The Importance Of Rehit

[Tarrandeep Kaur]

Rehit

The purpose of the life of a Sikh is to be a disciple of our Guru. To be a disciple we should practice our Guru’s teachings. Following the rehit is one of the significant aspects which make up a true Sikh as the first main rehit is to take amrit. This is when we begin our path to God where we have to offer our head to Guru Ji. Taking amrit is the biggest step in our life because once we do, we give our mind and body to Guru Sahib. Therefore, it is no longer what we desire but what Guru Sahib wants which is for us to live a full life of love as a Khalsa.

jo tho praem khaelan kaa chaao ||

If you desire to play this game of love with Me,

sir dhhar thalee galee maeree aao ||

then step onto My Path with your head in hand.

eith maarag pair dhhareejai ||

When you place your feet on this Path,

sir dheejai kaan n keejai ||20||

give Me your head, and do not pay any attention to public opinion. ||20||

All rehits are given to form a Khalsa. This Khalsa can spread its fragrance everywhere, which will attract others along with it to, forming a Khalsa panth. Wherever this Khalsa steps they would engrave a mark of truth and purity that will inspire and save others too. But how many are there of this Khalsa. How much are we going to dedicate our lives to Guru Ji? For how long are we going to follow our own mind and not awaken ourselves by following Guru’s teachings? When will we maintain the path of our Guru’s footsteps of truth between insincerity and fanaticism?

raaj joban avadhh jo dheesai sabh kishh jug mehi ghaattiaa ||

Power and authority, youth and age - whatever is seen in this world, all of it shall fade away.

By good deeds we finally obtain this human life where we have a chance to meet our beloved God. We have been given so much in our lives to give us support on the journey to God across the worldly ocean, but we doubtfully ignore our Guru’s teachings and try to enjoy the fake pleasures in this world that will merely pass by as a shadow and ruin us in the end. Our youthfulness will soon come to pass, so when are we are planning to dedicate ourselves to Guru Sahib? That time will not come at all because although our senses will be weakening, our 5 evils will still be churning on.

joban gaeiaa bitheeth jar mal bait(h)eeaa ||

Youth has passed, and old age has taken its place.

kar ka(n)pehi sir ddol nain n ddeet(h)iaa ||

The hands tremble, the head shakes, and the eyes do not see.

neh nain dheesai bin bhajan eesai shhodd maaeiaa chaaliaa ||

The eyes do not see, without vibrating and meditating on the Lord; he must leave behind the attractions of Maya, and depart.

kehiaa n maanehi sir khaak shhaanehi jin sa(n)g man than jaaliaa ||

He burnt his mind and body for his relatives, but now, they do not listen to him, and they throw dust on his head.

sreeraam ra(n)g apaar pooran neh nimakh man mehi voot(h)iaa ||

Love for the infinite, Perfect Lord does not abide in his mind, even for an instant.

binava(n)th naanak kott kaagar binas baar n jhoot(h)iaa ||3||

Prays Nanak, the fort of paper is false - it is destroyed in an instant. ||3||

If we want eternal happiness here and the hereafter, if we want to live in truth and not be blinded by falsehood we have to merge with God once again. But in order to find God we have to go through Guru Ji first. Only our Guru can make us pure to become the Khalsa so we have to observe the rehit and follow it sincerely. We have to fight for our Guru’s blessings by following the rehits as it is the discipline of the Sikh that Guru Ji loves, not the Sikh itself. Our Love in return can have no limits; it has to be unconditional where we would take insults, opposition, misery because the will of God has to be sweet to us.

mohu sog rog log n biaapai theh har har har ras bhoganee ||1|| rehaao ||

Attachment, sorrow, disease and public opinion do not affect me, and so, I enjoy the subtle essence of the Lord, Har, Har, Har. ||1||Pause||

Guru Sahib clearly mentions in Gurbani how this life cannot be wasted. We all know that life has an end to it, whether it’s far or near. But it is how we die. Did we engrave truth on the footpath of sikhi? Did we achieve our true destination? Therefore, we should realise time and not delay in it as we always come to repent and regret the slackness and duality we lived in, so we should sacrifice ourselves now.

raaj maal joban than jeearaa ein oopar lai baarae ||1||

My power, wealth, youth, body and soul are a sacrifice to them. ||1||

We have to meditate on God’s name through intense love 24/7 and to make our path firm towards the journey to God; we have to maintain our Guru’s blessings by becoming disciplined. Our body is full of darkness and needs to be enlightened from the light of God. This light is the light of good thoughts which is the purity of the Khalsa. This light is the beginning of our journey to the Infinite. So always keep this light going till the end and never let the light weaken.

joban khoe paashhai pashhuthaanee ||1|| rehaao ||

Having wasted my youth, now I come to regret and repent. ||1||Pause||

Let us not be like lambs where we all follow each other but keep our distinctiveness of the Khalsa that will blossom forth in bliss. The lamb will die but the spirit of the Khalsa lives forever; a Khalsa never perishes but lives as a pure soul. So practice the teachings of Guru Sahib to survive in this world and the world after. Live beyond the weaknesses of this world, only through long practice we become a Khalsa. We need to become a true spirit by remaining dead whilst yet alive. Guru Sahib will give vast support when we live a life of a Khalsa, that we can face loneliness, separation, hunger, tiredness, piercing sun or cold. There are no limits once we become a Khalsa, the Khalsa can break through all barriers.

bhaekh piaaraa naahi mam varan piaaraa naahi || rehith piaaree moh ko sidhak piaaraa aahi ||45||

I have no love for appearances or for high castes. It is discipline that I love.

As a result, similarly to when we wed someone we have to arrange this marriage by our parents and to have our parent’s approval. We attain this is by living under their roof and living by their rules. Just as our spiritual parents Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, we have to abide by their rules and live in our true home by searching deep within ourselves to obtain God. Therefore, become the beloved children of our true parents and do not pay any attention to public opinion. Even if our lives may be a constant struggle, in the end we will obtain a home, not any home but a kingdom where our faces will be bright and radiant. We either win or lose but the main idea is to be victorious, to consume a righteous end by living by our Guru’s teachings where we face no death but live eternally.

Rehit piaare mujh ko sikh piaare naahi.

vahiguru jee ka khalsa

vahiguru jee ki fateh!

[Guest Bass Singh]

good read!!

[G_Kaur_]

AMg 1008

ang 1008

Page 1008

mwrU mhlw 9 ]

maaroo mehulaa 9

Maaroo, Ninth Mehl:

mweI mY mn ko mwnu n iqAwigE ]

maaee mai mun ko maan n thiaagiou

O my mother, I have not renounced the pride of my mind.

mwieAw ky mid jnmu isrwieE rwm Bjin nhI lwigE ]1] rhwau ]

maaeiaa kae madh junum siraaeiou raam bhujan nehee laagiou

I have wasted my life intoxicated with Maya; I have not focused myself in meditation on the Lord. ||1||Pause||

jm ko fMfu pirE isr aUpir qb sovq qY jwigE ]

jum ko ddundd pariou sir oopar thub sovuth thai jaagiou

When Death's club falls on my head, then I will be wakened from my sleep.

khw hoq Ab kY pCuqwey CUtq nwihn BwigE ]1]

kehaa hoth ab kai pushuthaaeae shoottuth naahin bhaagiou

But what good will it do to repent at that time? I cannot escape by running away. ||1||

ieh icMqw aupjI Gt mih jb gur crnn AnurwigE ]

eih chinthaa oupujee ghutt mehi jub gur churunun anuraagiou

When this anxiety arises in the heart, then, one comes to love the Guru's feet.

suPlu jnmu nwnk qb hUAw jau pRB js mih pwigE ]2]3]

suful junum naanuk thub hooaa jo prubh jus mehi paagiou

My life becomes fruitful, O Nanak, only when I am absorbed in the Praises of God. ||2||3||

[Guest Akirtghan]

man y u gotta quote the entire thing emi

[۹βkaur۹β]

really nice read, thnx :wub:

[Akaali]

Great article!

man y u gotta quote the entire thing emi

I second that! :wub:

[japmans]

:wub:

thanks tarrandeep bhanji!

nice read.

just one thing.. i've talked to some gursikhs about that line "rehat piyaara mujh ko, sikh pyaara naahe" (because i think naahi is spelled with a sihaari, not a bihaari on the "haahaa").. most translations imply that guru sahib's saying that he holds love for rehit, not for the sikh.

and i've been told that the word "naahe" is a form of the word "nayho" like dedicated love...

"munn aisaa nayho kareyho"

"jiss pyaaray sio nayho, tiss aggai mar chaleeyai"

in other words, Guru Sahib Ji is saying

I have love for the rehit

but I have TRUE love for the sikh

also, where is that line from,

bhaekh piaaraa naahi mam varan piaaraa naahi || rehith piaaree moh ko sidhak piaaraa aahi ||45||

It's real nice!

thanks for writing that.

vaheguru

[G_Kaur_]

SRYYYYJI :wub:

[Bijla Singh]

bhaekh piaaraa naahi mam varan piaaraa naahi || rehith piaaree moh ko sidhak piaaraa aahi ||45||

This is from Sau Sakhi. I think "Nahe" with sihari mean "not". Neho(n) would make 'laanv' on "nanna" and onkar on "haahaa". It makes sense that Guru Ji loves rehat more because without rehat no one can be a Sikh.

[Singh132]

and i've been told that the word "naahe" is a form of the word "nayho" like dedicated love...

There is no form of the word "naeh" or love that comes as "naahih". In fact if you substituted "naahih" with "naeh", the whole line wouldn't make any grammatical sense.