Lessons from Bibi Santi

A couple of weeks ago, the dhadhi jatha told the inspirational story of Bibi Santi. She was born into a Sikh family but married into a family that followed a Muslim Pir. She was kicked out since her in-laws did not support her reading Gurbanii. She lived in a hut with her husband, who died soon after the birth of their son, Palla. Bhai Palla Ji was raised as a Sikh. He grew up with a strong desire to meet Guru Ji and would do Ardas for the Darshan of Guru Ji. One day, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji did indeed pass through their village accompanied by some Sikhs. Bhai Palla Ji immediately recognized Guru Ji, with his two swords representing Miri and Piri. Bhai Palla Ji had spent many years carrying around gur (solid piece of sugar) which he wrapped in a cloth as an offering for Guru Ji, but was having trouble opening the knot. Guru Ji opened the knot, and at the same time, also spiritually liberated Bhai Palla Ji. The Sikhs went to Bhai Palla Ji’s home for langar. The villagers all agreed that it would be very humiliating for Bibi Santi and Bhai Palla Ji if they had no langar to feed Guru Ji. Bibi Santi and Bhai Palla Ji already used to have barely enough food, how would they be able to feed langar to Guru Ji and the Sikhs? The villagers refused to lend any flour. When Bhai Palla Ji came home Bibi Santi was overjoyed and started to prepare langar. Guru Ji watched the scene as the villagers wanted to see the humiliation of Bhai Palla Ji and asked asked Bhai Palla Ji to invite the villagers to join! The villagers agreed, thinking that this would be even more humiliating. Guru Ji asked Bhai Palla Ji to put two kerchiefs- one over the flour, and one over the dhal, and then Bibi Ji prepared the langar. The langar was limitless! The villagers continued to eat until they were full. At this miracle, they fell at the feet of the Guru Ji who had protected the honor of his Sikhs. These villagers became followers of Guru Ji and just one woman, Bibi Santi, was able to transform the whole village to Sikhs. 

This Sakhi teaches us many things. Bibi Santi and Bhai Palla Ji may have lived in a hut, but they were rich in love for their Guru. Although the whole village including her in-laws discouraged her, she continued to walk her path and in fact helped to guide them to their paths as well. Individuals like Bhagat Kabir (people tried to drown him), Namdev (people tried to crush him with a drunk elephant) and Prehlad (Harnakash tried to kill him) were also similarly discouraged by others but continued on their path and were protected by God. 

Kaljug meh kirtan pardhana, “In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Kirtan of the Lord’s Praises are the most sublime and exalted.” (Ang 1075)

I have always gotten the same words from Gyani Jis who come to visit- “don’t stop.” They say, “never stop doing kirtan, praying, or doing Simran.” I kind of wondered why this message was being delivered to me again and again. Why would I ever desire to stop? Singing kirtan is what I love and enjoy. It is during these last couple of weeks, coincidentally around the time of hearing Bibi Santi’s sakhi that I came to understand how this all came together. They were reminding me that just like in Bibi Santi’s story, there is also adversity from the outside (not just the internal challenge of continuing this path). It is a feature of Kaljug. Gurbani tells us “Those who act like tyrants are accepted and approved - recognize that this is the sign of the Dark Age of Kali Yuga… If someone chants the Lord’s name, he is scorned. These are the signs of Kali Yuga.” (Ang 902). Since they had also faced this, they were reminding me that even though others will try to stop you, just keep walking the same path. I used to think that it just my perception that people were sweet to your face and were gossiping jealously behind your back. Now I was directly faced with the fact that It was happening and exists as a part of life no matter how you treat or think of other people. Even if you don’t have enmity against anyone, they may still have enmity towards you. Our history shows us that the Guru Jis had no enmity against people, but there were still many people who had enmity against them like Chandu Shah and Aurangzeb. This is especially true for powerful figures who speak up on important issues of truth and justice; the more vocal they are, they end up having lots of people rise against them. Malala Yousafzai comes to mind, as she was shot for standing up for female rights. It is not just these figures though, its present in the daily lives of people like you and me, and even Gyani Jis. The gossip and slandering come in the face of a person’s ego being faced with someone else’s success whether it is spiritual, social, physical or otherwise.  

Jealousy and competition are dividing forces that bring us further away from each other. Combined with people’s insecurities, they fuel gossip that makes assumptions about other people’s thoughts, intentions, and actions. It’s more important we create an environment of collaboration. My dad was telling me about how when his uncle came to Canada, there used to be Sikh families hosting newer immigrants for free in their homes. They would feed them, offer them support and shelter until they got on their own feet. Then those people would go on to do the same for others when they had the chance. This collaboration is in the spirit of the Khalsa as we are brothers and sisters and meant to work together. At the Gurdwara Sahib we can use the loving inclusiveness of the environment to grow and learn together, and it can inspire others to do the same.   

