Homosexuality - Part 2

A khanda against the gay pride flag; an image used by an

online forum for 'lesbian gay, bisexual and transgendered sikhs'

(This is the second of a two part article - Part 1 can be found here)

Homosexuality is not directly dealt with by The Satguroo anywhere within GurbaaNee. The reason being that The Satguroo deals with the root issue - not the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves or fruit. Always remember that The Satguroo addresses the source, not the implications or extensions of a given issue. This is why The Satguroo does not provide us with a great big list of do’s and don’ts. There is no need to shoot the little space-ships if you cancel-out the mother-ship! Deal with the essence and the rest automatically gets taken care of.

Lust (kaam) is an essential urge which drives the world to hunger for the most fleeting of physical pleasures, no matter how badly this pursuit compromises us. It’s one of the five thieves (panj choor) which constantly rob us of our spiritual equipoise. These are the five overarching tendencies which separate us from merger with Vaheguroo, from Enlightenment: lust (kaam), anger (krodh), greed (lobh), attachment (moh) and ego (ahankaar). Interestingly, lust is often described by gursikhs as the most powerful:

ਹੇਕਾਮੰਨਰਕਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮੰਬਹੁਜੋਨੀਭ੍ਰਮਾਵਣਹ ॥

hae kaama(n) narak bisraama(n) bahu jonee bhramaavaneh

O sexual desire, you lead the mortals to hell; you make them wander in reincarnation through countless species.

ਚਿਤਹਰਣੰਤ੍ਰੈਲੋਕਗੰਮ੍ਹੰਜਪਤਪਸੀਲਬਿਦਾਰਣਹ ॥

chith harana(n) thrai lok ga(n)mya(n) jap thap seel bidhaaraneh

You cheat the consciousness, and pervade the three worlds. You destroy meditation, penance and virtue.

ਅਲਪਸੁਖਅਵਿਤਚੰਚਲਊਚਨੀਚਸਮਾਵਣਹ ॥

alap sukh avith cha(n)chal ooch neech samaavaneh

But you give only shallow pleasure, while you make the mortals weak and unsteady; you pervade the high and the low.

Ang 1358

But what of the vast majority of us, heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals who live our lives as single, boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses? Is lust something which we’ve managed to control and normalise through these relationships, these social constructs? Have we somehow assimilated lust into our lives and thereby controlled it or contained it? Can we lead a spiritual life whilst indulging in it or even just actively thinking about it?

The first thing to note is that lust even impacts upon those who do not partake in it – and most probably, to a greater extent. Remember it’s not just an action – it’s a thought-process. Even if we try to actively suppress it, it festers away, merely pushed out of sight...always using it’s down-time to make itself more and more stronger. Even the celibates and the renunciates who walked away from it found it burning in their hearts, like an ember ready to be reignited at the behest of even the slightest breeze.

The second thing to note is that according to The Satguroo’s Teachings, lust can only be overcome when one has merged with The One who is beyond all desires. In order to help us realise this lofty objective, The Satguroo has promoted grishtee-jeevan (a householder’s lifestyle), which revolves around a married heterosexual couple who have children, work for a living and advance spiritually. This enables Sikhs to slowly begin the process of neutralising lust by focussing it upon only one individual, in a stable, controlled and mature set of circumstances. Bhai Gurdaas Jee describes this philosophy thus:

ਏਕਾ ਨਾਰੀ ਜਤੀ ਹੋਇ ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ ਧੀ ਭੈਣ ਵਖਾਣੈ॥

eaekaa naaree jathee hoe par naaree dhee bhain vakhaanai

Having one women as wife he (the Sikh) is a celibate and considers any other's wife his daughter or a sister.

Panna 6 - Bhai Gurdaas Jee’s Vaaraa(n)

What about having partners outside of marriage? Well they introduce instability, they chop and change and come and go. That’s perfect fodder for lust, which will simply envelop us more, thanks to such unstable circumstances - ever heard of 'rebound relationships' where people just sleep with someone to get over breaking-up with someone else? So as far as sexual relationships go, it's clear that for sikhs they should only exist within a marriage.

There have been some very prominent and very spiritual gursikhs who did not marry e.g. Bhai Gurdaas Jee, Sant Attar Singh Jee, Baba Nand Singh Jee etc. The common factor between them is that they were very committed gursikhs who had been blessed with major responsibilities by The Satguroo, and had decided to focus upon a life of intense spiritual practice and selfless service. They represent the exception, not the rule.

Despite effectively being celibate, Baba Nand Singh is reputed to have said that the fruits of naam simran (meditation upon Vaheguroo) achieved by a celibate person in 11 years are achieved by a married person in one day. I think he was trying to explain that by being married, and still focussing upon Vaheguroo, an individual is rewarded greatly and finds it easier to negotiate the pitfalls that lust throws in front of them. It’s as though they take the more difficult option and still succeed.

As such the married person, if they are blessed, will come to realise that the sexual act between a man and woman is simply to produce children, to procreate, and that the illusion of separateness, of ego, of maya (illusion), previously led them to accept lust as love. A person cannot harmonise with Vaheguroo until they discard all the temporary pleasures of lust, delicious foods, the latest fashions etc. The Satguroo makes clear that until these ‘tastes’, these pleasures, are relinquished, the spiritually-saturated taste of Naam and it’s amazing properties (which is a whole other ball-park!) cannot be savoured:

ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿਬਿਨਾਕੈਸੇਬਧੈਸਨੇਹੁ ॥

preeth binaa kaisae badhai sanaehu

Without love, how can one's affection increase?

