These are ennobling and enlightening virtues. Along with many others, these three terms appear repeatedly in the SGGS (Sri Guru Granth Sahib). They are interconnected and are spoken of as the essential foundation and key to achievement whether in secular (temporal) or spiritual life. Simply put, the commitment to become Spiritually Awake (the Gurmukh) is the purpose of all these. However, for this to happen, a tremendous amount of patience is needed.
Jata (also Yata) is generally translated into English as celibacy, Brahmcharya etc. Sata (or Satya) is generally translated as Truth. Tapa is normally translated as penance, austerity etc. The aim of this Gurbani Reflection is to try to reflect on these terms in the overall spirit of the SGGS.
Broadly Jata (or Yata) indicates control, reining in or restraint of the mind and the senses. It includes but not limited to truthfulness, noninjury or not hurting others through thought-word-and-deed, neither stealing nor coveting, controlling lust by remaining celibate when single and remaining faithful to one's mate in marriage, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, steadfastness, intense compassion (mercy, love, etc.), straightforwardness (renounciation of deception and wrong doing), moderation (in eating etc.), inner purity, remorse, humility, contentment, giving or sharing, unshakable faith, devotion, listening to Truth, perennial knowledge or cognition, Naam-Simran (Japa), Shabad-Veechaar, practice of Gurmat (Guru's Teaching), and so on. Thus, Jata is an important limb of the "Raaj Yoga" (achievement in secular and spiritual life). In other words, a Jatee or Yatee is he who is putting forth sincere effort to realize the Truth in his life. The practice of Jata brings virtuous and moral living, refinement of one's nature, qualities of Higher Nature, eradication of impurities of the mind or Bikaars (i.e., doubts, duality, negative tendencies of the ego or Haume such as Kaam, Krodh, Lobh etc.), concentration or one-pointedness, and so on. Only a "rare" Gurmukh (spiritual being) lives such a Divine Life.
From Sata (or Satya) comes Satee (or Sati). Sata being Truth, Satee means the one who has realized the Truth. In other words, without Truth, nobody can become Satee. Baabaa Nanak says that beyond Truth is the truthful living. In other words, truthful living is superior to Truth. Baabaa Nanak's emphasis here of course is on Karnee (practice, application, implementation etc.). For example, for a sick person, mere looking at the medicine bottle or it's label will do no good. If he intends to get well than he must stop mere looking at the medicine bottle or it's label but administer the medicine. To say it otherwise, Truth is not a path, but actual day-to-day living. Hence, Truth is called pathless. Inward Self-realization is complete only when we come to assert and actually live the Truth. Living so righteously (as a Gurmukh) is said to be the true Dharma. It bestows upon one contentment, satisfaction, wisdom and God-realization.
Tapa (also Tapas) literally means "burning, heat, ardor" etc. To achieve any goal concentration, focus or one-pointedness of the mind is essential to achieve an end. It helps one set aside his other preoccupations to concentrate on the task at hand till the end is realized. Also it provides a positive direction and orientation to all actions of the person undertaking it. This quality has to be cultivated to even greater extent if one desires to realize the spiritual goal (God-realization: the real purpose of human life). Tapa must then be understood as the quality an individual develops and practices when he orients his actions towards realizing certain objectives in his life. Contrary to the general notion that Tapa involves self-mortification by adopting certain austerities to realize the spiritual goal, it is not so. The term "Tapa" (or "Penance") widely used in the scriptural guidelines is also often mistaken to mean that a person should retire to seclusion and escape from the worldly life, it is not so either.
Broadly Tapa indicates the steps to be adopted to remain ever in communion with God through various practices such as meditation (Naam-Simran or Japa), limiting one's desires, carrying out one's daily duties with detachment, constantly thinking of God, abiding to the moral code, being frugal in food and sleep, seeking and keeping Holy Company, following the words of the Satguru with an intense feeling of love, and so on, even while living amidst the normal surroundings and discharging family obligations. Sikh Gurus and even ancient sages were married but they pursued the path which led to the Divine Union. Thus, Tapa is an ennobling virtue which when practiced right has the capacity to bring out the best in a person. To achieve the spiritual goal, Tapa is the state of accelerated inner Unfoldment, humble submission to the Divine forces within, and complete surrender (of Haume) to the process of inner purification through spiritual practices that brings about the inner transformation (or spiritual healing) as a "fiery process", which "burns up" the false ego-sense (Haume), Bikaars (all mental impurities), Maya (illusion, duality or relativist consciousness) and the negative effects of the past actions that obstruct God-realization. Thus, with the heat produced by Tapa, the mind along with all its restlessness (Bikaars or impurities) is left annihilated. Tapasya is the practice of Tapa, and Tapee is the one who performs this practice.
There are some other terms that are often seen appearing along with the foregoing three terms. Japa (repetition of the Naam or Name of the Lord) is one of them. It's a mean for purifying the mind. Sanjam (self-discipline, self-restraint, self-check, continence, abstinence, sobriety, to control passions, and so on) is another one. Santokh (contentment) is another one. Sanjamee and Santokhee is the one who practices Sanjam and Santokh. Yet Dheeraj (patience) is one more.
Apparently, these terms are interrelated and are means to achieving secular and spiritual sovereignty in life. Also, it's pretty clear that one dose not become Jatee, Satee, Tapee, Japee, Sanjamee or Santokhee just by abandoning one's family and worldly duties and by becoming forest-dweller. As indicated in the SGGS, Jata, Sata, Tapa, Japa, Sanjam or Santokh is neither in making pilgrimages to all the sacred places, wandering as renunciates, wandering with matted hair and religious robes, making various speeches and ablutions, and so on.
jogI jqI qpI sMinAwsI bhu qIrQ BRmnw]luMijq muMijq moin jtwDr AMiq qaU mrnw]qw qy syvIAly rwmnw]rsnw rwm nwm ihqu jw kY khw krY jmnw: Jogee jatee tapee sanniaasee bahu teerath bhramanaa. Lunjit munjit moni jataadhar ant taou maranaa...: (Many are) Yogis, Jatees, Tapees and Sannyaasees (renunciates), pilgrims making pilgrimages to all the sacred places. (Many) pluck hair from their heads (luMijq), many are the shaved (muMijq also indicates those wearing muMj dI qVwgI: strand, string or line made of the fiber from a certain plant, generally worn around the waistline), the silent ones, and the matted hair ones - in the end, they all will die (i.e., in spite of doing all this, they can transcend death). Therefore, meditate on the Lord (i.e., this is the best thing to do). What can the Yama (messenger of death) do to one whose tongue loves the Name of the Lord? (i.e., nothing, because that person transcends death) (sggs 476).
A being who can be called a true Jatee, Satee, Tapee and Japee is called the Gurmukh in the SGGS. In nutshell, the Gurmukh is the man of the highest spiritual order. The SGGS also calls him Aoudhoo (or Avadhoota) — an Avadhoota is a Self-realized being who cares not for criticism of others (Lok Laaj). The SGGS questions as to where can such virtuous being be found in this Kali Yuga (jqI sqI kh rwKih pwau: Jatee Satee Kah raakhahi paaou, sggs 349)? Very "rare" indeed!
gurmuiK koeI scu kmwvY: Gurmukh koee sach kamaavai: How rare are those who, as Gurmukh, live the Truth (sggs 1344).
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