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A couple made a deal the night of their wedding to NOT open the door of their room to anybody who comes knocking in the morning for any reason… In the morning the parents of the husband came & knocked on the door, the husband and the wife were looking at each other & as they agreed before , they didn't open the door… After a while the parents of the bride came knocking at the door to check on them, the couple was looking at each other , then the bride dropped a tear and started crying , she said : "I cannot keep them knocking & not open the door, I miss them already"… The husband didn't say anything& he let her open the door for herparents… Years passed & the couple had 5 children, the first ones were boys& the 5th was a little girl… When she was born the father was extremely happy that god hasblessed him with her & he made acelebration for her in grand style, people were so amazed with his joy & his happiness that they asked him, why are you so happy with her more than you were before with her elder brothers… He answered simply: "She is the one who will open the door for me" Baby girls are the comfort of the eyes of their father… They hold the key to their mother's hearts… Daughters are really unique. They care for their parents even after they are married... You don't simply hear of daughters abusing their parents… Send this to all daughters n sons because one day they will know the value of daughters…

Why not breed a lion and a tiger to create........... A LIGER! I could rule the world with such beasts! Although I'd have to put some armour on them as pachaare liger's bones aren't as strong as they should be due to the cross breeding. Also I wonder if he'd be as effective if I kept him on a vegetarian diet? If I'm not eating meat then neither is my liger. On second thoughts this a terrible plan.

http://amardeepphotography.com/sikh-soldiers-in-tibet/ Sikh soldiers in Tibet – Year 1904 Posted by Amardeep Singh on Jan 2, 2013 in Blog, General, Travel | 10 comments Close to Gyantse fort in Tibet, at the Palkhor Chode Monastery, an old Chinese man approached me with curiosity. I reciprocated with a smile, which helped break the ice. Old Chinese Man : “You are wearing a turban. Are you a Sikh?” Me : “Indeed. I am surprised you are able to recognize a Sikh in this remote part of the world.” Old Chinese Man : “Sikhs are no strangers to this region. In the past they have led many military expeditions at these formidable heights, with reasonable success.” Me : “Yes indeed, around 1841, under the leadership of Maharajah Ranjit Singh of Punjab (Lahore Darbar), I am aware that General Zorawar Singh’s forces came deep in Western Tibet. He fell at Taklakot where still exists a Chorten (Samadhi / Grave memorial).” Old Chinese Man : “You do know that era of the history. Well the Sikhs entered again in 1904.” 1904……the year has stuck with me since then. I had only heard about General Zorawar Singh’s successful expedition to Tibet in 1841 but what was his reference to the entry in 1904? I thank the unknown old Chinese man for having created the spark of curiosity through a momentary encounter. I have since read the following three, very old books to gain a better insight of Lietunant Younghusband’s expedition to Tibet in 1904 with the 23 and 32 Sikh Pioneer regiments. 1) With Mounted Infantry in Tibet by Major Ottley 2) India and Tibet by Sir Francis Younghusband 3) Waziristan to Tibet by Cyril Lucas In early 1900′s the “Great Game” being played in Asia had resulted in expansion of British under the banner of East India Company. In the North of Asia, the Czars of Russia were becoming ambitious and expanding their reach into the Pamir mountain ranges, close to Afghanistan. British secret services were getting an indication of an alliance being forged between the Tibetans and the Russians. Should Russian reach extend into the Himalayan plateau, it would be too dangerous for British India. Lietunant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, with regiments of 23 Sikh Pioneers and 32 Sikh Pioneers, entered Tibet from Sikkim. They were successful in conquering the Gyantse Fort (which was built around 12th century) and made it their base from where they led further successful expeditions to Karo La pass (5,010 meter). These may sound just names but having traveled to these heights, due to thinness of air, I was finding it hard to even carry two camera bodies with long lenses. So one can only imagine what it would have meant to be a soldier at these heights. The success of this expedition resulted in a treaty between British India and Tibet, resulting in weakening the Russian aspiration of expansion under the “Great Game”. British Indian forces subsequently moved back from the Tibetan plateau. Along the way from Lhasa to Gyantse, one can still find the remains of small stone fortifications built by 23 and 32 Sikh Pioneer regiments to help defend from any attack on the outer posts. History quotes Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps, in 218 BC, to invade imperial Rome as one of the most celebrated achievement of any military force in the ancient warfare. The Alps are pygmies in comparison to the advances that had to be made from the plains of India to Tibetan plateau, crossing the formidable Himalayas. In the months to follow, I will also share my photography journey, tracing the footsteps of General Zorawar Singh. But for now, let me share the pictures and very old sketches pertaining to the 1904 expedition. There are two sections to be viewed in this post. Click first photo in each section and scroll to view the rest in it.

You know when someone is in deep sleep in the dark, and you turn on the lights all of a sudden, what is their first reaction? Its an angry "TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!" remark, right? Similarly, those who are in deep sleep under the darkness of maayaa and the various vikaars, the moment they see your illuminated spirit carrying the appearance of Guru Sahib, they will want to turn you off, and turn you down. But don't let that bother you, instead, smile back at them, because that is the response they least expect. Don't get played down by them in their game, rather choose your moves carefully and play your own game. You'll win!

دِین وُ دنیا در کمندِ آن پری رُخسارِ ما dīn u duniyā dar kamand ān parī ruḵẖsār mā Both, the temporal and the heavenly worlds are in the halter of the fairy-faced benefactor. ਦੀਨ ਅਤੇ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਉਸ ਪਰੀ-ਚੇਹਰਾ ਦੋਸਤ ਦੀ ਫਾਹੀ ਵਿਚ ਹਨ ॥ هر دو عالم قیمت یک تارِ موی یارِ ما har dū ʻālam qīmat yek tār-e mūye yār-e mā And both the domains are not worth the price of my friend’s one hair.(1) ਦੋਵੇਂ ਜਹਾਨ ਸਾਡੇ ਯਾਰ ਦੇ ਇਕ ਵਾਲ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਲ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਹਨ ॥ (੧) - Bhai Nand Lal Ji :l:

bollywood movies wud make singhs look like fools. . . . We wud moan and complain. Now we R doing it 2ourselves . Who will complain now. This fool made us all look like the jokers in those films . . . Thanks Bruv

I think the hostility towards him is more so because of his refusal to even admit that he might have made a mistake by going on that show. He's using all his mates from City Sikhs to support him and portray him as having done a great thing and breaking down barriers. If he accepted that he made a mistake then people could move on.

Veer Ji you said "If you accept something the way it is then that means you AGREE with it" And im saying if you accept something the way it is, it doesnt have to mean you agree with it. So at the time of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji there people of different religions around and Guru Sahib didnt agree with what they believed but still accepted them as they were, they were free to believe what they wished. When the Kashmiri Pandits were being persecuted by the Muslims Guru Sahib didnt agree with what was happening to the Pandits but at the same they didnt agree with what the Pandits believed either. Nonetheless Guru Sahib still helped them. My point was Guru Sahib helped them because the situation was unjust (like your examples). Whenever theres a unjust situation you're gonna help or well you should help even if you dont agree with that person on a personal level. The OP asked "If you accept the way something is, it doesn't necessarily mean you agree with it or does it?" She was talking about homosexuals. So lets say for example you dont agree with the homosexual way of life but you've still accepted them as a person. Now lets say that homosexual is getting beaten up. You dont agree with the homosexual way of life but you'd still help them.....because the situation is unjust, theres no time for whether you agree or not.

