Wicked Warrior

IMO if it will benefit mankind, it should be shared. If it provides nothing useful, then feel free to keep it gupt. But in the end, only you can make that decision.

At the stage of meeting girls, I echo some of the above comments.

Start off with simple things. How far you want to know about the guy is upto you. The more you things you know about him, the better. But you don't have to ask everything in one go. I've swapped email addresses with each one so if they want to ask more, they can.

Start with things like what they do/job/education. Where are they working/learning? Where do they see themselves in 5 years? Who's at home with them? Do they plan to stay there or move? What are their hobbies/interests?

You can then ask more stuff like meat/alcohol, their level of Sikhi. If you want to ask about whether they want to take Amrit, you can.

I also asked the girls about whether they had any previous relationships or previous engagements/marriages etc.

Don't think of it as an interview. Just be yourself. You won't honestly know someone until you've lived with them for a few years but the more info you have, the more of a judgement you can make.

Comes down to:

1. Exposure to western lifestyle - easy to become engrossed in fashion/going out/etc

2. Lack of education on Sikhi from parents - so girls become disinterested in Sikhi.

3. Lack of exposure to Sikhi in Gurdwaras - parchar needs to be done in English so kids understand from a young age.

4. Lack of moral reinforcement from parents - so when the girl wants to go out/cut hair/dress up, nothing's said/done.

5. Lack of respect from Sikh men - quite often they're the ones going out/"dating" these girls.

6. There are Sikh men who aren't into Sikhi - cut hair, drinking, smoking etc. They become difficult to separate from non-Sikhs.

I've seen many guys wear karas and pretend to be Sikhs to lure Sikh girls. These girls will either rebel against strict parents and go out with them, or through lack of education, go out with them. Either way, the bait has been caught and then the girl is manipulated.

It needs to start from parents. Not educating their kids and raising them properly is what has led to this situation. Look at what's going on in the media - shows like TOWIE, stuff like vajazzalling etc reinforces promiscuous behaviour. Strong moral fibre helps protect against this. If the seed of Sikhi hasn't been planted, there will be no protection.

Recently went to India because of a family bereavement. Whilst there, took the opportunity to go to Darbar Sahib. I last went ten years ago. Despite being there at 8 in the morning, it was very busy. Seem to be doing lots of work at the front.

Seems you can't take photos whilst in Darbar Sahib. I understand in the main hall with Guru maharaj but we have in the past taken photos whilst upstairs at the top. We weren't allowed to do this.

Also you could obtain a saropa from maharaj but now you have to go somewhere else and buy it?

Around the complex, there are lots of inscriptions, many of which relate to declaration of xyz donated this much to the Darbar Sahib. Is this practice still ongoing? Why was it allowed in the first place? I didn't get as much time to read all of the other inscriptions.

"Please do ardas for this situatuon to be resolved."

Me doing ardaas won't be as effective as you doing it as it will come from the heart for you. Speak to your grandad but be prepared for a lack of response. If he is known at the Gurdwara, you could speak to the granthi who could speak to him for you too.

Remember that for the first few weeks of weightlifting, you're not really building muscle. Your muscle fibres are learning to contract together simultaneously and means you'll quickly rack through the weights initially. You'll then plateau and it'll be harder - this is where you're tearing/damaging muscle which will be repaired during rest. Repairing means both adequate diet and adequate rest.

Agree with compound exercises as the main focus. A lot of isolation exercises were created for bodybuilders when steroid use started and that's where they're really effective.

Agree with the comment about a trainer to help you especially in the early stages. It's important to learn the right habits and remember that form and posture is more important than how heavy the weight you're lifting is. No point trying to bench 100kg if you damage your shoulder through improper technique.

Log every exercise you do. I take a small notebook and pen, and write down what I've done eg:

bench press

week 1 - 60kg - 3x8 reps

week 2 - 60kg - 3x9 reps

It makes it easier to track your progress so if one week you achieve 8 reps for each of sets you do for an exercise, aim for 9 or 10 reps per set the following week.

I did a similar thing with diet - counting grams of protein, fat and carbs in every meal. I upped my vegetable/salad intake to help bulk up meals. I used protein powders to help boost protein intake when I felt I couldn't achieve more through diet without resorting to meat. Things like protein powders are supplements - they're meant to help supplement your diet and not replace it.

The biggest hurdle will be your own expectations. You will probably expect to look like He-Man in six months and will feel like a failure if you don't. Remember that to build muscle takes time.

Also look at cardiovascular exercise to reduce your bodyfat which will improve your muscular appearance, as well as improve your fitness.

I will argue that it doesn't take long to learn the harmonium - that's one of its few benefits - it's very easy to pick up and learn. I was taught the notes (sa-re-ga-ma-pa-da-ni-sa, I think) and then we were taught a basic raag to learn and repeat. Then we learnt to sing a shabad to the raag. Took me maybe six hours of teaching and countless hours of practice.

Once you learn the raags and how to set shabads to them, you can sing any shabad in the appropriate raag but it is all practice. Just like learning how to fight doesn't take merely hours, performing kirtan properly takes time.

There is no shame in using the harmonium and there have been many mahapurshes who have used them. The important bit is singing the shabad. I have found it more fruitful than simran for the same duration or simply reciting the shabad as bani.

I have seen at some Gurdwaras, mainly in india, where sevadars stand guard with shaster, both at the entrance and next to where you matha tek. This is what we need but is difficult to do.

No one should ever feel intimidated or uncomfortable in the house of the Guru.

People don't often see severe depression - you can end up in a stupor where you don't move, you don't make eye contact, you don't talk etc. This is where IMO medication is most useful.

Most people will feel low for some reason or another and it often passes. Counselling can sometimes help. As the idea of communities as been eroded, people are no longer able to discuss issues with other people (outside of immediate family) and along with greater social isolation, it can be difficult to even just talk. This is where sangat should be helpful.

I think it can be shortsighted to put people on medication straight away, particularly if they're going to be on it long term. It's not the solution to every case and probably not the majority of cases. I'd argue it's more important that people can access self-help and psychological therapies like group sessions.

So why ask the question?

If it's to cover hair, why not cover facial hair??

If you're a proper fight, what happens to your turban is inconsequential. You're fighting for your life. Don't focus on your turban or other people seeing your hair - it may get you killed. Focus on the enemy, the target and nothing else.

I see a lot of Sikh youths these days with big tattoos of khanda and dangly things from their cars. They're "flashy". Most are moneh but some have the appearance of gursikhs. They remind me of the past when people wanted to join khalsa fauj for the looting and fighting rather than for Sikhi.

Sikhi isn't about the external. It is about the internal. It's not about showing people how much you're into Sikhi - all that is part of haumai - ego. Do not be dissuaded or upset by them. Stay true to Guru Ji. Be that awesome example to set to others. Walk the True Path and inspire others to do so.

As above, focus on Guru Ji. He and He alone can and will help.

Haldi...yes there's some evidence it works but the concentrations used mean you need to consume in the order of 100g a day. Not particularly practical.

I think the difficulty lies in the fact that people should be married first and then have sex. It sounds like the opposite has happened here.

I don't think there is anything prohibiting this other than social culture. It may look awkward if you've progressed far enough in the pregnancy that others notice.

Go see Maharaj Ji and speak to Him.

Why does she need to eat egg? IMHO if someone has kept a strict diet, then they will not be used to eating meat including eggs. It would be better for her to have protein from supplements (bear in mind that some protein supplements contain egg or meat derived protein).

Then again, a Baba ji said I should be fed eggs (when i was a child) for health reasons (hated things like daal).

I think it was Baba Harnam Singh who had darshan of Guru Ji and asked about Akhand Path and Guru Ji replied that it was Sikhs who had set the time limit themselves.

I think I remember reading that Akhand Paths were more "popular" during the Mughal wars when Sikhs had to move from place to place whilst covert.

I agree that full benefit is only if you understand and absorb it all which would be difficult to do in 24 hours. I also find that some gianis read far too fast/quiet for me to be able to understand it all.

There's been lots of false stuff running around about creatine. The biggest thing is renal failure. I don't see any famous bodybuilders on dialysis.

Creatine is used by muscle. It gets broken down and excreted as creatinine. For the average person, there is a certain amount the produce. If they become unwell and the kidneys are affected, the amount of creatinine in the blood goes up because the kidneys aren't working as well. But this is based on a young, healthy man weighing around 70kg. If you have someone who is naturally strong eg afrocaribbean, their creatinine levels will be naturally higher. If you take creatine supplements, you will excrete more creatinine and this will make it look like your kidneys aren't functioning, when in fact they are fine.

Most supplementation studies are poorly designed but a quick glance of a few recent papers show that up to 5g of creatine a day have had no adverse effects up to five years later.

I get that sometimes but it's usually when I haven't eaten all day because I'm too busy. Then when I do eat, the rush of glucose means I trip out even more and suddenly my hands and feet don't feel like they are mine and I'm looking at them like I've never hands or feet before.

I find it disheartening that other Sikhs have not welcomed you. There should be no cliques or circles - we should be welcoming to all who wish to learn, irrespective of cast, creed or colour.

Do not be discouraged by what you have experienced. As above, in this world, only Guru Ji is the True Friend. Continue your journey into Sikhi and do not let such small obstacles stop you.

Surely there must be more to this than just moving a picture?

My own thoughts are that there should be no pics in Darbar Sahib because all focus should be on Guru Ji but elsewhere in the gurdwara should be fine.

This isn't new. I know my cousin has been doing this for at least ten years but he's into the entire "gangsta" scene and runs around with gold chains, gold rings, shaved bits of eyebrows etc. But I agree it's more noticeable nowadays.

I tried it once, felt like an <banned word filter activated> and put my turban back on.

Sorry, I'm not sure exactly who or where it says that ?

Is it a shabad ?

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=76&english=t&id=3086#l3086

Guru Ji tells us when the baby is in the womb, it is meditating on Waheguru. When babies are born, they often sleep for extended periods of time. Are they really sleeping or are they still meditating?

We are taught not to sin and that we should live a pious life. What constitutes sin?

Some are obvious like murder, adultery and any of the bujjar kurehits. But what of other things? If you have an impure thought about a person, does this constitute sin? Does thinking ill of someone (but neither saying nor doing anything) constitute sin?

I expect lying to be a sin but what about "bending the truth" where what you say is not a lie but not the honest truth?

I understand that as you tread the path of Righteousness, it probably becomes easier to know and recognise but some of us are still stuck in the darkness looking for the light switch.