Simran (

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 r ...

: ਸਿਮਰਨ; hi, सिमरण, सिमरन ; from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: , ''smaraṇa'', 'to remember, reminisce, recollect'), in

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

, is a Sanskrit word referring to the continuous remembrance of the finest aspect of the self, and/or the continuous remembrance (or feeling) of God. This state is maintained continuously while carrying out the worldly works outside.

Sikhism

''Simran''—commonly used as a verb in

—refers to 'meditating' on the name ('' nām'') of God. Sikhism is a distinct faith, whereby God can be realized purely through individual devotion, without subjection to rites and rituals by priests or other intermediaries. According to 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 ...

, through simran, one is purified and attains

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

( ''mukti''). This is because ''si-mar'' means 'to die over', thus indicating the death of ego, allowing the realization of ultimate truth ( ''sach'') to appear. On page 202 of the Guru Granth Sahib: This hymn teaches that a person who wishes to gain from this human life must attain a higher spiritual state by becoming free of attachment by realizing emptiness of worldly phenomena. Thereby, merit is acquired by devoutly repeating, comprehending, and living by the sacred word every day so as to progressively reveal the divine and ultimate truth to the person who earnestly seeks it:

Guru Ram Das Guru Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the ten Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Gurus of Sikhism. He was born in a family based in Lahore. His birth n ...

says in ''Sarang ki var'' (Guru Granth Sahib, 1242):

Sant Mat

Sant Mat Sant Mat was a spiritual movement on the Indian subcontinent during the 13th–17th centuries CE. The name literally means "teachings of sants", i.e. mystic Hindu saints. Through association and seeking truth by following ''sants'' and their teac ...

, the word simran is used for the spiritual practice of repeating the

mantra A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...

given by the

Satguru ''Satguru'' ( sa, सत्गुरु), or ''sadguru'' ( sa, सद्गुरु), means the 'true guru' in Sanskrit. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on ...

during

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

. The mantra itself is also called Simran. Simran repetition is done during

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 cal ...

and also outside it,Simran What it means and its uses
by

Kirpal Singh Kirpal Singh (6 February 1894 – 21 August 1974) was a spiritual master (''satguru'') in the tradition of Radha Soami. Kirpal Singh was born in Sayyad Kasran, Punjab, in what is now Pakistan. He lived in Lahore during the period of his discip ...

. however this mantra is later dropped in favor of real feeling of self or the God, which happens due to breaking out of monotony through Jap. Thus mantra is used only until the point, monotony and previously formed patterns are broken. After it pure Simran is carried by the sadhak.

References

Spirituality Meditation Sikh practices Sant Mat Hindu practices {{Hinduism-stub

Sikhism

Sant Mat

See also

References