Jaap Sahib English Katha #9 - Chand 74 - 86

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

We are going through Jaap Sahib
in English every week.

Those who have come today because
it's a Gurpurab and the weekend,

Beware that every Sunday at 6 pm,
we have Katha in English of Gurbani.

We are going through Jaap Sahib by
Guru Gobind Singh Ji,

Every week, the Katha
program will be here.

If you came today, do try to come
again next week or the week after.

With Maharaj Ji's Kirpa, the Gurudwara
has given us the opportunity to do this.

We should all, if we can, use that time.

Sangat is very important.

It's June now, which is a very
emotive time for the whole Panth.

Firstly, we are remembering
Guru Arjan Dev Ji's Shaheedi in 1606,

We are also trying to remember what the
indian government did in Harimandir Sahib.

These are very emotive topics.

But if the youth is going to
do anything about the future,

It's going to have to come from Gurbani.

A lot of people don't realize that the
whole of Sikhi is about Gurparsaad.

It is about getting the Guru's blessings.

Guru Sahib has given us the Hukam that,

Here, Sevak means Sikh.

So, if a Sikh listens to
Bani and follows it,

The Guru themselves will
come to save that Sikh.

When we see ourselves in the Panth,
we see the situation we are in right now,

It's very easy to look for
someone to save us.

We are looking for a saviour.

Ultimately, that saviour is our Guru.

It's only our Guru who can help a Sikh.

So, before we start asking anybody else
for help, we have to turn to our Guru.

And our Guru is Bani.

Before we do anything else,
return to Gurbani,

And ask Maharaj to give us a Hukam
about what we should know in our lives.

What we are going to go through
today is Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Bani,

Which is also Amrit Bani; it makes Amrit.

We make Amrit from Dasam Bani,
including Jaap Sahib.

Hence, it is Amrit Bani.

Last week, we got to Chhand 73.

This week, Maharaj starts
with Charpat Chhand.

Which is a very quick Chhand, and
there are 4 parts to each one.

Maharaj says,

O Vaheguru Ji!
This is with your blessings.

Maharaj is not saying
through their own Kirpa,

But that God is making
them say these words;

It's your (God's) Kirpa.

It is revelation for us.

Maharaj says,

O Vaheguru Ji, your actions are immortal.

Karam means actions.

So, Vaheguru Ji does actions as well,
but their actions are immortal.

A lot of people don't understand
what the word Amrit means,

Even though we have got a lot of
people in our Panth called Amrit.

There are probably people sitting
in the Sangat right now,

With the name Amritpal or even just Amrit,

But the word has been anglicized and
has lost all of its meaning.

The word Mrit means death.

So A-mrit means the opposite of
death, which is immortality.

The things that you do are immortal.

Another way to understand the
word Amrit is not just immortality,

But that amazing nectar which is God,
because he is immortal.

Your actions are so amazing,
that they are Amrit.

That's why Amrit Naam is Vaheguru's name,

And if we get that,
we can become immortal.

Also, it's amazing and beautiful.

Things that are Amrit are
also amazing and beautiful.

Vaheguru Ji, your actions are
amazing and beautiful.

If something tastes nice,
we will say that it was like Amrit.

Which means, it was amazing and beautiful.

Maharaj says, your actions are amazing.

Also, Karam can mean Grace/Kirpa.

Like we just talked about
Tav Prasad, Karam can mean that.

But if we take this word to
mean Karam as in Grace,

Then it would mean that
Vaheguru Ji's Grace is Amrit.

We just read now in Chaupai Sahib that
your Drishti [glance] is Amrit.

Kirpa-Dristi is the same as Amrit.

So, when God looks upon us,
they look at us with Kirpa.

When God does Grace upon us,
it gives us Amrit.

So Amrit is immortality,
which comes by your Grace.

Which is why, the Guru gives Amrit.

When Guru does Kirpa upon us,
then he gives us Amrit.

You give Amrit, and
it's all by your Grace.

Some people ask,

"Why do I need to take Amrit?
The Gurus were not Amritdhari!"

"Guru Gobind Singh Ji started it,
but the Gurus weren't Amritdhari."

