lowest of the low singhni

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh ਕਬੀਰ ਚੰਦਨ ਕਾ ਬਿਰਵਾ ਭਲਾ ਬੇੜ੍ਹ੍ਹਿਓ ਢਾਕ ਪਲਾਸ ॥ kabeer chandan kaa birvaa bhalaa bayrheha-o dhaak palaas. Kabeer, the sandalwood tree is good, even though it is surrounded by weeds. ਓਇ ਭੀ ਚੰਦਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੇ ਬਸੇ ਜੁ ਚੰਦਨ ਪਾਸਿ ॥੧੧॥ o-ay bhee chandan ho-ay rahay basay jo chandan paas. Those who dwell near the sandalwood tree, become just like the sandalwood tree. "chandan ka birva" = sandalwood tree "bayrheha-o" = surrounded (can't fully remember lol) "dhaak palaas" = the ugly/useless weeds "o-ay" = those "basay" = dwell "chandan paas" = near the sandalwood tree In this Salok Bhagat Kabeer Ji uses the analogy of the sandalwood tree. If anyone's ever smelled sandalwood, they'll know it smells really nice :wub: . This Salok is actually quite simple, and so pure. Even though the beautifully-scented sandalwood tree is surrounded by ugly weeds, it never stops giving out it's fragrance. Soon it seems like the weeds are also giving it out, and people are attracted to both the tree and the weeds. What really matters is our humility (or lack of it), no matter what living conditions we are born into. It is the sweet smell of humility which attracts Maharaj and which makes other loving towards us. When the humble Gurmukh does good deeds, it makes those around him feel good and become good - as a result, the positivity spreads. In Gursikhi, we must be prepared to become flexible. We need to mould ourselves and adapt ourselves according to Gurbani and Rehat, just as the weeds begin to smell good when in close proximity of the sandalwood tree. I can't think of anything else to say about this Salok right now, because it is so lovely that I'd rather just admire it. Please add more if necessary :wub: . Sandalwood tree: :D: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr rwqI hovih kwrIAw kwry aUBy jMq ] kabeer raatee hoveh kaaree-aa kaaray oobhay jant Kabeer, the night is dark, and men go about doing their dark deeds. lY Pwhy auiT Dwvqy is jwin mwry BgvMq ]10] lai faahay uth Dhaavtay se jaan maaray bhagvant They take the noose and run around; but rest assured that God shall destroy them. "raatee" = night "kaaree-aa" = darkness "oobhay" = arise (for the translation above, dark deeds arise - or something to that effect.) "jant" = men "faahay" = noose "uth dhaavtay" = run about "jaan" = know "maarey" = accursed "bhagvant" = Lord In the past few Saloks the main theme has been ego or Maya - only those who have conquered their minds will really be happy. On the other hand, there are those who are willing to kill, hurt or abuse other people just for the sake of their own greed or worldly desires. They think they are pleasing themselves, but they're also putting their own jeevan in danger. They delude themselves thinking that they're cool or brave or um... "gangsta" for all you English people :wub: . In reality they're cowardly and weak. Kabeer Ji describes them as carrying their own noose of death around with them wherever they go doing bad deeds. Ultimately justice will be delivered by Maharaj and they'll get beaten up either in this life or another, *if they do not reform*. In fact they are already half dead in this life. A soul without any inclination towards Maharaj has no purpose in life and is pretty much wasting away uselessly. Having said that, we must try not to judge those people who claim not to believe in God, and try not to look down upon them. It sends a wrong message to non-Sikhs and remembering that God is within everyone, even those who deny it, means that looking down upon others doesn't come into the equation of Gursikhi. In order to end on a positive note, here's a little story about a baddie who reformed :wub: and wasn't beaten up. "Once upon a time, there was a very evil person who used to live on a road. His name was Ratna, and he used to wait for people to come to this road. He would wait and then brandish his sword and attack, demanding money from the rich travellers. Fearing for their lives, they would hand over everything and Ratna would take as much as he could carry. He would then sell these things and go home with the money. Now, occasionally he would see holy men sitting on the road he took home. He would give them some money, and they would bless him. But they knew how he got the money he gave to them. So they thought they should try to correct his ways. Anyway, one of these saints, was Narad, an amazing saint, who had meditated on the name of God for years and years. Only good thoughts ever came to his mind, and he dressed up as a traveller and went to Ratna's Road. Ratna was waiting. He did his usual thing of brandishing his sword and demanding money. Saint Narad said okay and began handing over his things. As he was doing so he said, 'Son why do you rob people like this.' Ratna said he did so to feed his family - his parents were old and needed medicine and his wife and children would be hungry. Now they were all happy because he could buy them luxuries. Saint Narad then said, "Will your family take the punishment you will recieve later as well? Ratna was a bad person, but he did believe in God, and he became worried. So what he did was he tied Saint Narad up and ran home. He then asked his family if they would share his punishment. His family said no, as it wasn't them who did any of the bad deeds - he would be responsible for them. Ratna went back to see Saint Narad, crying. "I did everything for them and they wont even share my punishment." Saint Narad told him it was ok, and that by repeating the name of God, he could wash all the sins away. He then began to meditate on Akaal Purakh's name with Saint Narad. Ratna did so much abiyhaas that one time ants came and built a ant hill around him, but his concentration was so pure it didnt waver. From this time on he was called valmiki - ant hill saint. " Moral - it's never too late. *wonders why ants seem to crop up in nearly every post* :D: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr soeI mwrIAY ijh mUAY suKu hoie ] kabeer so-ee maaree-ai jih moo-ai sukh ho-ay Kabeer, kill only that, which, when killed, shall bring peace. Blo Blo sBu ko khY buro n mwnY koie ]9] bhalo bhalo sabh ko kahai buro na maanai ko-ay Everyone shall call you good, very good, and no one shall think you are bad. "so-ee" = that "maaree-ai" = kill "moo-ai" = kill, death "sukh" = sukh "bhalo" = good "buro" = bad "maanai" = perceive [ N.B. I do not feel that this Salok refers to people such as George Bush, although I suppose some probably interpret it that way. Actually that is probably a very interesting topic. ] Ego makes us forget the difference between good and bad. It makes us think that we can sort all problems out, and makes us feel important and powerful. Pretty much we end up with a headache, and wander around like drunken ants (previously mentioned) who are confused, perplexed and lost. ( ) Also, most of the sadness we feel is because of Maya, or our incapability to accept Maharaj's Hukam. Or simply because we focus on ourselves too much instead of spending that time appreciating Maharaj's Beauty. We also worry a lot, where there is really no need to. We're so afraid of rejection or failure, or losing the people we love - even though Maharaj will always take care of us and everything around us. Imagine life without worry, or stress, or sadness. Sounds good. This is the stuff we need to kill off before we think about other people's faults. Maharaj tells us clearly that this will bring peace - the "sukh" described by Bhagat Kabeer Ji in this Salok. Do we listen? No. When our minds under reasonably under control, we begin to see Maharaj in everything and everyone around us. Even wasps and spiders and people who yell at you in the streets. Everything begins to look agreeable to us, and we begin to look agreeable to everyone else. This is what Bhagat Ji refers to in the second line of the Salok: a Gurmukh will be loved by all. :wub:: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr AweI muJih pih Aink kry kir Bys ] kabeer aa-ee mujheh peh anik karay kar bhays Kabeer, she came to me in various forms and disguises. hm rwKy gur Awpny auin kIno Awdysu ]8] ham raakhay gur aapnay un keeno aadays My Guru saved me, and now she bows humbly to me. "aa-ee" = she "mujheh" = me "peh" = came to "anik" = various "kar" = assuming, taking "bhays" = garbs, forms "rakhay" = saved "aadays" = obeisance, bowing IMHO Bhagat Kabeer Ji is talking about the attributes of Maya and their influence on us in this Salok. It attacks our minds constantly, is thousands of forms. Maya is anything which takes our minds away from Maharaj - and ego is probably one of the most obvious yet most subtle. It is difficult to know when a person is afflicted by Maya, because most people will reckon that it makes them happy. Maya can come in the form of things like family, friends, or the internet ( ). There are three types of Maya; Rajo, Tamo and Sato. Tamo: Bad deeds - like murder, slander, thieving, rape etc. Obviously anti-gurmat. Rajo: Ambition - the thing which drives us to work harder for promotions, or to earn more and more money. Someone under the influence of this Gunn can easily lapse back into Tamo Gunn because usually ambition will end up in desperation, which may lead to sins being committed in order to achieve higher status. Sato: Good Stuff :wub: - like giving to charity, being compassionate. Under this Gunn there is not much aspiration for worldly or materialistic things. Most of the religions of the world will fall under this Gunn, teaching people how to live decent, moral lives. Gurmat is probably one of the only ones which talks about a higher level. Gursikhi involves parts of these three attributes of Maya. Sato - obviously we need to be good people and help those in need, treating everyone with respect and kindness. But to an extent we need Rajo as well - in order to inspire us to earn an honest living, and to get us up in the morning for Amritvela...instilling the desire to attain a higher spiritual level. The stage above these three is called Turi Avastha. This is when a person is living according to Gursikhi, and does good actions, but always selflessly. It is actually quite hard for people to imagine doing a "selfless" good deed. Deep down we always feel good in the end about doing it, and this can lead to ego. I cannot explain this stage very well because i've had no experience of it, so maybe someone can help me out here :wub: . Anyway, back to the Salok. Maharaj is the only one who can help us to control our minds, so that they are not being continually attacked and invaded by Maya. Once we beging to meditate on Maharaj for every second with love, ego won't afflict us anymore. Then we're pretty much sorted. Instead of us bowing down to Maya, Maya bows down to us. Then our minds will be in a complete state of equipoise and serenity. :D: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

