Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was born April 18, 1621 to parents Guru Har Gobind Ji and Mata Nanaki. He became our 9th Guru on April 16, 1664. Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of Hindu temples and Gurdwaras, fired Hindus from their jobs and imposed taxes on them. The Brahmin Pandits of Kashmir were threatened that if they did not convert to Islam they would be executed. Their daughters were raped. They came in desperation, asking for help from Guru Ji to protect them from Aurangzeb. Guru Ji’s son, Gobind Rai, was a mere 9 years old at the time and asked what was happening. Upon hearing that this would require the sacrifice of a great person, Gobind Rai replied that there would be no one else better suited to defending the Brahmins than his own father. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji told the Pandits to tell Aurangzeb if he could convert Guru Ji to Islam, then they would as well. Gobind Rai was made Guru on July 8, 1675. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji set out for Delhi with Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayal Das. They were then arrested. Guru Ji was transported to Delhi in an iron cage on the back of an elephant. On the way, he composed the following: “Dohraa: My strength is exhausted, and I am in bondage; I cannot do anything at all. Says Nanak, now, the Lord is my Support; He will help me, as He did the elephant.” and the reply to himself “My strength has been restored, and my bonds have been broken; now, I can do everything. Nanak: everything is in Your hands, Lord; You are my Helper and Support.|” Ang 1429 Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji).
Guru Ji and his followers were tortured. Bhai Mati Das, Sati Das and Dyal Das were martyred in front of Guru Ji. Bhai Mati Das Ji was sawed in half. When Bhai Dyal Das Ji was then asked to convert to Islam, he replied “My misguided friends, do you think that you have killed my brother, Bhai Mati Das? If so you are mistaken. You have not killed him. You have given him ever lasting life. He has become immortal. He will live forever in the hearts of men. He will be source of inspiration to others. Many like him will rise and follow his example. A time will come when you and your emperor will be no more, but Bhai Mati Das will be yet alive. I will not give up my faith. The pleasures which you offer have no charm for me. The tortures with which you have threatened me, have no terrors for me. Be quick and send me to where my brother, Bhai Mati Das, has gone to live forever in the lap of the Lord.” He was then made to sit in a pot of boiling water. Bhai Sati Das Ji was martyred by being wrapped in cotton and burned alive. Guru Ji was in deep meditation while witnessing these horrific events. He chanted: “Give up your head, but forsake not those whom you have undertaken to protect. Says Tegh Bahadur, sacrifice your life, but relinquish not your faith.” Guru Ji was beheaded Nov 24, 1675 at Chandni Chauk for refusal to convert to Islam. (Gurdwara Sis Ganj has been created at this site). There was a big storm right after the execution. Bhai Jaita Ji took Guru Ji’s severed head to Anandpur Sahib for cremation, and Bhai Lakhi Shah took Guru Ji’s body, setting his house on fire in order to cremate Guru Ji’s body.
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| Gurdwara Sis Ganj |
This was a huge moment in history. It set the scene for the fall of the Mughal empire and the rise of the Khalsa under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji taught us the body can be tortured but the soul is one with God. Guru Ji sacrificed his life for the rights of Hindus to practice their religion. This teaches us that as Sikhs we need to stand up for human rights as a whole, giving our lives if necessary. Guru Gobind Singh Ji wrote, "Sis Diya Par Sir Na Diya" of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, meaning "He laid down his head but not his principles." May we all be inspired by the sacrifice of these Shaheeds to build our faith so strong that it cannot be destroyed by any challenge in life, that we remain in Chardi Kala no matter what, and to stand up for the rights of those who cannot protect themselves.
References:
http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Martyrdom_of_Guru_Tegh_Bahadur
Picture of Gurdwara Sis Ganj from Sikhiwiki
Picture of Gurdwara Sis Ganj from Sikhiwiki
24 year old dying of heart attack. I was 25 too when I had a small stroke. I thought I had a heart attack - but no my heart was fine. I had never ever heard of a young person dying of heart attack or stroke at this age. for 6 years doctors didn't what was wrong with me. By time I found out I had lost my career - basically my life - depression - because I couldn't handle stress - I failed my professional exam - something I worked ALL of life in Canada for - I had never failed exams - At the time my Neurologist said don't tell anyone you have a whole life ahead of you - so I couldn't get compensation either -
ReplyDeleteSo many on stories on GoFund -
Sukhpreet Singh Grewal , 24 years old, came to Canada on Dec 24, 2017 as an international student in Surrey, BC. He was really ambitious and enthusiatic about life, but unfortunately on the night of Nov 30, 2018, he got a heart attack and passed away. His parents are in deep shock. He was all by himself in this country, so we request you to come forward and help this family so that we can send Sukpreet's body to India, and his parents can see him for the last time, and conduct his last rituals.
https://www.gofundme.com/sukhpreet-singh-grewal039s-funeral-in-india
just sharing information
ReplyDeleteCyber crooks increasingly targeting home devices: report
Cyber security agency says manufacturers choosing convenience over security - CBC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cybercrime-internet-security-attacks-1.4934409
Courtney Dauwalter is an ultra-marathon runner who recently won the MOAB 240 race in Utah in under 58 hours. 238 MILES. Wow 238 miles in 58 hours. I found about her through the New York Times article
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtxffRAg_3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DfjXnIk6c
Courtney Dauwalter finished the Moab 240 race in 2 days, 9 hours, and 59 minutes. She was faster than any of the men in the pack, beating the second-place finisher by more than 10 hours.
ReplyDeleteThe Moab 240 Endurance Run caters to a special (some might say crazy) breed of ultrarunners. Only 150 registrants are allowed, and runners have a cutoff at 112 hours. That’s nearly five days of running.
Courtney Dauwalter finished much faster than that, at just less than 58 hours. She averaged 14.6-minute miles and 97.7 miles per day. Her performance crushed the competition, with second-place Sean Nakamura crossing the line in 67 hours, 44 minutes.
Created last year in memory of ultrarunner Stephen Jones, the Moab 240 is a massive loop course that starts and ends in Moab, Utah. The race takes place from October 13-17. It follows the Colorado River through Canyonlands National Park, then makes its way across Abajo and the La Sal Mountains.
https://gearjunkie.com/courtney-dauwalter-moab-200-winner
Gurbani uses metaphors and myths of the time to illustrate deeper meanings. My mother was talking about many birds mentioned there like chakwa - Chakwi. I thought that to be a woodpecker - No it's the Indian Rudi duck which is a migratory bird spending winters in Punjab, India, and as far as Africa, Nepal, China. During Summer they fly off as far as Iceland, England, Europe, Russia, China etc. I guess the Gurus and Bhagats are referring to Soul's longing for it's home(God).
ReplyDeleteWhen I was looking for this information, I came across this: Wow this book was published in 1894...
TALES OF THE PUNJAB
TOLD BY THE PEOPLE
BY
FLORA ANNIE STEEL
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
BY J. LOCKWOOD KIPLING, C. I. E.
AND
NOTES BY R. C. TEMPLE
London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
AND NEW YORK
1894
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/steel/punjab/punjab.html
Yet AGAIN, Science is proving Gurbani - as before in Big bang, evolution of humans, and now this - That everything in the universe is vibrating - Guru asks us to Sing the praises, mantras to ourselves even when no one is there - Satsangat kasi janea, jithe Eko Nam vakhane - What is SatSangat - where ONE Name is sung
ReplyDeleteIn a Dec. 5 post in Scientific American entitled “The Hippies Were Right: It’s All About Vibrations, Man!” lawyer and philosopher Tam Hunt explains a new theory of consciousness he developed with his colleague, psychologist Jonathan Schooler, at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Hunt is a philosopher of mind, biology, and physics, while Schooler is a professor of brain science, and together they’ve been working on answering one of the world’s most perplexing questions: “What physical processes underpin mental experience, linking mind and matter and creating the sense of self?”
https://qz.com/1490276/the-science-of-vibes-shows-how-everything-is-connected/
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-hippies-were-right-its-all-about-vibrations-man/
Max Erik Tegmark is a Swedish-American physicist and cosmologist. He is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute. He is also a co-founder of the Future of Life Institute, a supporter of the effective altruism movement, and has received donations from Elon Musk to investigate existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence.[4][5][6][7]
ReplyDeleteConsciousness is a mathematical pattern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzCvlFRISIM
ਦੁਹਾ ਸਿਰਿਆ ਕਾ ਆਪਿ ਸੁਆਮੀ ॥ਖੇਲੈ ਬਿਗਸੈ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ॥
ReplyDeleteYou are a Simulation & Physics Can Prove It - Nobel Prize winner Astrophysicist
Astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize winner George Smoot studies the cosmic microwave background radiation — the afterglow of the Big Bang. His pioneering research into deep space and time is uncovering the structure of the universe itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chfoo9NBEow&t=33s
A retired Sikh in Toronto left his family and happy easy life behind to travel the world to trace Guru Nanak Devji's journeys. Several years ago I read about this, he went and talk to many Sikhs leaders in Gurdwaras and Punjab. Seems like NO one was interested in what he had to say. He said Guru Nanak Came to Montreal, to US(Missisippi) and Europe with Ships travelling from India to Europe first - bringing exotic spices, silk, diamonds, gold and SLAVES!!! Yes Slaves. I did my own research - The Turks were ruling India When Babur from Afghanistan attacked India - remember when Guru Nanak was also imprisioned - and Guruji Wrote about Babarwani - it's in Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji. Well Today I found an article on the First page of the New York Times -about Muslim slaves travelling with Christopher Colombus - and the Muslim contribution to America - makes sense - That's the time when Babur came to India - and Guru Nanak Dev ji would have been in his late 20s!!
ReplyDeleteThe First link is from the NYT - The secret history of Muslims in America - the Second is from the basically abandoned blog from that Sikh -
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000006252817/muslim-united-states-history-islam.html
https://satguru.weebly.com/satguru-nanak-sahib-in-montreal-previously-mount-royal.html