Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/ Sikh philosophy network is resource on sikh sikhi sikhism sikh religion traditions discussion forum and intellectual articles on sikh philosophy and gurbani downloads en Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:07:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/images/makemoney/misc/rss.jpg Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/ Does the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji Actually Mention God? http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29610-does-sri-guru-granth-sahib-ji.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:58:44 GMT All this talk on Atheism, has got me thinking. Does the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji actually mention the word God, or does it actually just mention something else. Not God as in the Semitic concept. ... All this talk on Atheism, has got me thinking. Does the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji actually mention the word God, or does it actually just mention something else. Not God as in the Semitic concept.

For example, the first few lines of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji describe "God" as:

Sat - Truth
Akaal Moorat - beyond space and time
Even Ek Onkaar - does not even mean God strictly! ]]> Sikh Sikhi Sikhism Randip Singh http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29610-does-sri-guru-granth-sahib-ji.html Inter-Faith conference drew religions together in Allen (Slideshow) (Plano Courier) http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/29607-inter-faith-conference-drew-religions-together.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:01:06 GMT In Allen on Saturday, followers of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and other faiths gathered for the Inter-Faith conference at the mosque on Hedgcoxe on the city line between Allen and Plano. ... In Allen on Saturday, followers of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and other faiths gathered for the Inter-Faith conference at the mosque on Hedgcoxe on the city line between Allen and Plano.

More... ]]> Sikh News Sikh News Reporter http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/29607-inter-faith-conference-drew-religions-together.html Orion Nebula In 3D Will Take Your Breath Away (PHOTO, VIDEO) http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/scitech/29606-orion-nebula-3d-will-take-your.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:33:20 GMT














Orion Nebula In 3D Will Take Your Breath Away (PHOTO, VIDEO)



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/hubble-3d-orion-nebula-in_n_505927.html

Hubble 3D, an IMAX film released by NASA and which premieres in select cities today, adds a whole new dimension to space.



The movie will feature some of the Hubble telescope's most famous and breathtaking images like the Eagle Nebula's 'Pillars of Creation' or the Orion Nebula. These 2D images have been 'converted into 3D environments' to simulate for moviegoers the experience of actually touring inside starscapes.



A still from the movie offers a glimpse of the detail and perspective offered by the 3D experience.


The photo below is a still from Hubble 3D's four-minute virtual tour of the 15-lightyear-wide Orion Nebula. The three-dimensional model was built using Hubble images from 2006. It was a collaborative effort involving the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.


See more incredible Hubble on the Huffington Post here. Check out the trailer for Hubble 3D below.


Forwarded by forum member Tejwant Singh Malik ji
Attachments - Sikh Philosophy Network
 
]]> SciTech Narayanjot Kaur http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/scitech/29606-orion-nebula-3d-will-take-your.html The Burden of Proof: How Atheism Has Adopted a Worldview That Science Never Intended http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/29605-burden-proof-how-atheism-has-adopted.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:22:35 GMT *The Burden of Proof: How Atheism Has Adopted a Worldview That Science Never Intended (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-schrei/the-burden-of-proof-how-a_b_504667.html) * ... The Burden of Proof: How Atheism Has Adopted a Worldview That Science Never Intended

"The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. We are like a little child entering a huge library. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written these books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. But the child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books---a mysterious order which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects."[/I] --

Albert Einstein
"To simply dismiss the concept of God as being unscientific is to violate the very objectivity of science itself." --Werner Van Braun
Over the last six or seven centuries, western science has worked miracles -- no play on words intended. The light that science has shed on the mechanics of our universe, the advancements in medicine that have been achieved, and the phenomenal innovations of technology have literally shaped every aspect of our modern world. And so it is easy to see why faith, whose blindest adherents have caused a great deal of suffering over the last two thousand years, is often questioned by those who hold science in its due regard.

Of the hundreds of comments on the fallibility of religion that my last article on Huffington Post garnered, most of them fall into three categories: (1) Organized religion has done terrible things. (2) There is no value in religion (or for that matter in spirituality) other than fulfilling some primal biological need or superstitious fear. (3) There is nothing "provable" about religion, and until something has been proven, it is wrong, or stupid, or narrow-minded (insert adjective here) to believe in it.

This article is not a response to the many atheists who simply do not believe in God and leave it at that, it is a direct response to these three common points.

You won't get an argument from me on the fact that terrible things have been done in the name of religion. From the historical horrors of the inquisition to the systemic abuse scandals that have shaken religious institutions to their core, there are many religious structures that have a lot to answer for. There is also -- particularly in the Abrahamic faiths -- an inflexibility and resistance to reform. One would hope that it wouldn't even be necessary to debate whether the universe is more than 5,000 years old at this point, or whether people who love a member of the same sex are entitled to fair treatment.

As far as the value of religion, I will only touch on this briefly. I assume that most atheists, who are generally intelligent people, are smart enough to realize that standing from the sidelines and claiming that there is no value in something that they do not practice themselves is not a defensible position. Atheists obviously don't know the value of spiritual practice, because they don't experience its value. Its a bit like someone who has sat idle in front of a computer for most of their lives telling a soccer player that there's no value in soccer. Coming from a non-soccer player, the statement means absolutely nothing. There are 4 billion+ people in this world who practice some form of religion. They are not all -- every single one of them -- enslaved by fear or ignorance as some atheists seem to imply. Clearly many of them are getting some personal value out of it.

Of course there are those atheists who have seen the less savory effects of organized religion first hand, on their families and friends. Perhaps their atheism is a response to this. While this very personal choice to be atheist is understandable, care has to be taken when judging all religions and all religious people based on their own bad experiences. There are thousands of spiritual faiths in this world. There are vast differences between them, in philosophy and practice. And there is some tangible value to be found in most, if not all, of them.

For example, there is scientifically proven value to meditation, which comes from religious tradition. There are numerous studies that demonstrate the neurological benefits of prayer. There is value in the community that grows out of many religious faiths. There is value in the inspiration that many receive from their religions that keeps them striving in life and keeps them steadfast in difficult times. There is value in the humanitarian and charity work that most faiths participate in and encourage, and there is value in the ethical codes that most faiths offer. I also maintain that there is definable value in accepting, honoring, and bowing in humility before that which we do not understand, may never understand and that is greater than us.

Its well known that many of the world's greatest scientists were spiritual and saw the value in spiritual belief. Just as Einstein said that we exist in a library of books written by someone else, Max Planck, the founder of modern quantum theory, stated that science is able to measure the 'symbols' of the universe -- ie its physical structure, its laws, and its mechanics -- but that there is a greater spirit beyond the symbols that is immeasurable. He specifically called out atheists for placing too great an emphasis on the symbols and not on the spirit behind the symbols.

Planck regarded the scientist as a man of imagination and faith, 'faith' being akin to "having a working hypothesis."

Which leads us to last point, which is the sticking point. The matter of proof.

When and where, in the history of science, do our greatest scientists tell us that one should live their lives believing only in that which can be proven? Who of them has said that it is more 'intelligent' to accept nothing in life but modern western scientific proof?

The scientific method, of course, is the accepted way to validate theorems and forward scientific understanding. It is the mechanism through which scientific progress takes place. It allows us all the great advances of science and allows us a better understanding of the mechanics of our universe. But it is not necessarily meant to be a worldview in and of itself. The idea that if science hasn't proven it then it doesn't exist or it isn't worth believing in would be considered insufferably narrow-minded to most of the great scientists of history. If Einstein, or Bohr, or Planck, or Schroedinger were to witness the "Oh Yeah, Well Prove It!" attitude of many modern atheists, they would be the first to take them to school.

