Why Praise God?

[Guest Confused]

I'm having a recent confidence in faith at the moment. Wierd for me as I was so firm in my beliefs before.

Why do we have to praise God? I know he is everywhere and everything and is us aswell, that we experience God within ourselves- I know its not a God sitting in the clouds.

But why do we have to praise God, to become one with him? Why would waheguru need us to pray to 'him', to say he is great etc, for us to become one. Why isn't being a good person enough.

[Singhstah]

VahegurooJiKaKhalsaVahegurooJiKiFateh!!

He doesn't need us to praise him at all

ਜੇ ਸਭਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਆਖਣ ਪਾਹਿ ॥

Je sabẖ mil kai ākẖaṇ pāhi.

Even if everyone were to gather together and speak of Him,

ਵਡਾ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਘਾਟਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥

vadā na hovai gẖāt na jā▫e. ||2||

He would not become any greater or any lesser. ||2||

Now Sikhi is not about being 'forced' to praise some unknown being, sikhi is about falling in love with that ever present friend. The real question is, WHY NOT praise him? Vaheguroo is the ONLY one, who if you praise, does not effect him in any way, yet TRANSFORMS US to the core. Vaheguroo Sahib is so great that let alone meeting him, let alone seeing him, just speaking of him takes our mind and soul to the greatest heights imaginable.

ਤਿਸੁ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕੀ ਟੇਕ ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੈ ਮਾਹਿ ॥

Ŧis sāhib kī tek Nānak manai māhi.

In his mind, Nanak has the mainstay of the Lord,

ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ਸਗਲੇ ਦੂਖ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨॥

Jis simraṯ sukẖ ho▫e sagle ḏūkẖ jāhi. ||2||

by remembering whom, peace is obtained and all the troubles vanish.

We speak of 'being good', but how can we be good without oneness with all that is good? If we don't know Vaheguroo (through the only way possible, naam simran), how can we even know good?

As we praise Vaheguroo and remember him with every breath, when he because the centre of our universe, the idea is we will forget our SELF, to the point where its not me anymore, just you (Vaheguroo). you, you, you, tuhee tuhee tuhee.

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥ ਛਾਤੀ ਸੀਤਲ ਮਨੁ ਸੁਖੀ ਛੰਤ ਗੋਬਿਦ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ॥ ਐਸੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਦਸਾਇ ॥੧॥

Salok. Cẖẖāṯī sīṯal man sukẖī cẖẖanṯ gobiḏ gun gā▫e. Aisī kirpā karahu parabẖ Nānak ḏās ḏasā▫e. ||1||

Shalok: The heart is cooled and soothed, and the mind is at peace, chanting and singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe. Show such Mercy, O God, that Nanak may become the slave of Your slaves. ||1||

(None of the above is practiced by myself).

Please do ardas and take a hukamnama. I request true gursikhs to give better replies.

bhull chukk maffee for all I have said.

VahegurooJiKaKhalsaVahegurooJiKiFateh!

[AmarjitKaur]

I'm having a recent confidence in faith at the moment. Wierd for me as I was so firm in my beliefs before.

Why do we have to praise God? I know he is everywhere and everything and is us aswell, that we experience God within ourselves- I know its not a God sitting in the clouds.

But why do we have to praise God, to become one with him? Why would waheguru need us to pray to 'him', to say he is great etc, for us to become one. Why isn't being a good person enough.

my 2 cents.

We should (not have to) praise god for our own good. Praising God makes us find our innerself. The connection between me and I. Who are we, why are we here?

If you don't praise GOD, what else would u do? Praise others (feeding their ego) or praise ourselves (feeding our own ego). or just stay busy in eatin, sleeping and working. Praise of the god is like giving bath to our innerself, our soul. As we need to wash our clothes and our bodies to stay away from germs and getting sick. Similarly, we need to wash our minds with singing praises of the lord. Thats the only way. Otherwise, we do get mentally sick sooner or later.

ਭਰੀਐ ॥

When the hands and the feet and the body are dirty,

ਪਾਣੀ ॥

water can wash away the dirt.

ਮੂਤ ॥

When the clothes are soiled and stained by urine,

ਦੇ ॥

soap can wash them clean.

ਭਰੀਐ ॥

But when the intellect is stained and polluted by sin,

ਓਹੁ ॥

it can only be cleansed by the Love of the Name.

After working, earning, building mansions, filling up banks, buying tons of properties, at the end we find out that what have we done. Did we ever find peace and real happiness? Were we ever content? satisfied? did we ever spend a moment in bliss?? If we analyze carefully, then we will find out that NO, we didn't.

