Shanti

Japji, a sacred composition recited daily by Sufis throughout the world, has forty stanzas called pauris, a number of which the vocalist Snatam Kaur chants in this collection of songs.

The messages of these stanzas or pauris, each of which addresses different aspects of the relationship between man and God, are simple and spiritual. Their author was the First Guru of the Sikhs, who lived from 1469 to 1538. According to Sufi belief, he traveled on foot throughout much of India and other Asian countries with his disciple Mardana, a musician who played the rebek, a stringed instrument. When Guru Nanak, the First Guru, sang accompanied by Mardana, listeners would be transported.

Japji is defined by the Sufis as meditation of the soul. Sufis believe that these pauris are meant for all peoples.