IJJSingh

You should also consider the title 'How to serve humans' to attract some unsuspecting ones.

Some stories in history do not add up. However, the rescue of women by Sikhs from Abdali is not one such story. Looking at the overall circumstances, I believe that the narrative in above links is definitely plausible. Lets look at the main points of this narrative: Why would a deputation of relatives go begging for help?: Think of people whose family members have been slaughtered and whose women have been kidnapped and are about to be sold as sex-slaves into a life of misery. These desperate survivors would have ran and begged for help wherever they could get. Why go to Sikhs for help, why not go to somebody else?: In the battle of Panipat, none of the other local powers (Jats and Rajputs) chose to fight Abdali, and Marathas were totally decimated. Sikhs had a history of attacking Abdali, and were the only power in North India who were willing and capable of engaging Abdali. If you were in Punjab/Hariana, where else could you have gone for help? When families of relatives pleaded, Jassa Singh immediately left for rescue with a force of volunteers: Based on the track-record from the previous Abdali invasions, Sikhs were probably already planning on attacking Abdali. Cries of help from relatives would have immediately galvanized the initiative. Sikhs had a history of chivalry and rescuing kidnapped women going back to Guru Gobind Singh ji's period (e.g. Attack on Hakum of Bassi under the leadership of Sahibjada Ajit Singh). Ignoring to help these poor people would have been most un-Sikh like. How many people were rescued? There is no doubt that prisoners were rescued. An estimate of 2,200 is widely quoted. If you consider that the number of prisoners was between 20,000 and 30,000, rescue of 2,200 is not unreasonable. Our task is to find old sources to corroborate this number. Excerpts below from Twareekh Guru Khalsa, Volume 2 page 172 by Giani Gian Singh (first version published in 1889), and a quote from Twareekh-I-Punjab By Kanahiya Lal (Published in Urdu around 1877) taken from Sikh Twareekh, Volume 2, Page 552 by Dilgeer.

History is seldom unbiased. Read about any incident, even the ones happening before your eyes, the two sides will present it so drastically differently that you have to wonder if they are even talking about the same incident. The scale and specifics of liberation of women may be in dispute but attacks on retreating Abdali forces by the Sikhs are not. Under these circumstances, Sikhs would have invariably rescued imprisoned women. The following chronology of events about Sikhs fighting Abdali during his Panipat invasion are consistently documented in a lot of different sources: Sikhs laid siege of Governer Mir Mohammad Khan in the Lahore fort after Abdali had passed through Punjab on his way to Panipat. The governor capitulated and paid ransom to the Sikhs. Abdali upon reaching Lahore after his victory over Marathas punished Mir Mohammad for not standing up to the Sikhs Sikhs, led by Jassa Singh, relentlessly launched gorilla attacks on Abdali's forces in the region between the rivers Beas and Jehlum while the victorious invaders were returning to Kabul with a huge loot and a large number of women prisoners. It is in this region where Sikhs took away a lot of Abdali's loot and freed prisoners. Abdali was incensed by this humiliation at the hands of the Sikhs but chose not to divert his army because he was in a hurry to return to Kabul because Balakh, a part of his kingdom, was invaded by the Chief of Bukhara. Upon reaching Kabul, Abdali deputed Nurdin to return to Punjab to teach Sikhs a lesson. Sikhs gathered in Gujarat under the leadership of Charat Singh to face Nurdin. Nurdin and his Punjabi allies lost a lot of their forces to Charat Singh, and retreated into the Sialkot fort. Sialkot fell to Sikhs after a 24 day siege but Nurdin managed to escape alive. Next, Abdali asked Khawaja Hamid Khan, the Governor of Punjab to avenge his insult. Hamid Khan attacked Gujranwala which was under Charat Singh and laid siege to Charat Singh's fort for thirteen days. Hamid Khan abandoned the siege and some of his heavy equipment and escaped back to Lahore after a large number of Sikhs came to Charat Singh's help. Abdali, with a large army, decided to return himself to finish the Sikhs once in for all. The big massacre of the Sikhs (known as Wadda Ghallukara) happened during this invasion. Unless you have already convinced yourself that Sikhs rescuing women is a hoax, I suggest that you dig deeper. You can find more information about this incident in Giani Gian Singh's Twareekh Guru Khalsa under the chapter 'ਸਿੰਘਾਂ ਨੇ ਬੰਦੀ ਛੁਡਾਏ'. This incident is also documented in Twareekh Punjab by Kanhayia Lal. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Link for an interesting blog on this subject: http://malicethoughts.blogspot.com/2016/02/when-sikhs-rescued-maratha-women.html Its not a contemporary source, but if you follow the bibliography it may lead you to some old sources. Waheguru ji ka Khalasa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Setting up a display is a wonderful idea, and thanks for taking the initiative. To avoid hurting feelings of some Sikhs who may think it would be sacrilegious for somebody to handle a gutka without proper decorum(covered head, no shoes, etc.), I have some suggestions: How about preparing a pamphlet with gurbani verses highlighting some key messages, and offering USB drives with nitnem for the ones interested in further reading You can also place a tablet or a laptop on the table allowing people to browse nitnem. If you are interested in getting some USB keys with nitnem, please send me a pm and I can arrange to get them delivered to you. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ki ki Fateh

I bow to those who are truly in love with the Guru, and are doing these things spontaneously as an outpouring of love. However, its a terrible slippery slope for many people like me who start feeling smug by just copying the ritual but are not listening to the Guru. Humans always look for shortcuts. It is very difficult to follow the Guru and work on controlling our mind. Its relatively easy to buy trinkets. Quite often these trinkets are bought with ill-gotten money, and come with strings attached with expectations of quid pro quo from the Guru. I remember a story of a mother whose only son who was a soldier had gone to war. In agony of separation, the mother would hold her son's shirt tight to her chest and cry for hours. A servant in the household who had no worries or love for the soldier, started copying the ritual with the shirt. Its quite possible that when idle worship started in Hinduism, its focus was to love and imitate the virtues of the deity. Over time, with most it devolved to simply copying the actions of other followers with no connection to the path laid out by the deity. Any type of interaction which leads us to listen to the Guru is a good thing. We should make these offerings to SGGS if it motivates us in doing Guru's seva, but let’s not forget what Guru tells us his true seva is: ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ Guru's service is reflection upon the Shabad (SGGS 223) ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਿ ਪਿਰਾ ਜੀਉ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਏ ॥ Serve the Guru, O my dear soul; meditate on the Lord's Name. (SGGS 246) ਸਤਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਗਾਖੜੀ ਸਿਰੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥ It is very difficult to serve the True Guru. Surrender your head; give up your selfishness. (SGGS 27). Even when Guru refers to physical actions as seva, he still keeps focus on naam: ਪੀਅਹਿ ਤ ਪਾਣੀ ਆਣੀ ਮੀਰਾ ਖਾਹਿ ਤ ਪੀਸਣ ਜਾਉ ॥ ਪਖਾ ਫੇਰੀ ਪੈਰ ਮਲੋਵਾ ਜਪਤ ਰਹਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ ॥ If You wish to drink, then I shall fetch water; if You wish to eat, I shall grind the corn for You. I wave the fan over You, and wash Your feet, and continue to chant Your Name. (SGGS 991) If we are not listening to the Guru and devising our own forms of “seva”, then we are wasting our life: ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵ ਨ ਕੀਨੀ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥ They do not serve the Perfect Guru; they waste away their lives in vain. (SGGS 32). Waheguru ji ki Fateh, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Every time we say ardas, we say: "Dekh ke undith keeta" (Overlooked others mistakes). Yet, we jump at every opportunity we get to put others down. We have a long ways to go to be called Guru's Sikhs. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Acting Jathedar Giani Gurmukh Singh who has been accused as the middleman behind negotiating Akal Takhat pardon of Sauda Sadh is now courting another controversy. Giani Gurmukh Singh recently claimed that he has been doing seva by repairing damaged sarups of SGGS. Bhai Sukhdev Singh Nagoke of Ajnala DDT on Feb 6th issued a statement claiming that Giani Gurmukh Singh is destroying historical evidence in the name of seva. Sukhdev Singh claimed that a team of experts working under the supervision of Giani Gurmukh Singh has been working for the past year in restoring pages in: bullet ridden sarup from Nankana Sahib Massacre (1921), sarup damaged by two bullets from Harimandir Sahib from Opeartion Blue Star (1984), and sarup with blood soaked hand prints from Har Ki Pauri also from Blue Star. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

https://medium.com/@vishavjitsingh/i-survived-a-genocidal-massacre-30-years-ago-a-cartoon-biography-339793afe902#.hpvtf81zl

ਪਸ਼ੂ = Farm animal. A cow or a buffalo ਸੂੰਦਾ = Is giving birth ਮਟਿਆਂਡੀ = Is the fluid filled sack which surrounds the calf emerging from the womb. Unborn calf in the womb is surrounded by a sack made of translucent skin. Placenta is part to this sack. The sack is filled with fluid. When an animal is about to give birth, the first thing which emerges out of the womb is six to twelve inches of this sack. Which appears almost like a baloon (ਮਟਿਆਂਡੀ in Punjabi means a small balloon or bubble). This hanging sack soon bursts due to the pressure and weight of the fluid and soon after, front hooves and the head of the calf emerges. In the above text, Brars are taunting the Sikhs and are telling them to drink the slightly off-clear fluid which gushes from the birth-sack. Sorry for the graphic detail. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Paapiman is correct Bhagat Ramanand ji was Bhagat Kabeer ji's Guru (gurbani of both these bhagats is in SGGS). Bhagat Kabeer ji tricked Bhagat Ramanand ji into giving him gurmantar because the later would not make a low-caste like Kabeer his disciple. Bhagat Ramanand ji as part of his daily routine, used to go to the river Ganga in dark very early in the morning for bath. Bhagat Kabeer ji decided to lie in Ramanand's path thinking that he will do whatever Ramanand ji says when he stumbles against his body. The plan worked. Ramanand ji didn't notice Bhagat Kabeer lying in the dark. As soon as, Ramanand ji's foot touched Kabeer he realized that he has kicked a human being and he spontaneously uttered, "ਉਠ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਰਾਮ ਜਪੁ Meaning: Get up O God's child and remember God". Bhagat Kabeer ji went home and started simran of the gurmantar "ਰਾਮ" and over time became a famous saint. Ramanand ji found out that Kabeer is his disciple only after Bhagat Kabeer ji became famous. This incident is described by Bhai Gurdas ji in Vaar 15: ਹੋਇ ਬਿਰਕਤੁ ਬਨਾਰਸੀ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦੁ ਗੁਸਾਈਂ। Hoi Birakatu Banaarasee Rahindaa Raamaanadu Gousaaeen. Being detached from the world, Brahmin Ramanand lived in Varanasi (Kasi). ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਵੇਲੇ ਉਠਿ ਕੈ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਗੰਗਾ ਨ੍ਹਾਵਣ ਤਾਈਂ। Anmritu Vaylay Outdi Kai Jaandaa Gangaa Nhaavan Taaeen. He would rise early in the morning and go to the Ganges to bathe. ਅਗੋ ਹੀ ਦੇ ਜਾਇ ਕੈ ਲੰਮਾ ਪਿਆ ਕਬੀਰ ਤਿਥਾਈਂ। Ago Hee Day Jaai Kai Lamaa Piaa Kabeer Tidaaeen. Once even before Ramanand, Kabir went there and lay in the way. ਪੈਰੀ ਟੁੰਬ ਉਠਾਲਿਆ ‘ਬੋਲਹੁ ਰਾਮ’ ਸਿਖ ਸਮਝਾਈ। Pairee Tounbi Outdaaliaa Bolahu Raam Sikh Samajhaaee. Touching with his feet Ramanand awakened Kabir and told him to speak ‘Ram’, the true spiritual teaching. ਜਿਉ ਲੋਹਾ ਪਾਰਸੁ ਛੁਹੇ ਚੰਦਨ ਵਾਸੁ ਨਿੰਮੁ ਮਹਕਾਈ। Jiu Lohaa Paarasu Chhuhay Chandan Vaasu Nimu Mahakaaee. As the iron touched by philosopher’s stone becomes gold and the margosa tree (Azadirachta indica) is made fragrant by sandal. ਪਸੂ ਪਰੇਤਹੁ ਦੇਵ ਕਰਿ ਪੂਰੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਦੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ। Pasoo Paraytahu Dayv Kari Pooray Satigur Dee Vadiaaee. The wondrous Guru turns even animals and ghosts into angels. ਅਚਰਜ ਨੋ ਅਚਰਜੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੈ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਮਿਲਾਈ। Acharaj No Acharaju Milai Visamaadai Visamaadu Milaaee. Meeting the wonderous Guru the disciple wonderfully merges into the great wonderous Lord. ਝਰਣਾ ਝਰਦਾ ਨਿਝਰਹੁੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬਾਣੀ ਅਘੜ ਘੜਾਈ। Jharanaa Jharadaa Nijharahu Guramoukhi Baanee Agharh Gharhaaee. Then from the Self springs a fountain and the words of the gurmukhs shape a beautiful form ਰਾਮ ਕਬੀਰੈ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੧੫॥ Raam Kabeerai Bhaydu N Bhaaee ॥15॥ Now Ram and Kabir became identical. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

In the year 1511, during Guru Nanak’s journeys in the Middle East, a local author, Taajudin Naqshabandhi, joined Guru Nanak and remained with him for roughly one-and-a-half to two years. Taajudin documented his time with Guru Nanak in great detail. Four centuries later, a young man from Kashmir, Syed Mushtaq Hussain, chanced upon Taajudin’s handwritten manuscript while studying to become an Islamic scholar at the Medina University. This manuscript changed Mushtaq’s life. He converted to Sikhism and went on to become the renowned Sant Syed Prithipal Singh. An excerpt from Sant Prithipal Singh ji's biography and information on Taajudin's manuscript is available at the link below: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B39vxC8IGIWFbTlST1ctX2psdEk

I agree whole heartedly with N30, I don't think anybody should have the audacity to become a gatekeeper in a meeting between the Guru and a potential Sikh. Shabad Guru, the basis of Sikhism has been established by God to provide guidance for his own parts. Sikhism is not a club where we dictate pre-requisites for membership. We don't know under what circumstances will Guru attract his Sikh. If self-appointed gatekeepers were allowed to control who is good enough to meet the Guru, then Kauda Rakhash, Sajjan Thug, Guru Angad Dev ji, Guru Amar Das ji would have been barred. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

There is a chorus from Indian politicians asking Sikhs to forgive and forget the brutal killings in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. However, these same politicians continue to shield the guilty and persecute voices demanding justice. Below is the story of Manwinder Singh Giaspura whose steadfastness gave voice to many voiceless whose death remained unacknowledged for decades by Indian authorities and whose plight was unknown to Sikh community. In 2011, Manwinder Singh Giaspura rediscovered the site of Hond Chillar massacre where a village of Sikhs was wiped out in Haryana and no action was taken by the Indian authorities in spite of complaints. Manwinder Singh went public with the information and was removed from his well-paying job in retribution. Since then his house has been ransacked and he has been harassed by the police. His steadfast pursuit of justice led to establishment of Garg Commission. In January 2015, Manwinder Singh wrote the article below (translated from Punjabi) about the massacre and his experience with the commission. The article below was published in the Punjabi Daily Rozana Spokesman. Manwinder Singh Giaspura can be contacted on his cell phone: 98720-99100. "Although three decades have passed since the horror of November 1984, but these events are still fresh in the minds of the loved ones of the victims who bore the brunt. Killing toddlers by smashing their tiny bodies against walls – how can humanity fall so low? Before January 2011, I too was not fully aware of November 1984. In 1984, I was just nine years old. I had read accounts of November 1984 but none had prepared me for the beastly acts described by eye witnesses of Village Hond Chillar. The bricks in the village cry living testimony of death after thirty years. A few houses which are still standing in the village tell tales of the terror unleashed on November 2, 1984. What had tiny brothers of Surjit Kaur done to anybody to deserve this fate? The two brothers, two year old Jasbir Singh and three year old Satbir Singh were killed by smashing their bodies against brick walls. These tiny toddlers probably didn’t even know who Sikhs are and who Hindus are. According to Police Report # 91 filed by the village headman Dhanpat the murderous mob was chanting Sikhs are traitors, we will wipe them out. What crime did the little daughters of Gian Singh of Pataudi commit? The mob gang raped them in front of everybody, urinated on their bodies before killing them. When you step into the Hond village, you don’t need to ask anybody of what had happened. The bricks of the village scream testimony of November 2nd. You can still find scorched wheat in houses where people were burnt alive. The neighbors of these victims who today are claiming to be their sympathizers stood by and did nothing to help. The police administration felt no responsibility for saving the innocents. I am not making these things up -- this is the sworn testimony before the Garg Commission. The hearings for Hond Chillar started in March 2011 when one-man Garg Commission was established. The Commission’s offices are in Hisar. I had to sacrifice my job to get this commission established twenty-six after the crimes were committed. In India the ritual of sacrifice [to gods] has been popular for centuries, why would this time be any different? The Haryana Government assigned Justice T.P. Garg to this commission on March 26, 2011. The Commission became operational in August. The Government had claimed that the Commission will issue its report within six months, but sadly five consecutive extensions of six month each have been issued but still no results. We were under the impression that the Commission will investigate cases from all over Haryana. We found otherwise when victims from Gurgaon and Pataudi were denied a hearing claiming that the mandate for the commission was limited to Hond Chillar. We submitted petition number 3821 in December 2011 and based on this petition the mandate of the commission was expanded to include Gurgaon and Pataudi on July 17, 2012. The Garg Commission visited the village first time on July 26, 2013. On May 18, 2013 Surjit Kaur submitted the list of her twelve family members to the commission who were murdered in the village. Her testimony brought all of Punjab to tears. The murdered included her: grandfather Gurdial Singh, grandmother Jamna Bai, father Arjan Singh, mother Pritam Kaur, two young brothers Jasbir Singh and Satbir Singh who were two and three years old respectively, three aunts Joginder Kaur, Jasbir Kaur and Sunita Devi, and three uncles Mohinder Singh, Gurcharan Singh and Gian Singh. On June 4, 2013 a list containing names of 47 murdered Sikhs and 297 torched houses in Gurgaon was presented to the Commission. This was the first time the family members were able to get the names of these murder victims included in any official administration record. On July 4, 2013 Balwant Singh presented testimony of eleven murdered family members to the Judge. The list included his: grandfather Gulab Singh, father Kartar Singh, mother Dhani Bai, brother Bhagwan Singh, sister-in law Krishna Devi, four nephews Manohar Singh, Chanchal Singh, Sunder Singh and Inder Singh, two sisters Taravanti and Veeranwali. In August 2013 widow Bibi Kamaljit Kaur presented the account of her murdered husband Inderjit Singh who was a soldier in the Indian Army. Because of the efforts of the Hond Chiller Coordination Committee this sister has started receiving government pension. In October 2013 Ishwari Devi testified about the murder of her father Takhat Singh. In November 2013 Guddi Devi testified about the murder of her six family members which included her: father Sardar Singh, two brothers Harbhajan Singh and Dhan Singh, two sisters Meera Bai and Surjit Kaur and sister-in-law Dayawanti. In December 2013 evidence of murder of Amrit Kaur wife of Harnam Singh was presented. Deliberations for the commission concluded on January 30, 2014. Over the past three years there have been 32 sessions. Bhai Darshan Singh Gholia attended all these sessions with me. I also thank the Shiromni Guruduara Prabandhak Committee from the bottom of my heart for its cooperation. Our struggle continues. I appeal to the Sikhs that we should pay attention to this village. Lest this land of martyrs is forgotten and its precious memory entrusted to our nation is lost in dust." P.S. The Garg Commission issued its report on March 29, 2015. As a result of this commission, financial compensation has been announced for the victims, but there is no provision for framing charges against the perpetrators.

Bhai Savinderpal Singh ji, I believe that you have misquoted Professor Satbir Singh. Satbir Singh ji has explained Guru Gobind Singh ji's Kabul Hukamnama as you have indicated but he made no mention of homosexuality in his explanation. Professor Satbir Singh in his book 'Sau Sawaal (Hundred Questions)' , Published by New Book Company, Jalandhar, Edition 4, page 81, has explained the Kabul Hukamnama and he writes: "......The third instruction: 'par tan gaami nahi hona' was meant to spiritually elevate the panth. People say all is fair in war. But the Guru set a model for a Sikh's character. If for some reason a woman ended up in the custody of Sikhs in a battle, the Sikhs treated her like their own mother: 'Naa Geenrand Zun Tab Maather Kian [this verse is in Persian]'. The fourth instruction: Tobacco's attack....." Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

In India due to old religious traditions and cultural influences many people believe strongly that sex is dirty. People have projected their personal biases to float the belief that Guru Nanak's sons were not born through sex. This belief is anti-gurmat and has no historical support. The Guru says very clearly: ਜੈਸੇ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਬਾਲੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥ Without a mother or father there is no child; (SGGS 872) Why would Guru contradict his own statement and have a child without a father? God is in all creation and all births happen in God's hukam (will). The Guru is the champion of hukam. He gave us the message to always live in Hukam. Why would Guru break God's hukam? If Gurus' children were born through immaculate conception, this would been a huge deal. This fact would have been mentioned in history somewhere. Yet there is no mention of it in any of the writings of Gurus' contemporaries. It's not mentioned in: Puratan Janmsakhi, Bhai Gurdas ji's writings, Bala Janamsakhi, Meharban's writings, Bhat Bani in SGGS or Bhai Mani Singh ji's Janamsakhi. The very first mention is in Suraj Prakash which was written in 1843 -- centuries later after the Guru left his human form. Creation is a form of God, there is nothing bad in it. To see good and bad is to get mired in duality which takes us away from God. ਸਭੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ਹੈ ਸਭੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ਹੈ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਈ ॥ God is everything, God is everything. Without God, there is nothing at all. (SGGS 485) ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥ He Himself is everything; there is no other at all. (SGGS 39) Only thing bad is when we forget God, we stop seeing reality (which is God) and through attachment we see illusion. A deed is not good or bad; It's the attachment associated with deeds which is bad because it leads us to duality and make us forget God. Sex is a very powerful emotion and it's very easy to fall in its grip of attachment. This grip is Kaam which makes us forget God and leads us to hurt other human beings through cheating, jealousy, possessiveness and subjugation. If we are in a loving relationship with our spouse and view sex as a gift from God then sex is beautiful -- it's a blessing. If we see God in our spouse, then any interaction with our spouse is worship of God. In many places in SGGS Guru has compared union with God as a carnal relationship where Sikh is the bride and God is the groom: ਮਿਠਾ ਬੋਲਹਿ ਨਿਵਿ ਚਲਹਿ ਸੇਜੈ ਰਵੈ ਭਤਾਰੁ ॥ Her speech is sweet, and her way of life is humble. She enjoys the Bed of her Husband Lord. (SGGS 31) ਸਦ ਹੀ ਸੇਜੈ ਰਵੈ ਭਤਾਰੁ ॥ She enjoys her Husband Lord forever on His Bed. (SGGS 357) If sex was bad, then why would Guru compare a bad thing to something so wonderful as being one with God. If there was even an iota of sin in sex then Guru would not have used sex as a metaphor for union with God. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Your argument that marriage's main function is to procreate does make some sense. However, I do not think that a marriage without procreation is illegitimate. If procreation were to be the primary requirement for accepting a marriage, then shouldn't Sikhs ban heterosexual marriages where: - One or both of the partners are past the child bearing age? - One or both of the partners had a medical sterilization procedure? - Couple has decided not to have children? How much of the procreation responsibility do we have to exercise to make a marriage legitimate? An average healthy couple who chose to have two children over a twenty year of child bearing period planned to procreate less than once in every thousand times they chose to have sex. Are we same as homosexuals 99.9% of the time when we have sex knowing full well that we are doing so not to procreate? Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Bhai N30 Singh ji, Congratulations for your initiative to address the agan bhet issue. I commend you for taking action on this subject. I, however, humbly submit a different view for consideration of the sangat. While considering our course of action, I believe that we need to differentiate between the Guru (shabad) and the medium through which the Guru reaches us (e.g. paper and ink). Taking everything into account, I think agan bhet may be an OK option, provided we do not turn it into a ritual. Fortunately, SGGS has provided us very clear definitions of what our Guru is, and what our Guru is not, let’s start by reviewing the Guru’s guidance on this subject. Who is our Guru? Our Guru is shabad or Gurbani. ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰਾ ਗਹਿਰ ਗੰਭੀਰਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਜਗੁ ਬਉਰਾਨੰ ॥ The Shabad is Guru and spiritual teacher, profound and unfathomable; without the Shabad, the world is insane. (SGGS 635) ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਚੇਲਾ ॥ The Shabad is the Guru, upon whom I focus my consciousness; I am the disciple. (SGGS 943) ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਬਾਣੀ ਵਿਚਿ ਬਾਣੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸਾਰੇ ॥ The Word, the Bani is Guru, and Guru is the Bani. Within the Bani, the Ambrosial Nectar is contained. (SGGS 982) Was Nanak, the man, who was born in 1469 AD our Guru? The answer is no. The Guru existed before the creation (before time existed), and will exist when the creation is over. ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਨਾ ਆਵੈ ਨਾ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਓਹੁ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ My True Guru, is forever and ever, he does not come and go. He is the Imperishable Creator Lord; He is permeating and pervading among all. (SGGS 759) The “Shabad Guru Nanak” chose “Nanak the man” as a medium to communicate with us. This is why we do not say that Guru Nanak Dev ji was born, instead we use the word “Prakash” i.e. Guru Nanak came to light for us mortals. Our Guru was very careful, he wanted to make sure that Sikhs concentrate on Shabad and not mistake his body or persona as Guru, therefore he issued a warning: ਸਿੰਮਲ ਰੁਖੁ ਸਰੀਰੁ ਮੈ ਮੈਜਨ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੁਲੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥ ਸੇ ਫਲ ਕੰਮਿ ਨ ਆਵਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਤੇ ਗੁਣ ਮੈ ਤਨਿ ਹੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ॥ My body is like the simmal tree; seeing me, other people are fooled. Its fruits are useless - just like the qualities of my body. (SGGS 729). This is probably the reason that our Gurus discouraged any portraits and writings about their life. Is paper, ink and letters in SGGS our Guru? The answer is no. Again these are medium used by Shabad to meet us physical beings. ਏ ਅਖਰ ਖਿਰਿ ਜਾਹਿਗੇ ਓਇ ਅਖਰ ਇਨ ਮਹਿ ਨਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ These letters shall perish; they cannot describe the Imperishable Lord. (SGGS 340) Is whatever our living gurus said called Gurbani? The answer is no. Our gurus lived among normal human beings and must have talked about ordinary things with their fellow beings. Not everything they said is Gurbani. In order to further differentiate between their mortal human form (the medium) and the Shabad Guru, the Gurus termed “Gurbani” only things which they were willed to say by God the Shabad Guru. ਹਉ ਆਪਹੁ ਬੋਲਿ ਨ ਜਾਣਦਾ ਮੈ ਕਹਿਆ ਸਭੁ ਹੁਕਮਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥ By myself, I know not what to say; I speak all that the Lord commands. (SGGS 763) ਜੈਸੀ ਮੈ ਆਵੈ ਖਸਮ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਤੈਸੜਾ ਕਰੀ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਵੇ ਲਾਲੋ ॥ As the Word of the Forgiving Lord comes to me, so do I express it, O Lalo. (SGGS 722) Is it even possible for us to repair or restore the Guru? The answer is no. There is no difference between Guru and God. ਗੁਰੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਏਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ The Guru and the Transcendent Lord are one and the same, pervading and permeating amongst all. (SGGS 53) Similar to God, Guru is beyond: aging, damage, affected by insult/praise and need of help. To think we can somehow take an action which can diminish, disrespect, assist, improve or aggrandize Guru is ludicrous. When we are talking about agan bhet or the need to restore religious texts, we are simply talking about the medium, not the Guru. Medium will always perish and can be destroyed or repaired; the Guru cannot be. Somehow to vow that we will restore and repair a medium forever is an impossible proposition. How do we handle medium respectfully? The Gurus have taught us that even the dust from the feet of a person imbued in Shabad is respect-worthy. One can imagine how important and respectable would be the medium which brought the “Shabad Guru” to us. But we cannot ignore the fact that every medium will reach end of its life, and we must find a way to deal with respectfully retiring the medium. The Guru is everywhere and in everything, therefore, it would not matter to the Guru how medium is retired. However, it matters to a Sikh how a medium is retired, it would hurt any Sikh’s feelings, if they saw something with Guru’s writings discarded in a trash heap somewhere. Our quest to find a suitable option for retiring the medium is not driven by the needs of the Guru (who is beyond needs) but by the sentiments and the needs of the Sikhs. I can think of two acceptable options: we could bury the medium or do agan bhet. Culturally, Sikhs may be more comfortable with agan bhet. Therefore, I think agan bhet is an OK option. We have to be careful to not go overboard with whatever we choose. Retiring a medium is not a spiritual act, by turning it into a pseudo-spiritual ritual will only misguide us and will misdirect us away from our Guru’s message. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh

I am not sure if I fully understood your concern. If you are assuming that Amritdhari Sikhs can have sex only to conceive, then that assumption is wrong. The Rehat Maryada requires only that you not have sex outside your marriage. Sex is a natural thing created by God. Like many other gifts in our life, loving relationship involving sex is a gift from God. ਜਿਹ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਰੰਗ ਰਸ ਭੋਗ ॥ ॥ By His Grace, you enjoy tastes and pleasures (SGGS 269) The Guru wants us to use these gifts to bolster our love for God by being thankful to God when we enjoy these gifts. The only reminder we get from our Guru is to not get so engrossed in the gifts that we forget the giver. ਦਾਤਿ ਪਿਆਰੀ ਵਿਸਰਿਆ ਦਾਤਾਰਾ ॥ He loves gifts, but he forgets the Giver. (SGGS 676) Sikhism grew up in a culture where people held the belief that denying comfort or torturing one's body will bring one closer to God. Sikhism does not support this belief, however, the past cultural influences are still prevalent in our thinking. It's based on this flawed thinking, some people still believe that denying sex to our body is a virtue. Sikhism promotes "sehaj" (natural effortlessness) path. God is our father. It is every father's desire to bestow comfort on his children. We do not make our father happy by making ourselves uncomfortable; we make him happy by loving him and by appreciating his care for us. If you have thirst for amrit in your mind, I suggest that you go ahead and take the pahul, and not worry about these little things. Don't forget that once we take amrit, we become Guru's responsibility. If you take one step towards the Guru, the Guru will take millions of steps to welcome you (Bhai Gurdas ji). Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh

I am not sure for which particular reference are you seeking authenticity? I can point you to some of the general items: The Appendix in the book documents a number of independent sources and photographs of corroborating evidence Sant Syed Prithipal Singh was a famous person, and many people living today know him Mushtaq Hussain's (later Sant Prithipal Singh) notes are available from Doctor Himmat Singh, these notes are also available from the Sant's family members. Some of the arguments mentioned in Taajudin and Jainul Abdin's manuscripts quote specific Islamic texts Pir Dasatgir Hazrat Abdul Kadar Jilani has been a very famous figure in Iraq. His monument still exists in Baghdad. It may be possible to acquire a copy of his autobiography Guniyate Salahine which would shed more light on his meeting with the Guru. Taajudin's handwritten manuscript Siyahto Baba Nank Fakir may be a bit more challenging to locate. If the manuscript still exists in a library at Medina University, it may be possible for a University professor to request a copy of this manuscript through an inter-University exchange. I dont know how one would go about tracing Jainul Abdin's book Twarikh-e-Arab Guru's Arabic robe lies at Dera Baba Nanak, you can google and see its pictures. Pictures of Guru's Kharav are also available online. There is plenty of corroborating evidence already available. There are strong clues in this book, as to where we should look for more evidence. I think it would be a worthwhile project for amateur and professional historians to do some further digging. Hope this helps. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh

In the year 1511, during Guru Nanak’s journeys in the Middle East, a local author, Taajudin Naqshabandhi, joined Guru Nanak and remained with him for roughly two years. Taajudin documented his time with Guru Nanak in great detail. Four centuries later, a young man from Kashmir, Syed Mushtaq Hussain, chanced upon Taajudin’s handwritten manuscript while studying to become an Islamic scholar at the Medina University. This manuscript changed Mushtaq’s life. He converted to Sikhism and went on to become the renowned Sant Syed Prithipal Singh. This book provides a rare historical account of Sikh history and the Guru's divinity, based on eyewitness accounts. It's a remarkable book and a must read. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B39vxC8IGIWFbTlST1ctX2psdEk Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh