In the Guru's philosophy, the fixing of attention on the Guru's word is the only way to cross the dreadful ocean of creation. In Sukhmani Sahib Sri Guru Arjan Dev says :-

"Sing the praises of the Lord with rapt attention and single-mindedness, o saints, my friends."
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If the element of attention, alertness and single mindedness is not there while reading Guru's Word then attention cannot be fixed on the word. Without attention, the recitation of the word becomes mechanical. Sri Guru Amar Dass says :-

"Though man may repeat by mouth nine grammars, the six shastras and the four vedas, but the Lord-God is pleased not like this. Says slave Nanak, ever meditate on God in the inner core of your mind, It is like this that my Lord-God is pleased."
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It is an established fact that the standard to test a principle is always one and having two standards/systems for a test is not proper. Guru's Word clearly says that to read/recite scriptures such as vedas, shastras and grammers without attention cannot be helpful in pleasing the Lord-God, then the same principle would apply to the reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, if it is done without fixing attention on the word. Unless we recite the Guru's word with attention and then obey the order/ instruction of the word in our daily lives, we can never achieve unison with God & can never obtain His Name. Like other religions, reading/reciting Guru's word has become a ritual amongst sikhs (disciples of the Guru) also. We make other people read Sri Guru Granth Sahib for us on payment basis at the time of social functions i.e., marriages birth/death ceremonies and other occasions; but we naver understand, grasp and obey the instruction/order given by the Guru's word, How can we get benefit from such reading/ recitation? Many so called religious guides start continuous recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Gurdwaras, Deras or in houses & do such reading/recitations many times over and over again up to hundreds of times. Now, even reading/recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, already done by others are also available on payment. Unless we read or hear the Guru's word with attention & then act on it, how can we be benifitted? How can one benefit by making payment to others for reading/reciting Sri Guru Granth Sahib? One so called Saint used to say that one may not himself read Sri Guru Granth Sahib nor hear it being read, but if he makes others read it, by making payment etc. even then he gains out of such recitation. Due to this publicity many people requested that so called saint to arrange reading of, Sri Guru Granth Sahib for them & he was running a good business. He his followers recited Sri Guru Granth Sahib in others homes on getting payment.

Son of a rich man of the local area fell ill & the medical treatment did not cure him. He went to that so called saint & asked if reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib can be helpful. The so called saint said, "His son can be cured if Sri Guru Granth Sahib is continuously read twenty five times." The rich man offered to pay for fifty such recitations and requested that this be started immediately. The continuous recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was started and at the last reading a free kitchen was run for all. But the disease of the boy went on getting complicated and after a few days the boy died. After this that rich man lost faith in the Guru and the whole family became clean-shaven. The wife of the Maharaja of a sikh state gave birth to a daughter. The Maharaja was thinking of second marriage but his old mother, who was against second marriage, asked the Maharaja to wait for one year & if he again got a daughter then he may go in for second marriage. The Maharaja agreed. His mother had faith in a so called sikh saint who was very well respected in the community. She told the story to that saint & the so called saint started a chain of continuous reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib with "Sampat" (Sampat means reciting a predetermined word, line or stanza after every stanza in Sri Guru Granth Sahib & in this manner complete the recitation. The predetermined word, line or stanza is thus recited thousands of times during one reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib). The chain of recitation ended smoothly but the Maharaja got a second daughter. Every one in the ruling family was highly disappointed. Interested persons conviced the Maharaja to go in for a second marriage. When the Maharaja declared that he would contract a second marriage, per chance he fell ill. His old mother, taking advantage of his illness, convinced him that the decision of contracting a second marriage was inauspicious & has led to his illness & if he did not get a son this time he may marry another woman. The Maharaja agreed. The old mother of the Maharaja requested that so called saint to personally supervise all arrangements of the chain of continuous recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib as that so called saint had said earlier that the readers may have committed some mistake while performing recitations. The reputation of that so called saint was at stake & he personally took charge of the chain of recitation & it was decided that the chain recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib with Sampat, should continue till the child was born. As money was no consideration so the chain recitation continued & during that chain recitation the Maharaja got another daughter. The ruling family was disappointed & the Maharaja & the people started speaking against the capabilities of that saint & he quietly went away. This incident proves that reading Guru's word; without observing the principle of fixing intent on the Guru's word & obeying the order/instruction of the word; can not be helpful.

