Understanding Japji -2: The Basic Question
In the previous article, I attempted to establish that Japji contained the essence of the messages contained in the entire Guru Granth Sahib. If this preposition is accepted, then two conclusions follow: the first being that the true and complete understanding of Japji actually lay across the breath and depth of 1430 pages. This means that pages 8 (where Japji ends) all the way to page 1430 is an in-depth explanation of Japji. Second, Japji is really a summary or title banee. By title banee I mean that Japji is such a succinct and tight summary of the GGS, that it can be compared to the title of a long work. The extremely short and jist-like sentences; and deeply philosophical and conceptual structure of Japji’s composition lead one to such a conclusion. Hence, just like any complex title, it captures the essence, but true appreciation would come only from understanding the work in its entirety. Titles are rarely, if ever, fully understood just by themselves. But just about any title (if constructed by a thoughtful author) becomes crystal clear once a reader grasps the meaning of the work for which the title is applied.
In this article and those that will follow, the above conclusions will act as the guiding light. In the course of discussion guided by the same conclusions, readers may be able to not only look at Japji in new light, but also test the validity of the said conclusions. This article deals with the basic question of Japji; and by extension the basic question of the GGS and also the basic question of the Sikh faith.
Every literary work and every discourse, if it is to be of any worth, has to have a basic question, or a fundamental issue. In everyday language we ask, after reading a book, listening to a lecture, or witnessing an event: “what was it about?” This is how we seek the basic question in simple terms. If indeed there existed a basic question, one is usually able to say it in a sentence or two; and agree that everything else simply revolved around that basic issue. Not being able to do so suggest either there was no basic question involved (implying poorly written/spoken or rambling work) or that the reader/listener was unable to grasp it (due to his or her own lack).
This argument can be carried a little further to suggest that every religion too has a basic question. The basic question in Buddhism revolves around how to attain the spiritually elevated position of nirvana through zen (dhian). The basic question of Bhraminical belief is how to purify the mind body and soul through the practice of specified karam-kandhs (rituals). The basic question in Yog Sidhant is how to use the asans (physical/bodily) realm to attain meta-physical union with the cosmos. The fundamental question of Jain-mat is to attain spiritual elation through empathy with living creation. The basic question of Christianity is how to accept Christ as one’s personal savior. The basic question of Islam is how to lead one’s life in the manner that was endorsed or led by the Prophet. The basic question of the Bahai faith is how to distill the truths of life by drawing from existing truths.
The suggestion here is that Sikhi too has a fundamental issue. It is stated as a summary question, or a basic question in the Japji. It is worded succinctly and clearly as a title question in a single sentence in the first pauree of Japji; and reads “Kiv Sacheara Hoeay, Kiv Koorey Tutey Paal.” Translated it reads: “How then, does one become truth-imbibed/truth-bearing/truth connected, and how does one tear down the wall of falsity.” Needless to say, this seven word question is heavily loaded with a host of deeply philosophical concepts. What is meant by “truth,” “truth imbibed,” “falsity,” “wall of falsity,” and what exactly is meant by the phrase “tearing down falsity?” What sort of obstacle is this wall that separates man from God? bearing in mind that Japji and Guru Nanak are not talking of just spoken truths or walls made of brick and mortar. These concepts are not explained in any detail in Japji. The pauree that consists of this basic question does not go beyond the obvious fact that Guru Nanak is speaking metaphorically. One has to turn to the explanations in other banees, or other parts of the GGS to get beyond the metaphors with a convincing degree of certainty.
Guru Nanak’s Japji then follows with two supplementary questions in pauree four. “Fir Kay Agey Rakheay, Jit Disey Darbar,” And “Moho Kay Bolan Boleay, Jit Suney Dharey Pyaar.” Translated they mean: “And what then do we offer, by which (offering) one gets to see the Court, and “What do we say/utter/communicate, after listening to which (God’s) love (with the Sikh)would be established.” Again, we are dealing with deeply philosophical concepts such as “offering,” “seeing the Court,” “communicating,” and “establishing of love (with God).”
To be sure, Gurbanee does not raise questions and let them stand as questions. The essence of Gurbanee is to provide answers.
So the basic question of Japji “Kiv Sacheara Hoeay, Kiv Koorey Tutey Paal” is answered within the same verse as “Hukum Rajai Chalna, Nanak Likheya Naal.” Translated it means “Abide by the Will and Command, as written within, (says) Nanak. This is clearly a title answer, summary answer because the reader is left to ponder: “What is Hukam, What is Rajai Chalna, What is meant by “written within?” Guru Nanak does devote the entire 2nd pauree (4 verses) on the issue of Hukum. The conclusion is provided in the final verse “Hukmai Ander Sabh Ko, Bahar Hukum Na Koey.” Translated it means” Everything is within His Will and Command, Nothing is without the Hukam.” But the level of each of these 4 verses, including that of the concluding verse, is still extremely conceptual, still in title form, still in summary form. The human mind needs simplification, elaboration and explanation that descend from conceptual and metaphysical to operational and practical. To do such is usually not the function of the title, but the job of the actual work that follows that title.
