humble_kaur

Fateh Sinister Veer Ji, I found myself in the same dilemma of questioning what translations are best when trying to understand Gurbani. But, by merely reading the translations, not understanding the concepts, the underlying meaning of what Guru Ji is trying to say really becomes pointless. Instead of asking the credibility of the translation, ask the question what is Guru Ji saying to me? Like many times before, you have fallen prey to literal meanings of Gurbani. I myself am still learning. This is what I have come to learn what Guru Ji is saying. Once again, my interpretations, is what I understand, so please forgive me. socY soic n hoveI jy socI lK vwr ] Ritual purification, though million-fold, may not purify the mind. cupY cup n hoveI jy lwie rhw ilv qwr ] By Remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within. Even if I wash myself a million times, I cannot become pure. By keeping my body clean, does not make my mind remain pure and clean. Even if I meditate with concentration, my mind will still remain unsettled. You can recite Nitnem as many times as you want. You can do sewa of Guru Ji. But, if you think by merely doing this, and reciting Gurbani, you will attain God, then you are sadly mistaken. For all these things do not make your mind pure. It is through understanding and experiencing the Shabad. BuiKAw BuK n auqrI jy bMnw purIAw Bwr ] The hunger of the hungry is not appeased, even by piling up loads of worldly goods. shs isAwxpw lK hoih q iek n clY nwil ] Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks, but not even one of them will go along with you in the end. Even if I house all the riches in the world, my desire will still not be fulfilled. Even if I obtain all the skills and knowledge of the world, not one skill will give me guidance. You seem to always be referring to scholars in helping you to find answers. Regardless of what they tell you, or what you read, they can still not comprehend the essence of God. ikv sicAwrw hoeIAY ikv kUVY qutY pwil ] So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away? hukim rjweI clxw nwnk iliKAw nwil ]1] O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1|| How can I become suitable, capable of this enlightenment of God? How can I remove this veil of falsehood? How can I break away from this falsehood? By following the Hukam of God, by living in the Hukam of God. If you follow what Guru Ji has so humbly given to us, the teachings, God’s Word, in Sri Guru Sahib Ji, then you can experience God, His Love. hukmI hovin Awkwr hukmu n kihAw jweI ] By His Command, bodies are created; His Command cannot be described. hukmI hovin jIA hukim imlY vifAweI ] By His Command, souls come into being; by His Command, glory and greatness are obtained. By His Hukam, all beings are created, our bodies, our appearances. We cannot describe what His Hukam is. By His Hukam, all living beings are born and by His Hukam we are praised of our virtues and gunn. hukmI auqmu nIcu hukim iliK duK suK pweIAih ] By His Command, some are high and some are low; by His Written Command, pain and pleasure are obtained. ieknw hukmI bKsIs ieik hukmI sdw BvweIAih ] Some, by His Command, are blessed and forgiven; others, by His Command, wander aimlessly forever. In His Hukam, some become good, and some become bad. In His Hukam, whatever we do in our life, be it good or bad, we benefit or suffer from the consequences. In His Hukam we are either blessed with His Blessings, or we keep on being incarnated in this cycle of life and death. hukmY AMdir sBu ko bwhir hukm n koie ] Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond His Command. nwnk hukmY jy buJY q haumY khY n koie ]2] O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego. ||2|| All of us are in His Hukam. No one can go beyond His Hukam. Once we realize His Hukam, we do not talk of self interest anymore. We lose all forms of selfishness. We become humble. Our actions are not for us anymore, our actions, our thoughts, only radiate in the depiction of God. gwvY ko qwxu hovY iksY qwxu ] Some sing of His Power-who has that Power? gwvY ko dwiq jwxY nIswxu ] Some sing of His Gifts, and know His Sign and Insignia. If one has the capability, he sings of the strength and power of God. Some sing of his riches and wealth, think of Him as a sign. gwvY ko gux vifAweIAw cwr ] Some sing of His Glorious Virtues, Greatness and Beauty. gwvY ko ividAw ivKmu vIcwru ] Some sing of knowledge obtained of Him, through difficult philosophical studies. Some sing of His Virtues, Greatness and Beauty. Some try to understand His Gyan by the means of knowledge and education. gwvY ko swij kry qnu Kyh ] Some sing that He fashions the body, and then again reduces it to dust. gwvY ko jIA lY iPir dyh ] Some sing that He takes life away, and then again restores it. Some sing that God creates us, then he reduces us to dust again. Some even sing that God takes life from one, and then puts life into another. gwvY ko jwpY idsY dUir ] Some sing that He seems so very far away. gwvY ko vyKY hwdrw hdUir ] Some sing that He watches over us, face to face, ever-present. Some people say that God seems very far away, He is unreachable. But some say He is very near, He is ever present. He is looking over everyone. kQnw kQI n AwvY qoit ] There is no shortage of those who preach and teach. kiQ kiQ kQI kotI koit koit ] Millions upon millions offer millions of sermons and stories. Millions of people have tried many times to preach and obtain the knowledge of God, but they were unable to attain the rus of the Shabad. They were unable to realize, to find, or recognize the Shabad Guru. dydw dy lYdy Qik pwih ] The Great Giver keeps on giving, while those who receive grow weary of receiving. jugw jugMqir KwhI Kwih ] Throughout the ages, consumers consume. God keeps on giving food, wealth, and the riches of the world to us. We, however, on the receiving end get tired of receiving. Every living being has continuously consumed the riches and wealth that God has so generously given us. But how many actually thank him for his immeasurable generosity? hukmI hukmu clwey rwhu ] The Commander, by His Command, leads us to walk on the Path. nwnk ivgsY vyprvwhu ]3] O Nanak, He blossoms forth, Carefree and Untroubled. ||3|| By His Hukam, we see the path very clearly. He guides us with the teachings of Gurbani. God is without worries; He is content. Through Gurbani, we are taught to live a life of humbleness, so we can also be worry free, and content with what God has given us. swcw swihbu swcu nwie BwiKAw Bwau Apwru ] True is the Master, True is His Name-speak it with infinite love. AwKih mMgih dyih dyih dwiq kry dwqwru ] People beg and pray, ""Give to us, give to us"", and the Great Giver gives His Gifts. God is always and will always remain constant, He is always be stable. His Principle, His Word, is everlasting, it is unchangeable. His Words are full of love. God is endless, limitless. WE ask God to bless us with gifts, “Oh Lord, please bestow your gifts upon us. Please give us your blessings.” God still blesses us! God doesn’t request us to beg from Him. He is ever giving, He will still keep on giving gifts to those who do not even recognize Him. Take a look around you, what you have and own. Did you get it all from your own doings? The house and bed you sleep in, were you capable of obtaining them on your own? No. All these things we enjoy in life, they are all His Blessings, His Gifts. HE IS AMAZING!! Pyir ik AgY rKIAY ijqu idsY drbwru ] So what offering can we place before Him, by which we might see the Darbaar of His Court? muhO ik bolxu bolIAY ijqu suix Dry ipAwru ] What words can we speak to evoke His Love? What offering can we give to God? What can we place before Him, so that we can see the Light? What should we speak, what ardas should we do, so that by listening to it God will bless us with His Limitless Love? You say that God has given us this life, that he owes US something in return. Once again, take a look around you, what hasn’t HE given you? You say a mother takes care of her child, brings us into this world, and takes care of us, and we never thank her. If you can’t even thank your mother, then what can you possibly thank God for? Once again, I repeat, what hasn’t God blessed us with? AMimRq vylw scu nwau vifAweI vIcwru ] In the Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness. krmI AwvY kpVw ndrI moKu duAwru ] By the karma of past actions, the robe of this physical body is obtained. By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found. nwnk eyvY jwxIAY sBu Awpy sicAwru ]4] O Nanak, know this well: the True One Himself is All. ||4|| To obtain salvation, liberation and eternal bliss, we should arise during Amrit Vayla, as this is the time that our mind has not been poisoned by the world yet, and do Nitnem. Remember Him for His greatness. With God’s Blessings we attain the garment of Naam. With God’s Blessings, we are released from all falsehood and in return, find liberation. This way we come to the realization that God is everywhere, all pervading. God is not insecure; it is our insecurities that we don’t accept Him. He doesn’t need to be reminded how Great He is. God doesn’t ask of you to remember Him. That is your choice alone. Anyone would be a fool to not recognize the generosity of God. God has not given us a corrupt mind. When you are born, God does