Compare the two news items ( only food for thought)

MAN ARRESTED AT HARIDWAR FOR POURING WATER TOWARDS WEST INSTEAD OF EAST

Haridwar, 1490

A man allegedly entered the holy water of the Ganga and started pouring water towards the west, but was held by the Pandit association for the “sacrilegious” act, a Brahmin said today. “A man was yesterday held pouring water in the wrong direction at the pious ganges at Haridwar, in gross violation of the Vedanta conduct,” he said.

The Shankrachary of Kanshi, Shri Vedanti ,said a high-level inquiry into the “blasphemous” act had been ordered. –AII*

*AII- As I Imagine (news service from the past )

Man enters Golden Temple with meat
Amritsar, May 25

A man allegedly entered the Golden Temple here with meat but was held by SGPC volunteers for the “sacrilegious” act, an SGPC official said today. “A man was yesterday held with meat in the pious community kitchen of the Golden Temple in gross violation of Sikh conducts,” he said.

Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, said a high-level inquiry into the “blasphemous” act had been ordered. — PTI

OK now here is the point - I am neither supporting nor disagreeing with the meat man. I was just musing -

• were the brahmins really open minded in the 1490's
• or was it the greatness of Guru Nanak that led them to understand
• or is it that we have metamorphosized into the ritualistic punda's.

In the service of truth

I came across a beautiful shabad by Guru Arjan patshah, highlighting how I should mold my character with guidance of truth 

Aasa mehla 5

Na oh marta, na hum dareya. Na oh binsae, na hum kadeya.Na oh nirdhan, na hum bhookhe. Na os dukh, na hum kau dukhe. 1

The truth is forever so in its guidance I should be fearless, Truth(true teaching) is forever so in its service I shouldn’t let my heart burn in vices.Truth(true teaching) is not at anyone’s mercy , so in its service (my behavior ) shall be such that I won’t remain in want. Truth(true teaching) are above pains and in its service I would rise above all worldly (mentally created) pains.

Avar na kou maaranvaara. Jiyo hamaara, jiyo denhaara. Rahao
My Life giver is my life then what else can hurt me ?

 

Na us bandhan, na hum baadhe. Na us dhanda, na hum dhade.Na us mel, na hum kau maila. Os anand ta hum sadd kela. 2
Truth(true teaching) is in no bondage and upon falling it I shall be freed of all bondages I carry in my mind, Truth(true teaching) is not tradable , so in its service my character would become unfailable . Truth(true teaching) is absolutely devoid of filth, so shall my mind be in its service. Truth(true teaching) is a sign of bliss , so shall I be relishing blissfully in its service.  

 

Na us soch, na hum kau socha. Na us lep na hum kau paucha.
Na us bhookh na hum ko trishna. Ja oh nirmal ta hum jachna. 3
Truth(true teaching) is not based on speculation , so shall I be relived of all valueless momentary speculations. Truth(true teaching) is beyond the grasp of my fake mentally created maya , so in its service I would rise above it too. Truth(true teaching) is not based on worldly greed, so in its service I would be less self-centric and greedy. Truth(true teaching) is absolutely pure and in its service my life becomes worthwhile.

 

Hum kich naahi ek ohi. Aage paache eko soyi.
Nanak gur khoye bhram bhanga. Hum oye mill hoye, ik ganga. 4
Nanak Says that with Gur ( True teaching – truth) I have lost my doubts and mistakes in character. I have imbibed myself in the color of the Gur ( Truth) . I have realized that I am nothing only the truth ( gur/ Naam) exists , sice before and forever afterwards.

alive :)

Sangat ji

it seems that I had drifted away from the web for a while ... but now hope to keep up ....My new location is the kelley school of business IU ... ( ya it was the admission process and the moving and etc. that kept me busy ) ...

P.s. does anyone have an Idea about a group of sikh sangat here at bloomington IU .. or is a new group required ?

Sat Kartar

How to handle Deras ( ashutosh , sacha sauda etc.)

A poet describes from his imagination how the scene would have been when Guru Gobind Singh must have entered Madho Das's(would be Bhai Banda Singh ) Dera.

Naam Simran

Veer Rajinder Singh ji of Khalsa Panchaiyat - chandigarh, was with us in Dubai for a few days . Here is a small clip from one of his presentations. Its food for thought ... vaheguru vaheguru "kari jana"is different from Vheguru "japna".

Keertan on the bus

Its been a long hiatus in blogging. It is difficult to generate content for the blog , when you are alreaty into too many thing :(.. anyways here is a video from our last sangat-trip from dubai to Al-Ain ..it was a picnic/sangat programe ( its pics are avialable at : www.sikhsindubai.wordpress.com

Shiva's Poison

As the mythical story goes there is poison in the throat of shiva which he can neither spit out nor swallow, as if he spits it out it would cause panic in the world and he would lose his fame, if he swallows it would kill him !
Well it seems our Maryada Purshotam Pathi's singh's have trapped themselves in a similar situation.I was at a distant relative's home where they had commissioned a "Vidhi poorvak Akhand Paath". Well now, the Pathi has respect because he does all the "Paath paraphernalia " according to the prescribed maryada . And the Prescribed methodology forbids them to stop the reading any time . Now, what happened was that , as it was a kind of a family reunion , many relatives had got together , they started talking in th other room .This was causing a lot of noise , and even the pathi could not hear his own voice. Now he was in a situation where he could neither stop the path and tell the people to be quite, nor could he continue to read the bani properly ( and for whom?).
Had our ancestors not accepted the pujari tricks of Khandit / Akahnd paths, we would not have had such situations. Had we maintained the our respect for bani and tried to learn from it , we would not have created a situation where no one listens to it , but if the recital is stopped then it is considered a disaster / Anarth.

As for those wondering what happened next ? Well some old Maryada sensitive relative asked everyone to talk in a different room! Didn't tell them to listen to the path.