Shivpreet Singh

The United States Congress designates the first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer, an annual day of observance when individuals are encouraged "to turn to God in prayer and meditation." The President is legally obligated to issue a proclamation each year, urging all Americans to participate in this day of prayer. Living in a nation where the highest leader promotes such spiritual contemplation fills me with gratitude.

I did some reflection on the meaning of prayer using some poems as my guides. Whenever I think of prayer, I first think of Ardaas, literally meaning prayer, one of my earliest compositions and the title of my first album. Its beautiful how Gurbani reminds us that a prayer is actually the acknowledgement of oneness. I'm sharing in this blog some poems from Mary Oliver, Pope Francis and Alfred Noyes that are congruent with this definition and expand on the true meaning of prayer.

Ardaas

God, this is my humble petition:

that you are the true master

that you always protect me

and I meditate on You.

that all life and creatures are yours

and you permeate all

that one who slanders your servant

is vanquished completely

that renouncing my worries, I am carefree

at your feet

Reading Poetry by Mary Oliver, Alfred Noyes and Pope Francis

Prayer is a powerful force that can provide comfort, hope, strength in the midst of adversity, and a reason to be jubilantly in awe.

As Mary Oliver writes in her poem "The Summer Day," "I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day." Mary suggests that prayer can be about paying attention to nature, immersing oneself in the beauty of the natural world, and finding a sense of connection and peace through that experience.

Alfred Noyes' poem "A Prayer in Time of War" further emphasizes the importance of prayer as a means of finding strength and hope in times of adversity. Alfred writes, "Give us courage, give us faith, give us hope; strengthen us, oh God, that we may be strong in our faith and may resist the evil that surrounds us." The poem suggests that prayer can provide a sense of courage and resilience in the face of fear and uncertainty.

Pope Francis' poem "A Prayer for Our Earth" highlights the importance of gratitude and reverence for the natural world in our prayers. Pope Francis writes, "Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature." The poem emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of recognizing our responsibility as stewards of the earth.

Just like Gurbani, these poems suggest that while prayer can take many different forms, but its power lies in its ability to provide a sense of connection, strength, and compassion. Through prayer, we can find solace in nature, cultivate a sense of resilience in the face of adversity, and recognize our responsibility to protect and care for the natural world.

The Summer Day

Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

I love Mary Oliver's poetry. This poem is a beautiful example of how a prayer can be about paying attention to nature. In the poem, she contemplates the natural world around her, observing the grasshopper, the swan, and the black bear. She marvels at the intricate details of the grasshopper's movements, the bear's strength and majesty, and the swan's grace and beauty.

As she watches the grasshopper, she reflects on the mystery of creation, wondering who made these creatures and the world they inhabit. She recognizes that there is much in the natural world that she doesn't understand, and she humbly accepts this mystery.

But despite her lack of understanding, she knows how to pay attention to the world around her. She knows how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down and be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields. In other words, she knows how to be fully present in the natural world, to immerse herself in its beauty and wonder.

This, to her, is a form of prayer. It is a way of expressing gratitude for the gift of life and for the beauty of the natural world. It is a way of acknowledging the mystery of creation and our place in it. And it is a way of connecting with something greater than ourselves.

Indeed, paying attention to nature can be a powerful form of prayer. When we take the time to observe the natural world around us, we can find a deep sense of peace and wonder. We can connect with something greater than ourselves, and we can feel a sense of gratitude for the gift of life.

In a world that is often chaotic and busy, paying attention to nature can be a way of finding stillness and calm. It can help us to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life, like the grasshopper, the swan, and the black bear. And it can remind us of our place in the natural world and our responsibility to care for it.

A prayer can be about paying attention to nature. By immersing ourselves in the beauty and wonder of the natural world, we can connect with something greater than ourselves and find a deep sense of peace and gratitude. And in a world that is often busy and chaotic, this kind of prayer can be a powerful way of finding stillness and calm.

A Prayer for our Earth

- Pope Francis

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe

and in the smallest of your creatures.

You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,

so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives,

that we may protect the world and not prey on it,

that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts

of those who look only for gain

at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognize that we are profoundly united

with every creature

as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle

for justice, love and peace.

* This prayer is included in Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato si’

Pope Francis' poem "A Prayer for Our Earth" teaches us several important things about prayer. First and foremost, the poem emphasizes the importance of gratitude and reverence for the natural world. The poem implores us to recognize the beauty and complexity of the earth and to treat it with the respect and care it deserves.

The poem also teaches us that prayer can be a powerful tool for awakening our compassion and sense of interconnectedness with all living beings. Through prayer, we can cultivate a deep sense of empathy and concern for the well-being of all creatures, both human and non-human.

Additionally, the poem suggests that prayer is not just an individual act, but can be a collective effort that brings people together across borders and boundaries. The prayer acknowledges the impact of human actions on the earth and calls on people from all corners of the world to come together to address the environmental challenges we face.

