Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

, Nām Japō (

Gurmukhi Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly ...

ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ), also known as Naam Japna or Naam Simran, refers to the

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

or contemplation of the various

Names of God There are various names of God, many of which enumerate the various qualities of a Supreme Being. The English word '' god'' (and its equivalent in other languages) is used by multiple religions as a noun to refer to different deities, or spec ...

(or qualities of God), especially the chanting of the word "

Waheguru ''Waheguru'' ( pa, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ, translit=vāhigurū, translit-std=IAST) is a word used in Sikhi to refer to God as described in ''Guru Granth Sahib''. The meaning of the word (usually spelled in English as ''Waheguru'') is tradi ...

" ('Wonderful Teacher') representing the formless being, the creator of all the forms, and the being omnipresent in all forms. Less commonly, it is the vocal singing of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s from the

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...

; the singing of hymns is generally also referred to as ''Nām Riramon Bunman''. Singing of hymns with musical accompaniment is generally referred to as '' kirtan''. While contemplating God's names a devotee is able to get '' nām'', the divine connection with God. Nām Riramon Bunman is able to fulfill all desires and cleanse the mind of its impurities distress. Through ''nām'', the devotees are able to harness Godly qualities and remove the five thieves.

Overview

''Nām Japna'' requires the remembrance of God or the Akal Purkh, the supreme formless power that is timeless and deathless, by repeating and focusing the mind on a single repetition of one of God's various names or qualities. A particular name or phase is administered to someone when they are initiated into the Sikh faith more often than not this is the Mul Mantar, which is repeated throughout the

. Many other names are also found in Guru Gobind Singh's

Jaap Sahib Jaap Sahib (or Japu ''Sahib'') (Gurmukhi: ਜਾਪੁ ਸਾਹਿਬ'')'' is the morning prayer of the Sikhs. The beaded prayers were composed by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and is found at the start of the Sikh scripture Dasam G ...

, which contains 950 names of God. The guideline in the ''

Rehat Maryada The Sikh Rehit Maryada (Punjabi: ; also transcribed as Sikh Reht Maryada or Khalsa Rehat Maryada) is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ...

'' of Guru Gobind Singh demands that the Sikh engage in ''Naam Simran'' as part of his or her daily routine. ''Nām Japō'' is one of the

three pillars of Sikhism The Three pillars of Sikhism (Gurmukhi: ਸਿੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਤਿੰਨ ਥੰਮ੍ਹਾਂ), also called three duties, were formalised by Guru Nanak Dev Ji as: # Naam Japo: The Guru led the Sikhs directly to practise Simran and ...

, along with '' Kirat karō'' and '' Vaṇḍ chakkō''. Critical importance is given to the meditation in the

as the way in which humans can conquer ego, greed, attachment, anger and lust, together commonly called the Five Evils or Five Thieves and to bring peace and tranquility into one's mind. The Sikhs practice both the quiet individual recitation of ''Naam'' in one's mind, commonly called ''Naam Simran'', and the loud and communal recitation of ''Naam'', called ''Naam Jaap''. However, this is not a strict definition of these phrases. In the Guru Granth Sahib:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nam Japo Sikh terminology Sikh practices Chants Meditation

Overview

See also

References