This is the first of a series of articles throughout this year where we will be presenting the role of mysticism in various faiths. Mysticism and the mystic are understood in different ways depending on the religion, but in general mysticism can be said to mean "the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality." Throughout religious history mystics have been alternately worshiped and reviled, hailed and hidden.
Mysticism in the Sikh faith began with its
founder, Guru
Nanak, who even as a child had profound mystical experiences. There are
many stories of the young Nanak
slipping into deep meditative trances, once even getting into trouble for
neglecting his father's cattle, which then wandered into a neighbor's field and
ate their crops!
What was the great Guru contemplating? Guru Nanak "stressed that God must be seen with 'the inward eye', or the 'heart', of a human being. Beyond this there is no dogma, only the search for truth. Sikhs meditate as a means to progress towards enlightenment; it is devoted meditation practice that enables a sort of communication between the Infinite and finite human consciousness."
But, meditation in the Sikh's understanding is different from
meditation as it is understood in other Eastern practices. For the Sikh there is no
concentration on the breath, for example, but chiefly the recitation
of the name of God. "We are instructed to recite the name of God (Waheguru)
24 hours a day, no matter what we are doing," says Dr. Dass, a local
leader from the Gudwara. "That is the first and foremost duty of a Sikh.
You start by reciting aloud,
then from your mind. You inner being is reciting the name of God while you
are doing your own work." Though mystic practice--"to be one
with God," as Dr. Dass explains, is essential to Sikhism, these
practices are not limited to an elite few who remove themselves from the world.
Rather, participation in ordinary life, being householders, business people and
so forth, is considered spiritually essential to the Sikh. "We do not
renounce the world. You can attain being one with God while living a family
life," says Dr. Dass. This way of thought was exemplified and encouraged
by Guru Ram
Das who pointed out that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, did not
renounce the world, but only renounced "the greed for money."
There are no priests, monastics or yogis in the Sikh faith. Dr. Dass explains
that, "We are all supposed to lead that spiritual life. We don't all
achieve it, but this is our goal. Our ultimate goal is to be one with God."