not send you to this earth with a corrupt mind. YOU and only YOU corrupt the mind yourself. YOU choose what YOUR mind, YOUR thought processes are. NOT GOD! You make it sound like the mind is being punished, but really who puts these extra stresses on the mind? YOU. God told us to live a simple, humble life. YOU choose what you want from the day you were born. So don’t blame God! You accuse God of playing games with us. You accuse God for torturing us. You know what, the sad truth is, we are playing games with ourselves, we are torturing ourselves. Being in human form is the greatest gift that God has given us. We enjoy the luxuries He has put on this earth. Yet, you fall under the false assumption that God has not given you anything. Again Sinister Veer Ji. You amaze me with your questioning. “Should God praise us?” Hmmm…let me think. NO! For what? What have we, as Humans shown Him? He has given us so much, and we cannot even graciously remember Him, follow His Teachings. We cannot even take half hour out of our day to devote to Him, and only Him. Our minds start to wander in what we have to do, or what we have done, or what we still have to do. But, God is always with us. His Attention is always with us 24/7. How can you even question His validity? Then you ask the sangat to not use Gurbani in answering your questions. I’m sorry, but the only answers that someone can give you, is by answering with God’s Word. For if you are accusing Him, then He should answer you. Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh, I respect your point Drawrof Veer Ji. I was also one, of many, that celebrated these occasions. But that was when I also believed that the Guru pictures that we have, are in fact of the Guru’s themselves. When Guru Nanak Dev Ji obtained the gyan/Jot, he never had any idol, or person who he looked towards or worshiped. It was God, and only God. We all love and respect our parents. Some may even consider them as idols. But will you still celebrate their birthday or their death anniversary when they are gone, or will you remember them by their gunn, their virtues, what they taught you? If you can say that you will, then you are the first that I have come across. I agree with you, but we, as humans, err and follow a sant and look at them as an example to carry this beautiful Sikhi Jeevan, instead of listening to what they are saying about God. In a sense it becomes idol worship. We should look at them as being blessed beings, but even before that, we should ask ourselves how did they become so blessed? By the Shabad Guru. I have been through all that myself, but I was never inspired. For me to realize God, it happened because of circumstances in my life. It had no bearing on what happened to our Gurus or any of the shaheeds. I was fortunate, in my teenage years, to have parents that put us in Punjabi school, so we could be taught how to read Gurbani. Throughout my life I would listen about the sacrifices that were made by people for Sikhi, but, for some reason, regardless of how much respect I had for them, it never inspired me to go towards this path. It was an effort that I made to read and interpret Gurbani, sitting amongst saadh sangat, and listening to Guru Ji’s Divine Words that brought me in this path. It was love for Him. It was hunger for Him. Singh Sahib Professor Darshan Singh Ji is a person I greatly admire for his knowledge of Gurbani. When he was here in Surrey, I saw so much sangat come to listen to his Kirtan. It was amazing. But, how many actually went because he was educating us with the message of Guru Ji, and how many went because he is a recognized keertani? The answer we will never know. I am in no way saying I don’t have respect for our Guru Ji or that I do not look upon the sacrifices that they made for our dharam. Guru Ji looked past their sacrifices and tortures, and still loved those people who brought upon them these horrible doings, and through all that, still kept remembering God. It was God's Will, and they accepted it. Whatever happened is great, what didn't happen is also great. They did not remember the Guru before them and what sacrifices they made. Look back to some of the credible sakhiyan, do you see any of the Guru’s refer to the previous? Or celebrate their living? (this is my opinion only, for I am still learning, so if I’m wrong, please do correct me). There are many great people in this world, some of which have reached the state of Brahm Gyan, will you celebrate them as well? They are all “living witnesses” to Gurbani. Remember them. Celebrate them. But don’t confine them to a single day of their birth or death. Celebrate their virtues, their gunn, and try to strive for that living. Our Guru is still living, he is ever present, in every being. So how can we give Him a birthdate or death anniversary? Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh, I respect your view Gupt Daasan Das Veer Ji, but I don’t agree with a lot of it. Remember the Guru’s were humble beings. We chose to celebrate these different occasions. I don’t recall in Gurbani where the Guru Ji said, come and celebrate my being, it was always the celebration of God. It has always been the celebration of the Shabad Guru. It is always the celebration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The teachings of God, what the Guru’s inscribed in our beloved Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, only incorporated the values, the beliefs, a guide for a Sikhi Jeevan. The Guru never made mention of birthdays or death anniversaries. The Guru's emphasized the philosophy of "Shabad Guru". Today we celebrate Gurpurab, we celebrate Joti Jot, and we celebrate death anniversaries. Our calendars tell us that there is a birthday of our Guru, a death anniversary of our Guru. We have falsely believed that the Guru Ji is the deh of the Guru. If you consider Guru Nanak Dev Ji to be a human form, then of course this human form has a birth date and also a deceased date. But the Guru we believe in has no form or roop. The Guru/Jot was never born and never dies. So how can it have a birthday or a death anniversary? Nanak is the name of the body, and Guru is the name of the Shabad, gyan. When this gyan, jot was attained by Nanak, he became Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Our Guru is the Shabad, the gyan. The Guru is ever present. He never changes. He never dies. He is never born. He never comes. He never leaves. As the Truth is eternal, the Guru, Satguru is "Eternal". Hence, He is beyond birth and death. Thus, He cannot be a physical body, for they are perishable. Guru Nanak Dev Ji says his Guru is the Shabad that resides deep within the self, and, in turn, Naam is the Essence of the Shabad. Therefore, Satguru, Shabad and Naam are essentially one and the same. AMqir sbdu inDwnu hY imil Awpu gvweIAY ]7] Deep within the self is the treasure of the Shabad; it is obtained only by eradicating selfishness and conceit. Guru Nanak Dev Ji didn’t consider any embodied being, scripture or any idle as his Guru, yet the world Guru or Satguru appears over and over again in the Shabads. He is not addressing himself as the Guru/Satguru in the Shabad; instead, he is addressing Akaal Purakh as Satguru. Guru Nanak Dev Ji calls himself a “servant”, “slave” etc. guru nwrwiexu dXu guru guru scw isrjxhwru ] The Guru is the All-pervading Lord, the Guru is the Merciful Master; the Guru is the True Creator Lord. guir quTY sB ikCu pwieAw jn nwnk sd bilhwr ]4]2]170] When the Guru was totally satisfied, I obtained everything. Servant Nanak is forever a sacrifice to Him. I know a lot of people these days that only think of our Guru on these dates. How can we limit their remembrance to a day? We should remember our Guru, Satguru continuously. How? By living our lives by following the virtues, and obtaining the qualities, gunn, gyaan that they all lived by. We should celebrate by spreading God’s Divine Words, and living them. When we go to the Gurdwara, we should know and remember why we are going. ibnvMiq nwnk inq krhu rlIAw hir imly sRIDr kMq jIau ]7] Prays Nanak, I celebrate continuously; I have met my Husband Lord, the Lord of excellence. ||7|| Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh Veer Ji, I personally believe that this is a learning process. These youngsters will be posed with such questions in their life time. I think this is great that they can read both points of view. This way they will become stronger in what they believe in, Waheguru Ji. Life is not perfect. We get confronted by all sorts of issues. We will know how to answer to them. I know, personally for myself, I have learned a great deal from this. Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh, A Sikh is required to worship only one God and follow the teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. A Sikh is not to worship any heavenly bodies, such as the sun or moon, or images, pictures, or paintings of gods, not even their own Gurus. The Gurus never permitted any paintings, busts, or sculptures of themselves to be created. They only taught and emphasized the philosophy of 'Shabad Guru.' jh dyKau qh nwil guir dyKwilAw ] Wherever I look, there the Guru has shown me that God is always with me. AMqir bwhir Bwil sbid inhwilAw ]2] Searching inwardly and outwardly as well, I came to see Him, through the Word of the Shabad. ||2||

