fortunate

10% of that 25 million `sikhs`are probably amritdhari so that would mean they`re are 2.5 million people who are regular nitnem doers.

I totally agree with your post my friend, It`s disheartening when we see `punjabi sikhs`at the gurdwara or where ever strolling around with big round bellys. In a battle i don`t think they will have any chance of survival unless they have a lot of kamaee but none the less physical exercise is needed without it how are we to do our simran. don`t only eat fruits but create a healthy lifestyle; do amrit vela go for a jog (if not gym) come home eat a good nutritious breakfast do your daily routine (job or school etc.) eat a healthy lunch come home relax do some simran for a while. do a stronger exercise (physical excercise - push ups, strength or stamina excersies or gym) then time for rehras:) eat a well deserved healthy dinner then off to bed after giving thanks to the lord for the day. So simple the life of the sikh. Then over time as that physical strength increases (6 months atleast) and that nitnem becomes your love (lifetime) then I guess you are ready to pick up a sword and start practicing and start to wrestle or whatever that extra activity it is. But patience is key. Everyone needs a stepping stone, its about mastering the art of simplicity and routine. Those who care to be blessed to be called the sons and daughters of the great guru will do whatever to follow the path.

i have been lucky enough to have two dogs... the first was a rotty who i fed meat...but he enjoyed it and if i tried to give him veg. dog food it wud've been hard for him to change to it as he was use to eating meat as a pup. however the other maltese dog we have...we get veg. dog food from the store and we never give him any meat and both are healthy. and they love nitnem;)

finally some rational thinking.

translation please

why is ashutosh bad? what has he done to anger the sikhs? just a few questions that i wanted to know, I have no clue who this guy is and what he has done? can some one please state what this 'guru's mission is and what he has done to harm sikh sentiments?

totally agree

hey, Yea last 3 years i've been travelling atleast once a month i'll be on a plane, and not once have I been asked to take off my dastaar. Walk with confidence, be polite, if its a lady working ...flirt, cheer her up a little haha, no harm making some one's day for an easy way through security right. Other then that, usually ask me to take of my Karra, but i'd say its too hard to take it off and it'll hurt so they say okay. Other then that i'd tell them to go ahead and phsyically touch the dastaar or go around with a wand to check for anything. That's about it. going through security - be confident, smile and have a casual talk. It works. Imagine you working an 8 hour shift doing the same thing over and over again...you make them smile an easier time for you!!

Gold Coast, Australia - if your looking for a young person's thrill come to the down under, great for scuba diving, great beaches etc everything water related!!! Go on a cruise! Whistler, Canada - if your looking for some winter fun, great place for skiing, snowboarding. Or just snowmobile around. Lots of fun Alaska, USA - amazing wild life, awesome views of glaciers, and great for skiing and snowboarding as well Derbin, South Africa - its Africa, african safari what else! Great Pyramids, Egypt - havn't been, but from pictures looks like a place to go see

I totally agree, even more controversy, this years smagam is being held at the old Rexdale a gurghar, a place where the sangat chose and donated millions to turn it into a funeral home for the community. Now that a new commitee is in place at the old rexdale gurdwara they have used the money from the sangat (in millions) which was intended to renuvate the gurghar into a funeral home. That is why a new gurghar was made down the street so there can be a funeral home and a gurghar near each other. this comitee has daringly been getting dodra and akj smagams to be held so that the sangat can forget about what is happening and are ignoring the facts that millions of sangats money has been lost or has been used for a cause in which it wasnt intended for. But its understandable , we are sikhs and are to be doing kirtan and lahaa of sangat. But this type of stupid behavior needs to stop. It starts with these big sikh factions to step up to the plate and do their research before booking programs. If they do, then the 'true' sangat will follow.

speaking of vacation spots, how about skydiving, any one gone skydiving here?

Satnam Waheguru

Marijuana/Hemp/Cannibus whatever form it is in is not a bad thing however unfavorable it is perceived in the media. We are grown up to believe Marijuana is so toxic, but really its not no where near the levels of any other drug, tobacco or alcohol. Theirs a documentary on Marijuana really debunks all the prejudice marijuana gets; "The Union". Take a look at it. From doing a bit more research, The plant itself carries one of the strongest fibers known to man, as well as one of the best herbal medicines which produce imminent results. The only reason marijuana is so pushed to the negative side is so Tobacco and Alcohol companies can flourish and thats why it is percieved to be a bigger danger then those two. Then it made me think, out of all the plants available our guru chose this one as the healing potion. Why is that? simply because this single plant has the most medicinal affect then any other plant available. We are too consumed up and gullable to what the media tells us. I thought we were above mainstream? If we really are we would find our own answers and not rely on the perceptions made by bias lobbyist. Sukha is not bad for you. Honestly I thought marijuana was the worst thing in the world, but after doing concrete research...no longer is that my view.

we're sorry Geo mr. Brahmgyani sir...you are right and we are wrong...silly us who sit on the floors as chumps. I hope one day your chair and table philosophy will go so high as the darbar sahib..and maybe pray one day that we have tables and chairs inside the darbar sahib. Because its modern times...we have to learn to adapt and assimilate in the moment. Why oh why were our gurus not as smart as you Geo. Spread your knowledge to the rest of the world, the representative of Langar...the holier then Guru Ram Das individual...preach my friend preach on. haha In all reality...get with the program my friend..you want to perserve sikhi, the only way to do that is don't tamper with it. you want to see consquences of tampering with school of thought. Prime Example: Christianity, Islam, Judiasm....so i beg you from the bottom of my heart..have mercy on the future of this faith and stop tampering with even the tiniest of elements. By doing so it'll lead to other changes and continues...so stop.

