mehtab

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa! Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!! Keeping in mind the lack of unity among ourselves, and with a hope that we start introspection before allegation, das is posting this article on what Gurbani says about not judging others. http://www.gurbani.org/webart94.htm MADNESS OF JUDGING OTHERS O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge. If someone understands both the disease and the medicine, only then is he a wise physician. Do not involve yourself in idle business on the way; remember that you are only a guest here. Speak with those who know the God, and renounce your evil ways (sggs 148). <><><><> Judging others through false ego is a symptom as well as pastime of a worldly person. Also called Manmukh, the daily life of such person engrossed in evil ways is full of its natural contentions, contradictions, jealousy, usual competitions, selfishness, corruption, falsehood, desires and fears. Consequently, he ends up living a wrong life in all his worldly contacts and experiences; thus wasting useful time and energy by undergoing tensions, strains, and creating chaos within for himself and confusion without for others. Manmukh boli na jaananee onaa andari kaam krodh ahankaar....: The Manmukhs (material beings) do not even know how to speak. They are filled with lust, anger and egotism. They do not know the difference between good and bad; they constantly think of corruption. In God's Court, they are called to account, and they are judged to be false (sggs 1248). We are strongly urged by the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) to renounce such "evil ways". Instead, we are challenged by the Gurbani to look within to examine and judge ourselves. If we dare doing what the Gurbani asks us to do, then and only then we will be known as "real judge". Nanak parkhe aap kayu ta paarakh jaan: O Nanak, if someone judges himself, only then is he known as a real judge (sggs 148). Is mann kayu koee khojo bhaaee: Let each person examine his own mind, O brother (sggs 1128). Judging oneself means to know "Who Am I?", and then purify himself. To know the time as time, to know the space as space, to know the world-appearance as appearance, to know the Source as Source, and to know oneself as the Source is being the "real judge". This only is Self-realization — to know one's essential nature as Pure Awareness. Aap pachhanai boojhai soi: He who recognizes his Self comprehends God (sggs 25). Mann tu jot saroop hai apnaa mool pashaan: O my mind, you are That — the true image of the Divine Light — know your Reality (sggs 441). Unfortunately, however, the majority of us do not want to know ourselves. But we want to know everything about others! We want to find faults in others, but not in ourselves. We want to see Divine Virtues in others, but not in ourselves! We want others to forgive and forget our demerits, but we don't want to forgive and forget theirs. Hence on account of false ego, instead of investigating and judging our own conduct, we commit the error of judging others. In other words, we are unaware of our own house being on fire, but we go out and look if someone else's house is burning! According to the Gurbani, such practices only tantamount to madness. Parh Pandit avraa samjhaae. Ghar jalte kee khabar na paae: The Pandit reads and instructs others, but he does not realize that his own home is on fire (sggs 1047). So bayuraa jo aap na pachaanai. Aap pacchaanai ta eko jaanai: Man is mad wihtout Self-realization. When he knows the Self, only then he comes to know the One Reality (sggs 855). The Gurbani's diagnosis of our instinctive mind is that we are "Kache" (unripe or false) and "Kach Nicach" (falsest of the false). It's this unripe ego-sense that enjoys falsehood such as judging others. In other words, because we are "Kache" and "Kach Nicach" ourselves, our unripe ego goes judging others as such. In such deceptive and shallow intellectualism, we get stuck in "Kathanee Badanee" — babbling and speaking in egoity. The Gurbani roars: Andhaa kachaa kach nicach: The spiritually blind are unripe and imperfect, falsest of the false (sggs 5). Kathanee badanee kartaa phirai hukmai mooli na bujhayee andhaa kach nicach: He wanders around babbling and speaking, but he does not understand the Divine Law at all. He is blind, the falsest of the false (sggs 509). Hor kachee matee kach pich andhiyaa andh beechaar: False and shallow are the intellectualisms of the false; blind are the contemplations of such blind (sggs 1242). Bikhu kaa maataa jag siyu loojhai: Intoxicated with poison, man struggles with the world (sggs 414). The purpose of this rare gift of life is to look within to judge ourselves so that we may Realize the real Self. But the majority of us (more than 99.9 percent) are unwilling to do it. Why? Because our inflated ego is afraid to face the truth our inner mind would reveal to us — our shocking crookedness, perversions, weaknesses, shortcomings, corruption, ignorance, untruthfulness, selfishness, demoniac instincts, duality, Vaasnaa, fear, falsehood, and so on. As a result, our ever expanding ego finds it easy and more pleasant to judge others and find faults with them! Mahal kumahal na jaananee moorakh apne suaae. Shabad cheenahi ta mahal lahe joti jot samaae: The fools do not know the difference between good and bad; they are deceived by their self-interests. But if they contemplate the Shabad, they realize the God's Presence within, and their individual light merges in the Light (sggs 649). Freeda je tu akal lateef hai kaale likh na lekh. Aapanrhe gireevaan mahi sir neevaa kar dekh: Fareed, if you think you have a keen understanding, then do not act in ignorance against anyone else. Look within and judge yourself instead (sggs 1378). To the spiritually blind-mind (one with "Kachee Matee") preoccupied with material temptations, the nectarian Divine Name tastes bitter and the poison of judging others sweet. With such deluded frame of mind, we take those engaged in seeking the Absolute Truth as no-Sikh or lesser Sikh, and we take those engaged in falsehood as good Sikh, and so on! The same applies to other religions as well. Jag jhoothai kayu saachi jaan kai taa siyu ruchi upjaaee: I judge the false world to be true, and I have fallen in love with it (sggs 718). Gurmukh siyu manmukh arhai dubbai hakk niaae: If the Manmukhs fight with the Gurmukh, they are condemned by the True Judge (sggs 148). Taa jag aayaa jaaneeai saachai liv laae: One’s coming into the world is judged worthwhile only if one lovingly attunes oneself to the True Being (sggs 421). Man is bonded unless he is Self-realized. The Gurbani repeatedly reminds us that while in bondage we remain unqualified for judging others. Those of us with spiritually-blind mind do not have the integrity, courage, and wisdom to judge ourselves. Instead, with our stubborn mindedness and our inverted heart-lotus, we look outside. As a result, we put ourselves in a position to commit more mistakes. Only the Pure Being is the True Judge. Antar kee gati tum hee jaanee tujh hee paahi nibero...: Only You know the state of my innermost self; You alone can judge me. Please forgive me, O Lord; I have committed thousands of sins and mistakes (sggs 618). Moorakh ganat gnaae jhagrhaa paayaa. Satgur hath niber jhagarh chukaaiaa: The fools try to account for their misdeeds, and argue uselessly. The judgment is in the Hands of the True Guru, who puts an end to the argument (sggs 139). Judging others in ignorance is contradiction, which is the foundation of expansion of our false ego-sense. As long as we take refuse in contradictions, we remain separated from the Supreme Truth that our True Nature is Unconditioned Consciousness ("Joti Svaroop"). Therefore, contradiction is the material bondage, and the absence of contradiction is liberation. By contradicting the world around, we in our foolishness contradicts our very Essence namely the Blissful Consciousness Existence. Such foolishness promotes nothing but psychological distress. Therefore, "renounce the urge to judge others", thunder the scriptures and the Realized Beings. They teach us to leave behind all mental perversions; to break the chains of doubt; and to remain affectionately unattached. They tell us that this rare human life is meant to seek the Self, not uselessly contradicting the world around. What is the cure? Before finding the cure, we need to find out the cause of the disease. As mentioned before, the reason the instinct of judging others exists is the expanded psychological ego. It is not the Pure Self, rather, it is our deluded ego that craves for judging others. That's why the genuine religious texts and the Spiritual Beings repeatedly remind us that the destruction of false ego is the purpose of human life as well as all religions, not other way around. Trying to justify the egoistic urge to judge others would be like falling into the coal-pit; again and again, and then try to shake the body off! Hayumai kari nihkarmi hovai. Gur parsaadee hayumai khovai. Antari bibek sadaa aap veechare gur sabadee gun gaavaniaa: Those who act in ego do not go beyond Karma. It is only by Guru’s Grace that one is rid of ego. Those who have discriminating minds, continually examine their Self. Through the Gur-Shabad, they sing Glorious Praises (sggs 128). Many of us excuse our own shortcomings, but judge others harshly. One who is quick to see and judge evil in other persons has the seed of that evil within himself; because anything of which one is cognizant has a relative vibration within himself. Therefore, the scriptures and the wise ones ask us to reverse this attitude by excusing others' faults and by harshly examining our own. Ham nahee change buraa nahee koyi: I am not good; no one is bad (sggs 728). Freeda je tu akali lateef kaale likh na lekh. Aapanarhe Gireebvaan mahi sir neevaa kari dekh: Fareed, if you are so clever, then you should not do evil. Examine your own self instead (sggs 1378). Nanak khoji lahau ghar apnaa hari aatam raam naam paya: O Nanak, search and examine your own inner being, and you will find the Supreme Soul, and the Name of the Lord (sggs 1039-40). Ustat nindaa kare kiyaa koyee. jaa aape vartai eko soyee: How can anyone praise or slander anyone else? The One Lord Himself is pervading and permeating all (sggs 1128). For this very purpose, God has given us the power of impartial intuitive self-analysis or discerning introspection. To attain the pure awareness of the Shabad-Surti (Naam or God-consciousness), The Gurbani has recommended daily introspection of our blind sense-mind. To be successful, this introspection has to be impartial, accurate, and without any prejudice. If we let this introspection become marred with the wicked and impulsive mental and sense tendencies such as judging others to satisfy our false ego, then it will be totally meaningless. Bande khoj dil har roj naa phir presaanee maahi: O human being, search your own heart every day, and do not wander around in confusion (sggs 727). Every moment, there is a spiritual and psychological battle going on between the Soul and the sense-infatuated mind under the delusive influence of the false ego. We can invoke the God given power of introspection to review the battle of the day in our mind in order to determine who won the battle — the good or the evil. As scriptures tell us, "good" being that which expresses truth and virtue and attracts the consciousness to God; and "evil" being ignorance and delusion, repels the consciousness from God. Thus, we, the material men, can realize the eternal Bliss (Anand) only if we side with "goodness" and win the battle between the good and evil inclinations that guide our activities on the external bodily field of action. Man kee patree vaachanee sukhee hoo sukh saar: To read the horoscope of the mind, is the most sublime joyful peace (sggs 1093). Jan Nanak bin aapaa cheenai mitai na bharam kee kaayee: O servant Nanak, without knowing one’s own Self, the moss of doubt is not removed (sggs 684). Nanak khoji lahau ghar apnaa hari aatam raam naam paya: O Nanak, search and examine your own inner being, and you will find the Supreme Soul, and God's Name (sggs 1039). Bande khoj dil har roj naa phir presaanee maahi: O man, search your own heart every day, and do not wander around in confusion (sggs 727). Once the false ego is thinned out, many evil urges will lose their grip on us. We can shake the unripe ego off by becoming humble beings, and knowing that "I am not good; no one is bad". To a spiritually wise (Gurmukh), what is bad is a good, and what is good is a good; for he is beyond duality (false ego)! The scriptures disapprove of judging others because in Pure Consciousness there is no good, and there is no bad! The Manmukhs (material beings), suffering in ignorance of the Self, however, do not understand this mystery. Sabh te neech aatam kari maanahu mann amhi ih sukh dhaarahu: I judge myself to be the lowest of all; in this way, I instill peace within my mind (sggs 532). Ham nahee change buraa nahee koyi: I am not good; no one is bad (sggs 728). Ustat nindaa kare kiyaa koyee. jaa aape vartai eko soyee: How can anyone praise or slander anyone else? The One God Himself is pervading and permeating all (sggs 1128). Kabeer sabh te ham bure ham taji bhalo sabh koi. Jin aisaa kari boojhiaa meet hamaaraa soi: Kabeer, I am the worst of all. Everyone else is good. Whoever understands this is a friend of mine (sggs 1364). Hari prabh sang khelahi var kaamani Gurmukh khojat man mane. Manmukh duhaagan naahi bheyu. Oh ghat ghat raavai sarab preyu: The Gurmukhs look Within themselves; their minds are filled with faith. The Manmukhs, suffering in separation, do not understand this mystery (sggs 1170). The state of fearlessness is equated with the state of Spiritual Perfection. In other words, fearlessness is directly proportional to the degree of humbleness or Spiritual Realization. Therefore, the spiritual quality such as humbleness is not to be mistaken for weakness or pessimism; for the humble person is the most fearless and active person one can find! He is both Sant (humble) and Sipaahee (fearless). To an ordinary person, a humble being may look inactive on the outside, but on the inside he is the most active person one can find! Just look at our ten Gururs! They were the most humble, the most fearless, and the most active beings! Saran pario Nanak thaakur kee abhai daan sukh paayo: Nanak has entered the Sanctuary of his God, and has received the blessings of fearlessness and peace (sggs 498). Kabeer jis marne te jagg darai mere mann anand: Kabeer, the world is afraid of death — that death fills my mind with bliss (sggs 774). Khet ju mandio soormaa ab joojhan ko daayu. Sooraa so pehchaaneeai jo larai deen ke het. Purjaa purjaa kat marai kabhoo na shaadai khet: He alone is known as a spiritual hero, who fights in defense of righteousness. He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the battle (sggs 1105). Therefore, the Gurbani's emphasis is in becoming a truly humble being. Also called Gurmukh (a Self-realized person), such person is pure both inside and outside. Since the Gurmukh acts through his natural state of Being (Sahaj Avasthaa: the state of egolessness, desirelessness or non-duality), his actions become non-binding or "no-actions". Nothing can stop such person from thinking, speaking and doing what's righteous. For such person, there is no accounting for his Karma; because he is living liberated (Jeevanmukta). Gobind kee tahal safal ih kaayaa: Working for God, the body becomes fruitful (sggs 202). Gurmukh laahaa kai gaye. Manmukh challe mool gavaae jeeo: The Gurmukhs (Self-realized) reap the true profits of their life and leave, while the Manmukhs (material beings) lose all and depart (sggs 74). Sabad soojhai taa mann siyu loojhai: When you understand the Shabad (Naam or God-consciousness), then you can control your mind (sggs 1126). —T. Singh Request by das : If at any point, anyone finds me judging anyone based on anything, please call me a hypocrite and remind me that i had posted this. Thanks!

