Tuesday, January 31, 2006

 

Spirit of Reverence for Knowledge ( Deep)


“The disciples are so large of heart that all views of life taken from different angles have some truth for them.

One infinite is comprehended, yet another infinite remains to be understood, and there yet a new infinite. There are myriad of skies, there are myriad of stars and myriads of Nether Regions. There is no end to vastness.

So take up a view and give the seeing of it as you see, to others if you can; but be charitable and forgive them if they do not see as you see. For they, too, are led on the Way by Him who leads you.

This is the spirit of reverence for knowledge. Never talk lightly of efforts that others are making to know God. All are moving on to Him. All progress of soul is towards God. Those of you who are educated should be still more humble…



Prof. Puran Singh

Spirit of the Sikh – Vol. II, Part I


Monday, January 30, 2006

 

Why Khalsa Why Fateh?


It really gets to me when I say "Vahegurooo Ji Ka Khalsa, Vahegurooo Ji Ki Fateh" to someone and then they reply Why khalsa why Fateh. Sometimes it really pushes me to say 'You tell me Why Khalsa Why Fateh. But seriously, We have such a lovely greetings so WHY try to cut it down. Here's a little history/note on Why we Say 'Vaheguroo Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Ji Ki Fateh


Taken from : Sikh.net

“Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh” has a two fold meaning. It denotes a special relationship between God and those who dedicate their lives to His love and service. Also it is the expression of a devotee’s faith in the ultimate triumph of Truth over Falsehood. This Sikh salutation means “Khalsa belongs to God and to God alone belongs the Victory”.


The proper salutation for all Sikhs — “Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh” — was introduced by command of Guru Gobind Singh Ji at the time of the manifestation of Khalsa in 1699.



Saturday, January 28, 2006

 

That which has come from You is under Your Command



ਤੂ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਤੁਮ ਪਹਿ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ

ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰੀ ਰਾਸਿ
ਤੁਮ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਹਮ ਬਾਰਿਕ ਤੇਰੇ
ਤੁਮਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਮਹਿ ਸੂਖ ਘਨੇਰੇ
ਕੋਇ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਤੁਮਰਾ ਅੰਤੁ
ਊਚੇ ਤੇ ਊਚਾ ਭਗਵੰਤ
ਸਗਲ ਸਮਗ੍ਰੀ ਤੁਮਰੈ ਸੂਤ੍ਰਿ ਧਾਰੀ
ਤੁਮ ਤੇ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਆਗਿਆਕਾਰੀ
ਤੁਮਰੀ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਤੁਮ ਹੀ ਜਾਨੀ
ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਸਦਾ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ ॥8॥4

thoo t(h)aakur thum pehi aradhaas ||
jeeo pi(n)dd sabh thaeree raas ||
thum maath pithaa ham baarik thaerae ||
thumaree kirapaa mehi sookh ghanaerae ||
koe n jaanai thumaraa a(n)th ||
oochae thae oochaa bhagava(n)th ||
sagal samagree thumarai soothr dhhaaree ||
thum thae hoe s aagiaakaaree ||
thumaree gath mith thum hee jaanee ||
naanak dhaas sadhaa kurabaanee ||8||4||

You are our Lord and Master; to You, I offer this prayer.
This body and soul are all Your property.
You are our mother and father; we are Your children.
In Your Grace, there are so many joys!
No one knows Your limits.
O Highest of the High, Most Generous God,
the whole creation is strung on Your thread.
That which has come from You is under Your Command.
You alone know Your state and extent.
Nanak, Your slave, is forever a sacrifice. ||8||4||


Thursday, January 26, 2006

 

Something I received in my mail

I have checked the newspapers for reports on this and i haven't found anything however theres nothing wrong in always being tyar byar tyar ( Ready at all times) for anything. For an interesting twist to this check at the end of this post for something relating to this article.

Here is what I received :


A friend stopped at a pay- at- the- pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank and after paying at the pump and starting to leave, the voice of the attendant inside came over the speaker. He told her that something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was very confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She relayed that to him and was getting ready to leave but the attendant, once again urged her to come in to pay or there would be trouble. She proceeded to to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen very carefully:
He said that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and the attendant had already called the police. She became frightened and looked out in time to see her car door open and the guy had slipped out. This report is that there is a new gang initiation thing, it is to bring back a woman and/or her car. One way they are doing this is crawling under women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the nighttime. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping women, this new gang is all around the Markham, Newmarket, Toronto, Bradford, Aurora, Brampton, and other surrounding areas of Ontario. PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL!!!


Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible do not go alone!!!!!

The Message:

1. ALWAYS LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS, EVEN IF YOU'RE GONE FOR JUST A SECOND. 2.CHECK UNDERNEATH YOUR CAR WHEN APPROACHING IT FOR REENTRY, AND
CHECK THE BACK BEFORE GETTING IN.

3. ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS
IN YOUR GENERAL VICINITY, PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT!!!


http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/g/gangkidnap.htm

 

Temporary

Aasaa, Fifth Mehl:
The puppet of the body has been fashioned with great skill.
Know for sure that it shall turn to dust. ||1||
Remember your origins, O thoughtless fool.
Why are you so proud of yourself? ||1||Pause||
You are a guest, given three meals a day;
other things are entrusted to you. ||2||
you are just excrement, bones and blood, wrapped up in skin
- this is what you are taking such pride in! ||3||
If you could understand even one thing, then you would be pure.
Without understanding, you shall be forever impure. ||4||
Says Nanak, I am a sacrifice to the Guru;
through Him, I obtain the Lord, the All-knowing Primal Being. ||5||14||


Sunday, January 22, 2006

 

Annual Fundraiser Dinner


Saturday, January 21, 2006

 

R u NORMAL?

Something I found on my computer. Dhan Guroo..He works in mysterious ways. Read and Enjoy :


R U NORMAL?

... who wants to be normal? Was Guru Nanak Dev Ji normal when he walked 82,000 miles? Was guru Gobind Singh ji normal when he asked for a head! Were any of the martyrs normal, choosing death than living like slaves? No, the devotees of God are not normal they are madly and deeply in love with God while the whole world thinks they are insane ...

When Guru Nanak Maharaj appeared from the river after three days, all soaked and with messy hair, people called him many things as Guru Nanak dev ji himself writes:


"Some call him a ghost; some say that he is a demon.
Some call him a mere mortal; O, poor Nanak! ||1||
Crazy Nanak has gone insane, after his Lord, the King.
I know of none other than the Lord. ||1||Pause||" SGGS 991



So on this path to being a Gurmukh, forget about what the world thinks of you, forget about being normal, forget about fiiting in with society, think only of loving God, the Wondrous Creator and go where God takes you :



Everyday is new,
every day my Master is New .. "sahib mera nit navaa"
every moment is wondrous
every second something amazing is happening in the universe

God is not just the Creator,
God is Karta Purakh...the Creative Being...
God is still the Master Artist
still creating ,
still being young and fresh
brilliant and beautiful,
if being normal means being bored ,
being stuck in another rut ,
then that God is not.


Being in love with God is exciting every day,
everday the love increases
everyday God calls me closer,
everyday the spiritual sun shines
brighter in my heart


Don't be normal
be different
be in love with God
by loving the Name of your Beloved
swing your arms in joy

"Nanak says: swing your arms in joy!" (SGGS 22)

smile and laugh
while singing the Name of your Beloved
You are God's and God is Yours!


God says, "If you reform yourself, you shall meet me, and meeting me, you shall be at peace.


O Fareed, if you will be mine, the whole world will be yours."||95|| SGGS (1382)



Friday, January 20, 2006

 

Bhai Parminder Singh Ji's Email to Bhai Kulpreet Singh regarding Praise



Bhai Kulpreet Singh :
I e-mailed Bhai Sahib about having problems dealing with praise from people,
especially considering I don't have a proper Gursikh jeevan.

