TRUE ESSENCE
Do we know what our essence is? Do we know who we truly are and what we long to become?
Before we were born into this world, as individuals, we were at one (੧) with our mothers, living in complete harmony with them. We were dependent on them for our life, obtaining vital nutrients and oxygen from them.
In the womb, our soul vibrates (Onkaaaar) with complete love of the True Name (Satnaam) of the One Creator (God/Kartar Purakh). We know no fear (Nirbhau), we were completely without hate (Nirvair). We were immersed in love with the Divine Will (Hukam) and we were in a state of ever rising optimism (Chardi Kala).
The soul is yearning for the blessed experience (Darshan) of the One who is beyond time and form (God/Akaal Moorath). The same One who is unborn (Ajoonee) and self-existent (Saibhunn). We are longing for the loving grace of the Enlightened Guru (Gurprasaad) to bring us from darkness to light.
When we are born into this world, we face many distractions that take us away from our true essence of connecting to the One we came from and who's light is inside every one of us. We build up a false identity (ego) which separates us from our true essence.
By the Guru's Grace we can sing the Naam (Name of God) with other blessed like-minded souls (Sadh Sangat) and our false identity (ego) is gradually reduced.
Guru Amardas Ji says, “The Gurmukhs shed their ego; attuned to the Naam, they find the true essence of peace.”
Vaheguroo!
GAME OF LOVE- FEAR!
FEAR!
So many of us are afraid and have some form of fear in our lives. We are afraid that we might lose our jobs, our house, our loved ones. We might have a phobia of spiders, heights or tight spaces.
Fear can help protect us from danger and drives us to action but often in this day and age, it is actually one of the biggest causes of stress and anxiety.
In particular, we fear the unknown because we obsess over the worst possible outcome that could come from it. Death is the ultimate unknown that we will all face. We try to hide and forget about death, not realising the deep anxiety this creates within us. Who is actually the one fearing death?
We are all One - the One is inside of every living creature and surrounding all of us, as we are just a drop of water out of the ocean.
So how can the One possibly fear itself? How can one drop of the ocean be afraid of another drop of the ocean? If God is inside of us, then only the ego can be fearing death. The ego is what separates us from God. When we conquer our ego, we can conquer death and all of our fears. Conversely, the more we fear, the further away we feel from God.
Removing fear by itself is very difficult because it is so engrained in our lives. Facing up to our fears and seeking to expose and understand them can help. However one of the best ways is to replace fear with love. Where there is love, there is no place for fear. Love allows us to embrace the Will (Hukam) of Vaheguru without any doubt or anxiety. When we love Vaheguru, we can truly know Vaheguru. We cannot fear what we know therefore we do not fear.
When we are able to see both pain and pleasure in life as One and the same, we overcome our fears and anxieties. We embrace the Hukam and we merge with the One. When we are merged with the One, we cannot even die and fear cannot touch us.
ਭੈ ਭਉ ਭਰਮੁ ਖੋਇਆ ਗੁਰਿ ਪੂਰੈ ਦੇਖਾ ਸਭਨੀ ਜਾਈ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥
Fear, dread and doubt have been dispelled by the Perfect Guru; now, I see God everywhere. ||2||
Guru Granth Sahib Ji - 107 Guru Arjan Dev Ji Raag Maajh
Vaheguroo!
GAME OF LOVE- TWO DEVOTEES
TWO DEVOTEES
There was a Saint who had two devotees. He loved them both equally. He sent them to walk to a village quite far. He asked them both to take a sack with them. He filled one of the sacks with food and clothing and said to the devotee, "Distribute these along the way to anyone you feel is in need." He gave the other devotee an empty sack, he said "Whatever you like and find useful on the way, put it in the sack and keep it."
They both set off. The devotee with the empty sack was speeding ahead and he found many valuables along the way. He found a brick made from gold, then he found another gold brick. He went on finding many materialistic and valuable items, which he thought would support him along the way. His sack was getting heavier and heavier and he was beginning to slow down. Eventually he had to stop without reaching his destination.
The other devotees sack was getting lighter and lighter, as he found many in the need of clothes and food along the way. He distributed with a loving and compassionate heart and reached his destination perfectly on time.
