Xylitol

I've spoken with Gyani Takhur Singh ji about this. Here's the maryada: Make bhog and do ardass at the start. While doing the jaap sit on a white sheet wearing white clothes. Have water in a container near you and have a quoi (ghee) jot lit. After doing your jaap for the day splash chitey from the water around your paath room (it's good somehow, not sure if it's a necessary part of maryada) and then drink the water. At the end make bhog and do ardass. Here's the numbers for each day: Gurmantr jap 108 mala Mool mantr 32 mala Chachree chand, Tav Prasaad mantr 32 mala Sukhmani Sahib 5 paaths Japji Sahib 25 paaths. This takes 40 days to complete. All of the above are equivalent.

http://gurugranthsahib.com/index.html

I would like to hear well reasoned responses to this essay. Sikh Identity: A Response to "Sanatanism": http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=22853&t=22853

I live in Canada so I will not be able to attend this event. Could somebody please record it / provide a transcript of all of the talks and post them up here?

http://www.sikhmatrimonialsworldwide.com/

http://www.neeldhari.com/index.html

If you absolutely must sell, please make sure that Guru ji's saroop only goes to those who are fully and completely willing to respect Him.

He claims to know God Who is beyond measure and beyond thought By mere words, he plans to enter the heaven As long as the mind is filled with the desire for the heaven He does not meet God - Kabir Ji, Guru Granth Sahib Ji 325

In his autobiography, Bachiter Natuk (in Dasam Granth Sahib), Guru Gobind Singh ji writes that in a past life he did massive bhagti and as the ages passed he eventually became one with God. This was before Sikhi. It is possible to reach sachkhand without sikhi. However sikhi is the fastest and easiest way. For example, hatha yog, a technique used in earlier ages could not be used by most now b/c 999 out of 1000 people trying it would go mad according to baba isher singh ji. in a past age people's bodies and discipline were stronger. That being said, it is clear that many other religions, such as islam, aim for heaven. A state lower than Sach Khand. If you don't believe me than read Japji Sahib. It states that sach khand is beyond description. However, the koran describes heaven as being filled with hooris and so on and so forth. As for whether or not the follower of another religion could reach such a stage while remaining a follower of that faith.....I am not sure.

Quote: khalsa panth will take over the world. jesus christ says that he wants his panth to join the khalsa panth. Off course Khalsa who has control over his mind and connected with par-bhram nirankar shall rule the world whether its hindu, sikh, muslim, jew, christian, buddhist, janis etc. But not Wahabis aND Wahabis... They will get their mauh kala when they go from this world.... Death to Wahabism ... Wahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -It's in Se Kinehaya, from when Jesus Christ gave darshan to Baba Harnam Singh. Great book

There is nothing that condones it. It is wrong. It seems to me that many marriages are forced on the basis of caste/dowry etc. This is not allowed. I don't have a reference for you. no time.

I have heard that prophet mohammed and jesus christ give darshan to baba nand singh. It's written in his jeeven. They also give darshan to baba harnam singh in 'se kineheya'. i've only read the 2nd, basically they state that khalsa panth will take over the world. jesus christ says that he wants his panth to join the khalsa panth. hopefully someone will read baba nand singh's jeevan and tell me what it says (I have some trouble with punjabi). anyways...that was a bit off topic. I don't believe that whole all religions lead to the same place thing. They lead towards the same place. But without the humiltity and naam kamai a person gets with gurmantur and bani, how can they reach that high? just my thoughts

"I can't drink water.. i ll die in thrist until somebody gets me water in sarbloh glass." I don't know much about sarbloh bibeki, but I remember reading that a Sikh can make a sacrifice for the Lord to be drawn even closer to Him. For example, not eating from outside, or only eating from sarbloh. This is from Bandgi Nama.

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I remember reading that in an interview Mcloud admitted that he had no real evidence for the ''jatt hypothesis''. He said it was conjecture and had put it out there so people could think about 'alternate explanations' . He also did not apologise. Sorry about not having a source, it's been awhile since i read it.

We serve by doing simran = remembrance of God; by selflessly serving humanity to help bring them towards God, or to help them better their situation etc.; and by donating our earnings to the Guru. Sikhs are supposed to donate 10% of earnings to the Guru.

could you please explain further the difference between gurprasaad and bhagti?

Anything we can do b4 we get married? :?

it would help if you would post on a specific thing you need advice on. when i give advice i think "what will be best for this person's sikhi?", "what will help their soul get closer to god the most?". I allways, as a sikh, advise against things which will lead the person away from god. I also try to explain my belief using Gurmat. Now that they understand their options (hopefully) they can make an informed decision.

I think a lot of this has to do with the age we are living in. It is an age of skepticism and reason, so those who are regarded as thinking using reason instead of faith, the scholars, are given more due by some. It is just like how science is emphasised not only as A method of knowing, but THE method of knowing. So people put way more FAITH in science, and by association, scientists. Unfortunately, scientists personal opinions (as well as those others associated with the age of reason) which may have absolutely no scientific or rational basis are given more weight than the opinion of someone who may be seen as operating based on faith. I think a lot of it has to do with the seperation of the catholic church and science. Their history is one of mutual animosity and the two are seen as being unable to coexist. This understanding spread to the way people look at all religion b/c this is a christian dominated world. It seems like starting from a position of skepticism instead of starting from a position of faith is regarded as being much more ''reasonable'' and ''scientific''. This despite the fact that most scholars do not even understand the rudiments of science. Sorry for rambling. Peace.

"so our is the hardest path? " -I believe that Sikhi may be considered the hardest path b/c it aims the highest and the rules/guidelines for our dharm are stricter than most. It is a difficult thing for many to live within these rules and guidelines in a world of maya. There is little room for comprimise of values etc. Reaching such a lofty goal as sachkhand requires a lot of kamai and nimirta. However, I also believe it may be easier for us to reach sachkhand b/c the kamai from Gurmantur/Gurbani is not equalled elsewhere. For example, getting into heaven, although not a goal for sikhs, is probably (in my opinion) easier for a devoted sikh than someone who lives by some other dharmas. Also, I have read that one can only reach the spiritual height of one's Guru, no higher. Please forgive any mistakes in my post. It is not my intention to offend anyone.

Okubo Doko is said to have remarked : Everyone says that no masters of the arts will appear as the world comes to an end. This is something that I cannot claim to understand. Plants such as peonies, azaleas and camellias will be able to produce beautiful flowers, end of the world or not. If men would give some thought to this fact, they would understand. And if people took notice of the masters of even these times, they would be able to say that there are masters in the various arts. But people become imbued with the idea that the world has come to an end and no longer put forth any effort. This is a shame. There is no fault in the times. A certain person said, "In the Saint's mausoleum there is a poem that goes : If in one's heart He follows the path of sincerity, Though he does not pray Will not the gods protect him? What is this path of sincerity?" A man answered him by saying, ''You seem to like poetry. I will answer you with a poem. As everything in this world is but a shame, Death is the only sincerity. It is said that becoming as a dead man in one's daily living is the following of the path of sincerity." When Yamamoto Gorozaemon went to the priest Tetsugyu in Edo wanting to hear something about Buddhism, Tetsugyo said, "Buddhism gets rid of the discriminating mind. It is nothing more than this. I can give you an illustration in terms of the warrior. The Chinese character for ''cowardice'' is made by adding the character for "meaning" to the character radical for "mind". Now "meaning" is "discrimination, " and when a man attaches discrimination to his true mind, he becomes a coward . In the Way of the Samurai can a man be courageous when discrimination arises? I suppose you can get the idea from this." I believe that a retainer is a devoted warrior and servant of his master. Much like a Sikh to his Guru.

The priest Tannen used to say in his daily talks that : A monk cannot fulfill the Buddhist Way if he does not manifest compassion without and persistently store up courage within. And if a warrior does not manifest courage on the outside and hold enough compassion within his heart to burst his chest, he cannot become a retainer. Therefore, the monk pursues courage with the warrior as his model, and the warrior pursues the compassion of the monk. "It is as though a man were in the midst of ten thousand allies but not a one were following him. If one hasn't previously mastered his mind and body, he will not defeat the enemy.''

If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one's body and soul to his master. And if one is asked what to do beyond this, it would be to fit oneself inwardly with intelligence, humanity and courage.' The combining of these three virtues may seem unobtainable to the ordinary person, but it is easy. Intelligence is nothing more than discussing things with others. Limitless wisdom comes from this. Humanity is something done for the sake of others, simply comparing oneself with them and putting them in the fore. Courage is gritting one' s teeth ; it is simply doing that and pushing ahead, paying no attention to the circumstances. Anything that seems above these three is not necessary to be known. As for outward aspects, there are personal appearance, one's way of speaking and calligraphy. And as all of these are daily matters, they improve by constant practice. Basically, one should perceive their nature to be one of quiet strength. If one has accomplished all these things, then he should have a knowledge of our area's history and customs. After that he may study the various arts as recreation. If you think it over, being a retainer is simple. And these days, if you observe people who are even a bit useful, you will see that they have accomplished these three outward aspects. Hagakure: From the 2nd Chapter It is said that much sake, self-pride and luxury are to be avoided by a samurai, There is no cause for anxiety when you are unhappy, but when you become a little elated, these three things become dangerous. Look at the human condition. It is unseemly for a person to become prideful and extravagant when things are going well. Therefore, it is better to have some unhappiness while one is still young, for if a person does not experience some bitterness, his disposition will not settle down. A person who becomes fatigued when unhappy is useless. Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperament and reacting appropriately to this person and that. Especially with an extremely argumentative person, after yielding considerably one should argue him down with superior logic, but without sounding harsh, and in a fashion that will allow no resentment to be left afterwards. This is a function of both the heart and words. This was an opinion given by a priest concerning personal encounters . Dreams are truthful manifestations. When I occasionally have dreams of dying in battle or committing seppuku, if I brace myself with courage, my frame of mind within the dream gradually changes. This concerns the dream I had on the night of the twenty- seventh day of the fifth month. If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one's body and soul to his master. And if one is asked what to do beyond this, it would be to fit oneself inwardly with intelligence, humanity and courage.' The combining of these three virtues may seem unobtainable to the ordinary person, but it is easy. Intelligence is nothing more than discussing things with others. Limitless wisdom comes from this. Humanity is something done for the sake of others, simply comparing oneself with them and putting them in the fore. Courage is gritting one' s teeth ; it is simply doing that and pushing ahead, paying no attention to the circumstances. Anything that seems above these three is not necessary to be known. As for outward aspects, there are personal appearance, one's way of speaking and calligraphy. And as all of these are daily matters, they improve by constant practice. Basically, one should perceive their nature to be one of quiet strength. If one has accomplished all these things, then he should have a knowledge of our area's history and customs. After that he may study the various arts as recreation. If you think it over, being a retainer is simple. And these days, if you observe people who are even a bit useful, you will see that they have accomplished these three outward aspects. A certain priest said that if one thoughtlessly crosses a river of unknown depths and shallows, he will die in its currents without ever reaching the other side or finishing his business. This is the same as when one is indiscriminately eager in being a retainer without understanding the customs of the times or the likes and dislikes of the master and, as a result, is of no use and brings ruin upon himself. To try to enter the good graces of the master is unbecoming. One should consider first stepping back and getting some understanding of the depths and shallows and then work without doing anything the master dislikes. If you attach a number of bags of cloves to your body, you will not be affected by inclemency or colds. Some years ago Nakano Kazuma returned to this province as a messenger by horse in the dead of winter, and though he was an old man, he was not the least bit in pain. It is said that that was because of his having used cloves. Furthermore, drinking a decoction of the feces from a dappled horse is the way to stop bleeding from an injury received by falling off a horse. A faultless person is one who withdraws from affairs. This must be done with strength. There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment . Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things. Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery . It is said that one will not be able to do great works if he does not behave with some reserve towards his master, the chief retainers and elders. What is done casually and freely will not work out well. It is a matter of attitude. It is a good viewpoint to see the world as a dream. When you have something like a nightmare, you will wake up and tell yourself that it was only a dream. It is said that the world we live in is not a bit different from this.

Am I too late to get in on this/? studentpass@hotmail.com?

Hmmm.... sorry if this is off topic. It seems to me that sometimes when the Guru talks about sants he means the ladlee of Guru Maharaj and other times could it possibly mean the Guru ?? I'm asking b/c in Kirtan Sohila it says to do dandout before a sant is a pun but taksaal rehat says to not bow to sants. What are your thoughts N3O?