The bani Sukhmani signifies the soothing
affects on mind; it is a song of peace, a divine direction to peace and
happiness. Sukh literally means peace and Mani (gem) means Mind.
Day and night, we worship the Akal Purakh
and pray to Him for the peace and happiness as our burning desire. This the
disease of duality of our littered mind that remains beyond cure if we do
not sincerely follow the message of our Guru expressed in gurbani. Guru
Arjun has beautifully expressed this plight in Sukhmani; following one can
find the kind of peace of mind or happiness everyone is looking for. Divine
hymns of gurbani require devotion and dedication to enshrine, engross, and
contemplate simultaneously. Concentration and consciousness of mind are the
vital factors for total absorption. Without these the whole exercises is
fruitless and has no merits in Sikhi.
As practiced by many as on today, just by
reciting turn by turn the pauries of Sukhmani in group of several people or
in congregation will not yield any result or benefit, no matter how many
times we repeat this exercise. Gurbani requires individual attention all the
way, so as to engross in it while contemplating with conscious mind. Those
who are involved in such practice are just wasting their time and energy and
collecting filth in their mind. If some one wants to achieve peace of mind
with five virtues (Sat, Santokh, Dayaa, Dharam and Such - GGS: 822) as
suggested by Guru Arjun, that is Truth, contentment, compassion, Dharmic
faith and Purity, one will have to contemplate gurbani, with sincere efforts
and genuine interest, leave aside the practice of repeating sukhmani for
multiple time in a day, week or month. Gurmat has rejected all such kind of
practice or exercise of counting by any Sikh. There are several of Sukhmani
societies or kitty party style activities on going around the world in
Gurdwaras, deras, between friends, relatives and within communality.
Majority of our preachers convey wrong message to the Sangat, because none
of them are spiritual but simply professional and do their job to earn
living. Gurbani deals with mind, and cleans the filth by creating virtuous
thoughts in it. Our mind being pressured by cultural influence often resists
to Gurbani guidance, and it tries to make excuses to go along with stream.
The cultural influence is the reason we often live in it and very rarely try
to live in gurmat that we believe in.
Sukhmani presents a complete scheme of the
teachings of the Sikh faith, with the unity of theme and perfection of
mentally, morally and spiritually. The composition as a whole has a
remarkable gripping quality reinforced by the striking imagery which in
stanza after stanza brings home to the seeker the truths he must own. Proper
attention, presence of mind and consciousness is very essential requirement.
Once peace of mind or happiness is attained
by any spiritual warrior, it will stay till the last breath.