Pheena

Yes Naam is the way, but this Naam is and can be attained by anyone in any religion. The Guru is all prevading who bestowes this Naam and he is does not see Sikh or Muslim or Christian or Hindu. He sees Love and Love alone is capable of sustaining this Naam. I take it you have not read the quotes that i posted. what is naam? Naam cannot be given by someone...it is in the hands of God and God alone and he bestowes it to who he sees fit. Naam is not somthing that is so easily attained by the means of baptism. What you are given is a means through which you make yourself capable of recieving the daat of Naam. So then there is no difference. Muslims say theirs is the only way through the Quaran and Mohammad, Christians say only through Jesus, you say only through Naam. So i ask again what is the difference? What makes you more right then they? You are only repeating what organized religion has been repeating since to monopolize the path to God. Your statements are parallel to the statement of Muslims and Christians. They are only different in the words that are used. The faith of a Christian that only Jesus is the way is no different from the faith you have that only Naam is the way. Your statement does not break the cycle of monoplization, instead you create a new house in parallel to the old ones and say this is the one.

but the question is are you even doing that (discovering your own source)? besides no one is asking or telling you to believe in God. God is to be experienced, seeked and known. Not merely believed in. It is easy to believe in something, it takes no effort. But to sincerely seek and know this God requires effort. So i ask what efforts have you made in finding the truth behind this God? Do not simply dismiss the existence of God because it is convenient or because lack of valid physical proof exists. Instead dismiss God when you have exausted all means of seeking and found nothing, then and only then is your dismissal of his existence valid. Buddha seeked for 7 years to find the source and every moment of those 7 years were spent in his search. By no means is the thought of God imposed upon your, rather you are asked to validate your own personal truth of his existence or his non-existence through "HONEST" and "SINCERE" seeking.

Then by your definition of Naam, it is only Waheguru and SatGuru is only Guru Granth Sahib. Then by default you have narrowed down the path of God to Sikhi. So then what makes you different from the Christians who claim that the Only path is through the only Son of God? What makes you different from the Muslims who say only Islam will take you to God? Isn't their faith in their scriptures just as equal as yours? What makes them so wrong from thinking that only christians/muslim will meet God? In my understanding The Guru uses Naam in 2 different contexes. One, Naam being the Name of God ie: jap kayval naam. The Second Naam used in the context of the Divine Presence as the quotes below show.

If your father is so adament about you getting married then why isn't he doing most of the work? It seems like your father is simply using you not getting married as a excuse to release his anger. There are obviuos personal issue that he has which he is releasing by jumping on you constantly about not getting married. You are only 25, that is the age where you begin to look for a girl, but it is not the only age where you have to get married. My brother got married when he was 29. If you don't get married in the age of 25, the world is not going to end. You are getting burned out because every girl you see, you see as a prospect and when you take with you such high expectation you are bound to fall crasing down when they are not met. I think majority of the stress is due to that fact that you have your father constantly pushing you on this matter. You are 25 years old and soon when you find a girl and you WILL. you will begin a new life with your wife. It is your responsibility to give your wife a house that treats her with respect and love. If your fear is that your father is going to treat her with the same manner that he has treated you and your family, then there must come a time when you take a stance for yourself and your wife. Don't think you are being disrespectful, there is a limit when the other who demands respect is obvliviuos to the respect that he lack for those who give him respect. You have much right on your life as do your parents. We are brought up the values of respecting our parents, but when they begins to drown our inner spirit and kill our inner love towards our parents and turn it into fear we can either continue to live throught it holding onto this ideal of respect regardless of how we are treated. Or we can take a stance to voice our view. This does not mean to go crazy and just lash out. But with a concerned and defined voice speak out against the injustice that we feel is being done to us. btw just so you know, Parents are not always right in how they treat their children.

veer/bhehan abvoe touched on Karma and for logical and resonable explanation one can only explain such events through the deep understading of Karma. For those who are see with his eyes Love sees it as his Leela. They are not worried so much of why it happened, instead they are just in a state of Awe at his doings. They do not see evil, instead they see the hand of God behind everything. There is not intellectual understand that is requred, but his Love gives a understand that is far deeper then the intellect can provide. It is not to say those who are in deep devotional Love are obliviuos to the knowledge of the Laws of karma. We can sit here and blame God for letting such things happen to that innocent child, but without the understanding of the laws of Karma we cannot start pointing fingers. That child brought with it his own karma with the woman who gave birth to him/her. As did you with your parents, brothers, sisters, relatives. Is it possible to know these secrets, certaily it is but there is a very good reason why such insight is not easily attainable. The effects of this knowledge can lead to a state where you would be unable to move ahead with your life. You'd be stuck after learning the knowledge of how and what the previous relations you've had with the souls that you might call your mother, father, sister, wife, friend, cousin. It is not to say they were all bad , but some things are best left alone. I heard of a story where a woman since her birth had a strong urge to dislike her mother. While her mother thirsted for her love, she was unable to give her that love. Instead the daughter disliked her mother very much for reasons unknown to her. It was when she was in deep meditation that she learned that in her previous birth her mother had killed her by choking her. The laws of karma are not always eye for an eye. In this case the mother who had killed her daughter in the previous birth now to learn her lesson seeks Love from that daughter and is in constant pain from not getting the love. And the daughter feels great animosity against her. There is our personal Karma, then there is Karma as a society, Nation and world. Karma is chaotically organized.

not my words veer ji... its copied and pasted from the wikipedia site :wub: .

when you sit down next time, put a small seat underneat your butt only, so it sits higher from the ground and your legs are crossed onthe ground. That little raising in your uppoer body will help relax the pressure from your knees. If it is becoming too big of a problem, go to your local outdoor store and pick up a fishing boat seat. it looks like this and its not too big either to haul around.

Dreadlocks The wearing of dreadlocks is very closely associated with the movement, though not universal among (or exclusive to) its adherents. Rastas believe dreadlocks to be supported by Leviticus 21:5 ("They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh.") and the Nazarite vow in Numbers 6.5-6. Part of the reason the hairstyle was adopted was to contrast the kinky long hair of black men with the straighter hair of whites. It is believed that the first Rasta dreadlocks were copied from Kenya in the 1940s, when during the independence struggle the feared maumau freedom fighters grew their "dreaded locks" while hiding in the mountains. However, there are ascetic groups within nearly every major religion that have at times worn their hair in this fashion. In addition to the Nazirites of Judaism and the Sadhus of Hinduism, there are the Dervishes of Islam and the Coptic Monks of Christianity, among others. The very earliest Christians may also have worn this hairstyle; particularly noteworthy are descriptions of James the Just, "brother of Jesus" and first Bishop of Jerusalem, who wore them to his ankles. Also, according to the Bible, Samson was a Nazarite who had "seven locks". Rastas point out that these "seven locks" could only have been dreadlocks, as it is unlikely that seven strands of hair were meant. Dreadlocks have also come to symbolize the Lion of Judah and rebellion against Babylon. In the United States, several public schools and workplaces have lost lawsuits as the result of banning dreadlocks. Safeway is an early example, and the victory of eight children in a suit against their Lafayette, Louisiana school was a landmark decision in favor of Rastafari rights. Rastafari associate dreadlocks with a spiritual journey that one takes in the process of locking their hair (growing dreadlocks). It is taught that patience is the key to growing dreadlocks, a journey of the mind, soul and spirituality. Its spiritual pattern is aligned with the Rastafari religion. People who do not understand the process sometimes mock the dreadlock style and make comments about the cleanliness of the locked hair. The way to form natural dreadlocks is to allow hair to grow in its natural pattern, without cutting, combing or brushing, but simply to wash it with pure water. Many non-Rastafari of black African descent have also adopted dreads as an expression of pride in their ethnic identity, or simply as a hairstyle, and take a less purist approach to developing and grooming them, adding various substances such as beeswax in an attempt to assist the locking process. The wearing of dreads also has spread among people of other ethnicities whose hair is not naturally suited to the style, and who sometimes go to great lengths to affect the look. The word dread comes from Rasta terminology. For the Rastas the razor, the scissors and the comb are the three Babylonian or Roman inventions. So close is the association between dreadlocks and Rastafari, that the two are sometimes used synonymously. In reggae music, a follower of Rastafari may be referred to simply as a dreadlocks or Natty (natural) Dread, whilst those non-believers who cut their hair are referred to as baldheads.