http://education.vsnl.com/sikhism/Bani2522Eng.htm Why we say, “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh†The message “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh†is to be conveyed whenever two Sikhs meet each other. Guru Gobind Singh Ji has said, “My face will be towards that person who says it first. My back will be towards that person who says it afterwards. I will be in between both of them, if both of them says it together.†Hence, in order to spread the message of brotherhood, we should say Fateh together. The traditions set by Guru Sahibs, whether they are documented or not can be derived from Gurbani, provided we try to go in the depth of Gurbani. However, we are no body to alter, modify, change, and add in the Gurbani or basic Sikh traditions. We are not able to do any modification in Guru Granth Sahib, as this have been well documented, classified, and sealed by Guru Sahib. Since other traditions are not well documented, classified, and sealed by Guru Sahib, so we try to give all sorts of suggestion and modification. The basic reason for most of the misconcepts is that, in Gurbani, the terminology or the words used are those that were prevailing at that time. Many a words belonging to various languages prevailing at that time have been used in Gurbani. A limited number of new words have been added by Guru Sahibs, in Gurbani like, (Akwl purKu, vwihgurU, AMimRq vylw, cVHdI klHw, jIvn mukiq,). But Guru Sahibs have clearly given their own definition for all the words (prevailing at that time) used in Guru Granth Sahib. For example: nwmu = jyqw kIqw qyqw nwau ] ivxu nwvY nwhI ko Qwau ] (4) sqsMgiq = sqsMgiq kYsI jwxIAY ] ijQY eyko nwmu vKwxIAY ] eyko nwmu hukmu hY nwnk siqguir dIAw buJwie jIau ]5] (72) sMqu = slok mÚ 5 ] ijnw swis igrwis n ivsrY hir nwmW min mMqu ] DMnu is syeI nwnkw pUrnu soeI sMqu ]1] (319) qIrQu = qIriQ nwvx jwau qIrQu nwmu hY ] qIrQu sbd bIcwru AMqir igAwnu hY ] (687) igAwnI = BY kwhU kau dyq nih nih BY mwnq Awn ] khu nwnk suin ry mnw igAwnI qwih bKwin ]16] (1427) Because of our limited knowledge of Gurbani, we use the definitions given by other sects or religions and try to apply that on Sikhism. This is the basic reason that we living in a confused state these days in many of the traditions. Unless we do not go in the depth of Gurbani and are not able to give solid reasons as quoted in Gurbani, we should not try to change the traditions. Let us leave it to the future generations to decide, till some justified reasons on the basis of Gurbani are found. We have completely forgotten the tradition of meeting each other by saying “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fatehâ€. Instead of that we have started the tradition of meeting each other by saying “Sat Sri Akalâ€. Sat Sri Akal is the ending word of the slogan, “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akalâ€. This slogan is used in Sangat for the Chardi Kala (cVHdI klHw); to give courage for some achievements, conclusion of some program or function, etc. Now a day, even this slogan is some times being misused in Sangat. For example, when some preacher is informing about the decreasing standard of public, some one will say this slogan in Sangat, just to show his presence or otherwise, the reasons best know to him only. Let us try to understand the significance of “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh†according to Gurbani. The meaning of this slogan is that Khalsa belongs to the Waheguru and also the victory (Fateh) belongs to the Waheguru only. This is a very simple way of teaching the basics of Sikhism to common man. In Sikhism the word Waheguru is used to specify for God. However, the basic definition of Waheguru is as given below: < siq nwmu krqw purKu inrBau inrvYru Akwl mUriq AjUnI sYBM gur pRswid ] (1) One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace (1) The further description about Waheguru and how to achieve it are given in Japu Ji sahib (jpujI swihb). The complete details about Waheguru and how to achieve it are given in Guru Granth Sahib (gurU grMQ swihb). For specifying the name of God, the word Akal Purkh (Akwl purKu) or Waheguru (vwihgurU) have been used in Sikhism. There are unlimited names by which Akal Purkh or Waheguru have been referred in Gurbani. According to the ancient traditions the names of God have been linked with some material, person, animal, etc. However, in Sikhism this concept of relating with some living being or material have not been used. But this is related to the state of mind or spirituality. Literal meaning of Waheguru can be done as (Waheguru = Wahe + Guru= Wah + Guru). (vwihgurU = vwih + gurU). When NAAM (nwmu) resides in one’s mind. Then one achieves the state of Sach Khand (sc KMif). Then an internal (inherent) praise and pleasure is developed in ones mind (AnMd), which we generally express in our common language by saying as, Wah Wah (vwh vwh). This state is achievable with the help of Guru only. Hence, a combination of these two Wah and Guru, have been used to call the name of God, as Waheguru. Similarly, there is no physical Guru (sbd) or physical follower (surq) in Sikhism. pvn ArMBu siqgur miq vylw ] sbdu gurU suriq Duin cylw ] (943, rwmklI, mÚ 1) From the air came the beginning. This is the age of the True Guru's Teachings. The Shabad is the Guru, upon whom I lovingly focus my consciousness; I am the chaylaa, the disciple. (943) Only physical body was changing from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji. But the soul (joiq) Nanak, was same through out and now it is present in Guru Granth Sahib. joiq Ehw jugiq swie sih kwieAw Pyir pltIAY ] (966-967) Since, Khalsa belongs to the Waheguru. So if a person have achieved this state of mind. Then he does not have any difference with Waheguru as far as mental state is concerned. But mind you a person can never become Akal Purkh or Waheguru, which is an ultimate. He can only merge with Him like water mixes with the sea. gur ikrpw ijh nr kau kInI iqh ieh jugiq pCwnI ] nwnk lIn BieE goibMd isau ijau pwnI sMig pwnI ]3]11] (633, soriT, mÚ 9) That man, blessed by Guru's Grace, understands this way. O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water. ||3||11|| (633) When a person becomes a Khalsa, then he does not have distinction between other human beings. He sees every one, as sons of same father. There is no difference of caste or creed. He sees the same light (joiq) in every one. eyku ipqw eyks ky hm bwirk qU myrw gur hweI ] suix mIqw jIau hmwrw bil bil jwsI hir drsnu dyhu idKweI ]1] (611, soriT, mÚ 5) The One God is our father; we are the children of the One God. You are our Guru. Listen, friends: my soul is a sacrifice, a sacrifice to You; O Lord, reveal to me the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. ||1|| (611) These words also say that every part of Khalsa belongs to the Waheguru and you have nothing of your own. When one understands that every thing belongs to Him only. One loses his ego, does not have the greed to collect money and property by wrong means, tries to share his earning with others, sees all equally, spends some time for the welfare of society, etc. In other words he transforms him self into a Gurmukh (gurmuiK) automatically. He is always prepared to sacrifice for the Guru. qnu mnu kwit kwit sBu ArpI ivic AgnI Awpu jlweI ]4] (757-12, sUhI, mÚ 4) I would cut my mind and body apart into pieces, and offer them all to You; I would burn myself in fire. ||4|| (757) The second part of this slogan says, “Waheguru Ji Ke Fatehâ€. That means if there is any victory or achievement, then that also belongs to the Waheguru only and not to that person who has achieved that. This slogans completely eliminates the ego from the person who is saying, as well as who is listening. Once ego is gone, then one can achieve any thing in life. Awpu svwrih mY imlih mY imilAw suKu hoie ] PrIdw jy qU myrw hoie rhih sBu jgu qyrw hoie ]95] (1382, slok, syK PrId jI) God says, "If you reform yourself, you shall meet me, and meeting me, you shall be at peace. O Fareed, if you will be mine, the whole world will be yours."||95|| (1382) There is another psychological effect of using the word “Fatehâ€. When a person says the word “Fatehâ€, an inherent impression is created in his mind to always go for victory (Fateh),. This makes his habit, to always work hard to achieve his goal. Hence, the person always remains in “Chardi Kalaâ€. This is the reason, why Sikhs could sacrifice for the sake of their religion and successful complete difficult task, which normal persons could not achieve. Guru Pyari Sadh Sangat Ji, please do not take the traditions started by Guru Sahib as lightly. All of them have got a great treasure hidden within them. They transform us from a normal person to a great soul automatically, without our knowing about that. suixAY AMDy pwvih rwhu ] (3) Listening-even the blind find the Path. Because of our five senses (Eyes, Ears, Tongue, Nose and Skin), we are able to see and think to a limited extent only. That also depends how much of our self, we have offered to the teachings of Gurbani. So let us follow the teachings of Gurbani to achieve the ultimate aim of our life. We should commit our selves to say the following greetings, whenever we meet each other. “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh†“vwihgurU jI kw ^wlsw vwihgurU jI kI &qihâ€

Vaaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh Being a certified moorakh, i shall not speak, and let Guruji, the supremely wise talk dhaevaga(n)dhhaaree mehalaa 9 || jagath mai jhoot(h)ee dhaekhee preeth || apanae hee sukh sio sabh laagae kiaa dhaaraa kiaa meeth ||1|| rehaao || maero maero sabhai kehath hai hith sio baadhhiou cheeth || a(n)th kaal sa(n)gee neh kooo eih acharaj hai reeth ||1|| man moorakh ajehoo neh samajhath sikh dhai haariou neeth || naanak bhoujal paar parai jo gaavai prabh kae geeth ||2||3||6||38||47|| Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree, Ninth Mehl: In this world, I have seen love to be false. Whether they are spouses or friends, all are concerned only with their own happiness. ||1||Pause|| All say, ""Mine, mine"", and attach their consciousness to you with love. But at the very last moment, none shall go along with you. How strange are the ways of the world! ||1|| The foolish mind has not yet reformed itself, although I have grown weary of continually instructing it. O Nanak, one crosses over the terrifying world-ocean, singing the Songs of God. ||2||3||6||38||47||

yeah its so inspiring

taken from http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/event...nts/khalsa.html Guru Govind singh was in search of a word which could have the sanctity of five and the presence of God. He adopted the word Khalsa for his Singhs because it fulfilled both the conditions in the most appropriate manner. Besides this word had already been used by Guru Hargobind for his Sikhs. In Persian script Khalsa conssist of five letters: (i) Khe or Kh stands for Khud or oneself. (ii) Alif or A represents Akal purukh, Allah or God. (iii) LAM or L signifies Labbaik, which means "What do you want with me? Here am I. What would you have?" (iV) Swad or S alludes to Sahib or Lord or Master. (v) it ends with either A. Alif or A points to Azadi or freedom. The word Khalsa, therefore has the sacredness of number five as well as the presence of God with his singhs both engaged in a pleasent conversation. God himself asks the singhs: "What do you want from me? Here am I. What would you have?" The Singhs reply: "Lord! give us liberty." taken from http://www.sikhreview.org/april2002/religion.htm Renowned historian, Dr H R Gupta captures the etymological and philosophical/spiritual significance of each of the five letters of the Persian word, Khalsa - ‘Kh’ and ‘a’, stand, respectively for Khud or oneself and the Akal Purakh (God). The third letter ‘I’, signifies Labbaik, meaning the following question of God: "What do you want with me? Here I am. What would you have?", and the reply of the Singh (devotee) - "Lord give us liberty and sovereignty". The fourth letter ‘s’ signifies Sahib (Lord). The last letter is written either as ‘a’ or, more usually, ‘h’. The former signifies azadi or freedom and the latter refers to Huma, the legendary bird". AWESOME Guru Gobind Singh had such an amazing logic behind calling His Sikhs as Khalsa

taken from http://www.gurmatstudies.com/articles/khalsa.htm ( for full article please go to this link ) Unlike many scholars that say the Khalsa brought a new form to this world, I say that it did not. Instead, the Khalsa reintroduced the original form man was in at the beginning of time. The true form that God created us in. Even when we look at the bible, we see that there are many verses that explain the importance of the turban, here are just a couple: And you are to do as I have done, you must not cover your beards, or eat common bread; you must keep your turban on your head, put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard. (Ezekiel 24:17-19, 23-24) Thus a clean body, a clean white turban were pre-requisites for spiritual development of clean mind and pure soul. (Leviticus 8:9) Prophet Muhammad himself spoke strongly in favor of the turban, as can be seen from the following hadiths (i.e. saying of Prophet Muhammad): "The turban is a frontier between faith and unbelief." "My community shall not fall away so long as they wear turban." So we can see that this form was not knew, but instead the original form God created man in.

