The 5 khands in Sri Japuji Sahib

[amardeep]

Gurfateh all

Lets do some khoj on the five khands of the Sri Japju Sahib.

What are they representing? 5 spiritual stages or 5 worlds beyond in the afterlife?

What is the reason they are only mentioned in the Sri Japuji Sahib and not in the remaining 1422 angs?

What does the various samprdayas and scholars of the present and past say about these 5 khands?

 

[amardeep]

The Nirmala stance is that it deals with 5 levels of spiritual progression. They often juxtapose the 3 spiritual states of Vedant into the 5 Khands (Karam khand, Upashna Khand and Gian Khand). This can be seen in the teeka of Kavi Santokh Singh and it is much more detailed in the fantastic katha of Sant Singh Maskeen. I can't quite remember what Dr. Sahib Singh and the Fareedkot Teeka says about these.

I think the AKJ interprets it as 5 worlds or realms after death - some kind of paradises.

Im not sure why they are not mentioned anywhere in the Guru Granth Sahib apart from Japji Sahib.

[SAadmin]

One can relate to five khands as part of their spiritual meditative experience as they spiritually evolve for eg- gyan khand - gyan khand mein gyan parchand - meaning- awakening of one's pure cognition (perception) of divine knowledge- feeling/pure spontaneous knowningness such as divine insights usually appears in spacious meditative state which points towards underlying essence reality of all-everything and everyone.

 

 

[GurpreetKaur]

Thank you for creating this topic, To me they are spiritual, if I am on the same page. 

Dharam khand : First stage( realization) when we get into bhagti or start reading Gurbani. we start thinking about Salvation or Nirvana. Example: Reading Gurbani, doing any ritual to show devotion. For me, this stage was or is reading Sukhmani sahib ji. Just reading it to find peace, did not know the meaning, was not following it, merely reading it. some things I heard were oh by reading Gurbani, you won't gain anything but Maskeen ji said many people start here. They read Gurbani or do jaap to get their wishes fulfilled and eventually kundalini start rising up and they start developing love.

Gyan Khand: second stage ( practicing) , when we instead of just reading Gurbani, we start practicing it. We bring it into our Day to day lives. Example: becoming Sukhmani sahib ji, try to do what it says whether it's talking about Doing Naam Simran or meditation, getting rid of rajo, tamo, sato or not doing what to others which we don't want happen to us. Acknowledging our Ego and realizing how its trippin most of the time lol. Gaining humility, humbleness, letting go of selfish nature and other vices.

Saram Khand: Third stage( Effort),  we start working hard to achieve the main objective of life which is to get rid of this life/death cycle. We have love for Vaheguroo and guroo, regardless of whether we are in comfort or not, or whether our wishes are or will be fulfilled. I am listening to Maskeen ji ( brahmand di alolak katha) while typing this and he just said birds are returning home and they are chirping singing and are content, they don't care about whether they have food for tomorrow or not. This kinda resonate with this Khand, there is no worry about tomorrow, surrendering to creator and making an effort to merge with it.

Next two Khands are for advanced people. There are some people over here who know them or have glimpse of them. I am a bad candidate to even talk about them lol

Karam Khand: Our bajjar kapats( divine door) are opened,panj doots are controlled, maya is showing its full power to tackle seeker on this stage, dasam duar is opened, rom rom naam simran and connection to creator is created.

Sach Khand: Stage of Truth. Salvation. 

[amardeep]

Gurpreet Kaur: Wonderful explanations. Thank you for that.

[jaikaara]

On 1/31/2016 at 8:03 AM, GurpreetKaur said:

Thank you for creating this topic, To me they are spiritual, if I am on the same page. 

Dharam khand : First stage( realization) when we get into bhagti or start reading Gurbani. we start thinking about Salvation or Nirvana. Example: Reading Gurbani, doing any ritual to show devotion. For me, this stage was or is reading Sukhmani sahib ji. Just reading it to find peace, did not know the meaning, was not following it, merely reading it. some things I heard were oh by reading Gurbani, you won't gain anything but Maskeen ji said many people start here. They read Gurbani or do jaap to get their wishes fulfilled and eventually kundalini start rising up and they start developing love.

