Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Happy New Year Everyone!
May Waheguru bring you lakh kushiya in 2012!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Friday, November 4, 2011
Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Birthday
Happy Gurpurb
It was Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday on Nov 2. There will be an akhand paath at the Guru Nanak Darbar on Nov 7-8-9.
From "Sikhiwiki.com"
Guru Nanak founded and formalised the three pillars of Sikhism:
1. Naam Japna Guru ji led the Sikhs directly to practise Simran and Naam Japna – meditation on God through reciting, chanting, singing and constant remembrance followed by deep study & comprehension of God’s Name and virtues. In real life to practice and tread on the path of Dharam (righteousness) - The inner thought of the Sikh thus stays constantly immersed in praises and appreciation of the Creator and the ONE ETERNAL GOD Waheguru.
2. Kirat Karni He expected the Sikhs to live as honourable householders and practise Kirat Karni – To honestly earn by ones physical and mental effort while accepting both pains and pleasures as GOD's gifts and blessings. One is to stay truthful at all times and, fear none but the Eternal Super Soul. Live a life founded on decency immersed in Dharam - life controlled by high spiritual, moral and social values.
3. Vand Chakna. The Sikhs were asked to share their wealth within the community by practising Vand Chakna – “Share and Consume together”. The community or Sadh Sangat is an important part of Sikhism. One must be part of a community that is living the flawless objective values set out by the Sikh Gurus and every Sikh has to contribute in whatever way possible to the common community pool. This spirit of Sharing and Giving is an important message from Guru Nanak.
It is cool to see how far Guru Nanak Dev Ji traveled on foot!
It was Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday on Nov 2. There will be an akhand paath at the Guru Nanak Darbar on Nov 7-8-9.
From "Sikhiwiki.com"
Guru Nanak founded and formalised the three pillars of Sikhism:
1. Naam Japna Guru ji led the Sikhs directly to practise Simran and Naam Japna – meditation on God through reciting, chanting, singing and constant remembrance followed by deep study & comprehension of God’s Name and virtues. In real life to practice and tread on the path of Dharam (righteousness) - The inner thought of the Sikh thus stays constantly immersed in praises and appreciation of the Creator and the ONE ETERNAL GOD Waheguru.
2. Kirat Karni He expected the Sikhs to live as honourable householders and practise Kirat Karni – To honestly earn by ones physical and mental effort while accepting both pains and pleasures as GOD's gifts and blessings. One is to stay truthful at all times and, fear none but the Eternal Super Soul. Live a life founded on decency immersed in Dharam - life controlled by high spiritual, moral and social values.
3. Vand Chakna. The Sikhs were asked to share their wealth within the community by practising Vand Chakna – “Share and Consume together”. The community or Sadh Sangat is an important part of Sikhism. One must be part of a community that is living the flawless objective values set out by the Sikh Gurus and every Sikh has to contribute in whatever way possible to the common community pool. This spirit of Sharing and Giving is an important message from Guru Nanak.
It is cool to see how far Guru Nanak Dev Ji traveled on foot!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Some things I have learned
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Life can be hard, especially as Sikhs when we are very aware about the patterns of our mind and our subconscious.
Here are some tips that I have learned in my life as a Sikh, some things I have noticed as I journey forward.
1. Don’t generalize. When facing an adverse situation, it’s sometimes convenient to say, “Oh this always happens to me” or “I’ve been going through this forever.” But these kinds of statements, not only bring the negatives emotions of past events into the present, but also paint a bleak picture for the future. Try to focus on the current event, what the problem is, what you can do about it, what you have learned, what you would differently in the future. Remember, there are always exceptions to the rule, and although finding a pattern in your life can sometimes be useful, it can also be detrimental to stay stuck in the past and convince yourself that past events will repeat in the future. The same applies to making generalizing comments to someone else like “you never care about me” or “you always do [blank]”.
2. Be careful of TV. In the old days, people had to sit down and watch their fave tv show at the exact time it came on TV. Now with modern technology, like DVR/PVRs, DVD players, youtube etc. we can watch entire seasons of TV shows at a time, something I admit to doing. Someimtes watching TV though is to keep your mind preoccupied. If you are watching TV excessively, you should ask yourself why. Chances are you are trying to avoid thinking about or feeling something that is bothering you, which leaves you exhausted the next day. Watching TV should not come at the expense of your sleep. It is better to be well rested to tackle the next day, than watch another episode of Modern Family.
3. Consider yourself equal. With the increasing globalization of the world comes more competition for jobs and positions. Sometimes you have to tout your own horn to get ahead. Although many Sikhs are adverse to bragging about what they have done, there are very few CEOs or committee members that would understand this. You have to let people know what you have accomplished in an honest fashion. Don’t think your better than anyone, but don’t think you are less than anyone either. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish many things without the need to sabotage or destroy your competition.
4. Don’t self-sabotage. Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in our past, and let the decisions we made rule our future. Remember, Waheguru gave you this opportunity to life for a reason. If we live in chardi kala (a positive attitude) and rise to the challenge, then Waheguru will give us all the tools and skills we need to complete the tasks we are meant to complete. But if we self-pity and think that we are too inadequate for the job, we are not only self-sabotaging ourselves, but also fighting against Waheguru’s hukam- thinking that we know better than he does.
5. Care about what you think about yourself. People will judge us no matter what. Some people will think good things and some people will think bad things about what we do, how we dress etc. What people think about us is not really a reflection about us, but rather a reflection about the person who is judging and their mindset. For example, an open-minded positive person may think very highly about a project that we completed, but another person who has a negative mindset or a person who gets jealous may tell us our project is a disaster. None of these opinions are the absolute truth and more or less reflect on the person judging us, rather than our project. So it is more important to understand what you think about yourself, rather than strangers.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Keeping Traditions Alive
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
There are a lot of old traditions that were passed down generation to generation in Punjab, but as the world gets “westernized”, people around the world are leaving the rich traditions and practises behind. Items that used to be handmade in the past are substituted by modern mass production items, which we use once and then throw away. With modernization, we lose part of rich heritage and part of our cultural consciousness.
My father learned how to weave manja from his great-grandfather, who lived to be more than a 100 years old. A manja is a woven bed that was frequently used in India. My great great grandfather, I have heard, was always doing things, utilizing his energy to create something, even in his old age. In a way his legacy lives on, as my father showed my two sisters and I how to weave our first manja.
Click on the link to read more
Click on the link to read more
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Watch your drinks
By Prince George Citizen
Police warn to check your glass after incidents involving more than mix
Men and women in Prince George are having their drinks spiked with drugs.
Police do not consider recent findings to be an anomaly, but tests have found that within the last couple of months a man and a woman have both been victims of illicit drink doctoring in unrelated incidents.
“They were completely different places and situations,” said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
The timing of each incident was not disclosed, nor the social setting in particular, because Douglass said the issue is ongoing and could happen in any large social group.
“The motives for slipping a drug into the drink of a male or female can be quite different,” Douglass added. “For females it is typically done to facilitate a sexual assault. It is often done to males to make them vulnerable to violence.”
Without specifying, Douglass confirmed that in at least one of the recent cases harm was done to the targeted victim. More than one investigation is underway.
“The precautions the public should take would apply as much in any other town in the province, but you should definitely put those precautions into use here in Prince George,” Douglass said.
The most commonly administered drug to put people in a vulnerable position is alcohol, he said, so beware of overindulgence, especially at the encouragement of someone providing the drinks.
Other drugs that have locally shown themselves in recent times include Ketamine and Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).
Although common in medical use, and to some extent naturally occurring in the human body making them challenging to detect, these chemicals are predatory drugs said Douglass, that kick in after only a few minutes. They are “often odourless and often tasteless when mixed in a drink,” he explained, and have very similar effects to alcohol.
“Should you feel your drink has been spiked, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Get to the nearest hospital for a urine test right away,” Douglass said. “It is imperative that you do not go to the bathroom. Drugs that are used to facilitate sexual assaults are quickly metabolized in the body and excreted through one’s urine. Preserve as much evidence as possible. Do not shower, bathe, urinate, eat, drink or throw away clothing. If possible, save the glasses or containers that you drank from.”
Call police as soon as possible as well. It may help not only the situation you may find yourself in, but tie into other ongoing investigations as well.
Police warn to check your glass after incidents involving more than mix
Men and women in Prince George are having their drinks spiked with drugs.
Police do not consider recent findings to be an anomaly, but tests have found that within the last couple of months a man and a woman have both been victims of illicit drink doctoring in unrelated incidents.
“They were completely different places and situations,” said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
The timing of each incident was not disclosed, nor the social setting in particular, because Douglass said the issue is ongoing and could happen in any large social group.
“The motives for slipping a drug into the drink of a male or female can be quite different,” Douglass added. “For females it is typically done to facilitate a sexual assault. It is often done to males to make them vulnerable to violence.”
Without specifying, Douglass confirmed that in at least one of the recent cases harm was done to the targeted victim. More than one investigation is underway.
“The precautions the public should take would apply as much in any other town in the province, but you should definitely put those precautions into use here in Prince George,” Douglass said.
The most commonly administered drug to put people in a vulnerable position is alcohol, he said, so beware of overindulgence, especially at the encouragement of someone providing the drinks.
Other drugs that have locally shown themselves in recent times include Ketamine and Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).
Although common in medical use, and to some extent naturally occurring in the human body making them challenging to detect, these chemicals are predatory drugs said Douglass, that kick in after only a few minutes. They are “often odourless and often tasteless when mixed in a drink,” he explained, and have very similar effects to alcohol.
“Should you feel your drink has been spiked, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Get to the nearest hospital for a urine test right away,” Douglass said. “It is imperative that you do not go to the bathroom. Drugs that are used to facilitate sexual assaults are quickly metabolized in the body and excreted through one’s urine. Preserve as much evidence as possible. Do not shower, bathe, urinate, eat, drink or throw away clothing. If possible, save the glasses or containers that you drank from.”
Call police as soon as possible as well. It may help not only the situation you may find yourself in, but tie into other ongoing investigations as well.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Blood Donation Camp
Waheguru Ji kI Fateh
Here are a couple of pictures taken at the blood donation camps over the past couple of years, which is organized by Sikh Nation in honor of the 1984 massacres. Thank you to all the people who came out and donated. Sorry I don't have all of your pictures.
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