Man and Mooli - a thought

Generally the shelf life of the Mooli (radish) is four days. Rarely may a Mooli retain itself for the fifth day.

The life of a man can also be compared with the Mooli. The first day of the Mooli is like the period of youth. The leaves attached with it are full of life and it has a lot of cohesion and rigidity.

On the second day the Mooli is quite fine but the leaves are half dead. This stage of the Mooli can be compared with a person who is between thirty to forty five years of age.

The third day of the Mooly is quite droopy. The leaves are almost dead. The Mooli isn't that stiff when pressed. It is like the human life between forty five years to sixty five years.  Many people at this stage of life try to hide the fact that they are aging. It is like closing the eyes before reality. It is said that some birds also close their eyes when a cat approaches. It gives them some relief. People at this age adopt several means to look young but reality has a nasty habit of emerging in one form or the other.

On the fourth day the Mooli is withered and is full of wrinkles. There aren't any leaves on it. Usually that is its last day. This can be compared with the human life beyond the age of sixty five and normally upto the age of eighty years.

Comparing money power with petrol

Petrol has immense energy stored in each drop. If it is in the petrol tank of the engine it provides it with power. On the other if it is sprinkled on the body of the vehicle or uopon the driver it would make them highly vulnerable to flames.

Money power is quite similar to the petrol power. It is of great worth as long as it is pulling our house hold. If it happens to enter our head it would burn both, our mind as well as our soul.

Preserving advice in a knot - a thought

There was always a scope for a knot at the loose end of one's garment in the earlier times. Pocket was not in vogue. The ladies and gents used to keep valuable things and tie them with a knot in some part of their clothing. The process was called 'Palle bandna' (equivalent of pocketing something).

When some valuable advice is given, people often say, 'Is baat ko Palle Bandh lo' (preserve this advice safely with yourself like you preserve valuables in a knot at the loose end of your garment).

In the present times there is hardly any loose end of the garment that can be used for storing things.  But as my age is approaching 50 years, I wish to catch hold of the following advice with firmness;

1 - As the head of the family I should never lose my cool, come what may. There is an example amongst our relatives where the head of the family got so enraged that the bood rushed up into his head and caused a brain hemorrhage. He was around sixty years old. Although it is not entirely in one's control to keep the temperament under check but a senior person has only to lose by anger.

2 - While entering the evening phase of my life I must catch hold of 'Godly Virtues' with firmness and learn to let go the 'Worldly Things' with ease and grace.

{ Lord is the cause of causes. Catch hold of his virtuous name with firmness - Guru Arjun Dev }

Bait and the wider perspective - a thought

1 - A fisherman puts some food over his hook as a bait to catch fish.
2 - Kidnappers use toffees or chocklates to lure young children.
3 - The Thugs of yore used sweet tongue and assuared safety to the people on the move. They accompanied them as fellow travellers and often outnumbered their victims by four to one. At some forlorn spot the leader would use some code word like 'Tambaku Laao'. The members of the gang would throw hand-ker chief around the necks of their victims and strangled them in cold blood. Here the sweet tongue and assurance of safety were used as a bait.
4 - Sometimes the modern day swindlers use honesty as a bait. They borrow money from the money lenders at higher rates of interest. They return it honestly. Then they borrow higher amounts and return that money also very honestly. Finally they borrow a very huge sum and defraud their creditors.
5 - Some fake Sadhus may use divine knowledge as a bait.

But there is a broader perspective to look at it. God himself is the fisherman. He himself is the fishing rod and he himself is the water. He himself is the bait and he himself is the fish that gets caught with it. (Guru Nanak)

Superstitious people

At Sikhnet a young woman is not happy as all her in laws are superstitious people.My reply to her post was as follows--
'Nanak ki prabh paas benanti tere jan dekhan pavan.'(sggs)-It is Nanak's humble request that he might see the people of(in love with) God.But not always our request is granted,So, we come across those who happen to be in the dark.Then let it be as it is the will of God that we happen to be among the less enlightened.

The ears cannot be plugged --an essay

Kabir berra jarjara phute chek anek(sggs)
---Despite the fact that we are on a weak boat(fallible tendencies of a human self) several holes(weakpoints) have appeared to make the matters worse.We are blessed with ears to listen the truth.In Anand Sahib Guruji says 'Ae sarvno merio----'(O my ears you have been planted on the body to hear the true bani that makes the body and the soul green(full of life).
But the ears are the holes that cannot be plugged.Some people may speak lies and we may stop listening to them.But there are those who have a track record of speaking the truth.Such people can pour true but immoral stories from their real life happenings into our ears and cause soul pollution.One may close his eyes if one does not wish to see something.One may not eat or drink something if one does not wish to consume it .But the ears can hardly be plugged.More so when you feel that the person to whom you are listening has a record of narrating true accounts.Sometimes while conversing with them(it is essential to talk maximum while teaching spoken English), they fill my ears with strange and polluting stories from their lifeI live in Punjab where almost everyone wants to be fluent in English.The age of a student who comes to learn from me can be even more than that of mine(I am 45 years old).They talk frankly with me because I treat them as friends. As far as I have come to know,the boys(men) love to talk about their immoral sexual adventures with an air of pride.
Having said that I wish to say that I have carved out two idioms based on ears.The first one was in my mind since long time and the second one has been crafted recently.Since modern Punjabi is quite bold in its expressions I wish to apologise in advance if they are found to be a bit indecent .But before that I would like to share some idioms related to ears that are already popular.
'Kann khichna'(to pull someones ears--meaning to scold someone)
'Kann da kacha'(a person with weak ears--a person who bwlieves everyone)
'Kanna nu hath laona'(to touch ears--its equivalent in English is 'Once bitten twice shy')
'Ek kann vichon sunn ke duje vichon kadna(getting the matter or advice from one ear and releasing it through the other).This one is indeed difficult to practise as what one hears surely leaves an effect behind .
Now, the idioms put forward by me are as follows--
1-Kannan da balatkar karna(Raping the ears)---.This idiom can be used when someone plays loudspeakers too loudly.Some people cannot understand that the type of music they like might not be liked by others.
2--Kannan vich mootna(to urinate in the ears).This idiom can be used when someone unfolds shocking sex stories involving himself and it leaves your brain thoroughly polluted.

