Sat1176

He is saying when your dasam dwar opens for a split second and you have a divine vision.

Guru Amar Das Ji says just let the naam be your boat and driver. How much easier can we get! Ang 245 The sea of Maya is agitated and turbulent; how can anyone cross over this terrifying world-ocean? maa-i-aa sar sabal vartai jee-o ki-o kar dutar tari-aa jaa-ay. Make the Lord`s Name your boat, and install the Word of the Shabad as the boatman. raam naam kar bohithaa jee-o sabad khayvat vich paa-ay. With the Shabad installed as the boatman, the Lord Himself shall take you across. In this way, the difficult ocean is crossed. sabad khayvat vich paa-ay har aap laghaa-ay in biDh dutar taree-ai. The Gurmukh obtains devotional worship of the Lord, and thus remains dead while yet alive. gurmukh bhagat paraapat hovai jeevti-aa i-o maree-ai. In an instant, the Lord`s Name erases his sinful mistakes, and his body becomes pure. khin meh raam naam kilvikh kaatay bha-ay pavit sareeraa. O Nanak, through the Lord`s Name, emancipation is obtained, and the slag iron is transformed into gold. ||1||

My simran battery was becoming a bit flat for the past week or so and it needed bit of kick start. Resumed reading of SGGS alongside simran thoughout the day and low and behold gear has engaged again. Waheguru Think I had to be told.. as Guru Nanak Dev Ji says Ang 243 How can giving donations to charities and countless cleansing baths wash off the filth within the heart? punn daan anayk naavan ki-o antar mal Dhovai. Without the Naam, no one attains salvation. Stubborn self-discipline and living in the wilderness are of no use at all. naam binaa gat ko-ay na paavai hath nigrahi baybaanai. O Nanak, the home of Truth is attained through the Shabad. How can the Mansion of His Presence be known through duality? ||3|| naanak sach ghar sabad sinjaapai dubiDhaa mahal ke jaanai. ||3|| True is Your Name, O Dear Lord; True is contemplation of Your Shabad. tayraa naam sachaa jee-o sabad sachaa veechaaro. True is the Mansion of Your Presence, O Dear Lord, and True is trade in Your Name. tayraa mahal sachaa jee-o naam sachaa vaapaaro. Trade in Your Name is very sweet; the devotees earn this profit night and day. naam kaa vaapaar meethaa bhagat laahaa andino. Other than this, I can think of no other merchandise. So chant the Naam each and every moment. tis baajh vakhar ko-ay na soojhai naam layvhu khin khino. Speaking of heart, I'm noticing a weird kind of warmth in the chest recently. It's like when I breath in and out Wahe-Guru is being recitied there. Like my voice has moved into the chest. Just feel like closing my eyes and focusing my dyaan/simran there.

Now here is an interesting jugti given by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Ang 241 Greet the Lord`s Saints humbly, with deep respect. har santan kar namo namo. You shall obtain the nine treasures, and receive infinite peace. ||4|| na-o niDh paavahi atul sukho. ||4|| With your eyes, behold the holy people; nain alova-o saaDh jano. in your heart, sing the treasure of the Naam. ||5|| hirdai gaavhu naam niDho. ||5|| If I understand that correctly we are being told to look at Sant Mahapursh with the eyes and at the same time recite Waheguru in the mind.

Again we are told to Listen.... Ang 200 Those who listen with their mind and ears to the Lord`s meditative remembrance, har kaa simran sun man kaanee. are blessed with peace at the Lord`s Gate, O mortal. ||1||Pause|| sukh paavahi har du-aar paraanee. ||1|| rahaa-o. Twenty-four hours a day, meditate on the Sustainer of the World. aath pahar Dhi-aa-ee-ai gopaal. O Nanak, gazing on the Blessed Vision of His Darshan, I am enraptured naanak darsan daykh nihaal. ||2||101||170|| Ang 241 Chant the Name of the One Lord with your tongue, and ask for Him alone. ||1||Pause|| jap jihvaa har ayk mango. ||1|| rahaa-o. Waheguru Waheguru Waheguru Waheguru....... Aaajo nah

Guru Arjan Dev Ji also says on Ang 239 focus on sound of Waheguru: Through the Guru`s Word, I meditate on the Name. gur kai bachan Dhi-aa-i-o mohi naa-o. By Guru`s Grace, I have obtained a place of rest. ||1||Pause|| gur parsaad mohi mili-aa thaa-o. ||1|| rahaa-o. I listen to the Guru`s Word, and chant it with my tongue. gur kai bachan sun rasan vakhaanee.