But then try doing all above building mansions etc. etc. while keeping GOD in mind. you will find the peace, bliss, contentment, satisfaction, happiness.

Thats all the difference. And things still happen, our life still goes on. One is without faith, one is with faith. As they say, quality is what matter, not quantity. With doing praises of God, you will see the quality of life has improved a lot.

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥

Shalok:

ਫਿਰਤ ॥

After wandering and wandering, O God, I have come, and entered Your Sanctuary.

ਨਾਨਕ ॥੧॥

This is Nanak's prayer, O God: please, attach me to Your devotional service. ||1||

ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ॥

Ashtapadee:

ਜਾਚਕ ॥

I am a beggar; I beg for this gift from You:

ਕਰਿ ॥

please, by Your Mercy, Lord, give me Your Name.

ਸਾਧ ॥

I ask for the dust of the feet of the Holy.

ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

O Supreme Lord God, please fulfill my yearning;

ਸਦਾ ॥

may I sing the Glorious Praises of God forever and ever.

ਸਾਸਿ ॥

With each and every breath, may I meditate on You, O God.

ਚਰਨ ॥

May I enshrine affection for Your Lotus Feet.

ਭਗਤਿ ॥

May I perform devotional worship to God each and every day.

ਏਕ ॥

You are my only Shelter, my only Support.

ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਾਗੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਾਰੁ ॥੧॥

Nanak asks for the most sublime, the Naam, the Name of God. ||1||

[jassa]

to fall in love with him ...

[Bundha]

I like the replies already made and they explain very well.

If you look at it in a slightly different way you could say that Akaal Purkh is our Mata and Pita. Just like we as children adore our parents and look up to them and love them. When we are very small our whole universe is our parents we cannot do without them we love them totally and they love us back. Now Akaal Purkh is out matta pita but He is so huge, in every sense of the word, that we cannot comprehend him totally. He is the nurisher, the cherisher, our saviour, our support our everything, then why wouldn't we praise Him.

He is 'achinnt' and He is 'bay-parvah', He does not need us at all yet He still looks after us. Just think of the millions who openly deny His exsistance, yet He still looks after them and cherishes them and provides for them. We are his little children and the only reason we suffer is because we forget Him, so for our own good we need to get close to Him and love Him like we love our parents (who really aren't our parents as we have had uncountable parents like these in previous lives), for without Him there is nothing.

[Mindless]

I used to ask the same question.

I think its more the word 'meditate' or 'appreciation' rather then praise, which can sometimes be a little misleading. Its meditating on the nature of God, the fact that God is EVERYTHING, the pencil, the paper, the leaves, the pineapple,- sab gobind hai sab gobind hai, gobind bin nehee koi, - (everything is maharaj, everything is maharaj, there is nothing that is not) and aiming for that goal, to merge into that one-ness too, to rid of any concept of yourself.

If we dont meditate on that essential nature, then we'll never really be able to reach that frame of mind. Thats why Maharaj has so beautifully gifted us with Gurbani, literally its themself in written form, to be listenened to, understood, accepted and eventually lived.

Maharaj says: anal agam jaisae lehar mai oudhadh jal keaval jal maahee

The wind may rise huge waves in the vast ocan, but they are just water and water

In this case, our sence of self, our ego can be compared to the wind, which gives us that false sence of identity and duality. e.g My names so and so, I have this and so, I am a seperate entity.

Those beautiful souls, who have given their heads completely, Maharaj says in Rehraas Sahib, 'Har harjan duo eek hai bib bichaar kach nahe'- Maharaj and their devotee/slave are one, there is no differnce between them.

Major apologies for any misquotes or anything really, translations never do justice, may Maharaj do soo much kirpa that we may understand and experience Gurbani firsthand

[Guest --Gupt--]

VahegurooJiKaKhalsaVahegurooJiKiFateh!!

He doesn't need us to praise him at all

ਜੇ ਸਭਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਆਖਣ ਪਾਹਿ ॥

Je sabẖ mil kai ākẖaṇ pāhi.

Even if everyone were to gather together and speak of Him,

ਵਡਾ ਨ ਹੋਵੈ ਘਾਟਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥

vadā na hovai gẖāt na jā▫e. ||2||

He would not become any greater or any lesser. ||2||

Now Sikhi is not about being 'forced' to praise some unknown being, sikhi is about falling in love with that ever present friend. The real question is, WHY NOT praise him? Vaheguroo is the ONLY one, who if you praise, does not effect him in any way, yet TRANSFORMS US to the core. Vaheguroo Sahib is so great that let alone meeting him, let alone seeing him, just speaking of him takes our mind and soul to the greatest heights imaginable.