Recently I was a victim of soul pollution through the ears.The second idiom applied to me.What a relief I got when I heard Gurbani the next morning !!The positive part of it is that one starts valueing Amrit(nectar of gurbani)much more if he has come across Jaher(poison).

Daily routine as a Sikh

Some one was interested in knowing the daily routine as a Sikh from the Sikhnet.com participants.My reply was as follows
It is like
1-an early riser (4AM)
2-Washroom routine(40 minutes)
3-Chanting Moolmantar(5 minutes)
4-Listening Gurbani(40 minutes)
5-Being in touch with fellow Sikhs cyber or otherwise(30 minutes a day)
6-Social service(30 minutes a week approx as a store keeper of Gurudwara giving and taking plates etc to families for the religious gatherings at their houses)
7-Keeping aside 10% of earnings for a spiritual cause.(langar etc)
8-Leading an intoxicant free life(not even tea)
9-Always trying to speak the truth.
10-Move on with life as per the Lord's will.

Disturbed by slanderers

A white girl in US posted at Sikhnet discussion forum and said she was disturbed as some people at the local Gurudwara slandered her.My reply was as follows--
There is a saying in Punjabi ''Ander hove Sach tan Kothe Char ke Nach''(If you have truth on your side you can dance on the rooftop).Those who call you bad are taking away the load from you and placing on their heads.This is exactly what a slanderer gets after slandering.

King - An ordinary man's perspective

Anyone who wanted to get his head shaved had to bow it while sitting before the village barber.There were no chairs at a barber's place in the earlier times in the rural Punjab.For this reason the village barber was fondly called a Raja(King).Here I am not talking about a Raja in that sense of bowing.Rather a Raja from an ordinary man's perspective by virtue of his qualities.
In rural Punjab a person is considered a King if ---
1-He does not need to borrow anything from anybody and lives within his means .
2-He has Guru's Gian(knowledge) in his Chholi(wallet).
3-He has no enemity with anyone. .
4-He enjoys good health or in other words does not suffer from any disease.
5-He is free of addiction(I have freed myself even from the addiction of tea and refined sugar).

If a person has the above qualities he is considered a Raja.It is said that 'O tan vaissae he Raja aa'(He is even otherwise a King or no less than a King)
By Waheguru,s grace I meet all the above criteria to a great extent My self is by Waheguru's grace,therefore, simply a Raja (King) no matter how humble my earning,living standard or my work as a private tutor is.

Healing through Confession

It requires a lot of courage to confess honestly and I am not sure if I have enough of it.One thing that is quite certain is that an honest confession makes a person lighter.Honest confessions before God,Guru or Guru's Sangat is a good way to heal the soul and leave a lesson for the others.Let me try to make a confession-----
A refugee is called Sharanarthi in Punjabi.How would it look if a Sharnarthi tries to display ego in front of a person who has given him refuge?It would look as if a person is cutting the branch from the thicker side on which he is sitting on the thinner side.When I look back in my life I find that I have acted in a similar way on more than one occasion.

The correct time

At Sikhnet discussion forum a girl posted a question regarding being Amritdhari and the appropriate time to be Amritdhari.Her mother discouraged her by saying that no one would marry her if she becomes an Amritdhari.My reply was as follows------
Around 1980 a bollywood movie called 'The burning train was released'.Let us look at the things like the burning train of that movie---
Our life is like a burning train that refuses to stop.It would stop only at our death.Now all the things whether good or bad have to happen while the train is burning and running.If one wants to have total calmness and total stillness before taking Amrit or taking a positive decesion then he or she has only to keep waiting because our life is like a burning train that refuses to stop.That no one would marry an Amritdhari girl ought to be the other way round as I feel every body would love to marry a pious and a virgin Gursikh girl.

Intuition

A member at Sikhnet started a thread on intuition and my post was as followa---
A concious state of mind can easily tell the obvious things and the world calls it intuition.
Example 1-A crazy teenager drives rashly and an elderly bystander comments 'His bad times are near' and it becomes true.
Example 2-A person is in a high ego state and a Gurmukh says ''He is inviting troubles''.It happens to be true and troubles befall upon him and the world may call it intuition.
Apart from this there can be super concious state of saints who can foretell many more things.While meditating during my teenage I could foresee my children scanning my character.This lead me to be Amritdhari at the age of eighteen and now my children must be pondering over my earlier days or atleast I think they must be.My attachment with the Guru for the last 27 years could probably set an example for them or atleast clothe up my dirt(of the mind)or perhaps act as a character certificate.
The beard and the hair act as spiritual antina for me.I get to know that I must leave a place as it does not probably suit my flowing beard or Sikh appearance and I feel troubles and harrasments are averted.In 1984 I was near AIIMS watching the crowd while Mrs Indira Gandhi was assasinated.Something in me made me see the invisible tension and I left the company of my hindu friend,boarded a bus and reached home safely.One may call it intuition.As per my perception it is all related to the concious level of our souls.

