ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ANAND </TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="ANAND"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279ANAND (Skt. Anand, from <i>nand</i> meaning "to rejoice" or "to delight") denotes mystical experience, spiritual bliss or a state of consciousness such as that of a <i>j&#299van mukta</i>, i. e. one released while still in body. Anand in the Upani&#7779adic texts is taken to be one of the three inherent attributes of <i>&#257tman</i> or Brahman, the other two being <i>sat</i> and <i>chit</i>. In the <i>Taittir&#299ya Upani&#7779ad</i>(II. 1--5), it acquired this meaning of pure bliss. The self at the lowest or first stage of its evolution is defined as the <i>annamaya ko&#7779a</i> (the matter) which evolves successively into <i>pr&#257&#7751a</i> (life), <i>man</i> (mind or perceptual consciousness), <i>vijñ&#257na</i> (self-consciousness) and <i>&#257nanda</i>, non-dual bliss.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In Sikh theology too, <i>anand</i> is one of the attributes of the Supreme Self; so it can be the state of the individual soul as well. Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s's composition <i>Anandu</i>, in the measure R&#257mkal&#299, gives an exposition of the experience of <i>anand</i>, of the union with the immaculate Hari attained through absorption in <i>n&#257m</i>, i. e. repetition of Divine Name. Gur&#363 Arjan attests that he has seen with his own eyes-<i>nain aloi&#257</i>-that the Supreme Self is <i>anand r&#363pu</i>, i. e. bliss itself, is <i>anandamay</i>, full of bliss (GG, 387). Gur&#363 Arjan further declares that the Lord of N&#257nak, the Supreme Being, who is the cause of causes and is <i>antary&#257m&#299</i> (the inner guide), experiences bliss-<i>anand kar&#257i</i> (GG, 387). Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s prefaces his poem <i>Anandu</i> with the affirmation that the experience of <i>anand</i> comes only through meeting with the true Gur&#363 and fully imbibing his instruction. He says that the longing for experiencing <i>anand</i> is inherent in men and is universal-<i>&#257nandu &#257nandu sabhu ko kahai</i> (GG, 917), but it actually falls to the lot of the very few, for it cannot be had without the grace of the Gur&#363 which destroys sins, touches one's eye with the collyrium of true knowledge <i>(gi&#257n añjanu s&#257ri&#257)</i>, cuts asunder the knot of attachment (<i>mohu</i>) and bestows a sublime way of living, <i>sabadu sav&#257ri&#257</i>. These are essential conditions to experiencing <i>anand</i>. In the concluding stanza, Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s says that <i>anand</i> is liberation from all suffering. It brings one complete fulfilment, and is realized by listening to the Divine word. Then all sorrow, sickness and pain end.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Anand is not an intermediate state in the journey of the individual self towards the Supreme Self, but the unitive one. The Gur&#363 is the sole guide and remembrance of the Name is the sole discipline or <i>s&#257dhn&#257. </i> Grace of the lord acts as the initial inspiration as well as the final arbiter.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gur&#363 N&#257nak, in <i>Japu, </i> has signified <i>anand</i> as the state of being <i>nih&#257l</i> or fulfilled; Gur&#363 Arjan, in <i>Sukhman&#299</i> as the state of <i>sukh</i> or peace; Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, in his <i>&#347lokas</i>, as the state of the <i>gi&#257n&#299</i>, the enlightened one who has achieved <i>sahaj</i> or equipoise and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, in his verse, as the state of the heroic and dedicated one whose joy or <i>anand</i> is in philanthropic action and sacrifice. Gur&#363 N&#257nak summing up the entire theme of the <i>Japu</i> says in the last stanza that the glance of grace of the Lord makes one <i>nih&#257l, </i> fulfilled or blessed.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Kohli, Surindar Singh, <i>A Critical Study of Adi Granth. </i> Delhi, 1961<BR> <li class="C1"> T&#257ran Si&#7749gh, <i>Sahij te Anandu</i>. Amritsar, n. d. .<BR> <li class="C1"> Caveeshar, Sard&#363l Si&#7749gh, <i>Sikh Dharam Darshan. </i> Patiala, 1969<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">T&#257ran Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>