Akhand Paath

There are other ceremonies and observances in which Sikhs participate when the occasion arises. Akand Paath (unbroken recitation of the complete Siri Guru Granth Sahib, taking 48 hours for the original Gurmukhi, or 72 hours in English) is performed on special occasions such as birth, death, marriage, etc. However, no special occasion is required. Sikhs hold regular Akhand Paaths to uplift, inspire and elevate the participants, the community and the world.

Guru Manyo Granth

The Daily Banis

The Sikh recites various daily prayers from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth of Guru Gobind Singh. These Banis serve to impart understanding of life and death, karma, dharma and destiny. They inspire and uplift, and teach us how to live our lives. By repeating the words which the Gurus themselves spoke, the Sikh re"creates, through the vibrations of sound, their state of consciousness (if they are recited with full concentration and devotion, rather than as a ritual performance). The technology of this Naad, this sound current, serves to stimulate the glandular secretions of the glands, affecting the brain (the hypothalamus and the pituitary) and so affects the brain chemistry, and thus consciousness.

Devotional Practices

Sikh Dharma (Sikh = student of Truth, Dharma = Path of Righteousness) is a way of life combining freedom of expression and self-discipline:
" Naam Japanaa " chant God’s Name;
" Dharm dee kirat karnee " earn an honest living;
" Vandh chakanaa " share with others.

It is a way of life, a practical practicing reality, rather than a religion or philosophy. The guiding belief and faith of a Sikh is the unity of all things: that the Creator of the Creation is One. This is the opening declaration of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib: Ek Ong Kaar.

Rising in the Amrit Vayla

The Sikh’s first devotional practice is to rise before sunrise, in the Ambrosial hours of the Amrit Vayla, and to bathe or shower in cold water (to cleanse the body and stimulate the nervous system and circulation). Following this, she or he chants and meditates upon God’s Name, (in the Sadh Sangat"the Company of the Holy"if possible) sings God’s Praises and merges her or his consciousness with the Guru. This practice of Naam Simran (meditative remembrance on the Name of the Lord) serves to cleanse the mind of its limiting thoughts, and attunes it to the frequency of the Beloved, God.