Gyan Khand: second stage ( practicing) , when we instead of just reading Gurbani, we start practicing it. We bring it into our Day to day lives. Example: becoming Sukhmani sahib ji, try to do what it says whether it's talking about Doing Naam Simran or meditation, getting rid of rajo, tamo, sato or not doing what to others which we don't want happen to us. Acknowledging our Ego and realizing how its trippin most of the time lol. Gaining humility, humbleness, letting go of selfish nature and other vices.

Saram Khand: Third stage( Effort),  we start working hard to achieve the main objective of life which is to get rid of this life/death cycle. We have love for Vaheguroo and guroo, regardless of whether we are in comfort or not, or whether our wishes are or will be fulfilled. I am listening to Maskeen ji ( brahmand di alolak katha) while typing this and he just said birds are returning home and they are chirping singing and are content, they don't care about whether they have food for tomorrow or not. This kinda resonate with this Khand, there is no worry about tomorrow, surrendering to creator and making an effort to merge with it.

Next two Khands are for advanced people. There are some people over here who know them or have glimpse of them. I am a bad candidate to even talk about them lol

Karam Khand: Our bajjar kapats( divine door) are opened,panj doots are controlled, maya is showing its full power to tackle seeker on this stage, dasam duar is opened, rom rom naam simran and connection to creator is created.

Sach Khand: Stage of Truth. Salvation. 

As my first read Gurbani was Sukhmani sahib , i can relate to what you say . Very well explained indeed .

[Lucky]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 8:03 AM, GurpreetKaur said:

Thank you for creating this topic, To me they are spiritual, if I am on the same page. 

Dharam khand : First stage( realization) when we get into bhagti or start reading Gurbani. we start thinking about Salvation or Nirvana. Example: Reading Gurbani, doing any ritual to show devotion. For me, this stage was or is reading Sukhmani sahib ji. Just reading it to find peace, did not know the meaning, was not following it, merely reading it. some things I heard were oh by reading Gurbani, you won't gain anything but Maskeen ji said many people start here. They read Gurbani or do jaap to get their wishes fulfilled and eventually kundalini start rising up and they start developing love.

Gyan Khand: second stage ( practicing) , when we instead of just reading Gurbani, we start practicing it. We bring it into our Day to day lives. Example: becoming Sukhmani sahib ji, try to do what it says whether it's talking about Doing Naam Simran or meditation, getting rid of rajo, tamo, sato or not doing what to others which we don't want happen to us. Acknowledging our Ego and realizing how its trippin most of the time lol. Gaining humility, humbleness, letting go of selfish nature and other vices.

Saram Khand: Third stage( Effort),  we start working hard to achieve the main objective of life which is to get rid of this life/death cycle. We have love for Vaheguroo and guroo, regardless of whether we are in comfort or not, or whether our wishes are or will be fulfilled. I am listening to Maskeen ji ( brahmand di alolak katha) while typing this and he just said birds are returning home and they are chirping singing and are content, they don't care about whether they have food for tomorrow or not. This kinda resonate with this Khand, there is no worry about tomorrow, surrendering to creator and making an effort to merge with it.

Next two Khands are for advanced people. There are some people over here who know them or have glimpse of them. I am a bad candidate to even talk about them lol

Karam Khand: Our bajjar kapats( divine door) are opened,panj doots are controlled, maya is showing its full power to tackle seeker on this stage, dasam duar is opened, rom rom naam simran and connection to creator is created.

Sach Khand: Stage of Truth. Salvation. 

Very good!

I totally agree that they are spiritual for self journey. But they can also be 'experienced'  in terms of your own consciousness, as to the stages that it has to ascend i it's spiritual transformation.

Funny thing is that over the years, I've done a few little self interpretations here and there that are mostly a little botched, and un-sequenced,... because I've probably taken a little bit from here and there with all the different variations that exist in sikhi world!  ...However, nowadays,... I see it a little more clearly and actually realise that all the information and facts you will ever need were mostly right there in the pauris from 34 beginning with "Rati ruti tithi var" .

