Xylitol

just wanted to add, if you truly want to teach truth to people, you have to know your audience. if they have been raised their whole lives with the sgpc sikhi is right mindset, hitting them over the head wiht their kartootan and saying they are flat out wrong will not work. people are not logical creatures, they are emotional. once we understand that, we can then do prachaar by subtly, comfortably, and gently teaching them the deeper spiritual truths.

also, there needs to be a progression of teaching. no need to hit them with the harsher stuff right off the bat. make it flow logically from a > b to c.

depends on what you mean by sanatan. if it's the muddled nonsense promoted by niddar, then it's definitely not the future. as for the narrow minded 'if it's not in line with my idea of logic it's not sikhi' mindset of missionaries, that's not sikhi either. Although I recognise the original singh sabha movement overall did great works and those guys were kind of a middle ground between missionary and samparda, there still was some bad along with it. True sikhi is taught by the sampradas, and in the future i do believe there will be a revolution bringing us back to it. Sat is eternal, it will always prevail.
The various sects are like waves rising up in the river of Sikhi, those waves eventually merge back into the mainstream. The current sgpc mindset is too big to be a sect, but it's like a bend in the river, and the course will eventually correct itself as the river will always move towards the ocean.
sorry for being corny.

"There is an extensive thread on Tapoban discussing the Babbars opening fire on Sant Jee, alternatively, older members of the Sangat who associate or link themselves with the Taksal will confirm this, unless of course they are trying to “keep panthic unity” as it was pointed out to me by one ardent UK Taksali. "

Could you please post a link to this thread, ji? I searched for it but couldn't find it.

Interesting book. some qoutes:
According to India Today206: 'Whereas Bhindranwale has publicly disowned each act of the extremists, the Babbar Khalsa openly claim credit for most of these, barring the killing of Hindu bus passengers and that of Atwal.'

"In one of his speeches, Sant Bhindranwale said209: 'Day before yesterday, a farce was enacted here at Akal Takhat. After getting some tape-recording done by someone, he was called to the Akali stage and made to say that Bhindranwala was conspiring to get him killed. His name is Sukhdev Singh; people often call him Sukha. They say that I have hatched a conspiracy to kill him.' "

When some Punjabi newspapers published information concerning death
of Sikh young men, most of whom died while in police custody or in ‘fake’ encounters, the
Punjab Government approached the Press Council of India to enlist its co-operation against its
own members, the Punjabi newspapers. The Council, assuming that the official view of the
situation in Punjab was the correct one, dutifully ignored the protestations of its members and
recommended that the Government set up proper arrangements to provide authentic information
to the press211. The Government not only continuously harassed newspapers like the daily Ajit,
the Akali Patrika, and Charhdi Kala but also regularly fed disinformation to the newsmedia. A
Times of India article212 revealed: ‘Often and unwittingly... journalists fall prey to the
government disinformation which suavely manages to plant stories... The confusion gets
compounded when government agencies also resort to feeding disinformation on letterheads of
miltant organizations since there is no way of confirming or seeking clarifications on press notes
supposedly issued by militants who are underground and remain inaccessible most of the time.’
The writer went on to report: ‘A group of journalists, including myself, had called on the former
governor to lodge a protest against the registration of a case against the Times of India and the
Punjabi daily Ajit, last January. After hastily apologising and promising to withdraw the case
“shortly” (that the case was ultimately never withdrawn is a different story), the governor had
sought the journalists’ co-operation in tackling the militants. “Don’t publish press notes that
preach violence against an individual, an organisation, etc. but you are free to publish their press
notes that encourage inter-gang rivalry, “ he said, adding “We have drawn up a plan for
disinformation to be issued on the militants’ letterheads. We hope that you will co-operate”.’

Hmmm....It looks like it could have more than one interpretation.
Still feel that God created a male and female for a reason...

????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?
????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?
BRIDH NARAJ KAHATU MO STANZA

??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ? ???? ????? ? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?
??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ? ???? ????? ? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ?
Forbidden works will always be performed; the saints abandoning the path of dharma, will look for the path of prostitutes;

??????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ????? ??????? ? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????
??????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ????? ??????? ? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????
The friendship of a queer type will wash and destroy the sanctity of friendship; the friends and enemies will go together for their self-interest.26.

???? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?
???? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?
Amongst the works of the Iron Age will be the eating of the uneatables, the things worth concealing will come in the open and the dharma will be realise dform the paths of unrighteousness;

????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ????
????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ????
The kings of the earth will do the work of destroying dharma; the life of adharma will be considered authentic and the bad actions will be considered worth doing.27.

?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?
?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?
The people will neglect religion and the bad religious path will prevail everywhere; forsaking the Yajnas and the repetition of the Name, people will repeat the worthless mantras;

?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ????
?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ????
They will unhesitatingly consider the actions of adharma as dharma; the saints will roam with dubious mind and the wicked people will move fearlessly.28.

???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ? ?????? ????? ??? ? ??? ????? ?????? ?
???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ? ?????? ????? ??? ? ??? ????? ?????? ?
The people will perform the actions of adharma, abandoning the actions of dharma; the kings will forsake the weapons of bow and arrows;

???? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ? ???? ?????? ???? ? ??? ????? ??? ????
???? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ? ???? ?????? ???? ? ??? ????? ??? ????
Making the announcement of wicked action, the people .will roam unashamedly; there will be misconduct on the earth and the people will perform useless tasks.29.

You can recite it out loud or silently, kamai is considered to be greater when recited silently.

It's for protection, for shaheed singhs to do rakhya. Gyani Thakur Singh explained it to me thus, Think of Mool Mantr as the raja, and this mantr (Chachri Chand, Tav Prasaad) as the general.

My understanding is that any Gurbani can do anything, but different shabads tend to have a greater thrust in a particular direction.

The best way to fight the Namdhari movement was to split it off from the panth. Classic divide and conquer. The British propogated the idea of Baba Ram Singh ji as the Guru. However, Baba Ram Singh ji wrote numerous letters from prison explicitly stating that he was not the Guru, that he believed in Guru Granth Sahib ji.

Daya Singh Samprada and Damdami Taksaal both have an unbroken lineage going back to the Guru's time. Both state that Amrit is for both men and women.

All Sikh of the Guru took Amrit. Bhai Gurdass Ji mentions that those wihout Amrit are the lowest of the low etc. He goes on at some length deriding those who have not accepted the Guru's initiation. They are also called nigura.

there are other reasons why the surname is sometimes not written in granths. For eg., The common explanation that more than one Sikh with the same name existed, so a sikh such as Bhai Nand Lal ji didn't have Singh behind his last name in GRANTHS cannot be refuted.

kamai is earned through seeva simran and santsangat. it is kept through keeping rahit. it is lost through indulgence in vikaars. to reach the end point requires a great deal of kamai. in each life, at some point, we pick up where we left off. the storehouse of karma is burned up by kamai, but some karams have to be experienced no matter what. in each janam, a chunk of good karm is used up and manifests in good things we have, like house, family, good opportunities, and a chunk of bad karm. next janam, we may have it as easy, maybe easier, or maybe waaaaaaaaaaay worse dependiing on our karams. once those good karam 'chunks' are gone, they're gone. our life, and the last thought at the moment of death, determine our next life. in the end, guru ji choooses to grant us mukti (and beyond). all gains are to be looked at as his grace.

our ultimate aim is to become enlightened (one with god, a bhramgiani) but remain in Guru ji's charan. basically, not be selfish, be His. mukti is a small thing in front of this.

I've heard (from some other chardi kala gursikh) that the jot is lit to attract shaheed singhs who purify the atmosphere.

One other note on the 40 day maryada. You should maintain a certain level of consistency with it. Always do it in the same room. Do it the same way throughout as you did when you began it. you can do it sitting, lying down etc. but say this in your ardass when you start it. "Guru ji, I'm going to do simran sitting in a chair, and sometimes sitting on the ground as well."etc.
So basically, my understanding is that you're limited in your actions to what you did in the first day in terms of sitting standing etc. You can walk around as well (in your room).

bhul chuk maaf.

I've spoken with Gyani Takhur Singh ji about this.

Here's the maryada:

Make bhog and do ardass at the start.
While doing the jaap sit on a white sheet wearing white clothes. Have water in a container near you and have a quoi (ghee) jot lit. After doing your jaap for the day splash chitey from the water around your paath room (it's good somehow, not sure if it's a necessary part of maryada) and then drink the water.
At the end make bhog and do ardass.

Here's the numbers for each day:

Gurmantr jap 108 mala
Mool mantr 32 mala
Chachree chand, Tav Prasaad mantr 32 mala
Sukhmani Sahib 5 paaths
Japji Sahib 25 paaths.

This takes 40 days to complete. All of the above are equivalent.

I've heard that Baba Nand Singh ji gave bachan that those who remain awake the amritvela of pooranmashi will gain the merit equivalent to 1 year worth of amritvela. This is for the pooranmashi of Guru Nanak Sahib's prakash diharra. For other pooranmashi's the laaha is equal to the merit of one month of amritvela.

I would like details and elaboration from anyone who can provide any info.

Bani Guru, Guru hai Bani ...

This Shabad is by Bhai Gurdaas Ji in Vaars Bhai Gurdaas on Pannaa 1

DrI inSwnI kOs dI mky AMdr pUj krweI]
dhharee nishaanee kaas dhee makae a(n)dhar pooj karaaee||
Wooden sandal (of Baba Nanak ) was kept as a memory and he was woshipped in Mecca.

ijQy jweI jgq ivc bwby bwJ n KwlI jweI]
jithhae jaaee jagath vich baabae baajh n khaalee jaaee||
Go anywhere in the world, you would not find a place bereft of the name of Baba Nanak.

Gr Gr bwbw pUjIey ihMdU muslmwn guAweI]
ghar ghar baabaa poojeeeae hi(n)dhoo musalamaan guaaee||
Without discrimination of Hindu or Muslim, in every house, the Baba is revered.

Cpy nWih CpwieAw ciVAw sUrj jg ruSnweI]
shhapae naa(n)hi shhapaaeiaa charriaa sooraj jag rushanaaee||
When the sun rises it cannot be covered and it lightens the whole world.

buikAw isMG aujwV ivc sb imrgwvl BMnI jweI]
bukiaa si(n)gh oujaarr vich sab miragaaval bha(n)nee jaaee||
When the lion roared in the jungle the flocks of deer ran away.

ciVHAw cMd n lukeI kF kunwlI joq CpweI]
charrihaaa cha(n)dh n lukee kadt kunaalee joth shhapaaee||
If someone wants to conceal moon by putting before it a platter, it cannot be hide.

augvxhu qy AwQvxhu nau KMf ipRQvI sB JukweI]
ougavanahu thae aathhavanahu no kha(n)dd prithhavee sabh jhukaaee||
From rising to setting directions i.e from east to west, all the nine divisions of earth bowed before Baba Nanak.

jg AMdr kudrq vrqweI ]óô]
jag a(n)dhar kudharath varathaaee ||aa||
He diffused his power in whole of the world.
----------
I've heard this confirmed by various parcharaks. Also, my brothers friend, a devout Muslim, went to Mecca and this was told to him by the caretaker there.

but in Guru ji's Bani he writes the opposite. It seems more likely that the writers metaphorically attempted to capture that the son of the 9th Guru worshipped an aspect of Akaal Purakh and not any deity.

"Guru Gobind Singh is even clearer:

Those who call us the Supreme Lord (Paramesar) shall all fall in the realm of hell. Know me as his servant and do not think of any difference between me and Him. BN VI: 32 "

Giani Takhur Singh ji, in his katha, said that this was a test of faith. Many times in Gurbani the Gurus are called God very directly by successors. It is crystal clear. It would make no sense that the Tenth Guru would then go and say this unless it was a test of faith.

ddt is actually from Missl Shaheedan, same with Bhai Bidhi Chand nihang dal.

it does. here's the history http://www.jathashaheedan.com/history.php

Nirmalay are required to take Khande di pahul. The term khalsa however, is a reference to the pure beings of all religions.

Sau Sakhi has numerous versions due to British interference. I've heard that the actual version can still be found, but only at some mahapurkh deras.

I take this to mean that we shouldn't start and then stop for periods of time. If we take a long break from simran than the churn (that shaanti, that focused surti, that anand from Naam) could be lost. This is why so many don't make it anywhere. When we are motivated we push ourselves, when motivation wanes we start indulging  in the world and fail this test repeatedly.  This is what happens to me. Then we have to make efforts to rebuild that shaanti, that focus, that anand...

Just Gold, thanks for sharing. 

A friend of mine just met with Sant Jagjit Singh ji Harkhowalwale. He said it's okay to do paath of these kinds of Banis but don't do lots of repetitions without the appropriate viddhi. There is special viddhi for Brahm Kavach or Chandi di Var if your going to be doing tons of abhyaas of these. It's not for everyone. So speak to proper Mahapurkh before you start doing lots. These Banian are different than our regular nitnem Banis, the maryada for doing lots of abhyaas is much more sukt. 
He mentioned, for example, that a singh came to him who had done chalisa of Chandi di Vaar without the appropriate viddhi. After about 20 days he came to see Baba ji b/c blood had started coming out of his stool, his nose, his mouth... There is a right way to go about doing these things so you should speak to a mahapurkh before beginning. 
Baba ji is currently in Surrey BC and will be in Toronto in a few days. 

In Gurbani Bhagat Kabir ji asks God for basic needs of life, such as food, a wife etc. This shows it's not against Gurmat to seek Divine help in our day to day lives.

There are different versions of the granth b/c, according to Giani Thakur Singh ji, some Sikhs felt other shabads or methods would work better so they changed Bhai Mani Singh ji's writings. Basically, hunkaar.

I think stigma attached to its use is due to modern day Sikhs who feel that Sikhi is 'simple and not complex'. They mistakenly think that use of the viddhis there will give no greater benefit than just sitting down, japping naam, and asking for what you want.

It's with a W sound. Been told that by Sant Jagjit Singh and a giani who was former garvai of Baba Thakur Singh ji.

The UK crew are the chelay of Niddar Singh nihang. He promotes teachings which are contrary to the teachings of Buddha Dal. For example, I've heard he claims sex before marriage and moderate use of alcohol are acceptable.