hsingh6

Vahiguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vahiguru Jee Kee Fateh
You refer to some audio tracks you have used to learn the above mentioned banis. Can you please share those links ?
Also what motivated you to do these banis? Normally most people have not even heard of these banis leave aside done them?
 

Vahiguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vahiguru Jee Kee Fateh
You refer to some audio tracks you have used to learn the above mentioned banis. Can you please share those links ?
Also what motivated you to do these banis? Normally most people have not even heard of these banis leave aside done them?
 

@HK Sikh - I have yet to hear a better one than this - linking up the efforts we put in academics (how to be a good student and know your content) with bandagi.
Academics, if at all useful (content keeps being revised hence the need for constant updation) will help us get a meal in this lifetime whereas bandagi is for this life and beyond; yet our time allocation for both these activities is inversely proportional to their importance.!

Anyone made a pdf of the steek yet?

Lucky I dont know whether you were referring to this text http://www.truthseekerz.com/Andreas_Moritz.-.Timeless-Secrets-of-Health-Rejuvenation.pdf
I found skimming through it very interesting. Thanks for sharing

Is there any viakhiaya on Brahm Kavach and Shastar Naam Maala done by Giani Thakur Singh himself? I have found recitations of these banis by him but no viakhiaya. There are others who have done the viakhiaya but I am specifically looking for any viakhiya by Giani jee himself. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.
This bani is totally new to me - have never heard of this while growing up or know of any gursikhs that have done this paath over the last 50 years. In particular for protection one has always done Chaupai sahib but never Brahm Kavach (historically that is).

Completely agree Lucky. Its amazing how much people will waste on these issues rather than focus on the essential naam simran at amrit vela.
 

Completely agree Lucky. Its amazing how much people will waste on these issues rather than focus on the essential naam simran at amrit vela.
 

Don't let these issues come in the path of your abyaas.  Such arguments and cynics, will just drain and suck out your spiritual energies.    Continue on your path and keep checking gurbani for guru's mat.
 

Pre partition Anand Karaj was done as soon as the Asa Kee Vaar kirtan was complete (around 6 am). 
Its only post independence when we got into this habit of excessive consumption that the anand karaj timing shifted to accommodate people's needs to fill up their stomach with breakfast before the start of the anand karaj.

Akal Academy schools are highly rated and the one at Baru Sahib is the oldest and most well known. Weather wise, Baru Sahib (near Simla) is also very good. Best of luck with his admission process

Akal Academy schools are highly rated and the one at Baru Sahib is the oldest and most well known. Weather wise, Baru Sahib (near Simla) is also very good. Best of luck with his admission process

Bhai Sahib jee,

Thank you for periodically posting wonderful links - can you consider going a step further and writing a brief synposis from the commentary / katha you shared to interest a reader further?
 
regards

It is important to perform your simran without having any hope for rewards. Planting a seed now does not mean that the fruit will appear tomorrow. it is important to be thankful in the first place for the little things in life which we have and which we should realise that we have been given by God. 
Any simran you do today is just like the seed which the farmer plants in the field. It will take time for the results to be reaped. If your eye is more on the results then you do not perform a good job in your simran. It is like building castles in the air - like the boy who carried a basket of eggs on his head hoping to sell them and kept dreaming about everything which would be possible with the money. Alas when the basket fell from his head and all eggs cracked then his dreams were shattered too. 
Kahu fal ki isha nahi banshe...
Include Sukhmani sahib in your routine too.... maybe once a week or just listen to it. If you can read meanings all the more better. it will help you develop the right mental attitude to possess while performing your simran. 

