~ Camps Camps Camps - 2007 ~

[khalistan_zindabaad]

here's a story on how someone came into sikhi. click on http://satgur-tumre-kaaj-savare.blogspot.c...akhs-story.html please read the whole artcile

SIKHI CAMP 2006 HELPED this individual. . .

all camps are wiked

This is my story of keeping kes and being blessed with Amrit. I used to be a moni who became kesdharee and kept Guroo Maharaj’s rehit. My story isn’t anything special; however I hope that it can inspire people who are in the same predicament as I was in before. Just keep in mind that we are all human beings and we all make mistakes (me especially) but Guroo Maharaj is always there to guide us and help us. Just put your faith in Vaheguroo.

If we as human beings realised that we are never alone we would never get sad or feel down or depressed. We would never feel that there is no one there to listen to us, help us through our darkest times and share our pain. But we are not alone. Every step we take, whichever direction we turn in our beautiful, loving, wonderful, amazing Guroo Maharaj carries us, holds us moorakhs in his arms. He wipes our tears for us and when we are down, Guroo Maharaj is the one that picks us up.

There is no reason to feel scared or alone when the King of All Kings, the King of the Universe, The Almighty is with us. Maharaj is with us now in our hour of sorrow and misery. If us moorakhs kept our faith in Guroo Maharaj and I mean complete and utter faith, with no doubts then we would actually realise that Maharaj takes whatever pain we go through on his own beautiful hands and beloved charan to protect us.

siqguir qumry kwj svwry ]1] rhwau ]

sathigur thumarae kaaj savaarae ||1|| rehaao ||

The True Guru shall resolve all your affairs.

Dhan Dhan Sahib Sri Guroo Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj has been with us, not only in this life, but the millions of lives before this one. We have such a great Guroo. He sacrificed everything for us. He is our walking stick, our only light in this kaljug. He is the only one who will support us and the only one who will give us unconditional love. The only love, which comes close to this by a tiny percentile, is our parents’ love. But even that compared to Maharaj’s pyaar for us, can’t been called completely unconditional. Like Guroo Maharaj, our parents forgive us and take us back when we make mistakes. But after a while if we keep making those same mistakes they often cut us out of their lives and let us get on with it.

Guroo Maharaj never does this. He never leaves us even when we are committing paap. We are the ones who distance ourselves from Guroo Maharaj. If we take one step towards Guroo Maharaj, he takes millions of steps towards us. Yesterday a friend of mine asked me why and how I came into Sikhi and was blessed with Amrit.

It is now 8th February 2007 and I am 18. In July 2005 when I was 16, I went to Punjab. I had a bad experience with my family there as all they seemed to want to do was cause trouble between my parents and my grandparents. We came back early. When I came back I was heart-broken because I knew that leaving early must have really hurt my grandparents.

I really felt alone and lonely so I turned to a really close friend of mine. I know that had I carried on getting close to that person I would have ended up in a relationship with that person. Then in October 2005, I got a letter through my door about a Gurmat camp for the youth for 3 days. To this day I have no idea how that letter came to my house. Obviously someone posted it to me but I only knew one of the organisers and he had never been to my house nor did he have my address. I firmly believe that Guroo Maharaj sent that letter to my house in order to put me on the right path.

I had always been interested in finding out more about Sikhi so I decided to go. On the first day I went, I was wearing very fashionable clothes and make up and jewellery. I had only just started removing my kes from my face. And I was planning to get an epilator to remove my kes from my legs.

Some of the guest speakers at the camp were Bhai Sahib Kuljit Singh from Leicester and Bhai Sahib Sukhraj Singh from Leeds. They were both really inspiring and helped me to understand that Sikhi was not a religion but in fact a way of life. I also listened to Sonia Kaur Jee’s raag kirtan which was like wow!!!!!!! It was beautiful. Bhenji showed us some purathan saajs such as sarangi, saranda and dilruba. She herself plays the sarangi.

I realised that I had to change and that there was no difference between Dhan Dhan Sahib Sri Guroo Nanak Dev Jee Maharaj, Dhan Dhan Sahib Sri Guroo Gobind Singh Jee Maharaj and Dhan Dhan Sahib Sri Guroo Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj. That they all share the same jyot.

By the end of the camp I was wearing no make up. The camp was going to continue every Saturday which I was really happy about. But there was a 3 week gap. I felt like I was going to die because I had left their sangat. I ended up buying the epilator and removing the kes on my legs. I kept trying to grow my kes on my face but I found it really hard and continued to remove it.

Then there was a Christmas dinner organised by my school at an Indian restaurant, which I ended up going to it. I went all dressed up wearing make up and jewellery. Now when I look back I realise that these were easy things to give up but at the time it didn’t seem like it.

Then it was March 2006 and I was at the Gurdwara. I saw Sonia Kaur there and asked her what it felt like, taking Amrit and if it was hard for to give up things like wearing make up and removing kes. She told me how amazing it was. She gave me a CD which I could follow to do my nitnem. It was really slow so that I could follow and she said it would help me how to read shudh bani. I decided then and there that I wanted to take Amrit. I stopped removing my kes off my face and legs and stopped wearing make up and jewellery. Then Vaisakhi came. I really wanted to go and take Amrit right there and then but I was terrified of committing one of the 4 bujjar kurrehits. The month of April was glorious for me because I stopped listening to music and I only listened to kirtan and bani.

Then in the May, June and July time I was really down. I had really bad and serious problems. I started to do my nitnem too late and then I stopped. I felt that Maharaj had left me alone. I didn’t understand why this was all happening to my family. Even my closest friend wasn’t there for me. Then in June I sent off an application form to attend Sikhi camp 06 (Boss Camp). When I went I saw and met so many chardi kala gursikhs. I would name them but there are too many to name and they would kill me.

Sikhi camp really changed my life. I decided then and there that I should keep rehit. For the first time in my life I woke up at Amritvela at camp. I never really understood how special Amritvela was before. But it’s the time you can concentrate the most. The sangat there was amazing.

When I was coming back home from Sikhi Camp I was crying. I missed it so much. It was fantastic. When I came back home I discovered that Guroo Maharaj was at my house and there was a sehaj paat happening. I was so happy. I got to have darshan of Guroo Maharaj everyday.

Then two weeks after camp I attended another local Gurmat camp run by the same people who ran the first camp I went to. When I got there, I discovered that one of the bhajis in my group at Sikhi camp was a sevadaar there. I was so happy that I got to have this gursikh’s darshan. Most of the guest speakers at this camp were from Sikhi Camp. On the fourth day of this camp I started to wear my Sri Sahib and Kangha permanently.

Then in August my cousin had a sukhmani sahib da paat at her house. Before Guroo Maharaj came, there were loads of the sangat’s shoes in the door way. Guroo Maharaj was going to come soon. I moved the sangat’s shoes outside because Guroo Maharaj was going to come into that house through that way. I told my cousin to tell the arriving sangat to take their shoes off outside. Instead they ignored me and allowed the sangat to take off and leave their shoes in the doorway. So in the end I just put everyone’s shoes outside and laid a new sheet down because Guroo Maharaj was going to be here soon. Throughout the paat, all of the sangat was talking and even my cousin was. They showed so much disrespect to Guroo Maharaj that I wanted to cry. After the paat sukhaasan was done. Then everyone sat down to have langar. As Guroo Maharaj left the room not one single person stood up and joined in jaap. Then after Guroo Maharaj left the house I sat down with my cousins. They asked me why I was wearing a kirpan. I told them that it was Guroo Maharaj’s hukam that that I wear my kakaars. They told me that if I took Amrit I wouldn’t be able to cut my kes and I would end up with lots of kes on my body. They said, “Surely Guroo Jee didn’t want his Sikh women to look like menâ€. I told them that I didn’t want to go to wedding parties or the maya or the jago ceremonies after I took Amrit. They laughed in my face. They said that I was taking things to extreme lengths and was turning into an extremist.

My mama’s wedding party was coming up and I didn’t want to go because I felt like I was betraying my Guroo by going to it. After all Guroo Maharaj’s horse wouldn’t even step foot in a tobacco field. I was forced to go to my cousin’s wedding party. I just sat there in a corner with my headphones in my ears and closed my eyes. I hated it. I felt so out of place there.

A few days later my masis took me and my mum shopping. They wanted me to buy a new suit for her engagement party. I just stood there. They pulled out suits and made me try them on. They kept referring to my kirpan as a “lethal weaponâ€. They told me that there wasn’t any need to wear a kirpan as I wasn’t amritdharee. I was really upset and wondered whether maybe it wasn’t meant for me to live a Gurmat way of life.

