Bhagti/spirituality: Book Recommendations

[SURYADEV]

Hi All

I thought I'd write a brief introduction on a couple of books that I've read or come across on methodologies on doing Bhagti.

These books are in Panjabi/Gurmukhi. Before that puts you off the style of these are very simple to understand. They are concise and to the point without rambling on and on about a particular point. Enough details are given for you to get on with the job, though you can, if you wish, read into certain subject matters from other books.

1. Keve'n Samadhi La Ke Brahamgiani Bane'ye Part 1 ('How to go into Samadhi and become a Brahamgiani') by Bibi Harjinder K. Sohal

Very easy book to read. First half of the book is a JapJi Shaib steek, the second part is simran jugti. She has presented the ideas in a simple and easy to understand format. Explains 'how to' of doing simran, concentration, all the chakras the results of meditating on each chakra.

Book is hard to put down once you start reading it.

Background: she is in her 60+'s and lives in London (though may currently be in India now). She learned her knowledge when young from her father, who in turn learnt from and did seva of/with Baba Nidhaan Singh Ji of Hazoor Sahib fame.

Part 2 should have come out now, or is due very soon. It will contain commentary on banis outside of SGGS. Eg Varaan of Bhai Gurdas, Pran Sangli etc..

I have only browsed through the following books:

2. Waheguru Naam Abhiaas by Jathedar Iqbal Singh of Patna Sahib.

Methods of simran. Types of Chakras. Cleansing the mind. How to live a life of shaant ras. Types of Anhad shabad and benefits of hearing them. Causes of ailments/illnesses and how to treat them using Waheguru mantra. 'Gurmukh Yoga'. What is 'prem'? What diseases are caused by stress.

3. Waheguru Naam Rasai'yen by Jathedar Iqbal Singh of Patna Sahib. ISBN 81-7601-767-1

Details on how to do Simran, practice sitting down in one asana for longer periods of time. Physical and psychological benefits of simran. How to calm the mind and control the thoughts.

Comments on mantra of other beliefs, kundalini, dasam duar etc. Causes of mental or physical ailments.

Well worth getting hold these books if you want to move ahead in doing bhagti and the ideas and benefits behind it. Easily available from CSJS in Amritsar.

[unbreakable]

Naam Jap, Kirat Kar and Vandke Shak - SatGuru Nanak Dev Ji as laid it out in simple words. You won't get it more simpler than this I think. But people who doubt will doubt

[SURYADEV]

The words may be simple - whether the Gurus or the authors, but actions are way harder.

Anyway , Lets make it simple not simplistic.

its got nothing to do with doubting. More a case of learning and having a more in depth knowledge.

[Guest]

Here are two book set in English which are quite spiritual, loads of advait gurmat in there with gurbani quotes (which is must in sikh literature/books). You can get fair amount of idea on sikh theology and mysticism after reading these books below:

- Discourse on the beyond (all 6 volumes) by Sant Waryam Singh Ji Ratwara Sahib

- The Radiance of complete journey to Akaal Purkh by Sant baba Jagjit Singh Ji Harkhowaley.

[Lazy Sewadar]

To bring this thread back to life

Veerji N30, where abouts did you purchase the above works?

[Raaj.Karega.Khalsa]

Here's a good collection:

http://www.gurmatveechar.com/literature?browse=English_Books

http://www.gurmatveechar.com/literature?browse=English_Books/Sant_Waryam_Singh_Ratwara_Sahib_Wale

[Xylitol]

Bhajan Bandgi di Pratap by Sodhi Teja Singh. The author seems very knowledgeable and its not too difficult to read.

Bandgi Nama - Very inspiring and practical as well. I recall hearing that not everything is accurate in this book, but then again, for every book we must compare with the kasvati of Gurbani.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Xylitol

[BhagatSingh]

There's also Patanjali's Yog Sutr (one the first popular text written on meditation) and swami Vivekanand's Raj Yog. The former is fairly short, a quick read. The latter combines material from Patanjali's Yog Sutr as well as other ancient texts combined with Swami Vivekanand's insights and presents them very nicely in English.

Yog Sutr

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/ysp/index.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yogasutr.htm - another translation

Raj Yog

http://www.shardsofconsciousness.com/user/sites/shardsofconsciousness.com/files/ebooks/RajaYoga_Vivekananda.pdf

Not bhagati yog per se but the same principles apply.

Edited January 28, 2013 by BhagatSingh

[dalsingh101]

Hi Bhagat.

So was 'raj yoga' what you thought it was?

[BhagatSingh]

I don't really remember what I used to think of it. How did I describe raj yog?

[dalsingh101]

As some sort of grand 'posh' royal type of bhagti...lol

[BhagatSingh]

I remember you asking that. I think I saw Raj Yoga as similar to what I did at the time, which was an emotionless "focus on breathing" meditation. Except that there were the 8 steps and I only followed 5. But to answer the question, there's more to it. Those books clarified quite a bit of it.

Edited February 10, 2013 by BhagatSingh

[dalsingh101]

I think part of the equation was the lack of a 'personal God' figure as an object of worship.

Did you find that to be the case?

[BhagatSingh]

Not that there is a lack of it.

Sometimes e.g. Swami Vivekand says that God and angels and spirits are all the projection of the Self/Brahman. He asks why is it that some see spirits and other a God.

But it doesn't have to be without a personal God.

For a bhagat, Hari has form, an image, and stories all of which are worshipped by the bhagat along with the name. A bhagat relates to Hari as if he were his friend, a partner, a husband. He can still do Raj Yog. Kabir, even though he is a theist, a Ram bhagat like his guru, he practices Pranayam, breath-control. He knows about the 6 chakar and the various channels that pierce them. And he can consciously move his breath through the chakars. That is part of his meditation on Ram.

Page 92

ਸ੍ਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਭਗਤ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ਕਾ ॥

Sri Raag of Bhagat Kabir ji.

ਅਚਰਜ ਏਕੁ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਰੇ ਪੰਡੀਆ ਅਬ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਹਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥

Listen oh Pandit, there is one wonder that cannot
be described.

ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਗਣ ਗੰਧ੍ਰਬ ਜਿਨਿ ਮੋਹੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਮੇਖੁਲੀ ਲਾਈ ॥੧॥

Heavenly Beings, Mortals, the celestial singers, the dwellers of the Three worlds: Heaven, Earth and Netherworld, are all roped to attachment. 1.

ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਅਨਹਦ ਕਿੰਗੁਰੀ ਬਾਜੈ ॥

The meditation of King Ram is like the Unstruck melody of the Kinguri.

ਜਾ ਕੀ ਦਿਸਟਿ ਨਾਦ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

By His kind gaze, we are attuned to the shabad of
the Guru, Naad, that celestial sound-silence. Think about this.

ਭਾਠੀ ਗਗਨੁ ਸਿੰਙਿਆ ਅਰੁ ਚੁੰਙਿਆ ਕਨਕ ਕਲਸ ਇਕੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

ਤਿਸੁ ਮਹਿ ਧਾਰ ਚੁਐ ਅਤਿ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਰਸ ਮਹਿ ਰਸਨ ਚੁਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

My Dasam Duar is the distilling fire, containing a
golden pot, into which drips a gentle stream of the purest essence, through the
Ida and Pingala energy channels, which I taste with my tongue (when it utters
"Ram"). 2.

ਏਕ ਜੁ ਬਾਤ ਅਨੂਪ ਬਨੀ ਹੈ ਪਵਨ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਸਾਜਿਆ ॥

What is wonderful is that, I have turned my breath
into a pot for collecting this essence.

ਤੀਨਿ ਭਵਨ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੋ ਜੋਗੀ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਵਨੁ ਹੈ ਰਾਜਾ ॥੩॥

In the three, worlds, there is only one such Yogi, to which no king can be compared.

ਐਸੇ ਗਿਆਨ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਿਆ ਪੁਰਖੋਤਮ ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਾਤਾ ॥

This knowledge of the Perfect Man (King Ram) has been revealed. Says Kabir, I am absorbed in his love.

ਅਉਰ ਦੁਨੀ ਸਭ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਨੀ ਮਨੁ ਰਾਮ ਰਸਾਇਨ ਮਾਤਾ ॥੪॥੩॥
He says, while, the rest of the world is living in ignorance (of Ram), and has forgotten it's true essence (Ram), my mind is intoxicated with Ram, that source of all essences. 4.

Page 333

ਗਉੜੀ ਬੈਰਾਗਣਿ ਤਿਪਦੇ ॥
Gauri bairagan Tipade

ਉਲਟਤ ਪਵਨ ਚਕ੍ਰ ਖਟੁ ਭੇਦੇ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਸੁੰਨ ਅਨਰਾਗੀ ॥
I turned my breath inwards, and pierced it through the six chakras of the body, and my awareness was centered on the soundless void.

ਆਵੈ ਨ ਜਾਇ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਜੀਵੈ ਤਾਸੁ ਖੋਜੁ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ॥੧॥
Search for that who does not come or go, who does not die and is not born, O renunciate. 1.

ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਉਲਟਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥
My mind has turned away from the world, and is absorbed.

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦਿ ਅਕਲਿ ਭਈ ਅਵਰੈ ਨਾਤਰੁ ਥਾ ਬੇਗਾਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
By Guru's Grace, my understanding has been changed; otherwise, I was totally ignorant. 1. Pause.

ਨਿਵਰੈ ਦੂਰਿ ਦੂਰਿ ਫੁਨਿ ਨਿਵਰੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਜੈਸਾ ਕਰਿ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥
That which was near has become distant, and again, that which was distant is near, for those who realize the Lord as He is.

ਅਲਉਤੀ ਕਾ ਜੈਸੇ ਭਇਆ ਬਰੇਡਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਪੀਆ ਤਿਨਿ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥੨॥
It is like the sugar water made from the candy; only one who drinks it knows its taste. 2.

...

etc. After this he goes onto describe Samadhi.

So Raj Yog is not mutually exclusive from bhagati yog. In fact, any given meditator or bhagat can practice raj yog, bhagati yog, karm yog and gyan yog, etc together. These are the big names, there is also naam yog, kundalini yog, sehaj yog, etc that I have heard. They all have Patanjali's Yog Sutra principles in common.

Edited February 11, 2013 by BhagatSingh

[PAL 07]

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Talks-Ramana-Maharshi-Realizing-Happiness/dp/1878019007