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Civilian authorities were unwilling to deploy army during 1984 riots: A S Brar
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/29brar.htm

Civilian authorities were unwilling to deploy the army to restore order in the capital in aftermath of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Brigadier A S Brar, the then Commandant of the Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre in Delhi told the Nanavati Commission on Monday.

Alleging there was laxity on part of the authorities to stem the violence that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, Brar said, "The GOC Delhi area was in touch with the civil authorities, but the cause of non-deployment was the unwillingness of the civilian authorities."

"The troops were not judiciously used where they were needed most," said Brar deposing as a witness before the Commission probing the events leading to the riots.

"I do not know whether this was because of the failure of the civilian authorities to bring to the notice of the GOC, the areas of major violence," he added.

"The troops were sent to areas where there was little violence," Brar submitted. He added, "They were not utilised where they were needed most."

Recalling that he was directed to disperse a mob, which had collected in the Sadar Bazar area on November 1, the retired army officer said the job was 'trivial'.

However, he said, Palam Village, where there were major incidents of violence was not brought to his notice.

Brar also said that while going to Janakpuri from Sadar Bazar, he 'observed civilians with lathis standing along with police personnel on both sides of the road'.

"I did not stop there as the police was present and this area was not assigned to me," he added.

wow! i never knew all this cool stuff. thank you for posting this whoever.

The Mul Mantra is a fate killer. It removes the fate and changes the destiny to complete prosperity.

The first pauri is an antidote to depression. It will lift you from the deepest depression, insecurity, nightmares and loss.

The second pauri imparts patience and stability.

The third pauri transforms insufficiency, turns depression into elevation and transforms low self-esteem into complete self confidence.

The fourth pauri blesses those trapped in feelings of poverty and lack of means. It blasts through the trap of these feelings like a thunderbolt from the blue.

The fifth pauri must be recited when you feel a sense of failure within yourself. When you feel that you are not up to the job this pauri will grant you all success.

The sixth pauri dispels limitation. Recite it when you feel limited, cornered, trapped or coerced.

When you suffer from greed, madness for power, overbearing expansion and the need to control, when you become trapped in your territoriality, the seventh pauri will heal you.

The eight pauri gives the power to be a perfect sage.

The ninth pauri gives expansion.

The tenth pauri grants grace.

The eleventh pauri gives virtuousness.

When you feel small, the twelfth pauri gives you solidarity of self, self-impressiveness and self-respect.

The thirteenth pauri gives you the occult knowledge of infinity. It brings deep intuition.

When you cannot find your path to life, when you cannot see the direction to your destiny, when you cannot achieve fulfilment, the fourteenth pauri will show you the way.

The fifteenth pauri brings liberation.

The sixteenth pauri gives knowledge of the structure of the universe.

The seventeenth pauri brings freedom and resurrection.

The eighteenth pauri fights madness, deep feelings of inferiority and self-destructive behaviour.

The nineteenth pauri brings universal knowledge, inspiration and revelation.

When the monsters are nipping at your heels, the twentieth pauri wipes away all your sins.

The twenty-first pauri will maintain your status, grace and position.

The twenty-second pauri brings victory in legal battles. It gives you strategy.

The twenty-third pauri dispels darkness and elevates the self.

The twenty-fourth pauri breaks through all limitations with the force of a thunderbolt. So powerful that it affects generations, it has the power to kill misfortune.

When you recite the twenty-fifth pauri all your needs become pre-fulfilled. Prosperity, virtue, estate and wealth are yours without asking.

The tenty-sixth pauri transforms nothing into everything. In your business it banishes losses, misfortunes and miseries.

When you are stuck and you cannot see the window of opportunity before you, the twenty-seventh pauri shows you the way. It removes obstacles and hurdles.

The twenty-eighth pauri is the strongest permutation and combination of words in the world. It unites you with God.

The twenty-ninth pauri is a shield of protection. It protects you from the enemies by simply vaporizing those who wish you harm.

The thirtieth pauri places you upon the throne of divinity. It makes you into a sage and a saint.

The thirty-first pauri pulls all virtues from the heavens.

The thirty-second pauri pays your debts and completes your karma.

The thirty-third pauri destroys your ego and brings home your divinity.It removes negativity, neutralises your destructive nature and prevents harm to others by your hand.

The thirty-fourth pauri brings stability.

The thirty-fifth pauri gives you the breadth to do your duty and fulfill your responsibility.

The thirty sixth pauri brings divine realisation. It grants complete understanding of the heavens and the earth.

The thirty-seventh pauri cuts the karma. It eradicates the impact of all bad karmas.

The thirty-eighth pauri gives you the power to rewrite your own destiny.

The Salok brings self-satisfaction, elevation, acknowledgement and respect.

part 7

The Self can be separated from the non-self with the use of God given faculty of discriminating wisdom. What is discrimination? Simply put: to know the Lord alone is Real and all else is transitory is discrimination. It's like straining dirty water through the sieve — the clean water goes through the sieve leaving the dirt behind. Similarly, we can apply the sieve of discrimination to the world!
Dulabh janam punn phal paayo birthaa jaat abibekai: This precious human life is obtained as a reward of past good actions, but without discrimination, it is wasted in vain (sggs 658).
So dhanvanta jis budh bibek: Who has discriminating intellect is alone wealthy (sggs 1150)
Bujai bujjanhar bibek: Only one with discriminating intellect understands it (sggs 285). Thus, by always reasoning, applying the process of Vivek, one gives up his identification with the worldly objects and becomes Giani. Only after giving up identification with the worldly objects can we realize the Self. It's like reaching the top of the roof by using the rungs of the ladder and then leaving them behind. In the ultimate state of realization, one finds that the roof, ladder, its rungs and all rest of the universe is one and the same!
Antar lobh halak dukh bhari bin bibek bharmae: Without descrimination, man wanders around with the great ailment of the rabidness of avrice within him (sggs 1132).
Sadh sangat mil budh bibek: By meeting the society of true devotees, one attains discriminating intellect and understanding (sggs 377). Spiritual ignorance and resulting suffering is a call for Self-inquiry (Shabad Vichaar). Such practice of inner investigation in particular relates to Gian — not knowledge in the intellectual sense — but the knowledge of Atmaan and Parmaatamaan and the realization of their Oneness. Therefore, the inner inquiry, then, is the search for Self-realization or God. It cleanses one's mind by removing desires, fears and doubts, thereby making it fit to realize its true nature as Pure Consciousness.
Boojhahu giani shabad beechaar: O Giani, understand by reflecting on Shabad (sggs 840).
So giani jin sabad liva laee: He alone is Giaanee or knower of the knowledge, who enshrines affection for the Name (sggs 831). It is only the untruth that is always afraid and devoid of inquiry. As a result, it becomes the source of our troubles — bondage and suffering. Untruth depends upon external things, consequently, it is unreal. Only that which exists on its own can only be called real and true. By engaging in Vichaar as taught by the Gurbani, we will find that when one perishable object depends on other perishable object for its sustenance, then they cannot be the source of Immortality because they in themselves are unreal or impermanent. The only entity that is real is the Absolute Truth, because it is self-existence; one without beginning, middle or end. However, under the spell of untruth and the absence of self-effort for sincere Vichaar, we take unreal worldly objects as Eternal Truth or the source of Immortality. The fault lies with our corrupt senses, mind and intelligence. The fool takes the world and its objects to be real; whereas the wise (Giani) sees them as the manifestation of the false ego. Being wise, the Giani goes for the Real Thing; which is beyond mind, time, causation, and space! As spectacles and the sun cannot see for us, similarly, if we want to realize the Truth, it's our job to get to it by diligent practice.
Tan kar matkee man maahe biloyee. Is matkee mahi Shabad sanjoyee. Hari ka bilovanaa man ka bechaaraa: Make your body the churning jar, and use the stick of your mind to churn it. Gather the curds of the Shabad. The churning of the Lord is to Vichaar or reflect upon Him within your mind (sggs 478).
Saache raatee Gur Shabad veechaar. Amrit peevai nirmal dhaar: By engaging in Guru's Shabad Vichaar, one becomes Imbued with Truth, and drinks in this immaculate stream of Ambrosial Nectar or Amrit within (sggs 158). As a Gurmukh (spiritually wise), a true Giani lives in the company of true devotees. He thus helps others, and ever drinks deep of the Bliss of God, the Nectar of the Lord's Name. He lives in the world retaining his intuitive wisdom, devotion, love, compassion, detachment, and other such divine virtues.
Gurmukhi parchai su shabadi giani: By becoming Gurmukh and reflecting, the Giani receives the spiritual wisdom of the Shabad (sggs 941).
Lobhan mahi lobhee lobhaaio tiyu hari range rache giani: As the greedy man is enticed by greed, so is the Giani being absorbed in the Love of the Lord (sggs 613).
Jiyu maataa baal laptaavai. Titu giani naam kamaavai: Just as the mother holds her baby close, so does the Giani cherish the Naam, the Name of the Lord (sggs 629).
Hari ras paavahu purakh giani: Giani drinks in the essence of the Lord’s Name (sggs 611).
Kahu Nanak jap jeevai Giani: Says Nanak, the Giani live by meditating on God (sggs 806)
Gun veechaare giani soi: One who contemplates the Lord’s Virtues is Giani (sggs 931).
Soyee Giani je simrai ek: He is the Giani who meditates on the One Lord (sggs 1150).
Brahm giani kai naam aadhaar: Lord' Name is the main stray of the Giani (sggs 273). Thus, a true Giani is a fulfilled devotee who has applied his bodily senses (Indriyas), the internal subtle equipment (Antahkaran), and his Soul to link with Waheguru, God. He is always transcendental — free from all material aspiration and desires, always tranquil, unchanged, and unaffected by the oscillating waves of Maya. Consequently, he is very dear to God, and God is very dear to him. All scriptures hail such true Giani who is always engaged in pure devotion as the best amongst all other devotees.
Hindu annah turku kaanaa. Duha te giani siaanaa....: The Hindu is sightless and the Muslim is one-eyed (i.e., who has limited himself in the boundries of religion). The Giani is wiser than both of them. The Hindu worships at the temple, the Muslim at the mosque. Naam Dev Says: I serve that Lord, who is not limited to either the temple or the mosque (sggs 875).
Teshaam Giani nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir vishishyate: The best among all is the Giani, who is ever constant and one-pointed in pure devotion (Geetaa 7-17). The Gurbani asks all the so called saints or Saadhus to seek out the company of such a true Giani, who has awakened his inner Being, who is enlightened within, who's heart-lotus deep within has blossomed forth in God-consciousness, who has transcended the material nature, who is not on the level of the mind, and who is beyond the illusion that he is a Giani! By association with such pure devotees, all become themselves pure.
Khojahu santo hari brahm giani: O Saints, seek out the Giani who knows God (sggs 893).
Brahm giani kayu khojahi Mahesur. Nanak Braham Giani aapi permesur: The Braham Giani is being sought by the great Shiva. O Nanak, the Braham Giani Himself is the Supreme God (sggs 273).

part 6

The Giani knows that the Pure Lord, the All-pervading Consciousness is to be understood as distinct from, and beyond the physical equipment constituted of the body-mind-intellect. As rituals, beliefs, religious robes, marks, etc., are the play of only material vehicle made up of body-mind-intellect, the True Lord is beyond their reach or apprehension. The body and its decorations cannot comprehend the Infinite Reality because He is not the object of senses or perception; the mind can't either because God is not the object of emotions; and the intellect can't comprehend as well because God is not the object of cognition.
Avar kartooti saglee jam daanai: Except the Name, all other methods result in punishment by the God of death (sggs 263).
Sagle karam dharam jug sodhe. Bin naavai ih man na parbodhe: I have studied the religions and rituals of all the ages. Without the Name, this mind is not awakened (sggs 913).
Kahu jugti kitai na paaeeai Dharm: Naam is unattainable by any religious rituals (sggs 274) Giani and God What is God? As declared by the Gurbani, there is only one God, who is All-pervading. Since He is timeless, He never takes birth, and never dies. He has no particular form or shape. He has no color, no gender, no religion, no enemy, and so on. He is the Doer. He has no equal, no competitor or challenger. He is kind, loving, compassionate, affectionate, caring, merciful, unselfish. He has even-vision; thus He shows no favoritism, and He does not discriminate. He loves all. He showers His blessings on all, subject to one's deeds. As discussed before, the true Giani possesses all these Divine Attributes. His food is Divine Knowledge, he depends only on One God and His Name, he remains unselfishly absorbed in God's meditation; for he knows that Gian (knowledge) without devotion is empty.
Giani kaa dhann naam hai sad hee rahai samaae: The Giani's true wealth is God's Name, and he ever remains absorbed in it (sggs 1282).
Nanak Brahm giani aap Permesur.....Brahm giani aap Nirankaar.....Brahm giani pooran Purakh Bidhaataa: Says Nanak, the knower of God himself is the exalted Lord.....The knower of God himself is the Formless Lord.....The knower of God himself is the perfect Lord Creator (sggs 273-34).
Aap gaya taa aapahi bhae: When selfishness is gone, one becomes God Himself (sggs 202). Form is possible only to the limited entity such as our physical body. All such forms of existence are temporary. As our soul is unlimited, it is formless and thus eternal. However, the superimposition of our bodily consciousness (false ego) onto the Self gives rise to this phenomenal world of names and forms. To put it otherwise, when one thing gets conditioned by something else, it possesses a form. Space is formless because it is unlimited. Similarly, the Pure Consciousness is formless because it is beyond the limited body, mind, and intellect equipment. The true Giani is That. Becoming Giani The essence of a true Giani is the true Gian (Self-knowledge or Aatam Gian). What is the essence of true Gian? There is a dangerous elephant roaming around in the forest of our body working havoc. This elephant is gone insane because of our life's sensuousness, consequently it is ever restless with Vaasnaas (conditioning, memory, and subtle impressions of the past). This elephant destroys everybody in the world. This elephant that roams in our body's forest is known by many names such as mind, desire, Vaasnaas, thought, emotional attachment, false ego, doubts, fears, bondage, etc.
Man maigal gur Shabad vas aayaa Ram: The mind elephant is overpowered through the Guru's Shabad (sggs 576). So long we believe in objective existence (subject-object relationship), the desire is sure to arise. This alone constitutes the Sansaar, the place of repeated birth and death. The cessation of desire is liberation (Mukti). According to the scriptures, this is the essence of Gian. In other words, recognition of objects gives rise for desire to enjoy them, and Non-recognition ('dead mind') of objects ends desire. With the cessation of desire, the soul drops its self-limitation stemming from the sense of 'I-ness' and 'my-ness'. The Giani abandons all desires, thoughts or notions. Remaining in that state he performs piously. In other words, the spiritual practice well performed leads the advanced soul toward Gian, producing the Giani.
Esaa karo beechaar giani. Jaa te paaeeye pad nirbaanee: Consider reflecting on this, O Giani, by which you may attain the state of Liberation (sggs 385).
Gur saev tare taji maer tor: Serving the Guru (God), one is carried across; he abandons any distinction between 'mine' and 'yours' (sggs 1170). The spiritually wise say that simple faith can be broken, but if it is strengthened by intellectual understanding, then it can never be shaken or lost. The purpose or use of true Gian is to bring about inner transformation. One aimlessly wanders in this world till there is the dawn of spiritual wisdom able to destroy the root of ignorance in which the Sansaar appears permanent. This inner transformation can only happen with the Divine knowledge; the discovery of the Truth. When the mind is engaged in Spiritual Wisdom, it sheds all mental dispositions or conditionings and returns to its original nature as Pure Consciousness.
Aap pachhanai boojhai soi: He who recognizes his Self comprehends God (sggs 25). Thus, In order for us to find out what we really are, we need to find out what we are not! This is the way of the Giani. The use of Self-knowledge helps one to understand what he is not, and keeps him free from false concepts, precepts, ideas, desires, fear, and actions. It makes one alert and careful, by rejecting all that does not go with the fact: "Soham" (He is me or I am That).
Ih sansaar bikaar sanse mahi tario brahm giani: This world is engrossed in corruption and cynicism. Only the Brahm Giani are saved (sggs 13). How can we find out what we are not? Everything, including the Self and the Word of the scriptures, is veiled with the layer of Maya. The Giani reasons the world through discrimination (Vivek) and spiritual inquiry (Shabad-Vichaar), which leads him to the Eternal and indivisible Bliss. Through the path of Viveka and inner inquiry the Giani realizes, by his inner perception, that the false ego and the phenomenal world of names and shapes are ephemeral, like a dream. He realizes that he is beyond all the cosmic principles of five elements, the senses, the mind, the ego and the intelligence.
Kahu re giani brahm beechaar. Jotee antri dhariaa pasaar: O Giani, reflect on Divinity. In this light is contained the expanse of the created universe (sggs 972).

