SikherOfTheNaam

Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh Hey Bro, I can understand that you must feel self concious at times, if not embarassed. I used to suffer from excessive underarm sweating, particualrly when I was going through puberty and it used to bother me. You may be suffering from hyperhidrosis, or you may just sweat a little and then when you feel it, you begin to panic or worry, causing you to sweat more. It's nothing to do with personal hygiene or lack of it, nor can it be solved through "scrubbing". I suggest you make a visit to Boots and purchase "Driclor". It's about £6.50 and you apply it last thing at night to your underarms before you sleep and then wash it off whilst you shower the next day. You have to continue applying underarm everyday, but you'll soon see major improvements - i did after the first application. Continue to apply it everynight, until your sweating stops and you can then just use normal underarm. Hope that helps and let me know how you get on. All the best, Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh

Hey Man, Hope everything's ok. I just wanted to say that it's really great and refreshing that you want to learn more about the beautiful faith, that is Sikhee/Sikhism. I have a very similar background to you; as I was born outside of the Sikh faith and was raised in a Christian family. I'm a 21 year old white guy who first got into Sikhee about 9-10 years ago and I had the same feelings and concerns back then, as you have now. What do I do when I go into the Gurdwara? What if I offend someone? What if I don't understand something? Please be rest assured - you'll have a very beautiful and memorable experience Whilst i'm sure your female friend will be of great help and show you everything, some of the basic things which are good to remember include; removing your shoes as you enter the Gurdwara. If you don't already own a bandana to cover your head, your local Gurdwara should have plenty to borrow. Then before you enter the 'prayer hall', which we call 'Darbaar Saahib', wash your hands Then once you are in the prayer hall, bow your head to Sri Guru Granth Saahib Jee - what we regard to be our living Guru. Again, i'm sure your friend will show you how to do this, or the guy/girl infront of you will. Then to your left or right, will be a lady or man who has a bowl of prashaadh - a really tasty "pudding" for use of a better word, which looks a bit like Wheatabix (no disrespect sangat jee!). Then you'll most likely have to sit on the right in the prayer hall and your friend on the left. This usually depends on your Gurdwara, but men and women sit seperately. Then, you'll be able to hear the sweet words of our Guru being read out aloud. Also, i'd definitely recommend you visit the Langar Hall (communial food kitchen) afterwards, to eat some yummy food before you leave. If you have anymore questions, please don't hestitate to ask any of us - no matter how silly you think they are. I'm sure all of us at some point have had the same questions, whether we were born into Sikhee or not. Also, feel free to inbox me if you have any other questions and if I can't answer them, i'll point you in the direction of someone who can. I also have a couple of friends up in Newcastle All the best, God Bless

To say white people are ridiculous is quite offensive phenjee. What is ridiculous is the american media, for misinforming the american people about who Sikhs are. They had ample opportunity after the atrocities of 9/11 to correct their mistake of labelling all muslims as terrorists as well as their mistake of constantly portraying all terrorists to have beards and turbans. Incidences such as this provide us with that window of opportunity to put misconcenceptions to rest, to answer questions and to show the West who Sikhs are.

Jee, you shouldn't study at a university just because it has lots of Sikhs. The same can be said for people wanting to study at a university because it has lots of white people, brown people etc.

'KhalistaniGunMan' , 'HauApraadhi' , 'PaneerMonster', 'OnlyFive' , 'MehtabSingh' and 'TejiKaur'

I don't know why you worry when in the West you have the freedom and liberty to maintain your own distinct culture and language, something which is a rareity in other countries of the world. Because of this, there is no need to send children away or to have household rules of not speaking English - seems pretty extreme to me. People who grow up to be professional translators learn languages because of their general interest in language. Couple that with teaching children to be bilingual from an early age, your problem will be solved! So what if your child cannot speak fluent Panjabi by the time they are 10 - at least they are learning. Vaaheguroo.

No animal is being killed or maimed for companies to obtain and produce cholecalciferol for human consumption. Hence, it is fine Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

I am not one to make sweeping generalisations, one to make a point without any evidence to support my claim or one to say something completely ridiculous or considered to be "out there". Why would anyone do that in the first place? Whilst Sikhee is the definition of optimism, a few Sikhs are actually optimistic. Just look at this forum as a prime example. There's pessimism about our the "state" of our youth and the panth, about politics, about our sisters, our brothers, about Islam and "conversion" just to name a few examples. How about all the positives? About all the amazing things that Sikhee stands for, that Sikhee is and that Sikhee gives to us? Also as a side note, when has God become so restricting? If he seriously cares about some of the trivial things that i've read on here, then i'm sorry, he is not God. Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

People often say that out of the world faiths, it is Christians who are the most pessimistic due to the concept of eternal damnation looming over their heads, along with Original Sin - being born into sin, living in sin and possibly dying in sin. However, I think that title has been wrongly given and actually belongs to Sikhs. Never have I known a faith group to be so pessimistic about absolutely everything!

One of my favorite shabads by my favorite Keertanee

Direspectful is an understatement! The whole jumping up and down and waving their arms kind of reminds me of when Moses came down from the mountain and found his followers dancing and cheering drunkenly around statue of a golden calf.

Regarding the tributaries and the ocean comment, are you saying Christians, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists can't merge with God? I thought love was unconditional...not bound by any constraints? If a Christian feels the same love for God as a Sikh, why can the Sikh merge with God but the Christian cannot? What happened to all those amazing saints etc. before the time of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee? Did no one merge with God up until the birth of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee or up until 1699? Sikhee teaches us that fasting, idol worship and pilgrimages are pointless. It doesn't teach us that they are strictly forbidden and you by practising such rituals, you can't feel love for God? There are plenty of Muslims who make pilgrimages to Mecca, fast etc. and are inspirational devotees of God, if not saints! If they fast, does this stop them merging with God? If you can only merge with God as a Sikh, then that "dooms" 6 billion people who will have to be reborn, whilst some 20 million+ who are mainly in Panjab, are able to be liberated from this cycle of birth and death. Does God prefer India to the rest of the world? Does he hate white, black and oriental people as they are mainly of other faiths? I would like to ask; following your comments about God and being evil,...what do you think is a suitable justification for it all? Vaaheguroo.

All religions are equal yes. Just as the river has many tributaries leading to the same ocean, religions are those tributaries and God is the ocean. If they are not equal, then you could describe God as "evil". . baedh kathaeb kehahu math jhoot(h)ae jhoot(h)aa jo n bichaarai || Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.

Where has all this slandering of other faiths come from? Have we forgotten the message of our Guroos? Does the sweet Gurbaanee of the Sri Guroo Granth Sahib Jee fall onto deaf ears? Or do we simply choose to accept some of the teachings, but knowingly ignore the others. I do not see why people who decide to follow another faith should bother us as a panth, let alone as an individual. Whilst I do not agree with forced conversions of any type, if a man or a woman feels the same pyaar for God through Christianity, Islaam, Hinduism etc that a Sikh feels through Sikhee, then who are we to stop them? Just because Sikhee makes you feel bliss and ectasy, are we to deny that others, who feel the same pyaar through practising another faith? I am sure most of us will agree that being born into Sikhee doesn't make you a Sikh, anymore than being born a family who are Labour Supporters doesn't make a "Labour Child". I was born into a Christian family but the teachings of that faith and the beliefs didn't resonate with me. It was through God's will that I was to be born under such circumstances and that it was written that I was to do a lot of "soul searching" and through Guroo Jee's sweet kirpaa, I was to fall in love with Sikhee. There are no Christians out there who are getting mad at me and saying they are facing a "conversion problem" and that I should have been educated in the first place. It is God's hukam, and whether I recite the Bible, Koraan, Vedas or Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, I am still worshipping the same God and walking hand-in-hand with him. God is everything and God is infinite. Therefore, the ways to love him are limitless. Let us leave these people to find their own path and let us just focus on the short time we have to benefit ourselves and our own spirituality. Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh! So there I was searching for tracks by Snatam Kaur Phenjee and what did I find... To say I am disgusted is an understatement!!!! Vaaheguroo!

It's great that you've realised that something needs to be done in order to have a better quality of life and being completely honest with the psychologist is another positive step. Group therapy was just a suggestion, its not suitable for everyone. I guess it's just based upon personal preference.

Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh! It is clear to see that many people here do not have a great enough understanding of the condition and just like schizophrenia, phobias and depression, unless you suffer from it, you will never really understand. As I myself suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and have done for so for many years, I can completely understand and sympathise with how you are feeling at present-albeit my type of OCD differs slightly and is focused more on germs. I can be the first to say that trying to ignore your obsessions and your compulsions in the hope that it will go away or that you eventually snap out of it will not work. Neither will trying to "fight it" - as that will only lead to sheer frustration. The same applies with taking a holiday, getting married, distracting your mind or trying holistic medicines. OCD is both a psychological and biological condition that requires professional help. Although I highly recommend you do as much paath, sevaa and simran as you can, we also have to be practical here. TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO JUMP THE GUN AND START ACCUSING ME OF HAVING NO RESPECT OR FAITH IN THE POWER IN BAANI WITH WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY NEXT - JUST DON'T! But just as we wouldn't say to a person awaiting a new organ "just read paath and you will no longer need a transplant as your organ will heal itself" or to someone with septecemia or a life threatening infection "don't take antibiotics, just read your nitnem baanis" the same applies for OCD. We have all been in that situation where the GP and Doctor has had to intervene. I pressume that everyone here has taken medication for an infection or had an operation when needed - well...unless your a faith healer. However, I must also stress that by all means we must take the materialistic and "earthly" measures to help us, but at the same time we also must place emphasis on sevaa, gurbaani and naam japna, recognising and appreciating the sheer power of the Gurus baani and the benefits that it can bring. To the OP, with OCD being recognised as one of the top ten most delbilitating illnesses, I would recommend that you book an appointment to see your GP again and get referred once more to a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse. How long ago did you have your CBT sessions? CBT is something that we cannot do for 8 weeks and our thoughts and obsessions will simply vanish. If you've had the thoughts for a long time, it will take a long time to "deal" with them. Its kind of similar for people who are obese. Its taken many months/years for you to gain that weight - a few weeks of hitting the gym and dieting will not make you lose it all again. Try to nip the rose in the bud as the saying goes, before it gets much worse - believe me! Hopefully your doctor will re-refer you and then you can maybe try the same treatment again but maybe for a lengthier period or maybe try a different type completely. If he/she doesn't - make yourself a nuisance! Your the one suffering from the condition on a daily basis and plus, your in effect paying the GP's wages - you have a right to be heard! Just as a suggestion, have you had ever considered group therapy? Although it can be slightly embarassing at first and some stigma can be attached to it, getting treatment with others who suffer the same condition as you and are thus the only ones who really understand can be a real motivational boost as you watch the progress of each other and can share personal experiences of how to deal with certain things. What about also changing the dosage of your medication or perhaps changing it altogether? I've even gone to the one extreme of having my psychologist accompany me to places which I find incredibly difficult such as restaurants, public bathrooms etc. and that proved to be effective. There is no universal treatment for people with OCD, its about what most suitable for the individual. Have you even tried combining the two together? With having suffered from the condition for numerous years and having tried a range of treatments, feel free to contact me at any time and I'll be more than happy to expand on anything I've said, share some of my own personal experiences or even try and pinpoint you in the right direction. If you also have any questions, feel free to PM me. Take Care and God Bless. Ang Sang Vaaheguroo!

Muhammed Ali - Racist fool.

We cannot reject or distort what the Gurus actively preached in the hope of it simply stopping a selection of females from purusing relations with Muslims and Hindus - what an insult and a crime that would be to their message let alone their memory. The Gurus preached the oneness of humanity and equality of all people and all faiths- there is no ifs or buts about that - just look at the many lines in Gurbaani. The only thing that should change is our approach to this predicament. That partly lies with the Sikh community as a whole who has a responsibility to educate the youth, with it also being heavily dependnt upon the females parents. With that being said, its not our responsibility to "save" everyone single one of our sisters. They are subject to their own karam and whether they want to play it out or not thats up to them. However, do not mistake me for saying we are to do nothing - I am not advocating that either. Although a lot of these cases of Sikh girls going off with men of other faiths are carried out due to acting upon lust or because its the product of a lack of knowledge and understanding of Sikhi, I am no doubt that a small percentage of such relations are due to the pure and true love between the female in question and the male. If that is the case, all we can do is air our opinion on the matter and share some views but then we must simply leave it at that. Who is to say that the relationship will even last or become serious let alone lead to her either willingly or forcefully "converting" to her partners faith. All we can do is try our best to educate all Sikhs, males and females about such a beautiful path. Once we have done that, the rest is in God's hands. Although I do not know what the best strategy is to stop a large proportion of such false relationships from occuring, I do know that sending our sisters to every Sikh Camp going, dragging them to Gurdwara every waking minute and locking them up until marriage isn't the answer either. I would also like to say that there is no such thing as being "loyal" to a religion, it is not a club. Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

Sikhism's biggest threat... Sikhs.

Is now on DVD if any sangat is interested. http://www.oceanofpearls.com/ Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

