Ambrosia

This is my ride. a small fragile body that will die. someday. this is my house, 4 walls a window and a door. One day when i come back from the feilds it will have vanished. these are my belongings in boxes to give to charity or relatives, when this body is ash. The necklace i wear, is melted in the volcano lava to become part of a rock somewhere. the clothes and shoes protect nothing from the eyes of God, when i am peirced through by his/her glance. The time will come. the music i hear coming from such beautiful voices, are like a mirage becoming dry and inanimate, then air. The paintings on my walls will gather dust and fall from it's heavyness. the suitcase i'm dragging along the road is becoming heavy. I leave it there, standing oddly by itself. This is just a ride. So many faces come and go. Words murmured blur. It becomes the ocean and the land. Rushing by, rays of sunlight. I've walked miles tired. Waiting for the flight. Its all transitional, in phases, all that is here will soon disappear. The only thing remaining is the eternal One. I hear the laugher and the cries bubble up beneathe his breathe... and i become translucent, like vapour, like floating particles, like energy, like light, like slowly fading, then gone. like a whisper in the wind.

I'M always on the move. And I always return back to where I started. At home, I shelter My belongings on shelves, cupboards, in boxes, and suitcases. I lock the door and close the curtains. I don't want others to come in and steal what i think is mine. If something goes missing, i search for it frantically. All these things I deserve and bought, or were given to Me. But each year things disapear, one by one, and things get added again and again and again. Trying to fill up the space. With clutter, for the mind. Day after day, the same old way - i encarcerate myself, label Myself, become engrossed in the things i possess and even more engrossed in the things I want to possess. It gnaws at me like nails of rust, eating my insides. But i keep moving. Things around. Till it may please me so.

This is a good topic. A lot of people suffer from depression; 1/3 people in their lives will suffer from one kind of depression or another. (I've been through it too more than once... ) It happens, but it is important to talk about it with someone; a friend, a parent, in your prayers, a councellor, even a stranger. Sometimes there may be a reason for our depression(s) or downs, The sun is not out and the weather is icky, or you had a fight with someone, or bad marks, or no friends, or sometimes... there isnt even a reason (that is still very valid) - it just happens and we have no control~. The first step is talking about it, the second step is seeing what you can do about it. -Sometimes doing seva; or saying hi to a stranger, help people you dont know and see them smile... this brings great joy! (Of course, do not expect anything in return!!) -Pray, sing/listen to shabads, read the banis, read Sukhmani Sahib~ -Focus on others, once you do that their smiles will become your smile~! -Pick up a hobbie; painting, photography, writing, sports, walks outside and stop every once in a while to hear the birds churping~! It's also important not to stay inside all the time, force yourself to go outside even for a few minutes for some fresh air and perspective. -Find; what is your goal in life, and do anything in your capabilities to follow that goal/dream. (with good intentions of course!) -Wear or be around the colour bright colour yellow - it is lively, like the sun, warm and dynamic, it is a very happy colour ~! -Start a scrapbook, or notebook where you can vent, or write anything at all that bothers you, without fear of anyone ever reading it. (you can write it in code if you need to... but beest is when you can write quickly, to get it all off your chest). (Sometimes books are better listeners than people, and you may notice that through observing your writing, you can find solutions there~!) -Meditate for a while, on a regular basis; imagine happiness and love expanding outwards from your heart to fill your body and eventually your room, house, country, world, universe... -Remember God (highest happiness here!) -- no enemies, no friends, no hatred or fear! Remember your true nature... I hope these help! If you want to talk, feel free to pm me~!

Wow~~! Such amazing inspiring posts! :TH: My path to sikhism was an interesting one~! I've been interested and compelled to spiritual things since I was really young, and I used to ask my father questions about God. "Who is God? If God created us, who created God? Why do we live? Why do bad things happen if God is all-powerful? What happens to us after we die? Where do souls come from? What is time in relation to God?" So many questions, hahaha that my dad told me some answers (He is a catholic) that he had, but eventually he saw I have my own path to go on. So-- I started reading books on all sorts of religions and beleifs and spiritual practices; christianity, islam, zen, wicca, pagan, new age, hinduism, christianity again, boudism, I-ching stuff, the list goes on. I thought i had it all covered, but none of them were speaking to my heart... my heart had this other feeling... the essence it was looking for... THEN - when i least expected it, I started having more contact with Naam_Jap. He goes to my university and we work in the same place. I didnt know he was a sikh, and i had never heard about sikhism before! But he knew (because of a meditation and yoga club) that I was into spiritual a lot. We started talking. My first time reading Jaap Sahib Ji - WOW! I stared at the first line in total amazement, i could not contain my joy! It must have taken me a good 10 minutes before i read past the mool mantra!!! FINALLY a text that came straight to the point, and said exactly what my heart and soul knew... it all became very clear. ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR! THE NAME IS TRUTH! WOWWOWOWOW! Imense joy filled me instantly! Since then, i have been learning and reading and talking with others, and going more and more into sikhism... The essence, my heart and soul already knew, but the body didnt have a physical path to follow~! Sikhi has the essence and it has the lifestyle to accompany and nurture the essence! Much more to this story, but i will leave that to my book Im writing. LMAO GURU JI's KIRPA!!! Flows on all!!!!