Bhai Sahibs reply :
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
I have read your e-mail and understand your concerns. All I can say is that Bani cannot be wrong...Guru Ji says that when one starts to walk the path of truth that person gets respect in this world. I understand what you are saying that you do not have the full lifestyle of a Sikh yet. Imagine if you were living a full Sikh lifestyle how much more respect you would be getting. Sometimes all of this is a test from Guru Ji. When someone does seva or simran these little tests come to see what you have learnt from your seva. All of this praise must be looked at like a test. If it gets to your head then you are failing, but if you let it in one ear and out the other then you will pass it. I had a similar problem when I was younger...and even now when I do katha people always praise me for my knowledge...or my close friends know that I get Bairag very quickly and I start crying when I listen to kirtan...they see this and start to praise me. At first I stopped going out to sangat...but then a few years ago I found another solution...I started to go to the Gurdwara early in the morning and started to do Jowrayo Di Seva. I clean the shoes while doing simran. The reason I do it in the early morning is nobody really sees me doing the seva. If I do it during the day then people see me doing the seva and start to praise me for my seva. By doing this Jowrayo Di Seva it brings me humbleness, I realize that no matter how much someone praises me for my knowledge of Sikhi or Seva I am nothing more than a slave of my Satguru and his beloved Sikhs. I would suggest that you should not worry about what people are saying. Let them say what they want. You should just not let it get to your head. I suggest you go to the Gurdwara or anywhere and do Seva with yout hands. The reason is when you do seva with your own hands it brings humbleness. Also you should not tell many people about how much Bani you read...nobody should have found out about the Bani that you read. When I was younger I had a very long Nitnem. However, when somebody would ask how much Bani I read I would answer "As much as Guru Ji makes me read." I hope this helps. Besides this I would also like to say that you should start to force yourself to wake up at amrit vela...it is our Guru's Hukam to rise early in the morning and anyone who wants full laha of Simran should rise early in the morning. You will make the most advancement by rising early in the morning...you will be surprised at the amount of spiritual advancement you can achieve by getting up early in the morning. I know it is hard to rise up in the morning...but you should think about this...if it was 4:00 in the morning and I told you there was a snake under your bed...would you still stay asleep. No! You would probably jump write up...now think this way...if you realize that the snake of death is following you and can bite you any second of your life then you will rise up early in the morning. The only problem is that we do not realize this. I hope this helps...if you have any other questions...you may call me.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!



Thursday, January 19, 2006

 

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Bhai Laal Singh - Tapoban.org








Once in the darbaar of Guru Gobind Singh jee, a Sikh called Laal Singh came with a shield. He had spent a lot of time constructing this shield which was almost impossible to penetrate. It was not only strong but was also very light. Everyone in the darbaar praised the dhaal (shield) and Guru Sahib too expressed his happiness at the dhaal.Bhai Laal Singh was a very good Sikh but when so many people praised his dhaal, he developed haume (ego) and declared in the sangat that no bullet can penetrate his shield. He said this very egoistically. As soon as he said this Guru Sahib told him that he would test Laal Singh’s dhaal the next day. Bhai Laal Singh still did not realize his mistake and accepted the challenge saying that no bullet could penetrate his shield.As he came out of the darbaar of Guru Sahib, he realized that he had committed a blunder. He said to himself that Guru Sahib is a known warrior and on top of that he is Satguru. What could stop him from penetrating his shield? He greatly regretted his mistake and came to his lodging area greatly depressed. Although, he realized his mistake of challenging the sangat, he still wanted Guru Sahib to keep his honour and not let anyone break his shield. He consulted his friends who were gursikhs as well and asked them what to do. They told him that Guru Sahib could no doubt penetrate his shield. They suggested to him that the only way for him to save his honour was to perform ardaas in front of Guru Sahib. Bhai Laal Singh prepared Trihaaval (Karaah Parshaad) and along with other Gursikhs did ardaas before Satguru to save his honour. After the ardaas, he distributed trihaaval amongst the sangat present there.Bhai Laal Singh did not sleep all night and kept doing paath all night. The next day Bhai Laal Singh arrived in the darbaar of Guru Kalgidhar Paatshaah but he arrived very humbly. After the bhog of kirtan, Guru Sahib asked Bhai Laal Singh to get ready as he was going to test his dhaal. Bhai Laal Singh did not accept the challenge as he had done the previous day but responded very humbly to Guru Sahib.Guru Sahib asked Bhai Aalam Singh to test the dhaal. Bhai Laal Singh stood there with the dhaal, constantly doing naam and paath. Bhai Aalam Singh tried three times but the bullet missed the dhaal and did not hit it. Then Guru Sahib smilingly took over the gun and took aim at the dhaal. Guru Sahib just stood there but did not fire. After few moments he called off his aim and asked Bhai Laal Singh what he had been doing all night. Bhai Laal Singh fell at the lotus feet of Guru Sahib and told him everything. Guru Sahib, blessed Bhai Laal Singh and declared that indeed, no one could penetrate the dhaal as Vaheguru himself and all Gurus were present to protect the dhaal. Guru Sahib told Bhai Laal Singh to never talk in haume again.

CONCLUSION
1) So great is our Guru. Guru Sahib himself accepted the defeat by not penetrating the dhaal but protected the honour of his Sikh. Why should we leave such great Guru and get indulged in maaiya? Aseen kurbaan kyoon nahi ho jaande apne Guru uppar?
2) Another thing we learn from this saakhi is that it is a good idea to prepare degh with full maryada and perform ardaas for our difficult kaarajs. Nothing in impossible if we do ardaas with full faith.
3) It is not a good idea to talk egoistically in sangat. If we talk this way, we are bound to get dishonoured.
4) Guru does not consider our shortcomings and weaknesses when we do ardaas. He ignores our shortcomings and accepts ardaas that is done with faith.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

 

This is Ridiculous!

