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Spiritual The Spiritual, Part One

Ishna

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May 9, 2006
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5,192
Apologies, this series of posts will be a bit rambly.

Over the past year and a half, much has changed in my life.

I've been learning about Sikhi since 2002, and became serious about it in 2008. Between 2008 and 2014 I enquired about khande di pahul, kept my kesh, attended Gurdwara for a number of years, started planning a trip to the Punjab, learning Punjabi and doing my nitnem at the assigned times.

Every so often, something would happen, and I would go cold to Sikhi for weeks, sometimes months. But eventually it would come flooding back in a rush.

The latest one was in early 2014. I had been struggling with being on the fringe of the Sikh community in real life. That's probably my own failing, I am shy and find it hard to make friends. I keep to myself. Which makes forums a better place for me to interact. I can discuss concepts and words that I can't pronounce in real life. I can make friends, and feel like I'm part of a community.

Over the years of being on Sikh forums I have seen quite a bit of anti-white and anti-Western racism. There came a point in early 2014 where I had just had enough. I couldn't integrate with the Sikh community in real life, and I felt rejected by the community online, too.

So I boxed up my Sikh gear and figured if I wasn't welcome, I'd leave them to it.

After that, a lot changed in my entire life. I left my husband. I started new relationship. I identified with the atheist community. I had many new experiences. Sikhi didn't enter my mind very much.

But every now and then I would still get that spiritual feeling. I would find myself listening to atheist podcasts or YouTube shows and arguing from the theist's point of view when they where discussing spiritual experiences. I realised there is more to life than the atheist/theist duality. In some strange way, I am neither atheist or theist. The spiritual is an element of human experience, but it doesn't need to be dressed up with mythology and complexity, and it doesn't need to be disregarded and swept away as useless nonsense, either.

There must be a middle ground, and I know that middle ground is beautifully expressed within Gurbani.
 

Original

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Jan 9, 2011
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You beautiful soul - getting ready to meet your maker, eh! Trust me, whatever you do, it'll be the doing of AP to bring you close - welcome to the spiritual world!

Have a read below - you're on the right path !

I believe there is something of the divine mystery in everything that exists. We can see it sparkle in a sunflower or a poppy. We sense more of this unfathomable mystery in a butterfly that flutters from a twig or a goldfish swimming in a bowl. The stirring within our soul resonates with this mystery of life and only there can we become one with it. In truth, at very rare moments we can experience that we ourselves are that divine mystery – spiritual beings having a human experience.

Plotinus
 

Tejwant Singh

Mentor
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Jun 30, 2004
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Henderson, NV.
Ishna ji,

Thanks for sharing your innermost feelings with us. I feel privileged. You are right. Our life is a see saw pendulum looking for the inner fulcrum and we fail many a times daily. We are one family here to hold a hand, to offer a shoulder to lean on, to wipe a tear or two in order to navigate through the storms of life. We are all here for each other. Thanks for being there for me.

Teji
 

Original

Writer
SPNer
Jan 9, 2011
1,053
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The spiritual is an element of human experience, but it doesn't need to be dressed up with mythology and complexity, and it doesn't need to be disregarded and swept away as useless nonsense, either.

Truth be told....we are spiritual beings having a human experience. When the penny drops that human experiences are no more than fame, fortune n momentary leisure pleasures, the "awakening", the craving, the longing to return home starts. The spiritual you begin to feel disconnected from the real you. Nanak says the real you is "satnam". Sikhism offers meditation with eyes open - conditional !

Sikhism spiritual isn't [personal view] up for debate n discussion, but practical living - read up on "state of grace" [gur prasad]. Nanak's Nirankar will reveal slowly but surely all you seek - guaranteed. Once you are on the spiritual road, your experiences will be mind-blowing. I'm saying it with certainty because I believe in Nanak's waheguru satnam [not suggesting you sit n chant 24/7] but accept and live by Sikh ideals. What are Sikh ideals ? Love n live full stop ! You don't have to go to the mountain to meet God - mountain will come n meet you wherever you'd be.
 

chazSingh

Writer
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Feb 20, 2012
1,644
1,643
Truth be told....we are spiritual beings having a human experience. When the penny drops that human experiences are no more than fame, fortune n momentary leisure pleasures, the "awakening", the craving, the longing to return home starts. The spiritual you begin to feel disconnected from the real you. Nanak says the real you is "satnam". Sikhism offers meditation with eyes open - conditional !

Sikhism spiritual isn't [personal view] up for debate n discussion, but practical living - read up on "state of grace" [gur prasad]. Nanak's Nirankar will reveal slowly but surely all you seek - guaranteed. Once you are on the spiritual road, your experiences will be mind-blowing. I'm saying it with certainty because I believe in Nanak's waheguru satnam [not suggesting you sit n chant 24/7] but accept and live by Sikh ideals. What are Sikh ideals ? Love n live full stop ! You don't have to go to the mountain to meet God - mountain will come n meet you wherever you'd be.


Original ji, you wrote 'When the penny drops that human experiences are no more than fame, fortune n momentary leisure pleasures, the "awakening", the craving, the longing to return home starts.'

This is the biggest thing...this awakening that occurs...

people often ask me at gatherings...hows your house...which area are you living in...are you moving up in the world....whats your next goal...which car would you want next'

and i can no longer answer these questions....to answer these questions the way they want me to...i can no longer do it. Yes we need things to get by in life with...but is this my sole purpose?...what i live and breath for?...my focus...my aim..?

it no longer resonates within me...i get called 'boring' because of this. but something inside is pulling me in another direction...i cannot deny that 'pull' that feeling that it's time to put effort into knowing what is behind this whole existence..

it's exciting...jaw dropping at times...overwhelming beyond any measure at other times...but it's where i have to be...

but it's why i scream out sometimes..because the joy involved when belief turns to absolute reality is so immense that you just want everyone to see it, to hear it, to breath it also..
 

Original

Writer
SPNer
Jan 9, 2011
1,053
553
66
London UK
Original ji, you wrote 'When the penny drops that human experiences are no more than fame, fortune n momentary leisure pleasures, the "awakening", the craving, the longing to return home starts.'

This is the biggest thing...this awakening that occurs...

people often ask me at gatherings...hows your house...which area are you living in...are you moving up in the world....whats your next goal...which car would you want next'

and i can no longer answer these questions....to answer these questions the way they want me to...i can no longer do it. Yes we need things to get by in life with...but is this my sole purpose?...what i live and breath for?...my focus...my aim..?

it no longer resonates within me...i get called 'boring' because of this. but something inside is pulling me in another direction...i cannot deny that 'pull' that feeling that it's time to put effort into knowing what is behind this whole existence..

it's exciting...jaw dropping at times...overwhelming beyond any measure at other times...but it's where i have to be...

but it's why i scream out sometimes..because the joy involved when belief turns to absolute reality is so immense that you just want everyone to see it, to hear it, to breath it also..

Chaz

Guru Nanak's spiritual Sikhi is beyond words - check this:

ਪੁਹਪ ਮਧਿ ਜਿਉ ਬਾਸੁ ਬਸਤੁ ਹੈ ਮੁਕਰ ਮਾਹਿ ਜੈਸੇ ਛਾਈ ॥ ਤੈਸੇ ਹੀ ਹਰਿ ਬਸੇ ਨਿਰੰਤਰਿ ਘਟ ਹੀ ਖੋਜਹੁ ਭਾਈ ॥੧॥ {ਪੰਨਾ 684}

ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਜਿਵੇਂ ਫੁੱਲ ਵਿਚ ਸੁਗੰਧੀ ਵੱਸਦੀ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਸ਼ੀਸ਼ੇ ਵਿਚ (ਸ਼ੀਸ਼ਾ ਵੇਖਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਦਾ) ਅਕਸ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤਿਵੇਂ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਇਕ-ਰਸ ਸਭਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ। (ਇਸ ਵਾਸਤੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ) ਆਪਣੇ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਲੱਭ।੧।
As the scent is in the flowers
And the reflection is in the mirror,
So is God within thee.
In thy own body do thou seek O Chaz.

More another time -
 

swarn bains

Poet
SPNer
Apr 8, 2012
774
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one slok which very few people read and still very very few contemplate. it is on page 250 and 262
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮਾਤਾ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਪਿਤਾ, ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰਾ
i have hard time typing punjabi so leave it for the audience. it is one of most significant lesson to become divine and yet i have never heard any giani to explain it. and at the end it is even written
ਇਹ ਸਲੋਕ ਆਦਿ ਅੰਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ
and yet the scholars do not read or explain it thanks
 

chazSingh

Writer
SPNer
Feb 20, 2012
1,644
1,643
one slok which very few people read and still very very few contemplate. it is on page 250 and 262
ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਮਾਤਾ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਪਿਤਾ, ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰਾ
i have hard time typing punjabi so leave it for the audience. it is one of most significant lesson to become divine and yet i have never heard any giani to explain it. and at the end it is even written
ਇਹ ਸਲੋਕ ਆਦਿ ਅੰਤ ਪੜ੍ਹਨਾ
and yet the scholars do not read or explain it thanks
Swarn ji

Such a beautiful shabad

What do you think it is trying to say?

I think it's telling us that everything is waheguru...there is only one...yet there is many...but there's only one...it's all him...so what am 'I'...what are you? Will our egos allow us to experience this oneness. .?

What would happen if you found waheguru within you?...it would mean waheguru is within me also...then all our differences will disappear. ..
 

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