Hehehe, I think there is a point here.... keep up the excercise and have a good balanced diet, rise early, infuse your mind with love for Waheguru by contemplating his name in the early hours, do seva... These are all things for a healthy good balanced lifestyle... nothing in sikhi is meant to make people fat, or unhealthy... everything in it's right amount!! There are these reasons for all these things. I'm begining to see that one way to truly appreciate this wonderful way of life, is by trying to follow it as closely as possible, and see the benefits flourish!

Thank you Shaheed, That covers the Gurmukhi alphabet and vowels. I already made a poster of them on my wall to have continuous repetition of them. I have also been reading the banis in both Gurmukhi and English, I take my time to read the words and pronounciation and find its a good way also... But in your post there, with the technique, you say it would take 2 weeks? You are only refering to the reading and writing aspect though right? How about learning punjabi - the vocabulary and sentence structure...

SSA!~ I'm fluent in french...~! I was thinking about this the other day actually... If we want to spread the mesg of sikhism more, we gots to reach more people... in different languages, or its targeting such a small potential! Or like this case, someone is into sikhism, wants to know more... but cant understand punjabi or english... I can take on the french translations ~! Hmm! Im going to start that!~! Yeah! :TH:

Hmm!~ I didnt know there were so many of you in Toronto!?! I was born there but now I'm from Montreal... If i can make a 5 hr drive.. lol But in working in Nova Scotia this summer! Next time a such event happens, I might be able to come!! @ :TH: woohoo!

Sat Sri Akal! I was wondering ~ I am learning punjabi and Gurmukhi... I'm english mother-tongue, so it's a good challenge! Do any of you have suggestions of how to practice and memorize? On sentence structure and grammar, and Gurmukhi? How did you learn punjabi, (if it is not your mother-tongue?)? What's the best way to learn and remember the Gurmukhi alphabet! right now i'm using q-cards with vocabulary on it... hmm Open to Any ideas!

Congratulations!!!!

Hmm, that is a really good point Naam_Jap: So... Why are we STILL trying to justify and get revenge and win and gain whatever advantage, and have VAIR in our minds... God is NIRVAIR....... I like this smily, and its somewhat appropriate,... <_< @

Random thoughts... I want to Stop Thinking. haha lovely irony. Banana, air, leaf... random... ok ok! Why do we continue to think that we are the ones that are thinking and that must stop thinking. We dont think, we dont exist. Only god exists. Why always forgetting this! ahhh! And its not me forgetting, i dont exist! Ahh, all his play. He is one and all. Must... Must ... remember....

Naam_Jap... interesting post there... Are you suggesting that God willed the attack on Harminder Sahib?! WOW what a concept! You mean, GOD himself made that attack happen? Just like everything else that happens? Like Jarnail Singh dying there too... you mean it was all His will... ALL is play? ALL GURU Ji's Will, and doing... And that there is no Khalistan yet... is also his will???! Not man's will?! Not enemies will? but God's will? Who has will... besides God himself. What would that make of our continued discussions for and against Khalistan and continual fighting... if all is his will... even the arguments are his will? All his wondruous play... Have we attached ourselves to these physical places, and thats why God wills things that we dislike?

Hmm, I think this is worth researching further so we got our facts straight... make sure the sources are reliable, not telephone oral la la... *putting critical thinking cap on* haha But, whatever it was that happenned... God made it happen. LOL So........ sall good

Hmm, But if it has to weigh like 35 kilos on the head... facts are, you're gonna get bald. Then what comes of your beautiful kesh... Also, its not healthy cause it puts a lot of weight on your back too, and if you tilt your head and some direction you can loose balance more easily, or it will do some bad things to your back... Medium dumallas are fine, they make sense for promotion, for intimidation as a warrior, for protection... but when it comes to HUGE... there's a limit... and flowers too?! Thats getting fancy. The body was made in a way to have good equilibrium the way it is... the head, the waist, the chest and legs have a certain percentage of weight that naturally makes sense... going beyond that by like 35 kilos is tooo much to be healthy. About promotion... it might promote, but i dont think everyone would enjoy to walk around with an extra boulder on their shoulders... Thats not whats going to promote sikhi... the Banis and the essence of the mesg of Sikhism is what will bring people to it... in crowds. If they only knew.... *sigh*

Thank you Khalsa for the clarification~~ lol you posted right before me i didnt see.... <_<

