what is the appropriate

you can do this particular bani foras many times as you wish as long as you do ardass and set a target infront of waheguru of how many times youll do so. take one shower (ishnaan ) do kesh ishnaan- and do them all in one go or do it once evry day up to you. and then do ardass at the end when you have finished your targetthanking god for the opertunaty to do so.

The focus of the Guru is on purifying the heart and becoming more Life-centred/Naam-centred and realising that the self is part of Life and supported by it, so there is no gain by being self-centred, to the exclusion of others. By drawing Life into one’s life, we become lamps for the Light that is God. Then, we can spread that Light to others. The whole technology of gurmat (Way of the Guru) is for this purpose.

Since gurmat is about how we live Life, most people tend to regard discussion of spirits as superstition, or at best irrelevant. This is unfortunate since there is nothing in Guru Granth Sahib Ji/Gurbani or the daily prayers which is not for our benefit. That various spirits exist is mentioned many times in Gurbani. In common with many indigenous traditions, there is mention of the elemental spirits of water and fire, and mother earth (“mata dharat mahat”), various Hindu gods and goddesses, the prophets mentioned in the Semitic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), many Buddhas and others. Free from the confusion that this world is all there is, the spirits cannot be sincere atheists. Whether they serve or rebel against God, they remember the Name.

“Demons, angels, snake kings of hell, and sprites utter the Name all the time.” (Tav Prasad Swayyas, verse 7, third of morning prayers)

However, in this material world, people often go on to worship these other spirits rather than God. Gurbani tells us that,

“Some fools go to worship idols, while others, behaving unenlightened as animals go to worship the dead.” (Tav Prasad Swayyas, verse 9)

This does not include only black magic and voodoo but also lighting candles at the tombs of dead saints and praying to them, often accompanied by music, which was a common practice of Sufi Muslims. It is different from remembering dead beloved ones. What happens to those we loved after death? The angel of death is sometimes called Yama, by which name he is also known to the Jains, Buddhists and Hindus, and Azrael, which is what the Muslims call him. The soul is taken from the body and then taken to the Divine Court for Divine Justice. According to our good and evil deeds, people are placed in heavens (rewards) and hells (punishment). Thereafter they may be given another chance at serving God through being reincarnated.

“Those who obey God do not go with the angels of punishment.” (Jap Ji Sahib, verse 13, first of morning prayers).

“Those who have not recited the Naam – the ... (more)