SunnySingh

Bro, the real problem is not using a particular language to explain what the Bani wants to tell us, rather not understanding it correctly. In that sense, one maybe "somebody" in any particular languages, that does not guarantee the understanding. Moreover, this SA is basically an English forum, so to an extent English is used to communicate with each other, no language should be excluded or discarded as long as it takes us nearer to the real meaning. The differences you have noticed in the several writers, is not because of they are well versed in the language they have done the translations, but, because have yet to mature spiritually to understand and convey the message given by Guru Jee. So Bro, the language is not to be blamed, it is their lacking of being near some Mahapurukh or a Saintly person to understand the true value of Bani. Just see, how many among our "kaum" are well versed in Gurmukhi and punjabi, and repeat or recite the Bani fluently, but, have they ever stopped to understand what the Bani is telling us to do? Myself, I was like that.... for many years that happened with me also, but, by His kirpa, slowly and slowly started to see to an extent the real meaning of what the Bani is telling us. It takes many years to see the real meaning from a different perspective, and for that one has to mature spiritually, one has to have love or hunger for the Bani. One such mahapurkh which influenced me a lot was Sant Maskeen Jee, by listening to almost all of his "kathaas". I used to record them on CDs and then listen them quietly in my room in my spare time, and I was amazed by how his explanations of the Bani were so inspiring, and something inside told me he was quite correct. By continuously listening to real mahapurkhs, slowly and slowly, one´s mind gets dyed with their higher level of seeing things, and by His kirpa also, one´s mind starts moving in the right direction.

Let,s see your quote as per Bani: ਸੋ ਦਰੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਕੇਹਾ ਸੋ ਘਰੁ ਕੇਹਾ ਜਿਤੁ ਬਹਿ ਸਰਬ ਸਮਾਲੇ ॥ So Dhar Thaeraa Kaehaa So Ghar Kaehaa Jith Behi Sarab Samaalae || सो दरु तेरा केहा सो घरु केहा जितु बहि सरब समाले ॥ Where is That Door of Yours, and where is That Home, from where You take care of all? From my point of view, if we carefully pay attention to the verse presented by you, it is asking Him, about His place of residence, His Home and the path or door to enter for the sole purpose of being leaded to Him. Well, we all know He, Akal Purukh, Nirankar, is in Sach Khand at all times. The door leading to Him, the door(not physical but spiritual) is the one located between our 2 eyes in the forehead. By Simran, we enter through it. Then from there on, we board on the plane/ jahaaz of Nam alone, to reach our Nijh Ghar. And finally by reaching there the true Home of our Father, we ( all those wadbhagee jeevas who abide by the words of Guru Jee of doing the right bhakti of Nam Simran) get all His care and love there.

