Pheena

This Hindu lady called Guru Maa was giving a discourse. A Sikh stood up saying to whom does the word Charan (feet) of the Guru refer too, in Gurbani.

She replied "I have a question which will baffle all Sikhs, if only Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the Guru, then why did the 5th Guru not give Guruship to it, he's the one who complied it. Why were there 5 more Gurus after him."

She said to meet the God you have to meet an enlightened one. She quoted Brahm Gyani Ki Gat Brahm Gyani Janey.

Of course a very cunning lady, but why do Sikhs attend her discourses and ask these questions.

First of all she is not 'Hindu'. Just because she speak Hindi in Majority of her talks, does not mean she is Hindu. Just because she refrences Vedantas does not mean she is Hindu. If you turly had listened to her, then you would've noticed that she never associated herself with any Religion. She speaks Hindi because it is understood by the majority. If you had Listned to her then would've noticed that she has also spoken in Punjabi, English and Gujrati. If you had listened to her then you would've noticed that she has also spoken on Guru Nanak, Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Teg bahadur, Guru Arjan Dev ji and other Gurus, Buddha, Krishna, Mahavir, Ram, Shankracharia, Rumi, Mansoor, Baba Bullay Shah and the list goes on and on. But you already knew that as you have listened to her many times right.

Guru Nanak traveled to Iraq and spoke Urdu, went to Mecca, India Spoke on the Quaran, Vedas, Mohammed,...does not mean Guru Nanak was Muslim, Hindu or Iraqi or Indian. Guru Gobind Singh ji was the Master of Languages who compiled Jaaps sahib and the Guru Granth Sahib from memory that we all bow to every day, Would you lable Guru Gobind Singh ji with those Languages? You bow to the Shabad which is compiled in not ONE, but 22 languages such as Hindi, Persian, Arabic, Brij, Urdu and Sanskrit, would you consider those portions of the Shabad Guru to be different than the rest as they are not in Gurmukhi?

There are those who belong to the One and know that if everything belongs to that One, then everything belongs to them as well.

'Tudh Subh Kij Mianu Soa(n)pia, mai tayra bunda'

So now you have a choice...you can either become defensive and start to call me her Chela and so forth or you can take a look at your stance on the Jumping to Conclusion Mat and see how without truely knowing, contemplating, understanding others we jump to brand them with labels.

all you people who think she is Hindu or associated with any religion are just plain Ignorant of who she is...Nor have you listened to her lectures, nor have you taken any interest in understanding her response. It is very easy to disect someone, call them names because frankly its easy to do, no effort is needed. Someone says something that you don't agree with, why waste time trying to see it from their point of view or spend some time contemplating the situation that it happened in. Try to see what was said before or afterwards in the discussion....no well that takes time, effort and sincerity in trying to see if perhaps it is 'I' that misunderstood, perhaps 'I' failed to comprehend the message...but no..lets all of just blatantly start blabbling.

Nindo, nindo..hor nindo...why stop here....please continue it truly does help your own spiritual progress.

Vjkk Vjkf

ive been lately having sum huge family problems....wel its been goin on since the begiining of the year....and its been like 5 weeks since my dads stoped talking to me....he dont even sya fateh anymore...my mum is stuk between me and my dad so me being generous and thinking of my mums sake im going to go along with what they want me to do....which i seriously dont want to do...but cant do anything about it....the only thing i been doing is ardas....but the way the things are tunring out are they wya my parents want it...and its effecting my every day life....becuase its the only thing i think about.. i dont even get up[ amritvela...im alwayz cryin thinking about it.(my problem)...but what i dont understand is why is guru ji not helping me quickly even tho i been doin my ardas? its got so bad usmtimes i dont see the point in doin paat becuase of everyting thas happend and its got so hard to concentrate on my bani now....tha i h8 my slef tryin to act lyk a super perfect sikh lol which am truly not!!!! basicaly i feel fake...n thas leaidn me to think whats the point in doin paat etc.....so my question is...will guru ji change tings...if i keep doing my ardaaas? if anybody has awnsers plz post becuse itl be a gr8 help to me.....

Vjkk Vjkf

What is the purpose of Ardaas? Is it fulfill our wishes, our desires, express our discontent with what is happening to us, address our complaints to God and expect God to sort it out? If you are thinking that Ardaas will help you get out of situations then i suggest you take a look at the Shaheeds during the era of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Did they not do ardaas? Did they not do paath? Yet they still had to go through terrible sufferings. Didn't the women who's children were cut up into pieces do Ardaas or Paath? I'm more than certain that they DID. But what they asked for was Courage, Love, Strength to get through the suffering that they were going through. Not to be saved from Dukh, Suffering in the literal sense that they should not occur in ones life. You say you do your nitname, what does the Guru say in the first few lines of Rehraas Sahib? Dukh daroo......

What did the 5th Guru say while being tortured? Did he not do Ardaas....Heck he himself was the Listener of Aradases. Couldn't he change with a simple thought what was happening to him? The Yogi of Yogis possessed Ridhias and Sidhias Yet why did he utter the word that he did? If you want to do Ardaas then do so with the thought to teach you how to live in his Bhana and the Ardaas shouldn't be for you alone rather include those too who are in conflict with you.

If you believe that the Karta Purkh is the Doer of all that is, and then you do an ardaas to change what was happening. You are then implying that whatever this Karta Purkh is doing isn't right, that you know better on what should happen to you. Ardaas was never meant to address our complaints to God, rather it was meant to express our Gratitude. Sukhar hai that you are still here with me during this time of suffering..Shukar hai that your Simran is still in my Mind when i am in Pain...Shukar hai that you are listening to me still even when I have no one around me...Shukar hai...Shukar Hai.

It is not that God isn't doing anything with your situation or She is ignoring your prayers which you believe to be pushing you away....rather it is your expectation of what should happen that is pushing you away. You yourself are pushing yourself away from your Guru with your Expectation of what the Guru should be doing. We all do and will go through many Dukhs and Sukhs in our lives...they are goign to come regardless of whatever Spiritual Status you reach. Just as the Gurus themselves had to deal with them, but they dealt with them not in the manner that you or me deal with. It is the status of your Mind that is of concern and should be addressed in your prayer, not the external Dukhs that occur.

Pray for not to solve your issues, She already knows what issue you are dealing with for She is closer to you than you think and listens to your every Thought and Prayer......Instead Pray for Strenght, for Her Love and to be bestowed the greatest gift of living in the Will of the Great Guru. The intent of Prayer need to modified.

Shukar Hai......

I take it its going to rather hard to convince your parents out of it...so if nothing else i suggest you save up the 20 dollars extra that you are getting and you can either give it to some charity organization when you accumlate enough of it or to the poor/needy like a Homeless Shelter.

Doing wrong becomes a subjective matter and a moral issue of taking something that you know that you don't deserve. Common excuse is that everyone does it, if not through 'EMA' then on Taxes etc. It is a matter of your honesty and the financial situation you are in.

So take what you think you deserve and give away the rest to those who need it.

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now i come to my point

i am amritdhari but i cant understand the way of naam drir?

i took amrit from normal amritsanchar not AKJ or any other.

but i dnt think that i have any knowlwdge abt naam japping or nam has entered inside me while taking amrit. i remember that panj pyare told us to say satnam waheguru after amrit sanchar. was that naam drir?

and why it havnt any effect on me?

Don't Expect...your own expectation of what should happen are hindering your progress. When it is done with love, that in itself is the reward you are looking for...and it happens without asking. As soon as you lay a demand or expectation that it should affect you, It becomes a trade...you do Simran/Japp, so you expect to be changed or be affected. Its not to say it won't affect you, but you waiting for it to affect you is the reason that it is not happening. Stop getting in the way of your ownself.

"Real progress happens without notice"

i only want to know how can i japp naam that i feel satisfied.

i was listening katha of maskeen ji, he said that when we do simran its taste keep getting increasing unlike the tastly food we eat.

coz taste of food and other things keep decreasing if we take them again and again.

but when i do simran i do it will force and i dnt feel anand while doing it coz of my heavy sins.

It has nothing to do with your Sins, but all with your Mind, Thoughts and Expectations. Stop Expecting and learn how to do it with love as the example of Food you have given. Recite her name as if you are hungry for it....savour the word as you taste the food you eat. Focus on chewing the naam properly...the digestion, the extraction of nutrients and their distribution to your body will happen on its own. Enjoy the Action of reciting with Love...let all other happen on its own.

Then it is not a matter of you wanting change....change will happen on its own.

