In today's world, SikhNet matters more than ever as a reliable resource. Last month, 1.3 million people visited SikhNet because they know they can trust us to remain a neutral, unbiased online presence connecting Sikhs to Guru ji.
I know that this year, many households are stretched and strained, I experience it myself. But I also know that if every one of those 1.3 million people who visited last month gave a donation of any size, we could end our year end campaign today.
"Anand' doesn't just translate to simple bliss. Bliss can mean joy or delight, but Anand speaks to something more, something deeper. It's about the experience we have when the relationship between MIND and SOUL have come into balance through the word of the Guru.
Anand is more like the feeling you get when you KNOW you are living life in alignment with your Highest Truth. The only problem is: our minds tend to be pulled in a thousand different directions - every second of every day.
It's important to remember that Anand isn't about forgetting all the things that distract our mind. We don't have to avoid responsibility, or live alone in the wilderness to achieve Anand.
The purpose of life is to see the Divine, which could be seen as too vast for the mind to comprehend. What the mind CAN do is penetrate within; allow the loud and messy turbulence of the world around to keep being what it is, while the mind turns inward through meditation on the Shabad. There, in that deep space of connection, the mind can behold its own Divine LIght, its True Self.
True Anand comes when the mind is trained to relate to its own soul every day, every step of the way, rather than more mundane achievements on the earth plane. Then happiness happens, even in the midst of challenges, we experience Anand.
Anand Sahib is a beautiful collection of hymns by Guru Amar Das Ji, the revered third Sikh Guru. Sung in the melodious measure of Ramkali, the bani is found in Guru Granth Sahib Ji (pages 917-922). It is one of the cherished five compositions or banis, lovingly recited by the Panch Piaaaray, the five beloved ones, while they prepare the sacred Amrit for initiating devotees into the embrace of the Khalsa. This hymn of sanctity is not just a hymn but a radiant part of a Sikh's daily dawn devotion, an offering of the heart.
The hymn has forty verses, but usually, people recite a shorter version with six verses – the first five and the last one. This shorter version is sung before the final prayer (Ardas) at the end of a Sikh gathering. People also sing these six verses during happy times like weddings, big meals, and when they prepare special food. And in moments of sadness, at the time of a Sikh's passing, as a part of their farewell prayer. It is like a soothing melody that brings a sense of peace to those who listen.
dhookh rog sa(n)taap utare sunee sachee baanee ||
sa(n)t saajan bhe sarase poore gur te jaanee ||
sunate puneet kahate pavit satigur rahiaa bharapoore ||
binava(n)t naanak gur charan laage vaaje anahadh toore ||40||1||
‘By embracing the True Bani, I am liberated from pain, illness, and suffering. The Saints and their companions are overjoyed upon learning this wisdom from the Perfect Guru.
Those who listen are filled with purity, and those who speak radiate purity as well. They recognize that the True Guru is present everywhere, encompassing all.
Nanak prays, within the souls of those who follow the Guru's guidance, the echoes of unstruck bugles reverberate and resound.’
