About

1. About author

Author – T. Singh, a retired Engineer in the U.S.A – updates and maintains this Gurbani.org website since 1993.

Author is just an ordinary being who is trying to see the world as seen by the Gurmat Wisdom of the SGGS.

He is neither a scholar, nor a philosopher, nor a writer, nor interested in being one. He does not claim to understand fully.

Although author was born in a Sikh family but – according to Gurmat Wisdom of SGGS – to be a True Sikh or Khalsaa is not a question of family of birth, heredity, ancestry, religion, race, social status, caste (Jaat Paat), education, titles, robes, region, etc., it is a question of mind abiding in its Jot Saroop or True Nature (Mool) through Shabad-Vichaar or churning the Gurbani! Hence, “Sikh” and “Khalsa” words do not represent a physical state, but a unique Way of life based on the Wisdom or Bibek of the SGGS!

  • ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਨ ਭਏ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਿਹ ਜਾਨੀ ॥: O Kabeer! Those persons become “Khaalsae” (ਖਾਲਸੇ) who have realized the Prem Bhagti (ਗੁਰਮਤ ਦਾ ਗਿਆਨ, Understanding of the Gur-Shabad, Gur-Giaan, or Wisdom of the Gurbani…). (sggs 655).
  • ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਉਲਟੀ ਭਈ ਭਾਈ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਬੂਝ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੋ ਸਿਖੁ ਹੈ ਭਾਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਜੋਤੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥: O brother! Meeting the Satgur (True Wisdom, ਸਚਾ ਗਿਆਨ), one understands (true Way of living – ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ), and then turns away (from Bikaar, demerits, falsehood…), and remains living dead. O Brother! He is the Guroo (Giaan, Bibek, Wisdom…) and he is the Sikh (learner), who has merged (his individual consciousness or) light in the Universal Light (i.e.,  Universal Consciousness or Energy…). (sggs 602).

‘Why do you write?’

  • One may ask: If this is NOT a commercial website, that is, if not for making money then ‘why do you write’? Author understands that it would be foolish to say that ‘money is not important’. However, can money and should money be the only reason for doing anything?
  • In nutshell, author writes to instruct and persuade his own mind. He writes on this website to understand deeper meaning (ਭਾਵ ਅਰਥ) of the Gurbani (SGGS), from the Gurbani.
  • Attempting to constantly improve himself with new learning – while reading the Gurbani (SGGS) and reflecting on it – he writes it down so that he can remember or refer back to it later.
  • Some seekers may find all this of some value; in that spirit he shares on this website (“Vand Shaknaa“). Specifically, some readers – who in their opinion think that the author needs correcting and learning  – will correct him with different perspective!

No guarantee or claim (ਦਾਵਾ)

Nothing is perfect, including this!

  • ਭੁਲਣ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਅਭੁਲੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥: Everyone makes mistakes; the “Guroo Karataar” (i.e., Rabb) is infallible. (sggs 61).

Hence, NO guarantee or claim (ਦਾਵਾ) of accuracy or perfection of the interpretation of the Gurbani.

I have shared only what I have understood by reading the SGGS. There may be mistakes in it, I apologize.

However, if you know how to say the Gurbani’s meaning more clearer or accurate, please enhance our understanding by sharing (“Vand Shaknaa“) your thoughts in the comment section of posts.

2. About this Site

Since its inception in 1993, we decided to keep this website non-commercial. Because, we have no interest in commercializing the Gurmat Wisdom of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), and using it as a mundane business (“ਰੋਟੀਆ ਕਾਰਣਿ”, ਧੰਧਾ, ਦੁਕਾਨਦਾਰੀ) as many are doing just that in the guise of Sikhi. Hence:

  • This website is not meant to make presentation of corrupt politics, rituals (Karamakaand), dogmas, robes, religious paraphernalia, etc., which have no place in the Wisdom of the SGGS.
  • Hence, this website is  not for those who use the SGGS, Dharma, or religion as a mundane business, or who like their understanding of the SGGS watered down.
  • This website is for those who have become aware that there is more to the Gurmat (Wisdom, Upadesh or Way of the SGGS…) than the routine, ritualistic, and robotic reading or hearing of the Gurbani from the illiterate and fraud Pujaaree groups.

SGGS proclaims Shabad-Vichaar is above all

Also, the SGGS affirms: (1) Bibek or Giaan (Wisdom) is the Guru, (2) it’s the consciousness (Surat-ਸੁਰਤ) or the mind (Soch-ਸੋਚ) that needs to become a Sikh (ਸਿਖਿਆਰਥੀ, or a learner, or a student) of the Wisdom of the Shabad-Guru.

For more discussion, see our post titled “Who is the True Guru in Sikhi?“!

Fittingly, SGGS gives the utmost importance to Shabad-Vichaar (Reflections On the Gurbani — churning the Gurbani for extracting the Butter of Wisdom…). In turn, this Giaan (Wisdom, or Knowledge) helps us become better human beings and community (ਵਧੀਆ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਤੇ ਵਧੀਆ ਸਮਾਜ).

  • ਸਭਸੈ ਊਪਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥: Reflection on the Gur-Shabad is above all (other notions, speculations, calculations…). (sggs 904).

Gurbani can only be understood from gurbani

Due to incomplete knowledge of the Gurbani, although we use the Shabad from the Gurbani, but instead of the definition given in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), we use the definition given in other religions or Majhab. That is why we are often confused. 

Since it’s easy to enslave and exploit the confused mind, the crafty Pujaaree-Vaad in Sikhi wants people to remain confused and ignorant of the true meanings of the Gurbani!

Fittingly, the Gurmat Wisdom of the SGGS asserts that the Gurbani can ONLY be understood FROM the Gurbani!

  • ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਾਇ ॥: Gurbani is understood from the Gurbani by those who are lovingly attuned to the Shabad (-Vichaar). (sggs 1346).

Our humble attempt (ਛੋਟਾ ਜਿਹਾ ਉਪਰਾਲਾ, ਯਤਨ) here at this website is to gain clarity and Joy by understanding the true Way of the SGGS directly from the Gurbani, NOT from the illiterate and corrupt Pujaaree system  or Pujaaree-Vaad (Pujaaree groups Raagees, Bhais, Granthi, Kathaakaar, preachers, Deraav-Vad or Sant-Vaad, Baabaa-Vaad, Jathedar-Vaadetc, foolish so called scholars, Bipar-Vaad, ਠੱਗ, ਮੰਗਖਾਣਾਂ ਪੁਜਾਰੀ ਲਾਣਾਂ…).

To put it otherwise, the attempt is self-improvement by removing to some extent superstitions, ignorance of the true message of the SGGS, falsehood, confusions, blind faith (ਅੰਧ ਵਿਸਵਾਸ), doubts, rituals or Karamkaand, etc., that has spread in the name of Gurmat by the corrupt Pujaaree-Vaad.

For more discussion on Pujaaree-Vaad and Gurmat, see our following posts:

3. Note on gender

It’s only for the ease of writing we use a pronoun “He”. Also, the term “Man” is to be understood in its generic sense, including both woman and man, unless the context indicates otherwise.