That's not true, all of
the Gurus were Amritdhari.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji says that
he got Amrit from Sachkhand.

They went up to Sachkhand, met
Akaal Purakh, and were given Amrit.

They say in Gurbani, that they were
called up to the heavenly Court.

After that, every Guru was
baptised by the previous Guru.

Guru Angad Dev Ji met Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
and they became an Amritdhari Sikh.

They took Charan Pahul Da Amrit.

That was the way; Charan Amrit.

So, they would've taken that.

Afterward, Guru Gobind Singh Ji
was Amritdhari,

Because they took it
from Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.

Because they were a Sikh as well.

When they became Amritdhari themselves,

They made the Khalsa and then they also
took Amrit from the next Guru.

The Guru after Guru Gobind Singh Ji
was Guru Khalsa.

Guru Granth Sahib Ji
got the Gurgaddi in 1708,

But in 1699, Khalsa Panth became
the physical body of the Guru.

Therefore, Guru Gobind Singh Ji took Amrit
from the next Guru; The Khalsa Panth.

They were Amritdhari as well.

So, the Amrit line has been through all of
Sikhi since Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Everybody who has followed this
way has been Amritdhaari.

Whether it was Charan Amrit or
Khande Di Pahul Da Amrit.

Now, it's Khande Di Pahul Da Amrit,
that's the new Vela.

Maharaj say,

Your actions, O Vaheguru Ji, are immortal.

Your actions give Amrit and
the whole world seek it.

Baani tells us,

The Devi Devte, develic beings, and
angelic beings search for this immortality

That Amrit is sat with Guru Ji.

The Guru has been given this Amrit.

If you look at the Indiana Jones movie,

When he is looking for the Amrit drink,
which will make him immortal.

That's a very old story, and it has
happened many times in history.

People have looked for this fabled drink
that makes you immortal.

The problem is, many times in life,
Shanka (doubt) comes in.

We have got the drink in
front of us, but we think,

"I don't think I should have this,
I'm not sure if I should have this."

A famous story, if you've studied history,
is that there was a Mughal emperor,

Either Tipu Sultan or somebody else.

He spent his whole life
looking for this thing: Amrit.

When he finally got the the place,
after so much hard work and tests,

He finally got to the place where
he had the chance to drink Amrit.

It was in a glass,

The Devi Devte were really scared that
he was going to get this Amrit,

Because not only would he
become the ruler of the Earth,

But he would also look to attack
them and take over their places.

So, they sent somebody to trick him.

This Devi came down in the form
of an old woman, very haggard.

She started laughing at him when
he had this glass of Amrit in his hand.

She said, "Why do you want to drink that?"

He said,
"It's going to give me immortality."

She said, "I drank that and look at me,
I have got no blood left in me.

"I'm laughing because
I'm never going to die,

But I will look like this
for the rest of my life."

It's good, if you drink it,
you can join me and look like me."

In his mind, Shanka came,
and he spilled it.

He left it.

Had he drunk it, he would've been Amar and
gotten everything he had sought for.

But at the last moment,
doubt came into his mind.

In the same way, nowadays,
when we follow Sikhi,

We might get interested in Sikhi and
start doing Path.

Somebody somewhere will try to
put something in our mind like,

"Maybe you're not good enough.
Maybe it's night right for you.

No one is ever going to marry you.
You will break it.

You are not that good anyway!"

Something will come into our mind,
and we will think that it's not for us.

We will spill it as well.

That happens a lot.

The thing we have to understand is:
Amrit Karme.

The Guru makes you Amrit;
you don't take Amrit,

You get given Amrit.

Guru helps you with keeping Rehit.

You don't keep your Rehit;
Maharaj helps you.

All these Kakkars and all the Bani
are designed to support you.

It's a support network that
Maharaj has given.

It's not a burden upon your shoulders;
it's a thing that holds you up.

It's not the thing pushing you down.

When we start to think of it this way,

We will understand that Bani and
Sikhi are meant to lift us up.

It lifts us up and doesn't push us down.

Obviously, Guru Nanak Dev Ji
gave you anything that can hurt you.