The slippery world

At Sikhnet Discussion forum a girl posted <<<In my opinion, Sikhi is simple and sweet. It is not as complicated as humans make it ought to be. For me it is not only a religion, but also a way of life, my way of life. Although, I don't smoke, drink, cut my hair (i'm on this tip right now), engage in pre-marital sex, I do eat meat. I tried to be a vegetarian for a year, but my iron was extremely low and I decided to eat meat for health reasons. I try my best to be the best person I can be, and I try my best not to hurt others unintentionally or intentionally.______>>>
My reply was as follows----
Sat Siri Akalji, It is a gift of Waheguru.It can be given or taken by him at his sweet will.He is in the villain and also in the hero.He can turn a fool into a learned and a learned into a fool (khal moorakh te pandat karbo Pandat te mugdhari-SGGS). A few days ago I was telling my children that the world is very slippery.A single CD or a pen drive is enough to corrupt a person.So, let us be thankful to God that we are able to think rightly as within no time Maya can make us like inverted pots that can not store anything and we can become the foolest among the fools. May God bless all with the right type of thinking. Sikhi is a Gift of God.In Punjab the turbans ,the beards and the kesh have flung in the storm of Maya.You appear to be blessed by Waheguru.

A reply to a person at Sikhnet

Today a young person honestly admitted at Sikhnet his addiction to porn movies and the withdrawal troubles he is getting.My reply was as follows------
In the olden days of Hindi cinema the hero used to court the heroine upto the interval and the heroine used to frown.Finally when the heroine used to give in, the crowd got a tremendous sensation.Nowadays the heroine appears in a revealing dress in the opening scene.Whatever she does later hardly creates any sensation.In the porn stuff the heroine is already exposed and there is hardly any step downward left.Once I heard Asaram Bapu on TV giving the example of a sliding meant for children in the park.If you climb up you can enjoy coming down.But if you are already down then there is nothing much to enjoy.Yesterday I downloaded in my mobile phone complete Ahand path in 98 files from
http://sodhi-solutions.com/sggs.php
I have made two folders one of 'Yet to be listened ' and one 'listened'.I have planned to play an audio file from the first folder and place it in the second one.Each file is about 24 minutes.
Secondly there is an application calles' MF radio' on sgpc site.It connects to the Harmandar Sahib Kirtan even when the net speed is very slow.
The above two methods can be tried to control the mind.
Lastly I would say that dirt can be in several other forms as well.We should be thankful that we have Gurbani Sarovar to take bath in and clean our souls.

If cows and buffaloes could speak

Cows and buffaloes are believed to possess quite a feeling souls in their body similar to ours. They have too have emotions. They are milked and exploited just because they are dumb. We need really to be thankful to God for giving us the power of speech. For a moment let us imagine the scene if these animals could converse.

''Don't touch my assets , you son of a woman!''.Such would, perhaps, be the words that a milkman would hear early in the morning and also in the evening. Most of the non vegeterians would stop consuming beef.

Now think about the other side of the story.
What if some race of human kind becomes dumb like a cow. A new brand of milk might become available in the shops. No wonder some people from the rest of the world would become cannibals.

Thanks once again to God that we have right to protest in a democracy.

Conveying a message through satire

Guru Nanak Dev ji used satire to reform the people watering the sun.He made them think reason when he started pouring water in the west and on being asked, replied that he wants to water his fields in the west that are much nearer than the sun.
There is a story where a person was sitting with closed eyes and claiming that he could see the country of Gods.Guruji asked one of his disciples to place his donation box behind his back.When he opened his eyes he asked anxiously,''Where is my box.?''Guruji asked him to see it through his divine vision.In this harmless way the message was sent accross.
Satire is quite a humorous method of conveying ideas though it may not be the best tool of reform in the present times .About 23 years ago Jaspal Bhatti, the famous sikh comedian used satire very nicely.Enjoy the following if you can uderstand Hindi--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYggyK_9IlU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COIHLI9nY_M&feature=youtube_gdata_player

A reply to an adolescent's query

At Sikhnet a young person asked as follows
<<<<<< by Anonymous Singh 1 » Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:43 am Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! I am 17 and I desperately want to become Amritdhari. But I have not memorised Japji Sahib, Rehras, Sohila Path... I speak Punjabi well, but I cannot read or write anything. My Grandfather's brother used to be an alcoholic, but he took Amrit and it saved his life - should I do as he did (take Amrit and solve all my problems afterwards with Guru Ji's kirpa?). Perhaps those among the Sangat who have chakked Amrit can share with me their own stories of becoming part of the Khalsa. I am from a Sikh family, although they are all Sehajdari with a very limited knowledge of Amrit Sanchaar and Sikhism in general. I know they will not be overjoyed if I do decide to take Amrit. I would also like advice on how to smooth them over and persuade them that taking Amrit was good if I do decide to become Amritdhari. I'm also trying to stop eating meat. Any practical advice with regards to that would be much appreciated. Thank You.
Anonymous Singh 1>>>>>
My reply was as follows:-
Amrit is a Guru's call.If you get a call you would go running no matter what your family members think.Rest of the experience,knowledge would start comming at its own pace.Path can be heard if not read.Moreover the message and devotion of Guruji can come in as short as Mool Mantra or just 'Satnam Waheguru'or 'Har Har'.Banis five or more or complete SGGS ji would be experienced by the soul as per your spiritual appetite.Best wishes.

Heart attack served on the plate

While wishing Happy Vaisakhi to all if all I wish to say that Langar menu is becoming something like a heart attack served on a plate(joking).Sangat should perhaps go for a simple but abundant Dal Roti rather than the food floating in sugar and refined butter(not joking).At the Gurudwara of our neighbourhood we had the following:-
Firstly-Parshad(sugar+oil+ flour)
Secondly-Puris(flour drenched in oil)
Thirdly-Cholle(White gram+potato+gravy)
Fourthly-Jalabis(Sugar+oil+flour)
Fifthly-Halwa(similar to Parshad with some dry fruits)
Now the question arises as to why I do not suggest it the committee.Come on ,in that case they would place all the load on me.It is quite rightly said if speech is silver silence is gold.

Satnam Waheguru

Social short circuit

When B eats the salt of A(does a job) and works against his interests,then there occurs a social short circuit which can result in the blasting(scoldings) and firing of B(dismissal).

Food that affects character

While it is clear that filthy literatue,filthy movies,bad company etc can ruin a person's character and has a far greater impact as compared to the diet a person takes.However I wish to discuss the type of food that is best to fight a duel with the demon called lust.Perhaps everyone knows the power of this demon and what it can do to anybody in a matter of minutes.
A few years ago a person from UP was telling that garlic is not allowed to be grown in their state without permission as it makes a person lusty.When I was working in a company a unmarried hindu colleage said that the girls of ****** community are too eager to share bed.He said,''Bhainse kee garmi jaygee kahan?''(after all where would the heat of the bull go?).There was a Hindu Punjabi in our client's office who once said that unmarried girls were not given milk and were made to do a good amount of work by their ancestors in order to keep the energy in check.In cold countries and for the labourers the equation might be different as food may not be able to blowup the mental fuse.But in general things can be different. Gandhiji discussed a bit about food in this regard in his book 'My experiments with truth'.He hinted upon the undesired effect of food on lust.Probably due to this reason he had given up drinking cow or buffalo milk.When I was teaching in Ajitwal college a student said that all the boys who played kabbadi or went to gym in their village(Rodhe)including himself were injected with some injection to suppress sexual heat.It was ,as he said,due to the over consumption of food by sportsmen and the risk posed by that,Nowadays the physical work is decreasing day by day and diet is perhaps becoming richer and richer.It is needless to say that intoxicants can make a person uncontrolable but ordinary food too need to be monitored.Some Hindu gentlemen classify food as Satvic(based on simplicity and truth)and Tamsic(base on sin).Once while conversing with an old lady I revealed that the young daughters of my so and so relative are very fond of fish.She said that that would only make them javaan(young)earlier.No doubt,what one eats is quite related to the work that one does,but I feel there must be some hot food items that should be avoided or eaten in moderation.
Satnam Waheguru

Gurubani translations in the library

A gursikh brother had objection regarding books containing gurbani and its translation in the libraries.He said that Gurubani outghtto be wrapped in nice clothes.The reply given by me was as follows----
Gurubani is avaiable online, in our mobile phones,laptops etc.If the Guru's word is not alllowed to spread in the name of respect it can be a sort of disservice to the Guru.We need to strike a balance.Somebody's father sent a written order to his three sons.The first one got it framed and kept bowing before it for the rest of his life.The second kept repeating it day in and day out.The third treated the paper as any other paper but wasted no time in carrying out the orders.

Idenifying and dealing fanatics-A challenge

It is not difficult to identify fanatics but it is indeed very difficult to deal with them.The thorn of ego is struck deep in their hearts.They do a great harm to the society they represent.Their ego is far stinkier than the stalest and the stinkiest fart that can ever be smelt.Appearance does not reveal much about the the fanatism level of a person.Contrary to the belief, in Punjab,there is more likelihood of a cleanshaven person being a fanatic.Anyhow one can identify them by having a small conversation.As far as dealing with them is concerned the best option is to avoid them.But then they start thinking that the others are cowards.Then they take the centre stage and scare away all by their stinking ego.Here lies the real problem!! Avoiding them is a problem.Confronting them is an equally big problem!! A few years back someone was narrating an incidence which was as follows:- After a Kirtan smagam the Kirtanias were taken to someone's house for the night stay.Along with other dishes they were served some non vegetatian dish as well.The Kirtanias were probably at a different spiritual level.They started devouring whatever was being served to them.The fanatic elements of the social circle over there came about hurling all sort of abuses --Saale vadde aage Raagi !(I am married to their sister,from where the hell have these great Kirtanias come from!) All societies would be benefited if only the fanatic elements are treated of their illness.Unfortunatey there is no vaccine for this disease.

Family problem

A woman posted about family problems at Sikhnet.My advice was as follows---
Just draw a line on your diary when anyone really hurts you.Keepon drawing lines when you cannot take it anymore.The fifth line should be slanted and be cutting the previous four lines.In this way it would become easy to count in the multiples of five.You must have seen this when you studied statistics in school.They are called tally marks.Rub them with eraser when you are made happy and are in a mood to forgive.Rub two lines if some one makes you extremely happy.One day,hopefully, all the lines would be erased.I had tried it out in 12th standard to overcome depression.It worked for me.As far as Paat(Gurbani)is concerned utter 'Satnam' when depressed and draw its meaning in your mind as 'All are false and only the NAAM is true'.I hope that would make you strong enough to get along.

Reply to a woman suffering due to alcohol addiction of her husband

At Sikhnet a woman posted about her problems regarding the problem she was facing due to the alcohol addiction of her husband.Before marriage she knew that he drank.The reply given by me was as follows----
1--A few years ago There were about eight or nine girls sitting in my tuition class.We were having a talking break.I asked the girls casually if they would like to marry a turbaned(practisingSikh) or a clean shaven one.Pat came the reply clean shaven!,French cut! and what not.
2--Two gentlemen from the girl's side went to see the family of a prospective bridegroom.The proud father of the boy said ,''Munda kuch khanda ni Peenda ni''(The boy does not eat or drink anything)meaning he had no addictions.One of the gentleman mocked at the merit of the boy and told his friend,''Challo yaar kuree bhukhi maarni aa,Munda tan kuch khanda ni peenda ni''(O friend let us go.Do we wish to starve the girl as the boy neither eats nor drinks any thing.
3--At one occasion I witnessed the father of the girl telling the father of the boy who had sought marriage for his son,''Khanda ni Peenda ni!Ae koie qualification aa''(Does not eat does not drink!Is it a qualification?)Then he turned to the boy and said mockingly,''Khaya peeya kar oye!''(You should eat and drink man!)
3--My father in law got his youngest daughter maarried to a person who drunk.He was chatting with me and told,''Jeedae kol paisa houu ohi peeyu''(Only a person who can afford would drink)meaning he had no problems.
Now you knew it very well that the boy drunk.You also knew that alcohol leads to addiction.You made your choices and you are suffering.Only thing is that learn a lesson and be careful while arranging the marriages of your children.
Satnam Waheguru

Human race

Human race is a river of flesh.The river may acquire different names along its course.At the end of the day grace of a river lies in flowing as per Hukam(divine order).The river is unpolluted if protected from the vices.All is fine if it reaches the ocean(God=Truth).

The lotus and the poet

God himself is the lotus,the poet who watches and the one who is awestruck by the beauty (SGGS)
God himself is the Mansarovar pond and he himself is the swan (Hans)in it(SGGS)

The bubble of life

I got an email from a young lady whose first child died just as he came into this world
The reply given by me was as follows
A wise person should prevent a further loss and damage.You and your husband ought to regain your physical and mental health a bit faster.Overcome the sadness as fast as possible.We human are such tender bubbles and a baby is all the more a tender bubble.Afterall it is not your fault.Look at the positive points in you.They are not without a reason:--
1-You are educated.
2-You have the capacity to reproduce.
3-You have a husband who shares your feelings
4-You are economically fine otherwise you wouldn't be having access to web.
5-You have relatives who care for you otherwise they wouldn't be trying to console you.
6-You are beautiful otherwise you wouldn't have sat near the sangat at a time of sorrow.
7-You are a well travelled person.
B-You are brave
9-You are pure at heart
10-You are full of positive energy
A baby is such a tender bubble.My wife had a miscarrriage.So many woman have misscarriages.It is not uncommon these days.Yours was more than a misscaarriage though.Now don't take it to heart.Men and women are renewed with reproductive energy over and again.Be strong and revive hope.You are going to come out stronger.May God make your life bloom to the fullest.As per Gurbani
the world can better be called a death zone than a living Zone.

Raag Bilaaval on Pannaa 808 Fifth Mehla,
mrith ma(n)ddal jag saajiaa jio baaloo ghar baar || This perishable realm and world has been made like a house of sand. 1] binasath baar n laagee jio kaagadh boo(n)dhaar ||1|| In no time at all, it is destroyed, like the paper drenched with water. ||1||sun maeree manasaa manai maahi sath dhaekh beechaar || Listen to me, people: behold, and consider this within your mind. sidhh saadhhik girehee jogee thaj geae ghar baar ||1|| rehaao || The Siddhas, the seekers, house- holders and Yogis have forsaken their homes and left. ||1||Pause||jaisaa supanaa rain kaa thaisaa sa(n) saar 2] dhrisattimaan sabh binaseeai kiaa lagehi gavaar ||2|| All that is seen shall perish. Why are you attached to it, you fool? ||2|| kehaa s bhaaee meeth hai dhaekh nain pasaar || Where are your brothers and friends?3] eik chaalae eik chaalasehi sabh apanee vaar ||3|| Some have gone, and some will go; everyone must take his turn. ||3|| jin pooraa sathigur saeviaa sae asathhir har dhuaar || Those who serve the Perfect True Guru, remain ever-stable at the Door of the Lord. 31] jan naanak har kaa dhaas hai raakh paij muraar ||4||1||31|| Servant Nanak is the Lord's slave; preserve his honor, O Lord, Destroyer of ego. ||4||1||31||
A few days ago I read a tweet where it was written--- this world is a jail and we all are planning a jail break.Your child had a small journey in this Jail and is liberated.May his holy soul rest in peace in the lap of Guru Nanak.

Professionally prepared food versus Langar prepared with devotion.

The Sangat seem to be busier nowadays. Today I attended the local Gurudwara to join the Gurupurab celebration.I went early so that I could lend a helping hand.I Hardly got a chance to use my hands. Bihari Halwai's(proffessional cooks from Bihar province)were preparing the Langar.No doubt they were expert cooks.They were pure proffessionals and had a great speed to accomplish the work.But something was not quite usual.The senior one took a break and went out to smoke.Not surprising the subtle and special flavour of 'Gurudware ki daal'(Dal of Gurudwara) was missing.Who says Simran ,Sewa,devotion and love cannot enter the food?

One thing leads to the other

Smaller picture--My younger son insisted on watching a movie together last night.In the morning he got up late.He had to eat the break fast in a great hurry to reach school in time.In the process he spilt a little curd.I explained him that the spill was in a way related to his insistence on watching the movie the previous night.If in the hurry the cycle hits some rikshaw on the way to school, it could also be attributed to the same cause.Hence he ought to be careful on the road.

Bigger picture-----'Sant ke dookhan aarja ghate'(By giving pain to a saint, age is reduced-Sukhmani Sahib)If someone offends a saintly person the saintly person may not react (as he wouldn't be revengeful).Then the offender gets emboldened and sows the seeds of badwill here and there which saps away his battery(life).His age thus gets reduced.If he is killed due some enmity earned by him his family members might not even be able to comprehend the real cause.

Mega picture(conclusion)---Cause of all causes is Waheguru.At times we may be ranting at a cause while the seeds of the real cause might be beyond our comprehension.We ought to sow positve seeds as far as possible so that we can expect positve fruit. May Waheguru inspire us to be in tune with the cause of causes(Waheguru's Hukam)

A combined step towards 'Nirvairta'(enemylessness)

There is a treasure of well being and happiness hidden behind the word 'Nirvair',that comes in the mool mantar.It can take a person across the ocean of fire(world) with ease.
God is Nirvair(enemyless)and so should his devotees be.But in Punjab-
1- Land disputes
2-Lack of the spirit of 'par triya roop na pekhe netar'(see not the beauty of anothers partner)is causing much enmity.

The money of the villagers bleed in litigations.For this reason most of the families want their children to settle abroad.It has led to spiritual as well as material poverty in the rural Punjab.
The need of the hour is to have a judicial wing in every Gurudwara.The village Panchayats(the elected members of a village) are not much guided by spirituality and hence are not very effective.Such Sabhas(judicial wings) can be called 'Nirvair Sabhas'constituted with a sole aim to increase nirvairta(enemylessness) in the society.Nirvair Sabha of a distant village should be invited each sunday to the local gurudwaras to resolve litigations.This invitation should be done randomly.In this way bias factor too can be removed.If that does not work the litigants should be allowed to go to the local courts.
A directive regarding this can be sent to the Gurudwaras of the world by the Akal Takht.In this way the sikhs can have their own judicial system.
A gurmukh ought to learn the lesson of 'Nirvair'on daily basis.The Sikh Society as a whole can work in this direction in the above mentioned way.

Silent lies

A lie is an obvious enemy of a seeker of truth.A Gurmukh and a lie are incompatible.Let us identify some silent lies
1-Putting up an artificial smile when not really happy is telling a silent lie.
2-Dying the hair and the beard is like telling the people that one is not fifty year old but slightly more than twenty and hence is a silent lie.
3-A sikh wearing a cap instead of a turban is hiding his identity and hence a lie.

Storing milk in a filthy bowl

Today at 2.45 am I was awake in the bed.I connected to shiri Harmandar Sahib through mobile internet radio.While on bed the mind is not free of sexual charges.I switched off the Kirtan.I realised it is wasting the milk while putting in an unclean bowl.I got up at 4 am ,finished with bathing etc,said 'Satnam Waheguru'twice.The milk I got this time was less in quantity but it got preserved as the bowl was clean.My sons are also advised and encouraged daily by me to say 'Satnam Waheguru'twice in the morning as well as evening after they become fresh and comb their hair.A very small nitnem =little milk but well preserved in a clean bowl and economically used.When I had passed grade 12th some 26 years ago I was blessed with Amrit.I learnt 5 Paths.I was not always wise to store the milk in a clean bowl and regret having wasted a lot of milk.Nowadays we can hear Gurbani anytime but I hear only in a limited quantity.My nitnem is also very short.Why waste and disrespect the milk if a clean bowl is not available?In gurbani there is a shabad 'Bhanda thoae dhoop bhains devon tou dhudhe ko javaon'(First arrange for a neat and clean bowl and then go for obtaining milk
).
Satnam Waheguru

Saral Satnami Bhojan

Food determines our health to a great extent.But is not cooking a headache when wife is out of station?Why are menfolk so much dependent on the femalefolk for cooking?
It is because it is quite messy to knead the flour,flatten it into a round shape and bake on an iron plate and before that take the trouble to mill the grains into flour?Well,it can be simpler.This is a new dish and far simpler and healthier.Taste is also okay.The procedure is as follows-
Take 6 fists full of wheat,2 fists full of soyabean grains,one fist full of blackgram grains.Wash them and keep in water for the whole night.In the morning put 2 fists full of rice and one cut potato after washing.Add some red chilli,salt and edible oil.Keep it in the microwave oven for 25 minutes in a fairly large container.
Now the basic meal is ready for 2 days.Add curd,Dal(lentil soup) or vegetable soup that has been prepared seperately.Salad,chatni(freshly prepared sauce) or pickle(occassionally) if added would not do any harm.
The benifits are as follows
1-We don,t lose the nourishment while milling the wheat at hot tempreatures and allowing it to degrade for a few days before consumption.
2-No much worry about cooking if wife is in her parents house.Less dependent=more independent.
3-The ratio of protein and carbohydrates can be altered as per the need of the body.Rice and potato are rich in carbohydrates and wheat,soyabean and blackgram are rich in protein.
Next thing is what to call such a dish.I have named it 'Saral Satnami Bhojan'which means fuss-free saintly meal.I would like to narrate a short story that I read in a 7th grade students book.-
A person arrived in the countryside of some part in Europe.The locals told him without even his asking that he would not be served any free food in their area.Appearing least bothered he said that it wasn't any cause of worry as he owns special stones that are called soupstones.He can have his meal anytime after boiling those stones in water.Now all were curious beyond limits.They wanted to see what that was.The visitor said he could serve them a little and also told that there was no harm if some peas or the sort is added in the stone soup.''So you can bring a liitle of good things like ginger or any otherthing like raw vegetable and enjoy the stone soup which would be a special experience for you''.All agread.A nice soup was prepared which everybody enjoyed.''How delicious this stone soup is!''they exclaimed.
Saral Satnami Bhojan is also more or less the same thing.

Since our soul transmits

Our soul is highly infectious.If we are having poor soul health it affects the soul of our children and the other family members.A healthy soul radiates health.This is also called Darshan.While coming in contact with a blessed soul we get the the blessings.This is also called 'Sadhsangat'.Like personal hygiiene it is important to remain in touch with truth(say Satnam,speak truth,earn in a truthful way)or else we would be transmitting poor waves to our children and the other family members.

The soul as a transmitter

We transmit the condition of our soul to our family members & also through twitter?How important it is to maintain good soul health.

Let us learn to count our blessings

Counting our blessings is a positive approach to life.At page 12
Guruji says 'taere daanae keemat na pavae'(Priceless are your gifts).A
person grumbles over small things like bank balance which may as such
remain unused for the whole life(in the case of misers).On the other
hand imagine life without eyes(a priceless gift of God).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxnlD_OZT7M&feature=youtube_gdata
May God give us the wisdom to count our blessings.

How to be spiritually smart?

In the first Pauri(stanza)of Japji Sahib there is a question'kiv sachiara hoeae kiiv koore toote pal'(How to act smart and break the wall of false hood?)In the next line Guruji says 'hukam rajai chalna----'(Walk the way you are ordered to-by God)Now a days the world is a bit fast so walking briskly running or dancing(at work places or whereever) as we are ordered to(by God) without any grudge or rather with a smile and merrily come what may can make us spiritually smart.For most of the things a man is simply an onlooker and can practically do nothing.If we stop to watch,ponder and not march forward as per orders we would be dragged and that would be disgraceful as time waits for non and Hukam is a Hukam.Since we have to dance our share on this Earth, let us jump,skip,and dance as per the hukam of waheguru.It would not be funny.Rather it would be being graceful and being spiritually smart.

The thirst

Sawaan and Badhon are the two months of Indian Calender when there is
some rain in the plains of North India.Whereas rains have been
celebrated by romantic poets extensively,the saints too have vented
out their spiritual feelings while celebrating the rains.'Morie
runhjhun laeya'(page 557 and 558)is one such shabad.In fact both the
rainy season and the spring season have found connsiderable place in
the divine as well as romantic poetry.At Pg1283 Guruji says that the
whole world is thirsty like the rain bird.At Pg 1419 and1420(Babeeha
sagli dharti je phiren) while addressing the rain bird Guruji tells
that the thirst of the soul can not be quenched anywhere on the earth
or the sky.Guruji further tells the rain bird(our soul)that the thirst
would be quenched only when we meet the Guru and get the water for the
soul.Often the romantic poets raise an honest question but leave it
unanswered.In fact it is none of their faults as they actually do not
know the answers.A poet in the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCo60pJqVZ0&feature=youtube_gdata is
confused about his thirst (like the rain bird)and complains that his
soul is thirsty even though these are the rainy months of Sawan and
Badhon.In a corner of his heart he believes it to be due to his
seperation from his beloved.But that we all know is also an illusion.

Ardas=Prayer

Ardas is a feeling expressed by heart in a very personal manner.God listening only to formal wordings is nothing but our ignorance.Is not God above forms and words?When God is one it would be wrong to make any issue over the various names.A garden does not become less beautiful if there are flowers of more than one shade blooming in it.

The three types of fever

Some won wanted to know the meaning of 'tenae taap-----'at Sikhnet.I
gave the following answer as per my
understanding-------1-Taap(fever)of mind.
2-Taap(fever)of body
3-Taap(temperature)external of fire and hot summer air(loo)
Satnam Waheguru

Deceived by Maya(the illusion)

At Sikh net a person from Delhi sent a post where he said he very much
was depressed due to losses in business.This is what I wrote to him in
my post ----Taranjit Singh,Whaheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguruji ki faateh
In the country side the poor people cut the grass from khals(water
channels),and wat(mud partition between two acres of land).People who
make a living in such a way are called ghasyaras.There is a mention of
this means of living in Gurbani. at Pg 1211'Mere man misht lage priya
bola---------'.In this shabad Guruji says if you make me a king it is
your grace.If you make me earn a living by cutting the grass,it is
your choice.To me sweet is your will.
In NOIDA there was a very beautiful couple.The man was a very handsome
gursikh and his wife was equally beautiful.When ever that lady got a
chance to sing a Shabad in the Sangat,she used to sing 'Mere man misht
lage priya bola-----------'.Later I learnt that they had suffered
losses in business.
We are not taught SatDollar,SatRupees,SatBusiness or
SatRelationship.Rather we are taught SatNam by our Gurug.We would have
to weep if we chase maya the way Ram chased the golden stag.You are
not the only one who has been deceived by Maya(illusion,money,beauty
or sex).It has been compared with a serpent which swallows the world
without teeth.The blood oozes out of our wounds in the heart.But Har
is a name of God that steals away;steals away the pain from us;sucks
the oozing blood like a sponge.Maya poisons our blood stream.Satnam
counters it with the Amrit(nectar).You have lost 5 years of your
youth.The loss is not less but people lose even their lives.
We need wealth for our living.But then it has to be earned in
sehaj(slow and steady way).Doing business by taking heay loans is
often not a sehaj way of earning money.It works like a game of
gamble.Dharmender became a successful filmstar.People get inspired by
his success story.How many people think about the lives wasted by
those Punjabis who went to Mumbai to follow the footsteps of
Dharmender?One person succeeds in business and several others are
ruined trying to follow his example.These are the few ways in which
Maya(illusion)tricks us and more so when we do not act in Sehaj(slow
but sure manner)
Another inspiring tuk(lines)is in Sukhman Sahib'Har har jan ke maal
khajeena har dhan jan ko aap prabh deena-----'You can draw strength
from it.
Satnam Waheguru

Why is there a burning in the chest?

There is an Urdu gazal(melodious song),'Seenae maen jallan ankhon mae toofan sa kyon hai'----Why is there a burning in the chest and a dust storm in the eyes----The gazal raises a question but does not provide any answer.The answer is simple.There is Pap(sin) in the chest and hence the fire of hell too is in the chest.There is pap in the eyes and hence a hurting storm too is there.Our Muan(inner self)can only reap what it sows.Sins lie hidden in the chest and hence lie hidden the constant fire.A Jain gentleman once told me that if a person has lusty feeling towards any girl he has acted upon something.It is undoubtedly an action,howsoever subtle.An action would yield a fruit without fail.What one sows one reaps.Now,I confess of not having a very disciplined thought box(head).So burning sensation is not unnatural for me.When I was in the 10th grade I resisted any evil thought entering the mind.We were taught a type of meditation and were asked not to block any thoughts forcefully.After that there was a flood of thoughts which I would not have allowed earlier.The polluted thoughts got easy entry in my mind.After 12th grade I stopped that meditation.However the thought box(head)had become quite wild by then.Taming the mind is not easy now.However it is necessary to put off the burning of the chest.There is a famous bollywood song 'Munh ek Mandir hae'(mind is a temple).Gurbani also says about 'Muhn Mandir'(mind temple).Dirt should not enter this temple.Sinful thoughts need to be combated at the very budding stage.What a difficult task!!Satnam in the mind alone can ensure cool chest.At page 103,Guruji says 'Jallan bujhi seetal hoe manua Satgur ka darshan pae jeeo'(The burning in the heart ended and cool became the inner self after seeing the Guru).May the dirt from the mind temple get flushed out and the divine rays of Guru's darshan enter into it.After all who wants a burning chest?
Satnam Waheguru

A common blog for gurbani lines

Sadh Sangatji the lotus of our mind blooms when we hear from the
gurmukhs.Here is a common blog that intends to do the same
http://gurbaniwealth.blogspot.com/ Sadh sangat is requested to post
the gurbani tuks that inspired them at one time or the other in life
to kamal310i@gmail.com Sangat is requested to send their real name
as well as the place they reside.If the page number is not known
das(servant)would try to find from
http://www.sikhitothemax.com/search.asp?spicy=1
What inspired you would also inspire others.
Satnam Waheguru

Calorie management

Today I read a post on Sikhnet where a Sikh youth had an urge for getting a hair cut.He desired to do a lot of exercise and then wished to pour water over his head.He could not do that because of his long hair and turban.I advised him to reduce the sugar intake. It might appear funny or irrelavant but cutting on the refined sugar or eliminating it completely from ones diet can help in maintaining smart figure.In that case even a reasonable amount of exercise would keep a person in shape.Refined sugar increases undue heat and sweat in the body and that can lead to an urge for a hair cut.After getting a hair cut a person may have an urge for shaving off his head.Unless he does the clorie management he would remain irritated.Besides other reasons wrong diet is definitely behind the desire for a hair cut among Sikhs.Therefore refined sugar ought to be consumed with great care as it gives only calories and no nourishment.

The most important spiritual lesson of Satnam

What we lose is an illusion.What we gain is also an illusion.Those who are having plenty are swimming in illusion.The whole world changes its form and equations with every passing moment and hence is an illusion Our pain is also an illusion.A Sikh meditates on Satnam as all else is an illusion and not Sat(true).We would feel no pain when we learn the most vital spiritual lesson of Satnam.
Satnam Waheguru

When there is a mess up in life

When there is a mess up in the life one ought to speak the truth (satnam) to all the concerned.The sooner the better.In the modern times that should not take more than half an hour.Once truth(God)is on ones side the things would turn out for better.Hiding the truth(Satnam)would only complicate the matters.Delay in revealing the truth(Satnam)would make the problem tougher.A moment spent in Ardas (waheguru)before broadcasting the truth ought not to be a waste of time as that would help in gathering all the energy for the battle of life that lies ahead.
Satnam Waheguru.

Spirit of Sikhi and Pilgrimage to Hemkunt

Going for a pilgrimage to a place where our Guruji went is fine as long as it is in Sehaj(not as if tail is on fire).None of our Guruji ever went to Hemkunt.Did not our Guruji say that Sadh Sangat is the best pilgrimage?It is indeed difficult to count how many people lose their lives while going for a Mathatek or while coming after a Matha tek(paying obeisance by placing forehead on the ground).Hemkunt is several times more vulnerable to accidents.
Some say that Guru Gobind Singhji went there in the previous incarnation.But Guru Gobind Singhji where our Guru only after the divine flame of GuruNanak was placed in him by Guru Tegh Bahadur.Not before that and to talk about something of the previous incarnation if any does not inspire much to say the least.

When a person forgets Satnam

At page 711 there is a Shabad'har bisrat sada khuari......'- When a person forgets Satnam(God or truth) he faces humiliation for sure(as he is drifted by illusion and that is what illusion gives ultimately).

And when the mind gets polluted

In Japji Sahib Guruji says when the hands legs and the body is filled
with dirt water is enough to clean it.When the clothes are soiled by
lustful activities,they can be
cleaned by applying soap.When the mind is polluted only Satnam can do
cleansing.Why worry who is commiting sin or who is
doing noble acts as one gets to eat just what one sows.(Pauri20 Japji).

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Sent from my mobile device

Air is necessary for the body and Guru is necessary for the soul

In the last part of Japji Sahib Guru is being compared with air father
with water and earth with mother.In my humble opinion 75% of body is
water and the rest is earth.However a person is not alive unless he
breathes air.Father and mother give birth to a child and the Guru
makes him spiritually alive.A person is incomplete without a Guru.

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Sent from my mobile device