http://members.dancris.com/~sikh/chap01.html CHAPTER 1 GURU - THE DIVINE LIGHT The word Guru is so popular in India that in order to understand the fundamental concept of 'guru' in Sikhism, one must first completely drive out of one's mind the prevalent popular notion of a guru. The popular term 'guru' often used for a Brahman, a yogic teacher or a guide or even a school teacher, has made the Guruship so cheap that a scholar describes these gurus as 'wicks which smell foul after the lamps are extinguished.' The term 'Guru' in Sikhism is not used for a teacher or a guide or an expert or even a human body. The word Guru is composed of two terms- GU- means darkness and RU- means Light. In Sikhism the word 'Guru' is, thus, defined as the Light that dispels all darkness, and that is called JOT (Divine Light). Guru Nanak was, therefore, the EMBODIMENT of Divine Light: 'Gur Nanak Dev Govind roop.' (Basant Mohalla 5, p-1192, Guru Granth Sahib) 'Guru Nanak is embodiment of the Light of God.' (Translation of the above) The Guru in Sikhism is a perfect Prophet or Messenger of God in whom the Light of God shines fully, visibly and completely. Guru is in union with Divine. Thus he ushers the devotees, the seekers of Truth into a spiritual birth. Through him the Glory of the Lord is transmitted to humanity. On account of his Divine prerogatives, the Guru, though human in form, is Divine in Spirit. Literally Guru Nanak's body was a platform from which God Himself spoke and delivered His message- Gurbani (Divine Word). God manifested Himself through Guru Nanak: 'Gur meh aap samoai sabad vartaya.' (Var Malar ki Mohalla 1, p-1279) 'In the true Guru (Nanak) He installed His Own Spirit Through him, God speaketh Himself.' (Translation of the above) In another place in Gurbani it is said: 'Gur meh aap rakhaya kartare.' (Maru Mohalla 1(15), p-1024) 'In the body of Guru (Nanak) God revealeth Himself.' (Translation of the above) God is in the Guru and Guru is in God. Though God is everywhere and in everybody but His traits are illuminated through the Guru. The Jot (Divine Light) that enshrined Guru Nanak's body and the Primal Jot of God are, therefore, one and the same: 'Gur Nanak Nanak har soai.' (Gaund Mohalla 5, p-865) 'O Nanak, Jot of Nanak and God are one.' (Translation of the above) Again the Janamsakhis (biographies) reveal that God spoke to Guru Nanak and said: 'Mei aad parmeshar aur tu gur parmeshar.' 'I am the Primal God and thou art Guru God.' Guru Nanak never claimed that only his disciples or devotees could get salvation or go to heaven. Since he was the embodiment of Divine Light, and as the Divine Light does not belong to any particular sect or religion, so he stood guarantee for the entire humanity, and said,"Whosoever meditates upon One God, the Formless, will get salvation." 'Jo jo japai so hoi punit Bhagat bhai lavai man hit.' (Gauri Sukhmani Mohalla 5, p-290) 'He shall become pure whosoever repeateth His Name With devotion, affection and heartfelt love.' (Translation of the above) When Guru Nanak conferred Guruship on Bhai Lehna (later called Guru Angad), the JOT was passed on and Guru Angad too became the embodiment of Divine Light. In the same way all the nine Gurus were the embodiments of Gur Nanak Jot. The tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh then conferred the Guruship on Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scripture), which too became the embodiment of Divine Light. Gur Nanak JOT is, therefore, enshrined and preserved in Guru Granth Sahib (it is no longer the Adi Granth, but only the Guru Granth), and it is the Living Guru for ever. For the Sikhs, the Guru Granth is the manifestation of the Guru's Spirit and through it, Guru Nanak lives on in the Sikh Faith. Sikhism endeavors to uplift the human soul from the shackles of Maya (materialism). It aims at a virtuous life which leads to the ultimate realization of a state of Eternal Bliss. The objective of Guru Nanak's Guruship was to give instructions in the True Name, to save humanity from immersing in the ocean of distress and misery arising out of worldly life, and to blend the human souls with their Creator, thus, emancipating them from the cycle of transmigration breaking all barriers and bonds of sufferings. This is the essential character of Sikh faith. The law of Karma or fatalism is repugnant to Sikh Religion as it does not reconcile with the merciful trait of the Almighty Lord. There is no such thing in Sikhism as eternal damnation or an everlasting pit of fire created by the revengeful God. Guru's grace erases the blot of thousands of evil deeds of the past and the present. It is also the savior of the future. Meditation on Nam burns countless sins. Singing the glory of the Lord through the Divine Word, can redeem a repentant sinner and, thus, doctrine of Karma ceases to operate. Such is the splendor of Guru Nanak's doctrine of God's Grace and Compassion.

http://members.dancris.com/~sikh/chap02.html CHAPTER 2 INDIA BEFORE GURU NANAK After its climax, Buddhism started degenerating in India. Statues of Buddha and Budhisattvas became very common and were installed in their temples. Buddhist monks preached lesson of non-violence and non-resistance which made the people non-aggressive even in self defence. When Buddhism was driven out of India, the Hindu society set up their own gods and goddesses and began to worship their stone images. The Hindu priests who had been for centuries, the self-made custodians of religion and its teachings, had reduced the religion to a mockery performing rites and rituals and superstitious ceremonies devoid of any sense and meaning. "The Hindu leaders neglected to teach the spiritual realities to the people at large who were sunk in superstitions and materialism. Religion became confused with caste distinction and taboos about eating and drinking.....", writes Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former President of India. The Hindu society was over-ridden with caste system. The religion became the privilege only of the upper class called the Brahmans. The sacred religious books were neither accessible to the other classes nor could the people understand them because they were written mostly in Sanskrit, a language not spoken by the masses. Religious reading, writing and teaching was strictly the monopoly of the Brahmans. The lowest of the lowest class was called the Untouchables. A touch or even a shadow of these untouchables seemed to pollute the higher classes. Such was the condition of Hindu India when Muslim invaders from the west began pouring in large numbers one after the other. For the Muslim invaders, from Mahmood of Gazni in the eleventh century to the Moghuls in the sixteenth century (at the time of Guru Nanak), the Punjab was always the gateway of India. All these Muslim invaders massacred men, women and children without mercy, plundered their homes, desecrated and demolished their temples and robbed the wealth of these temples. The Hindus were converted to Islam at the point of the sword. Nobles, scholars, sufies, poets and philosophers who also came along with these invaders, settled in the various parts of India, and they laid the foundation of Indo-Muslim culture in the country. Many Muslim historians have given account of the happenings of that time. A few examples of the treatment of Hindus by the Mohammadan conquerors of India, are given below: Shahab-ul-Din, King of Gazni (1170-1206), put Prithwi Raj, King of Ajmer and Delhi, to death in cold blood. He massacred thousands of the inhabitants of Ajmer who opposed him , reserving the remainder for slavery (The Kamiu-t Tawarikh by Asir). In the Taj-ul-Ma'asir by Hassn Nizam-i-Naishapuri, it is stated that when Qutb-ul-Din Aibak (1194-1210) conquered Meerat, he demolished all the Hindu temples of the city and erected mosques on their sites. In the city of Aligarh, he converted Hindu inhabitants to Islam by the sword and beheaded all those who adhered to their own religion. Abdulla Wassaf writes in his Tazjiyat-ul-Amsar wa Tajriyat ul Asar that when Ala-ul-Din Khilji (1295-1316) captured the city of Kambayat at the head of the gulf of Cambay, he killed the adult male Hindu inhabitants for the glory of Islam, set flowing rivers of blood, sent the women of the country with all their gold, silver, and jewels, to his own home, and made about twenty thousand maidens his private slaves. Ala-ul-Din once asked his Qazi, what was the Mohammadan law prescribed for the Hindus. The Qazi replied, "Hindus are like the mud; if silver is demanded from them, they must with the greatest humility offer gold. If a Mohammadan desire to spit into a Hindu's mouth, the Hindu should open it wide for the purpose. God created the Hindus to be slaves of the Mohammadans. The Prophet hath ordained that, if the Hindus do not accept Islam, they should be imprisoned, tortured, finally put to death, and their property confiscated." Sayad Mohammad Latif writes in his history of the Punjab, "Great jealousy and hatred existed those days between the Hindus and Mohammadans and the whole non-Muslim population was subject to persecution by the Mohammadan rulers." Bhai Gurdas, a Sikh scholar, writes, "My Lord, it is strange that the people of Kalyug (dark age or the age of falsehood) have developed the attitude of a dog and they take pleasure in swallowing ill-gotten things. The rulers commit sins and those who are herdsmen, are killing the sheep themselves. The people being ignorant are not in a position to discriminate between truth and falsehood. Those who pose as benefactors are engaged in amassing wealth by fraudulent means. Love between man and woman is based on money, they meet at pleasure and depart at will. The Qazi who occupies the seat of justice, accepts bribes and then passes unjust orders." Guru Nanak describes the situation as: 'Kings are butchers Cruelty their knife, and Sense of duty and responsibility have taken wings and vanished.' (Slok Mohalla 1, p-145) It has always been believed that whenever the Righteousness vanishes from this world and the Falsehood takes its place, there has been a call from the Heaven to restore peace and justice on earth. Out of the dark clouds of falsehood, hypocrisy, injustice, cruelty and bigotry, there came a ray of sunshine from the Heaven as described by Bhai Gurdas, a Sikh apostle: "Heaven at last heard the prayers of the people, Guru Nanak was sent to the world. The disciples met and drank the nectar of his Lotus feet, And realized the Divine in this age of materialism. Guru Nanak re-established Dharma, All castes he merged into one caste of man. The rich and the poor he brought on one level, From this Founder of Humanity a new race of love goes forth; In humility they bow down to each other. The Master and the disciple became one, His song of Nam gives us a new life, He is the Saviour in this age of materialism. Nanak came, the world was lighted, The sun rose, the darkness disappeared. Wherever the Guru put his foot, It became the temple of worship. The far-famed seats of the Sidhas changed their names, The Yoga-houses became Guru-houses. Humanity resounded with his divine hymns; In every house of the disciple, the Lord was worshipped. The Guru went in all directions, Seeking his own all over the earth. A river of love and peace Flows in us singing his song." (Bhai Gurdas, Var 1-pauri 23,27) Heaven at last heard the cries and prayers of the oppressed and there appeared the Savior of Humanity, Prophet of Peace, Fountain of Heavenly Love and Ocean of Virtue in the name of GURU NANAK, the founder of Sikh religion.

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh bhai rama singh jee talks about this gurdwara in his book "in search of the true guru"...following is pasted from my summary of the book that i have been posting at sikhsangat

http://jatt.com/sikhism/strong.sikhs.asp Sikhs are Strong Today I was driving to work when I noticed two people in the car next to me laughing at me. It reminded me of my school days when that used to be a normal phenomenon. I kind of flashed back to those days when, if I heard any laughter behind me it was usually at me, if I heard any whispers it was usually about me. At that time I used to think, why me? But now I realize why. Its easy to be like everyone else, easy to fit in, easy to make friends easy to get along, be cool be popular, but what does that accomplish? Absolutely nothing. But being different , it has made me a stronger person, a more sensitive person , a person more aware of my surroundings. Sikhs are different, keeping hair , turban and beards the go around, being proud of who they are. Guru Gobind Singh had a plan... to make a individual strong yet sensitive to human nature. Sometimes when I see young Sikhs with there patkas, in a foreign land keeping there heritage alive, I automatically know they are strong. Many times parents who lived in India do not know the difficulties faced by these young Sikhs. Every day is a challenge for them, every day a new problem a new joke, a new reason to ask why me? Through this the Sikhs have endured, they have high positions in many respectable fields. Many come to America, and give excuses on why they needed to cut there hair, or why they do cut it, but Real Sikhs give no excuses but answers, they survive threw tough times. The old saying 'when the going gets tough the tough get going' , the weak and unfit people get filtered out in this process. Only those who come out at the end of the tunnel are called true Sikhs, and even with the pressures of society and prejudice that do exist they come out as winners, and as role models for us to follow. Name any situation and I will find a Sikh who has endured, with strength and pride in his/her heritage. And on April 13, we will celebrate the birth of the khalsa, who is a khalsa? Someone who has stood by the Guru and in turn the guru has stood by him in times that he/she only had faith nothing else to rely on. When times are bad and faith is still high the Guru comes in ways we will never understand to give us strength to go on and succeed. Let us celebrate this Vasaikhi, and remember those Sikhs who gave there lives, not just died, but also endured much pressure so we could stand tall today and be proud of who we are and what we represent.