You cannot force Anand to enter your life...it happens when you stop expecting and allow for it to work its way through.

just some thoughts of this mind...nothing more, hope they are helpful

awww jus the asnwer i wanted and expected(somewhat)... :cool:

well i didnt post to know what i think but what others think.(that was the reason i posted) i already have my thoughts with me and what i think. can nyone read nd post something without actually thinking about it or making connections?

Im trying to get those thoughts out of you, now don't make me get my jutti. jk..

My brother actually went to one of their meditation groups once and he had few interesting experiences there. Lets just say he enjoyed it very much.

somehow ended up on this page while browsin!

wht do u guys think?

http://gurlzgroup.blogspot.com/2007/01/meditation.html

A knowledge of the roots

Sahaja Yoga is a method of meditation which brings a breakthrough in the evolution of human awareness. .....

what do you think?

hey!!!! no fair!!! i asked that question u were suppose to answer the question not the other around but thn agin its u :nihungsmile: :cool: my thinkin is a mess! so thast why im asking all ju proper sikhs over here(sangat)

that piece just caught my attention thats all

why don't you give it a shot, you might surprise yourself . Was there something specific that caught your eye?

You must find your own source to wisely use the power of discrimination, meaning learn to chew the watermelon and spit out the seed.

somehow ended up on this page while browsin!

wht do u guys think?

http://gurlzgroup.blogspot.com/2007/01/meditation.html

A knowledge of the roots

Sahaja Yoga is a method of meditation which brings a breakthrough in the evolution of human awareness. .....

what do you think?

-edited

I think you ALL are missing a BIG point:

Do you know where food comes from, from dirty places and you wash the vegetables and mostly prepared by "Goray" and other people and then they are shipped to super markets, those of you who said we should only eat from Amritdhari's, well guys dont go shopping to sainsbury's or other supermarkets (Just get a COW at home and then get the milk from her, and grow your own veggies in your back garden), because the food in there was not prepared by Amritdharis, think logical, dont think stupid and silly.

In majority of cases, we shall all be punished for buying prepared or any other food from supermarkets, what a silly nonsense i say.

Pagal or what!

BIBEK DHAN Pay attention to Ardas for once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need all Gurdwaras to have steel eating utensils and Amritdari Langar sevadars.

Bibek/Bibayk in Ardaas isn't speaking of (Sarbloh) bibek, Unless the ardaas specificially states Sarbloh it which i have never heard of. The word Bibayk speaks of being Aware, Intuitiveness, Contemplativeness, having Bibayk Budhi (intellect). Being aware of God conciousness. Having the intuitivness of God Awareness, understanding.

You should only take food from Amritdharis but since she is your honorable mother then yes I dont see why not.(You are supposed to honor your parents) In anyother case I wouldnt take the food, Guru Nanak used to take food that was made with love but that was before Guru Gobind Singhs Amrit Chaar.

So then does teh philosopy of Guru Nanak become null and void? Are you suggesting Love is no or should no longer be a factor in who we should eat from?

Im not too sure on what to advice to you as i have never known anyone with your type illness, but i can assure you this much that God is always listening to you. This isn't something that is negotiable or something that only pertains to certain individuals. Instead you are as much important to God as is any living Brahmgiani. He listens to your prayers just as attentively as any one else. Just pray, or meditate because that is what you want to do, because taht is what your heart wants you to do. Remain persistant in your listening to Kirtan, remain vigilant in you wanting to pray.

The mind is our assitant not our master, its something we use, not something we are. Have you considered doing Yoga, Simran, Meditation?? I suggest you consider them, perhaps they can be helpful in you dealing with your mind.

gianee sant singh ji maskeen... passsed away about a year ago... he was a brehum gianee :TH:

he was now how can you be soo sure i mean he surely had a LOT of knowledge in regards to gurbani but brahm gyani is not an easy state to obtain. i'm not dissing maskeen ji or anything i have utmost respect for him. love his katha.

I believe the term you were looking for is KathaVachik. We can certain become inspired by those who speak of Brahma. Sometimes when their talks become intoxicating to our mind and begin to create flashes of awakening within us, our hopes and our beliefs begin to see the speaker as the one who must have experienced all that which he/she states. It is on Faith that we begin to regard other in such a high status of Brahmgiani.

My definition of a Katha Vachik is take from a Jain Mantra which i'll post below. There is a difference between a Teacher(Katha Vachik) and Brahmgiani. A Teacher simply conveys the message that he has heard, it is not yet his experience. He/she may convey this message with such fluency that it directly mimics the state of Anubhav. Such is a Katha Vachik, who convey the wisdom or experience, but yet still hasn't fully experienced what he is conveying.

A Brahmgiani is someone who Conveys what he is Living, What he has directly experienced. This difference is very difficult to differentiate, hence we see listeners of the Katha Vachicks labeling them as Brahmgianis, because they convey the message with such fluency that it hypnotises the listner. Now before one starts to assume that I am belitteling Katha Vachiks, that is certainly not the case as the interpetation of the mantra will express my feelings. But a difference exists.

It is very easy to be a Katha Vachik...all you need is the ability to speak with passion and be charismatic. But When a True Brahmgiani, or a True Saint speaks the atmosphere shifts like no other. The Brahmgiani does not speak from the example of other, his/her words are enriched with his Anubhav and only those who are sensitive enough can pick up on it.

The fourth: "Namo loye savva sahunam namo namo…" I touch the feet of the teachers." You know the subtle difference between a master and a teacher. The master has known, and imparts what he has known. The teacher has received from one who has known, and delivers it intact to the world, but he himself has not known.

The composers of this mantra are really beautiful; they even touch the feet of those who have not known themselves, but at least are carrying the message of the masters to the masses.

i think i might have taken it offtoppic, but hope it helps..

No a Brahm Giani is someone with knowledge of God. All the Gianis we know are all Sikh Gianis

A person can claim to be a Sikh Giani, knowing alot about Sikhi and break rehat but a Brahm Giani can never break the rehat and every action is according to the Law of Gurmat.

What is the Law of Gurmat?

The question you need to ask is not Why, but Who died? Did you consider your Brother to be this flesh and bones alone? Was he not something more than this cage body that held him?

http://www.sikhitothemax.com/Page.asp?Sour...98&Format=2

Raamkalee, Fifth Mehla:

The wind merges into the wind.

The light blends into the light.

The dust becomes one with the dust.

What support is there for the one who is lamenting? ||1||

Who has died? O, who has died?

O God-realized beings, meet together and consider this. What a wondrous thing has happened! ||1||Pause||

No one knows what happens after death.

The one who is lamenting will also arise and depart.

Mortal beings are bound by the bonds of doubt and attachment.

When life becomes a dream, the blind man babbles and grieves in vain. ||2||

The Creator Lord created this creation.

It comes and goes, subject to the Will of the Infinite Lord.

No one dies; no one is capable of dying.

The soul does not perish; it is imperishable. ||3||

That which is known, does not exist.

I am a sacrifice to the one who knows this.

Says Nanak, the Guru has dispelled my doubt.

No one dies; no one comes or goes. ||4||10||

This JivAtam known to you as your brother did not die. He cannot Die. The shell he arrived in surely did as will yours one day, as will mine and all those who you see and don't see yet. We do not always know why, nor can there always be answers for this question of Why.

Your attachment to this Jiva not only holds you back but perhaps he as well for it is unfair for you to not let him move on in his journey. It is our attachments that keep the jiva bound to us even after the death of the body and make it difficult for it to progress forward to his next birth. So it is not only for your benefit that you let him go, but for him as well.

You loved him you say, yet you keep him so bound to yourself? Love sprouts Freedom not attachment or confinement? Love him enough to let him progress in his journey, wish him well withyour love. Send your grief in an envelope of Love and gratitude to the one who allowed you two to share this bond of Love together.

You say you need him, have you looked within? Has he not left you with his confidence instilled within you? Through all of those times when he shared his support for you, did he not give you the courage to stand?

stop...breath.....close your eyes.... and look at the courage he has given you already.

Waheguru...Waheguru...Waheguru....

howdy veer, im from Austin and I doubt you are going to find any Sangat in College Station. I used to live 40 mins away from Bryan/college Station. Its a pretty much a College city and nothing more

if you ever decided to come to Austin, let me know. :wub:

We got Gurdwaras here, There is one down south of Austin and one up north. The one up North is held every First saturday of the Month. The one south is held every sunday.

But I'd asked advice from only those who have some glimpses of Him, who have some sorta experience of Him, Who have treaded on this path or any of the paths for that matter, and found him or atleast have seen His reflextion (I hope u guys have not overlooked my statement)

With Love

Brian

What you are seeking cannot be fully conveyed through cyber words, You must seek the physical proximity of those select individuals. ie: Sangat. What is absorbed through cyberspace cannot compare to what is gained through close proximity of those who have seen and are seeing, those who are drowing and have drowned.

