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Nam Simaran
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[ xxxiii ] Sikh meditation technique. G urmat affirms that liberation ( mukti ) is attained primarily through the discipline called nam simaran or nam japan , ‘remembering’ or ‘repeating’ the divine name. N am signifies all that constitutes the being and nature of God (A kal purakh ) [27: 195–6]. For N anak ( see G urus ), nam simaran meant regular disciplined meditation on the manifold nam. The essence of nam is harmony, and they who sustain the discipline will progressively merge with the divine harmony, ultimately passing beyond the transmigratory round into the ineffable bliss ( sahaj ) which for Nanak is final liberation ( see S achkhand ). With this sophisticated technique there also continues literal nam japan , the practice of uttering a word, syllable or M antra of particular religious import (e.g. satnam , V ahiguru ), either as a pious ejaculation or in extended repetition. For the latter procedure a simarani (rosary) is commonly used [25: 263]. A third method practised by S ikhs is the singing or chanting of gurbani (compositions from the sacred scripture). Daily N it-nem is thus a form of nam simaran. ... log in or subscribe to read full text
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