Pauris 8 to 11 of Jap Ji Sahib are devoted to “suṇiai”, which literally means “by listening (to the Guru’s instruction)”, which a seeker must follow, and to which he or she must commune in order to reach the goal – here expressed as “sadaa vigaas” – a state of everlasting bliss.
Attentive listening holds the key to transformation. These pauris emphasize listening as a means to transcend our limited consciousness into cosmic awareness, gaining access to deeper dimensions of knowledge and existence. As we read through them, we recognize the emphasis Guru Nanak places on attentive listening and the fruits of such communion.
The thing to remember, is that Guru Nanak is calling for radical change, not business as usual. Trouble is we hear what we want to hear; nothing gets past our conditioned thinking. Even when we “hear” Guru Nanak, we “translate” what we hear through our existing filters and “interpret” what we “hear” to suit or reinforce our habitual way of thinking.
The faculty of listening is a continuum – just like our body-mind-soul-spirit is a continuum. We are ordinarily familiar with physical hearing, enabled by the senses; we are also distracted by the inner noise of our own minds. A capacity that lies dormant in the deepest core of our being and the one we need to activate/awaken is attentive listening.
ਸੁਣਿਐ (suṇiai)
Meaning: verb: By listening (to the Guru’s instruction).
Quote:
ਸੁਣਿਐ ਸਿਧ ਪੀਰ ਸੁਰਿ ਨਾਥ॥
suṇiai sidh peer sur naath.
By listening to the divine teaching of the Guru, one intuitively attains the capabilities of Siddhs, Pirs and master Yogis. – Guru Nanak Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, Page 2
Message:This verse from stanza 8 enlightens that by listening attentively and contemplating on the divine teaching of Gurbani with love and devotion, one is led to a spontaneous development of the capabilities associated with ancient spiritual masters, such as, Siddhs, Pirs and Yogis.
It leads to the development of intuitive knowledge of the world and beyond. One realises that the Almighty pervades in all regions, continents and planets. And thus one is enabled to overcome all of one’s fears, even the fear of death.
The point is, be attentive while seeking Gurbani’s knowledge and thus awaken yourself to the higher planes of spiritualty.
Etymology: From Sanskrit shraṇoti (hears) → Pali suṇaati → Prakrit suṇedi/suṇai/suṇaṇ → Sindhi suṇaṇu, Lahndi suṇaṇ, and Punjabi suṇ-naa (to hear).