Inspiring instructions from Sri Guru Ram Das Ji in SGGS Ang 170 O my mind, chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, Har - chant it in your mind. mayray man jap har har har man japee-ai. Quickly now, run to the Sanctuary of the True Guru, O my mind; following the Guru, the True Guru, you shall be saved. ||1||Pause|| satgur kee sarnaa-ee bhaj pa-o mayray manaa gur satgur peechhai chhutee-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o. O my mind, serve God, the Giver of all peace; serving Him, you shall come to dwell in your own home deep within. mayray man sayvhu so parabh sarab sukh-daata jit sayvi-ai nij ghar vasee-ai. As Gurmukh, go and enter your own home; anoint yourself with the sandalwood oil of the Lord`s Praises. ||2|| gurmukh jaa-ay lahhu ghar apnaa ghas chandan har jas ghasee-ai. This mind does not hold still, even for an instant. Distracted by all sorts of distractions, it wanders around aimlessly in the ten directions. ih manoo-aa khin na tikai baho rangee dah dah dis chal chal haadhay. I have found the Perfect Guru, through great good fortune; He has given me the Mantra of the Lord`s Name, and my mind has become quiet and tranquil. ||1|| gur pooraa paa-i-aa vadbhaagee har mantar dee-aa man thaadhay. ||1|| When the Lord, Merciful to the meek, showed His Mercy, I found and tasted it, through the Word of the Guru`s Shabad. ||1|| har deen da-i-aal anoograhu kee-aa har gur sabdee chakh deethaa. ||1|| Lovingly focused upon the Guru, the Kirtan (I believe this is a reference to ahand shabad) of the Lord`s Praise has become sweet to me. ||1||Pause|| raam har keertan gur liv meethaa. ||1|| rahaa-o. Ang 172 Through the Guru`s Teachings, the unstruck music resounds; through the Guru`s Teachings, the mind sings. gurmat baajai sabad anaahad gurmat manoo-aa gaavai. By great good fortune, I received the Blessed Vision of the Guru`s Darshan. Blessed, blessed is the Guru, who has led me to love the Lord. ||1|| vadbhaagee gur darsan paa-i-aa Dhan Dhan guroo liv laavai. ||1|| The Gurmukh is lovingly centered on the Lord. ||1||Pause|| gurmukh har liv laavai. ||1|| rahaa-o. O my soul, as Gurmukh, do this deed: chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord. gurmukh jindoo jap naam karammaa Make that teaching your mother, that it may teach you to keep the Lord`s Name in your mouth. mat maataa mat jee-o naam mukh raamaa. Let contentment be your father; the Guru is the Primal Being, beyond birth or incarnation. santokh pitaa kar gur purakh ajnamaa. Ang 174 O Lord, the music of the praanic wind is deep within, O my Lord of the Universe; as the Lord Himself plays this music, so does it vibrate and resound. har antar vaajaa pa-un hai mayray govindaa har aap vajaa-ay ti-o vaajai jee-o. O Lord, the treasure of the Naam is deep within, O my Lord of the Universe; through the Word of the Guru`s Shabad, the Lord God is revealed. har antar naam niDhaan hai mayray govindaa gur sabdee har parabh gaajai jee-o. He Himself leads us to enter His Sanctuary, O my Lord of the Universe; the Lord preserves the honor of His devotees. aapay saran pavaa-idaa mayray govindaa har bhagat janaa raakh laajai jee-o

