Guest kaur1699 Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 I read the autobiography of Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh Ji afew years back and was amazed by some of the events that they had been though durin their lifetime....... Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961) Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961), a revolutionary as well as a saintly personage much revered among the Sikhs, was born on 7 july 1878 at the village of Narangval in Ludhiana district of the Punjab, to Nattha Singh and Panjab Kaur. Nattha Singh was at first the district inspector of schools of Ludhiana and then translator of law books in the princely state of Patiala, in which capacity he rendered into Punjabi the Indian Penal Code under the title Hind Dandavali. Later, he became a judge of the High Court in Nabha state. Randhir Singh passed his high school at Nibha and was admitted to Government College at Lahore in 1896. In 1898, he transferred himself to Forman Christian College at Lahore, but left in 1900 without completing his course for the Bachelor's degree. At college, he excelled in poetry and athletics. The poet in him flowered into a religious mystic and the sportsman into an intrepid campaigner for the political freedom of the country. In October 1902, Randhir Singh was appointed a naib tahsildar and personal assistant to the District Plague Medical Officer Dr R.W. Fisher. In 1903, he resigned his government post, declining simultaneously an offer of promotion to the higher rank ot tahsildar. He received the vows of the Khalsa on 14 june 1903 at Bakapur, near Phillaur, at a special diwan convened to convert to Sikhism Karim Bakhsh, a Muslim, and his family. At initiation, he received the name of Randhir Singh, his previous name being Basant Singh. Briefly in 1904-05, he worked as a head clerk in a government office at Abbotabad, where he spent most of his time in meditation. This was a time of spiritual illumination, as recorded in his autobiography jel Chithia (Letters from jail). In 1907, he took up the job of a hostel superintendent at the Khalsa College at Amritsar, only to quit it like his government appointment. Randhir Siiigh was appointed secretary of the Khalsa Diwan, Damdama Sahib, in 1908. When in 1913 the government demolished the outer wall of Gurdwara Rikabganj in Delhi to secure symmetry in the vicinity of the Viceroy's Palace, he took a leading part in organizing protest meetings. By September-October 1914, members of the Ghadr party had started pouring into India from the United States and Canada to make an armed insurrection. Some of them contacted Bhai Randhir Singh, who readily offered to co-operate and who became one of the leaders of the Ghadr revolution in the Malva region. On 19 February 1915, he marched out with a batch of about 60 comrades to help Kartar Singh Sarabha capture the Firozpur cantonment. The plan, however, fell through. Randhir Singh was detained at Nabha on 9 May 1915 and on 19 june was put under arrest and taken to Ludhiana. He remained in Ludhiana jail until 27 October 1915 when he was removed to Lahore. He was tried in the Lahore conspiracy case II and, on 30 March 1916, sentenced to transportation for life. For sixteen long years (1915 to 1930), he was shifted from jail to jail - Lahore, Multan, Hazaribagh, Rdjahmundry and Nagpur. While in Multan jail, he went on a protest fast to secure for the Sikh prisoners their religious rights and won his point after a 40-day trial. Just before his release on 4 October 1930, he was brought to Lahore jail where a Muslim jailer arranged a meeting between him and Bhagat Singh, the martyr then under death sentence. Bhagat Singh, as says Bhai Randhir Singh in his jel Chitthian, confessed that he had been up to that time an atheist but that after meeting Bhai Randhir Singh a new spiritual awareness had come to him. After his release from jail in October 1930, Bhai Randhir Singh turned increasingly inwards and spent most of his time in meditation and in preaching the Guru's word through kirtan and through akhand Paths. For his standing in Sikh piety and for his qualities of courage and sacrifice, he received siropas or robes of honour at all the Takhts, seats of highest religious authority. In the hukamnama issued from the Akal Takht, Amritsar, on 15 September 1931, he was eulogized for his "steadfastness, selfless sacrifice and outstanding services to the Panth." Besides the Takhts, he received similar acclaim at other holy places, including Tarn Taran, Khadur Sahib, Goindval Sahib and Sultanpur Lodhi. He was chosen to be one of the Panj Piarey, the Five Beloved, who initiated on 17 September 1931 kar-seva or voluntary mass Labour to clean the holy tank at Tarn Taran. He was the jathedar of the Panj Piarey chosen to lay, on 14 October 1932, the cornerstone of the new building of Gurdwara Panja Sahib. He was also included among the Panj Piarey who performed similar ceremonies at Gurdwara Shahid Ganj at Nankana Sahib (21 November 1934), Akal Bunga at Patna Sahib (8 January 1938) and the Kavi Darbar Asthan at Paonta Sahib (17 March 1938). Bhai Randhir Singh wrote more than three dozen books and tracts on Sikh theology, philosophy and mysticism. Especially notable among his works are jelh Chitthian, Anhad Shabad-Dasam Duar, a book on the highest state of spiritual illumination according to Sikhism, Charan Kamal ki Mauj, an essay on mystical experience, Gurmati Nam Abhias Kamai, a theological treatise on the discipline of Nam, i.e. absorption in the Divine Name, Gurmat Bibek, a book on the Sikh code of conduct, and Gurbani dian Lagan Matran di Vilakkhanata, dealing with peculiarities of vowel symbols in Gurbani. Joti Vigas and Darshan jhalkan are books of mystical poetry. Bhai Randhir Singh died on 16 April 1961 at Ludhiana. On his death 200 akhand paths or continuous recitations of the Guru Granth Sahib were performed in and outside India. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazing Singh Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 Read the book as well, its 1 of a kind and is sooo inspiring! Would recommend anyone to take a read throught at it. Bhai Randir Singh was such a pure soul that touched our planet and helped other gursikhs to walk on the true path...... thats the thing with sants and brahm-gianis they help us mortals to obtain salvation!!!!! All respect from my heart goes out to like minded individuals that are 1 in a million! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz singh Posted April 22, 2003 Report Share Posted April 22, 2003 Yeh i agree wid b;azing singh.............. shud all read his autubiography....dats wat gt me in2 sikhi like naam simran an stuff..... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gupt Singh Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 where can i get hold of the autobiography in uk? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagroop Singh Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 Gurfateh Sikh Missionary Society sell it (Featherstone Road, Southall). also, if you attend any rainsbhais in the UK, ( details can be found at: <http://www.akj.org.uk/programmes/default.asp> ) there are usually copies at the book-selling table - i'm sure if you ask nicely they'll give it u for free. ps really recommend it; gave me a life-changing experience just when i needed it. if all else fails, 'pm' me. Gurfateh 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaamBiyaasi Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh People too often praise the lives of others. Reflect on the virtues, that are often time seen as components seperate from the One and observed in the perishable. I would not give the title of Bhai, Sant, Bibi, Mahapursh to anyone, regardless of the virtues within them. Those are virtues of the One, ALONE. By calling someone Bhai, or giani, I do no justice, other than inflate their ego, and inflate mine in terms of "nimrita," and place a judgement upon those that I do not refer to as Bhai, or Giani's. I think True Humility, requires for us to exist in SatNaam. That experience will be unique to Every Soul, and that relationship with the Beloved, should not be labelled, with some relationship being given Greater Value than others. Our Beloved, Loves and Talks to us all the Same. That is a very Intimate relationship, that Our Beloved Alone Makes with us. So why do we place a label upon it? I am in no place to call another something other than my Veerji or Bhenji. All I can acknowledge is the One Family. The Bhagats in Gurbani, Delivered the Word of the Guru. One Guru, One SatGuru. They were also my Guru, as they were the Lone Brahmgiani. Gurbani is one, delivered by the One, and Eternally of the One, SatNaam. May we Die in Vaheguru's Word. The Word Beyond the perishable, Beyond living vessels, the Word Beyond finite existence. One Love. AKaal Hee AKaal Hee Akaal Hee Akaal............... Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagroop Singh Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 Gurfateh vaahiguroo...vaahiguroo...vaahiguroo...vaahiguroo...vaahiguroo Gurfateh 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nek Posted July 4, 2004 Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 Bhai sahib randhir singh ji did not like ppl calling him bhai sahib but they still insisted to do so. read his book, very inspiring and touching. after i dont think you would mind calling him 'bhai sahib':) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenge_everything Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 How can you call someone who disowned part of gurbani "bhai sahib"??? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 And what about this : How can you call someone who eats meat a Sikh ? Bhai Sahib was the only Sikh (well atleast the only Sikh I heard of) who was given the highest honor by all 5 Takhts for his contribution to the panth. He spent 16 years in jails under British rule but never wavered from Sarbloh Bibek (a joke for some "Sikhs"). Before passing such statements, have you read even half of a book (out of the multitudes of books) written by him? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 And what about this : How can you call someone who eats meat a Sikh ? Easily. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 really? How can you call someone who disowned part of gurbani "bhai sahib"???very easily fair enuff ??? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawrof Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 If a muslim couldn't get one to god or islam was not considered a legitimate path to god, guru hargobind would not have created guru ka maseet. if udasi's weren't good preachers and their bhagtee wasn't "Rated" then why would guru sahib give baba gurditta to baba sri chand? my readings of jail chittian and unditti duniya indicates to me that the only people who can get to sachkhand are gursikhs..... I do understand there is a pecking order but I dont believe it is that simple or narrow. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 The janeu is a symbol of caste superiority, and Sikhi has always been against caste system. Yet, Guru Tegh Bahadur Jee sacrificed His life for religious freedom (tilak janju rakha prabh taa ka). The fact that Guru Hargobind created Guru ki maseet is another example of how tolerant the Gurus were of other faiths. And about udasis, I never came across any kind of antagonism from any Sikh towards udasis. The point is that Gurujee wasn't against any religion or way of worship ever at all, in the sense that they believed in freedom, and preached the futility of fake rituals and superstitions. Thats the reason that inspite of being against the caste system, Gurujee still "defended" it when it was being threatened by someone who was forcing his way of life as Sikhi doesn't believe in forcing one's beliefs down someone's throat. But that doesn't mean you actually support or follow their way, do you? You just advocate their freedom to follow and practice it, right? Gurujee on one hand built a mosque because He respected the Muslim's right to religious freedom, and yet in Gurbani Bhagat Naamdev Jee said "Hindu anna Turku kaana", what do we draw from that? My friend please don't confuse tolerance with support. As far as Jail Chithhiyaan and Undithi Duniya (haven't read this one full yet) are concerned, I don't remember reading any place that non-Sikhs were destined for hell. Also, I don't know if you read the Punjabi or English version (I can't read Gurmukhi very well so am relying on English one) , because firstly the English version uses really heavy words (too heavy for me atleast ), and secondly I am not sure if the translation captures the entire essence of the original work although its one hell of a good job, but then again original is original. Not that I am trying to defend anything you didn't understand in the book, but thats just what I feel. As for Sikhs and sachkhand, well, I am no one to say or decide who goes where after death. Sikhi teaches acceptance and I am perfectly happy following that. Bhai Sahib was definitely of higher avastha than any of us here (unless there are hidden members who don't or hardly post ), and so if he said that GurSikhs go to sachkhand (like you stated), then all I can say is that one needs to look at the deeper meanings behind it and not judge the words literally to be fanatical or hateful (No I didn't say you are doing so). Manmukhs like me can't explain it to respectable seekers like yourself, because we are not at his level (I know I am not, can't say the same for you). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh47 Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 "How can you call someone who disowned part of gurbani "bhai sahib"???" Mr/Ms everything, He was given the title "Bhai Sahib" by the Takhts, and that includes Hazoor Sahib and Patna Sahib. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 "How can you call someone who disowned part of gurbani "bhai sahib"???" He was given the title "Bhai Sahib" by the Takhts, and that includes Hazoor Sahib and Patna Sahib.Thanks! . I actually forgot to mention that . Wait, I don't know if I knew it, so thanks again! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawrof Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 mehtab singh, I really enjoyed reading your post. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Thanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 Dhan Dhan Sant Maharaj Bhai Sahib Ji Randhir Singh Ji Narang Walie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenge_everything Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 If he wasn't given a saropa from the fifth takht of Buddha Dal then these other saropas are invalid without the blessing of the then Jathedar of the panth Akaali Baba Chet Singh Ji Nihang. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 You just have to diss him without reading a single word written by him, don't you? I feel extremely sorry for you. You have my sincere sympathies LOL ps : Just to make you happy, Hazur Sahib was one of the Takhats that gave him the title of Bhai Sahib. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sardar Moderator Singh Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Can we please stick to discussing Bhai Sahib Jee, his works, his lifestyle, beliefs and contributions in a mature fashion, be it admiration or critical, but let's please refrain from the playground discussion that this is fast becoming. Thanking you all, SMS 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 For those engaging in playground discussion... Timar Agiaan to Ujiaaraa Bhai Sahib Bhai Randheer Singh Jee : http://www.akj.org/skins/default/books.php?ch=1&bookid=6 Amrit Ki Hain - The Meaning of Sikh Baptism Translated by: Dr. Trilochan Singh Jee Bhai Sahib Bhai Randheer Singh Jee : http://www.akj.org/skins/default/books.php?ch=1&bookid=2 Vaaheguroo Simran Bhai Sahib Bhai Randheer Singh Jee : http://www.akj.org/skins/default/books.php?ch=1&bookid=7 check these out (as in read them) before u pass immature statements 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenge_everything Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 I've read the works of Bhai Randhir Singh, but the fact remains that he was a modern day ram raeeyaa who disowned a whole ang of Aad Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. But if you regard a human being higher than the Guru thats up to you veer Mehtab Singh. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehtab Singh Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 Who are you to call him ram raeeya? The Ragmala issue still remains unsolved (although many have their own presumptions and opinions...now I wonder how many will turn this into a Ragmala thread) within the panth like other issues. Also, where have I held him higher than Guru Sahib? Do you read stuff thats not visible? Is that how you read Bhai Sahib's works? Well, no wonder! Plus there is something called pre-conceived notion. Meaning if you have decided to condemn someone, no matter who/what they are, you will just condemn them and thrust your opinion over everything else. Therefore, since you have made up your mind to put Bhai Sahib down (like you gonna be successful!!), no matter what anyone tells you about him, your opinion won't change. I have given you links, and you can get more books by him if you are interested. Read them if possible. I don't need to go into the fact as to how many people's lives have changed just by reading about his life and experiences. He continues to be an inspiration and role model even 43 years after his akaal chalana. There are loads of haters out there who say bs about the way he passed away, and some even go to the extent of predicting his after-life according to their own biased and messed up presumptions, and think they are brahmgyanis and can see what happened to him after his akaal chalana. Forgive me for saying this (and this is not directed towards veer "challenge everything" or anyone else in particular), but the only reason I see for some people's antagonism towards Bhai Sahib is a feeling of intimidation that they feel, as they themselves don't have a similar spiritual personality to look upto, and so find every possible chance to throw insults at Bhai Sahib. Good luck satisfying your ego and hiding your insecurity !!! The fact that the light is too bright and hurts the eyes isn't the light's fault, is it? I have said enough. This isn't the first time someone threw mud at Bhai Sahib's personality (read other threads). Any amount of nindya isn't gonna change the truth, no matter how hard a hater tries. My last post (just in this thread) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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