Sherdil

One God

Staten Island isn't dangerous. It's mostly middle-class. Some bad parts, but mostly okay. I lived in Harlem for about a year. People think that's a bad area, but those people were friendlier than the goreh downtown. Overall, most people don't bother you, unless you go looking for trouble. Now people go out of their way to talk to you.

Haha, yeah you will probabaly get more stares without the dastaar. Lol. New York police finally allowed Sikhs officers to wear dastaars. This happened right after the shooting. I expect to see a lot more sardars in the force.

Used to get stares, occasionally heckled. However, a lot of nice people as well. Since the Wisconsin shooting, people are really friendly. No more stares. People try to talk to you. They finally figured out who we are. I think you should come to New York, if you want to. There is plenty of sangat here. You will enjoy yourself.

Man...that guy is such a sell-out. From the video, it appears that the sardar owns a sneaker store. Jim Jones probably knows him in real-life, and he wanted to include him in the video after what happened in Wisconson. I see it as a way of showing solidarity with the Sikh community. However, the sardar is a tool. He knows Sikhs aren't supposed to smoke. He just wanted to look cool in a music video.

Thank you SunSingh ji. I apologize for not reading your previous post. This is what I was looking for. What is this really saying to us? Snakes covet wealth? Prostitutes are lustful (okay) Pigs love their children? Goblins live in mansions? Has anyone ever seen a goblin? At the end Trilochan says that people who have God on their minds are not reincarnated. Someone who has merged their mind with God, (a Jivan Mukht) always has God on their minds. They do not become attached to wealth, lust, family, mansions, and other illusions of Maya. I don't think we should get caught up in the literal meanings that poets use (gurbani is a poem). Rather, the meaning is only discovered under the surface, when the piece is analyzed in its entirety. EDIT: In my humble opinion, such references should be treated in the same way as references to Hindu deities. They are a means to an end. Often used to demonstrate a point, but not to be taken literally.

Nirbbou and Nirvair. This means without fear and without rival. Vair means rival, not hatred. God has no rival. I'm not fighting gurbani. I think some people on here are misinterpreting it. Gurbani doesn't say what what you will come back as. It just says you will come back. I can't understand why some people can't just leave it at that. Why do you guys have to make up these grand theories to make sense of something that even gurbani doesn't try to explain?

I’m not jumping from one statement to another. I’m replying to what you have written. You are the one who brought up the idea that people with good karma are born into rich families and those with lesser karma are born into poor families. I believe whole heartedly in Gurbani, just not the version you are interpreting. I guess it would be better to tell him that he was born in a brothel because he had bad karma in his past life. Yes, it’s his fault. You should point out that the rich boy has a lot of toys to play with because he did good deeds in his past life. If the poor boy wasn’t a sinner, then he could have been born rich too. What a great mahapurakh you are! If a woman smokes during her pregnancy, she is hurting her baby. According to your formula, she is creating a new karmic cycle. No different than someone walking up to you and punching you in the face. I believe that life begins at fertilization. Gurbani doesn’t refute this belief. I don’t think the Japan tsunami was fair. I don’t think the Black Plague was fair. I don’t think drought and famine is fair. I don’t think Mt. Vesuvius destroying Pompeii was fair. Stop looking for qualities in God that suit your needs. Accept Him for what He is. One who recognizes bad and good as one and the same - in this way he is absorbed into the Lord and Master. ||8|| What sort of love is this, which clings to duality? O Nanak, he alone is called a lover, who remains forever immersed in absorption. But one who feels good only when good is done for him, and feels bad when things go badly - do not call him a lover. He trades only for his own account. ||1|| Why did you split my statement in two? I was giving you an example of how God isn’t always fair. I wasn’t talking about that pankti. I will break my points up into separate paragraphs from now on, so you don’t get confused. I was replying to what you said: “ It is foolish of you to change Gurbani meaning to suit your own twisted thinking. Believe what you want but don’t misinterpret Gurbani to justify your false beliefs.” Believing that meditating on Naam is the best way to achieve good karma isn’t a false belief. Thank you for agreeing with me this time though. Wow, way to dodge my question. Good answer. I think Gurbani is saying that your past mistakes, from this life, can be erased if you enshrine yourself within the Naam. If a thief changes his ways and starts meditating on the Naam, then he too can achieve jivan mukhti. I think I am going to stop replying to you now. It’s clear that you don’t have the answer. You are just beating around the bush. You also have a tendency to get mad when your views are questioned. This isn’t becoming of someone with high spirituality. Remember that anger is one of the 5 evils. Guru Rakha.

Okay, but it still doesn't say that someone is born into a rich family or poor family based on one's previous karma. I don't have any evidence that says someone isn't born rich because of their past karma. You don't either. You are reaching for meaning that isn't there. Sant Sundar Singh and Sant Gurbachan Singh said they were Hindu saints in their previous life. I guess you just have to take their word for it? I think we are given an equal start. Rich or poor doesn't matter. A rich man may have a more comfortable life, but he could still be spiritually poor. Defects result in embryogenesis due to evironmental factors during the pregnancy. Maternal malnutrition is the most common cause of intra-uterine growth defects. Maternal diabetes can cause excessively large babies, with hyperplasia of the islets of langerhans in the pancreas. Abortions and neonatal death rates are higher in diabetic mothers. Rubella virus and Cytomegalovirus can cross the placenta and damage the CNS, eyes and ears of the baby. Downs Syndrome babies are born more frequently to older women. There is a direct correlation with increasing maternal age and Downs Syndrome. Smoking during pregnancy causes spontaneous abortions, underweight babies, still-born babies and underdeveloped babies. Too much caffiene during pregnancy hinders the development of the baby's central nervous system. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes growth retardation, small heads,heart defects, mental cognition problems, Isotretinoin consumed during pregnancy causes ear malformations, facial abnormalities, cleft palate and neural tube defects in the baby. Aminopterin and Methotrexate cause skull defects, high arched palate, reduction in the development of structures derived from the first brachial arch, absence of fingers. Too much androgenic hormones causes masuclinization of female genitalia. You want me to list more? I'm getting tired of typing though. All of these things are avoidable, just like diabetes and high blood pressure are avoidable. That's comforting. Why does God have to be fair? It's His creation. He can do whatever He wants. We can't judge Him. I will ask again, why did God bring the tsunami to Japan? Did I say I was talking about that pankti? No I didn't. Here you go: karam dhharam anaek kiriaa sabh oopar naam achaar ||2|| The many religious rituals, good deeds of karma and Dharmic worship - above all of these is the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||2|| Sikhi was founded a little over 500 years ago. What religion was the most fortunate one to be born into before that? So what were you in your past life?

Too many shootings recently. What's wrong with people?

I can't provide any evidence, and you can't either. You are making an inference. God doesn't make people born disabled. Rather it's due to defects in embryogenesis. Science is a part of Hukam also. Who says God has to be fair? You want Him to play by our rules? The pankti you are quoting is irrelevant to what we are discussing. Karmi aapae apni. Kai nedhe Kai dhoor. This doesn't say that karma carries over to the next life. Guru ji said that meditating on Naam is the best way to get good karma. People enshrined with Naam are closer to God than moorakhs. Sikhs are now the highest form of incarnation? So much for killing one's haumai. Show me examples from gurbani that illustrate past life's karma influences this life. Even if you were to somehow attain knowledge of your past life, how would this affect your Sikhi? What use is this knowledge? Who cares?

Find somebody to talk to. Professional help maybe.

I agree that Hukam is the law of the Universe. Karma is cause and effect. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is a law of physics. I get that. Gurbani states that we return because we have karam to make up for. It doesn't state what we come back as, nor does it state that the karam from our past life plays any interference in our current life. We simply come back to try again. Lol. Didn't you read my disclaimer? I am not saying Guru ji suffered due to past karam. "Karmi aapae aapni, kahi nehre kahi dhoor." Your karma is in your own hands. It brings you closer or farther from God. "Sat gur kae janamae, gavan mitayah". Born into the guru's home, my reincarnation has ended. This was written by Guru Nanak. It means that those who realize Waheguru do not have to go through the cycle of birth and death again. He has realized God, therefore he has freed himself from this cycle.

Guru Tegh Bahadur and the elder Sahibzadey gave their lives willingly. Guru Arjan was arrested by the Moghuls and the younger Sahibzadey were captured and buried in a brick wall. You have said that If person X hurts person Y, then person Y has an opportunity to get even with person X in the next life. If person Y takes revenge, then the karmic cycle continues. If person Y doesn't take revenge, then he doesn't attain any bad karma, but person X keeps on suffering until he can do something to make up for it. How do you know that Guru Arjan didn't do something bad to his torturers in his past life? By your logic, maybe God gave the torturers an opportunity to get even. Where does one karmic cycle begin and another end. DISCLAIMER: THE GURUS AND SAHIBZADEY DID NOT DESERVE THEIR FATE. THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY BAD KARAM. THEY WERE BETTER SIKHS THAN ALL OF US. THEY HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT.

What about when we say Hukame andhar sabh koh, bahar Hukam nah kohi. If everything is done by God then who is good and who is bad? Where does free will come into play? How can karma decide who is born rich or poor. What use is money, when Guru Sahib has told us that money is of no use after we die. How is money any kind of reward. If anything, it makes you more attached to Maya because you have the ability to purchase materialistic things. Bhai Mardana was still born a Muslim. Therefore, he was not born into a lower varna as Chatanga stated.

Bro, I keep asking questions because you can't give me a straight answer. You have contradicted yourself with each response. Guru Arjan was burned alive. Guru Tegh Bahadur was decapitated. The Saibzadey were killed. Was it because of their Karam? If you can tell me what Bhai Mardana was in his past life, then surely you can tell me what the Gurus and Sahibzadey did to deserve their fate. By the way, Bhai Mardana was a Muslim. Therefore he wasn't part of any varna, as you have stated.

You are not a bad Sikh! You care about your kids' Sikh upbringing. That is great! If your partner wants to become a Sikh, then that is also good news! It means you both are on the same page. A Sikh does not discriminate based on skin color, caste, or creed. It shouldn't matter what race she is. A Sikh is anyone who believes in the mool mantar and lives their life according to the teachings of the Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib, with the end goal of realizing God and thus achieving liberation. Taking Amrit shows a dedication to this path, because you are essentially making a formal promise to the Guru.

Instead of 5 evils to avoid, maybe put 5 evils to control. If you are avoiding them, then you aren't in control of them. You are just running away from your problems. Under the 5 evils, you have added 3 more. Make a new category for these, so as not to confuse non-Sikhs who would then count 8 evils instead of 5. Otherwise great job!

Can you please explain more? Are you saying that people who have good karma are born into Brahman families, and those who have bad karma are born into Shudra families?

Bro, you are contradicting yourself. You said that Shudras, in their past life, were Brahmans that cheated people. That means that God has punished those Brahmans by making them Shudras. Shudras are destitute and downtrodden. So we shouldn't feel sorry for them because those cheating Brahmans got what they deserved. If this isn't what you are saying, then perhaps you should elaborate. What happens to people who cheat in other parts of the world, as Shudras only exist in India? No, I don't know what Bhai Mardana was in his past life, and neither does anyone else except God.

Why do we have to look at life as a punishment? Can't we see it as another opportunity to realize God? If we are reborn, then God is giving us another chance to get it right.

How can anyone know this? Do you remember anything from your past life? Why would god punish you, but then make you forget what you did? So you can keep repeating the same mistakes again and again? You are saying that certain people deserve to be born destitute and downtrodden. I can't imagine any of the Gurus sharing your view. They said Shudras and Brahmans are equals. Actually, this is called medicine.

Not you bhaji, I was referring to a comment by panthicunity ji. If you guys stop "monahs" from marrying at gurdwara, that isn't gonna make them want to become sardars. Instead, they will form their own committee and make their own gurdwara. Maybe they will call it something like Sehajdhari Sikh Center. They could possibly end up forming their own sect, or breaking off from Sikhi like the Ravidassias. So much for panthic unity.

I think it's good that Sikhs appear in front of the guru in Sikhi saroop. Even if it's only for the anand karaj ceremony. Doesn't everyone want to look their best on their wedding day? A Sardar groom looks like a king. It will be a sad day when grooms start wearing ramaals. Just cuz a guy cuts his hair don't automatically make him a druggy alcoholic. This is what I mean by changing the holier-than-thou mindset. You guys act like you've never seen a dunk sardar. I've even seen sardars hanging out at night clubs, passing around a joint. Don't be so quick to judge others.

Flag the video. These kinds of people exist in the world. People who can laugh when innocents die.