Awake at Amrit Vela...

gurbanivichar · #1 (**permalink**) 14-Jun-2004, 15:48 PM

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Jap on Pannaa 2
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/55-awake-at-amrit-vela.html

True is the Master, True is His Name-speak it with infinite love.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55
People beg and pray, ""Give to us, give to us"", and the Great Giver gives His Gifts.
So what offering can we place before Him, by which we might see the Darbaar of His Court?
What words can we speak to evoke His Love?
In the Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness.
By the karma of past actions, the robe of this physical body is obtained. By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found.
O Nanak, know this well: the True One Himself is All. ||4||

Amarpal · #2 (**permalink**) 14-Jun-2004, 17:39 PM

Dear Khalsa Jee,

It is important for us to know what we sikhs are to understand from the term 'Amrit Vela' and why it is considered the proper time for paying our reverence to Almighty.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

I have some preliminary views on it, but I want others to express their's, may be I will learn something from it. The way we define 'Amrit Vela' should stand the questioning.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

Let us discuss and learn together.

With love and respect for all

Amarpal

Tejwant Singh · #3 (**permalink**) 30-Jun-2004, 23:48 PM

Dear Cyber Sadh Sangat,

Before we discuss this wonderful concept of Amrit Vela, we should make ourselves aware of the accountability of our actions. In Sikhi, is accountability after death ( as in other major religions) or is it with every breath we take?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

If we fail to understand the concept of Accounatbility in Sikhi, then the concept of AmritVela becomes mute.

Tejwant Singh

Aman Singh · #4 (**permalink**) 01-Jul-2004, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Before we discuss this wonderful concept of Amrit Vela, we should make ourselves aware of the accountability of our actions. In Sikhi, is accountability after death ( as in other major religions) or is it with every breath we take?

If we fail to understand the concept of Accounatbility in Sikhi, then the concept of AmritVela becomes mute.

Dear VaheguruSeekr Ji,

This is an important topic, please put some more light on your observations...

Amarpal · #5 (**permalink**) 01-Jul-2004, 12:08 PM

Dear Khalsa Jee (VaheguruSeekr)

The question you have posed must have come to the minds of many; I am one of them.
I have deliberated on this issue and have found that I cannot arrive at any firm conclusion about it. I have no way to rationally arrive at what will happen to me after death. My cognitive abilities do not take me far on this path. I can only create hypothesises, but have no way to test and conclude on them as to which is true. As a human I am handicapped.

A saying came to my rescue: ‘If you take care of seconds and minutes, the hours and days will take care of themselves’; from this I have created the basis for my life.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

I have decided that I will hold myself accountable for all my thoughts, utterances and actions during my lifetime. I will only plant good roots all my life. What happens to me after this life it is for ‘The Almighty’ to decide; I do not think about it. Using the words you have used in your posting, I hold myself accountable in every breath that I take.

Guru Sahibs have made our Sikh Religion very simple so that a common human can follow. It provides for spiritual elevation of the individual living the life of a householder. The scripture that Guru Sahib gave us i.e. ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib’ does not indulge in hair-splitting arguments. Our Gurus knew that it is counter productive. Today, enough scientific evidence exist to prove that too much thinking paralyses our faculties to act. In our village too I was told by our elder ‘Too much thinking weakens our resolve’ and the natural result is that we do not act; I hold that there is lots of truth in this advice.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

What is beyond my life, and me, I do not think much about it. This live is what I want to use to become a real Gurmukh.

I hold myself accountable at the level of every breath, which is the wording taken from your posting.

About ‘Amrit Vela’ I will talk some time later.

With Love and Respect for all

Amarpal

Arvind · #6 (**permalink**) 21-Jul-2004, 00:39 AM

Learned members,

Please enlighten me with 'Amrit Vela'. Is this related with timings. Recently, It came to my ears that

12 midnight - 3 am: Saints, Mahapurush do Nitnem
3 am - 6 am: Grahsthi jeev do Nitnem

Even there was some talk about having multiple times benefit of doing Nitnem at these times compared to other times upto 12 noon.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

Thanks.

Arvind · #7 (**permalink**) 21-Jul-2004, 01:48 AM

Amarpal ji,

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55
Please talk about 'Amrit Vela' soon. Or else give me pointer, if this is already talked here.

Best Regards.

Tejwant Singh · #8 (**permalink**) 21-Jul-2004, 02:21 AM

I am so sorry. I forgot about this post all together. May be the old age is catching up on me.

As I mentioned in my first post:-

Quote:

Dear Cyber Sadh Sangat,

Before we discuss this wonderful concept of Amrit Vela, we should make ourselves aware of the accountability of our actions. In Sikhi, is accountability after death ( as in other major religions) or is it with every breath we take?

If we fail to understand the concept of Accounatbility in Sikhi, then the concept of AmritVela becomes mute.

Tejwant Singh

Most of the religions believe that accountability is only after death, which makes one wonder that as we can take nothing with us when we die, how can we carry all the ledgers of our lives there?

This concept was created by a few, sitting crosslegged on their high chairs using fear tactics so that all the ones needing brokers to seek ONE GOD would fall under their spell, which even happens now a days.

Farida, char gavaieah hund kei, char gavaieah sun,
Lekha rub mangesiah, tun kerei aahoh kum?

Hey man, you wasted 12 hours wandering around and the other 12 by sleeping,

When your time for accountability comes, how would you explain what you have been upto?

Here Farid ji is talking about 8 paher meaning 24 hours.

A Sikh has a 'Day book' which he/she opens when they get up. The book is closed shut when we recite Soheila at night:-

Deu sajan assissirian, jei hovei sahib seu meil.

Oh Vaheguru, give me the blessing when I meet you, in other words when my last breath is gone.

So a Sikh is born ( conciously aware) when he wakes up and ready to die when he goes to bed.

In Sikh life accountability is must and it should happen with every breath we take, the same way a bookkeeper keeps track of every transaction in his day book.

Amrit Vela is the first transaction in our 'Day book'. Now the question arises what is Amrit Vela?

In the old days, everyone used to work from dawn to dusk. So Amrit Vela became the early hours of the morning. But now we all live in different time zones. All of us have different Amrit Velas depending on where we live.

Secondly, now we live in a 24 hour world where people get up at different times to do their Kirat. In Las Vegas where I live, everyone has a different Amrit Vela.

In other words, Amrit Vela is when you are ready to start your day book, not any particular time of the day.

I know lots of Sikhs get up at 2AM, take shower, do Nitnem and go off to sleep. Would we call this Amrit Vela?

My 2 cent worth

Peace & Love

Tejwant

Arvind · #9 (**permalink**) 21-Jul-2004, 02:33 AM

I see the point Tejwant ji. As you said - Amrit Vela is when you are ready to start your day book, not any particular time of the day.

Not that I am doubting your knowledge, but somehow neither I am convinced about this very much, nor there is anything to offer from my side. So I guess, the quest carries on

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

My madness took me to extent where I started doing calculations. This might be weird or total stupidity on my part, that I tried to do calculations that how many times Waheguru needs to be chanted by me, so that that makes up for all those years of mine, when I never devoted 10% of my daily swaas to Naam-Simran!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=55

I appreciate your prompt response very much. About accountability, I am of the view that my each action, deed, saying - I mean everything emanated/done by my mind/body - I am the only person accountable for all those. But then this conflicts with general thought of Karta Purukh who gets the things done from all of us!

Crazy thought eh!