"Instructions" from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

[Treks]

Hello

I started this project a few years ago. It involved a cursory reading of a translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, looking for anything that looked, superficially, like an "instruction" or "command". I did not interpret the Gurbani, or look into any deeper meanings of the shabads - I literally just read the words and copy/pasted lines that appeared to be instructional. The goal was to get a very basic idea of what Gurbani tells Sikhs to do.

It didn't take long before I realised that Sri Raag (the first "chapter" in SGGSJ, after the daily prayers) contains the most direct instructions (between page 1 and approximately page 600 which is as far as I've read). Sri Raag is very motivational.

I thought any curious people would like to see these superficial gems.

Please note this is taken from a brief reading of one translation of SGGSJ, and may be taken out of context, which is why I've included the page numbers for cross-reference and re-interpretation. This is the easiest site to use to look up the pages www.srigranth.org

I'll be re-reading and tidying up this list over the next day or so, so the list may change. Thanks for your patience.

Enjoy.

 

[Treks]

Ang Instruction
101 While standing and sitting, while sleeping and while awake, meditate on the Lord, all your life.
1 O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will.
1 O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego.
2 In the Amrit Vaylaa, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness
2 Sing, and listen, and let your mind be filled with love.
3 The faithful do not follow empty religious rituals.
3 The faithful, O Nanak, do not wander around begging. (this could be more an observation than instruction?)
4 Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind, cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within.
5 O Nanak, one who claims to know everything shall not be decorated in the world hereafter.
5 Even kings and emperors, with mountains of property and oceans of wealth—these are not even equal to an ant, who does not forget God.
5 Speak of Him continually, and remain absorbed in His Love.
6 If anyone presumes to describe God, he shall be known as the greatest fool of fools!
8 Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows— O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Court of the Lord, and many are saved along with them!
12 Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; vibrate and meditate on the Jewel of the Naam.
13 Greet the Holy Saint with your palms pressed together; this is an act of great merit. Bow down before Him; this is a virtuous action indeed.
15 Those words are acceptable, which, when spoken, bring honor.
15 Serving Him, peace is obtained; you shall go to His Court with honor. ||1||Pause||
16 Tell your troubles to the One who is the Source of all comfort. ||3||
18 The Gurmukhs train their minds to contemplate the Lord, the Supreme Soul. ||2||
20 As long as there is youth and breath, give this body to Him.
21 Know the state of your inner being; meet with the Guru and get rid of your skepticism.
21 Day and night, continually serve the Lord God; the True Guru has given the Naam. ||2||
22 Give up your selfishness, and you shall find peace; like water mingling with water, you shall merge in absorption. ||2||
23 So weed out evil, wickedness and corruption; leave these behind, and let your soul meditate on God.
24 Do not think that your Husband Lord can be obtained by mere words.
23 Make this body the field, and plant the seed of good actions. Water it with the Name of the Lord, who holds all the world in His Hands. Let your mind be the farmer; the Lord shall sprout in your heart, and you shall attain the state of Nirvaanaa.
23 Bring the twenty-seven elements of the body under your control, and throughout the three stages of life, remember death. See the Infinite Lord in the ten directions, and in all the variety of nature. Says Nanak, in this way, the One Lord shall carry you across.
24 Do not think that your Husband Lord can be obtained by mere words. You are wasting this life in the pride of wealth and the splendor of beauty.
25 Whatever I do, I do in Your Presence. You see all my actions, and yet I deny them.
25 Why should the created beings feel pride in their minds? The Gift is in the Hands of the Great Giver. As it pleases Him, He may give, or not give. What can be done by the order of the created beings?
25 The Flower and the Fruit of the Lord’s Love are obtained by pre-ordained destiny. As we plant, so we harvest and eat. || 2 ||
25 Let the reading of your prayer book be the oil, and let the Fear of God be the wick for the lamp of this body. Light this lamp with the understanding of Truth. || 2 || Use this oil to light this lamp. Light it, and meet your Lord and Master. || 1 || Pause || This body is softened with the Word of the Guru’s Bani; you shall find peace, doing seva (selfless service).
26 In the midst of this world, do seva, and you shall be given a place of honor in the Court of the Lord. Says Nanak, swing your arms in joy! || 4 || 33 ||
26 I serve my True Guru with single-minded devotion, and lovingly focus my consciousness on Him.
26 Meditate on the Name, worship the Name, and through the Name, you shall be absorbed in intuitive peace and poise. || 1 ||
26 . Those who keep the Lord enshrined in their hearts subdue egotism and possessiveness.
26 || O mind, remain detached in the midst of your household. Practicing truth, self-discipline and good deeds, the Gurmukh is enlightened. || 1 || Pause ||
26 Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, the mind is conquered, and one attains the State of Liberation in one’s own home. So meditate on the Name of the Lord; join and merge with the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation. || 2 ||
26 Whatever pleases God’s Will comes to pass. Nothing else can be done. Servant Nanak lives by chanting the Naam.
27 The Gurmukh practices good deeds, and the truth is revealed in the heart.
27 No one merges with Him through the love of duality; over and over again, they come and go in reincarnation. The One Lord permeates all. The One Lord is pervading everywhere.
27 It is very difficult to serve the True Guru. Surrender your head; give up your selfishness.
27 O mind, don’t cry out that you are hungry, always hungry; stop complaining. The One who created the 8.4 million species of beings gives sustenance to all. The Fearless Lord is forever Merciful; He takes care of all. O Nanak, the Gurmukh understands, and finds the Door of Liberation. || 5 || 3 || 36 ||
27 Those who hear and believe, find the home of the self deep within. Through the Guru's Teachings, they praise the True Lord; they find the Lord, the Treasure of Excellence.
27 O Saints, see clearly that the Lord is near at hand; He is pervading everywhere. Those who follow the Guru’s Teachings realize Him, and see Him Ever-present. He dwells forever in the minds of the virtuous. He is far removed from those worthless people who lack virtue. The self-willed manmukhs are totally without virtue. Without the Name, they die in frustration. || 2 ||

 

[Treks]

28 They all show off and pretend, but the self-willed manmukhs do not understand.
28 Those Gurmukhs who are pure of heart—their service is accepted. They sing the Glorious Praise of the Lord; they read about the Lord each day.
28 O Siblings of Destiny, the Gurmukhs are honored forever. They meditate forever on the Lord, Har, Har, and they wash off the filth of egotism. || 1 || Pause ||
28 The Gurmukhs meditate on the Naam; they eradicate selfishness and conceit from within. They are pure, inwardly and outwardly; they merge into the Truest of the True. O Nanak, blessed is the coming of those who follow the Guru’s Teachings and meditate on the Lord. || 4 || 5 || 38 ||
28 Devotion to the Lord is love for the Lord. The Gurmukh reflects deeply and contemplates. Hypocrisy is not devotion—speaking words of duality leads only to misery. Those humble beings who are filled with keen understanding and meditative contemplation—even though they intermingle with others, they remain distinct. || 2 ||
28 Those who keep the Lord enshrined within their hearts are said to be the servants of the Lord. Placing mind and body in offering before the Lord, they conquer and eradicate egotism from within. Blessed and acclaimed is that Gurmukh, who shall never be defeated. || 3 ||
29 The self-willed manmukhs are polluted. They are filled with the pollution of egotism, wickedness and desire. Without the Shabad, this pollution is not washed off; through the cycle of death and rebirth, they waste away in misery. Engrossed in this transitory drama, they are not at home in either this world or the next. || 3 ||
29 For the Gurmukh, the love of the Name of the Lord is chanting, deep meditation and self-discipline. The Gurmukh meditates forever on the Name of the One Creator Lord. O Nanak, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, the Support of all beings. || 4 || 7 || 40 ||
29 O my mind, day and night, you are always full of wishful hopes. Serve the True Guru, and your emotional attachment shall be totally burnt away; remain detached within the home of your heart. || 1 || Pause ||
29 The Gurmukhs do good deeds and blossom forth; balanced and detached in the Lord, they are in ecstasy. Night and day, they perform devotional worship, day and night; subduing their ego, they are carefree. By great good fortune, I found the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation; I have found the Lord, with intuitive ease and ecstasy. || 2 ||
29 Whoever has found it, has done so in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. Through perfect good fortune, such balanced detachment is attained.
29 Within the home of your own inner being, the merchandise is obtained. All commodities are within.
30 O my mind, give up slander, egotism and arrogance. Become Gurmukh, and meditate forever on the Dear Lord, the One and Only Creator. || 1 || Pause ||
30 Through the Guru's Teachings, the heart is illuminated. Through the Shabad, the Name of the Lord is received. || 2 ||
30 In the corruption of the three qualities, there is blindness; in attachment to Maya, there is darkness. The greedy people serve others, instead of the Lord, although they loudly announce their reading of scriptures.
30 The three qualities hold people in attachment to Maya. The Gurmukh attains the fourth state of higher consciousness. Granting His Grace, God unites us with Himself.
30 O Siblings of Destiny, follow the Guru’s Teachings and dwell in truth. Practice truth, and only truth, and merge in the True Word of the Shabad. || 1 || Pause ||
30 I am a sacrifice to those who recognize the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Renouncing selfishness, I fall at their feet, and walk in harmony with His Will.
30 Seek and find such a True Guru, who shall lead you to the True Lord. Destroy your evil passions, and you shall dwell in peace. Whatever pleases the Lord comes to pass. || 3 ||
31 Discarding the Ambrosial Nectar, they greedily grab the poison; they serve others, instead of the Lord. They lose their faith, they have no understanding; night and day, they suffer in pain. The blind, self-willed manmukhs do not even think of the Lord; they are drowned to death without water. || 1 ||
31 || O mind, vibrate and meditate forever on the Lord; seek the Protection of His Sanctuary. If the Word of the Guru’s Shabad abides deep within, then you shall not forget the Lord. || 1 || Pause ||
31 : The self-willed manmukh performs religious rituals, like the unwanted bride decorating her body. Her Husband Lord does not come to her bed; day after day, she grows more and more miserable.
31 O Siblings of Destiny, meditate on the Naam with one-pointed mind. Remain united with the Society of the Saints; chant the Name of the Lord, and find peace. || 1 || Pause ||
31 She keeps her Husband Lord enshrined within her heart. Her speech is sweet, and her way of life is humble.
31 The happy and pure soul-bride is noble; she has infinite love for the Guru. || 2 ||
31 If you know that He is your Husband Lord, offer your body and mind to Him. Behave like the happy and pure soul-bride.
32 Practicing egotism, selfishness and conceit, she wanders around the world, but her wealth and property will not go with her.
32 Gazing upon their families, people are lured and trapped by emotional attachment, but none will go along with them in the end.
32 The Lord God is my Friend and Companion. God shall be my Helper and Support in the end. || 3 ||
32 Within your conscious mind, you may say anything, but without the Guru, selfishness is not removed.
32 His arrogant pride is banished from within. Standing at the Lord’s Door, the humble Saints serve Him; they find the Treasure of Excellence. || 1 ||
32 Singing His Praises through the Shabads of the Guru, we are dyed in His Color with intuitive ease. Becoming truthful, we merge with the True One; remaining blended with Him, we shall never be separated again. || 2 ||
32 One whose mind and body are imbued with the Lord’s Love gives up egotism and corruption. Day and night, the Name of the One Lord, the Fearless and Formless One, dwells within the heart. O Nanak, He blends us with Himself, through the Perfect, Infinite Word of His Shabad. || 4 || 16 || 49
33 SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: The Lord of the Universe is the Treasure of Excellence; His limits cannot be found. He is not obtained by mouthing mere words, but by rooting out ego from within. Meeting the True Guru, one is permeated forever with the Fear of God, who Himself comes to dwell within the mind. || 1 ||
33 O Siblings of Destiny, one who becomes Gurmukh and understands this is very rare. To act without understanding is to lose the treasure of this human life. || 1 || Pause ||
