CK

I burn incense just because I like the smell and the ambience. I used to do it during simran but I don't any more because I find that it is now distracting me...

Welcome, Kandola ji What happened between Waheguroo and Sikh Sangat?

The challenge of being the mother of Jesus, from conception, through pregancy, thorugh birth, through childhood, through adulthood, until death. Catholics believe that only someone pure could give birth to Jesus. Also in the Bible, Jesus never said no to his mother. Everything Mary told Jesus to do, he did.

"Virgin could even mean another word for Khalsa i.e. Pure?" YES. Roman Catholics believe that Mary was purified by God when she accepted the Divine Challenge.

Salaam Alaikam BAZ ji, Those are awesome words. I'm really glad you are here to share your input with us...I have really enjoyed reading your posts. I'm kind of a moorakh with Sikhi, but I'm a double moorak with Isalm. Looking forward to reading more. That's one heck of a kitten you have...

>> CK its not about brahamanism just a simple technique to focus the mind and by focusing on the flickering jot we can focus on our inner soul which flickers in the wind of kaljug... << That sounds beautiful. I can see that a flickering light can help focus the mind. I'm totally OK with that. The ambience of an oil lamp for paath or simran actually sounds quite delightful. I'm also OK with burning agarbhatti or scented candles or something like that to add a pleasant aspect to the room. Personally, I find incense to be quite soothing. I just don't agree that the jot is the vehicle to take us to greater spiritual depths. It is only HIM, and our willingness to reach for HIM that can bring us there. I'm sorry for misunderstanding. I don't mean anyone any disrespect. Thanks for the clarification Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

No worries, N30 ji...I understand that you didn't write it. I think the concepts are a bit superficial. There is a lot of finger pointing. The baaaaaaaaaaaad media. The baaaaaaaaaaad white people. The baaaaaaaaaaaad west that...for some reason, nobody seems to want to leave? How much of this is due to a lack of education, and a lack of critical thinking skills? I read somewhere that 100 years ago, Panjab was the highest educated state in India. Now, it is among the lowest. Is this true? The "gorey" aren't the reason for the fact that for evey 4 Sikh boys born in Panjab, there are only 3 Sikh girls. The "gorey" aren't the reason that 85% of Sikh men in Panjab drink alcohol, according to SikhSangat.com. The "gorey" aren't the reason why Sikhs in the UK or elsewhere are building caste-based gurdwaras. The "gorey" aren't the reason for the dowrys that make a Panjabi rista sometimes look like flesh peddling. One needs strength and discipline to stand up to values. One needs to have enough analytical skills to make a personal choice that does not involve simply following the crowd. Without a desire to acquire, practice, and master these skills, this cycle will continue. We will continue to see Sikhs fall prey to the bad-influence-of-the-week and decry the bad influence, but we won't do anything to make the panth stronger. This weakness is a terrible achillies heal. Unless it is strengthened, there will be Sikhs stand in line to fall for future deviant temptations that come along. Why aren't we decrying our drinking habits, or our television habits? No one forces us to use alcohol. No one forces us to watch television. Why aren't we doing more to preserve the positve aspects of our culture? Is there any school in the west outside of U London SOAS that offers a university level Panjabi curriculum? I know of plenty of places where I can get drunk and learn how to Bhangra dance...but I can't find an academically sterling way to learn the language of our gurus. If we want our young people to hang on to our culture, then must think of a better way of preserving it.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh I just wanted to throw out something fresh for discussion, based on a recent experience. I used to study martial arts, and decided recently to get back in the practice again, in a different discipline. (Unfortunately, there aren't any gatka teachers in my area) Some studios have a strict rule about ABSOLUTELY NO JEWELRY OF ANY KIND (not even a wedding ring). The one closest to my work has such rule. I don't wear a kirpan (yet) so...what to do with it wasn't an issue for me...but my kara would have been. Instead, I found a studio where the employees wore small amounts of jewelry and do not have a published no-jewelry rule. What if the decision was yours? What would you do?

Thank you thank you thank you N30! That makes so much more sense now.

Moorakh questions... What does it mean to "take santhia" ? And...what are lavedar saroops?

"NOW THEY SEE ONE WRONG THING AND THE BLAME THE WHOLE RELIGION AND JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO BECOME LIKE GOREY..ITS UR LOSS. " That's a rather racist comment.

Did I miss those pages of Sri Guru Granth Sahib? Maybe the English translation I have isn't very good. :wink:

Just a moorakh girl's opinion...I honestly don't see it as gurmat to light a jot for the purpose of attracting shaheeds or any other auspicious purpose. Guruji instructed us as to how we should make good things happen. It's thorugh our own discipline, sacrifice, and self restraint. There are no shortcuts. If one truly believes in Waheguru ji and no other, then one only needs to turn to Him for support. Him, and Him only. Please forgive, and correct, any mistakes.

There are stupid moorakhs like me that actually benefit from learning what a controversy is all about.

challenge_everything, that is beautiful.....