The Great Balance

[samosasingh]

Some discussion on balancing life:

Gurbani talks about every single relationship being based on each person or entity needing one another and once that need is fullfiled/stops the relationship ends i.e all relations are false and temporary - which leads to the question why engage in any relationships then (whether it be marriage, work, friends, family, etc)?......at the same time it is my understanding that as Sikhs we don't have to shun the world and can live a householders life, in which case you need money and need to build your own relations and mini empires..........so then how do we live in the world and be dettached at the same time?

Gurbani says look into thy- self and don't pay heed to what another is doing.....but our Guru's have in there own lives have stood up for causes that effect society. On one hand Bani is saying go deep within yourself, {and this takes time to do so and your thinking starts to change and you start to forget your surroundings and start not to care what is happening around you} but at the same time what about helping/standing up for panthic/society issues? How do we balance this when the 2 concepts seem so opposite.

I would appreciate some input from you on this topic.....Thanks so much!!

[ssinghuk]

Great question.

I may be wrong but I think the state which you are talking about is the target we should aim for. And the way we get there is through building up our jeevan in following the basics of Gurmat i.e. Banee parnee, seva karnee, simran, rehat raknee and basically following SatGuru Jee’s bachan.

I think it’s like driving a vehicle, when you first start to learn how to drive you have to have 110% concentration just to get to grips with controlling the car but once you have passed your test and driven for quite a while it becomes second nature. i.e. you can be talking to other people, fidgeting with the radio etc etc but all the while having you concentration in tune with driving the car – oncoming traffic, cars around you, pedestrians.

However, in terms of life I have come to understand that getting to that state is extremely difficult

Going back to driving, for some people they fail, fail, fail and then fail again before passing the driving test BUT for others they pass the first time! In the same way when we come to key decisions in our life where we have to decide what’s in line with Gurmat and what isn’t we fail, fail and fail again before practicing even just one bachan. Its the following of that Bachan that will secure SatGuru Jee's kirpa which in turn will take us into the state that you describe.

I’ve probably only just touched on what you have posted but it could be a beginning and also not given any practical solutions (both more challenging aspects!!)

[VanHelsingh]

Very good question. Some guidance on this issue is required for myself as well. :biggrin2: I eagerly anticipate our knowledgeable brothers and sisters replying to this thread.

[samosasingh]

As Gursikhs trying to develop on the Gursikh path how much rajneeti knowledge does one need to gsin or pay attention to?

Is the idea to first develop spirtually and ignore other things until you attain a certain "stage"? I need some clarification.....The idea of mingling/developing/standing up for panthic things for example leads you to play the politcs game which is a dirty game and then this takes you away from the stillness of Gurbani and everything seems to be a game.....I just don't see how both things can happen at once as they seem to be contradicting each other........

[N30S1NGH]

Gurbani talks about every single relationship being based on each person or entity needing one another and once that need is fullfiled/stops the relationship ends i.e all relations are false and temporary - which leads to the question why engage in any relationships then (whether it be marriage, work, friends, family, etc)?......at the same time it is my understanding that as Sikhs we don't have to shun the world and can live a householders life, in which case you need money and need to build your own relations and mini empires..........so then how do we live in the world and be dettached at the same time?

Because ultimate test is staying in the pool of maya and still be nirlaip (free-de-attached)- Gurmukh maya vich udasi pointing towards raja janak..it's fine and dandy when someone shun this world to work towards their spirituality but when it comes to test of maya, thats what it counts. Gurmukh being in pool of falsehood and temporary- world illusion and still be de-attached, its not only because its some sort of test but true gurmukh naturally get bairaag and prem - two main wings to across worldly ocean- after seeing falsehood of this world and world illusion-maya.

Real Gurmukh is not someone who have nothing ( by force to have nothing) and is bairaagi (they haven't done the real test yet)

Real Gurmukh is someone who has everything both asthohol maya and shukhsham maya (maya vich udasi) but still bairaagi for milaap with vahiguroo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how do we live in the world and be dettached at the same time?

1. Remember your death all times, you will naturally remember Vahiguroo and be de-attach from this world. I remember Vahiguroo ji in narsingh avtar killing harnakash, no one can escape death.

2. Keep doing ardas to Guru Maharaj to bless us with concentration naam simran, bless us with baraaig, nishkham seva, prem and advait (non duality)

3. See tat(essence) of everything, everything cease to exit...do your worldy duties as part of your karam or family obligation but don't be attached to it..!!

4. Keep doing vichar at all times. Vahiguroo gave human bibek buddhi (intellect- biggest power) to discriminate- take good and leave bad. Divide your mind in two (intellect- make your intellect as the boss) and mind (dog), whenever vulnerable dog start wandering- let your intellect (boss) bring back the dog to its base by starting right away to do vichar with bibek buddhi- Man tu jot saroop hai apna mool painchan || ( that you are not body, mind - rajo/tamo/sato or five koshas(sheats), you are not jagrath, supaon, sukhopat )- your real essence - gyan saroop atma-paratma ....you will notice slowly infront of yourself- your perception of this world will automatically change..!!

Eg:

Even when you have to do bhog with your spouse - unavoidable circumstance as who wants drop of water/ anand from glass when there is maha anand- ocean out there!!!!!!!!!, look at your own self or perception very carefully and honestly with your bibek buddhi, if your perception is based on western standards of bhog birthi (fullfilling your desires), without any question you are kaami you are slave of panj choor, but if your perception is sabh gobind hai sabh gobind hai and showing affection then its fine he/she comes under- "sabh gobind hai sabh gobind hai" then your mind is becoming part of higher dristhi kaun (perception) of sabh gobind hai.

Same thing applies with moh attachment with kids and money(just earn for survival of family- nothing more and nothing less)..there is big difference between attachment and universal love..once you intuition start becoming more and more advait (non duality) your will find yourself away from attachment but that does not mean you don't love your kid ..there is nothing wrong with universally loving your kid as (he/she parts of universe).

Bairaag and prem are two sides of same coin, they are main wings of Gursikh who wants cross the worldly ocean. Bairaag (de-attached) from this world - individualistic human body/mind and its illusion, at the same time- prem/love universal real essence of human and the whole creation of vahiguroo which is non dual/super consciouness- Vahiguroo atma paratma !!!!!!!!!!

[.- Prabhjot Singh -.]