Title: Concept of Consiusness in Sikhism
1Concept of Consciousness inSri Guru Granth Sahib
- Dr. Surjeet Singh Nagpal
- (Theologist)
- DEI ICT Centre,
- Agra City, Agra
2- Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a Holy Scripture of
Sikh Religion. This was compiled by the fifth
Sikh Guru Guru Arjan Dev in 1604. - Guru Granth Sahib contains the divine Words
(hymns) of those 35 God-conscious persons, who
belonged initially to different castes, creeds,
religions and regions. having common philosophy. - It is written in Gurmukhi script and having 1430
pages.
3The scripture contains compositions of 6 Sikh
Gurus, seventeen saints and Bhagats like Kabir,
Farid, Namdev, Ravidas, Beni, Trilochan, Jaidev,
Sundar, Parmanand, Sadna, Ramanand, Dhanna, Pipa,
Sain, Soordas, Bhikhan, Mardana etc.
4Guru Nanak
- The founder of the Sikh religion
- Born in 1469.
- He preached a message of love and understanding
and criticized the blind rituals of the Hindus
and Muslims.
5Nine Successive Gurus
The Final Living Guru Govind Singh Died in 1708
6What is a Sikh?
- SIKH' in the Punjabi language means Disciple',
Sikhs are the disciples of God who follow the
writings and teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus.
7Principles of Sikhism
-
- Naam Japo Chanting the Holy Name and
thus remembering God at all times
(ceaseless devotion to God). - Kirat Karo Earning/making a living
honestly, without exploitation or fraud. - Vand Chakko Sharing with others, helping
those with less who are in need.
8The References - Synonyms of Consciousness are
found in SGGS
- Ek Onkar Waheguru
- Anand Surat
- Mool Akal Purakh
- Joti-Svaroopa Shabd
- Khalsa Brahm Giaanee
- Saboot Surat Gurmukh
- Shabad-Vichaar Nirakar
- Mann
9Consciousness as per Gurbani
- According to Guru Granth Sahib our true nature,
Spirit, is a field of pure consciousness. - Consciousness according to Gurbani is a higher
form of awakening that the blessed person
possesses. This higher state of consciousness
enables a person to realize the oneness of the
universe, and to sense the presence in it and
through it of the Creator
10? ??? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ?????????
? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????
??????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ?(SGGS
1)
- It is this Singular Infinite Purity, the
Homogeneous Oneness, the highest plane of Pure
Consciousness, which runs in and through all
beings and everywhere. This is the Supreme
Truth. He is beyond all finite names and forms.
He is simply Pure Being the Unconditioned
Awareness.
11Consciousness
- ?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?
- ?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?
- Man ?u? jo? sarup hai ap?a mul pac??a?.
(SGGS-441) - O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine
Light - recognize your own origin. Here Jot or
Light signifies Consciousness.
12????? ???? ???? ???? ? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????
?U?pa? parla?o sab?e hovai. Sab?e hi fir opa?
hovai.
- Creation and destruction happen through the
Word or the Shabad. - In this way, the entire creation (subtle and
gross) comes into being from the Shabad, remains
sustained in the Shabad, and merges back - into the Shabad.
13?? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? (SGGS
340) To instruct their minds, people ought to
study some sort of spiritual wisdom. 5 To
instruct the mind to raise the Consciousness to
the High Plane, one ought to study Divine
Knowledge .
14????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????
????Napak pak kar ha?ur ha?isa saba? sura?
?as?ar sira. 12 (sggs 1084).Purify what is
impure, and let the Lord's Presence be your
religious tradition. Let your Intact
Consciousness ("Saabat Soorat") be the turban on
your head .
15In fact this state of "Saabat Soorat" (Undivided
Consciousness) is none other than our Essential
Nature. This leads to the following question If
It never left us then how we lost track of It?
Our false ego-sense (Haume) has
intervened. False ego sense is nothing but
disturbance on the surface of the Undivided
Consciousness ("Saabat Soorat") resulting in
subject-object relationship (duality, Maya) where
the world of names, shapes, cause, effect, time
and space is seen.
16FIVE REALMS OF SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
17Five Realms of Attaining Higher
Consciousness.(SGGS 7)
These are the realm of Duty (Dharm Khand), The
realm of Knowledge (Gyaan Khand), The realm of
service (Sarm Khand), The realm of Grace (Karm
Khand) The Realm of Truth (Sach Khand)
Whereafter man gets in tune with God, the
ultimate of Cosmic Consciousness.
18???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????
???? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?(SGGS 938)
The lotus flower floats untouched upon the
surface of the water, and the duck swims through
the stream with one's consciousness focused on
the Word of the Shabad, one crosses over the
terrifying world-ocean. O Nanak, chant the Naam,
the Name of the Lord.
19Conclusion With further progress of human life
over the coming years, most of our descendents
will some day reach the state of cosmic
consciousness just as long ago our ancestors
passed from simple to self- consciousness. This
trend in evolution is in fact already evident now
since men with this faculty are becoming more
common and, as a race, humanity is approaching
nearer to that stage of self-consciousness from
which the transition to the cosmic consciousness
is effected.
20References
1. Philosphy and Faith of Sikhism by
K.S.Duggal 2. Sri Guru Granth Sahib - Bhai Teja
Singh Chatur Singh, Amritsar. 3.
www.Gurbani.org
21Bhul Chuk Maaf.