Some evils are necessary. There have been just as many human testing as there have been animal perhaps not as much. Someone somewhere had to physically take some new experiental drug so that hundred of thousand could be saved. Im not taking sides........it is what it is...a necessary evil.

Whether it exists or it doesn't varies from opinion to opinion, to interpetation to interpetation. As a Sadhik, as a seeker, it should be of irrelevency where you go, all that should matter is inner bliss, his rememberance, his Simran, his Jap, his name. whether you go and live in hell may you remeber him in all his grace and love, if you are in heaven may you remember him with every breath. It is truely then that it does not matter where you go if you have his Grace, if he places you on a hot iron plate you are still in heaven, if he places you against Sava Lakh enemies, you are still at peace. It is not where you are that matters, it is how you are, the state of your being that matters.

be my guest bro, i'll personally deliver it for you if need be...

if anyone need extra hours of sleep, i've got like 4 each day to get rid of...

its simple because you have something that others don't. Everyone absorbs information in their own ways, most people want a rational answer to their question, what you have prescribed can only be taken with Faith(Trust) and Faith(Trust) is something that doesn't come easily to the curious mind. They seek a logical explanation for such event, a more indepth answer to satisfy themselves. Teaching a child who is willing to learn and has complete Trust in his Master can be easily taught thought such simplicity, but those who create a resistance and want to learn things on their own terms will have difficulty accepting such answers instead require different methods such as trying to explain to them the laws of Karma, and the works of nature with a divine perspective. They must be molded though strikes of a different nature, they are not easily bendable.

good thing you sneaked in your biased input as well. :lol: 154032[/snapback] Well, not really biased but it is a fact. Ask Akaal Takht or SGPC or AKj or Missionaries and they will tell you the same thing. 154042[/snapback] May God grant the both of us with the wisdom and heart to Love his many ways. :cool:

good thing you sneaked in your biased input as well. :lol:

Initially, no it is not a necessity, but as your curiousity or your desire to know more grows, there will be or rather should be a natural want to learn punjabi/gurmukhi. Translations do not always do justice to the original text...althought they may come close, but it is never the same. The original text as it is written will always be unique and the effect of that text cannot be always reproduced in the same light, intention and feeling. That is not to say it is not effective....what is effective is your Bhaavna, Shardha, intentions that bridges the language Gap. You can read in English and if the Vairrag is present, then the language is of no matter because the message has been recieved. Love will always transcends barries of Race, Language,........

that was quick and deadly... :lol:

The next step was to make a thread on this site which you already have done, the next step is to make a Petition on-line against the individual's freedom to not have the name Singh or Kaur as their last name. The numbers are going down in what? In the Quantity of SIkh, if the Guru's wanted quantity, the religion would've been a missionary Religion. It is not. A little lesson in Quality, the less it exists the more valuable it becomes. If individuals so choose to not have their last name as Singh or Kaur, It is their freedom. They live their lives and they have the freeodm to do so. Sometimes we become over sensative or over concerning with some of the issues of today. Let others do what they wish, if you so encounter them then give them your advice but leave it to them to follow it or don't. Where is the Voice of Sikhi from the Head of Sikh Leader??? Are they not the ones who should care? Do they? Do you have the power to do a mass Parchaar?? Who recieves lakhs of rupees daily as bhaynta?? Where does that money go? Yet you ask what is next, nothing is next but this reply which will be read by some, ignored by others, as will your post, your concerns. They will be rememberd for the time someone visits this thread and fogotten by the time he/she clicks on the next thread. So what is next, You have but yourself to reform and through reforming your ownself, you will reform others. Light yourself with the wisdom and Love and other will follow as a lost man sees a lighted house in the dark. They will come so that they may light themselves. What is next is for you to become that which you wish others to be.