A1) First of all, Ardas, is a prayer to God. And the main purpose of Ardas is for seeking Divine grace, not just for oneself but for all. It is also for thanking God for the heritage that makes the Sikh proud and yet humble. Ardas as such, is thus not for asking things from the Almighty Lord, for asking for any other things from the Lord but not the Lord Himself alone, could be a very big mistake from man´s side. As seen in the following verse of Fifth Patshahee ਵਿਣੁ ਤੁਧੁ ਹੋਰੁ ਜਿ ਮੰਗਣਾ ਸਿਰਿ ਦੁਖਾ ਕੈ ਦੁਖ ॥ Vin Thudhh Hor J Manganaa Sir Dhukhaa Kai Dhukh || To ask for any other than You, Lord, is the most miserable of miseries. Why does Guru Jee advises to ask the Lord only from the Lord? The answer is, all things in our lives are got by our karam or the law of karma, and the law of karma is also an aspect of His Hukum or call it Will, which can not be modified or altered. People ignorantly and foolishly believe, that by pledging, crying, complaining, or shouting at Him, we can make Him change His Hukum for our benefit. Many a times we take Him as a corrupt politician, by thinking if I please Him by doing this or that so many times, or giving Him some presents, or eatbles, flowers, walking so many miles/kilometers in a particular direction, or whatsoever one may think..... then, He may change His mind and let my will be done, not HIS..... Is that not being a big fat fool? All karmas are consequences of our very own past karmas. For example, if one has sown chllies, but when time comes to reap the fruit, one says no, I do not want chillies but mangoes. Can that be possible? No amount of prayers, can change the fruits of the seeds already planted; and if such is the case at our physical level, how come we can expect to think, that by doing so and so, I will avoid so and so karmas.... and I will make the Creator change His laws as per my wishes.... in truth human ignorance and insanity has no limits. On the other side, those who really know Him and know themselves, such as Gurmukhs, Guru Sahiban, Bhagat Jan, Sant Jan ....whenever they come at our level, teach us to learn to live in His will, His Hukum or Bhaana ... Satguru Fifth Pathshahee said: Tera Bhaana meetha laagay. Let us be frank, did He not know what was going to happen(suffering/tortures) to Him even before even coming at our level as a human being? The answer is, yes He did know. Then, even if by knowing all that was going to happen with Him, had He not the powers to change the course of those events? The answer is, yes He did have all the powers of Waheguru. Yet He did nothing. Why? Because He wanted to show us fools, that in spite of Himself being the Creator of everything, He respects His established laws. He does not break the rules(Hukum), created by Him. He is not corrupted, nor greedy, neither can anybody ever bribe Him in any way. So, we may ask, should we not ask Him for help in times of pain and distress? The answer is yes, we may ask, but knowing everything happens by His unbreakable and unchangeable Hukum, all we can ask for is, to give us inner strength, to attach us with His Name, in order to face and overcome those moments, for we humans are truly fragile and spiritually very weak. But in spite of our ignorance and weakness, if we turn our faces towards Him, we shall get His Light in those our turbulent and dark moments, though I am quite conscious, that this is all easily said rather than done, but no matter, we have to make ourselves strong, by strongly holding only His Name at all times. But all this does not happen just suddenly. Just as we learn to swim when needed, not that suddenly we are thrown into a river, and then try to swim. Similarly, we have to attach ourselves to His Name so much, by so much constant repetition, that we are so deeply absorbed in Him, that come whatever it may in our way, that we will not notice it or feel it. It is like being above the clouds, so when there are rainfalls, we shall not get wet not drown by floods.... Everything is training, nothing is by chance, so is our devotion towards Him also .... practice....practice and more practice .... the practice of the repetition without cease of His holy Name (Waheguru/Satnam). A2) If Ardas done in the right manner as seen above, it will help us to stay happy at times in His will, there will be no complaints, but just acceptance, for now we know that all that happens is for a cause, not by chance, nor it is wrong... First the destiny was made, then accordingly , we came into the bodies. Well brother, regarding your questions in the post above, these are my 2 humble cents as answers to them.

THE BODY IS LIKE A DREAM, WHEN THE BODY ITSELF IS UNREAL, THEN ALL THINGS OF THIS WORLD ARE UNREAL NAM ALONE IS TRUE HOLD FAST TO IT.

Respect the "No" Once, a Bird searched for a Home to lay her Eggs and Shelter in the Rainy Season. In her Search, She saw Two Trees, and She went to ask for Protection. When She asked the First Tree, It refused to give her Shelter. With Disappointment, She went to the Second Tree. And the Second Tree agreed. She made her Home and laid her Eggs, and then the Rainy Season arrived. The Rain was so heavy that the first Tree fell and was carried away by the Flood. The Bird saw this and, in a taunting way, said: ”See, this is your Karma, you didn’t offer me Shelter, and now God has given you the Punishment.” The Tree smiled for the last time and said : ”I knew I’m not going to survive this Rainy Season. That’s why I refused you. I didn’t want to risk your and your Children’s lives.“ The Bird had tears as She now knew Why She and the Kids were alive ! Moral : 1. We should not always consider someone’s "NO"as their Arrogance 2. You don’t know the whole picture. 3. Respect others' Decision whether it is in your favor or not. 4. We get so involved in our Problems that we forget to view the other person’s point. 5. Without even trying to understand the Motive,we make our Judgments. 6. We should Never Judge others by their “No” because we don’t know their Story. 7. You don’t know what good is hidden for you behind it. Always Respect the "NO." Pause, and think about it deeply before you pass any Judgments about it in your Mind.

So young Bro and so much wanting to know the Truth..... Very good, I appreciate and value your quest, this is the fuel to move forward in spirituality just as in any other field, but in spirituality, it is much more of His pull from within rather than a person´s wanting. Keep it up bro. Ok, so now going to your 2 questions above: Q1) how to get gurprasad ? A1) The thing is, while going through the Bani, people make pauses where they shouldn´t, for that modifies completely what Guru Sahiban wanted to convey us. It should be, Gurparasd Jap, continously, and not Gurparsad then in the next line Jap.. Guru Sahiban, start the Bani by describing the true nature of the Creator and sustainer of His creation, then, after describing Him, say: Gurparsad Jap, which means that He the absolute Lord Waheguru Akal Purukh, can be realized by using the grace showered upon us of Guru Sahiban, and so, what is that Grace? That bountiful and eternal Grace is, that They have revealed us that eternal and changeless Truth which is Nam or Shabad (Waheguru/Satnam), the true form of Waheguru; and just see the utmost beauty in these simple 2 words Gurparsad Jap, which means He is realized by the doing the jaap of that Truth, which they have graciously revealed us : Satnam. Because they come from that level of Highest Consciousness, where Satnam is sole eternal reality, so that is what they stress upon us to hold on tightly, if only we want to reach Him within us, not otherwise. That is the summary of Gurmat, that is their reason or purpsoe of coming at our human level, to share with us in our own understandable terms and limitations, to kindle the love and yearning in our hearts, for Him, our beloved Waheguru Akal Purukh. Had Guru Sahiban and Bhagat Jan of highest order not come at our human level, we could never ever even though about Him, just as like the rest of the creation lost in delusion, after devis, devtays, Avtars, trinities, prophets, adoration of lifeless and inert pictures, figures, etc, etc and etc ... a big whole lot of ignorance and manmat.... See, at each step in the Bani, Guru Sahiban only stress on the that unchangeable Truth: Nam/Shabad/Naad, Sachee Bani/Anhad Bani, Dhur kee Bani.... to the extent, that Guru Jee warn us to do that what is productive and fruitful: Eko Nam Hukum hae Nanak Satgur dhee bujhae jeeo. We may ask, why have Guru Sahiban stressed so much on Nam or Shabad? Because it is the only changeless Truth since Aad Jugaad, and if we can hold on to it, it will take us there from where it is constantly coming and going continously. Our body is like an airport, and Nam is the vessel while the Shabad Guru is the pilot of that craft or vessel, in which whosoever boards on, reaches back at Nijh Ghar. Nanak Nam jahaaaz hae jinee chareeya se utareeya paar That is why Guru Jee says: Bin Satgur kinaay na paaya ..... Bin Satgur kinnay na paayo. The whole of the Bani is nothing but aparampaar mahima of Waheguru Akal Purukh and His real eternal formless form: Nam/Shabad. Q2) in anand sahib we read " ghar taa tere sabh kich hai jiiss deva soo pava ".if you could explain it A2) Well brother, again you have asked a very important and meaningful question. ਘਰਿ ਤ ਤੇਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਸੁ ਪਾਵਏ ॥ Ghar Th Thaerai Sabh Kishh Hai Jis Dhaehi S Paaveae || घरि त तेरै सभु किछु है जिसु देहि सु पावए ॥ Everything is in Your home; they receive, unto whom You give. So now, what does Guru Sahiban mean with this assertion? What is that everything is in Your Home? Do they refer to material gains, possesions, wealth, jewellery, mansions, paradises, gold, silver, diamonds .... and an infinite etc....... Nope, they do not refer to all these mayavee and perishable things .... It is to Nam and Shabad to what they refer, for as the Bani says: Sach Khand vaseh Nirankar. And the verse mentioned by you means: Nam is all what You have, and to those You choose to come back to You, You make them meditate on Nam only as per Gurmat, the devotion liked the most by You. The rest of the world, may read the Bani and see the Truth contained in it, but will remain on the surface like parrots, and will thus prefer many other things to do and stay engaged into them as per terms of devotion in eyes of the world. This is the real meaning of the versed asked b you, I know many will not like what I am writing, but not because of somebody´s liking or not, I am going to not be faithful and respectful to the Bani. I will not, and never ever blame anyone, for to reach Him, is only by His hukum, not by any man´s will . Man wants and creates diversity/variety , thus they remain in delusion, and keep on rolling in the wheel of 84, but He, will give us the devotion of Nam (is not a word, or a name, in any language or dharam, rather it is a Creative power of the Highest order), for that is all that He has, and because that is what will free us from all our sins, sanskaras, mun , maya and vikaars, to ultimately take us towards Him. SSA.

Can mantras be chanted silently? By Devala Rees Generally speaking, mantras can and should be chanted silently, if and when you are able to keep the mind’s attention on the mantra. Mantras function mainly in the mind. The sounds of the mantra should the object of your attention - ideally the “inner sound” chanted internally. When you vocalize the mantra and chant it out loud, the sound may help you to attune yourself to the pronunciation of the mantra and the vibration of its energy, and to calm your mind. The Vedas refer to this as Vaikhari Japa. It is helpful when you are distracted; if your awareness slips off the mantra, pronounce it out loud to allow you to come back to the energy of the sounds. The physical sound of the mantra becomes the focus of your attention. This is said to be a good way to begin chanting most mantras, since a beginner’s mind is easily distracted. When the mantra is whispered or hummed quietly enough to not be heard by others, this is known as Upamsu Japa. This method requires a deeper level of awareness, and is many times more powerful than Vaikhari. Now you may further experience the effects of the sound vibrations in your body, your breathing, and the feeling of the mantra in your mouth, lips, and tongue. When you “chant” the mantra silently, in a purely mental way, it is called Manasika Japa. This form of repetition requires a great level of attention to keep the mind pointed on the mantra. It is many times more effective than Upamsu Japa. However, this is a generalization across mantras overall. For specifics, one must refer to the specific instructions that go along with a certain mantra. It’s ideal to receive a mantra from a Guru, who will also give you directions on how to use it. For example, my Guru initiated me with a Tantrik Krishna Mantra. She taught me to recite it mentally, not out loud, though I do sometimes like to sort of mouth it with the internal shape of my mouth, without actually parting my lips; I find that it helps my mind articulate the mantra precisely. But my Guru also sometimes has me and other disciples chant certain other mantras loudly, especially in group Sadhana, where we want to hear and feel each other’s energy all joined together in prayer and worship. Similarly in Pujas or Yagnyas, most of the mantras are chanted aloud, and participants are sometimes encouraged to join in, also out loud. For example the Panditji of my local Mandir often tells us to chant certain mantras along with him, and frequently tells us “Louder! Louder!” He taught me that for that kind of chanting, if you’re not striking deep in your diaphragm with a resonant voice then you’re not doing the mantras properly. So it depends on the application as well as the specific mantras. Follow the instructions you receive from qualified teachers.

Loving and Amazing World By Richard Strachan. “Drink water from the spring where horses drink. The horse will never drink bad water. Lay your bed where the cat sleeps. Eat the fruit that has been touched by a worm. Boldly pick the mushroom on which the insects sit. Plant the tree where the mole digs. Build your house where the snake sits to warm itself. Dig your fountain where the birds hide from the heat. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time with the birds – you will reap all of the days' golden grains. Eat more green – you will have strong legs and a resistant heart, like the beings of the forest. Swim often and you will feel on earth like the fish in the water. Look at the sky as often as possible and your thoughts will become light and clear. Be quiet a lot, speak little – and silence will come in your heart, and your spirit will be calm and full of peace.” Saint Seraphim of Sarov Nature is talking to you, are you listening?

If there is a family of swimmers who have been swimming for consecutive generations, is it possible that over time future generations could evolve to have adaptive characteristics to swim like aquatic animals? Meet the Bajau people in South East Asia. Also known as the “Sea Nomads” these people have been living semi-aquatic lives for thousands of years. Almost their entire lives revolve around the ocean. These people are constantly diving and thus holding their breath. This has lead to several evolutionary novelties in these people which are adaptation for diving in the ocean. An increased spleen size due to genetic mutations in PDE10A in these people acts as an oxygen reservoir so they can hold their breath longer. Mutations in the gene BDKRB2 also increases peripheral vasoconstriction helping the body preferentially oxygenate important parts of the body like the brain while diving. Mutations in the gene FAM178B (which might have evolved via adaptive introgression from Denisovan interbreeding) help maintain regular pH in the bloodstream to prevent carbon accumulation during diving, variants of PDE10A help regulation of smooth muscle contraction including ones near the spleen, and variants of CACNA1A are involved in the regulation of the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and the response to hypoxic conditions. Essentially this group of people has evolved to become extremely resistant to hypoxia because of selection pressures from regularly diving. So yes, it is very possible for a lineage of human exposed to aquatic environments to develop adaptations for swimming. Not just possible because as you can see here it is happening before our very eyes. Because humans still evolve, we never stopped. Though not likely a single family of diving people led to it, because inbreeding tends to lead to extinction.

SSA Harmeet Bro, Welcome. I suggest you to ask your questions here on the forum openly, for there is no shame in asking, nor there is anything to hide by asking questions about Gurbani or spirituality; in this way, you may get a wide range of answers from the sangat here who will gladly answer your queries. By the email way, I think only some fewer may contact you. So come on Bro, please feel comfortable ask freely.

“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.” ― Albert Einstein

Purifying oil for reuse. How to purify oil for reuse.mp4

What does a healthy, balanced diet look like? Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating a variety of healthy foods each day. This includes eating plant-based foods more often and choosing highly-processed or ultra-processed foods less often. A healthy diet includes: 1. Eating lots of vegetables and fruit This is one of the most important diet habits. Vegetables and fruit are packed with nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre) and help you maintain a healthy weight by keeping you full longer. Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal and snack. 2. Choosing whole grain foods Whole grain foods include whole grain bread and crackers, brown or wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal and hulled barley. They are prepared using the entire grain. Whole grain foods have fibre, protein and B vitamins to help you stay healthy and full longer. Choose whole grain options instead of processed or refined grains like white bread and pasta. Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grain foods. 3. Eating protein foods Protein foods include legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, fortified soy beverage, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean red meats including wild game, lower fat milk, lower fat yogurts, lower fat kefir and cheeses lower in fat and sodium. Protein helps build and maintain bones, muscles and skin. Eat protein every day. Try to eat at least two servings of fish each week, and choose plant-based foods more often. Dairy products are a great source of protein. Choose lower fat, unflavoured options. Fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods. 4. Limiting highly and ultra-processed foods Highly processed foods — often called ultra-processed — are foods that are changed from their original food source and have many added ingredients. During processing, often important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber are removed while salt and sugar are added. Examples of processed food include: fast foods, hot dogs, chips, cookies, frozen pizzas, deli meats, white rice and white bread. Some minimally processed foods are okay. These are foods that are slightly changed in some way but contain few industrially made additives. Minimally processed foods keep almost all of their essential nutrients. Some examples are: bagged salad, frozen vegetables and fruit, eggs, milk, cheese, flour, brown rice, oil and dried herbs. We are not referring to these minimally processed foods when we are advising you not to eat processed foods. Heart & Stroke funded research found that ultra-processed foods make up almost half of Canadians' diets. Read more about it here. 5. Making water your drink of choice Water supports health and promotes hydration without adding calories to the diet. Sugary drinks including energy drinks, fruit drinks, 100% fruit juice, soft drinks and flavored coffees have lots of sugar and little to no nutritional value. It is easy to drink empty calories without realizing, and this leads to weight gain. Avoid fruit juice, even when it is 100% fruit juice. Although fruit juice has some of the benefits of the fruit (vitamins, minerals), it has more sugar than the fruit and less fiber. Fruit juice should not be consumed as alternative to fruits. Canadians should eat their fruits, not drink them. When safe drinking water is not available, quench your thirst with coffee, tea, unsweetened lower-fat milk, and previously boiled water.

A1)The Simran is always done by the mind, in order to get purified(Prabh ka simran man kee mael jaae), and once purified to an extent, it can enter into the spiritual subtle realms within. A2) We are not the mann, we are the jeev atma, a spark of the consciousness/Jot of Satpurush. Yet we are tied knot with the mind in each birth to remain prisoners in the creation of Kal and Maya. And unless we are born as human beings, and with the aid and guidance of the teachings in the Bani which in short and beautifully says: Eko Naam hukum hae Nanak Satgur dheea bujhae jeeo. And the Simran of Nam is also the cutter of that otherwise tight knot between the mind and soul. The Nam simran, is the one medicine for all our maladies, and the method to eternal bliss and union with our origin, Satnam.