Historically, the people who cling to proof as an absolute barometer of truth and only accept the "proven" theorems of the day are inevitably the ones to be proven wrong when science validates the hunches, inspirations, and intuition of its forward thinkers. It is the same type of narrow-minded thinking that came from those who laughed at the notion that the world is round and who scoffed at the monk who posited that the universe was created in a 'big bang.' What is lost in this mindset is perspective on the history of human understanding and innovation that lives outside of -- and predates -- western science, the recognition of the value of human ways of knowing that exist outside of scientific method -- ie intuition and imagination, and a little humble perspective on the relatively minute place of western science in the vast history of this universe and of humankind.

The trails of scientific understanding are blazed by those of great imagination. Newton's gospel -- the laws of physics which bear his name -- were intuited first, proven later. John Maynard Keynes said: "Newton owed his success to his muscles of intuition. Newton's powers of intuition were the strongest and most enduring with which a man has ever been gifted." Freidrich Kekulé, the famed chemist, discovered the ring shape of the benzene molecule in a dream in which he was visited by the image of snake biting its own tail.

, the brilliant Indian mathematician who redefined mathematical analysis, number theory, and continued fractions, claimed he received his formulas through direct revelation from the goddess Namagiri. Einstein wrote that "the intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it Intuition or what you will, the solution comes to you and you don't know how or why".

For those of us who have made a lifetime of spiritual study, intuition tells us that there is a reason Erwin Schroedinger came to the conclusion that the writings of early Hindu mystics on the 'one self' and the Universal Mind were spot on. Intuition tells us that there is something to the 'Great Mystery' of the Lakota faith. There is a reason that Hindu mystics after studying, debating, and meditating over hundreds and hundreds of years came to conclusions about the nature of the universe that have been substantiated by modern physics. There is a reason the Sanskrit language has literally dozens of words that describe states of mental and spiritual cognition, intuition, and revelation, most of which are lost on our modern world. There is a reason that our greatest scientists from Planck to Schroedinger to Bohr to Einstein believed in a greater mystery or spirit beyond the provable mechanics of the physical universe.

Thomas Samuel Kuhn posited that scientific advancement happens in sudden paradigm shifts and that initial hypotheses inevitably weather periods of anomalies and doubt until ultimately being proven. The trajectory of science over the past few centuries has drawn us undeniably into the realm of mysticism and is leading us towards fundamental shifts in how we view consciousness. This is not to say -- as many pseudo-scientists have tried to -- that there is a one-one relationship between mysticism and physics. There isn't. But if someone had told the Oh Yeah Well Prove It crowd two centuries ago that everything in the universe is composed of the same essential matter, and that that matter is pure energy, and that that energy is in a constant state of flux and vibration, they would have cried heresy -- yet the Shaivites of Kashmir posited this in exact detail over a thousand years ago. If someone had told them that the fundamental building block of the universe plays what can only be called a cosmic joke on its observer by only appearing when it is observed and instead actually 'existing' only as probability, they -- in all probability -- would have been locked up.

I can imagine a conversation between a member of the Oh Yeah Well Prove It crowd and a Shaiva sadhu. The sadhu explains that, according to his worldview -- which is startlingly similar to Schroedinger's writings on 'One mind' -- there is one universal consciousness that we are all integrally part of, and that, in Schroedinger's words "Consciousness is a singular of which the plural is unknown. The plurality of beings is mere appearance; in reality they are all only aspects of the one being." The skeptic tells the sadhu flat out that his view is patently false because it hasn't been "proven", and then goes on to elaborate that in his world -- aka the word of modern western science -- it is possible for a cat in a box to be both dead and alive at the same time, objects can be two places at once, and time can in certain cases move backwards.

Who, in this scenario is "right?" Or, in the words of Werner Van Braun: "What strange rationale makes some physicists accept the inconceivable electron as real, while refusing to accept the reality of a Designer on the grounds that they cannot conceive of one?"

Scientific discovery -- especially at the sub-atomic level -- is bordering on the downright wacky, and yet somehow the skeptics of belief maintain that everything science proves is justified because... well, because scientists find proof for it, and everything that humans believed prior to modern science is invalid because modern science wasn't involved. Never mind that scientific "proof" changes every few years, that new theories replace old ones on a perennial basis, and that almost everything scientists believed about the history of the universe 200 years ago is now considered wrong. There is tremendous knowledge that has come out of spiritual tradition. And in many traditions, the role of science and spirituality -- that of discovery of the workings of the universe, was one and the same.

Fundamentally, there are other ways of knowing the universe than through empirical science. One can live in wonder -- as Carl Sagan said -- at the amazing findings of science and astronomy and still believe in and draw strength from that which we cannot immediately touch and feel.

Kuhn posited, as did Heisenberg, that science is never removed from subjectivity. At the end of the day, every system we have created for measuring our universe is colored by our perception, and even directly effected by it. Science is no exception. Objectively, we simply have no idea what exists beyond our limited sight. Just as paramecia cannot conceive of us, so we cannot conceive of what may exist in this infinitely vast and infinitely old universe. We have difficulty grasping four dimensions, yet physics tells us there may be ten, or thirteen, or even infinite dimensions. As many little tests and experiments as we run, we fundamentally do not know because we are operating within the confines of our very limited perception. Within this, to ridicule the existence of a greater mystery says more about the narrow-mindedness of the ridiculer than it does about the intelligence of the ridiculed.

Atheists I have received comments from have often spoken of the hubris of thinking the soul goes on forever (a concept which most eastern religions do not in fact believe as such). Is not the greatest hubris of all to believe that in all the vastness of this universe, the guys in lab coats on the third speck from the sun have a lock on the measurement of truth? Van Braun, the foremost rocket scientist of the 20th century whose genius made the US space program and the Apollo moon landing possible, was once quoted as saying: "My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?"

I do not write this to try to prove to the non-believer that some form of divinity exists or to try to convince them not to be atheists. I write it simply to encourage the free thinkers out there to drop some of the recently conceived notions about those who believe and allow for a little breathing room. Imagination, intuition, mysticism, meditation, and spiritual revelation are intrinsic to human beings, and through history have shed light on real and measurable truths. We do not live in a lab; we live in a cosmos that is a living breathing mythology. If you do not embrace the faiths and traditions that have been woven out of wonder at this cosmos, at the very least recognize that there is value in those traditions. And drop the burden of proof. ]]> Interfaith Dialogues Narayanjot Kaur http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/29605-burden-proof-how-atheism-has-adopted.html Rs 64,924 cr debt pushing Punjab towards financial bankruptcy’ http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/politics/29604-rs-64-924-cr-debt-pushing.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:24:50 GMT source: _http://www.dailypioneer.com/243505/‘Rs-64924-cr-debt-pushing-Punjab-towards-financial-bankruptcy’.html_... source:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/243505/‘Rs-64924-cr-debt-pushing-Punjab-towards-financial-bankruptcy’.html

Rs 64,924 cr debt pushing Punjab
towards financial bankruptcy’

Abhijit Prashar | The Daily Pioneer - Chandigarh - March 21, 2010

The staggering debt of Rs 64,924 crore and interest of Rs 5,764 crore owed to the Centre has been slowly pushing Punjab towards financial bankruptcy. Unless the Central Government either writes off this debt completely or restructures it, the State may not be able to stand on its own feet, feels Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

Speaking to The Pioneer, the Finance Minister said on how he intended to tackle the rising debt, “There are two aspects. One is, that almost Rs 6,000 crore was spent during terrorism on forces like Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and the like. This amount has been waived off by the Centre.”

Badal said, “Second important aspect is that Punjab for 10-12 years was run by Governors and no taxes were collected during this period of time. No annual plans were in place then and the State Government used to borrow money. And with this, Punjab was multiplying its debt with every passing year.”

He said, “Having said that, I am not blaming the financial advisors of that time but we definitely want that this amount should be written off. The Centre has refused to this demand of ours but we are going to grapple with it.”

He lamented, “Despite our best efforts at debt management, additional resource mobilisation and the tax resources of the State having shown buoyancy, it is due to inadequate support from the Union Government that we continue to struggle with our debt burden.”

Badal said, “To reduce this burden, we had requested the 13th Finance Commission to either write off or to reschedule some of our debt. Whether they agree to reduction in the rate of interest from 10 to 12 per cent to a manageable five to six per cent or extending the loan for another 30 years remains to be seen.” ]]> Politics Soul_jyot http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/politics/29604-rs-64-924-cr-debt-pushing.html THE GURBANI SAYS JUDGE YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29603-gurbani-says-judge-yourself-not-others.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:47:23 GMT Image: http://www.cyberspirits.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/guru-granth-sahib-ji-maharaj.jpg **THE GURBANI SAYS JUDGE YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS*...

THE GURBANI SAYS JUDGE YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS


T. Singh
  • ਨਾਨਕ ਪਰਖੇ ਆਪ ਕਉ ਤਾ ਪਾਰਖੁ ਜਾਣੁ ॥: Nanak parkhe aap kayu ta paarakh jaan: O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge (sggs 148).
  • ਇਸੁ ਮਨ ਕਉ ਕੋਈ ਖੋਜਹੁ ਭਾਈ ॥: Is mann kayu koee khojo bhaaee: Let each person examine his own mind, O brother (sggs 1128).
Here we have it.

Judging others is a madness – pastime of a crazy, worldly person in control of his false ego-sense (Haumai): lust, anger, and so on. Also called Manmukh — materialistic or unenlightened being — the daily life of a such person engrossed in evil ways is full of its natural contentions, contradictions, jealousy, usual competitions, selfishness, corruption, falsehood, baser desires and fears. Consequently, he ends up living a wrong life in all his worldly contacts and experiences; thus wasting useful time and energy by undergoing tensions, strains, and creating chaos and confusion within and without.
  • ਮਨਮੁਖ ਬੋਲਿ ਨ ਜਾਣਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਓਨਾ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ॥ ਥਾਉ ਕੁਥਾਉ ਨ ਜਾਣਨੀ ਸਦਾ ਚਿਤਵਹਿ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥: Manmukh boli na jaananee onaa andari kaam krodh ahankaar ..: The Manmukhs (material beings) do not even know how to speak. They are filled with lust, anger and false pride (i.e. all evil passions, which are the faults of the same false ego-sense or Haume). They do not know the difference between good and bad; they constantly think of corruption (sggs 1248).
Judging (Parkhanaa, Parakh, etc.) oneself means to know “Who Am I?”, and then improve himself through self-purification and self-observation while alive – not after death, but here and now. To know the time as time, to know the space as space, to know the world-appearance as appearance, to know the Source as Source, and to know oneself as the Source (Joti-Svaroopa) is being the “real judge” (Paarkhoo). This only is Self-Realization — to know one’s Essential Nature as Pure Awareness (Joti-Svaroopa).

We are strongly urged by the Gurbani to renounce such “evil ways”. Instead, we are challenged by the Gurbani to look within to examine and judge ourselves – and eradicate our own negativity, Bikaars, faults, shortcomings, etc. If we dare doing what the Gurbani asks us to do here, then and only then one will be known as the “real judge”.
  • ਪ੍ਰਣਵਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਕੈਸਾ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਆਪੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਬੂਝੈ ਸੋਇ ॥: Pranvat Nanak giaanee kaisaa hoi. Aap pashaanai boojhai soi: Prays Nanak, what’s the nature of the Giaanee (the Spiritual Being, the Wise one, etc.)? (He is the trure Giaanee) who recognizes his Real Self (Originality, Essential Nature, etc.), such (the Self-Realized one) understands God (sggs 25).
  • ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਅਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥੫॥: Iou kahai Nanak mann toon joti saroop hai apanaa mool pashaan ||5||: Thus says Nanak: O my mind, you are the embodiment or the True Image of the Divine Light (i.e., God) – recognize your Origin ||5|| (sggs 441).
]]> Sikh Sikhi Sikhism Soul_jyot http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29603-gurbani-says-judge-yourself-not-others.html The Open Temple of Makindu http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29602-the-open-temple-of-makindu.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:08:16 GMT by DAUTI KAHURA * *Image: http://www.sikhchic.com/cms/articles/photo1/makindu-1.jpg Image:...]]> source: sikhchic.com

The Open Temple of Makindu

by DAUTI KAHURA





In the dusty plains of Makindu, a rural outpost along Nairobi-Mombasa highway in ( KENYA ) East Africa, stands a landmark that has shaped the history of an otherwise forlorn and obscure settlement.

Located about 170 km from Nairobi, the Makindu Sikh Temple is a conflation of historical and religious events that date back 100 years.

And it is because of the temple that many know Makindu as a pilgrims' sojourn.

The temple's tall flag-mast (Nishaan Sahib), a trademark for all Sikh temples worldwide, stands out from afar. Draped in yellow cloth, the 151 ft. mast can be spotted by motorists on the highway from a distance.

The Makindu Gurdwara is revered by Sikhs the world over. There is a mystical ambience about it. About 10 granthis, sporting white kaftans, run the gurdwara. They move in rhythmic motion and maintain a studious silence only broken when they are consulting workers, who are about 60.

The presence of two peacocks parading their majestic feathers adds a mystical denouement to the Gurdwara. Each of the granthis carries a kirpan, the Sikh article of faith - which is worn by all Sikhs who follow the full discipline of the faith.

Bhai Manmohan Singh, 65, is the longest-serving granthi at the temple, having arrived there in 1974.

"Makindu holds a special place ... Sikhs from all over the world come here," says Manmohan Singh.

When we visited the gurdwara one Saturday, Boaz Oyoyo, 60, welcomed us.
Oyoyo is from Vihiga District and has worked in the gurdwara since 1979. Over time, he acquired the name Black Kalasinga (the black Sikh). He spots a white turban and keeps a greying beard.

"When I first came to work at the temple, all these buildings were not there. We used to eat there (points at a Malindi palm tree) because that is where the kitchen was. Today, the dining hall and the kitchen have capacity for more than 100 people a sitting," he explains.

He speaks Punjabi fluently and can recite Sikh prayers like a master. Yet, it is his mastery of Kikamba and Sikh culture that has set him aside.

"The Kalasingas (Kiswahili for Sikhs) have been good to me. In the many years I have worked with them, we have forged a lasting friendship and a deeper understanding of each other," he says.

Although his long stay in Makindu has made him sort of a celebrity in the area, he still travels to his rural home in Vihiga.

He is currently overseeing the construction of a prayer hall, which will be spruced up by a water fountain. Also under construction are cottages for invalids and old pilgrims. A one-stop lift to ferry the pilgrims to the upper shrine will also be built.

From a makeshift structure that was the gurdwara in the early years of its existence, it now has more than 200 hotel-class rooms that host guests for free.

And one does not have to be an adherent of Sikhism to stay at the gurdwara. From local and foreign tourists to children on a school trip, all are welcome.
"The Sikhs encourage travellers to stop by to relax, eat and enjoy the serenity and if they are too tired, they can sleep the night over," says Oyoyo.

The Gurdwara can host up to 4,000 people. "When we have such a large number, it is the very old and children who sleep in the rooms. Others sleep in their cars or pitch tent in the compound," he says.

Augustino Mwange, the chief chef, has worked at the gurdwara for the past 10 years and has become a Sikh cuisine expert. "There are travellers who stop by at midnight, and when they come to the dining hall, they will always find something hot," says Mwange, who hails from Machakos.

"I've been coming here since I was five," says Tony Kosgey, 36.

When I met Kosgey who was on his way to Taita Hills, he was accompanied by his nine-year-old son. "It is a tradition that runs through my family and I want my son also to experience and keep it."

Amin Premji, 52, has also kept the tradition. "The philosophy of The Makindu Temple is that all races come together to experience the sanctity of humanity in a holy sanctuary. Over time, that is what I have learnt from my coming here".

The gurdwara runs purely on donations from well-wishers, mostly local businessmen.

Billay Singh Kalsi, 59, travelled from Leicester, UK, to visit the gurdwara. "We came purposely to Kenya to visit the gurdwara," said Billay Singh, who was accompanied by wife and daughter.

Yet others come to the gurdwara for thanksgiving after a milestone in their life.

For instance, Harjeet Singh Manku is at the gurdwara because his daughter's wedding has been a success. "When I arrive at Makindu, I experience sublime peace and calmness," he says.

Vic Tyson, a tourist from Vancouver, Canada, says a visit to Kenya would be incomplete without stopping by the gurdwara.

Across the road, the management has put up a hospital to serve locals. "The hospital charges Sh 50 for any treatment, but we have never chased anybody away due to lack of money," says Dr David Kimani, an ophthalmologist at the hospital.

Among personalities who would never miss a chance to visit the gurdwara was Kenya's founding President Jomo Kenyatta, says Makindu Temple Committee Chairman, Mohinder Singh Vohra

[Courtesy: The Standard] August 26, 2009 ]]> Sikh Sikhi Sikhism Soul_jyot http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29602-the-open-temple-of-makindu.html How long shall the Khalsa sleep? http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/islam/29601-how-long-shall-the-khalsa-sleep.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:00:29 GMT Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, but with the increasing amount of stories in the news about Sikhs being beheaded by the taliban and being forced to leave their homes, I am feeling... Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, but with the increasing amount of stories in the news about Sikhs being beheaded by the taliban and being forced to leave their homes, I am feeling restless. Why are we not doing something about this? We are the Khalsa, we are our own nation! Sikhs may not have a physical Sikh nation, but neither did the Jews and that never stopped the Jews from viewing themselves as a nation. I thought Guru Gobind Singh told all Sikhs to practice arms. Why are we not fighting the taliban ourselves alongside the other free nations of the world. The U.S. military does not want to allow Khalsa Sikhs into the military, why should we care? We have our own army! The Khalsa not only protects Sikhs, but also everyone else who is oppressed. Why are we not living up to the standard Guru Gobind Singh ji set for us?

Why are there so many terrorist camps recruiting young men to strap bombs on themselves so that they can commit suicide and kill hundreds of innocent people including their own people who want peace instead of war?

Why aren't we recruiting men and women to protect the Sikh community as well as anyone else who asks for our help?
If the Khalsa would wake up then we could completely destroy the taliban. Every Sikh could kill a lakh of terrorists each! Even with only a handful of Sikhs how could these terrorists stand a chance?

The great thing about the Khalsa is that if any of these terrorists see the error in their ways we would be happy to help them get their lives back on track. We could easily win civilians over to our cause by performing seva. Feeding the poor, providing medical care to the sick as well as those injured in the fight for freedom, regardless of which side they are on.

Maybe my ideas are too radical, but it seems to me that the Khalsa needs to wake up and take up the sword once again! ]]> Islam Hardas Singh http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/islam/29601-how-long-shall-the-khalsa-sleep.html <![CDATA[A Portrait of Sewa & Simran - History of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji]]> http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29600-portrait-sewa-simran-history-bhai-kanhaiya.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:50:09 GMT source: http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Bhai_Kanhaiya


　
A Portrait of Sewa & Simran - History of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji

Long before Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton (pioneers in nursing wounded soldiers) and before Henry Dunant chanced upon the battlefield of Solferino, where 34,000 men of the opposing sides lay dead or dying Bhai Kanhaiya had seen the need of tending to the dead and dying independant of whether they were Sikhs (his faith) or members of the opposing (enemy) forces. for he saw that all were children of God. It was Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji who planted the seed for sewa in the heart of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji. Later in life this virtue would earn him the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and it is here that our story begins.

During Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s time, many wars were being waged to protect the poor and the innocent. Loss of life was immense, and those injured were equal in proportion. Amidst the horror of war, the compassion of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji emerged. He would walk the battleground and give water to the wounded, not only to the Sikh’s however, but to everyone. The Sikh warriors reported these incidents to Guru Gobind Singh Ji. They complained that while they were trying to defeat the enemy, Bhai Kanhaiya Ji was nurturing them back to life. When confronted by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Bhai Kanhaiya Ji simply replied, "I only see you; I see you in the Sikhs, I see you in the enemy, so then how can I not at least help other humans?" (Bhai Kanhaiya Ji saw God manifested in the Guru, and saw the Guru’s reflection in every living being).

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was very pleased with this answer, and went on to give Bhai Kanhaiya Ji ointment and bandages, so that he could complete his role in delivering medical aid to all the wounded, friends and foes alike. He also told Bhai Kanhaiya Ji that there would be a mission by name which would be dedicated to sewa and Simran. Long before the establishment of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

This Bhai Kanhaiya Ji mission later became known as the Sewa Panthi Sampradaye, of which today there are many centres throughout India. These centres are located in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh (Una). These centres provide free dispensary, free education to children relating to Sikh religion, and also serve as a meditation centre, and a guesthouse. And largely because of Bhai Kanhaiya Sikhs in many cities set up watering stations to quench the thirst of pilgrims and their fellow citizens.
One scene in the American TV series the Amazing Race featured a Gurdwara in Delhi where the contestants had to hand out water to the passing crowd. (Nov. 2008)

Thus Bhai Kanhaiya Ji voiced the need of providing aid and comfort to wounded and dying soldiers, no matter their side in the battle, long before Durant would write his paper, A Memory of Solferino which led to his suggestion that a neutral organization should tend should exist to provide care to wounded soldiers. This led to the signing of the Geneva Convention and eventually his ideas and efforts led to the founding of the International Red Cross Movement. Having spent a majority of his time and money to advance his causes he went bankrupt and this led to his living the life of a pauper hounded out of his own country, yet he was the recipient of the very First Nobel Prize. The official congratulations which he received from the International Committee finally represented the rehabilitation of Dunant's reputation:

"There is no man who more deserves this honour, for it was you, forty years ago, who set on foot the international organization for the relief of the wounded on the battlefield. Without you, the Red Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement of the nineteenth century would probably have never been undertaken."

]]> Sikh Sikhi Sikhism Soul_jyot http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29600-portrait-sewa-simran-history-bhai-kanhaiya.html Did God create an imperfect world? http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/atheism/29599-did-god-create-an-imperfect-world.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:17:08 GMT The world is full of pain,misery and sickness.God,being omni-potent could easily have created a perfect world. Could someone enlighten me,without playing with words,so a lay-man like me can... The world is full of pain,misery and sickness.God,being omni-potent could easily have created a perfect world.
Could someone enlighten me,without playing with words,so a lay-man like me can understand"God"s Great Game-plan".:confused: ]]> Atheism jasbirkaleka http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/atheism/29599-did-god-create-an-imperfect-world.html <![CDATA[SALDEF Questions Texas Congressman Who Calls Racial Profiling "Common Sense"]]> http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/saldef/29597-saldef-questions-texas-congressman-who-calls.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:02:53 GMT





Texas Congressman Calls Racial Profiling "Common Sense"


On March 4th, during a Congressional hearing reviewing the Transportation Security Administration's 2011 Fiscal Year budget, Representative John Culberson, R-Texas, 7th District (Houston), demanded to know why the US Government refused to engage in racial and religious profiling when screening passengers at airports.

Rep. Culberson termed the decision of the US Government not to engage in racial or religious profiling "disturbing[,]. . .something that needs to change[, and that]. . .defies common sense." He wondered what federal law could justify a policy against profiling. He further added that subjecting all persons who fly to security screening "is very frustrating" and that screeners should "zero in on the population that's the problem", persons perceived to be Muslim.

SALDEF expressed these concerns in a letter to Rep. Culberson. To read our letter to Rep. Culberson click here.

You can download the SALDEF letter of concern. See our attachment.
Attachments - Sikh Philosophy Network
File Type: pdf SALDEF_Letter_of_Concern_John_Culberson_Comments_On_Racial_Profiling[1].pdf (45.3 KB)
]]> SALDEF Narayanjot Kaur http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/saldef/29597-saldef-questions-texas-congressman-who-calls.html Census Responds to Petition to Disaggregate Sikhs; Take Action and Make your Responses Count! (from United Sikhs) http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/united-sikhs/29596-census-responds-petition-disaggregate-sikhs-take.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:59:32 GMT *Census Responds to Petition to Disaggregate Sikhs; Take Action and Make your Responses Count! * *Washington, D.C.:* The Office of Robert Groves, Director, Census Bureau responded to the ...
Census Responds to Petition to Disaggregate Sikhs; Take Action and Make your Responses Count!
 Washington, D.C.: The Office of Robert Groves, Director, Census Bureau responded to the petition to disaggregate Sikhs correctly in Census 2010 and future Census products. The petition was submitted in the first week of February by UNITED SIKHS cosigned by 60 Organizations and hundreds of community members.

Responding to the request, the Bureau said, “With Census Day less than one month away, it is too late to change our procedure for classifying “Sikh” responses to the 2010 Census question on race, without extreme cost and risk to Census Bureau operations. Beyond the 2010 Census, we will consider changes to the processing of the term “Sikh” when it is provided in response to the question on race.”

The importance of American Sikhs filling the 2010 Census form and marking themselves correctly on the form is more important than ever. In previous counts, other ethnic groups have been counted separately if they have substantial write-ins. According to the Census Bureau’s response, they will not assign Sikhs a code because of write-ins in 2010, Sikhs will still be coded as Asian Indian. However, the write-in forms will be retained and the Census Bureau will review the data. It is important to show that Sikhs want to be counted. Also, the forms become a part of national historical data and are made public after 72 years. Though we might not succeed in getting a code in time for the 2010 Census, it will impact other key demographic surveys administered by the government like the Annual American Community Survey, which also currently codes Sikhs as Asian Indian, in addition to being correctly disaggregated in future Census counts.This campaign is for now, and our future generations.

Currently, the Census Bureau automatically codes all “Sikh” responses to the“Race” question as “Asian-Indian.” However, the definition of “race” used by the Census is vague. The Census counts many categories of people that are not “races” by traditional definition. For example, respondents who fill in “Bangladeshi,” will be counted as Bangladeshi, even though Bangladeshi is technically a nationality, not a race. “Hmong” people who are of the same ethnicity, but not necessarily the same “race” are another example.

Beyond being recognized as followers of Sikhism, Sikhs are recognized as an ethnic group in many countries owing to their distinct identity and idea of the “kaum.” They have a distinct language (Gurmukhi script), religion, marriage, festivals, appearance, and other cultural variances; important factors that qualify Sikhs as an ethnic group and a religion.

Census data is used by many parts of government for a variety of things from allocating resources, to drawing districts for political representation, to determining what areas require special assistance. Census data is often used in making decisions by local governments that affect local constituents. This is another step in creating the awareness of Sikhs as an integral part of the United States as well as lobby effectively as a community when we approach our government representatives.

UNITED SIKHS submitted the petition, with the support of SALDEF, the Sikh Coalition, World Sikh Council, and many other leading Sikh organizations and Gurdwaras to the Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget to ask for a separate code. We will continue our ongoing efforts to obtain a separate code in time for the next Census count. Understanding what a difficult task it is to acquire government cooperation on any issue, it will require the Sikh community in America to unite and take action by calling their Congressman and Senators and by having their voices heard in public forums to be successful on this issue. You can review the petition and supporting academic paper at: UNITED SIKHS::Recognize the Human Race as One.

Please also read UNITED SIKHS Blog census to get answers to all your questions and to read more about why it is important to be counted as Sikhs. If you would like to volunteer in assisting in this and other advocacy efforts, please visit www.unitedsikhs.org/join. If you would like to request more information regarding this or other projects, please contact law-usa@unitedsikhs.org. ]]> United Sikhs Narayanjot Kaur http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/united-sikhs/29596-census-responds-petition-disaggregate-sikhs-take.html If we can spare time http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/29595-if-we-can-spare-time.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:44:55 GMT Synopsis: A beautiful analysis and guidance of how our minds that are full of anxieties, questions and doubts can be brought to peace and serenity through the Guru's words and how He alone helps us uniting with our Creator...
Let’s sit with Guru Nanak, I know you are busy; you have hardly any time to talk about this now just as when time comes to brush teeth, a sudden hurry envelops the mind and it is done quickly. I know that, and I have been there so don’t feel bad about it. I was kept away from Guru by storms of communist thoughts and hyper rationality. Erich Fromm, a thinker and psychologist, gave me a jolt about communist thought and its application in context of freedom of mind, he actually helped me in analyzing his own work critically, and the study of mind- psychology in context of hypnotherapy of Dr Franz .A. Mesmer and Dr. Milton Erickson put a dent in my fanatic rationality I used to gloat on. Still science is unable to prove anything about limits of the mind with evidence. That is why to question each other’s beliefs based on different researches on the mind, is a fair game. The closed doors deprive you of many beautiful things existing out there.
The landscapes of beautiful words created by many thinkers couldn’t satisfy me, after all we need to see the bottom of the words because words change colors in various contexts especially when they come close to the reality or go beyond it. Just be with me I am just sharing with you my “wandering- around-journey”. So I went back to Guru Nanak, this time, it was a very different experience. First time, I could see Guru Nanak and Tenth Nanak standing on the same spot because before their portraits were differently presented to me by our so called Sikh-scholars[ As you know floating on the top never let us know what is there underneath]. I strongly believe that the born-blind has no imagination of light. Anyone interested in understanding Guru Gobind Singh, study Gurbani in depth, you will know him better than ever.

Going back to our glorious Guru, I must stress that Guru Nanak neither binds his followers with fanatic-rationality nor keeps them in the darkness of blind faith layered with beliefs or social prevailed practices put in the mind with many ways. So we, as Sikhs, need to grab the opportunity to learn from Guru Ji even if we are busy. Please come with me, give your soul a few precious moments to hear what Guru Ji says in context of becoming true devotees of the Creator which is very much difficult though. You will be surprised if you don’t know, Guru ji also agrees with this fact that people just cannot get time out of their entanglements, so there are not many who fall for the Creator. Here is his Sloka in “slok Varan ton Vadheek, Mehla 1, 1410 SGGS

ਹੈਨਿ ਵਿਰਲੇ ਨਾਹੀ ਘਣੇ ਫੈਲ ਫਕੜੁ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥੧੨॥ Hain virle nāhī gẖaṇe fail fakaṛ sansār. ||12||

In Essence: There are a few not many who are His devotees otherwise the world is into show off.

Let’s for a moment ask ourselves to what category we fall in? Are we one of a few or one of the crowd amusing in show off? Sincere answer of this may help us to tread on Guru Path with real sincerity.
Like you I have witnessed a storm of negativity and avalanche of anxiety triggered by failures, deceptions and uncontrollable circumstances. Guru talks about that too, it is a matter of time when the mind learns about the reality of experiencing Him and the wall that blocks other sources of knowledge. Let’s be open and understand what Guru asks us in this regard too, to set up a parameter of the goal of uniting with our origin---The Creator. If that is done and a journey is started as directed by Guru, stability of the mind becomes certain. On 520 SGGS, Fifth Nanak says

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੫ ॥ ਬਾਰਿ ਵਿਡਾਨੜੈ ਹੁੰਮਸ ਧੁੰਮਸ ਕੂਕਾ ਪਈਆ ਰਾਹੀ ॥ ਤਉ ਸਹ ਸੇਤੀ ਲਗੜੀ ਡੋਰੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਅਨਦ ਸੇਤੀ ਬਨੁ ਗਾਹੀ ॥੧॥
Salok mėhlā 5. Bār vidānṛai hummas ḏẖummas kūkā pa▫ī▫ā rāhī. Ŧa▫o sah seṯī lagṛī dorī Nānak anaḏ seṯī ban gāhī. ||1||

In Essence: In this strange world (temporary), the paths are interrupted with tumult and confusion but oh my Master! Nanak’s heart is attached to you and is passing through this jungle joyfully.

ਬਾਰਿ ਵਿਡਾਨੜੈ = ਬਿਗਾਨੀ ਜੂਹ ਵਿਚ, ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਰੂਪ ਬਿਗਾਨੀ ਜੂਹ ਵਿਚ ਜਿਥੇ ਹਰੇਕ ਜੀਵ ਥੋੜ੍ਹੇ ਜਿਹੇ ਸਮੇ ਲਈ ਮੁਸਾਫ਼ਿਰ ਬਣ ਕੇ ਆਇਆ ਹੈ। ਹੁੰਮਸ = {ਸੰ: 'ਹੁਤ-ਵਹ' = ਅੱਗ, ਪ੍ਰ: 'ਹੁਅ-ਵਹ', 'ਹੁੱਵਹ'; ਪੰ: 'ਹੁੰਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ'} ਅੱਗ ਦਾ ਸੇਕ। ਕੂਕਾ = ਵਾਹਰਾਂ, ਦੁਹਾਈ। ਸਹ = ਹੇ ਸ਼ਹੁ! ਤਉ ਸੇਤੀ = ਤੇਰੇ ਨਾਲ। ਬਨੁ ਗਾਹੀ = ਮੈਂ (ਸੰਸਾਰ) ਜੰਗਲ ਗਾਹ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।੧।

(ਜਗਤ-ਰੂਪ ਇਸ) ਬਿਗਾਨੀ ਜੂਹ ਵਿਚ (ਫਸ ਜਾਣ ਕਰਕੇ, ਤੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨਾ ਦੀ) ਅੱਗ ਦੇ ਬੜੇ ਸੇਕ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਰਾਹਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਵਾਹਰਾਂ ਪੈ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ (ਭਾਵ, ਜੀਵ ਘਬਰਾਏ ਹੋਏ ਹਨ) ਪਰ, ਹੇ ਪਤੀ (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ)! ਮੈਂ ਨਾਨਕ (ਦੇ ਚਿੱਤ) ਦੀ ਡੋਰ ਤੇਰੇ (ਚਰਨਾਂ) ਨਾਲ ਲੱਗੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ, (ਇਸ ਵਾਸਤੇ) ਮੈਂ ਆਨੰਦ ਨਾਲ (ਇਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ) ਜੰਗਲ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਦੀ ਲੰਘ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ।੧।

Are you with me listening to Guru? Do you see how powerful is to be in love with Him? Please note it down, it is not just a statement but a display of experience, First Nanak suggests about this miracle on 1410 SGGS

ਝੜ ਝਖੜ ਓਹਾੜ ਲਹਰੀ ਵਹਨਿ ਲਖੇਸਰੀ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਿਉ ਆਲਾਇ ਬੇੜੇ ਡੁਬਣਿ ਨਾਹਿ ਭਉ ॥੪॥
Jẖaṛ jẖakẖaṛ ohāṛ lahrī vahan lakẖesarī. Saṯgur si▫o ālā▫e beṛe dubaṇ nāhi bẖa▫o. ||4||
In Essence: There are continuous rain, storms, floods and millions of surging waves (of various kinds like sorrows, failures and anxieties and urges), call on True Guru, there will be then no fear of downing the boat of life in them.

Guru Ji shares his experience with us, to have that experience, following the Guru with utter honesty is mandatory [do not drag your own wisdom into what Guru says, leave it aside for a moment then the learning that takes places, will open the eyes in wonder!], and then the path of falling in love with the Creator, becomes easier. Guru leads only to Him that is why only he becomes His ultimate medium for the ultimate union with Him. Why to put the mind on the fire of anxieties when there is another solution to get over it? Guru Ji states that on 522 SGGS Slok Fifth Nanak
ਮਃ ੫ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਭੇਟਿਐ ਪੂਰੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਜੁਗਤਿ ॥ ਹਸੰਦਿਆ ਖੇਲੰਦਿਆ ਪੈਨੰਦਿਆ ਖਾਵੰਦਿਆ ਵਿਚੇ ਹੋਵੈ ਮੁਕਤਿ ॥੨॥
Mėhlā 5. Nānak saṯgur bẖeti▫ai pūrī hovai jugaṯ. Hasanḏi▫ā kẖelanḏi▫ā painanḏi▫ā kẖāvanḏi▫ā vicẖe hovai mukaṯ. ||2||

In Essence: Nanak says that if True Guru is met, the perfect way of living is realized and thus one gets liberated while being into laughing, playing, dressing and eating.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ = (ਅਧਿਕਰਣ ਕਾਰਕ, ਇਕ-ਵਚਨ)। ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਭੇਟਿਐ = (ਪੂਰਬ ਪੂਰਨ ਕਾਰਦੰਤਕ, Locative Absolute) ਜੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲ ਪਏ। ਜੁਗਤਿ = ਜੀਊਣ ਦੀ ਜਾਚ, ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰਨ ਦਾ ਤਰੀਕਾ। ਪੂਰੀ = ਮੁਕੰਮਲ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਈ ਉਕਾਈ ਨਾਹ ਰਹਿ ਜਾਏ। ਵਿਚੇ = ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਚ ਵਰਤਦਿਆਂ ਹੀ। ਮੁਕਤਿ = ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਬੰਧਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ।੨।

ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਜੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲ ਪਏ ਤਾਂ ਜੀਊਣ ਦੀ ਠੀਕ ਜਾਚ ਆ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਤੇ ਹੱਸਦਿਆਂ ਖੇਡਦਿਆਂ ਖਾਂਦਿਆਂ ਪਹਿਨਦਿਆਂ (ਭਾਵ, ਦੁਨੀਆ ਦੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਕੰਮ ਕਾਰ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ) ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਚ ਵਰਤਿਆਂ ਹੀ ਕਾਮਾਦਿਕ ਵਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਚੇ ਰਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।੨।

You see Guru ji never says to abandon the world or anything normal which is a part of life; Guru wants our sincere attention, as stated in the above previous Sloka that this dreadful world - forest cannot take away the joy of the heart triggered by His love. So keep your worldly assignments, family and friends but please enshrine His love in the heart by eradicating self conceit totally, then there will be a big change in dealing with everything. Negative imprints of the mind will be reframed as positive ones, other things like fear and anxiety will be eradicated in obeying His Ordinance. This occurs if conceit ceases to exist. In that realm, the death starts conveying positive hints of His beautiful “call” instead of fear, after all no one dies, it is the only body that is worn out, and it is also very natural process, on 885 SGGS Fifth Nanak

ਕਉਨੁ ਮੂਆ ਰੇ ਕਉਨੁ ਮੂਆ ॥ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਮਿਲਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਬੀਚਾਰਾ ਇਹੁ ਤਉ ਚਲਤੁ ਭਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ka▫un mū▫ā re ka▫un mū▫ā. Barahm gi▫ānī mil karahu bīcẖārā ih ṯa▫o cẖalaṯ bẖa▫i▫ā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

In Essence: Who has died? No one has died; actually it is just a show, deliberate about it with that person who has realized Braham (the Creator)

ਰੇ = ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਕਉਨੁ ਮੂਆ = (ਅਸਲ ਵਿਚ) ਕੋਈ ਭੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਰਦਾ। ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੀ = ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਨਾਲ ਡੂੰਘੀ ਸਾਂਝ ਪਾਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਮਨੁੱਖ, ਗੁਰਮੁਖ, ਗੁਰੂ। ਮਿਲਿ = ਮਿਲ ਕੇ। ਤਉ = ਤਾਂ। ਚਲਤੁ = ਖੇਡ, ਤਮਾਸ਼ਾ।੧।ਰਹਾਉ।

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! (ਅਸਲ ਵਿਚ) ਕੋਈ ਭੀ ਜੀਵਾਤਮਾ ਮਰਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ, ਇਹ ਪੱਕੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ। ਜੇਹੜਾ ਕੋਈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਨਾਲ ਡੂੰਘੀ ਸਾਂਝ ਪਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ (ਬੇ-ਸ਼ੱਕ) ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰ ਲਵੋ, (ਜੰਮਣ ਮਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਤਾਂ) ਇਹ ਇਕ ਖੇਡ ਬਣੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ।੧।ਰਹਾਉ।

Shouldn’t we toss off all kinds of fears? It can be done by falling in love with Him through Guru by cementing the faith in His power and infinity; Guru helps in getting rid of conceit of the mind. It occurs if the mind is allowed to listen to Guru in full faith. As there is a saying that to succeed, consult the master, Guru is the master who has the experience of realizing Him, Guru fortifies this idea too on 1410 SGGS, Mehla 1

ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਤਾਰੂ ਪਾਣਿ ਤਾਹੂ ਪੁਛੁ ਤਿੜੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕਲ ॥ ਤਾਹੂ ਖਰੇ ਸੁਜਾਣ ਵੰਞਾ ਏਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਕਪਰੀ ॥੩॥
Je ṯūʼn ṯārū pāṇ ṯāhū pucẖẖ ṯiṛĥaʼn▫nĥ kal. Ŧāhū kẖare sujāṇ vañā enĥī kaprī. ||3||

In Essence: If there is wish to swim across the water, those should be consulted who have art of it. Only those are the wise ones who swim across, I can also swim across these whirl-pools along with such wise persons. {Hint is about the company of Saints}

ਪਾਣਿ = ਪਾਣੀ। ਤਾਰੂ ਪਾਣਿ = ਪਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਤਾਰੂ (ਬਣਨਾ ਚਾਹੇਂ)। ਤਾਹੂ = ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ। ਕਲ = ਕਲਾ, ਹੁਨਰ, ਜਾਚ। ਤਿੜੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕਲ = ਤਰਨ ਦਾ ਹੁਨਰ, ਤਰਨ ਦੀ ਜਾਚ। ਤਾਹੂ = ਉਹ (ਮਨੁੱਖ) ਹੀ। ਖਰੇ ਸੁਜਾਣ = ਅਸਲ ਸਿਆਣੇ। ਏਨੀ ਕਪਰੀ = ਏਨੀ ਕਪਰੀਂ, ਇਹਨਾਂ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ। ਵੰਞਾ = ਵੰਞਾਂ, ਮੈਂ ਲੰਘਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਮੈਂ ਲੰਘ ਸਕਦਾ ਹਾਂ।੩।

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜੇ ਤੂੰ (ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਦੇ) ਪਾਣੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਤਾਰੂ (ਬਣਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈਂ), (ਤਾਂ ਤਰਨ ਦੀ ਜਾਚ) ਉਹਨਾਂ ਪਾਸੋਂ ਪੁੱਛ (ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਵਿਚੋਂ) ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘਣ ਦੀ ਜਾਚ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਉਹ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਹੀ ਅਸਲ ਸਿਆਣੇ (ਤਾਰੂ ਹਨ, ਜੋ ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਮੁੰਦਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਵਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘਦੇ ਹਨ)। ਮੈਂ (ਭੀ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ) ਇਹਨਾਂ ਲਹਿਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਰ ਲੰਘ ਸਕਦਾ ਹਾਂ।੩।

Do you feel like me to listen and follow Guru now? Please do. Now let’s follow the path as Guru directs, it is a fact that even being close to Almighty, we choose to stay away from Him by following the mind-games stated in the following Guru Vaakas, Guru advises to abandon that kind of behavior that fits well in these games, on 1255 SGGS in Milar Mehla-1

ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਮਲਾਰ ॥ ਪਰ ਦਾਰਾ ਪਰ ਧਨੁ ਪਰ ਲੋਭਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੈ ਬਿਕਾਰ ॥ ਦੁਸਟ ਭਾਉ ਤਜਿ ਨਿੰਦ ਪਰਾਈ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਚੰਡਾਰ ॥੧॥
Mėhlā 1 malār. Par ḏārā par ḏẖan par lobẖā ha▫umai bikẖai bikār. Ḏusat bẖā▫o ṯaj ninḏ parā▫ī kām kroḏẖ cẖandār. ||1||

In Essence: (to be worthy of Almighty) Who lives according to Guru-Guidance, gives up bad intentions and longings like getting attractive to other’s wives, wealth, avarice, self-conceit and bad inclinations(vice), bad intentions, slandering of others, lust and anger.

Here is the essence of a life of a Gurmukh who doesn’t have longing for others wives, wealth and who rises above greed, conceit and vice. Gurmukh abandons slandering of others, lust and anger because that is the advice Guru passes on. Then whatever comes into the mind in a negative color, it is painted over with Guru Teachings. Interestingly when mind falls in love with Akalpurakh, Love of His Name rules the mind and consequently it doesn’t embrace lust, greed, anger and conceit any way. The ruling- urges for this stuff, are unseated in His love. If the mind is still in control instead, Guru is not listened to; and then the love for the Creator within, doesn’t blossom at all. Deceiving others is a worse act but self deception is equal to a suicide.

All above Guru Vakaas state about abandoning bad habits to realize Akalpurakh, Guru Instructions are very precious because with the help of them we reach to a state of mind where He is envisioned within; just ponder over what Guru says in the following Guru Vakas in this context

ਮਹਲ ਮਹਿ ਬੈਠੇ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸੋਈ ਜਨੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਰਤਨੁ ਆਚਾਰ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Mahal mėh baiṯẖe agam apār. Bẖīṯar amriṯ so▫ī jan pāvai jis gur kā sabaḏ raṯan ācẖār. ||1|| rahā▫o.

In Essence: Within resides the Inaccessible and Infinite Almighty, only those obtain His Nectarous Presence within, who are holding to Guru-Shabad- jewel and live according to it (Pause)

As advised in previous Vaakas above, lust, greed, anger, conceit and bad intentions must be abandoned and these should be replaced with Guru Teachings, in other words Guru Teachings should steer the mind instead of other influences. If it is done with sincerity, then the presence of Akalpurakh, who is Inaccessible and infinite, is envisioned within. Otherwise sticking to these things that create negativity within, there is no chance of beholding Him within and out side regardless of one’s meditation and singing the praises of Akalpurakh. In this regard what more clarity a Sikh needs from Guru?

As “within resides the Infinite Prabh” advice continues to realize Him, Guru defines the behavior that must be developed while pursuing a path of uniting with Akalpurakh.

Continues

Partial interpretation in Punjabi is by Dr Sahib Singh Ji

From “Guru Message” under publication

By: G Singh

P.S. The above post has been copied with permission from the blog GURSOCH Kindly refer to the blog for more insights and in depth analysis, through Vaaks from Gurbaani explained by G.Singh Ji.

If We Can Spare Time ]]> Gurmat Vichaar kiram http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/29595-if-we-can-spare-time.html Centre to ensure uniform vehicle tax http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/29593-centre-to-ensure-uniform-vehicle-tax.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:36:00 GMT ***Centre to ensure uniform vehicle tax*** Centre to ensure uniform vehicle tax (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/centre-to-ensure-uniform-vehicle-tax/592756/) The Centre plans to invoke a ... Centre to ensure uniform vehicle tax

Centre to ensure uniform vehicle tax

The Centre plans to invoke a constitutional provision to end the wide disparity and diversity of motor vehicle taxes across the states. The idea is ensure that sundry taxes and levies on vehicles, including excise duty, road tax, registration charges and toll tax for plying on specified roads, are rationalised and made uniform across the country. Currently, state-level taxes on vehicles vary widely not in terms of rates but also in their application. The rate of road tax ranges between 4% and 15% of the excise-borne retail price of the vehicles. While some states levy a lifelong road tax, annual levies prevail in others. Then there are other imposts like parking charges imposed by states like Delhi. The vehicle owner is also required to pay toll charges to operators of specified stretches of roads, as fixed by the National Highways Authority of India or state-level authorities. Currently, motor vehicle taxation is a state subject and the central government can only be an advisor in the matter. Although the Centre has been insisting on certain uniformity in motor vehicle taxes, the states have mostly ignored it, in the absence of a legal provision. The Centre is now considering making it mandatory for states to heed its advice in this regard. Road transport and highways secretary Brahm Dutt told FE: “Under the Constitution, the Centre is empowered to advise states on motor vehicle tax. This is in the Union list in the Constitution. We are finalising the guidelines and putting it in the form of an Act so that there is uniformity in these taxes.” Stating that making vehicle taxes uniform is the Centre’s “responsibility,” Dutt said this would go a long way in ensuring seamless travel and would boost the economy. He said the road ministry has asked the S Sundar committee to look into the issue and give its recommendations. The committee was set up last year to suggest suitable changes in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. The committee is expected to submit its report before the monsoon session of Parliament. Most states impose a one-time tax on motor vehicles for a fixed period of time. This tax depends on whether the vehicle is for transportation or other purposes. Toll charges are fixed by the road authorities on the basis of distance covered and the type of vehicles. “The power (of formulating mandatory norms on vehicle taxes) has not been used by the Centre so far..

Rajneesh Madhok
 ]]> Hard Talk rajneesh madhok http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/29593-centre-to-ensure-uniform-vehicle-tax.html Richard Dawkins: The Man Who Gave Atheism a Bad Name http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/atheism/29592-richard-dawkins-man-who-gave-atheism.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:02:03 GMT *Richard Dawkins – The Man Who Gave Atheism a Bad Name (http://zenbullets.com/blog/?p=99)* zenbullets.com (http://zenbullets.com/) home of matt pearson, maker of abstract things. Richard ... Richard Dawkins – The Man Who Gave Atheism a Bad Name

zenbullets.com
home of matt pearson, maker of abstract things.

Richard Dawkins – evolutionary biologist, popular science writer, professional atheist and all round very clever person. I’ve read a number of Dawkins’ books; he is a very entertaining writer. He talks knowledgeably about biology and general science and delights in the hypocrisy and irrationality of the modern religions. He also invented one of my favourite pseudo-sciences – memetics. In theory he should be my hero, today he’s going to be the opposite. Mister Dawkins, j’accuse – you are the man who gave atheism a bad name.

I hate organized religion as much as the next son of an evangelist. It is no secret that irrational belief has done more damage to human society than anything else in history. We spent 1,000 years in the “Dark Ages”, when an out of control hyper-meme called ‘Christianity’ almost extinguished the wisdom of the Ancients Greeks, and probably successfully eradicated many more fragile ideologies (we have no way of knowing). The amount of blood shed in religious wars, and the amount still to be shed, appalls me, but no longer surprises me. Organised religion is the worst of tribal mentality, and we of the Age of Reason should be above that.

Richard Dawkins writes upon this subject in his most recent book, The God Delusion. He correctly points out that the human mind is vulnerable to certain types of memetic viruses, those that play on our fear of death, the unknown, and our arrogance as a species. Religions are the most sophisticated and resilient of these memes. But there is hypocrisy to his message, because while he writes eloquently of atheism, he doesn’t acknowledge that he has his own belief system, one that he clings to as desperately, and espouses as vocally, as any evangelical Christian.

Richard Dawkins has been the loudest prophet of Darwinism the world has ever known. He is level. He has been perhaps the most significant single influence in the current popularity of the Theory of Evolution since Darwin himself. He calls Evolution a science, but this is a common misconception. It is a faith.

Darwin’s great theory is most probably right on the mark, there is a lot for evidence for it. But Evolution is not the kind of theory that can be conclusively proved in the same way gravity, heliocentricism, or a round earth can be proved. You cannot make a prediction of a state that can be measured after time t, which can then be tested at time t to see if it meets the prediction. The fossil record is very incomplete (representing less than 1% of all species who have lived on our planet), so if you were to look at time t for a fossil, it is very unlikely you would find it there.

The Theory, while a wonderful idea, and a beautifully elegant explanation for the question of how we got here, does not fit the bill of a conventional scientific theory. It also still has a few gaps in it’s explanation, gaps that requires a faith they will one day be filled. Evolution is a wonderful, elegant and popular idea, but we still have to choose whether we believe it or not.

In The Origin of Species, Darwin worried that Evolution was without sufficient proof, but held tightly to the belief that one day the fossil record would provide it. But Dawkins simply believes the theory to be ‘the truth’, i.e. beyond questioning, which is why his writings, entertaining though they are, always remind me of theological conversations with my Dad, who dismisses any viewpoint that doesn’t include the existence of God as simply irrelevant. Evolution is Dawkins ideology, and he suffers the same problem. Dawkins is an Evolutionary Fundamentalist.

But one advantage an Evolutionary Fundamentalist has over a Christian Fundamentalist is that Dawkins’ belief is in line with the zeitgeist right now, just as Creationism was only 90 years ago (prior to the in 1925). So he will sell a lot of books, because he is telling us what we want to hear. Whereas I won’t. But it’s nice to think that, what would have got you burned at the stake a 1000 years ago, can make you a multi-millionaire these days, so good on him.
Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.
- Richard Dawkins
]]> Atheism Narayanjot Kaur http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/atheism/29592-richard-dawkins-man-who-gave-atheism.html