part 5

Giani And Maya What is Maya? Anything that takes man away from the Absolute Truth is Maya. It is the enjoyment of Maya that binds the living entities to the material plane. When a man comes in contact with the material world, his eternal love for Waheguru gets transformed into evil passions, just as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. By constantly enjoying Maya, man's disease of ego (Hayumai) becomes chronic. But the water of God's grace cannot be collected on the high mound of egotism; it simply runs down! In such degraded condition of the soul, one cannot act as he likes.
Eh Maya jit Har visrai moh upjai bhaau dooja laya: This is Maya, by which the Lord is forgotten; emotional attachment and love of duality is born (sggs 921).
Kanchan naaree mahi jeeyu lubhat hai moh meethaa maya: The soul of the man is lured by lust and greed; emotional attachment to Maya is so sweet to him (sggs 167).
Kaama krodh trsnaa ke leene gati nahee ekai jaanee: Man indulged in lust, anger and greed does not know the way of the Lord (sggs 1124).
Maayee Maya Chhall: O my mother, the Maya is deceitful (sggs 717). Thus, the snare of Maya and it's illusion are evil passions. Through its three qualities — Sato, Rajo, and Tamo — it keeps the man under its control. For example, as long as Sato exists, it can call on Rajo for help, and Rajo can call on Tamo for help, so on and so froth. Thus, Maya is the cause of bondage; consequently, it alone constitutes worldliness or Sansaara — the place of repeated birth and death. Therefore, it is Maya that keeps man from thinking or linking with the Waheguru. For this reason, Maya is called the "robber".
Nanak Kaam krodh kinai na paaio pushahu giani jaae: O Nanak, no one has ever found God through lust and anger — go, and ask any Giani (sggs 551). Our craving for worldly pleasures makes us slave of Maya. Out of emotional attachment and bondage, craving for worldly pleasures is material slavery. Just as a fire can never be put out by a constant supply of fuel, similarly, the craving cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment. But, as seen by the Giani and scriptures, the man constantly keeps feeding his egotism with sense gratification, resulting in perpetual suffering, here and hereafter.
Tisnaa agan jali sansaaraa: The world is burning in the fire of desire, in greed, arrogance and excessive ego (sggs 120). Maya is the slave of the Giani, because he has transcended its three qualities. Maya's primary function is to allude Agiani (ignorant being) through her deceitful nature. Being attached to this cosmic delusion, the entire world is fallen into deep sleep of illusion. As a result, we are unable to apprehend the Reality. Fallen in the sway of Maya, we take an impermanent thing to be a permanent, a fake to be a real, a false to be a truth, an endfull to be an endless, an unlimited to be a limited, an infinite to be a finite, etc. The true Giani has torn apart the curtain of illusion. He never suffers any doom, and he ever keeps his mind and senses in check.
Giani kee hoi vartee daase: Maya acts as Giani's servent (sggs 370). The Giani is desireless, and the desirelessness is timelessness or Absolute Bliss (Anand). To the contrary, an Agiani is full of desires. All desires are in our mind, created by the love for Maya. With the rise of false ego-sense comes the error of taking the finite matter or body to be the Infinite Self. In other words, the rise of ego-sense confines us to the limitations of the human frame. These limitations, in turn, make us see other objects; hence arises desire to enjoy them. These desires are so complex and contradictory, the environment they create is also complex and contradictory, thus disharmonious. Desires fulfilled create more desires and greed, and desires unfulfilled manifest into wrath. Also, the temporary satisfaction of desires breeds misery. So long we retain self-limitations, we continue to entertain desires, and loose control on the mind.
Giani hari bolahu din raati. Tin kee trishnaa bhukh sabh utree jo gurmati Raam ras khaate: O Giani, chant God's Name, day and night. All hunger and thirst are satisfied, for those who partake of the sublime essence of God, through the Gurmat (sggs 1264).
Trisnaa thakkee Nanaka jaa mann ratta naayi: Desire is exhausted, O Nanak, only when the mind is imbued with the Name (sggs 1091).
Brahm giani kai ghar sadaa ananad: Heart of the Brahm Giani is full of Bliss (sggs 273). The Giani lives in the world fenced with two swords, the one of Divine Knowledge, and the other of God-centered activities. He has no identification with the worldly objects. With the swords of wisdom and pious deeds, he has killed the snake of Maya. With the power of detachment or witness attitude, he has set himself free from worldly entanglements and their fruits. The Giani has thus conquered the material world, while the Agiani is conquered by the material world!
Nanak Giani jag jeetaa jagi jeetaa sabh koyi: O Nanak, the Giani has conquered the world, but the world has conquered everyone (sggs 548). Giani And Rituals Rituals belong to Manmukh (Agiani), not to a Giani. Rituals make people atheist; for they give rise to blind faith, doubts, confusion and superstitions. Consequently, such acts result only in increasing the fire of false ego, the spiritual ignorance. Once caught in the worthlessness of nonsense beliefs and rituals, an individual forgets his True Nature, the Self. The result is spiritual blindness, bewilderment and delusion of the mind. Accordingly, such phony acts have been rejected by the Gurbani.
Brahm giaanee bandhan te muktaa: Braham Giani is free from entanglements (sggs 273).
Nam bina jetaa biyuhaar. Jiyu mirtak mithya seegaar: Without the Name, all occupations are useless as the decoration on a dead body (sggs 240).
Je jaanas Brahamam karmam. Sabh fokat nischau karmam: If one knew the nature of the Lord, he would know that all of these beliefs and rituals are in vain (sggs 470). The Gurbani declares that all religious rituals are Maya. The Agiani believes in them because of the "I-am-the-body" illusion. The Gurbani roars: "By religious rituals, intuitive poise is not found; without intuitive poise, skepticism (doubt) does not depart. Skepticism does not depart by contrived actions; everybody is tired of performing these rituals. The soul is polluted by skepticism; how can it be cleansed? Wash your mind by attaching it to the Shabad (Naam), and keep your consciousness focused on he Lord" (sggs 919).
Bahu bhekh keeyaa dehee dukh deeaa: The more one wears religious robes, the more pain he causes his body (sggs 467). God does not have religion. The Giani has also arisen above all religions. He does not care for religious robes, nor does he observe any rituals. Religious ceremonies, rites, and rituals are performed solely to satisfy the evil emotions of an Agiani. Further, in order to inflate the false ego, an Agiani will decorate his body with religious garbs and related paraphernalia. However, to a Giani, they are all like decorations on a dead body! A true Giani knows that such things are empty of good vibrations, and are of no help to him or others. Baabaa Nanak says:
Bhekh bhavnee hathh na jaanaa Nanaka sach gahi rahe: I know of no religious garbs, pilgrimages, or stubborn fanaticism; O Nanak, I only holdfast to the Truth (sggs 843). The list of useless rituals performed on the name of religion and spirituality is unending. Since they are all Karamkaands (worldly entanglements), the are rejected by the Gurbani outright. For material gain and name, it is the selfish and ignorant priest group responsible for the existence of all rituals and false show of religion or spirituality. There is no place for them in the Gurmat (Gurbani: Teaching of God) or in the mind of a true Giani. The Gurbani puts end to all such worldly nonsense as follows:
Japahu ta eko naamaa. Awar niraaphal kaamaa: Chant the Name of the One Lord. All other actions are fruitless Karamkaands or worthless worldly entanglements (sggs 728).
Je je bhekh su tan mai dhaarai. Te prabh jan kashoo kai na bichaarai: Those who wear peculier clothes, remember that they are not familiar with God (Paatshaahi 10).

part 4

The true Giani is not a body, visible or invisible; he is the Light or Gian. The scriptures repeatedly remind us not to cling anything made from five elements and the mind. As any form made from the five elements is unreal (transient), they tell us not to depend on any material object. The Self is the only Reality, all else is a passing show. If we hold on to "all else", then we are sure to drown. Therefore, if the vague idea associated with the form of the body is rejected, only the Supreme will be left!
Giani jeevai sadaa sadaa surti hee pat hoyi: Only the Giani live forever; they are honored for their intuitive awareness (sggs 1412). Birth and death are but points in time. Thus, life and death, joy and sorrows, pain and pleasure, etc., are real to the man in bondage. But to the true Giani, they are all in the world-play (Jagat Tamaashaa), as unreal as the show itself. He is already dead while living in the body (Jeevan Mukata). What the death can do to the man who is already dead? We Agiani feel sad as we grow older because we identify the Self with the body. So long there is this error, there will be fear. But as the Giani grows older, he becomes more happy and peaceful. His mind becomes happy with the reel of destiny coming to its end. He knows at last he is going to the True Home! Where, as the Shabad says:
Tah harakh na sog na janam na marat: There (Sunn Samaadhi) is no pleasure or pain, no birth or death there (sggs 894).
Tah paavas sindhu dhoop nahee chhahiaa tah utpat parlayu naahee. Jeevan mirat na dukh sukh biaapai sunn samaadhi doyoo tah naahee. Sahaj kee akathkathaa hai niraaree: There is no rainy season, ocean, sunshine, shade, creation or destruction. No life or death, no pain or pleasure is felt there. There is only the Primal Trance of Samaadhi, and no duality. The description of the state of intuitive poise is indescribable and sublime (sggs 333).
Jeevat marai marai phun jeevai aise sunn samaayaa: Who remains dead while yet alive, will live even after death; thus he merges into the Primal Void of the Absolute (sggs 332). That which is born must die. Thus, death is a change in time and space. Since we identify with time and space, we are afraid of this change. The Giani is not afraid because his state is beyond time and space. He is dead to the phenomenal world of names and forms. Consequently, the loss of this world of names and forms do not affect him. The Giani is aware of the fact that death does not mean non-being. Therefore, he loves death as he loves deep sleep. To the contrary, Agiani loves sleep but not the death, because he does not perceive the world like a Giani. The Self is never born, for that he could never die. Since the mind (false ego) functions in the frame work of time and space, birth and death pertains to the body or mind only; but they are superimposed on the Self, giving rise to the delusion that birth and death relate to the Self. The Self exists before the birth of physical body and will remain after its death. Thus the birth and death are phenomena in the Self, but the Self ever remains unbroken and unaffected. Since a majority of us are tortured by the fear of death, we are asked by the Gurbani to inquire into it and find out what it is. If we follow the Gurbani's instruction and inquire: "To whom is this death?", then we will find that which dies is not really us! What actually dies is the body which depends on the movement of the Praanaa or life-force. The body never has its independent existence, and any thing that depends on some thing else must go. With the death of the body, dies the world of names and shapes. God dwells within our own hearts as the divine Self or Atmaan. Unaffected by the movements of the body or mind, the Atmaan is not subject to death, grief, despair, disease or ignorance. Pure, perfect, free from limitations or conditioning, the Atmaan is one with Waheguru, declares the Gurbani. However, as the body is made of five elements, it is bound in the frame-work of time and space. Upon its destruction, the elements go back to their respective source; the earth merges with earth, the air merges with air, the fire merges with fire, the water merges with water, and the space merges with space. Only the Real Self remains!
Kayun mooyaa re kayun mooyaa. Brahm giaanee mil krahu beechaaraa ih tayu chalat bhayaa: Who has died? O, who has died? Meet together with the Brahm Giani, and inquire into this; what a wondrous thing has happened! (sggs 886). The Giani leaves this world like a traveler, who reaching his destination collects his baggage and leaves the train or plane without any regrets. He knows that the death waits from the moment the body was born! So he treats death like a guest who has been patiently waiting to see him for a long time. He anxiously opens the door for death and entertains it. Since the Giani has already left his body (living liberated), for him there is nothing in death to regret!
Nij ghari vaasai saachi samaae. Jamman marnaa thaaki rahaae: They (Gurmukhs) dwell in the home of their own inner beings, and merge in the True Lord. Their cycle of birth and death is ended (sggs 222). The true Giani and the rest of us live in the same world. However, he sees the world as it is, while we do not. For example, we see ourselves in the world, while the Giani sees the world in himself; for everything exists in the Infinite Consciousness. Consequently, to us, we get born and die, while to him it is the world that appears and disappears! The Giani thus is a timeless being, and there is no birth or death in the timelessness. He neither broods over the past, nor worries about the future. He is at Eternal Peace, for he has realized his own unassailable Being.
Janam maran kaa bhram gaya Gobind liv laagee: The illusion of birth and death is gone; I lovingly focus on the Lord (sggs 857). Looking at a tree standing beside a pool of water, we will notice that the tree on the bank looks inverted, that is, it reflects upon water with its branches down and roots up. The true Giani takes this body or material world as only a reflection of the Reality. In other words, most of us take this world real (permanent), and live our life cycle only to find death at the end! To the contrary, the Giani takes the life cycle backwards; he dies first, gets the death out of the way, and then he goes on living as Jeevan Mukta (living dead). Therefor, instead of mourning, a true Sikh celebrates death. Why? Because a Sikh is supposed to be a Giani. If he is not a true Giani yet, he is not a true Sikh yet! The Gurbani declares that one who dies in the Word of the Shabad (Naam) is truly dead. Death does not crush him, and pain does not afflict him. When he hears, perceives, and contemplates the Truth, his individual light merges and is absorbed into the Supreme Light. In it everything disappears — false ego, 'I-ness' and 'my-ness', Vaasnas of material life he lived, the phenomenal world of names and forms. Only intuitive peace and silence remained. Now his joy is divine, and his suffering is divine too. That's why a true Sikh celebrates both the happy as well as sad occasions!
Gurmukh jamkaa nerhi na aavai....: The Messenger of Death does not even approach the Gurmukhs. Through the Shabad, they burn away their ego and duality. Attuned to the Name, they sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord (sggs 231).

part 3

Ego guided intelligence is liable to mistakes. When a man identifies himself with the material body or material life, he is bound to reap the good or bad results of his actions; for he is guided by the false consciousness of himself as the doer of actions. To the contrary, however, a Giani never makes mistakes because his wisdom is guided by God-Consciousness. In such a state of pure awareness, he feels not the ego but God working through all his actions, consequently, he attains immunity to the influence of good and bad. The true Giani is always alert against senses, mind and intellect. For example, a tortoise extends his senses (four legs, head and a tail) out of the armor of his shell for a particular purpose. However, as soon as he feels harm or danger, he immediately withdraws them within the shell. Similarly, a Giani withdraws his senses the moment he feels danger of worldly temptation.
Brahm giani sadaa sad jaagat. Brahm giani ahambudh tiyagat: The Brahm Giani is always alert; and he renounces his false ego (sggs 273). The true Giani is like butter. Water added to milk will mix with it. However, the milk that has become butter will float on water, without going through any adulteration. Similarly, the Giani who has churned the butter of Self-realization, finds himself impervious, inwardly and outwardly, to all attachment to sense objects even when he lives amidst them.
Jaise jal mahi kamal niraalam murgaayee nai saane. Surti Shabad bhav saagar tareeyai Nanak Naam vakhaane: The lotus flower floats untouched upon the surface of the water, and the duck swims untouched through the stream; with one's consciousness focused on the Shabad, O Nanak, one crosses over the terrifying world-ocean (sggs 938). This human body is like a city with nine gates (two eyes, two years, two nostrils, one mouth, the anus and the genitals) polluted with the material contamination. The mind free to escape through these filthy openings binds the soul in material bondage. The Giani has closed these gates off, leaving no chance for the mind to wander off. Thus, having mastered his mind through practicing intuitive love and devotion to God, he has freed himself from the results of any fruitive actions, and resulting joy or miseries. He has completely relinquished all varieties of sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction. He is contented in the Self, and by the Self. He thus remains undisturbed even amidst the filth of the world. With purified mind, he ever enjoys the pure transcendental consciousness.
Nayu dar thaake dhaavat rahaaye. Dasvai nij ghar vaasaa paye......: Those who close off the nine gates, and restrain the wandering mind, come to dwell in the Home of the Tenth Gate. There, the Unstruck Melody of the Shabad vibrates day and night. Through the Guru’s Teachings, the Shabad is heard (sggs 124). The mind of such fortunate person ("Vadbhaagee") is perfectly in link with God. Having transcended the three modes of material nature, he remains situated on the platform of Pure Consciousness (Chauthaa Pad or fourth state); for he has ascended to the Tenth Gate. Thus, he has his intuitive consciousness attuned to the Divine Consciousness. By remaining fixed in the trance of Self-Realization, his mind is no longer disturbed by any thing. Having thus penetrated the dense forest of delusion, he has become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard. He is indifferent to all the books, all the castes, all the vanities of the world, etc. At this point he has nothing left to follow, because, he has already attained Spiritual Perfection within. The mind's contamination ('Sootak') is its duality. But, the Giani's mind is free of it. Although he lives amidst this world of pluralities, yet he remains unaffected by it. His mind always remains satisfied and satiated. He has roasted the seeds of spiritual ignorance in the fire of Divine wisdom. He ever bathes in the pool of Truth. The unstruck melody of the Shabad vibrates in his mind, which fascinates him. There he feels infinite joy, celestial peace, and no sorrows. Being blessed by the Waheguru, he possesses immunity from the adverse effects of pairs of likes and dislikes.
Brahm Giani sadaa nirlep. Jaise jal mahi kamal alep: The Brahm Giani is always uncontaminated, as the lotus in the water remains detached (sggs 272). The Giani is free of Karma, past or future. It's not that he is idle or actionless. To the contrary, he is the most busy person! By abiding the divine virtues and Naam Simran in the mind, he has neutralized his past Karma. Further, by unconditional surrender to God, and thereby engaging in God-centered activities, he has become free from the effects of new Karmic reactions. In other words, because he acts exclusively for the True Guru (God), there is no accounting of his Karma. Thus having submitted to the Lord's Will, and becoming Naam conscious, the Giani ceases to create new Karmic actions.
Gian bhaya tah karmah naas: Dawning of divine wisdom destroys Karma (sggs 1167).
Brahm giani kee nirmal jugtaa: The way of the Brahm Giani are pure (sggs 273).
Brahm giani te kashoo buraa na bhaya: Brahm Giani commits no evil (sggs 273).
Mukti bapurhee bhee giani tiyage: Giani even renounce the desire of salvation (sggs 1078). The true Giani is detached observer: just as air exists in space, but, since it is not attached to space, it is free from spatial limitations. Even though he appears to have a body, but he is bodiless. It is just as the space is responsible for the growth of a tree, but the space does not arrest such growth! Most of us are tortured by the memory of the past and worries of the future. The Giani, however, is free of both. Our worries for the future are due to fear of pain and desire for sense pleasures. Since the Giani is free from past-memory and future-anticipation, he is quite happy with whatever comes. This is 'Bhaanaa Mannanaa': obeying God's Hukam or Will. The analogy of screen will aid us further appreciate the true Giani's state of mind. In the cinema hall, the screen is fixed, whilst the pictures move in it. The screen, however, ever remains unaffected by the movement of these pictures. Likewise, the spiritually awakened Giani is fully aware that the true state of his inner Being ever remains unmodified and that all activities go on around him; hence, he considers only the screen and not the moving pictures! The Infinite Consciousness is beyond any mundane description. Since the true Giani is linked to that Infinite Consciousness, the state of his mind is also beyond any mundane description. His is infinite, thus cannot be limited to the hollowness of the words.
Brahm Giani ki miti kaun bakhainai. Brahm Giani ki gati Brahm Giani Jaanai: Who can estimate the greatness of the Brahm Giani? Only a Brahm Giani can know the state of the other Brahm Giani (sggs 273). Giani And Death People are afraid of death. However, the true Giani is afraid of nothing; for he is fearless. It is natural for the Self to be fearless, but to be afraid of death or anything is not. Only the body-conscious person (Agiani) is afraid of death. Since the Giani knows he is neither the body nor the mind, the event of death has no effect on him. He is the Changeless Reality, beyond time. He is Immortal, thus untouched by the death.
Brahm Giani sad jeevai nahee martaa: Brahm Giani ever lives and never dies (sggs 273). Even though the physical body of a Giani and an Agiani (spiritually fool) both come to an end, but there is a difference in the death of both entities. That is, a Giani dies in God-consciousness and links back to the Infinite Consciousness. To the contrary, an Agiani dies in material consciousness and falls down again into the evolutionary cycle of birth and death. Thus, death is natural, but the manner in which one dies is man-made. The event of death itself is of no importance to a true Giani; for he does not react to the events. It's not that the Giani has no feelings or that he has a stone-heart. In reality he is very compassionate for the suffering being, dead or alive. If someone dies, he suffers with those who suffer. But he is aware that the spirit soul is eternal. For the soul there is neither birth or death. It is immortal, unborn, ever-existing, primeval, non-destructible, unbreakable, insoluble, changeless, immovable, invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and imperishable. The soul can neither be cut nor slain by any weapon, nor burnt by fire, nor moistened by water, and nor withered by wind. It is the fragmental piece (Ansh) of the Lord. On the other hand, he also knows that this material body by itself is inert. It becomes enlivened only when the spirit soul is infused in it. Without the spirit soul, this body is nothing more than nine holes in the flesh and bones! What comes and goes has no Reality. What is real never dies, and that which dies is unreal. Since the true Giani's mind is already dead, he has no reaction to death. For him it's natural for the body to die, as it is natural for the incense stick to burn out. Thus, body and soul are two separate entities. The body comes and goes, but the soul is eternal, free of birth and death. All Jivas (beings) are the spirit soul. The reason one identifies himself with the material body is the ignorance born false ego.
Janami marai so kaacho kaachaa: Birth and death are the lot of the false and the insincere (sggs 288).

