Sikhi As A Distraction

[Guest Kaur]

this is a very different post and many of you may thinks its cheeky Basically i'm applying for primary teaching at uni and have recieved two interviews. And the problem is every time i go to revise and sort things out i always end up on sikh sangat or doing something else related to sikhi so i thought if baba ji keeps distracting me i may as well seek help from the distraction :D

I have two interview questions and have decided to related them to sikhi too, i will be talking about a RE lesson i've taught to kids about sikhi via a song

I was just wondering if theres anyone in the sangat that may be able to help me ? please

these are the questions :

1. With reference to the quotation below from Maria Montessori you will be asked to reflect upon your experience of the role of the teacher both as a pupil and from your recent experiences in school in preparing to apply for this course – what makes the ideal teacher? You may prepare notes in order to respond to this question on your interview day."The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'the children are now working as if I did not exist'." - Maria Montessori.

2. Preparation is the key to any good micro- teaching session. You should try and engage the group through your use of questioning, body language, good use of time, enthusiasm for your subject. Try to think of ways to get the group to engage with each other to learn the points you wish to get across. All this without props and worksheets! It would be sensible in the final minute to find out if the group have found out what you were hoping they would.

ALSO i wanted to ask that i have seen many gursikhs going to uni and having problems with keeping on track with sikhi because of things like work load. I was wondering , is uni really ideal for sikhs? because in my opinion many people after going to uni start to question religion and feel their must be scientific reasons etc. This is just a random thaught thats been in my head recently so i thaught i'd ask for any tips on how to make sure that the connection with sikhi never breaks!

Thank you ever so much

[harsharan000]

Dear Kaur jee,

There should not be any difficulties in pursuing studies at the uni or any other place where knowledge or science is imparted. The difficulties arise only when we do not have a clear mind in any sphere, whether it is material or whether it is spiritual.

Wordly knowledge is useful to interact with the world in a better way, so that we are preapred well enough to earn our daily bread, and not because we follow a particular path, we are less than others.

You see, we are spiritual beings going through a human expirience. So while in this human body we have to live in this world, up to our last breath as normal beings, as we have to settle our karmic accounts with our families, our friends, our neigbours, and co-workers.

Every relation in this world is based on karmas...to some we have to give, from others we have to get, once these are settled, each and everyone goes his/her own way or destiny.

Coming back to sikhee, we must understand what is sikhee...we must have a clear picture about it, in order to adjust ourselves in a natural manner in the envoirements that me may have to be.

The sikhee, or gurmat, is solely for God realization, not to bind us in chains, such as land, politics, community, dharam, rituals, pilgrimages, etc, which are all transient, and perishable, except His Nam.

Sikhee is no rites nor rules,it is a path of love and devotion, at the lotus Feet of Wahiguru.

Sikhee, means siksha, means sikhiya.... which is a practical method of uniting our souls with wahiguru Akal Purukh,

through Nam Simran bhakti.

So sikhee or Gurmat, is just a practical science, or discipline of the union of the individual soul(atma), with the Param-Atma. That´s it.

Anything apart from that, is "manmaat", means made by man himself. Let us read the Bani and pay attention to it, in any Shabad, in any Raag, in any tuk, only mahima of Wahiguru is uttered and His Nam, which is His essence.

Read the Bani of any Gurmukh any bhagat, of any time of any place, only bhakti of one Akal Purukh, through Nam simran is the baseline of their teachings.

Gurmat as such, did not start with Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj, neither did it end with Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj, as Sachay Patshah Guru Arjun Dev Maharaj says:

Eh nidaan japai man koe, sabh jug mah taa kee gat ho'e
Whoever meditates on this treasure(of Nam) within (one´s body or Harmandir),
in any of the four yugas, is liberated.

Guru Sahiban says clearly"sabh jug meh taa kee gat hoe".

Guru Nanak Maharaj came just about seven hundred years back, so is it that, those who came before Guru Nanak, were all condemmed?

It does not sound logical. Gurmat is simple, the teachings of Gurmukhs is simple, it is we moorakhs who have modified, manipulated and adulterated their Bani, within the four walls of our minds, like the rest of the religions.

Otherwise Gurmat is sweet, Gurmat is ambrosial, Gurmat is the path to walk towards our goal, which is none other than Wahiguru.

Sree Guru Amar Das Maharaj, in Raag Basant tells us the secret of our meeting and merging in Satnam:

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਸਾਚੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਉਚਰੈ

Anadhin Saach Naam Oucharai

अनदिनु साचु नामु उचरै

Night and day, he chants the True Name;

ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਦੁਤਰੁ ਤਰੈ

Ein Bidhh Praanee Dhuthar Tharai

इन बिधि प्राणी दुतरु तरै

In this way, he crosses over the treacherous world-ocean.

He is telling us that all the 24 hours, sing His Glory which is in reality Nam Simran, He does not say in morning do this or that, or in the evening or at night do this or that .... no no no...

He is saying: Anadin Saach Nam Oucharai, which means: From morning to night, if any one true thing, true bhakti, true devotion, has to be done, do only Nam Simran.

It is we people who have complicated things in our own way, "in manmat"..... again, there is nothing wrong in following all our rituals, our rites, if only we do not miss from our sight the true sikhiya, the true sikhee, which is Nam Simran alone...

Just as seen above, any true Gurmukh of any time, like Sachay Patshah Sree Guru Amar Das Maharaj, in just 2 lines, He has revealed the secrets of spirituality for us, He stresses on Nam Simran alone, the only permanent and eternal Truth, throughout all the ages.

Whether past, present or future....the method of realizing Him, is only one, as He is also only One...

The Bani by itself is nothing, but a song of true love, of devotion between the soul and the Lord Wahiguru, It shows us, what qualities are required by the bride soul, to appear beautiful in the eyes of the Lord, and call His attention.

Well, the Guru Sahibans for that purpose tell us the following words:

Awar kaaj tere kitteh na kam, mil Sadh Sangat aur bhaj kewal Nam.

Means, leave aside all things, just get in touch of a Gurmukh, get the Gurparasd from Him, and do khoob its kamaee....that is it.

Nam is the only reality, the only Truth, as Wahiguru is Nirankar, but the Bani says:

Jin Har jaapiya se Har hoeeya. Har simran meh Prabh aap Nirankara.

If we attach ourselves with Wahiguru with His Simran, we shall go to Him, naturally. But if we attach ourselves with our land, communities, etc, we shall have to return back in this world as they are bondages around our necks.

That is why the Bani says: Dharam bhomee ka jisko abhiman, so andha moorakh agyan... I think our Guru Sahibans can not be more clear.

Wahiguru alone should be our objective, our goal, apart from it, everthing is maya, everything is koor

When we shall depart from this world, nobody will ask us what is your zaat, paat, mazab, community....nothing of that sort, only how much kamaee of Nam simran have you done, or not at all.

And this path of our devotion for Wahiguru, is a personal and an intimate relation with Him, we should not publicize it.

Each and everyone should bother about, whether I am doing the right thing(Nam Bhakti) to please my Beloved Wahiguiru, or am I doing manmaat, by doing everything else.

Because if we follow Gurmat, in due time we shall progress, and then our faith and love which are weak now, shall become hard as a rock by His Grace, then nobody can shake us, come whatever it may, may happen whatever it may be, but we shall stand firm at His Lotus Feet.

Wahiguru has kept Himself for us in equal measure within ourselves, it is only that much we have to do, that we must lift the veil of our mind and arise above it through Nam Simran, that we may have a glimplse of His darshan and ultimately merge in Him.

That is the purpose of sikhee, that is the purpose of Gurmat.