The daily prayers

of the Sikhs, were originally composed in Gurmukhi, (the scriptural language of Sikh Dharma), and are recited each day so that a person's earthly personality may elevate itself to defend through any negativity or misfortune. Whether or not you are a Sikh you can benefit from these beautiful prayers. Gateway to the Soul gives you the powerful effects of the Banis in English translation, to open your heart, steady your mind, and connect you with your strength, courage, and Infinite Consciousness. Listening to or reciting the Banis gives you inner balance, grace, radiance, and energy; stopping the negative cycle of the mind and reversing it's thought forms.

Although the greatest benefit of the Banis is through recitation in the original Gurmukhi, Gateway to the Soul offers them in English, with musical accompaniment so you can enjoy their subtle, joyful vibrations. The Banis are truly meant to be experienced by the heart.

Japji Sahib: To relate and connect with your soul. Recite in the early morning or when your being is endangered, when the radiance of your soul is weak, when your soul feels sad. All wisdom of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is contained in this Bani. Related to ether element.

Shabad Hazaare: This gives the benefits of a thousand shabads to allow the soul to merge directly with God. For reconciliation and bringing separated ones home. Recite when your body feels useless. Related to ether element.

Jaap Sahib: To bring grace, self-command and to inspire your greatness. This Bani brings royalty, divinity, ecstasy, bliss, bountifulness and beauty. It will increase your vitality, courage, power, strength and self-esteem. Recite when your dignity is threatened, to overcome fear and to arouse and increase your flow of spirit. Related to air element.

Tav Prasad Swaiya and Chaopaee: To bring satisfaction in life when nothing seems to satisfy you. It brings energy, vitality and expansion. Related to air element.

Click here to read the Tav Prasad Swaiya.



Anand Sahib: To bring endless bliss and heal any deficiencies in the body. It organises and brings happiness, harmony and peace. In this Bani, mind and body are explained in relation to cosmic divinity; it is to qualify the mind and understand one's depth. Recite this when your lower self confronts you, when you are unsuccessful and you want peace of mind. Related to fire element.

The Anand Sahib of Guru Amardas is a literary masterpiece of devotional poetry; its aesthetic and symbolic elements will please the literary critic.

Its theme is of man?s true goal and his spiritual illumination. The word ?Anand? means bliss, so it is a song of man?s spiritual achievement, or of being in tune with the Infinite. In a metaphysical sense, this stage is known as harmony, equipoise or Sahaj.

Every man desires happiness and joy, but he tends to seek it in things either apart from himself or which pertain to his sense organs. He does not realise that these things at best can only give him temporary or unstable happiness. Firstly, man seeks to do better than his neighbour or colleague. He wants more wealth, power and position. The human rat-race increases both avarice and greed, it inflates the ego and often leads to domination and exploitation. Even after gaining what he has set his mind to, he is afraid of losing what he has obtained. This fear of a possible loss creates tensions in his mind, so that he becomes unable to enjoy that which he already has. Additionally there is the fear of some one doing better, so he tries to keep others at bay. All this destroys his peace of mind sad sense of achievement, so that in spite of his power and position, he inwardly feels dissatisfied and sullen

Man's desires and doubts cast a shadow on his efforts to gain joy. Even if some joy is experienced, the spectre of its short duration haunts the mind and creates anxiety and neurosis. After a while, this condition appears openly when his friends and relatives feel that he is mentally disturbed and unhappy.

The Anand is both inspirational and philosophical in its content. It details the pilgrim?s progress and the obstacles that lie on the way. The ultimate goal is for union with the Supreme Reality. It is called Sahaj, Nirvana, Mukti, Sangham. Sahaj is a mental state which encourages the living of a normal family-life and a concern for social commitment. The requirement is one of detachment; all that one possesses, is to be regarded a kind of trust and used for good and altruistic purposes. Similarly, one?s senses directed to higher goals and not only to worldly enjoyment. Regard your body as a chariot, your mind the charioteer, your soul, the owner of the chariot, while your senses are the horses and desire is their road. The soul symbolises divinity; man cannot realise his divine element without seeing through the veil of Maya. Normally he regards himself as separate from God, it is this obvious duality or fallacy that the Guru removes. Through the Guru man may realise his divine nature, then he becomes Gurmukh or Sunmukh. Those who remain worldly-wise and follow their own ego, they are called Munmukh or Bemukh. Their senses?eyes, ears, tongue etc. lead them to mundane and evil pursuits, not towards spiritual effort (Sadhana). So self-discipline and obeying of the Guru?s directions is the way to spiritual progress.