DHARAM Khand, like Gurpreet says, is the 1st stage of realisation or as I would describe ->the Path of DHARAM.

Guru Nanak ji tells us,.. that we are on earth, which is itself a DHARMSAAL.     DHARAMSAAL is described as what I understand, an old "inn" or meeting place/place of rest/ some en route location. ..etc,,     This means that we ALL start here or end up here, no matter what dharam. A single Dharam is required as the path to the top of the mountain. If we imagine all the different dharams as individual paths to the top, and we can only walk on one single one all the way according to where and what situation/place we are in.   DHARAMSAAL, in it stopover sense, shows that, we/manukhs, are all here in the Dharamsaal according to our KARAMS and our binding to the Lak chaurasi joon cycle. It becomes apparent from gurbani later on, that we are all in the same lakh chaurasi cycle, and have this one-off opportunity to take DHARAM.

I may be wrong, but I understand, that as our first steps and reason for ending up in this joon; is to work on BOTH our KARAM and DHARAM. (not to confuse the 'karams' here with KARAMKHAND later on)

Overall, in these 5 khand pauris, Guruji has explained the route or journey to -->> SACHKHAND, and to which we can transform our consciousness into 'permanently'.  Sachkhand is actually existing here and everywhere because ''Sackhand vasai Nirankar'' and Nirankar is himself the creator and in the creation (remember- Farida Khalak Khalk Meh Khalk Vasay Rab Maahe "The Creator God Is In The Creation, And The Creation Abides In God" ).. He is the All-pervading, all-knowing, right here, right now. So Sachkhand is not some million miles away.

 

I can try explain in more depth and following the gurbani- tuks when I get more time......but in a nutshell,.... We start by taking path of DHARAM KHAND and working our KARAMS. Gurbani explains in many places after japji, that taking DHARAM and giving full devotion of self seva, self sacrificing Mat and haumai  to satguru.-->, can get you walking the mountain path in Hukam, as per gurmukh and being in 100% gurmat. This will start erasing all your karams one by one! .....  this is 1st DHARAMKHAND realm.

(Amerdeep ji  questioned of why khands are never mentioned again in bani?...and I would understand that all the bani that follows, expounds and opens up in depth of exactly how one is to transform their consciousness after taking birth on the Dharamsaal to get to Sachkhand).      Also, in another thread, I explained my understanding of the later jath pahara tirajh suniar/ Goldsmith verse as being a technique of helping you practice and realise yourself in this transforming process, by using technique of NAAM JAP. when one starts Dharam khand steps.

 

Second stage is GYAAN KHAND.  and this stage begins when Naad becomes manifest. (Gyan Khand meh gyan patchand, tithai NAAD binodh kod anand)...or should I say that Gyan begins at Naad. The gyaan is not just intuitive knowledge. But it is a continuous gyaan of increased awareness, consciousness expansion, ridd sidh- nau nidh and all the signals mentioned in prabh ka simran pauri of sukhmani sahib lets say... all the washing of dirt from mann, purification ,,gyaan to help power 5 dhuts   etc      Then is SARAM KHAND and KARAM KHAND, which are very close and describe the path/stage leading one up to "Sacha Darbar"  or the court of the lord. These are the heavens that are mentioned in many faiths and assumed to be final destinations,... but Guru Nanak Dev ji has given us the ultimate guide to beyond these angelic heavens and joys that sit outside the door of Waheguru's darbar. (I'm sure that heavens are not sachkhand). Saram Khand and Karam Khand  are described as being near impossible to depict or express,  but Dhan dhan Guru Nanak Dev ji sachey patshah has given the nishanees (insignias) with subtle hints in those pauris, so that they can be acknowledged and recognized to the seeker.

 

[GurpreetKaur]

Lucky ji, Thank you for explaining it but I don't understand being in 100% Gurmat? I don't know what is Gurmat, there are two type of categories I am seeing which can prolly participate in Gurmat. I will go with an example so I don't offend anybody and still can learn.

