Rahaao: Pause and Reflect

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ke Fateh

In modern times we seem to be in a rush. Sometimes so much so, that we don’t stop to think about what we’re doing, much less take a breath. It’s easier for us to do things automatically, without thinking - simply for the sake of getting them done. We hurry to complete things and pride ourselves on being the fastest - like that makes something better than its slower version. We do things by rote - it’s the way we were taught or it’s traditional. I believe all these things are true. I also believe we are just plain lazy.

I see the word rahaao when reading/reciting Shabads. During Kirtan, I see it on the display. I sometimes hear it when a Hukam is read. Sikhs aren’t the only ones who are given some kind of instruction to pause and reflect. Another thing we have in common is that once we get to that point we quickly move on. We say or read rahaao and then utter the next word - all without taking a breath. We don’t all do it, but enough of us do it that I felt the need to say something.

When we zoom through a Shabad and can’t afford [even] a second for rahaao, what we are doing looses its meaning. The fact that a line includes rahaao is significant, because in that line the Guru is telling us the theme of the Shabad. If we don’t pause and reflect, we don’t allow the Guru’s word to make a connection with us - to sink in. As we move on to the next lines, the lines that support the Shabad's theme, they hold less context. All because we didn't slow down after rahaao. 

Some people don’t recite the word rahaao aloud. I have mixed feelings about this practice. It’s an instruction and if we simply allow a pause to occur, that’s good enough. Then again, it doesn’t hurt to remind the sangat to pause and reflect.

Intention is everything. If we make a mistake in pronunciation, God knows what we really meant to say. Reciting and practicing rahaao is a liturgical practice. When we choose to allow time for rahaao, we allow others to learn through our example. And then they carry on that practice. That sounds like a good thing to me, at least it's better than the alternative.

So please, can we please pause and reflect on the Guru’s word?