everyday sikhee

Spiritual / Temporal spring clean

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:10:00 +0000

_/\_ Spiritual / Temporal spring clean:New Year's decision=WIll only b usin Twitter.No more blog, facebook or facebook fanpage updates, reading of messages, comments, inbox etc... This will be last message on all these webpages. If u still want2 contact or communicate with this insignificant person do this: 1. Join twitter 2. Download and install a decktop client like tweetdeck (you'll thank me-Twitter is useless without a client) 3. Follow AtmaSingh http://twitter.com/AtmaSingh (if u need to be shown the 'Twitter-Ropes' I'll help u with that via Twitter). Why this change for me? i want to decrease time spent communicating with others via internet yet don't want to minimise the meaningful, qualitative, truly useful things it can sometimes afford. Need to contact me re: photography? Pls please visit site: http://www.AtmaImages.com and message me that way - or via twitter! Peace, Love and above all, Vaheguroo

5 Sponges

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:31:00 +0000

A Gursikh sent the below to me - it's really beautiful so thought I'd share it.

( ( ( :-)>>>

>>>

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖ਼ਾਲਸਾਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫ਼ਤਹਿ

There are five sponges laying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking...they all look the same....so what do you do?

You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner - that one was used to clean the bathroom. Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil -- hubby was cleaning the garage! In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed -- yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one! And finally, in the last one, is floor wax -- that was the one you used on the hall floor! As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity - and they all look the same until they're squeezed.

We are the same way. As life squeezes us, different things come out - anger from one, greed from another, attachment from one, lust from yet another, pride from one - and finally, from the Gurmukh, pours forth the love of Waheguru.

Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in - stay in the Word of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you (and it will), Vaheguru, and Vaheguru alone, will shine forth from you!

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖ਼ਾਲਸਾਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫ਼ਤਹਿ

A New Direction

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Life: Busy.

Time: Limited.

Solution: The blog will take a different direction.

Detail: Every now and then, I will feature a Sikhee-inspired poem or photograph and occasionally, a Sikhee-inspired film. I have to be realistic and realise that I'm trying to stretch myself too much - so I need to capitalise upon what I am involved in already and get more things out of it, more material and ultimately, more that I can share with the Sangat. This will be the way I do it...

everyday sikhee - through the artistic expression of words as well as still and moving images.

The design of this blog may change to accommodate this new direction but that won't happen for a while because...you've guessed it...limited time lol

See: This Photograph and feel free to comment.

Poems from the Past

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Posting this link so you can have a look at these. I must warn some are quite graphic in terms of the imagery they conjure-up so they are not ideal for young kids.

Ps - In the middle of starting-up Photography / Film-making business AtmaImages so time is so limited. If it is in His Hukam, will post properly soon.

A Matter of Course

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:56:00 +0000

The Sikh Course is an excellent training-course which is being offered by The Foundation for Sikh Thought. It's been designed and is delivered by some very passionate and professional individuals. It's absolutely free and open to anyone - so knowledge or experience, as well as preconceptions ;-) are absolutely irrelevant.

You may ask: What is the point of trying to express Sikhee through a training course? That's not a bad question. The answer is: Because relying upon others' opinions and experiences can sometimes NOT give you the kind of personal insight that Sikhee truly requires, in order to be experienced. It's all about personal perspective.

I went along quite recently - it's held at different locations all over the UK - and found it very refreshing and well put-together. It's a full day course so requires your commitment but the rewards are great. Most importantly, it focuses very much so on the concept of Naam which sadly most non-Sikhs, not to mention Sikhs, hardly ever get to find out about. Without Naam, Sikhee is pretty much just a shell.

Do check-out the web-links above - they'll be courses coming-up very soon in Gravesend, Hayes, Manchester and Milton Keyes.

Ps - You can follow The Sikh Course via Facebook.

Priceless Jewels

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0000

ਕੋਟਿਤੀਰਥਮਜਨਇਸਨਾਨਾਇਸੁਕਲਿਮਹਿਮੈਲੁਭਰੀਜੈ॥
kott theerathh majan eisanaanaa eis kal mehi mail bhareejai
Millions of cleansing baths at sacred shrines of pilgrimage only fill the mortal with filth in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga.

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿਜੋਹਰਿਗੁਣਗਾਵੈਸੋਨਿਰਮਲੁਕਰਿਲੀਜੈ॥੨॥
saadhhasa(n)g jo har gun gaavai so niramal kar leejai 2
One who sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, becomes spotlessly pure. 2

Ang/Limb 747 (full shabad)

Reading today's Hukamnama (The Satguroo's Daily Command), the above Dupanktee (couplet) stood-out. Most of the time, for most of us, religion and spirituality take the form of an intellectual voyage. Knowledge leads to the idea, the intimation, that our final destination is a state of mind produced by our mind...the idea that our mind is the physician that will cure it's own disease.

We're locked into this idea that spirituality is a balance-sheet where we are rewarded for every 'religious action'. Our Chaturaee (cleverness) only drags us deeper into the pit of slef-centeredness.

Here's a simple test: Ask yourself - are you truly altruistic? If a person swears at you after you show them an act of kindness, and it makes you feel as though you shouldn't have done them a good turn, is this truly altruism?

Worse-still many so-called religious people use their 'God-given knowledge' to brutalise others. To tell them how they are non-believers, infidels, sinners and devils. They think they are now 'God's-chosen' and blessed with divine knowledge. In fact they have become the opposite. Haumai (Ego), the great subduer, fuels their thoughts, words and actions. Their beliefs have become weapons which they use to inflict pain upon others.

ਇਕੁਫਿਕਾਨਗਾਲਾਇਸਭਨਾਮੈਸਚਾਧਣੀ ॥
eik fikaa n gaalaae sabhanaa mai sachaa dhhanee
Do not utter even a single harsh word; your True Lord and Master abides in all.

ਹਿਆਉਨਕੈਹੀਠਾਹਿਮਾਣਕਸਭਅਮੋਲਵੇ ॥129॥
hiaao n kaihee t(h)aahi maanak sabh amolavae 129
Do not break anyone's heart; these are all priceless jewels. 129

Ang/Limb 1384 (full shabad)

So when you next meet a 'spiritual person', apply the above test. Are their words fashioned to hurt the hearts of others or are their words soothing; the words of someone for whom warming others' souls is an act of worship. Meeting and spending time with such people, we slowly become like them. These Gurmukhs (Satguroo-centred spiritualists) are the only hope for us in such a world, where to become religious is merely an act of distinguishing oneself from others...when really, we should be trying to become the dust off the feet of all.

That thing you left behind

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Finding time to blog is proving very difficult with my current lifestyle. From now-on I'll micro-blog - short and sweet. It's a challenge trying to convey in less words what may perhaps need more. I'll give it a whirl. Besides, it's the only way I'll be able to continue blogging. Excuses done!

I'm currently away from home, at my in-laws home in the Midlands. There's a funeral about to take place tomorrow morning because my wife's Tayaa (her father's elder brother) passed away recently. Long story - non-relevant.

I was shown his possessions earlier by someone and when I remarked, off the cuff, that they're just possessions and have no connection to the man that was, I was told I can be really un-feeling sometimes. I guess it just slipped-out and I should have been more sensitive. Sometimes though, when you say words that you haven't analysed, those words that leave your tongue un-refined, there's a truth about how you describe things...a sure perspective.

It got me thinking on a related tangent. I have possessions. My Canon Digital SLR camera is probably my favourite because it's the only tool I have apart from the written word that allows me to express myself to others. This thing doesn't reveal anything of me though; it's just a tool. But when I pass away I guess my loved ones might attach some special significance to it because my being was projected through the things I did, the things I loved. And I loved taking pictures. I better stop talking in the past tense otherwise it will seem like I've died already!

Possessions, as we all know, are just temporary and we should never be attached to them. You don't need me to tell you that, but here's an interesting experiment. I want you to comment below by answering the following questions:

1. When you die, as you so obviously will (!), which one possession do you think people will most associate you with and why?

2. What do you think this possession says about you, from the perspective of your loved-ones?

3. What doesn't it say about you, from your perspective?

Boring, Boring!

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:07:00 +0000

It's boring being racist. Just imagine not wanting to interact with whole sections of society because you don't like the amount of melanin in their skin; because they don't look, dress, speak, think or eat like you. Borrrrrrrring! In my short and limited life, meeting people of different backgrounds has led to so many valuable things. Insights, thoughts and ideas seep from one human to another. To be racist is to close yourself off, to ignore a world of wonder, in exchange for a blinkered tunnel. Sadly, whilst the rest of us smile and soak ourselves in all the wonderful diversity out there, there's a section of society which does the opposite.

In Britian we have the BNP - The British National Party. They're a bit embarrasing really; like a relative you never want anyone to find out about; you know, because they smell or pick their bogies in front of everyone. One of their policies is to offer voluntary repatriation to all non-Whites. It's excellent fun trying to work out who they would want to kick-out or keep in. David Beckham is an all British poster-boy, admired around the world for his footballing prowess. But would the BNP let him remain in Britian, given he has a Jewish grandparent? You see, that's the problem. What's their definition of white? Are they going to trace-back people's ancestors and verify all those birth certificates?! Their policies aren‘t just prejudiced; they‘re flawed logically. They’re currently trying to get one of their MEP’s into the European Parliament.

It's almost guaranteed that support for the BNP will increase during the credit-crunch. Labour supporters are discussing this issue here. It's worth remembering that there's one major reason as to why Hitler managed to galvanise so much power and influence so quickly. Germany was going through one hell of a recession. You see, for some people it's nice being told that 'those lot are nicking all your jobs and homes while you get nothing'. Ahhhh...the old 'it's someone else's fault' syndrome. Works a treat if you're the kind that likes to look at what others have, instead of pulling up your sleeves and getting on with it.

A little while back I had to buy some Samosae and Sholae (triangle, fatty and fried fings with spicy, curried chick-peas) from a local sweet-shop. We had guests so thought we'd buy-in the catering. While waiting to be served, I chin-wagged with the owner about a pair of white guys who had bought £50 of all things asian and tasty. He told me: "They love the stuff more than we do". And why not? This is just one small benefit of a multi-cultural society - our taste-buds get to go on interesting adventures. I'm a very simple eater but even I end-up cooking things or combining ingredients which hail from all corners of the planet. If only people got on as well as ingredients do in the cooking-pot!

The sweet-shop owner's words got me thinking though: if the BNP did get rid of all us 'Pakis', who would cook their curries - you know, the ones that some of them like to savour whilst swigging their lager...which would have probably been brewed in India or Africa.

For the last few years, I've realised that we should feel sorry for racist people. It’s actually a bit like a mental-illness of sorts, being racist - it's de-habilitating, affects every aspect of a sufferer's life and places limits upon their potential. I mean, do racist people even think about how incoherent their beliefs actually are...

"Do you think it's right that the black puppy should kiss the blonde ferret? Answers on a postcard to: Aren't racists funny, Small-minds-ville, PO Box...." Photo-credit: Foxtongue

On a related note, it's sad what Prince Harry (another one of those British relatives I mentioned earlier) said recently. He’s obviously no BNP member; more a case of someone who put his foot in his mouth I think, but the thing is that his words have been broadcasted all over the world and therefore Britain is yet again portrayed as a place where racist attitudes are present even amongst the most popular and well-known inhabitants. I suppose having Prince Phillip as your grandpa probably doesn’t help much!

Needless to say, The Satguroo has summed-up the totality of race, of colour, of melanin so adequately as to render it completely irrelevant. For a Sikh to even contemplate being racist, prejudiced or to even stereo-type others, is so absolutely contradictory to The Satguroo's Teachings as to be hilarious - in an un-funny way of course! So let's finish with the very straight-forward words of The 10th Mehl (Satguroo's Form), Guroo Gobind Singh Jee:

ਦੇਹਰਾਮਸੀਤਸੋਈਪੂਜਾਔਨਿਵਾਜਓਈਮਾਨਸਸਬੈਏਕਪੈਅਨੇਕਕੋਭਰਮਾਉਹੈ॥
dhaeharaa maseeth soee poojaa a nivaaj ouee maanas sabai eaek pai anaek ko bharamaao hai
The Temple and the Mosque are the same; there is no difference between them. Neither is there any dissimilarity between pooja [Hindu worship] and the namaaz [Muslim daily prayers]. The whole human race is the self-same but due to illusion, they appear different.
Siree Dasam Granth Sahib, Panna (Page) 47 - read the whole shabad

Poem - Mool Mantar

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Granthee © Atma Singh 2008

Mool Mantar

You are the Essence
You are the Form
You are the Source
Forever
Unborn

You are the weft
You are the warp
Oh’ Ever-New…
Siree Ik Onkaar

…

You are the Truth,
You are the Proof
You are the Known
Forever
Aloof

You are the tears
You are the calm
Oh’ My Beloved…
Siree Sat Naam

…

You are the Doer
You are the Done
You are the Many
Forever
One

You are the reader
You are the book
Oh’ Beautiful Beholder…
Siree Kartaa Purakh

…

You are Friend
You are Enemy
You are the Hand
Forever
Mercy

You are the Lover
You are the Loved
Oh’ Perfect Poise…
Siree Nirbhau , Nirvair

…

You are the Death
You are the Life
You are the Form
Forever
Alike

You are the Constant
You are the Stable
Oh’ Wondrous Wonder…
Siree Akaal Moorat

…

You are Alpha
You are Omega
You are the Treasured
Forever
Un-measured

You are the Trader
You are the Traded
Oh’ Perfect Perfection…
Siree Ajoonee Saibhang

…

You are the Light
You are the Sound
You are the Now
To Whom
I
Forever
Bow

You are the Aad…
You are Jugaad…
Oh’ Perfect Grace…
Siree Gurparsaad

You are the Essence
You are the Form
You are the Source
Forever
Unborn

To Be or Not To Be

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Even praising Vaheguroo,
I-am-ness can challenge us
© Atma Singh 2008

So much of the religious and spiritual solutions we come across today are based upon the concept that good actions equal spiritual achievement. The thing is that doing good deeds and speaking sweet words, we often tell ourselves how good we are. We tell others of our Gunn (virtues) or try to display them indirectly. It doesn't even have to be consciously either because our subtle ego, that most insidious aspect of Hou(n)mai (I-am-ness), constantly makes us pat ourselves upon our own backs.

ਸਭਿਗੁਣਤੇਰੇਮੈਨਾਹੀਕੋਇ ॥
sabh gun thaerae mai naahee koe
All virtues are Yours, I have none at all.

ਵਿਣੁਗੁਣਕੀਤੇਭਗਤਿਨਹੋਇ ॥
vin gunn keethae bhagath n hoe
Without virtue, there is no loving meditation.
Ang (Page) 4

In particular, when we do Bhagtee (loving-meditation upon Vaheguroo), Hou(n)mai attacks us viciously whether or not we realise it. The Satguroo tells us that we have no Gunn…and yet we are then told that without Gunn, Bhagtee is impossible. How can this riddle be solved?

