miri-piri

Just wondering...is any Sikh organisation in Toronto collecting relief/funds for the disaster? Would anybody know of people to contact.... Thanks

i completely agree with you singh 47 jee. Gurus/Babas are a complete mystery. Many of the babas/gurus say that they are not God but agents who will help you get closer to God. I really don't get why one would need to put ones application through an agent...when you can directly approach Him.

and here i was driving my car with no shoes on....well thanks man

Should we follow a certain norms when listening to shabad and path on video or audio? Should we listen to it as we do in a Gurudwara...you know, with head covered and concentration? Or is it ok to listen to shabads while working. Does the Bani state anything on this count ? Please throw light on this aspect. Humbly, miri-piri

Thank you Pheena ji for replying to my query with patience. I largely agree with all that you say. But am intrigued by the way you end your message. You do seem to admit that astrology is not the way to go about things. You do say that ideally faith in Him is all that a person needs to pass their life. Yet you stop short of saying that astrology is wrong. And end by saying that the ultimate aim is to find your own spirituality. Fair enough....each to his/her own. But don't you think that in matters as important as basing your decisions on certain set of principles one has to make a choice? You don't really have to reply to this post, if you don't want to. I ask these questions knowning that the modern rationalist in me always identifies and segregates good from bad.. :? I do know that is not the only way to make choices. bhain, miri-piri

Pheena ji...i read your post just now. apologies for the belated reply. Please forgive me if I am wrong in understanding what you wrote. But did you mean that that gurus were also affected by astrology? So does this imply that the astrology was something which they could not control? Was this the reason that they chose to ignore it rather than deal with it?? If the answer to any of these questions is remotely yes then I beg to disagree with you. I think when the gurus talked of belief in one akal purukh and nothing more, they were submitting to rational thought. They made it clear not to depend on predictions based on planetary movements which can never be verified, checked and re-checked according to scientific norms. bhool chook maaf.

A word of caution against astrology and Vaastu would do no harm. They do not belong to rational, scientific thought process. Vaastu and astrology have never been regarded as a science. They lack the basic attributes and tenets of pursuit of science. Scientific truths are universal and are not dependent on the whims and fancies of individuals whereas the practice of astrology/Vaastu in different parts of the world is varied. Astrology does not use the accepted scientific method of inquiry that is characterised by fallibility, verifiability and repeatability. It has never been supported by any scientific research or study conducted according to stringent scientific procedure. In fact, it has been conclusively demonstrated by well-designed investigations that astrological predictions are no better than random chance coincidences. The choice in the end is upto each individual. It is now upto you as to how you want to buy your house...on the basis of certain individuals whose knowledge is questionable or what to you seems like a good deal? How you want to lead your life? On the basis of questionable charts and horrorscopes (sic) or belief in one akal purukh. bhool chook maaf

Thanks for the reply. To add to it: 1. It would be interesting to find out the reasons that the Canadian immigration department does not recognise Kaur and Singh as valid surname. It could be purely for administrative purposes. Perhaps the large number of Kaur and Singhs in the country has created confusion. I know it sounds insipid even to my own ears! I look forward to any other explanation. 2. As far as I know the name Kaur and Singh were given on the Baisakhi day when Guru Gobind Rai called for all to take the appellation of Singh. This was done to ignore the caste affiliations, which had created divisions. 5. I have always found interpretations of Dasam Granth more interesting than convincing. Whose interpretation you choose to believe is the more important question.

What is the relevance of using Singh and Kaur as last name when Sikhism is severely divided along caste lines? Singh and Kaur were designated as last name by Guru Gobind Singh ji to remove caste from Sikhism. However, take present day Punjab. Talhan village (near Jullundhur) has showed us that if the lower castes try and back their economic empowernment by more political rights it results in riots. This is not confined to one village. In every village in Punjab the lower caste live in a separate colony. In this context let us examine Canada where Kaur and Singh are not recognized as valid surnames for the purpose of immigration. Should we do something about it? Has anything been done about this? Wouldn't it be ineffectual to question the Canadian government about this if the very purpose of coming up with Singh and Kaur has been defeated?