svea000, holycow
This forum has its exasperating aspects -- no one will argue. But the very fact that you are here is a sign that you are serious.
Here is what I think will happen -- but naturally I am not a soothsayer or fortune teller. You won't be walking a straight path. It will have lots of curves and sharp turns. Each curve, each turn is a place where new learning occurs. Think in spirals, not in a straight line to Sikhi.
There is A LOT TO LEARN FOR A NON PUNJABI CONVERT!!!!!!!!!!!! There is not an organized curriculum, although there will be those who try to tell you there is one. You learn from everyone. If someone tells you something that you already know, just listen one more time, one more time, one more time. In the beginning take it all in, store everything, don't worry about what is right or what is better than something else. Soak it up.
The language is a difficult part of this but not insurmountable. The entire 3HO movement started with a group of Americanos who were lost to themselves. No one read Gurmukhi except Yogi himself. They found not one but many roads to closing this gap, they are still closing it. And teaching others as they move forward. This gets fixed.
Now two glimpses into my own life -- and only one life, for what it is worth.
First glimpse: Yes "jap" in a language you don't understand and can't pronounce is jarring at first. I kept thinking -- This is not going to last! Now the solution ended up being this: I played CD's along with "jap" for MONTHS -- sort of using auditory, visual and vocal channels at the same time. It has to be the right CD for you BTW. For me it was and is Amarjit Kaur's Daily Nit Nem. Also Dya Singh, but not as much as Bhenji Amarjit. BaniPRO did not work for me. Eventually it came together and now I can hear Jap in my head during the day. But I still cannot recite Nit Nem from memory. That will come too. My true confession is that when I tried to do it just by reading and reciting it was painful. Now it isn't.
Second glimpse. There are Sikhs just about everywhere. Sikhs don't advertise their presence. It goes against the grain of being a Sikh. I thought I was the only Sikh at work. By this time my office was full of Sikhism: screensaver, wall paper, picture of Guru Ram Das, my office copy of Daily Banis.....One day a computer technician walked into my office, wearing a kara. I was shocked. We talked about 20 minutes about Sikhism. I yelled at him for leaning his elbow on my Nit Nem. He begged Guru's forgiveness. It was wonderful to find him, really wonderful. Then I searched the email directory and found 12 more. Just look. We are everywhere.. just about. And No Sikh will Ignore the Plea of Another Sikh.
What kinda detalis do you want? I'm an open book man!
