Central Gurdwara Resource Centre Newsletter
Last month we looked at the age old question of the Purpose of Life and found that the Sikh view is to achieve God Realisation, understanding of God, finding the Ultimate Truth or for the soul to merge back with Waheguru. We then asked "How do we go about this?" Again I must state that I shall try to answer, with my limited understanding...
Guru Granth Sahib tells us on Page 1:
Kiv Sache-aara ho-ee-ai, kiv koorai tutai paal
How, then can we attain the Truth (God)? How to break the veil of falsehood?
Hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa, Nanak likhe-aa naal
By following the Divine Will, Says Nanak this is written for us
The veil of falsehood is Maya, this material
World that we live in. We are blinded by all that goes on around
us and so enraptured that we forget our Goal. The Mind takes over
our Soul and our Haumai (Ego) takes control of us.
Further on Page 1 we read:
Nanak hukmai jay bujjhai, ta haomai kahai na ko-ee
If one were to Realise His Will, one would never asserts one's Ego.
If we can Realise His Will we will have reached our Goal of God Realisation. We are told that if we are at this state we would never assert our Ego. So the solution to Understanding God and understanding His Divine Will is to control our Ego.
Gurbani tells us Haumai is made up of 5 impulses - Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment and Pride. It is these enemies that we must control to achieve our Goal.
So the question arises again "How do we control our Haumai (Ego)?
The Answer is given in simple terms...
It is up to us to understand the above and to never forget these teachings at any time during our busy lives. We shall dwell on these teachings further in future issues.
This month we commemorate the Martyrdom of
Guru Arjan Dev Ji and you will find a short article on sacrifice.
We present the penultimate shabad of our translation of Sohila,
the evening prayer. We hope the other articles and Poem will inspire
you all to live the Sikh Way of Life the best we can.
Bhupinder Singh
What is the ultimate sacrifice?
Poets Corner - Dear Sister of Mine
Important Dates in Sikh History - June
This months Gurpurabs and significant dates
Jun. 4 Janam Din, Bhagat Kabir
Jun 9 Martyrdom Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Jun 21 Prakash Utsav, Guru Hargobind Ji
Within
most of us is the hustle and bustle of lusts and angers - we are
not free of them. Meeting with the Guru has at least two meanings
- meeting with God and meeting with the Sabad Guru (Sri Guru Granth
Sahib Ji). In the Presence there are no bonds and the person has
chosen to love God rather than these chains.
Meeting with the Sabad Guru the keertan anchors the drifting mind. The wandering waves make predictable patterns - our lives are dominated by habits and conversations and relationships within and outside the family follow tired scripts. Holy people are free. They examine the basis of their behaviour and patiently grow towards self-awareness. Living responsibly they change the patterns around them. In the holy congregation we change.
Those
who have not tasted the Divine Love cling to the chains of hate.
They imprison themselves and simultaneously try to escape from
these chains even as they cling to them. Ego brings us pain as
we move forward in life. It only stops when we calmly pull it
out. Otherwise it is embedded in us till we die and these chains
drag us to the angels of punishment. The holy are free from the
chains of hate and travel freely. We are low and need God to help
us. If we turn to God, then we accept that we belong to God, the
Owner, rather than to the self. We pray to be kept safe from the
self and to meet and be kept with God, where there is no self.
The praises and Presence of God is the Basis
of life and the Real Security. The hungers of anger and lust cannot
be filled through dominating or using thousands of people - people
are still insecure. Insecurity can only be abandoned when the
ego is abandoned. Patterns of our life are not thoughtless dull
compulsions, but ever-fresh shapes; empty of ego we can take in
the Sabad Guru; free of ego slaves of the Beloved.
Kanwar Ranvir Singh
I was employed at Allahbad. For weeks and months,
l hungered for a glimpse of Waheguru. I lost all appetite. Earthly
pleasures had no charm for me. I had shed all desires, all ambitions,
except one - to see God and to be at one with Him. I loved solitude.
Beautiful natural scenery intensified my yearning for Him. The
craving within allowed me no rest. Sleep was banished. Day and
night, I yearned for Him. All other thoughts were focused on Him
unceasingly and this craving grew more and more intense.
One day, I returned from my office at 3 p.m.
and resorted to a cave. Dusk came, the shades of night fell. My
servant came to look for me, and entreated me to take my meals,
which I had not done for days. I mechanically followed him. Reaching
my home, I shut myself up and bolted the doors and sat down, desperately
all-out to find Him, to see Him. The all-consuming passion for
God was aglow in my heart and soul. And lo, I heard the stirring
music of the Soul. I felt as if my body emitted sparks of light
from every pore. Then I felt that my soul had detached itself
from my body. I saw my Self ! It was a delightful experience,
but more was yet to come. All of a sudden, I saw myself flood-lit
within and without. "I wished to cry out for mere joy."
It felt like bursting with excessive joy. There was the same celestial
light in the limitless space. I watched and wondered, in ecstatic
joy.
No pen could describe the ineffable sweet experience.
I was a part of the limitless ocean of light. I felt light as
a flower. Even with the eyes closed, I saw the sea of Celestial
Light spreading all round. The day dawned and yet I could see
the distinctive light which spread through the whole of the space.
Thus did God visit me. I then had a cold bath. When it was over,
I was absorbed in profound contemplation. The icy-cold weather
left me unconcerned and unaffected, even though I was naked, except
for my head-gear and underwear. I rose and went out. People watched
my face and found my eyes full of charm. They whispered to each
other, "What eyes !" And I heard sweet music within
and without everywhere, unstruck, ineffable.
From an autobiography of Bhai Randir Singh.
Translated by Trilochan Singh
What is the ultimate
Sacrifice in Sikhism?
This month we commemorate the Martyrdom of
Guru Arjan Dev Ji - He made the ultimate sacrifice, but before
he made the physical sacrifice of his body - He already had sacrificed
his Self to Almighty Waheguru.
"Sada Kurban kita Guru vitoh jis dia ed wadiaia"
"I always make my sacrifices to the Guru who has great excellences."
Anand Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib
When Guru Nanak started the Sikh faith he made
one thing clear to his Sikhs (disciples). They had to be prepared
to sacrifice everything for the faith. His was a game of Love
where one could lose ones head. One had to be prepared to sacrifice
everything for Waheguru.
"Jau
Tau Prem Khelan Ka Chao, Sirr Dhar Tali Gali meri auo.
Et marg per dharije, Sirr deeje kaan na keeje"
"Should you seek to engage in the Game of Love, step into my street with your head placed on your palm, while onto this stepping, ungrudgingly sacrifice your head."
p1412 Guru Granth Sahib
It was almost 200 years later that Guru Gobind
Singh made this same demand of his Sikhs on the day of Vaisakhi
1699. He asked His Sikhs as to who was prepared to give their
heads (sacrifice their lives) to him. Five GurSikhs accepted the
Guru's command and offered their heads. They had made the ultimate
comitment to their Guru. It is for this reason that they were
named the Panj Payaras (Five loved ones). Through their love for
their Guru they were prepared to sacrifice everything.
Why should they go so far? They were prepared
to make sacrifices because they had submitted themselves to Waheguru.
By listening to, understanding and singing Gurbani they had learnt
the true GurSikh way of life. Once one comes to this stage one
is totally in love with Waheguru. Once this stage of Love is reached,
when the Ego is beaten, sacrifice is something one does without
thinking twice.
Give up Your-Self, Your Ego, Your Haumai, this
is the ultimate sacrifice that a Sikh must make. You can start
on this game of love today.
Jatinder Singh
Every Sikh
is to wear His Sword. Not his own. Kirpan is a gift from the Guru.
It is not an instrument of offence or defence; It is mind made
intense by the love of the Guru. The Sikh is to have a sword-like
mind. It is the visible sign of an intensely sensitive soul. It
is but the symbol of myriad personality of the Guru's Sikh, that
knows no defeat, no disappointment, the personality that is unconquerable
in its hope, in its spiritual radiance.
From Spirit Born People by Professor Puran
Singh
Oh my dear sister how can I of help be?
Everywhere in chains and obstacles i see.
Trying to get recognised, trying to get some respect,
While people expect you to stay at home and make sure it is kept.
Do not people realise your name is Kaur.
Guru Gobind singh made you royalty for ever more.
In your grace and in your beauty,
Will our children learn their duty
Of, to work hard to the bone,
And to make Naam their own
Oh sister, how can I give you enough praise,
For it it you, who to Guru Nanak, a human body gave.
My sister, in this world, we must work together,
For there is no one else here, except one another.
Like the two feet of a person we must be,
One foot bears the weight while the other goes free.
In the presence's of you I humbly kneel,
For you are my sister, and to you what love I feel.
Tejpreet Singh
Jun 1 1813 Maharaja Ranjit Singh obtained Kohinoor from Shahsuja Amir of Kabul.
Jun 3 1947 Mountbatten announced the division of India and Punjab
Jun 4 1606 Guru Hargobind arrived in Daroli village near Moga, Ferozepur.
Jun 4 1984 Operation Bluestar: Indian armed forces invaded Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar and more than 120 other shrines
Jun 6 1628 Guru Hargobind Sahib's first battle against the Mughal army.
Jun 6 1663 Janam, Bhai Mohkam Singh
Jun 6 1711 Khalsa Dal, under Banda Singh Bahadur, defeated Bahadur Shah.
Jun 6 1737 Martyrdom Bhai Mani Singh Ji, cut to pieces in Lahore.
Jun 9 1716 Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was tortured to death
Jun 10 1746 "Chhota Ghallughara" - holocaust Lakhpat Rai killed more than 10,000 Sikhs
Jun 10 1957 Bhai Vir Singh passed away.
Jun 13 1886 "Khalsa Akhbar" newspaper in Gurmukhi started in Lahore
Jun 13 1940 Udham Singh of Sunam was sentenced to death for killing Sir Michael O' Dwyer in London.
Jun 14 1539 GUR GADHI, Guru Angad Dev Ji
Jun 14 1595 PRAKASH UTSAV, Guru Hargobind Ji
Jun 14 1698 Janam din, Sahibjada Baba Fateh Singh Ji
Jun 14 1923 Kar-Sewa of Amritsar saowar performed for the second time.
Jun 15 1606 Foundation Stone of Sri Akal Takhat is laid by Guru HarGobind Sahib Ji.
Jun 19 1640 Guru Har Rai married Mata Krishen Kaur.
Jun 20 1670 Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji arrested in Delhi.
Jun 21 1661 Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji visited Banaras.
Jun 25 1700 Sikhs forces defeated the combined forces of Hill chiefs and imperial troops.
Jun 27 1745 Bhai Taru Singh's scalp was removed by orders of Nawab Zakaria Khan.
Jun 27 1839 Maharaja
Ranjit Singh passed away in Lahore
Dates courtesy of Baldev Singh detailed listings
posted on Khalsa net daily. Comments to email: baldev_singh@email.mot.com
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Editor: Bhupinder Singh
Tel: 0171 460-2020
Email: Khalsa@bigfoot.com
Central Gurdwara Resource Centre
62 Queensdale Road
London W11 4SG
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect
those of the Editors or Management of the Gurdwara