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ONE BEDROOM FLAT... WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN ENGINEER... As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Engineering and joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true. Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India. My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat. I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down. Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate. In-laws I told, to their surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA. My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children. Every year I decide to go to India But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holiday and thus could not go to India ... The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last ritual, the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children. After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA... My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India... My two children and I returned to USA after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years. Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA... I decided that had enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India... I had just enough money to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality. Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode. Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India, Had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more. I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM. Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me. Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still remains 'was all this worth it?' I am still searching for an answer.................!!! START THINKING IS IT JUST FOR ONE EXTRA BEDROOM??? LIFE IS BEYOND THIS ..DON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR LIFE .. START LIVING IT . LIVE IT AS YOU WANT IT TO BE

By Jagjit Singh Nov 12, 2003 My turban has saved me so many times that I cannot even begin to explain. Like most, I am also filled with greed. I even thought about conning or tricking others in order to accumulate wealth. However, every time I think about doing such actions, I think about my turban. A thought comes in my mind, how will my Guru feel if I do such a thing. I am a Sikh and a Sikh must walk on the path of humility and live happily in whatever God has given me. If I have not had a turban on my head, I probably would have become a thief or a con man. My turban saves me. My turban saves me from bad company as well. When I was in high school, I saw a person who was talking to high school kids about drugs. He would approach the kids and show them a small packet containing the drug and would ask them to try it. But he did not talk to me, he did not come near me, he saw my turban and kept his distance. I sometimes think how my life would have been if I have not had a turban. It would be very easy to talk to be in contact with druggies and thieves. Having such a company, I probably would have become a drunkard and/or a drug addict. The symbol Guru Ji gave me actually saves me. Now I know the importance of turban and its purpose. It is not just an identity of a Sikh but also keeps a Sikh away from bad company and keeps a Sikh focused in life.

Just goes to show how superficial your knowledge is, perhaps you need to broaden the range of books you read. That Andrea Grace Diem seems to be a writer with an agenda than a serious author or scholar. Read this-; Instead of siding with their Indian brothers most Sikhs during this time supported the British and many even served in the British army. That's something a hardened Indian propagandist would write. That author obviously has no idea that the same Indian brothers were the ones who only a decade before had been part of the British invasion oif the Punjab that then ended the Sikh rule. .In fact, the British insisted that Sikh soldiers wear the five ks and swear an oath of loyalty to the Guru Granth Sahib. The British vested interest was obvious: by supporting Sikhism they felt they were insuring excellent soldiery. Thus, the British helped crystallize Sikh identity as they promoted Khalsa standards in the military and the use of the title Singh. The advantage of being a Sikh helped keep Sikhs from lapsing into Hinduism and Khalsa Sikhism grew as a result. But then on the other side they also engaged in the subversion of the Khalsa by outlawing the Kirpan for non-military Singhs. As the Sikhs in the British army during the Singh Sabha movement were at most 10,000 then how is allowing 10,000 men the right to take Amrit and keep the 5 K's in the army yet denying over 1.8 million Sikh men and women the right to wear a Kirpan, helping to crystallise Sikh identity? By 1899 there were over 120 Singh Sabha organizations operative. The need to have a central organization to allow communication between educated Sikhs and to coordinate activities between the Singh Sabhas was apparent. In 1902 the Chief Khalsa Diwan was established to serve this role. The same thing was happening with the Hindu and Muslim communities. The Sikh and Muslim communities succeeded in reforming their religions whilst the Hindus did not. The Sikhs and Muslims had the support of their religious texts as well as history whilst the Hinduism by it's very nature cannot be reformed. many were nervous about the influence of Christian missionaries and schools on Sikhs, especially since four students at Amritsar converted to Christianity at this time. They actually expressed a desire to convert and were persuaded not to by the Sikh leaders. @JSinghnz. The Namdharis, Satnami, Udasis were always perceived to be pro-hindu and thus British sought to isolate that strain of thought in their interest. Don't judge the Namdhari movement from the muppets that claimed to be Satgurus in the last few decades. The Namdharis were actually against the popular religion of the Punjab population which involved such things as visits to Sufi shrines, memorials to ancestors etc. Many Sikhs and Hindus actually used to complain to the British authorities that whenever someone from their villages came under Namdhari influence they would then proceed to preach against the popular religion of that time as well as sometimes violently destory the local shrines to the ancestors. Satnamis? No such thing as Satnamis in Sikhs religion, they were a movement in Haryana in the 1660s and later in Madhya Pradesh in the 19th century.

Sant Ji says that this is the reason why 5 pyaareh seva is for men. Not because this seva is "meant for men." Its up to any bibi whether they think that they can do maharaja's seva I don't think anyone has the right to tell her if she can or not. Not to be explicit but that comment can also go towards people who have to use the bathroom while doing tabiya. They can feel the pressure to go to the bathroom at any time. So does that mean we all shouldn't do seva? I'm sorry but this point didn't really make sense to me. A woman can prepare herself if she has to do seva. She can wear proper protection before doing rol. When I am on my period I don't feel "unclean" in any way. A Bibi can do kesi ishnaan and make sure that no accident will happen before she goes for rol. I guess it all just comes down to personal sharda. I personally think that it should be a woman's decision. Not anyone else's decision. Guru Sahib did not prohibit us from doing seva therefore no one else should try to also. I do not think menstruation causes any problem to suchamta unless the woman goes unprepared. Usually women know around what time their period will come. I know that I need to be fully prepared. Especially if I am doing seva. These kind of issues shouldn't become a do or don't issue. We argue a lot of about do's and donts. Why not just go according to personal sharda?

Your post reminds me of the C.S. Lewis quote: “You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”

whether we like it or not, in terms of race the future of the world is going to be like Brazil, at least that's how the US/Europe will eventually become. With more education and advancement of our understanding of science, race is becoming insignificant. We are already seeing the signs of change during our lifetime. Caste is really pathetic. Show a Gora/westerner a clean shaven Punjabi Tarkhan, Jatt, Chamar, Brahmin and I bet he can't even tell the difference between the 4, and would probably laugh his a$$ off at our perceived differences. Yet we are still holding on to these caste differences even though there is no visible or racial difference between the different castes of the same ethnicity. Just in case you are guessing what caste I was born into, I was born a Jatt but once I realized how stupid these differences are I abandoned my caste. For me a non-Jatt Gursikh is far more worthy of respect than a Jatt who has become Bemukh. I would bow my head a 100 times in respect to the Charan Dhoor of a non-Jatt bhagat like Bhagat Kabir Jee Bhagat Ravidas Jee Bhagat Namdev Jee, Bhagat Ramanand Jee than I would to a Sikh who beleive he is great because he was born into a Jat family. Nothing great about being Jat. Our greatness is only because of Guru Gobind Singh Jee. Before our Jatt ancestors became Sikhs what was their Aukaat in Punjab? they would get victimized by the Pathans from the north west and even Punjabi Rajputs. The Punjabi Jatt has nothing to be proud of other than loverboys like Mirza and Ranjha. It's 10th master's Amrit which made Sikhs great not Jattness. We turned from victims to great conquerors over night because of Amrit.

The person who allowed a musalman 2 marry an apni in a gurdwara, shud b smacked up straight, and the committe shud b done over 2, pathetic!! Also any1 who even had the nerve 2 attend the ceremony (sangat), shud b mad ashamed, shud of boycotted the bloody thing! take em 2 hazoor sahib, present em infront of the nihangs, n c wat happens 2 em, that they think this modern shodern crap applies in our faith!! fact is no smith/patel/ali/sharma can marry in a gurdwara until they convert, these r BASIC BASIC rules! the gianis know when they take charge of a marriage service, its PAYDAY for them!! that y they put their wallets ahead of maryada, disgusting.

found this story.... file:///C:/Users/BECKY/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpgThe following story is from Katha by Giani Avtar Singh Ji - Badni Kalan Wale. Giani Avtar Singh Ji is the grandson of Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. The katha is entitled "Sikhi di Rehit," it can be found on gurmatveechar.com About 20 years ago, a family in India was blessed to have a Sri Akhand Paath Sahib of Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj at their house. Giani Avtar Singh Ji attended the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib. The Paathi Singhs recited the Paath with complete Maryada. The reason for the Akhand Paath was that a young man (youth) in the family had recently died. After his death, the soul of the young man was wandering and eventually the soul possessed his brother. After entering into his brother's body, the soul spoke and requested that the family should do a Sri Akhad Paath Sahib for him. Giani Ji in his katha says that through this sakhi, we will understand the importance of Gurbani and also the importance, need and greatness of the Sikh identity given to us by Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. After the soul requested that an Akhand Paath be done for him, the family members went to a few places to seek help in performing the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib. Eventually, the family came to Giani Avtar Singh Ji and asked him for help. They requested full tyaar par tyaar Singhs (always ready, spiritually elevated Khalsa Singhs) to do the seva of the Akhand Paath Sahib. Giani Avtar Singh Ji discussed this with some Gurmukh Singhs and they agreed, then they began the Akhand Paath seva. Giani Avtar Singh Ji mentions that he was present at the Bhog (completion) of the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib. That day, the brother of the dead young man was present there too. It is assumed in the Katha, that the soul of the dead young man would enter and leave the body of his brother from time to time. The family then prepared some food for Giani Avtar Singh Ji and the Singhs. The brother of the dead man was sitting there too. Other family members were present. Then suddenly, the brother began to feel dizzy and was unaware of his surroundings, he then closed his eyes. The family knew exactly what was going on. The family told Giani Avtar Singh Ji that the soul of the dead man is entering into his brother's body now. Giani Ji says that after hearing this, he was carefully paying attention to see if they were just pretending or not. Then, while speaking to the brother who was possessed, Giani Ji asked, "What is your name?" Then Giani Ji asked, "What was the purpose of you coming back if you had already died?" Then the soul spoke and said "I wasn't supposed to die yet, I still had some years left in my life. What happened was, I became unconscious after being electrocuted. Then my family members put milk into my mouth (thinking it might help). I had no idea what was going on. Due to my family pouring milk into my body, I died, because after a person is electrocuted, water/liquid should not be given to that person." Giani Ji continued speaking with the soul, and then an important question was asked, "After dying, where did you go?" Giani then pauses the story for a moment, mentioning that only the souls who have died can tell us these things (about the after life). People like us who are still living don't have the knowledge on these matters. Continuing on, Giani Ji mentions that the soul replied, "I was taken to a very bad place, hell." "They took me there (Jamdoots - Angels of Death) and I was very miserable and grieving in pain, just by being there." Giani Ji then asks, "How did you get released from there?" Soul replied, "One day, the head person (Dharam Raja) came there to inspect and see what was going on." Giani Ji then explains that whatever body the soul was in before death, those same qualities are then carried on to the after life. The soul mentioned that he was kesdhari (kept uncut hair) before his death. Soul continues saying, "When the head person saw that I was kesdhari, he ordered that I be taken out of hell. Then the head person asked me if I have ever done Paath (Sikh prayers). I replied that I only used to do Paath of Jap Ji Sahib before my death, but not other Gurbani prayers and I have never let scissors touch my hair. Then the head person told me that because of these 2 things: not cutting your hair and doing Jap Ji Sahib Paath, you will be released from hell. If you hadn't done these good deeds, you would've been in hell for ages, who knows how long!" The soul continues on saying, "I then remembered the sakhi when Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj was explaining to a Sikh named Bhai Dhana Ji, that if a Sikh who has never cut his hair enters into hell, I will pull him out of hell by the hair on his head." Giani Ji explains that the soul was freed from hell because he had never cut his hair and also he had done Paath of Sri Jap Ji Sahib. This is what caused the soul to enter his brother's body, in order to relay the message to his family, to request that an Akhand Paath Sahib be done for him. Gurbani's power is limitless. It helps us here and in the after life. Even souls that have already died are thirsting for Gurbani and its power. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Borat veer ji, you break heart...if you would like to maintain the tradition of your caste you have all the right in the world to to so. If you choose to do this, you have just stuck your middle finger up at your supposed sikh guru. I cant be mad at you though, i used to be attached to my caste. When that inner love for your gurus and akal purakh, hits you (one day). You will see the caste system is just as bad as the mogul empire was. Im now going to do a mool mantar for you

http://sarabhapanjab.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/anti-panthic-activities.html

Things like this are bound to happen and will only increase as the years, decades and centuries go by --- if we're lucky enough to survive that long. The further we move away from the time of our inception as a faith, the more myth will meld with reality and people will begin to put forward their own versions of who was who, etc. Like the poster manvimattu said above, it doesn't help that the various constituent groups of Sikhi are rather diverse and vying for power or respect or status, and ego rears its ugly head more often than not.

Borat Jee, it is a shame if you believe in the sham of casteism. Our Aatma has no caste or race. How many janams were you a Jat, Chamar, Churha, Brahmin, Habshi or Tarkhan you may not even realize yet you are identifying with the false notion of caste. To identify with one's caste means you are identifying with your body. But YOU are not your body. YOU are your aatma and Aatma has no caste affiliation. The aatma changes bodies as our bodies changes cloths. Once a person realizes this truth caste identification seems very superficial and frankly stupid. Besides, this caste system has done much damage to our Qaum. It is holding us back. In fact it has stunted our growth as a religion. We need to discard this system as soon as possible.

1) Aatmik Rass and Mental Rass (Mystical or Spiritualpleasure Vs Mental pleasure) Only after tasting Aatmik Rass, Vismaad (wonderous) rass can be tasted. InAtmik Rass alone, Vismaad Rass can be tasted or known right inside this body.Below this Aatmik Rass are the Mental Rass that can be tasted through the mannbut these mental rass are all frivolous because they don't have any trace ofVismaad rass in them. 2) Spiritual life is not a subject of mental intelligence: Often people try to measure and explain the Aatmik jeevan (Gurmat Spirituallife) through intelligence but in order to understand the deep and profoundspiritual secrets how can intellectualism suffice. All these attempts tounderstand spiritualism through intellectualism are just futile. Even thetopmost philosophers and scholars of philosophy and intellectualism cannotfathom the truth of Gurmat spirituality and divinity. It is not appropriate totry to understand Gurmat spiritualism through worldly intelligence and usingmeasures of intellectualism. 3) Worldly Morality / Ethics and Divine or True Wisdom Worldly goodness, ethics and morality have a worldly status or level. Manyfriends unwittingly consider worldly wisdom as true wisdom but they don't knowthat real wisdom or the true wisdom is realized only in "Sehaj Avastha" andthis true wisdom is unique from the reasoning of philosophers. Sehaj Avasthahas been explained in the following Pankiti: ਕਰਮੀਸਹਜੁਨਊਪਜੈਵਿਣਸਹਜੈਸਹਸਾਨਜਾਇ॥…………. ਕਹੈਨਾਨਕਗੁਰਪਰਸਾਦੀਸਹਜੁਉਪਜੈਇਹੁਸਹਸਾਇਵਜਾਇ॥ 4) Naam Simran and Earning Sach Naam simran and earning Sach are not two different things but same. Actually,Naam simran is earning Sach (sach laaha) as this Gurvaak says: ਸਚਿਸਿਮਰਿਐਹੋਵੈਪਰਗਾਸੁ……..॥ Which means that through Naam Simran alone Parkash (enlightenment) happens;therefore doing Naam simran is earning Sach. 5) Elimination of Haume As per Gurmat, Haume is destroyed only through Naam. In support of thisprinciple there are many Gurvaaks. The medicine that can destroy Haume is onlyNaam. Only through Naam Haume is destroyed and through Naam only Liv (smadhi)occurs. <br style="mso-special-character:line-break"><br style="mso-special-character:line-break"> 6) The form of Real Knowledge (Tatt Gyaan): The formof real knowledge appears or manifests in the Hirda (a place, short distanceabove Naabhi), then it illuminates the inside, as per this Gurvaak: ਜਾ ਕੈ ਰਿਦੈ ਬਿਸ੍ਵਾਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਆਇਆ ॥ ਤਤੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਤਿਸੁ ਮਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਇਆ ॥ 7) Self Realization: After getting concentration in Naam, self realizationoccurs, as per this Gurvaak: ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਪੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਸੰਤਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਈ ॥੮॥ 8) Greatest Hukam (order) – Sifat Salaah (Praising Vaheguru): Guru Sahib'sgreatest Hukam is Sifat-Salaah i.e. Naam Simran. Per Gurvaak: ਏਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਦੀਆ ਬੁਝਾਇ ਜੀਉ ॥੫॥ Therefore obeying the Hukam actually means to chant Naam, or to earn the profitof Gurmantr or Gur-Shabad. ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਪਣਾ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਸਬਦਿ ਕਸਵਟੀ ਲਾਇ ॥ Meaning, through the touchstone of Paaras roop Gur-shabad (Naam), Gurmukhsbring their mind under control; this is what is meant by destruction of Haume(ego). By taking refuge of Satguru and by being at the doorstep of Guru andthen through Gurmat Naam alone does the mind get purified; as is mentioned inthe following Gurvaak: ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਿ ਆਵੈ ਤਾ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ Otherwise the Nigura (Guru less) person does not even have Naam, then how canhe purify his mind, as is mentioned in the Gurvaak: ਮਨਮੁਖ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਥਕੇ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਸਕੀ ਧੋਇ ॥੧॥ 9) Reading Gurmat books is a mean of controlling the mind: One of the means of controlling the mind is reading Gurmat books. For thisreason reading Gurmat related books don't go in vain. Reading non-Sikhi aredefinitely a waste because by reading them one cannot derive any spiritualtaste nor they provide any mean to control the mind: ਪੜਣਾ ਗੁੜਣਾ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਕੀ ਕਾਰ ਹੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਭਿ ਪੜਿ ਥਕੇ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥ ਸੋ ਪੜਿਆ ਸੋ ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਬੀਨਾ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਕਰੇ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ 10) By chanting Naam, vices are eliminated: By earning Gurshabad i.e. by chanting Naam, vices get eliminated because Naamis a medicine: ਨਾਮ ਅਉਖਧੁ ਜਿਹ ਰਿਦੈ ਹਿਤਾਵੈ ॥ ਤਾਹਿ ਰੋਗੁ ਸੁਪਨੈ ਨਹੀ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਭਰੀਐ ਮਤਿ ਪਾਪਾ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥ ਓਹੁ ਧੋਪੈ ਨਾਵੈ ਕੈ ਰੰਗਿ ॥ This does not make sense that first your vices should get eliminated and thenyou can attain Naam.

agreed. Our leaders don't lead! Needs to be a grass roots movement!

Great to hear that Akal takht has finally decided to take action against the caste labeling of Gurdwaras. I pray that the Panth be able to get rid of this nuisance of castes one day and we get rid of all caste based Gurdwaras.