Both the supplementary questions are similarly answered: “Amrit Vela Sach Naon, Vadeayee Vichar.” Translated: (Offer) the ambrosial hours and (communicate) the True Name in praises and discourse.” But again, these are title answers, summary answers, and answers that are full of rich concepts. How does one “offer” the amrit vela? How does one communicate the True Name? What is the True Name to begin with? What is and how does one utter His praises etc.
The suggestion here is that “Kiv Sacheara Hoeay, Kiv Koorey Tutey Paal” is the basic and core question of not just Japji, but the GGS and Sikhi. Such a premise is based on three observations: First that it appears as the first question in Japji, and hence the first question in the entire GGS. It must thus be the foremost question of Sikh philosophy. Second, these are title questions, summary questions and stated in very highly conceptual concepts. This sort of make up of these questions suggests that detailed, comprehensive and complete answers are required and forthcoming. The placement of the question suggests that a detailed answer is planned somewhere down the line (as it is – conceptually within Japji and in great detail within the banees of the GGS. Third, (and this follows from the second observation) that the entire Japji and indeed the entire GGS is an answer to this question: How do we become God-like? How do we overcome the obstacle (paal) that has come to separate our atma from the Paramatma. Similarly, the two supplementary questions of Japji “Fir Kay Agey Rakheay, Jit Disey Darbar,” and “Moho Kay Bolan Boleay, Jit Suney Dharey Pyaar,” too are the basic and core to GGS and Sikhi. Pyaar (Love) is core to Sikhi because the Sikh-Guru and Sikh-God relationship is seen primarily in these terms. (The Gurbanee term for such a relationship is Bhagtee. Semantically, Bhagtee is a compound word derived from Bhau and Angket. Bhau means Love and Angket means immersed or imbibed).
To understand the above-mentioned basic questions, their rich concepts; to get the answers to them all; and above all to know how to put them in the practice of daily life, one will have to turn to the GGS. Let me illustrate with the concept of Sachiara. To understand Sachiara a Sikh would have to first understand the concept of Sach. Then he/she would need to appreciate the concept of a Sikh as part of Sach and then God as Sach. These would help understand the other side of the coin “koor” (falsity/untruths). By putting all these together a Sikh is in a position to start his practice of sachiar living.
Reading the first 100 pages of the GGS, one comes across some 400 verses that provide a variety of aspects of the concept of Sach as applied to God. Sach is explained in some 400 different ways. Understanding these verses thus illuminates the concept. Assa Di Waar (GGS pg 462-475) takes on the issue of living a truthful life – concentrating on intentions, objectives and outcomes as more meaningful measures of truthful living in one’s daily life. For instance the 8 verse salok in Chaka 10 “Sach Ta Par Janeyai Ja Sach Dhare Pyaar” talks about the practical aspects of Sach and Sachiara. The practical aspects are as follows: Verse 1: ‘Truthful intentions” Verse 2: “Being in love with truth”, Verse 3: ‘Honest methods’, Verse 4: ‘Obtaining truthful advise’ Verse 6: Letting truth reside within the sub-consciousness’ Verse 7: Letting truth work as panacea for all ills’ Verse 8: Ownership of truth – truth belongs to me and as such is integral to my life. Understanding these verses illuminates the concept of ‘truthful living’ as part of being Sachiaar. Kabir’s banee in Asa Rag (pg 475 – 484) particularly talks about pretensions, hypocrisies, hopeless rituals, and useless spiritual activities that appear to be in line with truthful living, but are not. One understands “koor di paal” in extraordinary clarity by understanding the 37 shabads of Kabir here. Kabir cuts through the practices and thoughts of “koor” like a hot knife slices butter. The language is lucid, simple and coherent and it is meant to explain highly conceptual and related ideas in practical terms. Putting all these together (and there is much more in other banes), one begins to get a fuller picture of the concept of Sachiara as contained in the title question in Japji. This fuller picture provides the ‘what” of Sachiara (looking at God as the ultimate Truth – 400 verses in the first 100 pages) the ‘how’ of it (practical aspects of truth – Assa Di Vaar), and the ‘how not to’ part as well (falsity that appears as sach but is really not so – Kabir’s 37 shabads).
If the first pauree of Japji raises the basic or core question of Sikhi and the GGS, I would contend that the rest of Japji raises – again in very conceptual terms, and again in title and summary form – what I call the core issues of Sikhi and GGS. All of these issues are raised in four-pauree combinations. This kind of arrangement has allowed Guru Nanak to provide enough elaboration of each issue. It further allows the reader to keep his or her mind and soul in a constant state of elevation to the next higher level. Each concept takes the spiritual consciousness and awareness of the Sikh to higher and higher levels as he ascends the Japji ladder rung by rung. For that is what Japji really is – a master architect’s master plan to take the soul of the reader on the 38 pauree upward journey to Sachkhand. If Japji is the plan, then GGS is the actual construction based on that plan. Both are crucially and equally relevant and important. That is the message that is being imparted in this attempt to look at Japji in new light.
The forthcoming articles in this series of Understanding Japji will elaborate on the core issues in sequence. End.