ਜਬਲਗੁਰਸੁਤਬਲਗੁਨਹੀਨੇਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

jab lag ras thab lag nehee naehu 1 rehaao

As long as there is attachment to pleasure, there can be no spiritual love. 1Pause

Ang 328

So where does that leave those brothers and sisters of ours who are homosexual and wish to have a sexual relationship within marriage? Well, with a big problem because such a relationship does not have the potential to lead to a realisation that lust is only non-destructive when it comes to reproduction – their sexual act will always be for physical pleasure. They cannot have an anand kaaraj (become married in the eyes of The Satguroo) because as the laavaa(n) (related verses) make clear the aim of the anand kaaraj is to merge with Vaheguroo and this cannot be achieved by people who enter the institution of marriage knowing that their forthcoming relationship will not ultimately enable them to realise that lust's only useful purpose is procreation.

The laavaa(n) depict the stages that the gursikh spiritualist passes through and culminate by describing the point at which merger with Vaheguroo, their True Husband, occurs. These verses are actually using the male/female metaphor that the institution of marriage affords in order to remind those soul-brides (suhaagan) entering marriage to understand who their real spouse actually is and in doing so, indirectly highlight that this new relationship which will most probably have a sexual component is not the True Union that the soul (atma) actually hungers for. The relationship between two physical bodies will always remain impermanent as opposed to the relationship between the soul-bride and her Eternal Husband (us and Vaheguroo). Here's how the laavaa(n) end:

ਹਰਿਪ੍ਰਭਿਠਾਕੁਰਿਕਾਜੁਰਚਾਇਆਧਨਹਿਰਦੈਨਾਮਿਵਿਗਾਸੀ ॥

har prabh thaakur kaaj rachaaeiaa dhan hiradhai naam vigaasee

The Lord God, my Lord and Master, blends with His bride, and her heart blossoms forth in the Naam.

ਜਨੁਨਾਨਕੁਬੋਲੇਚਉਥੀਲਾਵੈਹਰਿਪਾਇਆਪ੍ਰਭੁਅਵਿਨਾਸੀ ॥੪॥੨॥

jan naanak bolae chouthee laavai har paaeiaa prabh avinaasee 42

Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the fourth round of the marriage ceremony, we have found the Eternal Lord God. 42

Ang 774

Just like the heterosexual who thinks that lust has been mastered through marriage, the homosexual will also miss the truth. However for the heterosexual married person, if they are blessed with Perfect Destiny, there is the potential for lust to be defeated. The pleasure it affords will seem pale and insignificant, it will seem insipid, compared to the True Pleasure that meditation upon Vaheguroo affords.

So let’s go and tell all our misguided brothers and sisters to stop being gay and to marry a member of the opposite sex and progress spiritually via grishtee-jeevan right? Well perhaps it isn’t as simple as that. Many scientists believe that homosexuality is related to one’s genetic disposition and is not a learned behaviour. In other words gays are born that way. So how can someone who feels they cannot stop being gay start to live according to The Satguroo’s teachings?

Every single one of our tendencies and behaviour patterns are related to our previous actions and current actions; our karam. If people are born as homosexuals then this is simply their destiny – their previous actions, whatever they were, have led to this. We are all in the same boat. We have taken birth because the account of our previous actions meant that we were not spiritually-capable of merging into Vaheguroo.

If your homosexuality is something which cannot be changed, and you feel unable to marry a member of the opposite sex, then you would have to remain celibate – easier said than done I know, but the only logical approach. Such a person who masters lust, regardless of their ‘sexual orientation, would surely merge into Vaheguroo, The Desire-less:

ਆਸਾਮਨਸਾਸਗਲਤਿਆਗੈਜਗਤੇਰਹੈਨਿਰਾਸਾ ॥

aasaa manasaa sagal thiaagai jag thae rehai niraasaa

who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;

ਕਾਮੁਕ੍ਰੋਧੁਜਿਹਪਰਸੈਨਾਹਨਿਤਿਹਘਟਿਬ੍ਰਹਮੁਨਿਵਾਸਾ ॥੨॥

kaam krodh jih parasai naahan thih ghatt breham nivaasaa 2

who is not touched by sexual desire or anger - within his heart, Vaheguroo dwells. 2

Ang 633

Sikhee is a Path which points us towards the absolute pinnacle of spiritual realisation so naturally it’s a given that it will not be successfully traversed by many. Those who master lust, the gurmukhs that The Satguroo often talks about, are very rare. Perhaps one amongst thousands or even tens of thousands. And just in case you are wondering, I am certainly not one of them.

I do not speak on behalf of other sikhs, let alone The Satguroo. I know that many gursikhs will probably not share my views. But that is fine, because we must all treat our conversation with The Satguroo as something special and unique. What I will say is that there is certainly no need to stone or kill homosexuals, there is no need to hate, avoid or reject them or tell them that Vaheguroo is their enemy. There is no need to keep thinking about their sexual persuasion when we talk, laugh and spend time with them, when we shake their hand or bump into them. A gursikh could never indulge in any such destructive behaviour - quite the opposite in fact:

ਸਭਨਾਮਨਮਾਣਿਕਠਾਹਣੁਮੂਲਿਮਚਾਂਗਵਾ ॥

sabhanaa man maanik thaahan mool machaagavaa

The minds of all are like precious jewels; to harm them is not good at all.