Moral
If we give to people, it will make us happy, them happy and most of all God happy. If we go on collecting materialistic items and lose the values and virtues of life, we will struggle within and and out. We will never be content but in reality, we will want more.
It's not just materialistic wealth we can give to others. The most powerful wealth to give is love, patience, tolerance, compassion, truth and contentment. Teach the world about these virtues and watch the world become a more loving place.
Vaheguroo!
GAME OF LOVE- PURIFYING ALL!
PURIFYING ALL!
Guru Arjun Dev Ji tells us that God purifies the sinners in an instant and cures all diseases.
What is a sinner? And what disease are we talking about? Is there really such thing as a sinner?
Many of us can fall! The mind is weak! When we become a slave to this desire filled mind and it begins to control us, this is the sin Guru Ji is talking about. When we want to taste worldly pleasures but not want to experience spiritual ras (taste), this is polluting the mind and making it much, much more difficult to purify it.
We fall at the feet of the great warriors lust, anger, attachment, greed, jealousy, slander, hatred and egotism. We feel they are going to give us something special. This something special only lasts an instant. It is only a temporary pleasure. It does not remain with us forever. It does not keep us in high spirits or happy for this life or the here after.
This is the disease Guru Sahib Ji is talking about. The disease of the negative mind is a killer. It never lets us settle. It controls us in which ever way it wants to. When are we going to recognise its entity and start to control and guide it in the way we think is best (spiritually). We need to stop becoming a slave to this worldly, desire filled mind and let the True Guru guide us through the most powerful warriors of Gurshabad (Guru's word), love, truth, compassion, contentment, tolerance, service to all (seva) and patience.
In this Shabad, Guru Ji goes on to say, if I control this polluted mind through meditating on God's name, not only will I be saved but all my friends and companions will also be blessed in the Gate of Truth (sachkhand).
Guru ji says, I spoke to like minded people, who had a saintly state of mind and after doing so, my sexual desire, anger and greed had been eradicated.
Guru Nanak goes on to say, I can not praise this faith anymore. I have no words to describe its purity and love so I go on to say, please bless me with the dust of the pure ones and God. I am a sacrifice to the Guru and God.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "Ab hum rakhanhaar chithaaria. Now, I contemplate and meditate on the Lord, the Saviour lord.
Patit puneeth keeay Khin bhuithar, sagla rog bidhaaria.
He purifies sinners in an instant, and cures all diseases."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- WEAK MINDS
WEAK MINDS
If you found out there was a package waiting for you at your local train station; It had £200,000 in it for you but part of the deal was you had to be there washed and ready promptly at 2am to receive it. How many of us would be there?
If you say yes to the above analogy and you struggle to wake up at Amritvela (early morning meditation), that means we have more love for money than Sikhi, Guru Ji and Naam.
Our mind is very weak. It tends to sell its self to the mind's desires. It's the desires of the mind, which will halt our progression towards achieving our goal towards liberation and becoming humble, loving, virtuous human beings.
A boy says to a man, he wants happiness. The man replies, "Remove 'I,' that is your ego. Remove 'want,' that is your desire. Then only happiness remains."
'I' is only killed through conquering the mind’s thoughts and desires through Naam meditation.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji Says, "They act out their minds desires, but they do not understand the Lord, and so they are ruined."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- MEDITATION & SCIENCE
MEDITATION & SCIENCE
The beauty is Guru Sahib Ji revealed the below 550 years ago, but we won't listen to Guru Ji. For some reason it makes more sense when it comes from others!
It turns out meditating is good for more than just quiet time: It can actually help us fight the cripplingly high stress levels we experience during our busy lives, in the office or elsewhere.
November 7, 2014: Scientists from Harvard University and the University of Sienna, recently found that meditation is so powerful it can change the physiology of a person's brain, resulting in positive changes like a decrease in anxiety and depression.
The science: Scientists put 24 participants with no history of meditation through an eight-week course on best practices for, "mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR)," fancy science talk for meditation. The course consisted of 2.5 hour sessions each week where participants learned "body scanning, sitting meditation, walking meditation and mindful stretching movements." The scientists also requested each participant perform at least 45 minutes of meditation each day. MRIs were performed before and after the meditation boot camp, and each participant answered a series of psychological evaluations to determine their stress and anxiety levels before and after the MBSR course as well.
