singh154

That's maha paap! You need to go pesh immediately! Having someone's jhoot will reduce your abiaas. To be safe you should only associate with gursikhs and avoid company of non- amritdaris as God sees them as inferior or less blessed than amritdaris. I also try to avoid being within the same shadow of non amridaris as well! NB. I am joking plz don't take what I said above as serious. Relax your fine I assure you that God is not angry with you. LOL

rom is not hair it means pores. Also women with excessive hair on their face or without are both 'LUCKY'. However it's not natural if a woman gets lots of hair on her face because it is associated with a hormonal problem. They should see a GP for medication as it can also mean they could have fertility issues as well...

Where did you get that sakhi from about sant atar singh ji's mum. The only source I found that sakhi was from bhai rama singh ji's book. I've heard another version to that story, which that she never had to take amrit. Stories will be confusing and I say if you want to clear your doubts. I think the best ways are: 1) Doing naam simran yourself and reaching sackand 2) speaking directly to mahapuraks yourself

I also agree with bhai mehtab singh ji as ultimately you must make up your own mind. However I have done a lot of research into this and what I will say is that Sant Isher Singh ji, Sant Nand singh ji, sant jagjit singh ji harokowale, a lot of taksaali elder singhs who have done sangat with taksaali mahapurakhs believe that you don't need to be a sikh to get to sachkand. However reading bhai randhir singh ji's literature I've noticed that he only believes that amridari sikhs can reach sackhand. Therefore over the years I have noticed that majority of AKJ hold his views. Therefore you will notice that this subject can lead to a lot of arguments. I think you should read as much literature as possible and then make your mind up. Remember read from many sources and then make your mind up.

Rather than answering your question let me ask you further questions. Possibly by asking you these questions you can come up with your own answer? 1) If only sikhs can achieve sachkand then what about the other 6 billion people in the world that are not sikh? 2) Do you think that there life is a waste because they never choice sikhi hence will never get true happiness (sachkand)? 3) Also I want to ask you personally mirror ji, what are your expectations about sachkand? What do you think sackand is? Why do you want to go there? 4) Also didn't Sant Jarnail Singh khalsa bhinderawale say that if you are a hindu be true hindu and if you are a muslim be a true muslim. Surely sant Ji would have told them that you must convert to sikhi before you ever have a chance to meet wahiguru?

I haven't got the sources on me but I looked into some puratan sources that do indicate that taksaal was started by Baba Deep Singh Ji. So it is much more likely to have the correct santhia of gurbani than any other jathabandis. Not to say other jatha are wrong but to be safe and if you want to follow correct santhia taksaal is the way to go. I also have sources from other mahapurakhs NOT TAKSAAL ones lol that also indicate taksaal was started by Baba Deep Singh Ji. So if you want to follow gurmat as close as possible then learning from taksaal is your best option. Think about it some jathabandi are only 100 or 50 years old; how on earth can they claim to have correct santhia?

Guru Sahib said: "O Mardana! The world is engrossed in material things. It is not aware of the g r e a t n e s s o f t h e N a m e . " M a r d a n a r e p l i e d : " O sovereign, but you advise and enlighten the people so much, and yet they do not understand and realize the importance of the Name?" Guru Sahib observed: " I t i s not in the i r de s t iny to obtain the Name . Without great good fortune, one does not find a Guru (Holy Preceptor) and without the Guru's grace, one does not attain the gift of God's Name. Bereft of good fortune are people wandering about. We, of course , do cal l out to them and exhort them. " Mardana said: "Sir, you advise and explain so much. You deliver discourses to them and sing Divine laudations. Even then why don't they understand and why do they remain as they were?" Guru Sahib replied: "O Mardana! They don't appreciate the glory o f t h e N a m e . T h e y a r e n o t i n c l i n e d t o w a r d s spirituality. Their interest is somewhere else. They do not try to understand either. They are busy in eating and drinking like animals and beasts." When Mardana persisted with his question, Guru Sahib said, "Now be quiet. You will understand when we show you practically." As they travelled farther, on the next day, Guru Sahib said, "Look Mardana! What i s that ? " He r e p l i e d : " S i r , t h e y a p p e a r t o b e r o o f t o p s o f b u i l d i n g s i n a c i t y . T h e y l o o k l i k e d o m e s constructed on the tops of the buildings." Guru Sahib said: "Again a city has come - Bishambarpur. It is called Patna; earlier it was known as Patliputra. Well, I shall sit here, while you should go to have food." Mardana started laughing and said, "Sir! Should I go to have my meals?" Guru Sahib asked: "What makes you laugh?" Mardana was Guru Sahib's c h i l d h o o d f r i e n d , wh o a lwa y s l i v e d wi t h h im. Besides, Guru Sahib never tried to overawe anybody. He was an embodiment of pure love. He was quite humorous. He never frightened anyone. He did not have an angry demeanor with raised eyebrows and wrinkles on the forehead. Guru Sahib's face was ever blooming like a flower. Whoever saw him – whether bird or animal - wished to come into his presence. Everyone felt attracted towards him. Big dacoits experienced for themselves how they were charmed as soon as they had a glimpse of him, for the like of him they had not seen before. So it was with such a Guru Nanak Sahib that Mardana could talk freely and frankly. Guru Sahib asked him: "Why did you laugh?" He replied: "Sir, you told me to go and have my food as if my friends and acquaintances were living in the city." At this Guru Sahib asked: "Then what do you do to procure food for yourself?" He replied: "True sovereign! First, I exercise great care. As a result of my living with you, I have learnt many things through experience because we have been wandering in alien places. I have learnt to read p e o p l e s ' f a c e s . F i r s t , I o b s e r v e w h e t h e r s o m e fortunate person has a cheerful countenance. Only a rare person do I come across who has a smiling face."

Does anybody have a link to their personal diary? I really want to read it!!! Here is a tribute video dedicated to sant ji. wahiguroooooooooooooooooooo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlnDPuL22xE Another great one! wahigurooooooooooooooo [mod note: polite request, please keep threads in the correct section.]

Balee ji became amritdhari and was renamed Janak singh. He would do his seva diligently and recite gurbani and do simran. Unlike others, he didn't talk needlessly about gurmat, electing to keep in guruji's bhaana instead. One day he overheard Baba Jawala singh say "one's mind can't be controlled or stabilized without focusing on the guru". (Meaning one should focus on their guru when meditating). From that day on, Janak singh started focusing on Baba Jawala singh as his gurdev. Once as he was doing this, he fell to the ground, and Baba Jawala singh came running out of his kutya and brought Janak Singh back to consciousness. As he brought him to consciousness he said "don't ever, for any reason, focus on my body". Janak singh replied back humbly, "I overheard you discussing that one can't stabilize their mind unless they take their guru's body/form into their concentration, and that is why I started doing this". At that point, Baba jawala singh harkowahal gathered all the other sevaks and singhs together and gave the following updesh: "by focusing on dhyan, and going down that route alone, one will not achieve moksh (Salvation). There are 4 types that you will get to though. They are 1)salok muktee: the form (vyagtheegat) you focus on, you can get to their realm. Ie. Shivji-shivlok, brahmaji-brahmlok 2)smeep muktee: that form that you focus on, you can get close to it, but never fully become part of it 3)saroop muktee: you will become like the form that you worship, but you won't be the form. By following these routes you are not at a stable state (atal avastha), because a time will come that no form of maya whether it be asthool (tangible, body, gun) or sooksham (astral, spiritual) will remain. All will devour. That is why Guru Gobind Singh ji's singh doesn't want any of these muktee's. These muktee's will not allow one to dissolve into akal purakh. The following question was then asked: How does one get to that point where we become one with god? Baba jawala singh ji answered: Hey pyaray gurmukho, the shabad, which is the emanation and form of guruji's heart, that shabad is brahm. Get absorbed in that shabad and you will find that you no longer exist and that is the way that you will get muktee. Guruji has used the following lines in gurbani to explain this…… 1)sabad gur peera, gaher gambeera, bin shabadai jag baugaanang. 2)Satgur bachan, bachan hai satgur paadhur mukat janavago 3)Etc etc (more bani was said to reinforce the point) It is for this reason that gurmat is focusing on god through shabad ( gurmat hai shabad brahm dee upaashna) because shabad has 3 forms according to wise mahapurakhs: 1)asthool: when your eyes gaze on a granth and you read those letters out loud 2)misrat: when one's birti (focus/attention) becomes attuned to the shabad, the shabad is both suksham and asthool because the mind is made of the (tatta da sato ansh)….the sat (virtue/true/purest) form of the qualities. 3)Sukham= sookham (astral/spiritual) When the shabad abhyaas (meditation on the shabad) surpasses the consciousness(surat) of the mind, and gets absorbed in the paar baani (the celestial emanations of the primal sound)..(this is also called, naabhi di baani (sounds of the naval chakra). That baani has the ability to take the jeev's surti (the consciousness of the being) to the pinnacle point of brahm (the point from which creation was started). For this reason, you should all focus on the shabad.

I think and also I could be wrong but satguru ji is talking about him and vahiguru having no difference in terms of nirgun form. Technically nirgun samadhi can not be defined in words as it is sachkand, it is not perceivable or conceivable. Many try to describe it but fall short as there is no form, shabad and it has no duality. From listening to sant Jagjit singh's katha he also clarifies what you asked that one will not go to hell if they call him vahiguru by not seeing his sargun body but seeing his nirgun saroop. (but the problem is to see maharaj's nirgun saroop you must be without ego yourself). Sant jagjit singh also further elaborates in the katha that krishan bhgawan, narsingh, Guru Nanak Dev ji etc are all the same in terms of them being the same nirgun form. But in terms of sargun saroop they are different. One who's dristi is only tuned in sargun will only see name, form, he, I etc. I also believe that sikhi follows an advait approach in saying that everything is vahiguru and 'you' or 'he' or 'she' was a illusion created by 'I'. In reality there was never a you but only pure nirvakalap samadi. Our aim by doing gurshabad abiyaas is to realise this.

Only five singh Ji I highly suggest that you talk to Sant Jagjit Singh Ji yourself. You will get your questions answered so well that your doubts will get removed also you will benefit from meeting such a high calibre gursikh. If you can make the effort please try to see them. Otherwise try to pm N30 S1ngh if he can ask them or try to find someone else who can ask them for you. But I remember another gursikh who told me not long ago that when he had darshan of sant Isher Singh rara sahib wale he also said that krishan bhagwan was a avtar form of vahiguru himself as well. So I think it would be wise if you talk to mahapurkhs first before you start calling krishan bhagwan a worm! Because imagine how insulting that would be to a hindu if you called their God a worm. Imagine how insulting it would be if someone called our gurus a worm! I don't think even guru Gobind singh ji ever called aurangzeb a worm; so I don't think guru sahib has that much hate for someone to call them a worm. But maybe I'm wrong so it would be great if you could find out what the meaning of those tuks really mean when interpreted correctly by mahapurakhs. If you do ever find out or if I do correctly then I would share them with you:)

N30SIngh Ji thank you for these. I just wanted to point out that the link you provided http://www.sikhawareness.com/index.php/topic/13066-discussion-with-sant-jagjit-singh-ji-harkhowale-at-trip-to-toronto-2010/ has some inactive links on it. I can't seem to open the links on your first post on that thread References- Questions and Answers thread from Last few years from year- 2007-2009 - http://www.sikhaware...?showtopic=9824 - http://www.sikhaware...showtopic=10560

1. Our Sukhsam sirar ( 2nd astral layer of body) is it jarr(void/cannot give energy on its own to itself) or chaitan (supported by atma) ? - Sant ji said, sukhsam sirar is also jarr along with panj tats/five elements, karan sirar(3rd layer of body) as well as maya. For example: All bulbs are dead without electric current, take all the layers of our body, maya as bulbs, an electric current being atma. Without atma, its all dead(jar). Sukhsam sirar is just subtle form of five elements we are made of- sky, air, fire, water, earth. And 3rd layer-Karan Sirar is even more subtle form of sukhasam sirar(2nd layer). 2. Shabad Guru talks about anand/paramanad/vismaad avastha, are they under anandmay kosh(sheat) or above than anandmay kosh? - Sant ji said, they are not part of anandmaykos, there are three types of anand- peraie, mod, parmod. a) Peeraie Anand - Peeraie anand would be for eg- Mother who just heard a news from a freind that she has seen her son, by listening to that - anand/happiness she gets thats peeraie anand. b) Mod Anand: When mother gets united with her son, that anand she gets by hugging her is mod anand. c) Parmod anand: When mother feeds her children, that anand she gets by that, thats called parmod anand. Sant ji said, all these three types of anand is also applied to spirituality for eg: - When we hear(sunan) har ki katha (katha of vahiguroo) we get peeraie anand. - When we apply(mannan) spiritual discourses to our lives we get mod anand. - When we act upon/contemplate(nidasan) on spiritual discourses that anand avastha is parmod avastha. Now above all three types of anand, state is called vismaad avastha, which cannot be explained or described, people call it by different names wonderful, sauban, vah vah. All the mantars means the same may sound differntly: some orders of christianity say it wonderful, some orders in jaudism its jewoh, for muslims its suban, for hindu its ascharj, our sikhs have- vahiguroo. There are two types of names of Vahiguroo- Kirtam naam - derived from attributes of God Akirtam Naam: Its one meaning that shared by all. All five koshas directly belongs to three layers of body- anmaykosh relates to physical body(made of 5 elements), pranmaykosh, manmaykos, vigyankosh belongs to subtle body(sukhsam sirar(made of 17 elements) and finally anandmay kosh belongs to karan sirar (made of illusion). All koshas exist in agyan avastha, in gyan avastha there is only one and one atma which is above all- 5 elements/5 senses/5 karam indraes/5 prans/5 koshas/man/chit/budh. 3. When we do dhyaan of atma, we get atam anand, does that also comes under anandmay kos? - Sant ji said, When we do shabad abhyaas, our mind gets directly attached to atma. Anandmay kosh which is through sukhopati avastha that is also supported by atma, however one is direct and ever lasting and other is indirect and depends on the change. for eg- In anandmay kosh which is through sukhopati avastha, son gets anand seeing her mother, hugging her mother, being fed by his mother but when mother dies, where is the anand? There is no change in atam anand, its one ras(without change) as compare to anand in sukhopati avastha which we see anand coming from materialstic things, human being which are not permanent. 4. Whats the best technique to take birthi(dhyaan) above from all the senses and koshas(sheats) into realm of atma? is it sitting in one place doing shabad abhyas along with nirgun upasana for hrs or with help of bibek buddhi start doing vichar on atma that atma is everywhere, all around us, in each of us while eating, sleeping, walking, talking? - Sant ji said, when birthi(dhyaan/concentration) is vulnerable to thoughts coming in and out as as result mind wandering in all directions then its recommended to sit in asan and do abhyaas along with nirgun upasana. When birthi (dhyaan) becomes solid/merges in atma then there is no need to sit in meditaiton, one can do vahiguroo dhyaan, nirgun upasana while by sitting, walking, talking, working. However, you see sant mahatamas who are in bhramgyan stage sitting down in samadhi, there is no need for them to sit and do dhyaan of vahiguroo they can fully do it while eating, sleeping, walking, talking. The reason they still sit in samadhi despite of their attainment of highest state so that their students doesnt go astray by copying their style. 5. When jaigaso dies who have all his/her life did prema bhakti, shabad abhyaas. However still couldnt quite get to jevan mukht avasta. At the moment of death, he/she passes away reciting shabad or simran. What will be his/her status after death? would he/she get vedah mukht avastha which is total merge with vahiguroo, not coming back to this world ? - Sant ji said, without jevan mukht, vedah mukht is not possible. Without bhramgyan, vedah mukht(total merge with vahiguroo) its not possible. If jaiagaso dies without reaching its desintation, jaiagaso will take birth in gurmukh family and continue its journey from the point, jaigaso left off. Sant ji said, even yogbrist (person who was in spirituality once but went astray) get a chance from vahiguroo to resume where he/she left off. ** Below questions are one of premis on sikhsangat.com 6. In Kalyug, can Sachkhand be attained without Khande Batte Da Amrit ? - Sant ji said, whoever did naam di kaamie from any bhek will attain sackhand. There are many ways to meet Vahiguroo, whosoever did naam kaamie after receiving spiritual discourses from saints will get to sachkhand. However, there is only condition, sant/mahapursh should be pooran gyanvan/bhramgyani. He/she could be from any matt, jatt/patt. 7. Did the devi/devtae (Krishan Bhagwan etc) attain Sachkhand, if so how, because in Bachitar Natak Guru Ji states they all got lost in maya and that why Guru Ji had to come? - Sant ji said, krishan maharaj is also avtar of vahiguroo, he is always in sachkhand. Wherever he steps, that place becomes sachkhand. 8. Are the bhatts/bhagats who have their writings in Guru granth Sahib Ji, actually the Devi/Devtae reborn and attained SachKhand through Guru Ji? - Sant ji said, guru maharaj took gurbani from bhagats who were mukht(liberated). They were mukht before sri guru nanak dev ji came in physical form. Vahiguroo is only one, vahiguroo is the one takes avtar from ages to ages. Some people call him narsingh, raam, krishan, sri guru nanak dev ji etc there all one. To see any distination or have any partiality is work of agyani pursh(ignorant ones) not aim or work of gyanvan bhramgyanis. **Below question to sant ji asked by one of premis on sikhawarneess.com 9. When vaikhiya of shabad surat dhun chela was done, you advised that surat in this shabad context came from sorotar akhar(word) when we recite japji sahib there is tuk- Manaie Surat hovaie mann buddh. In that tuk, guru maharaj is talkin about surati or soratar? - Sant ji said, whatever we hear thats surat gyan, in which medium you are hearing, eg- ears thats sarotar. When we hear, whatever we heard goes inside that becomes birthi. If you listen to bad lyrics, bad songs, materialstic stuff, birthi will also becomes materialstic, when we hear katha of vahiguroo, birthi will also become shud, will be attracted towards vahiguroo bhajan/bandagi.

Kabir discarded weaving and carding thread and became an ocean of merit. He became absorbed in the love of the lotus feet of God, whom he never forgets or puts out of his mind. Just as a fish cannot live without water, similarly, God's Name became an integral part of his life, his very 'life force' - 'A weaver of low family, he became an ocean of excellences.' That was not all, even those who kept his company or attended his congregations were transformed. One day, Kabir had gone out of home. A sufferer - some Raja (king or ruler), whose entire body was afflicted with leprosy and was giving out foul smell, came to his house. The Raja stood at his door and begged alms, and what alms did he beg? That which the saints have and can bestow. He said: "I want to see Kabir Sahib." Kabir Sahib's wife Loi came out and said: "He is out of home." The Raja said: "I am in great pain. I have come from afar. I am afflicted with leprosy. I cannot bear this pain. Kindly tell me where I can find Kabir Sahib." Kabir Sahib's wife said: "He is at a far off place. But since you are suffering, let me give you some medicine." He said: "Mother, I have already tried various cures and medicines. If I were to be cured with medicines, I would not have come to this door. Medicines have failed to cure me. No medicine is proving to be efficacious." She said: "I shall give you the medicine which saints or holy men have." Just as with 'amritdhara' (a herbal medicine) 32 ailments can be cured, similarly, with the saints and holy men, there is only one medicine for all ailments and that is God's Name: Refrain : For all your ailments, my dear, There is but one medicine - 'Waheguru's (God's) Name. XkoBk - s/o/ ;kfonK d[yK dh dko{, fJe' Bkw tkfjr[o{ dk w/ o/ fgnko/, fJe' Bkw tkfjr[o{ dk She said: "O king, get ready. Faith is the vessel for the medicine which the saints have. Do you have faith?" He replied: "Good woman, I have come here only with faith." So mother Loi said, "O king, one should have faith in one's heart. Then the medicine proves to be 100 percent effective. But the vessel, the capsule for the medicine should be of faith, because this medicine is going to be absorbed in your heart, and the moment it is absorbed, you will be cured." 'Pain comes not near him, within whose mind the Transcendent Lord abides. He is affected not by hunger and thirst and Death's minister comes not near him.' fi;[ wfB t;? gkopqjw fBefN B nkt? gho.. G[y fsy fs;[ B ftnkgJh iw[ Bjh nkt? Bho.. P. 1102 The Raja (king) said, "I certainly have faith." At this Mother Loi said, "Then the only medicine is God's Name." In this context, the Guru's edict is: 'I have abandoned all other efforts and have taken the medicine of the Name alone. The fever, sin and all the evils have been eradicated and my soul has been rendered cool.' My mind has become cool. I have been cured of all the three fevers and all the sins have been effaced. Mother Loi said: "Now I shall give you the medicine. Sit there." She herself also sat there, concentrating her mind, she was fully roused and inspired. The glow in her eyes was difficult to bear. She said: "Utter 'Ram'". She made the king utter the word 'Ram'. As soon as he uttered 'Ram', he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. She again made him utter the word 'Ram'. His pain and suffering was gone. She made him utter the word 'Ram' for the third time. Then she said to him: "Go now, bath yourself and continue reciting the word 'Ram', and sent him away. The king took bath. He was delighted and danced joyfully. His close companions, who were quite well-informed, said to him: "How did you get well?" He replied: "The holy man gave me medicine." They asked: "Do holy men have some panacea?" The king said, "It is not a panacea; it has another name." Refrain: 'The holy men have given me the medicine of Name.' XkoBk - fdsh ;kX{nK B/, w?B{z Bkw dh dtkJh The saint has given me the medicine of God's Name.'

