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lakhvir

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  1. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh. im usually reprimanded by many of my friends and part of family as to why they see me engrossed in peace tv, listening keenly to zakir naik. its hard to explain why, but i like to be aware of what he's up to, and i do respect him for his knowledge and believe he is truly blessed. but ... this is what i make of him and his lectures: 1. he has self-defaulted in the process of his own speeches by getting carried away by his over-zealous belief in his own faith and put down every other religion on the planet. he claims to be a better christian than the christians, a better hindu than the hindus and so forth. the first sign of a wise man is humility. when he makes such claims in public, you know he is trying very hard to convince people of his own knowledge and the "supremacy" of islam. 2. on many many occasions, he is just blabbering, trying to confuse his audience with a flood of words. more often than not, he contradicts himself and his interpretation of his own religion's scriptures. he makes claims of sikhs and brandishing guns in their music videos and then says aout islamic terrorists are not good muslims as they are not living the life of a good muslim. he always refers to the best muslim as hazrat mohammad ji and the rest of teh black sheep as bad-reps of islam. he then has the guts to brand the black sheep of other faiths as the faith itself. how stupid is that? 3. he has, knowingly or unknowingly, subjected himself to ego by claiming that all he knows makes him a better judge of religions and their scriptures. he will never compliment another's faith, and will always bury it underneath his islamic claims. 4. knowledge does not amount to wisdom. even gurbani speaks of that. we may read and read as much as we may, but we will remain aloof of wisdom because we have not translated that knowledge is self-application to become more humble, soft-spoken, kind, tolerant ... etc. if you look at baba nanak, he was an epitome of humility and yet he was far more wiser and knowledgeable than the likes of naik. guru nanak never gave lectures, he held discourses. that's the big difference of how naik thinks and guru nanak thinks. 5. the audiences he draws are those who think like him ... they have been pulled over to him not to get enlightened, but to get themselves more rigid in their islamic faith. naik openly challenges some of the most respected religious gurus of his times. 6. i find his intentions insincere and of hidden-agenda. he may be able to fool others, but certainly not the enlightened. 7. he cannot touch sikhs, the khalsa, guru granth sahib, the sikh gurus and their history. whatever he claims against sikhism is baseless. he has memorised the quran, bible and gita. he may be able to memorise the guru granth sahib ji, but he will not be able to explain what guruji is saying because gurbani is for the humble and sanmukh, not for the vemukh, manmukhi and proud. all that he superfluously makes references from the scriptures is all above the surface explanations. he thinks the quran and other scriptures are as literal as he reads them. i may be able to memorise gurbani, but of what use is it if i have not understood the depth of even one word from it? 8. if he claims nanak was influenced by kabir, then islam must have been also influenced by hinduism because islam came later. 9. zaik is actually exposing the double standards of his religion. he is not aware of that. his intentions and ways to speech are no different from his predecessors - the mughal raj. its one thing to preach from your own garden than to come face-to-face with his challengers. 10. he will not be able to explain why bhai mardana, a staunch muslim, was a dedicated companion (if not follower) of guru nanak. he will probably claim that bhai mardana was a 'kafir' as he walked around with one. 11. islam will never admit that the mughal raj ended because of the sikhs' challenge. and were it not for the battle against tyrants and not against a faith, guru gobind singh may just have put an end to islam itself. be didn't do that because the sikh gurus highly regarded faithful, humble and devoted muslims - no wonder some of their holiest peers is part of our gurbani. 12. i don't think he knows or thinks good of muslims like bhai mardana ji, sain mian mir ji, ghani khan nabi khan, bhagat kabir ji and all those muslims who respected sikhs and their faith. naik probably regards them as traitors of islam. in conclusion, i would encourage listening to his speeches. hear out what has to say because if we don't, naive sikhs will fall for his words. we need to keep our ears peeled and prepare ourselves first about what such people think of us so we can best defend our faith when the need arises. he is doing parchaar for islam, lets do ours, too, but not in the way he does, but in the ways our gurus taught and inspired us to. we don't have to be like him. we need to be like the LIGHT OF NANAK.
  2. this wrong. no way to elimate anti-sikhi elements. we need to awaken the panth and shame the moorakhs who are twisting our beautiful sikhi faith ... these physical attacks will solve nothing. it will now justify the detractors ... terrible.
  3. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh. the beta version of kenyankalasingha.com website is now up. new content will be uploaded as we progress. this is kenya's first sikh website and it's official launch will be on vaisakhi 2008. check it out: splash page: http://www.kenyankalasingha.com/ homepage: http://www.kenyankalasingha.com/new/index.htm blog: http://www.kalasingha.wordpress.com/ waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh.
  4. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh. pyareo, it's all HUKAM and if you concentrate on japji sahib's mention of HUKAM, it will explain everything – that we know nothing of HUKAM because of our ego, as we want to try and comprehend how HE works. HUKAM is what we live in but what it is, no one can expound. even with a thousand tongues, we cannot even attempt to describe HIS WAYS. when we learn to do what guru ji has commanded us to do – which is the biggest HUKAM in gurbani – is to JAP. that is the introductory message of both japji sahib and of guru granth sahib ji. in the first part of the mool mantar, guru nanak dev ji describes the attributes of WAHEGURU and then instructs us further to JAP (meditate). then the rest of gurbani flows through our being. it is natural to ask and ponder over what is happening around the world and 99.99% is out of our grasp to understand. we need to thus, give in and submit to the guru and ask HIM to guide us through this incomprehensible and treacherous world-ocean. the world is standing on HUKAM and NAAM alone – the trees stand their ground for centuries, the mountains stay grounded for centures, leaves of trees green and grey and wither, life forms come to birth and pass through death – over and over and over and over – all in HUKAM. nothing is in our control – not even our own breath. if our very breath cannot be understood, we cannot even begin to understand this 'cosmic drama' which guru gobind singh ji describes. even he proclaimed that he has merely come to witness the drama of this world, meditate on HIM and return back to his TRUE HOME. if you read japji sahib, word for word and focus on them, all your questions will be answered. just focus on the words and then close your eyes and reflect on what the guru has said and witness what happens to you. it's indescribable. this will take time, so try a pauri at a time and sit through with a learned parent, friend or gyani and when HIS GRACE showers on you, your ego (to comprehend HIS WAYS) will disappear and then HUKAM will come to be recognised. let's follow that example. when we do just the basic – to let the guru worry about what and how this world works, we are relieved of our burden and we can spend more time on focussing on the HUKAM to JAP. JJ – Just JAP. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh.
  5. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh. daily nitnem is a revision, which goes on until we breathe our last. if we remain dedicated in full love, even in just reading correctly, one word at a time, it cannot equal the person who has memorised all of nitnem and yet has not absorbed word for word into his/her being in thought, word and action. my advice would be not to make memorising bani as an ambition – it will happen when you least know it. even great gurmukhs recited from gutka sahib, though they knew everything off heart. it does help, however, when you suddenly feel inspired to japp naam (in the from of nitnem, for example), what you have recited over the years will automatically come to you. do not feel disappointed if you cannot remember any bani in its complete form. recite from memory what you can clearly remember and it is sufficient. i would further advice that you do ardas to be guided to correct pronunciation, nitnem on time every time and continued and growing pyaar for the guru and His Word (Bani). blessings to you. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh.
  6. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh. i live in nairobi, the capital city of kenya and first hand news is that things are tense countrywide, but not as out-of-hand situation as the international media is portraying it to be. yes, there are concerns about the economical decline and general insecurity, but life is slowly returning back to normal, let aside the street battles between demonstrators (most of whom are just layabouts, jobless hooligans). general kenyans are tired of all this nonsense because kenyans are a typically peace-loving peoples. that is why the country has enjoyed relative peace prior to this situation. the current crisis is simply a hijacked moment by the selfish and thoughtless politicians who have placed the greed of the the top seat above the general well-being of the countrymen who voted peacefully for a better and promising future. i voted too, but i feel terribly cheated by both the ruling government who looted the elections and the opposition who is hell-bent on getting their grievances heard through national unrest. the situation is nairobi is relatively calmer, though at this point protests on the streets have run into its third straight day. theer are few cars on the road as schools have had to close. roads leading to the city centre and slums are heavily guarded by the general service unit. businesses in the city centre have been ordered by the government to remain shut to protect them from a spree of looting (which happened over the past two weeks in both kisumu and mombasa – the other two main cities of kenya). the brunt of of all this chaos has been felt by the poor and week who have had to flee their homes and farms after having been targeted by tribal outbursts – scores have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. most businesses in kisumu (including that of a sikh - http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,,2241963,00.html) have been razed to the ground – out of sheer jealousy. the national mass protests called out by the opposition have largely failed because what happened at two weeks ago so happened because of the holiday season. because businesses and schools were closed for the christmas and new year holidays, tensions were flared up by the election frauds and peoples' anger went out of hand – arson, rapes, killings and terror ripped through the country. common kenyans here want peace, they want nothing to do with the political stalemates – kenyans want to be left alone to go on with their lives, but the politicians have found that to be the weak point and taken advantage of it. if i were to evaluate the future of kenya, this is what i predict: violence will cease, but general security will remain of concern. the politicians will end up battling it out on diplomatic grounds, though no international mediator (like kofi annan) will be listened to. kenyans will sort this out between themselves. the reason why kofi pulled out of the trip to kenya was not because of his reported 'bout of flu', but because he wanted to avoid an international embarrassment as his visit was unwelcome by the government. the ghanaian president who visited the country last week was reduced to nothing more than that of a messenger – take the message of the opposition to the government and vice versa). though the e.u. has slapped an aid ban, it is not likely to move the government because they are at a stage of 'we-could-care-less'. it will take the country many months to get back on track – tourism has collapsed in just a few days, businesses have been disrupted and tribal tensions have run at an all-time high. the opposition is now embarking on a national strike, targeted a paralysing the businesses owned by the government – which will lead to further decline in economic chaos and loss of jobs. this is all a domino effect. eventually, i guess, the opposition will be offered a deal by the government (which they will grab) but may have to live up with it until 2012 (the next elections) as the president will not step down (as demanded by the opposition). the opposition is currently demanding a power-sharing deal with the government, on condition of fresh presidential elections within three months. i particularly do not see this coming to happen because the government will never admit that they stole the elections, and the opposition will never accept that. so this stalemate will remain unsolved fully - for many months. in my guess, kenya will come out better than it ever was – eventually – but the damage done to the trust of kenya's peoples will take much longer to undo. already, the asians are among those fearing for their well-being, who became the target of attack in the failed 1982 coup – asians homes and businesses were looted. this led to the beginning of a new, but quiet, exodus of the asians. the first major exodus happened in 1963 when kenya gained independence and the country's businesses began to be africanised. and now, reeling from the effects of the current crisis, it is likely that families in their hundreds will contemplate on moving away from here, once again. over the decades, the indian population has declined steadily, though it is still the highest in africa. there are tens of thousands of sikhs in kenya, but the numbers are dwindling. in a country where there is little to no asian representation in its political ground, the future of the asian minority is bleak for they have no one to fight for their rights and favour. there is no longer any asian m.p. in the government. a few did run for councillors of various areas in nairobi and kisumu and two or three have won, but they are not enough as they are far out-numbered by the tribal divide. i have personally believed, like many others, that kenya is indeed a blessed country. this may seem like a paradox to knowing that as at this moment, paradise burns. this beautiful, hospitable and tropical country, endowed with breath-taking scenics and wildlife and beaches has only been taken advantage of by a political turmoil. but normalcy will return to paradise because God does not abandon His own. and that is what kenyans live on - the Grace of God. as a sikh, i pray for the well-being of all - the oppressors and the oppressed. anyone on this board reading this post is humbly requested to do an ardas for kenya – for there is immense and immeasurable power in collective ardas and prayer. waheguruji ka khalsa. waheguruji ki fateh.
  7. God is blingged jo bin paratheethee kapattee koorree koorree akhee meettadhae oun kaa outhar jaaeigaa jhoot(h) gumaan Those who lack faith may close their eyes, hypocritically pretending and faking devotion, but their false pretenses shall soon wear off. -Guru Ram Das Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 734 In an age where image is everything, more and more youth are beginning to define their spiritual connections, not by public display of devotion but by showcasing their alliances in the form of tattoos. While no religion specifically condones them, tattoos however, raise suspicious and sarcastic looks from those that find them undesirable, no matter how simple and clean they may seem. The Sikh youth are abandoning the Guru’s form (specifically the turban and unshorn hair) and replacing it with their own alternative – by expressing their pride through ways that find them acceptance with their peers who can longer bear the weight of conforming to their age-old tradition of wearing dastaar and unshorn hair. The turbans have swiftly lost their princely status and replaced with chic statements of tattooed arms, chests, backs and necks. Today’s generation is into the GenerationX thing – technology, luxury, image and peer-respect. It no longer matters what the Guru thinks is better – our educated youth know better and have given godly status to their outer displays of fashion statement. Tattoos have today joined the legions of body piercings, crew cuts and blings. It seems like God is in fashion these days, regardless of how aloof or ignorant we want be in trying to understand His Will, and attempting to win His attention with our artistically decorated bodies. Whether it is to show your religious alliance, to make a fashion statement or to try and interpret your version of spirituality, tattoos may not be condemned by religion, but they lead you no where. The Sikh Gurus revealed to us what Akaal Purakh had envisioned for His peoples. Over 240 years, the Sikh of Guru Nanak was groomed into the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Abandoned were all rituals and meaningless aspects of life, and replaced with those that would stand the test of time and be of purpose and lead us to our Creator Lord. One may argue that while tattoos are of outer display, then so are the turbans and beards. Valid arguement, but . . . the dastaar and kesh of were marks of the our affiliation to the Guru, a form blessed to the adherents of the Sikh way of life. One may adorn the Sikh turban and even maintain his kesh, and yet still pierce his body and tattoo his skin, is far more close to manmat and foolishness than those that have forsaken the Sikh roop and tattoo their bodies to re-invent themselves. Tattoos are nothing less than body-modification which is a process of deciding who you are and what you want to be. Tattooing and its allied arts, in other words, are increasingly understood as substitutes for more traditional religious rites of passage. Body art may be considered as an individual expression but it will never find favour with religion, no matter how much one may claim to defend it as their way of spiritual growth. Many who decorate their bodies with religious icons as tattoos claim to educate those that catch their curiosity. This is simply a sign of cultural starvation, resulting from rebelling against the norms and established way of a religious life. People claim to wear meaningful tattoos, but unless their life is dedicated to the inner self, the outer statements are as good as decorating a dead body. When we lose the intrinsic inner values, we attempt to guise that vacuum with alternative, self-defined ways. By ignoring the path of the religious teachings and claiming to be wiser than the masters, we do nothing more than condemning ourselves into the darkness of meaningless existence. The greatest show of religious affiliation and devotion is a silent and humble one. When one sees a turbaned Sikh with a full kesh, he says more than one who has discarded the form of his Guru. While one cannot completely condemn tattoos, they can never find acceptance either. Just because religion does not condone body piercings and tattoos doesn’t mean such body-works are accepted. What God wants to see is not your self-defined image, but the one that He commissioned, through the Sikh Gurus. In the end, the outer is to rot away anyway, whether it is adorned by the dastaar or by tattoos, but what will matter in the Court of the True Lord is how much of our being we offered to the Guru and accepted as good what they instructed us to do, not what our fickle minds thought so otherwise. A life lived without contemplation on the Word of God is far worse that exhibiting our bodies that we are religious and we belong in ways far off from what was intended and designed to be. naam binaa jaethaa biouhaar || jio mirathak mithhiaa seegaar Without the Naam, all occupations are useless, like decorations on a dead body. -Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 240 source: lakhvir02.wordpress.com
  8. Hum Hindu Nahin [/size] http://lakhvir02.wordpress.com/2006/11/21/hum-hindu-nahin/ naa ham hi(n)dhoo n musalamaan I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim poojaa karo n nivaaj gujaaro I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers. eaek nira(n)kaar lae ridhai namasakaaro I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. - Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1136 In today’s advanced age and time, more and more people have access to education and information than ever before. This has plunged majority of them into the lofty heights of self-acknowledgement. Though this is not a new breed of people (such false preachers and self-proclaimed wise men exited since the beginning of civilization), they philosophies spread their net on people of weaker judgement and victimise them into believing their poisonous preachings. The people of Truth have always been in the minority, because I believe that is the very intention of God. If the people of Truth were in the majority, the minority would be oppressed – like the Mughals did when they spread their faith by the sword. God’s purpose to keep the men of Truth in the minority is to prove that no matter the opposition, Truth’s might triumphs – its takes time, sacrifices and faith to win over the enemy. The day Nanak was born, only the village Pandit and the midwife instantly recognised the divine soul. Extremely few saw the Diving Light in Nanak, while the rest remained ignorant until the day Nanak merged into the Divine. The ignoranced did not end there – opposition against the House of Nanak continued through the successor Sikh Gurus and still exists today. But today’s ignorance of Sikhi is prevalent not just in non Sikhs, but in many Sikhs as well. Sikhi has proved to me, beyond doubt, that when Truth comes face-to-face with you, the face of the enemy can be seen as Truth reflects only that what we really are. Truth is a mirror – it never reflects what the one facing it isn’t. When I face Guru Granth Sahin (as Shabad), I see what I really am – if I am earnestly following the Shabad, then the picture is pretty, otherwise it is disgusting – and it’s mine, whether I like it or not. No wonder, that since the advent of Sikhi, with the birth of Nanak, the amount of opposition has been piling up. The greatest opposition to the message of Nanak was that Sikhs are are part of Hindus. It’s a strange claim because on the one hand the Hindus want to own the Sikhs as Hindus, and on the other hand oppose Nanak’s teachings that speak against idol-worship and the caste system. then we have the Muslims who also lay claim on Guru Nanak as one of their own. This is a remarkable scenario, unparalleled in the history of religion where one man is claimed as their own by more religions that the one he founded. Is it not strange to hear the song over and over again that ‘Sikhs are Hindus’ when the people procaliming it do not even believe Guru Nanak’s proclamation that he was neither Hindu nor Muslim? What we miss here is that Nanak as the man is not the entity to be accepted (if we do not want to), it is the Shabad that he revealed to us that is to be followed. The fact is that anyone and everone is a sikh (learner, student) because they follow the teachings of their respective religions. But the Sikhs are those who follow the teachings of the 10 Sikh Gurus as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which includes the worship of one God. Besides this, Sikhs cannot be Hindus because Nanak may have been born in a Hindu family, but was not born as a Hindu – he rejected the Janeu at such a tender age. That alone does not prove that Nanak was not a Hindu: He worshipped only one Akaal Purakh (Hindus worship 33 million gods); he grew his kesh and protected it with a dastaar (Hindus cut their hair); he was casteless; he did not fast (Hindus fast); he studied the Vedas but was not a follower of them (Hindus follow the teachings of the Vedas and Puranas); he did not take the mandatory dip in the River Ganga (Hindus are instructed to bathe in the River Ganga at least once in their life time); and he did not follow the Hindu festivals of Raksha Bandhan, Karva Chauth, belief in Vishkarma, astrology and numerology (which all Hindus are devotees of). The last point above has been separated because it applies to those Sikhs who have allowed themselves to revere certian Hindu customs and rituals which have prompted the Hindu activists to stamp Sikhs as part of Hinduism. What the Hindu activists forget is that even Hindus visit the Harimandir Sahib but no Sikh tells them that it makes them Sikhs. It is just the Hindus that take the exception only because they feel threatened and insecure (just like the Hindu Hill Rajas felt when they saw the flourishing congregation of Guru Gobind Singh Ji), lest the Hindu faith loses on what keep the caste system dominating over the lower castes. Sikhi is so free of dogmas and the worship only one Akaal Purakh, that the Hindus feel the most offended for it challenges centuries of their blind rituals. They forget that the faith of Nanak does not condemn their rituals, but merely awakens them to Truth. No Sikh Guru ever denounced Hinduism, but the opposite is what is happening with the Hindus for they can simply not accept Sikhism as a new faith. Just because the number of ignorant Sikhs who follow Hindu customs and rituals (like astrology, numerology, fasting, Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Dushera) is growing in numbers is no proof that Sikhs are Hindus. What is true is that those Sikhs that follow Hinduism as well will one day relapse into Hinduism itself – for they cease to be Sikhs as they have ignored the teachings of their faith and chosen to follow their own manmat which our Gurus rescued us out of. Just like anyone can dress up like a policeman and commit crimes in its guise, likewise, it is just as easy for any Hindu propagandaist to adorn the roop of a Sikh and try to proove the Hindu-ness of Sikhs by doing Hindu things. The perfect example is the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) which has began to create rifts into the Sikhs by founding a wing of their Sangh under the name of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat which does everything Hindu and denounces Sikh beliefs because the very mission of RSS is to promote their language (Hindi), rule of their faith (Hindu) and return India to the land of Hindus only (Hindustan). This is nothing short of the ambition of the Mughals when they dreamed of turning Hindustan into a fully Islamic State. The Mughals failed in their ambition because it was based against the very nature of God. The very cause of the agenda against Sikhs is the fact that while every other religion considers itself as the supreme over the others, the Sikh religion is the only one that confers equality to all and does not consider itself higher or lower than another religion. Besides the Sikh religion, all other religions squirm to admit equality because of their over-zealous ambition to dominate and claim of exclusivity. The Christians consider non-Christians as inheritors of Hell, the Muslims consider non-Muslims as kafirs (non-believers) and now the Hindus consider all religions as part of Hinduism. Sikhi is the biggest thorn in the flesh of these major religion because of its message of equality and distinct code of conduct. The greatest weapons of the RSS and other Hindu propaganda groups are the splinters ’sects’ of Sikhi – the Naamdharis, Radha-Soamis, Nirankaris and Darshan Das. Because they all claim the heritage of Nanak (through their references from Guru Granth Sahin Ji, they do not, however, believe in the Code of the Khalsa (Sikh Rehat) and this is the weakness of the Sikhs that the propaganda activists have taken advantage of and hijacked to turn the attention of the world and ‘proove’ to them that ‘Sikhs are no different from Hindus’. But try as much as they may, Nanak will remain what he was – neither Hindu, nor Muslim. The point of this article is not to prove that as a Sikh, I consider my faith more beautiful than the others, but to emphasise on the respect we all deserve. When some group treds on insulting our Gurus, our beliefs and practices and then go as far as debunking our faith, then it simply crosses the limit and we need to awaken to what the people around us up to. All the other religions glorify themselves – Christianity, Islam and now Hinduism, but only the Sikh faith refrains from self-glory because the House of Nanak sees all as equal. Our greatest challenge is the rising apostasy, corrupted Sikh leadership and general apathy in regard to our heritage and teachings. Our strength is in disassociating with anyone Sikh or Sikh group that twists the teachings of our Gurus and belittle the authority of Guru Granth Sahib because they become enemies of the House of Nanak. We let them be, but do not allow them to interfere with our beliefs. Sikhs have never been known to speak against any religion, no matter what attrocities they may have committed on the Sikhs – that is the beauty of Sikhi. The tragedy of our predicament is that we have not recognised our own selves and that is why we are victimised and we hardly even notice it. There was a reason for which Nanak was born and there still is a reason why we need to uphold the values of his teachings. When we forget them is when we become exposed to those that have been the enemy of the House of Nanak for the last 500 years. The enemy never dies but Truth never gives up either. hi(n)dhoo a(n)nhaa thurakoo kaanaa The Hindu is sightless; the Muslim has only one eye -Bhagat NaamDev Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 874
  9. I was researching for my next blog article and I came across this extremely tasteless and insulting perception of Sikhi, the usual view of Arya Samaj activists. It's amazing the kind of worms that crawl on the internet, as if their offensive views will be judged as true. Such armchair professors like to imagine that one like Guru Nanak was a self-proclaimed godman, while the author of the website higher in his thinking and deeds. Read the following, it's more amusing than to be taken seriously, I believe the Shabad of Nanak, not the crap of this website's disrespectful author(s). ------------------------------------------------- The religion of Nanak and 9 others The first truth of true revelation is that it must be revealed in its entirety from the very beginning of creation for all of mankind, and not 600 years ago, depriving those before. The religion of the Sikhs was founded by one called Guru Nanak (see sect of Guru Nanak) in the state of Punjab, in northern India, about five hundred years ago. He was born in 1469 to a simple Hindu family. He refuted idol-worship of Hindus and despised the tyranny of the Muslim invaders and so it is claimed that he saved many Hindus from converting to Islam by the founding the Sikh religion. The aim of Nanak was good one. In those days anyone with even a little knowledge of Sanskrit would have been considered a learned man. Since all hymns (Satotras) were done in Sanskrit, it is possible that he was revered for it rather than preaching in his own Punjabi language which would not have brought him such popularity. During the Guru's life time he had praise for the Vedic teachings but he also reviled it and censured it in his book the Grantha. In anticipation, he denounced the Vedas here and there, in case anyone should ask him the meaning of a Vedic mantra. He supposedly disappeared while swimming in the river Bain, claiming he was in Holy communion with the Lord God who revealed Himself to him. He then uttered what is now enshrined in the Sikh Holy Scriptures: - "There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, He is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now." Japji. Was this really the Sikh's God revelation five hundred years ago? Did this God forget to reveal this message in the beginning so that all in His Creation could have benefited from it? It is difficult to believe that the God of Truth hid this truth from millions of souls before Nanak. There is really no contradiction to the above Vedic prayer but to restrict its revelation to Nanak's time is highly erroneous. On a visit to Kurukshetra in Haryana, Guru Nanak had a meat dish prepared for him, which offended the Hindus. He responded to their anger, saying:- "Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is meat and what is plant? Who knows where the sin lies being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?" Malhar Surely, if this great originator of Sikhism, who had the most esteem privilege to come face to face with God, did not know where the sin lies, who else would know? This shows very clearly that he was a fake or his followers made him to be such. What disciple of a true God would not know how to define what is meat and what is plant? In Nanak's time the state of Punjab, was altogether destitute of the Sanskrit learning and was at that time suffering under the tyranny of Muslim rule. He did prevent many from converting to Islam. But strange as it may sound, neither did he amass a large gathering of followers nor did Sikhism flourish much during his life time. But it is the norm, as it has occurred all throughout the ages in all the doctrines, that the ignorant made Saints and Martyrs of their teachers after they are dead. The fault of establishing this new sect is not to be borne by Nanak alone. It was his followers who wanted to benefit materially and take advantage of the ignorance that prevailed then. Even his corpse disappeared over night to fool the mass that he merged with the eternal light of the Creator. It is claimed that both the Hindus and the Muslims revered Nanak and at his death Hindus wanted him cremated and the Muslims wanted him buried. It is strange that his own followers had no interest in his dead body. After his death many sects within Sikhism began to emerge, beginning with his son who headed the Udasees, the Nirmalas with Ram Das and so on. As the successors to the Sikh dynasty grew they were all incorporated into their sacred book, the Guru Grantha. However, the many various treatises were fictitious stories invented to arrogate themselves Divine privileges and some of these falsehoods were taken from the Hindu Puranas and acting on the precept "Man versed in Divine Knowledge is himself God." Guru Gobind Singh the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus was indeed the bravest among all the followers of Nanak. The oppression of his people by the Muslims, which continued until his time, left him no choice but to take revenge. He had neither the men nor the weapons necessary to go to war with the Muslim tyrants who were at the zenith of their power in the Punjab. The susceptibleness of the followers of Nanak afforded him a strategy. He told them that the Goddess had given him a sword and a blessing saying, "Go forth and fight against the Mohammedans (Muslim). You shall win." It worked and gained many supporters from amongst the people even Hindus. He appointed five articles (kakars) beginning with the letter "K" as the signs of his faith which became very useful in the battle. Kesha - long unshaven hair, this protects the head, to some extent, against blows from sticks and sword thrusts. Kangan - a big iron ring worn by akalees on their turbans. Kara - an iron bangle worn on the wrist which helps to protect the wrist and the head. Kacha - a kind of knicker use in running and jumping, very commonly used by wrestlers and acrobats for the same purpose. It protects the most vital parts of the body as well as makes the movements free. Karda - a double-edged knife useful in hand to hand combat with the enemy. Khanga - a comb for dressing the hair. Guru Gobind Singh, through his wisdom, started the practice of wearing these five articles. They were useful in battle in his time, but they are of no use at the present time. It is rather strange, that these things have now become religious symbols in the religion of the Sikhs. Although they refute idolatry, they worship the Grantha even more than idols and place considerable religious significance on the five articles. Prostrating to a book (Grantha) incurs the action as the Hindus to an idol. They both make a big show of it in their highly beautified temples to teach others to do the same and receive gifts. The followers of the Grantha do not show the same amount of respect for the Vedas as the Puranics (Hindus) do. Of course, they can justify it by saying that it was never taught to them. "History tells that societies based on adoration of persons fall prey to mental thraldom which leads to moral, intellectual as well as spiritual emasculation." Vedic Light http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/3440/sikhism.html ----------------------- This author is so plainly confused about his own Hindu roots that he cannot seem to accept another's religion as sacred, but rather goes as far as childishly ridiculing it with poisonous words. Such painful words, that not only does it bleed the heart of a Sikh, but insults the very Word of God.
  10. lakhvir

    Gandhi

    WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. My dear KhalsaJi, It's is of no use discussing what the likes of Aurangzeb and Gandhi have spewed poison from theor words and deeds . . . . they're long gone and by now have probably paid for their karmas. What is important is not to forget the lesson – to constantly remain awake to the enemy that is striking at us in this day and age. The tragedy today is that we don't need Gandhi and GOI propaganda to strike blows on Sikhi, our own sikhs are worse off and eating it from the inside. The vermin is no longer on the outside, it's now inside of us and we need to flush out that vermin, by following Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Hukam to be Sant Sipahi of the Legacy of Nanak. We are not to be fanatic like the Hindus, Christians and Muslims, but we are to remain true to the message of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and no one will be able to conquer the Sikhs of Nanak. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  11. WHY SOME GURUDWARAS ARE FAILING The Hindus have their Mandirs, the Christians their Churches, the Muslims their Mosques and the Sikhs their Gurudwaras. All these congregational centres were meant to unite people of faith and help each other grow in spirituality and stick together in times of trials, tribulations and joy. Though Gurudwaras began to be built much after our Gurus, they have nevertheless played a great role in becoming centres of Sikh teachings and in bringing communities together. Over th past few years, however, an unfortunate trend has begun to come to the fore-front. Majority of Gurudwaras around the world no longer inspire new Sangat, mostly because of the wrong people with incorrect ideas are put in charge of the House of the Guru. There was a reason why our Gurus did not establish Gurudwaras and the foresight of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was spot on. Guru Ji’s decision to pass the Guruship to the Word of God (Guru Granth Sahib Ji) has saved the Panth from destruction at its own hands. Even today, one can witness the number of sects, deras and self-professed gurus that continue to grow in the same attempts that were made in the times of our Gurus by Prithi Chand, Ram Rai, Dhir Mal, Dattu and the massands. Our Sikh Gurus were appointed by Akaal Purakh to lay the foundations of the Sikh faith and that is why when Guru Gobind Singh Ji, as the last human Guru of the Sikhs, installed Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the final and eternal Guru of the Sikhs, we need to understand the reasons behind that decision and Hukam. Humans, as proved through history, are prone to failure because of their selfish nature and are likely to be corrupted by maya. Guruship is a huge power which can drive anyone to the brink of doing anything to lay claim for oneself. Our Gurus were appointed by Akaal Purakh and it was within His Divine Will to end the human Guruship with Guru Gobind Singh Ji and rest the destiny of the Sikh Panth in the Shabad of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Shabad is what humanity needed but very few accept the Word of God as their leader. No wonder we have all other religions clamouring for leadership and have failed the message engrained within their scriptures. Sikh faith is the only organised religion that has conferred Guruship to the Spirit of the Word and need no human Guru to take its place. The Sikh Gurus’ mission was to reveal the Word and record It for time eternal as no human will be able to match its Wisdom and Instructions. Those that have strayed from this principle have contradicted the very message the Gurus taught and have condemned themselves into squabbles which is their downfall. Over the centuries, men have fallen but only Guru Granth Sahib Ji still stands above all, pure and unadulterated as it was prepared by the Sikh Gurus. Guru Gobind Singh’s instruction to his Sikhs to consider Shabad as Guru has proved its reason. Those that do consider Guru Granth Sahib as Guru and following its teachings can never be conquered by any human force. They are the Sikhs of the True Guru and they have survived the centuries, and will survive for centuries to come. That is the power of the leadership of Guru Granth Sahib. When Sikhs treat Guru Granth Sahib Ji as a mere formality and to extract from it what is of use to them and ignore what their manmat doesn’t agree with, they fall and take down along with them those that support or promote them. This is what is happening in Gurudwaras today. By treating the Gurudwara as a business, all the committees ever take seriously is their chairs, their turbans and their big fat egos and treat matters of the Panth as a secondary issue. It is a known fact how it takes minutes to approve a budget running into millions that has to do with expansion of the Gurudwara’s properties and will argue for hours on the relatively petty expenses to invest in Parchaar and Gurmat. Just last night, a dear Gurmukh friend of mine, who is a vice-chairperson of our local Gurdwara here in Nairobi was lamenting that their Gurudwara no longer has any money in the banks and is struggling. Ironically, they have huge amounts in fixed deposits. He was really heart-broken that a Jatha that is to come to Kenya sometime in November has been given a very tight, but miniscule budget while they are approving expansion programmes for their Gurudwara. He felt so hurt that these committees have such little hearts for Parchaar. I comforted him by saying that a Gurudwara like that was bound to run out of money because it is run like a business, and not like a Guru Da Ghar. Business are vulnerable to bankruptsy, not Guru Da Ghar. These kind of people, who have little respect and regard for their Gyanis, guilty of disrespect kesh, eat and drink and corrupt voters to gather their seats of power . . . how can such people ever be custodians of the Guru’s Treasures? They are gambling away their own treasures (Sikhi) and will run the very House of the Guru into ruin. These are the modern day massands. Now we know what Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to face with the massands. The tragedy is that today’s massands are elected by us and we have no guts to tear them off from their chairs. I have heard much about the treatment our Gyanis are given by these shameless committees. They literally man-handle them with words. How outrageous to speak to the custodians of Gurmat in such a pathetic manner! How do we expect Sikhi to flourish in such conditions? These Gurudwara committees don’t even care a dime. They expect the youth to come to Gurudwaras and adopt Sikhi yet they themselves are hollow inside. They are doing more damage than