Let's say I am just walking and out of nowhere someone came and that person slapped me, now I have two options. One to slap back so that person knows I am not weak and second option is to smile at that person and walk away( hardest one to be honest). If I don't slap back, I just feel like I did not let my krodh control me but I might get an Ego boost saying See, I did it. What I did was hard. But I have done it. 

Second option is to slap back but then my krodh controlled me and my Ego stayed there too. If I won to scare off that person then my Ego will kick in and say man I m strong lol I think I went off track, I always do lol

Okay, So being in Gurmat means to Follow what Dhan Guru Amardas ji did while being kicked by Bhai Dattu and not hitting back OR what most of the Sikhs people will say that we are Saint soldiers and will never bow down. 

I see a huge difference between the teaching of Guru Amardas ji and 10th Master. So, I am never sure what exactly is Gurmat?

Thank you for explaining, if my question is too stupid you can Ignore I won't mind lol

 

 

[Lucky]

np,  Gur-mat is using guru's mat as per gurbani, compared to man-mat, which is mind's mat(wisdom). What you are pointing towards is a different topic from this, and it's about difference between krodh and bir-ras. The 10th master fought against oppression and righteous truth. This is done with love and not anger. Gur-mat is completely free of mind's 5 dhuts and no ego comes into play as in Bhai kanaya ji event in battlefield of seeing satguru within everyone. The 10th master bir ras approach is practiced with it's roots in spirituality. In the example you gave, there is no slapping back as per gurmat. But at our level and in this day and age, you would say "waheguru" and talk to the offender to calm their krodh instead. Bring the other's krodh down instead of mirroring their actions!  If you are spending more hours per day doing internal waheguru sift salah, then you will automatically be conducting yourself in sehaj. In sehaj, it is very difficult for someone to invoke krodh in you.

[paapiman]

Please listen to Gyani Kulwant Singh jee, talking about the 5 Khands briefly.

Please start listening after 06:30 min:

http://www.gianikulwantsingh.com/audio/RehraasSahib/001%20SO%20DAR.mp3

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[amardeep]

Interesting. Thanks ji

[Mooorakh]

On 2/6/2016 at 5:26 AM, GurpreetKaur said:

Lucky ji, Thank you for explaining it but I don't understand being in 100% Gurmat? I don't know what is Gurmat, there are two type of categories I am seeing which can prolly participate in Gurmat. I will go with an example so I don't offend anybody and still can learn.

Let's say I am just walking and out of nowhere someone came and that person slapped me, now I have two options. One to slap back so that person knows I am not weak and second option is to smile at that person and walk away( hardest one to be honest). If I don't slap back, I just feel like I did not let my krodh control me but I might get an Ego boost saying See, I did it. What I did was hard. But I have done it. 

Second option is to slap back but then my krodh controlled me and my Ego stayed there too. If I won to scare off that person then my Ego will kick in and say man I m strong lol I think I went off track, I always do lol

Okay, So being in Gurmat means to Follow what Dhan Guru Amardas ji did while being kicked by Bhai Dattu and not hitting back OR what most of the Sikhs people will say that we are Saint soldiers and will never bow down. 

I see a huge difference between the teaching of Guru Amardas ji and 10th Master. So, I am never sure what exactly is Gurmat?

Thank you for explaining, if my question is too stupid you can Ignore I won't mind lol

 

 

Though I see its been years since u have posted this and probably by now u may have soared on higher levels, but just that I had similar thoughts initially.. so I thought I would in any case put my observations here... 

1. Wat Guru Amardas Sahib did or wat Guru Arjan Dev ji preached is the right path. N yes if u feel little proud on doing it. Its o.k. be proud on being a sikh. Not Egoistic but Proud of being "Guru di dhee " Sacrifice is a part of sikhi

2. As for Guru Gobind Singh ji My Master-  just look at it again.. He sacrificed ALL HE HAD. " SARBANS DAANI. "  wat did he fight for -Other's good. Not for self. So fid Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib. Sikhs are only made for 1. simran ( Waheguru di seva)   2. Seva (manavta di seva)

Thas wat is Gurmat as per my understanding.  Pls forgive n correct me as I m pretty moorakh ..n new to this forum

WJKKWJKF ji