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| Issue 35 August 1998 CONTENTS © Central Gurdwara Resource Centre 1998 Central Gurdwara The opinions expressed are not those of the editors or of the management of the Gurdwara
CAMP PIONEER II
23-28 AUGUST 1998 The scouting camp, canoeing, archery, shooting, camp fires and sports day. Meditation, history and the Sikh Way of Life. Cost £40-00 including accomodation, food.etc.
New Book Sikhism for Today by Kanwaljit Kaur-Singh published by Oxford University Press This new book is an excellent introduction to the Sikh way of Life today, buy looking at the common practices and celebrations, the teachings of the Gurus, and their ideas about their responsibilities. to society. It is illustrated with many colourful pictures and is well written, both for young Sikhs and Non-Sikhs. We have a small quantity of books available for sale at £5-00, please contact by phone: 0171 460 2020 or email: Khalsa@bigfoot.com
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I have just returned from a very successful camp Pathfinder II. We spent 4 days at an Army camp doing activities ranging from a very tough Assault coarse, paint-balling to a night patrol and laser simulated shooting. It was throughouly enjoyed by all who took part and we all learnt so much. The next Fauj camp is Camp Pioneer II in August for 7-16 Year olds. Book your places now to enjoy the Fauj experience. We live today in a more and more complex society and it is often easy to get confused and frustrated, take the following song lyrics for example…. "And I'm thinking what a mess we're in Lyrics from Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai written by Kay/Smith Here he talks about breaking the ties that man has made to materialistic things, and how man is moving further away from nature. The religion he is talking about is the most widespread religion in the world - Materialism. So the singer is looking for a new solution. Gurmat tells us that we are living among this wonderful creation of God and we can use the facilities available to us, BUT we must not get entangled in all this Maya (material things) and keep our eyes on the Goal - Waheguru. We must control the urges of Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment and Pride. In this way we can keep Haumai (Ego) under control and keep Waheguru in our mind.
Bhupinder Singh
You are the Lord; We pray to You... This shabad is often recited before we join in Ardaas, when we all stand and pray to the Almighty. In the Ardaas we firstly remember Waheguru and the Gurus and then the many Great Sikhs that have made sacrifices for the Sikh cause. And then we pray to Waheguru to forgive our mistakes and keep us in the right direction we also pray for the Good of all Creation. So, this Shadad is quite fittingly recited before the Ardaas. The Shadad also forms part of the Sukhmani Sahib, the pray of peace, written by Mahla Panjva (Guru Arjan Dev Ji) in the Guru Granth Sahib and appears on page 268. Guru Ji wrtes that we pray to the Almighty, You have given us everything, our body and soul, You are our everything, our Mother and Father. You are the Providor of all comforts and joys. You are so Great no one knows your limits. You support the whole of creation and all lies within your Command and Will. Guru Ji ends this Shabad by writing that I am Your slave, I am hardly worthy of You, I can only be of sacrifice to You. It is often written in the Guru Granth Sahib, that we must surrender ourselves to Waheguru, but what does this mean? We must control our Ego, Haumai. In the last line of the Shabad, Guru Ji refers to this surrender, by saying that "I am Your slave". If we fall in Love with Waheguru, we will loose our sence of Ego. We are merely like waves, in the ocean of God, we are only there for an instant, we allow the ocean to guide us in the right direction. This can only occur if we loose our sence of attachment, lust, greed, anger and pride (the 5 vices which fuel the Ego), only then can we allow God to guide us perfectly.... Bhupinder Singh Peace and the Sadh Sangat Katha by Jasbir Singh Khalsa Ji (Khannawale) Sadh Sangat Gur Shabad Viloway In this verse, Bhai Gurdas ji talks about a gursikhs life, what a Gursikh believes, what a Gursikh worships, what a Gursikhs path is and what sehaj is. (Sehaj is serenity, calmness or inner-peace) Bhai Gurdas Var 28, pauree 9: Gurmukh sacha panth ha, sikh sehaj ghar jaa-I
khlovay Gurmukh sach rahraas ha, paaree paay pa khaak ju hovay Gursikhee da naavna gurmat laa, durmat maal dhovay Gursikhee da poojna, gursikh pooj piram ras bhovay Gursikhee da mananaa, gur bachanee gal har parovay Gursikhee da jeevna, jeevdi-aa mar haumai khovay Sadh Sangat gur shabd vilovay Truth is not just for speaking in the Gurdwara, truth is not just for speaking in the Mandir, truth is not just for speaking with the tongue. Truth is not just for speaking to others. Truth should be in your heart, in your words and in your actions. Truth can be spoken by anyone, but when you are cut by the saw (like Bhai Mati Das) and you still speak truth then you know that you really have truth inside you. Gurmukh sacha panth ha, sikh sehaj ghar jaa-i khlovay Gurmukh is the true path, because the Gurmukhs have truth in what they speak (kahnee) and truth in their actions, in they way they live their life (rehnee). The path of the Gurmukh is true - why? Because the Gurmukh has the Guru’s thoughts within them, not their own worldly thoughts. The one within whom the Guru’s thoughts reside does not have room for their own thoughts. The one within whom the Guru’s thought reside has a life like the Guru’s life. Their words, actions will be like the Guru’s. Before they sit, stand, eat or drink, at every moment of their life, they will think ‘are my actions and thoughts like the Guru’s?’ They lead their life like this. A Gurmukh lives on the true path, due to living life according to the thinking of the Guru. A mother can give birth to a human but the Gurmukh is born out of the sadh sangat, or the holy congregation. A mother can give birth to a human, but this worldy person will have to go to sadh sangat to be born as Gurmukh. What is this sadh sangat? It is the company of the Guru, the company of the Guru’s Shabad, or Word. Sadh Sangat gur shabd vilovay We go to the sadh sangat, but we don’t find sadh sangat! We have to go to the Guru’s house and find the company of the holy. If we go to the Guru’s house and ask for falsehood we won’t get Truth. If we didn’t ask for Truth we won’t get it. If we come to the sadh sangat and listen to each others conversations then we didn’t listen to the Guru’s words. If we came and looked at each other’s fashions, then we saw nothing but falsehood. On the other hand, Bhai Gurdas ji said that if two Gurmukhs come to the sadh sangat guess what they would be talking about? Bhai Gurdas ji said that they will be saying ‘Waheguru’. They talk about nothing but Waheguru. If we come to the sangat and talk about anything but Waheguru, then we talk falsehood, falsehood filled our ears. We ask for falsehood, we didn’t get Truth, we didn’t find the sadh sangat even by coming to the Guru’s house. Bhai Gurdas ji tells us what the Gursikhs do. He says the path of the Guru’s Sikh is true because their Guru is true, perfect. Poora Satguru jani-aa, Pooray poora thaat banaaiya. Gurmukh sacha panth ha, sikh sehaj ghar jaa-i khlovay The house of the unshaken soul is the house of spiritual perfection (sehaj ghar). But this sehaj is not achieved through empty rituals. Karmee sehaj na upjay But without sehaj, doubts cannot be removed. While doubts remain life remains dirty, and worry exists, anxiety exists, Guru ji says Sahsa jio maleen ha So how can we obtain sehaj? Satguru ji has said, Shabaday hee sehaj oopajay -Sehaj is obtained through the Gurus word. Now we understand, 'O Satguru ji your shabad can give us sehaj.' That is why the Guru's Sikh can go and stand anywhere and their attention, or surat, unites with the Shabad and enters the house of sehaj. Stood in the house of the Guru’s Word, is the attention of the Gursikh. The attention of the Guru’s Sikh is focused at the Guru’s house. The Gursikh doesn’t just come to the Guru’s house, prostrate and leave. Everyone comes with their body, but beloved of the Guru, if you have brought your body to the Guru’s house, then take your attention (surat) to the house of the Guru’s word and you too will enter sehaj ghar. Take your attention to the house of the Guru word. Guru ji says, Shabaday hee sehaj oopajay, har vasiaa sach soi. The Guru’s Sikh takes his attention to the house of the Guru’s word. When we came from home, which direction did we face? Towards the Guru’s Court, or darbar, which way was our back? It was towards our house. When we leave our face will towards our house. This means wherever we go, our face is in that direction. When we came from Nirankar, or the Formless Lord, our face was towards the World. Now we want to go towards Nirankar so we will have to put our face towards Nirankar and our back towards the World. Now, you ask why do we need to turn our back to the world? Why cant we talk about God, go to the Gurdwara and still face the World? No, you can never reach Nirankar like that. You will have to put your face towards Nirankar. Which face am I talking about. A man is walking, if he refuses to bring his back foot infront of the other then he can’t walk to his destination. If we want reach Nirankar, reach sehaj ghar, then we will have to pull our attention out of worldly thoughts and into the Guru’s Shabad. If we think we can talk about God and still desire to have people praising us then we will never move forward. The Gursikh while living in the World has taken their attention into the shabad and entered sehaj ghar. There is only one way of entering sehaj ghar, not two. That way is to praise the one who’s house we want to enter. By praising the Supreme Being we enter his house. Guru ji says, sift salaahan sehaj anand Sift salaahan tera hukam rajaaee. Now to enter someone’s house we must sing the words from that House, not false words. Sing the praises of that house, that house is full of praises. Guru ji says, Siftee bharay tera bhandar -Your house is full of praises. Don’t say you want to go to Nirankar’s house then start making up your own words and singing your own verses. You wont reach. To reach the true one’s house you need the True Ones words. Gurmukh sacha panth ha, sikh sehaj ghar jaa-i khlovay| The Sikh goes and stands in the sehaj ghar. How is this obtained? Sadh Sangat gur shabd vilovay Sing , "Waheguru Waheguru Waheguru............." Translated by Harjit Singh Lakhan Typing by Gurvir Singh
Waheguru Ji you've given me friends as the greatest gift You gave me sunshine, rainbows, and the rain You gave me the ability to face each new day with courage, wisdom, and a smile from knowing that whatever sorrow or pain that I face.. You are the security in my heart Always available to help me forward towards
Gurpreet Kaur |
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