http://www.truthisone.org/docs/majorpaths/...ourrealself.htm The Sri Guru Granth Sahib states that: "WAHE GURU IS YOUR REAL SELF" Just as the sun is the real self of all sunlight and the ocean is the real self of all waves, Wahe Guru alone as the substratum of the whole Cosmos is your real Self and the one real Self of ALL forms of existence, there is nothing anywhere that Wahe Guru is not (Wahe Guru is also labeled as Paramatama, God, Khuda, Christ, Buddha-nature, Tao, Ein-Sof, Jehovah, Brahman, etc, etc - the real Self of all). That which out of ignorance is perceived as the universe or Cosmos is in reality nothing but the Self-experiencing and Self-expression of the one Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself. On this supreme reality the Sri Guru Granth Sahib being the true Guru and final authority for all Sikhs reveals: He who recognizes God within himself and is pierced through with his name is satisfied. When man understands his own self through the Guru, what more is left for him to do or to get done? * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - Sri Guru Granth Sahib Pg. 60 He who recognizes his own self (the divine substance of which he has been created) comprehends Him. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Page 25. Within thee abides God. Do thou attain to peace by serving the Guru. * SGGS Pg. 33 From the absolute viewpoint and in the highest reality - what appears as all the endless diversity throughout the infinite Cosmos is again truly nothing but the spontaneous Self-experience and Self-expression of the one Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself (known in the East as Raab Di Leela - God's Play). It is He Wahe Guru (also labeled by differing cultures merely due to language differences as Paramatama, God, your real Self, Allah, Khuda, Christ-consciousness, Buddha-nature, Tao, Ein-sof, Brahman, the Infinite etc, etc) who is shining as the sun and the stars. He is the mother earth, and the stars and all the galaxies. He is the ocean and He is the gentle air that we breathe in. He Himself is your body and mind and the force at work within. He is the speech that is uttered and He is the sound and ear that hears. He is the musician singing and He is the audience listening. He is the stage upon which the musician sits and He is the light through which the audience can see the artist's face. He Himself is the cause of all religions that like the flow of all rivers - whether winding or straight - ultimately all find their rest in the one ocean that is He. He Himself is the cause, substance and real Self of the whole Cosmos. Everything lives within the one Wahe Guru and the one Wahe Guru lives within everything because Wahe Guru is everything. Here then are a few additional excerpts from the highest guru - the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Japji Sahib, Rahiras, Kirtan Sohila and Sri Raga with any related commentary in parenthesis) on the reality of Wahe Guru being your real Self residing within every atom of your being as the substratum yet unseen by divine design due to the limitations of our 5 senses of perception and the veiling curtain of the restless dualistic thoughts of the mind: - In this world, the Lord Himself is the life of the entire universe. * Sri Guru Ram Das Ji - Sri Guru Granth Sahib Pg. 41 In the universe, the union of sensitivities and stupefaction, wherever I see, I find God pervading there. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 21 Know thus O Nanak ! that the True One is all by Himself. That Pure One is all in all Himself. He is neither established nor created by any one. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 2 (Note: Just as an ocean whilst creating ever-changing forms of waves upon it's surface itself remains as it always was - with nothing added not taken away from it's whole, so Wahe Guru creates countless forms and dramas within Himself and yet remains completely unaffected). Nanak, the One Lord is pervading everywhere. There is no second whatsoever. * Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 57: 43-46 (Note: Here Guru Nanak Dev Ji states that apart from Wahe Guru merely appearing as all the diverse forms within the universe, nothing else exists - there is no second entity or reality). Beside God, there is no other second. On His Name alone, do thou meditate. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 46 Everything the Lord Himself is. There is no second (there is no other reality). When that Lord Himself causes us to speak, we speak just as He wants us to speak. * Guru Ram Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 39 Thou art the river, All-knowing and All-seeing. How can I, a fish find thy limit? Wherever I look, there Thou art. Getting out of Thee I burst and die. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 25 The One Lord is within thy home (body) and the One without. He Himself is found within all places. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 45 Thou art everywhere and in everything, I thought Thee distant. Whatever I do, that is in Thine presence. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 25 The One Lord is dwelling amongst all. He, the Unique One is pervading everywhere. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 27 Ye saints, see with the searching glance that God abides close by and is fully pervading everywhere. * Guru Amar Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 27 Make brotherhood with all the highest sect of yogic order and deem the conquering of self (one's real Self) the conquest of the world. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 6 God is Himself the Master and Himself the servant. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 10 (Note: Since Wahe Guru alone is within everything, He Himself is both Master of the universe and at the same time being within every atom in existence is the true experiencer through all the diverse forms He has created within Himself. This whole spectacle of the universe is nothing but His own Self-experience and Self-expression - phrased by many mystics as Raab Di Lila - God's Cosmic Play). Thou art the river, and all are within Thee. Beside Thee, there is none else. * SGGS Pg. 11 As seconds, minutes, hours, quarters of a day, lunar days, weekdays, months and several seasons spring from the lone sun, even so - many forms originate from the Creator, O Nanak ! * SGGS Pg. 12 & 13 (Note: Just as all the divisions of time originate from the movements of sun, so all the seemingly diverse forms of creation emerge from and appear within the one Wahe Guru alone). Thousands are Thine eyes, yet Thou hast no eye. Thousands are Thine forms, yet Thou hast not even one. Thousands art Thine pure feet, even then Thou hast not one foot. Thousands Thine noses and yet Thou art without a nose. I am bewitched by these plays of Thine. Amongst all there is a light and that light art Thou. By His (God's) light, the light shines within all souls. * SGGS Pg. 13 The True Lord is fully filling every heart. God Himself unites man in His union, and he then sees the True mansion close by (within everything and everyone). * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 20 He who perceives God's light within every heart comes to understand the essence of Guru's teaching. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 20 (Note: What the ignorant call the universe, the enlightened recognize to be nothing but the one God spontaneously experiencing and expressing Himself to Himself within Himself). Lord Himself is the Relisher. Himself the Relish and Himself the Enjoyer of the Relish. He Himself is the Bride and Himself the Couch and the Bridegroom. My Master is dyed with love and is fully pervading everywhere. He Himself is the Fisherman and the fish and He Himself is the water and the net. He Himself is the metal ball of the net and Himself the bait within. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 23 By separating, He separates not and is contained amongst all. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 46 (Note: Just as water in an ocean cannot be separated, but may appear to be so when appearing as a wave, even so the forms appearing within Wahe Guru are not separate from Wahe Guru). Pervading God ever sees, hears and is just near. He resides in every heart. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 47 I have seen with me the Lord for seeking whom I assumed this body. The Lord who filleth the water, earth and space beholdeth everyone with His grace. * Guru Arjan Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 48 Thou Thyself art the pure pearl and Thyself the devotee and intercessor. By the Word of the Guru, the Invisible One is praised and seen in every heart. Thou Thyself art the ocean ad the ship and Thyself this shore and the yonder one. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 54: (Note: This states that Wahe Guru being everything is Himself both the devotee and the Guru that saves the devotee leading him back to God). They who recognize their own self (Wahe Guru), find the Lord's Mansion in the good place of their home heart. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 56 By recognizing his own self (the real Self being Wahe Guru), man abides in his own home and his ego and desire depart. * Pg. 57 The Truest of the true is pervading everywhere. * Guru Nanak Dev Ji - SGGS Pg. 73 With thy sight behold in every heart, the Lord of the world-forest who is fully pervading the ocean and land. * Guru Ram Das Ji - SGGS Pg. 79 The foolish and ignorant man recognizes not the Creator who is within his self (Wahe Guru who is the substratum of all existence). Because of the love of duality, he instructs the world and himself understands not Divine Knowledge. * SGGS Pg. 86 Wahe Guru who is infinite consciousness and consciousness being one - can never be divided or separated although by His own power He may appear to be so, just as a movie with lots of diversity may appear on one screen. but when the movie is over - the unaffected screen alone remains as it always was, the screen is permanent, the projected movie is impermanent. And ultimately without the screen as the substratum, the movie could not be seen. Ultimately then from the absolute viewpoint - This universe is nothing but the spontaneous Self-expression and Self-experiencing of the infinite Wahe Guru to Himself within Himself (since He is all that exists) and in the East this is known as Raab Di Leela. This can also be summed up as simply as: - 1. Wahe Guru alone is real. 2. The universe is unreal. 3. Wahe Guru is the universe (i.e. To think of the universe as separate and distinct reality from Wahe Guru is a false idea arising only as a result of ignorance of the truth as stated again and again in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib). This truth should be contemplated again and again, from beginning to end so that although engaged in diverse activities, one is not bound if one's consciousness is saturated with this reality, because no truth can affect one until it passes the mind and enters the heart for the heart is the real source of our being. This truth can be stated a million different ways a million different times, but in conclusion it can be summed up as simply as - WAHE GURU (GOD) ALONE EXISTS WITHIN THE WHOLE COSMOS (AS THE SOURCE SUBSTANCE AT THE ATOMIC LEVEL) AND THE WHOLE INFINITE COSMOS APPEARS WITHIN THE BODY OF WAHE GURU because THE WHOLE COSMOS IS IN REALITY NOTHING BUT WAHE GURU HIMSELF WHO IS INFINITELY LARGER THAN AND BEYOND THE COSMOS

http://www.waheguru.org/ THE REAL TEACHING OF THE SIKH GURUS The real message of the Sikh Gurus is both very simple and extremely metaphysical. They state that awareness (consciousness) alone exists without a body, without any form, substance, time or space. They reveal that since there is no material substance or any space within awareness to create a genuinely physical world, it simply imagines (dreams) worlds upon worlds, upon worlds within itself for play (to experience and express itself). This play (dreaming) within awareness has always existed, and always will. The clue to the power of awareness (consciousness) to imagine with intense virtual reality (of physical solidity) lies within our own dreams at night. Each night within our own awareness, we imagine a world which seems to be outside and as physically solid as the one we wake up to. Upon waking we realize that world never existed outside, that it never existed anywhere other than as imagination within our own awareness. If we ask of what substance that world in our dream was made of, the answer is of no substance, it was simply imagined. And yet the objects in dreams at night are every bit as solid as the ones we wake up to. And such is the power of awareness (the infinite) which according to the Sikh gurus alone exists, and alone is the real Self of all. The Sikh gurus reveal what self realized mystics have been sharing for centuries, that the 3 states - the waking state (jagrat), dream state (svapam), and dreamless sleep state (susupati) are all imagined within the witnessing awareness (turiya - the 4th state) which alone is real. So the core goal of a Sikh (seeker of truth) is summed up by the Sikh gurus in the statement "Aapna mool pashaano" (realize your real Self). GURU NANAK DEV JI AWARENESS DREAMING The world is merely a dream (imagined). Raag Vadhans 581 Through the Guru's Teachings (in Gurbani), they come to understand and see that this world is just a dream. Siree Raag 63 THE 3 STATES (IMAGINED WITHIN AWARENESS) One who overcomes the three states (jagrat/waking, svapam/dreaming, susupati/dreamless sleep), dwells in the fourth state (turiya/awareness). Raag Bilaaval 839 Eradicating the three (imagined) states (waking, dreaming, dreamless sleep), dwell in the fourth state (turiya - awareness). This is the unparalleled devotional worship (awareness of awareness). Raag Raamkalee 908 AWARENESS (CONSCIOUSNESS, BEINGNESS, EXISTENCE) There is one awareness among all created beings. Siree Raag 24 In awareness (within the heart), there is Your Light (existence). Raag Prabhaatee 1327 He Himself is consciousness (awareness). Raag Raamkalee 940 SELF REALIZATION One who understands his own self (awareness within), realizes the Lord (awareness). 1024 Line:19 Let the realization that God (awareness) is within you be your discrimination (realization of the truth). 355 Line 7 THE HEART (AWARENESS) God (awareness) is not far away, He is in each and every heart (as awareness). 765 Line 6 GURU AMAR DAS JI THE 3 STATES (IMAGINED WITHIN AWARENESS) O mind, renounce the three states (jagrat - waking, svapam - dreaming, susupati - dreamless sleep), and focus your consciousness on the fourth state (turiya - awareness). Raag Sorath 603 Meeting the Guru (voice of truth), the bondage of the three states is cut away, and in the fourth state (awareness) the Door of Liberation (recognition of awareness) is attained. Siree Raag 33 SELF REALIZATION Whoever knows his own self (awareness), realizes God (awareness). 1051 Line:6 THE HEART (AWARENESS) The Divine Light (awareness) shines in their hearts, and like the sun which removes the darkness of night, it dispels the darkness of ignorance (non-recognition of awareness). 87 Line:18 GURU RAAM DAAS JI THE HEART (AWARENESS) The all pervading Lord (awareness) dwells (exists) within each and every person's heart (as the inner awareness), so how can He be obtained (since awareness alone is everything)? 82 Line 12 He (being your awareness, Beingness, existence) has no form or shape; He (awareness) is seen within each and every heart (as the inner witnessing awareness). 130 Line:1 O my beloved camel-like mind, search for (realize) the Lord (awareness) within your own heart (as awareness). 234 Line:7 GURU ARJAN DEV JI DREAMS WITHIN AWARENESS Know that the world is just a dream. Svaiyay Mehl 5 1387 This (the world) is a dream, but the sleeper (individual) does not know it. 740 Line:9 THE 3 STATES (IMAGINED WITHIN AWARENESS) The world is in the grip (delusion) of the three states (jagrat - waking, svapam - dreaming, susupati - dreamless sleep); only a few attain the fourth state of absorption (turiya - awareness of awareness). Raag Gauree 297 AWARENESS (CONSCIOUSNESS, BEINGNESS, EXISTENCE) He (the infinite) is consciousness (your inner awareness). Raag Gond. 863 SOLE EXISTENCE To one who has dispelled his own doubts; he realizes that everyone is God (consciousness). Pannaa: 610 Line:2 He (awareness) alone is in the mind; He alone is everywhere. Raag Gauree on Pannaa 178 THE HEART (AWARENESS) So realize that the Supreme Lord (awareness) is within each and every heart (as the inner awareness,).. 741 Line:11 GURU TEGH BAHADHUR JI AWARENESS DREAMING You must realize that this world is nothing more than a dream (within awareness). 1187 Line:3 THE HEART (AWARENESS) The Immaculate Lord (awareness) is within your heart (awareness), and yet you search for Him in the wilderness (the world). 632 Line:2 BHAGAT KABEER JI AWARENESS (CONSCIOUSNESS, BEINGNESS, EXISTENCE) When you are conscious in your consciousness (aware of your inner awareness), you shall be enlightened and illuminated. Raag Gauree 339 THE HEART (AWARENESS) Allah (awareness) is hidden in every heart; reflect upon this within your mind. 483 Line 8 O human being, search your own heart (inner awareness) every day, and do not wander around in confusion (non-recognition of your inner awareness). 727 Line:8

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh from what i have read many places, Mata Gujri left her praan after she was informed about the shaheedi of the chhote sahibjaade. Now it may not be a heart attack as modern doctors may wanna call it coz Mataji was the one who inspired them to go for it. i guess mahapurkhs have the power to leave their physical body whenever Akal Purkh wills so. sangat plzz comment waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/a...ed~in~Punjab’ ‘Female foeticide widely practised in Punjab’ Punjab seems to be heading for a catastrophe, thanks to the gross distortion in the sex ratio of its population. CHANDIGARH, UNI: Punjab, which has an abysmally low child sex ratio, is headed for catastrophe if it does not check female foeticide that is widely practised across the state, experts said. All 17 districts of Punjab are among the country's 35 districts with the lowest sex ratio with Fatehgarh Sahib recording a figure as low as 754. At a state-level workshop on the issue of female foeticide, organised by Delhi-based Population Foundation of India (PFI) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Thursday evening, representatives of various NGOs and government officials expressed the need to take immediate and stringent measures to control female foeticide in Punjab. In his presentation, state Census Operations Director Inderjit Singh pointed out that ten out of 17 districts in Punjab recorded a child sex ratio of below 800 girls to 1000 boys. He said the gross distortion in the ratio has created an explosive situation which was likely to have catastrophic consequences in times to come. These districts are Fatehgarh Sahib (754), Patiala (770), Kapurthala (775), Gurdaspur (775), Mansa (779), Bathinda (779), Amritsar (783), Sangrur (784), Ropar (791) and Jalandhar (797). According to Ms Reena Singh of the Population Research Centre, a Chandigarh-based organisation, the domination of males and low status of women were the two important factors that led to the preference for the male child. Social practices like dowry, neglect of girl child and atrocities on women should be curbed first, she said. Dr Deepak Grover, also from the Population Research Centre, said there was a need to empower women, especially in rural areas. He said foeticide should be considered a crime equivalent to murder and people indulging in this crime be severely punished. The PNDT (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technology) Act, he pointed out, was not serving its purpose as people hardly came forward with complaints against those who practise foeticide. A violation of provisions of the Act can fetch imprisonment upto three years. There was a need to change the mindset of the people through the media, he added. Dr I Goyal, Director of the State Health and Family Welfare department, said the government had taken several steps to propagate the message against female foeticide through ad campaigns and documentaries and was also organising several workshops on girl child activities. Population Foundation of India executive director A R Nanda emphasised the need for advocacy on the issue of female foeticide and commitment to the cause.

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh according to my limited understanding, what Gurujee is saying here is that just by not eating meat one cannot attain God. That definitely is not a YES to eating meat. bhul chukk maaf waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh

As Guru Nanak Dev Jee says in Japji Sahib to stay in hukam of Akal Purkh, i guess that could be the point of life. Just leave it all upto WAHEGURU and enjoy staying in His bhana. my zero cent

i have read 2 books by osho (not actually completely) entitled The True Name volumes 1 and 2 where he discusses Japji Sahib (these books showed me the path of Sikhi some 10 years ago). He talks about the martyrdom of Jesus Christ also. He says that when Jesus asks "God why have you forsaken me?" is when his faith shook. And after he was nailed to the cross, at one point he bowed his head down and said "Thy Will be done". osho says that that is when he was transformed from Jesus to Christ, and hence his name Jesus Christ. All along he was Jesus, but he became Christ only after he submitted to God's will while nailed to the cross. Hope i was able to bring that out and made sense.

AMAZING AMAZING SIMPLY AMAZING !!!!!

lagda miyaan jee bhajj gaye lets inform him about the next Amrit Sanchar in his country

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh here is what Gurbani says about Waheguru : the ONE INFINITE SUPREME FORMLESS GOD 1. There is, But One God. (Guru I, Japji) 2. Contemplate the True One that was in the beginning, The True One that was ere the world began, The True One that exists even now, The True One that shall exist in the future also. (Guru I, Japji) 3. I worship the One God, I remember the One God, And I make supplication to the One God alone. (Guru V, Jaitsri Rag) 4. O God, Thou art One, Thou art Merciful, Infinite. (Guru V, Jaitsri Rag) 5. My Mother, I do not know anybody other than God. (Kabirji, Gauri Rag) 6. There is only One Giver, And He is my only Friend. (Guru III, Gauri Rag) 7. Have faith in One, O man! Give up faith in others. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 8. I have no concern with any Devata, Whenever I pray, I pray to God alone. (Kabirji, Bhairo Rag) 9. The tongue may be burnt, That repeats the name of one other than God. (Guru III, GujriRag) 10. All creatures have One Protector. (Guru I, Sri Rag) 11. Says Kabir at the top of his voice: There is but One and the Same God, Both for the Hindus and the Muslims. (Kabirji, Asa Rag) 12. By whose favour you enjoy the pleasures and comforts of life, Nanak, he alone is worthy of being remembered ever and anon. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 13. There is but One Giver, And no one else. (Guru V, SriRag) 14. I do not recognize anybody else, I always sing Thy glory. (Guru I, Bilawal Rag) 15. He who wanders about after Devatas, Shall go empty-handed. (Guru V, Asa Rag) 16. Nanak, the worship of the True One is real; Whosoever takes birth and passes away is unstable and transient. (Guru I, Asa Rag) 17. Serve the True One, And praise the True One. (Guru III, Majh Rag) 18. There are six Shastras, Their authors are six with six different teachings; The Guru of the Gurus is One and the Same, Although His garbs are many. (Guru I, Asa Rag) 19. God is my hope and mainstay; God is my friend and I depend only upon Him. (Guru V, Asa Rag) 20. Nanak, dwell thou on the Nam of One, For, He alone is the Support of all. (Guru III, Sri Rag) 21. Call on God, the One, the Formless, Through the Grace of the Guru. (Guru III, Sri Rag) 22. My True Guru lives for ever, He does not take birth. Nor death can take Him away, He is Immortal Being, And He is All-pervading. (Guru III, Suhi Rag) 23. O my mind, contemplate thou the Fear-free Lord, Who is and was and shall ever be, Who is without enmity, the Being beyond time, Not-incarnated and Self-existent; The Formless one, above wants, Meditate upon Him alone. (Guru IV, Asa Rag) 24. The Supreme Lord is unperceivable, Say, how is one to attain Him? He has neither from nor feature and is unseen. Then how is He to be dwelt upon? He is Formless, Immaculate and unknowable, Then what attribute of Him shall one sing? (Guru IV, Sorath Rag) 25. O Thou the Person on High, The Purest of the pure, Infinite and Unfathomable, O Thou the Creator, All worship Thee, all bow to Thee. (Guru IV, Asa Rag) 26. I cherish the Timeless Being, And meditate on Him alone, Night and day. (Guru V, Maru Rag) 27. Look for the support of One God alone; Forsake the expectation of help from any other; And dwell on Nam, O Nanek, That your object may be achieved. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 28. Give up cleverness, O good man, Remember and ever remember God, the Lord, Nanak, trust in the One God alone, That thy suffering, fear and doubts may be dispelled. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 29. Meditate upon One God alone, And the One alone do glorify; Remember ever remember, O man, the One, And Him alone do ever in your heart enshrine, Sing, yea, sing the praises of the One, The praises that can have no end. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 30. With all your heart and soul contemplate upon the One Lord alone, The One, the Alll-in-All, Perfect and Supreme One, He pervadeth all, yea, full and brimming by Himself, Many an emanation from this One have over- flowed; Remember Him, the Holy One, O man. All your sins shall vanish, When imbued with the love of the One, within and without; By the Grace of the Guru, the Blessed One is found. (Guru V, Gauri Rag) 31. They say: Brahma is the one who creates, Bishnu the other that sustains, And Shiva, they say, is the destroyer, That controls and sits on judgement. But no, in reality it is One God, Who directs the world according to His Will, And no other. (Guru I, Japji) 32. All hail unto Him, All hail unto Him, Who is the Primal Being, Immaculate. Without beginning and ever Changeless, And is the same from age to age. (Guru I, Japji) guess what Sikhi is monotheistic

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh please do not give examples from christianity or mormonism. i m questioning islam over here. care to answer that first. i m not begging an answer...i want an answer if u have one...if u dont, its perfectly dignified to admit so and move on. i am not proving anything...i m just putting u questions which u have not answered. i m sure both Sikhs and Muslims regard jesus christ as a great messenger of God. There are some christians who actually think he was God, but both Sikhs and Muslims deny it to be so. Sikhs believe Waheguru to be Ajooni, meaning never born. So since we both do not believe it to be the case, this example is not applicable. Again u are quoting something we both don't believe in. Why even bother to go there? i have been in the Bible belt of the USA for 5 n half years. These mormons came to my place and talked to me for an hour and a half. Their biggest problem is that they will go on and on about their beliefs and not once ask u what u believe in. They cannot debate and so avoid questions, rather go on talking. Have u met mormons in real life? you are more than welcome to find flaws in my post, but make sure they are "flaws". so i repeat 1) The Quran was revealed to Mohammad Sahib by an angel called Gabriel (jibraaeel). Sri Guru Granth Sahib came directly from WAHEGURU to our Gurus. No middle man. Gurus were in direct communion with WAHEGURU. (2) Quran was not written by Mohammad Sahib. i don't know if it was written after him or during his lifetime, but it was not written by him. I think it was a person referred to as Huzoor Usman. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was written by Gurus themselves, in their lifetimes. Not after them by someone else. and please care to comment on 3 and 4 as well (3) Mohammad Sahib was not educated, as he could not read/write. Guru Gobind Singh was a scholar of 7 languages, including arabic (sanskrit, gurmukhi, brajbhasha, devanagri, persian, turkish, arabic). Actually some say it was 14 to 16 languages. (4) non-muslims are called kafirs, and considered evil. Sikhi loves and respects all irrespective of any manmade differences. and by the way, have u checked out http://www.whyichosesikhism.com yet

and how about answering my questions ? or u got no answers?

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh 1st of all, if u are here to learn, then u are welcome 2ndly, try researching here: http://www.allaboutsikhs.com or http://whyichosesikhism.com My simple question to u is that if islam is the complete truth, why was Sikhi there? Why God sent Guru Nanak Dev Jee? here is what i gotta say (1) The Quran was revealed to Mohammad Sahib by an angel called Gabriel (jibraaeel). Sri Guru Granth Sahib came directly from WAHEGURU to our Gurus. No middle man. Gurus were in direct communion with WAHEGURU. (2) Quran was not written by Mohammad Sahib. i don't know if it was written after him or during his lifetime, but it was not written by him. I think it was a person referred to as Huzoor Usman. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was written by Gurus themselves, in their lifetimes. Not after them by someone else. (3) Mohammad Sahib was not educated, as he could not read/write. Guru Gobind Singh was a scholar of 7 languages, including arabic (sanskrit, gurmukhi, brajbhasha, devanagri, persian, turkish, arabic). (4) non-muslims are called kafirs, and considered evil. Sikhi loves and respects all irrespective of any manmade differences. mr tawheed, i was myself gonna convert to islam at the age of 15. with all due respect to your religion, i m happy and thankful that i did not. in your definition i m destined for hell, but if hell is what my SatGuru jee wants for me, then i can't change it. i am born to hindu parents and was raised 18 years in the middle east. i know both Hinduism and Islam inside out. After september 11 we saw tons of muslims talking about how Islam was a religion of peace. i kept silent and smiled coz i knew exactly what was in their mind as they said that. No Sikh can ever forget how 2 of our Gurus and 2 little sons of Guru Gobind Singh were martyred, not to forget thousands others, all in the name of religion. Which religion? u know what i m talking about and ya, the pakistani dude who tried to convert me was right about one thing. He said "u will find the truth one day"...guess what, WaheGuru blessed me with Sikhi...so in a way i found it, but i wanna say that He blessed me with it. Once again, u are MORE than welcome to join the Khalsa, were u will be told to love all, no matter who they are and what religion (no matter how "bad") they follow. To respect women as equal and not look on them as slaves. To follow a religion out of love for God rather than fear. To inspire others to recite His Name rather than forcing your beliefs down their throat. And you will be more than fortunate to be called a Sikh of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who unlike anyone ever born before or after Him, sacrificed His life for a totally different religion of Hinduism. And yes mr tawheed, then u will say that u were blessed. good luck

Mod's Note: Please leave your humor aside. He is not here to accept khalsa way of life. Lets respect each other dharma's Malang's note : Please do not edit my posts if they are not senseless. We have as much right to invite him as much as he has to do the same.

taken from http://www.sikh-history.com Bhai Haqiqat Rai was born at Sialkot in 1724 A.D. His father was Bhai Bhag Mall Khatri. His maternal grandparents were Sikhs and he was married at a young age to Durgi the daughter of Sardar Kishan Singh. Bhai Haqiqat Rai became a Sikh early in his life due to influence of his mother. During Mughal rule, children used to go to mosques to study Persian from Maulvis (Muslim priests). Bhai Haqiqat Rai was also learning Persian from a maulvi. He was the only Hindu while all his other class-mates were Muslims. One day, the maulvi had gone out. Bhai Haqiqat Rai-had a quarrel with a boy. In order to tease Bhai Haqiqat Rai, he called bad names to mother goddess. In anger, Bhai Haqiqat Rai called name to Bibi Fatima in retaliation. When the Muslim boys heard him calling name, all of them gave him a sound thrashing. He returned home weeping. In the evening, the Muslim boys got together, went to the maulvi and said, "Today, when we said to Haqiqat Rai that their gods and goddesses are made of clay and all are false, he said Bibi Fatima to be false and called her names." The maulvi said, "Did that infidel call Bibi Fatima names ?" The boys exaggerated the event and said, "When we said to him that we would complain to the maulvi, he replied that he was not afraid of him. His maternal uncles and inlaws are Sikhs. He will get the maulvi eliminated through them." The maulvi was greatly enraged on hearing this. He said to the boys, "Call that infidel and bring him to me." At the message from the boys, Bhai Haqiqat Rai and his father went to the maulvi. As soon as they arrived, the maulvi caught hold of Bhai Haqiqat Rai and started beating him The maulvi beat him to unconsciousness but his anger did not subside. He arrested Bhai Haqiqat Rai and sent him to Amir Beg, the administrator of Sialkot. The next day the qazi said to Bhai Haqiqat Rai in the court, "You have hurt the feelings of believers by calling names to Bibi Fatima for which you should be given severe punishment. For this sin you can be burnt alive after pouring oil on you. you can be torn apart alive from dogs. But your sin may be pardoned if you embrace Islam." Bhai Haqiqat Rai refused to become a Muslim. By order of Amir Beg, Bhai Haqiqat Rai was hanged feet up from a tree and beaten but he did not agree to embrace Islam. Amir Beg sent Bhai Haqiqat Rai to Zakria Khan, the Governor of Lahore. Mother Goran said to Bhai Haqiqat Rai, "Son ! No doubt I shall lose a son by your death but if you give up your faith I shall be called the mother of a deserter and faithless son. I pray to God to bestow on you the will to keep your faith even if you have to sacrifice your life." When Bhai Haqiqat Rai did not agree to embrace Islam even after further torture, he was martyred by the orders of the Governor in January, 1735 A.D.