ਜੇਤਉਪਿਰੀਆਦੀਸਿਕਹਿਆਉਨਠਾਹੇਕਹੀਦਾ ॥੧੩੦॥

jae tho pireeaa dhee sik hiaao n thaahae kehee dhaa 130

If you desire your Beloved, then do not break anyone's heart. 130

Ang 1384

So let’s end on this note - the fact that no matter what someone’s sexual persuasion, GurbaaNee does not advocate any kind of judgement, hatred or punishment. We are commanded to love all unconditionally. Neither should we brutishly force our interpretations of GurbaaNee upon others - when requested or sincerely motivated, we should simply assist anyone and everyone to make their own direct connection with The Satguroo, and to find Spiritual Truth themselves.

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

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Announcement - Blog being re-designed

As you will have noticed, the blog looks very different all of a sudden. You'll notice little changes occurring over the next few weeks as I continously tweak it. It was this blog, designed by Doug Cloud, that made me think: "How nice it would be to have a unique and beautiful looking blog".

Vaheguroo-willing, everyday sikhee will soon have a very distinct and personalised look which I think will be positive regarding it's long-term objective - to attract new readers like you...and keep them visiting regularly.

This means I will be posting only a few short items for the next fas re-designing the site will involve more research and some programming. It's a steep learning-curve but the creative side of me is looking forward to it. Once this is done, I'll get back to the usual pattern of posting.

For those who wish to find-out more re: blogger-blog desiging, Doug has written a really good series of tutorials and more importantly, provided enough links within them to get you up to speed with the background-knowledge needed.

Ps - Have a Happy New Year; may Vaheguroo bring us closer to Him each and every day of it.

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh
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A Day to Box

A day to buy? / Photo Credit: i see modern britain

I never knew knew about the reason behind Boxing Day until I googled it earlier this morning. Ahhh, the beauty of google - it turns even idiots into instant scholars! Previously I thought that Boxing Day must refer to all those boxes of goodies we want to buy cheaply at sales, after standing in queues from 7am in the morning...

Come-on! It's the day for us to fight...erm...over yesterday's presents! / Photo credit: faster panda kill kill

Despite having included the pic immediately above, even a thicko like me realised it couldn’t be anything to do with big guys beating several shades of s*** (yes, I mean stuff!) out of each other. Nonetheless, I was surprised that it’s actually a day that wealthier people would give presents of food and other such minor items to those who were poorer than them. These gifts would be boxed. Although I’m not too sure this happens in the UK very much, it seems it still happens elsewhere. Here are some more details.

The less fortunate get grub in Guyana the day after Santa dropped-in / Photo Credit: caitlinator

It’s really nice that the day after Christmas Day, which I think most people agree is completely commercialised, turns-out to still be very meaningful in some parts of the world…a day that people can stop focussing on what they want or what they receive, and instead focus upon those less fortunate than themselves.

On a lesss serious note, and speaking of someone very less fortunate (lol), my sister-in-law Shan who has to be one of the funniest people I know, couldn’t get a train from Slough to Sheperds Bush this morning – the train service is apparently ‘a joke’ today. The tories haven’t missed the chance to cash-in.

Maybe I’ll send poor Shan a box in the post to let her know I'm thinking of her…I could put some leftovers inside it. We have some Pataaoo(n) de Sabzee (aubergines) from last night I don’t fancy eating any time this century…

( ( ( : -)>>> Atma Singh
everyday sikhee

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Homosexuality

Photo Credit: k763

American protestor letting gays know what she, and it seems God, thinks of them

There I was sitting with a Christian and a homosexual (now that's what I call an opening line!). The Christian seemed as though she wanted to like the homosexual but openly admitted she found it hard to accept him. Her opinion which metamorphosed into an argument and then fizzled away, seemingly due to the fact she didn’t want to offend him, was that we choose our destiny and although God is The Architect of Destiny, it is we who ultimately play the leading part. We either walk the 'blessed route’ before us or we transgress and take an alternative route of our own choice.

I told them that my belief is that ultimately everything is according to Hukam (Divine Will / Cosmic Order) - that ultimately we are unable to decide who is good and who is bad because The One Light resides in all. But am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No.

He was trying to encourage her to overlook this aspect of his personality given that it troubled her, and to realise that his sexuality does not totally define him as a human-being. He explained that there are parts of one another, be it views, attitudes or lifestyle, that we all find hard to accept. I agreed with him. Am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No. So what am I saying? Well, let’s let the threads of this post unravel some more…

The subject of homosexuality comes-up very often when one talks of religion or spirituality; usually it is seen as beyond the pale; something to be despised and hated. Even in these politically-correct times, many religious leaders brazenly speak their minds regarding the subject, thereby illustrating how an anti-homosexual standpoint is readily accepted by much of the population.

Earlier today, the Pope attracted the anger of the gay community after he described homosexuality as being equivalent in terms of gravity to the fate facing our environment. Gays haven't just started to become a problem that needs sorting - The Old Testament which guides Jews and Christians talks of homosexuals being killed by God and a whole village being destroyed due to the ‘abnormal behaviour’ of its gay inhabitants.

The Pope alluded to this proposition, that homosexuality is an act against nature, when suggesting that humanity should take its cues from nature. The problem is that it doesn’t seem Mother Nature can be relied upon to support The Pope. Elephants, flamingos and salmon are just some of the animals that have been known to exhibit homosexual behaviour. Are we going to argue that nature is unnatural?

Various Islamic sources demand that Muslims should kill homosexuals. P.s. If you’re gay and live in Iran, I think it’s best you move-out very soon. Even if you live in a predominately Christian or Jewish area, be careful – some of them may believe that you should be put to death as per Old Testament Law.

It is astonishing how directly homosexuality has been addressed by the major religions and the manner in which the appropriate punishment has been declared - no political-correctness here!

So what does GurbaaNee, The Satguroo, teach us regarding homosexuality?

(This is the first of a two part article - Part 2 can be found here)
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Beyond Judgement

It was the Christmas party at work the other day. I prefer not to be around when people are eating meat or drinking alcohol so like I do every year, I told my manager that I would join everyone after they had eaten. She's a very understanding person and didn't have any problems with this, but one thing I have noticed over the years is that some people think that if you don't want to join them when they are doing certain things, then you're basically judging them.

Here's another example. When there is an Anand Kaaraj (Sikh Wedding) at a Gurduaara Sahib (Sikh place of worship) and the couple aren't Amritdharee (initiated Sikhs), people have got really funny about me not wanting to attend. I've tried many times to explain, in a loving manner, how I can't imagine Guroo Gobind Singh Jee presiding over a marriage between two people who don't keep His Rehit (code of conduct), and how I feel the same way about Guroo Granth Sahib Jee. For me, just because The Satguroo is no longer embedded within a human form does not mean that I should disable my sense of judgement and assume anything goes.

No matter how hard you try though people get offended because by virtue of the very fact that you have decided not to take part means that you have judged them. I am sure that some people think they are better than others due to their beliefs or lifestyle but Gursikhs however perceive themselves as the lowest of the low. How do they manage to do this despite the fact that GurbaaNee often distinguishes between those who follow the Satguroo's Teachings and those who do not?

When GurbaaNee talks about Manmukhs (egoists) the Gursikh truly feels that The Satguroo is addressing them. Due to this unflinching self-perception, a profound sense of genuine humility wells-up within the Gursikh. This protects them and allows them to advance spiritually. As far as they are concerned, they are the biggest Manmukh. No matter how much they are praised or respected, or whatever spiritual experiences they are blessed with, they perceive themselves as dirt. This is The Satguroo's great blessing.

( ( ( : -) >>>
Atma Singh
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Isn't life busy!

Photo Credit: G & M



Where does time go? Probably on long-term holiday to a really nice place where there are no children, mobile phones or other distractions. Either that or there must be be someone who takes time hostage without telling us they did so!

I’m at work, with my head hunched over my shoulders, trying to not let anyone spot me dossing (‘messing around’ for you non-British readers)! It’s unlikely I’ll be able to post until Wednesday now – I’ll be working evenings for the next few days it seems.

Social Services is such a busy sector – if you’re not running around arranging to meet people, or actually meeting people, you’re typing-up what happened at the meetings where you met people. Either that or you’re trying to do what you thought you would be doing more of: helping young people with their everyday problems and crises. 80% paper-work and meetings, 20% actual engagement with young people. Oh well…

The weekend was busy too. Saturday was a mish-mash of smelly nappies, odd jobs and what-not. On Sunday I was invited to speak to the children at Khalsa Primary School in Slough (near London) who were receiving awards for good behaviour, achievement etc. The Trust’s chairman, Nichattar Singh, took the opportunity to announce that OFSTED (School Inspectors) had awarded the school an overall ‘good’ rating, and had rated ‘personal development of pupils’ in particular as outstanding. Excellent for a school which didn’t exist around 18 months ago!

I tried to inspire the kids by telling them that the New Year was a chance to get closer to their Satguroo. The central message was that when we think we get an award or recognition through our own efforts, our heart seals itself off. This means we stop The Satguroo from entering into our lives.

Conversely, if we realise that we are not able to achieve anything by ourselves, then The Satguroo transforms every day of our lives into a little miracle, because we open our hearts, letting his Love enter into our thoughts, words and actions. In this way, every second, minute and hour is blessed.

This morning my wife took Zor Singh for his ‘development review’ where medical staff assessed his mental and physical health as well as progression. She called me a little while ago to say that he is two months ahead in terms of intelligence, reactions, engagement etc. Satguroo Jee has looked after him so well. I just hope we do justice regarding the responsibility we’ve been blessed with. I hope we always make enough time for him.

Not being able to update this blog, which I am starting to enjoy more than I thought I would, coupled with a hectic work schedule which limits ‘dossing opportunities’, made me remember the following words of wisdom:

“Life is what happens to you while you’re making
other plans”
John Lennon

So with the above in mind, this is my plan: I plan not to update this blog by Wednesday evening, so maybe Life will turn out such that I happen to post on Wednesday!

I've just realised the irony; I started out mentioning I didn't have enough time to blog today and ended up blogging about time...today!

Right, about time I got back back to the day job.


( ( ( : -) >>>

Atma Singh
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Separateness

Photo Credit: ichaz

A sea of clouds, a sky of waves - they arise, only to subside.

I aim to update this blog every two days. However, due to work and family committments, on those days I don't have much time to write something very detailed, I'll try to post something brief relating to the Hukamnama (Command for the day) from Darbaar Sahib ('Golden Temple', Amritsar, Panjaab). By definition, it will be a limited personal understanding.

Ultimately, I hope to stimulate some of the readership, so that we can share our spontaneous thoughts and feelings via comments. After all, to contemplate The Satguroo is to connect with The Satguroo.

The following Du-panktee ('two-liner' i.e. couplet) is from yesterday's Hukamnama:

ਜਬਹਮਹੋਤੇਤਬਤੂਨਾਹੀਅਬਤੂਹੀਮੈਨਾਹੀ॥
jab ham hothae thab thoo naahee ab thoohee mai naahee
When I am, then You are not. Now that You are, I am not.

ਅਨਲਅਗਮਜੈਸੇਲਹਰਿਮਇਓਦਧਿਜਲਕੇਵਲਜਲਮਾਂਹੀ॥1॥
anal agam jaisae lehar mae oudhadhh jal kaeval jal maa(n)hee 1
The wind may raise up huge waves in the vast ocean, but they are just water in water. 1

ਮਾਧਵੇਕਿਆਕਹੀਐਭ੍ਰਮੁਐਸਾ॥
maadhhavae kiaa keheeai bhram aisaa
O Master, what can I say about such an illusion?

ਜੈਸਾਮਾਨੀਐਹੋਇਨਤੈਸਾ॥1॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
jaisaa maaneeai hoe n thaisaa 1 rehaao
Things are not as they seem. 1 Pause

(Ang/Page 657)

The Satguroo speaks to me above by telling me that although I may identify myself as different, all things arise from The One and all things return to The One. There is nothing aside from Vaheguroo. There is never actually any separateness.

The waves of illusion, of thought, of self-identity, which constantly assail me and lead me to mistakenly perceive myself as separate from others, separate from this universe and ultimately separate from Vaheguroo, are just temporary phenomena, by-products of ego.

Ego is like the grey cloud that blocks the sunlight, casting darkest shadows. Eventually, it will have to pass. In my prison of perception, what I perceive as reality is not reality. Things are not as they seem, because the cloud has not passed, and so my reality is made-up of mere shadows.

Reading the above, I am reminded how through nature Vaheguroo reveals so many spiritual truths. I reminisce regarding how when I was an atheist, Vaheguroo constantly hinted to me through nature, towards which I was always attracted. But I was too dumb to realise. Nature is the only voice I ever truly related to in those days; that I accepted as unadulterated truth. Even if it was and still is a temporary projection, I see now how it led me towards The Satguroo. I see now how it challenged my sense of separateness.

Please share how The Satguroo speaks to you.

Ps - Don't be shy!

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

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Poem - Spinning Circle

The poem written by a member of the Sikh Philosophy Network regarding my last post encourged me to dig-up some poems of my own. I'll post one from time to time.

Below is one which for any non-Panjabees will probably pose problems due to the transliterated words which attempt to convey Panjabee words. If you are such a reader, and you want to know what the transliterated words mean, please leave a comment requesting the meanings of these words, and I'll reply back by translating each one for you.


Spinning Circle

There is Shaant amidst
Crashing waves
Stillness at the centre
Of spinning circles

Poise in the fluttering
Falling leaves
Grace in Killing
Soor-Beer Shaheeds

---

There is Sehaj amidst
Thundering thoughts
Truth in the middle
Of blinding fog

Seva in the hands
Of murderous thieves
Zor in the begging
Of Gurmukh Ghareebs

---

There is Amrit amidst
Bitter poison
Sants in the hearts
Of hateful sinners

Light in Darkest
Abandoned Souls
Melody in Chaos
Of Manmukh minds

---

Shaant amidst
Soor-Beer Shaheeds

Sehaj amidst
Gurmukh Ghareebs

Amrit amidst
Manmukh minds

Find Stillness
Centre
The Spinning Circle


( ( ( :-) >>>
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A Tale of Two Chairs

Copyright 2004 Atma Singh

Myself, my wife and a close friend went for a walk yesterday, with little Zor Singh in his buggy. We visited a small park nearby. On our way home we spotted a discarded chair which had been neatly placed next to a large dustbin, on a picturesque road adjacent to the park. My wife who likes to sometimes think of herself as a ‘collector of things’, which really means she is a hoarder, decided we could use this chair. I politely reminded her we had just given away two chairs very recently after we had suddenly realised we were running-out of space. She insisted. So I carried this very heavy chair a few metres before she changed her mind and realised we didn’t really need a chair, at which point I put it back where we had found it. Marriage is so full of u-turns!

Anyway, when we got home, I started to look through some photographs I have taken over the last few years. I’m currently getting a website designed in order to promote and share my photography. I’m sure you’ll hear more about this in the coming months even if you don’t wish to! As I browsed the streams of thumbnails, trying to decide which images will feature in one of the online galleries, I came across a picture of a chair which was taken soon after the Tsunami wreaked its terrible wrath upon much of the developing world in 2004. It brought back so many memories.

This chair was photographed in Sri Lanka in a district called Batticoloa, which is on the East Coast. I was there briefly as a volunteer with Khalsa Aid, a humanitarian disaster relief organisation. We supplied tents to some poor Muslim fisherman and their families, in a nearby fishing village. These people were desperate for assistance because they had been overlooked when rebuilding had started, by the majority neighbouring Tamil communities.

The chair was located in a property which had been brought to its knees. I still remember the terrible stench that saturated the moist salty air around us. We were told by locals that this emanated from corpses which hadn’t yet been removed from underneath the masses of rubble.

If the chair were to remain untouched, who knows how long it would sit there, testifying to the chaos that surrounded it. It attracted my eyes because it was part of a strange wider environment, but unlike those humans who had not been killed or destroyed, this chair couldn’t walk away or leave the scene. However like them it was a survivor. Perhaps its owners had all been killed. Perhaps like the chair we saw yesterday, but had decided not to take with us, it had been perceived as useless or a luxury not worthy of being carried, to wherever its owners had carried themselves. Who had sat upon this chair? What memories had it preserved, locked away in its dark, dense body?

It came across as peacefully poised, yet resolute in its will to keep on standing where so much else had fallen. I felt compelled to take a picture of it. The colours and lines which surrounded it made it, in my eyes, a beautiful scene to capture. I took so many photographs of people on this trip, many of which I will soon be sharing, but for some reason, this image seems to carry a unique emotion.

It makes me wonder how long that chair I saw yesterday will sit there before someone takes it. I imagine the reason it has been discarded is far removed from the circumstances which surround the one I photographed. I hope someone does make use of yesterday’s chair some day soon, so that it doesn’t get tossed away.

I remember visiting Darbaar Sahib (‘Golden Temple’, Amritsar, Panjaab) for the first time several years ago and being shown where Guroo Arjan Sahib Jee had often sat. I simply can’t convey the feelings I felt. I couldn’t stop myself from placing my forehead on that spot and kissing the dust that lay there. Afterwards, as we walked away, I couldn’t seem to stop an immense feeling of awe from continuously arising and subsiding within me, like the movement of the tide, as I looked over my shoulder again and again, thinking: ‘My Satguroo sat upon that ground, underneath that tree”. I just couldn’t take it in.

Furniture and objects don’t just support us physically; they carry so much emotional energy with them. As spirit-born beings, humans leave so much in their wake, even going about their mundane daily business. Whether we keep an item or discard it, whether it is destroyed or remains intact, I believe that something of us, a residue, forever permeates the things we have touched and the places we have been.

These are the things that I remember when I look at this photograph.

( ( ( :-) >>>

Atma Singh - everyday sikhee

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Please Comment - Don't Argue!

Photo Credit: Piez

Krazy kittens kan't komment!

When starting this blog I decided not to allow comments for the following reasons:

- Questions might get posed to me when really they should be posed to The Satguroo who has all the answers.

- So many Sikhee forums and blog comments sections are full of vicious words, cheap jibes, slander and general negativity.

However yesterday a Gursikh whom I respect emailed me requesting that I activate the comments section. After a bit of thought, I've decided to do so...it's not good to disobey Gursikhs unless you have a really good reason, because they talk lots of sense.

Looking at my initial concerns, I think that they can be positively addressed as follows:

+ The comments section will be moderated.

+ I will only answer questions directly posed to me if I feel it is appropriate and I am fully comfortable...and they have to be easy, ok! Otherwise, I will try my best to respond via GurbaaNee quotes, which can act as a prompt for you to contemplate things for yourself.

* Please don't reply to one another as commentators. You’ll start a debate. Just share your valuable thoughts, without ramming fellow commentators with them, and leave it at that. Others can take and leave from your words what they wish.

* A wise man once said:

“One well-written comment is enough to make and leave
your point.”

Well, a wise man didn’t say that, but he could have, because it does sound kind of ‘wise-manly’, doesn’t it?

* Any comments which might start a ‘I’ll make you look stupid if it’s the last thing I do’ episode will not be allowed.

Well I hope the above does not come across as dictatorial. It’s all meant in a positive way, in order to hopefully make this blog a pleasant, uplifting and spiritual place to be.

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh

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Follow this Blog, without the hassle

Photo Credit: koka_sexton
No - you don't need to be a geek to read this

The ‘Subscribe in a reader' link at the top right of this Blog is seriously useful. An RSS Reader is a software tool which allows you to save a lot of time and hassle if you follow blogs, or browse other types of sites, which are regularly updated e.g. news sites. Have you really got time to visit tonnes of sites to see if they’ve been updated or not? Yes? – well then, you’re a student.

No? – then join the RSS revolution.

Right - this is where it could get heavy because RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, has a habit of not actually sounding really simple. If you do like reading techie stuff (geek!), here’s a good summary re: RSS. Put simply however, by subscribing to 'RSS feeds' instead of physically visiting sites such as this blog, you 'automatically pull’ any newly updated content on those sites, and can then access this content in a convenient manner.

Think of a paper-boy delivering the newspaper to you so you don't have to visit the newsagent, think of an octopus whose tentacles constantly stretch and grab here and there, think of a rainbow...erm, anyway, here are some of the ways you could, for instance, follow this very blog via RSS:

- Click the ‘Subscribe in a reader' link and select ‘View Feed XML’. You will now get to view new content directly via the ‘feeds’ icon which is conveniently located in the favourites folder of Internet Explorer. Nice.

- The above method is very neat and tidy if you’ve got direct access to your desktop PC or laptop when you want to view content, but what if you wish to access content on the go, or on someone else’s machine? Click the aforementioned link and select one of the web-based Readers instead, such as the popular Bloglines or Google Reader. Now you can log-in to your RSS reader anywhere, any time, whatever machine you're on.

- What if you’ve got a Windows-Mobile based Pocket PC (yes, I don’t care about those outsiders who use Palms, or I-Phones or other such contraptions – do your own homework! Lol) and want to view this blog in your browser, but optimised visually and structurally? Download and install a free Windows-Mobile based RSS Reader such as Viigo and simply add my blog’s RSS URL Channel: http://everydaysikhee.blogspot.com/atom.xml – done! Now this blog will be nicely optimised on your PDA/Smartphone, with lots of handy localised software options, and you can read it anywhere, at any time.

Right, that’s enough blog publicity generation for one day. I’m going to have my cake and milk, then off to bed!

((((Subliminal message - You must click the 'subscribe to this feed' link right below this line, ...I command you...mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haa!!!)))

( ( ( :-) >>> Atma Singh

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The Khalsa Spirit 1: Rosa Parks

Photo Credit: Website - Rosa Park Facts

Rosa being arrested and her fingerprints taken

"I would like to be known as a person

who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice

and prosperity for all people."

Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005)

A Gursikh sent me a text this morning mentioning the 'mother of the civil rights movement’, Rosa Parks, who on this day in 1955 caused quite stir. I read her story further via BBC: On This Day which I highly recommend as a way of soaking-up some very interesting history upon a daily basis.

At the end of his text he wrote:

"Was she 'anti-social', 'extremist' or 'fundamentalist'? Or was she 'sava lakh se laroan' [able to take on a legion of opponents], following a much higher law than artificial human law?"

A light bulb shone inside my little brain - why not write about a series of non-Sikh individuals who imbibe a particular component of the Khalsa Spirit? By recognising and appreciating these Khalsa sparks within our brothers’ and sisters' hearts, perhaps we can all truly start understanding how Vaheguroo lives within, and ultimately inspires, every single heart.

Let's first try and define the word Khalsa. Khalsa is an Arabic word which can be translated as ‘pure’ and ‘untainted’. It was also apparently used to refer to land belonging to a King or Emperor, which could not be taxed. These definitions converge to construct a beautiful concept. Khalsa represents The Pure Unrestrained Truth which cannot be challenged or defeated. It is the un-taxable land of Truth belonging to Vaheguroo and it's aim is to constantly manifest.

Since 1699, it has come to be known as The Satguroo’s conferred title for those people who live, breathe and meditate in complete unison with The Satguroo, so much so, that The Satguroo describes the Khalsa as His Satguroo, to whom He unconditionally submits. In 1699, the fraternity of the Khalsa was born as we know it, and this land has continued to manifest since...

Recognising The One Light manifest in all beings, the Khalsa are able to imbibe lessons of Truth through all things and all people. Now, let us travel back in time exactly 53 years ago, and learn a lesson...

Rosa discarded her concerns and boarded that bus, her resolve unshakeable. She decided that day she would live The Truth despite others’ attempts to deny her it. It didn’t bother her that the driver was the same man who threw her off a bus 12 years earlier because she had refused to enter through the back door, specially allocated for blacks.

She sat down upon her seat, tired after working long and hard manual hours, only to be confronted by a white man who requested she give-up her seat. Rosa refused and in doing sos violated American segregation laws, which stated at the time that a coloured person must give way to a white person if no vacant seats remained upon public transport vehicles.

Historically, her actions represented not the single defiant voice of a young black woman but the consolidation of a collective statement; that Blacks would not accept such degrading treatment and were willing to break any man-made law to prove it. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, American blacks everywhere boycotted buses soon after Rosa made her stand.

Photo Credit: Eege Vot Fum

The bus that Rosa sat in that day

Rosa’s actions are in complete resonance with The Satguroo’s teachings. Vaheguroo expects us all to challenge any so-called laws which treat one person as superior and the other inferior. For the Khalsa in particular, whether it was the Mughal Emperor Arungzeb forbidding our ancestors from riding horses, or a modern-day democratic nation deciding that Blacks couldn’t always have a bus-seat, there is no difference.

In my mind, Guroo Gobind Singh Jee points to her, and says to me: “You see that soul, learn from its virtue, a Truth being lived. A worthy lesson for the Khalsa”. In this way, I feel inspired by such figures and feel hope, in a day and age when so many 'Sikhs' reveal that their garbs and practices are mere religious rituals, devoid of spiritual inspiration. Why? Because their words and actions do not match the glorious spiritual heritage and relevance that their outer image portrays. I don't feel disheartened though, because the Khalsa is beyond such a façade and will always live, as a spark, waiting to ignite in any heart.

Whether it’s the boy who stands up to the playground bully, the teacher who inspires her pupils with self-belief, or the lady on that bus in 1955 who refused to give-up her seat, they all illustrate the same thing. They remind us that The Satguroo transmits lessons to His Sikhs through all things and all people, if only we are willing to receive them.

( ( ( :-) >>>

Atma Singh - everyday sikhee

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Let The Battle Commence - Part 2

Photo Credit: Oskay

Slotting all that Cyber-Sikhee together isn't always easy


Up for discussion all the time, somewhere or other: meat or no meat, which are the 5 K’s, how to dress, can I have a partner before marriage, can I drink alcohol, should Sikhs do Yoga, is Raagmalaa (a verse) part of GurbaaNee???? The poor newcomer swings this way and that, trying to make sense amongst the mishmash of viewpoints, regarding what is and isn’t The Satguroo’s Teachings.

Many who were once newcomers have now cut their hair. Many consume alcohol. Many have sex outside marriage. Many have completely rejected The Satguroo. It becomes obvious that as they tried to grapple with all the different perspectives and opinions, they were overcome and it’s easy to see why.

Often, a charismatic individual who seemed to offer them a well-constructed bridge of understanding to The Satguroo turned-out to be anything but, and with the bathwater of deception, the baby of Sikhee gets thrown out. Back to the wilderness then – well, at least I didn’t mention soup!

Seriously though, how can we sum-up the root issue? First, we must accept that everyone aside from The Satguroo can only offer an opinion based on their understanding. So why not place the Satguroo’s Perfect Understanding above all others’ opinions by connecting directly with GurbaaNee:

ਜਾਮਿਗੁਰੂਹੋਇਵਲਿਗਿਆਨਅਰੁਧਿਆਨਅਨਨਪਰਿ ॥
jaam guroo hoe val giaan ar dhiaan anan par
One who has the Guroo on his side, does not depend on anyone else for spiritual wisdom and meditation.

ਜਾਮਿਗੁਰੂਹੋਇਵਲਿਸਬਦੁਸਾਖੀਸੁਸਚਹਘਰਿ ॥
jaam guroo hoe val sabadh saakhee s sacheh ghar
One who has the Guroo on his side contemplates the Shabad and the Teachings, and abides in the Home of Truth.
(Ang/Page 1399)

The cyber-sources are an exciting nursery of discovery, of lego-blocks waiting to be fused into your personal understanding. They aren't bad in themselves. Yes, there comes a day when we will all want to know the ins and outs of things which GurbaaNee does not feel the need to directly spell out and address for us. Case-in-point: which brand of hair-oil should you use on your beard? Personally, I use mustard oil because...anyway, GurbaaNee is not a liturgy which aims to tell you how to please Vaheguroo through every miniscule decision your mind requests of you. GurbaaNee deals with the root cause, it addresses the wandering mind instead of all its minions; it goes for the mother-ship - think Independence Day and you're there.

The Satguroo turns you into someone who can make informed decisions, someone who can separate truth from fiction and nonsense from common-sense. By becoming The Satguroo’s Sikh, by immersing yourself in GurbaaNee, and meditating upon Naam, you'll naturally come to know what is good and bad for you:

ਗਾਫਲਗਿਆਨਵਿਹੂਣਿਆਗੁਰਬਿਨੁਗਿਆਨੁਨਭਾਲਿਜੀਉ ॥
gaafal giaan vihooniaa gur bin giaan n bhaal jeeo
O careless one, you are totally lacking any wisdom; do not seek wisdom without the Guroo.

ਖਿੰਚੋਤਾਣਿਵਿਗੁਚੀਐਬੁਰਾਭਲਾਦੁਇਨਾਲਿਜੀਉ ॥
khinchothaan vigucheeai buraa bhalaa dhue naal jeeo
By indecision and inner conflict, you shall come to ruin. Good and bad both pull at you.

ਬਿਨੁਸਬਦੈਭੈਰਤਿਆਸਭਜੋਹੀਜਮਕਾਲਿਜੀਉ ॥੭॥
bin sabadhai bhai rathiaa sabh johee jamakaal jeeo 7
Without being absorbed in the Satguroo’s Word, through devotional fear, all come under the gaze of the Messenger of Death. 7
(Ang/Page 751)

Positive and negative – features of the dualistic reality we are constantly subject to, cannot be overcome unless we harmonise with Vaheguroo. In fact, a spiritual death will eventually result from the inner battle between light and dark. Only the Gu–Roo can takes us from Gu (darkness) to Roo (light). The Satguroo tells us before concluding GurbaaNee:

ਥਾਲਵਿਚਿਤਿੰਨਿਵਸਤੂਪਈਓਸਤੁਸੰਤੋਖੁਵੀਚਾਰੋ ॥
thaal vich thinn vasathoo peeou sath santhokh veechaaro
Upon this Plate, three things have been placed: Truth, Contentment and Contemplation/Wisdom.

ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਨਾਮੁਠਾਕੁਰਕਾਪਇਓਜਿਸਕਾਸਭਸੁਅਧਾਰੋ ॥
anmrith naam thaakur kaa paeiou jis kaa sabhas adhaaro
The Ambrosial Nectarian Naam, the Naam of The Master, the support of all, has been placed upon it.

I interpret the above as meaning that through meditative loving immersion in Naam, our mind is stilled. Because the still mind focuses lovingly upon Vaheguroo, it’s true origin, Truth enters it. Truth leads to Contentment, and as a result of experiencing such Perfect Genuine Contentment, Wisdom arises. We will only experience Contentment once we experience Truth. Being fully content via the Truth leads to the welling-up of Inner Wisdom.

It’s up to you – do you wish to potentially never leave the merry-go-round of indecision, or do you wish to consult The Source that all those cyber-voices claim to represent and then, using this Touchstone of Truth, make truly wise decisions for yourself in the crazy jungle nursery full of lego???

( ( ( :-) >>>

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