I was reading SGGS when I came to Ang 152. My jaw dropped and I nearly fell over. I am sure you have all read this but if you haven't I hope you find it as enlightening and inspiring as I did. A few pangti's may be missing because they are taken from my own notes. The baani has been written by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Waheguru..... The union of air, water and fire pa-unai paanee agnee kaa mayl. - the body is the play-thing of the fickle and unsteady intellect. chanchal chapal buDh kaa khayl. It has nine doors, and then there is the Tenth Gate. na-o darvaajay dasvaa du-aar. Reflect upon this and understand it, O wise one. ||1|| bujh ray gi-aanee ayhu beechaar. ||1|| The Lord is the One who speaks, teaches and listens. kathtaa baktaa suntaa so-ee. One who contemplates his own self is truly wise. ||1||Pause|| aap beechaaray so gi-aanee ho-ee. ||1|| rahaa-o The body is dust; the wind speaks through it. dayhee maatee bolai pa-un Understand, O wise one, who has died. bujh ray gi-aanee moo-aa hai ka-un. Awareness, conflict and ego have died, moo-ee surat baad ahaNkaar. but the One who sees does not die. ||2|| oh na moo-aa jo daykhanhaar. ||2|| For the sake of it, you journey to sacred shrines and holy rivers; jai kaaran tat tirath jaahee but this priceless jewel is within your own heart. ratan padaarath ghat hee maahee. The Pandits, the religious scholars, read and read endlessly; they stir up arguments and controversies, parh parh pandit baad vakhaanai. but they do not know the secret deep within. ||3|| bheetar hodee vasat na jaanai. ||3|| I have not died - that evil nature within me has died. ha-o na moo-aa mayree mu-ee balaa-ay The One who is pervading everywhere does not die. oh na moo-aa jo rahi-aa samaa-ay Says Nanak, the Guru has revealed God to me, kaho naanak gur barahm dikhaa-i-aa and now I see that there is no such thing as birth or death. ||4||4|| martaa jaataa nadar na aa-i-aa. ||4||4|| I am forever a sacrifice to the one who listens and hears, who understands and believes in the Name. sun sun boojhai maanai naa-o. taa kai sad balihaarai jaa-o. When the Lord Himself leads us astray, there is no other place of rest for us to find. aap bhulaa-ay tha-ur na thaa-o. You impart understanding, and You unite us in Your Union. ||1|| tooN samjhaavahi mayl milaa-o. ||1 I obtain the Naam, which shall go along with me in the end. naam milai chalai mai naal. Without the Name, all are held in the grip of Death. ||1||Pause|| bin naavai baaDhee sabh kaal. ||1|| rahaa-o My farming and my trading are by the Support of the Name. khaytee vanaj naavai kee ot. This is the true mark of wisdom: that one remains detached, like the water-lily, or the lotus upon the water. jal puraa-in ras kamal pareekh. Attuned to the Word of the Shabad, one becomes sweet, like the juice of the sugar cane. ||3|| sabad ratay meethay ras eekh. By the Hukam of the Lord`s Command, the castle of the body has ten gates. hukam sanjogee garh das du-aar. The five passions dwell there, together with the Divine Light of the Infinite. panch vaseh mil jot apaar. The Lord Himself is the merchandise, and He Himself is the trader. aap tulai aapay vanjaar. O Nanak, through the Naam, the Name of the Lord, we are adorned and rejuvenated. naanak naam savaaranhaar. How can we know where we came from? jaato jaa-ay kahaa tay aavai Where did we originate, and where will we go and merge? kah upjai kah jaa-ay samaavai How are we bound, and how do we obtain liberation? ki-o baaDhi-o ki-o muktee paavai How do we merge with intuitive ease into the Eternal, Imperishable Lord? ||1|| ki-o abhinaasee sahj samaavai. ||1 With the Naam in the heart and the Ambrosial Naam on our lips, naam ridai amrit mukh naam. through the Name of the Lord, we rise above desire, like the Lord. ||1||Pause|| narhar naam narhar nihkaam. ||1|| rahaa-o. With intuitive ease we come, and with intuitive ease we depart. sehjay aavai sehjay jaa-ay. From the mind we originate, and into the mind we are absorbed. man tay upjai man maahi samaa-ay. As Gurmukh, we are liberated, and are not bound. gurmukh mukto bandh na paa-ay. Contemplating the Word of the Shabad, we are emancipated through the Name of the Lord. sabad beechaar chhutai har naa-ay. ||2|| Ang 153 Meeting the Gur (a.k.a. Shabad Guru within), the hard and heavy doors are opened. gur mil kholay bajar kapaat. One meets the Holy Saint only through perfect destiny. saadh milai poorab sanjog. The Lord`s perfect people rejoice in the Truth. sach rahsay pooray har log. Surrendering their minds and bodies, they find the Lord with intuitive ease. man tan day lai sahj subhaa-ay. Nanak falls at their feet. naanak tin kai laaga-o paa-ay. Conquering self-conceit, one obtains the Name. aap maaray taa paa-ay naa-o. One who dies in the Word of the Shabad, shall never again have to die. sabad marai,,fir maran na ho-ay. Without such a death, how can one attain perfection? bin moo-ay ki-o pooraa ho-ay. So get aboard that boat when your turn comes. bohith charha-o jaa aavai vaar. Those who fail to embark upon that boat shall be beaten in the Court of the Lord. thaakay bohith dargeh maar. Blessed is that Gurdwara, the Guru`s Gate, where the Praises of the True Lord are sung. sach saalaahee Dhan gurdu-aar. O Nanak, the One Creator Lord is pervading hearth and home. naanak dar ghar aykankaar. The inverted heart-lotus has been turned upright, through reflective meditation on God. ulti-o kamal barahm beechaar. From the Sky of the Tenth Gate, the Ambrosial Nectar trickles down. amrit Dhaar gagan das du-aar. The Lord Himself is pervading the three worlds. ||1|| taribhavan bayDhi-aa aap muraar. ||1|| O my mind, do not give in to doubt. ray man mayray bharam na keejai. When the mind surrenders to the Name, it drinks in the essence of Ambrosial Nectar. Pause man maanee-ai amrit ras peejai. rahaa-o. When the self dies, the individual mind comes to know the Supreme Mind. aap moo-aa man, man tay jaani-aa. As the inner vision is awakened, one comes to know one`s own home, deep within the self. najar bha-ee ghar ghar tay jaani-aa. The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is austerity, chastity and cleansing baths at sacred shrines of pilgrimage. (Listening to the Naam is cleansing baths) jat sat tirath majan naam. Meeting the True Guru, we are shown the way to die. satgur milai so maran dikhaa-ay. Remaining alive in this death brings joy deep within. maran rahan ras antar bhaa-ay. Overcoming egotistical pride, the Tenth Gate is found. garab nivaar gagan pur paa-ay. So chant and meditate on the Lord, and remain in the Sanctuary of the Lord. ||1||Pause|| har jap jaap rahan har sarnaa. Meeting the True Guru, duality is dispelled. satgur milai ta dubiDhaa bhaagai. The heart-lotus blossoms forth, and the mind is attached to the Lord God. kamal bigaas man har parabh laagai. One who remains dead while yet alive obtains the greatest happiness hereafter. jeevat marai mahaa ras aagai. Meeting the True Guru, one becomes truthful, chaste and pure. satgur mili-ai sach sanjam soochaa. Climbing up the steps of the Guru`s Path, one becomes the highest of the high. gur kee pa-orhee oocho oochaa. When the Lord grants His Mercy, the fear of death is conquered. karam milai jam kaa bha-o moochaa. Uniting in Guru`s Union, we are absorbed in His Loving Embrace. gur mili-ai mil ank samaa-i-aa. Granting His Grace, He reveals the Mansion of His Presence, within the home of the self. kar kirpaa ghar mahal dikhaa-i-aa.