ਤਿਸੁ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕੀ ਟੇਕ ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੈ ਮਾਹਿ ॥

Ŧis sāhib kī tek Nānak manai māhi.

In his mind, Nanak has the mainstay of the Lord,

ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ਸਗਲੇ ਦੂਖ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨॥

Jis simraṯ sukẖ ho▫e sagle ḏūkẖ jāhi. ||2||

by remembering whom, peace is obtained and all the troubles vanish.

We speak of 'being good', but how can we be good without oneness with all that is good? If we don't know Vaheguroo (through the only way possible, naam simran), how can we even know good?

As we praise Vaheguroo and remember him with every breath, when he because the centre of our universe, the idea is we will forget our SELF, to the point where its not me anymore, just you (Vaheguroo). you, you, you, tuhee tuhee tuhee.

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥ ਛਾਤੀ ਸੀਤਲ ਮਨੁ ਸੁਖੀ ਛੰਤ ਗੋਬਿਦ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ॥ ਐਸੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਦਸਾਇ ॥੧॥

Salok. Cẖẖāṯī sīṯal man sukẖī cẖẖanṯ gobiḏ gun gā▫e. Aisī kirpā karahu parabẖ Nānak ḏās ḏasā▫e. ||1||

Shalok: The heart is cooled and soothed, and the mind is at peace, chanting and singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe. Show such Mercy, O God, that Nanak may become the slave of Your slaves. ||1||

(None of the above is practiced by myself).

Please do ardas and take a hukamnama. I request true gursikhs to give better replies.

bhull chukk maffee for all I have said.

VahegurooJiKaKhalsaVahegurooJiKiFateh!

Guru fateh!

You explained it very well.

[AmarjitKaur]

Came across this shabad, seemed relavant for this topic, so thought I should share

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੪ ॥

Shalok, Fourth Mehl:

ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਹੋਰੁ ਸਲਾਹਣਾ ਸਭੁ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਫਿਕਾ ਸਾਦੁ ॥

Without the Name, all other praise and speech is insipid and tasteless.

ਮਨਮੁਖ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ਸਲਾਹਦੇ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਮਤਾ ਵਾਦੁ ॥

The self-willed manmukhs praise their own egos; their attachment to egotism is useless.

ਜਿਨ ਸਾਲਾਹਨਿ ਸੇ ਮਰਹਿ ਖਪਿ ਜਾਵੈ ਸਭੁ ਅਪਵਾਦੁ ॥

Those whom they praise, die; they all waste away in conflict.

ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਉਬਰੇ ਜਪਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਪਰਮਾਨਾਦੁ ॥੧॥

O servant Nanak, the Gurmukhs are saved, chanting the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, the Embodiment of Supreme Bliss. ||1||

ਮਃ ੪ ॥

Fourth Mehl:

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਦਸਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਈ ਮਨਿ ਹਰੀ ॥

O True Guru, tell me of my Lord God, that I may meditate on the Naam within my mind.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਬੋਲੀ ਸਭਿ ਦੁਖ ਪਰਹਰੀ ॥੨॥

O Nanak, the Lord's Name is sacred and pure; chanting it, all my pain has been taken away. ||2||

ਪਉੜੀ ॥

Pauree:

ਤੂ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇਆ ॥

You Yourself are the Formless Lord, the Immaculate Lord, our Sovereign King.

ਜਿਨੀ ਤੂ ਇਕ ਮਨਿ ਸਚੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਤਿਨ ਕਾ ਸਭੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

Those who meditate on You, O True Lord with one-pointed mind, are rid of all their pain.

ਤੇਰਾ ਸਰੀਕੁ ਕੋ ਨਾਹੀ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਲਵੈ ਲਾਇ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ ॥

You have no equal, next to whom I might sit and speak of You.

ਤੁਧੁ ਜੇਵਡੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਤੂਹੈ ਨਿਰੰਜਨਾ ਤੂਹੈ ਸਚੁ ਮੇਰੈ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਇਆ ॥

You are the only Giver as great as Yourself. You are Immaculate; O True Lord, you are pleasing to my mind.

ਸਚੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਾ ਸਚੇ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਇਆ ॥੨॥

O my True Lord and Master, Your Name is the Truest of the True. ||2||

Sggsji, ang 301

[Guest confused]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Thank you for the replies to my questions sadh sangat ji! Has definitely helped. I think I had all these ideas, but they were very muddled up, you have all helped to put them into order for me.

Sikh forums may have constant needless bickering and some ridiculous threads, but for things like this, it does a great sewa, to help such a daas like myself.

Fateh!