Universal Teachings for Humanity

Sikh Dharma offers universal teachings for all humanity to experience our origin, which is the root meaning of religion, to take us back to our origin or spiritual essence to which we are eternally bound. Based on the teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus as recorded during their lives, the living Siri Guru Granth Sahib preserves their original and pure teachings as they were given in the Gurmukhi script, between the 15th and 18th centuries in the Punjab region of Northern India. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib contains the teachings the Sikh Gurus, as well as the hymns of the saints of many other religions, making it the only interfaith and universal teaching for humanity. The essential message of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is Ek Ong Kaar, or there is One Creator of the Creation, One Spirit that moves throughout all creation, and the Creator and creation are one.  Sikh Dharma teaches individual responsibility and authority for our lives and our world and the Light of the Divine dwells in every being. Through a daily spiritual practice, service to others in honest labor, and giving one tenth of our earnings back to the Divine Source, to our universal family, are the sacred responsibilities of a Sikh.

Sikhs wear a turban and bana (clothes that stand out), so they can always be recognized. If you need help or assistance, you know that you can always recognize a Sikh by their bana to ask for help. With no discrimination of any kind whatsoever, a Sikh is bound to serve the spiritual essence that resides in every living being, so that we can continually grow our prosperity and peaceful, healing environments for all and bring justice to all people throughout our world now. If you meet a Sikh who is not living up to these standards then say to that person, “Shame on you.”

THE JOY OF GURMUKHI

Daily recitation of the sacred sounds of Gurmukhi gives us ongoing upliftment and happiness in navigating the challenges in life and serving all to create a better world. Below is a wonderful guide to learning the pronunciation of Gurmukhi.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF GURMUKHI

To continue with your exploration and practice of Gurmukhi, click the link below to listen to Sada Sat Simran Singh sharing the beauty of Gurmukhi, its divine sound current, and how it relates to a daily spiritual practice. In this JOY OF GURMUKHI video series, there are 15 videos. The Building Blocks of Gurmukhi (above) plus 14 additional lessons. We hope these videos help you on your road to learning Gurmukhi.
INTRODUCTION TO THE JOY OF GURMUKHI

Click here to easily navigate to all 15 videos in the series!

Jaapji Sahib

Song of the Soul

Learn to Recite Jaapji Sahib in the Original Gurmukhi Sound Current

Jaapji Saahib is the first prayer of a Sikh. This is the bani or sacred verse, which is a synopsis of the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib. It was given to us by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the First Guru of the Sikhs, who spoke the first three words of this prayer immediately following three days in which he was immersed in a river in divine communion. Jaapji is known as the primal bani and it is the preamble to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib is the explanation of Jaapji. It is the key bani to Sikh teachings and it is the bani recited by Guru Gobind Singh (the Tenth Sikh Guru) while he prepared the Amrit ceremony or Sikh baptism. Jaapji gives us a portal to salvation and self-liberation. When we recite it, we experience the ecstasy of Guru Nanak because we speak as he spoke and we match that divine frequency.

Jaapji consists of the Mool Mantra, (opening verse) 38 pauris or stanzas, and the slok (closing verse). Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave us Jaapji just to explain how we can achieve union with the divine. He takes us step by step so that any one is able to go through the steps and achieve realization and be one with the One. The Mool Mantra or opening verse, every pauri or stanza, and the slok or closing verse all have specific codes and frequencies that provides unique benefits. For example, The opening Mool Mantra is a fate killer that enables us to change our destiny. The 3rd pauri provides sufficiency from insufficiency, and the 22nd pauri gives victory in legal battles.

Understanding Jaapji gives us the vastness of mind to reign in our environmental domain. Just as the flower gives off a fragrance, so will your radiance shine in the world. Meditating in the early morning hours, remember to chant and sing the Name of the Divine throughout the day. Through Jaapji, Guru Nanak Dev Ji laid down the path of the householder, saying we should live in  the world and perform our duties, while remembering the Divine with each breath.