About 6 months focus on naam simran now and before that about 1 year on mool mantar. Before that it was just reading books and listening to kirtan katha but I was still lacking inspiration do the practical myself. Only over the past 2 years have I moved up a gear and more so in the last 6 months. If my post inspires even just one person then I really consider it worth while. Go for it Singh!!! I'm reading Guru Granth Sahib Ji (english translation) along side naam simran and its really giving me the push I need. The amount of focus that is placed on naam/shabad unity with Almighty is just really shocking me to the max. To the point i'm getting quite annoyed by the fact that if Guru Granth Sahib Ji placed so much focus on naam simran being the only means by which we will reach Waheguru why weren't we told about it in Gurdwaras more. Maybe it was me who just wasn't taking it in. Why aren't we told this is what you need to do and this is how you go about doing it.... There are days when I run out of steam and the desire isn't there but when I read a few more angs it gives me the kick I need to get me going again. Actually i'm hooked reading Guru Ji. Can't even focus at work, just want to keep reading. My respect for my Gurus is increasing daily. Guru Amar Das ji' belows me away every time, actually they all do. Going to get shitter at work if they find out what I'm doing. I find myself totally becoming withdrawn from what is going on in the outside world. Don't care about news, tv, movies, family etc either i'm holding my phone or ipad. I'm really seeing a difference in me. Its growing to such an extent that my own mother is getting concerned and telling me to slow down and keep my feet on the ground and says I got my whole life ahead of me yet. The only advice I'm able to give anyone is keep the simran going throughout the day whilst your doing your day to day stuff. From the moment I get up I try and start. Getting ready, journey to work, lunch times, take a few minutes off during work and just do simran eyes open or closed, journey home. I bet the other travelers are saying what is that guy mumbling to himself. If your able to dedicate fix time to it then so much the better. This is the part I'm really finding difficult to do. My legs and backside ache and I can't sit for long and the discomfort over powers the concentration your trying to reach. I find myself looking at the clock to see if times up or my thoughts just keep coming and I get frustrated but there are times when you know you had a good session even if it was just for a few moments.

I'm happy to share so here goes: Last night before I went to sleep I was reading SGGS and the house was very quiet. Mrs is away so no snoring in my ears. lol. When it's quiet this whistling sound manifests itself. I can hear the sound coming from the right side. This time not only was there a whistling sound but a second beat like a drum. How I wish I was a musician so i could replicate what I was hearing. It was weaker than the whistle but I could definately make it out. Really freaked me out at first. Have never heard that sound before. I spoke to a naam abhiyaasi mahapursh about it who said I was on the right track but I shouldn't focus on the sound yet. He said I need to remain focused on my naam simran and learn to still my thoughts. Also for the past few weeks the saliva in my mouth has been feeling extremely sweet. So much so that its actually becoming really difficult to tolerate. When I do simran it flows more and more. I'm still skeptical about what I'm experiencing because I feel I'm not actually putting in that much effort. Although some days are better than others. Waheguru Mere Bharaya Hath Rakhe and bless me with his Naam...

Many thanks NEO.

