warrior*princess

In Bana all the time! Author: Harpreet Singh (---.nortelnetworks.com) Date: 04-16-03 13:58 Vaaheguroo jee kaa Khaalsaa! Vaaheguroo jee kee Fateh!! Following is a very inspiring piece on the subject of being in Bana all the time by an anonymous author: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is sort of a difficult topic. I'm not even going to try getting into whether anybody should or shouldn't wear bana regularly, as I probably don't know myself. I try to wear bana myself (actually, probably not true bana yet, just a kurta pajama) as often as I can, including to school. It's difficult to explain why or what I get from it (as I'm not the best at explaining myself), but I'll try. Wearing bana, to me, is just an extension of wearing your kakkars and keeping kes. At least in terms of how it feels. Most of us know the feeling we get when we first start wearing a dastaar or a kirpaan or grow our kes. Wearing bana is just an extension of that feeling, the next level. I remember when I first started wearing a dastaar. Throughout highshcool, my friends and I all wore patkay (I still regret this) and it wasn't until I was starting university that I started wearing a dastaar. The feeling was great. People around me also started treating me a little differently, and I began to feel more like a sikh. When I decided to shuck amrit, I started wearing a kirpaan for practice. Just having a shaster on you, whether you know how to use it or not, changes you. You feel powerful and much more confident (hopefully, this is where the baanee and simran come in to keep you humb le). After shucking amrit, I started wearing kurta/pajama to the gurdvara occasionally. At first it felt funny and I sort of felt embarrassed around my friends. Got over that soon enough. Later that summer, my Nana jee was visiting and he asked me one day why I was wearing my kirpaan underneath. After all, there were no legal restrictions or anything here. I thought about it and couldn't really answer him. The truth was that I was scared. Scared of people's reaction. I'm also the type of person who hates attracting attention, whether it be positive or negative. I'd rather be in the background. A kirpan can attract attention when you're walking around in public. But I knew if I explained this to him, he wouldn't react very nicely. He's never backed down from much in life and seems to love challenges. He would have told me that maybe I should have thought twice about taking amrit if I wasn't strong enough to even show my kakkaars in public. So I just made some stupid excuse, about forgetting or something, and started wearing it over top from that day on. This was a really hard thing for me to do. Let me just say here, that I'm not saying we should or shouldn't wear a kirpaan over top. Everyone has to decide that for themselves depending on their situation. For me, it was hard but one of the best things I've done for my sikhee. I'm the type of person who quickly forgets that I'm a sikh and starts behaving like everyone else. We don't have a mirror in front of us all the time to see our dastaar and dharee and remember who and what we are. However, people's reaction to us does the trick just as well. Most people are used to seeing punjabees wearing dastaars (in Canada anyway), but a kirpaan is still different, and bana even more so. I found myself being stared at (or glared at), and sometimes even sworn at (from a distance - the kirpan seemed to deter anyone from approaching me). I was also looking for a place to live at this time, a basement or apart ment. People would see me, and turn me down. Some even made it clear that it was because of the kirpaan (although they wouldn't say it straight out for legal reasons). I grew desperate at this point. My family and relatives all thought I was an <banned word filter activated> and told me to hide the kirpaan and start wearing a different style of dastaar. I thought about it, but couldn't do that. If I was willing to dress like this in good times, how could I suddenly change when things got hard. It seemed like hypocrisy to me, like it would just turn everything into a pakhand. I remember getting a phone call and being told I had been turned down by another apartment. I knew that this time everybody (my family) would have a really negative reaction to me, as they were getting fed up. So I did rehras and started my ardaas. I broke down and started crying and asked Guru Saahib to help me, to protect me from attacks against his blessed kakkaars and give me the strength to continue on. Guru Saahib heard my ardaas and I found a place to live almost immediately. The next week, the world trade center was blown up. I started getting frantic phone calls, telling me to stop wearing a gol pug and to hide my kirpaan. I had just started at a new school, and my prof and group members were also treating me strangely. While talking to me, they would stare at my kirpaan the whole time. This was really getting to me. Maybe it was pride and ego, but I refused to give up the way I dressed. And this is when I realized how great any part of the sikh dress really is and why Guru Saahib jee gave us such a distinct identity. We can't hide, we can't mix in. With guru Saahib's bana, we stick out, as he meant us to. Even in a group of pug wearing punjabees, a Khalsa wearing bana is distinct. This may seem negative to some, and it did to me at first. What was the point of having everyone on the bus or subway glare at me? What was the point of waking up and worrying about having to go out in public and facing people's reaction everyday? T he point is that it humbles you and reminds you your sikhee and of god constantly. I realized that the only one I