What Is Naam?

[tojfauj]

theerathh naavan jaao theerathh naam hai ||

Why should I bathe at sacred shrines of pilgrimage? The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is the sacred shrine of pilgrimage.

qIrQu sbd bIcwru AMqir igAwnu hY ]

theerathh sabadh beechaar a(n)thar giaan hai ||

My sacred shrine of pilgrimage is spiritual wisdom within, and contemplation on the Word of the Shabad.

[sher_panjabi]

What is ‘Naam’?

A great stress is given on NAAM SIMRAN (remembrance of Naam) in Sikhi. 'NAAM' refers to the ‘DIVINE-NAME’ revealed by GURU NANAK SAHIB JEE. Naam is also the ‘DIVINE PRESENCE’ everywhere, supporting all things at all times – in today’s language we could say the ENERGY STRUCTURE or POWER of the whole Universe. Essentially it is the presence of Waheguru, which is inside us, and supporting absolutely everything, which is MANIFESTED in the DIVINE-NAME (Gur Mantar) given by the GURU to the seeker.

Naam is something to JAP (chant), REFLECT and CONTEMPLATE through which Naam becomes WOVEN in the heart of the devotee, and Waheguru becomes IMPRINTED on the heart of the devotee. There is nothing in this world, which equals the value of the Divine-Name. The Lord and His Name are IDENTICAL. They are ONE.

'NAAM JAPNAA' (meditating on Naam) is the only way to attain UNITY with God. Guru Nanak Sahib Jee established God’s GOLDEN RULES for leading a PURE and PIOUS life. He preached the concepts by practically enforcing them in his life first.

A Sikh is required to lead a VIRTUOUS, pure and pious life. Always REMEMBERING and REPEATING the Divine-Name with full concentration, BREATH by BREATH, can attain this VIRTUE. Naam will AWAKEN the CONSCIOUSNESS, and create LOVE and AFFECTION for all those who are created by God. It is strongly believed that a pious person would be compassionate and contended. He will aspire to serve the needy. He will have NO enmity with anyone, as he knows that God lives in every human being. To serve His CREATION is to serve God and REMEMBER Him DAY and NIGHT. The individual can merge with God by LIVING in Him, by DYING in Him, SINGING his Divine Praises, and LOVING Him.

Bhul Chuk Maaf

Also check out:

http://manvirsingh.blogspot.com/2006/11/wh...sikhi-week.html

[Guest Dancing Warrior]

A one part process or tool for the purpose of “self” awareness in the form of Baghti. Gifted from the Guru for the benefit of the user an aid to realisation and not for the confirmation of acceptance in order to hail a higher power or being. A way and means of recognising and detaching from the physical and its limitations to a sense of awareness of the ultimate unlimited. Whilst separation from the limited is desired it is not at the aim of rejection of the true reality, if any thing an attempt to merge with the realistic vibrating environment. If done incorrectly and without guidance of Guru Ji can lead to hallucinations a most dangerous situation.

But then I could be totally wrong!

[Deepuji]

Gurbani talks about "Naam" in two ways. One is just like you name a person and you call him by that name. The same way, people named GOD with diffferent names (like God, Allah, Ram, Gobind, Waheguru etc.). The second one is the "Divine Word", which is also called naam (Shabad, Sacha Shabad, Anhad Shabad etc.) in the Gurbani and Gurbani frequently talks about it. This 'Namm' was created by the God. Gurbani says" Tis roop na rekh anahd vaje Shabad nirajan kia". First God created the 'Naam', then he created everything else by 'Naam'. Gurbani says "Aapine aap sajaeo, aapine rachio Nao (Naam)", means God created himself and he created 'Naam'. The 'Naam' is present everywhere and also inside our body, and it is hidden in the Dasam Duar (Tenth gate). The purpose of our life is to find the 'Naam' from our inside. The 'Naam' is food of our mind. Gurbani says " Man ka tosa (food) hari naam hai". When our mind is in 'Maya', we can not listen the 'Naam' (Shabad). Gurbani says when your mind is in 'Maya' you cannot listen the Shabad, Naam then you are deaf. Gurbani says " Mayadhari aat anna bolla (deaf), Shabad na sunaee bahu roll ghachola". If you cannot listen the 'Naam', Start doing Gurmantra (Wahegur).

