Please explain the essence of Naam-Simran.

Q : Guru Granth Sahib refers to naam and naam simram many many times. What do these really mean? In Guru Granth Sahib, it is said that naam is the highest and its simran is above any other puja or bhakti. Please explain this.
Pritam

Answer Dear Pritam Singh ji, what Guru Granth Sahib is referring to is definitely right. Naam or simran is definitely indeed higher then anything but the bigger question is what is naam and what is simran? What you see people doing is holding a mala in their hands and doing Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru and eyes are wobbling here and there and their mind is jumping like a monkey from one point to another and they are restless as if some scorpion has bitten them and they yet claim that they practice naam.Their mind is lustful, greedy, angry, and egoistic. And yet some people claim that they know what naam and simran is. When we say "Naam:, Naam means ‘The name’, it doesn’t mean that you recite the name continuously on your tongue, that’s the reason there is another word attached to the naam word and that is simran and simran word comes from the root word of Hindi language, its smriti. Smriti means memory. So simran means memorizing, remembering. Now here, a very important thing comes, any thing which you have not experienced, you cannot memorize that person, if I say memorize my school teacher of 4th standard, can you do that? Well I can give you her name, sister philomina. Please memorize bringing your memories my college, my classroom, my philosophy lecturer, can you? Can you memorize the hut where I used to live in Rishikesh? Or can you remember the spots at the banks of the Ganges where I used to sit, well you cannot. Why? You have never seen it so if someone says, remember god, the question arises, a very logical question rises, until and unless I have not seen, tasted, experienced god how can I remember god? So the simran word has very deep connotation. It is actually an after state which comes to a person who has experienced god. But to reach god there is a device, certain meditation,  certain techniques are required, certain sadhana-spiritual practice is required and part of that larger sadhana, recitation of naam too is one of the tool’s where its not only your tongue, its not only your hands which are going to turn the beads of the mala but it is your mind which is engrossed in the mantra- wahe guru, wahe guru, ram-ram, om-om, whatever your mantra is, you’re so involved with that mantra that your mind is calm, restful and peaceful and in certain depth, you are able to experience god himself and from that day onwards, your naam changes into simran. Now you’ve tasted, now you know what the taste is, now you relish that god taste in you and that is simran. I hope I have helped you a little bit. Gurumaa

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