Lunalon

Just one question. If we have begun the sava lakh Jaap, then do we need to also observe restrictions on diet? Like abstinence from non-veg food,eggs etc.?

Gurfateh everyone. I hope most of the people on this site must also be using 'Quora.com'. Recenlty I came across the following question on Quora http://www.quora.com...ir-and-or-beard The Questions is "What is it like for a Sikh to cut his hair?" I do not know who asked this, but I did go through the answers. There are about 5-6 answers given by Sikh males themselves who got their hair cut at some point in their life. Yes, it did hurt me reading those answers, but I felt, as you all will feel that everyone has a right to express his/her story and there is not much wrong in that. However, let me describe some things here. If you look at the contents of the answers, you will find that mostly the people are describing that how difficult it was for them to maintain their hair, and how free they felt after getting it cut etc etc. They even mention that they felt 'proud' and 'free' after doing that. Now, tell me how many of us feel this way? Hair keeping is of course not difficult for us and we lovingly maintain it. Don;t you all feel that a wrong general idea is being circulated? I mean so many people read these answers; what information would they get? That all Sikhs are in great difficulty keeping their hair? I did have a one-one comment discussion also with one of those 'answerers'. Okay let us say that we ignore this and say that let people speak what they want to, we can't stop their mouths. But you know what is more disturbing??? I have seen answers there,in which the writer (a Sikh) addresses other Sikhs who want to cut their hair and narrates to them his act of bravery (of cutting his hair ) and even advises them to act!!! I have seen some Sikhs commenting and asking these people that even they want to cut their hair and how should they go about doing this? You know what reason a person was giving there? He writes that since he has cut his hair he has made many girlfriends , and before he had none. Such statements are being used to lure the youth to cut their hair? ( If you read one 'Jas Anand's' answer, you'll find this). Shouldn't we do something? I mean those people are advising other Sikhs that how to cut their hair/ how to convince their parents /how they will get girlfriends after that etc etc? What can we do? Atleast : 1)We should comment in opposition, that keeping hair has great benefits and we take pride in it, so that the readers are not misled. 2)We should report abuse the question( We never know if the answers are actually coming from fake accounts to demean the Sikh practices) 3) We should message the Quora admin in large numbers and ask him/her to remove the question as it is hurting religious sentiments. Here is the list of the admins (their names are mentioned in the answer http://www.quora.com...admins-of-Quora Or we can send a mail to moderation@quora.com asking to do the same. Please everyone discuss and decide upon this. Also, if anyone misses to read all the answers, I am posting here the contents of an answer (given by Jas Anand). Here it is "Guess this post will be mostly read by kids/adults who have hair and are planning to remove the turban. So I'll write this post just for them. Anybody else please excuse. Just to introduce myself - am a guy based in India - and took the decsion when I was about 20 years. So, what was the first reaction - Haaaww!! I was not allowed to meet my own brothers for the fact that I may 'corrupt' their minds. I was living alone in another city and working, n just completing graduation. I wasn't told about the death of my best friend - who dies in an accident - just for the fact that I may visit the family and would bring 'shame' as others would get to know. I was not allowed to visit family functions as I would bring 'disgrace'. This just a day's transformation from being he best child in family to now being the 'black sheep' as one uncle called me. So how it impacted me - It made me more determined to succeed and show others! How I felt - Freedom. Found a Girlfriend/s;) as I was pretty unkempt earlier - sorry guys. " I have not posted everyhting. This person also says he would 'post more' in second post. Somewhere or the other I feel , that isn;t it our duty to gude them? To tell them of the great martyrdoms that have taken place because of hair? Okay even if we keep shut by thinking that let them do whatever they want, but they are not only 'doing', they are influencing million others also in the same way (who are reading their answers) (((

Yes that is ok. But do you have any idea of the colors/Pratibimb etc that I mentioned? I have read about these in Bhajan Banadagi Da Pratap.

An indeed nice thread on meditative simran. Well, I read in a book (Bhajan Bandagi Da Pratap,), that for a new Abhyasee, there is need of a 'pratibimb'-an object for concentration. It can be either be a picture of Guru Sahib, or ik onkaar etc. Also, I found it mentioned in the book that each person has his birth color. So, if he uses 'Waheguru' written in that color as a 'pratibimb' then it can be really beneficial for concentration. Talking more about colors, Sodi Harbhajan Singh Jee (the author) mentions that Sant Baba Attar Singh Jee (of Mastuana) used to advise the beginners to concentrate on 'Waheguru' wirtten in blue-red color while doing the Jaap. The abhyase should then close his eyes, and try writing 'Waheguru' in his 'trikuti' (between eyes, above nose), with his 'surat' while japping. The reason for the bule-red color as given by the author is that blue and red are the extreme colors in the spectrum of white light; so these shall cover all colors. I did not understand much about the importance of color /pratibimb, and am still confused. At some places he also mentions that 'listening' to the Jaap is essential. So where should one start?

Can one astral project while deep in simran?

Just came across this post. I had found a video by GurIqbal Ji. In this he mentions about the book, and also narrates a chapter from it:

Hmm..true that.

Did not get you dear. Is that sarcasm/sattire? I am in India only. Who would rob an astral traveler and of what?

Okay, I want to know are there any dangers of astral travel? Isn't it possible that the travel may psychologically affect the 'traveler'? And are there any cases of possession? (I dont know If possession is even real, just saw it in the movie 'Insidous' )

Oh.. yes I had read it here only I guess!

Hmm... yes he must have spent 35 years or so travelling, of course not 70 (silly me ). I do agree that he had been a vyapaaree, but most of the travels he did were not a part of his profession, but their purpose was to spread the true message he had brought, to enlighten the greatness of Naam.

Hmm.. talking of OBE's I read somewhere that Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj was also an astral traveller. When, in Baghdad, Peer Dastgeer had asked him to prove that there were more than 7 heavens/hells, Guru Ji then, took the Peers son along with Him on an astral tour, to visit the nether lands. When they returned back, the boy had 'parshad' in his hand as proof. Also some people cite that it is not possible that Guru Ji traveled on foot/or by some other means of (physical) transport, to all the places that he visited. Because, not only did he visit the places, he also stayed at those places for sometime. Now so many travels, and also stays at so many places don't seem to be possible in a life span of around 70 years, if Guru Ji had taken normal means of transport, or traveled on foot. Definitely he must have used some spiritual ability to go anywhere he wanted, anytime, in an instant. I don't know how much this is true. But , definitely the Gurus were divine and possessed the capability of doing anything.

I am too having the same problem. Some months ago I had developed this wonderful habit of naturally waking up at around 4:30-5. That was when I used to go to the gurudwara too in the morning. But since some weeks I am struggling to wake up at amrit vela and continue my simran/path. The mobile alarm also does not seem to work now :-(

Hmm.. Thankyou for what you said. Actually I dont know anything. Iam going through a terrible time. Sometimes my faith in Guru and Gurbani strengthens and sometimes I even feel that Guru Jee does not do kripa equally; some people are so happy and some don't even know hat happiness is :-( (Sorry to say so, I dont mean it though) Still I dont have any other support :-(

True you said jee. Hmm, but I am super confused. I am facing some troubles, so I dont know it seems i want to try and experience someting I have started naam simran lately

Can you recall how did you actually even have an OBE in your room? Was it day or night? I want to have one, but I dont go beyond sleep paralysis, or may be because I am scared.

Hmm... well explained. But I have some doubts. "Tera bhana meetha laage" is definitely correct. But is not this also true that His "bhana" cannot be to trouble his children? Now again,Panchmesh Pita Jee says, "Karan Kaaran Prabh(u) ek hai, doosar naahi koe" So He is the doer of everything, be it good or bad. But He is loving, He does not cause bad to His children. The bad that occurs to us is because of our purab karam (past deeds) ie., the paaps of our past karams. But isn't He that loving and great that he can erase your paaps? isn't His baani that great? Indeed Guru Jee has given us this very gift of Baani that can erase our paaps and carry us across. Guru Maharaj says, "Gur poore ditta banna, dukh rog ka dera bhanna" Accepting His Will is a different thing and not calling to Him for help, when you are in great pain is different. Are we that great that we can do bhagti and progress in our spiritual path whilst being in great pain and apathy?? I dont think so. And of course, you sought His help in pain so that you can contemplate on Him freely. Such a beautiful line comes in our Aarti Sahib, "Bhookhe bhagat na deeje le malaa apnee leeje" Bhagat Jee says that he cannot do bhagti when his stomach is empty, and it is the Lord who should provide him nourishment so that he may contemplate upon Him. You say that you should have devotion and face all situations.It is true, but what is the use of the devotion when you cannot even call upon Him for help, to pull you out of a situation, which you can no longer face , which is interfering even with your bhagti process. Actually when in pain, you call out to Him with a true heart, he not only gets you out of it, but makes you His own. Panchmesh Pita Jee says, " Baah pakad prabh(u) kaadheya, keena apaneya" (The Lord has pulled me out holding me by the arm and has made me His own) Of course, some situations you can handle, you can be patient, but when something becomes intolerable, pathetic and kills you now and then, then you should cry to Him for help, because no one else can help.

Surely true. Guru ji can definitely change destinies.. ;-).

Hello, Is this topic still open? I know it has been seven years

I dont know why but I always have been interested to astral travel since I've heard about it. I keep on having sleep paralysis now and then, but nothing beyond that. I have heard that sleep paralysis an lead to an OBE. Are there any steps to be followed for an obe? I have read some online but they seem to be confusing. Also, as we are discussing astral travel here, I was wondering if there is any correlation between the spiritual path( taught by Gurmat) and astral travel?

Hello everyone, I know that the main purpose of Nam simran is merger with God. However, if one does Nam simran to come out of some problem or for some other selfish reason etc, is that appreciated?