The obstacles on any spiritual path are many and difficult. They include human cleverness, intellectual hair-splitting, family attachments, the taboos and rituals of traditional religion, conformity to custom and convention, the unending chain of desire, hypocrisy and ?ad hoc means? for the purpose of compromises with ideals and principles for personal gain, and the many other compulsions of expediency. The disciple in to overcome such obstacles by obeying the instructions of the Guru. The blessing of the Guru will support and enable him to progress, on his spiritual path. Any association with godly people or of doing of acts for the public good and social welfare, also help on the spiritual journey.

The pattern of the Anand projects a development of thought. Stanzas one to five mention that Bliss obtained through the Guru, after his instructions are followed. Stanzas six to twenty deal with the various obstacles and difficulties that one may face on the spiritual path. Stanzas twenty-one to twenty-five tell us about the two types of human beings: the ego-oriented and the God-oriented. Stanzas twenty-six to thirty-four mention the various desires that hold man back from his inner quest. Stanzas thirty-five to thirty-nine deal with the correct functioning of the human body and its senses. Stanza forty deals with the benefits of sincere recitation and singing in particular of the Anand. These benefits are enlightenment, a realisation of the blissful state and the ultimate union with Divinity. In short, Bliss may be attained through self-discipline and the development of one?s own personality through purity, morality, contentment, poise, compassion, wisdom, a loving understanding of others and spiritual harmony.

The Anand belongs to the sixteenth century and contains words from ?sant-bhasa? (saint-lore). It represents the idealism of the Guru and his vision for man?s ultimate achievement. Its large canvas covers the realities of contemporary life.?including a description of the paraphernalia of organised religion, which ironically disguises the hypocrisy and egoism of its practitioners, under the veneer of outer correctness and cleanliness. The diction of the Anand suited to its theme and musical from?Ramkali raga.?leaves a subtle and powerful impression on the mind of the disciple. The diction is powerful, with ?winged? words and ?felt? phrases, which make a great impact on the listener. The ?loaded? text deals with some of the basic concepts of Sikh religion like Sahaj, Karma, Hukam, Shabad and Maya, words which in addition to their semantic nuances, also reflect the spiritual states of the Third Guru. Consider the polarised juxtapositions, like Sahaj and Sansa (18),u Sach and Koor (19),Nirmal and Maila (19), Sanmukh and Bemukh (21&22), Sachibani and Kachi-bani (23&24),Punn and Paap (27),Har-ras and Un-ras (32). These contents all add to the beauty of the composition.

The Anand� reassures every one that they can experience both joy and bliss, without sacrificing the normal comfort and pleasures of life. Bliss is the destiny of man, Pain and suffering, though unavoidable, do not disturb the inner peace of that person who leads a purposeful and pious life, by obeying the Guru?s discipline.

Rehras Sahib: Recite after you've worked hard and feel tired. It adds energy to your being. It covers your business actions and living environments. It helps you when you are physically weak, weak in money, property and earthly matters; when you feel hopeless, unsuccessful or worthless. Bayntee Chaopaee is Guru Gobind Singh's personal prayer for protection and is to liberate the soul. Related to water element.

Kirtan Sohila: To remove the fear of death. Good to recite when your life feels boring, and you are uninspired. It multiplies your aura, eliminates negativity in you and around you, and protects you. Excellent before you sleep at night to bring restful sleep, prevent nightmares and create a shield of protection. This Bani protects the soul on its journey after it leaves the body at death. Related to earth element.