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A Bath And A Cleansing
INNI KAUR
Like a trusted friend, it arrives in my inbox every morning. Do I open it immediately?
Sadly not …
But at some point of the day, I do open it. Honestly! Cross my heart!
And a-a-hh! It’s pure nourishment … truly consciousness raising.
Today’s ‘word’ from AWAT (“A Word A Thought“) is: “pooraa naavan” - two words, actually: complete bath, perfect bath.
I read the verse its taken from:
satgur paai-ai pooraa naavaṇ / pasoo paretahu dev karai.
Finding the true Guru, one is cleansed through and through … a bath that transforms beasts and ghosts into gods [Guru Nanak, GGS:1329]
The message:
In ancient subcontinental tradition … still embraced in current Hinduism -- there is a belief that there are 68 places of pilgrimage that hold special significance.
In this verse however, the stress is on the Guru’s teachings which tell us that the cleansing we need is required for our souls, our minds and our hearts, instead of the physical body.
There is no pilgrimage more significant and beneficial than attaining the Guru’s knowledge. By assimilating the Guru’s teaching, one transforms one’s lower, baser nature into a god-like character. One rids oneself of evil and is enriched with the good.
This is how one attains a perfect bath and enjoys its bliss. Through a pilgrimage, yes ... but only inwards.
I confess, I skip over the etymology part of the email.
Their weekly summary captures me, though.
“Our emphasis this week has been on naavaṇ or bathing as a traditional religious ritual of ablution, a practice which remains widespread amongst the Hindus in particular. Unfortunately, it can be noticed even in some gurdwaras, the Harmandar Sahib being but one example.
“Gurbani, however, is quite clear on the subject. It advocates a different kind of bathing – at the inner shrine. The trouble with external rituals is that they miss the inner, deeper meaning and through mindless repetition become merely habitual and robotic; one loses one’s sense of why a certain practice is performed.
“Gurbani bathing involves a different mindset, namely that of a Sikh, a learner, a seeker. A Sikh is an apprentice to the Guru. It is in the transmission of knowledge (from the Guru to Sikh) that the cleansing takes place.
“What is implied is that it is our minds that are fogged up and soiled and require a bathing (naavaṇ). Divine knowledge is the true cleanser which nourishes human life.”
If salvation can be obtained by bathing in water, then what about the frogs, which are always bathing in water? As are those frogs, so are these men; they continue suffering in misery over and over again. [Bhagat Kabir, GGS:484]
Simply profound.
I am their devoted fan.
“A Word A Thought” is like a warm summer breeze that has nestled in my heart. I don’t know the forces behind the weekly mailings, yet I feel drawn to congratulate them on their first anniversary, and wish them every success.
Here is to the first of many, many more …
* * * * *
AWAT: awordathought.com
Edited for sikhchic.com
July 7, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), July 08, 2015, 7:18 PM.
A true Sikh knows the intrinsic connection between physical cleanliness and Truth! Both have to go hand in hand.
2: Ajit Singh Batra (Pennsville, New Jersey, USA), July 08, 2015, 11:12 PM.
Japji Sahib explains in Pauri 20 very clearly the 'physical cleanliness' and 'cleanliness of mind' applicable to human beings. The mind is governed by our actions for which we have sole responsibility. We live in 'duality' in this world and require guidance which is imparted to us through The Word -- Guru Granth Sahib. The Word is Naam Simran - an expression of the Name in finite form.
3: Bhai Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, USA), July 10, 2015, 11:34 PM.
Inni ji, thank you for beautifully describing your experience with one of the Guru’s major doctrines, Naam Daan Isnaan. You essentially drew our attention to one the Gurmat troika, Isnaan. With time, I trust, you or others will report their experience also with Naam and Daan. Also, hopefully others will take the hint and not substitute Guru’s doctrinal terms with essentially man-made non-gurbani terms to suite the convenience or the circumstances. Let me draw our readers’ attention to the oldest available Sikh annals, the ancient 'meharban vaalee janam sakhi', which described the Divine inspirations to the Guru as saying, "O Nanak, those you accept will be given salvation in the court of God ... you are ordained to undertake the mission of both articulations and inculcation of the practice of Naam Daan Isnaan in the millennium of kaljug." Following the historic event of the Rver Beini the scriptural terms Naam Daan Isnaan were made an essential part of gurmat philosophy and were repeatedly emphasized in Gurbani. From this time onward, these terms and the concepts they represented continued to be recognized as the fundamentals of the Sikhi value system. Let us accept the Guru’s light without adulteration or alteration with man-made terminology such as naam juppna, wund chhakna, kirat karni. They are not the same as the doctrinal terms accepted in the Guru Granth Sahib.
4: Dya Singh (Melbourne, Australia), August 02, 2015, 6:00 PM.
Inni ji, loved your sentiments on AWAT. The team - from Singapore are doing sterling service. My particular interest is of Dr. Sahib Harbans Lal ji's comments on Naam Daan Ishnan and his rebuttal of Naam Juppna and Wund chhakna. My request is for some elaboration of this because we teach our younger generations worldwide about Naam Juppna, etc. Dr. Sahib, are you saying we should stop this practice and instead espouse Naam Daan and Ishnan? If so, begging my personal ignorance, I think we need further clarification on this.