Naam The name needs to become the adhaar Naam Simran is the Sikh way of (ADwr), the base for all the practice. So . It is such a deep subject make sure you choose that name that it cannot be entirely explained which is easy for you, and brings in theoretically. It needs to be respect, , and unconditional experienced through undergoing a for //AkaalPurkh in practical endeavor. Success depends your mind . If you are going to do purely on earnestness of the simran on your breath it must go along practitioner and most of all on ’s your natural breathing span so you grace. don’t have to use it forcefully. You can choose several different words and use As we start this journey we face a lot them at different times. of difficulties. Some are related to the lack of faith; others are merely due to For example, while driving use the lack of knowledge and proper “Gobindey……”, while showering use techniques. Naam Simran is Guru’s “Har Har…….”, while walking . Different people describe “Satnaam” with one step and different ways to do it. This is an effort “Waheguru” with the following step to facilitate this learning process. and so on, while cooking use “Ang Sang….”; there can be so many What is Naam Simran: different ways. This way Naam Simran becomes an enjoyable Naam is the name we address God, experience, especially in the the Almighty with as well as we use it beginning. to praise Him. Naam can be any word or collection of words, a stanza, a statement that connects you with Him. Simran is remembering something This word must initiate unconditional again and again. So Naam Simran love for Him in your mind. It can be becomes the continous remembrance His name that you been using to of God. It is the synchronization of address Him so far or any words from Naam and Simran. So you are reciting Bani that express His presence every Naam (Naam Jaap) along with the where and His unlimited Qualities and thoughts of whose name you are Praises. repeating.

Can be “Waheguru”, “Satnaam”, “Satnaam Waheguru”, “Har”, It can be done for a short or long span “Haree”, “Har Har Har Har Haree of time, at a scheduled period or for Haree”, “Gobindey Mukandey ever. So Naam Simran can be stated Udarey Aparey Hareean Kareean as the repetition of the Naam and the Nirnaamay Akaamay”, “Eak Tuee thoughts of God/Waheguru over and Eak Tuee”, “Satnaam Sada-ee over again without stopping. Satnaam”, “Ang Sang Waheguru”, “Mool ” and many many Why Naam Simran: more. Naam Simran eventualy stabilizes (2) Love and Devotion: your mind in God’s remembrance. That makes you become one with your Love God. Love His creation. Love inner which ultimately leads to the words you are using as Naam. the unity with God. So Naam Simran Love yourself- you are His creation. done the right way, leads to the He is in you. Love every thing He with Guru’s grace provided you with. Love Him for His abundant goodness to us. Tools to help Naam Simran: riv rihAw pRBu sB mih Awpy ] Page 804 To make Naam Simran a successful endeavor, following tools can be Love with God brings in humility, helpful. Most of these tools are faith, , and devotion and interdependent in nature and effect. is of great help in concentration process. And of coarse: First step is to choose the word and start Naam Jaap, loud or silent. pRym ipAwly vs hoie Bgq vCl hoie Second step is focusing your mind on isrjnhwrw] Page 6(SGGS) Him. That’s where we always wonder- how. Following are some tools, which Think of yourself being in Gurudwara can help us to concentrate better: Sahib, bowing and sitting in ardaas position, singing Bani, imagine (1) : yourself in Mandir Sahib, holding Guru Ji’s Palla. All this helps to bring Start Simran with prayer. Prayer can more love in your bhagti. It helps your be full Ardaas, first stanza of Ardaas mind and bow in humility which or can be your own words or stanzas is essential for spiritual progress. from Bani. Lovingly ask for God’s help in everything; for success of the (3) Contemplation (bIcwr) of Bani: Simran, for any wish fulfillment. Seek God’s aid and guidance. Then again We are blessed with such an end it with a prayer. You can also invaluable gift- Bani. “Dhan Dhan Sri pause and pray while doing Simran. Ji” is our Shabad Prayer always helps. It boosts your Guru. And we must read, think, confidence. contemplate and then understand . And most of all live Sample : accordingly. This is the key; try to live krqw qU myrw jjmwnu ] iek diKxw hau qY according to one teaching for one day, pih mwgau dyih Awpxw nwmu ] Page you will see the difference. 1329(SGGS) Bani’s contemplation can be done in or individually. Bani tells us srin pry kI rwKu dieAwlw ] nwnk qumry over and over again to do Naam bwl gupwlw ] Page 260(SGGS) Simran. It tells us what is more important in this human life. It teaches us everything that a human needs to know to do bhagti. It is essential-as all other tools we are discussing can be your journey, faith grows stronger and learned from Bani. stronger. miq ivic rqn jvwhr mwixk jy iek gur kI isK suxI ] Page 2(SGGS) (5) Concentration (Dhyaan) (iDAwn):

(4) Faith: Our mind has a natural function of thinking. It gets information from the You must have full faith in God, the memory and brings it in front of our Almighty, Waheguru. Without faith mental eyes that we call thought, and nothing is going to work. We say we that arouses the emotions depending know about His . We say we upon the nature of that thought. If it is know He is doing every thing. Then a happy thought, we become happy, if what happens when a small thing goes it is something bad we may start the way we did not want it to be? We worrying or become sad. So every blame others, our circumstances, even thought arouses one or many emotions God and ourselves. Where has the based on our past experiences and faith gone in Karta Purkh? knowledge. We act happy, sad, mad, or anxious and so on. One thought Faith is the acceptance of a leads to another and another, based on preposition. And what is our our knowledge, memory and emotions preposition of God- involving the subject of the thought. He is the One. He is the Karta Purkh We have been doing this since we He is omni present started seeing and feeling the outer He is unique and without equal world. This nature of our mind does And so on. …. All that is being said in not let us concentrate when we start Bani. doing Naam Simran. We are able to do Naam recitation (Naam Jaap) but Evaluate one day in your life and see not Naam Simran as Simran is directly how much you truly accept His related to the thoughts. Naam existence. recitation alone without involving the We know about God, and our mind is thought process does nothing as mind set to mistake this knowledge about keeps on playing its tricks and you Him as faith. We need to actually live cannot see and feel your soul. You this faith, this knowledge, only then by have to still your mind and then Naam full means we can accept His presence. starts cleaning the mind and takes you further. A person who is in faith faces fewer difficulties on this journey. When you kwhy kau kIjY iDAwnu jpMnw ] jb qy suDu are in faith- half the battle is done. nwhI mnu Apnw ]Page 485(SGGS) Faith in Him makes us depend on God Himself, not on anything else. Dwvq mnu rwKY iek Twie ]

Read Bani. It will rejuvenate the faith Page 299(SGGS) in God in your mind. Once you start Why it is Important: or even while actually choosing your clothes. When you do this you will Mind is a shield between the outer notice fewer emotions are being world (false/grievance/) and the aroused, so thought does not upset Soul (truth//God). When we you much. And your mind starts to get are born into this world this shield is irritated, as it could not do its job as it transparent. The thought process as it used to do before. Now your job is to has the involvement of emotions do this again and again. When you makes this shield thick and opaque keep controlling your mind repeatedly, over time. This slate of mind gets so the mind starts working under you, as much written on it. Untill we clean it does not have another choice now. this slate and make it transparent; Eventually it will become a habit. You there is no use of Naam Jaap. won’t be working under your mind We can do this by changing our mind anymore. You will not be a set. We need to change our thinking any more. process entirely. To convert Naam Jaap into Naam Simran we have to (6)Accept those who are different from work on our thinking. you: Not even two people on this earth are Control of Mind. meant to be the same. God created this world this way. Accept it. There are One way of doing this is: As the millions of ways to do the one same thoughts occur in your mind, start thing. Love the diversity. It is the involving the Creator in them. Bring beauty of His creation. It will ease the God in everything you think. For task of forgiving others and yourself. example you are thinking of what to wear to work tomorrow: Ask for His (7) Learn from mistakes: guidance to choose your clothes. Communicate with Him as you do Elaborate what you yourself and when you pray for anything. Thank others do, follow the right deeds and Him for all the clothes He provided discard the wrong, but do not hate you. Need new clothes, ask Him to yourself or others for doing anything provide you new ones. Thank Him for wrong, as everything happens in His guiding through the process. Will. And do not indulge in elaborating only. Learn from it. Leave It may feel awkward in the beginning, the emotions alone that make you as you are not used to do it. In fact the happy, sad, anxious and so on. mind is not used to it, so remind Always ask for His guidance. This will yourself- God is everywhere- in every help you overcome the five vices. living and material thing. He is inside you. You walk with God. God walks jW pMc rwsI qW qIrQ vwsI ] Page with you everywhere you go. 356(SGGS)

So you are consciously directing the of your mind. You can use this technique while doing Simran (8)Staying Awake: (10)Thank God for every thing:

Staying awake here means that live in Thank Him for every thing you consciousness. Feel God’s presence already have. It brings your mind into everywhere. Feel Him inside you and the prevalent state. By thanking God around (up to the infinity). Meditate we give credit to Him for everything, on the ‘ Naam ‘ with deep faith and this helps us to curb our arrogance and deliberation. Live teachings of ego. It makes us realize that it is God Gurbani. Stop dubidha. There is One and not we who is ultimately in and Only One prevailing everywhere control of our lives. Thanking God and in everyone. Be humble. Forgive makes us humble and modest. yourself and others. If you are having problems in mind’s wandering Thank Him for your ability to breathe, condition-keep trying different walk, talk and eat. Thank God for methods to overcome this problem. It your ability to see, hear, smell, taste may be difficult but not impossible. and touch. Thank Him for your level duAwr qy AV ky inmrqw nwl Klo jwvo of intelligence, your circumstances, imhr jrUr hovygI[ and your existence. You can find unlimited reasons to thank Him. You just have to start; the rest is done He has provided us with inexpressible by itself over the coarse of time. Guru gifts: is very loving. He will not let you wait for long if your intentions are good. bhuqw krmu iliKAw nw jwie ]vfw dwqw Does not matter you are asking for iqlu n qmwie ] anything or not. It is your devotion to kyqy mMgih joD Apwr ]kyiqAw gxq nhI God that plays the key role. vIcwru ] kyqy Kip qutih vykwr ]kyqy lY lY mukru crn srin gur eyk pYfw jwie cl, siq gur pwih ] koit pYfw Awgy hoie lyq hY ] by Bhai kyqy mUrK KwhI Kwih ]kyiqAw dUK BUK sd Gurdaas Ji. mwr ] eyih iB dwiq qyrI dwqwr ]bMid KlwsI (9)Simran on Breathing: BwxY hoie ] horu AwiK n skY koie ]jy ko Kwieku It helps in developing concentration. AwKix pwie ] Breathing is one crucial thing that is Ehu jwxY jyqIAw muih Kwie ]Awpy jwxY happening to keep us alive. It is the living energy of our soul on this Earth. Awpy dyie ] So by doing Simran on our breaths we AwKih is iB kyeI kyie ]ijs no bKsy facilitate our way to reach our soul. As isPiq swlwh ] you are focusing on breathing the nwnk pwiqswhI pwiqswhu ] mind will not get much time to chase Page 5(SGGS) other thoughts. Thanking God keeps us in constant contact with Him. Our relationship with God becomes unbroken.

All this may sound difficult, but it is most rewarding when practiced. Do simran and inspire others to do the same. Guide them if they need help. Attend Sangat. Listen, read and sing Bani. Contemplate Bani yourself and with others. Do selfless . Help the needy. Live in God. Make your life’s motto: "Naam Bina Na Jivia Jai".

Waheguru Ji Ka , Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.