Sangat jee for the past year or so when i listen to kirtan in classical style &/or by singhnia especially it just hits me & i cry tears - i don't loudly or nothin but its embaressing as i'm not a child & i know singhs are looking at me so i lower my head and hide my face - i know this isnt necessarily a bad thing but i wish i had better control of myself

any tips at preventing this please?

There is no need to control, whatever is happening is happening between you and God. For you nothing else should exist in that room or darbaar. Let other look, let other stare if they wish, perhaps they are praying to God that they become like you. You never know, you could be creating a tidlewave of Vairaag in the Sangat. Be yourself, allow whatever is happening to happen to its fullest. Don't obstruct this Grace with you being conscious of what others might be thinking. Free yourself from the mind and its self-conscoiusness. The more you let go of this feeling the more you will be able to go deeper into vairaag.

You can always move to the back of the Sangat or sit in the back to begin with. Perhaps a corner where no one is sitting.

God bless you my friend

Waheguru.

Cremation is done to prevent the jiva from getting stuck in the astral-realm of ghosts (Pretaloka), by continued attachment to their former body and life. Cremation forces the Jiva to remove its attachment to the body while burying the body allows the attachment of the jiva to remain. Which can make it difficult for the Jiva to move forward on its journey.

Sadly the west has yet to fully understand this. This is one of the reason why there are so many more Haunted and Ghostly stories, place in the west as oppose to the east.

So Pakhandi baba ji, it is not so much what you choose to do with the flesh and bones, its your attachment to it that can cause unnecessary problems once the body has run its course. If you are detached from the body, then it is irrelivent what you do with it, but if you do not see yourself seperated from the body yet, then I strongly urge you to question your state of attachment in what and who you truely are.

Khalsa ji, you make valid points!

I disagree with this ' This is one of the reason why there are so many more Haunted and Ghostly stories, place in the west as oppose to the east''

You'll find 85% of ghosts/spirits & possessions occur in the east. More than anywhere in the World. (especially in india)

The traditional view of ghosts is that they are the spirits of dead people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Although you get good spirits too!

The only way of freeing yourself rom becoming a ghost/spirit is to attach yourself to the Naam. Isn't that what Guru ji said?

One thing we cannot ignore is that the strongest attachment a Jiva has is with his or her body. Ghost/Spirits are synonymous speaking of an Jiv Aatma. The word Jiv is implying that the self identity to the Aatma is still attached, meaning the luggage of Mind and its desire are still being carried by the false ego along with the Aatma. The word Jiv indivdualizes that Soul.

As I said, first the attachment to your Body must be realized, then it must be sevred through wisdom of your true identity. I am not trying to persuade you in either direction of burying or cremation. It is to simply raise a point of our attachment to our body that can still linger on after we leave this body. Due to the body being preserved under the ground or in a Casket the attachment can unnecessarily linger on for longer period of time. As the Jiva can still associate itself with the body and remains in the realm of Ghosts. Now does this happen to everyone, obviously not but there is a greater chance of it happening in burial type funerals as oppose to cremation. This chance is dependent upon individual to individual and their attachment to their physical self. I am not trying to complicate things, just adding a bit to the discussion.

The reason i said the likely chance is higher in the West is due to the deeper Knowledge of the JivSoul and the law the reincarnation that isn't being recoganized in the west. This awareness predominently exists east which is also assisted through the Karma kaands (ritualistic) actions in the east that provide hints to the Jiva that now Go, move forward. Such as in Hinduism, I've heard of a ritual where a Ghra is broken near the head of the body, symbolizing that as the vase is broken then as is your body.

And yes you are right Grace of Naam can free you from all reincarnations. If that is the case with you that you have realized your True Self and the divine that resides within you, then this discussion is irrelivent.

Cremation is done to prevent the jiva from getting stuck in the astral-realm of ghosts (Pretaloka), by continued attachment to their former body and life. Cremation forces the Jiva to remove its attachment to the body while burying the body allows the attachment of the jiva to remain. Which can make it difficult for the Jiva to move forward on its journey.

Sadly the west has yet to fully understand this. This is one of the reason why there are so many more Haunted and Ghostly stories, place in the west as oppose to the east.