33 Those who have tasted it, enjoy its flavor; without tasting it, they wander in doubt, lost and deceived. The True Name is the Ambrosial Nectar; no one can describe it. Drinking it in, one becomes honorable, absorbed in the Perfect Word of the Shabad. || 2 ||
33 He Himself gives, and then we receive. Nothing else can be done. The Gift is in the Hands of the Great Giver. At the Guru’s Door, in the Gurdwara, it is received. Whatever He does, comes to pass. All act according to His Will. || 3 ||
33 The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is abstinence, truthfulness, and self-restraint. Without the Name, no one becomes pure. Through perfect good fortune, the Naam comes to abide within the mind. Through the Shabad, we merge into Him. O Nanak, one who lives in intuitive peace and poise, imbued with the Lord’s Love, obtains the Glorious Praises of the Lord. || 4 || 17 || 50 ||
33 || SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: You may torment your body with extremes of self-discipline, practice intensive meditation and hang upside-down, but your ego will not be eliminated from within. You may perform religious rituals, and still never obtain the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, remain dead while yet alive, and the Name of the Lord shall come to dwell within the mind. || 1 ||
33 || Listen, O my mind: hurry to the Protection of the Guru’s Sanctuary. By Guru’s Grace you shall be saved. Through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, you shall cross over the terrifying world-ocean of poison. || 1 || Pause ||
33 Everything under the influence of the three qualities shall perish; the love of duality is corrupting. The Pandits, the religious scholars, read the scriptures, but they are trapped in the bondage of emotional attachment. In love with evil, they do not understand. Meeting the Guru, the bondage of the three qualities is cut away, and in the fourth state, the Door of Liberation is attained. || 2 ||
33 Through the Guru, the Path is found, and the darkness of emotional attachment is dispelled. If one dies through the Shabad, then salvation is obtained, and one finds the Door of Liberation. By Guru’s Grace, one remains blended with the True Name of the Creator. || 3 ||
33 This mind is very powerful; we cannot escape it just by trying. In the love of duality, people suffer in pain, condemned to terrible punishment. O Nanak, those who are attached to the Naam are saved; through the Shabad, their ego is banished. || 4 || 18 || 51 ||
33 SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: By His Grace, the Guru is found, and the Name of the Lord is implanted within. Without the Guru, no one has obtained it; they waste away their lives in vain. The self-willed manmukhs create karma, and in the Court of the Lord, they receive their punishment. || 1 ||
33 O mind, give up the love of duality. The Lord dwells within you; serving the Guru, you shall find peace. || Pause ||
33 When you love the Truth, your words are true; they reflect the True Word of the Shabad. The Name of the Lord dwells within the mind; egotism and anger are wiped away. Meditating on the Naam with a pure mind, the Door of Liberation is found. || 2 ||
34 With faith in the Shabad, the Guru is found, and selfishness is eradicated from within. Night and day, worship the True Lord with devotion and love forever. The Treasure of the Naam abides in the mind; O Nanak, in the poise of perfect balance, merge into the Lord. || 4 || 19 || 52 ||
34 SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: Those who do not serve the True Guru shall be miserable throughout the four ages. The Primal Being is within their own home, but they do not recognize Him. They are plundered by their egotistical pride and arrogance. Cursed by the True Guru, they wander around the world begging, until they are exhausted. They do not serve the True Word of the Shabad, which is the solution to all of their problems. || 1 ||
34 O my mind, see the Lord ever close at hand. He shall remove the pains of death and rebirth; the Word of the Shabad shall fill you to overflowing. || 1 || Pause ||
34 Those who praise the True One are true; the True Name is their Support. They act truthfully, in love with the True Lord.
34 So abandon your selfishness, and remain dead while yet alive. Contemplate the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. The pursuit of worldly affairs comes to an end, when you embrace love for the True One.
34 || Those who do not have faith in the Primal Being, the True Guru, and who do not enshrine love for the Shabad—they take their cleansing baths, and give to charity again and again, but they are ultimately consumed by their love of duality.
34 || O my mind, remain awake and aware night and day, and think of the Lord. Protect your crops, or else the birds shall descend on your farm. || 1 || Pause ||
35 SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: Consider the time and the moment—when should we worship the Lord? Night and day, one who is attuned to the Name of the True Lord is true.
35 || In speaking, in seeing and in words, remain immersed in the Shabad.
35 By His Grace, we meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Without His Mercy, it cannot be obtained.
36 He hears and sees everything. How can anyone deny Him? Those who sin again and again, shall rot and die in sin. God’s Glance of Grace does not come to them; those self-willed manmukhs do not obtain understanding. They alone see the Lord, unto whom He reveals Himself. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs find Him. || 4 || 23 || 56 ||
36 O mind, dwell in the balanced state of your own inner being. Praise the Lord’s Name, and you shall no longer come and go in reincarnation. || 1 || Pause ||
36 Praise the Word of the Shabad, and He shall come to dwell in your mind; you shall be blessed with intuitive peace and poise.
37 SIREE RAAG, THIRD MEHL: The virtuous obtain Truth; they give up their desires for evil and corruption. Their minds are imbued with the Word of the Guru’s Shabad; the Love of their Beloved is on their tongues. Without the True Guru, no one has found Him; reflect upon this in your mind and see. The filth of the self-willed manmukhs is not washed off; they have no love for the Guru’s Shabad.
37 O my mind, walk in harmony with the True Guru. Dwell within the home of your own inner being, and drink in the Ambrosial Nectar; you shall attain the Peace of the Mansion of His Presence. || 1 || Pause ||
37 || O my mind, surrender to the Guru’s Will. Mind and body are totally cooled and soothed, and the Naam comes to dwell in the mind. || 1 || Pause ||