The poem also highlights the importance of action as well as prayer. It encourages us to recognize our responsibility as stewards of the earth and to take concrete steps to protect and preserve the environment.

Prayer can be a powerful force for fostering gratitude, compassion, and action in relation to the natural world. It reminds us of the interconnection between all living beings and the importance of treating the earth with the respect and care it deserves.

A Prayer in Time of War

- Alfred Noyes

The war will change many things in art and life, and among them, it is to be hoped, many of our own ideas as to what is, and what is not, "intellectual."

Thou, whose deep ways are in the sea,

Whose footsteps are not known,

To-night a world that turned from Thee

Is waiting — at Thy Throne.

The towering Babels that we raised

Where scoffing sophists brawl,

The little Antichrists we praised —

The night is on them all.

The fool hath said . . . The fool hath said . ..

And we, who deemed him wise,

We who believed that Thou wast dead,

How should we seek Thine eyes?

How should we seek to Thee for power

Who scorned Thee yesterday?

How should we kneel, in this dread hour?

Lord, teach us how to pray!

Grant us the single heart, once more,

That mocks no sacred thing,

The Sword of Truth our fathers wore

When Thou wast Lord and King.

Let darkness unto darkness tell

Our deep unspoken prayer,

For, while our souls in darkness dwell,

We know that Thou art there.

"A Prayer in Time of War" by Alfred Noyes is a poignant poem that speaks to the power of prayer in times of great adversity. The poem begins with the speaker asking for a prayer that is strong enough to rise above the chaos and destruction of war. The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of praying in such a time, where fear and uncertainty reign.

The poem tells us that a prayer is a powerful force that can transcend even the most dire of circumstances. It can provide a sense of hope and comfort in the midst of chaos and despair. The speaker implores the reader to pray not only for their own safety but for the safety of all those affected by the war.

The poem also tells us that prayer is a deeply personal act. The speaker emphasizes that each person's prayer will be different, tailored to their own unique experiences and circumstances. He acknowledges that some may pray for victory, while others may pray for peace. But regardless of the specific content of the prayer, the act of praying itself is what is important.

Furthermore, the poem suggests that prayer is a way of connecting with something greater than ourselves. The speaker urges the reader to look beyond their own individual needs and desires and to pray for the greater good. He suggests that prayer is a way of aligning ourselves with a higher power and tapping into a source of strength and courage that goes beyond our own limited capabilities.

In terms of how to pray, the poem suggests that there is no one right way. The speaker acknowledges that each person will have their own approach, and that is perfectly valid. What is important is the act of praying itself, the intention behind it, and the sense of connection it provides.

Overall, prayer is a powerful force that can provide comfort, hope, and strength in the midst of adversity. It is a deeply personal act that can take many different forms, but the intention behind it is what is important. The poem suggests that prayer is a way of connecting with something greater than ourselves, and it is a way of tapping into a source of strength and courage that goes beyond our own limited capabilities.

Shakespeare the playwright thinks the world is a stage and everyone is playing a part in it. Likewise it would be apt for a poet to think that the world is poetry. Whatever the world is then decides what we are to do in it. In Shakespeare's world we are all actors and this is a stage. And a drama is happening on each day. An interesting take from Mary Oliver is how she takes out the actors from the play, and makes the play a poem. Why not? She is a poet after all. The poet thinks that the world is a poem.

Mary Oliver's emphasis is on taking it all in. The emphasis on looking and listening. And then not needing to do anything else. This is a poet that is well versed in vismaad, in wonder, it is her. It only makes sense that wonder is no less service than writing poetry or acting on the world stage. John Milton so aptly said that God doesn't need "man's work or his own gifts;" even the ones who are standing and waiting, the blind folk like him, are serving! But while they are standing and waiting, they can be looking and listening; and Mary asserts that is the "real work." What other purpose of life is better? You don't need to be at your desk writing poetry when it is spring. You just need to look at the woods and listen to the thrush. Looking, listening, smelling, breathing ... taking it all in.

The Book of Time

I rose this morning early as usual, and went to my desk.

But it’s spring,

and the thrush is in the woods,

somewhere in the twirled branches, and he is singing.

And so, now, I am standing by the open door.

And now I am stepping down onto the grass.

I am touching a few leaves.

I am noticing the way the yellow butterflies

move together, in a twinkling cloud, over the field.

And I am thinking: maybe just looking and listening

is the real work.

Maybe the world, without us,

is the real poem.

- Mary Oliver

The Leaf and the Cloud.

Hope Always Persists

No matter how difficult or challenging the situation may be, hope always persists. Hope is an essential component of the human experience that allows us to keep moving forward and strive for better things, even in the face of adversity. It provides a sense of optimism and possibility, and helps us maintain a positive outlook even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. It is a powerful force that can sustain us in tough times and give us the strength to persevere. No matter what obstacles you may be facing, remember that hope lives on and can help you find a way forward.