So Pakhandi baba ji, it is not so much what you choose to do with the flesh and bones, its your attachment to it that can cause unnecessary problems once the body has run its course. If you are detached from the body, then it is irrelivent what you do with it, but if you do not see yourself seperated from the body yet, then I strongly urge you to question your state of attachment in what and who you truely are.

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/index.php/2006/01...y-in-your-life/

i hope ure questions will be answered in this video !!

vaheguroooooooooo

impressive thoughts...good find veer.

thank you pheena ji,,,,

so to sum it up if i understand it correctly, desinty is there and written according to my past deeds, its my choice to either go with it and be content with it or fight it and become all workedup for nothing because there is really nothing i can do about it.

correct?

Yes, the key is in the perception, the view point you take in what is happening to you. Be content with what is happening, but you must allow the thought that it is his will to pierce your heart. That is the key. Even thought it might have been something from your past actions, it doesn't matter. If today you have surrendered yourself, the moment this surrender happens, then everything becomes his. The Good and the Bad, The Joy and the Pain, The Bliss is from him, as is your suffering. It is his will that you must remain content with. Then Happiness and Suffering become alike, from duality to Oneness.

suKu duKu dono sm kir jwnY Aauru mwnu Apmwnw ]

sukh dhukh dhono sam kar jaanai aour maan apamaanaa ||

One who knows that pain and pleasure are both the same, and honor and dishonor as well,

hrK sog qy rhY AqIqw iqin jig qqu pCwnw ]1]

harakh sog thae rehai atheethaa thin jag thath pashhaanaa ||1||

who remains detached from joy and sorrow, realizes the true essence in the world. ||1||

I'll post this too, but be watchfull of the dangers mentioned above when surrendering.

Generally this feeling comes about after a person has tried his very best to get out of some trying circumstances. Having made full use of his sense of doing, he finds himself defeated on all sides, and then he turns to Him in desperation, leaving everything to Him; but this is no real surrendering. From the very beginning you should not make any effort to change your circumstances, but leave everything in His hands.

Nanak's concept of supreme surrender is the ultimate spiritual path, the highest practice of a devotee. Then you needn't worry about choosing a path or method or scripture. You needn't worry about logic or proof of any philosophy; you have no use for any of these. The devotee rids himself of all these in the one stroke of surrender. He leaves everything at one time and cries out: "Thy way, not mine, O Lord! Thy will be done!"

Experiment a little and you will understand. Nanak is no philosopher. He has not written a scripture, his words are the expression of his inner feelings. He is giving voice to his own experience. You will have difficulty at every step because of the ego, whose very cry is: I know what is right and what should be.

There is a short story by Tolstoy: The god of death sent his angel to earth as an emissary to bring back the soul of a woman who had just died. The angel found himself in a dilemma because the woman had given birth to triplets.

All three were girls: one was still sucking milk from the dead mother, another was crying and the third was so exhausted that it had fallen asleep. Such was the state -- three little babies, the mother lying dead and no one to look after them, since the father was already dead and there was no one else in the family.

The angel returned without the woman's soul and told the god of death: "Forgive me, I did not bring back the woman's soul. You can't be aware of what I have just witnessed: there are three little babies that this woman has given birth to, one still suckling at her breast. There is no one to care for them. Can't you allow a little time to the mother so that the girls are big enough to look after themselves?"

"So you have become very clever and wise, it seems," said the god of death, "perhaps wiser than he who wills both death and life to all mortal beings. You have committed the first sin for which you shall be punished. You will have to return to earth and, until such time as you laugh three times at your own foolishness, you shall not return."

Understand this: laugh three times at your foolishness. The ego always laughs at the nonsense of others. When you can laugh at you own absurdity, the ego breaks. The angel readily agreed to undergo the punishment. He was quite certain he was right under the circumstances, and wondered how he would find an opportunity to laugh at himself. He was ejected from heaven.

It was almost winter. A cobbler, who was on his way to buy warm clothes for his children, came upon a poor man, bare to the bones and trembling in the cold. It was none other than our friend the angel. The cobbler felt sorry for him. Instead of buying the children's clothes with his hard-earned money, he went and bought clothes and a blanket for the naked man. When he also came to know that he had nothing to eat and nowhere to go, he offered him the shelter of his own house. However, he warned him that his wife was bound to get angry but he should not be upset, everything would be all right later on.

The cobbler arrived home with the angel. Neither the cobbler nor the wife had any idea who he really was. As soon as they entered the door the wife fired off a volley of abuse at her husband for what he had done.

The angel laughed for the first time.

The cobbler asked him why he laughed. "When I have laughed again I shall tell you," he answered, knowing that the cobbler's wife was unaware that the very presence of an angel who was her unwanted guest would confer a thousand benefits.

But how far can the human mind see? For the wife it was a loss of warm clothing for the kids. She can only see the loss, but not what had been found -- and free of cost, at that. So he laughed, because she didn't know what was happening around her.

Within seven days he learned the shoemaker's trade, and within a few months the cobbler's fame had spread far and wide. Even kings and noblemen ordered their shoes here, and money began to flow in an endless stream.

One day the king's servant came to the shop, bringing special leather in order to have a pair of shoes made for the king. "Take care you make no mistakes, for this is the only piece of leather of its kind," said the servant. "Also, remember, the king wants shoes and not slippers." In Russia, slippers are worn by a dead person on his last journey. The cobbler gave special instructions to the angel to be extra careful with the king's orders, or else they would be in trouble.

In spite of this the angel made slippers for the king. The cobbler was beside himself with rage. He was certain now he would be hanged. He ran to beat the angel with his stick. The angel laughed out loud at the very moment that a man came running from the king's court, saying, "The king is dead. Please change the shoes into slippers."

The future is unknown; only He knows what is to be. Man's decisions are all based on the past. When the king was alive he needed shoes, when he died he required slippers. The cobbler fell at the angel's feet and begged forgiveness. The angel replied, "Don't worry. I am undergoing my own punishment." And he laughed again.

The cobbler said, "What makes you laugh?"

The angel said, "I laughed for the second time because we do not know the future and we still persist in desires which are never fulfilled, because fate`has different plans.

The cosmic law works, destiny is set out, and we have no say in the matter. Yet we raise a hue and cry about things as if we are the makers of our destiny. The king is about to die, but he orders shoes for himself! Life is drawing to a close and we keep planning for the future."

Suddenly the angel thought of the triplets: I did not know what their future was going to be. Then why did I intervene unnecessarily in their affairs?

Soon the third event took place. Three young girls, accompanied by an old rich woman, came into the shop to order shoes. The angel recognized the girls as the daughters of the dead woman who had been the cause of his punishment. All three girls were happy and beautiful. The angel asked the old woman about the girls, and she said, "These are the three daughters of my neighbor. The mother was very poor, and died while nursing her new-born babies. I felt pity for such helpless babies and, since I had no children of my own, I adopted them."

Had the mother been alive, the girls would have grown up in poverty and suffering. Because the mother died the girls grew up in riches and comfort, and now they were heirs to the old woman's fortune. They were also to be married into the royal family.

The angel laughed for the third time.

He told the cobbler, "My third laugh is because of these girls. I was wrong. Destiny is great, while our vision is limited to what we can see.

What we cannot see is so vast. We cannot imagine the enormity of that which we cannot see and of that which is to be. Having laughed at my foolishness three times, my penalty is completed and now I must leave."

What Nanak says is that if you stop putting yourself in the middle, and stop getting in your own way, you will find the Path of Paths. Then you needn't worry about other paths. Leave all to Him and be thankful for whatever He has caused to happen for you, for whatever He is making you do this moment, for whatever He will cause you to perform. All praise unto Him! Give Him a blank check of gratitude. Whatever He has chosen for you and through you, whether you liked it or not, whether you were praised or blamed, whether people called it your good fortune or misfortune, let there not be even a trace of difference in your thankfulness.

Nanak sees only one path and that is: You are the formless, the almighty, You who abide forever. I am too small, like a wave in the ocean. I leave everything to You. You have given me so much. Your bounteous grace pours all the time everywhere; so much so that if I were to give myself as an offering a thousand times, it would be too insignificant. He knows only one path: Whatever pleases You is best for me.

" It is rather intricate and complicated. There are only two systems of sadhana -- of spiritual practice. The basis of one system is resolve, and that of the other is surrender. Both lead to the same goal but they are diametrically the opposite of each other.

The methods of Mahavir and Patanjali and Gorakh are based on resolve, on effort. All life-energy is devoted to the effort. When there is absolutely no energy remaining outside that effort, when you have given yourself up to it wholly, that very day the event will occur; when you have left nothing for yourself, your resolve will be complete and perfect.