Following on from my earlier post of the pangtis of Bhagat Kabir Ji bani in SGGS. I found the following with reference to the western gate. THE GATEWAY OF LIBERATION The saints tell that God is within our body and also tell us the way to find Him. The seat of mind and soul is behind the eyes, between the eyebrows, from where the consciousness spreads throughout the body. This point has been called by early Indian sages 'the third eye' and 'the divine eye'. Kabir also describes the eye center as 'the door to the west', 'east' being the world visible to physical eyes. By 'west' Kabir refers to the regions opposite to the physical world, which are behind the eyes : "Above the western gate stands a heavy rock ; in that rock is a window and above the window is the tenth door. O Kabir, endless and boundless is what one sees there." (55) Besides describing the eyes center as 'the tenth door', Kabir also calls it, 'the mole', 'the mole within the mole' and 'the star between the two moles'; Between the two eyes is the Master,The messenger of the Lord, Between the black and the white moles,Is the shining star,And within the star dwells The unknown and unseen Lord. The inner eye is equipped with the capacity to see the supreme being and the everlasting abode of Truth. Kabir says, "That which is visible is perishable ; contemplate on Him who is invisible. When you turn the key to the tenth door, then you will have the darshn of the Merciful One". (57) To open the inner gate is not easy. Mind and soul are fully engrossed in the outer world. The soul, tied to the mind, is a captive in the cage of the physical body. It is unaware of its origin, its home and the abiding bliss that awaits it within. The most important step in spiritual practice, then is to control the mind and consciousness, which are running through the nine portals into the outer world. Kabir says : "On the ninth day control the nine doors, put a dam across the flowing currents of the mind, become oblivious to all objects of attachments and avarice; thus live beyond ages and eons and taste the fruit of immortality. Apologies NEO if I have taken this topic off it's intended purpose. Feel free to move it to another thread if deemed appropriate.

I was watching tv the other day and a teacher of another faith made a remark which got me thinking. He said until you don't have inner peace within yourself god will never come before you. Why? He said god knows that you've got troubles in your life and he knows if he came before you and asks what do you want? Most people will say please make this better or take that problem away or can I have this. He said god is above petty thoughts like this so won't waste his time. He said until you don't learn to be content within you will never meet god or have a godly experience. Simple effective message I thought. Point noted.

N3O, Any views you have on it would be most appreciated. I wish mahapursh were open about bhagti in general. Personally I think they know most people have an allergic reaction if chakras or any kind of breathing technique is mentioned. That’s why we don’t hear about it on stages of gurdwaras in general. Very few mahapursh can be bothered with people of today because people just want to debate or have justification for everything and not do the practical. Bro, I'm not getting into the whole Sargun/Nirgun thing because I feel it’s going to lead me down a path where we have to research what is nirgun and what is sargun exactly. I get the gist of it and that is enough for me at this stage. Which one is higher or lower is of no relevance to me at this stage of my spiritual life because I’m a beginner. Too much knowledge can also become a hindrance and not enough can be a downfall. Where is that right balance I don’t know. To me nirgun or sargun roop are one and the same. I have firm faith waheguru knows my simran is for him. What should we visualize if anything? From what I’m hearing and reading using visualisation of guru’s pictures accurate or not or ik ongkar or the actual spelling of waheguru are all tools you help you still your mind and build one pointed concentration and stop it wondering. There was one pangti I read where it said keep the guru’s charan embedded in the heart/mind. Here is a similar one: What does that mean? Visualise a pair of feet and pretend they are Waheguru’s. One nanaksar mahapursh said focus on the padam you see drawn on the sole of Guru Nanak’s Dev Ji's feet in their famous painting of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. If that helps you achieve mind focus and makes your feel as if your simran stronger and more directional then why not. I was listening to another mahapursh the other day where he simply stated make your mind one pointed like a compass needle. Like the needle always returns to the north position keep bringing your mind back if it begins to wonder and keep your nishana on waheguru. I liked that analogy. Easier said than done though! Personally speaking I’m shocked at the stuff that comes to the surface when I try and do simran. However at least I’m becoming aware when this begins to happen and you can try and stop it, either by coming back to bhakri bani or temporarily opening you eyes so as to try and drown out your incoming thoughts. It’s a very personal decision what feels right for the individual to help them achieve this. But eventually there will come a time when we have to rise above this all. Guru ji says the light of divine is within us all and the journey we have to make is internal. I’m sure he knows that at the end of the day our bhagti is directed at him. He is Guru Nanak and he is everyone else. There is nothing but Him….TuHi TuHi Tui Hi. The jaap of “waheguru” mantar in the literal sense will stop when you know your thoughts/mind are dead. That is what I believe guru ji means when he says be dead while yet alive which I am reading again and again in SGGS. But that line is very close to point when we enter a sleep state. At that point we are to listen only with our inner ears for a anhad shabad or it might simply manifest itself. Its never been described or is indescribable except saying its like sounds like a particular instrument and we will love it when we hear it. I’ll be honest and open here, sometimes when I sit down and its quiet I can hear this buzzing/ringing in my ears which is very faint. Is this the anhad shabad or simply the noise of my own inner being or air flowing through my body/brain. Am I supposed to focus on this or not? I know for a fact my thoughts are still coming so I don’t believe this is what I’m searching for. Yet when I do put all my attention on listening to it when I’m thoughtless even if it is for a few seconds I do feel my meditative state is going deeper within. Think I’ve gone off track so back to your question. From what I’m learning and which agrees with my own interpretation of what SGGS might be trying to convey is that we need to focus on the gurmantar/shabad. The Sound! Sitting down at the trikuti to my understanding doesn’t mean straining your eyes or applying pressure to try and pierce through or bursting open some doors so some light magically appears. It means take all your surti to that place where the 3 nadi’s meet. With your surti there keep on reciting “Waheguru”, as if you are siting outside a door and waheguru is on the otherside, and listerning to the gurmantar with full concentration. We must keep on "kooking" at Waheguru’s door which is at that point. I hope that door will eventually open for us too and he welcomes us in. I don’t believe it’s a door in the literal sense either but a doorway through which we must walk through to take us deeper within. I still think there are many more things which I’m yet to discover and if and when I find out anything more I’m happy to share. Even though everyone likes to keep it gupt or provide what ever justification to themselves which makes them feel more special than someone else. I can’t honestly believe if we talk about it our bhagti it will lesson or be lost. I personally don't have any kammyee so what could I possibly loose. Yes I do understand that talking about it can lead to inflation of ones ego, or thinking I’m better or higher or know it all. I hope my post doesn’t come across that way because that it is not what they are intended for. To be honest I don’t even know why I’m writing all this. Is it to solidify where my understanding is taking me or is it because there might be someone else out there with the same views as me who is lost who might be searching for those little gems that might make a difference to them, who when reading this appreciates it and says I wish someone had told me that. Bit of both I guess. The way I understand it is that we need to make it our end goal is to get to Waheguru before our breaths run out, not after we die. Otherwise we are going to be back here again or wherever he chooses to send us because we didn’t make it. That is made quite clear in Sri Guru Granth sahib. gur parasaadhee man vasai naamae rehai samaae || By Guru's Grace, He dwells in the mind, and one remains immersed in His Name. gur sabadhee har paaeeai bin sabadhai bharam bhulaae ||1|| Through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, the Lord is found; without the Shabad, people wander, deceived by doubt. ||1|| man rae nij ghar vaasaa hoe || O mind, dwell in the balanced state of your own inner being. raam naam saalaahi thoo fir aavan jaan n hoe ||1|| rehaao || Praise the Lord's Name, and you shall no longer come and go in reincarnation. ||1||Pause|| har eiko dhaathaa varathadhaa dhoojaa avar n koe || The One Lord alone is the Giver, pervading everywhere. There is no other at all. sabadh saalaahee man vasai sehajae hee sukh hoe || Praise the Word of the Shabad, and He shall come to dwell in your mind; you shall be blessed with intuitive peace and poise. Guru Amar Das Ji, ang 36 Waheguru. I am foolish and ignorant; I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be Merciful and unite me with the Lord. ham moorakh mugaDh sarnaagatee kar kirpaa maylay har so-ay.