Hearing discouraging things about yourself isn’t pleasant (and kind of surprised me) but I think it’s also important to always have compassion for where other people are in their journeys. The observer’s criticisms speak about where they are on their own path and their ability to see you. I recently met some Gurmukhs who were able to understand, within moments of meeting, what it had seemed to take others a lifetime to know. I have rarely seen so much love overflowing from an individual and I almost cried. It is overjoying to meet the servants of Waheguru even if it is for a short time. It reminded me that when people are connected to God they are really able to dig deep into the experiences of others too and see them. When they are struggling in superficialities of maya, that’s the level at which they deal with the world and see others as well. That is why it’s important for us to stop looking at others and what they say or don’t say, what they want, and what their opinions are and rather look into our own path and journey. When I started recording shabads, I used to want everything to look right, and not want to move around. The more I sang kirtan with the Gyani Jis in the evenings, I moved beyond my body and stopped singing for others. Who was watching and whether anyone at all was watching didn't matter. I started singing from my heart to God, the shabads that resonated with my mind. When the shabad addressed my mind, I listened to the words of Guru Ji with my eyes closed as I sang. I think it is the process of bringing everything from other people to inside myself that allowed me to experience kirtan and is something I wish to pass on as a message about life. People talk, the chatter continues but our journey is fruitful when we stop worrying about others and walk our path as Bibi Santi taught us. I’ll pass on the same words I was given- don’t stop.  

Reference: full sakhi of Bibi Santi http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Hargobind_and_the_limitless_langar 

Going through Life or Growing through Life?

Five years ago, when I was entering medical school, I didn’t expect my life to change so dramatically. Being challenged to the maximum in my personal and professional life has taught me what my strengths and limitations are. 

Of course, this work is the type that makes you grow up quickly because sometimes you are sitting with people in their worst moments of their lives. There is the process of adjusting to medical culture and travelling to different places. One of the most important things that physicians can lose over time is the caring. I had someone recently tell me how he started off caring so much and how over the years, he has become cynical. I always felt like there were certain people who were firm in their belief that this would happen to me too, that it was inevitable over time to burn out and stop caring. Yet I have met some people who are extremely happy, energetic, and compassion towards the end of their careers. One of my recent mentors made me realize that it is possible to work hard, see emotionally difficult cases and not take it home. I think it involves processing with what you see in some way (and setting up boundaries), and for me, I found that way through Gurbani. So I walk out of this degree with more love, more compassion, and more understanding for people’s journeys, while I’m in the process of learning how not to take it home with me (its slowly happening). It also involves not doing the job out of ego, understanding God's role in caring for His creation, and our role in our sewa. It's an important piece I will continue to work on. 

Looking back, the most important growth has been outside of school. Even though I grew up reading Gurmukhi and knowing a bit about Sikhi, it was only recently that I came to understand the purpose of life, the rules of the game, about maya, about the importance of sangat, the meaning of Naam, and understanding Gurbani. I rediscovered the Gurdwara Sahib as a place for peace, inspiration, and comfort. I finally started prioritizing my relationship with Waheguru, my health, and my time with my family above everything else. Instead of living for a break, I learned how to make each day enjoyable. I realized that marks cannot define me. Even now as I prepare to enter residency, the advice I have gotten is “enjoy life now” because you won’t enjoy it later- you will be too busy during residency, too busy once you start working, too busy once you have children. As if to say that life will never be enjoyable again and vacation is the only break. It is these words that remind me of how far I have come in my own journey, because I used to share those beliefs too at some point, but I don’t anymore. I heard the same thing prior to medical school, then again before third year, and before fourth again, yet I managed to enjoy the things that I love. This is a game of the mind, and I will enjoy today but not because I’m stressed that I won’t have a chance to enjoy tomorrow but because each day is a gift and I know I’ll make it through anything and everything. Resilience is about living in Chardi Kala, and this is what our history has taught us- how to thrive no matter what, not to live in fear of what’s to come next. Our Sikhi teaches us that external stressors will always be there, and the 5 (kaam, krodh, lob, moh, hankaar) will be there trying to pull us back, but that our mind does not have to be stressed when it recognizes its internal home. Sachkhand is here, do we see it? Do we see God everywhere? This is what we should be telling others to strive for as well, rather than convincing people to be afraid of life.  

Sikhi has taught me a lot about relationships as well. From our Gurbani and our history, I learned about compassion, forgiveness, conflict resolution, and love. I learned how to let go of the opinions of others and to understand that this is merely a reflection of their ability to see me and their own life story. Living on my own at the beginning of my degree taught me independence and that I can do well on my own, but also that I love spending time with my family. I’ve come to appreciate how much family means in our culture, and how special it is that we take care of each other from the elders to the youngest generation. Those who are close to us in our lives were put there having meditated together in our past lives, with the purpose to do Simran and become Jeevan Mukht together in this life. Praying together, doing Simran, volunteering together, and working together in our home helps us become closer as we walk the same path together. It is from this lens that I learned what an Anand Karaj means, what it means to put the relationship with Guru first, the meeting of two souls who travel together, and the marriage of the mind to Waheguru. We can all just simply move through the stages of life- we can go to school, get a job, get married, have kids, get older, etc. This is really just the body moving through these stages, but it is different to grow through life and learn as you go and to dig deep to make progress on the mind’s journey. All these stages can be filled with ego and we can lose our purpose despite having completed this “checklist” of life events. 

Most of all I have changed the way I see myself. Growing up I think I kind of had different sections of my life- being Punjabi, being Sikh, being born in Canada, living in western culture. Now having met people who understand all those parts as one just let me be a complete whole instead of different parts. It allowed me to explore and understand my value systems. I don’t shy away from talking about how important my religion is to me- that I love to sing at temple, or what specific event I’m going to, or even explaining things in English about Sikhi. Given that it is core to who I am, I don’t think that part of myself should be hidden in conversations or left behind in my friendships. Now that its interlinked, it can never be apart again. I’m thankful for everyone who helped me along the way, but ultimately to God for all these blessings and gifts, all the lessons and the challenges that helped me move forward in my journey and discover this path. 

I hope you get to use this time to reflect on your journey and share those lessons with others in your life so they can learn and grow as well. Explore, pray, reflect, and understand Gurbani because it helps us understand our journey. It helps us heal wounds and fill voids that we never knew existed. Finally, ask yourself: am I going through life or growing through life? 

Sikhi and Nature

Air, water, earth and sky - the Lord has made these His home and temple (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang 723)

The leaves have started re-growing and the birds have returned. In our backyard we put out birdfeed in the summers and this year there's at least fifty birds singing and eating all day. It immediately made me think about what I learned from the life of Guru Har Rai Ji and shared in one of my posts. He used to feed crows and other birds during langar, started a zoo to protect and feed animals, and created a number of gardens including growing medicinal plants.

I have always noticed that my parents love to spend time gardening and doing yardwork. My grandparents have a farm where they are able to grow all of their own sabjis at home. For us, it’s hard to grow a lot of sabjis in the North but its still rewarding to be able to grow things like homegrown peas, raspberries, strawberries, carrots, etc. I think this helps us link back to our roots. Many Punjabi families were traditionally farmers and therefore land and the soil are part of who we are. I hope as a generation we don’t lose this over the years sitting inside at our desks. I have spent a lot of time in the past working on sustainability projects for the city and it made me really aware about the importance of conserving energy, protecting our environment, and its relationship to our own health. We are very fortunate to be living in such a beautiful landscape created by God and we should always remember this as part of our sewa. 

I researched this topic a little bit to see what was out there about Sikhi and the environment. Almost every website that I looked at talked about the lines of Japji Sahib, “Pavan Guru Pani Pita Mata Dharat Mahat, Divas Rat Doe Dayee Daya Khele Sagal Jagat” meaning “Air is Our Guru, water is our father, and great earth is our mother. Day and night are the male and female nurses in whose lap the whole world plays.” This reminds us that it is core to our Sikhism that we take care of our environment. We are one with Waheguru, and therefore one with Waheguru’s creation. Our existence is interlinked and we must be careful to sustain our environment. A Huffington Post article by Bandana Kaur states, “The Sikh Gurus’ writings are also a rich compendium on the biodiversity of South Asia. Throughout Guru Granth Sahib, birds and trees especially are used to describe the metaphoric relationship between a disciple and the Divine. Traditional birds like the peacock, flamingo, hawk, cuckoo, nightingale, crane, swan, owl, and the koyal, and trees like the banyan, pipal, and sandalwood of Punjab are used in the Gurus’ metaphors, along with many, many other species. This diversity of life affirm’s the Divine’s creative current through land, water, and sky.” Therefore the constant mention of the environment in Gurbani reminds of its importance in our daily lives as Sikhs.