Then they took me and my mum to Southall Broadway. They took us to shops that sold jewellery. They chose one to go with the suit they wanted me to wear. I said that I wasn’t going to wear jewellery ever again. Even my mum got emotional and she said that she really wanted me to wear something. I felt so hurt that no one in my family was supporting me. It must have been reflected on my face because my cousin told me that there was no need to feel guilty. They bought me bangles. I was still self-conscious about keeping my facial kes and every time they talked to me; they didn’t look me in eye but instead kept staring at my facial kes. I was tempted to do beabdi of my kes and bleach it. I text one of my bhajis who was in Punjab at the time telling him that I was tempted to leave my Guroo’s Path and I didn’t want it was just that I felt that I was going to. He text me back saying “Do you want to follow your Guroo or people? Simple! Your brothers and sisters died laughing for you. Just do ardaas. You will be fineâ€. This really hit me. I realised how weak I was and that I would be disrespecting all those shaheeds who died for us.

Then I went to school in September. I never used to cover my head and I used to keep my kes open in a pony tail. Then a bibi told me that you’re meant to keep your kes tied up. My friends didn’t really understand why I was wearing a Sri Sahib and thought that I was wearing it to show off. Then I decided that it had nothing to do with them what I wore and that I shouldn’t care about what other people say because I have Guroo Maharaj with me to support me at all times. Then about a month later I started to wear a patka to school. I was really nervous. I text a friend that day. They text me back, telling me to just think about Dhan Dhan Sahib Sri Guroo Gobind Singh Jee Maharaj. I thought about how much he had sacrificed to us and how little we ungrateful children gave back to him. He sacrificed his whole family for us and I couldn’t even keep my kes covered for him. What type of Sikh was I?

I attend Guroo Nanak Sikh Secondary School and I went to matha tek. I did ardaas before Maharaj to give me strength. That weekend it had been my 18th birthday and my friend came and handed me this beautiful gutka sahib. It gave me strength. Then when I walked into my form room, it went silent. But I didn’t care. I had Guroo Maharaj with me. If we all realised that Guroo Maharaj was with us, then we would never feel down or depressed.

jau qau pRym Kylx kw cwau ]

jo tho praem khaelan kaa chaao ||

If you desire to play this game of love with Me,

isru Dir qlI glI myrI Awau ]

sir dhhar thalee galee maeree aao ||

then step onto My Path with your head in hand.

iequ mwrig pYru DrIjY ]

eith maarag pair dhhareejai ||

When you place your feet on this Path,

isru dIjY kwix n kIjY ]20]

sir dheejai kaan n keejai ||20||

give Me your head, and do not pay any attention to public opinion. ||20||

Then later on that weekend, it was my cousin’s engagement party. I was forced to go by my family. It was the first time that most of my family had ever seen me in a patka. They told me that I was too young to get into Sikhi and that I wouldn’t be able to get a good husband. For that whole evening I sat in a corner and had my iPod in my ears so I couldn’t hear the songs. My masi came up to me and yanked the headphones out of my ears. She tried to get me to dance. She pulled me to the middle of the dance floor. As soon as she let go of my arm I walked away and sat back down. At the end of the night, she came up to me and she was slightly drunk. She’s thirty years old and is very sensitive to the fact that she is still unmarried. She started to get emotional and then she goes to me “Me and you are so close. You’re my favourite niece and if I ever do get married, then you would have to come to my wedding party and dance and wear a nice suit and wear some jewellery and make-up. You have to make an effort.†I told her that after I take Amrit my panj pyare will give me hukam that I can’t do things like that. She started to cry and asked me again. I said yes just to humour her and to stop her crying.

Then on the 24th December, on Brahmgyani Sant Baba Thakur Singh Jee’s 2nd barsi programme I was blessed with Amrit. There are no words to describe that beautiful experience. I felt so high that day. After that my whole life changed. I was a two hour journey to my Amrit sanchaar. On the way they, my masi who had made me promise to her that I would go to her party if she ever got married and dance and dress up text me. She said “I hope that you are making this choice for your own peace and gainsâ€. I felt so hurt and it made me nervous. When I went into the room where the Amrit sanchaar was going to happen, the panj pyare hadn’t arrived yet. One of the bibia there told me that I had to wear my kirpan on top. So I went away to put it over my suit. When I came back I felt so scared that the panj pyare would reject me. But then they started some simran off and my fears just melted away and I felt so at peace. Being blessed with Amrit is the most beautiful thing in the world.

suir nr muin jn AMimRqu Kojdy su AMimRqu gur qy pwieAw ]

sur nar mun jan a(n)mrith khojadhae s a(n)mrith gur thae paaeiaa ||

The angelic beings and the silent sages search for the Ambrosial Nectar; this Amrit is obtained from the Guru.

[Techno_singh]

here's a story on how someone came into sikhi. click on http://satgur-tumre-kaaj-savare.blogspot.c...akhs-story.html please read the whole artcile

SIKHI CAMP 2006 HELPED this individual. . .

all camps are wiked

.........................................The angelic beings and the silent sages search for the Ambrosial Nectar; this Amrit is obtained from the Guru.

wow!

[ParwinderSingh]

FAteh jio

as anyone got any more inspiration stories about the sikhi camps ?

[Shakz]

Here are Guruka Singh's reviews of Sikh Student Camp:

Blog 1

Blog 2

Sikh Student Camp 2007

5 - 11th August

Miss it, miss out!

Check out the trailer:

Trailer

www.sikhstudent.org

Admin, please can you put the details of Sikh Student Camp on the first post as well.

Thanks

[Techno_singh]

Here are Guruka Singh's reviews of Sikh Student Camp:

Blog 1

Blog 2

Sikh Student Camp 2007

5 - 11th August

Miss it, miss out!

Check out the trailer:

Trailer

www.sikhstudent.org

Admin, please can you put the details of Sikh Student Camp on the first post as well.

Thanks

This is the odd one init

' a good thing is noone tells you what to do' how do you learn then??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXs0yFh_rag...ted&search= - check that video out

and whats with the vaheguru thing??

[proactive]

Let's not have any camp bashing here, even though the sikhstudent camp were the ones who through their publicity material started off the bashing of all the other camps a few years ago. I think people know now what camp will best suit them.

Btw does anyone know what happened with all that hallabaloo about some sikhstudent camp sewadar's house getting petrol bombed last year! Someone compared the attack to 9/11 on Gurmustak Singh's blog!!!

PM me and let me know, I don't want to divert this thread. Thanks

[Shakz]

' a good thing is noone tells you what to do' how do you learn then??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXs0yFh_rag...ted&search= - check that video out

You're taking the statement literally and out of context. If you listen to what they say, you'd realise that they mean no one is forcing them to do anything. No one is there telling them they have to do this or they have to do that. Instead they are encouraged and inspired to follow Sikhi and have love for Maharaaj.

[Techno_singh]

' a good thing is noone tells you what to do' how do you learn then??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXs0yFh_rag...ted&search= - check that video out

You're taking the statement literally and out of context. If you listen to what they say, you'd realise that they mean no one is forcing them to do anything. No one is there telling them they have to do this or they have to do that. Instead they are encouraged and inspired to follow Sikhi and have love for Maharaaj.

but then dont they take it all so lightly and think more freely of themselves?? because then theyd be listening to their mind, and in sikhi mind has to be controlled to achieve the goals for every sikh.

anyway for this years camp could you please make sure they dont do that finger thing and say vaheguru, not right at all man.

[Shakz]

' a good thing is noone tells you what to do' how do you learn then??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXs0yFh_rag...ted&search= - check that video out

You're taking the statement literally and out of context. If you listen to what they say, you'd realise that they mean no one is forcing them to do anything. No one is there telling them they have to do this or they have to do that. Instead they are encouraged and inspired to follow Sikhi and have love for Maharaaj.

but then dont they take it all so lightly and think more freely of themselves?? because then theyd be listening to their mind, and in sikhi mind has to be controlled to achieve the goals for every sikh.

anyway for this years camp could you please make sure they dont do that finger thing and say vaheguru, not right at all man.

Again you've misinterpreted. Let me put it another way. You can either tell someone they have to get up at amritvela and do naam simran, or you can encourage and inspire people to do it. You can either enforce something, or lead by example.

There were many people from different backgrounds at the camp last year, some of whom had never had any kind of experience of Sikhi. If crossing two of their fingers helps them into their Sikhi then fair do's to them. It's not something I'd personally do because I associate it with ghetto rap culture.

[ParwinderSingh]

is Guruka Singh going to be at the camp this year?