The Four Stages of Meditation 1. First, you must set yourself to meditate. It’s a good idea is to do some pranayama (breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing) and yoga exercises first to get your body stretched out, relaxed and energized so that your body doesn’t distract you during your meditation, plus, the energy that is stimulated by the yoga will help you meditate much better. All the energy in the central nervous system moves through the spinal cord, so you have to sit with a straight spine – all the vertebrae lined up without tension, but straight. Shoulders relaxed. That way you will not get sleepy, and will have a much more powerful experience. Meditation can be done with eyes closed and gazing at the third eye point (ajna) right in between the eyebrows, or with the eyes 9/10 closed but very slightly open ("sleepy eyes") gazing at the tip of the nose. The fixed gaze stimulates the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland and brings the brain into the alpha rhythm (relaxed but alert state) to allow yourself to let go and become absorbed into concentration. You can even meditate with your eyes open, staring at a single point such as a candle or a mandala. This is called yantra meditation. But we are going to discuss mantra meditation here, and that is much more easily done with eyes fully closed or 9/10 closed. 2. Second, you fix your attention on the mantra and the breath. This is called "Dharana." Meditation must begin with a focal point. That does not mean that you "stop thinking." No, it means that you begin focusing on the mantra and just let your thoughts happen. The mind will produce thousands of thoughts every second. That’s what it does! You can’t stop it. But you can use the mantra as a filter to clean the mind and the breath to gain control over it. 3. Third, you allow yourself to concentrate, "Dhyana." You must relax, let go and allow yourself to be drawn into the sound of the mantra and the rhythm of the breath. How? By listening deeply. This is what Guru Nanak Dev Ji means by "Suniai" in Japji Sahib. Suniai means deep listening. You must listen to the sound of your own voice as if it were a sound coming from outside yourself. Pay attention. Really hear the sound you are making. Listen deeply. Let your thoughts come and let your thoughts go. Watch them as they arise and fall away. Do not follow a thought. Observe it. As you begin this process, your ego will try to distract you: "My leg is falling asleep." "My nose is itching – should I scratch it, or just sit still?" "Did I remember to lock the door?" "Oh, I forgot to call veer ji!" etc. etc. This is where many people fail. People just give up too soon and say, "Well I can’t get into it. I’m not any good at meditating." Just let the thoughts come and then let them go. Although you cannot stop thinking, you can observe your own mind at work instead of letting it get you. Don’t let your thoughts ‘grab’ you. If you find yourself following a thought and forgetting the mantra, just let the sound bring your concentration back to the sound. If you keep going, you will get through this stage of distraction and enter a deeper stage of absorption. It is like magnets. Have you played with magnets? As they get closer you feel the pull and then they pull harder until they finally come together. Let the mantra pull you in. Go deeper… relax and let go. Allow yourself to be absorbed in the sound-current. Remember, the mind makes a wonderful servant, but a lousy master. Master your own mind. The tragedy of life is when the subconscious mind releases garbage into the conscious mind and you allow yourself to indulge in it. Keep going and clean out the garbage. 4. Lastly comes the stage of "Samadhi." In this stage of meditation you lose all track of time and space and become completely absorbed in your meditation. The breath becomes naturally very slow and deep and the thoughts of the mind fall away into the "background" while the mantra seems to go on all by itself, enchantingly beautiful. Vaheguru! Remember, if you do not have mental garbage come up while you are meditating, then you are doing it wrong. When you meditate, you will see your own dirt. You will see it very clearly, but the mantra will filter it and clean it for you. It is a gradual process. That’s why we must meditate every day. We are exposed to negativity, perversity, corruption and other people’s garbage every day and the garbage in our own subconscious mind builds up. So, first we need to clean out the past accumulated garbage, which takes a concerted effort, and then we need to meditate daily to keep the mind clean on an ongoing basis. You brush your teeth, wash your body and comb your hairs every day, right? You like to look neat and clean. So why not take care of your inside as well as you do of your outside? It is useless to look good on the outside and have a mind full of garbage which you then proceed to dump on others. Ugh! So how do people survive in a world full of negativity perversity, corruption and other people’s garbage, well, it’s eithermedicate or meditate! Some people try to get by by escaping from the garbage with drugs or alcohol. But then it is very temporary and the garbage is still there and keeps accumulating. So learn to meditate, clean out the rubbish and let your mind be your servant and not your master. Getting Started & Making a Commitment Okay, now that you have an overview of what meditation is and how to do it, the real work begins! You can read all you want but you will only benefit and experience this for yourself if you actually discipline yourself to DO IT! It can take time and practice so be patient with yourself and keep up! Just as you have to learn and practice playing a musical instrument, so you have to do the same with meditation. It might be difficult when you first start but as you practice you’ll get better and better and experience the benefits. Take some time to meditate every day. Even if you start with a short meditation and then gradually lengthen the time, the important thing is to be regular in your practice. When to Meditate You can meditate any time, however the most effective time is to get up early in the morning and use that special quiet time. The Amrit Vela ("Nectar Time") in the early morning hours is called that for a reason. Once the sun comes up, there are many more distractions and it can be very difficult to meditate. These early morning hours from 2.5 hours before the sun rises are when it is most quiet and you will be able to meditate and connect with your soul most effectively. When you first wake up you will probably feel sleepy. Don’t grab a chai or coffee. Instead I highly recommend that you take a cold shower and massage your whole body. Not only is this extremely healthy and will also keep you from being sick, but it will give you lots of energy, wake you up and make you feel great! Practice Makes Perfect You will see and feel many benefits from meditating when you practice on a regular basis, much more so than if you just do it from time to time. For meditation to be most effective you should work on creating a daily practice. I would suggest that you make a commitment to yourself to do a particular meditation for a set period of time. You could even get a few friends and family to commit with you so that you can be a support to each other and share your experiences. 40 days is a good minimum time to commit to. 40 days is required to change or make a habit. 90 days days is required to confirm a the new habit. 120 days days is required to make the new habit your identity. 1,000 days days is required to master the new habit. Simple Meditations To Start Your Practice There are many meditations and ways to meditate. There is no ONE way. However, for the sake of a starting point, Here are some meditations that I have done and you can use as well. Simple Meditation To Calm & Balance – In this video Guruka Singh summarizes the steps in waking up and getting ready for your morning "Sadhana" (daily discipline). He then explains how the breath (breathing) effects your mind and body. The video ends with him showing a simple breath meditation that will relax and calm your mind. Waheguru Simran: Audio Picks for Meditation – This is a list of "waheguru" audio tracks which you can listen to and download and use in meditation. Find one that you like (follow the instructions at the top of this page) and then sing out load with the audio. Kirtan Kriya (sa-ta-na-ma meditation) – The Kirtan Kriya meditation is one of the first meditations that I ever learned and is great for breaking habit patterns, emotional balance and just overall calmness and clarity. Yogi Bhajan used to say that if you had to chose just one meditation, to do this one. Long Ek Ong Kaar Meditation – In the town of Goindwal in Panjab, India, even today this Divine Mantra is still inscribed on the walls of the Bowli Sahib (sacred well) at the house of Guru Amar Das. By chanting — over and over — the rhythmic sequence of these eight sound-beats, (EK ONG KAR SAT NAM SIRI WAHE GURU) the mind is entrained with this 8 beats = infinity connection. There is a layering effect over the time that one chants this mantra, and eventually the big wheel of GOD runs the little wheel of self — appearing in our life as — THY will is MY will. Chant this mantra to focus, structure, discipline and empower the mind. Shabad Kriya Meditation – This meditation is great to practice before going to bed and will help you sleep deeply and be relaxed. Also great to help recover from fatigue caused by normal daily stress, travel and even jet lag. Other Meditations You Can Practice Sahej Sukh Dhyaan Meditation – This is a video with Guruka Singh talking about what meditation is and then walking you through the practice of this meditation. It will give you a very calm mind and the ability to listen deeply and understand the root of any situation. Sodarshan Chakra Kriya Meditation – Here is a powerful meditation described in Siri Guru Granth Sahib on page 1106 by Bhagat Jai Dev ji Meditation to Deal with Stress - In this video Gurucharan Singh talks about the effects of stress on our mind and body and gives a Kundalini Yoga exercise and meditation to help you deal with this stress. Seven-Wave Sat Nam Meditation – This meditation works to clear the mind of painful thought patterns much as the ocean waves wash the shore. Vibrating the sound of Sat Nam in seven waves will lift your energy, clear your mind and open you to a renewed experience of life. Man Jeetai Jagjeet – Conquer Your Mind & Conquer the World - Video class about the mind and a guided meditation that you can do while the video is playing. Meditation for Guidance – At times when the path of truth and clarity seems lost, calm yourself and still your mind, then the path will come to you. To live life according to the guidance of the inner truth is essential. If you do not, you will have doubts. If doubts are not removed, then frustration comes in. Frustration, when not released, leads to anger. Anger then leads to destructive action either to the self, others, or both. To stop this vicious cycle, create the habit to still the mind and ask questions of your own higher consciousness. This meditation can develop that capacity and strengthen your mental direction. Meditation to Hear the Inner Voice – With regular practice of this kriya, you will start hearing the inner voice, knowing exactly what is being said inside. Related Topics for More Reading Sadhana and the Soul – Learn about the term "Sadhana" and working on a daily discipline to connect with your soul. Simran – Remembering… - Most of us, when we think of Nam Simran think of "repeating God’s Name" out loud, either musically, or simply verbally we think…. "Sat Nam, Sat Nam, Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru…" but actually, that is Japa, not Simran. Sadhana – Aradhana – Prabhupati – Video about setting a daily routine and rhythm in your life and the effects of doing so. Changing the way that you look at your daily Sadhana (Daily Discipline), Creating prosperity in your life. Past Tense – Questions and answers about meditation and leaving the past behind.