[PAL 07]

TANU KAUR IS RIGHT,

IN AMRIT SAVAYE (AKAL USTAT) MAHRAAJ SAYS, " WHATS THE POINT OF MEDITITATING LIKE A CRANE, HEAR THIS THE TRUTH, HE WHO LOVES GOD AND REPEATS HIS NAME WITH LOVE OBTAINS GOD "

[OhTwadi]

one can't just jap naam, naam has to lived....

people who just jap naam are something like this: sit in guru sahib's hajoori for 3+ hours, listen to bani/simran, once diwan is samapat, go downstairs and totally forget about what happened in last 3 hours, then its ok to flirt, do chugli nindya of others, slander others, make other's feel bad, i could go on for years .....

people who live naam, i dont think anyone can say anything about them

having said that, without guru's grace we can never live naam and to get guru's grace, one has to do simran/seva. but above all, one has to have characteristics that guru sahib talks about in bani...

[randip singh]

when baani talks about naam, what does it mean?? what is naam?? help

Naam is Truth....as someone has pointed rightly out it is not something someone whispers to you....it is self realisation....Naam is the way of becoming God realised or a Gurmukh........

Guru Nanak says "Higher than Truth is truthful living"

In other waords Naam is not about reciting truth or the word of waheguru, but living it on a daily basis.....

[Bhai Sahib]

GurFateh

I'm going to try to explain this as best I can, but since I don't have the budh to grasp it properly myself, forgive me if I make no sense.

Reciting God's name like a parrot doesn't do jack.

It's simple. You can sit here for 5 million years and say Vaheguru over and over, and you'll be in the same place as you started.

What's in a name? For example, what do you think of when you hear or say the name George Bush? You think Texan, <banned word filter activated>, war, weirdo, etc. Its not just a face that pops into your head; it's all the characteristics of that entity. The more you repeat a name, the more you start to think about all the things connected to it.

Think about it. Along with Vaheguru's name, is every attribute connected to Vaheguru. When you're doing Naam Japna, yo'ure not doing it just to say it. You're trying to think of all the beautiful things related to Vaheguru. When you recite Vaheguru, you're thinking nirbhau, nirvair, ajuni, achraj, mahaan, I could go on forever.

So it's not really Naam Japna. It's Naam Kamaana. You're earning the name, because when you jap naam frequently, start making it a habit, you'll start thinking of these attributes more and more, and soon you'll start applying it to your life.

You'll become the Name. A living message of the Divine.

Don't just Jap; live.

That's my understanding, anyway. Sorry if I just babbled nonsense.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Well done Tanu Kaur you've hit the mark. That is spot on. :TH:

[Mr T]

gurfateh penjis/pajjis naam is beyond words as some of you knowledgeable ppl said its sumtin you have 2 live which is HARD lol naam jap has is the utmost importance without it life doesnt really exist we are put on this earth to do guru jis ustat and that is through naam jap. bhul chuk maaf karo grufateh dass

[harsharan000]

Satgur Nanak, right from the begining of Jap Ji Sahib,  beautifully tells us:

Ik Oankar  : There is only one Creator Lord

Sat : And that  Oankar is Sat, which means Truth. But this Truth, is not like we know here in this world. 

Guru Sahiban, refers to that one creator Oankar, as Sat or Truth, for it is changeless, permanent and eternal, in that sense is called Sat or Sach.

Nam: then with this term or shabad, Guru Sahiban, says that, that Truth is Nam, or say it Sat-Nam, it is the same thing. But Guru Jee, what is telling us, is that, that Oankar, that eternal Truth, is Nam.

Nam is not a name, as many could translate it, but if refers to that ultimate supreme changeless truth or creative power, which is Nam.

Referring to this statement above, the Bani says:

Ekas bin sabh dandh hae.  Apart from this One(Nam), everything else is false.

 

Sree Guru Amar Das Maharaj, tells us:

ਨਾਮੈ ਹੀ ਤੇ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੋਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਪੈ ॥

Naamai Hee Thae Sabh Kishh Hoaa    Bin Sathigur Naam N Jaapai ||

Everything comes from the Naam, the Name of the Lord; without the True Guru, the Naam is not experienced.

As we see here, He is saying everything comes or is created from the Nam.

This creator power or Nam, is also refferred in the Bani as : Sachee Bani, Amrit Bani, Shabad, Dhun,  Anhad Shabad, Gurbani, Akath Katha, Hukum, Bhana, Sach...

Thus it is impossible to sing adecuately the mahima  of this  limitless Nam or Shabad, with our limited  mind and speech, nay, even toughts fail totally.

Stay blessed.

Sat Sree Akal.