Following on from my earlier post I have come to learn that once air is flowing equally through both left and right nostrils then it a good time to bring your focus and come sit between the two eyes. (trikuti or treveni as they call it.) I've been observing this myself and after a certain time but not always both nostills do open up. When it doesn happen the medititive state does feel much more deeper and stronger. My body and arms feel really heavy as if my consciousness (surti) isn't in my lower part of the body. I'll be honest it does feel very strange indeed and quite scary. I guess you have to persevere on and go with the flow. I've been reading the following passage in SGGS on Ang 1159 nij padh oopar laago dhhiaan || I focus my meditation on my inner self, deep within. raajaa raam naam moraa breham giaan ||1|| rehaao || The Name of the Sovereign Lord is my spiritual wisdom. ||1||Pause|| mool dhuaarai ba(n)dhhiaa ba(n)dhh || In the first chakra, the root chakra, I have grasped the reins and tied them. (I beileve that is referring to contracting the PC muscle, or root lock as it's known) rav oopar gehi raakhiaa cha(n)dh || I have firmly placed the moon above the sun. pashham dhuaarai sooraj thapai || The sun blazes forth at the western gate. maer dda(n)dd sir oopar basai ||2|| Through the central channel of the Shushmanaa, it rises up above my head. ||2|| pasacham dhuaarae kee sil ourr || There is a stone at that western gate, thih sil oopar khirrakee aour || and above that stone, is another window. khirrakee oopar dhasavaa dhuaar || Above that window is the Tenth Gate.[/ I can't figure out the line : rav oopar gehi raakhiaa cha(n)dh || I have firmly placed the moon above the sun. In Yogic terms Moon refers to the left eye and the Sun refers to the right eye. But how does one place the moon over the Sun? Is it close the right eye and focus your left eye on the left tip of the nose or focus both eyes on the tip of the nose? Even Sant Isher Singh (Rare Wale)/ Sant Waryam Singh in their books say there comes a time when you need to focus on the tip of your nose. Also what is being referred to the as the Western Gate? Is it the right ear possibly???? I kindly request that my posts are not reproduced on other forums. This site is a little more open minded than others and I am only sharing my thoughts and basic knowledge. I am blind myself and only have my guru to show me a way. If he desires, then only with his kirpa will I make it to the charan of his lotus feet. Waheguru Mere Bharaya Hath Rakhe...

Ang 327 man rae pavan dhrirr sukhaman naaree ||1|| rehaao || O mind, hold your breath steady within the central channel of the Sushmanaa. ||1||Pause|| oulattee ga(n)gaa jamun milaavo || Turn your breath away from the left channel, and away from the right channel, and unite them in the central channel of the Sushmanaa. bin jal sa(n)gam man mehi nhaavo || At their confluence within your mind, take your bath there without water. Ang 328 sehaj sehaj gun ramai kabeer ||3||26|| Slowly, steadily, Kabeer chants the Glories of God. ||3||26|| Ang 332 guramath manooaa asathhir raakhahu ein bidhh a(n)mrith peeoueeai ||1|| rehaao || Through the Guru's Teachings, hold your mind steady and stable, and in this way, drink in the Ambrosial Nectar. ||1||Pause|| Ang 478 - Beautiful description of simran. har kaa bilovanaa bilovahu maerae bhaaee || Churn the churn of the Lord, O my Siblings of Destiny. sehaj bilovahu jaisae thath n jaaee ||1|| rehaao || Churn it steadily, so that the essence, the butter, may not be lost. ||1||Pause|| than kar mattukee man maahi biloee || Make your body the churning jar, and use the stick of your mind to churn it. eis mattukee mehi sabadh sa(n)joee ||2|| Gather the curds of the Word of the Shabad. ||2|| raam naam lag outharae theeraa ||4||1||10|| one is carried across to the other side, holding fast to the Lord's Name. ||4||1||10|| Ang 1123 ree kalavaar gavaar moodt math oulatto pavan firaavo || You barbaric brute, with your primitive intellect - reverse your breath and turn it inward. man mathavaar maer sar bhaat(h)ee a(n)mrith dhhaar chuaavo ||1|| Let your mind be intoxicated with the stream of Ambrosial Nectar which trickles down from the furnace of the Tenth Gate. ||1|| nagaree eaekai no dharavaajae dhhaavath baraj rehaaee || There are nine gates to the one city of the body; restrain your mind from escaping through them. thrikuttee shhoottai dhasavaa dhar khoolhai thaa man kheevaa bhaaee ||3|| When the knot of the three qualities (Tamo gun, Rajo gun, Satogun) is untied, then the Tenth Gate opens up, and the mind is intoxicated, O Siblings of Destiny. ||3||

Here's something interesting I picked up recently. How does one know when your ready to progress from Baikhari Bani (verbally), Madhma (whisper) to doing it with internally with the voice of the mind (Pasanti)? Start of with Baikhari i.e. doing it loudly until your mind is listening and not off wondering thinking about other things. Ensure your eyes are closed otherwise your mind will try and leave through the eyes and start looking around and your attention will be outside. You will know your mind is present because it will come to sit behind the two eye lids. Make it recite and focus on the sound of the gurmantar. You will be breathing through the mouth in Baikhari and Madhma stages. I do not believe it is physically possible to inhale and say Wahe at the same time. You can however still pull in the navel with Wahe, but it will not be synchronized with the breathing, this will just happen normally. So, Say “Wahe” pull navel in Say “Guru” release navel i.e push back out Stage 2. If you feel you mind is becoming steady begin to lower the volume to a dull whisper so only you can hear it. (Madhma) Continue with Baikhari and Madhma until your mind becomes steady thought free and your mind is listening to the shabad. You should not need to focus your eyes on the trikuti. This will all happen naturally when the shabad/parkash begins to manifest itself. You should not force it. Learn to just listen to shabad and the sound of your own voice and stop the mind from wondering. (Very difficult to do). Note when reciting WaheGuru, there is a slight pause (about 0.75-1 second) between saying Wahe and Guru. When doing Madhma (whisper) you might find yourself going internal with the simran, i.e. no sound from the mouth and it beginning to synchronize with the breath and becoming swas swas simran. Wahe (inhale) and (hold - about a second) say Guru (exhale). This will have the effect of balancing the air flow between the two nostrils and help still the mind further. Occasionally close the mouth and breathe through the nostrils. If you feel that both nostrils are active, which you can also check by placing your finger underneath your nose, then this is the ideal time then take your simran internally. (Didn't know that was possible as I thought only nostril is active at any given time.) Stage 3. – Pasanti Cease any speech and do simran synchronized with the breath and voice of the mind and listening with the inner ears. Inhale into chest + pull in stomach/navel (very slightly) + “Wahe” Hold (about a second) Exhale + release stomach/navel + “Guru” Some people do extreme thrusts with the stomach which is wrong and can have the adverse effect of your navel pulsating on its own which is not good. It will evoke too much agni in the pit of your stomach which is not good. As your mind become more and more still your head will begin to relax and drop. Keep the jaap going on internally and try and stay awake rather than falling asleep. The more and more simran your do synchronized with the breath the more you will learn to do it subconsciously, i.e. auto pilot, ajapa jaap. As you mind goes deeper and deeper within, you might see different coloured lights. These are associated with the 5 primal elements/chakras. Listening to Sant Hari Singh's explanation of letting it all happen automatically is another approach. :-) I in no way profess to be an expert in the subject matter but in fact a absolute beginner who is looking for guidance to progress on this path. Like other people on this forum I believe that there shouldn't be so much secrecy behind simran. I am sure there are so many others out there like me desperate to be shown the way who are not in the regular service of mahapursh or affiliated with a single Jatha, although have satkaar for all. I am therefore merely sharing any knowledge I am gaining and posting it on this forum. The choice is entirely yours whether you choose to utilise any of it should you find it useful.

