KIRTAN
PART 1

O my mind, perform only such Kirtan, which will
be of use to you here and hereafter (sggs 236).
Some sing of the Lord, through musical Ragas and the sound
current of the Naad, through the Vedas, and in so many other
ways. But the Lord, is not pleased by these (sggs 450).
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Literally, Kirtan (prounced Keertan) means devotional singing or chanting of God's glories. In essence, it is meditation (Jap or Naam-Simran). Devotion (Bhagti) means intense longing and love for God. Heart-felt inner Kirtan is the expression of that longing. In the SGGS (Sri Guru Granth Sahib), Baabaa Nanak narrates a unique scene from the Stage of the Pure Awareness as follows:

This Infinite Cosmic Kirtan or the Transcendental Vibratory Sound — Cosmic Vibration, Cosmic Music, Cosmic Sound, Cosmic Orchestra, etc. — is the movement of the entire creation, preservation and dissolution. It is God's Endless Impulse or Unstruck Sound-current (Anhata Shabad, Panch-Shabad or Dhuni) which is taking place within each of us; and within every atom of the universe, "here" and "now". Hence we are all singing with this Divine Orchestra at this very moment and the Divine is within us; but we do not know about it.

Due to the intervention of our false ego-sense, however, we have lost our connection with this Cosmic Vibratory Sound, from which the entire Creation is born. The external Kirtan is the extension of God's Endless Cosmic Vibration. The purpose of the external Kirtan is to eliminate the mind's ego consciousness (delusion or the ceaseless flow of thought currents) by quieting it, so that we can link back to the Endless Divine Pulse within — Pure Awareness; our Essential Nature.

As indicated in the Gurbani, the entire Creation is thus continually engaged in meditating on the Divine Name, whether we know it or not! Consequently, the Kirtan of the Divine Name is said to be the true "Eternal Faith" in the Gurbani. In other words, selfless Kirtan is the symptom of a true devotee — the selfless Kirtan performed with the complete involvement of the body, mind, and soul. Simply put: a true Spiritual student (Sikh) is he who has made Inner Kirtan his only Support. He lives only by taking this Spiritual food. As the Gurbani says:

Present Age Of Kal Yuga And Kirtan

This present age of Kal Yuga (Dark Age) is the age of quarrel, deceit, disagreement, cheating, cynicism, hypocrisy, duplicity, misinformation, etc. According to the Gurbani, the practical and best suited means of Self-realization in this age is through meditation on the Divine Name. The reason for this is that, in general, the people in Kal Yuga are relatively short-lived, slow in memory, slow in Spiritual Realization, not self-controlled, perpetually disturbed by various anxieties, etc. Accordingly, the Gurbani declares:

Thus, in this Dark Age, one can become the greatest meditator or the greatest Yogi by engaging in constant chanting of the Divine Name. However, as emphasized in the scriptures, it has to be selfless coupled with heartfelt love, deep devotion, utter surrender and submission of our ordinary consciousness for making it an effective means to Soul's liberation enveloped in the delusive feelings (Spiritual ignorance or Maya).

Kirtan - A Purification Process

Due to the material association, our Soul is covered with the cloud of material contamination (Haume). However, this contamination swiftly clears when one engages in selfless and heartfelt Kirtan. As a result, one is elevated to the state of Pure Bliss. Thus, the process of selfless Kirtan as shown by Baabaa Nanak's own life, leads to introversion of the mind and finally to God Realization: the realization of one's True Nature as "Joti-Svaroopa".

Kirtan seems relatively simple vocal exercise, but it produces very powerful results. It is not only singing one's prayers, but also a meditation. Good vibrations and energy pour out through the Transcendental Sound of the Kirtan. It can easily be incorporated into one's daily routine; for it's absolutely free and the rewards are immediate.

Kirtan helps bring the wandering mind under control, hence conquered. It is said that the Jeeva (individual being) is the passenger in the car of the material body, intelligence is the driver, mind is the driving instrument and the senses are the horses. The Self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses.

We are time and again reminded in the scriptures about the enormous power of one's mind. It is so powerful that it often takes over even one's own intelligence — like an acute disease takes over the medicine. As indicated in the scriptures, the easiest way to control the mind is through the meditation on the Divine Name. It helps cleanse the mind by purging it off of mundane thoughts, rendering it Pure in the process. The Kirtan works on us as follows:

Practice Of Kirtan

How is one supposed to go about practicing Kirtan? First, to perform Kirtan, it's not necessa

ry to be expert in various musical instruments, classical music or Raagas. Second, one does not need to be concerned about his voice, training or knowledge of music. That's all a mundane business! Third, Kirtan is not a physical exercise; it is the complete involvement of the body, mind, and soul. Thus, effectiveness of Kirtan depends on the sincere participation and the intent, not vocal talent. As the Gurbani says, Kirtan in itself is the best melody!