Hey, I think this can directly relate to the other topics going on now, about sikhi and being allowed to remarry, or have polygamy, and divorce... very interesting~~ Most people these days would agree that one should only have 1 partner. As it is only fair for the other person. Also if man and wife are to be one soul in TWO bodies.... and not one soul in 3, 4, 5, whatever (variable x) amount of bodies... (you could also argue that god is all, so theres not difference in whatever amount of bodies... but that would lead to major polygamy...) Some would argue that since it is the Guru, he is beyond our understanding, and if he had more than 1 wife, it was for some devine purpose... so there's that aspect also... What about the other Gurus? Hmm, lets go in dreamland for a second and imagine if there would have been a female Guru in one of the ten, as male and female are equal, would the female Guru have had 2 husbands? Please do not think these are any bad thoughts, they are just explorations... WGJK WGJF

LOL! Sorry, I have to laugh... <_< Why are you guys caring about numbers? The only number you have to know and care about is ONE... 1... un... ick... uno... ein... whatever language its in... There are not 153 gods, but ONE god. So, who cares if people die after 153 days after, or 154 days after, or 2 days after... or 50 days before... lol everyone dies. Eventually. Lets just remember... One... and infinity...

DHANAASAREE, FIFTH MEHL: He does not let His devotees see the difficult times; this is His innate nature. Giving His hand, He protects His devotee; with each and every breath, He cherishes him. || 1 || My consciousness remains attached to God. In the beginning, and in the end, God is always my helper and companion; blessed is my friend. || Pause || My mind is delighted, gazing upon the marvellous, glorious greatness of the Lord and Master. Remembering, remembering the Lord in meditation, Nanak is in ecstasy; God, in His perfection, has protected and preserved his honor. || 2 || 15 || 46 || Saturday 27 Chayt (Samvat 537 Nanakshahi) (Page: 682)

SSA Sony~! :wub: Awesome topic and posts and questions here~! Here are some of my thoughts on this topic: - Most Westerners dont know about sikhism and that it exists, unless they meet a sikh themselves. Even then, they might not know or find out about sikhism. - Most sikhs are so quiet about their faith. They don't talk about it much to others, and so it stays in the unawareness of christians and whatnot around them. (unless they are asked i suppose) -------------------------------------- - Lots of sikhs don't bother to look at other religions in fear of insulting or something, but it doesnt hurt to look, even when you think yours is the best <_< not to think about converting, but to see the intricate pattern of religions that God himself has woven. - When you understand other faiths, you come to see the similarities and the differences that makes the faiths unique. It leads to deeper understanding of your own religion. -------------------------------------- I think it would be a good idea to share with people of other faiths, what sikhism is, and also what their faith is. No arguing and fighting or trying to convert... but to keep all parties as open as possible to try and understand the other (this is usually the challenge)... but i think both parties need to become more aware and respectful of the other. There are a lot of possibilities on how to approach this also... I will have to think more and come back to it~~ :wub: :TH:

DHANAASAREE, FIFTH MEHL: You are the Giver, O Lord, O Cherisher, my Master, my Husband Lord. Each and every moment, You cherish and nurture me; I am Your child, and I rely upon You alone. || 1 || I have only one tongue ? which of Your Glorious Virtues can I describe? Unlimited, infinite Lord and Master ? no one knows Your limits. || 1 || Pause || You destroy millions of my sins, and teach me in so many ways. I am so ignorant ? I understand nothing at all. Please honor Your innate nature, and save me! || 2 || I seek Your Sanctuary ? You are my only hope. You are my companion, and my best friend. Save me, O Merciful Saviour Lord; Nanak is the slave of Your home. || 3 || 12 || Friday 26 Chayt (Samvat 537 Nanakshahi) (Page: 673)

HEY! I just got that fixed... Anyone who is using FIREFOX wont be able to see it. you have to use Internet Explorer or something...

SSA~ I wanted to check it out, but it appears as blank. Whats going on! Let me know~ New sikhi websites are always good~~~

This is a really inspiring post! I think its definately good points there! Lets take action!!!!!!! <_<

WOW~~ heheh Sher_Panjabi ; really good post~! I agree! I think it is crucial that us, as the youth in sikhism right now, need to fully understand the roots and history, and reasoning behind the beginnings of Sikhism so to avoid drifting away from the real essence of what it is. It was meant to be a way of life. But now more of an organised religion. I think it would be a good idea for each of us to question what we do, seek for the essence of the teachings... maybe write a paragraph or so on what you think brings grace to God, and what the essence of this religion is. Once we have that firmly in our understanding, we can maybe tackle and question what is straying, what has changed from before, and what needs to be adressed... We are the future, and our children who will learn from us and our actions, are the future future... lets put the responsibility in our hands to keep sikhism as pure as it first started. any thoughts?