Dedicated to Unbiased Lovers

True Meaning of Phrannndship!

2011-07-18T00:19:00.000-05:00

For last couple of years, I have been checking off many things on my bucket list. Well I don't have one, but feels like priorities, goals, responsibilities, marriage, life...have taken front seat and some how writing, introspecting, sikhi, reflecting and blogging the back one. Whoever said that marriage was an eye opener was not exactly right, for me on the contrary it was more of a eye rester? Its been a great learning experience, but its been pleasant roller coaster ride so far. Suddenly, from being a struggling student, I became a wife, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law and other relationships that marriage creates. Now that I look back, I do see that single life can be quite chaotic, full of noise and anxious-ness. But again, its full of excitement, passion and color. No matter what the phase may be, one must enjoy it!

Today's post I would like to start with true meaning of friendship. I am not sure why, but lets just start with this. What really is true meaning of friendship? Who really are our friends? Who do I call a friend. Well for starters, marriage gave me one of the most significant relationship of all time and that is friendship. Now as woman in my thirties (well early one), I may have less friends, but the one I have I can surely count on them. That's the other thing about youth/young age...so called Jawani - often times when I meet jawan people, not saying that I am not one, it reminds of me someone sitting in a car with wrong bunch of people and going in circular loops without any sense of directions. Well, atleast that's what my jawani days looked like...I guess I could use more appropriate english term like youth, but I like saying it in Panjabi - jjjjawani. But even in that chaos there is lesson to learn and so is in every phase. I remember how back when I wasn't married often times people use to come up to me and say...betta! vyaaa hoye gaa ta apppee pattaa chaloo ga! Well, bhaji/bhenji patta te lagaya but isn't that patttaa lagana part of learning? Anyways, I don't understand this whole fear ride people tend to give each other before someone's trying to jump all kinds of shooter. Anyhow, back to jawani days and phrandship topic. What really is true friendship, I guess I could open a sikhitothemax and shoot the jumper (quote one of the bani line), but nah! since I haven't done that for ages, I will stick with my own matt (mind)? I think the answer is true friendship, someone may call it love, care, attachment? can with-stand best and worst of bull-shit-ness? But really, what a beautiful yet vulnerable relationship. I think no matter what relationship, it takes courage to build new relationships in life. And most of all it takes courage to sustain or preserve one? It definitely is work, but so is breathing, eating, drinking and all the other aspects of life. Anyways, suddenly after this post I feel like I am sitting with wrong bunch of people or in this case thoughts from all directions and going in circular loops! oh well in the end it reminds me of ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਹਾਵਤ -

ਜਿਥੇ ਦੀ ਖੋਤ੍ਤੀ ਊਤੇ ਆਂ ਖਲੋਤੀ

Why Chinese Mother are Superior

2011-03-04T15:54:00.002-06:00

The Wall Street Journal

By Amy Chua

"A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:"

If the above link does not work for you, try goggling the article. Article worth reading and I personally enjoyed reading it too.

Perception

2011-02-25T13:52:00.002-06:00

Lets start with this little story to begin with -

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100. This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Story Courtesy - Persian Asia

Creativity's Greatest Foes

2010-07-22T23:58:00.002-05:00

Fear and Judgement. In that case I am a Pro. I guess I am turning into my role model - Stephen Colbert :)

Shape it.

2010-07-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

I am not sure who Gary Lew is, but I definitely loved this caption. My morning inspiration came from a coffee mug! Who knew? :)

ਇਹੀ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਉਂਦਾ ਵੇਲਾ

2010-07-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

Even though, this shot was not taken from D90, its one of my personal favorite. Now that I have this new channel to express myself besides the pen offcourse, I am going to make the most use of it. :) Enjoy.

Story of the day!

2010-07-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

Just came across this piece on Sikhchic.com which brings with it new thoughts and for some reason a sense of relief. I am not sure why, may be the fact that after all there's always that one door open in the world that one can turn too when all doors are shut.

Sikh Farmers Heading to Africa?
by Dinker Vashisht

Jagjit Singh Hara's 50-acre farm in Kanganwal village in Jalandhar, Punjab, leaves him with little time for anything else. Still, he has taken time off to make a trip to the Pasteur Institute in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, to get himself inoculated against yellow fever before he sets out to scout for land in Africa.

As land holdings in the state shrink and the soil becomes less fertile, Punjab's farmers are already looking for greener pastures. And this time, it's Africa, where governments, especially in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Sudan and Namibia, are looking for the right expertise, technology and farming skills.

You can read the whole story on the following link. http://sikhchic.com/current_events/sikh_farmers_heading_to_africa

Don't forget to scroll down to check out my new muse - photography! I am still playing around with my new D-90 these days (that gift from my BFF "R" yes, I am talking about my husband!) :)

Ciao.

Harkiran

Oh You Fine Woman!

2010-04-19T00:27:00.001-05:00

Who are they I ask myself often? She must be that beautiful woman waiting to seduce me through her eyes that are like deep sea. But when I look into it, I realize that even the sea in her eyes couldn't quench my thirst. I went ahead and in the far saw another one bathing herself under a waterfall. I went close to her wanting her touch and embrace and as she brushed her pearl like hands on my face I realized that her touch did not stop the fire within me. I looked around and came across many more. Some with seductive eyes, some with hour-glass shaped bodies, some with magical feet that danced like a peacock in the rain and some with nightingale's voice. They all were beautiful in their own ways, but none could stop the fire within my heart. The fire that burnt me during long nights of separations and days that made me lonelier by the hour. What was it that I was looking for? Why would I be not like the other men? Drench myself in women's beauty and honor her bed with my presence and be satisfied in that moment. What was it that my heart was seeking and couldn't stop wandering about? Few wise men, directed me toward women in chola's. They were too like others, though they claimed to belong to their deity, yet their minds were full of opinions and judgement and themselves.

Then after years of despair and disheartening experience, I came across her. She was like others, yet something about her was different. It was definitely not her beauty, nor her flesh. She did not attracted me by undressing herself, neither she wanted me to cling to her flesh. Rather, she let me see through her soul first than her body. A soul that directed me towards her Guru, her Creator. Passing through her did finally extinguish all my fires within. In the past, some tried extinguishing my fires by letting me burn in their own fires of vanity and pride. But this time it was different. She was not just a beauty, but a beauty that put my mind in the Creator's. She made me walk not to herself this time like others, but rather walked along with me towards her Guru, her Creator. She told me that her Guru was the one that put out all her fires and that he could help me too. I took her hand and walked along with her to meet that Guru. I walked along with that beauty, the true beauty that put my mind too in it's Creator!

Change.

2010-04-18T16:57:00.002-05:00

Life itself is a process of change. Night follows day, spring follows winter. Some things grow, while others fade. Styles change, markets change, opinions change, and through it all, life moves forward, changing from day to day.When the changes don't go your way, take heart. For even the changes are subject to change, and if you're down, the next change can bring you back up. - Anonymous

Clash of Ideas.

2010-04-07T20:36:00.002-05:00

It could simply start with wearing a torn jeans to may be a more formal dinner party or asking a question or opinion about some issue who's mere thought could make you really uncomfortable. I love clash of ideas, its a beautiful thing. And why not, we live in the world of colors, blacks and whites, we live in the world of extreme darkness and light. Clash of ideas bring with it new spectrum of light. In fact, we don't necessarily have to call them clash of ideas, it could may be called a new thought, may be old rotten uncomfortable thought or may be pushing someones or one own "hot" button (Trust me, I love doing that ;)! I mean we all (including me off course) could do tonnes of role playing, be a daughter, wife, daughter-in-law, but whats the fun in that. I think the fun is in being myself, which is peeling off my own skin every now and then rather than hopping on to role playings!
Clash of ideas eliminate stagnant thought process, clash of ideas so to speak free our own self from us! Thats the beauty of nature, a part in us wanting to save the world, environment, family, us and then other part surfing through people.com just to check out what's new in the fashion world. Talking about people.com, I love that site, I get my daily scoop about what celebrity world is up to while I also check out what they are wearing these days! :)
Well on personal end, the one idea I am bit struggling is blogging my personal experiences without sharing TMI (Too much information). I mean I have a lovely supportive husband and he is all cool about me continuing with this little hobby of mine (In fact he designed this wonderful template for me too ;), but I would like to keep this blog my own personal chef-d'oeuvre (haha, yeah lets call it that!).

Anyways, till next time with more clash of ideas or may be not. :) Auf Wiedersehen.

Eco-Sikh Garden

2010-03-20T10:42:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my husband and rest of the family started a home garden. It just so happened that coincidently we were also celebrating Sikh New Years on March 14, 2010 (Chet 1 Nanakshahi) and Sikhs all over the world were encouraged to plant trees/garden on this day in remembrance of Seventh Nanak - Guru Har Rai Ji, the great environmentalist! I love the idea of having a one own organic garden, so here are few pictures of how we celebrated our Sikh Environment Day!

Lemon Tree

Our Eco-Sikh Garden

Beautiful Tomatoes :)

Mango Tree (Can't wait for this one to grow up fast!)

Our Organic Garden

Happy Sikh Environment Day Everyone!

Caste System In Sikhi.

2010-03-01T20:13:00.000-06:00

Whats wrong with being shallow?

2010-02-15T12:16:00.002-06:00

So seriously, I have been writing few post and then saving them and logging off. Writing like any art can be quite boring when people are trying too hard to be not themselves. And lately I have been like that annoying student in a class who knows the answers to everything. But yeah we all probably know that doesn't work for too long either. One can mask oneself with others expectations, ones fears, ones insecurities and every now and then ones act of love. I have in the past written may be some great insightful post with some sort of depth in them, but now that struggle seem like story of past and new life of more "opportunity" have made me well to say the least quite "shallow".
In the past talking deep insightful things made me happy (especially when I was struggling, talking about people's struggle I guess made me happier? ouch), then when the good times rolled in, I realized that that the wandering hippie in me didn't really mind sitting in a benz or BMW...why not I wondered to myself. Good houses, good cars, good lunches, I mean what really happened to all my environmentalism, social responsibility and goodness within?
Do most of us are achievers or contributers because either way we are serving ourself? our ego?
I guess if given a chance and choice, people can both serve and but serve in style too.

Now that we already know that certain part of me (and you) are shallow the other problem I have lately been coming across is the profound joy I find in being shallow. When people like to talk about "Panjab Politics" I enjoy talking about different types of fabrics and kind of shopping I did in Panjab. I guess I am realizing that I am shallow and well really thats that to it. Talking about deep insightful things bore me YAWN! Ahhh the colors of life, when one thinks that they know themselves certainly enough to move forward, there comes another layer of evil and goodness within us, unfolding itself and making ourselves question - who we really are?

Another problem that I have been coming across is that I connect my writing with the pains I went through or pain of others I could empathize with? Is there anyone of you who connect their art or creativeness with pain? The more the pain, the more the suffering, the more the words flow like they are some poetry? I don't know how to create in happiness? Is that a problem? In the past most of my blogs came from looking at my own suffering or suffering of others. But I don't know how to be "artistic" in good times? I know that's a huge problem. right? haha.

Lets finish the post with something more meaningful, for sake of it (god knows what that it is..may be ego?)

"The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less!" - Way of the peaceful warrior.

To be nobody but yourself in a world

2010-02-13T00:37:00.006-06:00

Beautiful quote, though written by E.E Cummings but came across on a great blog that I read quite often.

Lisa Ray Blog

The Checkbook and the Cruise Missile

2010-01-26T19:21:00.000-06:00

An excerpt from the book "The checkbook and the Cruise Missile" - conversation with Arunadhati Roy -

"You’ve talked about the colonization of knowledge and its control and Brahmin like caste that builds walls around it. What do you think the relationship should be between knowledge and power and politics?
All over the world today people are fighting for right to information. The organizations that control the world today – the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank – operate in complete secrecy. Contracts that government sign with multinationals, which effects people’s lives so intimately are secret documents. For example, the Enron, the giant Houston – based energy corporation, and the government of Maharashtra should be public documents. It is the biggest document signed by the Indian government. It guarantees this one corporation profits that add upto more than sixty percent of India’s rural development budget. Why is it a secret document? Who is the government to sign away its public buildings as collateral? The government holds everything, whether its natural resources or Rashtrpati Bhavan, the President’s resident in New Delhi, in trust for the people that it represent. It cannot sign these things away. The contract must be public documents. That’s one’s aspect of the relationship between knowledge and power.
But there is a more insidious aspect. It isn’t coincidence that four hundred million Indian people are illiterate. When I say “illiterate”, I don’t want to imply that the kind of education that is being imparted is literacy. Education sometimes makes people float even further away from things they ought to know. It seems to actually obscure their vision. The kind of ignorance that people with PhDs display is unbelievable. When the supreme court judgment about the Narmada Valley came out in October 2000, I wrote analysis of what it meant. Then I went the valley. People were marching. They were so angry, they desecrated a copy of judgment and buried it.There was public meeting at which many adivasis and farmers spoke. "

Dil Maange More!

2010-01-25T17:49:00.013-06:00

Nope, seriously not talking about the pepsi commercial from India or some bollywood movie. Those things are already the most talked about. But what I might be wanting to write about today is the phenomena called "competition". Its a beautiful thing, not only does the world runs on it, men and women strive for success in that spirit and rays of innovation and creativity come into play when put under the flames of competition. Hence it is an integral part of ones life! But competition to say the least is also the reason (many times) of - killing of ones spirit.

Recently while a trip to a pind (Village) in Sangrur area made me really understand what competition or will "to have better than thy neighbor" can overall bring upon to society we live in. Again while sitting there hearing a Village Sarpanch (sort of like a care taker) talk about how competition between the families in the village to send their kids to "model school" (Public School System) Vs. a "sarkari school" (Government School System) was almost ruining the kids life. Seriously?

Firstly, I didn't knew that women within the villages had the same issues like the women within the cities and also like seriously? could I learn something new after all from this village sarpanch than the mere fact that they were stuck in the same rat race as almost most of us? Don't take me wrong, I did learn many things talking to people who came from different walks of life (within Panjab and outside Panjab) about the current culture, politics, religion and society in general. But like my idea of visiting a pind was bit different when I boarded that plane, it was more like that song of "Long da lishkara" where all women come naching and tapping (translation: singing and dancing for all my non-FOB friends) in colorful suits and take circles around the trees and talk about love. But current situation of pinds we visited were more like the series of desperate housewives (that comes on ABC) where no woman or man is contended with what they have. Funny thing about this whole situation is that while sitting there as"american return" chica holding a notebook and pen trying to analyze that what after all is the problem of Panjab, one comes across the epitome (I just wanted to use that word "epitome") of realizations that really, problem is pretty universal at least on social level, politically I think we are talking about a whole new ball game. Again, my argument here is pretty much based on social structure than political and religious.

So one can say that we all are same people? In certain ways - we all are ignorant, intelligent, writers, writers who think they can write *cough*, singers, teachers, intellectuals, analyzers, authors, philanthropist and again just add whatever label you want to add in front of your name.
So yeah trip to India after almost ten long years was of great delight, especially meeting of family, friends, having fun, shopping and meeting people from different walks of life. But it was for most part a realization too that we all are same after all. I mean I have tonnes to say right now, but for today I shall stop here.
Over and out.

Daya

2010-01-23T22:54:00.001-06:00

ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ 1 ॥

ਦਇਆ ਕਪਾਹ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਸੂਤੁ ਜਤੁ ਗੰਢੀ ਸਤੁ ਵਟੁ ॥

ਏਹੁ ਜਨੇਊ ਜੀਅ ਕਾ ਹਈ ਤ ਪਾਡੇ ਘਤੁ ॥

ਨਾ ਏਹੁ ਤੁਟੈ ਨਾ ਮਲੁ ਲਗੈ ਨਾ ਏਹੁ ਜਲੈ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥

ਧੰਨੁ ਸੁ ਮਾਣਸ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਜੋ ਗਲਿ ਚਲੇ ਪਾਇ ॥

ਚਉਕੜਿ ਮੁਲਿ ਅਣਾਇਆ ਬਹਿ ਚਉਕੈ ਪਾਇਆ ॥

ਸਿਖਾ ਕੰਨਿ ਚੜਾਈਆ ਗੁਰੁ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਥਿਆ ॥

ਓਹੁ ਮੁਆ ਓਹੁ ਝੜਿ ਪਇਆ ਵੇਤਗਾ ਗਇਆ ॥1॥

Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot and truth the twist.