It is said that a great Soul is never recognized by his own family or community! Therefore, one should not be concerned as to what family members and other people would think if you started practicing meditation or Kirtan. Sing like birds - day and night. Birds do not think or care what people will say about them. Neither they take any lessons from any Ustaad or Raagee! Waheguru looks for sincerity, love, and the heartfelt feeling of submission to His Hukam (Will); not for material expertise!

In this context, the best example can be given of Baabaa Nanak. For pleasing his inner God, he sang selflessly all his life. Whenever people saw him engaged in glorifying the Divine, contemptuously they would roll their eyes, call him names such as "ghost", "demon", and so on. But, this sort of worldly nonsense did not cause Baabaa Nanak to give up devotion. Here is Baabaa Nanak in his own words:

If people can call Baabaa Nanak "demon" and "ghost", then what to speak of us! Those who are thoroughly established in the Supreme Consciousness experience ineffable exaltation in Kirtan. However, those who are bound to their own self-centered ways, will call rapturous devotional moods of God-intoxicated devotees demon, crazy, eccentric, insane, lunatic, schizophrenia, emotional hysteria, mental aberration, mental weakness or depression. Thus, those who have a limited perception of the subtle realms of consciousness consider the thirst for the Higher Consciousness (Waheguru) as madness and psychological repression. However, no senseless remarks of skeptics or critics, no scoffing, no mockery, no derision will have any effect on the sincere seeker.

In this context, Baabaa Nanak's life teaches us very important lesson: One must give up shame or reserve (Lok Laaj) when it comes to meditating or glorifying the Divine Name. Further, he says one must sing Divine Glories knowing God is present all around us; pervading in every particle of the Cosmos. If nobody is there to listen, sing for the walls! Because God is also present in the walls as the Cosmic Vibration!

If we do not have true love for God within, we can not sing his true praises. Therefore, first, we need to fill our bosom with God's true love. How can we develop this true love? Simply put: Once we begin separating ourselves from mundane attachment or dominance of the ego consciousness, we start developing true love for Him! If we put seed in the salt, it will never grow! Therefore, the Gurbani urges us to seek the company of those souls who have godly qualities (Saadh-Sangat), that is, who are true and wise. In other words, instead of looking for nonsense gatherings or parties, look for the company of Sat (Truth) within and without. Like the saying goes, "we are the company we keep" and "we reap what we sow". How would one know if he is engaged in true Kirtan with sincere love or devotion? When someone is engaged in Kirtan with pure love, the following symptoms are bound to appear. First, he feels goose bumps all over his body — inner intuitional inspiration and experience of the thrilling; vibrating, ecstatic, awestriking, wonder-striking, and intoxicating love and grace of the Divine. Second, his voice experiences choking due to divine emotions. Third, his heart begins to melt, manifesting in tears of divine joy and longing for God.

Yoga Through Kirtan

The Gurbani teaches us not to look for Baikuntha or heaven nowhere! Because those who desire for heaven or other worldly pleasures do not know the Essence of the Divinity. The heaven is where the Lord's devotees chant His nectar-sweet, Amrit-Naam with Intuitive Love.

The name of sage Naarada has been mentioned several times in the Gurbani. In the ancient scriptures of India, there are many stories attributed to him. One of those stories goes like this. It is said that one time Naarada Muni inquired God about His where about. Particularly he asked Him as to where He could easily be found. The Lord replied "I do not dwell in Baikuntha (heaven) or in the hearts of Yogis. I dwell in the assembly of my devotees engaged in singing Kirtan" (Padam Purana). The Gurbani also indicates: Selfless Kirtan is said to be an invaluable gem, an ocean of Bliss and Virtues. By such Kirtan, one can awaken his inner Self, and attain the real Yoga (Union with God) by becoming connected to the Cosmic Consciousness in this very life, "here" and "now"; freeing himself from the cycle of repeated suffering (Dukha). Devotional service is just like a seed, sown in the heart of a living entity. If we want to see this seed fructifies into a healthy spiritual tree of devotion, we must water and nourish it with loving inner Kirtan. Therefore, let's pray to the Lord for the grant of such selfless, true and undivided Kirtan. The Gurbani thunders forth the declaration that it is the best Dharma. Contrary to this, asking for any material objects is falsehood or Maya. The Gurbani's Caution About External Kirtan

First of all, the external, habitual, dry or mechanical Kirtan (Naam Japnaa) is unavailing. For it to register, it must be internal. By internal means, one must understand, comprehend and realize the Divine Word (Shabad) and than act upon it. When one begins to hear the Sound of this internal Kirtan and enjoys it, he attains Immortality (Amrit) within. The Gurbani affirms that the mystery of the Gur-Shabad is grasped only through it's true understanding. After reading, hearing, and singing, those who still do not attain Gur-Shabad's intuitive understanding are compared with donkey in the Gurbani! For more on this theme of the Gurbani, please see the acompanying or the complementary Reflection titled "Kirtan Part 2: The Gurbani's Caution".

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

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Updated on Monday, May 31, 2010 1:03 PM (PST)

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