part 2

Giani's Signs How can we tell an Agiani from the true Giani? In other words, what are symptoms of a true Giani? We are provided in the Gurbani with a list of numerous signs of a true Giani. By applying the Touchstone of the Gurbani, these divine characteristics of a true Giani can be used as a tool for self-analysis. No other mundane qualifications matters.
Giani so chetann hoyi agiani andh kamaaye: One who is spiritually awake is Giani; the ignorant act blindly (sggs 556). The signs of a true Giani include, but not limited to: egolessness, free from duality (Doojaa Bhaav), inner and outer truthfulness, worship of one God, purifying nature, unaffected by material contamination, free from sins, piety, even-vision, uniformly patient, purest of pure, all wisdom, treats friends and foes alike, no self-conceit, most humble, always in spiritual bliss and peace, very kind and loving, free from all rituals or entanglements, solely dependent on God, god-centered activities, speaks about God and matter related to Him only, complete control on mind, constancy in Naam Simran, ever alert, ever joyful, spontaneous or natural, pure teaching, always in the highest spiritual state, caring, always engaged in inner inquiry, fearlessness, purity of mind, spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, inner-austerity, simplicity, nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from evil passions and covetousness, inner-renunciation, tranquility, aversion from faultfinding, compassion for all living beings, gentleness, modesty, steady determination, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, inner cleanliness, freedom from stubborn mindedness, and so on. A true Giani cannot injure anybody either mentally, or emotionally or physically. It's like a steel sword which upon touching the philosopher's stone gets transformed into gold; and gold can never cut! He is like a child ("Baal Budhi"), simple and innocent who is unattached to anything. From the outside he may appears to have anger, ego, attachment and so on, but in reality he has no such impurities. It's like a burnt string lying on the ground looks real from a distance; but if you come closer and blow at it, it disappears. He is all virtues.
Brahm Giani kai sagal mann maahi: All virtues resides in the Brahm Giani (sggs 273). There is always giving in Bhagti. Consequently, the true Giani always gives himself relentlessly, tirelessly and completely to whoever comes to him. He belongs to all. He shares (Band Shaknaa) everything he has. If he is not to give, he is not a true Giani. Humility abides in the heart of those fortunate ones who have divinized their inner self — the mind, intelligence, consciousness, and ego. Endowed with Divine nature, the true Giani is the embodiment of humility. He is humble, modest, and kind; for he never performs any act that is abominable. He considers others better than himself. The material conception of life makes us finding faults in others by ignoring our own, because we are Agiani. Due to this ignorance, we are unable to recognize our own imperfections. The humble and modest feeling of being meek and lowly comes when we attain humility. For example, the true Giani always call themselves meek and lowly. Their pattern of humility is unblemished.
Brah giani sagal kee reenaa: Brahm Giani is the dust of everybody's feet (sggs 272).
Brahm giani kai gareebee samaahaa: Brahm Giani is most humble (sggs 273).
Bhai kaahoo ko det nahi nahi bhai manat aan...: One who does not frighten anyone, and who is not afraid of anyone else — says Nanak, listen, mind: call him Giani (sggs 1427). The true Giani recognizes all mankind as one. Since he knows that the Source of all living entities is the One Lord, he considers all beings as extension of his own soul. He loves all. He embraces all. In him there is no distinction of religions, castes, color, creed, good or bad, etc. He is beyond any man-made boundaries or any ideology. He knows that to love all and everything is to attain God!
Maanas kee jaat sabhe ekai pahchaanvo: Recognize all mankind as one (Paatshaahi 10).
Saach kahon sunn lehu sabhai jin prem keeyo tin he prabh paayio: Listen all, I speak the truth, whosoever practices love attains God (Paatshaahi 10).
Ek noor te sabh jag upjia kayun bhale ko mande: From the One Light, the entire universe welled up. So who is good, and who is bad? (sggs 1349). Giani's Mind Just as the cloud obscures the sun, so does the restrictions, assumptions, self-identification or self-limitations in time and space (false ego) obscure the Reality. But the Giani's mind is in completeness and perfection; for it lacks nothing. His mind is like the sun, who knows no darkness. In other words, his mind is nothing but the pure Self, dispassionate witness, the 'Jot Saroop', beyond the glamour of appearances. The state of a true Giani is Sahaj — his own, natural, at peace, spontaneous, uncaused, independent, and unassailable. The world to him is nothing but a show, glittering and empty, without any depth. To him the world is a Cosmic Play (Rabb Dee Leelaa), which he enjoys as long as it lasts and forgets when it is over. He is neither attached to the actors in this play, nor does he identify himself with them. Whatever takes place on the stage makes him quiver with horror or roll with laughter, yet all the time he is aware that it is just a passing show! He enjoys it as it happens, without desire and fear.
Brahm giani kai hoi achint: Brahm Giani every moment is spontaneous (sggs 273).
Baajeegar jaise baajee paayee. Naanaa roop bhekh dikhlaayee. Saang utaar thammiyo paasaaraa. Tab eko ekankaaraa: The actor stages the play, playing many characters in different costumes; but when the play ends, he takes off the costumes, and then he is one, and only one (sggs 736).
Savaangee siyu jo mann reejhaavai. Savaang utaariyai phir pashutaavai: One who loves the actor in his mind, later regrets it when the actor takes off his costume (sggs 1145). Foolishness is contradictions, which is the foundation of expansion of our inflated ego. As long as we take refuge in contradictions, we remain separated from the Absolute Truth. This man-made separateness is the cause of evil passions. Hence contradictions are the bondage, and the absence of contradictions is liberation. By contradicting the world around, a fool contradicts his very essence, namely the Blissful Consciousness Existence. There are no contradictions in the Giani's mind; for he has done away with separation. As a result, his Blissful state neither increases nor decreases.
Brahm giani sukh sahaj nivas: The Brahm Giani lives in peace and comfort (sggs 273).

Sat Sri Akal Sahai all - Today we shall ponder over Gian,Gianni and false so called giannis.

part 1
The True One is on his mind, and the True One is upon his lips.
He sees only the One. O Nanak, these are the qualities of the Brahm Giani.
The Brahm Giani is always uncontaminated, as the lotus in the water remains detached.
The Brahm Giani is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all.
The Brahm Giani looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and
the poor beggar. The Brahm Giani has a steady patience, like the earth, which is dug up by one,
and anointed with sandal paste by another. This is the quality of the God-conscious being:
O Nanak, his inherent nature is like a warming fire......(sggs 272).
**************
Ignorance is easy to recognize, not the wisdom (Gian). When most people hear the word 'Giani', they immediately think of some robed priests, preachers, Bhaais or Raagees in the Gurdawaaraas, or some monks or Swamis in the temples. Taking people as Giani based on their robes and outer appearance is a great insult not only to the name 'Giani', but also to the holy Word of the scriptures; for to be a Giani is not a question of external looks or philosophy learnt through reading books — it's a question of Self-realization!
Dhyani dhyan laavahi. Giani gian kamaavai. Prabh kin hee jaataa: The meditator practices meditation. The Giani practices knowledge, but how rare is the one who knows God! (sggs 71). As revealed by the scriptures, one cannot become a true Giani by keeping certain external looks, nor by reading books, nor by preaching, nor by practicing wisdom, nor by wearing some peculiar garbs, nor by performing rituals or fruitive activities. This is a great misconception. Consequently, like many other words, the term 'Giani' is generally misunderstood by most of us; which has a very special meaning as indicated by the scriptures. In this context, with the Guide of the Gurbani (sggs), this article will attempt to reflect on the followings:
Giani Defined
Giani's signs
Giani's mind
Giani and death
Giani and Maya
Giani and rituals
Giani and God
Becoming Giani Giani Defined People engage themselves in devotional service under different set of conditions. Some come to offer devotion to God in search of relief from material distress, some are desirous of money and certain powers, some are simply inquisitive, and yet some dry philosophers start reading books on spiritual philosophy when they get frustrated with other fields of knowledge. As indicated by the scriptures, none of these is the true Giani; because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange of devotion such as material profit and gain through worldly entanglements (Karamkaands) or philosophical speculations.
Giani dhyani bahu updesee ih jag sagle dhandaa: The Gianis, meditators and the great preachers are engrossed in all these worldly affairs (sggs 338). According to the scriptures, the true Giani, also called Braham Giani, is the person who is situated on the platform of Transcendental Consciousness (the Realm of Truth or Sach Khand). He has realized the Lord within. In other words, the true Giani is that rare being who knows that what he has himself realized are the final conclusions for all mankind. This Self-knowledge of him is filled with assuredness, for he has experienced what the revealed scriptures speak of. In this awakened power and force of Self-realization, he knows who he is. In other words, he does not only believe in the existence of God, he knows Him, and he talks to Him!
Pranvat Nanak giani kaisaa hoyi. Aap pashaanai boojhai soyi: Prays Nanak, what's the nature of the Giani, the spiritual being? He is Self-realized; he understands God (sggs 25).
Brahm Giani brahm kaa betaa: The Brahm Giani is the knower of God (sggs 273). A true Giani is immaterial intelligence. Also known as spiritually wise, spiritually divine, spiritually matured soul (Gurmukh), spiritual teacher, the true one, God-conscious being, the knower of the Unknowable, etc., he does not only know the Absolute Truth, he has intuitively become the embodiment of the Truth he once sought as something other than himself. He finds within the scriptures the confirmation of his realization echoed in the divine Word. He sees reflected in the divine Word of the scriptures that same state of complete Oneness with the Essence of Divinity that he himself has come to know as timeless, fearless, formless, unborn, changeless, spaceless, self illumined, uncaused, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient Reality.
Antar saach baahar saach vartaae. Saach na shapai je ko rakhai shapaae. Giani boojhahi sahaj subhaae: One who has Truth pervading within, radiates Truth outwardly as well. The Truth does not remain hidden, even though one may try to hide it. The Giani know this intuitively (sggs 232).
So Giani jini shabdi liv laaee: He alone is a Giani, who lovingly focuses his consciousness on the Shabad, the Naam (sggs 831). The body is in space, and the mind is in time. The true Giani is beyond the space-and-time relationship; for he is beyond the 'I-am-the-body' idea. As a result, he is free of false ego, spiritual ignorance, and delusion. Thus, he has removed all the obstacles to intuitive understanding of the Divine Essence. He knows he is just Being. He is one with the Oneness, and in this state of Celestial Peace (Sunn Samaadhi) he sees Waheguru as his Beloved Husband, by whose all-encompassing divine love he is consumed. He is That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings, who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the Infinite Being. And for him it is also clear that we all are That as well.
Swam aap pachhaneeai Shabad bhed pateeaai: Recognizes within that "He is me"; who knows this secret through the Shabad is satisfied (sggs 60).
Iyu kahe Nanak man tu jot saroop hai apnaa mool pashaan: Thus says Nanak: O my soul, you are the true image of Divine Light, recognise your origin (sggs 441).
Aatam mahi Ram ram mahi aatam cheenas Gur beechaaraa: The Lord is in the soul, and the soul is in the Lord. This is realized through the Guru’s Teachings (1153).
Tat niranjan joti sabaaee soham bhed na koee jeeo: The essence, the immaculate Lord, the Light of all — I am He and He is me — there is no difference (sggs 599).
Nanak soham hansaa japu jaapahu tribhavan tisai samaahi: O Nanak, chant the chant of ‘Soham hansaa’— 'He is me, I am Him'. The three worlds are absorbed in Him (sggs 1093).
Tat tvam asi: Thou art That (Vedas). For a Giani the inner and outer life and consciousness have become a single continuum. Everything and everybody resides in him, for he is one with all that lives. He has transcended all concepts and precepts. Unaffected by the dualistic principle of the material illusion, he does not reject or expect anything. He is all Sahaj, spontaneous, and natural. Love and compassion are two rivers that flow out of him. Such enlightened one sees beyond duality (Nirgun and Sirgun, love and hate, pain and pleasure, praise and insult, etc.), knows the Oneness of all, and sees God everywhere and in all beings.
Lobh moh Maya mamataa .......Dukh sukh ye baadhe jih naahni tih tum jaanahu Giani: Greed, emotional attachment to Maya, possessiveness, the service of evil, pleasure and pain — those who are not touched by these, are the very embodiment of the Divine Lord. Heaven and hell, ambrosial nectar and poison, gold and copper — these are all alike to them. Praise and slander are all the same to them, as are greed and attachment. They are not bound by pleasure and pain — know that they are truly Giani (sggs 220). The full Transcendental Knowledge, the Gian, of the Absolute Truth (the Realm of Truth or Sach Khand) is the last stage, end of the spiritual path. The true Giani is this Transcendental Gian. It brings us to the question: What is the true Gian? Simply put: The true Gian is the blossoming of intuitive wisdom, of spiritually enlightened consciousness, of true Being. This is the state of the realized soul who knows the Absolute Truth through personal experience. The reason Gian (or Giani) is misunderstood by many of us is that we think it is merely an intellectual study of the path; a simple kind of knowledge limited to the apparatus of the body-mind-intellect. However, the Gian does not mean simplistic reading of scriptures or understanding of philosophical books. It is the divine wisdom emanating from the enlightened soul, whose mind is immersed in the blessed realization of the Lord, while living in the material world.
App beechare so Giani hoyi: One who contemplates his Self is truly wise (sggs 152). What is the difference between the true Giani and the fake one? The internal difference that makes a soul Giani is that he knows who he is and who you are. The fake one neither knows himself nor you. Such Agiani (ignorant being) looks for cure to his problems and suffering; the true Giani, on the other hand, is concerned with the prevention. The true Giani knows the Truth (Sat) and the non-truth (Asat). The hypocrite, on the other hand, only knows the Asat. The true Giani is all Pure Consciousness, the hypocrite is all false ego or material intelligence. The one is straight and all Goodness, while the other is crooked like a dog's tail. The true Giani is the illumined one, filled with pure Light of Knowledge, compassion and love. He is one with the One. He sees no differences, that is his difference!
Hirdai kapat Mukh Giani. Jhoothai kahaa bilovas paanee: In heart there is deception, and yet in mouth are words of Giani. You are false — why are you churning water? (sggs 656).
Jajja jaanai hayu kashu hooyaa. Badhio jiyu nalini bhrami sooyaa. Jiyu jaanai hayu bhagt Giani...: When someone, in his ego, believes that he has become something, he is caught in his error, like a parrot in a trap. When he believes, in his ego, that he is a devotee and a Giani, then, in the world hereafter, the Lord will have no regard for him at all. When he believes himself to be a preacher, he is merely a peddler wandering over the earth (sggs 255). The true Giani is a highly evolved soul, thus very rare. He sees everything at once — God, nature, world, and living entities. Situated in the Chauthaa Padaa (Fourth State or Turiya), he is detached; he is beyond the three states of consciousness, he is beyond the three Gunas of Maya, and he is beyond the reach of sense-organs. He experiences the Celestial Peace in which there is no false "I" or ego left. Since God is formless for the true Giani, he neither wants His form nor incarnation. Therefore, he looks upon the world as a mere dream, temporary, unreal or Mithiya. Because he is beyond duality, however, he does not hate or dislike when he is with those who believe in God with some other form or name; for his love and compassion is universal. He speaks the same Truth to all. The Potter loves all his pots with even vision, because He is the one who creates all, the Doer. The true Giani is free of enmity or rancor (Nirvair). He is the Self of all!
Brahm Giani sabh saristi kaa kartaa: Brahm Giani creates the whole world (sggs 273).
Brahm Gianai aapi parmesur: Brahm Giani himself is as God (sggs 273).
Jag bandee mukte hayu maaree. Jagi Giani virlaa aachaaree: The world is held in bondage; he alone is emancipated, who conquers his ego. How rare in the world is that Giani, who practices this (sggs 413).
Is jug mahi kayu birlaa giani ji hayumai meti samaaye: In this world, the Giani is very rare; eradicating ego, he is absorbed in God (sggs 512).

pavittar and puneet and parmar jee sat sari akal.
this is a very healthy subject p u n e e t jee has started. I thank him and i have my way; I do the same thing what brother parmar has adressed. I have no link with any giani, now on i will join your healthy discussion as well. If you want to read what my mind speaks then read my poetry on the same web under sufi poetry then we will even get closer to each other. dhanwaad. s s a

swarn bains looks like puneet covered virtually everything you asked. i would just like to add my two cents worth brother. there are great sikhs who are not even giannis who have helped spread the vichaar of sikhi, there are great saintly people who have done the same, there are great souls who appear mr average who have done the same, yet they are not even giannis. So to cut it short in what position are you to make judgements on giannis? have you done some kind of questiuonaire research and produced some miracolous results to back your claims? but make no mistake a gianni is just a normal human being like me and you, there is nothing special about them. In terms of levels of dharm the average young office working sikh may be ten times higher than a gianni this is because the amount of love you carry for God and you dont even have to be a sikh for that depends on your karma. being a gianni is not the be all end all and they certainly have no authority over sikhism or sikhs no matter how much they mechanically read cos it comes down to the love of it that counts with dyhan.

mechanical reading of gurbani wont do anything unless it is read the way puneet described. Why read a translation as a foothold? use it as a stepping stone then move onto roman and if you want to get more into the option to learn punjabi is there. depends on how much you want it. My level currently is just roman i am content with that for now means i read english but in punjabi pronunciation so wording comes out the right way. I have been told punjabi is one of the easiest languages to pick up, so i intend to learn it and most of all i find gurbani easy to grasp if i concentrate its like majical, if i dont focus nothing happens, if i put my mind to it the actual message sits in my heart and soaks into my soul and leaves effects behind i cannot describe. this comes down to the faith you put into gurbani which was strressed by the ten gurus. Gurbani teaches you how to practically live your life of truth. Now its not my fault or yours that some giannis dont want to live by that and end up in mechanical reading rather than discipline and dhyan and love for the faith which the average office working sikh may have ten times more. Thats upto them, obviously the next world they have to give their account like you have to give yours. if you have a corrupt mind and approach gurbani with that state with no intention to better yourself but to delude others than you will not make progress, if on the other hand you wish to elevate your soul through sincere efforts both practical and methodological then everything falls into place as long as your pure in heart and struggle to better yourself.

a sikh is one who accepts the teachings of guru granth sahib and uses guru ji as a living guide to salvation. If a so called sikh places his all in ego, booze, slander, criticising, etc then is he a practical sikh? if at least he makes some effort on the path and accepts gurbani then yes that person is a sikh because a sikh in definition means sheesh a sheesh is a disciple meaning learner. So in due respect even if you persevere a little and aim to get better than you are sikh regardless of what you was born. So in this aspect we can now look into discontent amongst sikhs narrows down to practical sikhs. First of all gurbani states become lowest of the low, as dirt on the ground. Without humbleness you cannot achieve God and your spiritual journey stops. This to me appears the major reason of discontent. If there is humbleness there is no room for squabbles there are multiple benefits both spirituial and worldly through pyar and humbleness.

"You said they teach others but do not act upon themselves" no doubt there are some hypocrits who sometimes just want name and fame, but how did you manage to label all sikhs that way? just because you met a few rotten apples does that mean all are bad? i know a few idiots who did the same and believe me if i didnt know any better i would have stereotyped the religion because i thought this is what sikhs do? its bad. but hang on thats the few in the crowd remember. Thats like saying hitler was white and all whites are racist. come on brother thats not right. There are many many good sikhs sent by guru nanak who do live by what they teach, there are many who do exemplery service to mankind ie, gujrat quake disaster there were few hundred thousand sikhs doing seva for the victims, was that not just one minute example of selfless service? i can pull out millions more if you want.

part 2

We often go through the scriptures, but our false ego does not let the scriptures go through us! Why? Because most often our reading of the scriptures is undertaken without hand-in-hand intense subjective discipline. To put it in other way, instead of reflecting and contemplating on their Divine Essence and becoming imbued with it, our material consciousness enjoys worshipping the physical 'I', for our false ego likes crooked ways of the mind! In such unenlightened existence, we only care for the superficial and external show of religion! The problem, thus, lies in us, the Manmukhs (material beings). The scriptures have no problem!
swsqu bydu n mwnY koie ] Awpo AwpY pUjw hoie: Aapo aapey pujaa hoi: No one cares for Shastras and Vedas. Each person is worshipping himself (sggs 951).
pVIAY gunIAY nwmu sBu sunIAY AnBau Bwau n drsY: People read, hear and reflect upon all the Names of God; but without the intuitional realization, they can not see the Lord, the embodiment of Love (sggs 973). In spite of the repeated warnings in the Gurbani, to-day, for example, in the Gurdwaaraas the continual page to page reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib called Akhand Paath is sold to the devotees in a business-like manner. This is the way of the deluded Pujaarees. The Gurbani warns us that even Brahmaa ended up wasting his life by such useless reading of the scriptures in duality, what to speak of us!
byd pVy piV bRhmy jnmu gvwieAw: Brahma wasted his life away, continually reading the Vedas (sggs 478).
mUrK AMDy qRY gux syvih mwieAw kY ibauhwrI. AMdir kptu audru Brx kY qweI pwT pVih gwvwrI: The blind fools serve the three modes of material nature, the three dispositions; they deal only with Maya. With deception in their hearts, the fools read sacred texts to fill their bellies (sggs 1246). In mental stubbornness (Hayume or ignorance), many pay dearly to these Pujaarees, or hire Paathees (professional Gurbani readers) for the reading of Akhand Paath in their homes. Also, many read scriptures themselves in a ritualistic manner, over and over again. But the Gurbani declares that this type of reading has nothing to do with spirituality; because by reading religious books one can neither attain Spiritual Wisdom nor catch God. The only purpose of reading the scriptures is to develop Divine Understanding, and then act upon it.
eyko nwmu inDwnu pMifq suix isKu scu soeI ] dUjY Bwie jyqw pVih pVq guxq sdw duKu hoeI: The One Name is the treasure, O Pandit. Listen to these True Teachings. No matter what you read in duality, reading and contemplating it, you shall only continue to suffer (sggs 492).
pFy guny nwhI kCu baury jau idl mih Kbir n hoeI: You gain nothing by reading and studying, O mad-man, if you don't gain the understanding in your heart (sggs 483).
pVxw guVxw sMswr kI kwr hY AMdir iqRsnw ivkwru ] haumY ivic siB piV Qky dUjY Bwie KuAwru ] so piVAw so pMifqu bInw gur sbid kry vIcwru ] AMdru KojY qqu lhY pwey moK duAwru ] gux inDwnu hir pwieAw shij ry vIcwru ] DMnu vwpwrI nwnkw ijsu gurmuiK nwmu ADwru: Reading and studying are just worldly pursuits, if there is greed and corruption within. Reading in egotism, all have grown weary; through the love of duality, they are ruined. He alone is educated, and he alone is a wise Pandit, who reflects and contemplates the Gur-Shabad. He searches within himself, and finds the true essence; he finds the Door of Salvation. He finds the Lord, the treasure of excellence, and peacefully contemplates Him. Blessed is the trader, O Nanak, who, as a Gurmukh (spiritual being), takes the Name as his only Support (sggs 650). Ironically, now-a-days, people are booking Akhand Paaths far-off places and overseas on the Internet! What a pity! This is a burning example of Karamkaand in ignorance (Jhoothaa Sodaa or worldly entanglements)! The shameless Pujaaree group (some of the so called Sants, Baabaas, Raagees, Gianis, Bhais, Kirtan Jathaas, Granthees, Paathees, Pundits, Mullaas, Rabbis, Paadrees, etc.) will say and do anything to make money in the pretext of religion! Why? Because the majority of them have no interest in understanding the Transcendental Truth indicated in the scriptures, consequently, they care less if you gain any understanding or not. Their only interest seems to be in keeping the generations brain-washed, and, thus, keeping them tied to the knot of ego and resulting useless rituals that existed before Baabaa Nanak came into this world. Why? Because this insures them good return business! You see, it's all about lust and greed ('Kanik Kaamini')! Baabaa Nanak warns us as follows:
piV piV gfI ldIAih piV piV BrIAih swQ ] piV piV byVI pweIAY piV piV gfIAih Kwq ] pVIAih jyqy brs brs pVIAih jyqy mws ] pVIAY jyqI Awrjw pVIAih jyqy sws ] nwnk lyKY iek gl horu haumY JKxw JwK: You may read and read loads of books; you may read and study vast multitudes of books. You may read and read boat-loads of books; you may read and read and fill pits with them. You may read them year after year; you may read them as many months are there. You may read them all your life; you may read them with every breath. O Nanak, only one thing is of any account: everything else is useless babbling and idle talk in ego (sggs 467).
mUriK piV piV dUjw Bwau idRVwieAw ] bhu krm kmwvY duKu sbwieAw: The fool reads and reads, but holds tight to duality. He performs all sorts of rituals, but still suffers terrible pain (sggs 424). Why is the Pujaaree group so successful in cheating people? Because people want something as sublime as God and want it cheaply, as a result, they put themselves in a position to be cheated. In other words, a person in material consciousness has no sense of consequences of his actions!
pMifq iesu mn kw krhu bIcwru ] Avru ik bhuqw pVih auTwvih Bwru: O Pandit, O religious scholar, reflect on this in your mind. Why do you read so many other things, and carry such a heavy load? (sggs 1261). The instructions of the Gurbani is not only for those who read Vedas, Bible, Quraan, and so on. It's also for the Sikhs who read Sri Guru Granth Sahib! It's not that the Gurbani is only telling others not to practice such 'useless' rituals or Karamkaand, it's also telling the Sikhs as well. If a Sikh does 'Karamkaands' than why wouldn't a Brahmin be helped along with his 'Karamkaands', or a Muslim or a Christian or a Yogi with his? In truth, the Gurbani's instructions are for the good of all mankind; including Sikhs as well.
AklI piV- at - kY buJIAYu AklI kIcY dwnu ] nwnku AwKY rwhu eyhu hoir glW sYqwnu: One should read scriptures with intelligence, and then understand them. Also, one should give charity with intelligence. Says Nanak, this is the true Path; other things lead to Satanic life (sggs 1245).
piVAY nwhI Bydu buiJAY pwvxw: Not by studying scriptures, but through understanding, is the Lord’s Mystery revealed (sggs 148). The Gurbani's emphasis, thus, is on attaining true understanding of the scriptures. Why? Because the content of the scriptures is esoteric knowledge recorded for the purpose of reflection and contemplation; which must be followed by Shabad-Surti (God-consciousness)! This is the key. As the Gurbani puts it, without the intuitive understanding of the Word of the scriptures we simply live like beasts, donkey and demons!
ibnu bUJy psU Bey byqwly: Without Divine understanding, people become beasts and demons (sggs 224).
gurmiq suin kCu igAwnu n aupijE psu ijau audru Brau: Despite listening to the Gurmati (Shabad-Giyan), no spiritual wisdom has welled up within me; like a beast, I fill my belly (sggs 685).
byd kqyb krih kh bpury nh bUJih iek eykw: What can the poor Vedas and Kateb (Bible, Quraan, etc.) do? People do not understand the One and Only Lord (sggs 1153).
byd kqyb isimRiq siB swsq ien- at - piVAw mukiq n hoeI ] eyku AKru jo gurmuiK jwpY iqs kI inrml soeI: One may read all the books of the Vedas and Kateb (Bible, Quraan, etc.), the Simritees and the Shaastras, but they will not bring liberation. One who, as Gurmukh, chants the One Word, acquires a spotlessly pure reputation (sggs 747).
ieknw nwd n byd n gIA rsu rs ks n jwxMiq ] ieknw suiD n buiD n Akil sr AKr kw Byau n lhMiq ] nwnk sy nr Asil Kr ij ibnu gux grbu krMiq: Some do not understand about the Sound-current of the Naad or the Vedas, music, virtue or vice. Some are not blessed with understanding, intelligence, or sublime intellect; they do not grasp the mystery of God’s Word. O Nanak, they are donkeys; they are very proud of themselves, but they have no virtues at all (sggs 1246). Despite scriptural warnings, reading of the scriptures in 'useless' manners continues by those controlled by the life's sensuousness (egoism)! Why people recite scriptures in useless manners in the first place? The Gurbani provides us with an insight to this false behavior of ours. Since our "Chitt" (consciousness) is illusioned by the cosmic charmer called Maya, we act "Kach Nicach" (falsest of false). As the Gurbani reveals to us, those who have their "Chitt" illusioned my Maya (ignorance, delusion, Hayume, etc.) recite scriptures mechanically!
icqu ijn kw ihir lieAw mwieAw bolin pey rvwxI: Those whose consciousness has been lured by Maya keep reading scriptures mechanically (sggs 920).
dUjY Bwie pVY nhI bUJY ] iqRibiD mwieAw kwrix lUJY: One who reads, while attached to duality, does not understand. He yearns for the three-qualitied Maya (sggs 127). Taking advantage of such corrupt mentality of the people, Governments around the world are squandering the tax payers money to establish, sustain, and conduct scholarly research in laboratories and libraries through stipends, scholarships, titles, and endowments. However, the Word of the scriptures is not the subject of mechanical and ritual reading, or egoistic scholarly research in the laboratories or libraries. Eternal Knowledge is boxed in the scriptures as fragrance in flowers. When the grammarians and dictionary mongers approach the scriptures, they hack the glory from this Eternal Knowledge!
pFy guny nwhI kCu baury jau idl mih Kbir n hoeI: You gain nothing by reading and studying, O mad-man, if you do not gain the understanding in your heart (sggs 483).
hir jip pVIAY gur sbdu vIcwir ] hir jip pVIAY haumY mwir: Meditate on the Lord, and read and reflect upon the Gur-Shabad. Meditate on the Lord, and read and reflect by removing your ego (sggs 424).
bwxI ibrlau bIcwrsI jy ko gurmuiK hoie: How rare are those who contemplate the Word of the Bani; they become Gurmukh (sggs 935).
hau vwrI jIau vwrI piV buiJ mMin vswvixAw ] gurmuiK pVih hir nwmu slwhih dir scY soBw pwvixAw: I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice, to those who read, and then understand and enshrine God within their minds. The Gurmukhs read and praise God’s Name; they are honored in the True Court (sggs 127).
isKI isiKAw gur vIcwir: Sikhi is learning by Contemplating the Gur-Shabad (sggs 465).
ifTY mukiq n hoveI ijcru sbid n kry vIcwru....: One is not liberated by merely seeing, unless one contemplates the Word of the Shabad. Until then, the filth of ego is not removed, and he does not enshrine love for the Naam (sggs 594).
kVCIAw iPrMin- at - suAwau n jwxin- at - su\IAw ] syeI muK idsMin- at - nwnk rqy pRym ris: The ladles cruise through the food, but they do not know the taste of it. I long to see the faces of those, O Nanak, who are imbued with the essence of God’s Love (sggs 521). The Gurbani's message is that there is no purpose in merely rolling the beads nor the tongue reading scriptures or singing the praise of God without true love, devotion and concentration. The purpose of reading or listening to scriptures is to develop Divine understanding, and then act upon it. If that does not happen, then, there is no difference between a human being engaged in reading or listening to scriptures and a beast engaged in filling his belly.
gurmiq suin kCu igAwnu n aupijE psu ijau audru Brau: Despite listening to the Gurmati (Gurbani), no spiritual wisdom has welled up within me; like a beast, I fill my belly (sggs 685).
AgY jwiq n puCIAY krxI sbdu hY swru ] horu kUVu pVxw kUVu kmwvxw ibiKAw nwil ipAwru: Hereafter, no one is questioned about his caste; excellent and sublime is the practice of the Shabad. Other study is false, and other actions are false; such people are in love with poison (sggs 1093). All scriptures are contained in the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Therefore, the Gurbani tells us that the reading of the scriptures should be performed for the sole purpose of reflection and contemplation on the Holy Word, followed by the Naam Consciousness (God consciousness); without which the egoist mind will keep wandering endlessly! In other words, the scriptures end where the God-consciousness begins! Therefore, the Gurbani declares that the blessing of studying scriptures is that, by become imbued in Prema-Bhagti, we may meditate on the Naam and realize the Essence of Reality or Truth within.
smJY sUJY piV piV bUJY AMiq inrMqir swcw: If one understands, realizes and comprehends what he reads and studies, in the end he will realize that the True Lord dwells deep within his nucleus (sggs 930).
swDo rwm srin ibsrwmw ] byd purwn pVy ko ieh gun ismry hir ko nwmw: O Saadhus, rest and peace are in the Sanctuary of the Lord. This is the blessing of studying the Vedas and the Puraanas, that you may meditate on the Name of the Lord (sggs 220).
isMimRiq swsq byd bIcwry ] jpIAY nwmu ijqu pwir auqwry: The Simritees, Shaastras and Vedas reflect that with the Naam Japa you will be saved and carried across (sggs 804).
byd biKAwn krq swDU jn BwghIn smJq nhI Klu ] pRym Bgiq rwcy jn nwnk hir ismrin dhn Bey ml: The Holy Saints preach the teachings of the Vedas, but the unfortunate fools do not understand them. Servant Nanak is absorbed in Prema-Bhagti (loving devotional worship); meditating in remembrance on the Lord, one’s inner pollution is burnt away (sggs 717).
nwnk pVxw gunxw ieku nwau hY bUJY ko bIcwrI: O Nanak, there is One Name to read (chant) and dwell on; how rare are those who reflect on this and understand (sggs 1246).

sat sri akal sahai

part 1

You may read and read loads of books; you may read and study vast multitudes of books.
You may read and read boat-loads of books; you may read and read and fill pits with them.
You may read them year after year; you may read them as many months are there.
You may read them all your life; you may read them with every breath.
O Nanak, only one thing is of any account:
Everything else is useless babbling and idle talk in ego (sggs 467).


As indicated in the above Shabad and many more, the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) declares that even if we were to read loads of books (Granths, etc.), it would be a 'useless' exercise! What does it mean? One thing is for sure, that is, in saying so, the Gurbani does not mean to contradict the sacred books of the world, nor laugh at any future prophets or their texts. Then, why does the Gurbani say so? If reading of the scriptures is a 'useless' exercise, then why have they been compiled and recorded for the man? Is there hidden meanings or pregnant suggestions in such declarations? Yes. What is it? With the Guide of the Gurbani (SGGS), the attempt here is to deal with this subject. The scriptures are recorded in human language, however, the language being limited in the frame-work of time and space is available to us for expressing our experiences in the finite field only. On the other hand, the theme of the scriptures is the Transcendental Truth, the Eternal and the Infinite; which is beyond the purview of the gross equipments of our body-mind-intellect (ego-centric existence). Therefore, the language, words, or phrases of any sorts can never hope to express, define, or report upon the Perfect and the Immortal Reality. The realized souls have discovered that the words can be employed only in expressing four types of meaning; beyond these, language falters, stumbles and lags behind. The words can describe the substance (Padaarath or Vastu), they can describe the properties (Gunas), they can describe the activities (Kriya), and they can describe the relationships that exist among the finite objects of the world (Sambandh). These four-fold capacities of the words together constitute the entire world of finite things, beyond which the language cannot express anything at all. However, the Supreme Truth is not a finite Padaarath, which is without Gunas, Kriya and without Sambandh. Therefore, the Timeless Truth cannot be expressed by gross finite words of any language in the world. But, in our Indian scriptures, the great Masters have made the impossible possible by employing the suggestiveness of the word used and not because of the literal word meanings of the language employed! This is why when scriptures are studied with a mere dictionary meaning, our study dumps us in a morass of confusions and misunderstanding.
kbIr sMsw dUir kru kwgd dyh ibhwie ] bwvn AKr soiD kY hir crnI icqu lwie: Kabeer, give up your skepticism; let your papers float away. Find the essence of the letters of the alphabet, and focus your consciousness on the Lord (sggs 1373).
dyhI kwcI kwgd imkdwrw] bUMd pvY ibnsY Fhq n lwgY bwrw: The body is frail and perishable; the paper is limited. When the drop of water falls upon it, the paper crumbles and dissolves instantaneously (sggs 1048).
kwgid klm n ilKxhwru: No paper, no pen, no scribe can record the state of the faithful (sggs 3).
kudriq kvx khw vIcwru: What capacity have I to describe Thee? (sggs 3). Thus, finite words cannot ever successfully define the Infinite. With this understanding of language, reading of the scriptures can be grouped in three categories: Reading without any understanding, reading with dictionary meaning, and reading with true understanding. It's the first two types of reading (or study) that are condemned in the scriptures.
ikAw pVIAY ikAw gunIAY ] ikAw byd purwnW sunIAY ] pVy suny ikAw hoeI ] jau shj n imilE soeI: What use is it to read, and what use is it to study? What use is it to listen to the Vedas and Kateb (Bible, Quraan, etc.)? What use is reading and listening, if intuitive peace (purity of heart) is not attained? (sggs 655).
AKr piV piV BulIAY ByKI bhuqu AiBmwnu: Reading their books over and over again, people continue making mistakes; they are so proud of their religious robes (sggs 61).
Men of small knowledge gets very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas....(Geetaa, 2.42).
When your mind is no longer bewildered by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of Self-realization, then you will have attained the divine consciousness (Geetaa, 2.53). Here is a case in point. In the foregoing verses, taking their literal or dictionary meaning, readers of the scriptures belonging to the first two categories can easily make mistake of assuming that the Gurbani and Geetaa condemn the Vedas, Bible, Quraan, and so on. It's not so! The Truth is One. The scriptures point toward That Truth. The differences are only in the depth to which each scripture describes this Spiritual Truth. That's where the confusions and misunderstanding arise! In reality, none of the scriptures condemn the others. This is why we are urged by the Gurbani to refrain from denigrating any scriptures; for the scriptures are not false, but false are those who keep reading and singing their contents without understanding, without reflecting, and without contemplating on their sublime Divine Essence.
byd kqyb khhu mq JUTy JUTw jo n ibcwrY: Do not say that the Vedas and the Kateb (Bible, Quraan, etc.) are false. Those who do not reflect and contemplate them are false (sggs 1350).
EAMkwir byd inrmey: Onkaari Beda nirmaye: God created the Vedas (sggs 930).
gurmuiK swsqR isimRiq byd: Gurmukhi saastra simrit Beda: By becoming a Gurmukh, understand the Simritees, the Shaastras and the Vedas (sggs 942).
suixAY swsq isimRiq vyd ] nwnk Bgqw sdw ivgwsu: Listening—the Shaastras, the Simritees and the Vedas. O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss (sggs 2). Thus, what's condemned in the scriptures is the act of reading (studying) them without reflecting and contemplating on their sublime Divine Essence. In other words, what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures without attaining their intuitive understanding; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures which is undertaken without hand-in-hand intense subjective discipline; what's condemned is one's life void of the practice of the truth indicated in the scriptures; what's condemned is the ritual reading of the scriptures in stubborn mindedness; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures in selfishness; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures in desire and fear; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures without following their injunctions; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures not followed by truthful living; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures in duality (Doojaa Bhaav); what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures in a business-like manner; what's condemned is the reading of the scriptures to make a mere academic acquaintance with them; and what's condemned is the study of the scriptures undertaken with the help of the pick ax of dictionary or word meanings.
piV piV poQI isMimRiq pwTw ] byd purwx pVY suix Qwtw ] ibnu rs rwqy mnu bhu nwtw: You may read, recite and study the scriptures, the Simritees, Vedas and Puraanas; but without being imbued with the Divine Essence, the mind wanders endlessly (sggs 226).
dUjY Bwie pVY nhI bUJY ] iqRibiD mwieAw kwrix lUJY: One who reads, while attached to duality, does not understand. He yearns for the three-qualitied Maya (sggs 127).

one will find guru ji wherever there is sadh sangat, this is guru sahib's promise to us. But one has to go to sadh sangat with the right frame of mind. There are 3 types of people who come to the sadh sangat, firstly, 'oongey' : these people come, sit down and as katha and kirtan take place they merrily fall asleep. If asked afterwards what they learnt they can't recall.

The second type of person is the most dangerous and is known as 'soongey' : these people come to criticise, slander and gossip. They see a sevadar make a mistake, get annoyed about it and make it a point to bad mouth the sevadar to as many people as possible. They see another person has having 10 faults, and even they they themselves have 9 faults they regard themselves as superior.

The third type of person is the 'choongey' : these are the true seekers. They insult nobody, if they see someone make a mistake eg the sevadar forgot to sweep a part of the floor, they will clean the rest of it themselves without slandering anyone. They listen carefully to gurbanee, they hold Guru Granth Sahib Jee's instructions close to their heart and ask themselves how close are my actions and thoughts to what guru sahib has said. They improve their actions and thoughts to come into line with gurbanee.

puneet jee. s s a
it is a very good topic you started.
i have a few questions. Giani's read baani all the time and yet they are farther from God, as they say nearer to church farther from God.
So reading baani alone does not take you anywhere.this is where we stop short.We read the translation done by some scholars and then read it out to the others and we become scholars.It is not so.It has to come from with in.firstly if you do not act upon what you read in the baani.it is of no use.then if you act on it then you have mould your mind to it.then it will work other wise no.this is the main reason why there is so much discontent among sikhs.they teach others but never act upon by themselves. I would like to hear your answer to that

Part2 Connection To God

NO ascii this moderated discussion
anything not related to topic won't be desplayed
we can do this by trying to acheive Ang Sang Waheguru, and feel the Guru's vibration in every cell of our body
everything here is read out first before posting
Jaipreet: can you just give a definition of Naad - unless you have already done so.. please?
Naad is the sacred sound current. On p. 1058 of the SGGS, the Guru says, "The gurmukh vibrates the Naad, the sound current of the Guru's bani".
Naad is when language and rhythm blend to instill a thought at the deepest level. It is sacred speech.
This the effect that you feel when you listen to kirtan, for example.
The Guru's bani is written in Naad -- Gurmukhi is written in specific rhythm and verse.
Jaipreet: Thank You
Suky: Can it lead to enlightenment?
Definitely, Suky. The sound current affects your brain waves and it affects the glandular secretion in the brain so you have the experience of bliss.
Jaipreet: and then that hits your meridean points on the upper palate ?
Let's start to talk about how if someone wanted to be called by their proper name from their nickname, how they can deal with it
Sukhjinder: thank u for the meaning of Naad
Jaipreet, yes that's correct. You stimulate the nerves on the upper palate by reciting the Guru's bani, which, in turn, stimulates the glandular secretion in the brain.
Gurjit: Is there is difference when you recite Gurbani with your voice or when you recite mentally?
Gurjit: When you say it out loud, then when you enunciate properly, you actually PHYSICALLY have an experience. This is called Bhakree
This is a form of a sound.
your q was ascII: Who had written the 'Ardas'? discussion is on different topic ascii ji, so i haven't displayed
When you recite it mentally (silently), it is the sound current that you hear in your mind
Jaipreet: so perhaps when people attempt to call you by your nick name then just correct them with your real name
Sukhjinder: mental recitation without paying attention to what u are saying has no value
That's a good way, Jaipreet. Or even refuse to acknowledge unless they address you by your proper name.
hkaur: pp 1058 of SGGS ji "Gurmukh Baani Naad Vajave"
Sukhjinder: When you recite from your heart (silently), you definitely must pay attention.
Sukhjinder: Naam from mann( heart)
Sukhjinder: First you practice by hearing the sound current with your EARS. Then you practice by hearing the sound current INSIDE.
It's a different level of spiritual evolution
Jaipreet: but reciting outloud is more powerful - at least for me it is, I find that I totally concentrate when I recite the Baani outloud
Sukhjinder: and this current touches your soul and u are in the presence of satguru
The same way, when someone calls your name out loud, it is more powerful. It reminds you of your true destiny and identity.
Suky: what is the difference between bliss and hapiness?
Suky: Bliss is like a state of mind. Happiness is externally-driven by maya.
Jaipreet: so is Bliss the same thing as Peace?
Bliss is actually what the Guru talks about in Anand Sahib.. Anand is Bliss.
just_a_kurri: what is maya?
Maya is an illusion on this earth. It's the lure of the five senses. It gives you an altered sense of reality.
Suky: Is that altered sense of reality such a bad thing?
So what we've been discussing about names and nicknames....does it make sense?
Suky: It is if it blurs the Truth. Remember, God is Truth.
Gurjit: Going back for a moment, you said each one of us is here to live our density. What if you don't know what is your density is? Then what?
It also doesn't allow the evolution of your Soul, because your soul knows what the Truth is, and wants to fulfill its true destiny on this earth.
Gurjit: Your destiny is your name.
There's a Latin saying: Namest est omen. Name is fate.
ascII: What baanis must be recited daily? And what is the significance of recitation?
Nitnem ( 5 banis) in Morning - Japji, Jaap Shahib, Sawayeye, Chaupayi and ANand Shahib
evening - Rehras
Night: Sohila
The significance of reciting it is to allow you to clean your subconscious for the day.
It allows you to connect with your soul.
Anu: At the gurdwara yesterday the gyani ji said something about the clothes we shouldn't wear. What does what we wear have to do with our faith in God or our religion?
Anu: How you are seen gives you your identity. The Guru gave us a Bana, which gives us our identity as Khalsa.
Again, this comes back to the sacredness of our identity, and how we maintain it.
I'd like to pose another question. What do you feel when you hear your name in the Hukam, when it's read in the Gurdwara
Anu: But i'm talking about covering the body. and it seemed to be referring to women rather than all of the sangat
In about 5 minutes we are going to end our todays discussion -- Satnam
When you hear your name, it's a BEGINNING of a connection. But, to expand and strengthen this connection, you need to practice, recite and meditate.
Once you do this over and over again, the connection will be automatically there with you. Vibrating with each heartbeat and each breath you take.
hkaur: Anu: I think Bana should be such that all look at you with respect as Guru's Sikh and that applies to men also, they must not make ponytail etc.
Each step that you take towards the Guru, when you take it honestly with love, the Guru takes tenfold towards you.
just_a_kurri: when one does nitnam why does ones mind tend to wonder ?
When you pray or meditate, many thoughts will come to your mind.
But, you must continue to meditate and focus to clean out those thoughts
just_a_kurri: but why does that happed?
Slowly slowly, you will develop a state where no thoughts will come, only the Guru's bani will be there. Remember, everything requires practice.
Because, just as we use the kanga to comb out the dead hair from our scalp, so the bani cleans out the thoughts from our subconscious.
Sometimes, our enunciation of the bani is not correct, and we're lazy in the way we say it, and we can't use the full power of the Naad.
IN conclusion, When language and rhythm blend to instill a thought at the deepest level, it's called Sacred Speech. The Guru has given us this, and has blessed us with a sacred identity. The power of positive thinking and speech is that the power of your words and thought manifest. So what you say is very SACRED, and moreover, your identity is SACRED. And thus, your name is SACRED.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. Thank you for sharing your time with me.
THanks for joining us for wonderful and enlightening discusion on making connection to GURU. I would like to thanx everyone here today and HArjot Kuar ji
for her valuable time
pls send u ssa so that we could convey everyone
there are 10 ppl now
unless u send us message we won't know who u r
Suky: sat sri akal Harjot Kaur
Raj: ssa
sorry ascii ji, all your question couldn't get displayed
Jaspreet_Kaur: Gurufateh!
Gurjit: Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
hkaur: Waheguru JI Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! Harjot Kaur Ji
ascII: Thankyou, but my questions were not forwarded. I will check it later from GMS
u r welcome ascii
Jaipreet: Thank you Harjot Kaur for a truly enlightening discussion - Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Developing Connection To God Who Shelters All Mankind Part 1

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru JI Ki Fateh CyberSangat JI
welcome to 2nd day of Moderated Chat discussion.
HArjot Kaur is hosting the session
we will try to cover some of the important discussion related to our topic
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! In today's world, with all the many challenges we all face -- school, family, profession, health and maya – as Sikhs of the Guru, we also face another challenge. … To establish our own personal connection with the Guru. Moreover, all of us born into Sikh families are given this special gift by the Guru – the blessing of a personal connection, to the Guru. I would like to invite you to share with us your connection and then postulate what I feel, in my humble opinion, is the sacred, personal connection each Sikh has to the Guru.
I would like to ask everyone here, what do you think your connection to the Guru is?
Some people feel it may be meditation. Any agreement with this?
Harjot ji i think i'm here by his blessing. what i'm today is due to my Guru.
Jaspreet_Kaur: a child to his father
Jaspreet_Kaur: a student to a teacher
Some people say their connection is the Guru's bani. Do you agree?
I do...
yes i think like wise
Tthat is what keeps me in tune
and connected
Jaipreet Kaur: definetily
I propose that this connection is your name -- it is the primal and first connection you establish with the Guru when you are born.
Sukhjinder: bani is our teacher , it teaches us , our conection is through bani
Jaipreet Kaur: baani is what gives us strength
What do you feel about your name?
Never thought ever on that Harjot ji
Jaipreet Kaur: so what are name means is our first connection to the Guru?
When you're born into a Sikh family, you are blessed with a Hukam from which you get your name. I propose this is our first and primal connection to the Guru.
Jaipreet Kaur: I never really thought about it either
I'd like to ask the members of this discussion group: What does your name mean to you? What special relevance does it hold to your life?
Jaipreet Kaur: so like your name is your destiny?
To me...my name is my destiny...and what I should strive towards
Yes, that's exactly what I'm getting at.
Guru Mustuk
Sukhjinder: but what if later ur choice is to become something else than a sikh?
WHat does your name mean then, Guru Mustuk?
Sukhjinder: under those conditions , where does name come in?
Well....it is translated different by different people
Sukhjinder, the name is a positive affirmation.
but...to me it means... destiny...of a teacher..
the Guru'f Forhead
Your name is your identity – it is how you identify yourself, how others identify you, and more importantly, how the Guru identifies with your SOUL.
Jaipreet: what if you weren't given a Sikh name?
If you are a Sikh, and want to be a practising Sikh and weren't given a Sikh name, you could go to the Guru and take a Hukam to receive a name.
The meaning of your name relates to your own personal highest destiny that you are to fulfill on this earth in this lifetime.
Sukhjinder: this sure opened my eyes. didnt fully realize what the connection of name and bani was
Is there a particular way...that a name is selected from a hukam?
I have always wondered this
Guru Mustuk, your name represents the essence of the radiance of the Guru's forehead. It is what you should strive to become
Jaipreet: I am also very enlightened by this very though
GMS, when we take the Hukam, we take the first letter from the Hukam and from that, we formulate the name
Thanx HArjot for the enlightenment to all of us on name and guru's connection
So...the full name is not really taken from the hukam..
so you kind of get to choose..
Harjot Kaur is my name. Har represents God in His Creativity. Jot represents God's radiance or light. Kaur represents Princess.
When people call my name "Harjot Kaur", it is a reminder to me that I am to be the light of God in all my actions, thoughts and deeds. It is my highest identity to radiate the light of God by my very presence and others should be able to see this presence in me wherever I go.
From the first letter, we formulate the name, based on what we like from the Guru's Bani
ok
Does everyone know what their name means? This is very important as a Sikh
yes i know atleast
...especially to have your connection to the Guru, and to understand your purpose and destiny for being on this earth
Jaipreet: so Jai would mean victory and Preet means love?
Yes, that's right. You are the Princess that brings victory to love in its purest form
For all of your reference...You can lookup meanings of commont Sikhnet namesa at: http://www.sikhs.org/names.htm
I would like to pose another question. How many of you in this discussion group have nicknames?
i have one
MOD, would you mind sharing it with us? What is it?
Sukhjinder, Jaipreet also have
How about we take just a general nickname. Let's say someone is named "Baby", but her real name is Amrit.
The Guru's Bani is written in the Naad, a very specific, high vibratory frequency, and an elevating sound current
The power of this sound current acts like a positive affirmation to guide your destiny positively and to allow you to access and radiate your highest destiny
The nickname shortcuts the Naad soundcurrent and decreases the power of it, and thus decreases the power of the affirmation in it. So, being constantly called Baby makes you into one.
Any comments on this?
Jaipreet: thats so interesting
Suky: How can you relate language and sounds spoken to one's destiny? It makes little practicle sense.. in that it can't readily be proven.
If her name is Amrit, she's supposed to radiate the essence of the sweetness of the Nam. Not being a baby
Suky: the power of positive thinking is well known. Many authors through history have documented the effects of positive affirmations.
Sukhjinder: i think that we are going too deep in this matter and are loosing the real purpose which is to read bani and learn from it
When you have a positive outlook, you attract that positive energy. When you have a spiritual outlook, you attract that spirituality and destiny
Suky: The Naad, or the sound current is energy. It affects the brain waves in the brain.
The Naad, or the sound current, is energy. This sound current affects the brain waves in your brain. Beta waves occur when there's normal thought, and when you are awake. Alpha waves are when you are in a relaxed state, and not thinking. Theta waves are when the brain is deeply relaxed and a person is meditating. Delta waves are the slowest brain wave activity found in very experienced meditators and in deep, dreamless sleep.
Gurbani activates theta and delta waves in the brain. Your brain cells reset their sodium and potassium ratios when your brain is in the theta state (i.e. meditating), and this causes elimination of mental fatigue.
wow
ascII: How can we combine +tivity and spirituality? When you believe in your actions, and in yourself, you can manifest certain parts of your destiny.
Spirituality in its purest form, is positivity because positivity in its purest form, is the Truth. Sat Nam.
Gurjit: Can you describe what postive energy is, for those who have not experinced it.
ascII: Wow! Scientific facts! Interesting.
Sukhjinder: can someone direct me asto where i can get some info on this?
Positive energy, Gurjit, is the feeling of connection with the Almighty Creator.
Its the same feeling you have when you hear your name in a Shabad being recited in Kirtan, or when you hear your name in the Guru's Hukam.
You can experience this by first RECONNECTING with the Guru by using your proper Gurmukhi name
Does anyone have any questions on what we've covered so far?
Gurjit: If your name is first step to get connected with the Guru, what is next?
ascII: Mr MOD do you have a long list of questions? Too slow!
The ultimate goal that we as humans have on this earth is to live our destiny

The Most Glorious moment of the Millenium for India was on December 16th, 1971 at 16:51Hrs.,when Lt.Gen.A.K.Niazi, Goc-In-C, East Pakistan, and his 91,000 strong Army surrendered to
Lt. Gen.Jagjit Singh Aurora, Goc-In-C Eastern command of the Indian Army.
A grateful nation celebrates that defining moment as Vijay Diwas on December 16.
Lt.Gen.Jagjit Singh Aurora, who lead the Eastern command to that spectacular victory over Pakistan, vividly reacalled every moment in an excluisive interview to Asia Defence News
International ( ADNI ).
"I was asked to complete the operation ( Libeation of Bangladesh ) as early as possible before International Intervention. Keeping in view the terrain and the enemy disposition we adopted a totally unconventional approach. We bypassed enemy's well fortified positions and dashed towards Dhaka", the General said.
"Our strategy worked. We avoided frontal attacks on the enemy guarding the river lines and crossed up or down stream in unheld areas and appeared in the rear of the enemy, thereby turning his flanks and taking him bt complete surprise", explained The General.
Recounting the major contributory factors in this unprecedented victory, The General attributed success to the superior Combat power, initiative and the time being on his side, "There was enough time to plan, prepare, and deploy our forces," felt The General.

The Lotus Feet of God is the Shabad of God. The sound itself will uplift you and take away the disease and sorrow from within you. Meditate on the Lotus Feet of God in your heart. The sound of the spirit is the Shabad. Decorate yourself with it. Shabad is the fountain of spirit. It will always keep you flowing and growing.

The neutral mind records the Shabad, the Truth. When your mind is freaking out, the Shabad automatically comes. The Shabad has the power to control you and your mind, otherwise there is no way you or your mind can be controlled. Shabad brings inner balance. The power of inner balance is the Shabad, and the power of the Shabad is inner balance.

When controlled, our minds can create great things, because the power of the mind is also very infinite. When disciplined, it can change the vibrations and the magnetic psyche of the earth. That is why we come before Siri Guru Granth Sahib and do kirtan. Kirtan is to change the magnetic psyche of the universe with the vibrations of the Word of the Guru, the Naad, so that we can enrich the self in ecstasy.

Gurbani Kirtan, when done correctly, adds more harmony to Gurbani, but when not done right can reverse the effect. Kirtan must be according to time, pure, straightforward, and the raag (musical mode) should be exact. It is a pure discipline. Everyone should participate and recite it in that discipline.

Naam Simran (continuous remembrance of God's Name) is the preparation for Gurbani. You plow the ground, make the earth ready, and then you do Simran. Simran is Gurmantra (mantra given by the Guru). Khalsa is to recite "Wahe Guru", and a Sikh is to recite "Sat Naam". Sat Naam can elevate the consciousness of any person to Infinity, and Wahe Guru can bring the experience of that Infinity. Wa means Infinite, He means Thou, and Guru means Self. When chanted, it brings you very near to God. Sat Naam is a Panch Shabad (mantra containing five sounds). Saa means Infinity, Taa means birth, Naa means death and Maa means resurrection. Sat Naam is the Shabad in which you have superiority over God. God is a slave in the hands of the devotees. Sat Naam purifies the entire time and space, when you speak it once, it does not matter when. It is a superior self-power of God. God is re-membered by His actions. Naam Simran is a must to prepare for Gurbani to have its effect. It is the complete science of the Word and sound. It changes a human's biological and psychological metabolism of his body, mind and soul.

The Mool Mantar is considered so important to Sikhs that Guru Arjan Dev Ji placed it at the beginning of the Adi Granth in front of Japji, Guru Nanak's most impornt hymn, & he also wrote it in abbreviated form, - at - the introduction to each of the 31 raags into which the Granth Sahib is divided. Sikhs teach that it is the essence of the Guru's teaching.

The 1st point that a Sikh would make about God is that GOD IS ONE. Sikhism is a strongly monotheistic religion. Guru Nanak often said: "you are the 1 and only, God is the eternal giver, there is NO other." The name given to God is AKAL PURUKH, the being beyond time, or the timeless One God is not mentioned as such in the 'mool mantar' but the statement that God is 'beyond time' conveys that idea. Time originates from God. God is not caught up in the process time. God is the creator of the universe, Karta Purukh, and is present in it. For a GOD-AWARE person, humanity & whole world is God-filled.

Hence the staement that God is present in creation. The mool mantar does not discuss the process of liberation, it confines itself to the nature of God, but Sikhs believe that the purpose of the mission of Guru Nanak was through his inspired hymns, to awaken the divinity which is within every1, something of which most people are unaware. God did not create the universe then leave it to its own devices. God is sustainer. The craetive process, 1 might say, is ongoing as might be expected if God is seen to be immanent in creation. Some indian concepts of God teach that occasionally takes material form, human or animal, to ovacome the threat of chaos & restore order. This beleif in avtar is one which Guru Nanak rejected. He said; " Prevading the whole universe, God is infinite, absolute, non-incarnated." In the Mool Mantar he taugth that God is NOT born & doesn't die, as the avtars did. Actions in the form of religious rituals or even heartfelt desires cannot force God 2 appearin some way. Anotha important teaching in Sikhism is to obey God's (hukam) will.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught that what was wrong with people was that they chose to do their own will rather tahn God's will. God cannot be manipulated, only obeyed, Guru Nanak beleived. +++++ The phrase ' the truth' has been left to the end. 'SATNAAM' is the phrase which guru Nanak Dev Ji used. Perhaps he did 4 several reasons? If he had used Allah or Rama, the names of God which the HIndus + Muslims used, they would have kept the same ideas of God which they already had. If he caled God RAMA the Hindu's would not have listened to him ATAL (due to tensions in divinity - at - the time). "TRUTH" suggested that he was going to the heart of teh matter. It also conveyed the idea of trust and Guru Nanak wanted people to put their faith in a god who was reliable. He said: "The true one is eternally true. God is & will be, and unlike creation does not pass away." (not in Mool mantar, but acceptable statement.)

The mool mantar doesnot cover EVERY aspect of Sikh teaching of God. For eg, the sikh concept of Gos is of a being who is neither male, nor female, but the creator of male & female. This is not mentioned in mool mantar. Closley related in thought to the Mool Mantar is another verse which carries forward sum of its ideas & may add others. It reads: ' The all powerful supreme God is beyond human understanding or prasp. The 1 who exsistted b4 time began has exsisted through all ages & shall exsist eternally. That one alone is true.' The mool mantar is a short yet deep poem of Guru Nanak's with deep meaning, lets all together NEVER forget its importance,. It was of the 1st poetic utterances of Guru Nanal Dev Ji. He reminded us that there: " Is NO Hindu, there is NO muslim, so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow GOD'S PATH, who is neither Hindu or Muslim."----- What wonderful teachings!

janet ji

i commend u on your immesearable fortitude far sighted vision and innate passion for universal sikhi..

keep up your good work bravo!

hi janet

if u have a priceless diamond or jewel. don't try to dispose it off on the streets. there is no buyer there.they can only buy and sell lies there.keep it with you. some day some desirable person will come looking for it.then share it with that person( man or a woman)

JANET LANG ADDRESSES CHRIS HAMMERS ON SIKHISM

Listen Chris Hammers, I never got around to telling you some of the things about Sikh religion that convince me of its authenticity. One major evidence is the "Holy Book" of Sikh religion known as the "Granth Sahib". The Granth Sahib was complied over a period of 240years by the hands of the beings that founded Sikh religion. All copies are matched to the original handwritten one. It is scientifically impossible for any known being to write a book with all the qualities found in the Granth Sahib. Below are some of those amazing qualities:

It is written using very deeply profound words obtained from over 16 languages. (I would say that it's words are more profound then that of any other Book on the planet, but that would not get anywhere, I would be simply dismissed as being biased)
The words from over 16 incompatible languages are incorporated in a way that they make perfect sense.
The alphabet the Granth Sahib uses was invented by the Supreme Beings that wrote it. The Alphabet is called Gurmuki, it is impossible to make a spelling mistake using this alphabet because it has logical grammar rules. Every word or sound can only be written one way. Not like English where the k in knife is silent. This is the easiest alphabet to master. I bet the world would be using computers a long time ago to write things using speech recognition programs if Gurmuki was the business language of the world.
Every sentence is written in poetry of the highest order. (William Shakespeare would have been envious.)
At the same time every sentence rhymes.
At the same time everything is in music verse form, so that all sorts of musical instruments can be played while it is sung.
Sikh religion believes praying should be a very pleasurable, stress reliving, thought provoking event. Most other religions believe praying should be a act of submission (Catholics make you kneel allot!), unquestioningly following rituals, and fear of a jealous Angry God (the Ten Commandments of Judao-Christianity state something about God being a Jealous God and one prone to Anger.) Now Chris, tell me does it make sense following a God who is so immature he gets Jealous, how insecure could that kind of a God be! And how wimpy and powerless must this God be if he gets Angry.

The God of Sikh religion never gets Jealous because he made all those awesome things that make insecure persons jealous. Sikh religion also says God is without anger. Their is a very beautiful song about this in the Granth Sahib!

Plus before the Equal Rights movement, infact 540 years before , Guru Nanak said many nice Praises about women, instead of condemning them like all the other great religions do.

Quotes about Women in Sri Guru Granth Sahib In praise of women.

"We are born of woman, we are conceived in the womb of woman, we are engaged and married to woman. We make friendship with woman and the lineage continued because of woman. When one woman dies, we take another one, we are bound with the world through woman. We grow up stronger and wiser having drunk milk from the breast of woman. Why should we talk ill of her, who gives birth to kings? The woman is born from woman; there is none without her. Only the One True Lord is without woman" (Guru Nanak Dev, Var Asa, pg. 473)

Marriage is an equal partnership of love and sharing between husband and wife.

"They are not husband and wife, who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one spirit in two bodies." (Guru Amar Das, Pauri, pg. 788)

Women have an equal right to participate in the congregation.

"Come my sisters and dear comrades! Clasp me in thine embrace. Meeting together, let us tell the tales of our Omnipotent Spouse (God). In the True Lord are all merits, in us all demerits." (Guru Nanak Dev, Sri Rag, pg. 17)

God is the husband and we are all his brides.

"The spouse is but One and all others are His brides. The false bride assumes many religious garbs. When the Lord stops her going into another's home, then is she summoned into her Lord's mansion without any let and hindrance. She is adorned with the Name and is dear to her True Lord. She alone is the true bride and the Lord lends her His support." (Guru Nanak Dev, Ramkali, pg. 933) (note: Lord is one of the names of God)

God is our Mother as well as our Father.

"Thou O Lord, art my Father and Thou my Mother. Thou art the Giver of peace to my soul and very life." (Guru Arjan Dev, Bhairo, pg. 1144)

The rape and brutalities committed against women by the Mughal invader Babar condemned.

"Modesty and righteousness both have vanished and falsehood moves about as the leader, O Lalo. The function of the Qazis and the Brahmins is over and the Satan now reads the marriage rites (rape). The Muslim women read the Quran and in suffering call upon God, O Lalo. The Hindu women of high cast and others of low caste, may also be put in the same account, O Lalo." (Guru Nanak Dev, Tilang, pg. 722)

The practice of women burning themselves on their husband's funeral pyre (sati) condemned.

"They cannot be called satis, who burn themselves with their dead husbands. They can only be called satis, if they bear the shock of separation. They may also be known as satis, who live with character and contentment and always show veneration to their husbands by remembering them." (Guru Amar Das, Var Suhi, pg. 787)

The ritual of dowry so prevalent in many societies condemned.

"Any other dowry, which the perverse place for show, that is false pride and worthless gilding. O' my Father! give me the Name of Lord God as a gift and dowry." (Guru Ram Das, Sri Rag, pg. 79)

First Supreme Being Guru Nanak laid the foundation of Sikhism which believes in a casteless, egalitarian society which guarantees equal rights to Women. Each of the Supreme Being Gurus under authority of God gave women equal status. They gained social and religious freedom at a time when the existing religions and society considered women to be property. The false notion that they were inherently evil and unclean was removed. A woman was regarded as temptation-incarnate. The Gurus exposed the folly of such notions. [Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, they all directly say Women are Unclean and Inferior.].

Sixth Supreme Being Guru Hargobind called Woman "the conscience of man". In religious gatherings, men and women sang and preached without any distinction. The wearing of purdah (women wearing veils to hide the face) was rejected as demeaning to women. Guru Hargobind refused to have dinner with any Queen who wore a veil.

Ik OnKar: means "One Creator" The circle is a chakram representing the Universe, the double edged sword represents the positive and negative side of the Force, the 2 swords on the outside of the sphere represent the hands of the One Creator protecting and beholding all that exists and beyond.

Dear Inquisitive, challenging brother "Chris Hammer", I will answer all your questions in better detail when time permits. For now I will torpedo your points. PLEASE READ THE KHALSA CONSENSUS ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI. Then you will see that Sikhs have more Divine proofs then any other Religion. I was born and still am a Christian, but I will soon Convert to Sikhism. The main reason being the Bible is anti-Women, it talks about the Woman’s Curse, the Old testament says God wants you to steal a baby boys foreskin, Science now says that mutilative operation is very harmful to the Defenseless infant boy, Mothering Magazine did a Science article on it. But Sikhs knew one should never destroy any Gift God gives, so cutting of a skin from the genitals is quite Evil, what happened to Human Rights, The Sikh religion Honors infants and all beings! Everyday a teaching of the Bible is found to be harmful.

First: You claim the proof that a revelation is truly from God, is Prophesy! As you know any occult palm reader etc... can claim they predicted an Earth Quake a year before it happened. All a Psychic has to say is next year the Earth will shake. Chances under rules of Science are that there is a good chance that some kind of explosion or Earth Shaking activity will happen in a year, so Prophesy is just clever manipulation of history.

You say ""The Bible prophesied hundreds of years in advance giving detailed accounts of the major empires of the world and all major cities of the ancient world as well as the names of two emperors 200 years before they were born".

I have read the Bible, I find that these so called revelation do not prove anything anyone can make them, it's easy to turn anything written in the past into a accurate prediction, by stretching interpretations to suite an end result.

Not to really answer your challenge. SIKHS do not depend on Prophesy, because God like a Movie producer can make any changes whenever He/She wants to. What Proves the Sikh religion came directly from God is it is the only Religion in the world that has perfect Science. Your Bible was the reason Galileo was almost Executed, because the Bible was saying the Earth is Flat & the Sun revolves around the Earth. This Male Egotistical writing is now proven face by Science. The First Supreme Being GURU NANAK, "The Light that Dispels the Darkness", wrote many Divine Poems describing Solar Systems. If you know science you know Solar System means a planetary system in which all the planets revolve around a central Star.

Second proof The first Supreme Being or Light that Dispels the Darkness-Guru Nanak with his own hands at the order of God wrote Hymns that say the Earth and many planets are round. I will now Quote a Divine Poetic Quote translated from Gurmuki, that teaches that not only is Earth Round but there are uncountable Earths (planets), Uncountable Solar Systems around which they orbit, Uncountable Galaxies. Chris Hammer, you know that it was only a few decades ago when "Hubble" an astronomer discovered that we live in a Galaxy, then much later Hubble discovered that there are many Galaxies outside our own. Well Mr. Hammer, the Sikh Holy Scripture which is the only Holy Book written by the Founder(s) of its faith. That is like saying Jesus wrote the Bible, instead of Chauvinistic men 100's of years after Jesus died.

The Guru Granth Sahib, over 540 years ago stated that their were Countless Galaxies, Galileo was not born until 100 years later. Guru Nanak did not have a Telescope or vast scientific resources like Galileo did. If that is not enough & you demand Sikhs to have prophesy to be valid, then I will give you something no human not even Jesus knew, the Gurus said there are Universes upon Universes, Spheres upon Spheres. What this means is that when you reach the end of our 15 billion light years size Universe, go many times that distance into empty space, you will encounter the neighboring Universe, keep traveling and the scenario will repeat. Now the Spheres upon Spheres means that about 400 trillion Universes each the size of our one Universe make a Spherical structures called a Sphere, & that there are countless numbers of these huge Spheres each containing Trillions of Universes.

Now Mr. Hammer, your God is a God of 1 Flat Earth, 1 spiritual heaven, & 1 Spiritual Hell! The Sikh God as I mentioned above is bigger, his Earth is a Sphere, he is master of many Planets, Universes, Galaxies etc.. plus his is master of countless Physical Heavens in addition to 1 Spiritual Heaven plus countless Physical Hells in addition to 1 Spiritual Hell! So your God Mr. Hammer is quite small in power etc... How come your Bible did not mention this.

Now to give you a prophesy, in the Future your Scientists will discover that the Sikh religion was correct when Guru Nanak stated there are Universes upon Universes, then much further into the future your Scientists will eventual realize that Trillions of these Universes form a Sphere. Below is the Quote! Enjoy!

"There are worlds upon worlds, solar systems upon solar systems, galaxies upon galaxies, universes upon universes, spheres upon spheres, They function according to Command of God. God gets joy by thinking of and beholding His Creation;"

"Beyond this Earth, there are many more and more earths. What power bears their load from underneath? (Not the supposed bull, but God's Force)."

"God's One Word created the world's expansion. And lacs of rivers began to flow."

"There are nether worlds and more nether worlds below them and there are lakhs of skies over them. Limitless the worlds beneath, limitless the worlds above. One may grow weary of searching out His limits. One can never reach the end of His Vastness."

"The continents, worlds and solar system, established by God, sing His glories. God's enlightened beings steeped in the Name, who are pleasing to God, sing His praises"

"God has His seat and His storehouses in all the worlds. Whatever is stored, was put only once for all, enough forever!"

"How many Indras, moons, suns, and how many Star Systems[Surya Mandals], and stars, How many [countless], Siddh, Buddhas [like Gautama Buddha], Nath [Gurus], and how many forms and incarnations of Devi [Durga],How many Angles, Demons, Speakars of Truth[Muni], and countless Oceans having precious stones,"

My Dear brother Chris Hammers,

You say "I am very sorry to hear of your bad experience with Christianity, but don't make the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bath water."

Now listen, why do you consider my future plans of upgrading (converting) to Sikhism, as throwing out the baby with the bath water. I am not interested in converting because I had bad experience with Christianity, how could I have a bad experience when all I knew as an infant was Christianity.

My parents like you tried to discourage me from embracing Sikh ways, they said Sikhism is primitive religion. I then proved to them exactly how misguided & ignorant they were. I did this by pointing out that Christianity began 2000 years ago, it was a primitive mans attempt to understand God. So it is Christianity that is primitive, Sikhism I taught my parents is a Religion of Divine Science.

On this day, April 30th, in Sikh History: 1689 :
The Bhangani Battle was fought between Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Hill Rajas. This was Guru Sahib's first battle. Pir Budhu Shah's ( Sayeed Budr Ud Deen) sons and 700 of his followers fought along side Guru's forces against the hill rajas.

1837 : The Battle of Jamrodh was fought and this is where Hari Singh Nalwa accepted Shahadat.

An Empty Pitcher Makes Noise

Life would be boring without jokes. We all crack jokes. In India, most of the jokes, for some years now are being cracked on the Sikhs. There are these 12 o'clock jokes, Banta Singh-Santa Singh jokes, Giani Zail Singh jokes, Baldev Singh jokes, Khalistan jokes.the list is endless.

Picture yourself as a Sikh and look for an honest response from within yourself.would you be able to handle these day in day out of cracks targeted at you by colleagues/friends/the unknown person standing next to you/anyone and everyone taking the liberty. I know your immediate reaction."sure man, it's only a joke." You are absolutely right, it is only a joke. However when a joke enters the bloodstream as a cancerous virus and you get targeted daily, right from your childhood, let me tell you, as much as you believe you can, the fact is you will not be able to handle them.

On the other hand, look at the Sikhs. Have you ever seen anyone of them getting irritated with these digs & cracks on them. You wouldn't have. Ever thought why they don't get effected? Well the answer lies in a couplet by Saint Kabeer :

Kaho Kabir chucha ghat bole. Bhariya hoe so kabahu na dole.

Says Kabeer, an empty pitcher makes noise. But that which is full, makes no sound.
Sikhs by nature are self-respecting, courageous, hardworking and enterprising. Look into their short span of history and you will find their pitcher is full of sacrifices and hardwork which has contributed so much towards the nation building. If not for them, the course of Indian History would have been very different. That's what makes them the SPIRIT BORN PEOPLE and gives the ability to simply ignore the digs targeted at them. Volumes could be written on the contributions made by the Sikhs, who constitute less than 2% of Indian population. I am listing below just a few, which should make my friends start thinking.

Sikhs have always believed in the right of an individual to practice a religion of his own choice and have always fought against tyranny. Jahangir, the 4th Mughal ruler wrote in his memoirs, Tuzak-i-Jahangiri about Arjan Dev, the 5th Sikh Guru, ".for a long time the thought had been presenting itself to me that he should be bought to the fold of Islam.". In 1606, when the Guru refused the forceful conversion, he was put to death by boiling in a cauldron and sitting on a hot iron plate.
Aurangzeb, the 6th Mughal ruler was a fanatic ruler who desired to convert every Indian to Islam. Tyrannized by his forceful conversions, a delegation of Kashmiri Brahmins in 1675, approached Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs. He offered to sacrifice his life for their cause. This was a unique & unparalleled sacrifice in the annals of human history. He laid down his life in defence of religious tolerance, of freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience. He gave his life so that the Hindu's right to wear the sacred thread is not violated despite the fact that Sikhs themselves did not believe in these rituals. This was a martyrdom for the defence of basic human values.

For about 7 centuries, since the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni in the 10th century, many ruthless invaders played havoc with the life of Indians. Recurring defeats had sapped the psychic energy of the Indians so much that they had resigned themselves to their fate. It was Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs who imbibed the fearlessness amongst the Sikhs to fight against all odds. He wrote to Aurangzeb saying "when all means have failed, it is right to pick up the sword". In the year 1699 he proclaimed, "call me by the name of Gobind Singh, only if i succeed in making the sparrows (Indians) fight against the Hawks (mighty foreign rulers) and am able to make one Sikh fight against an army of one Lakh". He set himself against oppression and intolerance. He did not fight against any territory or worldly power, or against any religion or sect. He made nationalism the religion of Sikhs. Apart from the numerous Sikhs who lost their life in defence of the country under him, his 2 sons were martyred on the battleground, while the other 2 preferred to be bricked alive than give up their esteem. In 1709 he left this world with a lifetime of heroic events which changed the History of India.

Bulle Shah, a celebrated Sufi Muslim Saint has said, "I neither say of the past, nor of the future, but i talk of the time of Guru Gobind Singh & declare openly. That but for him, all the Indians would have been circumscribed and converted to a foreign culture and religion".

In 1710, Banda Singh Bahadur was the first Indian to re-establish Indian rule after 7 centuries of foreign rule in India, post a fierce battle with the forces of Aurangzeb, although this was short lived.
Between 1713 and 1801 the Sikhs were homeless and living as Guerillas, demonstrating heroic acts of courage at every possible instance. The tyrant rulers had put a reward of Rs. 25/= for every Sikh head and Rs. 100/= for every Sikh caught alive. Those caught alive would be cut to pieces. Many new vocabulory (of which many jokes against Sikhs are made nowdays) were given currency among the Sikh guerillas which showed with what brave face and heart they had accepted the challenge of their persecutors.

In 1738 Nadir Shah, the Persian ruler invaded India from Kabul and went on a rampage upto Delhi. He returned to Persia in summer of 1739 and carried back a huge booty of looted wealth, Kohinoor diamond, women, artisans and slaves. To avoid the summer heat, the convoy would rest during the day and travel in the night. At the peak of the day heat at 12 noon, the Sikh guerillas started attacking his convoy right from Punjab upto the Indus. They freed many women, artisans, slaves and deprived him of large amount of wealth. The women were escorted back to Delhi by the Sikhs. It was for this heroic act, which no one else dared, of fighting against the might of Nadir Shah by a handful of Sikhs and freeing the women, that the Sikhs started getting seen as people who go mad at 12 Noon and therefore the 12 o' clock jokes of nowdays. When Nadir Shah asked Zakhariya Khan " who these barbarians where and where they lived", Zakhariya replied " they are the followers of Nanak & live on saddles of their horses".

Post the return of Nadir Shah to Persia, Zakhariya Khan went on a rampage against the Sikh movement and killed 10,000 of them in a few days.
Between 1748 & 1765, Ahmad Shah Abdali the ruler from Afghanistan rampaged India 9 times. Again the Sikhs attacked his returning convoys during the peak summer heat and freed 2200 women and escorted them back to their homes. Yet again a heroic act at 12 noon, which unfortunately the others perceived as a maddening act and therefore further strengthened the 12 noon syndrome. These acts of Sikhs aggravated Ahmed shah Abdali, who swore to take revenge at an appropriate time. During his 6th invasion he caught the Sikhs unaware and 25,000 of them were killed in a few days. But the spirit of the Sikhs remained high as one Nihang Sikh of that time commented "only the soft and unbaked ones of us have fallen off".

Finally, Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, in 1798 bought to an end the 800 years of foreign invasions into India through Khyber pass, by bringing it under their control. This was the best gift the Sikhs gave to the nation which finally allowed the rest of India to breathe in peace. Hari Singh Nalwa, who manned the Khyber pass for years became a household name in Afghanistan. Even today, the Afghani mothers put their children to sleep with the threat of Hari Singh Nalwas name.

It was Ranjit Singh who bought back to India, the world famous Kohinoor diamond, which was looted by Nadir Shah earlier.

Ladakh, which earlier was a part of Tibet, owes its existence on the map of India to Zorawar Singh, who captured it in 1836.

Sikhs were the last to surrender to the British in the sub-continent and were the first to raise arms against them.

After 2 bloody Anglo-Sikh wars did British manage to annexe Punjab as the last kingdom on the map of British-India Empire. It is an irony of fate that the Sikhs had to fight against their own countrymen as British forces in saving Punjab from British annexation. It was not due to lack of soldiers courage & conviction that the wars against British were lost, but a treachery by Gulab, the Dogra primeminister under Ranjit Singh, who joined hands with the British in exchange for the title of Kashmir on winning the war. British records say about the Sikhs ".such a mass of men, fierce and untamed in their dying struggle, who fought like Lions and ran right on the bayonets and struck on their assailants when they were transfixed".

Inspite of the loss of empire to British, the spirit of freedom amongst Sikhs was soaring high. Whereas the British would daily fire a canon at 12 noon by the East India Co. time, which was the Calcutta time, the Sikhs on the other hand refused to recognize the British time. There is a one and a half hour time difference between Calcutta and Lahore time and therefore the Sikhs maintained their firing of the Canon at 12 noon Lahore time. Amongst the general public there was a confusion as to which canon denoted the 12 noon and therefore at the fire of the first canon the public would say "12 o clock of British" and on the second fire, an hour and a half later, they would say "12 o clock of Sikhs." Soon the spirit of defiance and freedom was forgotten by fellow Indians and they started linking the madness demonstrated by them during Nadir Shah and Abdalis invasions at 12 noon to the act of defiance during British period and there took place the 12 o clock jokes.

Much before 1919, when Mahatma Gandhi issued the call for satyagraha (boycotting English goods), the Sikhs under Baba Ram Singh had started the boycott movement in the year 1863. Eighty two Sikhs were tied to canons & blown apart by British.

Sikhs were the only Indian community to be internationally acclaimed as early as 1897, for their heroism and valour. Where in the history of warfare can you find the instance of heroism as demonstrated by 22 Sikh soldiers manning the signal post of Saragahi in Nort-West province with no ammunition back up. All the 22 of them fought till the last bullet had been fired against an Afghan army of 7000 warriors.The 22 soldiers then charged with their kirpans to be eventually cut down to pieces. The easier way out would have been to surrender but the spirit of Sikhs has always made them do what Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru had said, "Grant me this boon, O Lord, at last when the end of life is near, I may die fighting in the battlefield for the sake of righteousness".

The first battle for freedom from British was won by Sikhs, when after loss of many lives in 1929 they were able to take over the charge of their shrines from British. On this victory Mahatma Gandhi sent a telegram saying " THE FIRST DECISIVE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA WON - CONGRATULATIONS".
Where in the world can you find an act of sacrifice like that of Sikhs in 1922, willing to offer lives of their wives, children and themselves by lying on the rails to stop a train of freedom fighters who only had to be fed because they were hungry. The train finally stopped after killing a few Sikhs.

Not many can claim the valour with which Bhagat Singh offered himself at the altar of Indias' freedom in 1931.

There is not another instance of bravery as shown by Udham Singh in 1940, when he went to London and shot dead Sir Michael O' Dwyer at a public meeting, as a revenge for the Jallianwala massacre.
Out of 42,000 recruits in the Indian National Army under the command of Subhash Chandra Bose, 28,000 soldiers contributing 67% of strength, were Sikhs.
Contribution of Sikhs who are less than 2% of Indias population , in the freedom struggle of India against the British.


PUNISHED TOTAL SIKHS % OF SIKHS
Hanged 121 93 77%
Life Imprisonment 2646 2147 81%
Jallianwala Bagh massacare 1300 799 62%


Book source : "History of Indian National Congress".
Partition of India in 1947 brought innumerable death to Sikhs and was the greatest disaster known in the Indian history. Surely the Sikhs paid the heaviest price for the freedom of the country.
Punjab lost its most fertile part to Pakistan during the partition. However, today due to hard labour of Sikh farmers, the Punjab in India produces much higher quantities of foodgrain than the fertile Punjab in Pakistan. Punjab contributes 40% of rice and 51% of wheat into the central pool of foodgrains in India.

Post partition, many of the landless Sikhs who settled in the jungles of Terai in Uttar Pradesh have today made the area as fertile as Punjab.
Contribution of Sikhs towards the Indian Defence Services is the highest with respect to their 2% population size. This community has also won the maximum number of gallantary awards since independence - 5 Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 40 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs), 209 Vir Chakras (VrCs).
During the emergency of 1975 imposed by Indira Gandhi, no organized protest was made across the country by any section of community, except for the Sikhs who conducted daily morchas, involving 40,000 arrests.

You will never find a Sikh ever begging on the roads, inspite of being uprooted & made homeless many a times, they have demonstrated the ability to rise back from the scratch. Each one of them actively contributes towards the nation building. Almost 30 years ago, Professor Milton Friedman (Noble Prize Winner) an American Economist, on his visit to India had humourously remarked, "Lease out India to the Sikhs for a while and there will be no problem of development". Could there be any greater compliment to the Sikh spirit and enterprise.

Inspite of endless contibutions made by Sikhs towards the nation building, our friends find them to be a laughing stock. Well, it makes no difference to the Sikhs as their pitchers are filled with unparalleled acts.

As a nation we may lack the sense of humour but Sikhs are a rare species, with a great sense of humour. This is the community which has learnt to fight, succeed and laugh.

It is time for my friends to do a bit of introspection.

MIAN MIR THE SUFI SAINT COMPANION OF GURU ARJUN DEV

http://allaboutsikhs.com/misc/saintmianmir.htm

Mian Mir was a renowned Sufi saint of Lahore. He belonged to Sistan in Central Asia. His original name was Shaikh Muhammad. He was born about 1550 AD. He had a religious bent of mind. As a child he attentively listened to religious sermons. He became a disciple of Shaikh Khizr of the Qadiri order of Sufis. Sufis believed in spreading Islam by peaceful means. As India was a great field for conversion, Mian Mir decided to come here. He was then about 25 years old. He settled at Lahore. He resided in the suburbs of the city called Begampura. The whole area is now called after him Mian Mir.

Mian Mir was such a holy man of God that the boons granted by him turned into reality. People thronged to him in large numbers from far and wide. Guru Arjan often visited Lahore to see the birth-place of his father and meet his relatives. On the occasion of one of such visits he called on the Pir. The two men of God met and became life-long friends. Mian Mir was thirteen years older than Guru Arjan.

Guru Arjan was responsible for the construction of many tanks and buildings. In 1589 he planned to build a temple in the centre of the holy tank called Amritsar or the tank of nectar. As the temple was to be thrown open to people of all castes, creeds and climes, he invited Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Han Mandar. He came to Amritsar wearing a religious mendicant's long cloak made up of patches of coarse wool and a cone-cap made of a number of gores with a rose flower on top.

Mian Mir was given one of the warmest welcomes for which Guru Arjan was famous. The two holy men embraced each other in sincere love and regard. The purpose of the temple was disclosed to the Sufi saint. The Guru pointed out that the Hindu temples and Muslim mosques were built on a raised plinth. The Sikh temple would be erected on a lower plinth than the surrounding area. The idea was that God could be attained by bending low in submission and humi­lity. The Hindu temples and Muslim mosques were closed on three sides and had only one doorway facing east and west respectively. His temple would be open on all the four sides implying that it would welcome persons of all the four castes, Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishas and Shudras; to all the four religions in the world, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, and to all the people from any country or climate from north, south, east and west.

The Muslim saint was highly delighted at the fine objectives the Guru had in mind. He was deeply impressed with his pleasing. personality, charming manners and the divine light shining in his face,. words and deeds. The foundation-stone was laid. Hymns were sung in the praise of God and sweets were distributed among the audience. A mason with his tools stood by. As the holy man had placed the stone irregularly, the mason corrected its posture in order to place bricks on it properly. The saint expressed sorrow at the mason's mistake and remarked that the temple would have to be rebuilt in course of time.. The prophecy came out true about a century and a half later when Ahmad Shah Abdali blew it off with gunpowder.

In 1606 Guru Arjan was implicated in the affair of Khusrau, the rebel son of Jahangir. He was imprisoned in the Lahore fort and was barbarously tortured. When Mian Mir heard about it, he came to see the Guru. He found Guru Arjan calm and serene having completely resigned himself to the will of God. Mian Mir suggested to the Guru whether he should intercede with Emperor Jahangir on his behalf The Guru forbade him saying that God's will must have its course unchecked, as it was not proper to interfere with its working. He only asked for the Saint's blessings for his son Hargobind.

A couple of years after the death of Guru Arjan, his son and successor Guru Hargobind, a lad of thirteen, called on Mian Mir at Lahore. In the monastery (Khanqah) there were many disciples of Mian Mir including a young girl Kaulan. She was the daughter of Rustam Khan, the Qazi of the Capital. Being religious-minded from childhood, she became a disciple of Mian Mir. She had made up her mind to become a nun, but in Islam there was no room for a woman to lead the life of a nun. She therefore decided to become a disciple of Guru Hargobind: Her father grew furious at such a proposal. He tried his best to dissuade her from her intention. Having failed in this. attempt he began to persecute her. She fled to Mian Mir who sent her to Amritsar under proper escort. She was given a separate house to live, and she was immortalised by the construction of a tank named after her Kaulsar.

He is called the founder of Mian Khail branch of the Qadiri order. He passed away on 11 August, 1635. He was buried at village; Hashimpur.

Guru Tegh Bahadur as a child met Mian Mir who blessed him.

Sikhs Applaud Mosque handover

New York, New York, April 10, 2002 . . . Juxtaposed against the Hindu-Muslim bloodletting in India comes news of ecumenism from the Sikh state of Punjab. The BBC reported that "a 400-year-old mosque built by a Sikh religious figure . . . has been handed back to Muslims after 55 years." The report went on to say that Dr Mohammed Haque, a senior official of the Punjab Waqf Board -- an elected body of Muslim theologians, said "the mosque was looked after by Sikhs after the Muslims in the area migrated to Pakistan during partition of the India sub-continent in 1947." He added that "the performance of Muslim religious prayers in the mosque after 55 years would be recorded in history as an event when Sikhs showed so much magnanimity towards Muslims."

Speaking for The Sikh Coalition, Jasmit Singh said, "This act is not magnanimous, but a natural consequence of Sikh ecumenism. The Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, embraces and preserves spiritual verses of
mystics, irrespective of their caste or creed. The Sikh masters who compiled the Guru Granth Sahib included the writings of Muslims, Dalits and other sages. A world torn apart by religious strife today should consider
exploring such genuine ecumenism."

Singh added, "This ecumenical act in Punjab could have particular value for India that has not been able reconcile its rhetoric of "secularism" and "democracy" with its practice. In 1992 Hindu mobs with the collusion of the Indian state tore down a similar 500-year-old mosque in Ayodhya. In 1984 the Indian army attacked and destroyed several Sikh gurdwaras. In contrast the Sikhs restored a mosque and returned it to their Muslims brethren."

teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur

One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying. Beyond Birth. Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace:

Fifth Mehl, Second House:

Then, I repeated the Name of the Lord, Har, Har,
and I obtained celestial peace. ||1||Pause||



False is the love of the many emotional attachments,


which suck the mortal into the whirlpool of reincarnation. ||2||



All are travellers,


who have gathered under the world-tree,


and are bound by their many bonds. ||3||


Eternal is the Company of the Holy,


where the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises are sung.


Nanak seeks this Sanctuary. ||4||1||




One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:


Raag Bihaagraa, Ninth Mehl:





No one knows the state of the Lord.


The Yogis, the celibates, the penitents, and all sorts of clever people have failed. ||1||Pause||

In an instant, He changes the beggar into a king, and the king into a beggar.


He fills what is empty, and empties what is full - such are His ways. ||1||


He Himself spread out the expanse of His Maya, and He Himself beholds it.


He assumes so many forms, and plays so many games, and yet, He remains detached from it all. ||2||

Incalculable, infinite, incomprehensible and immaculate is He, who has misled the entire world.


Cast off all your doubts; prays Nanak, O mortal, focus your consciousness on His Feet. ||3||1||2||


Raag Bihaagraa, Chhant, Fourth Mehl, First House:


One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:


Meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, O my soul; as Gurmukh, meditate on the invaluable Name of the Lord.

