Bhagat Beni

Bhagat Beni also spelt as ‘’Baini’’ and ‘’Baynee’’ is one of the fifteen Sikh Bhagats and a Sufi saint who is believed to have been born in India. His Bani consisting of 3 shabads is included in the Guru Granth Sahib. The place and year of his birth are unknown but Guru Nanak Dev refers to Bhagat Beni as "a Master of Yoga and meditation, and the spiritual wisdom of the Guru; He knows none other than God" (see last quote below - Guru Granth pg 1390)
In spite of all this uncertainty, he can be called a contemporary of Guru Nanak. It seems that Beni lived in this part of the world probably in northern India, somewhere between mid-15th century to the mid-16th century. He was a well educated scholar, with a very humble temperament. From his bani, it is clear that he was ever ready to serve the true preceptor which provided him real comfort in the manner depicted in the holy Granth: "Beloved! other than Thee none else have I. Nothing else do I love; in Thy grace lies my joy." SGGS-61
== Beliefs == 
Bhagat Beni makes a severe denunciation of the Hindu rituals and austerities of "Hath Yoga" so that common man learns of the real motive of true religion i.e. the remembrance of the True Lord and the cultivation of the Divine Name. He has three hymns on this subject included in the Guru Granth Sahib under Siri Raag (P.93), Ramkali (p974) and Prabhati (p1351) musical measures. 
In these hymns he has severely denounced in an apt and cryptic tone the performance of ritualistic deeds and advised us instead to always remember the True Lord who is the provider to all. One day a group of religious men asked Saint Beni to accompany them on a pilgrimage to Prayag. He replied, "The sacred place Prayag or Trivent where the three rivers the Yamuna, Ganges and Saraswati meet, lies within us." - "The passage ira, Pingala and Sukhmana all in one place abide at the tenth Door within us"
"The inner self where the Lord abides is our Prayag. Our mind should bathe there in the glory of the Lord. The Lord who is above the worldly material has His abode there. It is only through teaching of a guru that one comes to know of Him. Gods like the moon, sun and water' are not worshipped there. Bathing in that nectar gives Divine knowledge and destroys foul thinking. Divine ambrosia seeps at the abode of the Supreme Being. One who comes to know this secret comes to realise God. The wisdom given by my guru has destroyed my evil nature. I pray to the Lord for His Name. I have no need to bathe at holy places."
== Bani ==
===Guru Granth sahib page 93===
* Guru Granth Sahib from page 93 of SGGS:
Sree Raag, The Word Of Devotee Baynee Jee: To Be Sung To The Tune Of "Pehray": One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: 
O man, when you were coiled in the cradle of the womb, upside-down, you were absorbed in meditation. You took no pride in your perishable body; night and day were all the same to you-you lived unknowing, in the silence of the void.
Remember the terrible pain and suffering of those days, now that you have spread out the net of your consciousness far and wide. Leaving the womb, you entered this mortal world; you have forgotten the Lord from your mind. ||1|| 
Later, you will regret and repent-you fool! Why are you engrossed in evil-mindedness and skepticism? Think of the Lord, or else you shall be led to the City of Death. Why are you wandering around, out of control? ||1||Pause||
Gazing upon the tiny bodies of your children, love has welled up within your heart; you are proud of them, but you do not understand. You long for the dignity of a long life, but your eyes can no longer see anything. Your light has gone out, and the bird of your mind has flown away; you are no longer welcome in your own home and courtyard. Says Baynee, listen, O devotee: who has ever attained liberation after such a death? ||5||
===Guru Granth sahib page 974===
* Guru Granth Sahib Page 974:
 
Raamkalee, The Word Of Baynee Jee: One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: 
The energy channels of Ida, Pingala and Shushmanaa: these three dwell in one place. This is the true place of confluence of the three sacred rivers: this is where my mind takes its cleansing bath. ||1||
O Saints, the Immaculate Lord dwells there; how rare are those who go to the Guru, and understand this. The all-pervading immaculate Lord is there. ||1||Pause||...
The lotus is at the forehead, and the jewels surround it. Within it is the Immaculate Lord, the Master of the three worlds. The Panch Shabad, the five primal sounds, resound and vibrate their in their purity. The chauris - the fly brushes wave, and the conch shells blare like thunder. The Gurmukh tramples the demons underfoot with his spiritual wisdom. Baynee longs for Your Name, Lord. ||9||1||
===Guru Granth sahib page 1351===
* Guru Granth Sahib Page 1351: 
Prabhaatee, The Word Of Devotee Baynee Jee: One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: 
You rub your body with sandalwood oil, and place basil leaves on your forehead. But you hold a knife in the hand of your heart. You look like a thug; pretending to meditate, you pose like a crane. You try to look like a Vaishnaav, but the breath of life escapes through your mouth. ||1||
You pray for hours to God the Beautiful. But your gaze is evil, and your nights are wasted in conflict. ||1||Pause||..
Whoever does not realize the essence of the soul - all his religious actions are hollow and false. Says Baynee, as Gurmukh, meditate. Without the True Guru, you shall not find the Way. ||5||1||
==Mention of Bhagat Beni by the Gurus==
Guru Maharaj refer to Beni within his own Bani thus:
===Guru Granth sahib page 1192===
*“The Guru blessed Baynee with His Divine Illumination. O my mind, you too must be the Lord’s slave. ||5||” Guru Granth Sahib pg 1192
and again:
===Guru Granth sahib page 1390===
*“The devotee Baynee sings His Praises; He intuitively enjoys the ecstasy of the soul. He is the Master of Yoga and meditation, and the spiritual wisdom of the Guru; He knows none other except God.” Guru Granth Sahib pg 1390
= Related = 
Category:BhagatsCategory:Bani