Joy Enhances Living

Experiencing joy and positive emotions can greatly enhance your life and allow you to live a more fulfilling existence. When you are joyful, you tend to be more optimistic, grateful, and present in the moment, which can lead to deeper connections with others and a greater appreciation for life's experiences. Research has also shown that people who experience positive emotions on a regular basis tend to have better physical and mental health, as well as a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. By prioritizing joy and cultivating it in your daily life, you can create a more rich and satisfying existence for yourself and those around you.

Embrace Joy

If you are feeling joyful, it is important not to hold back or hesitate to express or enjoy that emotion. Joy is a positive and uplifting feeling that can bring happiness and positivity to yourself and those around you. By embracing and experiencing joy, you can improve your well-being and quality of life. Don't let fear, insecurity, or other external factors stop you from fully experiencing joy and all the benefits it can bring. Instead, embrace it and allow yourself to feel fully happy and content in the moment.

Don't Hesitate to Celebrate

It is important to take time to celebrate and acknowledge your achievements, big or small, as well as the special moments in life. Celebrating can bring joy and positivity into your life and help you to appreciate your successes and the good things that happen to you. Additionally, celebrating with others can strengthen relationships, create shared memories, and build a sense of community.

Life can be unpredictable and challenging, and it is essential to take a moment to recognize and celebrate your accomplishments and milestones, as well as the simple joys in life. Don't let fear, insecurity, or other external factors hold you back from celebrating. Embrace the opportunity to express gratitude, share your joy with others, and create positive memories that will last a lifetime. Celebrate at all times and make the most of every moment.

Don't Hesitate from What is Right - Guru Gobind Singh

This reminds me of Guru Gobind Singh poem Deh Shiva in which he says, "Let me not hesitate from doing whats right." Similar message: Fight. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Remember oneness; be kind.

O Shiva ... give me this boon,

To never shirk from doing right
To never fear when I go to fight
to ever have the confidence to win

Let my heart learn
through ordeals of life
to have the desire
to remember your name
incessantly

And when the time has come
let me die bravely in the battlefield

- Guru Gobind Singh (tr. by Shivpreet Singh)

Sunflower Poems

I visited my uncle's house last weekend for a family gathering. The first one during this pandemic. His backyard opens into the hills and noticed that there were so many stalks of dead sunflowers. Tall, dark and dead. I thought of a sunflower poem by William Blake I had just recently read and bumped into Allen Ginsberg's Sunflower Sutra. I was obviously reminded of the Buddhist Lotus Sutra.

Ah! Sun-flower

William Blake

Ah Sun-flower! weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the Sun:

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the travellers journey is done.

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow:

Arise from their graves and aspire,

Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

Sunflower Sutra

by Allen Ginsberg

I walked on the banks of the tincan banana dock and sat down under the huge shade of a Southern Pacific locomotive to look for the sunset over the box house hills and cry.

Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pole, companion, we thought the same thoughts of the soul, bleak and blue and sad-eyed, surrounded by the gnarled steel roots of trees of machinery.

The only water on the river mirrored the red sky, sun sank on top of final Frisco peaks, no fish in that stream, no hermit in those mounts, just ourselves rheumy-eyed and hung-over like old bums on the riverbank, tired and wily.

Look at the Sunflower, he said, there was a dead gray shadow against the sky, big as a man, sitting dry on top of a pile of ancient sawdust–

–I rushed up enchanted–it was my first sunflower, memories of Blake–my visions–Harlem

and Hells of the Eastern rivers, bridges clanking Joes greasy Sandwiches, dead baby carriages, black treadless tires forgotten and unretreaded, the poem of the riverbank, condoms & pots, steel knives, nothing stainless, only the dank muck and the razor-sharp artifacts passing into the past–

and the gray Sunflower poised against the sunset, crackly bleak and dusty with the smut and smog and smoke of olden locomotives in its eye–

corolla of bleary spikes pushed down and broken like a battered crown, seeds fallen out of its face, soon-to-be-toothless mouth of sunny air, sunrays obliterated on its hairy head like a dried wire spiderweb,

leaves stuck out like arms out of the stem, gestures from the sawdust root, broke pieces of plaster fallen out of the black twigs, a dead fly in its ear,

Unholy battered old thing you were, my sunflower O my soul, I loved you then!

The grime was no man’s grime but death and human locomotives,

all that dress of dust, that veil of darkened railroad skin, that smog of cheek, that eyelid of black mis'ry, that sooty hand or phallus or protuberance of artificial worse-than-dirt–industrial– modern–all that civilization spotting your crazy golden crown–

and those blear thoughts of death and dusty loveless eyes and ends and withered roots below, in the home-pile of sand and sawdust, rubber dollar bills, skin of machinery, the guts and innards of the weeping coughing car, the empty lonely tincans with their rusty tongues alack, what more could I name, the smoked ashes of some cock cigar, the cunts of wheelbarrows and the milky breasts of cars, wornout asses out of chairs & sphincters of dynamos–all these

entangled in your mummied roots–and you standing before me in the sunset, all your glory in your form!

