JAPJI Sahib: Sikh Way of Life

        Japji Sahib, placed at the beginning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, is that truthful rendering, daily recitation of which is an integral part of life routine of not only Sikhs, but also a great many other followers of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

What we need to analyse is that apart from recitation, do we really make effort to actually live our life in tandem / conformity with the teachings which have been conveyed to us through Japji Sahib.  Should we not spare some time from our mindless race of materialistic pursuits and try to understand what is the message communicated to us by Guru Sahib?

Mool Mantra, the introduction to Japji Sahib, contains Guru Sahib’s description of the attributes of The Almighty that He is One, Om is His primal sound and He is All-Pervasive.  His Divine Name is the real truth.  He is the real Creator.  He is the Supreme Being.  He knows no fear.  He has no enmity.  He is an Entity beyond the effect of time.  He is free from the cycles of birth and death.  He is Self-illumined / Self-effulgent.  His comprehension can be had through Guru’s grace.

          In Japji Sahib, at the very outset, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, declares that the actual truth in this world is the existence of Almighty.  He has always been True, is presently True and shall verily ever remain True.  Guru Sahib referring to the religious practices then in vogue, explains that mere cleanliness (baths at holy places), keeping silence (being in samadhi), attempting to satiate one’s worldly desires or reasoning of mind alone are worthless on the spiritual path.  Thus the question that naturally arises is whether it is possible for a human being to rend the veil of worldly untruth and attain the position of truthfulness?  Guru Sahib clearly affirms this possibility and also mentions that in such a state the human being also becomes capable of happily accepting whatever is ordained for him by The Almighty:

Live (as per) Almighty’s ordains,

(Says) Nanak (that are) written (in) life.

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          It can be said that Japji Sahib helps us in understanding the very purpose of human life.  It explains the specific acts to be performed in life and the manner in which they are to be performed for achieving the laid down objective.  There can’t be a simpler version of why and how of human life than the one detailed in Japji Sahib.  Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s rendering of Japji Sahib is a service to mankind to which it is very difficult to find another equal.