We at times do feel that the problem is with the other and not me and it is difficult to accept our own shortcomings. But be concious of what you speak, and when you say it. Do not let the mind control your tounge at will. If it is not you, instead you feel that your parents are the problem, then ask yourself why would they point this out to you? Do they have something against you? What is their intention? Why is it that they are the only ones that see this problem? Ask yourself these questions with Honesty if you wish to correct this misunderstanding or problem. If you find that it is indeed it is you who is at fault then make steps to correct the issues. Meditate, do Simran/jap, do Yoga, Pray........ Be concoiuos of what you speak, be aware of what comes out of your mouth, be aware of your emotions taking over. Be AWARE!!!!!

You need not tell him anything...there are no words which you can express that will convince him because the experience of God is Subjective as far as Validity or Proof is concerned. You cannot convince other throught words that the taste of Suger is sweet, instead they must taste it to know. Ask him if he knows the answer, most likely he will use his religious text to validate his answer, but then it is not 'his' answer, it is what he has been told or what he has read. It is the answer of the Koran or the bible etc but not 'his'. It is not the same thing. You can read about Paris all you want, but that does not mean you have been there to experience the culture, the atmosphere for yourself. There is a difference in reading somethign and believing and experiencing something and Knowing it. God is to be experienced and to be Known, not only about believing in something that is written by those who experienced it.

http://ccminc.faithweb.com/taleem/part2_04.html this link works.

Moses was the founder of Torah (or Torat as translated by Prof. Sahib Singh) book, and on which the Jews based their religion. Hazrat Dawood spread his teachings through the book "Zaboor" (or Jamboor) and the third was Jesus Christ who spread his message through "Injeel" (New Testament). Moses was the founder of Judaism. The name of this religion was based on the name of God, whom they called 'Jahwa'. He (Moses) preached his message through "Torah" whose interpretation was done through "Talmud". The Jews called themselves "the selected nation". Hazrat Moosa's book was Torah, Hazrat Dawood's book was Zaboor and Hazrat Issa's book was Injeel, and all combined was named Bible. source http://sindhlink.net/saeen/sindhudesh/saeen-book3-chap4.html the link is down for the moment, not sure why...

The more important question is what is the will of God? Why would we sit idle when we have the ability to protect life, what makes us so certain that it is Gods 'will' to let all these people die when we could save them? Perhaps it is Gods 'will' for us to save all these people? To distinguish what is and what isn't God's will one needs a Vivek Budhi, utter awareness of the divine in every moment of ones life. To see what the physical eye cannot see, the sense what the 5 senses cannot.

I'll simplyfy Its either them or us. As much as you are to have compassion for other life, at the same time you have the right to defend your own. Given the current situation, we are not talking about a minor flu, this thing could wipe out 100s of millions of people world wide. Is it the birds fault that this virus is here, not really. Given that the Influenza virus itself mutate every year and in some cases to a more deadlier version of the previous it is only 'natural' (probably due to our own actions) that we are seeing this version of it. As for bringing Religioin into this from a moral standpoint. I would certainly take a sidestep so the human life which is more precious and valuable is protected. There is the obvious thought that what did those birds do to deserve this...well it again comes down to either you take a moral issue and let them live where the virus has time to develop further and kill off a good percentage of the world population or you can kill hundered thousand birds to save your next child. It certainly is a difficult decision to make, but at the end of the day humal life is more precious then a birds simply due to the potential it posseses. The fault is most likely ours. The karma is also applicable on a grander scale. The Karma in the actions of world as a whole also produces results...the hatred, the selfishness as a whole do not go unchecked. That is why it is said to light yourself first and by lighting yourself you will have brightened the world. it is only then that you are able to light others. If only we as individuals understand this and begin to reform our own thoughts and action. The world is what we all make of it.