This is the sacred thread of the soul; if you have it, then go ahead and put it on me.

It does not break, it cannot be soiled by filth, it cannot be burnt, or lost.

Blessed are those mortal beings, O Nanak, who wear such a thread around their necks.

You buy the thread for a few shells, and seated in your enclosure, you put it on.

Whispering instructions into others' ears, the Brahmin becomes a guru.

But he dies, and the sacred thread falls away, and the soul departs without it.

Okay, thought what better way to say that I am planning to update this blog on regular basis than to actually put one of my favorite Gurbani lines from Asa Ki Vaar. If you are old, new or some what anonymous reader leave a shout out or something! :0)

Quotes by Eric Hoffer

2009-07-30T02:22:00.002-05:00

"Every era has a currency that buys souls. In some the currency is pride, in others it is hope, in still others it is a holy cause. There are of course times when hard cash will buy souls, and the remarkable thing is that such times are marked by civility, tolerance, and the smooth working of everyday life."

"Every extreme attitude is a flight from the self."

"Self-righteousness is a loud din raised to drown the voice of guilt within us"

Sukhmani Sahib

2008-03-29T18:54:00.003-05:00

On that note - "sharing what one believe is important." Last weekend, our local Bhai Sahib here at the Gurdwara was sharing a personal experiences in the katha while explaining the importance of Sukhmani Sahib. He was telling how, when even the best neurologist couldn't do something when a family member was going medical complications, at that time doing Sukhmani Sahib did it wonders for the family member. The power of the Bani was such, that even best doctors within United States were astonished by the recovery of the patient.
What gift can one give to a new bride? A New Mother? To one's child when he/she leaves ones abode for journey ahead.
Oh dhanwant(u) kulwant(u) patiwant(u).
Jîwan mukat(i) jis(u) ridai bhagwant(u).
Oh! soul bride? What piece of advice should I give you, so your beauty can last life long? What jewel can I give you, that would give you security through this life time? Oh dear child, what should I teach you? So your coming to this earth fulfills purpose (Parvaan)?
As Guru Nanak Japji says in the end, "Those who have meditated on God's name, will leave this world after putting toil in right direction. They will go with brilliant faces and many more will be emancipated with them. "

Absolute Freedom

2008-03-21T20:46:00.003-05:00

There is no such thing as Absolute Freedom. Some how nature bounds all of us with it. As soon as man or woman starts detracting from the aligned path of God wills, some sort of discomfort (pain) comes in the life of a person to 'teach and tame'.
Ultimate strength lies in the hand of creator, not enough words can be said to make this truth known. Sovereignty does not lie in life of religious seclusion, unattached to worldly things, even then such is the body and mind made by him (creator), that living like that will only bring more distress. Body and Mind is designed that way, that as soon as it starts to separate itself from the creation, by calling it "My Life, My God, My Path", such separation gives birth to nothing but more futile effort of enhancing the "I".

God! I have started sounding like Deepak Chopra! Time for me to move to bigger and better things! This blog thing is getting boring...! =)

The Last Word (By Prof. Puran Singh)

2008-03-21T18:38:00.003-05:00

The following words were addressed by Guru Gobind Singh to the Sikhs at Nander on the day of his departure from this planet:
“Wherefore always abide in cheerfulness and never give way to mourning. God is ever the same. He is neither young nor old. He is not born, nor doth He die. He dealeth not pain nor poverty. Know that the true Guru abideth as He. His creatures who are steeped in bodily pride are very unhappy, and night and day subject to love and hate. Ever entangled and involved in the deadly sins, they perish by mutual enmity and at last find their abode in hell. Yet for the love of such creatures, the Guru assumeth birth to deliver them. He hath instructed them in the true Name and very fortunate are they who have received and treasured His instruction, By it, they are enabled to save themselves and others from the perils of world’s ocean. And, when after drought, rain falleth and there is abundance, the Guru seeing human beings suffering and yearning for happiness, comes to bestow it on them and remove their sorrows by his teachings. And as the rain remaineth where it falleth, so the Guru’s in. struction ever abideth with His disciples.
“The Sikhs who love the true Guru are in turn loved by Him.”
“O Khalsa ! remember the true Name. The Guru hath arrayed you in arms to procure you the sovereignty of the earth. Those who have died in battle have gone to an abode of bliss. I have attached you to the skirt of the Immortal God and entrusted you to Him. Read the Granth Sahib or listen to it, so shall your minds receive consolation and shall undoubtedly obtain an abode in the Guru’s heaven. They who remember the true Name render their lives profitable, and when they depart enter the mansions of eternal happiness.
“I have entrusted you to the Immortal God. Ever remain under His protection and trust none besides. Wherever there are five Sikhs assembled who abide by the Guru’s teachings, know, that I am in the ‘midst of them. He who serveth them shall obtain the reward thereof–the fulfillment of all his heart’s desires.
‘Read the history of your Gurus from the time of Guru Nanak.”
“Henceforth, the Guru shall be the Khalsa and Khalsa the Guru. I have infused my mental bodily spirit into the Granth Sahib and the Khalsa”.
He then put on a muslin waist-band, hung his on his bow on his shoulder and took his musket in his hand. He opened the Granth Sahib and placing a coconut before it, solemnly bowed to it as his successor. Then uttering “Wah Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wah Guru JI Ki Fateh” he circumambulated the sacred volume and said, “O Beloved Khalsa ! let him who desireth to behold me, behold the Granth Sahib, obey the Granth Sahib. It is the visible body of the Guru. And let him, who desireth to meet me, diligently search its hymns. And lastly, keep my kitchen ever open and receive offerings for its maintenance.”

Taken from - http://blog.wayn.com/kulinder

First Punjab Visit of Guru Tegh Bahadur

2008-03-13T20:26:00.002-05:00

"On the 11th of November 1664, Guru Tegh Bahadur started his first tour of Punjab, accompanied by his family. He bathed in the holy pool at Amritsar. When he went to Harmander Sahib, the priest closed the doors to stop the Guru from entering because they were afraid of being questioned about the income of Harmandir Sahib. The Guru went to many places and urged the people to face bravely the cruelty and oppression penetrated by Aurangzeb. He told them, " You have forgotten God, so you are suffering . You already know that he saved the Draupadi, Pando's wife from disgrace in Royal court. He made the Dhroo the king though he was the son of the second queen. He got Gaj (the elephant) freed from the clutches of the octopus. Ajamal became a gentleman when he gave the name Narain (God - who is faultless) to his seventh son. Ganika was no more a prostitute since she started to teach the word "Ram" (God who is in everyone) to the parrot. You should also remember God so that He may stand by you in this situation. His bani (Verses) is in tune with the conditions prevailing at this time."
Har ko naam sada sukhdai
Jako simir Ajamal udhario
Ganka hou gat pai. Rahao
Panchali ko raj sabha mai
Ram nam sudh aai.
Ta ko dookh hario karunamai
Apni paij badhai.

The name divine is the giver of eternal joy
Ajamal was saved and Ganika was liberated. 1:Pause:
As Draupadi in the royal court remembered the name divine.
Her affliction was by the compassionate lord removed,
And his greatness manifested.

Atal bhayo Dhroo jake simran ar nirbhat pad paya.
Dukh harta eh bidh ko swami tain kahe bisraya
Jab-hi saran gahi kirpa nidh gaj grah te chhoota
Mehma naam kaha lao barnao
Ram kehat bandhan teh chhoota
-- Raag Sorath, p.632

He whose contemplation made Dhroo eternal and free from fear,
The lord Annuler of suffering Why art thou different to him?
The elephant got free from octopus's grips,
As he came under the protection of the Treasure house of grace.
How far may I relate the extend of his Name's greatness.
The utterance of the Lord's name snapped the shackles.

"Guru Tegh Bahadur taught people to give up love of these worldly things and to endeavor to be one with the infinite. Those who have become one with Lord feel no difference in pain or pleasure. "
"Thus eradicating the fear of death from the minds of simple people Guru Tegh Bahadur reached the village of Dhamtan after touring Punjab."
-- Tales of Truth (Sikh Martyrs) by Santokh Singh Jagdev.

Test for the Sikh

2008-03-12T19:19:00.000-05:00

Je man pute wis dey tis kaun piara,
Je ghar bhanje paharu kaun rakhan hara.
Bera dobe patani kaun par utara.
Aagu laio jhar pave kis kare pukara.
Jekar khete khai barh ko lahe na sara.
Je gur bharmai sang kar kia sikh vichara.
Bhai Gurdas Ji : 22 :35
If a mother gives poison to her son, who is dear to her?
If a watchman breaks into a house , who can save it?
If boatman sinks the boat, who can take it across?
If a ruler oppresses, to whom can you complain?
If a fence starts eating the crops, nobody will protect it.
If a Guru plays tricks, what can a Sikh do?

"According to Bhai Gurdas, only few can, by grace of Guru, pass this test though everybody says that body, soul and wealth all belong to the Guru." -- From Tales of Truth (Sikh Martyrs) by Santokh Singh Jagdev.

Mind. Words. Sword

2008-02-29T14:11:00.012-06:00

A Sikh's first sword is always his or her mind. Mind - When one in control can make life easy as a breeze and when not controlled can be the reason for destruction. Mind an essential tool in living a good life. This picture of Baba Deep Singh itself is quite inspirational in many ways to me. Just like he puts a line on ground for the enemy on the other side, to show them the valor and strength. Such should be the mind of a Sikh too. Always using ones mind to fight external and internal enemies within. I think just like any other virtues, even humility is a virtue we choose. In recent times, I have come across people who have shown certain level of discomfort in the fact, that as a woman I have used a medium like blog to express certain opinions of mine. This blog has never been used to belittle anyone or tout my own horns. In fact time and again, I have used words to reinforce the ideals of Guru and Sikhi in my own life. Even in today's society, where as we have discussed before that woman of modern times are often seen as power struggling vulnerable creatures, I find it a bit amusing that most of the time, people not comfortable with knowing that woman has a voice have been men. Now, I am not trying to start another debate here. This medium of blogging in past, present and future shall ever remain Guru centered. Through his given strength, I shall ever be using his given voice and words to serve him. And someone's personal discomfort wouldn't really stop me from doing that.

I will inflame the fiery Sun - Bulleh Shah

2008-02-26T10:25:00.003-06:00

In Punjabi followed by a not-so-great translation….

Tooney kaaman kar ke ni maeN peyaara yaar manaavaaN gee

Es tooney nu parh phookaaN gee, suraj aggan jalaavaaN gee.
Tooney kaaman kar ke ni maeN peyaara yaar manaavaaN gee.

AkhiyaaN kaajaal kaalay baadal, bhawaaN say aag laagaavaaN gee.
Tooney kaaman kar ke ni maen peyaara yaar manaavaaN gee.

Aur basaat naheeN kujh meri, joban dharee gundaavaaN gee
Tooney kaaman kar ke ni maen peyaara yaar manaavaaN gee.

Sat samundar dil de andar dil se lehr uthaavaaN gee.
Tooney kaaman kar ke ni maen peyaara yaar manaavaaN gee.

For full post - please visit, RazaRumi.com

I personally am great fan of Bulleh Shah poetry, some of other favorite lines of his -

Bulleh-a aashiq hoyiyon Rabb da, Hoai Malamat Lakh
Tenon Kafir Kafir aakhdey, toon aaho aaho aakh

O Bulleh, just love your God and ignore the chidings
When they say you are an infidel, say “yes I am one”

Blogging - A Serious Calling In Life.

2008-02-24T22:33:00.015-06:00

Some Other Incredible Blogs and Sites -

http://sikhhealth.blogspot.com/

http://thelangarhall.com/

http://www.dalitnetwork.org/

http://4thekaurs.blogspot.com/

http://www.razarumi.com/

From Form to Formless One.

2008-02-15T16:10:00.003-06:00

I think, I think a lot. Well I used to, every experience negative or positive gave me more content for thinking and connecting somethings in my life. It was useless, but not totally. Thinking is almost like ritual that we are suppose to shun in our lives as Sikh. Why have been told by our Guru's to shun Ritualism? Because ritualism or origin of performing a certain ritual works on pattern that mind creates. Its a pattern that goes inside a human mind always trying to go inside the mind of God. We are constantly in search of figuring out a pattern in our life. If this happened to me, that is because of that - the cause and effect theory. But offcourse that doesn't mean we should not be conscious people and think about what we are doing in our daily life in order to be ready of effects that will reap later on. I am talking about those incidents and events that happen for no apparent reason. Every time something odd happens in our life or our lives get derailed from the original plan or track that mind has planned for itself, we look for reasons? patterns? causes and effects? But though scientist might create a running screens that can be attached on each one of our foreheads that could read our minds in near future (mind police) no science will ever be able to create or nail a pattern of creation and destruction that this nature and its creator plays with all its being. Things happen! I know its easy to say when you still may or may not have been or seen the destructive nature of creator, but still we all know - that things sometimes just happen for no apparent reasons! There is no pattern reading or any amount of analysis can sometimes prevent from random things happening in life. But as Intelligent beings we often do learn to make sure that whatever brought us to great discomfort before never happens again. But we all are powerless creatures after all.
Every suffering in our life constantly comes in order to make us attach to the formless one. Destructions of forms (things, people) only makes us remember the formless one. Hence every spiritual man knows that there is great intelligence in nature of surrender. Hukum rajai chalna, Nanak lekhia naal. A simple, yet a very profound wisdom that can help you live in state of mind that always reminds you, that things happen and sometimes we can't do anything about them, but just stand in grace while creator comes in our life with the destructive or creative force. Again, only mind claims the thought too..."good or bad" or "destruction or creation". In reality probably nothing is good or bad, it is what it is. A constant play of creator.
Sikh lifestyle too puts alot of significance on concept of "Surrender" and though the initial thought does make us think about Institutionalized structure of Amrit that are current SGPC has made it into, but in true meaning all the forms (even the kakkars) should only remind us or bring the thought of formless one in us. People give alot of emphasize to their kakkars, offcourse they are adorn by us in love of our creator, yet wearing them the forms (kakkars) only are at true service when we make sure we don't get stuck in these forms thought, but the thought of formless one. Discipline or reinforcing the art of surrender is important everyday, cause it makes us happy in space consciousness (Internal introspection, becoming the "being", being in state of mind that does not rely on cause or effect theory, action-reaction concept and makes us aware that their lies a light of creator in us, yet we find and connects dots about life through surface level polluted behavior - emotions, reactions). And since people cannot sometimes fill those voids of space within us which can be called awareness of ones true purpose in life, they depend on forms (cars, houses, money, relationships) to feel a sense of temporary aliveness.
A quote from the my current favorite book, "We need housing, clothes, furniture, tools, transportation. There may also be things in our lives that we value because of their beauty or inherent quality. We need to honor the world of things, not despise it. Each thing has Beingness, is a temporary form that has its origin within the formless one Life, the source of all things, all bodies, all forms. In most ancient cultures, people believed that everything, even the so called inanimate objects, had an indwelling spirit, and in this respect they were closer to truth than we are today. When you live in a world deadened by mental abstraction, you don't sense the aliveness of the universe anymore. Most people don't inhabit the living reality, but a conceptualized one."
"But we cannot really honor things if we use them as a means to self enhancement, that is to say, if we try to find ourselves through them. That is what exactly what ego does. Ego-identification with things creates attachments to things, obsession with things, which in turn creates our consumer society and economic where the only measure of progress is always more. The unchecked striving for more, for endless growth, is a dysfunction and a disease. It is the same dysfunction the cancerous cell manifest, whose only goal is to multiply itself, unaware that it is bringing about its own destruction by destroying the organism of which it is a part"

Ego Creates Enemies

2008-02-11T22:36:00.000-06:00

Since thousand years ago and thousand year ahead, many wars that were fought between were simply war between human consciousness and unconsciousness. Yet, the ego in us finds delight in creating the "them vs. us" fight. Every ego is in constant fight with something. The holy or the unholy ones fight with those that do not serve their egos. There is no difference in anyone of them. The ultimate fight and enemy is between human consciousness Vs. unconsciousness. People, often times ask eachother, " Brother, why is Sikhi falling apart?" And then the brother to whom the question was ask points fingers on the person he thinks to be the "enemy", without realizing that the same brother is biased and unconscious within himself. Who shall be blamed then after all? What good would it do if we stop this blame game and end up looking inside for answer? That will endup taking all the drama and entertainment from my life and also not feed my ego? How shall I grow, if instead of being in my presence, I stop complaining, whining and constantly rebel against something or the other? How can I be successful, if I don't endup saving the world and especially those that have "failed" in society.
Quote from the book (A New Earth), " Whatever behavior the ego manifest, the hidden motivating force is always the same: the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more. And of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies. "
"The fear of being nobody, the fear of nonexistence, the fear of death. All its activities are ultimately designed to eliminate this fear, but the most the ego can ever do is to cover up temporarily with an intimate relationship, a new possession, or winning at this or that. Illusion will never satisfy you. Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free."
"The force behind the ego's wanting creates "enemies", that is to say, reactions in the form of an opposing force equal in intensity. The stronger the ego, the stronger the separateness between people. The only action that do not cause opposing reactions are those that are aimed at good of all. They are inclusive, not exclusive. They join; they don't separate. They are not for "my" country but for all of humanity, not for my religion, but the emergence of consciousness in all human beings, not for "my" species but for all sentient beings and all of nature."
There is a line in Gurbani, which goes like this, "When I stood up to see, I saw all houses on fire." All houses (ego) are on fire cause they are building to create the bigger "me" in them. The fire in that house will end that will break the walls of separation and find all life forms as creation of god. Till we won't become into the "being" an light of awareness that stops fighting constant fights between "me vs. them", there is always part of us that will create hell on earth - Polluting our minds and bodies with frustration, wanting for more, desires and unbiasedness for others.