Some of us of course are not as strong to take in this kind of sad news. But at the end we have to accept it as His will and console ourselves and support each other by taking refuge in Naam Baani. (I must admit easier said than done). It appears a combination of events led to this tragic accident eg 1. very cold water - due to which hypothermia sets in within minutes, 2. rescuing a non-swimmer requires life guard expertise which we don't know whether our two brave brothers had, 3. swimming with clothes on isn't easy. Zorawar Singh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr sB qy hm bury hm qij Blo sBu koie ] kabeer sabh tay ham buray ham taj bhalo sabh ko-ay. Kabeer, I am the worst of all. Everyone else is good. ijin AYsw kir bUiJAw mIqu hmwrw soie ]7] jin aisaa kar boojhi-aa meet hamaaraa so-ay. Whoever understands this is a friend of mine. “buray” = worst “ham” = all “bhalo” = good (i think) “jin” = whoever “boojhi-aa” = understand “meet” = friend In this couplet Bhagat Kabeer Ji talks about the result of killing off ego. A new sense of awareness takes over, and the person will begin to realise their own faults instead of finding faults in others. Now faults can be found inside oneself, and Maharaj can be seen in everyone else. Pride is no longer an issue. The person will consider themselves as lowly, treating all others with respect (-emphasis on ALL others.) Kabeer Ji then says, that person who is free from the illusions of maya, and who can see/feel/live the Truth is an actual friend. This is true sangat, but such people are rare. Seeing/feeling/living the Truth could probably have a post of its own. True Friends Ego attacks us from every angle, especially when we don't realise it. Even small things such as "you do nice kirtan" can add to our growing bank of ego. Each time we think of ourselves having anything or being able to do anything is a moment we could have spend admiring Maharaj. Pride Right at the beginning of Japji Saheb Guru Nanak Dev Ji gives us the key to getting rid of ego: nwnk hukmY jy buJY q haumY khY n koie ]2] naanak hukamai jae bujhai th houmai kehai n koe O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego. Remembering *everything* is in Maharaj's hands, and that we don't have hands, and that we hardly exist, and that there is no we. Only Maharaj. Concept of Hukam could probably have its own post too :wub: . :wub:: i couldn't find a relevant, nice picture for today. vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr jw idn hau mUAw pwCY BieAw Anµdu ] kabeer jaa din ha-o moo-aa paachhai bha-i-aa anand. Kabeer, on the day when I die, afterwards there shall be bliss. moih imilE pRBu Awpnw sMgI Bjih guoibMdu ]6] mohi mili-o parabh aapnaa sangee bhajeh gobind. I shall meet with my Lord God. Those with me shall meditate and vibrate on the Lord of the Universe. "din" = day "moo-aa" = death "paachai" = afterwards "anand" = bliss "mohi" = mine "mili-o" = meet "aapna sangi" = my friends, those with me "bhajai" = meditate "gobind" = God On first glance this Salok by Bhagat Kabeer Ji seems to say that when we die there'll be eternal bliss. Which of course, isn't true. I believe that Bhagat Ji is talking about when we merge with Maharaj. In order to do that we need to get rid of our ego, which is what separates us from feeling Maharaj. Once that wall is broken down we can see Maharaj's presence even within ourselves. After that, Naam will begin to well up from every part of our bodies, entrancing our minds and souls. Then even our organs will want to remember Maharaj. Having faith in Gurbani is of the utmost importance - actually and absolutely believing that it is the ultimate Truth. If we kill off our ego then we will attain peace and meet with Satguru Ji. The people around us will feel the Naam waves from our body and will automatically feel drawn towards its power. Bring us onto the importance of Sangat - being around/talking to people who are keen to understand Gurbani and live truthful, sincere lives. It's much easier to be pulled down by people around you instead of pulling them up with your Sikhi. Probably because our Sikhi isn't strong enough. Which brings us back to the importance of japping Naam and thinking of only Maharaj. Seeing Maharaj in everyone and remembering He is pervading everywhere and communicating to us through Gurbani, our conscience and experiences. We feel so far from Maharaj, but really their is only a veil - as thin as the wings of a butterfly - separating us from Him. Tearing this veil is the point of life. vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

"On Sunday afternoon, police named them as Harvinder Singh, 15, Tajinder Singh, 21, and Satvir Singh, 17. " all from wolverhampton.

ਜਾ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਣਿ ਜਮ ਤੇ ਛੁਟੀਐ ਹਲਤਿ ਪਲਤਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਈਐ ॥ jaa kai simran jam tay chhutee-ai halat palat sukh paa-ee-ai. Meditating in remembrance on Him, we escape from the Messenger of Death; here and hereafter, we obtain peace. ਸਾਸਿ ਗਿਰਾਸਿ ਜਪਹੁ ਜਪੁ ਰਸਨਾ ਨੀਤ ਨੀਤ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਈਐ ॥੨॥ saas giraas japahu jap rasnaa neet neet gun gaa-ee-ai. With every breath and morsel of food, meditate, and chant with your tongue, continually, each and every day; sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.g...=5&id=17521

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr AYsw eyku AwDu jo jIvq imrqku hoie] kabeer aisaa ayk aaDh jo jeevat mirtak ho-ay Kabeer, rare is such a person, who remains dead while yet alive. inrBY hoie kY gun rvY jq pyKau qq soie]5] nirbhai ho-ay kai gun ravai jat paykha-o tat so-ay Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, he is fearless. Wherever I look, the Lord is there. "aisa" = like this/such a "aadh" = rare "jeevat" = life "mirtak" = dead "nirbhai" = fear "gun" = praises "ravai" = utter/sing "jat" = wherever "pekha-o" = look "tat" = there "so-ay" = that (i.e. that Lord) In gurbani the concept of being dead whilst alive is talked of a lot. Basically Bhagat Kabeer Ji is saying that people in this state of mind are extremely rare, and that they are the true Sikhs. They are not influenced by worldly pleasures - and are dead in that sense - but at the same time they take care of their responsibilities in work and at home. Kabeer Ji tells us that as long as we long for worldly pleasures like money and food, we'll never attain bliss. But that Gursikh is also spiritually Alive, because he controls all his senses. They feel happiness and sorrow as the same and are carefree. No lust will distract him from Maharaj, and no angry words will escape his lips. He won't be affected by greed nor swayed by infatuation - he is always thinking about Maharaj. just imagine. :mellow: . Bhagat Kabeer Ji goes on to say that someone who fearlessly remembers Maharaj and sings His praises will realise the ultimate Truth - that Maharaj is abiding everywhere. That Gursikh will love everyone and be afraid of no-one, and will devote his entire life to Satguru Ji. Often we forget this. We go from one extreme to the other - either being so absorbed in Gursikhi that we forget how to live and survive in the world, or being so absorbed in the world that we forget Maharaj entirely :wub: . There aren't many people who can get the balance right. We need to be like lotus flowers in muddy water... spiritually more beautiful than the muddy depths in which we live. ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr fgmg ikAw krih khw fulwvih jIau ] kabeer dagmag ki-aa karahi kahaa dulaaveh jee-o Kabeer, why do you stumble? Why does your soul waver? srb sUK ko nwieko rwm nwm rsu pIau ]3] sarab sookh ko naa-iko raam naam ras pee-o He is the Lord of all comforts and peace; drink in the Sublime Essence of the Lord's Name. (1364) "dagmag" = unsteady/unbalanced "ki-aa" = what for "dulaaveh" = waver "sarab" = all "sookh" = happiness "naiko" = provider/Lord/leader/hero "ras" = taste/enjoyment/love "pee-o" = drink Here Bhagat Kabeer Ji talks about our continuously-wandering minds. We're going through this world like a colony of drunken ants who can't hold up their leaves properly. Our minds wander from Maharaj throughout the day, especially when doing our Baanian or sitting down to do simran. Even when we do ardas to ask Maharaj for help, we rarely do it with enough faith and conviction that we actually believe He will help us - constantly doubting, or feeling that our Sikhi is worthless just because we're too blind to appreciate it. Bhagat Kabeer Ji states that Maharaj is the one who provides every single comfort in existence. Only by remembering Sargutu Ji's name will we attain any sort of peace, and gain the "ras" that Bhagat Ji talks about. How can someone who hasn't had that taste even begin to try and describe it. We see people wandering around in the world, thinking that they'll be eternally happy if they fall in "love" or become a millionaire or be the highest academic in Oxford University. But