EkUtamPanthSunyoGurSangat

from a list of zen koans found here:https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/zen-buddhism-koan_us_563251dce4b0631799115f3c

When asked why he practiced zen, the student said, “Because I intend to become a Buddha.”
His teacher picked up a brick and started polishing it. The student asked “What are you doing?” The teacher replied, “I am trying to make a mirror.”
“How can you make a mirror by polishing a brick?”
“How can you become Buddha by doing zazen? If you understand sitting Zen, you will know that Zen is not about sitting or lying down. If you want to learn sitting Buddha, know that sitting Buddha is without any fixed form. Do not use discrimination in the non-abiding dharma. If you practice sitting as Buddha, you must kill Buddha. If you are attached to the sitting form, you are not yet mastering the essential principle.”
The student heard this admonition and felt as if he had tasted sweet nectar.

I think this also has to do with advising not to attach yourself to any experience in practice,like tasting sweet nectar.I think another part has to do with ego (this student trying to be Buddha).Trying to be something less than what we already are.We should instead focus on moving to that self realization that we are everything when I means nothing. 

On 1/9/2019 at 1:55 AM, Mooorakh said:

Ardaas is the key. I hv realised that the day I even think that ....wow I woke up at 4 ,next day it's gone... Before u sleep just tell Guru Sahib ji, meri koi samrathha nai. Pls wake me up . And trust me He Will. 

But yes u have to kick Ur blanket and fight the Kalyug once he wakes u up. 

On 1/8/2019 at 10:31 PM, Soulfinder said:

Veer ji thats really terrible what happened with you missing amritvela. 

 

What you could start with to get back on track is slowly start step by step waking up a hour earlier either day by day or weekly and sleeping a hour earlier to get back into routine for amritvela.

 

You can also do nitnem banis at daytime when waking up as you will still have a connection link with gurbani nitnem.

Thank you guys sincerely, I will try ardaas and sleeping earlier, and eating a lighter dinner. 

On 12/24/2018 at 1:46 AM, jaikaara said:

yes just trying to force myself , the situation is like a spoilt child not wanting to go to school

I was in a smiliar situation with waking up at amritvela. It was going smoothly for a month and a half, but one day my mind started getting lazy. 5 minutes more in bed. I would get up most times after 5 mins, but I was losing discipline. One day, I just slept, didn't rise at amritvela. After that my routine broke and I haven't been able to wake up at amritvela for the past few months. I think it was a grace period with maharaj ji doing kirpa on my lazy unworthy self. I am trying to get back on track, so please help me too if you or the sangat find anything. 

On 12/20/2018 at 11:33 PM, Guest Kaur said:

I have tried this. Can you please recommend some links. 

Thank you. 

Listen to this katha series about vaade sahibzade shaheedi if you have not already.

https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/pineal-gland-activation-third-eye/

The article covers a lot of topics 

It is good advice. The guy talks some sense, my chem teacher respects this guy a lot. 

But on another note, doesn't this guy sound like the guy from sesame street. 

Kirtan starts at 3:30

Pritham Madh Kait Madh (1).mp3

Raag Kanra Partaal Shabad [Songsx.Pk].mp3

Sun Yaar Hamaray Sajjan - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi.mp3

I just posted some of my favorites.

Kavan Gun Pran Pat.mp3

Jin Prem Kiyo -Puratan Hazoori Ragi Bhai Bakshish Singh.mp3

Nirjur Niroop Ho (Dasam).mp3

Ra(n)gaa Ra(n)g Ra(n)gan Kae Ra(n)gaa - Dr.Gurinder Singh Ji Batala Wale.mp3

I have a full usb of kirtan I want to share here but the upload size is too small so is there anything that could be done so I could share the whole kirtan playlist.

On 1/8/2018 at 4:32 PM, amardeep said:

Raag Darbari, begins at minute 02.00

Tadar Dani Dani Tum Dani Talal Tum Dirna

Dhagarhdee dhrum dhig taang dhagarhdhee dhim dhirnaa Bagarhdhee briktai baang taagarhdhee tum tum tum dirnaa dhagarhdhee dhai dhai taal ghagarhdee ghum ghirna dhagarhdee dum dum dheem bagarhdee brikat birna tadar dani dani tum dani talal tum dirna

 

 

This is amazing thanks a lot.

Thanks again

10 hours ago, paapiman said:

Please don't expect big miracles, especially if you are a beginner in the spiritual world. Usually, an ordinary person will have to do these Jaaps repeatedly over long periods of time to perceive any effects of them.

Along with this, one still has to work extremely hard in his field to succeed. 

 

Bhul chuk maaf

I think sharda is really important in determining how effective the jaap is

Thanks again a lot

Is pratakal the same as amritvela or like near sunrise

Also should the jaap be done out loud or can we quietly do it

For step number 3, would it apply for me as I do not earn money. The daswand I can give is of time which I give so is that okay?

For step 9 also, do you drink the jal after the jaap for the day and what is a mankay mala. I have a plastic kind of one and not a loha one so is that okay?  

Also, I was reading some jaaps in sharda pooran granth ji and some of them had requirements to complete a certain number of jaaps within a certain number of days. My question was is it okay to finish earlier than the prescribed number of days or must you pace yourself to finish after the number of days given.

Thank you in advance

Thanks a lot.

On 7/27/2018 at 1:26 PM, paapiman said:

To acquire Gyan (knowledge), you can try the following Jaap:

 

 

 

Bhul chuk maaf

In the mahatam can someone please explain what "pratakal" is and what does it mean to "adrisht dekhay" . Also in this granth what does it mean when it says your face should be to the charde vale way. Does that mean you should the face the direction of where the sun rises when doing jaap? Also I was reading the guidelines near the beginning and in step 9 for the requirements of the mala it is supposed to be made of loha or manke. I know loha but what exactly is manke. I have this plastic like mala. Thank you papiman for bringing this granth to the attention of everyone here on the forum including me. 

On 6/22/2018 at 9:17 PM, HisServant said:

I live a pretty busy lifestyle but I put meditation at the front because it helps me in every aspect of life. 

 

I'm trying to become a doctor so this entire summer is just me studying for my mcat. I'm really career focused. I am one of the directors on the board of my local hospital. I was actually probably the youngest to ever join - at the age of 17. And I owe that to the bhagti for sharpening my confidence and helping me approach problems with a lot of patience.

I have also spearheaded/been lead on a few major projects for both the hospital and other healthcare related work. Again - the calmness that bhagti leaves you with is responsible for this.

I have worked in academia, research, published a scientific article on meditation and neuroplasticity, edited a science vs meditation textbook (not released to the public yet but will be soon - the prof in charge will be selling it to profs who teach spirituality courses at universities) etc. Meditation helps you learn and study because you're not easily frustrated when you can't figure something out.

I also work for the universities student union, been the student media spokesperson for the past provincial election. (But as of last week have taken some time off to focus on my test). Really involved with helping the local gurdwara and running its social media (I live in a city which is/was primarily white growing up so got really involved with the gurdwara due to the small sikh population).

 

I don't know if any of that is meaningful though lol. It probably sounds really boring but I love all of this. Especially the science stuff - I am a huge biology nerd. And I love brains (lol... don't be creeped out)

Plus part of a lot of clubs, services, etc at school. However... no longer part of the sikh student association... essentially banned for speaking out against anything that goes against popular belief. There was a time when I would stay silent and heavily help out. But I couldn't sit around and listen to people talk about topics like "possible sikhi-related solutions to mental health" but not hear anyone say anything about the path of japa - then be told jaap isn't part of sikhi. This is a longer discussion, but you know exactly what I'm talking about with the views of most of the community these days. And I couldn't sit around and watch them pretend like they can't be friends with non-sikhs, or their lack of professionalism in certain academic/career related environments. 

 

Non-academic side I have a kirtan ustaad - not going to mention his name because many know him - and it would give away who I am. But I think that goes hand in hand with bhagti. Kirtan has always helped me increase love for god and motivate the mind to do more bhagti. 

I used to work out 7 days a week but I am so tight on time these days I fell off of that. Can't start back up until september because I have my mcat on Aug 2 and then I'm back in England until September. But main reason for the 7 days was that it had tremendous benefits on meditation. Back then balancing breath was a struggle and the lifting got the job done. 

Also do cryptocurrency day trading... it's pretty fun. Busy with studying right now so I set up a bot to do it for me.

Socially I would consider myself pretty extroverted. I have a habit of being friends with/starting a conversation with every second person I see on the street. I know a lot of people which is good and bad in many ways. As of now, it's been not the best because someone always wants to go for lunch or hangout but I need to study and do bhagti. But on the brightside - if I do notice someone is not the best sangat, I am able to drop them immediately and never look back. Due to the detachment. Doesn't matter how close they are. Even dropped a 12 year long friendship because I realized the guy is completely immersed in the same sikh-youth mindset as everyone else and I didn't want to waste my time there. I don't care what I say in any situation - I just freely speak whatever is on my mind. Could not care less what people think. I don't see any reason to pretend to be someone else. The meditation has brought on this freedom. 

 

I love cars as well. I drive a manual audi. Probably my most valued possesion. This one doesn't relate to meditation but I think it's one every guy on this site can relate to. Only thing I can think of is the attachment to it. I did have a situation a little while back where something went wrong... and long story short the mechanic said the price to fix it was more than the car itself. The initial thought was "cool, I'll just sell the parts, buy some cool shoes and start walking wherever I go". Which a year ago, I probably would have flipped and gone into depression. Luckily, I took it to an old friend and he figured out a way to make it as good as new without spending more than $20.

 

So essentially, I would say meditation is the only meaningful activity I do because none of my other activities would exist/have meaning without it. It has literally created a life of complete freedom where I just do what I feel like doing with no care for the consequences. Which is not a bad thing because with sikhi/gurmat, you never have ill intentions.

 

When a lot of people talk about bhagti, they say you can't do things you enjoy, or hangout with non-bhagti type people... but honestly 85%+ of my social groups are people who are not Sikh. Less than 3-5% probably do bhagti (I just have this forum and a local simran group that I only see a few sundays a month). 

 

So all I have to say to people that live in that closed off mentality is... LIVE LIFE. Do what you have to do in tregun on a day to day basis. And then when that's over, learn to connect internally. 

 

Obviously, that does not mean go drink and party everyday. I still practice brahmachariya, I still restrain myself from indulging in unhealthy food, I restrain from the 4 kurehits, I read gurbani everyday and do kirtan, I wear my kakars. But... I live life in a way that is enjoyable and integrates with western society. You don't have to be "the religious" guy in every social situation that makes other people feel like they can't have a good time (I used to be that guy many years ago). You need to live life in a way where you integrate into society and inspire other people to do jaap. Find what you enjoy in life and be the life of that group. The greater the mental stability, the more you will enjoy the activity. 

 

And just an fyi - I know a lot of the activities I stated above may not be appealing to most people. I am that weird 20 year old nerd that likes to wear a dress shirt/tie all the time and read science or psychology articles/watch videos on politics. It's just the type of person I am... But I do know people around my age who practice meditation and still do all of the same activities young people do but they remain detached internally. My younger brother for example, he's a huge basketball fan. Even runs a big instagram fan page. Dresses like every other 17-18 year old you see these days. But interally completely silent. He hasn't been practicing for as long but the differences I see between him and his friends are insane. 

 

I know this was a really long post - but I have very strong opinions when it comes to balancing tregun with spirituality. 

I am trying to become a doctor too. I am in grade 11 and planning to apply to mcmaster health science next year.It's the most competitive program in Canada. I want to use my time this summer wisely and do some bhagti hopefully with maharaj's grace to walk on this path.

I was using some crest mouthwash and out of curiosity read the ingredients. There was alcohol. I am amritdharee so should i do japji sahib and ardas or ask panj pyare or is this a different kind of alcohol like rubbing alcohol

From the little I know right now, I think it is just dixie but perhaps other major gurduaras may invite him later.

Some Background Info which could be skipped

Sangat Ji I am in grade 11 and in the IB programme in Ontario, Canada. It is basically a program meant to prepare one for university. An important part of finishing the IB program and getting the special diploma they give is writing this extended essay(EE). It is a 4,000  word essay, and is supposed to be professional like at unversity kind of level. They gave us access to many online databases that maybe some of you in university use like JSTOR, which we are supposed to find research on our topic to use to write it. You also need a supervisor who specializes in your topic or subject who can help you write a good essay. The big problem is, I cannot narrow down to a good topic. I found a conditional supervisor. Basically, they agreed to supervise my essay if I can find more research on a topic and make more personal to me as a Sikh. My current topic which I proposed to this conditional supervisor was basically: How does asian culture influence modern american television? (I kept the question here short and simple but the actual one is just more wordy and detailed).My supervisor is a religion and human sciences or social sciences kind of specialist. The Supervisor asked which tv shows I would look at. I said Avatar the Last Airbender, and the Simpsons as these shows have asian culture influence. However she asked me how does it relate to Sikhi, and how does it relate to me? It does not really, not from what I can think even now and now I am thinking of changing my topic to a more Sikhi or personal based one. I wanted to make a sikhi based one before, but I thought it would be awkard trying to explain to my supervisor and writing an essay on the whole struggle and events of 1984 as that is something sikhi based and personal that I could definitely talk about. However, the problem is that it is difficult to find sources on this. Also, I can't think of an essay question or point to prove or something to show by writing this essay which relates to the subjects the supervisor specialiszes in like religion or human science or social anthropolgy.

The problem and questoin

I was thinking of writing something about Sant Jarnail  singhJji Khalsa Bhindranwale and sikhs in that time. Something to throw in the face of the kind of people who say sant ji is a terrorist or that the movement was violent and was a terrorist movement with Kharku singhs, or Khalistanis speratists etc. and the list goes on. However, i don't how I would put this into some kind of question or something that could e investigated, along the subjects of human sciences religion anthropolgy or social sciences as stated above let alone how awkard it would be trying to explain to the catholic supervisor at my catholic school about the government of India and terrorism. Then I also have to find "reputable" research from these databases and the information and journals that come up when looking for this kind of information is usually written by the real extremists associated with Indian govt, as most of you know. If i go on jstor or academic one file and type operation bluestar these are the kinds of things that show up:

From academic one file full link

http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=2&docId=GALE|A6515194&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=&prodId=AONE&contentSet=GALE|A6515194&searchId=R1&userGroupName=tplmain&inPS=true

Short para from there- 

HOLY WAR AGAINST INDIA It is one of the grimmer and more ironic developments of the late twentieth century: religion, which is on the whole a benign force in Western societies, often combines combustibly with nationalism to fuel political murder in the Third World. In India, for example, the teachings of a militant guru are used to justify the atrocities committed by Sikh terrorists in their campaign to dismember the nation and establish "Khalistan"

Continued Benti from here

I cannot find academic sources that this essay requires me to base my facts on like how the army trained to invade Darbar sahib before sant ji lived on the complex, or how out of the 6000 people who gathered during the week of the attack, only a handfew survived, despite the government claiming otherwise, and etc. and the list goes on as to so many evidences against the government which are somehow magically hidden on these "reputable" sources. I could write a b.s essay on asian culture influence in tv shows like avatar the last airbender to argue that success from tv shows can arise from different cultures and dont neccessarily have to be "white" culture. I was also considering writing an essay in my opinion that Sikhi is the greatest religion and comparing it to other religions and I think it would be easier to find  reputable evidence  for this. However, I am not sure whether my supervisor would approve of this topic as it is my opinon and is obviously biased as I am a sikh, but I dont think she would have a problem specializing in it as it all about religion. But again, how would I put in a question form or as a thesis, that sikhi is the greatest religion in a "professional manner" as this essay should have.

I am sorry, this a longer topic but i am completely lost with this and I am going to India soon and need to get this cleared with my supervisor before I do which is in about 2 weeks after all my final exams coming next week and final assignments from TOK which is basically a philoshophy class in IB. Thanks for your time and patience. Time spent writing this that could have been spent studying for exams: 1h45min

do you think something similar like this happens in simran, to the point where one can hear naam in his mind

I am confused about this thing. At nightime I want to do path all night(or atleast try to) in attempts to activate simran to continue 24/7 by engraining it within the subconscious and making use of youth. However, after 1 hour or 2, mind will say go to sleep and wake up at amirtvela and do more simran then. This way I have sleep for school and still maintain amritvela. However, my sleep schedule gets all messed up as a result, as I start determined to try to go all night, but end up sleeping at like 11pm hoping to wake up by 3-4 am with maharaj's kirpa.  Most of the time if I sleep that late, i will wake up at 4, but go back to sleep. I feel that my life is passing away especially youth and I am not doing enough work on the inside. What would the sangat here reccomend in this situation?