I was reading Bhagat Kabir's bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and came across the following pangties: Ang 333 oulattath pavan chakr khatt bhaedhae surath su(n)n anaraagee || I turned my breath inwards, and pierced through the six chakras of the body, and my awareness was centered on the Primal Void of the Absolute Lord. aavai n jaae marai n jeevai thaas khoj bairaagee ||1|| Search for the One who does not come or go, who does not die and is not born, O renunciate. ||1|| Another interpretation I read somewhere was "I reversed my breath". After a bit of research I found out there is a yoga technique called Reverse breathing which goes as follows: As you inhale expand your chest but at the same time slightly pull in your navel. I was surprised in that this was the very technique I was shown of how to do saas giras simran. This is also what I believe Sant Baba Isher Singh (Rare Wale) says in one of his audio recordings about applying a little pressure on the navel to invoke rom rom simran. Anyone reading please note you are not supposed to pull in the stomach more than half and inch. Its a very slight tug, which should be hardly noticeable. Its NOT kapal bhati!!!! So with inhale, say Wahe mentally + pull in navel whilst exhaling, say Guru + release navel. Takes a bit of getting used to and feels quite strange, but the more you do it the more easier it becomes. Focus on the sound of the mantar with your inner ears and NOT put your diyan into the navel going in and out.

Doing simran in any sangat can be very rewarding and uplifting. What makes the experience even more divine is when the sangat does it in totally harmony and in sync. What totally throws me off is sitting next to someone who decides they want to be louder than everyone else and slightly faster or ahead. Completely makes me loose track and get frustrated. My ears are not adept enough to filter them out... Especially when they decide have their vocal cords on full blast.

I explanation I have heard recently for chanting simran loudly is so that you force your mind to listen to the Shabad and stop it wondering. Its like beating it with a stick. But eventually you will get tired and have to lower the volume and enter a more sehj state. i.e. Bhakhri to Madhma...

Dear Learned GurSikhs, I have been reading through Kabeer's bani in Sri Guru Granth Sabhib Ji and am puzzled by some particular lines. They are on Ang 481. Can some learned gursikh please explain the underlying message? Many thanks, http://www.searchgurbani.com/guru_granth_sahib/ang/481 pihlw pUqu ipCYrI mweI ] pehilaa pooth pishhairee maaee || First, the son was born, and then, his mother. guru lwgo cyly kI pweI ]1] gur laago chaelae kee paaee ||1|| The guru falls at the feet of the disciple. ||1|| eyku AcMBau sunhu qum@ BweI ] eaek acha(n)bho sunahu thumh bhaaee || Listen to this wonderful thing, O Siblings of Destiny! dyKq isMGu crwvq gweI ]1] rhwau ] dhaekhath si(n)gh charaavath gaaee ||1|| rehaao || I saw the lion herding the cows. ||1||Pause|| jl kI mCulI qrvir ibAweI ] jal kee mashhulee tharavar biaaee || The fish of the water gives birth upon a tree. dyKq kuqrw lY geI iblweI ]2] dhaekhath kutharaa lai gee bilaaee ||2|| I saw a cat carrying away a dog. ||2|| qlY ry bYsw aUpir sUlw ] thalai rae baisaa oopar soolaa || The branches are below, and the roots are above. iqs kY pyif lgy Pl PUlw ]3] this kai paedd lagae fal foolaa ||3|| The trunk of that tree bears fruits and flowers. ||3|| GorY cir BYs crwvn jweI ] ghorai char bhais charaavan jaaee || Riding a horse, the buffalo takes him out to graze. bwhir bYlu goin Gir AweI ]4] baahar bail gon ghar aaee ||4|| The bull is away, while his load has come home. ||4|| khq kbIr ju ies pd bUJY ] kehath kabeer j eis padh boojhai || Says Kabeer, one who understands this hymn, rwm rmq iqsu sBu ikCu sUJY ]5]9]22] raam ramath this sabh kishh soojhai ||5||9||22|| and chants the Lord's Name, comes to understand everything. ||5||9||22||

'I'm healthy and I enjoy sex with my wife. I think it's very important for a husband and wife to have sex regularly,' Mr Raghav, from Haryana in northern India, who spent nine decades as a bachelor, told The Sun.

According to this site he spent 9 decades as a bachelor. Bachara!!! He's got some catching up to do.... Metro

Take a chill pill yaar. Don't take everything so literally...

This story made me laugh. World's oldest dad. O tera bhalla hovey...