Have you ever rushed through your prayers, reciting words so quickly that they blurred into a stream of sound without meaning? You’re not alone. Many of us hurry through our banis, ticking them off a mental checklist—but feeling nothing in our hearts.
This truth struck a seeker named Jawahar Singh when he approached the wise Baba Nand Singh Ji. “I recite Sukhmani Sahib every day,” he confessed, “but I feel no connection. My mind wanders. The words leave my lips, but not my heart.”
Baba Ji listened with compassion and then revealed a profound insight: “Reciting Gurbani isn’t about speed—it’s about presence. When you rush, you speak with your mouth, not your mind. And when the mind is absent, the soul remains untouched.”
He illustrated his point beautifully: “If you recite two Sukhmani Sahibs in fifteen minutes, you’re not reciting—you’re racing. You might as well be reading a grocery list. But when you slow down, when you savor each word, each syllable, you allow the divine vibration of the shabad to resonate within you. That’s when transformation begins.”
Baba Ji also shared a hidden wisdom about our breath and our life. Every day, we take roughly 24,000 breaths—each one a precious gift. When we rush through our prayers, our breathing becomes rapid and shallow, draining our energy and shortening our life force. But when we meditate slowly, with intention, our breath becomes calm and deep. We conserve our energy, extend our days, and nourish our spirit.
The real magic happens when we understand what we’re reciting. How can we feel connected to words we don’t comprehend? How can we be moved by verses we’ve never paused to absorb? Baba Ji reminded Jawahar Singh that Gurbani isn’t a ritual—it’s a conversation with the Divine. It’s meant to be felt, not finished.
Jawahar Singh took this lesson to heart. He began reciting slowly, mindfully, focusing not on quantity but on quality. And soon, he found what he’d been missing all along—a deep, abiding joy in every word.
So the next time you sit for simran or paath, remember: it’s not a race. It’s a reunion. Breathe. Listen. Feel. Let the Guru’s words sink into your soul—not like a storm, but like a gentle rain that nourishes the earth.
Sat Sri Akal.
