lowest of the low singhni

Why is saying Waheguru more powerful than saying something else with exactly the same meaning?

sikhs have been given gurmantr which is waheguru and is the highest and best mantr to recite :lol: The 'Guru Guru Waheguru Guru Raam Daas Guru' is a track sung by Bibi Snatam Kaur in one of her albums.. What if someone saying 'Guru Guru Waheguru Guru Raam Daas Guru' is saying it with more love that someone 'blindly' saying Waheguru, if we know what Guru Raam Daas Ji was practically the essence of Akaal Purakh Himself? We say Waheguru, but is it not possible for someone to live the life of a Sikh whilst reciting Raam/Har with devotion so that they also merge with Akaal Purakh? Sorry for going off topic - I'm just not sure why you brought it up baba. Please enlighten me :| thank you. ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

Meaning no disrespect, but I think that should say start posting funny jokes.

Unfortunately, it seems to be because intelligent men are a rarity, and usually people like things which have an uncommonly high value. I can't believe this topic has gone on for 5 pages. Now would be a good time to resort to personal attacks, because then Talikhaak would have to do his moderator-sahib-thing and close his own topic :lol: .

He wishes - It does look a little like him though.

*suddenly realises her respect for Talikhaak has just...vanished*

Ultimately yes everything is in God's 'hands', but we should also remember that God gave us hands for a reason too.

i still dont get it erm so, the henna going through different processes to become a paste is similar to us going through different life forms to be given this human life? and the second line is like asking Maharaaj why he hasnt taken us back by now?? weve been through so much and finally hes blessed us with this human life but we are still seperate from him? but then u mentioned ego and i dont get where that fits in. is it something to do with how we think we deserve to be liberated? blah, i dont even understand myself now but im gonna post this anyway waheguru jee ka khalsa, waheguru jee kee fateh!!! It's possible that the first line is referring to us going through millions of life forms, but if that was it then we couldn't in any way expect to be liberated just because we've travelled so far in so much pain. We have to use this life usefully as well by remembering Guru Saheb every step of the way. I took the Salok to mean that even if we try many different methods of bhagti, the crucial factor is Maharaj's blessing. Ultimately we need to realise that everything we do, every step and breath we take has Maharaj's power behind it. The ego-thing was referring to us forgetting this fact and taking all the credit for our good actions ourself without thanking Guru Saheb. Sometimes when we do a lot of Bhagti we expect our life to suddenly change, we expect something in return from Guru Saheb. In Guru Amar Das Ji's verse, the last two lines link in with this. Guru Ji is saying that everything we do, everywhere we go, is ultimately controlled by Akaal Purakh. He gives us His blessing as He chooses, according to our destinies and His Hukam. I hope this made more sense. vaheguru ji ka khalsa vahegruu ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh It helps if we read the entire Ang, or even just the shabads surrounding the one in question. The last Salok on Ang 1374 helps us to understand the first Salok on Ang 1375. ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਬੂੰਦ ਅਕਾਸ ਕੀ ਪਰਿ ਗਈ ਭੂਮਿ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥ Kabīr nirmal būnḏ akās kī par ga­ī bẖūm bikār. Kabeer, the pure drop of water falls from the sky, onto the dirty ground. ਬਿਨੁ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਇਉ ਮਾਂਨਈ ਹੋਇ ਗਈ ਭਠ ਛਾਰ ॥੧੯੫॥ Bin sangaṯ i­o māʼnn­ī ho­ė ga­ī bẖaṯẖ cẖẖār. You must acknowledge this, that without the Sangat, the Holy Congregation, it turns into burnt ashes. ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਬੂੰਦ ਅਕਾਸ ਕੀ ਲੀਨੀ ਭੂਮਿ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥ Kabīr nirmal būnḏ akās kī līnī bẖūm milā­ė. Kabeer, the pure drop of water falls from the sky, and mixes with the dust. ਅਨਿਕ ਸਿਆਨੇ ਪਚਿ ਗਏ ਨਾ ਨਿਰਵਾਰੀ ਜਾਇ ॥੧੯੬॥ Anik si­ānė pacẖ ga­ė nā nirvārī jā­ė. Millions of clever people may try, but they will fail - it cannot be made separate again. We enter the world in the purest possible form - as babies we aren't affected by the evils which plague us at the moment; ego, attachment etc. These things grow as we grow. When a drop of water falls from the sky and lands on a lifeless piece of land, it's value is wasted. Bhagat Kabeer Ji is telling us that if a drop of water falls on a land covered in ash, the water is powerless to convert the ash to anything useful. The ground will not flourish unless the soil is fertile. In the same way, we are like wasted drops of water if we keep the company of those who try to reject God. Without any good influence it is extremely hard to lead a good life - it's so much easier for a negative influence to bring down a positive one unless the positive influence is really strong. Bhagat Ji tells us to use the life we have wisely and make the most of it in whichever way we can. Maybe someone could correct me here if I'm wrong, but I think the reference to dust in the second line is talking about earth/mud/soil. So here, Bhagat Kabeer Ji is describing the water being used to help the soil produce the vegetation or plants. The drop of water is completely absorbed by the soil - they are made to mix. Once they have mixed, it's near impossible to separate them again. When we find Sadhsangat, we begin to be influenced in a good way and step onto the path of Guru Saheb. At the end of the path we meet Guru Saheb and are completely merged into His love. It's impossible for anyone to separate love that strong - the love of the True Husband and His most beloved bride. They merge together and there is no difference between the two. (Having said that, in both Saloks ਭੂਮਿ is used to describe the ground. Although in the first Salok this is qualified by ਬਿਕਾਰ which means it is dirty, diseased etc.) Anyway I will stop for now - sorry if the above didn't make sense (there was a group of very loud youngsters playing games on the computer next to me). Perhaps someone could check Professor Sahib Singh's vichaar for a more accurate explanation. vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh The shahbads on this Ang all talk about the temporary colour of false love/sin in comparison to the True and permanent colour of Guru Saheb's love. ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਸੂਹੈ ਵੇਸਿ ਕਾਮਣਿ ਕੁਲਖਣੀ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਛੋਡਿ ਪਰ ਪੁਰਖ ਧਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥ ਓਸੁ ਸੀਲੁ ਨ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਸਦਾ ਝੂਠੁ ਬੋਲੈ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਕਰਮ ਖੁਆਰੁ ॥ The red-robed bride refers to us as Manmukhs. We are clothed in the temporary dress of Maya and falsehood. We are described as being ill-tempered because we forsake the True colour of Guru Saheb's devotion and concentrate our efforts on going after the emotional attachment of other people. We lack modesty or self-discipline, are engrossed in false things, and we are ruined by the karma of evil deeds. ਜਿਸੁ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਭਤਾਰੁ ॥ ਸੂਹਾ ਵੇਸੁ ਸਭੁ ਉਤਾਰਿ ਧਰੇ ਗਲਿ ਪਹਿਰੈ ਖਿਮਾ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ॥ The lucky souls who have such pre-ordained destiny, obtain the True Guru has the True Husband. That Gurmukh discards the false red colour previously worn, and wears the ornaments of mercy and forgiveness around her neck. ਪੇਈਐ ਸਾਹੁਰੈ ਬਹੁ ਸੋਭਾ ਪਾਏ ਤਿਸੁ ਪੂਜ ਕਰੇ ਸਭੁ ਸੈਸਾਰੁ ॥ ਓਹ ਰਲਾਈ ਕਿਸੈ ਦੀ ਨਾ ਰਲੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਰਾਵੇ ਸਿਰਜਨਹਾਰੁ ॥ In this world and the next, she receives great honor, and the whole world worships her. She who is enjoyed by her Creator Lord stands out, and does not blend in with the crowd. ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਹਾਗਣੀ ਜਿਸੁ ਅਵਿਨਾਸੀ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਭਰਤਾਰੁ ॥੧॥ O Nanak, the Gurmukh is the happy soul-bride forever; she has the Imperishable Lord God as her Husband. ਮਃ ੧ ॥ ਸੂਹਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਸੁਪਨੈ ਨਿਸੀ ਬਿਨੁ ਤਾਗੇ ਗਲਿ ਹਾਰੁ ॥ ਸਚਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਮਜੀਠ ਕਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ The false red color of Maya is like a dream in the night; it is like a necklace without a string. We think the Maya around us is permanent. When we go after other people or objects we are blinded by their physical appearance and we think that just because we can see them with our eyes, they are real. It's only in the end when we are hurt or disappointed that we realise how stupid we've been. Unfortunately most of us learn the hard way. When we realise and believe that the world around us is temporary and an illusion, we take on the permanent color, contemplating the Lord God. ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਮਹਾ ਰਸੀ ਸਭਿ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆ ਛਾਰੁ ॥੨॥ O Nanak, with the supreme sublime essence of the Lord's Love, all sins and evil deeds are turned to ashes. ਪਉੜੀ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਜਗੁ ਆਪਿ ਉਪਾਇਓਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਚੋਜ ਵਿਡਾਨੁ ॥ ਪੰਚ ਧਾਤੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਪਾਈਅਨੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਝੂਠੁ ਗੁਮਾਨੁ ॥ ਆਵੈ ਜਾਇ ਭਵਾਈਐ ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ॥ He Himself created this world, and staged this wondrous play. Into the body of the five elements, He infused attachment, falsehood and self-conceit. The ignorant, self-willed manmukh comes and goes, wandering in reincarnation. ਇਕਨਾ ਆਪਿ ਬੁਝਾਇਓਨੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥ ਭਗਤਿ ਖਜਾਨਾ ਬਖਸਿਓਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥੪॥ He Himself teaches some to become Gurmukh, through the spiritual wisdom of the Lord. He blesses them with the treasure of devotional worship, and the wealth of the Lord's Name. It can be confusing because in other places Guru Saheb sometimes also describes the colour of Akaal Purakh's love as being a deep red colour. Perhaps others could share their thoughts as there might be a deeper meaning which I'm not seeing. ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh You want facts Bhai Sahib, but how can we prove that Guru Gobind Singh Ji selected the Panj Pyare based on caste? Guru Saheb makes it quite clear that caste is irrelevant in Sikhi, therefore it should be irrelevant to us. In the bigger picture, of course the 5 Singhs were selected - they were selected by Akaal Purakh to be His 5 warriors, to set an example for the rest of us. They were blessed with steel-solid faith in Guru Saheb. Bhai Sahib, if you think the Truth must be boring in order for it to be the Truth, then I humbly suggest that you might find the path of Gursikhi quite boring. ( :| ) The Truth is the Truth, we don't need to attempt to describe it or bring it down our level. If you are here to post your conspiracy theories then please back your views up with Gurbani, the jewel by which we should lead our lives. Bhai Sahib, you said you prefer to deal with realistic facts, but the majority of the world also thought that the Earth being flat was a fact, until quite a while later. Bhagat Kabeer Ji tells us on Ang 855 that when we are imbued with the love of Maharaj, we seem insane to everybody else. http://www.sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?ShabadID=3205 :lol: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

A similar Salok appears on Ang 947, right before this shabad by Guru Amar Das Ji. ਮਃ ੩ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਮਹਿਦੀ ਕਰਿ ਕੈ ਰਖਿਆ ਸੋ ਸਹੁ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇਇ ॥ O Nanak, my Husband Lord keeps me like henna paste; He blesses me with His Glance of Grace. ਆਪੇ ਪੀਸੈ ਆਪੇ ਘਸੈ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਲਾਇ ਲਏਇ ॥ He Himself grinds me, and He Himself rubs me; He Himself applies me to His feet. ਇਹੁ ਪਿਰਮ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਖਸਮ ਕਾ ਜੈ ਭਾਵੈ ਤੈ ਦੇਇ ॥੨॥ This is the cup of love of my Lord and Master; He gives it as He chooses.

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh ਕਬੀਰ ਮਹਿਦੀ ਕਰਿ ਘਾਲਿਆ ਆਪੁ ਪੀਸਾਇ ਪੀਸਾਇ ॥ Kabīr mahidī kar ghāli­ā āp pīsā­ė pīsā­ė. Kabeer, I have made myself into henna, and I grind myself into powder. ਤੈ ਸਹ ਬਾਤ ਨ ਪੂਛੀਐ ਕਬਹੁ ਨ ਲਾਈ ਪਾਇ ॥੬੫॥ Ŧai sah bāt na pūchhī­ai kabahu na lā­ī pā­ė. But You, O my Husband Lord, have not asked about me; You have never applied me to Your Feet. ਮਹਿਦੀ ਕਰਿ = like henna; ਘਾਲਿਆ = hard work; ਪੀਸਾਇ = ground up; ਸਹ = husband master; ਬਾਤ = story about; ਪੂਛੀਐ = asked; ਕਬਹੁ ਨ ਲਾਈ = never applied. Initially it seems like Bhagat Ji is implying that even when a person sacrifices so much, Guru Saheb does not welcome them at His door. Henna powder comes from leaves which are cut up and then ground vigorously into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Applying henna onto the skin, arms or feet is an ancient tradition and is often done at weddings and special occasions. In this Salok we can see that the henna goes through so many troubles and pains in order to be applied onto the feet. There are two extremes. Some people will become so attached to and distracted by the Maya which surrounds us. They'll worry about their deadlines, jobs, families, clothes, money to the extent that there remains no time for remembering Guru Saheb or thanking Him for our blessings. The other extreme is trying to seclude ourselves from the world around us by becoming hermit-like and staying in caves or mountains in an effort to get away from other humans. That might allow the person to do a lot of bhagti, but how can they fight the five evils when they have shut themselves off from the world? There will be no real control, besides the fact that Guru Saheb clearly tells us to fulfil our wordly duties like earning an honest living. Bhagat Kabeer Ji is saying that we can try various ways to become good people, and we can even do it the right way by following the path of our Gurus.. but doing this does not give us the right to obtain immediate bliss in return. As soon as we bgein to forget that we only gain anything by the blessing of Maharaj, our egos overtake our thoughts even if we don't realise it until later. Who are we to assume that we know the 'mind of God'. How can Akaal Purakh's justice be anything but fair? When and if the time comes for Guru Saheb to embrace us, He will. Everything is under Vaheguru's control, so why are we worrying about getting things in return for worshipping the One who is everything? In the mean-time the key is humility, devotion and perseverance. Bhagat Kabeer Ji tells us that as long as we take credit for Guru Saheb's blessings, we will always feel distant from our King - no matter how much pain we put ourselves through, no matter if we stick needles in our eyes in order to try and reach Him, as long as the element of 'I' remains, we can't expect to be able to remove the veil of duality over our eyes. This only happens when it is written in our destinies, when we truly believe that everything is ultimately Akaal Purakh. P.S. I wouldn't recommend the whole sticking-a-needle-into-your-eyeball scenario. I think Isaac Newton did it once, but only to see what would happen, and nothing did happen anyway. So let that be a lesson to you. Also remember that Albert Einstein had no need to experiment with his eye sockets and still managed to extend much further on Newton's physical work, giving us the Theory of Relativity. ~l~ :lol:: vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

edited

Maybe,.,.I'm not sure. Could be. (Ask Talikhaak) lol I wasn't offended, I was just asking.

This made me think of when we were kiddies and our parents gave us little toys to play with. As babies we don't have the kind of attachment we have to things now. The attachment can grow after Maya comes to us. It's not like we're always looking for it. what's your point.

Okie :lol:

*wonders why the thread died after she posted* :mellow:

ਫਰੀਦਾ ਕਾਲੀ ਧਉਲੀ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਚਿਤਿ ਕਰੇ ॥ Fareed, whether one's hair is black or grey, our Lord and Master is always here if one remembers Him. ਆਪਣਾ ਲਾਇਆ ਪਿਰਮੁ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਜੇ ਲੋਚੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥ This loving devotion to the Lord does not come by one's own efforts, even though all may long for it. ਏਹੁ ਪਿਰਮੁ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਖਸਮ ਕਾ ਜੈ ਭਾਵੈ ਤੈ ਦੇਇ ॥੧੩॥ This cup of loving devotion belongs to our Lord and Master; He gives it to whomever He likes. ||13|| Maybe there is a difference between simply remembering, and actual love (prem). We might remember Guru Saheb when japping naam, but it takes something more to actually feel the ras from it. Initially we tend to get high expectations - we get impatient about not feeling anything for a long time when doing bhagti. When things go wrong, we can say 'it's hukam' but that only ever becomes a true answer when thinking 'it's hukam' actually gets rid of any disappointment or pain we felt when the things went wrong in the first place. If it was true love then we would only feel happiness. I think this further stage of pure sehaj might be what Guru Amar Das Ji is talking about. But what do I know. :lol:

You don't bug anyone. I didn't know that thingie about the five elements until you asked this question. Your questions on Gurbani are only making us all learn more things in more depth.

There's some hope still :devil: woohoo. I think another critical point in the shabad by Guru Amar Das Ji is 'jo chit karay'. It involves a mixture of our own efforts and Maharaj's blessings. But we shouldn't forget that Guru Saheb has the power to liberate even worms if He wanted to. Thanks for posting that baba.

Sorry Baba, my computer was misbehaving when you posted yesterday. But now you have to listen to me rambling lucky you. The panj chorrrrrrrrr. Ego seems to be 'inbuilt' into us humans, but that of course is only a wall we hide behind in order to avoid fighting the battles we need to fight. I suppose everyone feels differently, but I think most people like to feel important, wanted or loved. I don't know if the needing-to-feel-loved part is due to ego or just neediness (or maybe it's ok), but we always seem to forget that Guru Saheb loves us - usually just because we are too blind to recognise that love, or because we think He should be here in a more physical form. A Sikh should always remember that whatever gifts they have were borrowed from the library of Maharaj, and perhaps eventually being grateful and happy will become more sweet than swelling up with self-pride. Greed stems from ego - we feel the need to 'glorify' ourselves in a way which society around us can relate to. If we earn more money, our family becomes well-known, we lay down a good future for our kiddies. We see things/accessories which other people have like the latest mobiles or cells, and then we want them to. Basically we want them so that other people will like us more, we'll fit in and maybe even be more admired. Then we'll feel important and wanted, we think we'll feel secure - as long as there are these admiring people around us, we'll feel more important. But for a Sikh, why should that need even exist? I don't think anger is sweet to anyone. I found what kaur_khalistani_lioness said about the frontal lobe shutting down really interesting. We get angry, again because of ego. Sometimes because we simply cannot see that Guru Saheb is in everyone - we don't understand other people and their actions (usually we don't even bother trying to understand). We're quick to judge, less quick to help. Attachment - it's all about false love. Only we don't think it's false, we think it's true. When two people hook up, they bond emotionally - sharing feelings etc. It makes us feel wanted again, like our existence is very important for the other person. And we like the knowledge that we are making a difference in another person's life. Attachment to friends and family is similar. We forget the bigger picture, we forget that this attachment might not be in the best interests of the people involved in the long run. Turning away from this attachment is one of the hardest things a person can do. It's like the mind is split in two - one half knows that the attachment is taking over, removing Godly thoughts.. whilst the other part is lapping it all up - the mind feels 'happy' from taking pleasure out of another person, and providing pleasure to them. Kaam is pretty similar, only in a more physical way. Kaam is all about the body. Our lives revolve around our bodies - because that's all we really seem to know. It's physical - we're more prone to believe in things we can physically see or feel. So when we see someone we like and our hormones rush, it stimulates our mind. The problem is that for many of these things, today' society seems to think that stifling/fighting these urges is actually cruel. They say we're only human, we've been given these feelings. So we begin to doubt the One who's stood by us in every step of life. We need to be brainwashed by Gurbani, we need to think clearly. But to think clearly we need our minds to be clean. It doesn't matter if people around us take a negative view on the term 'brainwashing' - because that's exactly what needs to happen to us. And I'll stop now. :umm:: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh ਕਬੀਰ ਮਾਟੀ ਕੇ ਹਮ ਪੂਤਰੇ ਮਾਨਸੁ ਰਾਖਿਓੁ ਨਾਉ ॥ Kabīr mātī kė ham pūtrė mānas rākhi­o nā­o. Kabeer, we are puppets of clay, but we take the name of mankind. ਚਾਰਿ ਦਿਵਸ ਕੇ ਪਾਹੁਨੇ ਬਡ ਬਡ ਰੂੰਧਹਿ ਠਾਉ ॥੬੪॥ Chār divas kė pāhunė bad bad rūʼndheh thā­o. We are guests here for only a few days, but we take up so much space. ਮਾਟੀ = clay; ਹਮ = we; ਪੂਤਰੇ = children, puppet; ਮਾਨਸੁ = man; ਰਾਖਿਓੁ = keep; ਨਾਉ = name; ਚਾਰਿ = four; ਦਿਵਸ = day; ਪਾਹੁਨੇ = guests (I'm not sure); ਬਡ = a lot, big; ਰੂੰਧਹਿ = take up; ਠਾਉ = place, space. Bhagat Kabeer Ji reminds us that our bodies are temporary and our life here in this world is also very short in comparison with our entire existence-span. He describes as being puppets made from mud (the elements of the earth). Ultimately Guru Saheb is controlling everything, He created us and will reduce us to dust when it is time for us to leave this world. We big ourselves up so much, comparing mankind to the rest of the world's animals. But the truth is that an ant who remembers Guru Saheb has more worth than a human who is entangled in Maya's clutches. Bhaagt Ji goes on to say that we are guests in the world for only four days. This should give us an idea and sense of perspective about the length of time we've been going through various life-forms. If a person was told that they only had four days to live, they would definately make the most of that short time, living life to the full. Others might have different ideas of what 'living life to the full' means, but for a Sikh of Guru Saheb, living life to the full means remembering that our four days could become 2 days. We might die any day, how are we to know? If we lived every breath as if it were our last, we would surely be able to say that our time here has been fruitful. So what should we do in the four days that we have? We need to make an effort to remember Maharaj, read the invaluable advice He gives us and, most of all implement it and integrate it into our own lives whilst being an inspiration to the lives of others around us. What is the point of focusing our lives around things like big, expensive houses and fancy clothes and accessories which are not necessary for us to fulfil our purpose in life? A small hut where the humble occupants are in love with their King is better than a furnished castle where there is no remembrance of God at all. In this shabad, Guru Saheb describes the four stages of of our existence here on Earth. (Guru Nanak Dev Ji describes life as being only as short as one night, split into four 'watches' of 3 hours each.) This shabad deserves a much deeper analysis but this is a quick summary. Firstly we were placed inside our designated Angel's womb where we meditated on Maharaj with so much lvoe and devotion. In the second stage we had forgotten everything spiritual - Guru Saheb says we were passed around as a baby from relative to relative. We knew nothing of who created us and gradually we were introduced to Maya which kept our minds busy enough. In the third stage of our lifetime we concentrated on earning money, dressing ourselves us, socialising etc. Even though we could remember Maharaj and be free from distractions if we made the effort, we don't do it. We remain engrossed with the play around us and forget our morals and spiritual responsibilities. In the final stage of life, old age takes its toll. Then we realise that death is approaching and we begin to worry about what lies ahead. But by then there is no time to do any sort of good deeds and Bhagti so wipe away past sins. Throughout life there was never a desire to become a disciple of Maharaj, so now at death, this is granted. No amount of crying and wailing will erase the slate of bad actions. Our body is taken away from us and we are left standing alone in Dharamraj's court. In the Salok above, Bhagat Kabeer Ji provides us with a chance to think about our actions and their consequences in the world. We ignore the beauty of Vaheguru Ji's creation around us and think our needs are more important than those of anyone else's. We litter and pollute the Earth with no remorse. At the same time we pollute our minds and forget our duty to those who died to keep Sikhi alive. We really need to use the short time we have wisely - it is constantly slipping away from us like sand in an hourglass. :devil:: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

I once heard someone say that it is not Maya itself which is evil - it is our attachment to Maya which draws us away from Guru Saheb. As long as we're living in this world we need the minimum material things to survive - things like food, and thesedays money. The problem arises when we get so engrossed in the material things that we forget God. Sometimes people can reach a stage where everything they see and hear reminds them of Maharaj. If we see money and this makes us thank our King for giving us so much, will the money still be evil in itself? Of course not. I don't think it is the money which has the ability to draw us away from God. It is our own minds. We see things as evil because we make them evil. When we become obsessed with money or if we continually feel the need to have more and more when we don't need it, THEN we forget Maharaj. Instead we should always remember that Guru Saheb has blessed us with jobs and the ability to work hard, and from the fruits of these things we can bring up the next generation in Guru Saheb's path. :devil:: vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

*double post* (Apparently if you double click on 'post reply' your repy is posted twice. Did you know that Talikhaak? )