This trend if not stopped will get worse and worse, seriously what alternatives are there, whos's to blame? Alarming rise in HIV among drug addicts Against the national average of 10% among injectable drug users, the count stands much high at 40% in Amritsar and 27% in Tarn Taran Perneet Singh Tribune News Service (Above) the locked gate of the de-addiction centre at Kairon village in Tarn Taran district and (Below) drug wrappers and injections lie strewn at a deserted building next to the Civil Hospital. Photos: Vishal Kumar Tarn Taran, January 7 The rampant drug addiction among youths in Punjab is putting them at the risk of bigger danger — HIV infection. The HIV prevalence among injectable drug users (IDUs) is 27 per cent in Tarn Taran and 40 per cent in Amritsar, much above the national average of 10 per cent. The Opiod Substitution Therapy (OST) Centre here has over 1,000 registered male patients, of whom 180 have been regularly visiting the centre to avail the treatment. Amritsar too has an OST Centre with 420 men listed with it; 90 have been visiting regularly for treatment. Confirming the figures, the centre’s nodal officer, Dr Rana Ranbir Singh, said most alarming was the fact that HIV prevalence had far exceeded the national average in these border areas. OST centres are an initiative of the National Aids Control Organisation, which provides free medicines for the treatment of IDUs. Sources said one of the main reasons behind the increasing number of IDUs was that addicts find injecting drugs cost-effective. By injecting drugs, primarily heroin, into their veins, they get a high with a small quantity of the drug. On the other hand, addicts end up wasting a part of the heroin if they sniff it, said sources. Apart from heroin, the border belt youth are getting hooked on to smack and pharmaceutical drugs like morphine. The addicts mostly are in the 20-40 age group, but they cut across different sections of the society. Another cause for concern was the easy availability of drugs, which was corroborated by various individuals. An addict from Sakhyawali village said he never faced any problem in getting his daily dose. He said most of those dealing in the drug trade themselves were addicts. A physician from Guru Ka Khu village said drug peddlers and addicts could easily be spotted on the streets carrying out their deals in a secretive manner. “Some people even run the drug racket from their houses,” he said. Among the areas where drug addiction is on the rise in Tarn Taran are Patti, Khemkaran, Valtoha and Khalra, besides villages like Kazikot, Valipur, Bugga, Palsora, Fatehchak and Muradpur. De-addiction facilities ill-equipped Though drug addiction is rising in the border belt, de-addiction facilities seem to be unmatchable. A couple of months back, only the district headquarters had de-addiction and OST centres in its civil hospital. The de-addiction centre in Patti got functional two months ago, but it is yet to start proper medication of addicts. A de-addiction centre located at Kairon village near Patti has been lying shut for the past sometime while the infrastructure inside it is rotting. The authorities have neither shifted its furniture to a hospital nor put the building to an alternative use. This, despite the fact that addicts from Patti had been visiting Tarn Taran for treatment in the past. Dr Rana, also the in-charge of the Patti centre, said the town will soon have its own OST centre and Tarn Taran will become the first district in the country to have two OST centres. Worst-hit areas in Tarn Taran Patti, Khemkaran, Valtoha and Khalra and villages like Kazikot, Valipur, Bugga, Palsora, Fatehchak and Muradpur. Addicts using deserted buildings Drug addicts have been exploiting the premises of government hospitals and de-addiction centres to have their daily dose of drugs. The Tribune team spotted the leftovers of paper used to sniff drugs at a deserted building of the Panchayati Raj Department located on the premises of the Tarn Taran Civil Hospital, besides a room inside the de-addiction centre building in Patti. Superintendent of Police (detective) Harvinder Singh said he would be issuing orders to all station house officers to keep an eye on deserted buildings in the district.

check out guys his research, some really good informative research: http://indrajit.wordpress.com/2006/03/11/l...-of-the-titans/ I have been doing research on tiger and lion, i beleive sakhiya kathavachiks tell us that singhs used to hunt lions/tigers and kill them on hand to hand combat is all false. However, anything is possible with guru's kirpa but speaking from physical aspect, tiger/lion have amazing brute force compare to us human, we humans cannot even eat apples, nuts properly, fighting tiger/lion is way out of your league. Read this, and learn about amazing facts about lions/tiger: http://indrajit.wordpress.com/2006/03/11/l...-of-the-titans/ also check out some amazing hq quality videos of lion and tiger: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Lionownstiger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7kH-BT5nYM

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/delhi-gangrapemurder-godman-asaram-blames-braveheart/314347-3-244.html Self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu has kicked up a controversy after holding the Delhi braveheart herself responsible for the the barbaric sexual assault on her by a group of six men. He said, "Only five to six people are not the culprits. The victim is as guilty as her rapists. She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop. This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so." "Had she recited the Saraswati mantra, she would not have boarded any bus after watching a movie with her boyfriend," he said. Reacting to his statement, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "Political leaders including religious leaders must give serious thought before they speak out." BJP leader Balbir Punj also added, "I would say the man of this stature made a very childish suggestion it not only need to be condemned but laugh it also." BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, "Sorry! It is not acceptable. Asaram Bapu's statement on Delhi braveheart is regrettable and deeply disturbing, unfortunate. He should introspect and immediately withdraw his statement." This comes amidst the trial of the Delhi gangrape-murder case in the Saket court. There was high drama inside the Saket court on Monday as the five accused were produced. Members of the Bar association created a chaos after two lawyers offered to represent the accused, two of whom have reportedly expressed desire to turn approver. The members of the Saket Bar Association had earlier decided not to defend the accused. Meanwhile, the controversy over the age of the sixth accused in the brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical students continues. The Juvenile Justice Board will take up the matter of verifying the age of the accused minor who claims to be 17. The Delhi braveheart, a paramedical student, was brutally raped and assaulted in a moving bus in New Delhi on the night of December 16 and died of her injuries on December 29 in multi-speciality Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore What a nut bar, ironically this baba spokesperson is also an woman..shame on these people..!!!

Also on Gurdwara langar in general, it should at least follow very basic bibek i.e. healthy and simple food based on what the body needs. Anyone commenting on the great taste of sabzi at langar needs to work on trying to taste har ras, all other tastes are left wanting, indeed hunger is forgotten whilst absorbed in His glorious presence. Waheguru!

I'm wondering why this post is getting so many hits. I hope people know what the title means before they start looking up this post. :x

http://gurmatbibek.com/forum/read.php?3,22579 Khalsa Ji This post is very informative on this subject:

another never ending debate :snail: :drop:

WLS, "I think you've got psychiatric issues Daily Mail". You were the same person who managed to determine that the rape victim was drunk, despite being 5,000 miles away, with no evidence whatsoever. With diagnoses like that, I don't think I have anything to worry about. Nitwits indeed old chap! You've gone to great lengths to distance yourselve from India, but like it or not, it is a country that the public associate you with. You say your "family has never been Indian and never will" - where is your wife from again? I distinctly remember you saying you had an arranged marriage back in Punjab. Am I wrong? You want to talk about philisophical and spiritual understanding of the merits or de-merits of whether our actions determine what happen to us? Clearly, what goes around comes around. But this 'tree-hugging, left-wing obsession of the victim blaming herself' notion doesn't wash with me, let me assure you old chap. I've seen domestic violence cases where the women blames herself for being smacked about, its pathetic. Lets call a spade a spade, then your on my level. I'm not the most spiritual of persons, more of a politcal activist type, so forgive me WLS, but leave the tree-hugging to someone else. It doesn't suit you either! WLS, you say that your "culture is complete and utter 100% gender equality". Here is a report published today from the BBC, with nothing new, but very sobering to read. Punjab has the 'highest proportion of missing girls at birth'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20938125 No other state can match Punjab. I don't want to digress and go off on a tangent, and this isn't solely aimed at you either WLS. But the above BBC article highlights what one woman responded to when questioned by a Sky news reporter last week at a demonstration in Delhi. When the reporter asked her the underlying problem the woman replied: "how can we (indian women) expect men and sociey to respect women when us women ourselves abort foetuses upon discovering that they are baby girls?". According to the above article, no where is this more apparent that Punjab. Our punjabi culture is somewhat inherently perverse, it favours men over women, we all know it. It manifests itself in different ways. The truth hurts. We can all duck out heads in the sand and claim to be British by 3 generations etc. The fact is, when we (Punjab) have the biggest gender inequality gap in the whole of India, given that approximately 65% of Punjab is Sikh, therefore how on earth can we tell others that "my culture is complete and utter 100% gender equality"? Theory may dictate one thing, but life at the coalface is an entirely different matter... WLS, you're an intelligent chap. Unlike some others on here, I actually enjoy your posts, even though I don't always agree with you. What a boring place it would be if we all agreed with one another!

