“When you cannot find your path in life; when you cannot achieve fulfillment; the fourteenth Paurī will show you the way.”
~from the teachings of the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan (1)
The 14th Pauri as interpreted by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa:
In trusting What you hear When you listen, There will be No obstacles On your path.
In trusting What you hear When you listen, Radiance and honor Will be with you.
In trusting What you hear When you listen, There’ll be no need To take short-cuts On your journey.
In trusting What you hear When you listen, Dharma, The path of Divine discipline and law, Will guide Your whole life.
Such is That True Spirit Within me That it makes me become Pure, clear and sweet.
If you Trust what you hear When you listen, That knowing Becomes the psyche Through which you Reflect, understand And act.”
Reflections on the 14th Pauri from Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa:
The 14th Paurī continues to describe the gifts that come to a person when we practice mannai. Mannai in this Paurī confirms the confidence that comes from self-knowledge. By listening and trusting, obstacles disappear. Honor comes. And there is no need for short cuts. Mannai bestows a very sovereign, dignified way of life. Ultimately, the consciousness of mannai creates the foundation of Dharma, of the spiritual path.
People have forgotten that Dharma is not a set of rules and rituals which exist for their own sake. Guilt and shame have nothing to do with spirituality. Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan always used to say, “Your religion is your reality.” In other words, what is real, what is authentic and true in yourself and in your life – that is all religion ever needs to be. God and me, me and God are One. So when I trust the most subtle, sophisticated part of myself, I trust that which is One with the Divine.
Obeying the inner command bestows True Dharma. The Creator is One. And every path leads to that Oneness. What we practice needs to build our own capacity to trust our own Divinity. If a religious or spiritual practice cuts us off from our authenticity, from the True Voice, from the Inner Essence, than that religion actually becomes a kind of enslavement.
In the 14th Paurī, Gurū Nānak continues describing the blessings that mannai can bring to a person’s life. And then he links mannai with Dharma. This reveals Dharma as a truly universal experience and consciousness. The practice of Dharma ideally leads to an inner trust and obedience that will guide one’s entire life.
Bibliography
(1) Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 80.
*This article was originally shared in a 40-Day Japji Sadhana hosted by Sikh Dharma International in partnership with other legacy organizations.
Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa
The year before Kundalini Yoga Master Yogi Bhajan, also known as the Siri Singh Sahib of Sikh Dharma, left his body, he personally worked with Ek Ong Kaar Kaur on a translation of Gurū Nānak’s Jap Jī Sāhib. In addition, he directed her to translate the writings of the Sikh masters into English. She currently serves as the Program Manager for SikhNet.com.
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