ਮੋਹਿਨਿਰਗੁਨਤੁਮਪੂਰਨਦਾਤੇਦੀਨਾਨਾਥਦਇਆਲ ॥੧॥
mohi nir-gunn thum pooran dhaathae dheenaa naath dhaeiaal 1
I am unworthy; You are the Perfect Giver. You are the Merciful Master of the meek. 1
Ang 980

We are Nir-gunn (completely without virtues), so we need to be given these virtues; they are not our possessions. By constantly reminding ourselves that we are Nir-gunn, we begin to disarm our mind which loves nothing better than to dwell upon it's 'own virtues'. When this begins to happen, the door to Vaheguroo's Grace is opened and we begin to receive blessings; the gifts of Gunn from the Perfect Giver.

Those who are truly humble are like the empty cup. They are ready to be filled by The Master of the meek. Manmukhs (those who follow their mind) are filled with self-regard. They are overflowing with the wine of self-intoxication. What can be poured into such a toxic and overflowing cup? They cannot absorb nor contain Gur-parsaad (The Satguroo's Grace). From Rehraas Sahib (evening recitation):

ਹਰਿਧਿਆਵਹੁਸੰਤਹੁਜੀਸਭਿਦੂਖਵਿਸਾਰਣਹਾਰਾ ॥
har dhiaavahu santhahu jee sabh dhookh visaaranehaaraa
Meditate upon The Ever-Blossoming O Spiritual Ones; The Dispeller of all pains.

ਹਰਿਆਪੇਠਾਕੁਰੁਹਰਿਆਪੇਸੇਵਕੁਜੀਕਿਆਨਾਨਕਜੰਤਵਿਚਾਰਾ ॥੧॥
har aapae thaakur har aapae saevak jee kiaa naanak janth vichaaraa 1
The Ever-blossoming is The Master, The Ever-blossoming is The Servant. O Nanak, the poor beings are miserable! 1
Ang 10

The Sants (spiritually-enlightened ones) become free of Dhookh (pains) and Chintaa (anxieties) because they become free from Hou(n)mai. After all, how can you attack that which has no form? To lose your Hou(n)mai is to become unassailable. When the self disappears and all that remains is The Master (Par-aatmaa, The Universal Soul) and The Servant (Aatmaa, The Soul), the drop merges with the ocean and vice-versa. We come to know that there is no other. It was Vaheguroo alone all along.

Whilst other paths such as Buddhist schools of thought stress the importance of Udham (personal/right effort) as the only way to collect the Gunns needed for The Path, The Satguroo stresses Gur-parsaad upon the Path of Brahm-Giyaan (Vaheguroo-consciousness). Only through Gur-parsaad will we be blessed with Gunns such as Udham, Nimrata (selflessness) etc. Any 'virtues' that the mind self-generates through ‘personal/right effort’ cannot be classed as Gur-parsaad. To possess or place faith in any such Gunn would be to embrace Hou(n)mai according to The Satguroo.

When having been given Gunn by Vaheguroo we begin to believe that we had something to do with it, the Gunn are taken away. Like a loving parent, The Satguroo reveals to us our mistake so that we may recover. If we do not heed this lesson, then we are unable to advance spiritually. We are left worshipping our sense of self, devoid of Bhagtee. At the mercy of our sense of separateness we will ultimately be miserable even if we aren't at the moment.

Why is it that the highest-achievers are often secretly unhappy? Why do some of the most intelligent minds become depressed? Why do some of the most popular people feel the most insecure? Something inside them remains unhappy, despite them having developed certain virtues. Essentially they come to know they are un-fulfilled, with or without these virtues, even if they don’t know why.

It’s a scary situation for those who haven't begun The Inner Journey. In a second, the sham will be exposed, when our Aatmaa drops the cloak of this body at the time of mortal death. Our sense of self, constantly cultivated and consolidated through lifetimes of words and actions, will be the 'virtuous best friend' that suddenly reveals itself as our worst enemy. The Truth that was hidden from us instantaneously becomes blinding. We will not have mastered our destiny, through Gur-parsaad.

These three Pankteeaa(n) kept coming to me this morning, when my mind was wandering whilst trying to Jap Naam (loving meditation upon Vaheguroo). I share that which is not mine, in the hope that you will find some meaning of your own.

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh

Sickness & Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:10:00 +0000

A photograph featured within my online portfolio
© Atma Singh 2008

Yes - I've caught a bug. It was only a matter of time. People around me have been falling like flies; it's a buggy time of year you know.

The thing is that I'm not actually that annoyed by it. Well, apart from the fact that I have to listen to my Singhnee (wife) talking to our unborn child, requesting s/he arrive immediately. She's eating tonnes of pineapple and regularly taking warm baths because apparently this speeds-things-up. You really don't want to know the rest.

Anyway, back to my point - why am I not bothered about being sick? Because nowadays it's the only time I get to really indulge my creative-side, which I would never otherwise have the time to indulge. Yes, that old thief time - I've already moaned about it at length here.

With this spare time, the last two days have been mostly spent exploring Flickr and uploading the first few photographs onto my new account. Here it is. Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting lots more on there. It's a way of me sharing my personal work with a wider audience, as well as soon giving potential clients access to portfolios regarding weddings, events and portraits. Anyone who wants a limited edition print can contact me...enough plugging Atma Singh!

I really believe that Sikhs need to express themselves artistically to a much greater extent than they are currently doing so. If I had a rupee for every Sikh who has told me about a creative passion they harbour but never got to explore, I would be a rich man. Well not in England but probably in Punjab, where Rupees are useful. Anyhow, I've spotted a pattern over the last 10 years or so - Sikhs are not making the kind of strides in the creative industries as they are elsewhere. What's the big deal? Well, it all boils down to one thing - exposure.

With very few prominent film-makers, photographers, painters, musicians, writers, graphic designers etc., our very ability to express ourselves is being left by the way-side. We're limited to being a community defined by our 'concerned statements'. We tend to react more than create and direct. Usually, our voice is limited to making statements regarding religious or political issues, in a decidedly non-artistic manner. Is this the sum-total of our being, our ability to communicate and propose?

Sikh Chic is one website which is doing lots to redress this imbalance. Forget whether you like or dislike any of the material - whether you agree or disagree with the editorial or guest-writers; because that's irrelevant. The fact is that this site represents a crucial 'Sikh dialogue', regarding all things artistic and creative. A dialogue which is hardly taking place anywhere else.

Well here's my bit for the creative cause - my Photostream. You can view the captions to the below images there, as well as more of my work. Viva la Sikh Artistic Revolucion!

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh

The Weight of Words

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Bullying isn't always physical...

/ Photo-Credit: Mens Project

Around 3-4 years ago, I walked past a woman near to where my wife and I were lodging at the time. I looked-up at her as we walked past one another, early evening trees crowding the pavement with their shadows. She didn’t see me but I recognised her instantly. 15 years ago, this woman was someone who I bullied at secondary school (high school).

I never used to hit people. The strange thing is that I would often help other pupils who were being bullied. However for some reason I verbally bullied this girl regularly. Me and around five others would call her all sorts of names. We would say she looked like a monster, that she was fat and had a moustache. Lots of other nasty, thought-less things left our little stupid mouths. She would mostly stay quiet. When she did say something or start crying, as she sometimes did, we would simply apply more pressure, making her feel smaller and smaller with our taunts, aiming spears at her wounded self-esteem.