A friend of the author came & said, "That saint (he named a particular saint) says that recitation fo Sri Guru Granth Sahib is extremely useful & essential but you say that only recitation cannot help unless one understands the instruction the Guru's word conveys & then lives accordingly. The author said "This principle (of obeying the instruction) can be tested on logic. If Gods Name could be obtained by mere reading/recitation of the Guru's Word then thousands of persons are reading & reciting the Guru's word daily but their life styles have not changed. They are as much under the influence of lust, wrath, avrice, attachment and pride as others, who donot read/recite Guru's word, are. The principle laid down by the Guru is :-

"Those who hear and obey (the instruction) O' Nanak I am a sacrifice to them."
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So by obeying Guru's Word one achieves success & not by making others read/recite Guru's word & paying them the required money. I never say that Guru's Word need not be read/recited. One must read & hear Guru's word but also must understand the instruction the word is giving & keep his mind atuned to the word while reading or hearing so that the mind grasps the order / instruction of the word. Then one must obey the instruction which the Guru's Word conveys; in practical life. Then he obtains immense benefit & can get heart-desired fruits. This fact can be tested by anyone. Wife of a friend of the author was the disciple of a so called saint. Both stayed with the author for some days. The wife of the author's friend said :-

"I recite/repeat God's Name, I count rosary beads but I have not obtained peace of mind, I am now seventy years old but disease of attachment to mammon has not been eradicated. What can I do? where can I obtain peace? My mind remains disturbed. You please tell me some way out so that I may obtain peace of mind."

The author heard this complaint three/four times but did not reply. But one day at the request of her husband asked his wife:-

The Author - Dear sister you always keep a rosary in your hand, recite Nit-Name (determined portions of Guru's Word which are to be recited daily by the baptised sikhs) daily. Then why your mind has not obtained peace?

The friend's wife :- One saint had ordered me to count rosary beads & recite Mool-Manter (basic/fundamental instruction) with each bead. In the intitial stage the number of rosaries to be completed was less but then that saint raised it four times but I have not obtained peace of mind & my mind remains misreable.

The author : Sister, do you understand the meaning of Mool Manter?

The friends wife : No, I donot understand the meanings of Mool-Mantar.

The author : Sister even if you continue to count rosary beads & recite Mool - Manter on each bead throughout your life, you would not obtain the desired peace. In the Guru's philosophy the fixing of intent on the Guru's Word demolishes the wall of ego. If intent is not fixed on the word while repeating the word then how how can the wall of ego be demolished & how can one obtain peace?

The author requested her husband to explain the meanings of Mool-Mantar to her time and again so that she grasps the meanings & requested her to fix her intent in the meanings of Mool-Manter while reciting Mool-Manter & her mind would become stable/steady in due course. My friend tried his best but his wife could not get out of the rut of mechanical repetition of Mool-Mantar, which had become an instinct over the years, She continues to do mechanical repetition of Mool-Mantar. The mechanical repetition of Guru's Word can never be helpful. While reciting Guru's word mind should remain attached to the word by grasping its meaning. Only then the recitation of Guru's Word is helpful. If while reciting Guru's Word the intent is not in the Guru's Word then that recitation can never be helpful. One must remember God's Name according to the method prescribed by the Guru. To understand the method prescribed by the Guru read the essay "Method of repeating NAM in Gurbani."

Our condition is such :

"He who does both, offers salutation to his master and says no to him (does not obey his order) has gone astray from the very begining. Both of his actions are false. He obtains no place in this world or in the younder world."Page. 474/5

We bow before Guru's word (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) & we must bow because it is our Guru. But we say 'no' & do not obey the order / instruction given by the Guru's word & so the principle laid down by the Guru in the above quotation is applicable to us. We would be treated like the manager mentioned in the anecdote which follows. A big businessman had managers in five different cities to control his business. The businessman used to stock grain at harvesting time every year. At harvesting the businessman sent letters to all his managers to purchase & keep in stock as much grain as possible. Managers in four cities obeyed his orders & purchased & stocked grain but the manager in the fifth city did not purchase a single grain. After harvesting time the businessman visited all the cities & was pleased with work done by four managers who had purchased & stocked the grain. When he reached the fifth city & asked the manager :-

The businessman : How much grain have your purchased & stocked?

The manager : Nothing Sir,

The businessman : Did not you receive my letter for purchasing & keeping in stock the maximum possible grain?

The Manager got up, opened a cupboard, brought out a silken hand kerchief & placed it before the businessman. The business men got annoyed & said :

The businessman :Manager, where is my letter?

The manager opened the folds of the hand kerchief, got out the letter, bowed before it & placed the letter before the businessman. On this the businessman got annoyed further and asked :

The businessman :Manager did you read this letter or not?

The manager : Sir, I, read it daily. Rather I, read it daily many times.

The businessman : Manager, you are dismissed from the job.

The letter was not written to you to salute it & bow before it but to obey the order/instruction given in it.

So if we do not obey the order/ instruction given in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the ever eternal Guru and hope that God would be pleased with us it is our biggest mistake. If a person wants to please another person, he will have to obey his order to please him, similarly if we bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib but donot obey the instruction/order given by Guru's word in our daily life and hope that the Guru would be pleased with us then it is our biggest mistake. Therefore, we must read the Guru's Word and then obey the order/instruction given by the Guru's word in our daily life to obtain grace of the Guru to get deliverance from mammon. Otherwise we will be treated like the manager, who had not obeyed the order of his master, & was dismissed from service.