truly, only Maharaj is the Comforter and the Provider of joy...and if we make a proper effort to remember Him, then that'll be the end of all our wavering and stumbling around like drunken ants. :wub:: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh kbIr myrI jwiq kau sBu ko hsnyhwru ] kabeer mayree jaat ka-o sabh ko hasnayhaar. Kabeer, everyone laughs at my social class. bilhwrI ies jwiq kau ijh jipE isrjnhwru ]2] balihaaree is jaat ka-o jih japi-o sirjanhaar. I am a sacrifice to this social class, in which I chant and meditate on the Creator. "jaat" = social status/caste "sabh" = all "hasnayhaar" = laugh "balihaaree" = sacrifice "is jaat" = this social class "jih" = in which "japio" = chant/meditate "sirjanhaar" = Creator God Bhagat Kabeer Ji was born into the lowest caste of the Hindus, and this couplet highlights how people mocked him. Generally, most people in the "lower castes" were illiterate, but since Bhagat Kabeer Ji was able to worship Maharaj and show his love for Him, he was eternally grateful that he was born into the caste that Maharaj has placed him in. Those who belonged to the higher castes, like the Brahmins, were supposed to be experts spiritually because they could read the various holy books. They'd consider themselves the most superior (still do) because of their high ranking. Indirectly, Bhagat Kabeer Ji could be saying that if he'd been born into a higher social class he might have neglected Maharaj's worship due to being carried away by arrogance which was prompted by society at the time. Imagine the humility of Bhagat Kabeer Ji. :kid: This issue of social class is pretty relevant today as well - with all the posts on caste in marriage and Gurdware. But we can help ourselves and other people by trying our best not to judge anyone if they're different to us. Forget about what kind of school or university or job they're from, or whether they're gay or dress different or look down at you. Maharaj's Light is in *everyone* we see. When we can start to see that in everyone we come across, then maybe we'll get somewhere. :wub:: ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh ~ *someone needs to tell me why the GurbaniWeb font thingi isn't working* ~ mod note: make sure you use [*size=4][*font=GurbaniWebThick] insert text here [*/font][*/size] (and delete all the *) slok Bgq kbIr jIau ky salok bhagath kabeer jeeo kae Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee <> siqgur pRswid ] ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh || One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru kbIr myrI ismrnI rsnw aUpir rwmu ] kabeer mayree simrnee rasnaa oopar raam Kabeer, my rosary is my tongue, upon which the Lord's Name is strung. Awid jugwdI sgl Bgq qw ko suKu ibsRwmu ]1] aad jugaadee sagal bhagat taa ko sukh bisraam From the very beginning, and throughout the ages, all the devotees abide in tranquil peace. Bhagat Kabeer Ji begins these couplets by comparing his tongue to a string of beads for meditation. The beads on this rosary are the Beads of Naam, which are turned over continuously in the mind. If we all made the effort to repeat Maharaj's Name on our tongues or constantly think about His awesomeness (*making up words here*) then no harsh words would ever come out of our mouths. Hurting another person with words alone is too easy, and we have no right to. The harsh, blunt and sometimes sarcastic attitude towards others can have huge consequences which we often don't realise. Putting someone off Sikhi is possibly one of the highest sins we could commit. "Aad" means first, or primary. Combined with "Jugaad" it means right from the beginning of time and though all ages of time. Bhagat Kabeer Ji says that all ("Sagal") true devotees attain eternal happiness - "Sukh" - peace and serenity. So often we doubt the greatness and glory of Maharaj, and forget to take Gurbani as the Absolute Truth. This Salok clearly highlights the importance of remembering Maharaj *all the time*, and also tells us the result it will have - complete peace and calmness; a state of mind which we can't even begin to imagine. I'll probably have made a fairly large number of mistakes - sorry :wub: . Feel free to cyber-slap me. ~l~ vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh