Lotus Flower

[AmardeepSingh]

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

I was just browsing my old web folder and found some files that I had converted a few years back. I once downloaded a powerpoint presentation about the Lotus Flower. Like probably half of us have gone through, my computer starting acting up and when i sent it in for repair they formatted my hardrive. Turns out that i had converted the powerpoint presentation to html and uploaded it to a server. I only did this because I had a friend who didn't have powerpoint and wanted to see it. Anyway, years later I'm glad that I converted it over because I'm having an extremly difficult time finding the original powerpoint file that i had downloaded. Anyway, i've converted the files to text so that I can share it and hope that hopefully somebody might have that lotus.ppt file saved on there hardrives. I know the original message was sent to an yahoo! egroup but I've checked all the ones i'm subscribed to and couldn't find anything, the search feature for the yahoo groups is kinda lame or maybe I just don't know how to use it properly. Sorry for the lengthy explanation, I hope you all will enjoy the following text from the presentation, and I hope even more that you will get to enjoy the actual powerpoint presentation in the near future.

Amardeep Singh

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

I left the text how it appears in the presentation, hoping that maybe someone knows some super search technique and can find me the ppt file

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The Lotus Flower

By Tajinder Kaur Rai

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa

WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

In case you haven’t already guessed this is an image of a Lotus flower.

Otherwise known as “Nelumbo Nuclear” or the Sacred white Lotus.

Famous for it’s unique quality,

that although it grows in such muddy water, it maintains it’s enchanting beauty

Revered by Hindus’ and Buddhists’ alike,

You’re probably thinking, what has this got to do with Sikhi?

Well before I continue, I’ll just let Guru ji say a few words:

|| MARU, FIRST MEHL: In the pure, immaculate waters, both the lotus and the slimy scum are found.

The lotus flower is with the scum and the water, but it remains untouched by any pollution. || 1 ||

You frog, you will never understand. You eat the dirt, while you dwell in the immaculate waters. You know nothing of the ambrosial nectar there. || 1 ||

Pause || You dwell continually in the water; the bumble bee does not dwell there,

but it is intoxicated with its fragrance from afar. Intuitively sensing the moon in the distance, the lotus bows its head. || 2 || Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (page 990)

So what is Guru ji saying?

This flower exists alongside the mud,

all the rubbish, yet it remains untouched by the pollution.

Its beauty is not effected by its surroundings.

Therefore in the context of Sikhi, Guru ji is making a statement,

that where there is good, there is also bad.

Moreover, as Sikhs we are being told that it is possible to live as a Sikh, in the age that we are living in.

Where not everything is pure, but it needn’t effect you.

If you are living a life of truth and love then everything around you could be mud,

but you’ll keep glowing.

So when you think about it, the Guru is talking direc

tly to you,

every Sikh is a Lotus flower.

When someone looks at a Sikh, they should be able to see their inner beauty radiating.

The Lotus flower is born in the water and also grown in it,

then it rises beyond the water and remains unsoiled by it.

Similarly as a Sikh you are brought up in todays Society,

but instead of running away from it, to meditate elsewhere, you live within it.

Therefore the metaphor is simple,

instead of letting society bring you down,

a true Sikh rises above everything.

It is so true, a real Sikh always stands out,

Its not simply their physical image but you feel their whole aura.

|| 3 || O Musan, the Light of the Lord's Love has spread across the sky; I cling to my Lord, like the bumblebee caught in the lotus flower.

|| 4 || Chanting and intense meditation, austere self-discipline, pleasure and peace, honour, greatness and pride - O Musan, I would dedicate and sacrifice all these for a moment of my Lord's Love. || 5 ||

O Musan, the world does not understand the Mystery of the Lord; it is dying and being plundered. It is not pierced through by the Love of the Beloved Lord; it is entangled in false pursuits. || 6 ||

When someone's home and property are burnt, because of his attachment to them, he suffers in the sorrow of separation. O Musan, when mortals forget the Merciful Lord God, then they are truly plundered.

|| 7 || Whoever enjoys the taste of the Lord's Love, remembers His Lotus Feet in his mind. O Nanak, the lovers of God do not go anywhere else.

|| 8 || Climbing thousands of steep hillsides, the fickle mind becomes miserable. Look at the humble, lowly mud, O Jamaal: the beautiful lotus grows in it. || 9 ||

Even today scientists are baffled by this flower,

with all the modern technology we have today, they still haven’t figured out the secret behind the Lotus flower.

Similarly it is amazing to see a Gursikh who has risen above their ego,

nobody can quite work out how they do it.

Most people get caught up in their own pride, very few truly live up to the Gurus standards.

But those who do, truly stand out like the Lotus flower.

And like the bubble bee goes to the Lotus flower, people try to keep company with that Gursikh.

On another level Guru ji is comparing the mud, to that of the humility that is required to be a Sikh.

This also represents how God doesn’t judge us on social status, caste, race etc.

As long as you have love for the Guru, these temporary things do not matter.

Furthermore, it represents how the Gursikh clings to the Guru, as does the bubble bee go to the Lotus.

It really is a unique creation, most flowers dwell in the mud and die without water,

The Lotus never loses its connection with its water, from which it was born.

As does a Sikh never lose that connection with Guru ji, from whom they originally came from.

I hope that I have not offended anyone in this attempt to illustrate what is in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

If I have I am truly sorry. For I realise my knowledge of Sikhi is probably very limited compared to most.

However I do believe that it’s not merely about knowledge.

Anyone and everyone can learn something from Guru ji.

It was just by chance that I looked at these pages and contemplated on the Guru’s ideas.

It always amazes me, how wise beyond their time the Gurus were.

Today in the year 2002, scientists are still trying to work out the logic behind this flower,

but the Gurus were talking about it, hundreds of years ago.

It just goes to show how modern, Sikh philosophy really is.

However, what this emphasises the most is that

the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not simply a book,

It’s a Masterpiece

There is no end to its wonder, every time we read it we merely scratch the surface

Just take a moment to reflect on the Gurus words

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa

WaheGuru J

i Ki Fateh

[kam1825]

very good post. definately worth the time taken to read it.

[AmardeepSingh]

glad you liked it

would be much nicer to see the powerpoint presentation though

ANYONE have it, search your hardrives for .ppt or .pss PLEEEEASE

[Singh559]

Bump ji.