The team compared these results to a control group who went through no meditation training at all during the eight weeks.
The comparison demonstrated "an increase of cortical thickness in the right insular lobe and somatosensory cortex" of the meditation group. In layman's terms, meditation made parts of the brain corresponding to emotion and perception thicker. This ultimately resulted in "a significant after-training reduction of several psychological indices related to worry, state anxiety, depression and alexithymia."
So ultimately, meditation made people more emotionally attuned and less depressed — a pretty good argument to spend time solemnly reflecting each day.
The takeaway: We live in a society where depression, anxiety, and stress are increasingly part of our lives. Stress levels among Americans have risen by up to 30%, and it's not much better in Europe or Asia, where anxiety and depression is growing at alarming rates. Instead of solving the root causes of these problems, Westerners are resorting to antidepressants at a higher rate than ever before. One in 10 Americans is now taking a prescription antidepressant.
Meditation, while not a panacea, can help us deal with such a society by decreasing our stress levels and increasing our abilities to emotionally relate to ourselves and others. And with further research, it could provide an alternative to being constantly doped to the gills in order to be happy (or just less sad).
Guru Ji gave us the answer to the above many years ago. If we want to live a depression/stress free life, we have to take to the True Guru. There's no other cure. 🙏
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "The True Guru has inspired me to hear the Treasure of meditation on Gods Naam (name); all my mental & physical illnesses have been dispelled."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- PLEASING OTHERS
PLEASING OTHERS
Life can be very tricky. We always need someone in our lives to rely on and for them always to be there for us, or even just to talk to. We do everything for those people! We please them as much as we can. We go to any extent and any level of extreme to make them happy.
This is very dangerous for any individual. We should never try and attach ourself to any human being. Doesn't matter who it is. Even if we think the person is very spiritual, we should still not attach ourselves to them. It's ok to take as much inspiration from anyone as possible but attachment to one causes emotional suffering.
Why do we please others? What do we want from them? What can they give us?
All of the above is what we desire. Desire is our ego. This is what our mind wants. Our mind wants this in order to be kept entertained. It thinks, if these people don't give me what I want, I will be miserably upset or others will look down on me.
We spend our entire life pleasing others, forming groups etc and go on upsetting others as we do so. Through all of this, we feel we have gained eternal happiness. We struggle to realise that we have not gained eternal happiness. We have actually loaded our self with more suffering.
What is the reason for this?
In the end no one is going to be there for you. It's just going to be our mind, body and soul. No one will be there to support us in the end. Not many stick and support us in major times of suffering, never mind when we leave this earth. Not many will except our pain and suffering. Most are only there for the happy times. All these wants, desires, pleasing others etc are a massive temporary measure. We create them to pull us through life happily. Even then they don't do the job correctly for us, as we always want more and want to please others further.
Many talk a big talk saying, "We are best friends and we'll be there til the very last breath." These are mere words for most to fill each other's void. When people move on they take their promises with them. This is the nature of the mind.
There are not many people in this world who keep their word and value true friendship in the way it should be valued. People can very easily replace you as a friend and many don't feel bad in doing so either. The reason for this is they have not recognised their own soul to even come anywhere close to recognising and truly loving anyone else's.
Only Naam meditation will truly support us in connecting with our soul and truly recognising all as one. Then we will begin to realise, we don't need to please others, we only need to please God, who will in return keep us loving, happy, content, truthful and ecstatic in this life and the spirit life.
Once the mind is balanced and conquered, emotions are child's play. The mind can live in whichever state it wants when controlled by Naam meditation.
So guys, don't please others, only please your Guru and see how your life changes for the better. Guru Ji will not let his children down.
"If you live for people acceptance, you will die from their rejection." Lecrae.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "Meeting the True Guru, all my sufferings have ended, and the Peace of the Lord has come to dwell within my mind.
The Divine Light illuminates my inner being, and I am lovingly absorbed in the One."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- ALIKE
ALIKE
"They for whom praise and abuse are alike, for whom iron and gold are a like... Know that they are truly free".
Guru Teghbahadur Ji 1621-1675
Take the good with the bad. If you do not get overly proud because of praise or overly unhappy from criticism, then you have understood how to manage the mind. This way, you will avoid anguish and continually feel solace.