A perfect beauty of a sunflower! a perfect excellent lovely sunflower existence! a sweet natural eye to the new hip moon, woke up alive and excited grasping in the sunset shadow sunrise golden monthly breeze!

How many flies buzzed round you innocent of your grime, while you cursed the heavens of your railroad and your flower soul?

Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive?

You were never no locomotive, Sunflower, you were a sunflower!

And you Locomotive, you are a locomotive, forget me not!

So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter,

and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack’s soul too, and anyone who’ll listen,

–We’re not our skin of grime, we’re not our dread bleak dusty imageless locomotive, we’re all golden sunflowers inside, blessed by our own seed & hairy naked accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sunflowers in the sunset, spied on by our eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank sunset Frisco hilly tincan evening sitdown vision.

More: https://www.gradesaver.com/allen-ginsbergs-poetry/study-guide/summary-sunflower-sutra

Lotus Sutra

What is the Lotus Sutra from https://www.nichiren.or.jp/english/teachings/sutra/

The Lotus Sutra is one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism and was likely written down between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D. Already well known in India, the sutra became more famous and influential when it was translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva in the year 406. After Chih-i founded the T’ien-T’ai School in China, based on the teaching expounded by this sutra in the sixth century, it was considered one of the canonical sutras of Chinese Buddhism. After the T’ien-T’ai School of China was introduced to Japan by Saicho and became the Tendai Sect, the Lotus Sutra became loved as literature among the people.

The sutra is named the Lotus Sutra because the lotus symbolized the oneness of cause and effect, specifically the cause of aspiring to enlightenment (Buddhahood) and the effect of attaining it, since the lotus is a flower that blooms and seeds at the same time. It also symbolizes the purity of Buddhahood, blooming in the midst of our ordinary lives just as the lotus blossoms in muddy pond water.

The Sunflowers

Mary Oliver

Come with me

into the field of sunflowers.

Their faces are burnished disks,

their dry spines

creak like ship masts,

their green leaves,

so heavy and many,

fill all day with the sticky

sugars of the sun.

Come with me

to visit the sunflowers,

they are shy

but want to be friends;

they have wonderful stories

of when they were young –

the important weather,

the wandering crows.

Don’t be afraid

to ask them questions!

Their bright faces,

which follow the sun,

will listen, and all

those rows of seeds –

each one a new life!

hope for a deeper acquaintance;

each of them, though it stands

in a crowd of many,

like a separate universe,

is lonely, the long work

of turning their lives

into a celebration

is not easy. Come

and let us talk with those modest faces,

the simple garments of leaves,

the coarse roots in the earth

so uprightly burning.

Sanyasa - Achieving the pinnacle of human experience

Guru Gobind Singh's shabad Re Man Aiso Kar Sanyasa is a beautiful crystallization of some of the deepest wisdom from oneness principles extolled by Indian sages for millennia. Every word and phrase can be used for meditation and for digging deeper. Through this shabad, Guru Gobind Singh gives the same message as Guru Nanak in Japji Sahib, and the same message Shri Krishna gave Arjun in Bhagwad Gita. The highest spirituality and the deepest self is not found by searching in the wilderness; it is found by perfecting one's mind. The one who win's their own mind, conquers the world.

SHABAD, TRANSLITERATION AND ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION

ਰਾਗ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ ਪਾਤਸਾਹੀ ੧੦ ॥
Raaga Raamkalee Paatasaahee 10 ॥
RAMKALI OF THE TENTH KING

ਰੇ ਮਨ ਐਸੋ ਕਰਿ ਸੰਨਿਆਸਾ ॥
Re Man Aaiso Kari Saanniaasaa ॥
O mind ! the asceticism be practised in this way :

ਬਨ ਸੇ ਸਦਨ ਸਬੈ ਕਰ ਸਮਝਹੁ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ਉਦਾਸਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ban Se Sadan Sabai Kar Samajhahu Man Hee Maahi Audaasaa ॥1॥ Rahaau ॥
Consider your house as the forest and remain unattached within yourself…..Pause.

ਜਤ ਕੀ ਜਟਾ ਜੋਗ ਕੋ ਮਜਨੁ ਨੇਮ ਕੇ ਨਖੁਨ ਬਢਾਓ ॥
Jata Kee Jattaa Joga Ko Majanu Nema Ke Nakhuna Badhaao ॥
Consider continence as the matted hair, Yoga as the ablution and daily observances as your nails,

ਗਿਆਨ ਗੁਰੂ ਆਤਮ ਉਪਦੇਸਹੁ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਭੂਤ ਲਗਾਓ ॥੧॥
Giaan Guroo Aatama Aupadesahu Naam Bibhoota Lagaao ॥1॥
Consider the knowledge as the preceptor giving lessons to you and apply the Name of the Lord as ashes.1.

ਅਲਪ ਅਹਾਰ ਸੁਲਪ ਸੀ ਨਿੰਦ੍ਰਾ ਦਯਾ ਛਿਮਾ ਤਨ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥
Alapa Ahaara Sulapa See Niaandaraa Dayaa Chhimaa Tan Pareeti ॥
Eat less and sleep less, cherish mercy and forgiveness

ਸੀਲ ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਦਾ ਨਿਰਬਾਹਿਬੋ ਹ੍ਵੈਬੋ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਣ ਅਤੀਤ ॥੨॥
Seela Saantokh Sadaa Nribaahibo Havaibo Triguna Ateet ॥2॥
Practise gentleness and contentment and remain free from three modes.2.

ਕਾਮ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਹੰਕਾਰ ਲੋਭ ਹਠ ਮੋਹ ਨ ਮਨ ਮੋ ਲਯਾਵੈ ॥
Kaam Karodha Haankaara Lobha Hattha Moha Na Man Mo Layaavai ॥
Keep your mind unattached from lust, anger, greed, insistence and infatuation,

ਤਬ ਹੀ ਆਤਮ ਤਤ ਕੋ ਦਰਸੈ ਪਰਮ ਪੁਰਖ ਕਹ ਪਾਵੈ ॥੩॥੧॥
Taba Hee Aatama Tata Ko Darsai Parma Purkh Kaha Paavai ॥3॥1॥
Then you will visualize the supreme essence and realize the supreme Purusha. 3.1.

BACKGROUND - SHABAD HAZARE

This shabad comes from the Shabad Hazare. Shabad Hazare include ten religious hymns composed by Guru Gobind Singh which are present in Dasam Granth. Some scholar link hazare word to Persian Hijr means separation which linked as the shabads separates us from Maya where it is also believed to be come from word Haazra (means present) i.e. word of Haazar Hazoor. These hymns are primarily composed in Braj and Hindi languages, with plentiful use of sanskritic words. Like the Guru Granth Sahib, these hymns subscribe to the oneness direction of the mool mantra; they inspire a revolution of the mind and they are against idolatory and meaningless ritual practices.

MAIN CONCEPT - TRUE SANYAAS AND UDAASI

Historial concept of Sanyaas:

Sannyasa is a form of asceticism, is marked by renunciation of material desires and prejudices, represented by a state of disinterest and detachment from material life, and has the purpose of spending one's life in peaceful, love-inspired, simple spiritual life. Sanyasis can be called renunciates or ascetics. Sannyasa (saṃnyāsa) is the life stage of renunciation within the Hindu philosophy of four age-based life stages known as ashramas, with the first three being brahmacharya (bachelor student), Grihastha (householder) and Vanaprastha (forest dweller, retired). An individual in Sanyasa is known as a Sannyasi (male) or Sannyasini (female) in Hinduism, which in many ways parallel to the Sadhu and Sadhvi traditions of Jain monasticism, the bhikkhus and bhikkhunis of Buddhism and the monk and nun traditions of Christianity, respectively. In Sikhism, there is no ascetism; in the highest state of the individual is Brahmgyani. For someone who does this early in life, there are two options: Grihastha or Sanyaas. Gurbani combines the two and shows a path where Sanyaas can be achieved within grihastha. A more practical way of living a life.

Sanyas Happens Even Now:

Renunciation - even now people renunciate. They give up their lives and go on traveling trips. In fact some of their stories are published in books. Eat Pray Love is a book about this. Another example is Walden's Pond. Those who do these experiments come back rejuvinated. Hemingway's granddaughter who writes Wild is the most recent example of a popular work about Sanyasa.

Sanyaas and Udaas

Sam-ni-aas - having not desire: all together having no desires.
Sa - Ni - aas - literally "with no hope"
Sun - aas: being in zero-ness as Sant Singh Maskeen explains.

Ud-aas - Udar Aaas - Hope from inside, Hope in inside

While Sanyaas is a noun, Udaas is normally a verb. So someone can be in Sanyaas, and someone is udaas.

Guru Nanak's travels are called udaasis - According to Bhai Gurdaas -
Babe Bhekh Banaya Udaasi ki reet chalaayi
Chadheya sodhan Dharat Lukai

But the Udaasi of Gursikh is within Maaya -
Gursikh Jogi Jaagde Maaya Andar Karan Udaasi

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A FOREST

Kabir

ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ॥
ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਤਜਿ ਬਨ ਖੰਡ ਜਾਈਐ ਚੁਨਿ ਖਾਈਐ ਕੰਦਾ ॥
ਅਜਹੁ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਨ ਛੋਡਈ ਪਾਪੀ ਮਨੁ ਮੰਦਾ ॥੧॥

Guru Tegh Bahadur:
ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੯ ॥

ਕਾਹੇ ਰੇ ਬਨ ਖੋਜਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
ਸਰਬ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ ਸਦਾ ਅਲੇਪਾ ਤੋਹੀ ਸੰਗਿ ਸਮਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਪੁਹਪ ਮਧਿ ਜਿਉ ਬਾਸੁ ਬਸਤੁ ਹੈ ਮੁਕਰ ਮਾਹਿ ਜੈਸੇ ਛਾਈ ॥
ਤੈਸੇ ਹੀ ਹਰਿ ਬਸੇ ਨਿਰੰਤਰਿ ਘਟ ਹੀ ਖੋਜਹੁ ਭਾਈ ॥੧॥

ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਨਹੁ ਇਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਬਤਾਈ ॥
ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਬਿਨੁ ਆਪਾ ਚੀਨੈ ਮਿਟੈ ਨ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕੀ ਕਾਈ ॥੨॥੧॥

NEEDED - A RENUNCIATION OF THE MIND

Everybody is a forest. You want to get lost in a forest and attain peace and silence in a forest. But that can be done in every body. In every house silence can be achieved. What is Sadan. It is Ghar. Happiness is attained through winning your mind.

