues or things you have to deal with or things that bother you (judging by passively examining some of the thought streams). Does this ever stop?

Edited January 10, 2011 by dalsingh101

[Silence]

very interesting article on nindra and tandra here:

gurmatbibek.com/forum/read.php?3,8911,8911

and also this interesting story:

http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=2541&t=2541

The following is a short story translated from "Gurmukh Darshan"

Author : Giani Kirpal Singh Jee

This took place ~1927, when Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh jee Khalsa was ~25years old.

"In those days there werern't many sevadaars that could recite GurbaNee in Sri Akhand Paath Sahib correctly; these sevaadaars were rare. Due to this reason, our village's Nihung Singh Bhai Taara Singh jee, Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh Jee and myself would be asked to fulfill the seva of Sri Akhand Paath sahib. Also worth noting, Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh jee were always found to be in a tranquil and worriless state of mood. Furthermore, Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh jee would never accept any monetary donations for fulfilling his duties as an Akhand Paath sevadaar.

One time in Doaba, there was a Sri Akhand Paath sahib that had already commenced, Baba jee had completed the duty of Sri Akhand Paath seva at 4am and went to a nearby room and started reciting his Nitnem dee banee, while reading he fell asleep. From a nearby room, we heard a voice reciting Gurbanee out loud, out of curiosity myself and other singh's went to the voice. We found it was Baba Jee reciting Gurbanee in his sleep. We went and sat around him and we had listened to him do paath for a half hour in which time we noticed that he had started reading Gurbanee from Sri Akhand Paath sahib. He had left his sevaa for Sri Akhand Paath Sahib at "sorath raag" that is exactly where he had continued reciting from in his sleep. The other sevaadaars that were sitting there listening to him noticed that he had not made a single error in his recitation, we were all left amazed."

Edited January 10, 2011 by Silence

[dalsingh101]

That story was cool Silence!

Today is the first day I haven't conked out in the daytime after keeping an Amritvela. Hopefully will stay awake during Rehras in a bit...

I just had a cup of green tea (for health reasons) but I'll have a proper normal cuppa now to wake me up.....

[dalsingh101]

Spoke too soon, feeling sleepy again......

[SURYADEV]

Dalsingh you mentioned about Insomnia.

Follow this video and give it a try:

I find EFT Tapping very useful and effective.

[tsuppal]

Sat Sri Akal

Waheguru Ji Ka khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Khalsa

After reading everbody's thoughts i feel like writing something about it.

What i have realized so far is that doing nitnem during amritvela actually gives your body so much energy that your body feels so light and do all sort of works so fast. I was a lazy man earlier usually needs 8-9 hrs of sleep but since i have started doing nitnem i dont need much sleep ....

[tsuppal]

My apologies...

Waheguru ji Ka khalsa

Waheguru ji ki fateh

[Matheen]

True, manage to get so much more done and feel more alert on those rare days when by some miracle I wake up.

[Premi]

http://gurmatbibek.com/forum/read.php?3,160,166 chek out bhai sahib kulbir singh ji's posts, tips for getting up at the end of one.

[below taken from the link]:

"Some Tips for getting up at Amritvela

1) Let’s face it. We are not Brahmgyanis. So we should not try to imitate them either. Brahmgyanis may sleep (in so called sleep too they japp Naam) at midnight and still get up an hour or two hours later. But we are mortal beings. We must sleep early if we want to get up early.

2) One may sleep late and still get up early for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days or even a week but eventually he will be fatigued and sooner or later will lose or miss Amritvela.

3) A normal person needs at least 5-6 hours of sleep. If one wants to get up at 2am, then one must strive to sleep at 8pm.

4) Another thing to note is that if we sleep well at night, there is much more energy to japp Naam at Amritvela and concentration is much deeper.

5) If one is to sleep at 8pm, one must eat dinner by 6pm and then walk a little after eating. If one takes dinner at 9pm and sleep at 10-11, it is much harder to get up at Amritvela. As per experience of many Gursikhs heavy dinner, late at night, is an impediment in getting up early.

6) Do Kirtan Sohila with full concentration and do ardaas before Guru Sahib for Amritvela.

7) Before sleeping, one should try to concentrate on Naam Abhyaas or repeatedly do short Gurbani paaths like Ramkali kee Vaar and Basant kee Vaar.

8) At Amritvela, one should strive to do Ishnaan with cold water. This helps in concentration.

Despite all the efforts and tricks, we must realize that Amritvela after all is a gift of Vaheguru. For this reason, the foremost thing to do is to supplicate and beg before Guru Sahib for this gift. If Guru Sahib beholds us with the eye of grace, then Amritvela is done effortlessly.

Daas,

Kulbir Singh"

Definitely some good points made, however, I am not sure about the need for walking after eating food. How does this help?

Thank you

[ssinghuk3]

Just been reading this thread again and there a lot of gems within it!

Definitely some good points made, however, I am not sure about the need for walking after eating food. How does this help?

Thank you

I think it helps with digestion mainly, which in turn will help with a lighter sleep so therefore it will help in getting up at AmritVela.

[Guest sharan]

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.

I need a little help,is it appropriate if we do simran in amritvela and only japji sahib ? because i am not getting enough time to do panj baniya and i really want to do simran (which i dont want to miss).

can anyone please help. i have different views of different people and a lot confused.

[Guest H908]

Wjjk wjkf guest sharan, you should try to todo panj bania together to add more Simran you should do Simran before going to bed. Or you could wake up earlier. But it's up to your discretion you could read your nitnem later when the sun rises.  Or you could read your nitnem before going to bed and do more Simran during amritvela

[Guest SHARAN]

6 hours ago, Guest H908 said:

Wjjk wjkf guest sharan, you should try to todo panj bania together to add more Simran you should do Simran before going to bed. Or you could wake up earlier. But it's up to your discretion you could read your nitnem later when the sun rises.  Or you could read your nitnem before going to bed and do more Simran during amritvela

okay i will try. thank you so much.

can you also please add if you know something about getting over depression, i get alot of dreams at night usually of my daily chores i do and the things i dont complete in my day i get their dreams. i have talked about it to some people they say to do Sohela sahib with full concentration and do ardass to Baba Deep singh ji to ask for permission to sleep, i even visited a doctor he said i stress (i have been in my family problems). its been several months and i am stuck in it badly waking up tired and regretting for missing Simran and reading Bani,this in return adds to my instability of mind. 

Can please anyone help.

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.