the massands of puratan times because we elect these massands. Like our Guru taught us, more guilty than the oppressor are those that do nothing against it. We will be held accountable in the Court of the True Guru, for not doing anything about it. Of all those sacrices give by our Gurus and we have confined them to frames in the Gurudwaras. Who needs the Babar the invader to conquer the people? Our own Sikhs are our greatest invaders. We don’t invade another’s territory, but we are certainly shredding our skin to expose the flesh for the flies to feast on. An ideal Gurudwara committee should have a Gyani as an advicer on matters of faith and the leaders should al be at least complete keshadhari and the Chairman an example of a complete Gurmukh who is Amritdhari and Nitnemi. These days, we may even come across some keshdhari or Amritdhari leaders, but they still fail the Panth in one way or another – examples of which are as vast as the human mind can conceive. Were our Gurudwaras led by Gyanis and men and women of a Gurmat living, Sikhi wouldn’t have been taking a beating it is today. Who can dare bring down Sikhi if Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Khalsa was to live on His Hukam of a Niyara Khalsa? People like the leaders in SGPC, RSS, fundamentalist preachers of other religions and governments would have nowhere to hide were it for the Sikhs to deal with the issues affecting their Panth. Our leaders are sold-out to maya and drunken in the wine of power and have little care for the House of the Guru. While the wrong people continue doing their dis-services, the right people do little to nothing. We will both be in the same Court when we are presented before the Guru. The fruit which we will be handed will be of our own asking and there will be no chance to turn back and correct what we had the powers to do. In conclusion, I’d like to quote what the famous boxer Muhammed Ali once said: “Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” http://lakhvir02.wordpress.com/2006/09/15/...as-are-failing/
  12. Charan Singh Ji, I completely agree with you on the fact that we have no Sikh leadership, but we (the common man) needs to add pressure on both the SGPC and Akaal Takht leaders to make the move that the Khalsa deserves. It's so ironic that we hardly ever raise swords against our silly power-hungry leaders. As for justice in India, I agree, it's a myth but we need to turn the myth inside out and make it work for us, in some way, like the Sikh Coalition has succeeded in. It's getting more and more intolerable for a Sikh to live like a Khalsa in a country whicj was saved from the clutches of spiritual and temporal slavery. In the end, our only consolation is that they will reap their rot, for they are a thankless country, though we seek no gratitude, but freedom to live as our Gurus made us.
  13. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. It's shocking to hear the news of the Sikh boy who's hair was chopped off by an assailant and the overwhelming global concern raised over it was humbling and awakening. But what use is it to raise swords over the issue and give the watching world just how 'fanatic' Sikhs are. The outrage is justified, and the culprit already in the hands of the police. Displaying public outrage by way of wielding swords will make matters only more vulnerable for the Sikhs at large. This incident is not any different from what happened to Bhai Taru Ji. Today we look at Bhai Taru's martyrdom as an example of our added zeal to uphold the values of Sikhi. It's a grave injustice on the young Sikh to have his sacred hair massacred in such a manner but Sikh Dharam is also about tolerance and patience. It is indeed a gross violation of religious freedom in a country that considers itself secular, but we need to approach this with a more serene mind. Look what happened to the man who shot and killed Balbir Singh Sodhi in USA, all because of the killer's foolishness of not knowing the difference between a Sikh and a Taliban – he's finally behind bars which serves great lessons to those who even contemplated following his blind rage. The assailant of the young Sikh has commited a crime for which we should seek justice for. We need to follow up the case of this Sikh boy to the end of justice, and by unsheathing swords in the streets will not do it. We have already witnessed turbaned Sikh policemen raining down on the protestors. We can beat this Indian mentality through law which the world will watch. The perfect example is of the Sikh Coalition – just look at the differece they have made in the USA. The law is the protector, only until things get out of hand should any physical steps like public outrage be taken. The SGPC should be put to task to follow the justice, because the common Sikh will simply get beat down by the Indian Government to protect the culprit. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  14. There seems to be no end to bollywood's pick on the Sikh theme and much of the news isn't very pleasant to see Sikhs and Sikhs twisted and turned to give the impression that we are a fanatic lot and at the same time a bunch of fumblers. Most recently, Rang De Basanti had a toned down version when they depicted a Sikh character in the forefront. They were careful, but even then they managed to squeeze in that 'mannat' black thread wrapped around an Amritdhari mother's fingers. Expect nothing less, with yet another movie rolling out soon where a Sikh girl, with strict parents, wants to participate in an annual hockey tournament but her parents don't approve of it. It's somewhat similar to Parminder Nagra's role in Bend it like Beckham. SRK plays the coach to the girls hockey team. We can never trust these Bollywood balloons into picking Sikh themes and keeping it real the sensitive issues of the Sikh faith. If there is some awareness we can create now so that the movie maker can be careful before going on the floors with the story and shoot. If we cannot do anything, watch others reach out for their popcorn and coke. http://indiafm.com/news/2006/08/21/7641/index.html
  15. Not to worry. These days, almost every Tom, D and Harry is computer savvy and many choose to become self-appointed 'enlightened ones' without even understanding their very own divine nature, begin punching onto the internet just about anything that we think we are convinced about. Many of us become armchair philosophers without looking within and working on our own nature that needs to be redirected to the Divine Light. Instead, we waste it on immature words simply to prove just how wise we are, and how the rest are all foolish. Nothing more foolish than in thinking oneself to be wiser than the other. Count that person to be the moorak of all moorakhs.
  16. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. Amazing incidences have taken place when I have worn my Sri Sahib into extremely high security zones. Once when I accompanied my wife's family in seeing her off at the airport, I was called into the check-in area to help her with the suitcases. I was wearing my Sri Sahib and I had to go through a body check and metal detector devices. It was not possible to remove my Sri Sahib and I headed to the security area with a silent prayer in my heart, asking the Guru to take over from there. The metal detector didn't beep, but I was body checked. Obviously, the Sri Sahib, which I was wearing underneath my shirt, was detected during the body check. He touched it and asked, 'What's this?' I told him that it was a requirement of my faith but isn't used to harm anyone. 'Does it come off?, he askd further on. I would never remove it without any viable cause, so something just made me reply in the negative. I was let in. I could hardly believe it. I was walking in the passenger check-in wearing a Sri Sahib! I could feel the Guru beside me. In another incident, I was to enter a building that is high in security and I was body checked. I always wear my Sri Sahib underneath my shirt (which I do not tuck in). The security man clearly ran his hands over the Sri Sahib, but didn't question anything. Once again, Ardas to the Guru stands by the Sikh. I yet another incident, a security man ran a metal detector over my clothing but wasn't able to detect anything. But when it comes to flying, I wouldn't want to risk other people's safety, though the Sri Sahib is for the safety of the self and for others. If it is a requirement not to wear it, an Ardas to the Guru takes care of everything – and makes perfect sense to simply enclose the Sri Sahib in the luggage that is checked in. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  17. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. KhalsaJi, Your comments and feedback on the following article (and more on the blog) would be highly appreciated as we seek to learn from each other. Get a feel of the terrifying ocean manamukh bhoujal pach mueae guramukh tharae athhaahu The self-willed manmukhs putrefy and die in the terrifying world-ocean, while the Gurmukhs cross over the bottomless ocean. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS 63 From the beach, everything looks so beautiful, innocent and tempting – the hot sun, the cool waters of the oceans, the waves lapping at your feet as you walk on the sands that meet the end of the ocean. Urges churn up to surf the waters, take a boat out and enjoy the deeper ocean. If we are not careful, the same beauty can swallow us whole. Full article: http://lakhvir.wordpress.com WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  18. Thank you for your encouragement, veerji. Please check the comments option now. I've disabled the enter email address. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  19. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. In an effort to share with all of you my Inner Journey, check out my blog site on: http://lakhvir.wordpress.com Bookmark it, post your comments and check it regularly for all that you may need to help us travel the journey we are all on - the Inner Journey. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  20. lakhvir

    Amrit Vela

    WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. All the answers you need are right here: http://keertan.org/multimedia.php?q=f&f=%2...en%2FAmrit+Vela MaskeenJi has said all that ever needs to be said. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  21. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. Notice the bottom right hand corner . . . it's unmistakable. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
  22. WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh. When a trying moment touches our life, we tend to become more prayerful to find that comfort which we need to resassure our inner beings. There are certain prayers that we recite daily which we have not only memorised, but also understood their true meanings. The true test of a faithful prayer comes when we have to put those prayerful words into use. That is when our belief is tested. Fulfilling prayers are those that we recite in complete faith and when a time does come when it is needed the most, the soul does not waver or fear. Much of our prayers ask for protection against fear, besides asking for other needs. Fear drives our being towards God as we realise just how powerless we are on our own. We seek God's intervention through prayer to deliver us through the insecurities we suffer from as a result of our weak faith. Through prayer, we not only find some consolation, but if we live each word we pray, our spirit becomes stronger and then our resolve is strenghtened against any negative power. Fear is a negative power which constantly stares us in the face but with the sword of powerful prayer that we believe in, any fear will turn around and take to its heels. The question being asked here is whether we know what we are praying for, or do we really pray because we know the powers of those prayers which help us through our daily challenges of life? Each one of us prays a certain prayer daily, but do we know the meanings of the words in them? If we do, then do we place our full faith in them? When we place faith into prayer, then they bear fruit. Prayers said for the sake of saying them are empty prayers. This makes praying a very challenging thing to do. It is not the prayer of the priest who God may listen to, but He listens to those that are done in full faith and love. Even when a priest makes a prayer without faith in it, it's of little or no use. Just like it is important for electricity to be available to light an electrical appliance, so is faith needed to make a prayer work. There is not faith without love. Love for God comes first, then faith follows. So what is faith then? Faith is believing that God hears our sincerest prayers and that He will answer them. It also means the prayerful one is free of fear and vice in order to allow his prayers to work. Prayer is only an ordinary thing to do, and everybody prays. What is extraordinary is that faith placed into prayer which only a few put into it. So when we pray, we need to pay heed to each word and then believe in the power behind them. Then these prayers turn into a powerful weapon for the faithful. Empty prayers are like broken arrows, they cannot even reach their target. In the well-known ways of Guru Nanak where he makes comparisons of everyday words to help us understand the deeper side of simple truths, here's a way to look at prayer and faith: "Make faith your bow and prayer your arrow. With the strength of love, the arrow will not miss its target." WaheguruJi Ka Khalsa. WaheguruJi Ki Fateh.
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