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- REMAIN AWAKE!
REMAIN AWAKE!
"Awake is the life of those who know love. Say goodbye O Goya, to the dawn of sleep".
Bhai Nand Lal Ji 1673-1713
Love is spirituality. Only through sincere love can you fully experience the various realms and states of spirituality.
For the religious, this means sincere love for God and God’s creation. This love for God is the essence of all faith.
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- WIND!
WIND!
The wind is blowing
through every home.
Some windows are broken,
whilst others
Remain closed.
The manmukhs (mind followers) look outwards
at the homes of others.
Surveying the damage
their foundations feel stronger.
But only a fool
looks at others.
Opening their windows,
they invite the wind.
The Gurmukh locks
the latches tight,
sitting within
so far from the wind.
The wind is blowing
through every home.
Some windows are broken
whilst others
remain closed.
Look within yourself, don't look outside, you will suffer. Live by practicing Guru Ji's teachings and you will remain untouched.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji says, "The hot winds do not even touch those who are protected by their Guru."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- LIFE!
LIFE!
Bhagat Kabir Ji once went to a village, where he met a young friend. Bhagat Ji said with love, "Naam Japla!" (meditate on Vaheguroo's name). The young boy said, "I'm only young, these are my days to enjoy myself."
Bhagat ji came back to the village 25 years later, saw the same boy and said, "Naam Japla!" This time the man quietly uttered, "My kids are young! I want to see them grow old and support them, I'm too busy with life."
Bhagat ji came back to the village many years later, sees the same man and says, "Hun ta Naam Japla" (come on, mediate now). The man, who is still not bothered responds, "What is the point now, I can't see with my eyes, I'm deaf from the ears, my body is shaking. I can't physically do it."
Bhagat Ji comes back to the village two years later and sees a bull In the village. He approaches the bull and says, "Hun Japla" (what about meditating now). The bull lowers his head and a tear drops from his eyes. The bull was the same man reincarnated.
We spend all our lives making excuses, running away from faith and spirituality (our only true support in life). We'll never know, when we will breathe our last breath.
Sikhi is ecstasy, love and bliss. Please don't waste any more years of your life.
Guru Ji wants young energetic Sikhs, who are focussed and have immense energy to spread the treasure of Guru Ji's wisdom.
Become that sikh!
Bhagat Kabir ji says in the same shabad, "When the summons come from Vaheguroo (God), the mortal departs leaving behind his wealth and mansions."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- AMRIT (baptism)
AMRIT (baptism)
Before the birth of Dr. Surinder Singh, Subedar Harbachan Singh and Mata Tej Kaur had given birth to ten children but all ten died very young.
Dr. Sahib’s mother was a very Gurmukh (blessed) soul and despite all her children dying, she remained firm in her Sikh faith. If she ever felt sadness, she would go before Sree Guru Granth Sahib Ji in total humility and express her deepest feelings and then after, would accept Guru Sahib’s hukam (command) and be satisfied. Sometimes though, she would ask her husband how long this difficult time would last? Why all her children would die? Gurmukh Piaaray (Guru’s beloved) Bhai Harbachan Singh would say that the children born in their home were bhagats (saints) from their last lives. They would take birth only to receive amrit and then, when they were blessed by Guru Sahib, they would leave for SachKhand (highest state of spiritual truth). For this reason, he said, she should not feel sad.
We have to accept the blessed nectar of Guru Ji's Amrit to be liberated. Without it, we will suffer in reincarnation.
Amrit Kirtan states, "The 1st discipline of a sikh is to accept the Guru's Amrit."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- DEVILS WORKSHOP!
DEVILS WORKSHOP!
A man went to the market and he sees a stall with no products on it. He asks the stall holder, "What are you selling?" The stall holder says, "I'm selling something which will change your life. They are invisible ghosts, who will do all your work, free of charge. Anything you need done, housework, cleaning, DIY, cooking, driving.. Anything, this ghost will do it for you."
The man was shocked and said, "Wow, I have so many things which need doing at home. I could do with this ghost, how much does it cost?"
"It's free" said the stall holder, "However, there is a catch. Make sure you keep it busy, because if it has nothing to do, it will kill you." The man was worried but was sure he could keep the ghost occupied. He took it home and set it doing different things. The ghost would do them in a flash and await the next command.