I also learned that every year the EcoSikh organization has started a worldwide Sikh Vatvaran Diwas (Sikh Environment Day) on the Gurgaddi Divas of Guru Har Rai Ji, and this year it was held on March 14^th. Their organization focuses on connecting Sikh values to environmental issues and they do projects like organic langar, bike rallies, and planting trees. These are really amazing projects.

Now that we know how important environmental efforts are, we can start to think about how to incorporate these into our lives and communities. One of the great things we have done at our Gurdwara Sahib is having real dishes instead of plastic and Styrofoam for langar. In our homes or in our Gurdwara Sahib we can start with simple measures like planting/watering trees, starting a vegetable garden, putting out food for birds, being careful not to pollute the environment. Walking and biking as much as possible are also options depending on where you live. 

Nature we see

Nature we hear

Nature we observe with awe, wonder and joy

Nature in the nether regions

Nature in the skies

Nature in the whole creation…

Nature in species, kinds, colours

Nature in life forms

Nature in good deeds

Nature in pride and in ego

Nature in air, water and fire

Nature in the soil of the earth

All nature is yours, O powerful Creator

You command it, observe it and pervade within it

(Guru Granth Sahib- translated on BBC website below)

References: 

http://www.sikhfoundation.org/featured/sustainable-development-of-environment-evidence-from-sikh-religion/       this one is a particularly great article to read

http://www.ecosikh.org/programmes/ecoamritsar/  

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/celebrate-world-sikh-environment-day-2018-ecosikh-message

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikhism_and_the_environment

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/environment/sikhstewardshiprev1.shtml

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/environmental-protection-sikhism

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bandana-kaur/sikh-environment-day-the-ecological-roots-of-sikhism_b_2884402.html

Parkash Divas of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji

This weekend we will be holding an Akhand Paath to celebrate the Parkash Divas of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji. Here is the history adapted from the references below. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was born Tyag Mal on April 18, 1621 to parents Guru Hargobind Ji and Mata Nanaki. Guru Ji learned Gurmukhi, Hindi and Sanskrit from Bhai Gurdas Ji, archery and horsemanship from Baba Buddha Ji, and swordsmanship from his father. He went into battle for the first time at the age of 13 earning the name Teg Bahadur (brave wielder of sword). He married Mata Gujri Ji in 1632. 

The Guruship was passed from Guru Hargobind Ji onto Guru Har Rai Ji next, then Guru Harkrishan Ji. In the meantime, Guru Teg Bahadur Ji spent much of his life absorbed in meditation. Then Guru Harkrishan Ji named his successor as “Baba Bakala,”  the name of the town where Guru Ji was residing. After this, 22 individuals established themselves as the Guru. Makhan Shah was a trader travelling on a boat when there was a storm, and he prayed to God that he would give 500 Gold Mohars to Guru Harkrishan Ji if he made it safely. In the meantime however, the Guruship had been passed on. Unsure of who the real Guru was, he proceeded to give 2 gold mohars to all 22 individuals. When a child told him of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, he went and gave him 2 Gold Mohars as well. Guru Ji spoke, asking him of why he had broken his promise of giving 500 Gold Mohars when he had said the prayer on the boat. Makhan Shah immediately knew that this must be the real Guru Ji, and gave the rest of his gold, spreading the message that he had found the real Guru.

Guru Ji became our 9th Guru on April 16, 1664. He travelled extensively to places previously visited by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and bought land in Himachal Pardesh where he created the city Chakk Nanaki, later named Anandpur. After leaving his family at Patna, Guru Ji travelled to present-day Bangladesh to once again spread the Name of God. Mata Ji did not accompany him as she was pregnant. Finally after 34 years of marriage they were blessed with the birth of Gobind Rai in 1666. Mata Nanaki, grandmother of Gobind Rai, was present at the birth. This is the site of present day Patna Sahib. A courier was sent to deliver the news to Guru Teg Bahadur Ji. Guru Ji returned in 1670 and brought his family to Anandpur.

Soon Aurangzeb destroyed Hindu temples, fired Hindus from their jobs and imposed taxes, forcing the Brahmins to either convert to Islam or be executed. (If the pandits themselves converted, that meant the rest of the population would convert as well). They asked Guru Ji to protect them, and thus, it was at the age of 9 that Gobind Rai told his father that no one else would be better suited to make this sacrifice. The Guruship was passed to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Guru Teg Bahadur Ji told Aurangzeb if he could convert Guru Ji then all the pandits would convert as well. He left for Delhi with Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das. They were arrested and transported in a cage at the back of an elephant. Then came the torture and martyrdoms of Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das. Guru Ji continued to meditate, and 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, and thus saved everyone’s religious rights. Gurdwara Sis Ganj has been created at this site. Guru Ji is therefore known as Hind Di Chadar, “The Shield of India.”

There is much to be celebrated and learned from Guru Ji’s life. He taught us patience and meditation from his years spent meditating and spreading the message of God. He taught us that the body can be tortured, but the soul is one with God and thus to build such a strong faith that it cannot be destroyed. He taught us that we must stand up for the rights of humanity. We need to incorporate these as pillars into our own lives. When the 22 others established themselves as Guru, he did not get angry or make a commotion to prove himself. The truth revealed itself by God’s will. This is definitely something that we can all learn from. 

References:

https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Tegh_Bahadur

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Martyrdom_of_Mati_Das,_Sati_Das_and_Dyal_Das

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/nanak9.html

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Martyrdom_of_Guru_Tegh_Bahadur

History of Our Resilience

After spending 6 out of 12 months away from home over the last year, I’ve learned a lot about how to maintain stability in a rocking boat. Going to a new place not only meant a new schedule, new work environment, new sangat, and a new “home”, but also being away from my supports, my spiritual community and from the things that I enjoy in my free time. In such a different and changing environment, I held onto everything I learned about life balance and keeping my connection to Sikhi. For example I’d travel to go visit the Gurdwara on Sundays wherever I was, and I kept up doing my paath in the mornings, which helped me be at peace. Remembering that our real home is inside of our minds helps us remember that no matter how stormy the environment is outside, we can maintain our peace inside by continuing to work on the mind through reading, understanding and living by Gurbani. Despite my efforts there was the odd days that the boat tipped and I didn’t do my simran or I started focusing on work over my health. It reminded me that sometimes when we are faced in challenging circumstances, we go back to our old habits. My old ways of making work my distraction did seep in again from time to time, but I readjusted my course again. What tries to push me off my path today, I learn from and I get stronger so I do not waver again.

When I was thinking about trying to maintain your path in a changing environment I am reminded of our history. There were many times in our history when the Sikhs were in danger. Whole cities of Sikhs were murdered, and they used to travel in the jungles. It reminds me that we have survived and that we have even thrived despite times of turmoil. It got me thinking about looking back at some of our history, especially since it is around Vaisakhi and the time we celebrate the creation of the Khalsa with the Nagar Kirtan coming up in a couple of weeks. 

Most of us know about atrocities committed under Mughal rule including the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the Chaar Sahibzaade, and many other Sikhs. We are told this history in katha quite frequently at the Gurdwara Sahib. I think for the history in the 1700s and beyond though often times not discussed as much, and I have written quite a few posts about that history. During the rule of Zakaraiya Khan, he awarded anyone a blanket for cutting off a Sikh’s hair, ten rupees for whereabouts of a Sikh, fifty rupees for the scalp of a Sikh, and sentenced those who withheld information. The Sikhs sought shelter in the forests and continued to fight back as they could. Around this time, the shaheedis of Bhai Mani Singh and Bhai Taru Singh Ji occurred. In the Chotta Ghallughara (small holocaust) of 1746, 7000 Sikhs were killed and another 3000 were tortured and then executed. This was an estimated loss of a third of our Sikh population at the time. The remaining Sikhs hid in the Lakhi Jungle. Then during Mir Mannu’s rule as Governor of Lahore in 1748, hundreds of Sikhs including women and children were executed daily at present day Gurdwara Shahid Ganj. Each house was searched for Sikhs. Women and children were tortured. Then in the Vaddha Ghallughara (large holocaust), Amad Shah Durrani was responsible for the mass murder of and estimated 30, 000 Sikhs in one day. Following this was the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, Saka Nankana Sahib, Saka Panja Sahib, and the events of 1984, among others. During all the turbulent times, Sikhs continued to sing the hymns of God and this kept them strong. For example, when the Sikhs were living in the jungles in 1742 Bibi Sundari requested an Akhand paath to be read as she was dying from wounds inflicted in battle. 

May we never forget these important events in our history because they remind us collectively of how resilient the Sikhs are despite the many attempts to completely eradicate our population. It is that much more significant, that we remember what we have been through when we celebrate the rise of the Khalsa at Vaisakhi. We can be inspired by our history and feel stronger as a community. We have been through difficult times and it is the strong connection to God that allows thriving in those conditions. It is possible for all of us to get our minds to that state as well. Our lives these days are much more stable- we have homes and do not live terrorized in the jungles trying to survive with little food and water. Yet we still do live with significant challenges and dangers. This is why it is continually important for us to use every opportunity to build our inner strength and achieve our purpose of meeting Waheguru in this lifetime. 

The Nagar Kirtan is coming up on May 19^that 10 am.  

References: 

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_genocide/1919_jallianwalla_bagh_massacre.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhand_Path

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/holydays/gurpurbs.shtml

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Shahid_Ganj

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Muin_ul_Mulk

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Zakariya_Khan

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Wadda_Ghalughara

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_holocaust_of_1762

Turbans

I saw this really amazing article about turbans and had to share. Maninder Singh shows different styles of turbans for International Turban day:
https://www.sikhnet.com/news/sikh-artist-just-turned-around-entire-turban-game 

Where Are You Going?

A few months ago, I was preparing for interview questions about my future dreams and goals. They ask things about where you see yourself in 5 or 10 yrs, what is on your bucket list, what are your goals? I have been thinking about it long after the interviews were over. It is important for us to reassess where we are headed every so often. Up until now, my major goal had been about finishing my schooling. Since it took so many years, I had deferred thinking in detail about what life would look like after that… it was a vague distant future that had now suddenly become closer. In fact, it felt like I waited so long I had forgotten what I originally wanted to do when I was done, and even then, a lot of it has changed. 

In the past whenever I would have answered a question like this about my future or “bucket list,” it would have been things like writing a book or travelling to some place. It was simply kind of a random list of things and mostly things that I thought most people should be doing or most people wanted to do rather than what was consistent with who I am. This time I thought more deeply about my life’s direction. It is great to have fun in life and enjoy God’s creation, but I also wanted to make sure that I don’t have just a mishmashed list of things. I know that my life’s purpose is about merging with Waheguru and continuing to follow the Sikh pillars of naam japna, kirat karni, and vand shakna. I wanted to figure out how my ideas for my future would fit into that purpose, so I reflected on the projects and activities I have enjoyed over the years and the things I wanted to continue to make time for. For example, my new goals involved wanting to finish reading the entirety of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, visiting the historical Gurdwaras, participating in simran camps, attending kirtan smagams, and learning another instrument like Taus or Rabab to sing Gurbani with. I want to spend my life with those willing to learn, sing kirtan, and sit in sangat with me. 

In the past I used to plan a lot and try to control outcomes well in advance. Then I swung towards becoming scared of having goals or dreams and not wanting to picture my future. Finally, I learned the balance of having goals but being flexible in what God has written for us and the unexpected gifts God gives us. For example, I have ideas for volunteer projects and sewa, but I will ultimately do whatever sewa I am called to do. This is the beautiful thing about life because it can be spontaneous, and our experiences also can shape and evolve our ideas, just like my understanding of friendships, sangat, marriage, advocacy, religion, and work has all evolved. Goals are important because they help us plan for our careers, married/family life, and spiritual life, but rather than being too attached or stuck in the future we can see them as a general direction. 

Through the process of answering this question for myself, I learned that there are lots of things I could add to my bucket list, but its important to remember what will fulfill us in travelling the mind’s journey that we were born into this human life for. We never know how long we have, so we should prioritize that task. Gurbani tells us, “Even the greatest of the great worked and worked until they were exhausted. None of them ever accomplished the tasks of Maya.” The wordly list of desires and work will never end and will multiply manifold but we need the direction of one purpose to focus ourselves. One step at a time, we may set goals to learn morning Banis, sit in sangat every Sunday during the program, do a little bit of Simran daily, learn Gurmukhi, or whatever it may be so that we can advance that journey today. As Bhai Dalbir Singh Ji Tarmala says, in spirituality we learn to crawl, then walk, and we will automatically learn how to run, but the first step of remembering God over and over and learning the path of love is the hardest and takes the most time (katha link below). If your plans for today are inconsistent where you want to go, then it may be time to reconsider and adjust your course. 

rwmklI mhlw 5 ]

Raamkalee, Fifth Mehl:

qyrY kwij n igRhu rwju mwlu ]

Your home, power and wealth will be of no use to you.

qyrY kwij n ibKY jMjwlu ]

Your corrupt worldly entanglements will be of no use to you.

iest mIq jwxu sB ClY ]

Know that all your dear friends are fake.

hir hir nwmu sMig qyrY clY ]1]

Only the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, will go along with you. ||1||

rwm nwm gux gwie ly mIqw hir ismrq qyrI lwj rhY ]

Sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord's Name, O friend; remembering the Lord in meditation, your honor shall be saved.

hir ismrq jmu kCu n khY ]1] rhwau ]

Remembering the Lord in meditation, the Messenger of Death will not touch you. ||1||Pause||

ibnu hir sgl inrwrQ kwm ]

Without the Lord, all pursuits are useless.

suienw rupw mwtI dwm ]

Gold, silver and wealth are just dust.

gur kw sbdu jwip mn suKw ]

Chanting the Word of the Guru's Shabad, your mind shall be at peace.

eIhw aUhw qyro aUjl muKw ]2]

Here and hereafter, your face shall be radiant and bright. ||2||

kir kir Qwky vfy vfyry ]

Even the greatest of the great worked and worked until they were exhausted.

ikn hI n kIey kwj mwieAw pUry ]

None of them ever accomplished the tasks of Maya.

hir hir nwmu jpY jnu koie ]

Any humble being who chants the Name of the Lord, Har, Har,

qw kI Awsw pUrn hoie ]3]

will have all his hopes fulfilled. ||3||

hir Bgqn ko nwmu ADwru ]

The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is the anchor and support of the Lord's devotees.

sMqI jIqw jnmu Apwru ]

The Saints are victorious in this priceless human life.

hir sMqu kry soeI prvwxu ]

Whatever the Lord's Saint does, is approved and accepted.

nwnk dwsu qw kY kurbwxu ]4]11]22]

Slave Nanak is a sacrifice to him. ||4||11||22||

Link to katha: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBVQYlQaw-s  (katha starts at 1 h 30 min)

Pictures from Nishan Sahib Sewa

Pictures from today:

Happy Khalsa Da Sajna Divas, Happy Vaisakhi 2018!

This weekend we will be celebrating Vaisakhi! Vadhayian (Congratulations) to everyone! There will be an Akhand paath. In addition, there has been a program every evening this week. On Saturday, Nishan Sahib Sewa is at 1 pm. 

Vaisakhi is my favorite time of year. Besides the crazy snowfall this year it’s usually around when spring seems to be starting up, and the days are growing longer. It is a time of reconnecting to ourselves and to God. I am really inspired when the Sikh community all gathers together at the Gurdwara Sahib to read Gurbani, do sewa, and kirtan. When I think of the creation of the Khalsa and the perseverance and mighty spirit of the Sikhs, the triumph in times of hardship, I feel stronger knowing that this is my shared history. Vaisakhi is a time of remembering our path, celebrating where we came from and where we are headed.

On Vaisakhi 1699 Guru Gobind Singh Ji called hundreds of thousands of Sikhs to gather at Anandpur Sahib. The crowd was completely silent, fully taking in the words of Guru Ji. After spiritual discourse, Guru Ji addressed the crowd, and then took out his sword and asked for a sacrifice, a head. Suddenly the sangat was scared. Bhai Daya Ram Ji approached. Guru Ji went in a tent and came back with his sword, dripping with blood. He asked for another head. Next was Bhai Dharam Das, then Sahib Chand, Himmat Chand, and finally Mokham Chand. Some of the sangat started to disperse in fear, when suddenly Guru Ji came out with all five and performed the Amrit ceremony. These Singhs became our Panj Pyare, the embodiment of the Guru. Then Guru Ji got the 5 to baptize him. The mother of the Khalsa is Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. She added patasay to the Amrit.

Guru Ji gave the Khalsa the distinct identity of today- kesh, kirpan, kachera, kara, and kanga. This united the Khalsa and because the panj were from different castes and now equal, it also showed that there would be equality and no caste distinction. The identity was important in that no Sikh would be allowed to hide- their identity would stand out as Sikh and therefore they would be responsible for their actions. 

The Khalsa was important in uniting the Sikhs as saint-soldiers, as warriors in standing up against the oppression and injustices that were being faced. Sikh women were given the middle name Kaur (princess) and males were given the middle name Singh (lion). May we all embody the names Kaur and Singh as we have been given them. 

References: 

http://www.sikhanswers.com/sikh-history-personalities/panj-pyaare-of-vaisakhi-1699/

https://www.sikh24.com/2015/03/30/poem-vaisakhi-by-gurmit-kaur-uk/

http://www.sikhismguide.org/vaisakhi.aspx 

www.sikhiwiki.org

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/events/khalsa.html

http://manvirsingh.blogspot.ca/2005/11/dhan-mata-sahib-kaur-ji.html

Parkash Divas Guru Arjan Dev Ji

This weekend we will have an Akhand Paath for the Parkash Divas (birth) of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. 

Our fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji was born to parents Guru Ram Das Ji and Bibi Bhani in 1563, in Goindval. Guru Ram Das Ji’s cousin invited him to Lahore for his son’s marriage, however the Guru Ji was busy in sewa and asked his eldest son Prithi Chand to attend. He refused, because he did not want his brother to become Guru while he was gone. Mahadev did not want to go and thus, Arjan went. Guru Ji instructed him to stay to educate the Sikhs until he was called back. Two years passed, and (Guru) Arjan wrote a letter to his father, of love and devotion. Two letters were hidden by Prithi Chand, but the last one had strict instructions to reach the Guru. Reading it, Guru Ji saw that this was labeled as the third letter and asked asked Prithi Chand of any others, who eventually confessed and showed the other letters. Guru Ji was moved by the letters and (Guru) Arjan came home. He went on to be bestowed the Guruship. 

He went on to marry Mata Ganga in 1589. Mata Ji went to Baba Buddha Ji to get blessings for a child, and Baba Buddha Ji said “a son will be born to you who will crush the enemies of Nanak’s house, just as I have crushed this onion in my hand” and thus was born Guru Hargobind. 

Guru Arjan Dev Ji took care of people affected by Leprosy near Taran Taran Sahib. He provided them with medicine, dressed them, and took care of them even though they were abandoned by their own families. He invited Mian Mir (a Muslim saint) to lay the foundation stone at Harmandir Sahib. He collected the hymns of the Gurus into the Aad Granth and eventually contributed 2218 hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The creation of the Aad Granth preserved Gurbani in its original form, preventing any misinterpretation and distortion from others. I never realized growing up how unique this was, and that the scriptures of other religions had not been written by prophets themselves but followers later on. Guru Ji also wrote Sukhmani Sahib. One interesting note is how Guru Arjan Dev Ji emphasized the singing of kirtan by the sangat themselves as well: “In Guru Angad’s days the professional bards, Satta and Balwand who sang the hymns at the Guru’s Darbar had started to believe their excellence as musicians and singers was responsible for their Guru’s popularity. With his love for music and expertise in the Ragas, Guru Arjan Dev Ji introduced the tradition of singing by the congregants themselves to avoid such egotism" (sikhiwiki.org). 

Sikhism was growing rapidly. Hindus and Muslims came to meet Guru Ji. Unfortunately this caused a jealousy and concern among the Mughals. Many people fuelled this, including Chandu Shah. I have mentioned him a few times in my past posts. Remember he was governor of Lahore and a wealthy banker. When his family priest suggested that Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s son (Hargobind) would be a good match for his daughter, he made disparaging remarks about the Guru because he believed he was “upper caste.” Eventually his daughter was getting older and still unmarried, so he changed his mind, however Guru Ji refused knowing his true colors. Chandu Shah turned against Guru Ji and turned Jahangir against Guru Ji. He made up lies that the Aad Granth spoke out against Hindus and Muslims. During Akbars time, he had dismissed these allegations but Jahangir was different and believed this. 

On top of this, Khusro, also Akbar’s son, was the one supposed to be in line for the throne after Akbar's death. Muslim Clergy helped Jahangir become ruler because he would instate Shariyat Muslim Law. Meanwhile Khusro had gone to seek the blessings of Guru Ji at Taran Taran, and this meeting was suspicious to Jahangir, who was successful in becoming ruler. He arrested Guru Ji and fined the Sikhs two Lakh rupees and told Guru Ji to remove mentions of Sikh and Muslim religions from the Aad Granth. Guru Ji refused, and Chandu Shah caused the torture of Guru Ji. Guru Ji was imprisoned at Lahore fort in the hot summer months, chained to a post in the sun. Guru Ji sat on a red-hot iron plate, with hot sand and boiling water poured on his body. Mian Mir tried to intercede but Guru Ji said that whatever is done is God’s will. Guru Ji bathed in the waters of the Ravi River in 1606 and merged with the supreme light. 

Now as we reflect on Guru Ji’s life, we should think about all the lessons that we can incorporate into our lives such as having faith, acceptance of God’s will, meditation on God in times of difficulty, and to rise above our thoughts to live in the home of the mind. Guru Ji also reminded us that kirtan is not about musical expertise but the devotion that comes from our hearts and therefore we should all sing kirtan in sangat. May we all be inspired by Guru Ji's life. 

References:

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/nanak5.html

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurus/sri_guru_arjan_sahib_ji.html

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Arjan http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Baba_Buddha_Blessed_Mata_Ganga

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Chandu_Shah

Picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/117093659038861656/