Reflections from Sardarni GuruAmrit Kaur Khalsa

“The First Paurī contains the total knowledge and ecstasy of God. The second half is an antidote to depression. It will lift you from depression, insecurity, nightmares, and loss.”  

~ from the Teachings of Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan (1)

Sochai soch na hova-ī jay sochī lakh vār.

By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times.

The translation of this Paurī continues:

By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.

The hunger of the hungry is not appeased, even by piling up loads of worldly goods.

Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks, but not even one of them will go along with you in the end.

So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?

O Nānak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1||

Today is full of pressures that demand a discerning mind to address the issues that are constantly challenging us.  Every day we get into thoughts of what we hope to achieve as we define the goals we strive to manifest.  Then, through our daily contemplation on how to manifest our life’s mission, we engage in life. So how can we use the teachings of this Paurī to grow in our consciousness and live truthfully within God’s Will beyond the illusions that bind us?

The Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan has said that our mind processes hundreds of thousands of thoughts in a blink of an eye. (2) Gurū Nānak says in this Paurī, neither thinking nor silence will help us stop the hunger, a hunger that pulls us into the Maya of the world. As we deal with all the thoughts being processed through our mind, we are not free from the tricks our mind can play to engage our ego. The only way through life is to align and attune ourselves to the divinity within and walk the path designed for us, a path that has been prescribed to support our highest spiritual evolution. There will be challenges that we must face in life as they are designed to develop many soul level qualities, qualities that we will need during our journey through life step by step.  The easy way through these challenges is to remember to surrender our thoughts about them to God and then walk away with happiness, letting the hand of God work for us.

The Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan said it this way: “There are certain things, which we have to conceptually understand. This planet earth, this little ping-pong ball, is God’s domain. Its magnetic field and its energy is God’s will. We are a defined God existence. Defined. We are not infinite. By the will of the Infinite and by the co-existence of the finite, we are a defined existence. This situation has to be understood very honorably in our depth. So please give God a chance. Let God guide you, and see how it goes. All the clever tricks you use, the countless little tricks –not even one will go along with you. Surrender yourself and walk the way of Spirit’s Will. Nānak – be with what is already written.”  (3) That is the way to address your walk through life:  with an attitude of humility and faith for the magnitude of the mission before you and letting the hand of God guide you.

In the Sirī Gurū Granth Sāhib it is stated that the destiny is first written, all the resources you need are planned and provided for and then a body is formed from which the soul incarnates. From the infinite we become finite. Each of us comes united with God in service to achieve a prescribed mission, one that is designed for our highest spiritual growth. Yet when we find our life being consumed by the pressures of the earth, it is then that we must remember what Gurū Nānak tells us in this first Paurī of JapJī. “O Nānak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam (Order) of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will.” Through all the challenges each chapter of life brings us with its stories or dramas, in the end they have all been designed to provide us a lesson plan from which to develop a soul divine quality. Walking in faith, with humility to surrender to the Will of God’s order for us, along with asking for assistance, builds an internal quality of reverence.

Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan would say:

“Once you know your status and your depth, and you have earned that status by your longing, God belongs to you. There are two ways to live: either you hassle and sweat and die, or you sit tight and firm in the glory of your longing, in the best of yourself and your grace, and all will come to you. When your ego conflicts, then there is trouble, because fear will come. The moment you are a victim of fear, trouble is everlasting: if one goes away another will come in. God, who rotates the planet Earth, can take care of your routine. What is that key strength in you as a human being that can make God work for you? It is your longing.” (4)

To end, I share with you a personal story and I invite you to join me in a journey, a journey back in time, to be sitting in the Dome where the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan lived.  Toward the end of his life, students, staff and family would go visit him in the evenings. This one particular evening I remember well.  He was asking each person present one question.  Imagine him asking you this question as well.  “What is the difference between good and bad?”  Take a moment to find your answer.

Back then, everyone shared a thought in response to his question. He remained silent. When it was my turn to answer the question my response was “Thinking makes it so.”  And he broke his silence.  “Right. Sochai soch na hova-ī jay sochī lakh vār.”  He quoted the first line of the first Paurī of JapJī.

Keep in mind the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan says:

“If there’s no reverence, there’s no reality. Reality and truth cannot give you anything but reverence. You cannot separate them. When you have duality, you have a very beautiful split. It creates a gorge in which you, your future and your destiny shall fall. For those who play games in the Age of Aquarius, I have a word of advice for them. Play no games. Let the hand of God play the game. If you play games, then even with all the wealth and achievement you can attain, you will be nothing but pure misery.” (3)

Reciting this Paurī is an antidote to depression and gives you the total knowledge and ecstasy of God.  It will lift you from depression, insecurity, nightmares, and loss.

You are about to enter a spiritual journey for self-realization through the study of JapJī.  May the Grace of Gurū Nānak guide your consciousness and bring you fulfillment in your journey.  Siri Singh Sahib would say:

“Let the hand of God have a chance. Let the hand of God work for you. The One who has created you, let Him create all the environments, circumstances, and facilities and faculties.” (5)

Bibliography

1. Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 80.
2. The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, October 4, 1987
3. The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, April 7, 1993
4. The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, July 10, 1991
5. The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, Patience Pays Affirmation

Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa holds the office of the Siri Sikdar Sahiba of Sikh Dharma and serves to support those walking onto a path of Sikh Dharma by promoting a high quality of spiritual practice. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Religions and became a Minister of Sikh Dharma in 1977. She served on the Siri Singh Sahib’s staff from 1974 until his passing, when he bestowed upon her the role of Siri Sikdar Sahiba (Chief Spiritual Minister).

Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur has dedicated her life toward serving and developing Dharma through expanding the work of our nonprofits and spreading the light of the Shabad Guru.

The Siri Singh Sahib said about Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur: “She has a very different kind of vitality and projection as a human being. But if you are in a terrible difficulty she is very kind and compassionate and if you can catch up somewhere what she can do in three minutes nobody can do in thirty days. In three minutes she will give herself to you and she can enter your soul to uplift it to the height you can experience.”

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