Central Gurdwara Resource Centre Newsletter - Internet version
Issue 8 May 1996
Central Gurdwara Resource Centre Newsletter - Internet version
Issue 8 May 1996
Welcome to our eighth issue, the last few days have been very encouraging with many new articles being submitted and also many new members joining Khalsa Net, if you have an email facility you should consider joining this service, to find out more simply send an email to the address on the back page.
Here we are at the beginning of the Summer, so what have we got in store? Some good weather hopefully! Maybe exams for some people, I do wish you well and with the grace of Waheguru, I am sure you will all come through in flying colours. But one further thing we should all be gearing up for the Summer Gurmat Camps. The details of some of these are on page 3. These camps are a really good way to put us into a good frame of mind and there is so much to learn for all ages and of course the chance to meet other like-minded Gursikhs. I encourage you all to take part either as a student or as a sevadar.
This month the newsletter features articles about Guru Amar Das whose Birth Anniversary we celebrate on 2nd May and article highlighting some of Guru Arjan Dev Ji's hymns whose martyrdom is commemorated on the 30th May. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of this months newsletter. As always we do solicit your views and articles and also your letters which may be printed with your permission, and do let me know of any events taking place near you.
Bhupinder Singh - Editor
The Supreme Sacrifice of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Report on the 3rd National Sikh Forum
Important Dates in Sikh History - May
This months Gurpurabs:
2 May - Birth of Guru Amar Das Ji
10 May - Gur Gaddi of Guru HarGobind Ji
21 May - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Look at yourselves you are a miracle. That is why when ever Guru Nanak met people he said "Sat Kartar"(True Creator), Just look around and appreciate the Creation of Waheguru
This year Jeth is from 14 May to 13 June 1996 and marks the beginning of Summer. Here Guru Ji is telling us to avoid the lure of riches/maya.
Har Jeth juranda loriai, jis agai sabh nivan
In the month of Jeth we should unite our hearts with the Almighty, at whose feet everyone bows.
Har sajan davin lagia kisai na dei bann
If we cling to the skirt of our friendly God then he will exempt us from the bonds of Death.
Manak moti nam prabh un lagai nahi sannh
God's name is like rubies and pearls, no burglar can steel it.
Rang sabhe Narainai, jete man bhavann
All the joys that appeal to our minds are contained within God.
Jo Har lorai so kare soi jia krann
God and his creatures do what ever is His will.
Jo Prabh kite apne sei kahieh dhann
Those are blessed whom the God treats as His own.
Apan lia je milai vichhur kio rovann
If it had been in the power of men to get what ever they wanted, then why should in separation they wail?
Sadhu sang prapate Nanak rang manann
Oh Nanak those who have associated themselves with the saints enjoy the colourful life.
.
Har jeth rangila tis dhani jis kai bhag mathann
For those who have good fortune recorded on their foreheads, by devotion to God, even Jeth, the month of scorching Heat, becomes pleasant.
This month we celebrate the birth of Guru Amar Das Ji, the Third Guru, who became Guru when he was 72 years old and remained Guru for 22 years.
Amardas was a spiritual genius of the times of Guru Angad. He was a great pilgrim who had been to the sacred Ganges at Hardwar many times, going there bare-footed, singing divine hymns all the way, and feeling charitable, good, pure, and all the while poor. When he was Seventy years old a trifling event produced a revolution within him; merely hearing of the song of Nanak, sung by Guru Angad's daughter, Bibi Amro. "Whose song is it ?" he asked "Our Father's," said she, "It is the Jap Ji Sahib, of Guru Nanak."
She took the old man to her father. Guru Angad received him with great respect that was due to both his age and to his position in society. Having seen Guru Angad once, he never left his presence. So deep and intense was his passion that he would find pleasure in doing every service necessary to his Guru.
Notably, he would bring him a pitcher of fresh river water from the river Beas every morning for his bath.
One day, Amardas, while carrying his brass pitcher of the Beas water, fell by the house of a weaver, having tumbled against a wooden peg that the weaver had driven into the ground. It was a severe winter night, raining and pitch-dark. The weaver's wife said to her husband, "Ah, who can have fallen at our door like that?" The husband replied, "Who else could it be, but that homeless insane Amru; he, who never sleeps, never rests and never tires?" When Guru Angad Dev Ji came to hear of this he was moved immensely and hugged Amar Das and bestowed him with the following title:
Guru Angad Dev Ji then bestowed the Guruship upon Guru Amar Das Ji, who was 20 years elder to him.
Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Debra Sahib, Lahore
-the place where Guru Arjan Dev Ji was tortured.
Reading the writings of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, and seeing how it is full of such warmth and divine love, I'm now starting to understand how Guru Arjan Dev Ji at the time of being tortured was able to speak the words, "thy will is utmost sweet My Lord, I only ask only for thy Divine Name". Unlike Jesus who at the time of being nailed to the cross asked God, why he had forsaken him, and what did he do wrong.
Bilaaval Mahala 5 (Amrit Keertan Pg 72)
Prabh jee too mayray praan adhaarai.
O Lord, Thou are the support of my life.
Namaskaar DanDaot bandanaa, anik baar jaa-o baarai.
My obeisance to Thee ever; I am a sacrifice unto Thee countless times.
OoThat baiThat sovat jaagat, eh(o) man tujhaih chitaarai
Standing or sitting, awake or in sleep, I remember Thee alone, my God.
Sukh dukh is man kee birthaa, tujh hee aagai saarai.
I express my pleasures, my pains, and the distress of my mind before Thee.
Too mayree ot bal budh, dhan tum hee, tumaih mayrai parvaarai.
Thou alone art my shelter, my power, my intellect, my wealth; Thou alone are my kith and kin.
Jo tum karho, so-ee bhal hamrai, paykh naanak sukh charnaarai.
Nanak: Whatever Thou doest, that alone is good for me; seeing Thy lotus-feet, I am at peace.
The following Shabads show the Humility of the Gurus. Though Guru Arjan Dev Ji had the blessed powers of God in him, not once did he become egoistic, but forever remained at Gods feet. Nowadays, too many of us, once we learn something, boast of our "superiority" and use it against people. A lesson to be learned from the Gurus, that is why it is said. "Without reading Gurbani, no love or true inner yearning for God can be attained in one's mind." Because we do not know what humility is, unless we read it in the Gurus words who were by Far Superior than us, but forever remained humble. For Example by calling themselves the slave of the Lord, depicting themselves to be a mere Fish, whereas God is all the Oceans.
Bilaaval Mahala 5 (Amrit Keertan Pg 73)
Daas tayray kee bayntee, rid kar pargaas.
Thy slave supplicates and begs: "O Lord, Illumine my heart
Tumree kripaa tay paarbraiham dokhan ko naas.
And let all sins be effaced by Thy Grace, O Supreme God."
Charan kamal kaa aasaraa, prabh purakh guN-tass.
O, Omnipresent Lord, the Treasures of virtues, I lean on Thy Lotus-feet.
Keertan Naam simrat rahao, jab lag ghat saas. Rahaao.
May I remain praising Thee and remembering Thy Name so long as there is life in me.
Maat pitaa bandhap toohai, too sarb nivaas.
Thou art my Father, Mother and Kinsman; Thou
pervadest all.
Naanak prabh saraNaagatee, jaa ko nirmal jaas.
Nanak has come to the refuge of the Lord, whose praise is immaculate.
Jasvinder Singh, Toronto.
Ad sach. Jugad sach.
Hai bhi sach. Nanak hosi bhi sach.
These are the first words which appear after the Mul Mantar at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib. A mantar is that which breaks the dam of the ego which disturbs the natural flow between God and us. Mul means "root". The Mul Mantar is the root of all revelations, the bridge spanning God and human. "Jap" is the only command given in the entire scripture. It is the whole of religion. It means "Repeat", and "Meditate" and also "Awake!" It combines action with thought and with desire. If one has action but no thought one misses the mark, action without desire is ritual, desire without action causes frustration, desire without thought inevitably fails, thought without action or desire is meaningless. God is the Breath of Life, not an idea.
The rest of the Gurbani, Guru Granth Sahib Ji, is what is to be subjected to the Jap. The rest of the Gurbani lays out your choices and states in life and the life to come. Those who Jap turn to God's Grace (Gur) which gives birth to the Gurbani revealed by the Ten SatGurus - they are gurmukhs. The others reject Life and are manmukhs - followers of the self. Rather than breaking through the dam of the self into the Ocean of Life, they cut themselves off. They become dry, bitter and crack up rather than spontaneous and joyful in the dance of the river (Gurmat).
When the dam is broken where is the drop, where the river and where the Ocean? This Jap is the only Truth from the beginning, has been the only Truth, is the Truth, and will always be the Truth. This was the revelation given at the beginning, it was sent again and again through time, it is the universal spiritual path of all seekers of God today, whatever religion they claim to belong to, and will remain the Truth for all time. It is at the root of all faiths but has become hidden through distortions over time; it is reaffirmed and kept intact in the Revelation given to SatGuru Nanak.
Ranvir Singh Kanwar
Report of the 2nd National Sikh Open Forum
This is a condensed account of this recent event which was attended by 86 University/College students and several others including College lecturers and Gurdwara Committee members.
After the ardas Dr Kartar Surinder Singh gave his opening address in which he highlighted internal threats to the Sikh faith, and religious leaders who lead Sikhs away from the tenants laid down by The Sri Akal Takhat. He reminded the youths present that they must recognise their responsibility to guide Sikhs back to the Guru's teachings and to the approved Panthic Reht Maryada.
Then followed an open session in which many points were raised from the floor:
The Forum then broke up for group discussion on the following topics:
will be on: 22 June 1996
at: Guru Nanak Gurdwara,
High Street, Smethwick, Birmingham
Lion King Mister Singh,
You don't seem to do anything,
You don't get seedy and you don't get sad
You don't get greedy and you don't get mad
You don't touch drink and you don't smoke dope
You never sink low and you never lose hope
Lion King Mister Singh, do you do anything?
Yes I do, I do one thing
In the early morning I sing and I sing:
Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Gobind Singh
My love, my life, my everything
I think of you and I sing and I sing:
Guru! Guru! Waheguru!
You love me and I love You
Guru! Guru! Waheguru!
To be with You, To be with You
Guru! Guru! Waheguru!
I'm going home to be with You!
Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Gobind Singh
My love, my life, my everything
I think of you and I sing and I sing:
Now I know why the birds are singing
Now I know why the Earth is spinning
Up and over, down and around
Singing and spinning to the sound
of Guru! Guru! Waheguru!
You love me and I love You
of Guru! Guru! Waheguru!
To be with You, To be with You.
To be with You my dearest friend
Singing and spinning home again.
To be with You, to be with You
To be with You : ONE again!
Harjit Singh
Important dates in Sikh History - May
2 May 1837 Hari Singh Nalwa -famous commander of M. Ranjit Singh's army died.
3 May 1718 Birth of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
4 May 1686 Birth of Baba Ajit Singh, eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
5 May 1479 Birth of Guru Amar Das Ji
10 May 1955 Punjabi Suba movement launched
12 May 1710 Battle of Charpat Cheri where Wazir Khan murderer of the young Sahibzade was killed
19 May 1917 Restrictions on the Kirpan were lifted all over British ruled India.
30 May 1606 Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or Management of
the Gurdwara London.
Address:
Central Gurdwara Resource Centre
62 Queensdale Road
London W11 4SG