37 Through the Guru's Teachings, praise the True One, who has no end or limitation. He dwells in each and every heart, by the Hukam of His Command; by His Hukam, we contemplate Him. So praise Him through the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, and drive out egotism from within.
37 Praising the True One, attached to the True One, I am satisfied with the True Name. Contemplating His Virtues, I accumulate virtue and merit; I wash myself clean of demerits. He Himself unites us in His Union; there is no more separation. O Nanak, I sing the Praises of my Guru; through Him, I find that God. || 4 || 27 || 60 ||
38 One who recognizes her Lord and Master places her body and mind in offering before Him. Within her own home, she finds her Husband Lord; her egotism is dispelled.
38 I serve my True Guru with love, that He may lead me to Union with my Husband Lord.
38 O woman, you must walk in harmony with the Guru’s Will.
38 I am forever a sacrifice to those who praise their Husband Lord. I dedicate my mind and body to them, and give my head as well; I fall at their feet. Those who recognize the One renounce the love of duality.
38 O my mind, attuned to the Naam, you shall find peace. Follow the Guru’s Teachings, and praise the Naam; there is no other at all. || 1 || Pause ||
39 One who eliminates mental wickedness from within the mind, and casts out emotional attachment and egotistical pride, comes to recognize the All-pervading Soul, and is intuitively absorbed into the Naam.
39 With a polluted mind, devotional service cannot be performed, and the Naam, the Name of the Lord, cannot be obtained.
39 “I have done this, and I will do that”—I am an idiotic fool for saying this! I have forgotten the Doer of all; I am caught in the love of duality.
39 This mind is attuned to devotional worship; through the True Word of Gurbani, it finds its own home. With the mind so imbued, and the tongue imbued as well, sing the Glorious Praises of the True Lord. O Nanak, never forget the Naam; immerse yourself in the True One. || 4 || 31 || 64 ||
40 No one has found Him by stubborn-mindedness. All have grown weary of the effort. Thousands of clever mental tricks have been tried, but still, the raw and undisciplined mind does not absorb the Color of the Lord’s Love. By falsehood and deception, none have found Him. Whatever you plant, you shall eat. || 3 ||
40 O my Beloved, I live by meditating on Your Name. Without Your Name, my life does not even exist. My True Guru has implanted the Naam within me. || 1 || Pause ||
40 . Do not meet with, or even approach those people, whose hearts are filled with horrible anger. || 3 ||
40 The Boat of the True Guru is the Name of the Lord. How can we climb on board? One who walks in harmony with the True Guru’s Will comes to sit in this Boat.
41 I follow in the footsteps of those who enjoy the Love of my Beloved.
41 In deep humility, I fall at the Feet of the Perfect True Guru.
41 The Gurmukhs are the happy soul-brides; their minds are filled with kindness. The Word of the True Guru is the Jewel. One who believes in it tastes the Sublime Essence of the Lord.
41 O Siblings of Destiny, God is my Friend and Companion. Emotional attachment to children and spouse is poison; in the end, no one will go along with you as your helper. || 1 || Pause ||
42 Through the Guru's Teachings, some embrace love for the Lord, and are saved. They remain detached and unaffected, and they find the Sanctuary of the Lord. They keep death constantly before their eyes; they gather the Provisions of the Lord’s Name, and receive honor.
42 They praise the Lord’s Name, they keep the Naam in their minds, and they remain attached to the Love of the Naam.
42 Gathering the wealth of Maya, you earn an evil reputation. Those whom you work to please shall pass away along with you. The egotistical are engrossed in egotism, ensnared by the intellect of the mind. One who is deceived by God Himself, has no position and no honor. || 3 ||
43 The animals and the birds frolic and play—they do not see death. Mankind is also with them, trapped in the net of Maya. Those who always remember the Naam, the Name of the Lord, are considered to be liberated. || 2 ||
43 That dwelling which you will have to abandon and vacate—you are attached to it in your mind. And that place where you must go to dwell—you have no regard for it at all. Those who fall at the Feet of the Guru are released from this bondage. || 3 ||
43 No one else can save you—don’t look for anyone else. I have searched in all four directions; I have come to find His Sanctuary. O Nanak, the True King has pulled me out and saved me from drowning! || 4 || 3 || 73 ||
43 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: Let me forget everything, but let me not forget the One Lord. All my evil pursuits have been burnt away; the Guru has blessed me with the Naam, the true object of life. Give up all other hopes, and rely on the One Hope. Those who serve the True Guru receive a place in the world hereafter. || 1 ||
43 O my mind, praise the Creator. Give up all your clever tricks, and fall at the Feet of the Guru. || 1 || Pause ||
43 Your servant begs to serve those who are enjoined to Your service. The opportunity to work hard serving the Saadh Sangat is obtained, when the Divine Lord is pleased.
44 O my mind, focus your consciousness on the One. Without the One, all entanglements are worthless; emotional attachment to Maya is totally false. || 1 || Pause ||
44 Forever and ever, work for God; He is our True Lord and Master. || 2 ||
44 So offer your prayers to Him, the Giver of Peace, the Destroyer of fear. Showing His Mercy, the Merciful Master shall resolve your affairs. || 3 ||
45 What good is worldly greatness? All the pleasures of Maya are tasteless and insipid. In the end, they shall all fade away. Perfectly fulfilled and supremely acclaimed is the one, in whose heart the Lord abides. || 2 ||
45 Become the dust of the Saints; renounce your selfishness and conceit. Give up all your schemes and your clever mental tricks, and fall at the Feet of the Guru.
45 People serve the True Guru only when the fever of egotism has been eradicated.
45 || O my mind, give up all these efforts. Dwell upon the Perfect Guru each day, and attach yourself to the One Lord. || 1 || Pause ||
45 May I never forget God from my mind; He holds all in the Power of His Hands. || 2 ||
46 O most fortunate ones, join the Sangat, the Blessed Congregation; purchase the True Word of the Shabad. Serve the Lord, the Ocean of Peace, the Supreme Lord over kings and emperors. || 2 ||
47 O Siblings of Destiny, make God your Friend. Cursed is emotional attachment and love of Maya; no one is seen to be at peace. || 1 || Pause ||
47 Let the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, be your cleansing baths at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

 

[Treks]

48 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: Make the effort, and chant the Lord’s Name. O very fortunate ones, earn this wealth. In the Society of the Saints, meditate in remembrance on the Lord, and wash off the filth of countless incarnations. || 1 ||
49 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: With your tongue, repeat the True Name, and your mind and body shall become pure.
49 O my mind, serve the True One, as long as you have the breath of life. Without the True One, everything is false; in the end, all shall perish. || 1 || Pause ||
49 || Offer your prayers to Him, who shall unite you with the Creator. The True Guru is the Giver of the Naam; His Treasure is perfect and overflowing. Forever and ever, praise the One, who has no end or limitation. || 3 ||
49 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: Meet with the humble Saints, O Siblings of Destiny, and contemplate the True Name.
50 Meeting with the Guru, be a sincere student of proper conduct, and suffering shall never touch you. || 3 ||
51 . Seek the Sanctuary of the Saints, and fall at their feet; your suffering and darkness shall be removed. || 2 ||
51 Practice truth, contentment and kindness; this is the most excellent way of life. One who is so blessed by the Formless Lord God renounces selfishness, and becomes the dust of all. || 3 ||
51 Says Nanak, the Guru has removed my doubts; I recognize God in all. || 4 || 25 || 95 ||
51 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: The whole world is engrossed in bad deeds and good deeds. God’s devotee is above both, but those who understand this are very rare. || 1 ||
51 One who is influenced by praise and blame is not God’s servant. One who sees the essence of reality with impartial vision, O Saints, is very rare—one among millions. || 2 ||
52 He frees us from bondage, O Saints, and saves us from possessiveness. || 3 ||
52 So speak the Truest of the True. Through the True One, an intuitive and discerning mind is obtained. Nanak lives by chanting and meditating on the One, who is pervading within and contained amongst all. || 4 || 28 || 98 ||
52 SIREE RAAG, FIFTH MEHL: Worship the Guru, the Transcendent Lord, with your mind and body attuned to love.
52 Worship the Feet of the Guru. Let the Name of the Lord be your sacred shrine of pilgrimage.
53 O Siblings of Destiny, service to the True Guru alone is True. When the True Guru is pleased, we obtain the Perfect, Unseen, Unknowable Lord. || 1 || Pause ||
54 His Love is not obtained through hypocrisy.
54 With her palms pressed together, she stands, waiting on Him, and offers her True prayers to Him. Dyed in the deep crimson of the Love of her Darling Lord, she dwells in the Fear of the True One.
55 Those who have realized the Truth are at peace throughout the four ages. Subduing their egotism and desires, they keep the True Name enshrined in their hearts. In this world, the only real profit is the Name of the One Lord; it is earned by contemplating the Guru. || 6 ||
55 Siblings of Destiny, just like this, see death hovering over your own heads! People are just like this fish; unaware, the noose of death descends upon them. || 1 || Pause ||
55 Offer your most sincere prayers to the True Guru, so that He may unite you with your Best Friend.
55 SIREE RAAG, FIRST MEHL: If the mind is polluted, then the body is polluted, and the tongue is polluted as well. With false mouths, people speak falsehood. How can they be made pure? Without the Holy Water of the Shabad, they are not cleansed. From the True One alone comes Truth. || 1 ||
56 Praise your Husband Lord, together with your bridesmaids and friends.
56 She is of no use to her Husband if she babbles in useless arguments
56 O young bride, be a slave to virtue, and you shall find peace. Renouncing wrongful actions, following the Guru's Teachings, you shall be absorbed into the Perfect One. || 1 || Pause ||
56 || One who contemplates and appraises this Jewel day and night reaps new profits. He finds the merchandise within his own home, and departs after arranging his affairs. So trade with the true traders, and as Gurmukh, contemplate God. || 3 ||
56 One who understands himself finds the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence within his own home.
57 The wife who knows that her Husband Lord is always with her is very beautiful.
57 Go and ask the travellers, how to walk on the Path as His slave. They know the Lord to be their King, and at the Door to His Home, their way is not blocked.
57 Let your hopes and anxieties depart; thus pollution is washed away. || 4 ||
57 Those who see pain and pleasure as one and the same find peace; they are pierced through by the Shabad. || 5 |
58 || I ask my Guru for His Advice, and I follow the Guru’s Advice. With the Shabads of Praise abiding in the mind, the pain of egotism is burnt away.
58 Those who are attuned to the Shabad are spotless and pure; they renounce sexual desire, anger, selfishness and conceit. They sing the Praises of the Naam, forever and ever; they keep the Lord enshrined within their hearts.
59 He cannot be found merely by talking. || 5 ||
59 No one is saved by mere talk and speech, nor by reading loads of books. The body does not obtain purity without loving devotion to the Lord. O Nanak, never forget the Naam; the Guru shall unite us with the Creator. || 8 || 9 ||
59 Surrendering our minds to our Guru, we find universal love. We find the wealth of liberation, and our demerits are erased. || 1 ||
59 So serve the True Lord; become Gurmukh, and speak the Unspoken. || 6 ||
61 The Treasure of the Lord’s Love is obtained by the Gurmukh, who contemplates the essence of reality.
62 Truth is higher than everything; but higher still is truthful living. || 5 ||
62 Call everyone exalted; no one seems lowly. The One Lord has fashioned the vessels, and His One Light pervades the three worlds.
62 The inner being is empty without love. The body shall crumble into a heap of ashes. || 1 ||
63 Whoever comes must also go. Only the Guru and the Creator are Eternal. So praise the True One continually, and love His Place of Truth. || 2 ||
64 What sort of a resting place is this world? Doing deeds of faith, pack up the supplies for your journey, and remain committed to the Name. || 1 || Pause ||
65 The Lord, the Giver of Virtue, dwells forever within the minds of those who keep Truth enshrined within their hearts. || 6 ||
66 O mind, work to serve the Guru. If you walk in harmony with the Guru’s Will, you shall remain immersed in the Lord’s Name, night and day. || 1 || Pause ||
66 The self-willed manmukhs stand there and dry up; they do not bear any fruit, and they do not provide any shade. Don’t even bother to sit near them—they have no home or village. They are cut down and burnt each day; they have neither the Shabad, nor the Lord’s Name. || 4 ||
66 O Siblings of Destiny, be the slaves of the Lord’s slaves. Service to the Guru is worship of the Guru. How rare are those who obtain it! || 1 || Pause ||
66 The Lord is Immaculate and Radiantly Bright; without the Guru, He cannot be found. He cannot be understood by reading scriptures; the deceitful pretenders are deluded by doubt. Through the Guru’s Teachings, the Lord is always found, and the tongue is permeated with the Sublime Essence of the Lord. || 3 ||
67 Through the Shabad, meditate on the Naam; through the Shabad, you shall merge in Truth. || 4 ||
68 That which is sung intuitively is acceptable; without this intuition, all chanting is useless. In the state of intuitive balance, devotion wells up. In intuitive balance, love is balanced and detached. In the state of intuitive balance, peace and tranquility are produced. Without intuitive balance, life is useless. || 2 ||
69 They recognize the Lord, the Supreme Soul in all, and through the Guru’s Teachings they dwell in the home of their own inner self. || 3 ||
70 The True Guru has implanted the Truth within me; I dwell steadfastly in Truth and self-restraint.
72 All strict rituals are just clever contrivances.
73 Those who have focused their consciousness on the True Guru have rid themselves of the love of duality.
73 Meeting with the Guru, I recognize only the One Lord. In my consciousness, I do not know of any other account. The Lord has assigned one task to me; as it pleases Him, I perform it. || 3 ||
74 Now, the Merciful Lord has issued His Command. Let no one chase after and attack anyone else. Let all abide in peace, under this Benevolent Rule. || 13 ||
75 Gather spiritual wisdom within your mind. Says Nanak, in the second watch of the night, you have forgotten to meditate. || 2 ||
75 You have not traded in righteousness and Dharma; you have not made good deeds your friends.
75 Says Nanak, in the first watch of the night, O mortal, you shall be saved by remembering the Lord. || 1 ||
75 The Lord’s Name is not within your heart, but all sorts of other tastes seem sweet to you. You have no wisdom at all, no meditation, no virtue or self-discipline; in falsehood, you are caught in the cycle of birth and death. Pilgrimages, fasts, purification and self-discipline are of no use, nor are rituals, religious ceremonies or empty worship. O Nanak, emancipation comes only by loving devotional worship; through duality, people are engrossed in duality. || 2 ||
76 Says Nanak, O mortal, in the third watch of the night, let your consciousness be lovingly focused on God. || 3 ||
76 When the crop of life has matured, it bends, breaks and perishes; why take pride in that which comes and goes? Says Nanak, O mortal, in the fourth watch of the night, the Gurmukh recognizes the Word of the Shabad. || 4 ||
76 One who departs with virtue and self-discipline is not struck down, and is not consigned to the cycle of birth and death.
76 Remember the One, O mortal, to whom the child belongs. As Gurmukh, reflect upon Him within your heart.
76 The fool does not know the One who gives; instead, he clings to the gift.
77 . Serve the Perfect True Guru, O my merchant friend; your entire life-night is passing away. Serve the Lord each and every instant—do not delay!
77 In the tenth month, you were made into a human being, O my merchant friend, and you were given your allotted time to perform good deeds.
78 This emotional attachment to Maya shall not go with you; it is false to fall in love with it.
78 Fruitful are the lives of those who, as Gurmukh, have conquered their minds—they have won the game of life.
79 He is totally pervading the water and the land; He is the Lord of the World-forest. Behold Him in exaltation in each and every heart.
79 To love the Lotus Feet of the Lord—this way of life has come into the minds of His Saints. The love of duality, this evil practice, this bad habit, is not liked by the Lord’s slaves.
79 I remember Him in meditation with every breath and morsel of food, with perfect faith. How could I forget Him from my mind?
82 embrace love for the Lord, day and night.
82 Servant Nanak has realized God; he sings the Lord’s Praises through the actions he does. || 2 ||
82 Those who have not remembered the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, shall leave with regret in the end.
82 O my mind, embrace love for the Lord, Har, Har.
82 Meditate on the Lord, the True Lord God. Through the Guru’s Word, you shall come to know the Lord God. From the Lord God, everything was created. || 1 || Pause ||
82 They love to serve,
83 The One Lord’s Command is the One and Only—enshrine the One Lord in your consciousness. Without that Lord, there is no other at all. Remove your fear, doubt and dread. Praise that Lord who protects you, inside your home, and outside as well.
83 || FIRST MEHL: Faith, contentment and tolerance are the food and provisions of the angels. They obtain the Perfect Vision of the Lord, while those who gossip find no place of rest.
83 Pride in social status is empty; pride in personal glory is useless.
83 You may call yourself good; O Nanak, this will only be known when your honor is approved in God’s Account. || 1 ||
84 One who reflects upon his allotted span of life, becomes the slave of God.
84 Some think about religious rituals and regulations, but without understanding, how can they cross over to the other side?
84 Let sincere faith be your bowing in prayer, and let the conquest of your mind be your objective in life. Wherever I look, there I see God’s Presence. || 1 ||
84 O Nanak, you shall meet the True Guru, if your mind remains in His Presence. || 2 ||
84 That which is seen, shall not go along with you.

 

[Treks]

86 Follow the Guru’s Teachings, and recognize your own self; the Divine Light of the Lord’s Name shall shine within.
86 The true ones practice Truth; greatness rests in the Great Lord. Body, soul and all things belong to the Lord—praise Him, and offer your prayers to Him. Sing the Praises of the True Lord through the Word of His Shabad, and you shall abide in the peace of peace.
86 You may practice chanting, penance and austere self-discipline within your mind, but without the Name, life is useless.
86 Without You, there is not even a place to stand begging. See this yourself and verify it in your mind.
86 O Nanak, attuned to the Shabad, they are liberated. They love their Beloved Lord. || 2 ||
86 Service to the Lord is fruitful; through it, the Gurmukh is honored and approved.
86 O Nanak, he is a brave warrior, who conquers and subdues his vicious inner ego.
87 Those who meditate on the Name, with one-pointed mind and focused consciousness, remain forever stable in the world. || 11 ||
87 O Nanak, the filthy ones become clean only when they meet and surrender to the True Guru. || 1 ||
87 The Gurmukh has conquered his own mind, by applying the Touchstone of the Shabad. He fights with his mind, he settles with his mind, and he is at peace with his mind.
87 Those who struggle with something other than their own mind, shall depart having wasted their lives.
88 O Nanak, serve with this intuitive awareness; only that which is pleasing to the Lord is approved. || 2 ||
88 He restrains his wandering mind, and brings it back to its own home within the self.
88 Through hypocrisy, he shall never attain the Supreme Lord God. He slanders others, and pollutes himself with his own filth.
88 He argues with the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation. Night and day, he suffers, engrossed in the love of duality.
89 She must dedicate her mind and body to her Husband Lord, and enshrine love for the Word of the Shabad. Without His Name, no one has found Him; see this and reflect upon it in your heart.
90 THIRD MEHL: The happy soul-bride is attuned to the Word of the Shabad; she is in love with the True Guru.
90 I praise that God forever and ever, through love and affection for the Guru.
91 PAUREE: Whatever work you wish to accomplish—tell it to the Lord. He will resolve your affairs; the True Guru gives His Guarantee of Truth.
92 Says Kabeer, give up the pleasures of corruption, or else you will surely die of them. Meditate on the Lord, O mortal being, through the Word of His Bani; you shall be blessed with eternal life.

 

[Satnaam]

Beautiful (the dedication you had/have). I'm writing a book on Rehat and Sikh Ethos from solely the Guru Granth Sahib (its a life long project) but I've found alot. At times we have to extrapolate Shabads to 'general' situations but it is worth it.

Will definitely read it in more detail soon

 

[Satnaam]

Altough 'historical' Rehatnamas are often interpolated or false versions, I found the Chaupa Singh Rehatnama to be pretty beautiful. It is a fusion of different texts (rehat, Guru Gobind Singhs biography, etc), but if you take out the main Rehat it has actually many rehats with support from SGGS tuks. Someone with much knowledge wrote it because he or she had acces to all these tuks in the days without srigranth and (printed) teekas! You might want to read it, there is the English translation somewhere online.

 

[Treks]

Thank you, Satnaam ji. I looked up the Chaupa Singh Rehatnama in English. It is available here: http://www.academicroom.com/sites/default/files/book/107/McLeod, The Chaupa Singh Rahit-Nama.pdf

I'm going to stick with my instinct and maintain that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is dissociated from Sikhism (the religion). In SGGSJ you don't find such content that discriminates against women.

---
Page 36:
Treatment of women
i) A Gursikh should never keep company with women belonging to another man's family.
ii) A Gursikh should never trust a woman, neither his own nor another's. Never entrust a secret to them. Regard them as the embodiment of deceit.
iii) Never touch the feet of any woman other than one's own mother.
iv) Never eat food left by a woman.
v) Never curse a respectable woman.
vi) Never use weapons against a woman.

Page 38:
The guru Granth Sahib
ix) A woman should not read the Guru Granth Sahib in any Sikh assembly.

Page 39:
v) Sword baptism (khande ki pahul) should not be administered to a woman.

Page 41:
Women's duties
a) Personal behaviour
i) A Gursikhni should sustain a dutiful and placid disposition as a wife. She should regard her husband as her lord. She should serve him better food than other members of the family and should instruct him in the principles of the Sikh faith.
ii) A Gursikhni should never abuse or berate a man, nor should she fight with a man.
iii) A Gursikhni should spurn ridicule, mockery, vulgar jokes, and obscene language. She should not sing course songs at weddings nor at any other time. The songs which she sings should always be chaste and wholesome.
iv) A Gursikhni should not bathe naked, nor should she stand naked in water and cast it towards the sun. Treks says: [to be fair the same applied to men]

Social relationships
i) A Gursikhni should not keep the company of men other than those of her own family.

Treks says: Happily, though, it does place a lot of emphasis on never killing female babies.

Treks says: I do like the last Miscellaneous injunction, though
vi) Do not throw a stone at a dog without good reason.

Treks says: Oohh, even Bhai Nand Lal's section of the rehit says:
15. Never trust a woman.

Later...
Offences against the Rehit
538 [He who permits a woman to read the Granth Sahib in public] A woman should not read the Granth Sahib in a Sikh assembly. Women may, however, listen [to it being read at an assembly].
---​

But don't take my word for it, jio. I can't be trusted.

 

[Satnaam]

Ofcourse the Chaupa Rehatnama has many injunctions against Sikhi such as sun worship, women inequality. I was merely admiring the authors for being able to backup many Rehats with Bani tuks in those times! There is not a single rehatnama that is authentic sadly enough, all were written much after the Gurus even if they claim to be written during Guru Gobind Singh Jis time.

 

[Treks]

There was a tuk to back up one of the discriminatory rehats. It is evidence of the length some people will go to, to twist scripture of any religion to their own agenda. And therein lies the problem with religion, sadly.

 

[Satnaam]

You said: I'm going to stick with my instinct and maintain that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is dissociated from Sikhism (the religion). In SGGSJ you don't find such content that discriminates against women.

In true Sikhi you will also not find content that discriminates against women. Famous (agnost) author Khushwant Singh once said in an interview, these Rehats are just like the Imam of a random mosque writing injunctions of Islam. Only those Rehats are acceptable that conform to Gurbani. Women historically were allowed to lead congregations, do paath, preach and even kirtan at harmandar sahib (now SGPC doesn't but historically it was allowed).

SGGS is not an independant scripture it is part of Sikhi because it was 'authored' by the Gurus who also established Sikhi. Many historical facts from the Gurus lives are mentioned in there. And even Sikhi itself. The basic tenets.

But ofcourse SGGS is for everyone... But you can't say SGGS and Sikhi are seperate

 

[Satnaam]

Could you refer me to the specific Rehat?

And I disagree, because the Guru has put so much emphasis on utilising our discerning intellect (bibek budhi), to it in sangat, and question. We are not a 'religion' where one is ought to believe blindly... If you follow Gurbani you can't go wrong.

You might like this:

Sikhi (Sikhism) is based on Guru's philosophy [2]. This philosophy is based on the 'Sabd (word) of the Guru. According to the Gurbani 'Sabd' is the Guru, and it is the philosophy of Guru Nanak [2, 3, 4, 5]. A part of philosophy is explained as follows:

1. Evaluation of Philosophy: Gurbani teaches that one must first evaluate the philosophy, if convinced, then adopt/follow it [6].
2. Deliberation and Discussion: Highest importance is given on the deliberation and discussion on the sabd of the Guru [7].
3. Listening and expressing: Importance of first listening and then expressing oneself as long as one lives in the world, is an important feature of the Gurbani [8].
4. How to Resolve Doubts?: The above philosophy (2-3) has been reiterated by Guru Arjan that if there is any doubt it can be resolved by sitting together in the sangat and discussing the matter fully attuned to the Almighty [9].
5. Discriminating Intellect: Gurbani says: Those who have discriminating intellect can understand things in their real perspective [10], and those who have the discriminating intellect are wealthy in knowledge [11].
6. Importance of Research: Gurbani explains that researchers progress while the others who move aimlessly from one topic to the other, disintegrate [12].

Although the above citations are inscribed in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS) [1], most of the Sikhs do not take any initiative to question the authenticity and validity of unscientific and illogical beliefs introduced into Sikhism and misinterpretation of Gurbani by some individuals and preachers.

 

[Satnaam]

I was re-reading the Sadd by Guru Amar Das Ji's great grandson and it records the last moments of Guru Amar Das Ji and some Sikh authors have used it in their interpretations of 'sikh death ceremony' such as not mourning etc. Aluhnian is a Bani that was composed to be sung at death ceremonies instead of the traditional chest beating of women etc.

 

[Satnaam]

Sadd starts at Panna 923 of Gurbani. Some tuks that can be taken as 'instructions' at a Sikhs death

ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਭਾਣੈ ਆਪਣੈ ਬਹਿ ਪਰਵਾਰੁ ਸਦਾਇਆ ॥ The True Guru, in His Own Sweet Will, sat up and summoned His family.
ਮਤ ਮੈ ਪਿਛੈ ਕੋਈ ਰੋਵਸੀ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਭਾਇਆ ॥ Let no one weep for me after I am gone. That would not please me at all.

ਅੰਤੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਮੈ ਪਿਛੈ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਕਰਿਅਹੁ ਨਿਰਬਾਣੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
Finally, the True Guru said, "When I am gone, sing Kirtan in Praise of the Lord, in Nirvaanaa".
ਕੇਸੋ ਗੋਪਾਲ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਸਦਿਅਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਪੜਹਿ ਪੁਰਾਣੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to read the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har.

ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਤਲਿ ਕਿਰਿਆ ਦੀਵਾ ਫੁਲ ਹਰਿ ਸਰਿ ਪਾਵਏ ॥
Do not bother with offering rice-balls on leaves, lighting lamps, and other rituals like floating the body out on the Ganges; instead, let my remains be given up to the Lord's Pool.
ਹਰਿ ਭਾਇਆ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ ਜੀਉ ॥
The Lord was pleased as the True Guru spoke; he was blended then with the all-knowing Primal Lord God.

 

[Satnaam]

Treks, any topic you'd like to see tuks on?

I know the Gurus emphasized a lot on healthy living and exercising - mens sana in corpore sano.

Guru Angad Dev Ji not only strived for the cultural & social development of Sikh society, but he also attached great importance to physical development.

In 1540, Guru Angad Dev Ji built Gurudwara Mal Akhara (Mal meaning ‘Ghol’ or to wrestle and Akhara meaning arena or place). Here Sikhs would keep themselves in top shape. The Sikh Guru’s were excellent in sports, e.g.: Guru Arjan Dev Ji (the 5th Guru) was a fine Archer & great horse rider. The 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, exhorted the Sikhs to learn the art of swordsmanship, develop skills in fencing and horse riding. Guru Gobind Singh Ji was an excellent archer and swordsman. His two sons Ajit Singh & Jujjhar Singh were good sportsmen. Most of the Gurus not only prepared the Sikhs as good soldiers but as good sportsmen too.

I don't find a tuk about this though. Only about ishnaan (both the physical and spiritual ishnaan). Maybe you found some tuks?