Freedom Of A Woman

2008-02-06T16:44:00.000-06:00

"Modern woman is obsessed with her freedom. Modern feminist liberation movement has taught her that she is enslaved in this male dominated world and she needs to be liberated from this slavery.
At first sight, this seems quite natural and rightful. But upon deeper inspection, one can see that she is being duped with this lollipop of freedom."
" The worst victims of this fraud are educated women from third-world countries who are living in western world. The modern capitalist socio-cultural setup of contemporary world is based upon men's desires and their satisfaction by any means. Consumtion is essentially a masculine trait. Men by nature are hunters. While woman contains that spirit within her which is manifested in such phenomenon as natality, naurishment, sustenance, care, love and aesthetic sensibility. Modern woman, in her ignorence and arrogance, is shunning these qualities and reducing herself into a hunted prey.
Then, where is a woman's true liberation?" - P. Singh

Some one wrote this recently while talking about "Women Freedom". At that time, I didn't really had an answer why he would think that women of third world country living in western world are the worst victims of it? But then I came across this Eckhart Tolle's Book (A New Earth) and found some answers in knowing what real freedom was I really looking for? Most men I know, have often times complaint about how women these days have ended up in role reversing and often times show masculine traits in not only their dressing sense but in their attitude too. These traits are often shown in Women who feel animalistic in nature - may be open about their sexuality? aware of corruption not only of what society has to offer but also what their mind has to offer too? This role theory often confused me to the core. What role and actions are these men seeking in their woman?
Shouldn't one focus more on the other person consciousness level and how well they can adjust to any given situation rather than having a stagnant idea of how woman should behave at current times. Often times we look at history for inspiration to find role models, but when we look at these role model we should look into what deep level of consciousness it took those men and women to give up their possession and their children for greater good. Rather than what was expected of them and how they behaved, cause when we do that we are looking at something on more surface level than on more deeper level.
Something that Eckhart writes on role playing goes like this, " To do whatever is required of you in any situation without it becoming a role that you identify with is an essential lesson in the art of living that each one of us is here to learn. " When you don't play roles, it means there is no self (ego) in what you do. There is no secondary agenda: protection or strengthening of your self ego."
"Being, those who do not attempt to appear more than they are but are simply themselves, stand out as remarkable and are the only ones who truly make a difference in this world."
I think in the end, its not game of how many roles we play in order to strengthen the idea of our existence, but how we act at any given situation and how well we live our presence that make us who we are. Freedom to me is conscious living, a living of accepting the world and us for who we exactly are. I am a good person, there is nothing I seek in tomorrow that will make me more greater and there is nothing in my past that makes me special today.
Another wonderful quote from the author, " Give up defining yourself - to yourself and to others. You won't die. You will come to life. When they are defining you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as a field of conscious Presence."
A good relationship between man and woman is based on their conscious level and how well they can be themselves than be multiple personalities just because of some given role that society and people around them expect them to be. Just be you!

Victims Find Voice Via Their Kids

2008-02-05T14:48:00.001-06:00

CHANDIGARH: Her voice is soft, shy, lilting and straight from the heart as this little girl sings ‘kabran vichon bol ni maye, dukh-sukh naal pharol dhe demaa main ur ke peke aana, peke honde maawan naal' (Mother, please speak out of the grave, let's talk about our joys and sorrows. I want to come flying to my maternal home, but it can't be a mother's home when the mother is not there). These lines truly depict a married daughter's yearning for her dead mother.The irony hits squarely on the face when one realises that it's a 12-year-old girl who is sending out an anguished cry for her mother, who has not died, but who has abandoned her children and an 80 year old mother-in-law after her debt-ridden, farmer husband committed suicide. Today, her eldest child, Jasbir Kaur, has become a mother to her two siblings as well as the 80 year old, depression-ridden grandmother. Jasbir cooks food, manages a water-less, power-less, two room kuchha home donated by villages, but manages to keep her smile intact and occasionally sings the song, yearning for her mother. For, Jasbir and 11 other children like hers, life has taken a different turn altogether after they decided to become the youngest activists from Punjab to highlight the farm crisis in the food bowl of India, and taking their protest right in the capital city of Delhi where they met the Food minister, Sharad Pawar and forced him to listen to their grievances. All thanks to consistent efforts of a young couple from USA, who are documenting their story in a movie with the help of Punjab-based Movement Against State Repression (MASR). "We suspect the centre is once again going to leave out Punjab from providing farm relief package of Rs 4,000 crore. It is because we never got any commitment from the food minister about Punjab's share," observed Manmeet Singh of Sach Productions, the company which is making a film on the families left behind by the dead farmers. Manmeet and his wife, Harpreet Kaur, who is the director of the movie, took the kids to Delhi and organized the protest along with an NGO lok raj Ssngathan. Though there were almost 12 children at the meeting, the minister was under the impression that only three farmers had committed suicide in Punjab so far, organizers revealed. He sought information about the 12 kids and said he would be writing to CM Parkash Singh Badal to provide for education and financial help. The struggle has turned children into activists, who would continue to fight for their rights long after the couple from USA is gone back and they are back to their villages, ready to struggle for their existence. Naresh Khan and Sher Khan, two spirited young boys declared proudly, "We'll continue our struggle," even though they could not explain how.
Manmeet and Harpreet who are helping raise the awareness are these days in India, working to finish the project (documentary) on Farmer Suicide also trying to get Central Government involved in this issue.

When asked, what Sharad Pawar (Agriculture Minister) thinks about this issue, his statement was - "Farmer suicide is a normal thing" Link to the Interview

I am Not Special.

2008-02-04T16:09:00.000-06:00

Before I start this post, I would really like to recommend everyone here to read this book by Eckhart Tolle - "A New Earth - Awakening to your Life's Purpose." This book is not like rest of the book trying to confuse you with million steps before you come to find who you really are. It's not seven step guide to finding the superman in you, rather an enlightening and uplifting words to already knowing who we are. If Spirit born people is language of love, then this book too helps you find the love within you. There are too many constant struggles going in ourselves to prove how special we are, to prove that we after all are special and different. This sense of special-ness can be found within an evangelist trying to tell non-Christians how great jesus is and same thing can be found amongst many Sikhs trying to cling on to their group of people who follow their same rehat and maryada, so that similarities can make us prove after all that we are right. Rather than using the Bana and Bani to help see one-ness in everyone, we differentiate, struggle to find in our own minds the things we do right and others who are doing wrong and then feel superior about it.
The author in the book calls it the living on "identification and separation" syndrome.
A quote from the book - " So every ego is continuously struggling for survival, trying to protect and enlarge itself. To uphold the I-thought, it needs the opposite thought of "the others." The conceptual "I" cannot survive without the conceptual "other." The others are most when I see them as my enemies. "
" Whatever behavior the ego manifest, the hidden motivating force is always the same: the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more. And, of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies."
"Why fear? Because the ego arises by identification with form, and deep down it knows that no form are permanent, they are all fleeting. "
"The ego thrives on other's attention, which is after all a form of psychic energy. The ego doesn't know that the source of all energy is within you, so it seeks it outside. It is not the formless attention which is Presence that ego seeks, but attention in some form, such as recognition, praise, admiration, or just to be notified in some way, to have its existence acknowledged. "

The book almost makes us look that drama exist because we want it. Without it we don't feel alive, hence rather than looking for consciousness within us, we label others unconsciousness in many ways by calling them ignorant and other name calling. There are only two types of people that book talks about, the conscious that serve the truth (love, God) and others who serve the ego, by using the identification and separation theory, by getting into relationships, buying more materialistic good to grow the ego within more powerful. Anyways, will be quoting many other great quotes that I have highlighted while reading. The book revolves around the teaching of Guru Granth Sahib, but because it highlights the emotions and our reactions to the situation that only we manifest through our own fears, it makes it easier for the reader to pin-point the ego (senses) driven behavior and just love driven!

Kenneth Cole - You have My Love and Support!

2008-01-30T12:47:00.001-06:00

"We all Walk in Different Shoes"

I am not sure what others think about this, but I am loving this whole idea behind this whole campaign - creativity and awareness.
Some more info about the campaign and the model -
This world-wide ad campaign is for Kenneth Cole’s 20th anniversary, and the focus is on the fact that “we all walk in different shoes.” Kenneth Cole has a long history of supporting socially conscious initiatives, including the AWARENESS campaign focused on AIDS and homelessness. Along with Sonny [Singh], the other “models” were selected for the adversity that they face in their day to day life (e.g., two Muslim sisters who escaped Taliban Afghanistan, a blond model who is HIV-positive, etc.). They will be launching a website in the coming weeks that features a video interview with each model, along with their story. This will obviously bring tremendous visibility to our community and hopefully move us closer to breaking the stereotypes we work so hard every day to counter. The attached pictures are of a 20-foot board outside the Kenneth Cole store in Rockefeller Center (49th and 5th). Similar posters and billboards should be popping up in the coming months.
http://thelangarhall.com/archives/102

Game Time (Pick a Letter)!

2008-01-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

Does this blog or the blogger adds anything positive in your life? Or it is just a waste of time and you'd rather watch American Idol.

(A) Yes! Harkiran that's what I have been trying to tell you for ages. This blog is a waste of time, go get a life!
I'd rather watch American Idol.

(B) Sometimes you do make sense, but most of the time you contradict yourself, hence it only adds more confusion to my (Readers) life.

(C) Positive(ness)! Stop pretending to be Oprah, Harkiran! About time you go and find yourself a Stedman!

(D) No, I kinda like this blog, its not that bad after all. I mean you do have to give the author some credit for pouring her insanity in public like this!

(F) I don't like any of the above option(s), hence I am going to make my own. Just like Oprah created her OWN network!

(G) WTH...Wats with the infatuation with Oprah?

Tehseen the Hostel Warden (by Going to School in India)

2008-01-26T20:39:00.001-06:00

Biased Author

2008-01-23T10:23:00.000-06:00

Definintely that with time, everything comes to its own degeneration. Few years back, the idealist spirit was high in me, but with time neither I could preserve my own innocence, nor I could stop my own corruption level to penetrate deep into me.
Though I have become quite cunning with time, but who should I blame for all this dusty, degenerating nature. I agree, no cunningness comes to avail when the creator plays' his game, yet I have become who I am today.
Though, the purpose of this blog was to show the unbiased within us, to push the limits of judgemental walls, prejudice, shrinking nature away and make us as open as we can to love whoever and whatever may come our way. But alas, I can't teach myself love somedays too, as the "my" is too strong. Some of you have complained, how baised this whole charade is when it was suppose to be unbiased like's God love. But I will try again, I write so I could be destroyed every single time. Only through destructions of opinions, thoughts and belief the new fresh spirit of love comes to existence. People often time avoid destruction, the fear of knowing that they may be wrong after all and that the more they keep quite and hide within them ownself, the more they could preserve themselves. But only through every destruction the possibility of creation comes into existence. Though we all read many Sakhis, read Gurbani and try to bring out the creative nature within us, by remembering the creator himself. Yet we all fear destruction, destruction of our own convictions, our own opinions? cause who will we be without them? No one! When I read the sakhi of how one of the Bhagat's while seeing his own house on fire jumped with joy. When people asked why was he jumping with joy, he said, he is glad that God took away more of his responsibility and hence made him more free to walk towards him without less burden. The house in that sakhi can very well be the mind within us.
Only till the time, I don't destroy most prejudice within me and biasedness, how shall I be set free?!

War Between Love and Fear

2008-01-21T15:30:00.000-06:00

One of my friend's told me to watch this awesome documentary - Zeitgeist, that put's light on how the most powerful men in the world, have become successful in manipulating human psyche. The movie is about 1 hour 56 mins insightful documentary that shed light on world economy to entertainment and why people might be so obssessed with Britney Spears after all. Please watch it when you get time, you may endup learning a thing or two about yourself too! Again, its' the age old war between fear, desperation and the value we put to one's own life.

And please watch it and leave a comment if you liked or not liked it!
Link to the whole Movie - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331

Quote from the movie - "Religion, patriotism, race, wealth, class and every other form of arbitrary, separatist identification, and thus conceit, has served to create a controlled population, utterly malleable in the hands of the few. Divide and conquer is the motto. And as long as people continue to see themselves as separate from everything else they lend themselves to being completely enslaved."

Love Poem of Baba Bulleh Shah

2008-01-20T13:13:00.001-06:00

Sher Miandad Khan - Raaz Dhiya Gallan

Love poems of Rumi

2008-01-20T13:03:00.001-06:00

My Burning heart!

Independence and Adjustment

2008-01-17T13:48:00.000-06:00

In today's society, where woman and man grows up to be equals. They are both given an opportunity to go to best of schools, they both compete in job market's to get that high paying jobs, then why is woman expected to make all the adjustments? Before I start my post, I just want to point out that I am not some hardcore feminist. I am just a good blend of realist-idealist. Many of my guy friends have often told me not to be too picky, some have even labeled me of being too independent, saying that "I have lived too long without a family." And I simply think they don't know me! really..most of them don't know me. I have no issues adjusting with people, infact I often compare myself like water. Water? I can pretty much be what situation demands me to be. But as a woman born in this century, I do admit to the fact, that dynamics of many relationships are changing. Relationships like marriage especially.
If as a woman being in my twenties, I can pay my own bills, have a own roof on my head, even bring the bread and butter and hot meals on the table? then what more could you give a woman like me in a relationship? I think answer is simple. It's love! I know sounds very cliché, but that's the only good solid reason I could come up with. Love and understanding are the only two good reasons that can keep two good financially, emotionally stable individuals in a relationship.
It's sad, that even in our own community these days, the divorce rate is increasing in drastic manner. Whatever your way of choosing your partner may be - Love or Arrange, at the end of the day, both ways don't matter much, when mundane-ness of daily life comes in and many adjustments are asked for!
While sitting with some of my south indian immigrant friends for dinner, we had some good conversations about all this. The draining morality rate amongst indian society for corporate success and wealth, the vulgar and bold indian/american media (desperate housewives, cashmere mafia) in trying to make weak morals looks like common part of culture and today's society. Its almost like people pouncing on eachother like cats and dogs...sorry for being so brutal in putting that way.
So what can one expect while choosing an stable headed, financially independent partner? to make sure that relationship will last? I think you can only expect that their upbringing was good and even when the daily mundane-ness will take over, one can only expect that your husband or wife will make better use of their energy and ability! haha
God! the ever changing moralities and desires within us and our struggle to keep lifelong commitments! I think this is where faith can play a good solid role!

Shackles of Thoughts

2008-01-15T11:53:00.000-06:00

I think I feel too conscious sometimes to write what I really want to write. Fear of judgement sometimes keeps me away from pouring my heart into form of words. Most of the time I endup saving the blogs than ever publishing them. I feel restricted. I don't want to feel this way ever! So I am going to find another way to express myself, some where far from this whole charade!

Blogging!

2008-01-14T16:57:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think blogging about ones life and opinions is hardest part to do. To leave a part of you everytime one writes something, is hard. As a blogger I am constantly struggling with what to tell and how much information is good information to make the post enough interesting yet not too personal. For most part, thats why I like to stay away from blogging about my personal life.
Anyways, I think these two new blogs will be interesting to keep up with. One can only hope they will blog regularly as - both the bloggers are in their own way great thinkers and as readers can make us view some old issues in more refreshing manners!

http://randhirsblog.blogspot.com/ - Randhir Singh

http://sevaksingh.blogspot.com/ - Izhaarbir Singh

Enjoy!

Great Comment, Great Post.

2008-01-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

Heh, I really enjoyed this post and the article. I think we tend to forget that Guru Sahib told us to do Naam Japna, Vand Chakna, and Kirat Karni, but no hard-fast rule on how to do it, so there is no one correct way of doing those things.I guess when Guru Sahib liberated our souls from the tyranny of existing religious thoughts, we would rather have remained slaves to a set of rules of how to live our lives; than have become free and independent to make our own choices leading to our salvation. We bow our heads down to the Guru every Sunday like good little Sikhs we are, but I sometimes wonder for what and why we're bowing. The difference between the Brahman and the Guru lay in the fact that the Brahman wanted to enslave you in his spiritually bankrupt and corrupt kingdom, while the Guru wished to liberate you so you may see the beautiful spiritual kingdom of heaven that He sees. When we bow down to the Brahman's Mat, we bow in slavery due to the fear the Brahman instilled in us. When we bow down to our Guru's Mat, we bow down in love due to the freedom of our souls the Guru gave us. It would be applicable to have Prof. Puran Singh's quote here from The Creation and Purpose of Khalsa, where he speaks of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and what he did for the people. "He poured into our veins that life which could not love without song and freedom. We rose as individuals and as masses shouting for our liberty and victory. He gave us freedom of the soul, and we cried for the freedom of our life. We died for it, never mind, if we never got it. Touched by his inspiration, we could no more remain slaves."Now, if i maybe excused of being ex-communicated from the Panth for making this statement, we wish to make our Guru our Brahman; for we no longer seek a liberator, we seek a tyrant. We do not want the freedom of our soul, for we no longer know what freedom is. We are so used to our minds being enslaved by the influences of society, people, politicians, goverments, so called religious saints, all telling us exactly how to live our lives, that we no longer know what it means to be conscious of our own mind. We wish to be trained and fed like dogs on this spiritual experience we wish to have, and so we go to whomsoever claims to know this beautiful spiritual kingdom of heaven the Guru sees, and we bow down to their Mat. We have bowed down oh so often that we forget for what we really bowed down for. So now, when we see our Guru, when we bow to our Guru, we wish for him to give us set in stone rules like the 10 commandments of how to live our life, and then we become confused when the Guru refuses to give us these rules, for the Guru only tells us Naam Japna, Vand Chakna, and Kirat Karni. The Guru only tells us to bring the virtues of Vaheguru in our lives and with love in our hearts enter the journey to the beautiful spiritual kingdom of heaven. That is not good enough for us, we wish to be treated and fed like dogs, and so like dogs with our tongues wagging we run to the several different Jathe-bandis in our Panth to give us a set of rules of exactly how to do what the Guru told us to do. So the masters of those Jathe-bandis, like the Brahmans, are ever so ready to enslave us under their own Mat. Then we like foolish dogs loyal to our own "masters" bicker amongst ourselves for the other dog doesn't follow the same set of rules, and we continue to rip at each other's throat, while the Guru sits there amused how those he liberated enslaved themselves.Honestly, we are like the foolish old dog whom the master cut the leash from. The dog no longer knows what it once meant to be free, he only knows to do what he is told to do and not know that he has the freedom to make his own choices. The Guru's love for us is so beautiful, He wishes to set us free so we may experience the journey to the spiritual kingdom of heaven. The Guru did not ever wish to enslave us in bondage, he wished to free us so we may experience for ourselves what He experienced. Yes, I know, many great so called religious saints would argue with me here for they feel that only through bondage may we experience salvation, and many misinterpreted quotes from Guru Granth Sahib Ji would be wound up in a bouquet of ignorance and delivered. The bondage the Guru speaks to us of is not slavery, it is a bond of love. The bondage is that of a lover to her beloved. It is like the love of Heer towards Ranjha, where Heer no longer felt seperated from Ranjha through the distance, for she felt her and him were One. Guru Sahib told us "Jo tho prem khelan ka chao, sir dhar tali gali meri aao, eith maarag pair dhareejai, sir deejai kaan n keejai." He did not say "bondange khelan ka chao," he said "prem khelan ka chao," and the bondage often referred to, in Gurbani, is metaphorically speaking of love, except we're so used to being enslaved that we think it is us being attached in chains, rather than us in love. Alas, the Guru seeks to liberate us and make us Singhs, tigers, but we love being sheeps and dogs too much to become Singhs.Sorry for the incredibly long comment, your thoughts made me think, and I ended up writing this much, heh. I think I might just end up putting this up on my blog as well. =)Lastly, stay in chardi-kala! =)

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
http://sevaksingh.blogspot.com/

Judgement, Criticism, The Mind, & Being a Sikh

2008-01-11T22:44:00.000-06:00

Good post by Mr. Sikhnet himself!
This weekend I have been thinking about various things, watching my thoughts, and how my mind reacts to different things. I wanted to share these thoughts since I know they are common issues that many of us face, and hopefully it will make you think differently about similar things that you deal with in your life.
On Saturday Baba Iqbal Singh (Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib) visited us here in Espanola, New Mexico along with four young female students (and a few other guests) who tour with him.
Continue reading

Stretching of Heart!

2008-01-05T10:22:00.000-06:00

Man's or Woman's learning can be tested in how much bigger their heart grow with the age. Some people still have a heart of a four year old in the body of 40 and some four year old have bigger stronger heart of some loving grandmother. What true measure can be made of people's wisdom - of any culture, race, any material status, any given situation. Look inside their heart and you will learn how well have they learned from their life. I was told a story by one of my cousin that I can't still forget. This cousin, while visiting a city in Punjab, went to a woman's house who's family members had been killed during 80's. When they entered this broken, low middle-class woman's house, instead of feeling pitiful for her ownself, she welcomed the film crew members by welcoming and calling her house "Mahal" an punjabi/hindi term Palace!
Such was the heart of this woman, who's family was taken away from her and yet she had big heart and enough big house to accomodate outsider in happy manner!
So while we work hard to create houses for us, let's all of us make sure we create a heart to accomodate many people that will come in our life and many that have gone!

Moving Forward Without A Clue!

2008-01-04T13:32:00.001-06:00

So, though I like to stay away from pouring things about personal life to the world out there through this blog. But interestingly I started my New Year with a huge dilemma. I did not realize that things will move that soon on my end. I am coming to another huge fork in my life, where I could either totally endup listening to my heart and endup being the biggest fool or I could save my a&* and hold on to what I have now in desperation and fear. I already have made the decision and blah, I am sure most of my family and friends will probably not appreciate my decision, but whatever. I gotta do what I gotta do!
But when I asked God that I wanted something different for myself, I just didn't realize that the different I was asking for will be that difficult road for me. But I have too long pondered on the what if's and how's and when! I also do realize that at the end of the day, being the woman I am with tendency of having extreme high/low's I can't really depend on anyone much for emotional support and that I will have to only lean on my on myself and look inside for faith and support.

I might not be talking in much clarity here, I don't want to disclose alot either, but writing to some extend does help! Anyways, until next time!
Stay in high spirits!

Preservability

2008-01-02T12:24:00.000-06:00

Even nature just like the creator doesn't believe in the concept of preservability. It's the constant dance of creation and destruction that plays, that keeps the world moving and in constant change. I don't have children, but right now my mind is my child and I as a mother to that mind, I find myself in constant thoughts of destruction and creation. At some point I thought about preserving my innocence, but such is an environment around and man's destructive nature, it doesn't let us preserve anything.
To know that life is constant series of this same play of God - creation and destruction is what Guru Nanak bani is about.
By the way, loved this article by Inni Kaur on Siddh Gosht -

http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=396&cat=3

Nanak prays:
O Infinite One -
You are the state.
You are the extent.
You are in the hidden.
You are in the revealed.
The seekers seek.
The disciples beg.
Throughout the ages,
It is Your Play.

Friends and Relationship

2008-01-01T22:04:00.001-06:00

OK! So first of all, thanks Randy for the video. Before you watch the video, I would like to justify why I really like this particular video. Few post ago, the one titled "Water seeks its own level", I wrote something on these lines, "that if you cannot gain anything from a friendship then I guess it's time to say bye to it!" And someone left a comment saying that they had never read something that cold recently.
So I will explain to most of my Sikhi-Oriented, Guru-Oriented readers!
There are many different kinds of people, the deal-breakers and the deal-makers. The dream weavers and the dream-breaker. And at some point we all go through low points, I too go through my low points. But at the end of the day, especially now that I live on my own, you have to sit and really think hard about what mentality or people are pulling you down and what people are believing in you and constantly inspiring you. Marriage, friendships and many other relationships should be based on such simple truth. Is the person on the otherside, trying to constantly bring you down? or helping you progress in life. Is that person helping you grow or is becoming a constant reason for frustration and I think this video helps you analyze those mere facts. I really enjoyed the video, because it talks about personal manifestation and how relationship should become an extension to your self or the life as you see it!
So watch it and let me know what you think?!

Both Walking Towards Extremist State?

2007-12-27T18:14:00.001-06:00

With Bhutto's death and Modi coming back to the power again, are both India and Pakistan walking towards Extremism, but just of different sorts?!

The Loop of Fire

2007-12-27T15:21:00.001-06:00

Life is always throwing constant loop of fires on each one of us. Sometimes we get pass through it without getting any hurt and sometimes we do get stuck and get hurt. And as a great english writer once said, that we can never determine the pattern of life, cause if we did we will be petrified to know what awaits us in future. So there is no fight that will make you say, that OK! once I am done fighting this, things will slow down, once I do pass that loop of fire, there won't be any others as horrifying as this one. eh! there will always be many that will stretch our sanity, test our moralities, weaken or strengthen our characters and make us bitter or sweeter with age.
But at the end of the day, if you think you played well, without hurting anyone emotionally or physically, I think you lived a good life.
Well this 'loop of fire' theory I just made up, is another crap-ization theory of mine, take it or leave it! I am sure I will come up with many more, sometimes the loop will take a shape of people, world and fire well...by now we all know that I have no idea of what I am talking about! On that note, I just realized that no wonder unemployed men become self-destructive and desperate, I have been feeling the same since the holidays started...! haha
One can only hope at this point that hopefully I will get back to work soon, before I come up with more loops of fire!

Happy 'Loopy' Holidays Everyone!

Disabled Bodies May Be...But Not Disabled Souls!

2007-12-25T22:07:00.000-06:00

I came across this beautiful quote while reading upon Frida Kahlo, an exceptional artist of her time, who lived most of her life under physical pain and disability, after an accident she met at an age of 18.

"Not only do physically disabled people have experiences which are not available to the able-bodied, they are in a better position to transcend cultural mythologies about the body, because they cannot do things the able-bodied feel they must do in order to be happy, 'normal,' and sane....If disabled people were truly heard, an explosion of knowledge of the human body and psyche would take place."

-- Susan Wendell, author of The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability.

Promises - A must see documentary on Isreal/Palestine Conflict

2007-12-22T00:13:00.001-06:00

I hid everything I wrote for 20 years

2007-12-19T16:04:00.001-06:00

Another Interesting article I came across in one of the best media forum of India - Tehelka. It is story about a schedule caste woman also known as Dalits in India, who are treated by upper class brahmin and many others as untouchables.

They are millions in numbers and if given the right tool, India can progress on their hardwork and labor. Indian economy almost seems like a quick fix and catching up game to me, when I read about these stories of immense struggle within the lower strata of soceity. It's almost like raising a high-rise building with weak foundation system. But again, I too belong to the generation of H1/NRI's who would rather go back and enjoy the vacation time with family than care where the nation and it's people are leading. And though we so called "NRI's" have sure gotten to phase of "awareness" where we write and create art forms to make ourselves aware, yet there are only handful that are getting their hand's dirty and working for something beyond themselves.

That said, please enjoy reading the article, it may not be a glamourized version of "The Apprentice show", but it sure is the story of human struggle and empowerment - Click here

Religion, Honor or Repression and Killing.

2007-12-17T18:19:00.001-06:00

Why one Muslim girl became a born-again virgin for her wedding night?
When Aisha Salim marries her fiance in Pakistan next March, it will be the wedding of her dreams.
Wearing a veil and gown, she will be every inch the fairytale virgin bride and as befits her strict Muslim religion, after the ceremony, she will hand her blooded wedding-night sheets to her in-laws as proof of her virginity.
But far from being the traditional untouched bride that many Muslim families demand, she is a modern-day university graduate who has smoked, drunk, made love to - and even lived with - a previous English boyfriend.
To disguise the fact that she has had sex, she has paid for painful surgery to "restore" her virginity.
Rest of the Article - Click Here

Mother-in-law 'lured a cheating wife to her death'
A woman was murdered by her mother-in-law and husband after disgracing her Indian family by having an affair, a court has heard.
Surjit Kaur Athwal, a mother of two, was lured to India on the pretext of attending family weddings. Once there, she was allegedly strangled.
Surjit, a "Westernised" 27-year-old Sikh, worked as a customs officer at Heathrow.
Her husband Sukhdave's family were said to have been concerned that she cut her hair short, smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol.
Tensions between Surjit, her 43-year-old husband and her mother-in-law Bachan Athwal, reached breaking point when they discovered she was having an affair and she announced she wanted a divorce, the Old Bailey heard.
Rest of the Artcile - Click Here

"Our Vanity Is Matched Only By Our Persectuion Complex"

2007-12-15T10:14:00.000-06:00

I found this post really interesting, so would like to share it with you. I think most of the time we as Sikhs too, get carried away to such an extreme form of love, that we start shunning others who don't agree with our principles. Hence the fight between someone not following the rehat or what must do inorder to prove ones love for their principles.
This form of extremity exist amongst other people in form of patriotism, ones superior feeling for ones culture, race, etc!
Anyways, without further adding anything more, enjoy reading -

Meera Nanda has a detailed summary and analysis of the most recent Pew Global Attitudes report from the Indian point of view:
The Pew poll asked people in 47 countries if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “our people are not perfect, but our culture is superior to others.” Indians topped the list, with a whopping 93 per cent agreeing that our culture was superior to others, with 64 per cent agreeing completely, without any reservations.

Few more excerpts from Meera (Hindu Article), which I found bit funny!

"In the God department, we Indians simply leave others in the dust. We topped the list at 80 per cent agreeing with the statement that "success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside our control." No other country came even close: the U.S. stood at a mere 33 per cent, China at 65 per cent, Russia at 59 per cent, and Japan at 47 per cent.

Granted that God or Fate are not the only forces outside our control: indeed, sometimes even a babu in an office can become a "force outside your control" if you don't have enough money to bribe him . But considering how much time, money and effort we spend on placating the gods and the stars, it is quite likely that our respondents had these supernatural forces in mind."

For rest of the article, you can visit the following blog - Amardeep Singh

Water seeks its own level!

2007-12-05T12:35:00.001-06:00

So, people often measure goodness with great behavior and certain level of sweetness, but I think actual character of goodness comes with dealing certain level brashness from people around. I have in my life, like most of you have, taken many kicks from people and kicked many too (not literally), to get to where I am. But throughout my journey I have never done wrong to people and made sure I did took the righteous road. Though many times while taking the right road I was going through the road of negative emotions inside.
At this point, I look back and see many friendships that have gone and some that are coming to an end. I guess, relationships are of only value if one can learn and gain from them. They remain of no value if one stops learning from them. That is why people with decades of friendship and love with in them are rare to find these days. That relationship shows the strength of understanding the value of letting go of ones ego and being there for that person most of the time when they need you. That relationship also shows how empathy to certain level, growth within people and compassion can go long way.
It is also amazing that at this point in my life, most of my friends are years older than me and have rich experiences to share from their life. I would like to share something that one of my friend wrote to me recently -

"Anyway, It's nice to know you are human with all your emotions intact. As I am 3 times older than you, I've had so many more chances to experience the full range of feelings so so many times. I certainly more than understand how you felt. I think in the long run it will help you have more empathy to give others. Though I always thought it might be nice too have just a little less personal empathy to share, it doesn't seem to work that way. I do think we grow stronger from theses experiences in the long run."

Anyways, This is a blog link I came across summarizes things beautifully!

Water seeks its own level!

“It is a spiritual principal that we will continue to encounter others who will embody the opportunity for us to learn our most pressing lesson. When we learn to overcome the problem in ourselves, our ‘teachers’ fade away.” - Robin Norwood

To read the whole post - http://gettingpastyourpast.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/water-seeks-its-own-level/

And yes before I end, I must say that I do wear my heart on my sleeve, emotions does take the best or worst of me sometimes!

Some Good Movies.

2007-12-03T17:35:00.001-06:00

So, I recently watched this hindi movie "Guru", I thought it was great story of this village man making it big in Bombay city. Usually most movies glorify hero's character so much that it often becomes unrealistic and hard to relate to the character on personal level. The movie show's the real corruption that exist in Indian society and how to make people listen sometimes you have to talk in their language, which also includes using corruptive measure for greater good. The movie is true example of what a successful business man has to do in order to become great in what they do. In one of the scenes, where he is explaining the jury who indicts him for abusing the system, he say's that "sometimes you have to get kicked and sometimes kick others in order to get work done!"

Next all time favorite is V for Vendetta, another rebellious character who is trying to change the sociopolitical situation while fighting his personal battles. The movie deals with totalitarian society, ruled under constant fear and manipulation of psyche of people.

Few good lines from the movie -

V - "Beneath this mask there is more than flesh and bones. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof. "

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

Sikh Women Vs. Mere Mutton

2007-11-24T12:00:00.001-06:00

"And when I contemplate the modern type of woman that has denuded her head of hair and her limbs of the mystery of clothes and when she has not, by throwing all these cumbersome veils aside, revealed her soul to us, I fall dead with despair -- whither is she going? The world has become emptied of human beauty. I wanted to cling to her soul, the immortal portion of her, and she wishes me to cling to her flesh and bone which is precious only because of her great soul. Otherwise all is mutton, mere mutton." - Professor Puran Singh

It's hard to be sikh woman in such era, I agree. Where Animalistic behavior is rewarded by people, the seduction, the sexuality, the aggressiveness. Offcourse every Sikh woman wonder's at some point of time, why she does what she does. Why choose to be something that doesn't eliminate life's battles, but only teaches an attitude on how to fight with those battles with sane shoulder on her head. The truth, there is more to all this spirituality/surrender that short sightedness often doesn't let us see. We are at an age, where drugs or other substance abuse doesn't only seems to be problem with youth but it has become an epidemic amongst suburban mom's too. We also belong to an age of constant choices. Choices and lack of our contentment from them that lead to further more cheating and lies.
Offcourse, the 'mutton age' has and often does take over my mind too, where sometimes I have to often times shake my dead corpse through the word of the Guru to bring back to life. But there still remains the truth amongst some of us dead people. Just because the messenger of these words is infallible, doesn't mean that message doesn't carry no truth!
Offcourse, youth and flesh troubles and I too like other walk in my own vanity and insanity. But then there from some corner I do hear that sound that calms my heart and soul, that heart that not even my own mother could calm it for me.

Kiva.Org

2007-11-22T15:45:00.000-06:00

So I came across this site on oprah and wanted to post it! It's a great idea of lending money to small business owners all over the world you choose. You can choose the person by reading their stories and then donate! When you donate, you can be in touch with the person you lend money through emails, they almost become your business partner. Great idea of giving to people who really need it!

Please visit - www.kiva.org

Aadmi aadmi se milta hai - Abida Parveen

2007-11-17T13:44:00.001-06:00

Another personal Abida Favorite of mine! (Enjoy!)

aadmii aadmii se miltaa hai
dil magar kam kisii se miltaa hai

A person meets another person
but the heart does not find everyone pleasant.

bhuul jaataa huuN maiN sitam us ke
vo kuchh is saadgii se miltaa hai

I forget his injustice [to me]
[when] he meets with such simplicity.

aaj kyaa baat hai ke phuuloN kaa
rang terii haNsii se miltaa hai

What is it today that the flowers’
color matches your laughter?

mil kar bhii jo kabhii nahiiN miltaa
TuuT kar dil usii se miltaa hai

One who is difficult to reach even after trying
[my] heart passionately loves him only.

kaar-o-baar-e-jahaaN saNvarate haiN
hosh jab be-Khudii se milataa hai

Worldly matters are resolved
when consciousness meets unconsciousness.

Aray logon tumhara kya - Abida Parveen

2007-11-09T23:03:00.001-06:00

Chadaa Mansoor Suli Par, Jo Wakif tha Wohi Dilbar!

2007-11-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

" It is Love, when it becomes unbiased or uninhibited. But there is no easy way to get that. The very first step toward it goes through solitude, which is almost always felt by every blogger. Solitude is essential to the exercise of blogging. You will find that most extrovert people don't have blogs. But whenever one tries to confront one's solitude, one gets caught in a vicious circle. The more one lives with oneself the more one becomes narcissistic. No one can conquer one's darkness with his/her own effort. It is simply beyond the possibilities of merely human endeavour, much less the effort of a single person. There must be an other. The other which saves the narcissism from becoming absolute. In simple words, love needs an other to exist, otherwise the love in question must be an other love."

Prabhsharanbir Singh

Give Me A Break!

2007-10-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

This blog is no John Stossel show, but it's funny how everytime I write my opinions and endup touching people's nerve, I get to hear the not so pleasant comments that are mostly left by "Anonymous". If you really don't agree with me, then please stop hiding behind "Anonymity" and leave me your email addresses, so I can prove to you that I am "perfect patty"...haha! Just kidding! So I can have a constructive debate and learn from you too.

Now some great comments left by some -

"What about this world we live in. This world that provide us a well organized infra structure for life demands for stability in return. That is what law and order is all about. A condition to work and live for this world as it is. When we try to locate Sikhi within the cultural space provided by this world that is Christian metaphysics in practice, we are actually defining Sikhi in a certain fashion. We are trying to fit Sikhi in a conventional definition of religion. Or, I can say some popular perception of religion that is there because of conventional western definition. This comes with the assumption that religion is something for worship etc. or just spiritual that can be kept separate of the rest of one's life. Was Sikhi ever something like that? I think Guru Sahiban created a life which was a process parallel to all the other currents of religious, spiritual, cultural, social or political life. A complete sovereign life. That is why the Guru is not a spiritual master but Sacha Patshah. Khalsa is sovereign. Akal Purakh or Guru is the only King. I think there is a demand of Khalsa to establish their on way of life in any cultural conditions. That is way Khalsa is a fighter who likes to sing: Khalsa soyee kare nit Jang."

Guru Rakha, Prabhsharandeep Singh

"I like Prabhsharandeep Singh's comment here. It leads me to my thought always that reason we call ourselves a Nation, is not because we are all of the same land, color, culture, or race, but because we all realize the same Chardi-kala, the same oneness, the same Ik Oankar. This is why we are Khalsa. We may not always be sovereign in the secular world, but our Guru made damn sure we are always sovereign in the spiritual. It is this spiritual sovereignty that we share which makes us a Nation, a Nation of Saint-Warriors!"

- Sevak

Corporate Sikhi!

2007-10-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world of lavish banquets, expensive catered conferences, fund-raisers that foster to rich of society so material presence could be gained for the common man. Here every man or woman welcome is accomplished enough to be given a red carpet entry. Men from academia, business and political world comes here together to discuss the state of common man. Analysis are done, statistics are read, movies are made, workshops are held to create awareness. When the awareness is created amongst the cream of the society, then funds are requested to highlight the plight of common man.
While the common man in form of orphan, debt loaded farmer, helpless mother, hungry father stand to show their pain to every passer-by, the wealthy and significant ones stand in corner with their intellectualism bursting, debating passionately on what went wrong with the society.
Rich feeds the rich, awareness is created amongst each other and whatever wealth is accumulated amongst them all, is again used to fulfill more personal agenda, before they ever go to the mouths of the hungry.
Conventions and Retreats are held in ritzy hotels, under the name of 'Sikhi', to make the youth aware of their own brothers and sisters, who got forgotten with time. Yearly vigils are held to mourn the dead, while the alive ones still yearn for compassion.
Lavish weddings are thrown to celebrate the new bonds that rich made with the richer, better cars, degrees, houses are built, so the voice could be given the power. That voice of power then is revered, cause offcourse he has more!

Welcome to the new world of (Guru's) Sikh!

Invitation Based Only!

2007-10-18T17:59:00.001-05:00

I am thinking about making this blog invitation based only. Sharing my life with few of my good friends, instead of so many people out there? I personally like the idea, any comments, feedback is welcome!

Diana Ross and Ru Paul - I Will Survive

2007-10-15T20:53:00.001-05:00

So I have been gettting up 2 in morning and dancing to diana ross tune!
Hope you find your dancing tune too!

Starbucks Coffee!

2007-10-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

I wish my blog was a starbucks, where eachone could come and order the coffee of their choice, some asking for spiritual post, while others on sex, some on religion, while other on treason! alas! this is an attempt of human mind, which once a while do get stuck like some old record playing the same song again and again!

For all those that don't like my coffee, I am sure there are always others cafe in the area! ;-p

Extremism, Personal Freedom and Sikhi!

2007-10-14T18:44:00.001-05:00

This post comes from a recent conversation I had with a young Sikh woman in her early twenties. When we started having a conversation and sharing experiences with eachother, I realized I was seeing myself in her. Growing up, I was a girl who was shy and very sincere daughter of my parents.
I am proud of who I am today. But with all the change that happened around me, I learnt that I have a trait called "extremism" in me, the same trait that I could find in this girl last night while I was talking to her. It's a trait that can bring the best and worst in you. In my case, to some extend that whole energy made me come towards Sikhi, but if I was to be put with different set of people and different situation, I could have used that same extremist energy in me to become the person who would not have been proud of myself. Thats' why I have all sets of friends, religious, non-religious, alcoholics, activist. And some how I see myself in each one, hence the ability to know who they are, cause deep down I know I was just lucky to have the people I had in past and present and be where I am.
I have struggled alot with my extremist nature. But somehow from the very beginning days of my sikhi days, I tried to made sure I keep a sane shoulder on my head and not get lost in something called "Josh", the spirit one often see in all the young ones taking this path.
When I talk or see some of these people in their early youth and in full swing of Sikhi, I feel happy, yet when you talk to them, one realizes that they too are going through the same issues that I went through. The list of things, questions and doubts that they have..."if this is anti-sikhi, if this is what sikh suppose to do or act like. When one is young many things are changing in ourselves within mind and body. Ones need to have physical intimacy, being able to look attracted towards opposite sex, being able to be accepted and most of all be happy in ones own skin is what one is always striving for!
The doubts, the growth, sexual energy and peer pressure doesn't make life an easy road to walk on. Living life to be happy and feel good about the world and ourselves is what every religious path makes the disciple strive for. But somewhere in their when one is striving for personal happiness, having discipline in life and certain level of open-ness is important. I think youth is all about convictions and maturity all about tolerance to these different convictions that exist in this world. Maturity is the path where one understands that there is no "white and black" there is no right and wrong answer, there is no "my way is the best way".
Guru Nanak shunned extremism of any nature, cause he understood that nature of the creator can never be understood. The akaal ustad of Guru Gobind in Jaap Sahib, was testament to that fact that creator is vast enough to be able to trapped in some sort of humanly convictions. Human mind cannot tame that energy that created him/herself in the first place, so why does man or woman hurt themselves or others to get near to God?!
Not living life in fullest of your potential is anti-sikhi, not being able to use ones creative nature to express ones self is anti-sikhi, not being able to acknowledge the simple fact that one is made of the flesh that brings with it thought of pleasure and pain is going to be the greatest tool to soar the high-skies one day is anti-sikhi!
Guru Nanak lifestyle was simple - Naam Japna, Kirat Karni and Vand Chakna. Yet us the disciples of that Guru, create complex webs in which we get entangled and feel trapped and suffocated. Sure Sikhi is about Sidak (discipline) too, but make sure that discipline does not start hindering or stopping you from attaining the beauty within you and that of creator.

Is it Maturity? Or just Evolution of Mind

2007-10-13T03:15:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog, I think it was in June 2005, life was still a game that was played by the understanding 'that if you do good, good will happen to you.' I was still naive, I still am, but it was all about bunch of rules, "the good or bad", "the light or darkness", mind still trying to get inside the mind of God, somehow trying to understand, why he does what he does!
Again, I think to some extend that quest to understand God, gives humans immense pain and pleasure too. I am evolving and so is my mind.
I have seen light and darkness in this same life, I think that is the reason why inner state of mind has become fluid in nature...I neither strive for 'Goodness' or 'Badness' so to speak. I am just who I am and in that I find happiness too!
Opinionated minds and tongues have become quite an discomfort these days, well offcourse only if that tongue belongs to me, then it is fine! haha I wonder if this is maturity, where one comes interm with themselves without trying to be someone else, but just be them.
Awareness doesn't always bring with it the sweetness, there are times when you have to sit and see the not so sweet side in you! I sure have gotten enough time in my life to evolve within myself and I like the process too. Cause the more I go through with it, the more fluid my thought process becomes. I think cause I see this whole world insides me, full of lightness and darkness, the less brashful (I think I just made that word) I am too the outside world!

Offcourse Christ Is Great!

2007-09-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

But what about us? His disciples...! My last post was in no way demeaning Punjabi Men or lessening the fact that Spirit of Khalsa lives and should live in most of us. It's probably more to do with Self-Analysis. Self awareness brings with it many good and bad realization. As a woman walking on this path (or so I believe), I not only see the darkness in me, but light too. Like for example, these days (my) sexuality is something I have been thinking about. The fact that I am becoming aware of my mind and body in a way that doesn't always bring with it the most virtuous or pious of thought. Now we all know that God is attached to virtues, the righteousness, true name, enemy less. But would attaching ourselves to constant virtues? Ever makes us people of virtues or God like? Or before that we will have to pass the immense darkness that resides inside us.
I guess there are some that truly the learn the Glory of Christ or his vastness by praising him and then there are some like me, that look inside, the vast darkness within them and run towards the light. Whichever way you may take, crucifixion of ones pride and the intellect it brings with it, is very important!

Punjabi Men and Their Submissive Women

2007-09-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

Men, especially Punjabi Men, tend to be attracted towards Submissive Women. Women they can tame easily, women they can control and mostly women they can deal with on day to day life. Nothing wrong with it, I would also like to be with a guy who I can deal with on daily basis too, but what's wrong with a woman with opinions? They are seen as some diseased and not so welcomed in our society. And I don't want to make a generalize statement here either, there are some strong Punjabi Men who have picked well-rounded, socially aware, emotionally stable, yet very opinionated woman in their lives. And I commend them for being able to choose a person who can tell them on their face when they are wrong.
For now I think I have come to a conclusion, that most men like quiet, introverted, submissive women. I guess they make good "Wifey" material! Whatever may be the case, God gave me a brain and I am going to use it as much as I can!

From th desk of one opinionated woman!

Fluidity In Time and Morality

2007-09-22T00:56:00.000-05:00

"What makes something right or wrong?", I often wonder! If God does it all then who are we to judge and assume. Whether it's someone sexuality, ones dark, painful past or ones infesting desires. The difference between an Atheist and Man with Faith is that former believes in no meaning behind things and latter believes and finds meaning in it all. Yet, life and things remain fluid, may be because we try to find the reasons to understand God, but there is no science yet developed, to make us go inside the mind of God. Religion and Spirituality can offcourse make the intensity of pain less, yet they never can protect us from hurt that's coming our way. I wonder, that's why people ask, "Why bad things happen to good people!" Because in that question there's a quest to look for meaning behind things and hence why this or why that?! One can never answer that!
What makes a man more religious and loved by God, "the understanding of fluidness in nature and it's ever changing works" or "set of belief that makes him question his own existence everytime and makes him kill his desires and dream 'to be that someone else" that people seek of him, rather than 'be that truthful to himself ', that God seeks of him.
While watching an interview for latest bestseller "Middlesex", an "Intersex" person said, "that I am both Man and Woman, because God wanted me not differenciate between any!"
And I am sure that is why, God resided in us, "both goodness and badness, morality and immorality, truth or lie, light or darkness," in order to make us appreciate him more and his abundunt power.
We all reside in Grey, Yet all our lives we keep choosing colors to add to our life!

Pain and Inner Peace

2007-09-18T22:38:00.001-05:00

In pain comes many answers, many unknown mysteries get unfolded and the voids get filled by light. Pain is actually necessary for progress, cause it drives a man or woman to search, to look within for more answers. When we ask ourselves or god, why this is happening to me? When we look for meaning in life and answers to questions thrown on us.
People, including me have always asked for "Sukh" (Happiness, Contentment). I think of inner turmoil or "Dukh" as landslides going within us. It's like a plate of land moving and pushing others to create space for it's ownself. This landslide within us of doubts, clouds of thoughts, experience is important.
There was a time in my life, when I used to walk miles in cold winter nights, waiting to catch bus or train to get home. During those time, when my body was the only thing consistent around me, I used to often experience "soaring of my souls in high skies". It was a blissful state of mind, "chardikala" as we often call it. I guess when person is thrown in constantly changing environment or certain discomfort, we often times start looking for answers within. Through pain at that time, god creates the juice of inner peace and state of mind that cannot be tamed. It's a state of mind, that runs like some Lion in far lands, flies like a bird in open sky and dances like a a Sufi drenched in love.
Sadly enough, sometimes what we define as "Sukh", having a comfortable life can take away that dancer within us. I sometimes feel that I have lost that in me. I feel like I have become like rest of 'them all.'
After all "attachment' itself is very important thing in life and something immensely important for our own growth as people. Living alone, somewhat takes that "attachment" syndrome away from you. On personal level, it becomes harder to relate to people's pain and at the end of the day, you depend on not anyone but you, so hence you never let or create those environment that can give you enough pain.
Only when we start living with familes, marry, have kids, we tend to get entangled in their love. Love creates pain and that pain creates that inner joy too, even at the most harshest times.
I am a woman in search of that love and that pain, that will bring with it many changes within me. Some that will give me immense joys and some that will give me immense pain.
But between all this, I hope to find that bird with in me again. That bird that will bleed in love and pain, of others and herself!

True Beauty

2007-09-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

"True beauty puts your mind in it's creator" - There are million of beautiful people in this world, like a season, many new are born and many others die everyday. There is what so ever no limit to the infinite beauty god has created in this world. Beautiful women with their sensual bodies and handsome men with their charm like a deep blue sea." Each one of them, like me, a seperate entity that holds in them a vast world.
This flesh called "our body" often brings with it many emotions that are not exactly pious and drive us into the world of darkness. But I am in no way saying that darkness can always be a bad thing. If God created light, then offcourse he created darkness too, and offcourse self-awareness always can make you not only learn the vast light within you, but also the darkness in you too. There is a reason, as to why people run after goodness, goodness of thought, goodness in people, while choosing a life partner we look at the virtues in them, while making friends we make sure they have something positive to share with us.
Religious and pious people run after more religious people and evil with no boundaries in life run after more like them. Whatever feeds people hunger within, whether that hunger is of goodness or evil-mindedness.
But what is true beauty in Guru's court and here is the one that put our mind in the creator. Our own bodies and mind are like vast deep sea, we get lost in it and tend to make people around us lost in it. Hence the trade of flesh not ends ever in our existing life, some way or the other.
Anyways, on a lighter note, I kind of understand now what really the singer means when he says in that punjabi song " Kehnde ne Jawani hundi bukhi pyaasi, taa(n)g ehnu rave hamesha dildaar di" -- haha! English translation of above lines: Youth is always hungry and thirsty, that is why it always desires for a lover.

I am laughing while typing that! Anyways, I have nothing more to say! ;-p

To That Spirit in me!

2007-09-04T22:38:00.000-05:00

" There country is nowhere marked. They get their sleep while standing, they eat their food while marching. They stop not in villages. They know not the taste of salt or purified butter.
We torment them, but yet they flourish. Long summer days they pass without water. In winter they get no fire to warm them. They do not have access to ground corn to eat.
They run to fight. One battles like hundred. Death they fear not. Devoutly they cherish to die for their faith. We have become tired of killing them, but they are far from finished. "

-- Zakariya Khan

Nadir Shah further queried, " Whose follower are they? Who is their prophet? Or are they sprung without any spiritual directions?"

Said Zakariya Khan, "To Guru Nanak they owe their religion!"

Washington D.C. Anyone?

2007-08-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

I am thinking of having a get together in Maryland/DC with old and new friends! Do we have fellow bloggers/readers living in Maryland/DC area? If yes, email me (harkiran.kaur@gmail.com) and we can plan to meet! ;-p

Blogging - A Beautiful Narcissism?

2007-07-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

Dang, read this post on this blog (Prabhsharanbir Singh) and thought that the way blogger explained this whole narcissism theory of bloggers was great! I think it does take a lot of courage to open up amongst not only in cyber sangat but more so amongst those that know us. Anyways, call me a narcissist or what, exploring myself only makes me look deeper into my good and evil side. And there is an evil side to me too, dang like I have a habbit of tailgating the tailgaters on the road...haha or "chukking people fattey if they are trying to be all smart with me!" and...well..lets not go too deep about my evil side, my aunt loves reading this blog!
So lets keep it this way! haha

hows everyone summer going?!

2007-07-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

aaah! Summer is always nice here in DC. I am actually enjoying summer, though not traveling, but will be taking some short trips in coming weeks to DC and NY. Washington DC itself has so many places to see, the museums, art exhibitions, theme parks and nice places to eat. Even though its going to be almost 3 years of me working in the vicinity I still have so much to explore about the place. For me, exploring new places to eat is always a great thing. And now I have this roommate who keeps me health conscious and tells me all these cheap places to do grocery shopping for less. It's fun to hangout with her, she's almost my age and the interesting part is that even though she's Sri-Lankan, if you look at the history of Tamil Sri-Lankans with the Sikhs in India, its has alot of similarity. Both have been at some point driven away from their own countries. Sri-Lanka constitutes of two sections of populations, majority are Buddhist and the minority constitute of Hindu Tamils. Hindu tamils being the minority had to establish an organization like LTTE (Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam), in order to sustain themselves against the orthodox Buddhist Sri-Lankans. Though Buddhism is known for their passive lifestyle, in Sri-Lanka they have been known to be very aggressive and violent against the Hindu Tamils. And it's funny how my other roommate - an old aunty is a Buddhist. I will be visiting a Buddhist temple next week with her. its a pretty multi-cultural home that I live in..haha! Will take some pictures when I go to the temple!
Till next time, Ciao.

Claiming!

2007-07-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

One cannot claim anything from this world, the time, people, love - is all like the running sand in ones hand. How can you claim the running sand in your hand your own? You can't! The best you can do is seek that hopefully that running sand will make you more rooted person in life.

This thought itself would help me to live a regretless life I am thinking. The best way to live is too break ones past experiences and future expectation into this thin air that can help you breath more deeply in present. Otherwise for most part some of us will drag past palaces or future air castles all through our lives.

Progressive thinkers are the ones that create history everyday by not seeking wisdom in past of "what they did" - "oh! I lived like this" or vision just the mere futures of claims "I will do this" or "reign the world", but true progressive thinkers have the power to create the world in the present where they give abilities and tools to themselves and others around them through just being them!

Claiming business only brings more misery...to live a fullest life, stop claiming and start giving!

Creative Manifestation!

2007-06-30T00:35:00.000-05:00

May my struggle never ends. May that dust around me never settles. Like a warrior, may I always hold the sword of truth and may that head never rise in front of master. In that unsettled dust, I find the purpose of my life and as soon as I get comfortable I feel lost and find no purpose and light.

May be I went through so much suffering only to understand his pain and I am sure somewhere between his pain and my suffering and somewhere between this love and union, resides God.

For I and him are unlike other lovers, we don't need to meet to show the love in our eyes. The love resides in our hearts and it shall remain in this world and next too.

My love is complete and his too and though we might not meet to become one, but somewhere in between all this I know he will be that soul I'll meet while walking my way towards God and his light. I still wouldn't need to say him anything at that time either, my smile and his eyes will say it all. Though through all this, I will make sure never to forget the creator. I know there is light in us all, its there! Sometimes it scares me, when I can't find it in me. Then like a blind man I sob some nights, only to find it back in me.

I wonder what death would be like? Wonder what would that last sunset be like? Will I be given chance to even see that sun before it sets in front of me. Wonder what will be last line of this well-scripted play? Will the curtains go down never to be raised again?
Let me tell him now, before it's too late, that even with the resounding dance and song that he played around me, I tried looking for him everytime. And though in my heart I knew that this illusion will end soon one day, I kept getting lost in these bright lights and shines.

He created me to play his games and I like a puppet got played too. I hope in the end, I did justice to him by playing it exactly the way he wanted it too.
In this life, what we find beautiful in the begginning is never on our minds in the end. Such is this life, the handicapp lives with spirit as bright as sun and the walking ones are dead sometimes. Such is this life...!

Adulthood!

2007-06-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

Adulthood sucks! that's right I really do think it sucks! and there is another thing that sucks, that's making decisions. Can I actually stand on Rockfeller center and say that...or wait! that's actually not high enough. I was reading this book, where it says, "Free will demands immense responsibility; its hard work, it brings with it anguish and suffering." that's right! probably the reason I would rather be sitting in my parents house or fast forwarding my life straight to senior citizen nursing home. aaaah! god damn idiot I am, that's right the only idiot who actually has the courage to say that I am one. Interesting enough every time I write about my personal misery or rant about life, my blog stats increase too. It's like - my so called loved ones, start coming to life again seeing me all sad and depress. Isn't it funny that most so called adults actually get happy by seeing others miserable, or some actually pass time gossiping cause they have these perfect lives and others life's are like those imperfect piece of art that is put in the corner of a gallery yet is the most talked about. its all crap! this whole thing. You know, I have come to notice that people with "no patience" actually get all the things they want. Its like that spoilt kid in the family who wants every god damn toy for himself or her...so yeah! change of plans on my side, no more "patience game" for me. No more standing like some monkey in the middle of the jungle, waiting to read some nature's signal that I read on Deepak Chopra books! that plan is totally ridiculous and it doesn't work for me, god! no plans ever works for me. I keep telling myself that I am probably going to be a self made millionaire like Jack Canfield or Bill Gates and these bumps that I keep hitting are just life's sign of telling me to wait, "wait more is coming on the way!" aaaarghh! the only thing more coming towards my life is chaos and confusion. It's sad, but reality.
And what made me more confused is that when I actually started reading this Canfield book, the first chapter itself starts with - "Start taking 100% responsibility of your life and action!" ..are you freaking kidding me!! I am sure you are...cause if I actually start taking responsibilities of all the action in my life, and stop whining, crying and not playing the blame game...god!! that leaves me with whole lot of time on my hand! and believe me folks that's not a pretty picture in my mind right now! that actually means, that I will have to become that concious monkey standing in the middle of this urban jungle, waiting for some celestial sign to come towards my way, so I could make a concious decision and move forward...and! if I fail or succeed, it's all because my game plan worked or not worked. goooooodddddd! there has be better way of living, come on now, bit of blaming others for attaining martyrdom or complaining about others to some other's only makes the life pass bit easier. I mean it's amazing how we end up complaining about our home problem at work and work problem at home, never ever confronting the real people we have problem with and telling them on their face that "hey! mister or missy, I got problem with you!"..no, that would bring drama in life and who needs more drama when your life itself is like that show that keeps coming back on prime time only to be critiqued and hated by people.
OK! this is where I should stop, cause if I don't I might be endup coming back to the blog only to feel more crappy than before. And some of you bleeps who come to this blog to read and feel lighter through my misery...please god damn! have the courage to share your pathetic-ness too once a while, I mean I really don't mean it that way, I meant..."Share your story to motivate and inspire people!" ....haha who am I kidding!

Jesus Loves Punjabis?

2007-06-12T19:09:00.000-05:00

Comment, reaction, problem, solution - What do you think about this? -- http://www.igniteindia.org/

Guru Nanak Not Just A Candy Man!

2007-06-05T21:28:00.000-05:00

Often times, I have like a child sat and did ardaas to bless me with things, oppurtunities, dreams, desires that I think were and are good for me. But to my avail no Santa Claus ever showed up at my door. There have been times when I went to gurdwara with my mind drenching in wishes just like water spilling out of a loaded bucket and came back feeling at peace well sometimes and sometimes went again with doubtful mind.
Then there are times when I ask myself, what's the point of this whole nine-yard (the dastaar, the simran (I hardly do any, but whatever I do I still want something back for it), the humility and good intention and my zest to be called the nicest girl in town). What's the point of religion, spirituality and goodness or virtue of goodness, when I still get labelled as being such a fool anyways? What's the point of all this, if God is going to do what he is going to do, I mean, might as well...not do anything and go through life like some stream of rushing water.
But I think going through life without Sikhi seems like much harder path to me then Sikhi itself (well atleast at this state of mind, again don't know what God does to my mind in future...haha)!
The one sabad that always come to my mind when I see myself or others around me going to Gurdwara is -

DnwsrI mhlw 4 ]
ieCw pUrku srb suKdwqw hir jw kY vis hY kwmDynw ]
so AYsw hir iDAweIAY myry jIAVy qw srb suK pwvih myry mnw ]1]
jip mn siq nwmu sdw siq nwmu ]
hliq pliq muK aUjl hoeI hY inq iDAweIAY hir purKu inrMjnw ] rhwau ]
jh hir ismrnu BieAw qh aupwiD gqu kInI vfBwgI hir jpnw ]
jn nwnk kau guir ieh miq dInI jip hir Bvjlu qrnw ]2]6]12]

The above sabad is Bani of Guru Ram DasJi, In this sabad Guru says, that God himself is the fulfiller of desires. The "kaamdehna" (according to the hindu matt) - wishful thinking cow, which can be also referred to as our mind, is in the hands of God.
So meditate on that Satguru (God) and one shall obtain total peace.
Jap Satnaam, true name.
Wherever one meditates on this name, the disaster run away,
The Guru has blessed servant Nanak with this understanding, that by meditating on the Lord, we cross over the terrifying world-ocean.

Further on, if you ever wonder why Sikhi? Why this whole reading of Bani and ritualistically sitting and repeating name? Then I must suggest that Asa Ki Vaar is a great bani to start with, especially for those that believe in their intellect and not the creator. Guru Nanak Paatshah! never have claimed in his bani himself as door to salvation or fulfiller of desires. Infact people who read his Bani (again I must say there are online translation available for Asa Ki Vaar), know this that his Baani even in today's time seems like an very pragmatic ideology to live by!
But for me, everytime I read Asa Ki Vaar, I feel like Guru is slapping me hard cause my inner deep hypocricy, for other who are in love with the creator, I am sure it would be something more out of love!
So anyways, there's nothing great I can come up to sum up the beautiful baani of Nanak, but I sure can post some of the favorite pauris that I like and always like reading to reinforce it on me!

sloku mÚ 1 ]
isMml ruKu srwierw Aiq dIrG Aiq mucu ]
Eie ij Awvih Aws kir jwih inrwsy ikqu ]
Pl iPky Pul bkbky kMim n Awvih pq ]
imTqu nIvI nwnkw gux cMigAweIAw qqu ]
sBu ko invY Awp kau pr kau invY n koie ]
Dir qwrwjU qolIAY invY su gaurw hoie ]
AprwDI dUxw invY jo hMqw imrgwih ]
sIis invwieAY ikAw QIAY jw irdY kusuDy jwih ]1]

I'll try to do translation of the above Salok - Guru is trying to convey that man should not be like that Simmal tree - a tree which can be found in India is very straight, tall and thick, but it fails to serve the birds that come to seek shadow and fruit but fly back disappointed. The tree's fruits are tasteless, flowers are nauseating, and its leaves are useless. Sweetness and humility are the virtues man should have, instead having a big ego and not being able to serve anyone.
Every man can bow to himself, Guru is saying, but it is very hard to bow to others.
The sinner, like the deer hunter, bows down twice as much,
But what can be achieved by bowing the head, when the heart is impure?

Some Great Quotes!

2007-06-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

"Alas, the Khalsa too is getting under the self-hypnotism of being something, doing something, and is thus degenerating into a common man ! Instead of the old tent life it is the life of the palace that pleases him. This world is getting daily into mud, and unless something happens to restore to him his true faith in God and the Guru-finding expression in every thought and action, a type, wondrous in its grandeur and expression would be gone." - Prof. Puran Singh (Must read article)

"To the terrified slaves of this country, Guru Gobind Singh said : Rise and fight and die fighting on horseback. This is an oceanic burst of the same glow of life, and this too is of Him. It is more glorious to die than to live as miserable wretches. He poured into our veins that life which could not love without song and freedom. We rose as individuals and as masses shouting for liberty and victory. He gave us freedom of the soul, and we cried for the freedom of our life. We died for it, never mind, if we never got it. Touched by his inspiration, we could no more remain slaves."

"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value." -- Albert Einstein

"In conclusion, let me declare, that the religion of Guru Nanak is not these miserable ethics, these ideas of good and bad and nobility, these conventions of purity and impurity, these wayside no-truths and half-truths to which the inspired cling with such stupid and universal tenacity, not those steps to perfection counted like the rungs of a ladder, not those catalogues of dos and donts, not those hotch-potch, foolish theologies of the human race, to those human qualities that these unregenerated animals in various multi-coloured faces have been holding in great esteem so long, and still hug close to their prejudices, not those great wastes of human energy and feeling involved in institutionalizing personal charities, in fact, nothing of what men and women think so far is religion." -

- Prof. Puran Singh

"People who do not take charge of their lives are lathi-charged by time." - Kiran Bedi (www.kiranbedi.com)

"Empowered women who reach tough or unconventional positions make choices not sacrifices." - Kiran Bedi

"Every man dies; not every man really lives." - Braveheart (movie)

"Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it." - Braveheart.

"If some lucky men survive the onslaught of the third world war of atomic and hydrogen bombs, then the Sikh religion will be the only means of guiding them. When asked, isn’t this religion capable of guiding mankind before the third world war? He said, ‘yes it has the capability, but the Sikhs haven’t brought out in the broad daylight the splendid doctrines of this religion, which has come into existence for the benefit of the entire mankind. This is their greatest sin and the Sikhs cannot be freed of it. " -- Bertrand Russell (Philosopher, Mathematician 1872-1970).

"A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself." - Malcolm X

Media In India Is Biased!

2007-05-20T20:41:00.000-05:00

Few Links can help you make your mind on this issue. I am glad on the akal takhat issuing a hukumnama against all the dera closing! Though many says that it was a political propoganda by the Akalis/BJP to start the protest against the dera "Guru", cause he was supporting the congress in the election, but I think its about time instead of showing tolerance against these deras/cult, sikh should make it clear for coming generation that no one can make a mockery against our Guru and history!

http://akalpurakhkifauj.googlepages.com/eyeopener-derasachasuada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjiU1K1t2go&mode=related&search=

Cultural Marriage Vs. Sikh Marriage?

2007-05-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

Should the sikh granthis boycott on inter-faith marriages? I came across this article where some Sikh journalist was reviewing namesake and in her "I have made no effort in understanding what Gurbani is saying", she advocated inter-faith marriages..by saying, "Are we losing our young Sikhs to the dominant society or are we gaining future Sikhs in all different colors, shapes and sizes?"

To read the full article - http://www.sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=150&cat=12

But in the end, I would like to quote Prabhu Singh, who actually did made alot more sense than the author itself... " A Sikh marriage is two bodies and one soul. The focus is on the Guru. I don't think it's practical to marry somebody who is not a Sikh and hope that they will come towards the faith. Marriage is serious, it requires work and needs a foundation. Sikhi is a foundation as solid as rock. It is not a set of beliefs but a way of life. Those who hold this way of life as their own (Sikhs) will require a marriage partner who practices the same lifestyle. Cultural Sikhs should have no problem marrying someone who doesn't practice the faith, but those who live a life dedicated to Sikhi will require their partner to be in sync with them. Being Punjabi doesn't make somebody Sikh, and being Western doesn't mean somebody isn't a Sikh. I'm a "Western" Sikh and inter-racial marriage is very normal to me. However, encouraging marriage amongst those on different paths seems to me like a recipe for disaster. The Sikh marriage is about love for the Guru and commitment to a life of Sikhi. That's what we should encourage, no matter who the couple is."

More Poems!

2007-05-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

This poem was forwarded to me by another friend, loved it!!

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Another Poem by anonymous reader! : =)

Aren't we all stuck in this rat race
Guys don't find the right girls to match
Girls don't find the right boys and often their head they scratch
Probably by now you memorized every profile on Sikhnet
But still haven't met the one, I can totally bet.

Some of you might be looking for a dream job
But end up in a job worse than that of Sponge Bob
Some of you like me just got nothing to do
So we just write a rhyme, and act like monkeys in this manmade zoo.

Some of you want to fight for issues strong
Some of you just like singing a song
Some of you are just dragging life along
Some of you just find everything wrong.

Well I have no solutions which I can give
All I can say is you can consider this
When you are feeling lonely and down
Remember the things that make you frown.

After that just remember these
Why did the ant not eat the sugar sweet?The reason being it had Diabetes
If an elephant falls in a swimming pool, how does it come out?
I know you are thinking hard and you are now in a big doubt
Are you sure you are ready or you need some more time Yet?
Well anyways the answer is it will come out Wet.

What do you call a polar bear with ear muffs?
Put your thinkin caps on, but I know you have no clue
Well call it anything as it cannot hear you
Looks like you guys have had enough.

So if you feel lonely and heavy like a log
Just post a request on Harkiran Kaurs blog
And I could come up with something more miserable than this
That would make your own sorry plight feel like heavenly bliss. (LOL)

Poems by My Friends!

2007-05-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Just getting by
does not count for me anymore
I want to enjoy the ride
deep within me
and want to know
what am I here for?
* By Preetam Kaur

Song of my heart!
I'd rather be the poor beggar,
Than roam with these small kings and queens.
I'd rather be a wanderer all my life,
Than maintain those four walls beneath the sky.
I'd rather not be loved by any,
Than be drenched in biased love for some.
I'd rather not ever dream,
For if the price is to let my senses drive me towards the goal.
This soul is too precious for me, Just like this life,
I'd rather see it through God's eyes,
Than narrow my world by looking through my own.
* By HKaur

I'll come!

I'll come. To pay my respects like last year.
Nothing more. I'll bow, my head will rest at your feet.
But I'll take it back with me.
I'll ask, For compassion, for righteousness, for discipline, for courage,
And perhaps for nobility.
But I'll return.
My heart, soul, spirit.
All empty! Do not call.
For I will only turn away.
Do not comfort.
My heart already bleeds.
But do wait for me.
The day they let me go. My head on a silver plate.
I will come offer Thee.

* By Gurnit Kaur

Decision Making!

2007-05-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

aaah! I am 26 years old and one of the toughest things for me is making decisions for others or myself, considering I am a person that over-analyze myself to the extend that my brain cells give up on me!
So everytime I call my mom and dad and tell them that I wish to do this or that, they endup telling me that do "what seems right to you!"...now that sentence really doesn't help considering I don't know what I do is right or not!
I came to US for my higher studies not knowing the struggles I would have to face through and emotional strength I would need. But some how when I made that decision at 18, I didn't realize the times that would test me and stretch me to such an extend that I would endup being a person that relied on faith for even the most minutest of things.
No wonder I can be emotionally very cold at times, really its not me, just certain circumstances that made me like that. And now too, when I tell my mom that "I wish to do this or that", she tells me in her soft voice, "harkiran, you are an adult now, we can't tell you to do this or that because you are not a child anymore and you do understand that with every action comes the consequences that you might or might not like!"
aaaaaaaaaaaahhh! yes mom! I hate being an adult sometimes and wish I never left your home.

Then the other day, some one asked me, whether I think that decisions I made and struggles I went through were worth it? I don't know! really to be honest, what would I have been if I didn't go through my struggles ...may be just another person with much simpler life, one of those that find things easily without even looking for them and in ease they endup living their life without going through realizations that never had to at the first place were necessary. I really don't know, what would/could have happened if I was this or that.

But yes, sometimes when I remember my past it creates this overwhelming feeling in me of how I went through what I went. You know, like for example a woman going through domestic violence in her marriage, she only realizes the "bigness" of her problems once they are over or she moves on, but when people are going through some hard times, they don't realize what they are going through and where the strength to fight is coming from.
Anyways, I have been lucky till now, God has given me this thing called "faith" the path that almost made small investment into lifetime education and experience...haha, offcourse on the way I took many favors, walked miles and miles in cold because I couldn't afford a car and even worked with desis who treated me not so well..(this story may remind you of many many immigrants you might have met or may even remind you of your own story). Believe me, I am the only poor immigrant of my time to have had the luxury of writing a blog, I am sure while others were working every shift at 7-11 so they could buy a $400,000 house, I endedup being lazy idealist and writing my so called story to inspire my ownself! Good for those that got inspired on the way.

So now that I have almost seen life in these hugely packed trailer of 7-8 years, something that people in their 40s come to see and have those realization, I often ask myself, whats next?!

I think the question is -- will I endup giving to my fears or will I have the courage to open another door. By God! the last time I opened a door, it almost took the life out of me! : =)

Sepoy Mutiny!

2007-04-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

I think I had visited this blog before, though I like the vibe of it and I am trying to read couple of post...but at somepoint I keep getting lost with so much stuff each post has to say...anyways, some of you will enjoy reading it.

One of my friend emailed me and I thought it would be nice to share this with you - http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/

And now the time for real Sepoys and rich history lesson!

You might want to check this too (especially those that have seen movie 300) -

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_spviMPFt24A/Rh8TVvK6_vI/AAAAAAAAA18/dycFQg0X7ik/s1600-h/battle+of+saragarhi.jpg

On a personal note, I might be visiting NY this coming weekend, for NYC Sikh Parade, so if any of you bloggers/blog readers are planning to come let me know, it would be great meeting new people and making friends!

Getting Stuck In One Mindset!

2007-04-15T23:08:00.001-05:00

I was listening to Sukha Singh (UK) Kirtan (Wonder what happened to his blog?!) and he says in it that Gurus disciples always think of bigger picture and don't get stuck in one mindset, cause deep down they know that whatever is happening is happening because God wants that to happen. Then during the Vaisakhi Diwan, even Bhai Sahib said something about how being a Sikh and being unhappy is contradicting concept. Cause if you are a Sikh then you always see life through Creator's eyes, knowing that whatever happens or will happen is for a reason.

I have done that numerous times to myself, where I have regretted not doing or doing somethings. Its like whether we running after a Job/Money/Education or some person and we get disappointed. I guess at that time we tend to get stuck in one mindset and can't think past over it.

That also remind me, I actually made some great friends recently and while talking to one of them about marriage, he told me that if I come across some guy who's bit dramatic or over-reacting over some petty issues, its a red signal and I should run the other way. I laughed when he was telling me all those things, but then it made sense. I guess its with other things too, as soon as something makes you run like some crazy person or drives you nuts, its time to say Goodbye to it!

Drama shall always be there, but its upto us how much less of a drama queen we tend to become through years of going through it. I guess maturity is the KEY word here!

Surface Level Issues!

2007-04-07T01:20:00.000-05:00

Although, I could really write about many surface level issues to gear back some life into this blog as I have been told that I endup giving overdose of same topics again and again. But really, issues like why people cheat or why people divorce to how to find a guy in ten days, to who's better Hillary Clinton or Obama? makes me bored, forget about what others like. When we know ourselves, we know our strengths and weaknesses too. So would you rather like to know what dress to wear tonight or rather know why we endup spending so much time in front of the mirror? I don't know, just me, I guess this blog is boring, just like my life :-D

And what makes it more sad is that I am not really in hurry to get out of this misery either! haha

Anyways, any ideas on topics, though I will writing on something really interesting, which others might consider boring, but hey, we can always start some debates/controversy/fires on this blog!

So help me put this blog on fire...well not literally, I mean not that soon eh? :-p

Oh My Dear Powerful Skin!

2007-03-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

What shall I do with you? When I was a child, I held tightly to that woman skin who gave me birth, when I came in my youth, my senses drove me to cling on to man's skin. When I got married, I gave birth to another vessel of skin and spent all my life nurturing it, only to realize that it was not mine.
What shall I do now of this skin, the same skin that once shined in its full glory and now has wrinkled and come to its full exhausation. Now I seek its creator and knock on his door.
Many have lost the valuable trade of naam in spending this life with this skin. Some holy men shun it and argue with commoners whether to eat it or not, while others pursue it and fall in love with it. Some even decorate it and get lost in it.
My dear creator, you created many forms of this skin to make me lost. Sometimes in love and sometimes in hate I think about this skin. But as soon as my Guru told me that skin was just a curtain in front of my eyes and below it lies the You (my creator)! I found You!

slok mÚ 1 ]
pihlW mwshu inMimAw mwsY AMdir vwsu ]
jIau pwie mwsu muih imilAw hfu cMmu qnu mwsu ]
mwshu bwhir kiFAw mMmw mwsu igrwsu ]
muhu mwsY kw jIB mwsY kI mwsY AMdir swsu ]
vfw hoAw vIAwihAw Gir lY AwieAw mwsu ]
mwshu hI mwsu aUpjY mwshu sBo swku ]
siqguir imilAY hukmu buJIAY qW ko AwvY rwis ]
Awip Cuty nh CUtIAY nwnk bcin ibxwsu ]1]

First, the mortal is conceived in the flesh, and then he dwells in the flesh.
When he comes alive, his mouth takes flesh; his bones, skin and body are flesh.
He comes out of the womb of flesh, and takes a mouthful of flesh at the breast.
His mouth is flesh, his tongue is flesh; his breath is in the flesh.
He grows up and is married, and brings his wife of flesh into his home.
Flesh is produced from flesh; all relatives are made of flesh.
When the mortal meets the True Guru, and realizes the Hukam of the Lord's Command, then he comes to be reformed.
Releasing himself, the mortal does not find release; O Nanak, through empty words, one is ruined. 1

Sabad is on Panna 1289.

Thanks for Patience!

2007-03-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

I must say, I have been writing quite intense blogs lately. They typically don't go with my personality, as I am very goofy and always ready to laugh kindaa person. These days, my new amusement is this stick shift car I have started driving. Lets just say, I just can't drive it. More than the car grinding the road, I grind my teeth to change the gears. The worst is when the car starts going back while on red light and I have to some how manage not to panic and stay calm and operate that machinery. One of these days, I won't surprised if while driving the stick comes in my hand, hopefully I won't literally break it.
But for now, I have two huge signs on back of the car - "New on Manual Car, Thanks for Patience!"

In that car, I can sure vouch that I won't get caught for speeding, but I sure will get a ticket or will get towed for driving slow...haha!

Sampuran Amrit!

2007-03-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

Many times I have heard people saying that they are not ready for taking Amrit yet or they still want to practice living in rehit and then take this step of committing themselves as Gurus Sikhs.
I am not sure, how does SGPC, Damdami Taksaal or AKJ or various other institutions define Amrit and Sikh. But this simple relation between Sikh and his Guru has been complexed to the fullest. Amrit is not merely a ceremony where one is given "Amrit" by the Panj Pyara, but a step where we as a Sikh bow towards our Guru and Satguru and with complete faith submit to the simple fact - that there is GOD! We submit to the existence of this power and promise to ourself that from now on we will live according to the will of Satguru (God).
But offcourse, this journey of merely accepting the simple fact that God exist and that "I" shall surrender my "I" and look and find "him" in everyone is different.
How can you say that I am not ready for Amrit? Are you saying that you don't believe in God? Or are you saying that your still not living in rehit? Whats rehit then?
For bhagat rehit is LOVE! As an "Amritdhari" myself, I can easily say that there have been numerous occassions when I have not loved god (followed rehit), but I accept the fact that I shall never be "sampuran" (complete in living my rehit), till the time there is no love!
Often we get caughtup between different types of rehit, what to eat and what to wear and how to act, so people can consider us saintly...but the question at the end of the day still exist - Have I submitted to that power yet?!
I can take amrit, not take amrit or retake amrit and still never be rehitvaan ever my life, if I don't understand that submission and love is the only rehit Guru ask for!
You will never be sampuran without Guru or without submitting your head towards the Guru. No amount of pratice of reading Japji will or can make us learn Love...only Gurprasad can!

So, as Guru Sikh lets ask Guru to make us Sampuran (complete), not merely by following rehit or doing a 2 hours nitnem or by shunning things that are bad for us, but by having in our hearts the love!

The well learnt man is not the well read, well travelled, well cultured, but a man who is not stubborn!
So now the question comes when shall I or You leave our stubborness behind and bow towards Guru!? When?

Reply by Anonymous -- Worth reading!

The real Rehat is the inside Rehat – internal compliance, the compliance of Panj Doots – to win over the Panj Doots – to win over Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Ahankaar, the real compliance is to diminish all your desires, because these are the mental sicknesses and drive your mind, body and soul. So the real compliance is to have a control over your mind, win over your mind, replace your mind with the Param Jyot Puran Parkash – Nirgun Saroop of Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Pita Parmesar Ji, the real divine compliance is the Puran Sachyari Rehat of Hirda – and turn your Hirda to a Puran Sachyara Hirda and fill it with Amrit – and all divine qualities and make it a Sant Hirda. The real divine pilgrimage is the internal divine pilgrimage resulting in complete transformation of mind soul and body – when your mind is replaced by Param Jyot, your soul becomes as pure and pious as God himself and your body gets filled with Amrit on a continuous basis. The real divine Rehat is the Rehat of Atam Rus Amrit on a continuous basis, Akhand Kirtan – Rom Rom Naam Simran – Panch Shabad Anhad Naad on a continuous basis. Everything else is false and has no value at all.Dhan Dhan Dassam Patshah Ji Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji has very kindly given us this divine wisdom about the internal compliance – Anderlee Rehat – Atam Rus Jeh Jaanye So Hi Khalas Dave – Puran Jyot Jagey Ghat Mey Tab Khalas Tahi Nakhalas Janey;The Atam Rus Rehat is obtained – by reaching the internal compliance of Panj Doots and desires, by becoming a Sant Hirda, by becoming a Puran Sachyara Hirda – and bringing in all the divine qualities – by earning the Akhand Kirtan- Panch Shabad Anhad Naad and Rom Rom Naam Simran, with Puran Jyot Parkash inside the Hirda and becoming one with the Almighty, merging in to the Nirgun Saroop of Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Pita Parkmesar Ji, by winning over your mind and winning over the Maya and going beyond three attributes of Maya – Rajo, Tamo and Sato – Trihu Gun Tey Parey.Only Gurbani is Gurmat and nothing else, only Gurbani is the Gurmat and not any manmade rules, only Gurbani is Gurmat everything else is Munnmat or Sansarik Matt ot Durmat.

Aukhad Naam

2007-02-26T11:35:00.000-06:00

They say after a while musician doesn't need the instruments that at somepoint gives him immense frustration while he or she is learning them. They become master of their god given talent so much that they don't need instruments to keep them in sur, such is constant beating of a person in human life. Like a coconut, God beats the stubborn minded people like this too, he gives them something to get frustrated from and out of that frustration comes out the Nectar, just like the coconut is broken. My point here is, that whatever frustrates you right now, at somepoint you will know you have progressed as soon as you become master of handling that!

"Haumai Deeragh Rog HainDaroo Bhi Eis Mahee!" - Ego is a disease but in that disease is the medicine that one is looking for in order to just merely understand how to live this life!

The early lovers often get frustrated when they don't get to see their beloved, then with time and sehaj (Patience) the love that they needed in physical sense become part of them so much that they don't see the need to even meet their lover in physical sense anymore. Because after so much immense frustration and pain, the solitude inside starts filling the emptiness and one becomes the master of thing called "love" the same thing that at some point gave the lover so much pain!

Now that is how Guru Nanak ends the Japji Sahib too --

jinee naam Dhi-aa-i-aa ga-ay maskat ghaal

Who have pondered on His name, and have departed after putting in toil;

Even naam has a price and it is achieved only by those that go through "maskat ghaal " hard times in physical world. Naam is not cheap and you may find someone to love in physical sense, but in order to understand Naam, one has to pay the price. But for bhagats that price means nothing, cause what they see others don't!

In the end,
"naanak tay mukh ujalay kaytee chhutee naal. 1"

O' Nanak! their faces shall be bright and many shall be emancipated along with them.

When a Sikh ardaas for small or big things turn into a state of mind, where Sikh always says "Tera Bhanaa Methaa Lage" - Your will is sweet, Oh! Master, I guess then that Sikh truly learnt the meaning of Sikhi!

Complete Surrender!

2007-02-20T11:19:00.001-06:00

In this world, where every man or woman have agenda. Some are struggling to keep themselves alive while others for their children/family/loved ones. Only few are those that start from their homes every morning with no agenda! The few that say "that I shall go where Guru takes me, I shall meet those that my Satguru wants me too and I shall eat be what and how he makes me act!" We all have excuse to be who we are or rather what Akalpurakh wants us to be.
We act in his Razaa, we eat and breath in his, yet we think that things are totally in our control.
Anyways, sangat is only that speak the language of Guru.
Too many distraction in this worlds, too many of us wishing for something, too many of us unhappy about many many things, but only few those that are happy in every corner or shape in this world they are put under.
To break the bundle of "my agenda" would be the greatest of ritual I can do everyday. Where in my mind I tell myself..."dear mind! you know nothing, you are nothing, this world is a illusion yet you this small creature burdens itself with soo many wishes and wants"

"Walk as though you are being directed by Guru to be their, live amongst these loved ones thinking that they too are traveler of this small journey called life and attach yourself too only naam."
I have been in constant discomfort all my life and sometimes I think my mother's womb was probably the most warmest and safest place for me, but I hope I don't take this life too seriously and always remember that even though for me this life seems long - I may or may not live for next 20 years, yet for the creator who created me this life of mine only means fraction of the second...yet in this small time, I build my dreams, build my families, my ego, my body...without ever remember Satguru!
So Guru, give me the courage to destroy my own agenda's in life, give me the courage to always keep my face above the water of this "sea of life", where I always get to see or remember you, give me the courage to always rememeber that this world is an illusion and no matter what one may achieve, nothing will be permanent besides you!

Give me the courage to have only one agenda in life - and that's love for you!

True Environmentalist - Hariyaa Ho Bhai!

2007-02-14T12:20:00.000-06:00

True environmentalist starts from his or her own body. How can I save others, when I am thirsty from inside too. True environmentalist starts ploughing the fields of his or her body everyday and only when greenery comes from inside, the man hearts expands enough to give water to others. In selfishness man shrinks, through false knowledge and intellect, he or she builds the guards to keep people away from him. Deceptive superiority and ego, keeps him away from seeing love in his own and the heart starts shrinking. It shrinks and shrinks, till it starts beating no more! Hariya ho bhai - bring greenery in oneself, through Gurus virtues make this body and spirit one, so even till the end it serves as a giver.

isrIrwgu mhlw 3 ]
pMKI ibriK suhwvVw scu cugY gur Bwie ]
hir rsu pIvY shij rhY aufY n AwvY jwie ]
inj Gir vwsw pwieAw hir hir nwim smwie ]1]
mn ry gur kI kwr kmwie ]
gur kY BwxY jy clih qw Anidnu rwcih hir nwie ]1] rhwau ]
pMKI ibrK suhwvVy aUfih chu idis jwih ]
jyqw aUfih duK Gxy inq dwJih qY ibllwih ]
ibnu gur mhlu n jwpeI nw AMimRq Pl pwih ]2]
gurmuiK bRhmu hrIAwvlw swcY shij suBwie ]
swKw qIin invwrIAw eyk sbid ilv lwie ]
The soul-bird in the beautiful tree of the body pecks at Truth, with love for the Guru.
She drinks in the Sublime Essence of the Lord, and abides in intuitive ease; she does not fly around coming and going.
She obtains her home within her own heart; she is absorbed into the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. 1
O mind, work to serve the Guru.
If you walk in harmony with the Guru's Will, you shall remain immersed in the Lord's Name, night and day. 1Pause
The birds in the beautiful trees fly around in all four directions.
The more they fly around, the more they suffer; they burn and cry out in pain.
Without the Guru, they do not find the Mansion of the Lord's Presence, and they do not obtain the Ambrosial Fruit. 2
The Gurmukh is like God's tree, always green, blessed with the Sublime Love of the True One, with intuitive peace and poise.
He cuts off the three branches of the three qualities, and embraces love for the One Word of the Shabad.
Continued...!

Consequences Driven Behavior!

2007-02-09T06:06:00.000-06:00

I have talked about this on my previous post too. But talk is easier than walking on it. Often times even as Sikh, before calling ourselves a Sikh, deep down we all are humans and with that comes good part of human behavior, of having "dreams and hopes." But for a Sikh to live in Present is what Guru constantly ask for! Throughout our life, we humans dream. As a young girl, I dreamt about having a great career, having a great big wedding day (that with maturity became, nah! I want a simple wedding) and so on. And I am sure others too have or want their future certain way too.
When a mother is raising a kid, she in return want the best for them too and so she prepares her kids to go to Med school or apply for high wage jobs. And so, somehow our life is constantly entangled in either past (I often think childhood was so much better than being an adult) or future. So there is so little time we spend in present.
Present - free from all expectations of future, free from all the good and not so pleasurable memories of the past. A present where we live the life in serenity, not caring what or how things will turn out to be. But having this kind of behavior is hard. To believe in supreme power (Bhaugati) so much that we don't pile our life with burden to become something, rather be happy in what we are...! To just "Be", rather than "To Become!"
But by all this, I don't mean that man shouldn't constantly grow and learn. Offcourse we can learn and grow by staying in present, but this growth is not attached to any negative emotions - "What if I don't get that job?" or "What if things don't work out for me!" To eliminate that "What If" and stay in ourself as complete being is what Guru constantly tell us.
How ironical it is that we take life so much seriously not understanding at the first place, that God created and gave us that life, yet part of us constantly keeps telling us "it's my life" or "I need to take care of this for my life sake!" And in that constant "my-ness" (if that's really a word!) we endup doing things that hurt not only us, but people around us!
A woman drives her in-laws out (good ones offcourse..haha), just to feel emotionally abandoned by her husband. A husband cheats on his wife, only to realize the reason he cheated for was not worth it...a lover dreams about his love, only to find that love changed with time and immigrant works hard all his life for his family, only to feel isolated even amongst them.
"Dreams and Expectation" have made me take desperate measures (I will talk about me here), have made me frustrated, have made me angry and when I realized that there was nothing I could do to make things right for me (the things my mind thought that were right for me), then like a lost soldier I gave up! Such is called a consequences driven behavior.
I can sit here and give numerous examples of such beahavior. But my point is, "the talk" is easier than the "walk."
So I am just going to end with beautiful bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji-

soriT mhlw 9 ]
jo nru duK mY duKu nhI mwnY ]
suK snyhu Aru BY nhI jw kY kMcn mwtI mwnY ]1] rhwau ]
nh inMidAw nh ausqiq jw kY loBu mohu AiBmwnw ]
hrK sog qy rhY inAwrau nwih mwn Apmwnw ]1]
Awsw mnsw sgl iqAwgY jg qy rhY inrwsw ]
kwmu k®oDu ijh prsY nwhin iqh Git bRhmu invwsw ]2]
gur ikrpw ijh nr kau kInI iqh ieh jugiq pCwnI ]
nwnk lIn BieE goibMd isau ijau pwnI sMig pwnI ]3]11]

This Shabad is by Guru Tegh Bahaadur Ji in Raag Sorath on Pannaa 633

The Pledge!

2007-02-03T11:58:00.000-06:00

ਸਾਈ ਘੜੀ ਸੁਲਖਣੀ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ॥੧॥
Blessed and auspicious is that time, when one meditates in remembrance on the Lord's Name. 1

I think recently after Gurmustak Singh's made a post about making a pledge, two of my friends emailed me asking if I would like to participate in it. At that time, in excitement I said, "sure why not!" But I really haven't been able to keep the pledge, I do my Japji but just not at 5:00am in the morning. Though at somepoint I wanted to do it, but with new move and commute time (which almost constitute to 2 hours one way), it makes it not possible for me to do. And I don't want to push my Dehi (body) and give it so much pain and endup dosing off at work or something. Considering, I am almost out of home for 12 hours a day and by the time I come home and eat dinner it gets really late.
So I guess, dear brothers and sisters of mine, even though I became a part of the pledge, I shall ask for forgiveness from Guru and try my best to remember him always. While at work, or in the bus or at home.

Following Ones Heart!

2007-02-02T18:02:00.001-06:00

I do not know the difference between following my heart and being stubborn minded. There is always this constant confusion going on in my mind. When I am the slave of my Guru, I am in state where nothing seems to bother me. Consequences, fears, goals, career, life…everything just seem to become of no value. Cause I feel that God will take care of me. And then as soon as I come in my own body, I feel my heart. The heart that has hunger and in that hunger too, I fly like a bird, thinking that I will reach the skies one day. When I am following my heart, often times I feel a Tsunami inside me rising and wanting either everything “I want” or nothing at all.
Do you think hunger of a man is bad? Whether that hunger is of wisdom, knowledge, love or power? Why is it that there is constant voice going inside of me, telling me that I am not done yet…I need to keep walking more and more and more, till the time finally the body and heart stops. I might be sounding very confusing, but I don’t know often times what’s the difference between following ones heart and being stubborn minded?
God gave us mind to think, introspect and make decision and even though I try to make most of my decisions based on faith, that hand of faith will eventually take care of me, yet I am always in doubt.
I don’t know, but for now my constant battle is between me and my hunger for things…not necessarily things, but more about knowledge, wisdom, education.
There is one harkiran that sometimes wants nothing at all and then there is one that wants only what she wants…I don’t know which one is right direction. If a man eliminates their hunger, then there remains nothing humanly in them.
And if there in my heart, I let my hunger grow, I know I will eventually have to take care of that too. It’s the animalistic nature in a man that often makes them brutal and ruthless for things. In between, somehow we constantly need to do ardaas to give us light of knowing the difference between stubbornness and following ones heart.
Most of the time I don’t fear losing all…I almost have nothing left to lose anymore. What I fear the most is losing myself, my drive and spirit to be alive.
At some point fear drove me a lot, but eventually you get sick of fears too and tell yourself, “eh! I don’t care, bring it on!”.
Anyways, I recently made a very strong woman my friend…her name is Preetam Kaur. Somewhere in her emails, she wrote to me that she wishes to remain invisible…made me wonder…many enlighten souls in this world wish to remain “invisible”…even Baba Fareed wished to remain invisible, but man with no agenda and only love in his heart not very often remains invisible. In today’s world where all of us are shouting at eachother to make ourself feel understood and accepted, he was a soul that roam the jungles with love in his heart. And to calm our minds and souls, even till this day we read his Bani. Because, when he spoke, he spoke…not to get recognized, to feel accepted…but only out of love.
Such is power of love, it awakens the dead soul and even those souls that have lost innocence and walk with walls of intellects constantly surrounding them.