Obviously, Guru Gobind Singh Ji,

Isn't going to give you something
that's going to make your life miserable.

It's always going to support you, but rest
of society will put doubt in your mind.

They will say, "It's not for you!"

So, we have to be on guard about that.

Those who are Amritdhari and
have taken this Amrit,

Understand this: you didn't take Amrit,
you were blessed.

If you are not keeping your Rehit, then
you are spilling it every day as well.

Try to come back to Amrit Bani.

Maharaj says,

Anmrit Baannee Har Har Teree,
Sunn Sunn Hovai Param Gat Meree ||

When I listen to your Amrit Bani, Maharaj,

My Gati, my state becomes Param, supreme.

This is the benefit of that Amrit;
it's going to make us immortal.

The reason it's going to
make us immortal is,

Because it's going to give us the
connection to that divine One,

Who is immortal as well.

Then Maharaj says,

Amrit Karme. Abrit Dharme

The word Abrit can have two meanings,

One meaning is that you are inside.

You are within all Dharams.

Abrit Dharme - Inside every
religion, God is.

It's not the case that the
Muslims haven't gotten a God,

Or that only the Sikhs have a
God and the Jews don't.

He is inside all religions,
not just in ours.

Also, the Word Abrit can
mean unchanging forever.

Immortal.

Vaheguru Ji, your Dharam is
immortal, not changing.

Maharaj says,

Aad Sach Jugaad Sach Hai Bhee
Sach Naanak Hosee Bhee Sach ||

Sikhi rules have been
around since time immemorial.

Because Maharaj says,

Sarab Dharam Meh Srestt Dharam,
Har Ko Naam Jap Nirmal Karam ||

The highest Dharam, the highest way
of living amongst all ways of living,

Is to be righteous, to do right
actions, and to chant Naam.

That's all that Sikhi is.

Sikhi is about living a good decent life,

Helping people and meditating upon God.

Seva and Simran; Miri and Piri.

All of it's the same thing; that's why
this is the highest, unchanging Dharm.

Sikhi is never going to change.

It's never going to be in the Sikh Dharam
to start exploiting people.

Exploiting people is always
going to be against Sikhi.

This Dharam is unchangeable.

Akhall Joge. Ahall Bhoge.

O Vaheguru Ji, you are Akhall Joge.

The word Akhall means everything.

Joge means to be joined to.

Akhall Joge

Vaheguru Ji, you are joined to everything.

Everything is imbued with you.

It is true that God is
joined with everything,

Because Bani tells us that
Naam supports the whole world.

That's how Vaheguru Ji is absorbed
inside everything because,

Naam Ke Dhaare Sagal Aakaar ||

Everything is supported by Naam.

The God Particle they are looking for,

In Switzerland, with
the massive Hadron Collider,

They are looking for a God Particle that
supports the whole world.

They are looking for Naam.

They don't realize that you
can get it by calling for God.

They are looking to
find it scientifically.

It's the same thing; Naam.

Gods power, is what supports the world

Achall Bhoge.

Challna means to go,
Achall means to not go.

So, it is forever and unchanging.

Maharaj says,

Achall Bhoge.

Consumption.

When you consume something, you enjoy it.

If you're really hungry and
are given food,

When you do Bhog of that food,
you will be very happy and satisfied.

In the same way, there are many things in
the world that we consume that we enjoy.

All those joys of life and its enjoyment,
that's called Bhogna.

That's why Maharaj says,

Achall Bhoge: You are forever
enjoying this world, Vaheguru Ji.

No matter what's happening, you are
living in bliss and watching it happen.

Maharaj says,

Achall Raje. Atall Saje. Akhall
Dharmang. Alakkh Karmang.

Vaheguru Ji, you are Achall Raje.

Again, the word Achall means
forever and permanent.

Raje means the King.

You are forever the King, Vaheguru Ji!

Your rule will never go.

Other earthly Kings will come and go.

A random person becomes a prince,

Then a king, and eventually a
retired king, before dying.

But your Raj, Vaheguru Ji, will never go.

You are Achall Raje.

Then Atall Saje.

You are Atall, Vaheguru Ji.

If you Tall something or someone's
Hukam, it means you have broken it.

But you are Atall, you are
forever and unmoving.

Vaheguru Ji, because you are unmoving,

Saje means to create,

Your creation is forever;
you are forever creating.

You are the only person who creates.

Atall Saje

Maharaj says, Akhall Dharmang.

Akhall, as discussed previously,
means everything.

Dharmang: You are in all religions.

One meaning of the word Dharam is
righteousness, but it also means religion.

Like Sikh Dharam, Hindu Dharam and
Islam Dharam.

Akhall Dharmang: You are inside
all Religions, Maharaj Ji.

Then, Alakkh Karmang.

The word Alakkh means
similar to invisible.

That's why if something is
invisible, you can't describe it.

An invisible man has no description.

Because Vaheguru Ji is Alakkh,

No one can describe them
because they are invisible.

Your actions, Vaheguru Ji, are invisible.

No one has stood up and said,
"God did that for me."

There is always an alternative approach.

This is why alot of atheists in this world
will say, "Show me what God has done."

"Show me the proof."

Everybody is looking for
something that is miraculous.

The reason they look for
miracles is so that they can say,

"That was done by God and nobody else."

The problem is,

Even if you show somebody an
amazing miracle in real life, they'll say,

"That's not necessarily done by God,
there could be an alternative solution.:"

There always will be.

Because God doesn't want us to believe in
him just by seeing something miraculous.

Because if we did that,
everybody would be religious.

Because it's a fact.

But they would never experience God.

Maharaj wants us to experience God,

And once we experience Vaheguru,
we will know it's real.

No matter how much someone
tells us that it's not real, we will say,

"You don't know it,
I can feel him right now."

Vaheguru wants us to experience them.

Maharaj, you are Alakkh Dharmang.

Your actions, Vaheguru Ji, are
never seen; they are invisible.

Then,

Sarbang Data. Sarbang Giata.
Sarbang Bhane. Sarbang Mane.

Vaheguru Ji, you are Sarbang Data.

You give to everybody, Vaheguru Ji.

No one else can give;
you are the only Giver to everyone.

Sarbang means everybody, and
Data means to give.

Sarbang Data.

Sarbang Giata.

Again, Sarbang means
everybody or everyone.

Giata means knowledge.

Vaheguru Ji, you know everybody.

You are all knowledge.

Sarbang Bhane. Sarbang Mane.

Bhane, we talked about it last time,
is like the sun, light, or illumination.

Vaheguru Ji, you are all illumination.

But you also illuminate everybody.

We are not talking about the illumination,
which comes from these lights.

We are talking about
spiritual illumination.

Vaheguru Ji, you illuminate everybody.

If someone asks about
what God is made out of,

You could say that he is
made out of spiritual illumination.

That's why one meaning of
the word Gurparsaad,

because Mool Mantar talks about God,

Some people ask why Gurparsaad is in there
because that's not a quality of God.

But it is a quality of God.

Because Vaheguru Ji is enlightenment.

They are enlightenment incarnated.

When you connect to God, you
can't help but start to be enlightened.

It's not possible that you can meet God
but not feel that enlightenment inside you

Because they are the very Roop of
light and the form of enlightenment.

So, because they are that,
they are Sarbang Bhane; all light.

That's why Guru Sahib is enlightenment.

To go through the Guru is
to get enlightenment.

Maharaj says, Sarbang Mane.

Everybody in the whole world, Vaheguru
Ji, accept you, they respect you.

Now, you might say that some
atheists don't respect God.

It's true.

There are people out there right
now who are criticizing God.

But those people can't stop
breathing, can they?

And then carry on living?

No.

They can't stop eating.

God made the system, and
they are stuck within.

Whether they like it or not,
they have to live by its rules.

That's why they respect you,
because your Hukam is you, Vaheguru Ji.

They accept your Hukam, even
though they might criticize it.

They have to live within.

They can't change it.

In fact, there is nothing they
can do about it at all.

We'll come to that later on, where Maharaj
says, everybody is trapped in your Hukam.

There is nothing they can do about it.

Sarbang Pranang. Sarbang Tranang.
Sarbang Bhugta. Sarbang Jugta.