could depend on now was Vaahiguru. I couldn't stop people from staring, swearing or threatening physical attacks and couldn't depend on anyone else to help out or understand either. All I could do was do an ardaas everyday for Guru Saahib to watch over me and give me the strength to keep my identity as a sikh. While on the subway or bus, I would do paat the whole time and ignore people's stares and comments. It was great. Then I met some others who wore kurta pajamas and cholay. I was quite impressed, and had been thinking for some time about when I might be able to dress in bana. I remember one singh telling me that it frees you from having to follow fashion, of having to worry about what's in and what's out. Eventually, I also started dressing like this. Not all the time, as I didn't have enough to wear everyday. At first I was worried about just showing off that I was a sikh and not really having anything on the inside. This still bothers me a lot of times. However, it ends up driving me to try doing more paat and being a better sikh, so as to fit the image that I might be portraying. I remember the first day at school like this, the people in my group thought it was my birthday or some special Sikh holiday. Everything I said above can be repeated for wearing bana. You stick out, people treat you a little differently, and this can help you (at least it helps me) to not mix in with what everyone else is doing (especially if you're around punjabee people) and to not do anything stupid myself. Some bhainjee above wrote about some negatives she noticed in some people after they started wearing bana. This might be true. But I find it to be a humbling experience. When I walk around downtown or on campus wearing some long, dark blue kurta or something, and a large dastaar, people thing you're strange, they don't compliment you. If you're around punjabee people, t hey think you're either some hardcore fundamentalist or a pakhandee trying to show off and they don't exactly praise you either. I found myself trying to be extra nice to people so as not to give this roop a negative image. But some people may get houmai. We can even get houmai from doing paat. That doesn't mean everyone should give that rehit up. Once again, I can't explain to anyone whether they should or shouldn't wear bana or if you're supposed to wear it all the time. Everyone has to figure it out for themselves. For me, it has made me a MUCH stronger person. It has helped me greatly in my spiritual life as well. People may not understand this and I probably don't have the words to describe it. It's one of those things that must be experienced to be understood. With bana, I'm much more dependent on god, more accepting of his will and more likely to think about my actions before doing them. Sikhee is much more on my mind when I'm in bana. There is a nice story on this site about one of the 1978 shaheed singhs deciding to wear bana all the time after some incident on a bus with some lady. Basically, people treat you differently and you also will then act differently, like a sikh. As that one singh told me, it also frees you from fashion. I don't have to go shopping for the latest styles anymore. It's truly liberating. Sikhee is a whole way of life and everything we do, including how we dress, affects us. I'm not saying wearing bana by itself will turn you into a good sikh. But, it can be one of the ingredients. I've also been thinking of what I will do when it comes time for work and job interviews. Will I walk in with a chola or kurta and a kirpaan? Will they hire me? I don't see it as being easy. The way I see it, this will be another challenge for me. With guru sahib's kirpa, I will make it and end up being a stronger person. Already, I have been teaching some classes while dressed in bana and have formal presentations thesis def enses to do in front of my faculty. Most people dress in a suit and tie. I will probably stick to my simple bana. I know some of the profs in the department don't really appreciate me running around like some 'taliban' but I'm praying that guru sahib will watch over me and not let them attack me (by giving negative feedback or failing me) simply because of my bana. If they do, well, too bad. It's all in his bhaanaa. I may also be attending and presenting at large seminars, once again dressed in simple bana. My own prof is probably hoping that I'll smarten up and wear formal attire. The thing is, that what we wear has a huge impact on us psychologically. That's why so many billions of dollars are spent by the fashion industry. They try to market a certain image, a certain way of feeling, acting and thinking. This is tied to the clothes peolpe wear. Simply changing a person's physical appearance through the clothes they wear can give them confidence and change their behaviour (to a certain degree). That's why Guru Saahib's simple bana is so great. It takes you above and beyond typical everyday fashion, thinking and lifestyles. You're no longer a slave to the world's fashions and images. If it affects us psychologically, it will affect our actions as well and everything we think and do has an effect on our spiritual lives. Once again, banee and simran are the keys, but everything we do, including our clothes and external rehit, will have some effect. That is why the guru saahibs talked about external rehit clothes, including in the Guru Granth Saahib. Everyone will have to decide on their own whether the effect is significant enought to try it out. I am truly grateful to Vaahiguru for letting me wear the sikh bana and changing me in the ways he did. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vaaheguroo jee kaa Khaalsaa! Vaaheguroo jee kee Fateh!!

