New SPN'er Introductions

[lizziec]

Hello!
My name is Liz (or Elizabeth, if you feel a need to be more formal). I'm 28 and have been married for 10 years. We have 4 amazing daughters who are 8, 7, 6, and 4. We also have 3 cats. I'm currently in school to get my undergraduate degree in criminology and anthropology. My desired career is a medical examiner until I can get my doctorate in biological anthropology with an emphasis on forensics.

I was raised in a Christian household but never felt at ease with the religion. I was a closet atheist when in high school and kind of "came out" as an atheist when I was 18. My parents wanted us married in a church so I had to break it to them that it wasn't going to happen. But ever since then, I've kind of felt uneasy with my spirituality. Declaring atheism was easy enough because I had no clue what it was I exactly believed in, if anything at all. I knew I wasn't Christian, Muslim, or Jewish because I knew the belief systems of those religions.

About 2 years ago, I started really searching for my spiritual place in the world. After extensive research, I've found my calling in Sikhi. I'm thoroughly excited and at peace with my decision to follow this path of faith. The gurdwara I wish to attend is the one in Oak Creek, which I'm sure most of you are aware of since it was in the news a couple years back for the most unfortunate of reasons. It's a bit of a drive for me and my daughter is in competitive dance on the weekends so it's been a struggle to get out there but I intend to start 2015 by regular attendance.

Even though I'm not currently attending, I am trying to live the faith. I've stopped cutting my hair (which has actually been more difficult than I thought but I've avoided scissors since I made the decision) but I'd like to eventually get to Amritdhari.

So, this is my hello and I have lots of questions.

 

[eileen]

hi Liz! i am new to Sikhi also and i think this is a great site to find a variety of thoughtful perspectives. welcome and thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Inderjeet Kaur]

Welcome, lizziec ji!:welcomekaur::welcomekaur::welcomekaur: :welcomemunda::welcomemunda::welcomemunda:
I hope you enjoy your stay at SPN. There are a lot of nice people here. Some of us know more Sikhi than others, but none of us is an expert, so don't feel that any question you have is silly or stupid. Please feel free to share your experiences with us whatever gurudwara you attend.

Relax, have fun and please look through the SPN site. Lots of interesting stuff here.

:icecreamkudi:

 

[aristotle]

Welcome to SPN Liz Ji...
Hope you have a nice time here...
:welcomemunda:

 

[Harkiran Kaur]

WJKK WJKF,

I am back everyone. (Akasha) but I figured a new start a new forum I would use my actual name now. Some of you know I went to Kashmir recently, and I was planning taking a Sikh name, and I ended up becoming Harkiran Kaur. The process for legal paperowrk was long to change my ID, drivers license, passport etc, but now when I go back to India in this Summer for marriage, there won't be any problem (regarding that rule by Akal Takht about converts must have SIngh or Kaur in their name prior to Anand Karaj). So, I went through all the expensive paperwork to legally change my name. Problem is, I had to change my first name now prior to Amrit (I couldnt do it last time because of floods so now I am doing it same trip as anand karaj) since I had to pay to change all my documents, I had to do naming ceremony now, before I went to India, or else I would have two complete legal name changes (one for Kaur now, and one after Amrit for first name) and the military would not allow that. So I had to take a Sikh first name now, before leading up to taking Amrit. Everyone I consulted says this is ok as long as it was done from SGGSJ from the hukam... and it was.

Anyway, nice looking new software. If you need any help admin Ji, I have experience running most forum softwares.

Regards,

Harkiran (formerly Akasha)

 

[Harkiran Kaur]

Never Mind, I got on my old account! But, is there any way to delete the new one Harkiran Kaur and change my display name of this account to Harkiran Kaur?

 

[Admin]

Welcome back Akasha ji, many congrats on new Sikh name! Your both accounts have been merged and all your stats are back to normal... you may want to change your avatar images as it is showing up blurry...

Again, welcome back!

 

[Inderjeet Kaur]

Harkiran Kaur ji,

I'm so happy to see you here again.

Congratulations on your new name and everything! I like best that you manage to keep the chardi kala spirit along with your determination.

 

[Harkiran Kaur]

Thanks so much!!! Lots of news too for this year! Getting married this Summer in India, and I was also elected as treasurer for this year at the Gurdwara, so I am on the executive committee this year! It's A LOT of work though and as treasurer there can't be any mistakes because everything has to be accurate in case we ever get audited. EEEk! I hope with Waheguru's blessing, I will do well!

 

[Kanwaljit.Singh]

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh ji! Welcome back!

 

[Amos Vos]

Hello everybody

I'm mainly interested in the concept of total liberation and the question about the recitation of the Name of God..how do we know the Name of God? Did He/She said it to us..all religions and phlisophies came up with different names....could someone explain that to me..with words I can understand...I'm also an astrolger..what is the Sikh point of view on Astrology?

 

[Tejwant Singh]

WJKK WJKF,

I am back everyone. (Akasha) but I figured a new start a new forum I would use my actual name now. Some of you know I went to Kashmir recently, and I was planning taking a Sikh name, and I ended up becoming Harkiran Kaur. The process for legal paperowrk was long to change my ID, drivers license, passport etc, but now when I go back to India in this Summer for marriage, there won't be any problem (regarding that rule by Akal Takht about converts must have SIngh or Kaur in their name prior to Anand Karaj). So, I went through all the expensive paperwork to legally change my name. Problem is, I had to change my first name now prior to Amrit (I couldnt do it last time because of floods so now I am doing it same trip as anand karaj) since I had to pay to change all my documents, I had to do naming ceremony now, before I went to India, or else I would have two complete legal name changes (one for Kaur now, and one after Amrit for first name) and the military would not allow that. So I had to take a Sikh first name now, before leading up to taking Amrit. Everyone I consulted says this is ok as long as it was done from SGGSJ from the hukam... and it was.

Anyway, nice looking new software. If you need any help admin Ji, I have experience running most forum softwares.

Regards,

Harkiran (formerly Akasha)

Welcome back Harkiran Kaur ji. I love your new Avatar of your life.

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Hello everybody

I'm mainly interested in the concept of total liberation and the question about the recitation of the Name of God..how do we know the Name of God? Did He/She said it to us..all religions and phlisophies came up with different names....could someone explain that to me..with words I can understand...I'm also an astrolger..what is the Sikh point of view on Astrology?

Welcome to the forum Amos. Please share with us about yourself and your journey thus far. You may do it here.

Thanks for the very interesting subject. As it is a complex issue, I would request the moderators to create a thread about your queries so we can interact better.

Thanks

Tejwant Singh

 

[Amos Vos]

Thank you
I have got litle contact with Sikhs..but the one's I met personaly..were always pleasant encounters...in Jewish thought we mainly avoid to say the Name of God as it is written ...if we see transliterated YHWH..we prenounce it Hashem (The Name), just to indicate that we do not realy know the essential Name of God...now here I see that one of the main things to gain liberation "Mukti' (Moksha)...I would like to learn..and make it a part of my path..as I don't see any problem (as this is only my personal opinion) with my practice of Judaism...

Thanks to all

A.

 

[Admin]

@Tejwant Singh @Amos Vos

As desired a new thread has been created!

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/threa...ation-name-of-god-sikhism-and-astrology.42730

 

[Amos Vos]

Thank you,

Is there a certain text/book to learn the practice or not practice that lead one (and explains the concept) to Mukti.

A.

 

[Minus Human]

Greetings,

New to SPN and looking to further my knowledge of Sikhi. What I have learned thus far aligns with my personal beliefs. I come from a Abrahamic background and moved on to pagan systems, all have something to learn but none have satisfied my true self.

~MH

 

[Original]

Greetings,

New to SPN and looking to further my knowledge of Sikhi. What I have learned thus far aligns with my personal beliefs. I come from a Abrahamic background and moved on to pagan systems, all have something to learn but none have satisfied my true self.

~MH

Dear Seeker - Welcome !

All religions more or less sing the same hymn albeit from a different page. Sikhism on paper is a religion and, in practice is a philosophy - a way of life. This is a way of life based on profound thought process and practical experience of life.

As is the human condition, "with age comes muturity and with maturity comes wisdom", so is true for the spiritual understanding of Sikhism. The rationale behind this thought process is twofold, temporal and spiritual. Where the former a necessity to understand how utterly helpless and powerless is the human condition before the will of God and the latter, how best to circumvent and find Union.

Depends very much on your current disposition; I'm for ever knocking people back into the social world to learn from life in itself before surmounting spirituality. This is because Sikhism advocates a householders life as the bedrock of society. The founder of Sikhism, Baba Nanak, called out to the hermits, ascetics and those in solitude to come and participate in event and circumstance and at the same time connect with the omnipresent.

Hope your intellectual and spiritual developments benefit as a result with SPN.

Once again, welcome

Ciao

 

[broken]

I have read that I should live as though everyone else is Buddha and they are all still here to help me learn what I need to know to enter Nirvana.

So I am here to learn from others. I have thoughts, opinions and experiences. At the core of which is my belief that we are to live a life of serving, guiding and encouragement.

I am all the things I imagined. Husband, father and leader. I am a stroke survivor continually in battle with the parts of my brain that no longer wish to cooperate.

Now, due to my inability to play at full speed, I am a gardener, teacher of sustainability and old college student. I study plants. Have you seen the inside of a plant?

Who is this Creator who cares for us in such grand fashion?

 

[Inderjeet Kaur]

Er, I'm not Buddha - I'm not even a Bodhisattva, although I know one - and if you look to me for guidance to Nirvana, you'll be waiting a long, long time. I'm here to do sewa which will lead my jot to my Creator. Maybe part of that sewa will be sharing how I have lived the last ten years as a stroke survivor with an uncooperative body with severe brain damage.

That Creator is the One. Beyond that, you'll have to discover on your own. I'd recommend reading Siri Guru Granth Sahib as a starting point. Buddha is good. Tao Te Ching is good. Jesus is good. I'm sure the various other Masters are good, too. I'm a Sikh partly because I believe that is the clearest, most direct path to the Creator and that's where I want to go.