Meditate on God

Written by Har Simran Kaur of Los Angeles, CA in 2010:

I was less than thrilled when the Siri Singh Sahib Ji gave me the name Har Simran. Meditation was something I did because I felt better afterward and I knew it was good for me, not because I enjoyed it.

I was relieved years later to hear him say that Simran is the same as Jaap. Both mean “repeat.” That meant I could fulfill my destiny simply by chanting, regardless of what I felt or thought.

My first practical experience of Har Simran came one night, trying to fall asleep. I noticed that silently repeating “Har Har Har,” connected me to my heartbeat, calming me down, and allowing me to nod off. Or shall I say, “Naad” off!

Greater understanding of what my name means came from my explanations to others. When a person outside of Sikh Dharma asked me what my name means, I would tell them “Har” is God’s Name and Simran is like a pot simmerin’ on the stove, except instead of going “blub blub blub,” it’s going “Har Har Har.”

That was in the 1990s. Nowadays, given people’s busy lives, I simply tell people that it means “remember the One who made you.” The response is always a pause, then a smile, and “That’s beautiful!” I smile back, grateful for the reminder to be so.