I’m taking Biology right now, and what a coincidence that this topic came up tonight in class! I think the cloning of any species, be it a human or an animal is morally and ethically wrong. Cloning can cause severe physical and psychological effects. For instance, if a human were cloned, that child would have severe psychological effects. My teacher used the example of Dolly. Before her birth, nineteen out of 277 were considered healthy, and of those nineteen, only five survived, but four of them died after ten days of birth due to abnormalities. Can you imagine if it was a human? I guess scientists have run out of things to explore/invent. So now why not just interfere in God’s creation a little more and start cloning humans? Let’s interfere with the whole cycle of natural reproduction. Science is a great field, don’t get me wrong, it helps explain the unexplainable. But, with all experiments being conducted, they are still theories. This world was created long before scientists. Laws of nature were here long before scientists started to explore them, yet, the scientists think they know all. A human clone would be the exact replica of the parent. Therefore, not only will they suffer severe psychological effects, but also now they will lose their identity, their sense of individuality. One will start questioning the definition of self. I know in Sikhi we are to eradicate the idea of self, but this is definitely no way to do it. God has created each human on this earth in his or her own uniqueness; even identical twins don’t look alike. Ok, let's go one step further. What if they start to clone animals so they can be used as donors for humans. What about the diseases that we would get from such doings? I understand that animals are used to create many vaccines to cure diseases, but to start cloning them for human organs? Where would we draw the line? Out of an article that the teacher provided there was a statement in it that a lot of people against cloning brought up: “That the clone would have no soul, no mind, no feelings or emotions of their own, no say in how their life will be with their destiny predetermined for them, and that each individual clone would not be unique.” Is this what we want? If the statement holds true, and the human clone has no soul, then how can there be life in that clone? The soul is what makes the human; it is a part of God. If humans were cloned, then scientists are trying to play “God” by creating and predetermining their destiny. This is the reason why so many people today are caught between who to believe, God or Science. Humans have a tendency to believe in what can be seen and touched physically, rather than having faith and believing in God. Of course there is also the issue of genetically modifying foods and organisms. The benefits in plants include enhanced taste, increased nutrients, and resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides. In animals there is increased resistance, productivity, better yield of meat, eggs and milk, and overall improved animal health and diagnostic methods. The environment benefits also due to conservation of soil, water and energy, better natural waste management. The society benefits because there is increased food security for growing populations. But there are controversies as well. There is the safety issue. Potential human health impact: allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers. Potential environmental impact: unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other organisms, and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity. There is also the ethics factor. It is a violation of natural organisms' intrinsic values. There is tampering with nature by mixing genes among species. There are objections to consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa. It causes stress for animals. Some ways cloning has advantages some ways it doesn’t. But, the human mind can never rest. It is always working to prove something, regardless if it has a positive outcome or negative one.

We, as humans, tend to forget what it means to be a Sikh. Let's remind ourselves. 1) Meditation (Nam Japna) -A sikh is directed to concentrate his mind on God, to reflect on God’s virtues such as love, benevolence, and kindness. =>this can be done by reciting Gurbani, or by sitting in a quite place and attentively thinking of Him alone, forgetting everything else -through constant meditation, a Sikh develops a feeling of affection and love for all humans -this achievement or realization changes the thinking and behavior of a person. =>instead of hurting others, he enjoys utilizing his life serving the needy persons =>he cannot think of doing any act to harm a person, because he ‘sees’ the living God inside every human being -Nam is given the highest priority in the Sikh faith 2) Honest living (Dharm Di Kirt) -a person’s earnings, however large or small, should come from honest means -there is always a great temptation to live a comfortable life by earning money through unfair means =>the Guru wants us to resist this desire by keeping in mind that such earning pollutes the mind in the same way that blood stains our clothes =>only honest earnings are like ‘milk’ and hence ‘sweet and tasty’ 3) Sharing with others (Vand Ke Chhakna) -Guru advises that it is his duty to share his earnings with needy persons, just as it is a parent’s duty to supply his child with clothing and other necessaries. =>this sharing must be done out of sense of responsibly, and not of pride -some people broadcast the fact that they are contributing to the needy, and feel proud of their image as ‘benefactors’. =>it is this pride (ahankar) which denies them the spiritual benefits obtained by a person who remains humble 4) Worshipping the Eternal Lord (Puja Akal Ki) -a Sikh worships God by thinking of Him and by believing in the brotherhood of man in which He resides. =>God lives in the hearts of humans -He expresses Himself through His creations 5) Understanding Gurbani (Paricha Shabad Ka) -a Sikh should regularly read and understand Gurbani in the Guru Granth Sahib =>reading Gurbani teaches a Sikh what God’s virtues are and how they can be revealed to him =>the daily recitation of certain hymns reminds man repeatedly of the pitfalls such as egotism, lust, attachment and greed -a Sikh accepts the spoken word of the Guru as his guide =>he regards the Guru Granth Sahib as his living Guru because he can obtain the spiritual guidance he needs, from Gurbani 6) Appreciating the Sikh Rahit (Didar Khalsa Ka) -a Sikh does not worship pictures or idols of God or the Guru -respects the decision of the corporate body of the Singhs, the Khalsa, since the tenth Guru bestowed the Guruship on this body 7) Working and Wishing Well for Humanity (Sarbat Ka Bhala) -Sikhs pray not only for themselves but also for the whole brotherhood of humanity -belief in the oneness of humanity, and the insistence on working for the welfare of all people whether Sikhs or not, even at the cost of sacrificing one’s life -A Sikh has no ill will against any person, not even against enemies -Sikhs respect all people; we all have the same spirit =>people’s outward appearance can be different but still they remain human beings created by the same God. 8) Maintaining Moral Behavior (Sacha Achar) -For a Sikh lying, cheating, stealing and backstabbing are forbidden. -Sexual relations are restricted to married couples only. 9) Accepting the Will of God (Bhana Mannana) -Man suffers from the misconception that he alone is responsible for the benefits he gains from his labors. =>these benefits are gifts from God =>rewards are given to us by God and whether or not our efforts are successful is according to His Will. -If we accept this philosophy, we will always be in peace with ourselves and our environment, and we will stop worrying about the ‘failure’ of our efforts. -If we choose an action, which we think is right, only to discover that it does not eliminate the bad situation we set out to abolish, we should not consider that our right action was useless =>we should trust God’s larger plan, which we cannot understand, our right action has meaning and effort. =>the faith that our right actions are part of God’s great design dispels worries about our failure and brings us peace and bliss -We will realize God’s presence in ourselves.

Fateh, I’m sorry, but you seriously need to either take Sikhi seriously, or don’t ask such ridiculous questions. What do you make of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji? A book. You show no respect to the Granth Sahib by saying such ridiculous things. Before you go off saying that a “romantic element” might enrich the faith a little bit, why don’t you practice it first? If you are seriously thinking about the betterment of Sikhi, please, not just for yourself but for others as well, try living a Sikhi Jeevan. Yes, critiquing is essential for learning, but only construction criticism. You have yet to do that my friend. Yes, no one would have thought up such a question, cuz it is ridiculous. Why don’t you back up what you say with Gurbani instead of pointing fingers at someone, unfortunately for you, who does have objectivity in their posts? I had given you references for translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and suggested listening to great keertan and katha. They are reliable sources. Many people that have posted on here, and have posted remarkable posts to answer your questions. Why don’t you understand them first? People like yourself are quick to jump to find alternative ways to translate Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, yet, you don’t know a single thing about it. Yes, new testaments have been made of other religious documents, and through time they lose their validity. If you are referring to the Bible, the Roman Catholic Church no longer swears by it. Is that what you want? I’m sorry to say to you, but Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is perfect the way it is, it is the person who doesn’t take to initiative to understand it, that needs to change. So you are saying that if someone doesn’t know Gurmukhi, they cannot become a Sikh. Have you seen how many Caucasians, Africans etc have become Sikhs, and Gurmukhi (not even Punjabi) is not even their first language! You talk the talk, but yet…… The message of Sikhi has reached everyone, it is universal. People that want to know of Sikhi, they actually make the effort of sitting with the Saadh Sangat, which I think you have yet to do. They make the effort to learn. There is Saadh Sangat everywhere regardless of where you live, so there is no excuse to say that understanding Gurbani is not attainable. Guru Ji never wanted us to live in poverty. He said earn an honest living. Work for as much as you need to survive. Yes, education is a necessity to get a job. You obviously think that by living to survive is the only thing that Guru Ji wanted us to do? No. Along with working “for money to ensure survival”, Guru Ji also said to live a life of a Gursikh, and follow the teachings of Gurbani. Only those people that get stuck earning money, start seeing the luxuries, tend to forget God, and those that live to survive, always remember God. You say that Kharkoo Ji has an elitist personality, and he is not very Sikh like, what part of your arguments can you say that you are? Just because someone decides to use the Guru's teachings in making you understand YOUR VIEWS are not all correct. To correct your mistakes, he is an elitist. That’s funny. You say his “conservative attitude will NOT benefit the faith at all”, but from where I see it, his posts are more credible than yours. I don’t see him writing a language that is so hard to understand. If you actually read his posts, they explain very well what he is stating along with Gurbani references. I believe any one that would read his posts will learn something valuable from them. If you can’t understand what he has written, then I can definitely see why it is a problem for you to understand Gurbani. You talk about the masses not knowing of our faith, you talk about spreading the Guru’s Word, you talk about our faith not being taken seriously. I think you need to know more about our faith, then help spread the Guru’s Divine Knowledge. How? By taking the Sikh faith more seriously. Because someone is using Gurbani as their base in their arguments, you call it a popularity contest? I don’t think there is a competitor, so how is it even a competition? Guru Ji’s word can never have a competitor. Instead of telling us what we should do, I think you need to understand yourself, before preaching, because, from what I have read, you have no basis for your arguments, they are empty. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji has never changed and will never change. The masses have been following Guru Ji’s teachings, and will continue to follow them. lUx hrwmI gunhgwr bygwnw Alp miq ] The sinner is unfaithful to himself; he is ignorant, with shallow understanding. jIau ipMfu ijin suK dIey qwih n jwnq qq ] He does not know the essence of all, the One who gave him body, soul and peace. lwhw mwieAw kwrny dh idis FUFn jwie ] For the sake of personal profit and Maya, he goes out, searching in the ten directions. dyvnhwr dwqwr pRB inmK n mnih bswie ] He does not enshrine the Generous Lord God, the Great Giver, in his mind, even for an instant. Rab Rakha

Sinister Veer Ji, What is so confusing about the reply? It was very well put. To understand the translations of Gurbani, you actually have to physically do it. Just by merely reading it, you cannot comprehend what the Shabad is telling you. There are various sites that can help you. For example www.gurugranthdarpan.com and www.sikhitothemax.com. Yes, it can be difficult at times because the english translations cannot be taken literally, we have to find the underlying meaning of the Shabad. Don't take it as face value. You say that Gurbani seems as a foreign language to you. How so? There are so many languages in this world that are foreign, and when translated in english, it is completely different. So we go to reliable sources, ie teachers, and learn the correct translation of them. So why not take some of your time you have, go to someone and sit down with them, and fully understand what Gurbani is telling you. By merely coming on this forum will not help you. YOU have to actively do it. I suggest you listen to some of Singh Sahib Prof Darshan Singh Ji's keertan and katha. He does an amazing job of interpreting Gurbani. I find him to be a valuable resource. I find myself several times lost in the translations as well, but I actively pursue to find the meaning. You seem to have great knowledge, or take interest in philosophical scholars. I myself have studied philosophy, and at times, that language seemed foreign to me as well. In order to get good grades, I had to understand what each philosopher's point of views were, some I agreed with, others I didn't. To put Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji among those scholars, I do not agree with, because Gurbani is valuable on its own. So Veer Ji, try to understand each post that has been written using Gurbani. It helps, trust me. Just by reading the written words and skimming past the Gurbani tuks, is the common mistake everyone makes. So, to use the excuse continuously of not understanding the Shabad due to translations really has no base to stand on. When you say you completely rely on translations in english, then why not take the time to comprehend it. Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh, In Sikhi we should consider every day to be an auspicious day, regardless of what the significance of the certain day is, be it a Gurpurab, Joti Jot, or death anniversary. Yes, today we do see Sikhs around the world celebrating Diwali. It has become a socio-cultural occasion with a historical significance attached to it. Some don't even know why they celebrate Diwali. The children get excited with the lights, the fireworks, and of course lets not forget the sweets! It is not wrong to attend the Gurdwara on these days, as long as we know the purpose of why we are going, and of course we can always be enlightened by the keertan and katha we listen to. "Objective of the celebration is to pray for our liberation from the worldly bonds and act upon Guru's path of truthfulness to avail human life time (i.e. to be one with Waheguru / Lord). Rather than lighting a deeva of clay, oil & wick, one should light the mind with the divine knowledge contained in Gurbani." Once we acquire these virtues, of kindness, humbleness, tolerance, selflessness, etc, we can become one with God. When we go to light a deeva, consider the oil you light to be your sufferings (the five chors), and let the light, God's Divine words, relinquish your mind of these sufferings. dIvw myrw eyku nwmu duKu ivic pwieAw qylu ] The One Name is my lamp; I have put the oil of suffering into it. auin cwnix Ehu soiKAw cUkw jm isau mylu ]1] Its flame has dried up this oil, and I have escaped my meeting with the Messenger of Death. ||1|| So let us celebrate everyday! For our Sikhi Jeevan is something to be celebrated continuously. ibnvMiq nwnk inq krhu rlIAw hir imly sRIDr kMq jIau ]7] Prays Nanak, I celebrate continuously; I have met my Husband Lord, the Lord of excellence. ||7|| Bhul Chuk Maaf

Fateh Veer Ji, The meaning of rhwa is the central, the core, the main theme of the Shabad. The meaning is presented in the lines right before the rhwa. When you start to read a shabad, you should know that the central meaning of the shabad is in the rhwa tuk. If you don’t realize this, if you don’t try to understand this, then you will never be able to fully appreciate the Shabad. Until we don’t allow this understanding to penetrate our minds, until we don’t recognize this important aspect of the Shabad, we cannot grasp what the Guru Ji is telling us. No matter how many times we read the Shabad, it is pointless, without this knowledge. If we go to read an essay, we look for a main theme, the purpose of the essay. Without the theme, the essay is meaningless. When we conduct an experiment, we need a purpose; otherwise, the experiment is meaningless. Same way with the Shabad, without the understanding of rhwau, the Shabad is meaningless. You might find it interesting to know that out of all the Gurbani you have read, you have come across maybe one, two, sometimes even four rhwau tuks in a Shabad. But in Sukhmani Sahib, which consists of 24 Ashtapadhis, there is only one rhwa. Amazing isn’t it! So if we understand what the meaning of Sukhmani Sahib is from those few lines, we can appreciate the essence of it. It is truly remarkable!

I went and watched the movie Water. It is a film about Indian widows in the 1930s. It is set during the rise of the independence struggles against British colonial rule. In the past and present, many women whose husbands have died are forced into poverty and to enter "widow houses." They are labeled as worthless women without a husband to measure themselves by. They struggle to survive by begging and often are forced to turn towards prostitution. What is shocking is that it happened in the ‘30s, and it is still happening today. The movie is based on the Manu Smriti, “Laws of Manu”, and the treatment of widows. The scriptures say that widows have three options: 1. Marry you husband’s younger brother 2. Burn with your dead husband 3. Or lead a life of self-denial I know it was a tradition for parents to marry their daughters at a young age due to poverty. But to be married at the age of eight, I cannot even imagine! To go even further, being a widow! The young widows were often seen as unable, by traditional law, to remarry and make an attempt at a new life. Of course if a Hindu man’s wife dies, he is free to go and find another woman, yet a Hindu woman cannot remarry, instead she should cremate herself with her dead husband. Where is the justice? The widow is considered to be a curse. She cannot wear jewelry or colorful clothing. If she is seen near a wedding ritual, she is told to leave for even her glance will give bad luck to the new bride. It was considered a sin to even look at another man. Not only was she degraded by society, but also threatened from her own kind, the widows themselves, if she ever thought of another man. The only man she could “serve” was one that paid their meals. It’s disgusting! These women rarely had the education to support themselves. Education was historically bestowed solely upon the males. In the nineteenth century only the wealthiest of families sought after any sort of formal education for their female children, and there was no movement in the government to change this. It’s sad to see today that so many women still face these challenges. To know this is still going on in India really appalls me. Not only that, but even today, I witness what we as women go through. We are measured by our education, our qualities, our age, to make it short, what we did in our lives. When a baby girl is born, where are the sweets, the parties? True, a boy was wanted so that they can take care of the parents in old age, but that custom has long ago vanished. Parents these days have become independent of their children. Women are capable, just as men to fulfill these so called "custom requirements". But many are blind to see that. Sikhi believes in the equality of women. I am proud to be a Sikh woman. I can only pray that soon these horrifying conducts in how women are treated will soon fade away. As the Guru said, From the woman is our birth; in the woman's womb are we shaped To the woman are we engaged; to the woman are we wedded. The woman is our friend, and from the woman is the family. If one woman dies, we seek another; through the woman are the bonds of the world. Why call woman evil who gives birth to kings and all? From the woman, there is the woman; without the woman there is none; Nanak: Without the woman is the One True Lord alone. (Guru Nanak Dev, // Asa, pg. 473) Bhul Chuk Maaf

8 Virtues Wisdom (gyan) : is the complete knowledge of a set of religious principles. It can be achieved by hearing good, thinking good and doing good. A man of wisdom tries to achieve a high moral standard in his life and interaction with others. According to Sikhism, the first steps to wisdom is to consider oneself as an ignorant person who has to learn a lot in life. Truthful Living (sat) : This is more than 'truth'. It means living according to the way of God i.e. the thoughts should match the words that a person speaks and his actions should also match his words. Truthful living brings a person closer to God. Justice (niaon) : means freedom and equal opportunities for all. Respect for the rights of others and strict absence of attempts to exploit a fellow being. Sikhism forbids the desire to loot another's property. It also strictly instructs the Sikhs to show respect even for the women and children of an enemy. Temperance (santokh) : means self control which has to be developed through meditation and prayers. A Sikh has to banish evil thoughts from his mind by constantly repeating Gods name and reciting prayers. Torture to the body to develop self-control is not advocated in Sikhism. Patience (dhiraj) : implies a high level of tolerance and empathy for others. It requires control over ones ego and willingness to overlook another's weakness or mistakes. It requires that a Sikh should be strong willed, but kind hearted. Courage (himmat) : means bravery i.e. absence of fear. It is the ability to stake ones life for ones convictions and for saving others from injustice or cruelty. Humility (namarta) : is a deliberate denial of pleasure at one's own praise and admiration. It means underplaying ones own strengths and respecting the abilities of others. It is the antidote to 'ahankar'. Contentment (sabar) : means refraining from worldly fears and submitting oneself to the will of God. The typical worldly fears can be fear of death, poverty, disrespect and defeat. It is this virtue that has given the Sikhs the moral strength to withstand the various atrocities committedon their community in the last three centuries.

Fateh, If you consider Guru Nanak Dev Ji to be a human form, then of course this human form has a birth date and also a deceased date. But the Guru we believe in has no form or roop. The Guru/Jot was never born and never dies. So how can it have a birthday or a death anniversary? Nanak is the name of the body, and Guru is the name of the Shabad, gyan. When this gyan, jot was attained by Nanak, he became Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Our Guru is the Shabad, the gyan. The Guru is ever present. He never changes. He never dies. He is never born. He never comes. He never leaves. Awid gurey nmh ] I bow to the Primal Guru. jugwid gurey nmh ] I bow to the Guru of the ages. siqgurey nmh ] I bow to the True Guru. sRI gurdyvey nmh ]1] I bow to the Great, Divine Guru. ||1|| Bhul Chuk Maaf

ijs ky isr aUpir qUM suAwmI so duKu kYsw pwvY ] When You stand over our heads, O Lord and Master, how can we suffer in pain? boil n jwxY mwieAw mid mwqw mrxw cIiq n AwvY ]1] The mortal being does not know how to chant Your Name - he is intoxicated with the wine of Maya, and the thought of death does not even enter his mind. ||1|| myry rwm rwie qUM sMqw kw sMq qyry ] O my Sovereign Lord, You belong to the Saints, and the Saints belong to You. qyry syvk kau Bau ikCu nwhI jmu nhI AwvY nyry ]1] rhwau ] Your servant is not afraid of anything; the Messenger of Death cannot even approach him. ||1||Pause|| jo qyrY rMig rwqy suAwmI iqn@ kw jnm mrx duKu nwsw ] Those who are attuned to Your Love, O my Lord and Master, are released from the pains of birth and death. qyrI bKs n mytY koeI siqgur kw idlwsw ]2] No one can erase Your Blessings; the True Guru has given me this assurance. ||2|| nwmu iDAwiein suK Pl pwiein AwT phr AwrwDih ] Those who meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, obtain the fruits of peace. Twenty-four hours a day, they worship and adore You. qyrI srix qyrY BrvwsY pMc dust lY swDih ]3] In Your Sanctuary, with Your Support, they subdue the five villains. ||3|| igAwnu iDAwnu ikCu krmu n jwxw swr n jwxw qyrI ] I know nothing about wisdom, meditation and good deeds; I know nothing about Your excellence. sB qy vfw siqguru nwnku ijin kl rwKI myrI ]4]10]57] Guru Nanak is the greatest of all; He saved my honor in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga. ||4||10||57||

I was asked by a friend. “Do you ever feel like your day was not productive enough? That you could have done more?” My answer. “Always!”. It seems like these days are going by too fast. I remember when I was younger, the days lasted forever. Now it seems, I’ve just gotten up…now I’m ready for bed! I have this “to do” list. I think this list has continually grown, and things just don’t get done on it. Why have it? To make it seem like I’m going to have a productive day. Because this “to do” list keeps on growing, I’m actually getting overwhelmed by it. It never comes to an end! This is why so many people you see these days are so stressed out. It’s almost like they are working to make ends meet. Children these days have so many extra curricular activities, that you find yourself involved in those as well. Then you have your family demands at home. It’s never ending. WE HAVE NO CONTROL! What should we do? We need to control what is important vs what is not so important. We need to evaluate what is a necessity, and what is just a want. This way, we will get more done, feel more productive, and in probably half the time. What is important? What is necessary? What are our values? How can we go about achieving all of these in our lives? By getting rid of our wants. I want to do this…I want this… Number one person you should look after is yourself. What do you need in your life? Then the rest fall into place: Mother, Father, Husband, Wife, Children, Co-Workers etc. Then you have to wonder, I have this list, now who comes first on this list. Prioritize. Does this mean that any one of them has more value than others? No. This will answer questions like: Where do you find yourself spending the most time? Is it really needed there? Once you start to have more control in your life, you develop an inner peace, contentment. What your appearance is on the outside reflects what you feel in the inside. If you maintain a positive outlook, you will always be perceived as positive, but if you have a negative outlook, no matter what you do, you will always be perceived as being negative. What is the key to this? Your self-esteem. If you feel good about yourself, it will reflect on your behavior, and reversely, if you’re always negative and don’t feel good about yourself, that will reflect in your behavior. We need to balance our lives. In order to do that, what I did was give my number one priority to the One that I neglected. Many of you might be wondering. She has listed off everything that is important to her life, but she didn’t mention God. That is because He was never on my “to do” list. He was never a priority. People in my life seemed more important. Events in my life seemed more important. He was the One I neglected. Now, everything in my life revolves around Him. He is my NUMBER ONE priority. So when the question is going to be asked, “Do you ever feel like your day was not productive enough? That you could have done more?” My question to you will be, “Did you remember God?” Remember, one step towards Him, He comes a thousand steps closer to you! Awsw mhlw 5 ] AMqir gwvau bwhir gwvau gwvau jwig svwrI ] Inwardly, I sing His Praises, and outwardly, I sing His Praises; I sing His Praises while awake and asleep. sMig cln kau qosw dIn@w goibMd nwm ky ibauhwrI ]1] I am a trader in the Name of the Lord of the Universe; He has given it to me as my supplies, to carry with me. ||1|| Avr ibswrI ibswrI ] I have forgotten and forsaken other things. nwm dwnu guir pUrY dIE mY eyho AwDwrI ]1] rhwau ] The Perfect Guru has given me the Gift of the Naam; this alone is my Support. ||1||Pause|| dUKin gwvau suiK BI gwvau mwrig pMiQ sm@wrI ] I sing His Praises while suffering, and I sing His Praises while I am at peace as well. I contemplate Him while I walk along the Path. nwm idRVu guir mn mih dIAw morI iqsw buJwrI ]2] The Guru has implanted the Naam within my mind, and my thirst has been quenched. ||2|| idnu BI gwvau rYnI gwvau gwvau swis swis rsnwrI ] I sing His Praises during the day, and I sing His Praises during the night; I sing them with each and every breath. sqsMgiq mih ibswsu hoie hir jIvq mrq sMgwrI ]3] In the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, this faith is established, that the Lord is with us, in life and in death. ||3|| jn nwnk kau iehu dwnu dyhu pRB pwvau sMq ryn auir DwrI ] Bless servant Nanak with this gift, O God, that he may obtain, and enshrine in his heart, the dust of the feet of the Saints. sRvnI kQw nYn drsu pyKau msqku gur crnwrI ]4]2]122] Hear the Lord's Sermon with your ears, and behold the Blessed Vision of His Darshan with your eyes; place your forehead upon the Guru's Feet. ||4||2||122|| Did you have a productive day?

Thank You!!!! I really appreciate it.

Fateh, Does anyone know how I can get in contact with Bhai Onkar Singh Ji. I think he is from the Toronto area. He does kirtan with english katha. Please if anyone has any info for how to contact him, please let me know. Thanks

Fateh Veer Ji's and Bhenji's I am trying to get in contact with Bhai Onkar Singh Ji. I know he lives in Toronto somewhere. I tried searching him by internet, but was unsuccessful. I emailed a few people as well, but have not heard anything from them yet. I posted two of his shabads along with his english discourse in the Gurbani/Gursikhi/Rehat section. Any contact info you can provide will be great! Thanks in Advance

Har Har Naam Amolah Awsw mhlw 5 ] hir hir nwmu Amolw ] The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is priceless. Ehu shij suhylw ]1] rhwau ] It brings peace and poise. ||1||Pause|| sMig shweI Coif n jweI Ehu Agh Aqolw ]1] The Lord is my Companion and Helper; He shall not forsake me or leave me. He is unfathomable and unequalled. ||1|| pRIqmu BweI bwpu moro mweI Bgqn kw El@w ]2] He is my Beloved, my brother, father and mother; He is the Support of His devotees. ||2|| AlKu lKwieAw gur qy pwieAw nwnk iehu hir kw col@w ]3]5]145] The Invisible Lord is seen through the Guru; O Nanak, this is the wondrous play of the Lord. ||3||5||145|| Waheguru’s Naam is everything. It is the root of all occurrences, of all creations. Those whose minds resonate with a universal outlook come to receive this vibration of Naam. Such an experience is overwhelming for the devotee, and being overwhelmed is simply indicative of the power of Naam. It is priceless. hir hir nwmu Amolw ] The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is priceless. The nature of Naam is to bless the devotee with sehaj, comfort, satisfaction, and acceptance of His Will. Ehu shij suhylw ]1] It brings peace and poise. ||1|| Naam is to remember, to contemplate upon the Supreme Master. Naam is the force which resides within Shabad Guru. To connect with Shabad is to experience Naam. The Guru goes on to say, sMig shweI Coif n jweI Ehu Agh Aqolw ]1] The Lord is my Companion and Helper; He shall not forsake me or leave me. He is unfathomable and unequalled. ||1|| As long as we are devoted towards His Remembrance, His Protective Shield of Naam will surround us. Within this circular shield resides the wisdom of Shabad. Such wisdom, when accepted by a devotee, guides us through life. It becomes much like our companion, sMig. Much like a helper, shweI. He does not forsake those whose devotion is filled with love. Coif n jweI Naam is always present, always there. This force is everywhere. There is not a place in this universe where Naam does not pervade. In this regard, the Guru says, Ehu Agh Aqolw Indeed God is unfathomable, unweighable, and unconquerable. The Guru goes on to say, pRIqmu BweI bwpu moro mweI Bgqn kw El@w ]2] He is my Beloved, my brother, father and mother; He is the Support of His devotees. ||2|| For some He is a Friend, for others a Brother. To some He becomes a Father, a Mother. Yet, for others, He provides as a Source of Shelter. Indeed this line indicates that Waheguru has many forms, many relations. Such a Wondrous Lord who can relate to everyone. Unlike us, He has no limits. He is not bound by relationships. He has no prejudices. He does not reject. He is totally accepting. Finally, the Guru says, AlKu lKwieAw gur qy pwieAw nwnk iehu hir kw col@w ]3]5]145] The Invisible Lord is seen through the Guru; O Nanak, this is the wondrous play of the Lord. ||3||5||145|| Shabad is the light which allows us to see and experience the invisible Lord. The journey of this life is indeed an unpredictable one. One, which can only be predicted by Waheguru. Being unpredictable is exactly why it is wondrous and amazing how Waheguru plays with the universe. nwnk iehu hir kw col@w ******************************************************************************** hir hir nwmu Amolw Click Here for Shabad

rwmklI mhlw 3 Anµdu ey mn myirAw qU sdw rhu hir nwly ] O my mind, remain always with the Lord. hir nwil rhu qU mMn myry dUK siB ivswrxw ] Remain always with the Lord, O my mind, and all sufferings will be forgotten. AMgIkwru Ehu kry qyrw kwrj siB svwrxw ] He will accept You as His own, and all your affairs will be perfectly arranged. sBnw glw smrQu suAwmI so ikau mnhu ivswry ] Our Lord and Master is all-powerful to do all things, so why forget Him from your mind? khY nwnku mMn myry sdw rhu hir nwly ]2] Says Nanak, O my mind, remain always with the Lord. ||2|| This shabad is a composition of the Third Guru, Guru Amardas Ji Maharaj. As you know, this shabad is part of Sri Anand Sahib Ji Maharaj. Guru Amardas presents to us the concept of the mind. Whenever the mind has been discussed in Gurbani, it has either been viewed negatively or positively. It has either been accepted or condemned. At first this paradox may seem confusing. Further investigation of Shabad Guru reveals to us that mind exists as a spectrum. At one extreme of the spectrum we have the individualistic mind, and at the other extreme the universal mind. When the Third Guru says, ey mn myirAw qU sdw rhu hir nwly ] O my mind, remain always with the Lord. He is referring to the universal mind. He inspires us to resonate with a universal outlook. His motivation is for us to remain connected with God’s, Waheguru’s vibration. Indeed, it is the universal mind which is capable of remaining in tune with the vibration of Shabad Guru. qU sdw rhu hir nwly His emotions of longing are evident when he says to Waheguru, “It is only when one’s mind is focused upon the light of Shabad, that all stress, pain, worry, conflict are eradicated. hir nwil rhu qU mMn myry dUK siB ivswrxw ] Remain always with the Lord, O my mind, and all sufferings will be forgotten. Each of these mind’s states has a distinct thought process. As we know thoughts create choices, choices can manifest into actions, and actions have consequences. Let us begin with the individualistic mind. In this context, Gurbani describes the individualistic mind as being very closed. It is narrow in its outlook. The individualistic mind wishes only to benefit itself and will avoid pain at all costs. In this regard, it will constantly analyze and place limitations on situations, people, events, and circumstances to ensure that it avoids pain. However, with limitations, there cannot be total acceptance of truth. God, the Almighty Supreme Power, has no limits. He is without limitations. Thus, to connect with the Supreme Master requires a limitless mind. To understand this, we have to appreciate the Guru’s Wisdom when He says, mn kw sUqku loBu hY ijhvw sUqku kUVu ] The impurity of the mind is greed, and the impurity of the tongue is falsehood. The thought process of the individualistic mind is driven by lobh, or greed. Greed is impatient. Greed wants. It has expectations. Greed does not have time. It cannot wait. As long as desires are being fed, the individualistic mind will be content, regardless of how others may be affected around them. However, the greed driven thought process will invariably lead to choices with unfruitful consequences. The Guru instructs us that the individualistic mind, amidst its hurriness and disregard for others, will experience pain at some point. This is when anger takes birth. mn mih k®oDu mhw AhMkwrw ] Within the mind dwell anger and massive ego. pUjw krih bhuqu ibsQwrw ] Worship services are performed with great pomp and ceremony. (pg.1348) On the other hand, the thought process of the universal mind is driven by sehaj, contentment, and satisfaction with the environment inside of and outside the individual. As a result, the universal mind is an open vessel. This openness allows it to be the perfect vessel for the vibration of shabad. It is accepting and does not impose limitations on people, events, and circumstances. The universal state is one in which you live life as life pleases. It is a mind state which lives in the present and is not caught up in the past or future. It accepts and is open to the natural course of life; the natural occurrences of events and situations. Indeed, we are able to understand these two extremes if we appreciate the driving force of the thought process. Lobh is impatient, sehaj is the definition of impatience. Lobh has wants and expectations, sehaj has no conditions. Lobh seeks and searches for the material, sehaj craves for the immaterial. myrw mnu locY gur drsn qweI ] My mind longs for the Blessed Vision of the Guru's Darshan. blp kry cwiqRk kI inAweI ] It cries out like the thirsty song-bird. (pg.96) Sehaj will keep you in tune with yourself, your surroundings and Waheguru. It becomes the ideal spiritual arena where His Protectiveness glances upon you and His Hand is by your side fulfilling your tasks. AMgIkwru Ehu kry qyrw kwrj siB svwrxw ] He will accept You as His own, and all your affairs will be perfectly arranged. Sehaj will never allow you to forget who the Supreme Power is. sBnw glw smrQu suAwmI so ikau mnhu ivswry ] Our Lord and Master is all-powerful to do all things, so why forget Him from your mind? Sehaj allows you to constantly appreciate His Power, smrQ. Until we are stuck at the individualistic level, we will continue to live our life in doubts and fears. So He encourages us to strive towards the universal mind, sehaj. An interesting story. It involves a saint and an old woman. The saint was walking along his usual path in the early morning reciting his prayers. In his hands he was carrying a tiny pot. He came upon a woman’s home. The saint shouted, “Oh mother! Could you please give me some flour, (some atta).” The woman quickly appeared at the door, and was very pleased to the saint. She quickly welcomed him in. She asked the saint to bless her. The fakir, the saint, first said, “Could you please give me some flour.” He handed her the pot. As she went into the kitchen, she took out the flour, she opened the pot, she removed the lid, and she saw that the pot was full of dirt. She looked at the saint, and with some anger, she said to him, “Sant Ji! How can I put flour in here. It’s filthy, it’s full of dirt. There’s no room.” The saint smiled and said to the woman, “Just as this pot has no room for flour because it is full of filth, dear mother, how do you expect to be blessed when your vessel is full of anger and blemished with ego?” As he said these words, her realization manifested as tears. As the tears trickled down her cheeks, the saint said, “These tears, dear mother, will wash away the filth and bring a new awakening into your life.” We too, can experience this awakening. Each time we bow our heads to the Guru, let this beautiful meeting, this wondrous moment become a constant reminder for you. A reminder to let go of those thoughts which causes to become astray from the shabad vibration. Accept the Guru’s math, or wisdom, which will unite us with the Universal Power. May the universal mind remain with Waheguru. khY nwnku mMn myry sdw rhu hir nwly ]2] Says Nanak, O my mind, remain always with the Lord. ||2|| Indeed, victory over the mind is equivalent to conquering the world. AweI pMQI sgl jmwqI min jIqY jgu jIqu ] See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the world. (pg.6) Let us all be inspired to conquer the individualistic mind and become victorious with the universe. ******************************************************************************** This beautiful shabad by Bhai Onkar Singh has left me speechless. Just sitting here right now, my body is still feeling the vibrations. I have written out his katha so that you can read it as you listen to the shabad. ey mn myirAw Click Here for Shabad

Fateh Bhenji, This is out of an article I read: Significance of Marriage Set ideals of marriage that will assure righteousness, honesty, compromise and fidelity between partners. These virtues are essential to provide tolerance, happiness, patience and contentment in married life. Two live together with “one mind”, which creates a successful marriage. Sikh Marriage According to Gurmat, a woman is an equal partner of a man. Marriage is not merely the joining of two physical entities but a meeting of two minds and more importantly the meeting of two souls. Anand marriage is two individuals becoming one in mind and soul. The couple endeavor to harmonize their Atma, souls, with ‘Parm-atma’ or we say to merge their souls with God (Parmatama). The couple promises to follow Gurmat and to love and live a truthful life. Anand Karaj means a function that provides bliss, delight and tranquility. Marriage is Anand Karaj because the two persons, a man and a woman, join together to live a holy life of peace and happiness leading to the realization of the Almighty Lord. This way the couple jointly walks on a path that helps them to achieve the mission of human life. The Gurus told that marriage is one of the most important responsibilities of mankind. Lavan Hymn purpose is spiritual and it guides a Sikh on the path of the ‘marriage’ of the soul with God. A Gursikh is to live a married life with full respect and regards for the Guru, and remaining detached from the worldly pleasures. Couples get happiness by practicing the path of Gurmat, sewa-simran life. Spiritual marriage of the soul with God. This is the mission of human life.

Instead of focusing on the world and its duality, we should be focusing on ourselves. Our focus should start from incorporating Gurbani into our lives and following the Sikh Rehat Maryada. In order for us to spread Sikhi, we need to fully understand it ourselves. When you attend a class, and your teacher doesn’t understand the subject themselves, how are they able to teach it? The teacher is a failure, and you will fail as well. If the only thing you do is wear the 5 Kakaars, and know nothing about it, you’re doing just as good as the teacher. "Sikhi is something that is to be lived and experienced rather than something that is intellectually grasped and comprehended. In Sikhi there is no duality between spirit and matter. The highest goal of spiritual progression is harmony with God, while remaining earth-conscious, so that the world itself may be transformed to a spiritual plane of existence.” (Sardar Kapur Singh) Yes, technology is available to us, and it is a wonderful thing. But do not put the blame on technology. Yes, technology has made the world a smaller place, but is that really the reason for us growing apart? We tend to make up excuses for everything; technology is a sore excuse for losing connection with God. Remember, from one seed sprout many fruit. So let’s become that one seed. Bhul Chuk Maaf

Self-Edit: I used references in this article. I will re-post this article with quotations by the original authors Bhul Chuk Maaf

Singing His Name - my life, my breath Forgetting Him is worse than death. Chanting His Name all the time It's so difficult, hard as I try O my mother, tell me why? I hunger longingly for His Name That very hunger consumes my pain. Why do I keep forgetting His Name My True Lord, who's always the same. Words alone can never convey His power and glory, try as we may.. If everyone gathers to sing His praise His glory they can't lower or raise He knows not the pain of death or grief His generous gifts will never cease. This special virtue is His alone That He is unique, the only One. Besides Him there is no other Never shall be, now or ever. Your Gifts are wondrous as is Your might You who created the day and the night. Those who forget the Highest One Low and pathetic do they become. Consider them outcasts and oppressed. If by the Naam they have not been blessed.