Let the Guru's word be the mundra of the mind. Mundras were worn in the ear to straighten the mind.

Man Jeetai Jagjeet

Sochai Soch Na Hovai
Chupai Chup Na Hovai
Bhukheyaan Bhukh
Sahes Seyaanapaan lakh
Kiv Sacheyara hoyieh
Hukam rajai chalnaa

It is not necessary to starve the body. It is only necessary to control your mind. The best renunciation, is the sacrifice through the mind. The renunciation of K, K, L, M, A:

Tyaagna Tyaagan Neeka, Kaam Krodh Lobh Moh Tyaagna

Guru Nanak in Raag Aasa -

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਮਨੈ ਮਹਿ ਮੁੰਦ੍ਰਾ ਖਿੰਥਾ ਖਿਮਾ ਹਢਾਵਉ ॥
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰੈ ਭਲਾ ਕਰਿ ਮਾਨਉ ਸਹਜ ਜੋਗ ਨਿਧਿ ਪਾਵਉ ॥੧॥
ਬਾਬਾ ਜੁਗਤਾ ਜੀਉ ਜੁਗਹ ਜੁਗ ਜੋਗੀ ਪਰਮ ਤੰਤ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਗੰ ॥

ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਗਿਆਨ ਕਾਇਆ ਰਸ ਭੋਗੰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

GIVING UP: Kaam Krodha Hankaar Lobh Hatth Moh Na Man Mo Layaavai

What should we really give up.

When the light of the lord enters your mind, you remember his Name and you forget those things that burn you: lust, anger, and greed. This is the exercise of conquering your mind. In Raag Maru, Guru Arjan Dev ji says:

ਮਾਰੂ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਘਰੁ ੪ ਅਸਟਪਦੀਆ
ਚਾਦਨਾ ਚਾਦਨੁ ਆਂਗਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜੀਉ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਚਾਦਨਾ ॥੧॥
ਆਰਾਧਨਾ ਅਰਾਧਨੁ ਨੀਕਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਰਾਧਨਾ ॥੨॥
ਤਿਆਗਨਾ ਤਿਆਗਨੁ ਨੀਕਾ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਤਿਆਗਨਾ ॥੩॥

Raja Bhartri on Greed
भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः, तपो न तप्तं वयमेव तप्ताः ।
कालो न यातो वयमेव याताः तृष्णा न जीर्णा वयमेव जीर्णाः ॥

Pleasures weren't consumed, only we were; penance weren't 'done'; only we were 'done';
Time didn't pass, only we passed; thirst was not 'over', only we got 'over'.

HOW TO SEE GOD: Tab hi aatam tat ko darse.

Aatam Tat is "Spiritual Essence." The promise is that with Simran God is seen here and now.

Simran is important - if we can embrace the virtues of acceptance, compassion, kindness, love, forgiveness. and if we can cast out the

Raam Naam Ur Meh Gayo, Jaa Kai Sam Nahi Koy
Jis Simrat Sab Dukh Mitai, Daras Tuharo Hoye

OBTAINING THE ULTIMATE: Param Purakh Kaha Paavai - Going beyond three gunas

Sanyasa is about achieving the pinnacle of human experience. And the pinnacle of human experience is to rise above the thieves of the mind. It is to go beyond the three gunas and become one with God.

The three gunas are thought to come originally from the Sankhya philosophy (one of six houses of Indian philosophy). Sankhya is a dualistic philosophy that believes in the coexistent and interdependent realities, conscious Purusha and unconscious Prakrti. Purusha is ever pure, wise and free but it becomes a subject of pain and pleasure when it identifies itself with Prakrti. Prakrti is the material cause of the universe and is composed of three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas that correspond to light, activity and inertia respectively. The state in which the gunas are in equilibrium is called Prakrti but when disturbed the state is called Vikrti. Disturbance of the equilibrium of Prakrti produces the material world, including the mind, which is supposed to be the finest form of material energy.

More on the six houses of philosophy: https://shivpreetsingh.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-six-houses-of-wisdom-according-to.html

The universe -- or brahmand -- is made of five elements. This universe maybe called prakriti of the Sankhya philosophy. It is really the same as Maya. However, there is a sixth element, the truth, also called paarbrahma, what Guru Gobind Singh calls aatam tatva or the Soul Element. While all the 5 Maya elements are driven by a combination of one of the three gunas (satva, rajas and tamas), the Soul element is beyond the three gunas. This is the state of being one with God.

A story on Three Gunas: https://shivpreetsingh.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-rich-man-and-three-thieves.html

Guru Arjan on this (For more read 16th ashtapadi of Sukhmani):

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥

सलोकु ॥

Salok.

Shalok:

ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਰੇਖ ਨ ਰੰਗੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਗੁਣ ਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਭਿੰਨ ॥

रूपु न रेख न रंगु किछु त्रिहु गुण ते प्रभ भिंन ॥

Rūp na rekẖ na rang kicẖẖ ṯarihu guṇ ṯe parabẖ bẖinn.

He has no form, no shape, no color; God is beyond the three qualities.

ਤਿਸਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਏ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜਿਸੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੁਪ੍ਰਸੰਨ ॥੧॥

तिसहि बुझाए नानका जिसु होवै सुप्रसंन ॥१॥

Ŧisėh bujẖā▫e nānkā jis hovai suparsan. ||1||

They alone understand Him, O Nanak, with whom He is pleased. ||1||

Guru Arjan goes on in Ashtapadi 16 of Sukhmani sahib to explain, exactly how Guru Gobind did, how it is in the end the desires of the mind that need to be controlled.

Shri Krishna on this:

This is from the fourteenth chapter of the Bhagwad Gita. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna how he can recognize the man who has gone beyond the three gunas, and what has he done to have gone beyond them? Krishna replies by listing the characteristics of such a person and by reiterating the central theme in the Gita: non-attachment to the fruits of one's labor:

Whatever quality arises –

Light, activity, delusion –

He neither dislikes its presence

Nor desires it when it is not there.

He who is unattached,

who is not disturbed by the gunas,

who is firmly rooted and knows

that only the gunas are acting

who is equally self-contained

in pain or pleasure, in happiness

or sorrow, who is content

with whatever happens, who sees

dirt, rocks, and gold as equal,

who is unperturbed amid praise

or blame of himself, indifferent,

to honor and to disgrace,

serene in success and failure,

impartial to friend and foe,

unattached to action – that man

has gone beyond the three gunas.

He who faithfully serves me

with the yoga of devotion, going

beyond the three gunas, is ready

to attain the ultimate freedom.

Bhagavad Gita, A New Translation, 14.22 – 26

(Translation by Stephen Mitchell, 2000)

Specifically:

नान्यं गुणेभ्य: कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति |

गुणेभ्यश्च परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोऽधिगच्छति ||

"When wise persons see that in all works there are no agents of action other than the three guṇas, and they know me to be transcendental to these guṇas, they attain my divine nature."

Also, Bhagwad Gita Chapter 9, verse 28

शुभाशुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनै: |

संन्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि || 28||

śhubhāśhubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣhyase karma-bandhanaiḥ

sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣhyasi

śhubha aśhubha phalaiḥ—from good and bad results; evam—thus; mokṣhyase—you shall be freed; karma—work; bandhanaiḥ—from the bondage; sanyāsa-yoga—renunciation of selfishness; yukta-ātmā—having the mind attached to Me; vimuktaḥ—liberated; mām—to Me; upaiṣhyasi—you shall reach

Translation

BG 9.28: By dedicating all your works to Me, you will be freed from the bondage of good and bad results. With your mind attached to Me through renunciation, you will be liberated and will reach Me.

Commentary -

Every action has defects, just as fire is covered by smoke. When we walk on the earth, we unknowingly kill millions of tiny living entities. In our occupational duties, no matter how careful we are in the fulfillment of our duties, we still end up harming the environment and hurting others. Even if we eat a cup of yogurt, we still incur the sin of destroying the living entities that reside in it. Some religious sects try to reduce this involuntary killing by tying a cloth over their mouth. Even this does not fully eliminate the destruction of living entities in our breath.

When we perform our actions with the intention of fulfilling our self-interest, we are culpable for the sins we commit, knowingly or unknowingly. In accordance with the law of karma, we have to reap their karmic reactions. Good works can also be binding because they oblige the soul to go to the celestial abodes to enjoy their results. Thus, both bad and good karmas result in the continuity of the cycle of birth and death. However, in this verse, Shree Krishna gives a simple solution for destroying all karmic reactions of work. He uses the word sanyās yog, meaning renunciation of selfishness. He says that when we dedicate our actions for the pleasure of the Lord, we are freed from the fetters of both good and bad results.

Those who establish themselves in such consciousness are called yog yuktātmā (united in consciousness with God). Such yogis become jīvan mukt (liberated in consciousness) even in this body. And, upon leaving their mortal frame, they receive a divine body and eternal service in the divine Abode of God.

Mary Oliver on Sanyasa

I have decided to find myself a home in the mountains, somewhere high up where one learns to live peacefully in the cold and the silence. It’s said that in such a place certain revelations may be discovered. That what the spirit reaches for may be eventually felt, if not exactly understood. Slowly, no doubt. I’m not talking about a vacation.

Of course, at the same time I mean to stay exactly where I am.

Are you following me?

Guru Nanak in Raag Shri

To get a broader perspective on Guru Gobind's shabad, it is truly worth reading the following Guru Nanak shabad in Raag Shri. The concepts of controlling desires (aas), residing within (antar), wisdom and understanding self (gyaan and antar ki gat), eliminating ego (haumai hoye vinaas), the detached mind rests in its house (man bairagi ghar vasai), meeting the lord by subduing the mind (man maar mil).

ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥

Siree Raag, First Mehl:

ਮਰਣੈ ਕੀ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਨਹੀ ਜੀਵਣ ਕੀ ਨਹੀ ਆਸ ॥

I have no anxiety about dying, and no hope of living.

ਤੂ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲਹੀ ਲੇਖੈ ਸਾਸ ਗਿਰਾਸ ॥

You are the Cherisher of all beings; You keep the account of our breaths and morsels of food.

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਤੂ ਵਸਹਿ ਜਿਉ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਉ ਨਿਰਜਾਸਿ ॥੧॥

You abide within the Gurmukh. As it pleases You, You decide our allotment. ||1||

ਜੀਅਰੇ ਰਾਮ ਜਪਤ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨੁ ॥

O my soul, chant the Name of the Lord; the mind will be pleased and appeased.

ਅੰਤਰਿ ਲਾਗੀ ਜਲਿ ਬੁਝੀ ਪਾਇਆ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

The raging fire within is extinguished; the Gurmukh obtains spiritual wisdom. ||1||Pause||

ਅੰਤਰ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਸੰਕ ਉਤਾਰਿ ॥

Know the state of your inner being; meet with the Guru and get rid of your skepticism.

ਮੁਇਆ ਜਿਤੁ ਘਰਿ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਿਤੁ ਜੀਵਦਿਆ ਮਰੁ ਮਾਰਿ ॥

To reach your True Home after you die, you must conquer death while you are still alive.

ਅਨਹਦ ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਹਾਵਣੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਗੁਰ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ॥੨॥

The beautiful, Unstruck Sound of the Shabad is obtained, contemplating the Guru. ||2||

ਅਨਹਦ ਬਾਣੀ ਪਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਹਉਮੈ ਹੋਇ ਬਿਨਾਸੁ ॥

The Unstruck Melody of Gurbani is obtained, and egotism is eliminated.

ਸਤਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੇ ਆਪਣਾ ਹਉ ਸਦ ਕੁਰਬਾਣੈ ਤਾਸੁ ॥

I am forever a sacrifice to those who serve their True Guru.

ਖੜਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਪੈਨਾਈਐ ਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

They are dressed in robes of honor in the Court of the Lord; the Name of the Lord is on their lips. ||3||

ਜਹ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਰਵਿ ਰਹੇ ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤੀ ਕਾ ਮੇਲੁ ॥

Wherever I look, I see the Lord pervading there, in the union of Shiva and Shakti, of consciousness and matter.

ਤ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਗੁਣ ਬੰਧੀ ਦੇਹੁਰੀ ਜੋ ਆਇਆ ਜਗਿ ਸੋ ਖੇਲੁ ॥

The three qualities hold the body in bondage; whoever comes into the world is subject to their play.

ਵਿਜੋਗੀ ਦੁਖਿ ਵਿਛੁੜੇ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਲਹਹਿ ਨ ਮੇਲੁ ॥੪॥

Those who separate themselves from the Lord wander lost in misery. The self-willed manmukhs do not attain union with Him. ||4||

ਮਨੁ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ਘਰਿ ਵਸੈ ਸਚ ਭੈ ਰਾਤਾ ਹੋਇ ॥

If the mind becomes balanced and detached, and comes to dwell in its own true home, imbued with the Fear of God,

ਗਿਆਨ ਮਹਾਰਸੁ ਭੋਗਵੈ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਭੂਖ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥

then it enjoys the essence of supreme spiritual wisdom; it shall never feel hunger again.

ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰਿ ਮਿਲੁ ਭੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੫॥੧੮॥

O Nanak, conquer and subdue this mind; meet with the Lord, and you shall never again suffer in pain. ||5||18||

Ardaas

Reading Poetry by Mary Oliver, Alfred Noyes and Pope Francis

The Summer Day

A Prayer for our Earth

A Prayer in Time of War

Hope Always Persists

Joy Enhances Living

Embrace Joy

Don't Hesitate to Celebrate

Don't Hesitate from What is Right - Guru Gobind Singh

Ah! Sun-flower

Sunflower Sutra

Lotus Sutra

The Sunflowers

Also, Bhagwad Gita Chapter 9, verse 28

Mary Oliver on Sanyasa

A Thousand Mornings

1. William Wordsworth

2. Mary Oliver

3. Rumi

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

SHIVPREET SINGH

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