Peer-pressure makes us do such terrible things. For an insecure person, there’s nothing better than making someone else feel even more insecure than yourself amongst a crowd. They become the centre of negative attention - never you. You see, at the heart of a bully is a quivering coward; someone who is either bullied themselves or is unable to take control of their own life. It's a shame I didn't know then what I know now.

As I walked past, I noticed how she seemed sad. Maybe it was her reclusive posture or her soft, almost apologetic steps. I saw her enter a house on the very same road and instantly knew that’s where she must live. Upon arriving home, I spoke to my wife about it. “What do you mean you’re going to visit her and apologise? She might have finally got over it and you’ll bring it all back. Maybe you just want to do it to make yourself feel better. Is it worth causing her even more pain for your own selfish needs?”

She was partly correct – I did want to feel better. I wanted to tell this woman that I was sorry, that the boy who bullied that girl might have come across as someone self-assured but actually, he was just a weak and insecure idiot. But I also wanted this woman to feel better. I wanted her to know that it wasn't her fault - that she had no reason to ever feel that she was in some way inferior because someone like me had said so. To risk hurting her even more just didn’t seem like a risk worth taking so I never did visit her. However without even realising it, she’s made me visit my previous self.

My memories remind me how much pain thoughtless words can cause, how easy it is to oppress someone and make them feel as though they are powerless. Without even trying, she made me realise that every word that leaves my mouth needs to be full of love. I need to make-up for the person I was, for the pain I caused. It’s the least I can do.

Ever-since being inspired by sikhee, I’ve intuitively felt that to walk away while someone else is being bullied is not permissible. There have been several such minor incidents where I’ve stepped-in and defused such situations. For some inexplicable reason, I believe that I would cease to be a sikh if I didn’t do so. Maybe it’s to do with the way The Satguroo, in the The Ninth Form (Guroo Tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee), so gracefully challenged the despotic Mughal Emperor. “If you can force me to discard my beliefs, then they will follow”, were perhaps the words He uttered, as He protected the Hindu Brahmins (priests) from forced-conversion to Islam.

On another level, I think it’s my subconscious mind. The remnants of the pain I caused this woman and probably many others are still there. The Satguroo has perhaps blessed me with a way to indirectly undo what was done. I certainly hope so.

I’ll never really know if I should have visited that woman. One thing’s for sure though – words are such powerful, potent things that we should treat them with the respect and awe we would treat any other kind of dangerous implement; perhaps even more so.

Most physical wounds will heal over time – they often disappear without leaving a scar. But words, they can mould us, change us; twist us up inside. Their effects can leave us feeling things that may never go away. Such is the weight of words, the burden that we carry.

( ( ( :-(>>> Atma Singh

A Bit Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:15:00 +0000

What's the chance this year will start and end

the same way as the last? / Photo Credit: bennylin0724

New Year’s day was a very climatic occasion for me 8 years ago. On this day in 2000, I smoked a massive amount of cannabis. I’d already stopped drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating meat/fish/eggs by this point but cannabis was my favourite and therefore remaining vice. So I thought let’s go out with a bang. With The Satguroo’s Grace, I haven’t looked back since the…erm…big bang.

I’m living proof - a New Year can lead to a New You. There’s a mystical power behind it, a psychological catalyst which gives a unique impetus. We get to judge where we are, where we’re heading and if we like the thought of heading there. That’s the only time it’s actually worth something. Apart from that, with the drugs, nostalgia and noise removed, let’s be honest - it’s just another day. Another day bringing us a bit closer to death.

The Satguroo teaches us to challenge death head-on, and realise that it has no power over us. All those beauty products, which fight wrinkles and tired skin, all those younger fashions and all that make-up which will knock a decade off you; they all point to one thing. We all want to defeat death via its symptoms. We haven’t challenged it head-on.

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh, one of the greatest sikhs of the 20th century,

photographed at the moment of mortal death - smiling.

We see our bodies change, we see death slowly but surely looming closer and closer, so we fight the way it manifests. We fight this fight every day yet we don’t acknowledge what we are truly fighting. The advertising industry blatantly plays-upon this. There’s a lot of money to be made out of such a common fear, such a universal insecurity. In this consumer ego-driven society, we are all too willing to play the game. Our bodies, to which we are so attached, are reduced to a house of death:

ਖਾਵੈਭੋਗੈਸੁਣਿਸੁਣਿਦੇਖੈਪਹਿਰਿਦਿਖਾਵੈਕਾਲਘਰੇ ॥
khaavai bhogai sun sun dhaekhai pehir dhikhaavai kaal gharae
He eats and enjoys, listens and watches, and dresses up to show off in this house of death.

ਬਿਨੁਗੁਰਸਬਦਨਆਪੁਪਛਾਣੈਬਿਨੁਹਰਿਨਾਮਨਕਾਲੁਟਰੇ ॥੫॥
bin gur sabadh n aap pashaanai bin har naam n kaal ttarae 5
Without the Word of the Guru's Shabad, he does not understand himself. Without The Everblossoming’s Name, death cannot be avoided. 5

ਜੇਤਾਮੋਹੁਹਉਮੈਕਰਿਭੂਲੇਮੇਰੀਮੇਰੀਕਰਤੇਛੀਨਿਖਰੇ ॥
jaethaa mohu houmai kar bhoolae maeree maeree karathae sheen kharae
The more attachment and egotism delude and confuse him, the more he cries out, ""Mine, mine!"", and the more he loses out.

ਤਨੁਧਨੁਬਿਨਸੈਸਹਸੈਸਹਸਾਫਿਰਿਪਛੁਤਾਵੈਮੁਖਿਧੂਰਿਪਰੇ ॥੬॥
than dhan binasai sehasai sehasaa fir pashuthaavai mukh dhoor parae 6
His body and wealth pass away, and he is torn by scepticism and cynicism; in the end, he regrets and repents, when the dust falls upon his face. 6

Ang 1014 - read complete shabad (verse)

I had no hope before sikhee. I was the worst kind of loser - a loser who thought he was winning. Who thought temporary pleasures and the temporary contentment they afforded was the point of life. A mind so lost in the search for pleasure that poison seemed sweet, and nectar tasted bitter.

The Satguroo offered me The Pinnacle, Perfect Enlightenment, and on The Path towards this, he has already blessed me with so many gifts. Faith in Him is evidenced, the gamble, the leap, has been justified over and over again. It's not a matter of faith any longer.

It’s a simple equation: You + The Satguroo = sikhee. So discard the experiences you’ve hard-wired amongst those neurones. Of caste and booze, of boys dating and girls not being allowed, of religious rituals and rules, corrupt gurduaraa committees, of wolves wearing sheep’s clothing, domestic violence and preachers angrily preaching. I’ve been there; I know how they stunt the seed of sikhee’s spirituality. But they can never kill it. Because your soul is the seed.

Make this a year for you to reclaim - reclaim the seed you may never have nourished, beg for the moment that will unfold an epiphany. You’re one year closer to death - why not use it to get a bit closer to The Satguroo?

( ( ( :- )>>> Atma Singh

Homosexuality - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:00:00 +0000

A khanda against the gay pride flag; an image used by an

online forum for 'lesbian gay, bisexual and transgendered sikhs'

(This is the second of a two part article - Part 1 can be found here)

Homosexuality is not directly dealt with by The Satguroo anywhere within GurbaaNee. The reason being that The Satguroo deals with the root issue - not the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves or fruit. Always remember that The Satguroo addresses the source, not the implications or extensions of a given issue. This is why The Satguroo does not provide us with a great big list of do’s and don’ts. There is no need to shoot the little space-ships if you cancel-out the mother-ship! Deal with the essence and the rest automatically gets taken care of.