This is ridiculous!

I can't believe this is happening. Singhs in Malaysia needs to tackle this issue. Its been centuries since Sikhs have been around and still Persecution like this exist. Read below for story.

Active discussion on this can be found at :

http://forums.waheguroo.com/index.php?showtopic=13022&pid=107697&st=0&#entry107697



TROUBLING ISSUE: Jasmel Singh is upset that Ranveer Singh has not been allowed by his school to keep his beard, moustache and sideburns.




‘Shave or leave’ order enrages punjabi man

BATU GAJAH: A Punjabi man is enraged that his Form Five son is being forced to shave his beard and moustache by the school authorities.

Jasmel Singh, 45, said his son Ranveer Singh was informed by the school principal last week that he could not keep facial hair or sport sideburns as it was against school regulations.

“I find the ruling absurd as according to our religion, a Sikh is not supposed to remove hair on any part of his body,” he complained.

The father of three said he tried to meet the principal to explain the matter but was turned away.

“She just curtly turned me away and said if my son refused to follow her instruction, he should get himself transferred to another school.

“She has given him an ultimatum to turn up clean shaven by Monday,” said Jasmel Singh.

Describing the ruling as discriminatory, Jasmel Singh said he would not bow to the principal’s demand.

“If I force my son to shave his facial hair, what kind of example am I setting for him?” he asked, adding that the issue should not arise as long as his son was neat and presentable.

Ranveer Singh, 17, who will be sitting for his SPM this year, said the matter had caused him undue stress.

“I find it hard to concentrate in class because of this,” he said.

State Education Department Mohamad Zakaria Mohd Noor said Ranveer Singh could write to the director of schools unit under the Education Ministry to be permitted to keep his facial hair and side burns.

“At the moment, he will not be forced to shave his hair,” said Mohamad Zakaria.

In an immediate response, Jasmel Singh said he would not write the letter as it was irrelevant.

“It is ridiculous to get permission for a religious requirement,” he said.


Friday, January 13, 2006

 

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji's First Sermon -Tapoban.org


Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji first sermon must be heard again today and applies just as much now as it did when he first gave it. Guru Arjan Dev had been brutally tortured and embraced martyrdom, becoming an example for the Panth. The Sikhs were grief-struck and felt a sense of despair. The small Panth of Guru Nanak had been targeted by the mighty power of the Mughals. Guru Hargobind Sahib, became the next Guru as per the orders of his father. In front of all the gathered Sikhs, Baba Buddha jee put the two swords of meeri and peeri on Guru Hargobind Sahib. Guru Sahib was dressed like and emperor and there was a kalgi (aigrette) on his dastaar.The Dhadis, Bhai Abdullah and Bhai Nath Mal, at the hukam of Guru Hargobind Sahib sang a vaar filled with bir ras.Then, Guru Hargobind Sahib rose and gave his first sermon to the Sikhs. Today the offerings that are beloved to me are good weapons and good youth. If you want my happiness, then exercise your bodies, wrestle, play gatka, go into the jungles to hunt and learn to ride horses. Weakness is now a crime to the Nation that cannot be forgiven for anyone. You will take up the sword and I now wear the sword so that the swords of tyranny and oppression will stop forever.You have all come from far and wide today. The cool tranquillity has been stolen from not just your heart and my heart, but from the entire world. Our swords will not rest until we bring this oppression to an end. Make day and night one. Go into the villages and light the inferno of revolution. Tell the people that we need their youth. Only that is a good youth that sacrifices itself for the cause of the Nation. We need sacred hearts and pure minds. We fear death because we have not experienced true life. We feel worry because we have not enjoyed a taste of life. We feel fear because our destination and goal seems so far off. But if you challenge death, death will flee from you. If you learn to walk with your heads held high then worry will depart. If you are determined to walk, the destination will not be so far away. Have faith in Vahiguru and all fears will vanish. If fear has left you then even death will seem like bliss.Guru jee continued,Do not think that you are too few. You are all like springs. Oceans flow out of these very springs. There are hundreds of thousands of springs like you in our Nation. When you come together and flow forward, you will create a flood. A small and insignificant piece of wood, when made into a match, can light the entire jungle on fire. But you are humans! And furthermore, those humans whose heart has just now been scorched on hot iron plates [reference to shahidi of Guru Arjan Dev jee]. Addressing the poets in the Sangat, Guru Sahib said,See, God has given you the gift of poetry. When nations are built, you are the foundations. Stop all these other untimely songs and work to bring the Nation out of this deep dark pit. Tell those stories which will make the people willing to lose their skin like they would be willing to change their clothes. Fill the people of our Nation with the spirit and fervour to be like moths so they will sacrifice themselves in the flames of our cause. Our blood has become cold. Tell us stories of Shahidi and become the furnaces that will boil our blood. Give us the passion to make the trampled Punjab and our crushed Nation rise to its feet once again.Speaking to the Dhadis, Guru Sahib said now is the time that your instruments should call out a challenge. Your notes should stir the Nation. The beat of your dhads should awaken the people and the bells on your bows should make hearts fill with the zeal of sacrifice.We must hear Guru Sahibs message again today and rise to the challenge.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

 

Social life and me as a Sikh




Why am I not the same?

I really wish I don’t have to answer this question. I mean its something that even if I do explain to some of my friends they don’t get it. Life is so important. Let’s just say the stuff I give importance too isn’t given importance by them.

Why don’t you chill anymore?

I hate going out like I use to. I just feel like I am wasting so much time. And if I do go out this questions keeps popping up in my mind : if I was going to die tomorrow would I be doing this today?
Some say I need to chill and not think about death and stuff but I CAN’T just chill and ignore it. What if I die? Am I ready to go? Well that only Guru Sahib knows but personally I feel that I am very all the way down there where spirituality is concerned and I have so much dirt from this life and my past life to clean.


Do I feel I am better than people?

No I don’t feel like I am better than anyone. I just have a different lifestyle now. I honestly feel like I am lower than everyone else. I just hope this feeling stay forever…


To Be Contd..

 

A mystic saint and a Gursikh- Tapoban.org

This is a very interesting story of a mystic saint and a Gursikh. This story proves the importance and the vitality of having a true Guru.

This has been translated from a book called “Bhajan Bandagi daa Partaap” written by Sodhi Harbhajan Singh.



**************TRANSLATION BEGINS******************


In June 1962 when I was stationed in Ferozepur, a friend of mine invited me to Jhansi to do preaching of Sikhi and to do katha at the local Gurdwara Sahib there on the occasion of martyrdom anniversary of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee. I took leave of 6 days and by adding two Sundays my holidays totalled 8 days. Another friend of mine too decided to join me in my trip but he managed to get vacation for only 4 days.

We left on Saturday night and reached Jhansi Sunday afternoon. I was scheduled to do katha the same Sunday evening. My schedule was already booked and I was to do katha in the morning and in the evening. I used the day time to meet my friends and to visit historical places in Jhansi.

On the last day of my katha, a Sindhi brother who was high level officer there, stood up in sangat and pleaded, ”Singh Sahib jee, few miles from here I am working on a Dam project and there in a cave, a Mahatma (a holy man) is doing great Tapp (bhagti). His condition is very pitiful and destitute. I request you to help him.”

When I heard his request, I felt very embarrassed. What could a householder (grehsthi) person like me do to help a Mahatma, I thought.

I asked him, “How can I, a householder, help a Saadho (holy man)”.

Sindhi Veer said, “My heart is telling me that you can help him”.

I told him that I was due to leave the next day afternoon but he stayed adamant and told me that he would come tomorrow morning at 5am in his jeep and that we would come back in few hours. Many gursikhs in sangat too expressed their desire to come with us. At this the Sindhi brother said that he would bring more vehicles to take more sangat along with us.

Anyway, the next day, he arrived right on time and we reached at the bottom of the mountain where the ascetic was living in a cave. From there on, we had to go on foot and after some climbing we reached the cave where the mystic saint was sitting with his back towards us. It was a very small cave where only 4 people could fit. There was total darkness in there. We kept our eyes closed for sometimes and when we opened our eyes, we were able to see little bit better. We noticed a very thin person who had his back towards us, sitting there. He was so thin that all his bones were visible. He had long black hair and long beard and the only cloth he was wearing was to cover his secret organs.

When I saw him for the first time, I thought that I was looking at a dead body but then I noticed that he was breathing. He was sitting in smaadhi (trance) and since it is a sin to break anyone’s smaadhi, I asked everyone to stay quiet and we sat there for some time. After about 15-20 minutes he came out of his smaadhi and directly addressed me by name. Then he started praising me but I totally ignored all his praise because a gursikh does not like to hear his praise as this bring haume (ego) in him.

When Sant jee noticed that I was not responding, he changed the topic of conversation and asked me, “One Gyani jee who came with you has gone back?”

I replied, “he had to leave since his holidays were over. How long have you been sitting here?”

“About ten years”

“Have you attained anything yet?

“Nothing”, he replied, shaking his head.

“Who do you meditate on”, I asked him.

“I first started off by meditating on the Sargun saroop i.e. the materialistic form that can be seen with these eyes. When I did not attain anything, I started focusing on Nirgun. Now I feel that there is something (Vaheguru) who is around me but does not come near me.”

“When you used to meditate on the Sargun, who did you focus on”, I asked.

Pointing to a picture of Siri Krishna jee beside him, he said, “I used to focus on him”.

“How long do you sit in meditation”, I asked him again.

“About 22 hours everyday. I use 2 hours to sleep, cook food and other needs of the body”.

When I heard this, I was utterly shocked and thought “such divine wrath. Such kehar”. I remembered the following salok of Baba Farid jee:

FARIDA TANN SUKKA, PINJAR THEEYA, TALIYAAN KHOONDEH KAAG||
AJAI SO RABB NA BAHURIYO, DEKH BANDAY KE BHAAG||

A thought came to my mind that it is possible that his diet was not proper. I asked him, “how is your diet like”.

“When I first came here, I used to get 30 rotis and used to eat one roti a day but now since I can't walk to get rotis, I just drink water and eat leaves.”

I was thinking hard to figure out the real reason behind his problem. I abruptly asked him, “Who is your Guru?”

“I have no Guru”, he replied.

After hearing this, I said, “Let alone 10 years but even if you were to sit here for another 10,000 years, you would not attain anything because you have not met the true Guru”.

As soon as I said this, Sant jee who all along had his back towards me got out of control, and fell at my feet. With extreme humility he implored, “Please accept me as your disciple and you become my Guru. I only want you to be my Guru”.

I said, “I have not even become a proper Sikh yet. How can I become your Guru then?”

He was holding my feet so firmly that I did not know what to do. He kept pleading and imploring and I kept expressing my incapability to become his Guru. In the end, he asked me with a strong voice, “Then tell me whom should I make my Guru”.

“Accept Guru Nanak Sahib as your Guru”, I replied.

“But he is dead now”. After pondering for few moments he continued, “I do believe that his soul is still alive but unless his body is here and gives me Naam, how will I become his Sikh?”

“Are you educated”, I asked.

“I studied till high school and I read brief history of Guru Nanak in one of my history books.”

“When a Hindu dies, what do they do to his dead body”, I asked.

“They cremate it”.

“When a Muslim dies, then what?”

“They bury it”, he replied.

“Does the soul stay alive when Hindu or Muslim dies?”, I quizzed him.

“Soul never dies, whether you cremate or bury it”.

“Do you know if Guru Nanak Dev jee’s body was cremated or buried”, I asked him.

“I have heard that after he left his body, Muslims and Hindus started fighting over whether to cremate or bury him. When they lifted the sheet from his body, it had disappeared”.

“There you go. Your problem has been solved. You yourself admit that Guru Nanak Sahib’s body was neither cremated nor buried. He disappeared with his body. Whenever anyone calls out to Guru Nanak Dev jee, he is capable of giving darshan with his human body”.

As soon as Sant jee heard this, he immediately left my feet and hastily said to me, “Please leave immediately as I don’t want to waste any more time. I have found out about my disease and it’s cure”.

I said, “before leaving I want to tell you something that Guru Sahib told us:

GHAT VASAE CHARNARBIND, RASNA JAPAI GOPAAL||
NANAK, SO PRABH SIMRIYE, TIS DEHI KAO PAAL||

You don’t eat proper diet and don’t take care of your precious human body. If you lose your human body, then how will you do simran?”

One of my companions before leaving had brought a bag of mangoes and watermelons along with us. We placed the baskets before Sant jee but Sant jee took one mango and one watermelon. My friend told him that the whole basket was for him and that he would supply him with food every week.

As we were about to leave, Sant jee said, “there is no need to rush. Your train will be 2.5 hours late”. When I reached the station, I found that really my train was 2 hours and 40 minutes late.

I have written all this in detail so that the readers fully understand that if one does bhajan / bhagti without the true Guru, one can get great mystical powers and Ridhi Sidhi but one cannot attain Vaheguru.

In one year, I inquired about Sant jee and found out that Sant jee had changed a great deal. He had a special brightness on his face and there are line-ups of hundreds of people in front of his cave. People ask him for boons and he just says that Guru Nanak will fulfil the wish and it really comes true. His body was no longer thin and he had become very healthy.

****************END OF TRANSLATION*******************


This is a good story that illustrates the importance of having a Guru. In this story, Sodhi Harbhajan Singh made one mistake, in my opinion. He should have suggested to the Mahatma to get pesh at the next amrit sinchaar and take amrit. That would have been the only way to become Guru-wala. It is not known what happened to the Mahatma and whether he attained Vaheguru or not. Sodhi Harbhajan Singh too has left this world, else we could have asked him.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

 

Return from Vancouver


Post moved up --read comment by Gursikhs of Tapoban Sahib regarding Bhai Sahib Parminder Singh.

Wahegurooo Wahegurooooo Wahegurooooo Wahegurooooooo Waheguroooooooo

I haven't been posting on this much for a long time. I was so off of everything..what can i say to inspire others when I'm not living upto it myself. So its been two days since I got back from Vancouver . The samagam was getting better as the days went by but we had to come back on the Thursdays. Thursday was one of the 'special days' in Vancouver..the final hours were spent with some wicked Gursikhs( I won't mention names here because they wouldn't appreciate that) but we went to Bibi Rena Kaurs house. There was something special there...I will post about it later but I just wanted to post something about Bhai Sahib Parminder Singh Ji..as I had promised...this is what others have said about him on some forums....I will post what they said

Simmal Tree :

vaaheguroo jee kaa khaalsaa
vaaheguroo jee kee fatheh !!!!


when i was given khande-ke-pahul in 2001, bhai sahib was the jathedar of the punj pyare. i cannot really disclose what my punj pyare said at that time, but i can say this - that the punj pyare did their seva with such nimarta, josh, strength, honour, and discipline that i was amazed. usually the jathedar of the punj pyare does a small speech about what is amrit and what life as an amritdhari is. well, bhai sahib said many inspiring things at this time which i cannot repeat but the most amazing thing was the look in his eyes - his eyes were not normal eyes - they had a whole history of their own. they had a whole philosophy of their own. they were very courageous, brave, high-spirited looking eyes, and sometimes they would change from the roaring heat of the sun to the silent calm of the moon - his eyes showed his saint-soldier combination.

when guru nanak academy opened in september 2003, bhai parminder singh ji and the directors of the academy decided to have a kirtan to thank guru ji and welcome the sangat for the academy's opening

bhai sahib called maybe 15-20 people, and a few other people made some phone calls, and altogether about 70-80 people were called.

the first indication that guru sahib was doing their kirpa was when we went downstairs and saw that there were so many shoes. we started arranging them in pairs and went upstairs.

bhai sahib was sitting inside and somebody called him and told him that in the background, during the kirtan, they started to serve langar in the room at the back. they said they think the parshaday are going to run out.

parminder singh was surprised and he had a huge smile on his face. he said, "i only called 15-20 people and it looks like there are 300 people here... guru sahib is amazing"

i smiled and i went inside - when i came back for some reason, i saw bhai sahib cleaning the sangats shoes. i slowly walked up behind bhai sahib and just looked at him for a long time. he finally noticed i was there and he just grinned very humbly and he was a little bit shy and he had a sparkle in his eye - i would not doubt it was a tear of gratitude for guru sahib's kirpa.

the night of guru sahib's kirpa did not end there, there is another amazing incident from the same kirtan, relating to his katha and his experience before the katha, but i think tejinder singh would explain this better... i'm having a hard time trying to summarize anything because i don't think i can do justice to them or the lessons they have taught me and the sangat in general

i don't know how to talk about them and what to say

they had many closer friends and more important people - a moorakh like me can't explain their qualities.

in the dark night, the beautiful moon shines, it shines on a lot of people - and people from all different angles can comment on its characteristics.

while i know my feelings in my heart and what feelings other gursikhs have - sometimes its hard to write it out on short notice.

i will ask the sevadars at gurmat studies foundation if they can update their websites, and hopefully eventually there will be full biographies and more information about bhai parminder singh ji, bibi rena kaur ji and ustaad bhai charnjit singh ji.

vaaheguroo jee kaa khaalsaa
vaaheguroo jee kee fatheh !!!!



Gursikhs from Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib :

We never met Bhai Rajinder Singh, Bibi Rena Kaur and Bhai Charanjit Singh but were fortunate enough to have met Bhai Parminder Singh when he came to Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib in March of this year. We were doing Gurbani Santhiya at that time and he joined us for an hour or so. He gave his valuable input during the santhiya, and the striking thing that we noticed about him was his “Hansoo Hansoo karda Chehra” (His countenance with Gurmukhi smile).He was wearing a Kesri (Orange) Hazooriya and when the Singhs requested him to change his hazooriya for a white hazooriya, he did not argue back or display ego as many people of his status would do. He humbly nodded his head and took the white hazooriya. He face stayed “hansoo hansoo”. This one incident is enough to convince us that Gurbani Paath had cast a very positive influence over him. He was not an ordinary person but a very positive gursikh. Then we visited the Malton Camp where he was teaching the students and spoke to him there too. We found him to be a very pyaara Gursikh.Furthermore, we heard from Gurmukhs across the world that he had love and respect for Gursikhs of all jathas and was eager to attain unity in the Panth. We have great respect for this veer and regret that he could not finish the mission he started.


Tuesday, January 10, 2006

 

Guru Amar Das Ji's First Sermon

























A very interesting article that was posted on Tapoban.org


When Sree Guru Amar Das jee became Guru, historians have recorded his first words to the Sangat:“If someone treats you badly, bear it. If you bear it three times, the fourth time Vahiguru will be on your side. The aggressor will be given such a punishment that he will not be able to save himself regardless of all his efforts. Vahiguru’s grindstone (of justice) may turn very slowly, but the grain is ground very finely (the justice is perfect).”Then Guru jee read the 21st PauRee of Sree Asa Kee Vaar “Jit saeviai sukh paeeai so sahib sadaa samaaleeaai…”He then continued,“Be kind to everyone. Having pride over anything is not noble.Consider the company (immoral relations) with another woman to be like the company of a snake or a murderous elephant. Never even by mistake go into bad Sangat (company).Humility is the greatest weapon. Never speak badly.Those who praise themselves are always lost. The path of dharma is the abandoning of slander (ninda).Don’t spend or eat more than you need to. Also work just as much as you need to. Don’t do anything above and beyond the need for it.Leave behind fakeness and hypocrisy. A life of false show is always a painful one.If someone is a Sikh of the Guru, listen and obey him.Loving another woman, even if she is a devotee of God (bhagtaNee) is a relationship which will result in loss not gain.Go to and meet the Shabad of the Guru. Do not go somewhere where the Guru is forgotten.Eat when you are hungry. Don’t fill what is already filled. But don’t abandon food either. Sleep when you feel very sleepy. Don’t sleep without feeling tired. Don’t pain your body.Listen to the stories of the Guru. Singh Shabads and listen too. Don’t’ speak falsehood.If someone is forgetting about the Guru, try and remind them. Speak to them from the heart. If they don’t listen, then it’s up to them.Take the Guru’s words to heart. Give (the Guru) at least a tenth of your earnings. Keep the company of good people and serve those you encounter.Before putting anything in your mouth, say Vahiguru. Vahiguru will bless it.Those who have day and night japed Vahiguru, and left their ego, they are the truly high and good ones.Controlling one’s desires is Dharam. One who does this is jeevan mukat (liberated while alive).One who is beloved of God cannot ever remain bound by any restraints. He is free. He is above all tradition, custom, fortune, luck, and delusion.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

 

"Why do you not give Raj to the Khalsa?".




























This book is truly amazing.This is just one of the many parts that makes you think. I will post more as I come across them...Enjoy..

This is taken from In Search of the True Guru- Bhai Rama Singh JiTotally awesome book..One day , Giani Pritam Singh Ji, the Head Granthi of Patna Sahib Ji, was doing katha at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara. He said that one day the Khalsa will become so feeble that they will not even care for the Guru. The Giani Ji said that even during the time of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji the question of Khalsa Raj came up. The Singhs asked, "Why do you not give Raj to the Khalsa?". The all knowing Satguru Ji carried out an unusual test. He asked for sweet rice to be prepared with many other expensive and delicious ingredients and spread this rice on a white sheet. He asked for about a dozen dogs to be brought in. When the dogs saw the rice they started barking and snarling at each other. None ate the rice, they just spread the rice around in dirt with their feet and kept snarling at each other.In the same way the Singhs are not Understanding the value of gurbani. They quarrel with each other for leadership. Until such time as the Khalsa begins to observe Rehat,recite Gurbani and do Naam Simran, Khalsa will not get their own raj.

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