There was no tent!

Whilst travelling down to London for the 84 March/Demonstration, we were having a discussion on Sikhi (this usually takes place once a week in the Gurdwara). One thing I learnt was how distorted so many of Gurujis Sakhis have become. Who is to blame? Us Sikhs! We hear one thin from a person and believe it to be the truth and it spreads all over.

Think about the motive and question everything that doesnt seem right.

One of the biggest misconceptions is on Vasakhi in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaaj, had a tent on the stage, he took each Pyaara 1 by 1 and blood was dripping from the tent, whilst in the tent he cut up an animal, to make the people think it was human blood! LIE. Why would Guru ji say one thing and do another? Why would he hide it?

There is a muslim spy who witnesses all this and writes exactly what happened in a report he wrote to the Emperor. This report is still available! This report doesnt mention any tent or animals. The Guruji chopped each Panj Pyaaras head off, becasue that is what he asked for and that is what he said he would do. Can you even imagine how brave the 5th Pyaara must have been? To see 4 heads be chopped off before him and still go up to offer his head! What was the love these men had? I dont have it, thats for sure! Whilst all heads were chopped off, Guruji then put the heads on different bodies (showing total equality).

The muslim spy wrote to the Emperor in his report that after seeing this immacualte scene, this would be his last report as he was now also going to take Gurujis amrit. Amazing...!

How much sense and beauty does the truth show! Yet we pollute it, its time for me to wake up!

Soul

Thankyou for my soul, it has a hunger for you, it yearns for your name, it cries when I dont do nitnem!

It battles the mind everyday, sometimes it wins and sometimes it doesnt, but that is your play!

And then i see some poor souls, who dont question why they are here or who has put them here, they dont want to know anything about how they can become 1 with you. But again that is your play, im sure you have installed a on and off button, you decide when it switches off and when you turn it on.

Help my soul to free itself from the chains of Karma and make it become a King of Dharma.....

Hair

Your hairstyle goes out of fashion, quicker than a season.
My hairstyle has been in fashion for centuries and is here to stay.

You style your hair on mortal ones.
I style mine on the Immortal One!

You call it "clean" shaven, those with beards are Brave Men.

Guru Maanio Granth

This is concluded from another post I ade a while back about some people treating Guru Ji as a mere book and having a go at groups like R4G.

The order of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

"There are three forms of mine, O Nand, listen attentively. Formless, Physical form and Gurshabad.

Let me explain further. My first form is formless (beyond the qualities of rajo, tamo, sato). Many many times this has been discussed in sacred scriptures. The second form is Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. CONSIDER THE PAGES OF SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI AS MY LIMBS. Let this be written on each and every of your body-hair and this is a factual declaration I make to you. The Sikh who wishes to have Darshan of Guru, should go and have the darshan of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. At Amrit vela after having a bath, three times circumambulate around the All-knowing lord (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji).

With hands folded respectfully, sit in my presence, pay obeisance to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and listen to the divine sermon.

Hearing the Shabad with concentration and with love of Guru Ji, listen and make others to heed to the enlightening Shabad. One who wishes to communicate with me, should read and ponder over Bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Those who wish to listen to my sermons, should listen and understand the bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. DEEM SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI AS MY EMBODIMENT. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI."

"Salvation is not achieved by seeing my physical body. Salvation is achieved by acting on my orders."

"The holy book is the home of the Transcendent Lord."

Have faith in 1.

Dont put your feet in two boats, you will surely sink.

A wife with one husband is more secure than a wife with many husbands.

During Guru Arjan Jis time there were two gursikhs by the name of Bhai Phewa Ji and Roop Chand ji. They owned and ran a safe deposit shop. One day a Moghal gave a large purse full of gold coins to them for safe keeping. He was going to Delhi and would collect it on his return. The two Gursikhs kep the purse safely but forgot to make a record of it.

Five years later the Moghal returned for his purse, Bhai Phewa Ji checked his records and of course there was no record. Neither could he remember taking the purse. This caused an argument and they both decided to make a case and bring it forward to the local Nawab.

The Nawab ordered Bhai Phewa and the Moghal to put there hands in a pot of boiling oil. The person who was right would not get his hand scalded.

Bhai Phewa Ji did an ardaas to Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji to come to his rescue and promised 5 gold coins and parsad as thanks. The Moghal prayed to his Pirs (Muslim Saints) and promised all the gold coins.

Both then placed there hand into the hot oil and the Moghals hand was scalded whilst nothing happened to Bhai Phewa Jis hand. The Nawab passed judgement that the Moghal was lying.

Bhai Phewa Ji returned to the shop and told Bhai Roop Chand Ji, who decided to look around the shop for the purse and found it.

Being honest Gursikhs, they located the Moghul and returned the purse to him. The Moghul gave 5 gold coins to Bhai Phewa Ji which he promised to guru ji and wished to be taken to Guru ji.

The Moghul asked Guru ji "Why is it that Bhai Phewa Ji, being wrong was proved right and me being right was proved wrong?"

Guru Ji replied " While doing ardaas, Bhai Phewa Ji had his faith in one and only one Guru. However, you had placed your faith on a large number of pirs. Each Pir thinking the other Pir was going to save you, therefore none came to save you."

Similarly when Draupadi was being unclothed, she asked many for help and none came to her aid, until she prayed to Krishan Ji, who immediately came to her rescue.

3 types of disciples

1. They will help physically and financially, but there is no hope of spiritual advancement.

2. They help physically and financially and love talking about waheguru. There is hope for there spiritual advancement.

3. The walk in the will of waheguru and they are aware of the forces of karma. Whatever happens, good or bad they accept as his will and it is sweet to them.

Clean your mind with naam

A rich man came to see Baba Ravidas Ji and said to him "I am a very busy man, I have so many businesses to look after, so many people to see, I can only come and see you when I am free which isnt very often, so please just hurry up and bless me with naam!"

Baba Ravidas said "Ok, I will see what I can do, but first can you get me some milk?"

The richman thought is that it? Of course I can get you some milk I will bring it next time I come to see you, but Im not sure when that will be, because I am a very busy man. Baba Ravidas said "No problem, you just come back with the milk when you have time."

A few weeks later the rich man came back to Baba Ravi Das Ji and he was carrying the biggest, most shiny, clean new bucket filled with beautiful pure milk.

Baba Ravidas had a bucket too, it was in the corner of his house. This bucket was very filthy and old, it had not been washed for a while. Baba Ravidas Ji told the richman to pour the milk in this bucket. The rich man looked at the bucket and said no way, that bucket is really filthy. Baba Ravi Das ji said to the man, "the milk is for me, why are you bothered what you pour it into?"

The rich man replied, "I have brought you milk which is expensive, pure and beautiful, and you want me to pour it into a filthy bucket, the milk will be ruined and become like the bucket."

Baba Ravi Das Ji said "I dont care just pour the milk in the bucket" The rich man said no way. Baba Ravi Das Ji said so theres no way you are going to pour that milk in the bucket? The rich man said no way. Baba Ravi Das ji then said " Well how do you expect me to give you pure beautiful naam, when your mind and body is like my bucket?"

Maya or Naam

Whilst Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Bhai Mardana Ji were on there travels, Bhai Mardana came across a put of gold and silver coins. Bhai Mardana Ji became very happy at the sight of this and started already planning what he would be able to get for the gold and how he would spend it. They had been walking for days and had not had a good nights sleep or a nice hot meal.

However, Guru Nanak Dev Ji told Mardana to leave the gold and silver behind and they went to rest. Bhai Mardana became very sad at this instruction by Guru Nana Dev ji. Whilst resting near a cave which was overlooking the untouched pot of gold, Guru Nana Dev Ji told Bhai Mardana to start doing Kirtan. Bhai Mardana told Guru Ji "I dont feel like singing the Lords praises, my heart is sad, I am a poor man and you have told me to leave that gold behind? That gold which could resolve all my problems? Why cant we take the gold Guru Ji?" Guru Nanak Dev Ji smiled and told Bhai Mardana, "If you want the gold by all means go and take it, but just wait a while and see what happens" Bhai Mardana agreed, whilst they were resting they saw three men walk out of the jungle and stumble across the pot of gold. All three men were friends and became very happy at the sight of the gold and thought they had been blessed. They said to each other we will split this gold three ways and lead a very comfortable life.

The men were hungry and before they shared the gold, one of the friends told the men he would go into the jungle and find some food to eat. So he walked away, whilst the other two waitied for him. As they sat down looking at the gold, one of the friends said to the other "If only me and you had stumbled across this gold? Then we would only have to split it only two ways and we would be even more better off" The other friend agreed and said " I have an idea, lets find a large stick each and when our friend comes back with the food, we will hit him over the head with it and kill him." The other friend agreed and said "Yes, what a good idea, when we get back home, we will tell his family he seperated from us in the jungle!" Both men were in agreement and awaited their friend to come back from the jungle with the food.

The other friend whilst in the jungle, was thinking to himself, if only I had found that gold by myself, then I wouldnt have to share it with them two! I have an idea, I will poison the food that I take back, it will instantly kill them and then I will have all the gold to myself! I will tell there families that I lost them in the jungle! He then found some food and mixed it with the poison and walked back to his friends.

As the friend came back from the jungle and walked towards his other two friends, both men attacked him with the stick killing him on the spot. The men then were about to share the gold, but they were hungry and decided to eat first and then split the gold. As soon as both men took one bite of their food, they died, the poison was so strong! All three men lay dead near the pot of gold.

Guru Nanak Ji looked at Bhai Mardana and said there you go Mardana the gold is all yours for you to take. Bhai Mardana fell at Guru Jis feet and said "I dont want any gold, all I want is naam"

Patience

It takes time for the Artist to paint his picture.

Enjoy this time, dont become anxious or lose patience.

Once the picture is complete, it will look beautiful.

Seeing the Guru

How many butterflies would I have in my stomach when I see you?
How dry would my mouth be when you call out for me?
How fast would my heart beat when I touch your feet?
Would I even blink once when you look at me?
Would I find the right words to speak to you?
How many tears would flow down my face, when you embrace me to your chest?
And what excuse would I make for all those wasted breathes?

The Saints

Thy form is beautiful.
Thy long flowing beard is beautiful, each hair is different yet it comes from the same face.
Your posture and uniform are immaculate.
So many different turbans, yet 1 meaning.
Your words are soft, with a real meaning and hit a cord within the listener.
Your eyes are full of love.
How my heart aches for your company when you are gone!
And when you are with me I am blessed.
Who says we can not see the Gurus!? When I look into your eyes, I see all of them!

How many?

How many eyes must you have to watch over all of us? And yet you never blink once.
How many ears must you have to hear all the praises, the crying, the shouting, the moaning, the singing, the gossipping, yet you never stop listening.
How many tongues must you have to speak to all of your creation? And yet not be affected wether we listen or not!
How many hands must you have to hold everything in place? Yet you never get tired.
How many arms must you have to carry us through life?
How many feet must you have to walk with each and every one of us?
You are so many, but yet you are 1.

The calling...

Its getting louder, day by day.
Its always been there, waiting for a reply.
Somedays you try to block it out and ignore it.
Somedays you want to hear it, but it doesnt speak.
Then one day you hear it and you talk back.
It asks "Who are you?" "Find your true self"
You reply "How?" It dissappears.
You then wait, it may be days before you hear it speak again, and again it calls you.
You fall in love with it, addicted, you will do anything for it to stay and answer your questions.
Then you become content.
No more anxiety, no more loss of patience.
You let it guide you.
You let it protect you and control you.
You carry on on developing yourself spiritually and it will take care of the rest and one day you will be called.

What I want

I do not want a good day at work,
I do not want to be successful in life,
I do not want a peaceful life,
I do not want a long life,
I do not want a nice wife,
I do not want a happy family,
I do not want money, cars or big houses.

All I want is to be worthy enough to see you and this the only thing I will keep asking for. O mind meditate on the name so I become worthy of that day.

The 5 control freaks

They control my actions,
They control my re-actions,
They control what I see,
They control what I say,
They control what I listen to,
They control what I DO!

O True King, Father Guru Gobind Singh JI, help me fight them, control and abolish them, so that the only one that controls me is the one who has made me

Thinking of you

I think about you,
I think about you so much that I can't think anymore,
The mind stops thinking, but your wonders keep going,
How my mind is so limited and yet you are so ever more,
Maybe one day (with your grace) your secrets will be revealed to me and then I will cease thinking.

Brahmgiani, Mahapurush, Puran

Inspired by a book I read on Sant Bhai Naranjan Singh ji.

I went to the gurudwara with folded arms,
and I asked for 1 thing and that was naam.

Was my heart pure when I asked,
or did my mind fail the task?
Do I really want it, or was I just saying it for show?

You hear everything and by your will we meet your servants.

Please unite me with such a soul,
someone who can make me whole.

When its 3 am, my alarm goes, but because of my sins,
I dont want to change my clothes. My eyes are tired,
the evil in my mind says go to sleep, you dont need to speak.

Send me that puran who will awaken me and get me out of that snake pit.

If I ever did make it out, the mind didnt like the cold water.
How can I make it understand that this will help me become pure.

And when I start to meditate on that beautiful naam, bliss bliss is the feeling.
Yet the mind is trying to be controlling and wanting me to get off the floor and back in bed
where I can think evil again.

I fight as hard as I can and I start my jap ji sahib.
I get through and even though my mind has not been tottally there I feel you, tuhi tuhi
But why doesnt this feeling stay, I know I am not worthy.
I then start the other prayers and by this time my mind says my legs are feeling numb,
O stupid mind it is you that is dumb, when will you change?

Waheguru bless me and grace me with such a soul, who can show me your naam.

From a sinner of sinners.....

Languages

Thinking of doing Japanese as a language, however heard its pretty hard what other languages would you reccomend?

Khalsa, Samurai and the Jedi

Ok, I was thinking about this and because of the recent movies I have just watched, some for the umpthteen time! I came to the conclusion that these three groups have a lot in similar, they are all well disciplined and have a code of conduct that they follow which is also similar! Now I dont know much about the Samurai apart from the movies I watch which could be full of lies! So I would appreciate some knowledge on them, especially when they were formed? Is George Lucas a Sikh in terms of his thinking? I then thought Im the weirdo who tries to link every Hollywood war movie to Sikhi, but I did a search on the net and I am not alone, why hasnt some big money hollywood director heard of the Sikh history and not made a movie on it yet, Im talking after the Gurus, like from Banda Singh Bahadur to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, it would probably have to be in 5 volumes, which is in now anyway! There would be loads of battle scenes, emotion, betrayal, love (humanity), sacrifice etc etc it would be sooo cool!

non sikhs on sikhi!

Non-Sikhs on Sikhism

Some thoughts of modem writers on Sikhism and Gurbani.

Rev. H. L. Bradshaw

After thoroughly studying the philosophy of Sikhism, Rev. H. L. Bradshaw observed:

Sikhism is a Universal world Faith, a message for all men. This is amply illustrated in the writings of the Gurus. Sikhs must cease to think of their faith as just another good religion and must begin to think in terms of Sikhism being the religion for this New Age … It completely supplants and fulfils all the former dispensations of older religions. Books must be written proving this. The other religions contain the truth, but Sikhism contains the fullness of truth.

Bradshaw also writes:

The Guru Granth Sahib of all the world religious scriptures, alone states that there are innumerable worlds and universes other than our own. The previous scriptures were all concerned only with this world and its spiritual counterpart. To imply that they spoke of other worlds, as does the Guru Granth Sahib, is to stretch their obvious meanings out of context. The Sikh religion is truly the answer to the problems of the modern man.

Archer

Archer, in his book on the Sikh faith comments:

The religion of the Guru Granth is a universal and practical religion … Due to ancient prejudices of the Sikhs it could not spread in the world. The world needs today its message of peace and love.

Dorothy Field

Another scholar, Dorothy Field in her book, "The Sikh Religion," writes:

Pure Sikhism is far above dependence on Hindu rituals and is capable of a distinct position as a world religion so long as Sikhs maintain their distinctiveness. The religion is also one which should appeal to the occidental mind. It is essentially a practical religion. If judged from the pragmatical standpoint which is a favorite point of view in some quarters, IT WOULD RANK ALMOST FIRST IN THE WORLD. (Emphasis by the author). Of no other religion can it be said that it has made a nation in so short a time.

Macauliffe

In his book, "The Sikh Religion," Macauliffe writes:

Unlike the scriptures of other creeds, they do not contain love stories or accounts of wars waged for selfish considerations. They contain sublime truths, the study of which cannot but elevate the reader spiritually, morally, and socially. There is not the least tinge of sectarianism in them. They teach the highest and purest principle that serve to bind man to man and inspire the believer with an ambition to serve his fellow men, to sacrifice all and die for their sake.

Macauliffe deems it necessary to draw the reader's attention to another significant feature of Sikhism which distinguishes it and separates it from other philosophical and religious systems of thought:

The Sikh religion differs as regards the authenticity of its dogmas from most other great theological systems. Many of the great teachers the world has known, have not left a line of their own composition, and we only know what they taught through tradition or second-hand information. If Pythagoras wrote any of tenets, his writings have not descended to us. We know the teachings of Socrates only through the writings of Plato and Xenophon. Buddha has left no written memorials of his teaching. Kungfu-tze, known to Europeans as Confucious, left no documents in which he detailed the principles of his moral and social systems. The Founder of Christianity did not reduce his doctrines to writing, and for them we are obliged to trust to the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark. Luke, and John.

The Arabian Prophet did not himself reduce to writing the chapters of the Quran. They were written or compiled by his adherents and followers. But the compositions of the Sikh Gurus are preserved and we know first hand what they taught. They employed the vehicle of verse, which is generally unalterable by copyist, and we even become in time familiar with their different styles. No spurious compositions or extraneous dogmas, can therefore be represented as theirs.

The author of the 'Vie de Jesus' was a great admirer of Jesus Christ. Greatly impressed as he was of the spiritual message delivered by Christ and those of the Semitic thinkers that preceded him, he posed the question: "Whether great originality will again arise or the world be content to follow the paths opened by the daring creators of the ancient ages?" Bearing Sikhism in mind, Macauliffe answers the above question in the following words:

Now there is here presented a religion totally unaffected by Semitic or Christian influences. Based on the concept of the unity of God, it rejected Hindu formalities and adopted an independent ethical system, ritual, and standards, which were totally opposed to the theological beliefs of Guru Nanak's age and country. As we shall see hereafter, it would be difficult to point to a religion of greater originality or to a more comprehensive ethical system

Macauliffe continues:

Guru Nanak was not a priest either by birth or education, but a man who soared to the loftiest heights of divine emotionalism, and exalted his mental vision to an ethical ideal beyond the concept of Hinduism or Mohammadanism.

Dr. W.O. Cole

Dr. W.O. Cole, of the U.K. wrote more than half a dozen books on Sikhism. In 1985, he visited India where communal disturbances had created a virtual turmoil and thousands of people were killed. In a key note lecture by him on the Mission and Message of Guru Nanak Dev, he gave a message to the Sangat there and through them to all of humanity:

Remember the tenets of Guru Nanak, his concepts of oneness of God and Universal Brotherhood of man. If any community holds the key to national integration of India, it is the Sikhs all the way.

After the lecture, he was asked what drew him to the study of Sikhism, he replied:

Theologically, I cannot answer the question what drew me to the study of Sikhism. You may call it, the purpose of God. But to be more specific, the unique concept of universality and the system of Langar (free community meal) in Sikhism are the two features that attract me towards the study of Sikhism. Langar is the exclusive feature of Sikhism and found nowhere else in the world. Sikhism is the only religion which welcomes each and everyone to its Langar without any discrimination of caste, creed, color, or sex.

Swami Nitya Nand

The opinions of some Hindu mystics also should be quoted to understand their experiences with the Sikh faith. Swami Nitya Nand (expired at the age of 135 years) writes in his book "Gur Gian":

I, in the company of my guru, Brahma Nand Ji, went to Mathra ... While on pilgrimage tour, we reached Panjab and there we met Swami Satya Nand Udasi. He explained the philosophy and religious practices of Nanak in such a way that Swami Brahma Nand Ji enjoyed a mystic lore. During the visit to the Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar, his soul was so much affected, that he became a devotee of the Guru. After spending some time in Panjab he went to Hardwar. Though he was hail and hearty, one day I saw tears in his eyes. I asked the reason for that. He replied, "I sifted sand the whole of my life. The Truth was in the House of Nanak. I will have to take one more birth in that house, only then I will attain Kalyan." After saying that the soul left his body.

Swami Nitya Nand also wrote of his own experience:

I also constantly meditate on Waheguru revealed by Nanak. I practiced Yoga Asanas under the guidance of Yogis and did that for many years; the bliss and peace, which I enjoy now, was never obtained earlier.

Spiritual Triage

Finally, here are some excerpts from the proceedings of a seminar on the life of Guru Nanak Dev. It was conducted at Simla, now in Himachal Pardesh, by the Panjab Historical Society Lahore, before World War I. The seminar was presided over by the lieutenant governor of Panjab.

After hearing the lecture by Joginder Singh, Pundit Ramsaran Das, a prominent Hindu intellectual observed that Guru Nanak was a great reformer of the Hindu faith.

Nawab Zulfkar Ali Khan of Malerkotla disagreed with Mr. Das and commented that Guru Nanak was a great Muslim fakir, his best friend was Bhai Mardana, a lowly Muslim. His best devotee was a Muslim, Rai Bular, the village chief.

The governor, in his presidential remarks disagreed with both and said that according to what had been told by the speaker, Guru Nanak was a great Christian.

Guru Nanak, however, states in Gurbani:

"I am neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, I am a human being."

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh