Sikh Yoga: Difference between revisions

Sikh Yoga As most of western Sikh are coming to Sikh faith using Yoga they are Misquoting Gurbani and Bhai Gurdas Ji. One of frequently used depicted in the Vars of Bhai Gurdas, considered the key to understanding Gurbani.

The Gursikh Yogis remain detached and wakeful amidst the world of attachments.

(Varan Bhai Gurdas Var 29, Verse 15)

Further Bhai Gurdas Ji Vars of Vaar 1, Pauri 41 , which they never read:

ਇਹਿ ਸ੝ਣਿ ਬਚਨ ਜੋਗੀਸਰਾਂ ਮਾਰਿ ਕਿਲਕ ਬਹ੝ ਰੂਇ ਉਠਾਈ। ਖਟਿ ਦਰਸਨ ਕਉ ਖੇਦਿਆ ਕਲਿਜ੝ਗਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਬੇਦੀ ਆਈ।

ਸਿਧਿ ਬੋਲਨਿ ਸਭਿ ਅਵਖਧੀਆ ਤੰਤ੝ਰ ਮੰਤ੝ਰ ਕੀ ਧ੝ਨੋ ਚੜ੝ਹਾਈ। ਰੂਪ ਵਟਾਝ ਜੋਗੀਆ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਘਿ ਬਹ੝ ਚਲਿਤਿ ਦਿਖਾਈ।

ਇਕਿ ਪਰਿ ਕਰਿਕੈ ਉਡਰਨਿ ਪੰਖੀ ਜਿਵੈ ਰਹੈ ਲੀਲਾਈ। ਇਕਨਾ ਨਾਗਹੋਇ ਪਉਣ ਛੋੜਿਆ ਇਕਨਾ ਵਰਖਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਵਸਾਈ।

ਤਾਰੇ ਤੋੜੇ ਭੰਗਰਿਨਾਥ ਇਕ ਚੜਿ ਮਿਰਗਾਨੀ ਜਲ੝ ਤਰਿ ਜਾਈ।ਸਿਧਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਨ ਬ੝ਝੈ ਬ੝ਝਾਈ ॥੪੧॥

Listening to this, the yogis snarled loudly and invoked many spirits.They said, (In kaliyug, Bedi Nanak has trampled and driven away the six schools of Indian philosophy).Saying thus, the Siddhs counted all sorts of medicines and started making tantric sounds of the mantras.Yogis changed themselves into the forms of lions and tigers and performed many actions.Some of them became winged and flew like birds.Some started hissing like cobra and some poured out fire.Bhangar nath plucked the stars and many upon deer skin started floating on water.The fire (of desires) of the siddhs was unextinguishable.

Now what Guru Granth Sahib Ji say [1]

ਖਟ੝ ਸਾਸਤ ਬਿਚਰਤ ਮ੝ਖਿ ਗਿਆਨਾ ॥ ਪੂਜਾ ਤਿਲਕ੝ ਤੀਰਥ ਇਸਨਾਨਾ ॥

ਨਿਵਲੀ ਕਰਮ ਆਸਨ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਇਨ ਮਹਿ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥

ਅਨਿਕ ਬਰਖ ਕੀਝ ਜਪ ਤਾਪਾ ॥ ਗਵਨ੝ ਕੀਆ ਧਰਤੀ ਭਰਮਾਤਾ ॥

ਇਕ੝ ਖਿਨ੝ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਸਾਂਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਜੋਗੀ ਬਹ੝ੜਿ ਬਹ੝ੜਿ ਉਠਿ ਧਾਵੈ ਜੀਉ ॥੩॥

ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਮੋਹਿ ਸਾਧ੝ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ॥ ਮਨ੝ ਤਨ੝ ਸੀਤਲ੝ ਧੀਰਜ੝ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

ਪ੝ਰਭ੝ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਬਸਿਆ ਘਟ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਮੰਗਲ੝ ਨਾਨਕ੝ ਗਾਵੈ ਜੀਉ ॥੪॥੫॥੧੨॥

People recite from memory the wisdom of the six schools of philosophy;they perform worship services, wear ceremonial religious marks on their foreheads, and take ritual cleansing baths at sacred shrines of pilgrimage.They perform the inner cleansing practice with water and adopt the eighty-four Yogic postures; but still, they find no peace in any of these. ||2||They chant and meditate, practicing austere self-discipline for years and years;

they wander on journeys all over the earth;and yet, their hearts are not at peace, even for an instant. The Yogi rises up and goes out, over and over again. ||3||By His Mercy, I have met the Holy Saint.My mind and body have been cooled and soothed; I have been blessed with patience and composure.The Immortal Lord God has come to dwell within my heart. Nanak sings the songs of joy to the Lord. ||4||5||12||

Now Let's see what Sikh Scripture has which people Misquote

Dr Trilochan Singh's in his Book Sikhism and Tantric Yoga"We find in Sikh scriptures such terms as Sahajya, Sunya, Turiya, Anhada Nirvana, Samadhi, Omkar, which had their origin in early Vedic literature and acquired their basic philosophic content in Upanishads and Mahabharata. These very terms underwent a dramatic trans valuation of values under Jainism, Buddhism, Shiva ism and Nathpanthi Yogi cults. Two thousand years after the death of Buddha the creative genius of Sikh Gurus redefined these terms; in the light of their divine experiences there was once more trans valuation of values. Not only were the terms and concepts emerging from Hindu Buddhist traditions redefined by the Gurus in the light of their own philosophy and mystical experiences, but even such terms from Islamic tradition as namaz, kalma, ma'arfat, tariqat, haqiqat, sidaq, were redefined and given new meaning and content. Those who see these terms in the Sikh scriptures and rush to the conclusion that the Sikh Gurus borrowed them from older religions or creeds in their classical sense, express grave ignorance either of the Sikh doctrines or of the philosophic and religious system from which they are borrowed or of both."

That means Sikh Scripture is totally Independent of the words being used and has there Unique meaning in Synch with Oneness.

Now, what is Yoga?

Yogo In Sikh Scripture refers to Union, linking with God, experience or realization of God, Unity, Oneness (Not one as posture/Kundalini Yogi)

Some Sikhs who want to do Hindu practice may follow Yoga. Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, commonly known as Yogi Bhajan propagated essential Sikh teachings and Gurbani through the methodology of Yoga.

In brief as per Hindu, the authoritative Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe yoga as having eight limbs and three essential pillars. The eight limbs consist of: ethical (1) dos and (2) don’ts, (3) posture, (4) breathing exercise, (5) dispassion, (6) focussed awareness, (7) held awareness and (8) enlightenment.

Who is Yogi

Yogi here refers to the one who got Unity, oneness and enlightment.

The first describes God(Himself) as the Supreme Yogi. For example:

God is himself the Yogi, staff-bearer,

God himself is the pervading lover of forest, field and land.

It is God who subjects himself

To spiritual ordeals and fixes his mind in prolonged meditation.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 165)

The second form depicts the True Guru as Yogi. Typically:

Through the disease of pride, man finds humiliation.

Through the disease of lust, even the elephant finds his limit.

Through the disease of seeing, the moth is consumed.

Through the disease of hearing, the deer meets its end.

All I see, are overtaken by disease.

Free from disease is only my True Guru, the Yogi.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 1140)

The third type of Gurbani conveys the personal experience of samadhi, ultimate realization. An example of the many verses in this mode would be:

The body of six chakras is the abode of the detached yogi mind.

My inner essence is awakened to the sound of the word,

My mind absorbed in the resonance of the celestial sound.

By the Guru’s Teachings, my consciousness is filled with the True Name.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 903)

When the mind abides in a steady heart,

Then, the Gurmukh lives in a constant knowledge of the Origin, the Root of all Being.

Then the breath is centered in the navel.

The Gurmukh finds there the Essence they have been seeking.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 945)

(5-7) Lastly, dispassion and various levels of awareness and enlightenment are richly and evocatively portrayed in Gurbani.

The Gurmukh lives free in the pristine cave of being.

There, using the power of the Shabad, she does away with the five thieves.

Her mind no longer wanders to others’ houses,

But is absorbed in the natural coziness within…

With her mind easily absorbed in the samadhi of the neutral mind,

Abandoning selfishness and greed, she recognizes only the one.

When the disciple’s heart honours the Guru,

O Nanak, then duality is finished and the Guru and disciple are one.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 904)

The three pillars consist of tapas (enduring spiritual ordeals), self-study and dedication of one’s efforts to the Supreme. Tapas consists of accepting hardship as purification. The classical Sikh tapas is to rise when it is difficult, in the dark hours of the morning, for meditation. Sikh tradition is replete with stories of great souls who have experienced the grace of God through the hardship of prolonged meditation. In their memory, there are still a number of historic tapasthaans (places of tapas) kept in memory of their ordeals. Self-study, consisting of meditation or simran, and dedication of one’s efforts in service or seva, round out the three pillars.

The Gurmukh who loves God’s Name, recites the Name,

Endures spiritual ordeals and practices self-restraint.

The Gurmukh always meditates on the One Name of the Creator.

O Nanak, meditate on the One Name which is the support of all beings!

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 29)

Raj Yoga, the practice of living detached, yet fully engaged in the world, is the epitome of Sikh teachings. Gurbani offers no higher praise of Guru Nanak than to say he mastered Raj Yoga.

Kal says sometime sing the sublime praises of Guru Nanak

Who enjoyed the mastery of raj yoga.

(Siri Guru Granth Sahib, 1389)

In summary

Sikh Yoga simply means the joining of the ego-self (Haume or the sense of "I, me, mine, you") to the Higher, Pure Being within ("Joti-Svaroopa") — our True Nature. It's to become living-liberated (Jeevanmukta) while still living in the body (living of life without getting attached to worldly things)

External References

Book Sikhism and Tantric Yoga