Abraham is said to be the father of the three great monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but he holds most significance with the children of Israel (Jews). This is what wikipedia has to say on the matter... For Jews For Jews, Abraham is, through Isaac and Jacob, the founding patriarch of the children of Israel. God promised Abraham: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you."[Gen. 12:2] With Abraham, God entered into "an everlasting covenant throughout the ages to be God to you and to your offspring to come."[Gen. 17:7] Abraham is primarily a revered ancestor or patriarch (referred to as Avraham Avinu אברהם אבינו "Abraham our father") to whom God made several promises: chiefly, that he would have numberless descendants, who would receive the land of Canaan (the "Promised Land.") According to Jewish tradition,[citation needed] Abraham was the first post-Flood prophet to reject idolatry through rational analysis, although Shem and Eber carried on the tradition from Noah.[dubious – discuss] The nation of Israel was created by the story[clarification needed] which made all of them descendants of Jacob (Israel). All could claim fathers (the sons of Jacob and their offspring) who had been miraculously led out of Egypt and through the sea and the desert into the promised land. This was the covenant that was re-enacted in rituals and offerings of the annual festivals, and of course it's the story that is still celebrated and told, and present in ritual, in every Passover celebration today. — Helmut Koester[42] For Christians Christians view Abraham as an important exemplar of faith, and a spiritual, as well as physical, ancestor of Jesus—a Jew considered the Son of God through whom God promised to bless all the families of the earth. For Christians, Abraham is a spiritual forebear as well as/rather than a direct ancestor depending on the individual's interpretation of Paul the Apostle,[Rom. 4:9-12] with the Abrahamic Covenant "reinterpreted so as to be defined by faith in Christ rather than biological descent" or both by faith as well as a direct ancestor; in any case, the emphasis is placed on faith being the only requirement for the Abrahamic Covenant to apply;[43] see also New Covenant. In Christian belief, Abraham is a role model of faith,[Heb. 11:8-10] and his obedience to God by offering Isaac is seen as a foreshadowing of God's offering of his son Jesus.[Rom. 8:32][44] The tendency of Christian commentators to interpret God's promises to Abraham as applying to Christianity rather than Judaism, whose adherents rejected Jesus, is derived from Paul's interpretation of all descendants who believe in God as being spiritual descendants of Abraham.[Rom. 4:20] [Gal. 4:9][45] However, in both cases he refers to these spiritual descendants as the "sons of God"[Gal. 4:26] rather than "children of Abraham".[46] For Muslims There are several reasons that Abraham is significant in Islam. For Muslims, Abraham is a prophet, the "messenger of God" who stands in the line from Noah to Muhammad, to whom Allah gave revelations,[Qur'an 4:163], who "raised the foundations of the House" (i.e., the Kaaba)[Qur'an 2:127] with his first son, Isma'il, a symbol of which is every mosque.[47] Ibrahim (Abraham) is the first in a genealogy for Muhammad. Islam considers Abraham to be the "first Muslim" (Surah 3)—the first monotheist in a world where monotheism was lost, and the community of those faithful to God,[48] thus being referred to as ابونا ابرهيم or "Our Father Abraham", as well as Ibrahim al-Hanif or "Abraham the Monotheist". Islam holds that it was Ishmael, (Isma'il, Muhammad's ancestor) rather than Isaac, whom Ibrahim was instructed to sacrifice. In addition to this spiritual lineage, the northern Adnani Arab tribes trace their lineage to Isma'il, and thus to Abraham.[49] Abraham is also recalled in certain details of Muslim Hajj (pilgrimage).[50]

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I am quite taken aback by some of the closed minded attitudes by some of the people on this thread; and yet they have the cheek to complain when it is they who are victims of other peoples close mindedness. What many of you fail to see here is that three innocent men have died as a result of the disgusting attitude of others during the recent riots. Forget the stupid use of mere labelling - they are human beings above everything else. So what if Sangat TV are broadcasting the funeral? Good for them! Sorry but some of you must have forgot the part where Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee said there is no Hindu or Muslim and that we are all one and that God is in everyone and everything. The funeral reminds the viewer of God does it not? So what if its Islamic-orientated? God has no religion. Whether the channel was spending this time on something sikhi orientated, its still "God-focused". Besides, this programme is a one off in memory of those poor men who lost their lives. Sangat TV is not bladdy broadcasting the Adhaan every morning instead of or alongside Nitnem baania, nor is it broadcasting regular muslim programmmes - only then I could begin to understand some of your criticisms. The channel is doing the right thing. The producers or whoever, are being decent human beings who are paying respects to those innocently killed. The last time I checked, I didn't know Sikhs only cared for or remembered the death of "their own". Also, so what if muslim channels wouldn't do the same if it was a group of Sikhs who died? The attitude of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" is not only childish, but it completely opposes the concept of sevaa. For example, take the case of langar. Just because the church, synagogue, mandir or mosque don't serve langar like the gurdwarae do - it doesn't mean we will stop feeding people who belong to such. Even if the muslim channels never ever acknowledge the Sikhs or any personal losses within the community, remember - two wrongs don't make a right. Keep up the good work Sangat TV. Vaaheguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!

The white folk of Europe all the way from England to France, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Romania, Poland, Austria and Italy are becoming more and more hostile to immigration, multiculturalism and in particular, Islam. I personally believe soon that enough will be enough and they will no longer just sit back idly and moan about it. When all the other "peaceful" means have been used, large cale riots will occur across Europe as the tension continues to boil over. Something has to be done before this happens.