A Bit Closer

What's the chance this year will start and end 

the same way as the last? / Photo Credit: bennylin0724

New Year’s day was a very climatic occasion for me 8 years ago. On this day in 2000, I smoked a massive amount of cannabis. I’d already stopped drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating meat/fish/eggs by this point but cannabis was my favourite and therefore remaining vice. So I thought let’s go out with a bang. With The Satguroo’s Grace, I haven’t looked back since the…erm…big bang.

I’m living proof - a New Year can lead to a New You. There’s a mystical power behind it, a psychological catalyst which gives a unique impetus. We get to judge where we are, where we’re heading and if we like the thought of heading there. That’s the only time it’s actually worth something. Apart from that, with the drugs, nostalgia and noise removed, let’s be honest - it’s just another day. Another day bringing us a bit closer to death.

The Satguroo teaches us to challenge death head-on, and realise that it has no power over us. All those beauty products, which fight wrinkles and tired skin, all those younger fashions and all that make-up which will knock a decade off you; they all point to one thing. We all want to defeat death via its symptoms. We haven’t challenged it head-on.

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh, one of the greatest sikhs of the 20th century,

photographed at the moment of mortal death - smiling.

We see our bodies change, we see death slowly but surely looming closer and closer, so we fight the way it manifests. We fight this fight every day yet we don’t acknowledge what we are truly fighting. The advertising industry blatantly plays-upon this. There’s a lot of money to be made out of such a common fear, such a universal insecurity. In this consumer ego-driven society, we are all too willing to play the game. Our bodies, to which we are so attached, are reduced to a house of death:

ਖਾਵੈਭੋਗੈਸੁਣਿਸੁਣਿਦੇਖੈਪਹਿਰਿਦਿਖਾਵੈਕਾਲਘਰੇ ॥
khaavai bhogai sun sun dhaekhai pehir dhikhaavai kaal gharae
He eats and enjoys, listens and watches, and dresses up to show off in this house of death.

ਬਿਨੁਗੁਰਸਬਦਨਆਪੁਪਛਾਣੈਬਿਨੁਹਰਿਨਾਮਨਕਾਲੁਟਰੇ ॥੫॥
bin gur sabadh n aap pashaanai bin har naam n kaal ttarae 5
Without the Word of the Guru's Shabad, he does not understand himself. Without The Everblossoming’s Name, death cannot be avoided. 5

ਜੇਤਾਮੋਹੁਹਉਮੈਕਰਿਭੂਲੇਮੇਰੀਮੇਰੀਕਰਤੇਛੀਨਿਖਰੇ ॥
jaethaa mohu houmai kar bhoolae maeree maeree karathae sheen kharae
The more attachment and egotism delude and confuse him, the more he cries out, ""Mine, mine!"", and the more he loses out.

ਤਨੁਧਨੁਬਿਨਸੈਸਹਸੈਸਹਸਾਫਿਰਿਪਛੁਤਾਵੈਮੁਖਿਧੂਰਿਪਰੇ ॥੬॥
than dhan binasai sehasai sehasaa fir pashuthaavai mukh dhoor parae 6
His body and wealth pass away, and he is torn by scepticism and cynicism; in the end, he regrets and repents, when the dust falls upon his face. 6

Ang 1014 - read complete shabad (verse)

I had no hope before sikhee. I was the worst kind of loser - a loser who thought he was winning. Who thought temporary pleasures and the temporary contentment they afforded was the point of life. A mind so lost in the search for pleasure that poison seemed sweet, and nectar tasted bitter.

The Satguroo offered me The Pinnacle, Perfect Enlightenment, and on The Path towards this, he has already blessed me with so many gifts. Faith in Him is evidenced, the gamble, the leap, has been justified over and over again. It's not a matter of faith any longer.

It’s a simple equation: You + The Satguroo = sikhee. So discard the experiences you’ve hard-wired amongst those neurones. Of caste and booze, of boys dating and girls not being allowed, of religious rituals and rules, corrupt gurduaraa committees, of wolves wearing sheep’s clothing, domestic violence and preachers angrily preaching. I’ve been there; I know how they stunt the seed of sikhee’s spirituality. But they can never kill it. Because your soul is the seed.

Make this a year for you to reclaim - reclaim the seed you may never have nourished, beg for the moment that will unfold an epiphany. You’re one year closer to death - why not use it to get a bit closer to The Satguroo?

( ( ( :- )>>> Atma Singh

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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???

( ( ( :-) >>>

Atma Singh - everyday sikhee Continue reading ...

Let The Battle Commence - Part 1

Sometimes, I feel really sorry for those who begin their Sikhee journey.

Most often, these people can be split into two groups – non-Panjabees, and Panjabee youth whose family aren't committed Sikhs. As a result, these bright, enthusiastic and spiritually thirsty people naturally wish to soak up as much information and inspiration as possible from external sources. As far as they’re concerned, they’ve been stuck in the wilderness for far too long and are only now coming in from the cold.

Wide-eyed, they turn to the www in their zealous hunger for information. However, they soon realise that trying to learn about Sikhee via various sources, like most things in life, isn’t straightforward. Things don’t seem so warm inside after all.

It’s saturated with a plethora of websites, forums, blogs, social networking groups and e-groups, all of which to varying degrees promote a different Sikhee soup. "What does he mean by soup"? Schools of thought, schools within those schools and the most fascinating and perhaps most powerful phenomenon in recent times, the ‘charismatic individual’. The latter can often be found in the frontline amongst some of these vying perspectives.

Caustic debates, vicious flame-wars, accusations, slander – it’s a jungle! And all the newcomer wanted was some soup for their soul. Ok, I’ll stop the whole ‘cold wilderness’, ‘warm log-cabin’ and ‘campbells soup’ thing right now!

One fresh example, which makes me a feel a bit sorry for the author and anyone who reads the material, is a blog which barely having taken birth has begun by brazenly attacking a major well-respected Jathebandee (Sikh organisation). The reason? The blogger argues in his profile that he has been maligned by ‘members’ of the said Jathebandee, and so felt the need to prove how this Jathabandee is fundamentally opposed to The Satguroo’s teachings. Question: Do we really need to expose the whole Sikhee-seeking cyber population to such personal spats?

Look, my concern isn’t the truth behind the matter - which probably could have been discussed, dissected and decided over a telephone line between certain parties. I'm more concerned about the thirsty and wide-eyed newcomers, and the impressionable youth, who are constantly subject to these all too often occurrences. After-all, amongst the cyber-battlefield, it is they who suffer the paralysing aftermath, as they seek out 'The Satguroo's Teachings'.

...to be continued...
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