Lust (kaam) is an essential urge which drives the world to hunger for the most fleeting of physical pleasures, no matter how badly this pursuit compromises us. It’s one of the five thieves (panj choor) which constantly rob us of our spiritual equipoise. These are the five overarching tendencies which separate us from merger with Vaheguroo, from Enlightenment: lust (kaam), anger (krodh), greed (lobh), attachment (moh) and ego (ahankaar). Interestingly, lust is often described by gursikhs as the most powerful:

ਹੇਕਾਮੰਨਰਕਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮੰਬਹੁਜੋਨੀਭ੍ਰਮਾਵਣਹ ॥
hae kaama(n) narak bisraama(n) bahu jonee bhramaavaneh
O sexual desire, you lead the mortals to hell; you make them wander in reincarnation through countless species.

ਚਿਤਹਰਣੰਤ੍ਰੈਲੋਕਗੰਮ੍ਹੰਜਪਤਪਸੀਲਬਿਦਾਰਣਹ ॥
chith harana(n) thrai lok ga(n)mya(n) jap thap seel bidhaaraneh
You cheat the consciousness, and pervade the three worlds. You destroy meditation, penance and virtue.

ਅਲਪਸੁਖਅਵਿਤਚੰਚਲਊਚਨੀਚਸਮਾਵਣਹ ॥
alap sukh avith cha(n)chal ooch neech samaavaneh
But you give only shallow pleasure, while you make the mortals weak and unsteady; you pervade the high and the low.
Ang 1358

But what of the vast majority of us, heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals who live our lives as single, boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses? Is lust something which we’ve managed to control and normalise through these relationships, these social constructs? Have we somehow assimilated lust into our lives and thereby controlled it or contained it? Can we lead a spiritual life whilst indulging in it or even just actively thinking about it?

The first thing to note is that lust even impacts upon those who do not partake in it – and most probably, to a greater extent. Remember it’s not just an action – it’s a thought-process. Even if we try to actively suppress it, it festers away, merely pushed out of sight...always using it’s down-time to make itself more and more stronger. Even the celibates and the renunciates who walked away from it found it burning in their hearts, like an ember ready to be reignited at the behest of even the slightest breeze.

The second thing to note is that according to The Satguroo’s Teachings, lust can only be overcome when one has merged with The One who is beyond all desires. In order to help us realise this lofty objective, The Satguroo has promoted grishtee-jeevan (a householder’s lifestyle), which revolves around a married heterosexual couple who have children, work for a living and advance spiritually. This enables Sikhs to slowly begin the process of neutralising lust by focussing it upon only one individual, in a stable, controlled and mature set of circumstances. Bhai Gurdaas Jee describes this philosophy thus:

ਏਕਾ ਨਾਰੀ ਜਤੀ ਹੋਇ ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ ਧੀ ਭੈਣ ਵਖਾਣੈ॥
eaekaa naaree jathee hoe par naaree dhee bhain vakhaanai
Having one women as wife he (the Sikh) is a celibate and considers any other's wife his daughter or a sister.
Panna 6 - Bhai Gurdaas Jee’s Vaaraa(n)

What about having partners outside of marriage? Well they introduce instability, they chop and change and come and go. That’s perfect fodder for lust, which will simply envelop us more, thanks to such unstable circumstances - ever heard of 'rebound relationships' where people just sleep with someone to get over breaking-up with someone else? So as far as sexual relationships go, it's clear that for sikhs they should only exist within a marriage.

There have been some very prominent and very spiritual gursikhs who did not marry e.g. Bhai Gurdaas Jee, Sant Attar Singh Jee, Baba Nand Singh Jee etc. The common factor between them is that they were very committed gursikhs who had been blessed with major responsibilities by The Satguroo, and had decided to focus upon a life of intense spiritual practice and selfless service. They represent the exception, not the rule.

Despite effectively being celibate, Baba Nand Singh is reputed to have said that the fruits of naam simran (meditation upon Vaheguroo) achieved by a celibate person in 11 years are achieved by a married person in one day. I think he was trying to explain that by being married, and still focussing upon Vaheguroo, an individual is rewarded greatly and finds it easier to negotiate the pitfalls that lust throws in front of them. It’s as though they take the more difficult option and still succeed.

As such the married person, if they are blessed, will come to realise that the sexual act between a man and woman is simply to produce children, to procreate, and that the illusion of separateness, of ego, of maya (illusion), previously led them to accept lust as love. A person cannot harmonise with Vaheguroo until they discard all the temporary pleasures of lust, delicious foods, the latest fashions etc. The Satguroo makes clear that until these ‘tastes’, these pleasures, are relinquished, the spiritually-saturated taste of Naam and it’s amazing properties (which is a whole other ball-park!) cannot be savoured:

ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿਬਿਨਾਕੈਸੇਬਧੈਸਨੇਹੁ ॥
preeth binaa kaisae badhai sanaehu
Without love, how can one's affection increase?

ਜਬਲਗੁਰਸੁਤਬਲਗੁਨਹੀਨੇਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
jab lag ras thab lag nehee naehu 1 rehaao
As long as there is attachment to pleasure, there can be no spiritual love. 1Pause
Ang 328

So where does that leave those brothers and sisters of ours who are homosexual and wish to have a sexual relationship within marriage? Well, with a big problem because such a relationship does not have the potential to lead to a realisation that lust is only non-destructive when it comes to reproduction – their sexual act will always be for physical pleasure. They cannot have an anand kaaraj (become married in the eyes of The Satguroo) because as the laavaa(n) (related verses) make clear the aim of the anand kaaraj is to merge with Vaheguroo and this cannot be achieved by people who enter the institution of marriage knowing that their forthcoming relationship will not ultimately enable them to realise that lust's only useful purpose is procreation.

The laavaa(n) depict the stages that the gursikh spiritualist passes through and culminate by describing the point at which merger with Vaheguroo, their True Husband, occurs. These verses are actually using the male/female metaphor that the institution of marriage affords in order to remind those soul-brides (suhaagan) entering marriage to understand who their real spouse actually is and in doing so, indirectly highlight that this new relationship which will most probably have a sexual component is not the True Union that the soul (atma) actually hungers for. The relationship between two physical bodies will always remain impermanent as opposed to the relationship between the soul-bride and her Eternal Husband (us and Vaheguroo). Here's how the laavaa(n) end:

ਹਰਿਪ੍ਰਭਿਠਾਕੁਰਿਕਾਜੁਰਚਾਇਆਧਨਹਿਰਦੈਨਾਮਿਵਿਗਾਸੀ ॥
har prabh thaakur kaaj rachaaeiaa dhan hiradhai naam vigaasee
The Lord God, my Lord and Master, blends with His bride, and her heart blossoms forth in the Naam.

ਜਨੁਨਾਨਕੁਬੋਲੇਚਉਥੀਲਾਵੈਹਰਿਪਾਇਆਪ੍ਰਭੁਅਵਿਨਾਸੀ ॥੪॥੨॥
jan naanak bolae chouthee laavai har paaeiaa prabh avinaasee 42
Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the fourth round of the marriage ceremony, we have found the Eternal Lord God. 42
Ang 774

Just like the heterosexual who thinks that lust has been mastered through marriage, the homosexual will also miss the truth. However for the heterosexual married person, if they are blessed with Perfect Destiny, there is the potential for lust to be defeated. The pleasure it affords will seem pale and insignificant, it will seem insipid, compared to the True Pleasure that meditation upon Vaheguroo affords.

So let’s go and tell all our misguided brothers and sisters to stop being gay and to marry a member of the opposite sex and progress spiritually via grishtee-jeevan right? Well perhaps it isn’t as simple as that. Many scientists believe that homosexuality is related to one’s genetic disposition and is not a learned behaviour. In other words gays are born that way. So how can someone who feels they cannot stop being gay start to live according to The Satguroo’s teachings?

Every single one of our tendencies and behaviour patterns are related to our previous actions and current actions; our karam. If people are born as homosexuals then this is simply their destiny – their previous actions, whatever they were, have led to this. We are all in the same boat. We have taken birth because the account of our previous actions meant that we were not spiritually-capable of merging into Vaheguroo.

If your homosexuality is something which cannot be changed, and you feel unable to marry a member of the opposite sex, then you would have to remain celibate – easier said than done I know, but the only logical approach. Such a person who masters lust, regardless of their ‘sexual orientation, would surely merge into Vaheguroo, The Desire-less:

ਆਸਾਮਨਸਾਸਗਲਤਿਆਗੈਜਗਤੇਰਹੈਨਿਰਾਸਾ ॥
aasaa manasaa sagal thiaagai jag thae rehai niraasaa
who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;

ਕਾਮੁਕ੍ਰੋਧੁਜਿਹਪਰਸੈਨਾਹਨਿਤਿਹਘਟਿਬ੍ਰਹਮੁਨਿਵਾਸਾ ॥੨॥
kaam krodh jih parasai naahan thih ghatt breham nivaasaa 2
who is not touched by sexual desire or anger - within his heart, Vaheguroo dwells. 2
Ang 633

Sikhee is a Path which points us towards the absolute pinnacle of spiritual realisation so naturally it’s a given that it will not be successfully traversed by many. Those who master lust, the gurmukhs that The Satguroo often talks about, are very rare. Perhaps one amongst thousands or even tens of thousands. And just in case you are wondering, I am certainly not one of them.

I do not speak on behalf of other sikhs, let alone The Satguroo. I know that many gursikhs will probably not share my views. But that is fine, because we must all treat our conversation with The Satguroo as something special and unique. What I will say is that there is certainly no need to stone or kill homosexuals, there is no need to hate, avoid or reject them or tell them that Vaheguroo is their enemy. There is no need to keep thinking about their sexual persuasion when we talk, laugh and spend time with them, when we shake their hand or bump into them. A gursikh could never indulge in any such destructive behaviour - quite the opposite in fact:

ਸਭਨਾਮਨਮਾਣਿਕਠਾਹਣੁਮੂਲਿਮਚਾਂਗਵਾ ॥
sabhanaa man maanik thaahan mool machaagavaa
The minds of all are like precious jewels; to harm them is not good at all.

ਜੇਤਉਪਿਰੀਆਦੀਸਿਕਹਿਆਉਨਠਾਹੇਕਹੀਦਾ ॥੧੩੦॥
jae tho pireeaa dhee sik hiaao n thaahae kehee dhaa 130
If you desire your Beloved, then do not break anyone's heart. 130
Ang 1384

So let’s end on this note - the fact that no matter what someone’s sexual persuasion, GurbaaNee does not advocate any kind of judgement, hatred or punishment. We are commanded to love all unconditionally. Neither should we brutishly force our interpretations of GurbaaNee upon others - when requested or sincerely motivated, we should simply assist anyone and everyone to make their own direct connection with The Satguroo, and to find Spiritual Truth themselves.

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

Announcement - Blog being re-designed

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:52:00 +0000

As you will have noticed, the blog looks very different all of a sudden. You'll notice little changes occurring over the next few weeks as I continously tweak it. It was this blog, designed by Doug Cloud, that made me think: "How nice it would be to have a unique and beautiful looking blog".

Vaheguroo-willing, everyday sikhee will soon have a very distinct and personalised look which I think will be positive regarding it's long-term objective - to attract new readers like you...and keep them visiting regularly.

This means I will be posting only a few short items for the next fas re-designing the site will involve more research and some programming. It's a steep learning-curve but the creative side of me is looking forward to it. Once this is done, I'll get back to the usual pattern of posting.

For those who wish to find-out more re: blogger-blog desiging, Doug has written a really good series of tutorials and more importantly, provided enough links within them to get you up to speed with the background-knowledge needed.

Ps - Have a Happy New Year; may Vaheguroo bring us closer to Him each and every day of it.

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

A Day to Box

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:58:00 +0000

A day to buy? / Photo Credit: i see modern britain

I never knew knew about the reason behind Boxing Day until I googled it earlier this morning. Ahhh, the beauty of google - it turns even idiots into instant scholars! Previously I thought that Boxing Day must refer to all those boxes of goodies we want to buy cheaply at sales, after standing in queues from 7am in the morning...

Come-on! It's the day for us to fight...erm...over yesterday's presents! / Photo credit: faster panda kill kill

Despite having included the pic immediately above, even a thicko like me realised it couldn’t be anything to do with big guys beating several shades of s*** (yes, I mean stuff!) out of each other. Nonetheless, I was surprised that it’s actually a day that wealthier people would give presents of food and other such minor items to those who were poorer than them. These gifts would be boxed. Although I’m not too sure this happens in the UK very much, it seems it still happens elsewhere. Here are some more details.

The less fortunate get grub in Guyana the day after Santa dropped-in / Photo Credit: caitlinator

It’s really nice that the day after Christmas Day, which I think most people agree is completely commercialised, turns-out to still be very meaningful in some parts of the world…a day that people can stop focussing on what they want or what they receive, and instead focus upon those less fortunate than themselves.

On a lesss serious note, and speaking of someone very less fortunate (lol), my sister-in-law Shan who has to be one of the funniest people I know, couldn’t get a train from Slough to Sheperds Bush this morning – the train service is apparently ‘a joke’ today. The tories haven’t missed the chance to cash-in.

Maybe I’ll send poor Shan a box in the post to let her know I'm thinking of her…I could put some leftovers inside it. We have some Pataaoo(n) de Sabzee (aubergines) from last night I don’t fancy eating any time this century…

( ( ( : -)>>> Atma Singh
everyday sikhee

Homosexuality

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Photo Credit: k763

American protestor letting gays know what she, and it seems God, thinks of them

There I was sitting with a Christian and a homosexual (now that's what I call an opening line!). The Christian seemed as though she wanted to like the homosexual but openly admitted she found it hard to accept him. Her opinion which metamorphosed into an argument and then fizzled away, seemingly due to the fact she didn’t want to offend him, was that we choose our destiny and although God is The Architect of Destiny, it is we who ultimately play the leading part. We either walk the 'blessed route’ before us or we transgress and take an alternative route of our own choice.

I told them that my belief is that ultimately everything is according to Hukam (Divine Will / Cosmic Order) - that ultimately we are unable to decide who is good and who is bad because The One Light resides in all. But am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No.

He was trying to encourage her to overlook this aspect of his personality given that it troubled her, and to realise that his sexuality does not totally define him as a human-being. He explained that there are parts of one another, be it views, attitudes or lifestyle, that we all find hard to accept. I agreed with him. Am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No. So what am I saying? Well, let’s let the threads of this post unravel some more…

The subject of homosexuality comes-up very often when one talks of religion or spirituality; usually it is seen as beyond the pale; something to be despised and hated. Even in these politically-correct times, many religious leaders brazenly speak their minds regarding the subject, thereby illustrating how an anti-homosexual standpoint is readily accepted by much of the population.

