A beginner's guide to Japji Sahib: Introduction

 

A humble simplified contextual translation of the Sikh scriptural prayer called ‘Jap’, more often referred to as ‘Jap Ji Sahib’ has been attempted with Grace of Vaheguru Ji (God). This prayer is the foundation of the Sikh faith and is the beginning prayer written in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. These divine words were revealed through Guru Nanak Sahib Ji. The original sacred words as recited and written in scripture by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji cannot be changed, but the sacred words have the ability to change an individual’s consciousness and life.

Jap Ji Sahib can be summarised as being about (i) the Ultimate Truth, God (Vaheguru); (ii) the beauty and endlessness of Their creation; and (iii) filling one’s mind with true joy and happiness. Reading about the vastness, countlessness, and endlessness of the creation creates a feeling of awe and wonder that helps one to open up one’s heart and drown in the wonder of Vaheguru. In this way, one falls in love with the Power behind this wonder.

Jap Ji Sahib can also be interpreted as the story of the soul’s journey to enlightenment and beyond. Each verse is referred to as ‘pauree’ which translates as meaning ‘step’ or ‘ladder’. Steps are intended to be climbed. As you climb each step, the individual should get higher and higher. Similarly, as the spiritual seeker recites and experiences each verse of the scripture, the soul and mind have the opportunity to rise above worldly consciousness to divine consciousness.

The Mool Mantar, which translates as the ‘root teaching’, is the name of the opening verse of Jap Ji Sahib. It begins with that stating God is the "One," the origin of all that exists, and that the creation is an outgrowth of the One, continuously growing and expanding as a result of the divine Sound (Vibration) that emanates from the One. The opening verse ends with Gur Prasaad (‘Grace of the Guru’), which urges us to maintain our humility in the knowledge that we cannot reach God via spiritual effort alone. Everything we can achieve in this life is bound by our effort and time. However, Grace or Prasaad of God, is such that it does not consider our effort or time. It is a gift of God’s kindness. Spiritual enlightenment is based on this. The Holy-Word is God in the form of a guru, an enlightener, a spiritual teacher, and a guide. It is the embodiment of God's infinite wisdom, which speaks to our mind and soul.

Following on from this, a question is posed. If the One who made us, sustains us, and destroys us is the Truth (sat), then to experience and meet the Truth, one must be truthful (sach-yaar). So, the question is posed, “how can I become truthful (sach-yaar)?” In other words, how can I be enlightened with the Truth so I can be united back with the Ultimate Truth – the divine-Creator and source of all that exists?

The rest of Jap Ji Sahib is a journey from enlightenment (i.e. becoming sach-yaar or immersed in the Truth) to reaching the Eternal Home of Vaheguru – Sach Khand. The journey begins with understanding the Divine-Order (Hukam). From there one learns to sing of the Lord, tune into listening to the Wisdom of God, and how to faithfully obey the Wisdom of God. The creation of the Creator is described and one is made to feel humbled that although the Creator is immense, we have no capability to describe the One who has made all of this and continues to make the creation. All one can do is accept whatever Vaheguru does, is good.

One’s attention is drawn to the countless holy people, meditators, angels, gods, demons, and personalities revered in different religious traditions that speak of God. The fact they speak of God means that they acknowledge there is a power beyond them and that they are limited. In this way, the soul is reminded to not attach itself or worship anyone else, other than God.

When reflecting on what Vaheguru’s House is like from where They sit and care for all, Jap Ji Sahib tells us that the world is a doorway or opportunity to meet the Creator. Infinite beautiful music vibrates and flows from the Creator, which mystics throughout history have expressed through music. The whole creation is singing of Vaheguru in its own mysterious way. From the spirit world to the physical world, and beyond, the whole creation is signing and in tune with the Almighty. Therefore, the soul is reminded to live in the Will of the Lord and thus sing the tune of the Almighty rather than sing the tune of one’s ego.

Near the end of Jap Ji Sahib, five spiritual realms (Khands) are described. These spiritual realms are where souls go in the world beyond. These realms are not only the journey of the soul in the world beyond but also indicates the soul’s spiritual development in this world. The souls in the different spiritual realms reflect the individual’s stages of consciousness whilst alive.

	Spiritual-stage of progression		Spiritual-realm or region (in the world beyond)
Dharam Khand ↓	Desire to live Dharam (righteousness) and do religious actions.	à	·  Dharam-Raaj, the appointed judge of the next world, is there. ·  Good and bad actions are judged there. ·  There, souls are sent to the next destination, i.e. reincarnated in hells, heavens, or earth. ·  The blessed souls who have a mark of the Lord’s Grace are given respect and look beautiful there.
Giaan Khand ↓	Becoming enlightened with wisdom (Giaan) about spirituality.	à	·  Where heavens of various religious traditions exist. ·  There is spiritual-joy and enjoyment there. ·  Buddhas, deities belonging to different traditions reside there.
Saram Khand ↓	Shaping one’s inner beauty through spiritual effort (Saram).	à	·  A place where the minds of angelic beings are beautified. ·  A place where one is spiritually beautified
Karam Khand ↓	Becoming spiritually strong through receiving the Almighty’s Grace (Karam).	à	·  Leads onto Sach-Khand ·  Spiritual warriors reside there who become joined to the Lord’s Presence. ·  The beauty of this place cannot be described.
Sach Khand ↓	Living the Truth (Sach), where then the Almighty comes to reside within them and reflects every single part of who they are.	à	·  The Almighty’s House ·  From where the Almighty watches the whole creation and becomes happy ·  Where fully enlightened souls live with the Lord.

The 38^th verse of Jap Ji Sahib, uses the analogy of the process of minting (shaping) a gold coin to explain the seven virtues that the spiritual seeker needs in their life for reaching the House of God, Sach Khand. These virtues are (i) jat = exercising self-restraint over one’s senses/organs (i.e. moral discipline), (ii) dheeraj = patience, (iii) mat = understanding, (iv) vey’d = spiritual wisdom, (v) bhau = Godly fear (respect), (vi) tap = enduring devotion/spiritual effort, (vii) bhaa’o = love.

The epilogue or ending verse of Jap Ji Sahib, known as the Salok, sums up the message of Jap Ji Sahib. It explains how life is a game in which God has given us extraordinary gifts – namely air to breathe, the wisdom of God in the form of the Guru to guide us, water to stay physically alive, a mother and father to give birth to us, and the earth as a place to live, learn, spiritually grow, and play this game of life. The night and day were made by the Almighty in which the world sleeps and acts. Then we are informed that the rule of this game of life is that every good and bad thought and action we have done will be recorded and judged, which determines the future of our soul. We have the potential to get closer to God, or further away from Them by entering the reincarnation cycle. The last lines tell us that those who live a life of tireless meditation on the Lord’s Name win this game of life. Such people not only make their life worthwhile and glow with glory, but they also help to free others from falsehood by inspiring others by example to connect with God, the Ultimate Truth.