JustME

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. Buddha 'The Enlightened One'

"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." Buddha

Thank You jio!! would you happen to know at what times They will be doing katha? Also could you PM me where they will be staying during their trip to Brum, if you have this info, or anyone else for that matter.. Dhanvaad ji

Any regrets?

singh_soldier ask and ye shall recieve.........im wondering whether u actually read half the rubbish you post......Kabir Ji lived a grihast jeevan, i agree with the concept that we are all learning but some of the stuff that that u are trying to understand requires you thinking outside of the mental box which is your comfort zone..... and yup..........you were clever enough to realise that this topic will be closed. As it is a biased view and is not been brought forward to help but hinder someones progress in sikhi. TOPIC CLOSED

any recordings jio?

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone." "The Wise Woman's Stone" Author Unknown

Paid In Full A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said: For cutting the grass: $5.00 For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00 For going to the store for you: .50 Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: .25 Taking out the garbage: $1.00 For getting a good report card: $5.00 For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00 Total owed: $14.75 Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote: "For the nine months I carried you while you grew inside me: No Charge. For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you: No Charge. For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years: No Charge. For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead: No Charge. For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose: No Charge. When you add it up, Son, the cost of my love is: No Charge." When the boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked straight up at his mother and said, "Mom, I sure do love you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote: "PAID IN FULL".

The Beautiful Flower In The Broken Pot Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly preciou s. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.

Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them...he cried, "Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?"...God said, "I did do something. I made you. Sufi Teaching

waheguru jio the stage person announced at Smethwick gurdwara that Giani Ji would be doing some session there but i cant remember the dates.............anyone know when they will be in Birmingham/Wolverhampton area?? Thanks Jio Waheguru

The child whispered, "God, speak to me" And a meadow lark sang. The child did not hear. So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!" And the thunder rolled across the sky But the child did not listen. The child looked around and said, "God let me see you" and a star shone brightly But the child did not notice And the child shouted, "God show me a miracle!" And a life was born but the child did not know. So the child cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here!" Whereupon God reached down And touched the child. But the child brushed the butterfly away And walked away unknowingly.

Mod Note: Yup just as i expected, another pointless thread that has turned into a cyber playground fight..........as we all now know what to do if a dog were to attack us......we definatly have several options to consider. Thanks for sharing these "pearls of wisdom" :rolleyes: Topic Closed.

MOD NOTE: aaaaaaah here we are again with a useless topic with nothing more than a personal rate, to help inspire and educate the board members on the beautiful path of sikh. Topic Closed.

MOD NOTE: Topic is being moderated........Keep it clean folks, you should all know the rules.

Set Yourself Free Set yourself free from anything that might hinder you in becoming the person you want to be. Free yourself from the uncertainties about your abilities or the worth of your dreams, from the fears that you may not be able to achieve them or that they won't be what you wanted. Set yourself free from the past. The good things from yesterday are still yours in memory; the things you want to forget you will, for tomorrow is only a sunrise away. Free yourself from regret or guilt, and promise to live this day as fully as you can. Set yourself free from the expectations of others, and never feel guilty or embarrassed if you do not live up to their standards. You are most important to yourself; live by what you feel is best and right for you. Others will come to respect your integrity and honesty. Set yourself free to simply be yourself, and you will soar higher than you've ever dreamed.

A Very Special Meal Once there was a very poor and devoted woman who always prayed to the Glory of God, asking very little, if anything for herself. But one thought, one desire continued to recur and finally she asked: petitioning the Lord, that if it were possible she would love to prepare a special meal and have God share at her table. And God, in His Love for this goodly woman, said He would indeed come the next day and share a meal. Filled with ecstasy, the woman went out the following morning with her meager purse and purchased such delicacies that she felt would please the Lord. Returning home, she prepared a banquet and waited patiently for her most honored guest. Soon there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, there stood an old beggar asking for something to eat. Being a woman of God, she could not turn the beggar away, so she invited him in to partake of her table. The beggar felt as if he was in a dream - such a feast set before him. He finished all the food, thanked his hostess and left. The woman was only slightly disheartened, she gathered up her purse, her coat, and hurried back to town to get more food for her special guest. Her funds were less now and so the food was not quite so elaborate. Nonetheless, she lovingly prepared another meal and sat to await the arrival of the Almighty. A few hours went by and there was a loud knock on the door. This time it was an old gypsy woman with no teeth, who was deaf, who spoke quite loudly and was, rather rudely, insisting that any true believer in the Lord would not deny her something to eat. Though the woman had no more money with which to buy more supplies, she invited the woman in and offered her a seat at the table. The gypsy ate everything, did not even thank the woman and left without closing the door. By now it was beginning to get dark both inside and out. The woman's faith was strong, so that, though somewhat distraught, she did not give up, but rather, looked around her humble house to see if there was anything she could sell in order to buy more food to set before the Lord. She hurried to town with a little silver cup that had been in her family for several generations, but she was willing to part with it for the great honor that God was going to bestow on her - the sharing of a meal. Late in the night she rushed home to prepare yet a third meal. She waited and waited until, once more, there was a knock on the door. Holding her breath, she slowly opened the door to find yet another poor man in the guise of a wandering monk, in search of a meal. Again, she offered hospitality, with as much grace as she could muster in her disappointment. This man also ate all that was set on the table and left after blessing the woman for her kindness. So discouraged and dismayed was she that all she could do was nod slightly, in acknowledgment of the thanks. Now it was too late, with no way to buy any more food and no more money with which to buy it. She got down on her knees, weeping such heart-broken tears. She asked God what she had done wrong. Why had God not come to share at the table as He had promised? And God, in all His Divine Compassion and Mercy, lifted the woman off her knees, and holding her close to His Heart, said, "My child, I enjoyed your hospitality so much that I came three times!"

The Dream He gently opened his eyes and the warm sun beat upon his face. He lay among the soft caress of the grass and a gentle wind embraced him. His father sat underneath a tree a few feet way beside the babbling brook. "You are awake," his father smiled. "I fell asleep dad." "You did my son." "I had a dream dad." His father rose and sat beside him. "Do you want to tell me about it?" "It was so real dad. I dreamt of missiles falling from the sky and little kids, even younger than I getting killed and maimed. The world was in a bad state. Millions were poor dad, not even with enough to eat. There were homeless people and destitute. There were huge storms and hurricanes and all types of disasters happening. People were fighting all of the time – over land, possessions, oil and money. Rainforests were dying dad and animals of all types were in danger and the earth was actually heating up! And I dreamt of growing up in this world and I was having happy times and sad times. And I lived a life dad. I did! I had a wife and kids and it was crazy fast you know. Everything went so quickly. And I felt so much. I was scared, full of joy, there was fear and hope. And so many times I felt helpless. And a lot of the time I felt so lonely. Worst of all dad, I didn't know where you were. I kinda knew you were there somewhere and I kept calling out for you. In fact sometimes I gave up hope and told myself that you didn't exist at all. But deep down I had a feeling you were somewhere. As I grew older I stopped searching for you out there and started looking within. Which was strange really but I kinda felt you were a part of me dad just as I was a part of you. It was full on dad and then I just woke up!" His father looked at him with love in his wise eyes. "That’s some dream son!" "How long was I asleep dad?" "Mmmmmm perhaps 5 minutes... not much more." "Wow! All of that in 5 minutes?" The son looked knowingly at his dad for awhile. "Dad that was my first dream." "I know son... and your last... if you so choose." "Dad?" "Yes my son?" "Did you know I was dreaming?" "Why yes, of course." The son reflected on this for a moment. "So dad, during the bad parts of the dream did you know I was suffering?" "My son, you may have appeared to be suffering in the dream but were always perfectly safe with me here." "You could have woken me?" "I could, but I didn't. You would have woken with a start. It would have been a little frightening for you that way. You gently came out of the dream yourself. You choose to enter the dream state. It is best if you choose to exit." The son stretched out on the grass. "Dad?" "Yes my son." "I love you." "I know, my child. We are love."

Why does one think they can ever understand why God does things........is that our purpose................sometimes in life our questions will go un-answered because we seek them to fortify our ego and not for spiritual satisfaction............understand why u feel the need to question the way God does things................when you can grasp that............the question will not seem so important

is being a sinner and realisation of being a sinner the same thing?

A very interesting and correct article......thanks for sharing just gotta put mod hat on................yep........all done...........now........ MOD NOTE: Due to the nature of this topic, this thread will be moderated for inappropriate responses and please leave ur slanging matches and "Internet/YouTube based gyiaan out of here.

aaaaaaaaaah waheguru describes our state so perfectly.......and most importantly He offers us a way out.........hope.............whether we are willing to take the hand that is always extended to us.........that is another question............ Turmoil is like a tidal wave in the ocean..........let it come, acknowledge it, understand it but dont accoiate urself with the turmoil, that is NOT who you are........and slowly but surely it will pass through you......if you are the very water itself, how can you drown?............ I Let Only Vaheguru Elevate YOU

WJKK WJKF going complety off topic................Khaalis i love your avatar pic, could you upload it so that I,and other may download it please thank you WJKK WJKF

Waheguru!! ow poo!! looks my firewall at work is blocking it........ thanks for the infor anyways pahji Waheguru!!