My mind is pierced through by the sublime essence of the Lord's Name. The Lord is dear to my mind. With the sublime essence of the Lord's Name, my mind is washed clean.

your claim was that praga was behind guruship thats a fake claim. please read upon the following links on who baba buddha ji..

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

http://www.singhsabha.com/baba_budha_ji.html

http://www.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/register.nsf/c30b7ff6c365f7db87256431006abaf2/47aafbaed24e4893872566410080ae26!OpenDocument

I would first like to give shout out to the late Brahmin greats Subhash Chander Bose and Chandershekar Azad.

I dont care if his name was Bhai Praga or Bhai Praga Singh. It does not matter at all to me. Read the following.

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/martyrs/satidass.html

http://www.maltongurdwara.com/historical%20personalities/bhai_sati_dass_&_bhai_mati_dass.htm

PS: I did not call Guru Tegh Bahadur as a murderous Bandit but the Persian records indicate just that. Why? Are you getting mad? What about those Dalistan.net articles that were put up by that low caste shudra? It can work both ways.

hey what about when chanakya insults sikh religion and its people? why dont you censure him? what have you done to stop his crap aimed at us?

there was no singh until 1699 when the khalsa was initiated so how can it be possible for a praga singh to be on the scene of the first gurus when guru gobind singh himself was called gobind rai prior to the khalsa?

chankya
you are the enemy of the sikhs and then why are you writing these stories. is your isolation bothering u so much or is it your revenge bothering u. you have to be a brave and take action against sikhs.or it will kill you alive till you die

Bhai praga singh? or baba buddha ji?

Baba Buddha ji appointed to pass guruship of the ten sikh prophets (1506 - 1631)


Baba Buddha ji was a most venerated primal figure of early Sikhism, was born on 6 October 1506 at the village of Katthu Nangal, 18 km northeast of Amritsar. Bura, as he was originally named, was the only son of landowner Bhai Suggha, of Randhava clan, and Mai Gauran, born into a Sandhu family. As a small boy, he was one day grazing cattle outside the village when Guru Nanak happened to pass by. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, Bura went up to him and, making obeisance with a bowl of milk as his offering, prayed to him in this manner: "O sustainer of the poor! I am fortunate to have had a sight of you today. Absolve me now from the circuit of birth and death." The Guru said, You are only a child yet. But you talk so wisely." "some soldiers set up camp by our village," replied Bura, "and they mowed down all our crops - ripe as well as unripe. Then it occurred to me that, when no one could check these indiscriminating soldiers, who would restrain Death from laying his hand upon us, young or old." At this Guru Nanak pronounced the words: "You are not a child; you possess the wisdom of an old man." From that day, Bura, came to be known as Bhai Buddha, buddha in Punjabi meaning an old man, and later, when advanced in years, as Baba Buddha.
Bhai Buddha became a devoted disciple. His marriage at the age of seventeen at Achal, 6 km south of Batala, did not distract him from his chosen path and he spent more time at Kartarpur where Guru Nanak had taken up his abode than at Katthu Nangal. Such was the eminence he had attained in Sikh piety that, at the time of installation of Bhai Lahina as Guru Angad, i.e. Nanak II, Guru Nanak appointed Bhai Buddha to pass guruship to Bhai Lahina . Bhai Buddha lived up to a ripe old age and had the unique honor of anointing of the 6 following Gurus. He continued to serve the Gurus with complete dedication and remained an example of holy living for the growing body of disciples. He devoted himself zealously to tasks such as the digging of the baoli at Goindval under the instruction of Guru Amar Das and the excavation of the sacred tank at Amritsar under Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan. The ben tree under which he used to sit supervising the excavation of the Amritsar pool still stands in the precincts of the Golden Temple. He subsequently retired to a bir or forest, where he tended the livestock of the Guru ka Langar. What is left of that forest is still known, after him, as Bir Baba Buddha Sahib.

Guru Arjan placed his young son, Hargobind, under Bhai Buddha's instruction and training. When the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) was installed in the Harimandar on 16 August 1604, Bhai Buddha was appointed granthi by Guru Arjan. He thus became the first high priest of the sacred shrine, now known as the Golden Temple. Following the martyrdom of Guru Arjan on 30 May 1606, Guru Hargobind raised opposite the Harimandar a platform called the Akal Takht, the Timeless Throne or the Throne of the Timeless, the construction of which was entrusted to Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas, no third person being allowed to take part in it. On this Takht Bhai Buddha performed, on 24 June 1606, the investiture ceremony at which Guru Hargobind put on two swords, one on each side, symbolizing miri and piri, sovereignty and spiritual eminence, respectively.
Baba Buddha passed his last days in meditation at Jhanda Ramdas, or simply called Ramdas, a village founded by his son, Bhai Bhana, where the family had since shifted from its native Katthu Nangal. As the end came, on 16 November 1631, Guru Hargobind was at his bedside. The Guru, as says the Gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi, gave his shoulder to the bier and performed the last rites. Bhai Gurdas, further to quote the Gurbilas, started a reading of the Adi Cranth in memory of the deceased. The obsequies concluded with Bhai Gurdas completing the recital and Guru Hargobind presenting a turban to Bhai Buddha's son, Bhana. Two shrines stand in Ramdas commemorating Baba Buddha, Gurdwara Tap Asthan Baba Buddha Ji, where the family lived on the southern edge of the village, and Gurdwara Samadhan, where he was cremated.

singh suffix was non existant in the sikh community until 1699 so where did praga singh come from?

Baba Buddha Ji ( NOT PRAGA SINGH )
Baba Buddha is a unique personage in Sikhism. He was a contemporary of the first six Sikh Gurus and had personally performed the anointment ceremony for Gurus from second to sixth.
Baba Buddha was born in 1506 AD in village Kathu Nangal (District Amritsar). He met Guru Nanak for the first time in 1518 AD when the Guru had visited his village. He impressed the Guru as having an old head on young shoulders and won the appellate of "Buddha" (old). In 1604 AD Baba Buddha became the first Granthi (priest of the Golden Temple and in that capacity completed the first path (perusal) of the Adi Granth.

. He passed away in 1631 AD at village Ramdas (District Amritsar). Guru Hargobind performed the last rites. Two shrines stand at Ramdas in memory of Baba Buddha; Gurdwara Tap Asthan, which was the residence for the family and Gurdwara Samadhan where he was cremated. So much respected was Baba Buddha among the Sikh masses that after the execution of Guru Arjan and when Guru Hargobind was in the prison in Gawalior, the affairs of the community were left, among others, in the hands of Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas.
Earlier he had played an important role in the development of Sikh institutions. He had devoted himself zealously to tasks such as the digging of the baoli at Goindwal under the instructions of Guru Amardas and the excavation of the sacred tank at Amritsar under Guru Ramdas and Guru Arjan. When Guru Hargobind raised the Akal Takhat, the first platform was built by Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas after the corner stone had been laid by the' Guru and no third person was involved.

Guru Tegh Bahadur the mountain of a man you brahmin hindus today calla "murderous bandit" who gave up his life for the freedom of your faith.

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

You are all-powerful, at all times; You show me the Way; I am a sacrifice, a sacrifice to You.

Your Saints sing to You with love; I fall at their feet.

O Praiseworthy Lord, Enjoyer of celestial peace, Embodiment of mercy, One Infinite Lord, Your place is so beautiful.

Riches, supernatural spiritual powers and wealth are in the palm of Your hand. O Lord, Life of the World, Master of all, infinite is Your Name.

Show Kindness, Mercy and Compassion to Nanak; hearing Your Praises, I live.

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

vibrate forever the Name of the Lord, and all your affairs shall be adjusted.

All things are mere diversions of life:

mother, father, siblings, children, relatives and the wife of your home.

When the soul is separated from the body, then they will cry out, calling you a ghost.

No one will let you stay, for even half an hour; they drive you out of the house.

The created world is like an illusion, a mirage - see this, and reflect upon it in your mind.

vibrate forever the Name of the Lord, which shall deliver you.



Ninth Mehl:

In this world, I have seen love to be false.

Whether they are spouses or friends, all are concerned only with their own happiness.

All say, ""Mine, mine"", and attach their consciousness to you with love.

But at the very last moment, none shall go along with you. How strange are the ways of the world!

The foolish mind has not yet reformed itself, although I have grown weary of continually instructing it.

one crosses over the terrifying world-ocean, singing the Songs of God.


Sir

You are insulting by putting these names as aliases which is unacceptable.

If you are educated and normal please post with a one word name or anonymous but dont post as
guru tegh bahadur ji or BABA BUDDHA JI OR PRAGA SINGH?

You are quoting here - remember.
punjabi network

Bhai Praga Singh


After the death of Guru Nanak, Baba Praga became the power behind the throne during the period of the next five Gurus: Angad, AmarDass, Ram Dass, Arjun Dev andHar Govind. He was the Raj Guru for their instalation ceremonies. He helped Guru Arjun Dev

In the composition of of the Adi Granth. In the year 1638, at the age of 131 , he was called by Guru Har Govind to fight against Shah Jahan. Although crippled with age, he responded to the call and fought with Paindey Khan , the Governeor of Lahore. Paindey Khan along with a large number of soldiers were slain in the battle. Baba Praga himself was greiviously wounded while fighting near Kartarpur and died on return to Karyala. He was truly the ‘Bhishma’ of the Mohyal community. His Mausoleum stands on the outskirts of Karyala and another memorial was raised in Kabul at the site of the ‘Char Bagh’. His memory has been honoured by naming the cross section beyond Sarai Guru Ramdas on the periphery of the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar as Chowk Pragdass.

After the expiry of Baba Praga his son Durga Dass was annointed as the new Diwan of Guru Har Govind and he continued to hold that office upto the time of Guru Har Rai the seventh Guru. On his death , his son Lakhi Dass was annointed to the same post but he died soon afterwards and Bhai Durgamal held that position till he reign of Guru Har Kishan.

Guru Teg Bahadur founded the new township of Anantpur in Bilaspur state on the bank of the river Sutlej in 1665. Bhai Mati Dass (son of Bhai Durga Mal) carried on the administration from there on behalf of the Guru. He also acted as the chief priest of the Vaishnav Foundation at Karyala whose missionaries worked all over Punjab, NWFP, Afghanistan and Iran.

Under the despotic rule of Aurangzeb, the Hindus were subjected to insufferable indignities : they were forced to pay a discriminatory tax (Jazia), their temples were demolished with impunity and mosques built in their place, their sacred threads were snatched from their body and burnt and masses of people were forced to convert to Islam. After witnessing these scenes, Guru Teg Bahadur went on a visit to Bihar , Bengal and Assam with a very heavy heart. It was during these travels that Guru Govind Singh was born at Patna on 26th December 1666. The Guru was still at Patna when he received a distress call from Bhai Mati Dass in Anantpur about the deteriorating condition in the North, particularly in Kashmir , where the Hidus were groaning under the attrocities perpetuated by its Governer, Iftikhar Khan. The Guru rushed to Anantpur and from there proceeded to Kiratpur to console his people and inspire courage in them. On his return journey in June 1675 accompanied by Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Sati Dass, Bhai Dayala, Bhai Gur Ditta and a retinue of about 500 followers, he camped at Ropar before going to Agra. While in Agra Guru Teg Bahadur along with his devotees was captured and escorted to Delhi under the survelience of 1200 mounted soldiers to face trial for sedition against the King. At Agra Guru Teg Bahadur parted with his precious ring and shawl to get some sweets for his hungry followers. It is believed that the confectioner from whose these sweets were purchased reported to the police who were in search of the Guru. This led to his arrest.

At Delhi, in a moch trial, the Qazi offered them 2 options viz. to embrace Islam or to pay with their lives. In response, they unanimously agreed to die rather than barter away the faith of their forefathers.

3 saintly men were tortured to death in most savage manner on 3 consecutive days. Bhai Mati Dass was bolted between 2 planks of wood and bifurcated into 2 from top to trunk with a saw by a commander Altaf Khan on 9th November 1675. It is stated that when the execution began, Bhai Mati Dass started reciting the Sukhmani Sahib and the voice continued to come from the 2 parts of his body till the prayer was completed.

Bhai Dayala was scalded to death in a cauldron of boiling water on 10th November 1675.

Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded in cold blood under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and well near-by where he took bath are still preserved), opposite to Sunheri Masjid near the Kotwali in Chandni Chowk where he was lodged as a prisoner on 11th November 1675.

His head was carried by Bhai Jeeta to Guru Govind Singh at Anantpur while the body was retrieved by Lakhi Shah who carried it in a cart of hay and cremated it by burning his hut. At this spot the Gurdwara Rikab Ganj stands today. Later on Gurdwara Sis Ganj was built at Chandi Chowk at the site of Guru’s martyrdom.

In recognition of the devotion and supreme sacrifice made by Mati Dass, Guru Tegh Bahadur bestowed the title of Bhai on him. In course of time all Chhibbers belonging to the village of Karyala adopted this title.

Even after the death of Bhai Mati Das his descendants carried on the fight against the tyrannical Muslim rulers. Bhai Sahib Singh (nephew of Bhai Mati Dass), was picked up Guru Govind Singh to be his Dewan. He fought a tumultous war with Hatai Khan and killed a large number of his soldiers. Ultimately, he fell to the blows of his enemy near Beas and was cremated on the bank of the river by Guru Govind Singh. Impressed by the bravery of Bhai Sahib Singh, Guru Govind Singh sent a reward of one horse and Rs.500 to his son, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, in 1704. He also sent a letter of eulogy, dated 12 Bhadon Samat1761, signed in his own hand and written with the tip of his sword This citation is preserved by his progenies as a priceless souvenir. Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was appointed as the next Dewan.

When Guru Govind Singh proceeded to the Deccan Gurbaksh Singh retired to Amritsar.At the time of the invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali, his bandits made an onslought on the Golden Temple and let loose an orgy of loot and mayhem. The Sikhs were hounded out killed on the streets and a reward of Rs.10 yo Rs. 15 per head was offeredfor their slaughter. In the street battles the aged Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was done to death.


Bhai Praga Singh

Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass both brothers were sons of Bhai Hira Nand. Their ancestor, Gautam Dass was a resident of village Kariala in Jehlum district. He was initiated into Sikh faith by Guru Arjan Dev. Pleased at his services, the Guru had bestowed on him the title of 'Bhai' (brother) which continues in their family to this day.

Their grandfather, Bhai Praga, had been given command of a 'Jatha' (unit) by Guru Hargobind in the first battle with the Mughals in 1628 A.D. He died of deep wounds sustained in that battle. After that, Bhai Hira Nand presented himself in the service of Guru Har Rai. Before his death in 1657 A.D., he left Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass, elder of his four sons, to serve the Guru's institution. In accordance with the command of their father, they started serving the Guru's institution with heart and soul.

Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass accompanied Guru Har Krishan when he went to Delhi on invitation from Aurangzeb. After the merger of the Guru into the Supreme Being on the 30th March, 1664 A.D., both the brothers went to village Bakala. On the manifestation of Guru Tegh Bahadur, both the brothers presented themselves in his service. When Vhir Mall could not become the Guru, he made a fruitless attempt to shoot the Guru in collaboration with Shihan Masand and his gang. After that he had taken away valuable items from the Guru's institution to his camp. At that time both the brothers gave all the help to Makhan Shah to present Dhir Mall and Shthan Masand in bondage before the Guru.

One day, Durga Mall, the Diwan (chief minister) of Guru's institution requested the Guru, "Respected Guru ! My body, soul and worldly wealth are all at your service but it is becoming difficult for me to carry out the duty of Diwan due to old age. These two nephews are in your service who are trustworthy and faithful sons. If you deem fit, bestow the elder Mati Dass, the honour to serve as Diwan and the younger Sati Dass as Wazir (public affair minister)." Accepting the request of Diwan Durga Mall, the Guru entrusted the service of Diwan to Bhai Mati Dass and Wazir to Bhai Sati Dass.



In order to bring the whole of India under one faith, Aurangzeb ordered in 1674 A.D., to convert Hindus to Islam by force from the Kashmir side. Before bowing their heads before the sword of Sher Afgan Khan, the Governor of Kashmir, the prominent Brahmins of Kashmir led by Pandit Kirpa Ram appeared before the Guru at Anandpur on the 25th May, 1675 A.D., and explained about their helplessness. The Guru knew that weak and terrified people do not become brave by listening to episodes of bravery. Fearless and great leadership is needed to make them fearless. So the Guru said to them, "Go and tell the Governor that Guru Tegh Bahadur is our leader. If you convert him to Islam, we shall become Muslims of our own accord." On getting this message, Aurangzeb ordered the arrest of the Guru. For courting arrest, the Guru started towards Agra from Anandpur on the 11th July, 1675 A.D. At Agra, when the soldiers came to arrest the Guru, both the brothers came forward to offer themselves for arrest flrst.

On receipt of the second order from Aurangzeb, the Guru was asked to embrace Islam. The Guru refused. In order to intimidate the Guru, the qazis (Islamic magistrates) made a plan to torture to death, the Sikhs arrested with the Guru before his eyes. They thought that the Guru would embrace Islam out of fear on seeing the Sikhs murdered. The qazis decreed to cut Bhai Mati Dass with a saw first of all.

Hearing the order of the qazis, Bhai Mati Dass prayed to the Guru, "O True King ! bless me so that I may do my duty by sacfiflcing myself for the glory of the faith." After the Guru had blessed him, the qazis asked Bhai Mati Dass, "Brother, embrace Islam and enjoy the pleasures provided by the goveInment. Moreover when you die as a Muslim, you will go to heaven where there will be streams of milk, many kinds of wine to drink and beautiful women to enjoy. If you do not embrace Islam, your body will be sawn into two." Bhai Mati Dass replied, "I can sacrifice hundreds of such heavens for my faith. I don't need women nor wine. I see all the happiness in the path of my faith." After his refusal, the qazis asked him his last wish, to which he replied, 'When I am being cut with the saw, let my face be towards my mentor so that I may behold my Guru till my last breath and he may keep on seeing me so that he may be convinced how happily I reach my last destination." By the order of the qazis, the executioners sawed Bhai Mati Dass in two on the 8th November, 1675 A.D., in Chandani Chowk, Delhi.

On the 10th November, 1675 A.D., the qazis ordered Bhai Sati Dass to be wrapped in cotton and burnt. Before being wrapped in cotton, the qazis asked Bhai Sati Dass, "Save your life by embracing Islam and live in pleasure." Bhai Sati Dass replied, 'You cannot understand that my pleasure and happiness lie only in obeying the command of my Guru. It does not lie in saving this life which must end one day." At this reply, the executioners wrapped Bhai Sati Dass in cotton, poured oil over it and set fire to it. Bhai Sati Dass remained calm while burning till his last breath and remained true to his resolve.
Salute to Great Sikh Martyrs Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass