ਅਖੰਡਕੀਰਤਨੁਤਿਨਿਭੋਜਨੁਚੂਰਾ
ਕਹੁਨਾਨਕਜਿਸੁਸਤਿਗੁਰੁਪੂਰਾ
The Akhand Kirtani Jatha (or AKJ) is a collective group (jatha) of Gursikhs dedicated to Tat Gurmat (pristine from Gurmat), Khalsa Rehit (code of conduct) and service of the Panth. The primary aim of the Jatha is to propagate the message of the Sikh Guru Sahibans through kirtan, Amrit Sanchaars, akhand paaths, sehaj paaths, literature, Gurmat camps, setting up colleges and sacrifices & martyrdoms for the Panth. The Jatha encourages the GurSikhi lifestyle through spiritual progression, rehat, bibek, and truthful living. AKJ kirtan programmes take the form of ‘Rainsbai Kirtans’ (Kirtan that goes on all night).
Sarbloh Bibek Rehat
In Sikhi, there is an important concept known as ‘bibekta’. Bibek literally means from two to one. Bibek is a God-given conscience that allows a Sikh to discriminate between right and wrong, i.e. knowing what is good and what is bad.
Not only is Bibekta applied in a Sikh’s everyday life – for example, knowing it is wrong to cut one’s hair or that it is right to do Nitnem (daily prayers) in the morning – but it can also be applied to what one eats. Bujjar Kurehats (cardinal prohibitions) and other Rehat Maryada (Code of Conduct) rules come into play here.
ਬਾਬਾਹੋਰੁਖਾਣਾਖੁਸੀਖੁਆਰੁ॥ਜਿਤੁਖਾਧੈਤਨੁਪੀੜੀਐਮਨਮਹਿਚਲਹਿਵਿਕਾਰ॥੧॥ਰਹਾਉ॥“O Baba! The pleasures of other foods are false, by eating which, the body is ruined, and wickedness and corruption enters into the mind. ||1||Pause||”(SGGS – 16)
Keeping Bibek Rehit for eating is not a Rehit made up by individual Sikhs or a group of Sikhs. All Gursikhs keep Bibek Rehit for eating to some degree or another.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji states:
ਜਾਕੀਰਹਿਤਨਜਾਣੀਐਗੁਰਮੰਤ੍ਰਨਹੀਚੀਤ ||ਉਨਕਾਭੋਜਨਖਾਇਕੈਬਿਸਰਹਿਹਰਿਸਿਉਪ੍ਰੀਤ ||“One who has no Rehit (discipline) and does not meditate on the Gurmantar (given by the Panj Pyaare when one receives khande-di-pahul); If you eat their food, you will loose the love for God.”(Rehitnama Bhai Chaupa Singh)
Not only is Bibekta applied in a Sikh’s everyday life – for example, knowing it is wrong to cut one’s hair or that it is right to do Nitnem (daily prayers) in the morning – but it can also be applied to what one eats. Bujjar Kurehats (cardinal prohibitions) and other Rehat Maryada (Code of Conduct) rules come into play here.
ਬਾਬਾਹੋਰੁਖਾਣਾਖੁਸੀਖੁਆਰੁ॥ਜਿਤੁਖਾਧੈਤਨੁਪੀੜੀਐਮਨਮਹਿਚਲਹਿਵਿਕਾਰ॥੧॥ਰਹਾਉ॥“O Baba! The pleasures of other foods are false, by eating which, the body is ruined, and wickedness and corruption enters into the mind. ||1||Pause||”(SGGS – 16)
Keeping Bibek Rehit for eating is not a Rehit made up by individual Sikhs or a group of Sikhs. All Gursikhs keep Bibek Rehit for eating to some degree or another.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji states:
ਜਾਕੀਰਹਿਤਨਜਾਣੀਐਗੁਰਮੰਤ੍ਰਨਹੀਚੀਤ ||ਉਨਕਾਭੋਜਨਖਾਇਕੈਬਿਸਰਹਿਹਰਿਸਿਉਪ੍ਰੀਤ ||“One who has no Rehit (discipline) and does not meditate on the Gurmantar (given by the Panj Pyaare when one receives khande-di-pahul); If you eat their food, you will loose the love for God.”(Rehitnama Bhai Chaupa Singh)