I'll fish it out of the bin tomorrow morning. :giggle:

Everyone, just want to share a thought. Everywhere I look I've seen Sikhs calling Param a loser, an <banned word filter activated>, gay, swearing at him, posting pictures of him and making fun of his appearance. It's gone so far that in my eyes it equates to bullying. We all know that what he did was wrong, but we are reduced to a very low level when we insult him like that. Please always try to remember to speak sweetly and not lose any of your kamaaee over such issues.

it will not only happen today...the ''attack'' will happen for the rest of the days...you have to recognize whats going on, even then it might take ages to control your mind...what ever is happening is nothing wrong...what is wrong is the mind..the mind is like a ''maidaan'' or ran a battle field...kaam never dies but causes a rebirth...what is kaam ? what is happening is your energy your seema has reached a point it rises, but when it rises throughout your body and you have vibrations--your mind which has been fed dirty thoughts will take that think dirty thoughts and drain the seema energy out your body...it will happen day after day same thing nothing different...energy rising, then because of the minds dirty thoughts it is wasted....actually this energy is much much more..its not only energy,...its the buidling blocks of life...this energy the vibrations is much more than that also in a sense its naam rass, well it can be used for naam rass....waheguru is not only seen, bhagats have said we have seen waheguru (though waheguru is hard to describe) but we have also HEARD waheguru...there are acoustic energy bivrations that make of the 5th element 'air' after all space is made up of wahegurus light...the energy that atoms etc manifest into...waheguru has a nirgun saroop, and sargun saroop....during samadhi the goal is to merge, open your third eye of and merge with the geet, vibrations, anhad naad, prakash the jot of waheguru which are his bol...paramtma de bol...waheguru also speaks, and is forever speaking, thakur hamara sadh bolanta...har vakhat bol reya ...but your mind wasnt present...since you were born you muted yourself to paratma de bol, paratma de geet the vibrations where waheguru is speaking, you can also hear it if seeining waheguru was seeing with these eyes then the blind bhagat in guru granth sahib would never have been able to see waheguru...even the deaf say the can hear,,,the dance of the world through kaaal, the vibrations and geet of paratma....you need to stop wasting your energy through kaam thoughts and recognize whats really happening, there is a prakash, anhad naad forever playing, it rises in you from below, your body has been made to have such power but your mind...your mind causes you to forget this power, waste this power.....when your energy rises, recognize the energy, wahegurus presence, try to merge and hear wahegurus jot and become 1...do naam simran, convert it to naam rass ?

Amazing.. motivational appreciate it ..!! Grand Salute

Atleast this baba talk to media and answers their questions..lol..but i love how he back pedals..lol

Amazing simran, done with soo much nira pyaar/prem,devotion..!!! Vahiguroo....Please share more of this kinda gem..!!!!!!!!!!

Khalsa Ji I heard in katha once the significance of reading/listening to Gurbani , meditating on Mool Mantar , and meditating on Waheguru Mantar. Khalsa Ji imagine the following scenario: A farmer ploughs the field in order to prepare the soil for planting the seed. He tills the soil removing the unwanted weeds/impurities etc. Upon tilling the soil he sows the seeds. At the correct season with the aid of water and the fence/scarecrow etc. the seeds take root and deliver fruition. He cuts the crop thus filling his store with an abundance of wealth. Khalsa Ji in a similar way Gurbani teaches us the way to remove the weeds/impurities of maya from our minds as the jagyasoo realises the virtues of the creator as opposed to one's deh hangta {ignorance}. Gurbani reading/listening can be seen as tilling the soil of the mann {mind}. Once the jagyasoo realises the need to sow the seed of the creator he/she begins to meditate on Mool Mantar.This can be seen as sowing the seed. Once the seed of Mool Mantar takes root and blossoms in the form of ikagarta {concentration/yearning} then the jagysoo reaps the rewards of their harvest by filling the store house of their Atma with Waheguru as a result of meditating on Waheguru. Just a personal opinion Khalsa Ji so apologies in advance for any inaccuracies. Waheguru.Waheguru.Waheguru.

Basically i wanted to open a new thread on rape for in depth discussion without mentioning any victim cases or highlighting victim cases so that we can have in depth discussion on this very important topic tape without sounding insensitive towards any specific victim, their families, recent case. So I request anyone, this is general topic. please don't mention any specific victim case or incidents. No one can ever justify rape nor we should ever make this matter trivial or blame the victim. But we as soceity need to discuss under lining issues surrounding rape. Most women will tell you, rape has subtle elements which are usually ignored by soceity. In india, most women gets raped by their own husbands in their own marriage- forced intercourse etc its a fact... forget about them getting raped by others - someone in authority..so let look at the issue more deeply.!! There are many underlining issues regarding rapes specific in India and else where. Women in India get raped every day. Here are some of underlining issues: 1. Sexist bigoted masochism sadism culture/right wing sexist dominated men culture- Just look around, women in India are considered an mere food items for horny mens thrist/hunger..they are mere seen as toy peace to entertain. The whole man mindset has to be changed. 2. Corruption, extortion, money, politics 3. Castism culture- It's no secret, so called men higher caste man, rape women of lower caste in India. These poor low caste women are seen as trophy awards in these bigoted so called high caste men sub culture. 4. Male-female ratio imbalance. 5. Sex topic itself is considered taboo, its not talked about in india to kids just like we do in west. So taboo = repression/supression, therefore any kind of repression sooner or later will revolt back ugly sometimes to extreme length as rape. 6. Systematic Sexualization of women in today era also pay indirect role. The study has been done on sexualization of woman in media potryal/soceity. In this era of sexualization of woman by media or society, revealing clothing/skimpy clothing are designed to invoke a reaction from opposites, demean women to be presented as toys. Have we ever thought intention behind the idea of selling revealing clothing, skimpy clothing, lingerie besides the obvious aspect such as money? Its sexualization of woman- its direct blunt violation of women imagery, sexualization of women is being systematically promoted/funnelled in society without looking at larger implications and chain reaction effect. There are women who live below poverty line - walk around naked, they have less probability of getting raped compare to women who inadvertently wearing skimpy clothing,revealing clothing getting raped. Again no one should be blaming women. Solutions to issues above: -The whole mindset has to be changed of bigoted sexist men that women is not there to fullfill your needs. - Castism in India should be rooted out all together. - Everything has chain reaction- male and female ratio imblances should be addressed. - It's about TIME Indian soceity becomes more candid about talking about sex to their kids as early sex education, as medical science topic rather than perceiving it as perverted and shove the topic under the carpet - Promote modest clothing (i m not indicating burqa or niqab- use common sense like many employers ask their employees to dress modesty/appropriate )..we also need to pay attention how we approach this topic, have a right balance between promoting modest clothing and shoving modest clothing on women...it has to start from early- everyone from society has to take part in educate as moral duty to instill good attributes in kids, dress them modesty and hold these capitalist/negligent companies/media accountable- who promotes the sexualization of women- as they indirectly perpetuating animal instinct and turning world into this lust frenzy world !!!!!!!

Sikh fathers need to raise their sons to not tolerate this stuff. Sikh mothers also have a role to play in not spoiling their kids. Any society that makes certain subsections feel special just encourages them to think they can get away with anything. India/South Asia will take too long to change. We should focus on the main Sikh centres and spread out from there.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Mcai3bEJWVk

I completely agree with you. The thing is the idea of all Indians being educated is a rather ambitious idea. It is such a large country, with a government and rich people who don't want the poor to be educated. All over India schools are falling apart. Take a look at Punjab, teachers striking, schools closed, and students skiving. Education however is key to everything. As you've said with education people’s minds grow. They are less likely to have a blinkered view on life. They are more likely to be open minded, hard working. However the thing is, lots of the harassment and name calling takes place in colleges and universities. Places of education and learning. But the men here still treat the women as objects. So I think that this culture of men being higher than women has to change. Our music industry has to change to. Both Punjabi and Bollywood often show semi-naked women dancing in a crowd of men doing sexual moves. This image is being broadcasted all over India, giving men a view that women are merely sexual objects. Also there needs to be a return to religion. In the Punjab parchar needs to start. Boys and girls need to be taught from a young age. Every pind has at least one gurdwara, the duty of the granthi needs to be that of educating the children, holding sports tournaments and drawing the youth in maybe with games consoles. One just has to look at the time of Sant Jarnail Singh and how the Punjab changed, another person like him really is needed. But what do we have, fat cats sitting around controlling out gurdware. Perhaps it is up to the women themselves. Just like Britain had the feminist movement, maybe educated Indian women could rise up and challenge people, demand stuff off men. But most women in India live in traditional rural areas. This old tradition will be very hard to shake off.

This is more generalized view looking at the bigger picture. So what is the solution to all problems India faces as I type? How do we change the mentality of people, the attitude of police, the functioning of the law enforcement entities (i.e. courts, judiciaries, etc.). I think India needs to prioritize education as its topmost priority right now, even higher than economic growth. All funds should be opened in the path of extensive educational programs. All the national wealth that is rotting in the Swiss bank accounts of all those corrupt politicians will have to be taken out and used to finance all such extensive educational programs. All those countries who aid India in the various defense and weapons deals, they should rather send their leading professors to India in order to impart and administer high level state-of-the-art education/expertise to the youth. When people are educated, their brains develop, when the brain develops, they come up with new ideas, when new ideas spring forth, one then has the ability to offer the world new discoveries, new inventions and innovations, thereby new industries. These new industries ensure widespread job openings and employment opportunities. Therefore education will simultaneously solve the problem of unemployment as well. When people are employed, they refrain from going towards criminal activities as they have a lot to lose by indulging in those acts. Economic loss and deprivation is a huge deterrent. Education can also instill values in a person that may make him/her respect the law. By education, we can improve technology to the point that we do not need to deal with real people, rather deal with technology. Dealing with real people opens ways for corruption. When you can book and pay for your tickets online, book and pay for your hotel rooms online, you don't need to bribe any real person. Now see how many birds can be shot with just one arrow! Education can remove illiteracy, can reduce unemployment, can decrease lawlessness and crimes, can improve technology and therefore can bring down corruption! Once Indians have developed this level of mindset, then they can grow an unbiased mentality and feel the need to choose justice over aggression and respect human rights more than the present fake face of democracy. Then maybe the cancerous cells of corruption can exit their bloodstream and some real laws can be enforced and implemented for once without becoming games in the hands of a powerful few. These are just my thoughts. Anyone and everyone is welcome to point out mistakes and also please correct them. Thanks - Mehtab Singh

I don't think castism will be removing itself from India any time soon. A large amount of India's population live in rural village areas, where the old ideas still have a strong hold. Unless these people are educated properly, I don't see the caste system removing itself. Also, unequal sex ration. This is mainly caused by people killing their daughters because of dowry and expensive weddings. I think its a curse upon our culture. The womans family shouldn't pay anything. They are giving their daughter to someone else but they have to pay for it too? Shouldn't the boys family be paying instead, celebrating the fact that they are gaining another member of their family. Also rape isn't even addressed properly and perpetrators punished by the police. The police in many cases just brush rape cases over. This needs to be addressed. People who rape must be punished. Also there is a culture of women being obedient, and living with a families honour. So, if you are raped by a family member the women don't tell. They suffer in silence because if they do tell they will be shamed and might even be disowned. A cultures mindset really does need to change.

And we have many threads about Singhs complaining Indian girls want clean shaven lads!! Hypocrisy !

Why are Singhs chasing blondes in short skirts? What's wrong with the bibiyan who go to gurdwara every Sunday and do seva? Why do they get ignored? Mad hypocritical.

Paji, i understand your sentiments but we are far from from helpless. We as a Qaum are 30million strong. On these clear cut issues we have total unity. We just need to battle within our lives to either be in a position to effect direct change at the grass roots like the sevadars of Khalsa Aid, KalgiDhar Trust, Pingalwara etc are doing or failing that work towards contributing the maximum daswand and spreading awareness of these problems. Every time our wretched enemies attack us - we as a Panth regroup and come out of it stronger. If we get to the day where 99% of Sikhs don't touch drugs or alcohol, 99% are literate, 99% oppose jaath-paath, guaranteed all of Hindustan's name will change to Khalistan within a generation or two of that ... as remember back in 1699 our Punj Pyaaray came from Gujarat, Orissa, South India ... you name it. This is a batte for our survival whereby our usual enemies are trying to kill us. This time round we have to defeat our enemies the smart way. Naaray and memorials (when that money+energy can be harnessed elsewhere) won't really advance us much in this modern day Dharam Yudh. But you are correct that we are in way more trouble now in 2013 than we were in 1983.

What else is there to expect when 'shooting up' heroin is so in vogue amongst the youth of Panjab.

We all need to keep an open mind. I reckon if Guru Ji revealed himself in the form Guru Nanak again, many wouldn't recognise him. We build up images and expectations in our minds because we focus on drawings and paintings instead of Guru Ji's teachings. If he wanted us to worship his form, there would have been statues all over India. Guru Ji wanted us to worship the Formless One. This is the pictures we should be hanging on our walls.

Source: Sikhs for Justice Indians should also stand with hundreds of Sikh women who were raped in November 1984: Sikhs for Justice By Hainder Singh Published: December 30, 2012 New Delhi, India (December 30, 2012): Sikhs for Justice (SJF), a United States based Human Rights and advocacy group has expressed deep grief over the death of a Delhi girl who was brutally gang-raped in Indian capital earlier this month. “SFJ would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of the gang rape victim from Delhi. We share in their pain at the loss of their beautiful daughter who, through no fault of her own, was brutally beaten with iron rods then gang raped all the while traveling on a Delhi Public Bus” reads a statement sent to Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, legal advisor of Sikhs for Jusitce (SJF). “These are the same buses that were used to transport death squads that raped Sikh women in broad day light during November1984 Sikh Genocide” the statement adds. The said statement by Sikhs for Justice further reads as follows:- “But today, the question on the mind of every Sikh is, Why the Indian Administration, Politicians and Justice System Did not Stand up for our Sikh sisters who were raped openly during first week of November 1984?” Sonia Gandhi, made a statement that “As a woman, and mother, I understand how protesters feel,” “Today we pledge that the victim will get justice,” ? Did Sonia Gandhi conveniently forget the vicious cycle of rape and murder let loose against the Sikh women in 1984 at the behest of her husband Rajiv Gandhi ? Hundreds of those Sikh victims are still languishing in “Widow Colony” just few miles from the Parliament of greatest democratic country without ever being visited by Sonia Gandhi or her stooge PM Manmohan. For the last 28 years, successive Indian Governments have given open impunity to those who perpetrated violent crime of rape against Sikh women. During the 1984 Sikh Genocide, instructions were given by local politician with the backing of Indian administration to exterminate male Sikhs in India and gang rape the Sikh women. If the women resisted rape then they were murdered too. These Death Squads were then driven around on PUBLIC BUSES and given IRON RODS along with flammable material. The Death Squads would move from one Sikh colony to another and in the presence of Indian Police, will kill the male Sikhs after beating them with IRON RODS, set them on fire and then move to gang rape ALL Sikh women!! A girl as young as 7 were also gang raped by these death squads, no one was spared. The accounts of these vicious rapes are documented in a book called Manushi, the book is banned in India. The Sikh women were first subject to witness their sons, brothers and husbands being beaten then burned alive. The witnesses said the surviving women were forced into one room where members of these death squads would come and take one woman away, 20 minutes later bring her back naked, bleeding and with browses all over her body, then take the next Sikh girl. This organized rape of our sisters during November 1984 continued for days and many of them were murdered. There are also many reports of Sikh women being taken away by members of these Death Squads and held as sex slaves. The Indians Police refused to investigate these reports, the media refused to cover and the Politicians rewarded those accused of these crimes. We would also like to ask the Indians, who are today protesting with disgust at the actions of those responsible for the gang rape, what if the government of India was to announce that all the accused of this rape will be given government ministries and appointed to positions of power? Would you be shocked, would you be angry, would you want to scream at the top of your lungs ‘THIS IS NOT JUTICE”, would start to think the government ruling your land is illegitimate and not reflective of your values, would you think of your safety and that of your families, and would you finally start to rebel against that disgusting system governing you? Now ask yourself, how do Sikh community feel when they see Kamal Nath, Amitabh Bachchan, Sajjan Kumar, KP Gill, Sumedh Saini, Jagdish Tytler and countless others responsible for the murder and rape of our Sisters!!! Why the Indian Administration, Politicians and Justice System did not stand up for our Sikh sisters who were raped openly during first week of November 1984? The answer is very simple, because you are not equal to them, you are not Indian!! The Indians will never give you justice; rather, the Indians will work timelessly to criminally demonize those who try to get justices. But we at SFJ have one question for all our readers, today the Indians are fighting for their one sister who is the victim of gang rape, but what have YOU done for your Sikh sisters who were gang raped by organized death squads with the connivance of Indian administration and never allowed to publically speak about their horrific trauma? So we implore all our brothers and sisters who want to do something for justice, get involved! Tell your family, friends and coworkers what happened, hold small meetings on what you can do to help our sisters get justice and find a permanent solution to all the oppression faced by Sikhs in India.

Original topic http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/69934-so-called-singh-on-dating-show/ has whopping 11509 Views in just 2 days thats more than combination of all the topics on here pointing out- real issues sikhs are facing such as- drug addiction in punjab, human right issues in India, political activism, gurmat related topics, inspirational posts from gurmat/poetry sections. We really like controversial juicy stuff eh? All of us need to ask ourselves honestly, where are our priorities? is it limited to an individual seeking attention- mockery of himself or wider socio-political/religious issues and sikhi in general?

If people stop eating langar, then the sevadars will have no seva! You would disrupt the entire gurdwara ecosystem!

I think our Qaum's theme for 2013 has got to be concentrating on what unites us. Eradicating drugs in Punjab, greater Sikhi parchar and gareeba di Seva by the Panth, equalising the male/female gender ratio, ensuring that Sikhs have no separate backgrounds and no separate Gurdware as one United indivisible Panth are some pretty easy aims that all of us can unitedly agree on

There is no day we shouldn't celebrate in our Gurdwaras and do Ardasaan to Guru Sahib.

repetitive persistent thoughts regarding natural urges are normal, not ocd. but if you feel that it is that bad try using bach flower remedies. google them and ocd. this has no harmful side effects and can be used in conjunction with Bani and any therapy that you might be undergoing. it will cause no interactions with drugs. I think white chestnut and crab apple would be a huge help to you. They are very cheap, and quite frankly, after suffering so much you have nothing to lose. Additionally, read this: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/599396-dont-give-up-natural-remedies-helped-me.html

Okay, so here is the thing my dad just got back from India and he bought me back a whole bunch of books. None on my list ofcourse, he just randomly went to Singh Brothers shop in amritsar and they gave him a whole bunch of books in punjabi and english. I just began reading this book on opreration blue star "the true story" by Lt. Gen K.s. Brar and it honestly is a horrible attempt by the government to justifiy their actions. I was just wondering if anyone else has read it? And done anyone know if any books were written to counter this one? -guptkuri

Naam Simran, embark on the path of true bhagti(silencing the mind through Samadhi). Think of these thoughts as a gift from god, like a challenge he wants you to overcome, everyone gets bad thoughts, when they get really bad, you know you need to turn to god, we all truly need him 100%. When I used to have really negative thoughts naam simran/bhagti was the only thing that helped them cease. The mind is the cause of all suffering in life, it brings only pain- most think negative thoughts are normal- they are not, we are all mentally diseased until we rid our minds of negativity no matter how normal we think we are. Society has led us to believe bad thoughts are normal and for us to accept them- bad thoughts are the root cause of Kalyug. Satnam Ji.

How lucky are we to receive prashaadh from shree guroo granth saahib jee mahaaraaj!

Sriman Sant Waryam Singh Ji Ratwara Sahib on Simran technique: PS: Maafi for hijacking this thread, got too excited! :sad:

Account merger complete Veerjeo Let Guru Sahib Jeo Maharaj take care of the other merger that we are here for :happy: :happy: Naam Abhiyaas Sriman Sant Jagjit Singh Ji Harkhowal Wale 'Abhiyaas' is a name given to that persistent effort with which mind is brought under control. The effort involves repeatedly stopping the mind from habitual indulgence and tuning it in contemplation of that Supreme Being instead. Mind's disposition is to wander here and there, it focusses its attention on worthless things, but one cannot find stability this way. The real aim is to realise Waheguru Ji and that can only happen if we turn our attention away from insignificant things and towards the infinite Brahm. The Abhiyaas, the effort, happens through meditation and mind comes under one's control with that. Meditation is the best medicine for controlling the mind and helps in eradicating diseases like ego, anger, etc. Thus, true Abhiyaas is when there is a constant effort to tune the mind so that it can remain in the constant remembrance and contemplation of the Brahm. Helpful tips for Abhiyaasis 1. A lot of time is needed for Abhiyaas, i.e. invest as much time as possible in spiritual contemplation. Just as weighing scale tilts to one side when weight is added to it, the time spend in Abhiyaas strengthens the power of simran which will eventually suppress the vices. But if we keep adding more negativity within us, it will outweigh all goodness. Thus, the motive is to reduce badness, so do not commit bad deeds from now on and outweigh the old ones with goodness. 2. It is important to be in Aasan at a specific place and time and to stick with Jaap of a particular Mantar only. Changing Mantars or recitation techniques, sitting for contemplation at random places and at random times are all obstructions in attaining concentration of the mind. It is very important to be punctual. 3. Abhiyaasi should be devoted to the Guru, lover of naam, very determined and focussed, neutral in hunger, thirst, happiness and sadness. He/she should stay away from slander, gossip and unnecessary debates - difference in opinions for instance. There should be undying devotion to Shabad Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and trust on the bachans of Mahapurashs. Only true devotees can receive true knowledge, sceptics will never be able to gain anything. 4. Abhiyaas must be done with full devotion regardless of whether one is successful or not. Instead of becoming impatient, acknowledge that it is our own fault; Then do benti for success in the lotus feet of Maharaj, He will surely honour the modesty. Do not do Abhiyaas for the sake of success. 5. Abhiyaasi should not get disappointed with any number of previous failures. Do not get desperate, or spend time in futile calculations. One should keep trying tirelessly till the time knowledge of the Self is realised. 6. Abhiyaasi should not be deterred by any difficulties in the way; keep doing simran with utmost conviction and devotion. Use skill (jugat) to trap the snake-like mind back into its box. Enthusiastic Abhiyaasi will definitely taste success, so keep marching on the path holding on to the thread of love. 7. It is very important for an Abhiyaasi to have absolute control on his/her needs. Practice proper restraint on eating, drinking, speaking, walking, sleeping, etc. Do not waste time, keep yourself immersed in simran and contemplation, do sangat of mahapurashs to keep mindset clean and focussed, do darshan of holy Granths. Stay away from cheap dances, plays, and other such rasful kriyas (activities). Practice restraint on speech, i.e. do not talk more than needed. Time is precious, spend it in Simran and meditation. Kaami chats, books, magazines, sangat of kaami men and women is strictly forbidden for Abhiyaasis. Always remember death, serve the Guru with body, mind and wealth. Remain ego-less, get blessings of Mahapurashs, do not get attached to material objects, keep attention focussed in Guruji's lotus feet to develop inner consciousness. Without Abhiyaas, mind can never come under control. Abhiyaas provides Shaastar (spiritual) and Shastar (martial) dexterity. It is through Abhiyaas one can be skilful in horse-riding, Gatka, spear-throwing, archery and weaponry. Swimming, Yoga Abhiyaas, Ridhi and Sidhis, Awareness of Self, Brahmgyan, worldly knowledge, intertwining with the infinite Brahm, all become possible with Abhiyaas. There are people that do 'Abhiyaas' of Maya and toil day and night and are successful at it. But these are nothing but temporary worldly joys. The true utopian happiness and supreme internal bliss can be achieved only by Abhiyaas of Naam and Bani. Four Types of Abhiyaasis 1. First type: Those quacks who read few scriptures and claim to be the doctor; they rely solely on bookish knowledge to describe techniques of doing Abhiyaas. They do not practice what they preach and use fancy words to sound like a real Abhiyaasi. Be extra careful of such fake individuals. 2. Second type: Those who dress up in religious garbs, close their eyes and pretend to be in Samadhi while their real aim is to get material rewards or fame in return. They use glycerine to cry crocodile tears so that people can consider them great Bairaagis. Such people are extremely devious, they play mind games to lure people in their trap. Be careful of these people also. 3. Third type: Those who do make efforts but their minds are rarely free from vices. There is a lack of Abhiyaas but at times their mind does come under control. The treatment will not work effectively if one takes right medication but does not keep appropriate precautions. Thus, renounce anything that becomes obstruction in the path of attainment of true contemplative state. Keep increasing the levels of Abhiyaas, real victory lies in the persistent effort; do not get disheartened. 4. The fourth Avastha is that of true lovers - their mind remains merged in the vastness of the Brahm. They forever stay away from Vikaars (vices); they do not let bad habits establish their roots in them as they do not participate in bad sangat at all. Such Abhiyaasis enjoy the real fruits of contemplation. Spiritual Gains from Naam Abhiyaas Although mind does come under control with Abhiyaas, however without Bairaag the spiritual elevation does not last for long. Mind is extrovert in nature; with Abhiyaas, one should maintain internal state of Samadhi and ignore external influences. Sometimes, Abhiyaasis force themselves into this state of Samadhi but the reward is less than satisfactory. Therefore, Abhiyaas needs the company of Bairaag if one wants to develop state of supreme ecstasy. A Bairaagi person remains indifferent to material objects, he/she becomes true to 'Tinne Viche Maya Paayea'. So, train the mind so that it can remain in simran; consider everything worthless except Waheguru Ji for only He is the only absolute truth. When such Avastha is attained, new, fragrant thoughts will start sprouting within. These rivers of thought will eventually submerge the mind into the limitless ocean of Brahm; salvation and oneness with eternal light will be obtained. Now the thing is, this Avastha is obtained with great efforts and one must be extra careful till the end so that it does not go to waste. Take the support of Murshad (the Guru) and Sangat to cross this treacherous ocean and be a Pargramee; do not be boastful after making it to the other side and consider yourself forever under the debt of the Guru and the Sangat who made it possible. Then, be a loyal son/daughter of the Guru and emancipate the fellow Gursikhs also. Guruji says: ਮਾਨ ਮੋਹ ਅਰੁ ਲੋਭ ਵਿਕਾਰਾ; ਬੀਓ ਚੀਤਿ ਨ ਘਾਲਿਓ ॥ Pride, emotional attachment, greed and corruption are gone; I have not placed anything else, other than the Lord, within my consciousness. ਨਾਮ ਰਤਨੁ ਗੁਣਾ ਹਰਿ ਬਣਜੇ; ਲਾਦਿ ਵਖਰੁ ਲੈ ਚਾਲਿਓ ॥੧॥ I have purchased the jewel of the Naam and the Glorious Praises of the Lord; loading this merchandise, I have set out on my journey. ||1|| ਸੇਵਕ ਕੀ, ਓੜਕਿ ਨਿਬਹੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ The love which the Lord's servant feels for the Lord lasts forever. ਜੀਵਤ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸੇਵਿਓ ਅਪਨਾ; ਚਲਤੇ ਰਾਖਿਓ ਚੀਤਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ In my life, I served my Lord and Master, and as I depart, I keep Him enshrined in my consciousness. ||1||Pause|| ਜੈਸੀ ਆਗਿਆ ਕੀਨੀ ਠਾਕੁਰਿ; ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਮੁਖੁ ਨਹੀ ਮੋਰਿਓ ॥ I have not turned my face away from my Lord and Master's Command. ਸਹਜੁ ਅਨੰਦੁ; ਰਖਿਓ ਗ੍ਰਿਹ ਭੀਤਰਿ; ਉਠਿ ਉਆਹੂ ਕਉ ਦਉਰਿਓ ॥੨॥ He fills my household with celestial peace and bliss; if He asks me to leave, I leave at once. ||2|| ਆਗਿਆ ਮਹਿ ਭੂਖ, ਸੋਈ ਕਰਿ ਸੂਖਾ; ਸੋਗ ਹਰਖ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਿਓ ॥ When I am under the Lord's Command, I find even hunger pleasurable; I know no difference between sorrow and joy. ਜੋ ਜੋ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਭਇਓ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਾ; ਸੋ ਮਾਥੈ ਲੇ ਮਾਨਿਓ ॥੩॥ Whatever the Command of my Lord and Master is, I bow my forehead and accept it. ||3|| ਭਇਓ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਲੁ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਸੇਵਕ ਕਉ; ਸਵਰੇ ਹਲਤ ਪਲਾਤਾ ॥ The Lord and Master has become merciful to His servant; He has embellished both this world and the next. ਧੰਨੁ ਸੇਵਕੁ, ਸਫਲੁ ਓਹੁ ਆਇਆ; ਜਿਨਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਤਾ ॥੪॥੫॥ Blessed is that servant, and fruitful is his birth; O Nanak, he realizes his Lord and Master. ||4||5|| (Ang 1000, Dhan SGGS Ji Maharaj) 6 Characteristics of a true friend There is a slok in Sanskrit: ਪਾਪਾਨ ਨਿਵਾਰਿਯਤ ਯੋਜਯਤਿ ਹਿਤਾਯ ਗੁਰਯੇ ਚਗੋਹਯਤਿ ਗੁਵਾਨ੍ਰ ਪ੍ਰਕਟੀ ਕਰੋਤਿ ॥ ਆਪਤ ਗਤਾਂ ਨ ਜਗਤਿ ਦਦਾਤਿ ਕਾਲੇ ਸਨਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਲਖਯਣੰ ਲਖਯਣੰ ਪ੍ਰਵਦੰਤਿ ਸੰਤਾ:॥ A true friend should: 1. eradicate evil i.e. should forbid us from committing sins; 2. help connect to the true love, to the contemplation and meditation of Waheguru Ji; 3. keep secrets (faults of friends) i.e. should not slander friends in public; 4. help bring out good qualities of others; 5. stick by friends in need, should help solve the crisis on hand; and 6. help satisfy necessities like money, food and clothing etc. in times of need. The Bairaag State of Abhiyaasi A slok in Sanskrit says: ਨ ਕਾਂਖਸ਼ੇ ਵਿਜਯੰ ਗਮ ਨਚਦਾਰ ਸੁਖਾਦਿਕੰ ॥ ਭਕ੍ਵਿੰ ਏਵ ਸਦਾ ਕਾਂਖਯੇ ਤ੍ਵਯਿ ਬੰਧਵਿ ਮੋਚਨੀ ॥ Meaning - I do not desire to rule nor want pleasures like women, etc. I only need the meditation of Your lotus feet. True Abhiyaas can only be practised by a person who has supreme Bairaag for lotus feet of the Lord. 6 types of Sanctuary ਅਨਕੂਲਸਯ ਸੰਕਲਪ: ਪ੍ਰਤਿਕੂਲਸਯ ਵਰਜਨੰ ॥ ਰਖਿਸ਼ਯਤਿ ਇਤਿ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਾਸੋ ਗੋਪਿਤ੍ਰਤ੍ਵੇ ਵਰਣੰ। ਤਥਾ: ਆਤਮ ਨਿਖਸ਼ੇਪ ਕਾਰਪਨਯੰ ਖਟ ਵਿਧਾ ਸਰਣਾਗਤਿ:। 1. Servant must adapt to the ways of the Master. 2. Renounce participations in worthless contradictions and arguments. 3. Have undying faith that Lord will forever protect me. 4. Constant prayers for protection, more protection. 5. Surrender everything (self, mind, and wealth) in the lotus feet of Guruji i.e. drop worldly attachments. 6. Admit cowardice i.e. never hide your weakness in front of Guruji. Show your humility by saying, 'I am a sinner, I cannot serve you well! Please bless with prudence!' and Maharaj will surely honour your modesty. Then: ਜੋ ਸਰਣਿ ਆਵੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਕੰਠਿ ਲਾਵੈ ਇਹੁ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਸੰਦਾ ॥ The Lord lovingly embraces whoever comes to the Lord's Sanctuary - this is the way of the Lord and Master. ਬਿਨਵੰਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਕੰਤੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਸਦਾ ਕੇਲ ਕਰੰਦਾ ॥੪॥੧॥੪॥ Prays Nanak, I have met my Husband Lord, who plays with me forever. ||4||1||4|| (Ang 544, Dhan SGGS Ji Maharaj) This is how an Abhiyaasi is able to find the sanctuary of the Lord. Waheguru Ji forever protects his true devotees. It is our duty to make constant efforts, so keep doing that. Hukam of Maharaj for a Gursikh Abhiyaasi ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਜੋ ਸਿਖੁ ਅਖਾਏ ਸੁ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥ One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name. ਉਦਮੁ ਕਰੇ ਭਲਕੇ ਪਰਭਾਤੀ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਕਰੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰਿ ਨਾਵੈ ॥ Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar. ਉਪਦੇਸਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੈ ਸਭਿ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਪਾਪ ਦੋਖ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵੈ ॥ Following the Instructions of the Guru, he is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased. ਫਿਰਿ ਚੜੈ ਦਿਵਸੁ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਗਾਵੈ ਬਹਦਿਆ ਉਠਦਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥ Then, at the rising of the sun, he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, he is to meditate on the Lord's Name. ਜੋ ਸਾਸਿ ਗਿਰਾਸਿ ਧਿਆਏ ਮੇਰਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸੋ ਗੁਰਸਿਖੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ ॥ One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food - that GurSikh becomes pleasing to the Guru's Mind. ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਸੁਣਾਵੈ ॥ That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate - upon that GurSikh, the Guru's Teachings are bestowed. ਜਨੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਧੂੜਿ ਮੰਗੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਕੀ ਜੋ ਆਪਿ ਜਪੈ ਅਵਰਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ ॥੨॥ Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that GurSikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it. ||2|| (Ang 305, Dhan SGGS Ji Maharaj) Guruji has clearly explained the entire Abhiyaas Kriya for a Gursikh. A persistence and determined Abhiyaasi will eventually get freedom from cycle of birth and re-births. Four Obstacles in Naam Abhiyaas 1. Laziness; 2. Flights of fancy (Furney); 3. Dependency on Sleep; and 4. Occult (Ridhi Sidhis) Abhiyaasi should always pray in the lotus feet of Waheguru Ji to keep him/her free from these obstacles. Waheguru Ji then becomes the protector and makes sure that the path remains smooth to tread. There are many other examples and inspirational material available on this subject. No single article can be considered complete and words alone will not do anything, although they can guide us on the right path. Thus, a benti in your feet: Please let us all make efforts, become true Abhiyaasis so that we can cross this treacherous ocean and reach the other side. ਇਸ ਤੇ ਊਪਰਿ ਨਹੀ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ Beyond this, he has no other thought. ਜਾ ਕੈ ਮਨਿ ਬਸਿਆ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ॥ Within his mind, the Formless Lord abides. (Ang 292, Dhan SGGS Ji Maharaj)

Start a ripple! Be a Wave of change -drop your pebble in the water and donate today! Join: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/join Donate: http://www.unitedsikhs.org/donate The biggest waves start with the smallest ripples in the water. Be the one to drop the pebble, that starts the ripple, that creates the wave! Never forget Elie Wiesel's call to action, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." Donate today to UNITED SIKHS! As the end of 2010 approaches, TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Make your tax deductible donation today to help UNITED SIKHS continue it’s work throughout the world. At UNITED SIKHS, you know your money is going to the projects you donate them to. Our low operating costs allow us to dedicate 90 cents of every dollar toward the project it is intended for. UNITED SIKHS has worked tirelessly to protect the rights of Sikhs globally.Your support has contributed to changing lives all over the world!! In reflecting on this past year, UNITED SIKHS staff would like to thank each and every one of you for making the accomplishments of this organization possible. We serve you in 3 major areas: I) International Civil and Human Rights (ICHRA) Highlights: * In the United States, o For the first time the Sikh community collectively expressed issues to members of Congress at the 2010 Sikh Summit. Over 30 lawmakers approached with concerns that most affect the Sikh community by 60 community leaders, including concerns of airport security, watch-list issues, being counted in the Census and employment discrimination. o Safeguarded the rights of Sikhs to wear their kirpans at a major California University and working with a national Testing Center to provide a formal accommodation for Sikhs. o Filed formal complaint with EEOC regarding a TSA agent's right to wear the kara (without restrictions) o Investigations pending regarding formal complaints filed with TSA regarding the mistreatment of the Dastaar at airports o Ongoing work with Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and US Attorney’s offices across the nation to apprise them of hate/bias crimes against Sikhs o Actively engaged with US Attorney’s office across the country to increase awareness about Sikhs and Sikhism o Launched several campaigns highlighting the most critical issues of Sikhs * Sikh Census: Identify yourself as a Sikh Campaign * Bullying Prevention Initiative * Education & Awareness trainings with law enforcement and * Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions throughout the nation * At the 3rd Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference, Sikhs from around the world gathered in Vancouver, Canada and engaged in a dialogue with experts, advocates, authors, and academics on topics of Sikh civil and human rights, including women's rights, minority rights under international law, religious discrimination /accommodation, and right to kakaars in public spaces. * Launched the global “Protect Our Identity” campaign. This campaign is for the community, by the community and of the community. Have you volunteered or donated yet? * Assisted a Sikh family from Afghanistan (a surviving widow and daughter) after the Taliban had killed their husband and father in immigrating to Canada. Rehabilitated 24 families who were also threatened by the Taliban in Pakistan. * In Japan, UNITED SIKHS was pivotal in obtaining the release of Bharpoor Singh from prison while he awaits a decision on his asylum application. * UNITED SIKHS Australia is currently working with the Tasmanian Police to implement the Kirpan card into their policies and procedures manual, and with the Western Australia police to formalize the Sikh Turban as acceptable headgear for practicing Sikhs. * Right to Turban continues in Europe!! UNITED SIKHS filed a claim against France in the United Nations in December 2008 and are awaiting results soon. This has a direct impact on the 9500+ Sikh families living in France. * UNITED SIKHS filed a law suit against a school in Belgium to protect a Sikh child's right to wear their dastaar. The result of this lawsuit will impacts approximately 600+ Sikh families. Speak up, make your voice heard, volunteer or donate to ICHRA projects now! II) UNITED SIKHS Aid projects: The overwhelming support of the Sikh community earned us a mention in President Barack Obama's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this year. * Sikhs across the world united to support the ongoing UNITED SIKHS Haiti Relief Efforts. With your support we were able to: o Serve 33,200 meals (langar) between January and March o Distribute food to an additional 150,000 people o Provide temporary shelter and medical supplies to over 5000 Haitians displaced by the earthquake * Floods devastated the Panjab region in Pakistan and India. With generous contributions from our community members across the world, we were able to: * o Distribute emergency food and non-food item kits to flood-affected families of Pir Sabaq, Gandaree and Dagoona in Resalpure distribution point in Nowshehra City, Pakistan o Provide food items for flood victims seeking refuge in Gurdwara Panja Sahib o Distribute 15,000 kg of rice to families affected by the floods in Pakistan. o Send food and supplies to flood affected families in 15 different villages in Panjab. o Give cash aid 50 rural families in 16 villages in India that had suffered extreme losses. These were families affected by farmer-suicides. * UNITED SIKHS’ staff and volunteers provide free food to the hungry as part of the “Feed the Hungry” program, implemented in Canada, Malaysia, USA, UK, and Australia at least every other month. UNITED SIKHS. In San Francisco UNITED SIKHS Feed the Hungry project fed 872 people in just 1 day. * UNITED SIKHS-UK served Langar to passengers stranded at London Heathrow Airport due to the volcanic ash cloud. * UNITED SIKHS-Kenya is installing a water pump that will cater drinking water to over 5000 residents of the Nyanza district, and setting up medical camps to supply medicine to hundreds of underprivileged Kenyan adults and children in Buru-Buru and Kyole. We could not serve the people we do without the support of generous community members like you! Volunteer or donate to UNITED SIKHS Aid projects now. III) EduCare (Education & Healthcare) & Empowerment Highlights: * Continued to provide homework help to young students in Richmond Hill, NY and Carteret, NJ * Community partner and sub-grantee on Project RICE (Reaching Immigrants through Community Empowerment) for diabetes prevention and education work in the South Asian community in New York as part of the NYU School of Medicine Prevention Research Center * Screened nearly 250 community members at various screening events for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and BMI * Researched needs of youth members of Richmond Hill as part of the grant for the Advocates for Community Youth (ACY) project by Partnerships for After-School Education (PASE) * UNITED SIKHS UK assisted international students by signposting them to existing services which they may need, such as accommodation services, job seekers, health services etc. * Conducted diabetes and healthy lifestyle classes as part of “Yes You Can Defy Diabetes” supported by the New York State Health Foundation, The New York State Diabetes Campaign, Faith Fights Diabetes. * Represented the community at the National Community Committee, one of the guiding committees of the Prevention Research Center (PRC) program of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) * Supported and Conducted youth camps such as the West Coast Sikhi Camp, Khoj retreat (CA), Miri Piri Camp in Michigan * Became member of the Queens Cancer Action Council (as part of Queens Library Healthlink) to increase awareness and education * 210 STARAE scholarships to Sikh children from low income groups in India * Learning Value Series: workshops for excellence in all fields – students wrote poetry and sold peace cards for New Year in Delhi, India to raise funds for scholarships to children in Punjab. The community needs your support. Speak up, make your voice heard, volunteer or donate to EduCare & Empowerment projects now! Honors and Awards: * Recognized before the New York State Assembly by the Speaker of the House of New York, for the Civil and Human Rights Advocacy and Humanitarian Relief Efforts * Received the ‘Sikhs and Charities’ Award at a prestigious Sikh Awards ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London, October 10, 2010, for best demonstrating ‘that it has the community at heart and has had a positive impact whilst improving the health and wellbeing of Sikhs”. * UNITED SIKHS-USA became member of USAID, the first Sikh organization to EVER to become partner of USAID * Signed MOU with RedCross in New York to work jointly on disaster relief. * UNITED SIKHS-Kenya was recognized by Kenyan Government as a Humanitarian Organization and awarded 2.5 acres of Land for the building of a Hospital. * UNITED SIKHS-UK was recognized and awarded by Sikh Channel in UK for Humanitarian relief in Haiti. * In a ceremony, the Jordanian Army Major Mohamad Twabi & Army officers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti honored Jaipal Singh, coordinator of the UNITED SIKHS Urban Design & Development Team. Without your generous contributions of time, money, and spirit, the work we do could not get done. Each of your individual ripples in the water helped create a wave of change this year! But the work is never over, the battle never won, and we need your help to keep going! We urge you to keep the current strong, don't let the tide change-donate today to help us continue our vital and important work throughout the world!

With the advent of the Barsi of Sant Kishan Singh Ji Rara Sahib being on the 1st of January i thought now that i have a scanner i could share a picture my dad keeps locked away due to it bringing him into a state of bairaag. This is the final photo of Sant Kishan Singh ji attaining Mahasamadhi. In the photo you will also see some of the other Rara Sahib Sants that have pases away such as Sant Balwant Singh Ji and Sant Karam Singh Ji Bhikhee Walae. Also in the photo are Sant Teja Singh Ji and Sant Partap Singh Ji With the blessing of God i have been able to keep this photo all these years

Character wise tiger is much better than lion A tiger hunts his prey alone and himself while It is lioness that hunt and that too in pride.Male Lion is just a bully who eats the prey killed by lionesses.he is just like a person who live's on the income of her wife and do nothing.

One of my santhia ustads informed us that singh actually means tiger rather then lion. But for some reason we have adopted the lion translation. I can imagine puratan singhs being more like tigers then lions to be honest, eg always on the move, deadly, quick etc. Does anybody have access to mahan kosh etc to check or have other opinions?