MERELY READING OR TALKING ABOUT GOD WILL
NOT GRANT US YOGA - GALLEEN YOGA NA HOYEE

ਗਲੀ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥: Galleen yogu n hoyee: (sggs 730).
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The Gurmat Wisdom of the Sri Guru Grant Sahib (SGGS) indicates that merely reading or talking about God will not give us the Realization of God. Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means Union (with one's Pure Being - Mool, ਮੂਲ, Source, Origin...). This Union or Oneness with the Mool does not come about by mere talking or daydreaming. Although most of us would like to believe in this wishful thinking, but the Gurbani tells us otherwise. Also, as repeatedly made clear in the Gurbani, this Divine Union does not come about by keeping certain external appearance or look of the physical body, or by visiting the places of pilgrimage, or by wandering around the world...
  • ਗਲੀ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥: Union (with the Divine Self within) is not realized by mere talks or words. (sggs 730).
  • ਮਤੁ ਜਾਣ ਸਹਿ ਗਲੀ ਪਾਇਆ ॥: Matu jaan sahi galee paaiaa: (sggs 465).
  • ਪਉੜੀ ॥ ਙੰਙਾ ਙਿਆਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਮੁਖ ਬਾਤਉ ॥ ਅਨਿਕ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਸਾਸਤ੍ਰ ਕਰਿ ਭਾਤਉ ॥ ਙਿਆਨੀ ਸੋਇ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ ਸੋਊ ॥ ਕਹਤ ਸੁਨਤ ਕਛੁ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਹੋਊ ॥ ਙਿਆਨੀ ਰਹਤ ਆਗਿਆ ਦ੍ਰਿੜੁ ਜਾ ਕੈ ॥ ਉਸਨ ਸੀਤ ਸਮਸਰਿ ਸਭ ਤਾ ਕੈ ॥ ਙਿਆਨੀ ਤਤੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਧਾਰੀ ॥੫॥: Paurree || Nangaa giaan nahee mukh baatayu. anik jugat sastar kari bhaatayu... (sggs 251).
  • ਗਲੀਂ ਜੇ ਸਹੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਤੋਤਾ ਕਿਉ ਫਾਸੈ ॥: Galeen je sahu paaeeai totaa kiou faasai (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas).
  • ਗਲੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਖੰਡੁ ਖੰਡੁ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਉ ਨ ਭੋਵੈ ॥: Galee tripati n hovaee khandu khandu kari saaou n bhovai: (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas).
  • ਕਰਿ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਤਨਿ ਚਕ੍ਰ ਬਣਾਏ ॥ ਅੰਤਰ ਕੀ ਮਲੁ ਕਬ ਹੀ ਨ ਜਾਏ ॥੧॥ ਇਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਕਿਨ ਹੀ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥: Kari isanaanu tani chakr banaae... (sggs 1348).
The Gurbani indicates that the path to Oneness with the Mool can be found by remaining pure amidst the impurities of this material world.

But how? To attain such a state of Higher Consciousness, one needs to cultivate and then maintain the Spiritual Fitness. Such Fitness comes about from proper Understanding (ਸੂਝ-ਬੂਝ) of the Gurbani.

  • ਸਿਵ ਕੀ ਪੁਰੀ ਬਸੈ ਬੁਧਿ ਸਾਰੁ ॥ ਤਹ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਮਿਲਿ ਕੈ ਕਰਹੁ ਬਿਚਾਰੁ ॥ ਈਤ ਊਤ ਕੀ ਸੋਝੀ ਪਰੈ ॥ ਕਉਨੁ ਕਰਮ ਮੇਰਾ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਮਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਨਿਜ ਪਦ ਊਪਰਿ ਲਾਗੋ ਧਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਮੋਰਾ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਮੂਲ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਬੰਧਿਆ ਬੰਧੁ ॥ ਰਵਿ ਊਪਰਿ ਗਹਿ ਰਾਖਿਆ ਚੰਦੁ ॥ ਪਛਮ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਸੂਰਜੁ ਤਪੈ ॥ ਮੇਰ ਡੰਡ ਸਿਰ ਊਪਰਿ ਬਸੈ ॥੨॥ ਪਸਚਮ ਦੁਆਰੇ ਕੀ ਸਿਲ ਓੜ ॥ ਤਿਹ ਸਿਲ ਊਪਰਿ ਖਿੜਕੀ ਅਉਰ ॥ ਖਿੜਕੀ ਊਪਰਿ ਦਸਵਾ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰੁ ॥੩॥੨॥੧੦॥: Siv kee puree basai budhi saaru... (sggs 1159).
Wrong understanding (worldly meaming of the Gurbani, etc.) or Spiritual unfitness gives rise to false ego-sense and its Bikaar (lust, anger, greed, etc.). The Gurbani roars that false ego-sense is the greatest disease a man can be inflicted with. The Spiritual unfitness or ignorance of one's Essential Nature is the mother of this vicious psychilogical disease.
  • ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਵਡਾ ਸੰਸਾਰਿ ॥: Haumai rogu vadaa sansaar (sggs 1278).
  • ਹਉਮੈ ਵਡਾ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਬੁਝਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥: Haumai vadaa gubaaru hai haumai vichi bujhi n sakai koi (sggs 560).
Provided throughout the Gurbani is the inner instruction to attain true Yoga. First, this Gurbani Reflection will make an attempt to briefly analyze and understand what the Yoga is. Which, in turn, will help us understand why the proclamation Galleen Yogu N Hoyee ("Yoga is not attained by mere words") is made in the Gurbani.

Pantanjali's Eight-Fold Path Of Yoga

Throughout the Gurbani, there are many mentions of Yogis (ਜੋਗੀ) and their Yoga practices, because by misunderstaning, Yogis got connected to their physical bodies instead of the Mool (ਮੂਲ, Source, Origin...)

Pantanjali was the foremost exponent of Yoga in India. Patanjali explained the Spiritual science in definite metaphysical terms in his renowned Yoga Sutras (written about 140 BC). In which he explained how to unite the Soul with the Divine Principle through physical, mental and Spiritual law. He defines Yoga as, "the naturalization of the alternating waves in consciousness" (Chitt Vritti Nirodh). In other words, it is the dissolving of desireful thoughts and attainment of a state of thoughtlessness — the state of desirelessness or egolessness. Then he says, "the seer abides in his own True Nature or Self" within.

The essentials of Yoga as described by Patanjali are known as Pantanjali's Eight-fold Path of Yoga. These eight limbs of Yoga are as follows:

  • Yama (moral conduct)
  • Niyama (self-control)
  • Aasana (right posture for bodily and mental control)
  • Pranayama (control of life force)
  • Pratyahara (interiorization of the mind)
  • Dharana (concentration)
  • Dhyana (meditation)
  • Samadhi (Divine Union)

Gurbani's Eight -Fold Path Of Yoga

Baabaa Nanak has also laid down a relatively easy eight-fold method for Realizing Divine Union with the Mool, ਮੂਲ, Source, Origin, Reality...) within; which is essentially same as Revealed Truth, Self-Realization, Divine Vision, Oneness with Eternal Spirit, etc. This eight-fold ascesis is described as follows (sggs 8):

  • Continence or self-discipline (Jat pahaaraa)
  • Patience or Self-mastery (Dheeraj suniyar)
  • Proper Understanding or Intuitive Wisdom (Aihran mata)
  • Self-knowledge or Realization (Ved hathiyar)
  • Fear of God (Bhaou khallaa)
  • Tapa (Agan Tapa taaou)
  • Devotion or Divine Love (Bhaanda bhaaou)
  • Meditation on Divine Name and Prayer, leading to Purity or Immortality (Amrit tit dhaal)
The last two verses of this hymn are: "Ghariye sabad sachi taksaal. Jin kau nadar karam tin kaar". In this hymn, the Gurbani gives us inner instructions with a practical example from the goldsmith's workshop. The meaning of the entire hymn can be summarized as follows: Make continence thy furnace, patience thy goldsmith, understanding thy envil, Self-Knowledge (Aatam-Giaa...) thy tools, God's fear thy bellows, Tapa thy fire, Divine love thy pot or crucible, and then melt Divine Name therein. In such a true mint the Shabad is forged. This is the (daily) practice of those on whom God casts His gracious Glance (sggs 8).

A daily routine of a true disciple is outlined here in this eight-fold method.

Chewing Steel Balls

Now the question is: Can one abstain from incontinence, injury to others, falsehood, stealing, cheating, and covetousness? Can one adhere to purity of mind, contentment in all situations, self-discipline, contemplation, and single-pointed devotion to God? Can one maintain right bodily and mental posture? Can one keep the life force from flowing outward to the alluring senses? Can one keep his mind interiorized? Can one develop and then maintain the concentration needed for meditation? Can one free his attention from the outer material world and then focus it on the Spirit? Can one perform actions in a state of ecstasy, meaning, maintaining unbroken inner Union with Spirit both in meditation and external activities? Can one practice austerities and penances? In short, can one make these eight steps daily routine of his life to awaken God' Grace within?

It's like chewing steel-balls! Hence not easy at all.  That's why the Gurbani proclaims that Galleen Yogu N Hoyee" meaning, by mere talking or daydreaming, one can not attain Divine Union (Yoga). In fact, those who attain the true Yoga are very "rare" in this world.

  • ਮੈਣ ਕੇ ਦੰਤ ਕਿਉ ਖਾਈਐ ਸਾਰੁ ॥: Main ke dantt kiyu khaaeeai saar(sggs 943).
  • ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹੁ ਖੇਲੁ ਕਠਨੁ ਹੈ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਨਾ ॥੨॥੧॥: Jan Nanak ihu khailu kathanu hai kinhoo gurmukhi jaanaa ||2||1|| (sggs 219).
But, there is a ray of hope for all of us. The Gurbani challenges us that anybody can become one of those "rare" ones. It all depends whether one has the burning desire for it!
  • ਜੈਸੇ ਜਲ ਮਹਿ ਕਮਲੁ ਨਿਰਾਲਮੁ ਮੁਰਗਾਈ ਨੈ ਸਾਣੇ ॥ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਭਵ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰੀਐ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੇ ॥ ਰਹਹਿ ਇਕਾਂਤਿ ਏਕੋ ਮਨਿ ਵਸਿਆ ਆਸਾ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਰਾਸੋ ॥ ਅਗਮੁ ਅਗੋਚਰੁ ਦੇਖਿ ਦਿਖਾਏ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਦਾਸੋ ॥੫॥: Jaise jal mahi kamal niraalam muragaaee nai saane...(sggs 938).
  • ਤਿਹ ਜੋਗੀ ਕਉ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਨਉ ॥ ਲੋਭ ਮੋਹ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਮਤਾ ਫੁਨਿ ਜਿਹ ਘਟਿ ਮਾਹਿ ਪਛਾਨਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਉਸਤਤਿ ਨਹ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਕੰਚਨ ਲੋਹ ਸਮਾਨੋ ॥ ਹਰਖ ਸੋਗ ਤੇ ਰਹੈ ਅਤੀਤਾ ਜੋਗੀ ਤਾਹਿ ਬਖਾਨੋ ॥੧॥ ਚੰਚਲ ਮਨੁ ਦਹ ਦਿਸਿ ਕਉ ਧਾਵਤ ਅਚਲ ਜਾਹਿ ਠਹਰਾਨੋ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਕੋ ਜੋ ਨਰੁ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਤਾਹਿ ਤੁਮ ਮਾਨੋ ॥੨॥੩॥: Tih Yogi kayu jugati na jaanaou. (sggs 685).
— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org