The man carried on giving the ghost chores. However, the ghost was finishing them so fast that the man became worried.
He turned to his wife and said, "What shall I do? Soon the ghost will be idle and kill me." His wife said, "Just put this ladder against the side of the house and tell the ghost to keep climbing up and down it. Then, when you need the ghost for something, just call it and when that job is done, send it up and down the ladder again." The man was relieved and was able to keep the ghost busy.
The ghost is our mind... When it is occupied or engaged in work, it doesn't head towards the panj chor and Paap (5 evils of the mind).. But, when left idle, it will destroy us. An idle mind is the devils workshop (behlaa mann, shehtaan da ghar). So just like this man, we must keep our mind engaged in the routine of Naam meditation, Gurbani (reading Guru's words) and Seva (selfless service up and down the ladder). Keep that going and keep yourself busy and the mind doesn't have time to concoct or build any weapons to damage you with. In this way, the mind finds happiness, joy, balance, true love, peace and contentment and dwells in the fourth and highest state of Sehj (truth, tranquility and bliss).
Guru Nanak Dev Ji says, "The intellect of the mind is like a drunken elephant."
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- COMPANY!
COMPANY!
"Saintly people continually peck at the divine name, like swans pecking at pearls in the ocean."
Guru Amardas Ji 1479-1574
The company of saintly and good people is sought by all. Seek the company of those who make you feel happy, comfortable and peaceful. Soon, you will find that you become like them and enrich your own daily feelings and experiences.
Meditation on Naam is what develops saintly people. Guru sahib says, 'when we remember Vaheguroo with love, in single minded concentration, in that instants we become saintly.'
Saintly people never let go of the Naam, as they are aware it's only the naam that will purify their mind from negativity and guide them through this terrifying world ocean.
We will always become like our company, whether it's positive or negative, so it's very important we seek the company of like minded spiritual beings. Our sangat (company) will always pull us through in the end.
"The treacherous and terrifying world ocean is crossed over, in the boat of the saadh sangat (spiritual company)." Guru Arjun Dev Ji
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- THE SECRET WITHIN
THE SECRET WITHIN
There is a secret within us all. Many people search outside for those things that will answer their souls questions. However, contemplating on the innermost you and through sincere effort and blessing, you will find all the answers to your questions are found within.
We all ignore the fact that death can take us at any time. No one knows when they will breathe their last breath.
Lately, I have experienced many young deaths. There one minute and gone the next. We always think the elders will pass away first. We live as though we will never die. When our time comes, we will have to depart. Who can save us from leaving this body, when death calls. No one will be able to come anywhere near to help us.
We spend most of our life studying, working, saving money, buying land, buying many houses, buying many cars and living luxurious life styles. When our time is up, none of this is going with us. We will leave it all behind. We put our mind and body through so much stress and pressure to earn all we have, yet it will all be left behind. We will not even get the space of a bathroom in the house we spent many years earning for.
Guru sahib ji says, 'We have a life valued as a diamond, yet we waste it for mere shells.'
The secret within is Gur Amrit Naam. Meditation on this Naam is the only substance which will fulfil our soul and answer all our minds desires. Through this Naam we will be blessed with respect, love and knowledge of this world and the spirit world.
Naam, Gurbaani and the loved blessings (asseesaa) of Gursikhs, is the only gem which will support our soul on the other side.
"Deep within the self is the secret, but the fool looks for it outside."
Guru AmarDas Ji 1479-1574
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- IMMOVABLE FAITH!
IMMOVABLE FAITH!
This story took place a few years ago. A sikh soldier was celebrating the martyrdom of Guru ArjunDev ji. He was meditating on Vaheguroo's name, whilst preparing and serving langar (food). Just then, a Hindu officer approached the soldier and very rudely asked, "What are you doing here?" The soldier explained the story of Guru ArjunDev Ji's martyrdom with great love.
The Hindu officer very rudely spoke for the second time and said, "How is this possible? No human can sit on a burning hot plate." The officer continued being very rude and kept questioning the soldier. He kept saying, 'This is a joke, it can not be true.'
The soldier got very upset in listening to this and went and sat on a burning hot plate, where the langar (food) was being prepared. When witnessing this, the officer burst out in to tears and quickly rushed to get the soldier off the plate. He fell at his feet and repeated, "You Sikhs are amazing people. Your faith is immovable! You are very pure at heart and you can not accept the disrespect of your Guru." The soldier lifted the officer and embraced him with a hug.
If we have faith in Guru ji, nothing will come near us. Guru ji will always be our saviour and protect us. Gain your faith in Guru Ji!
"The hot winds do not even touch those who are protected by their Guru."
Guru ArjunDev Ji 1563-1606
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- IGNORANCE!
IGNORANCE!
"The shabad (Vaheguroo) dispels the spiritual ignorance within and through the True Guru, one finds peace."
Guru Amardas Ji 1479-1574
One morning, when our new teacher of 'Introduction to the Rights' entered the classroom, the first thing he did was to ask the name of a student seated on the front bench:
“What is your name?”
“My name is Harjan, Sir.”
“Leave the classroom immediately and I don't want to ever see you in my class again!” screamed the teacher.
Harjan was bewildered but, when he got hold of his senses, he got up quickly, collected his belongings and left the classroom.
All were scared and angry but none did or said anything.
“Well…,” said the new teacher, “whom do the enacted Laws serve?”
We were all afraid but slowly gained confidence and began to answer his questions.
“So that there is order in society”.
“No!” the teacher responded.
“To accomplish them."
“No!”
“So that the people who wrong others pay for their actions?”
“No! Does nobody here know the answer to this question?"
“So that there is justice,” a girl said timidly.
“At last! That’s it... so that there is justice! And now, what is the use of justice?”
All began to feel uneasy with such a rude attitude but followed on answering:
“To safeguard human rights...”
“Well, what more?” asked the teacher.
“To differentiate right from wrong... to reward the good...!”
“Ok... not bad, however,... answer this: Did I act rightly when expelling Harjan from the classroom earlier…?”
All were quiet, nobody answered.
“I want a decisive and unanimous answer!”
“No!" we all replied in unison.
“Would you say I committed injustice?”
“Yes!”
“And why did nobody do or say anything about that then? Why do we have or need Laws and Rules, if we don't have the will needed to practice them? Each and every one of you has the obligation to complain when you witness injustice. Remember, each and every one of you! Do not stay quiet… never again! Now go and call Harjan back,” he said staring at me.
That day, I received the most practical lesson ever in my entire Law course.
When we don't defend our Rights, we lose our dignity, and dignity is never negotiable! Guru’s Sikhs should never turn a blind eye! They should always remain righteous! Don't tolerate others being mistreated in front of you! This is the true nature of a spiritual Gursikh!
"This dark age is the knife and the kings are the butchers, righteousness has sprouted wings and flown away." Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- THE TRUE KING!
THE TRUE KING!
One day, a passerby saw a homeless man on the roadside. He stopped for a moment to hand him some loose change and casually said "God bless you, my friend".
"I thank God," said the homeless man, "I am never unhappy."
"What do you mean?" the passerby asked.
"Well," he said, "when the sun is out, I thank God. When it rains, I thank God. When I am full, I thank God and when I am hungry, I thank God. And, since God's will is my will, and whatever pleases Him pleases me, why should I say I am unhappy when I am not?"
The man looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am a King," said he.
"Where, then, is your Kingdom?" asked the man.
"In my heart." The homeless man replied.
Through contentment we find peace and happiness. Money and materialistic pleasures do not always make us happy. Many are left sad through them. When one has faith in Vaheguroo and realises he/she is in control, this is when one feels the true love, peace and happiness within.
Faith strengthens our character and we become untouchable through it. Guru Ji resolves all our affairs, when we put all our faith in to him.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "Raajaa ra(n)k karai khin bheethar neecheh joth dhharee."
He turns the king into a beggar in an instant, and He infuses splendor into the lowly.
Meditate forever on Vaheguroo (God).
Why should I feel worry or anxiety, when I am here for only a short time.
You are my support, O my Perfect True Guru; my mind has taken to the protection of Your Sanctuary.
Nanak, I am a foolish and ignorant child; reach out to me with Your hand, God, and save me.
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- RESPECTING OUR PARENTS!
RESPECTING OUR PARENTS!
"Jo maathaa pithaa dhee aagiaa naama(n)nae so bhee thanakhaaheeaa."
One who does not show respect to the wishes of their parents will be punished.
Rehatnama Bhai Chaupaa Singh Jee.
It's very important that we respect our parents! Some parents are great and they do earn alot of respect from their children. On the other hand, there will be parents that are not as good and sometimes will be misleading and misguiding.
All the rehits (spiritual rules) are given to the faithful Sikh to obey. There is always a perfect motive behind the rehit being given to us.
A Practicing Sikh, is supposed to be a kind, loving, patient, caring, compassionate and a truthful human being. It doesn't matter how nasty our parents are, as this doesn't give us an excuse to disrespect them. We may not do as they say, if they ask us to do something which goes against our beliefs but this gives us an opportunity to guide, help and teach them. There is no need for a practicing Sikh or any patient individual to be nasty and extremely disrespectful to their parents. This goes against all spiritual disciplines and definitely against the spiritual teachings of Guru Sahib Ji.
We need to remember, most these parents raised us, nurtured us, educated us and most of all brought us in to this world with the blessings of Guru Ji.
So, before we are nasty and disrespectful to maybe a parent that is not as caring, let's think about everything they have previously done for us. Let's think about our mind set! How can we improve it? How can we help them? How can we support them? How can we guide them? And most of all, how can we be patient and accept the negative within them? if there is any.
The above can only be achieved, if we are taking our spiritual guidance from Guru Ji and remembering Vaheguroo's name with every breath. This will purify our deluded mind and raise our spiritual awareness to become more loving, accepting, tolerating and patient human beings.
Guru Ramdas Ji Says, "Kaahae pooth jhagarath ho sa(n)g baap || jin kae janae baddeerae thum ho thin sio jhagarath paap."
O son, why do you argue with your father? It is a sin to argue with the one who fathered you and raised you.
Vaheguroo!
Game of love- OCCUPATION!
OCCUPATION!
"Jih bidhh rehath n naas hoe soee ttehil kamaaei."
The Sikh should only hold that post which does not counteract on their Rehat.
Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh.
Which Rehit (code of conduct) is Bhai Sahib Ji talking about here? The answer is always, both! The physical, outwardly rehit is just as important as the internal, spiritual discipline. The simple answer is, any form of occupation in which stops the Sikh from keeping the panj kakaar (5Ks) or any of the other physical disciplines we keep, is a no no. Any job which takes us away from Vaheguroo's name is also not the best occupation to have.
This is a very tricky subject. It also depends on the individual, as to what they want to take away from Sikhi. Bhai Sahib Ji and Gurbaani have made it very clear, that any occupation which affects the Sikhs spiritual and physical rehit, should not be taken.
So what do we as individuals want out of life? Do we want to be liberated? Do we want to have Darshan (vision of Guru Ji)? Do we want to become one with Vaheguroo? If the answer is yes to all these questions, then we all most certainly know how to attain it. It's only through sincere devotion of Guru Ji's name.
Are we willing to listen to our Guru or only listen to certain parts?
One could argue, we need professional Sikhs in every field to help the panth grow spiritually, morally, socially and politically.
Is there a right or wrong answer?
If we are living our jivan (life) according to Gurbaani, then their is only one right answer. And that is, when the Name of Vaheguroo leaves our heart, breath and mind, we suffer. At that point we are as good as dead. At that point we are thinking evil and negative thoughts. At that point, we are separated from our beloved Vaheguroo. At that point Guru Sahib Ji says, "we were better off dying in our mothers womb."
If we take up the true occupation of Guru Ji's name, then no worldly affair will be able to affect our mind set. Guru Ji will always give us everything we need to get through life. Most of all, our mind, body and soul will be at peace and content.
The reality is, we lack faith in Guru Ji and think we are in control. When our faith is pure and powerful in Guru Ji, then Guru Ji will turn the face of the earth for us to succeed, just as he did for Bhagat Naamdeyv Ji.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji Says, "Rae man ttehal har sukh saar || avar ttehalaajhoot(h)eeaa nith karai jam sir maar."
O mind, true peace comes from serving the Lord. Other services are false, and as punishment for them, the Messenger of Death bashes in one's head.
Vaheguroo!