The above mentioned Shabad is neither referring to eclipse nor is referring to Heart chakra. Here is the full shabad:

ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ  ਮਹਲਾ  ੧  ॥
ਅੰਤਰਿ  ਦੇਖਿ  ਸਬਦਿ  ਮਨੁ  ਮਾਨਿਆ  ਅਵਰੁ  ਨ  ਰਾਂਗਨਹਾਰਾ  ॥
ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ  ਜੀਆ  ਦੇਖਿ  ਸਮਾਲੇ  ਤਿਸ  ਹੀ  ਕੀ  ਸਰਕਾਰਾ  ॥੧॥
ਮੇਰਾ  ਪ੍ਰਭੁ  ਰਾਂਗਿ  ਘਣੌ  ਅਤਿ  ਰੂੜੌ  ॥
ਦੀਨ  ਦਇਆਲੁ  ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ  ਮਨਮੋਹਨੁ  ਅਤਿ  ਰਸ  ਲਾਲ  ਸਗੂੜੌ  ॥੧॥  ਰਹਾਉ  ॥
ਊਪਰਿ  ਕੂਪੁ  ਗਗਨ  ਪਨਿਹਾਰੀ  ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ  ਪੀਵਣਹਾਰਾ  ॥
ਜਿਸ  ਕੀ  ਰਚਨਾ  ਸੋ  ਬਿਧਿ  ਜਾਣੈ  ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ  ਗਿਆਨੁ  ਵੀਚਾਰਾ  ॥੨॥
ਪਸਰੀ  ਕਿਰਣਿ  ਰਸਿ  ਕਮਲ  ਬਿਗਾਸੇ  ਸਸਿ  ਘਰਿ  ਸੂਰੁ  ਸਮਾਇਆ  ॥
ਕਾਲੁ  ਬਿਧੁੰਸਿ  ਮਨਸਾ  ਮਨਿ  ਮਾਰੀ  ਗੁਰ  ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ  ਪ੍ਰਭੁ  ਪਾਇਆ  ॥੩॥
ਅਤਿ  ਰਸਿ  ਰੰਗਿ  ਚਲੂਲੈ  ਰਾਤੀ  ਦੂਜਾ  ਰੰਗੁ  ਨ  ਕੋਈ  ॥
ਨਾਨਕ  ਰਸਨਿ  ਰਸਾਏ  ਰਾਤੇ  ਰਵਿ  ਰਹਿਆ  ਪ੍ਰਭੁ  ਸੋਈ  ॥੪॥੧੫॥
The shabad is referring to the process when "The Shabad" permanently resides in the Mind, then one tastes the real Amrit stored in the Crown Chakra. In other words, it is suggesting the last point in the journey to be outside of Time and Space. Crown Chakra is also known as the place of 1000 Suns which is so strong yet so calming that it (the light/ray) overtakes everything. The shabad has nowhere mentioned the Heart Chakra or Eclipse.
Moreover, in reality Astronomy and Astrology are exactly the same Science (Macro/Micro/Effects) but recenty (around 16-17th century) when people started accepting more materialistic views, this Science was broken into 2 different streams: Astrology and Astronomy. It's the same way, these days there are Specialist Doctors for each organ and they just worry about their particular organ; they do NOT understand that each and every cell in this body is interrelated and interlinked and work as ONE BIG SYSTEM.
Moreover, here are some clues to the play of 3 gunas and 5 elements in Space and Time:
Seven is a clue for everything that happens in Time. 7 comes from 3+4 (3 gunas + 4 elements). i.e 7 Traditional planets; 7 Major Chakras; 7 Rishis, and so on. Twelve is a clue for all things that co-exist in space. 12 comes from 3*4 (play of 3 gunas with 4 basic elements in Space). These are the twelve basic points with which everything in space is connected. It is possible to find the right way by connecting the spatial relationship of everything that occurs upon the earth with twelve permanent points in space — the twelve signs of the Zodiac in the cosmos. And there is always certain relation between the numbers Seven and Twelve, and that this relation has something to do with time and space. Time is revealed according to the number Twelve. The above mentioned points are the core of Astrology. It's very easy to say but very hard to understand the play of 12*7=84.
But at last, let me warm you that there are VERY RARE astrologers who fully understand Astrology and Astronomy in real sense but at the same time it does NOT mean that Sikhism is against Astrology. But do NOT try to find paid astrologers and do NOT try to look in Guru Granth Sahib Ji with the intention to find the reference to astrology and then proving that it is accepted in Sikhism. As I always say, this world is never Black-and-White.
Rudolf Steiner has said this perfectly: "Humanity, is intimately connected to cosmic beings, who in turn are related to planets and stars. There is meaning in the cosmos." He rejected the Simplistic notion of the planets determining our lives and behaviour, he shows that as individuals, and with the guidance of spiritual beings, we choose an appropriate time of birth to match the destiny we are to live.
In other words, when we reduce the systems (create Simplistic views separate from another system), then we are bound to fail and this is what is happening with Astrology these days (so-called Zodiac readings).
 

Whether the saliva is sweet or not doesn't really matter, the senses are perceiving that a sweet nector is in the mouth. Just accept the parshad from the divine and drink it in. 

Guru Nanak Dev Ji maharaj gave us naam simran which utilizes mantra, dhyan and pranayam. It is extremely powerful with all that combined. First my grandpa taught me everything is within the body. You should learn to properly breathe from your diaphragm if you don't know how. Stay conscious of yourself properly breathing from the diaphragm throughout the day. To see if you breathe properly take a deep breath. If you breathe properly your shoulders should not have gone up only the belly should expand and contract. <---- this is just proper breathing to always keep you relaxed. Now on to the meditation part. Realize your journey is from naabhi to trikuti. First month I sat down with my dhyan on the naabhi to train my dhyan. The middle of my chest where the heart is and God resides is another place I really enjoyed putting my dhyan like when I would fall asleep. Once your dhyan is trained then nothing can distract your mind. Many people complain that they cannot focus but that is due to their dhyan not being properly trained. Most people don't know how to properly enter the Naabhi. To enter the Naabhi put your dhyan at the bottom of your belly button and keep it there. If you put your finger straight in your belly button it would be the area the bottom of your finger touches. Do this for 15 minutes per day for a month. Soon your dhyan will become so powerful you immediately go into a extremely relaxed state perfect for naam japna the moment you put your dhyan at the naabhi. Pranayama will happen naturally with mantra you just need to re-wire your mind backwards. Naturally navel goes out when you say Vahe and in with Guru but you need to change to Vahe gentle natural pull navel in a bit and Guru it goes out. You will notice then you won't get tired either. Everytime you sit down for naam japna. First you stabilize your sit bones into a comfortable position. Then you start with putting Dhyan at the bottom of the belly button for 5 minutes while staying silent then you start the naam japna out loud Vahe-Guru, Vahe-Guru. After about 5 minutes of jaap bring your dhyan from bottom of the belly button to your mouth while continuing jaap. You will know your dhyan is at the right place because if you open your eyes you will be looking directly at your nose when your dhyan is on your mukh. "Dhun me dhiaan, Dhiaan mai jaaneya gurmukh akath kahanee." just keep your dhyan on the dhun of Vahe-Guru then. Get the book "Sikhism & Spirituality" by Rabinder Singh Bhamra. Depending on how much effort you put in that'll dictate how long it takes for the Kundalini shakti to awaken in the Naabhi and for person to reach Naam. Takes couple months usually. The method I have told you about will take you all the way. You don't need any other jugti. It's a process of awakening there are no secrets if you put in the work you get the result just like anything else in life. It's good to find some sangat to do it with. 

No comment :).........sometimes you can tell who has naam and who doesn't.
 

Absolutely awesome....speechless

Some relevant passages from the book.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji gives us the example of day and night where he tells that our mind enters this body and begins playing during the day and when our body goes to sleep at night time our mind goes home to Sunn (house of mind). Sunn is the stage in which our body is sleeping (resting) and our minds are in their subtle appearance. When our mind enters this body, we use our earthly knowledge and with our thoughts we assign good and bad qualities to others. By doing this we are foolish. We no longer see Godly qualities of others and in this way we create good and bad thoughts. By creating this discernment we think we have wisdom. And by acquiring material wealth in this world, we think that we are rich and others are poor. We build religious places like Gurdwaras, Temples, Mosques and Churches where we sing praises of God, but we do not recognize real house of Truth that is our body. Our body is the real temple, Gurdwara, Mosque or a Church. This real temple within our body is known as Hari Mandir. Truth resides in the Hari Mandir. He also lives outside our body. By not recognizing God, we start to hate others and attribute no respect for their lives and do not hesitate to behave badly.
At night when we go to sleep, our game in the visible world comes to an end. At this time, we lose our duality and forget about caste, creed, and qualities of others. During sleep, our subtle body comes to reside in the Sehaj Ghar (house of our mind). In the Sehaj Ghar we forget about the material body, our family, our home and society.

This subtle body is our real appearance and our true home. Being able to rise above duality is important so that the mind can
recognize its true home.  
When our mind is in the body, our body stays connected to our breath and we take different thoughts. But, when we sleep our body is still breathing, but we are free from our thoughts. We don’t recognize where our mind goes when we are sleeping. Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught us that the house of our mind is invisible and formless. Those that understood Guru Nanak’s teachings were able to go to their home and leave behind duality. Those minds that were able to go home were able to free themselves from entanglements and were able to achieve happiness and joy in their lives.

Our body is made up of 5 elements and these elements have relation with the body parts and senses. The relation between mind and body is made during day time and is disconnected during night time. At night the mind goes to his house known as Sunn or Agam. Sunn is also known as Sehaj Ghar. In the morning, the mind leaves Sehaj Ghar and enters the body and starts to use the body parts and senses.
divas raat du-ay daa-ee daa-i-aa khaylai sagal jagat.
Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play.
First, they told us how to connect the body by controlling the pawan through the use of the Gurmantra (chanting the word). When the mind is in control it will go to its house known as Sunn. The mind stays in its home for a period of time and then returns to this world. Most of the people do not know where the house of mind is and where the mind hides.
First, we have to teach the mind through love. If the mind still does not understand , then we have to discipline it with the Gurmantra. Through the Gurmantra the mind will learn to go to Sunn. But after going to its home, the mind will cheat us again by leaving it. We cannot rely on the mind and must learn to control it so that it will hear the Anhad-Bani in the Sunn and receive the refuge of Naam. In Gurbani, we have been given the example of a snake. If you try to capture or kill a snake it escapes by entering a hole in the Earth. We would be wrong to presume the snake is dead if we cover the hole. The snake merely hides and finds a way to exit and comes back again. Like the snake, the mind goes home but keeps finding ways to escape. In this way, the mind continually cheats us by leaving Sunn. Moreover, the mind intentionally acts deaf and does not listen to Naam.
For this reason, during prayer we should try to keep the mind in the body. If the mind stays in the body we can take it to Sunn. Despite their hard work in meditation most members of the congregation cannot control the mind. Those who don’t join the congregation really have no chance of controlling their minds. The reason the mind leaves Sunn is because it takes advice from the five subordinates from Kaal thinking they are his friends. It accepts them as friends and does not want to leave them. In reality, however, they are on the opposite team of the mind. They trick the mind into wasting its precious wealth (breath) in thoughts. Our pain and suffering is caused by our thoughts. When we waste our breath, the mind is devastated. In order to keep the mind away from thoughts, we have to meditate and contemplate on the divine word of God.
We have to repeatedly try to enter the body. We can do this by connecting to the air by meditation using the Swaas Graas simran technique (meditation with every breath) followed by the Rom-Rom (meditate with every heart beat) technique. When our mind enters the air it will also enter the body. If we can keep the mind in the body then we learn about the three qualities of Maya. At this point, the mind will enter the 4th state and the 9 doors of the body will close and the 10th door will open. We must learn to love and contemplate the divine word of God because the mind has been out of control for many ages. We should spend less time talking about this world and more time contemplating the divine word of God. We must learn to contemplate the divine word during all of our activities and not just staying in thoughts.
By meditating and listening to our own voice our mind will stay away from thoughts. Once the mind is free of thoughts it will enter Sunn. With enough guided practice the mind will go to Sunn very quickly. When the mind tries to exit Sunn we must do more meditation to chase it back to its home. Typically the mind begins to dream when it goes to Sunn. However, with guided meditation we will begin to control our thoughts and not enter in dreams thereby staying awake all the time. When the mind cheats us again, we will have to follow the same techniques to search for it.

When Guru Nanak Dev Ji had a discussion with those Sidhas, he told them that you sit in the Sunn and the mind can go out of the Sunn anytime. They were connected to playing music by instruments. Guru Ji told them that their mind was cheating them. Guru Nanak taught them that they should stop listening to music from outside. They should listen to the divine word from inside and get connected to it. He further advised them they should take their mind out of the body with the divine word but not fly their bodies.
Play that harp (inside the body), Yogi, which vibrates the unstruck sound current (Anhad Shabad), and remain lovingly absorbed in God.
(SGGS 908)
Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave the divine knowledge to the Yogis. He told them how their mind cheats them. By doing simran or meditation, the mind goes to Sunn (state of sleep). Once mind goes to Sunn, our body does not move. When the mind enters this body, then our body can move and walk irrespective of its weight. When the mind leaves this body, the body cannot move or walk.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji has told us a way for devotion which is different from other ways. This has been explained in Gurbani as.
tarai gun maytay cha-uthai vartai ayhaa bhagat niraaree.
Eradicating the three qualities of maya, dwell in the fourth state. This is the unparalleled devotional worship.
(SGGS 908 )
When we go out of three qualities of Maya (by stopping thoughts), our mind goes to Sunn (house of mind). While staying in Sunn, we will listen to the divine word of God from which we were disconnected after our birth. When we connect to the divine word, our true devotion starts. It has been explained in Gurbani as.
gurmukh bhagat jit sahj Dhun upjai bin bhagtee mail na jaa-ay.
The Gurmukh practices that devotional worship, by which the celestial music wells up; (SGGS 245)
The mind functions because of the air. Once the mind gets separated from the air and goes to the 10th door also known as Sunn, (house of mind) the air has connection with only the body.
When our mind sits in the Sunn (also known as Thir Ghar, Nij- Mahal, Gagan or Sehaj Gufa) Truth will wake it up by his divine sound.
Dhun upjai sabad jagaa-i-aa.
The celestial melody of the Shabad wakes the mind up. (SGGS 1039)
Sunn Samadh Anhad Tey Naad
In the Deepest Samaadhi (Sunn), and the unstruck sound of the Naad is there. (SGGS 293)

I am NOT suggesting that one needs Dehghari Guru, actually I'm NOT suggesting anything, if you read Guru Granth Sahib Ji (WITHOUT THE history in mind), then it would be quite clear that Guru Ji HIMSELF (Sri Gruru Granth Sahib Ji) is talking about the necessity/need of Sants. Guru Gobind Singh Ji never said that Sants are not required. If a person really takes Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as his/her Guru, then he/she would be more looking for Sat-Sangat (company of the Truth - the ones who has already achieved something). In other words, if you're really a seeker and have taken Amrit to become Guru-Ka-Sikh, then isn't this a duty of student to listen to his/her Guru (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)? These days, our thinking is: Take Amrit, do Paths and then declare that we have Guru and we don't need Sants. It's has become ritual for us and we never bothered to take a deep look into what Guru is saying.
If a mere darshan of a real Sant can be beneficial (many references in Guru Granth Sahib Ji), then think about what would be achieved if we're able to serve Him? And here I'm talking about REAL Sants and not the ones who are in news for one reason or the other.
Sant is
- NOT the one who teach you
- NOT the one who guide you
- NOT the one who instructs you
- NOT the one who gives you the meaning of Scripture(s)
- NOT the mediator.
The above mentioned ones could be Kathakars, excellent teachers, very high Spiritual state but NOT the Sants. Even though a Sant could do all the above but that is one of His techniques.
Sant is
- THE one who has come from the Dargah (Karak) to take the souls back home.
- THE one who can produce many other Sants and give them any duty.
- THE one which gives you an internal experience and then it is upto seeker to develop that.
- THE one which gives us the Vivek budh using which we can try to see the real cause. i.e then we can look-within. self-introspection.
e.g Once Arjun (excellent archer) heard about a old Saint who is known to be excellent archer even better than him. At that point of time, arjun already had all the education and training. So, arjun went to see him and requested him to teach him. The Sant said that I don't have anything to TEACH you, YOU already KNOW what is needed for the best archer. The Sant also mentioned that he has not taken the bor/arrow for the last many decades and the Sant asked arjun to go for a bath in river.
Arjun and the Sant started walking towards a little pond; on the way they had to cross a very wek temporary rope bridge over the 2 mountains. The Sant asked arjun for his bow and arrow as he wanted to check if he remembered everything. The Sant walked on the rope bridge (which was moving side-to-side) and then stopped in the middle of the bridge to take the aim at one of the fruit hanging from the tree in the mountain. He hit the aim. Arjun was astonished at the Sant's feet. The Sant asked the arjun to try the same shot again from the bridge. It took arjun many minutes to just stabilize himself on the moving rope and he shot the arrow so badly that it didn't even hit the tree what to say about the fruit. Now, the Sant mentioned to arjun that arjun does have ALL THE KNOWLEDGE but still lacks the STABLENESS.
In other words, Sant is The one which provides support to our Soul in this moving maya world. He gives us the spark which holds us stable and we need to develop that stableness further.
HE cannot be found no matter how hard we try, no matter how hard we think, no matter how hard we do self-introspection, no matter how hard we look within. We cannot find the ONE which was never lost, HE IS here. BUT HE HIMSELF discloses HIMSELF when we've tried our best and eventually have Surrended......... [Karma, Surrender, Vivek]

This story happened in Fatehgarh Sahib between Baba Joginder Singh Ji & a muslim tantric.  He sent some fakirs to bother Baba Ji. Baba Ji saw those things at night, but those entities could not do anything. Baba Ji said what are you doing here ? Entities replied that they were sent by a muslim tantric. Baba ji was a great abhyasi of Dasam di Bani, as he was a nihang singh. Baba ji said run away or i will use power of chandi and show you stars. Those things ran away. Next day Baba Ji went to that muslim tantric and warned him that he will die a painful death for all the bad stuff he has done to people. This tantric would send negative entities into peoples house to cause deaths & create quarrels, for money. This guy then had an accident, was bed ridden for 2 years, developed sores in his back, which got infected and died a very painful death for his wrong doings to people. 
Source:  narrated by Giani Thakur Singh in Suraj Parkash Katha when Guru Nanak Ji met with Noorshah, the evil sorceress in Dhaka.
Lessons:
1) never engage in jantar mantar tantar, people die a painful death & are destroyed for eternity due to their complicated karma with such entities
2) Dasam di Bani, Chandi Di Var has great power. But only Mahapurush recite it.  Dasam di bani is for rehatvan gursikh, not any joe bloe like me. lol
 

A very good lecture on difference between naam jaap and Naam/Satnaam. Loads of useful advice. Listen/Save it now before it is removed. 
 

Following are some beautiful words of beloved Fifth Patshahee in Raag Sorath, which throw some more light on the topic of this thread :

Satgur pura bhaana
when it so pleased the True Guru

Ta japiya Nam ramana
then I repeated the pervading God´s Name.

Further on He clearly says, that one can merge in Him, if only He catches us by our hand.

kar geh leenay sarbas deenay aapeh aap milaa-i-aa.

Taking me by the hand, He has given me everything, and blended me with Himself.

So the question is, if He does everything, what is there to be proud of ourselves?

Nothing, but we can only baram baar sing His unlimited magnificent glory ....

Sat Sree Akal.

Awesome effort by the sevadars to put the santhya together with visuals - earlier audio only recordings were available at http://www.longislandkeertan.com/. Thanks akalpurkh for making us aware of the youtube link