“The thirty-seventh Paurī cuts the karma. It eliminates the impact of all bad karmas.”

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

Reflections on the 37th Pauree from S.S.S Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa:

The key to understanding the Sirī Gurū Granth Sāhib is found in Jap Jī Sahib, with the Mūl Mantra being the key to Jap Jī.  In the 35th, 36th and 37th Paurīs at the end of Jap Jī, Gurū Nānak gives humanity an understanding of the realms of consciousness.  These realms or ‘Khanḏs’ offer us clarity toward understanding the evolution of consciousness through the development of our faith.

Karam Khanḏ: Realm of Karma (Word is Power)

No one dwells here except the warriors of great power, the spiritual heroes.  They are totally fulfilled, imbued with the Lord’s Essence.  Myriads of Sītas are there, cool and calm in their majestic glory.  Their beauty can’t be described, neither death or deception comes to them,  within their minds the Lord abides.  Devotees of many worlds dwell there, they celebrate that their minds are imbued with the True Lord.

In this realm, our faith is purified so that our essence is held in our presence. A presence that communicates the glory of what we have achieved. It is here that we live in loving faith and devotion with God.  We celebrate the gift of life by knowing that our very presence abides within God and God within us.

It is a state of knowing and acting with faith. The journey of life has tested us and no one can define or describe our heroic actions.  Here devotees of God celebrate the glory of life with clarity of heart and mind. Death and deception do not hit the faithful ones. Nor does duality visit them. Now all challenges only serve to refine and purify our life to live faithfully in service to the light of our divine destiny.

Sach Khanḏ: Realm of Truth (Gurmukh)

Having created the creation, He watches over it, By His Glance of Grace, He bestows happiness. There are world upon worlds of His Creation.  As he commands, so they exist.  He watches over it all, contemplating the creation.  He rejoices.  Nānak to describe this is as hard as steel.

In this realm we see beyond the illusions, and we become self-illumined. In this state: “Me and God and God and Me are One” (2) which reverberates as we dwell in co-creation with God. God created this creation to serve the saints and the saints live in service to God.  Watching this play we exist in happiness.

Contemplating the lesson plans involved we can purify our hearts by letting self control burn off the impurities of lust, anger, greed, pride or attachment. Gurū Nānak offers metaphors to inspire us to live with patience as we process life toward gaining spiritual wisdom, keeping in mind that what serves our spirit is devotion for God by chanting God’s name. With that, God’s grace will shine upon us as we walk through our karma to deliver our Dharma. God is merciful to uplift and exalt those who live as a Gurmukh.

Gurū Nānak gives us some precious treasures as he defines the evolution of faith. This evolution is in a spiral dynamic: as each challenge in life brings completion, a new level of understanding follows with another world of possibilities being offered to us for yet another set of opportunities for growth. Everyone has a Divine Lesson Plan.

Our plan inevitably challenges us with crises to ensure that we make the necessary changes to bring healing, transformation, and grow in our faith. As our faith develops, so too does our capacity to deliver our destiny. With praise and gratitude for the gift of life, we face our Karma by living Dharmically. As we are able to do this we grow in our spiritual wisdom, and with the knowledge of a humble heart we invoke God’s Grace and mercy.

Bibliography

(1) Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 80.

(2) Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, 69.

*This article was originally shared in a 40-Day Japji Sadhana hosted by Sikh Dharma International in partnership with other legacy organizations.

S.S.S. Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa

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 GuruAmrit 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.