Gurmantar: Transformative Wisdom Revealed (part 1 of 2)

Baba Sri Chand, son of Guru Nanak, formed a unique Yogic Samparda (school/lineage), whose philosophies were attached to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, while also utilizing the Hatha Yoga practices of the Yogis from the Gorakanath Traditions, and his unique Samparda called the Udasis, or Udasins.

Below is an image of Baba Sri Chand.

In one of his writings called the Matra Sahib, Baba Sri Chand writes about the powerful tool called "Gurmantra", the topic of this blog post.

The simplified definition of Gurmantra or Guru Mantra states that the Mantra reverberates the essence of wisdom, devotion, grace, and supreme contentment. In traditional Yogic culture, the Guru is a guide for liberation from the illusory reality of the world (Moksha) and for ending the cycle of life and death of the soul (Mukti).

In practice, when you are a "Shishya" or student of the Guru, the Guru chooses to bless you with a secret mantra, called "Dikhsha". This mantra is designed to shield you like an armor, protecting your mind from distractions or being overwhelmed by the passions and desires stemming from the mind and body. This is one way to receive a Guru Mantra, however this is not the way that Baba Sri Chand refers to Gurmantra.

Baba Sri Chand's philosophy is influenced by his father, Nanak, and as such, he will take another angle on this common Gurmantra. Below is an image from the Matra Sahib showing verses 26 through 30.

in Romanized transliteration: GUR AVINASHI SUKHAM VED NIRBAAN VIDIYA APAR BHED (26)

AKHAND JANEU NIRMAL DHOTI SOHANG JAAP SACH MAAL PIROTI (27)

SIKHIYA GURMANTR GAYATRI HARI NAAM NEHCHAL AASAN KAR VISHRAM (28)

TILAK SAMPURAN TARPAN YASH POOJA PREM BHOG MAHARAS (29)

NIRVAIR SANDHYA DARSHAN CHHAPA VAAD VIVAAD MITAVE AAPA (30)

a rough translation: The indestuctible Guru is innate with the wisdom of the Vedas,

he shares the knowledge of self realization with absolute simplicity. (26) Recite "Sohung"and immerse with the True Self, this is the ceremony

that keeps the Sacred Thread (of knowledge) unbroken and one's coverings spotless. (27)

Learn Gurmantra, Gayatri is the knowledge of Har,

then one becomes blissful and stable in Asana and can find ease in oneself. (28)

One pointed concentration is the vermillion mark and offering to the lineage is gratification,

acting from a space of love is true worship that makes consumption (of life) blissful. (29)

Being absent of fear is the action of prayer and divine realization the true stamp, they free us from controversies and confusions letting us abide wholesomely in Divinity. (30)

Baba Sri Chand succinctly let's us know what is a Gurmantar, simply by saying it is something to be learned, in Gurmukhi he uses the words "Sikhiya Gurmantar", stating unequivocally that for him, and his yogic path, the Gurmantar comes from the lineage of Nanak. The Gurmantar from the path of Nanak is the Mantar "WaheGuru" which in its simplest explanations means "the ecstasy of going from dark to light."

"The Guru is innate with the wisdom of the Vedas, and can simplify and share the knowledge of self-realization with simplicity." In a time when many Gurus and Swamis were complicating the journey of the self by obfuscating and making the spiritual teachings seem 'hidden' or 'secretive' or knowledge for a select few, Baba Sri Chand, a Hatha Yogi, comes and says there is no secret, the Guru shares the knowledge with simplicity. The Guru takes us from the dark to the light. There are no secrets. In addition to Gurmantra of Waheguru, Baba Sri Chand tells us to take a look at Gayatri, and says it is the knowledge of Har - Har being another name of Shiva. What does Gurmantra and knowledge of Shiva do? It helps us stay firm and strong in our Asana, making us create space and act from that space of ease bringing in an innate relaxation within the Asana. The last few lines talk about acting from a space of love, being absent of fear and freeing the mind from the controversies and confusions, letting us live wholesomely, dedicating our lives to our highest form of the self, one that is immersed in WaheGuru, getting the Darshan of the infinite. This happens when we learn the Gurmantar and embed it deep into our hearts, psyche, and soul. In part 2 of this post, we take a look at the mantra WaheGuru, and its recitation in the form of chanting, called the "Long Ek OngKar" popularized by Harbhajan Singh Puri and his school of psuedo-Sikh yoga called "3ho".

If you've read this far, I'd like to suggest you do every action and live every moment with WaheGuru in your breath. All the worries of the reactive mind, they slowly dissipate with this Mantra as it releases us from the stories of our own mind and replaces it with the vibration of the Guru. There are many versions of WaheGuru mantras on Youtube, here is one of my favorite ones. Hope you enjoy.