I just came across this, and its really disheartening to see how we as individuals believe we are in the right to change the traditions of our ancestors. Understandable; horse to car, candles to lightbulb But to make chairs and tables wasn't an ancient invention, guru sahibs at there time of physcial life they had all the means to create vasts amounts of tables and chairs. But why didn't they? I have no expert knowledge but just gathering some other aspects of sikhi, i believe eating is a form of meditation as well, the ideal way of doing bhagti is to sit in that lotus position; on a side note - not saying its not possible to stand up and do simran as guru sahib states that any way is possible, however the ideal way is in that lotus position. We forget that this langar is not ours for the taking, we are given this opportunity to have a free meal. Its not like we are paying to get the meal from guru ji are we? If we're not paying for it, might as well follow the rules on how to eat if their are any. The reason why the first BC gurdwara established tables and chairs was because of the cold. This is dating back to the early years of the 1900s. The Akal Takht had given permission to the sangat of BC to place tables in the langar halls because it was too cold to sit down on the floors. Keep in mind this is before the system of heaters, remember early 1900s. However an exception was made only because of the extreme winters of Canada. Now that we have the technology to be warm and not get our bums frozen while sitting, there is no need for those chairs. Years later after the incidents occured I believe the Akal Takht has issued that no chairs and tables be placed in gurdwaras - correct me if i'm wrong. But in the end of the day, none of us are at a position to change the tradtions of guru ji. Here's a question; Aren't we living a life to mimick our guru ji's to the fullest potential? Why not do almost everything they did in the fashion that they did it in.

Most of Australia gurdwaras iv seen have tables and chairs in langar hall

Nice suggestions everyone, 7 days a week; 1. Nitnem starts at 4-5am 2. 5-6 naam simran These times i feel are appropriate for others to get the chance to wake up, instead of forcing a 2-3am amrit vela (personal opinion) 3. Asa Di // Every Friday and Saturaday night their would be a simran program Administrative; 1. Amritdhari people to govern the comittee only. comprised of 11 people. These 11 people should be comprised of educated folk and also consist of youth and a few elders to keep balance. None the less this comittee is to pass agreements for the approval by the selected panj pyare for a binding decision. If the comittee fails to meet the standards of the sangat, the sangat can approach the panj pyare who in return can appoint other people in their place. Community Outreach; 1. "Open House" - hold events at the gurdwara to allow the community and its inhabitants to come and enjoy whatever activities that the gurdwara holds; eg. Sports tournaments (which involves the community leagues to come play on the gurdwara feilds for a fraction of the fee that they would pay the city). 2. Build a state of the art Gym complex - this in return allows the chance for the khalsa to actually look like the khalsa and not what we see today with pop bellys. Healthy Living; Langar 1. Langar should have the basic punjabi food however a nutritionist should comprise a menu so that way the pangat can benefit from the langar as well as having a healthy body. 2. no chairs and tables of course but will be provided to only those that request it (being considerate for those that suffer from severe arthiritis and so on) Sangat A highly trained granthi with the luxury to speak multiple langauges but more importantly english (good idea for suggesting that) Seva group - comprised of volunteer sangat members who fulfill the duties of 'caretakers' of the gurdwara Guru ji's place of rest is to be made so beautiful that the Queen of England would know how a real hierarchy lives Ideas of funding a Khalsa School that to match Catholic Schools. Offer funds to other gurdwaras in the world, and as well promote unique governing bodies in each country that can easily be managed by the Akal Takht (off topic sorry, but just an idea) Overall the gurdwara ought to be designed and built beautifully and be run in accordance with gurmat.

hey, wonderful thread by the way.. but lonnie smith...he isn't a sikh persay...however he just adourns a sikh type dastar

Anyone know where you could by some chainmail armour, whether it be the long full body covering or just the coif (head armour) ?

humans are created by the lord as equal...however bani shows us and the practical world has proven it so...that our self-motivated egotistic minds have allowed us to behave in such a manner where we are no longer equal...yet fight for a higher status each day.

SimonSandhar... yea definetly take amrit....you make it sound like this relationship is serious...and if this is your wife to be....by all means start practicing being a sikh...and i guess by marriage or right after marriage time you two ..will be ready to start really 'practicing' sikhi...and hopefully u two take amrit then... just try to stick with proper sangat, and advise her aswell to keep going gurughar...and before u know it...you two love birds will be at the doors of maharaj in no time!

dont choose any long names.... then they'll be a more tendency of having a nickname for the child..

i cant see it either

:offtopic:

Bramptttoonnnn;)