☀️ JOIN SPN MOBILE
Forums
New posts
Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New resources
Latest activity
Videos
New media
New comments
Library
Latest reviews
Donate
Log in
Register
What's new
New posts
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
Sign up
Log in
Sikh Philosophy Network
Announcements
Get Involved
Sikh Organisations
Sikhi Is Not What But How: A 4-Part Series
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="spnadmin" data-source="post: 192317" data-attributes="member: 35"><p>by Misha Kapany Schwarz</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.sikhfoundation.org/family-corner/being-a-sikh-vl-amarjit-singh/" target="_blank">http://www.sikhfoundation.org/family-corner/being-a-sikh-vl-amarjit-singh/</a></p><p></p><p>Amarjit Singh</p><p></p><p>Where were you born and raised?</p><p>I was born in a village in Punjab, and I was raised there too. The village was called Sahnewal.</p><p></p><p>What made you become a Sikh?</p><p>I was born as a Sikh, so everything that comes to me comes through my family.</p><p></p><p>What are the core ideals of the religion or what do you like about Sikhism?</p><p>There’s a lot, but the main thing is the three messages of Guru Nanak. 1) Naam Japna-meditation of God and remembering the One Eternal God. 2) Kirat Karni- to honestly earn ones living by physical and mental effort, and to stay truthful. 3) Vand Chakna- Share wealth within the community</p><p></p><p></p><p>How does being Sikh affect your everyday life?</p><p>Basically it depends on the individual. Any belief that a person keeps in high regard will direct their life. Whatever beliefs they have will affect their lives accordingly.</p><p></p><p>What does it mean to you to be a Sikh?</p><p>You always learn through your life. Being a Sikh is about understanding in advance. Due to changing technology and migrating communities, we must be clear in our message, and show on the outside what we feel on the inside. It is my duty to spread that message, and keep that message alive.</p><p></p><p>Have you ever had to deal with racial profiling and/or prejudice?</p><p>Yes, but this is a good thing, and the reason for that is, it spreads the message about who Sikhs are. Sikhs are always patted down at airports, but now Sikhs requested for the TSA to have a private area to be pat down in their turbans. I haven’t felt anything like that since I’ve been in America for the last 3.5 years.</p><p></p><p>Is it difficult being a Sikh and living in America?</p><p>No, because after 9/11 Sikhs have faced many problems in America and throughout the world, and people are trying to understand about the Sikh faith. I think that it’s not difficult here, you have freedom of speech and right to practice religion and faith, so I don’t think there is any problem in that.</p><p></p><p>After 9/11 have there been any mistaken accusations of Sikhs?</p><p></p><p>Yes, there were many mistaken accusations after 9/11. In those days I was teaching in England. I heard many comments and I heard about shootings of Sikhs in New York. All of this was because of a mistake in identity of the Sikh faith. President Bush has done a lot for the Sikh community by doing research about the Sikh faith, and that makes a big difference. Now people understand that Sikhs are a different culture and a different faith.</p><p></p><p>How do you practice Sikhism in America?</p><p>I do it in the same way they do in India. In India we have gurdwaras, and we have gurdwaras here too. We have freedom of practice here too. We celebrate festivals, gurus birthdays, and have other religious and cultural programs. The other benefit of practicing in America is we have included the white community, so now they have an idea of who Sikhs are. So it actually makes more sense practicing Sikhism here, because we have a multicultural community.</p><p></p><p>Are there many events in the Sikh community in America? Can you tell us about these events and/or festivals?</p><p>There are always events held in India that are also celebrated here. The birthdays of the Sikh Gurus, Vaisakhi, and there are also some Hindu festivals which Sikhs have been celebrating too, like Lori in the month of January. Vaisakhi is the main Sikh festival though. It is the time for the harvest season in India, and people celebrate it in full charm, and also on this day Guru Gobind Singh baptized the Sikhs for the first time in 1669.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Do you visit gurudwaras often? Why or why not?</p><p>Yes, there are many reasons for visiting gurdwaras. The first is when you go to gurdwara you get to know the congregation. You can’t get the congregation everyday at your home. It starts at 5:30 in the morning and lasts until 8:30 in the evening. If you go to page 94 of the Guru Granth Sahib, it tells you more about the importance of going to the gurdwara. Without seeing the guru, sleep doesn’t come, or at least that’s the belief of the 4th guru. Everyone is welcome to the gurdwara. That’s how the adults perceive the importance of the gurdwara. But the kids, we need to show them etiquette. They sweep the floors; clean the walls, wash the dishes, and serve in the kitchen area. It’s the parent’s duty to teach them the importance of gurdwara. That’s why I visit too.</p><p></p><p></p><p>How can Sikhs educate Americans about Sikhism, and/or prevent discrimination against Sikhs?</p><p>The main thing is the attittude of gurdwaras, and involving other communities. We invite American and white communities to our program, and we visit their programs as well. I always to go the Thanksgiving and Easter celebration at the church, and then I invite them to our celebrations at the gurdwaras. With this education, discrimination will be washed away automatically.</p><p></p><p>Is there a problem with the Sikh youth today?</p><p>Fremont, San Jose, Fresno we have a lot of Sikh population. But in the remote population, such as Redding, not a lot of people know about Sikhism. The problem with Sikh youth here is that there isn’t a lot of them, and they tend to feel out of place.</p><p></p><p>How can we educate the youth about Sikhism?</p><p>The parents must teach them etiquettes at home, and the community (the people that run the gurdwaras) must do their job as well. Every gurdwara started giving free Punjabi learning classes and free Sikh faith classes in the evening. So in the evening and weekends after regular school, the kids can come here and delve into their culture. We can organize camps for them, and take them out for a tour, and use types of leisure activities to teach Sikhism, so they don’t get bored.</p><p></p><p>How does Sikhism affect your profession?</p><p>I am a Head Priest for the Sikh Center, and I also coordinate outreach. The main thing in that is I have a good knowledge of both Punjabi and English, so I reach out to schools in the local areas. If I am doing a sewa in the langar halls, its giving me refinement and eliminate any bad thing in my mind separating rich and poor, low and high. We must always recognize the human ways as one. It makes me want to change the community in a different way, and make us one. Whatever beliefs you have will affect your life accordingly.</p><p></p><p>Do you think the dress code is still prevalent here in America compared to Punjab?</p><p>There are many religious places in the world which have turbans, but for Sikhs tying turbans has a different meaning. It comes from Guru Nanak’s time. No Sikhs cut their hair, so to keep their style they have a nicely tied turban to keep their hair contained. It’s like a crown for a Sikh. Removing a Sikhs turban is disgraceful and disregarding their beliefs, so that’s the importance of turban, and people should respect that.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="spnadmin, post: 192317, member: 35"] by Misha Kapany Schwarz [url]http://www.sikhfoundation.org/family-corner/being-a-sikh-vl-amarjit-singh/[/url] Amarjit Singh Where were you born and raised? I was born in a village in Punjab, and I was raised there too. The village was called Sahnewal. What made you become a Sikh? I was born as a Sikh, so everything that comes to me comes through my family. What are the core ideals of the religion or what do you like about Sikhism? There’s a lot, but the main thing is the three messages of Guru Nanak. 1) Naam Japna-meditation of God and remembering the One Eternal God. 2) Kirat Karni- to honestly earn ones living by physical and mental effort, and to stay truthful. 3) Vand Chakna- Share wealth within the community How does being Sikh affect your everyday life? Basically it depends on the individual. Any belief that a person keeps in high regard will direct their life. Whatever beliefs they have will affect their lives accordingly. What does it mean to you to be a Sikh? You always learn through your life. Being a Sikh is about understanding in advance. Due to changing technology and migrating communities, we must be clear in our message, and show on the outside what we feel on the inside. It is my duty to spread that message, and keep that message alive. Have you ever had to deal with racial profiling and/or prejudice? Yes, but this is a good thing, and the reason for that is, it spreads the message about who Sikhs are. Sikhs are always patted down at airports, but now Sikhs requested for the TSA to have a private area to be pat down in their turbans. I haven’t felt anything like that since I’ve been in America for the last 3.5 years. Is it difficult being a Sikh and living in America? No, because after 9/11 Sikhs have faced many problems in America and throughout the world, and people are trying to understand about the Sikh faith. I think that it’s not difficult here, you have freedom of speech and right to practice religion and faith, so I don’t think there is any problem in that. After 9/11 have there been any mistaken accusations of Sikhs? Yes, there were many mistaken accusations after 9/11. In those days I was teaching in England. I heard many comments and I heard about shootings of Sikhs in New York. All of this was because of a mistake in identity of the Sikh faith. President Bush has done a lot for the Sikh community by doing research about the Sikh faith, and that makes a big difference. Now people understand that Sikhs are a different culture and a different faith. How do you practice Sikhism in America? I do it in the same way they do in India. In India we have gurdwaras, and we have gurdwaras here too. We have freedom of practice here too. We celebrate festivals, gurus birthdays, and have other religious and cultural programs. The other benefit of practicing in America is we have included the white community, so now they have an idea of who Sikhs are. So it actually makes more sense practicing Sikhism here, because we have a multicultural community. Are there many events in the Sikh community in America? Can you tell us about these events and/or festivals? There are always events held in India that are also celebrated here. The birthdays of the Sikh Gurus, Vaisakhi, and there are also some Hindu festivals which Sikhs have been celebrating too, like Lori in the month of January. Vaisakhi is the main Sikh festival though. It is the time for the harvest season in India, and people celebrate it in full charm, and also on this day Guru Gobind Singh baptized the Sikhs for the first time in 1669. Do you visit gurudwaras often? Why or why not? Yes, there are many reasons for visiting gurdwaras. The first is when you go to gurdwara you get to know the congregation. You can’t get the congregation everyday at your home. It starts at 5:30 in the morning and lasts until 8:30 in the evening. If you go to page 94 of the Guru Granth Sahib, it tells you more about the importance of going to the gurdwara. Without seeing the guru, sleep doesn’t come, or at least that’s the belief of the 4th guru. Everyone is welcome to the gurdwara. That’s how the adults perceive the importance of the gurdwara. But the kids, we need to show them etiquette. They sweep the floors; clean the walls, wash the dishes, and serve in the kitchen area. It’s the parent’s duty to teach them the importance of gurdwara. That’s why I visit too. How can Sikhs educate Americans about Sikhism, and/or prevent discrimination against Sikhs? The main thing is the attittude of gurdwaras, and involving other communities. We invite American and white communities to our program, and we visit their programs as well. I always to go the Thanksgiving and Easter celebration at the church, and then I invite them to our celebrations at the gurdwaras. With this education, discrimination will be washed away automatically. Is there a problem with the Sikh youth today? Fremont, San Jose, Fresno we have a lot of Sikh population. But in the remote population, such as Redding, not a lot of people know about Sikhism. The problem with Sikh youth here is that there isn’t a lot of them, and they tend to feel out of place. How can we educate the youth about Sikhism? The parents must teach them etiquettes at home, and the community (the people that run the gurdwaras) must do their job as well. Every gurdwara started giving free Punjabi learning classes and free Sikh faith classes in the evening. So in the evening and weekends after regular school, the kids can come here and delve into their culture. We can organize camps for them, and take them out for a tour, and use types of leisure activities to teach Sikhism, so they don’t get bored. How does Sikhism affect your profession? I am a Head Priest for the Sikh Center, and I also coordinate outreach. The main thing in that is I have a good knowledge of both Punjabi and English, so I reach out to schools in the local areas. If I am doing a sewa in the langar halls, its giving me refinement and eliminate any bad thing in my mind separating rich and poor, low and high. We must always recognize the human ways as one. It makes me want to change the community in a different way, and make us one. Whatever beliefs you have will affect your life accordingly. Do you think the dress code is still prevalent here in America compared to Punjab? There are many religious places in the world which have turbans, but for Sikhs tying turbans has a different meaning. It comes from Guru Nanak’s time. No Sikhs cut their hair, so to keep their style they have a nicely tied turban to keep their hair contained. It’s like a crown for a Sikh. Removing a Sikhs turban is disgraceful and disregarding their beliefs, so that’s the importance of turban, and people should respect that. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Sikh Philosophy Network
Announcements
Get Involved
Sikh Organisations
Sikhi Is Not What But How: A 4-Part Series
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top