The Essence of Jap Ji

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Foreword I have been fortunate in having met Shamsher and Mrs. Puri ('world mother, as she is lovingly called) during the last few years. They are sadh-sangat and sat-sangat personified. Shamsher has a deep insight of Gurbani and he lives it. He is a stalwart in the Sikh Community with contributions in several publications on Sikhism and education of youth in Gurbani. Now he has courageously completed the difficult task of translating Guru Nanak's Japji into English.

Japji

Japji is such a concentrated and potent capsule of spiritual knowledge and wisdom which is best understood progressively as one lives life and as each word is exposed beyond the literal to its deeper concept and meaning.

Japji encapsulates the rest of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. In Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Gurus describe their state of oneness with the Divine and provide pointers for others to get there. Words can only describe the state metaphorically. The state can only be really known by experiencing and feeling it. How can one describe the everyday taste of sweetness to the one who has never tasted it? Words and descriptions fall short.

From as early an age as I can remember, my parents and grandparents taught me the melodic recitation of Japji by rote. They inculcated in me the belief that in Japji, each Pauri (Stanza) is a step of a spiritual ladder leading to the fulfilment of desires and God-realization-a sort of 'how-to' approach. Reverently reciting Japit became my praye daily routine. But since it was in Punjabi, while Sindhi, H and English were my natural thinking languages, 1 senes an effectiveness gap. Fortunately, during college life, I read the proof of some of my Grandfather's English publications, Essays on Japji and Essays Illustrated, which spurred renewed efforts at understanding and making my daily recitation more meaningful. Subsequently, reading Sri Guns Granth Sabib, added some clarity but also introduced several spiritual questions. The lingering questions motivated me to listen to or read the works of other blessed souls on Jap such as: discourses by Gurpreet Kaur, by Swami Tejananda, True Name by Osho, Dr. Gopal Singh's translation of Sn Guru Granth Sahib, Gurbani CD...and more recently Prof T. Singh's Shabad Vichar Articles on the web. So, from a personal perspective, this has been a welcome opportunity to revisit Japji and review this translation.

This Translation Shamsher Singh Puri fills a gap, felt in earlier Japji translations with his this translation. He is indeed different He has focussed on conveying to the reader the key messages of Guru Nanak in Japji. What he says will ring true to the reader as it did to me. Initially he introduces the reader to the background of Japji which provides a very interesting and comprehensive picture. He sets expectations and establishes motivation by presenting the powerful and remedial impacts that the reflective recitations of each Pauri has on alleviating the difficulties in life or improving the spiritual quality of living, if the reader chooses to do so.

Next, he presents the broader context necessary to understanding Japfi. What Japji is, Religion as Guru Nanak described it; is Divine Will; Naam, Word (sound) and Simran, Shabad, described as the sound current of life.

Preface The original Punjabi text of the Japji is exquisitely written and it is impossible to translate it without some loss. An effort, however, has been made in these passages to present to the public a literal translation of the text. Where the reader might lose the true import, recourse has been made to a free rendering.

The Japji deals with the practical aspect of the problem of spirituality more than with mere theory. It is not merely a work of literature. Earlier translations into English have tended to ignore this end and have often failed to convey the true import of the original. In these pages an effort has been made to concentrate upon the message that Japji contains rather than to indulge in a literary show. It has been prepared keeping in view that it will help all men irrespective of the religion that they may profess.

True religious thought is ingrained in the hearts of all beings, it is inherent and appears in the form of search after Peace Everlasting and Joy Supreme. When this awakening comes to man from within, he takes to the religious pursuits as prescribed by one or other form of religion. He also begins a keen and passionate study of the holy scriptures. These are the elementary steps towards God-realization and are necessary. But he who does not go beyond this stage, thinking it to be the be-all and end-all of religion, never enters the realm of higher consciousness. There are primary means. He has to advance a step further, to quiet the spiritual unrest of his mind.

Man has to take to the subjective side of the things, ultimately to commune with Shabad Bani. This Eternal Divine Music is the cause of all creation, and permeates it. Christ refers to it as the Word, the Mohammadan saints as Kalma, Hindu scriptures as Shruti, Nad or Akash Bani. The science of 'the word' has been taught by almost all the saints. It is the quickest, the easiest and most natural of all the sciences that exist for attaining complete oneness with Lord (Satguru). May Lord bless the readers of this humble work which has been written to afford food for the soul that aspires to take a step further into the inner realm of the spiritual life. These teachings are addressed to all humanity and no sectarianism is inculcated.

Loving acknowledgement is made to the teachings of Gurus and writers like Bhai Mani Singh Ji, Dr. G.S. Talib, Dr. Gopal Singh Dardi, Sardar Manmohan Singh, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji and Principal Teja Singh Ji who have explained Japji so well.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages