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humble_kaur

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  1. Dearest Bhenji, I completely understand what you are getting at. Once again, I stress if you can discuss a topic with passion, with love, and not try to force people, then they do listen. They start to realize not all of these so called 'Sikh rituals' are correct. But certain people are conditioned to believe in certain ways. I truly believe everyone has their time. With Guru Ji's Kirpa, people will start to realize that the only True Guru is our Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It took me many years before I came to understand what I once believed in, is in fact, just a ritual that has been carried on by generations. I have faith that people can change. I did.
  2. Dearest Bhenji, I believe that before anyone should point fingers at other people’s views or perceptions, they should first ‘clean up’ their act at home. This includes myself. I am a hypocrite, I know. As I am writing this, I know I, myself, personally do not own or have even a single 'picture of our Guru', but my house is full of them. So, how can I go and point fingers at anyone? I also tried to reason with my parents that these pictures are not of the Guru themselves, but because of their lack of awareness, and because of this notion being engraved in their psyche, it can get difficult. But, I do have talks with my parents about what I am learning (hopefully correctly), and do discuss these issues with them. I find if you can discuss a topic with passion, with love, and not try to force them, then they do listen. They start to realize not all of these so called 'Sikh rituals' are correct. A Sikh is required to worship only one God and follow the teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. A Sikh is not to worship any heavenly bodies, such as the sun or moon, or images, pictures, or paintings of gods, not even their own Gurus. The Gurus never permitted any paintings, busts, or sculptures of themselves to be created. They only taught and emphasized the philosophy of 'Shabad Guru.' jh dyKau qh nwil guir dyKwilAw ] Wherever I look, there the Guru has shown me that God is always with me. AMqir bwhir Bwil sbid inhwilAw ]2] Searching inwardly and outwardly as well, I came to see Him, through the Word of the Shabad. ||2|| They only emphasized the philosophy of 'Shabad Guru'. According to Guru Ji, Gurbani is the 'Shabad Guru'. bwxI gurU gurU hY bwxI ivic bwxI AMimRqu swry ] The Word, the Bani is Guru, and Guru is the Bani. Within the Bani, the Ambrosial Nectar is contained. guru bwxI khY syvku jnu mwnY prqiK gurU insqwry ]5] If His humble servant believes, and acts according to the Words of the Guru's Bani, then the Guru, in person, emancipates him. ||5|| Worshiping the pictures is none other than a Brahmanical ritual that people have implemented in their lives by putting them up in the Gurdwaras and in their homes. When I visited India, and went to many Gurdwaras, I noticed pictures of the Gurus. So how are we to convince someone that they shouldn't be there? It would be difficult cuz it has been engraved in the Sikh psyche. A lot of people have the pictures in their homes to show a sign of respect, some even have garlands around them. So if these pictures were made by the imagination of painters, and all differed, which is the true picture of our Guru? As stated before, no Guru allowed for their pictures, images to be painted. Therefore, we shouldn't have pictures in the Gurdwaras or our houses, instead the Gurus should reside in our hearts, our mind, our soul. The gyan, the Jot, is what our Guru is, so how can we possible take a picture of it? If you make the effort of understanding the Shabad Guru, then nothing can stop you from experiencing it day and night. Shabad Guru will be radiating all around you. In your mind, in your heart, and in your surroundings. We will begin to perceive God everywhere. These days, people do think a quick glance at Guru’s picture is enough darshan to keep them satisfied for a short amount of time until hunger strikes again. But what they fail to realize is that Guru is within us, and by reading Shabad Guru we, in fact, are feeding our hungry soul. Unfortunatley, the mentality of many has become so engrossed in depicting Guru’s pictures as of themselves, that they cannot let go of that notion. Majority of people I’ve talked to feel guilty if they do not show ‘respect’ to the Guru’s Pictures, and they seem quite appalled when I say that that picture is not my Guru. I agree with you that many parents these days use the ‘pictures’ as visual aids. But, from where I look at it, the world has become so busy, that we don’t even have time to sit with the children and discuss our beautiful religion with them. But I disgree with you when you say books written by certain people are full of bakwaas. If it wasn't for scholars like these, I would find it difficult to understand Gurbani. Gurbani is simple, but only if you take the time and effort to understand it. But by only understanding it, is not enough. You have to live it, experience it. Question that can be posed on many of the youth, and parents for that matter, is that, is there no time for God in your life? Maybe you have a Gutka at home that you have never opened. Maybe you have heard of the 5 Ks. What does having the 5 Ks mean? Do you even know why we wear them? Maybe you pass a Gurdwara each week that is nothing but a monument to you. You do not know what occurs in there. We have moved. We have strayed. We need to return. We need to repent, in order to find God. Bhul Chuk Maaf
  3. Many happy returns of this day Gurpreet Veer Ji. Remain in Chardi Kala!
  4. Beautiful Veer Ji! Yes, I totally agree with you. In Ardas, we are talking to God. So before we go to do Ardas, we should ask ourselves, do we even have faith in God, to Whom we are praying to. If someone is doing Ardas to God, and at the same time doubts God, then how can they have faith that their prayers will be answered? This day and age, many of our prayers go wasted as we have little or no faith in God, we doubt God. We forget to instill faith in our mind because our doubting mind sways back and forth from believing to not believing. Because we have not taken the time to fully understand the importance of the Ardas, in some cases were not taught how to, this becomes the reason why so many of our prayers go unanswered. Because our prayers are not answered, day by day we are losing faith in doing Ardas. No matter how many people are in a Gurudwara and are praying, there are only a handful that have full trust in God, and their prayers are answered. A doubting person’s prayer will never reach God. If we want our prayers to be answered, then we have to completely eradicate any doubts our mind may have. When we pray to God, we should have the same faith as a child as with their mother. I believe that Ardas does work. I have not always fully put my mind into it, but lately when I do pray, I can feel the power behind it. I went to the Gurudwara this evening, feeling very upset and hopeless. I knew in my heart that I believe in God, that I try my best to have 100% faith in him, but sometimes my faith is not as strong as I want it to be. We get tested over and over again on how strong our faith is. I didn’t have anyone I could turn to, but I knew One Person that I could, that was Waheguru Ji. When I do ardas and take a Hukamnama, sometimes I don’t know if God has answered my prayer or not. I believe that the Hukamnama is God communicating with us. I prayed to Him to give me strength, and what was in my heart. I was overcome by emotion. I was shaking while doing the Ardas, but as I put my mind at ease and let the Ardas make its way into my soul, a warm sensation came about me. I asked God to show me a direction, to give me His Hand. Tears were streaming down my face when this Hukamnama was read soriT mhlw 5 ] kir iesnwnu ismir pRBu Apnw mn qn Bey Arogw ] After taking your cleansing bath, remember your God in meditation, and your mind and body shall be free of disease. koit ibGn lwQy pRB srxw pRgty Bly sMjogw ]1] Millions of obstacles are removed, in the Sanctuary of God, and good fortune dawns. ||1|| pRB bwxI sbdu suBwiKAw ] The Word of God's Bani, and His Shabad, are the best utterances. gwvhu suxhu pVhu inq BweI gur pUrY qU rwiKAw ] rhwau ] So constantly sing them, listen to them, and read them, O Siblings of Destiny, and the Perfect Guru shall save you. ||Pause|| swcw swihbu Aimiq vfweI Bgiq vCl dieAwlw ] The glorious greatness of the True Lord is immeasurable; the Merciful Lord is the Lover of His devotees. sMqw kI pYj rKdw AwieAw Awid ibrdu pRiqpwlw ]2] He has preserved the honor of His Saints; from the very beginning of time, His Nature is to cherish them. ||2|| hir AMimRq nwmu Bojnu inq BuMchu srb vylw muiK pwvhu ] So eat the Ambrosial Name of the Lord as your food; put it into your mouth at all times. jrw mrw qwpu sBu nwTw gux goibMd inq gwvhu ]3] The pains of old age and death shall all depart, when you constantly sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe. ||3|| suxI Ardwis suAwmI myrY srb klw bix AweI ] My Lord and Master has heard my prayer, and all my affairs have been resolved. pRgt BeI sgly jug AMqir gur nwnk kI vifAweI ]4]11] The glorious greatness of Guru Nanak is manifest, throughout all the ages. ||4||11|| I asked a chardi kala Bibi Ji sitting next to me to interpret what God said to us. She said, buchay, whatever your prayer was, and if you did it with full vishvaash, then God has heard it. I had tears rolling down my face. She said, buchay, there is something troubling you, keep faith in Waheguru Ji, stand tall with confidence, don’t let your mind wander away from Him for even a moment. Do Nam Simran and Nitnem 24/7, and you will see that He will Bless you.
  5. Fateh WGJKKWGJKF Veer Ji, No, it is not disrespectful to work while listening to Gurbani/Kirtan. But, in some circumstances we cannot, so we should remember God internally by doing Naam Simran. You should constantly remember Waheguru Ji 24/7. Our thoughts, our actions should be virtuous. We should represent everyday of our lives, regardless of what we are doing, in the action’s of God. Every step we take, every decision we make, will be an act of God. AwT phr pRBu iDAwie qUM gux goieMd inq gwau ]1] rhwau ] Twenty-four hours a day, meditate on God. Constantly sing the Glories of the Lord of the Universe. ||1||Pause|| If one sits for 2 or 3 hours throughout the day doing Nitnem, then what would they do for the remainder? We go into a world where there is constant deceiving, lying, and backstabbing; an egotistic world, where the only intention of a shopkeeper is to sell his business regardless if you will benefit from it or not, where a politician is only trying to win your vote by making empty promises. But, the shopkeeper/politician needs to make a living too, so he may not perceive it as doing wrong. If you have a constant reminder of Gurbani, and are listening to Kirtan, then regardless of what you are doing, be it work, or at home, before speaking falsely, you will remember God, and speak the Truth, because Waheguru Ji is the Truth. If you carry on in your life and work remembering that every time I speak a ‘lie’ or deceive someone, then this action of mine will move me away from God. If we hurt someone, or do nindha of someone, then know that you have furthered the distance to God. Even if you are indulged in your work, and internally you are doing Simran, if you get a customer, then your concentration will be lost. But with Kirtan, there will be a constant reminder of God, and you remember to be humble with your customer and speak with honesty. Not only did you remain faithful to your customer and developed a lasting clientele, but you also spoke the Truth. God always helps those who speak the Truth. sMig shweI hir nwmu iDAweI ibrQw koie n jwey ] The Name of the Lord shall be with you as your Helper and Support. Meditate on Him-no one who does so shall ever return empty-handed. Remember we are merely a bodily shell for our soul, our body is not permanent, but the virtues are everlasting and will remain forever. Our virtues never die. There are no obstacles that will come in the way of virtues. A virtuous person has no enemies. If you help others, then they will return the favor and help you. pRB kY ismrin dusmnu trY ] Remembering God, one's enemies are repelled. pRB ismrq kCu ibGnu n lwgY ] Remembering God, no obstacles are met. We will constantly remember that we are disciples of the Shabad Guru. We sometimes forget how powerful our words or language can be. They can either be full of love or full of 'hate'. But if we see God in everyone, then should we really be using such foul language? No! We can eliminate our negative language and thought process by constantly having a reminder of Kirtan in the background and doing Naam Simran. Shabad Guru is our ‘living Guru’, our teacher. He guides us, protects us, and enlightens us. We don’t need to deeply understand Gurbani for it to affect our consciousness, because it is understood with the depth of our heart, not our head. You can meet a very knowledgeable person in Sikhi, but that is all they are. We may get a false impression that this person is a true Gursikh because of the words they write or speak, but in reality, they don’t practice what they write/preach. It’s all a façade. We run into all sorts of people and we try to obtain something from them, but, in the end we are disappointed, because it was merely the brain we were talking to, not the heart. God is very compassionate, we remember Him because of all the extroardinary Service He has provided us. We should speak of God's Words and act upon those words. If we meditate on Waheguru Ji, we become more balanced and content with life. By listening to Kirtan and doing simran, we can think more intuitively and not be overcome by ego. jo iesu mwry soeI suigAwnI ] One who kills this is spiritually wise. jo iesu mwry su shj iDAwnI ]5] One who kills this meditates intuitively. ||5|| We, humans, are fragile to the ever-changing society. We are confronted by many people and many situations, but when we think intuitively, we will never step into an unwanted situation. This is a part of all walks of life, be it with your family, friends, coworkers, and customers. Remember seva is one of the greatest things you can do, and to do it without ego, you will be rewarded with God’s Love. You can be the prime minister, or a clerk at a department store, and if your intentions are pure, then you can only do pure. By remembering the service you are providing for everyone, with nothing expected in return, with just love, we break ourselves from ego. jnI gurmuiK nwmu iDAwieAw ivchu Awpu gvwie ] The Gurmukhs meditate on the Naam; they eradicate selfishness and conceit from within. If we remember that seva is a selfless act, then we shouldn't expect to be recognized for it or appreciated for it. Be it seva at your employment, with family and friends, or in volunteer work, the more you do, the closer to god you will get. SO REMEMBER..... nwmu iDAwey so suKI iqsu muKu aUjlu hoie ] One who meditates on the Naam is at peace; his face is radiant and bright. Bhul Chuk Maaf, if I misinterpreted the Gurbani, as I am still learning.
  6. Fateh Veer Ji, Thank you for your post. I couldn't have said it better myself. I agree with you that some posts, that have good intention to them, seem to go off topic and into discussions that are irrelevant. I, myself, seek inspiration from this site, but lately have been not visiting it as much due to the slandering that has become such a repetitive thing. No matter how much we debate a certain topic, the views of the poster will not change. They will write things irrationally based purely on emotion. I agree with you that if we are all here to learn Guru Ji's Word, then our words should be based on Gurbani. I know a few people on this forum that are starting to question what a Gursikh is. Is this the way we should talk to each other. We advertise love between us, but at the same time, we don't show it. There is constant nindha on here. I understand many have different views and opinions, some are more knowledgeable than others, but isn't this a learning process for all of us? If we are all students of Guru Ji, our Teacher, he would fail us all for behavior, regardless of how much knowledge one had. Knowledge is one thing, to implement it and carry it in your life is another. Many know a great deal, but like you said, the words they write surely do emphasize the character of the person. There was a post on Nindha. I suggest people should read it. http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showto...=0entry121809
  7. Nahi Bhenji, I actually was having difficulty trying to raise my spiritual level. I met an Uncle Ji, who teaches about spirituality and who I found very inspiring. He had given me this guideline. He said if you can manage this in your life, not only will you become a better person spiritually, but also become closer to Waheguru Ji. I discussed with him how youth these days, such as myself, are confused about Sikhi Jeevan, how can they obtain it? How can they increase their spirituality? So, he gave me this guideline to follow each day, and told me to share it with others. Along with my nitnem, I follow this guideline. Ever since I have implemented it into my life, I can see a difference. No day really seems to go to waste, it becomes productive. Many have already reached the stage of humbleness, compassion, and sewa, but there are a few that haven't. So give it a try!!!
  8. Fateh Bhenji Please don't thank me. It is Waheguru Ji's kirpa. Thank Him continuously. Without Him, I am nothing. Praise Waheguru Ji continuously because He is the only one we can all learn from. Acru crY qw isiD hoeI isDI qy buiD pweI ] If one eats the uneatable, then he becomes a Siddha, a being of perfect spirituality; through this perfection, he obtains wisdom. pRym ky sr lwgy qn BIqir qw BRmu kwitAw jweI ]1] When the arrow of the Lord's Love pierces his body, then his doubt is eradicated. ||1|| myry goibd Apuny jn kau dyih vifAweI ] O my Lord of the Universe, please bless Your humble servant with glory. gurmiq rwm nwmu prgwshu sdw rhhu srxweI ] rhwau ] Under Guru's Instructions, enlighten me with the Lord's Name, that I may dwell forever in Your Sanctuary. ||Pause|| iehu sMswru sBu Awvx jwxw mn mUrK cyiq Ajwxw ] This whole world is engrossed in coming and going; O my foolish and ignorant mind, be mindful of the Lord. hir jIau ik®pw krhu guru mylhu qw hir nwim smwxw ]2] O Dear Lord, please, take pity upon me, and unite me with the Guru, that I may merge in the Lord's Name. ||2|| ijs kI vQu soeI pRBu jwxY ijs no dyie su pwey ] vsqu AnUp Aiq Agm Agocr guru pUrw AlKu lKwey ]3] Only one who has it knows God; he alone has it, to whom God has given it - so very beautiful, unapproachable and unfathomable. Through the Perfect Guru, the unknowable is known. ||3|| ijin ieh cwKI soeI jwxY gUMgy kI imiTAweI ] Only one who tastes it knows it, like the mute, who tastes the sweet candy, but cannot speak of it. rqnu lukwieAw lUkY nwhI jy ko rKY lukweI ]4] The jewel is concealed, but it is not concealed, even though one may try to conceal it. ||4|| sBu ikCu qyrw qU AMqrjwmI qU sBnw kw pRBu soeI ] Everything is Yours, O Inner-knower, Searcher of hearts; You are the Lord God of all. ijs no dwiq krih so pwey jn nwnk Avru n koeI ]5]9] He alone receives the gift, unto whom You give it; O servant Nanak, there is no one else. ||5||9||
  9. Fateh Ji, I have looked at a few Punjabi-English Dictionaries, and this is the one that I found to be very useful. I borrowed this one from someone, that was kind enough to lend me an extra copy they had floating around. But I did see copies at Khalsa School Library. I'm not sure where you're from, but if you have a local store that sells them, this is the one I would recommend. Since there are many out there, this one has a green cover with an orange strip on top. It's called Punjabi University Punjabi-English Dictionary. I'm sure if you asked someone, they will know. Good luck!
  10. Fateh Veer Ji, This topic was discussed a while back. There are some good posts in there you might want to check out. Hope they help! http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showto...=0entry121365
  11. Fateh, Once a person dies, the soul leaves, and we cremate the body. This has become a norm to cremate the body, but is not part of Sikhi. Forgive me, if I misinterpreted the following Gurbani thuks. But it clearly says that the body does not have to be cremated. iek dJih iek dbIAih ieknw kuqy Kwih ] Some are cremated, and some are buried; some are eaten by dogs. ieik pwxI ivic austIAih ieik BI iPir hsix pwih ] Some are thrown into water, while others are thrown into wells. nwnk eyv n jwpeI ikQY jwie smwih ]2] O Nanak, it is not known, where they go and into what they merge. ||2|| Many religions believe in cremation, while others don't, but neither way does it help the soul. Eie ly jwry Eie ly gwfy qyrI giq duhU n pweI ]1] The Hindus cremate their dead, while the Muslims bury theirs; neither finds Your true state, Lord. ||1|| I'm pretty sure that it does not state specifically in the Reht Maryada on how we should dispose of the body. If it was necessary to cremate it, rather than a norm, would this not have been addressed? Bhul Chuk Maaf
  12. Fateh, I read that Sikhi does not restrict us in which way we dispose of the body. We can bury it, throw it in water, cremate it, as long as it is in a respectful manner. Whichever method you choose does not help or harm the soul, because the body was just a temporary shell for the soul. Once the soul departs, any treatment to the body doesn't affect the soul. To cremate is a convenient way for Sikhs to dispose of the body. But, unlike Sikhi, other religions and the way they dispose of the body does have a religious aspect to it and followers only dispose of the body as per what their religion says. Christians and Muslims bury their dead as it is against their religion to cremate them. Hindu's cremate their dead and dispose of the ashes in a sacred river. So, there is really no purpose in why we cremate the body. Bhul Chuk Maaf
  13. Fateh, I have seen many of the sangat on this forum post that they don't know where to start by improving their life, they are unsure of things, a lot are suffering from 'depression'. Questions come up on how we can become closer to living a Sikhi Jeevan. It won't come without devotion. The more you devote yourself to something, the easier it becomes. Remember there is no such thing as a free lunch! I have adopted ten things in my life that have helped me to become an overall better person. We should all strive to live a virtuous life, but, we are all living in this material world, so we have to adapt to it as well. Hopefully this will help you as much as it has helped me. (note: order is not relevant to importance) FOR A SUCCESSFUL HAPPY LIFE 1. Practice morality, humility and compassion. 2. Manage your mind. 3. Manage your time. 4. Manage your money. 5. Look after your health. 6. Make conscious decisions. 7. Stay focused to your life goals. 8. Patience and perseverance are crucial for success. 9. God helps those who help themselves and others. 10. Do not harm or hurt others physically, mentally or financially.
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