Chardeeeee Kalaaaaa!!!!!

Thanx goes to Guru ji/Vaheguru ji for doing everything and the Kirpaa and to all Sevaks involved or helped.

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh Bhainjee, you are a living example of a faithful Singhnee...that was so brave of you to keep Bharosaa in Vaheguru ji...im sorry about what you had to go through...you are not the only one, many others too have been through similar, less or worse so you will give others strength...... Its so good to hear true stories whereby Singhs or Singhnees fight in the spiritual battlefield for Sikhi....Khalsa has so much Sikhi power that no manmat can override it...which is one of the reasons we say VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, Vaheguru ji ki Fateh! Vaheguru ji listens to his GurSikhs with immense love because they in return alwayz keep full faith and keep in rehit/do what Vaheguru ji wants. Keep it up bhainjee.....u must know but when things get tough recite mool mantar, read Sukhmanee Sahib.....Vaheguru ji is inside you, your call is always heard. Hukamai Andhar Sabh Ko Baahar Hukam Na Koe repeat naam with every breath too

Khalsa is not supposed to be listening to such type of music/lyrics...the only way we will fulfill our purpose in life, reach saachkhand is to purify the soul. This is only achieved via Naam and Gurbanee...all else is fake and false...we are only falling off GurSikhi path by absorbing ourselves in such lyrics/rap or should i say crrrap. We can justify listening to it all we want but in the end that is considered only as a manmat action and only we will have to bear the consequences. vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh I hope the sangat changes their ways of falling for such rap etc and becomes fully in love with Guru ji, Gurubanee ONLY.

