“Dangers” of Katha

There are so many benefits to listening to katha. Katha is an important way for us to understand Gurbani, and to learn about our history as well. We can learn about the application and we can learn how various parts of Gurbani are linked together. Katha can inspire us towards our purpose. Given how much katha is available online and how many people are doing katha, I think we also need to have some awareness about some issues. 

Firstly one could be listening to katha mindlessly, as one listens to podcasts or movies. I think there is some benefit to this. For example I listen to katha when I’m exercising, because it helps me feel like I am learning something. At the same time the risk is that one’s full attention is not in the katha and so you likely will only get to pick up a portion of what you would have otherwise. Sitting and writing down what you learn is ideal. The other alternative is listening and not understanding anything. The benefit of at least a partial English katha is that the younger generation can relate easier. As mentioned before, as I child I really honestly found katha to be the most “boring” part of the Gurdwara. This was because I didn’t understand what they were talking about. There would be Punjabi terms I had not heard of before and I would get distracted and start drawing on the carpet or playing with the edges of my chunni. Because of lack of understanding one could also misinterpret katha due to lack of understanding. We might not be at the right spiritual avastha (“state/stage”) to be able to make sense of what is being said. It might even lead us astray from our path. The sangat will be made up of people at various avasthas and because of that, not everyone may relate or understand the complexity of what is being said. 

One of the other big risks in katha is that we listen with the intent that the information applies to everyone else but ourselves. When the individual doing the katha talks about general patterns, we might say “yes so and so does that.” This just reconfirms and further propagates the ego. They might be talking about not doing nindiya and chugli (slander and gossip) and we are thinking “oh so and so gossips a lot.” Instead of working on ourselves, we are looking outward. The sangat is nodding not because they are realizing for themselves, the flaws within that need to be worked on, but because they are entertained that everyone else is wrong and I am right. One could also listen and not question the individual. We need to confirm our understanding with Guru Granth Sahib Ji and ensure we are following Gurmat.  

Lastly, I was thinking last night as I went to bed that one could listen and listen to kathas but not actually do anything. One could skip doing their paath, simran, and all practical knowledge. These are important. One needs to do the practice, especially simran, in order to truly walk one’s own journey. 

Perhaps 'dangers' isn’t the right word, but certainly there are inherent risks of turning the katha which was intended to enlighten one’s experience, into the wrong direction. Just like we use media literacy and debunk all those fake videos people send us on whatsapp, it is important to take a katha into context. We should share the positive kathas we see and what we learn with others so their knowledge can grow as well and we can have interesting conversations that challenge us. Perhaps there will be parts that you didn’t understand, or that someone else understood differently and those are points of conversation. We frequently talk about katha at my house since we all usually end up watching different kathas at different times. 

As a sidenote, a few of my fellow Kaurs are planning on starting a kirtan program next Sunday online for the sangat to join from home. We will send out the links to local sangat or find a way of distribution, likely through facebook so that we can continue the concept of virtual sangat. If anyone wants to listen to live Akhand Paath, it has been ongoing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyFMsqbC8XE&app=desktop The links tend to change every couple of days, but its the same youtube channel Mr Singh Production, Live Akhand Paath. The readers are generally reading at a slow pace and it is easy to follow. Absolutely beautifully done.