Nanak, Meera and Chaitanya have followed the second path, the way of surrender. It is entirely different; the seeker believes that nothing happens through one's own effort -- only through His grace do we achieve. Now this does not mean you make no effort, but don't put too much faith in your prowess. Try you must, but remember that the outcome will happen only through His grace.

This is very, very important. If you rely only on your own labors, you will strengthen your ego. Therefore it is easy for a yogi to be proud, because he begins to believe that things are happening because of him.

Once this ego develops it is very difficult to be rid of it. It is easier to be rid of the arrogance of wealth, it is not difficult to renounce the pride of position, but it is very difficult to be rid of the ego of one's own endeavors.

There is every possibility of the seeker feeling that whatever is happening is because of him; the I becomes primary and God secondary. Because of this danger, Mahavir, Patanjali, Gorakh and others who follow this path lay great stress on the annihilation of the ego.

Make the effort, put your all into it, but renounce your ego is what they stress so emphatically. If the ego functions along with the effort, it will get stronger and stronger. Then you feel in whatever you do, I am doing it: I have done japa, I have done penance, I have attained occult powers. And if this arrogance is not eradicated in good time, you will have opened many doors but not the last. All your efforts will have been in vain.

Therefore, Nanak says: Try with all your might, but remember, His grace alone can bring about the happening. With this precaution, the risk in the method of resolve is removed. But there is a different risk in the path of surrender, which arises at the very beginning.

The danger is in feeling that there is no need to do anything. If the happening occurs only through His grace, what can we do? It becomes an excuse for not doing anything. So you remain involved in all the useless daily activities of life. You may assume it is not yet His will that you should set out on this path -- and so you wait. Meanwhile you indulge in all that is most contemptible in life; you wander in the maze of the material world.

Thus the danger in the path of surrender lies at the very onset -- you might become lost in laziness and inertia.

So try you must in the fullest measure, while remembering that the fruit of the endeavor is attained only through His grace. Therefore Nanak repeats over and over: His grace showers only on those within the gaze of His compassionate vision. On whom does this compassion descend but those who prepare themselves for it through their efforts?

Understand that in everyday life the meaning of a compassionate look is quite different. Does He too show partiality? Is He kind to His own but lets the rest be? Does He select a few to shower with His grace while He leaves others to suffer? We cannot associate God with such injustices. Things would become meaningless if a sinner might receive His grace while a saint is deprived of it. There would be no sense in doing anything.

No, this is not the meaning of the compassionate look. It is not that He chooses someone that suits His whim or fancy, or that He favors those who flatter and sing His praises. His grace showers on all, but there are some who have turned their pots upside down, so that they never get filled. If your pot is upright, it is bound to be filled. And don't imagine that your upright pot caused the grace to shower! Grace showers all the time.

Nanak says the filling takes place by His compassion, but some effort you have to make -- by placing your vessel in the proper position to receive.

And you will have to see that there are no cracks or holes in it, that it is not lying upside down or slanting so that the grace cannot reach the mouth of your vessel and enter it.

His grace pours on everyone incessantly. It is you who are not standing upright to receive it or in your twisting and turning, it slides off you.

There is an apparent contradiction: if you are deprived of grace you have only yourself to blame, but if you attain grace it is only because of Him. You attain through Him, lose through your own self.

When following the path of surrender it is imperative to remember that if I am losing, it is I who am wrong; if I am gaining, it is entirely by His grace. This way the ego cannot be fattened, because there is no space within for it to expand -- or even to exist. He who has no ego finds that God is within him. "

Awesome reply!

i jus have a question about the above.(i am probabalygoing off topic here...so im sorry peace)

what is one to do if one is in that situation where u dislike or like someone for no reason at all?(cuz of the mindz limitations)

Compassion helps eradicates past life animosities; an eye for an eye, hate for hate continues the cycle of karma. It must stop somewhere, someone must rise above it and express Patience, Compassion, Love.

You cannot always engage in a dialogue to resolve the situation that you clearly have no idea how it began. If dislike is there for someone for an unknown reason, then personally i'd do a small prayer alone asking for forgiveness and forgiving others even if you don't know what you did wrong or what they did wrong.

I do not know what mistake I may have comitted or what the other has done to me, but I ask for forgiveness anyways, allow us my beloved mother (God) to remove this darkness of hatred from our hearts. Thank God for the opportunity to make ammends, thank him for the oppotunity to delve into prayer.

So next time you see that person who you dislike, in your heart forgive him/her.