sae charan suhaavae jo har maarag chalae ho bal thin sa(n)g pashhaanaa jeeo ||2|| Those feet which walk in the Lord's Way are beautiful. I am a sacrifice to that Congregation in which the Lord is recognized. ||2|| (Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Raag Maajh, 103) --------------- What I am about to write may not be of big deal but here goes... As I was reading the above Gurbanee I remembered some memories, just felt that maybe it would be nice to share it with the sangat so that we may remember those Great spiritual warriors of our time and seek to follow Guru ji's footsteps just as they did... Once there was paaht to be held at an Amritdharee's house during morning hours...my family and I were invited and were very grateful to have the opportunity of being in the company of such great sangat. On the actual day we ended up arriving to the paaht very late and were saddened and felt bad for turning up late. But thought we must go inside to fulfill what we travelled out for. Ardaas was soon to begin as we went in to do Mata-thek to Dhan Dhan Guru ji. We had to sit outside in the garden as there was no room inside, i sat right in front, beside the concrete step that led to the lower ground of the garden. Once all paaht was over we eat langar. After having eaten I still did not feel as though we had completed what we went there for because we arrived late. So sitting there with legs crossed beside that step, looking down at the ground with my elbow on knee, and chin resting on hand, i sat th ere all gloomy looking. Many people had passed by from out of the house to the garden, but after a while in front of me i saw these beautiful feet. Just reminded me of Guru Gobind Singh ji for some reason. The person had a white puchamee tightly on the legs...and then i as i looked up, the person was wearing a cholaa too...it was Bhai Rama Singh ji !! He spoke to my father and said some very kind and special words about my family. I was SO happy just to see Bhai Rama Singh ji. People only have to be near to him to feel the peace and look at him to see the pyar in his eyes of his soul for Sikhi/Vaheguru ji.... My father asked him that 'how comes we havent seen you around lately at ransbaes etc'...and Bhai Rama Singh ji replied that he only has a few Saas left and he wishes to make the most of them as much as possible as he can (i.e. by doing Saas Gras/Naam jap). It was just after a couple of days after that day we met Bhai Sahib that I/we heard his soul left Earth for SaachKhand. Vaheguru ji is SO wondrous, there are no words to describe. Vaheguru ji ALWAYS has a Good reason for Everything that goes on. We MUST learn to keep in our highest spirits (Chardee Kaalaaa) even IF the 'going gets tough' by keeping Great FAITH/Bharosaa in Guru ji...in VAHEGURU ji. Lets all look up and imagine SaachKhand in our minds and aim for it. This is by keeping on the True Marag we are destined for; Sikhi. We must ask for Guru ji's kirpaa and do sevaa n sikhi parchar. Lets Complete our duty as per Sikhi on Earth. We have waited endless lives for this Human lifetime...lets accomplish what we have been sent here for so that we may meet each other and other GREAT GurSikhs in SaachKhand! Our TRUE Home. We don't know when our last breaths are up, maybe next second, minute, hour, day, year, who knows....naam japoe with every breath......even our final thoughts and swaas/breath should be of vaheguru ji ! Vaheguru ji ka Khalsa Vaheguru ji ki F ateh Bhai Rama Singh ji

Vaheguru jee kaa khalsa Vaheguru ji kee Fateh Vaheguru jee is well aware of your hopes and desires..have FAITH in that or bharosaa, and your wishes will be fulfilled. Dating is not the wise approach because then we are behaving as though 'I' will choose who to marry, 'I' will find my partner, 'I' will date them....notice that its 'I' all the time...therefore we infact start to act as though we are God...BUT we have NO control over our destiny/fate that is written on our foreheads since birth..it is not up to us to choose- that infact is Vaheguru jee's place as always... This is always and has been a test for so many people...notice how nearly the whole world falls/ goes through this pattern of falling into the trap of dating... ITS A TEST! A SIkh should be above such things, as we are UNIQUE... When Guru jee asked us to give our heads...thats exactly what we must do...our minds... Vaheguru jee will find your partner for you. If you continue with hankar(ego)/haumai (extreme selfishness/'I') and search for a partner through dating then you will only fall into the traps after that..it becomes impossible for a human to control...e.g Kaam/Lust... In Gurubanee Guru jee says he makes the Fools the fool even further and delludes him/her into thinking they are doing the right thing. The only fool is the one who thinks 'I' can do this n that etc. Only Vaheguru jee is the DOER. Vaheguru jee is so amazing, like beyond any magic...no words to describe...please have faith in vaheguru jee and live life according to TAT GURMAT. ps.MKhalsa makes VERY good n Valid point s according to True Sikhi. Vaheguru jee kaa khalsa Vaheguru ji kee Fateh

please also see http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.ppa?f=1...1&i=2045&t=2045 issue on 'Caps'