Earlier today, the Pope attracted the anger of the gay community after he described homosexuality as being equivalent in terms of gravity to the fate facing our environment. Gays haven't just started to become a problem that needs sorting - The Old Testament which guides Jews and Christians talks of homosexuals being killed by God and a whole village being destroyed due to the ‘abnormal behaviour’ of its gay inhabitants.

The Pope alluded to this proposition, that homosexuality is an act against nature, when suggesting that humanity should take its cues from nature. The problem is that it doesn’t seem Mother Nature can be relied upon to support The Pope. Elephants, flamingos and salmon are just some of the animals that have been known to exhibit homosexual behaviour. Are we going to argue that nature is unnatural?

Various Islamic sources demand that Muslims should kill homosexuals. P.s. If you’re gay and live in Iran, I think it’s best you move-out very soon. Even if you live in a predominately Christian or Jewish area, be careful – some of them may believe that you should be put to death as per Old Testament Law.

It is astonishing how directly homosexuality has been addressed by the major religions and the manner in which the appropriate punishment has been declared - no political-correctness here!

So what does GurbaaNee, The Satguroo, teach us regarding homosexuality?

(This is the first of a two part article - Part 2 can be found here)

Beyond Judgement

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:56:00 +0000

It was the Christmas party at work the other day. I prefer not to be around when people are eating meat or drinking alcohol so like I do every year, I told my manager that I would join everyone after they had eaten. She's a very understanding person and didn't have any problems with this, but one thing I have noticed over the years is that some people think that if you don't want to join them when they are doing certain things, then you're basically judging them.

Here's another example. When there is an Anand Kaaraj (Sikh Wedding) at a Gurduaara Sahib (Sikh place of worship) and the couple aren't Amritdharee (initiated Sikhs), people have got really funny about me not wanting to attend. I've tried many times to explain, in a loving manner, how I can't imagine Guroo Gobind Singh Jee presiding over a marriage between two people who don't keep His Rehit (code of conduct), and how I feel the same way about Guroo Granth Sahib Jee. For me, just because The Satguroo is no longer embedded within a human form does not mean that I should disable my sense of judgement and assume anything goes.

No matter how hard you try though people get offended because by virtue of the very fact that you have decided not to take part means that you have judged them. I am sure that some people think they are better than others due to their beliefs or lifestyle but Gursikhs however perceive themselves as the lowest of the low. How do they manage to do this despite the fact that GurbaaNee often distinguishes between those who follow the Satguroo's Teachings and those who do not?

When GurbaaNee talks about Manmukhs (egoists) the Gursikh truly feels that The Satguroo is addressing them. Due to this unflinching self-perception, a profound sense of genuine humility wells-up within the Gursikh. This protects them and allows them to advance spiritually. As far as they are concerned, they are the biggest Manmukh. No matter how much they are praised or respected, or whatever spiritual experiences they are blessed with, they perceive themselves as dirt. This is The Satguroo's great blessing.

( ( ( : -) >>>
Atma Singh
everyday sikhee

Isn't life busy!

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Photo Credit: G & M

Where does time go? Probably on long-term holiday to a really nice place where there are no children, mobile phones or other distractions. Either that or there must be be someone who takes time hostage without telling us they did so!

I’m at work, with my head hunched over my shoulders, trying to not let anyone spot me dossing (‘messing around’ for you non-British readers)! It’s unlikely I’ll be able to post until Wednesday now – I’ll be working evenings for the next few days it seems.

Social Services is such a busy sector – if you’re not running around arranging to meet people, or actually meeting people, you’re typing-up what happened at the meetings where you met people. Either that or you’re trying to do what you thought you would be doing more of: helping young people with their everyday problems and crises. 80% paper-work and meetings, 20% actual engagement with young people. Oh well…

The weekend was busy too. Saturday was a mish-mash of smelly nappies, odd jobs and what-not. On Sunday I was invited to speak to the children at Khalsa Primary School in Slough (near London) who were receiving awards for good behaviour, achievement etc. The Trust’s chairman, Nichattar Singh, took the opportunity to announce that OFSTED (School Inspectors) had awarded the school an overall ‘good’ rating, and had rated ‘personal development of pupils’ in particular as outstanding. Excellent for a school which didn’t exist around 18 months ago!

I tried to inspire the kids by telling them that the New Year was a chance to get closer to their Satguroo. The central message was that when we think we get an award or recognition through our own efforts, our heart seals itself off. This means we stop The Satguroo from entering into our lives.

Conversely, if we realise that we are not able to achieve anything by ourselves, then The Satguroo transforms every day of our lives into a little miracle, because we open our hearts, letting his Love enter into our thoughts, words and actions. In this way, every second, minute and hour is blessed.

This morning my wife took Zor Singh for his ‘development review’ where medical staff assessed his mental and physical health as well as progression. She called me a little while ago to say that he is two months ahead in terms of intelligence, reactions, engagement etc. Satguroo Jee has looked after him so well. I just hope we do justice regarding the responsibility we’ve been blessed with. I hope we always make enough time for him.

Not being able to update this blog, which I am starting to enjoy more than I thought I would, coupled with a hectic work schedule which limits ‘dossing opportunities’, made me remember the following words of wisdom:

“Life is what happens to you while you’re making
other plans”
John Lennon

So with the above in mind, this is my plan: I plan not to update this blog by Wednesday evening, so maybe Life will turn out such that I happen to post on Wednesday!

I've just realised the irony; I started out mentioning I didn't have enough time to blog today and ended up blogging about time...today!

Right, about time I got back back to the day job.

( ( ( : -) >>>

Atma Singh
everyday sikhee

Separateness

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Photo Credit: ichaz

A sea of clouds, a sky of waves - they arise, only to subside.

I aim to update this blog every two days. However, due to work and family committments, on those days I don't have much time to write something very detailed, I'll try to post something brief relating to the Hukamnama (Command for the day) from Darbaar Sahib ('Golden Temple', Amritsar, Panjaab). By definition, it will be a limited personal understanding.

Ultimately, I hope to stimulate some of the readership, so that we can share our spontaneous thoughts and feelings via comments. After all, to contemplate The Satguroo is to connect with The Satguroo.

The following Du-panktee ('two-liner' i.e. couplet) is from yesterday's Hukamnama:

ਜਬਹਮਹੋਤੇਤਬਤੂਨਾਹੀਅਬਤੂਹੀਮੈਨਾਹੀ॥
jab ham hothae thab thoo naahee ab thoohee mai naahee
When I am, then You are not. Now that You are, I am not.
ਅਨਲਅਗਮਜੈਸੇਲਹਰਿਮਇਓਦਧਿਜਲਕੇਵਲਜਲਮਾਂਹੀ॥1॥
anal agam jaisae lehar mae oudhadhh jal kaeval jal maa(n)hee 1
The wind may raise up huge waves in the vast ocean, but they are just water in water. 1

ਮਾਧਵੇਕਿਆਕਹੀਐਭ੍ਰਮੁਐਸਾ॥
maadhhavae kiaa keheeai bhram aisaa
O Master, what can I say about such an illusion?
ਜੈਸਾਮਾਨੀਐਹੋਇਨਤੈਸਾ॥1॥ਰਹਾਉ॥
jaisaa maaneeai hoe n thaisaa 1 rehaao
Things are not as they seem. 1 Pause

(Ang/Page 657)

The Satguroo speaks to me above by telling me that although I may identify myself as different, all things arise from The One and all things return to The One. There is nothing aside from Vaheguroo. There is never actually any separateness.

The waves of illusion, of thought, of self-identity, which constantly assail me and lead me to mistakenly perceive myself as separate from others, separate from this universe and ultimately separate from Vaheguroo, are just temporary phenomena, by-products of ego.

Ego is like the grey cloud that blocks the sunlight, casting darkest shadows. Eventually, it will have to pass. In my prison of perception, what I perceive as reality is not reality. Things are not as they seem, because the cloud has not passed, and so my reality is made-up of mere shadows.

Reading the above, I am reminded how through nature Vaheguroo reveals so many spiritual truths. I reminisce regarding how when I was an atheist, Vaheguroo constantly hinted to me through nature, towards which I was always attracted. But I was too dumb to realise. Nature is the only voice I ever truly related to in those days; that I accepted as unadulterated truth. Even if it was and still is a temporary projection, I see now how it led me towards The Satguroo. I see now how it challenged my sense of separateness.

Please share how The Satguroo speaks to you.

Ps - Don't be shy!

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

Poem - Spinning Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:35:00 +0000

The poem written by a member of the Sikh Philosophy Network regarding my last post encourged me to dig-up some poems of my own. I'll post one from time to time.

Below is one which for any non-Panjabees will probably pose problems due to the transliterated words which attempt to convey Panjabee words. If you are such a reader, and you want to know what the transliterated words mean, please leave a comment requesting the meanings of these words, and I'll reply back by translating each one for you.

Spinning Circle

There is Shaant amidst
Crashing waves
Stillness at the centre
Of spinning circles

Poise in the fluttering
Falling leaves
Grace in Killing
Soor-Beer Shaheeds

---

There is Sehaj amidst
Thundering thoughts
Truth in the middle
Of blinding fog

Seva in the hands
Of murderous thieves
Zor in the begging
Of Gurmukh Ghareebs

---

There is Amrit amidst
Bitter poison
Sants in the hearts
Of hateful sinners

Light in Darkest
Abandoned Souls
Melody in Chaos
Of Manmukh minds

---

Shaant amidst
Soor-Beer Shaheeds

Sehaj amidst
Gurmukh Ghareebs

Amrit amidst
Manmukh minds

Find Stillness
Centre
The Spinning Circle

( ( ( :-) >>>
Atma Singh - everyday sikhee

A Tale of Two Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Myself, my wife and a close friend went for a walk yesterday, with little Zor Singh in his buggy. We visited a small park nearby. On our way home we spotted a discarded chair which had been neatly placed next to a large dustbin, on a picturesque road adjacent to the park. My wife who likes to sometimes think of herself as a ‘collector of things’, which really means she is a hoarder, decided we could use this chair. I politely reminded her we had just given away two chairs very recently after we had suddenly realised we were running-out of space. She insisted. So I carried this very heavy chair a few metres before she changed her mind and realised we didn’t really need a chair, at which point I put it back where we had found it. Marriage is so full of u-turns!

Anyway, when we got home, I started to look through some photographs I have taken over the last few years. I’m currently getting a website designed in order to promote and share my photography. I’m sure you’ll hear more about this in the coming months even if you don’t wish to! As I browsed the streams of thumbnails, trying to decide which images will feature in one of the online galleries, I came across a picture of a chair which was taken soon after the Tsunami wreaked its terrible wrath upon much of the developing world in 2004. It brought back so many memories.

This chair was photographed in Sri Lanka in a district called Batticoloa, which is on the East Coast. I was there briefly as a volunteer with Khalsa Aid, a humanitarian disaster relief organisation. We supplied tents to some poor Muslim fisherman and their families, in a nearby fishing village. These people were desperate for assistance because they had been overlooked when rebuilding had started, by the majority neighbouring Tamil communities.

The chair was located in a property which had been brought to its knees. I still remember the terrible stench that saturated the moist salty air around us. We were told by locals that this emanated from corpses which hadn’t yet been removed from underneath the masses of rubble.

If the chair were to remain untouched, who knows how long it would sit there, testifying to the chaos that surrounded it. It attracted my eyes because it was part of a strange wider environment, but unlike those humans who had not been killed or destroyed, this chair couldn’t walk away or leave the scene. However like them it was a survivor. Perhaps its owners had all been killed. Perhaps like the chair we saw yesterday, but had decided not to take with us, it had been perceived as useless or a luxury not worthy of being carried, to wherever its owners had carried themselves. Who had sat upon this chair? What memories had it preserved, locked away in its dark, dense body?

It came across as peacefully poised, yet resolute in its will to keep on standing where so much else had fallen. I felt compelled to take a picture of it. The colours and lines which surrounded it made it, in my eyes, a beautiful scene to capture. I took so many photographs of people on this trip, many of which I will soon be sharing, but for some reason, this image seems to carry a unique emotion.

It makes me wonder how long that chair I saw yesterday will sit there before someone takes it. I imagine the reason it has been discarded is far removed from the circumstances which surround the one I photographed. I hope someone does make use of yesterday’s chair some day soon, so that it doesn’t get tossed away.

I remember visiting Darbaar Sahib (‘Golden Temple’, Amritsar, Panjaab) for the first time several years ago and being shown where Guroo Arjan Sahib Jee had often sat. I simply can’t convey the feelings I felt. I couldn’t stop myself from placing my forehead on that spot and kissing the dust that lay there. Afterwards, as we walked away, I couldn’t seem to stop an immense feeling of awe from continuously arising and subsiding within me, like the movement of the tide, as I looked over my shoulder again and again, thinking: ‘My Satguroo sat upon that ground, underneath that tree”. I just couldn’t take it in.

Furniture and objects don’t just support us physically; they carry so much emotional energy with them. As spirit-born beings, humans leave so much in their wake, even going about their mundane daily business. Whether we keep an item or discard it, whether it is destroyed or remains intact, I believe that something of us, a residue, forever permeates the things we have touched and the places we have been.

These are the things that I remember when I look at this photograph.

( ( ( :-) >>>

Atma Singh - everyday sikhee

Please Comment - Don't Argue!

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Photo Credit: Piez

Krazy kittens kan't komment!

When starting this blog I decided not to allow comments for the following reasons:

- Questions might get posed to me when really they should be posed to The Satguroo who has all the answers.

- So many Sikhee forums and blog comments sections are full of vicious words, cheap jibes, slander and general negativity.

However yesterday a Gursikh whom I respect emailed me requesting that I activate the comments section. After a bit of thought, I've decided to do so...it's not good to disobey Gursikhs unless you have a really good reason, because they talk lots of sense.

Looking at my initial concerns, I think that they can be positively addressed as follows:

+ The comments section will be moderated.

+ I will only answer questions directly posed to me if I feel it is appropriate and I am fully comfortable...and they have to be easy, ok! Otherwise, I will try my best to respond via GurbaaNee quotes, which can act as a prompt for you to contemplate things for yourself.

* Please don't reply to one another as commentators. You’ll start a debate. Just share your valuable thoughts, without ramming fellow commentators with them, and leave it at that. Others can take and leave from your words what they wish.

* A wise man once said:

“One well-written comment is enough to make and leave
your point.”

Well, a wise man didn’t say that, but he could have, because it does sound kind of ‘wise-manly’, doesn’t it?

* Any comments which might start a ‘I’ll make you look stupid if it’s the last thing I do’ episode will not be allowed.

Well I hope the above does not come across as dictatorial. It’s all meant in a positive way, in order to hopefully make this blog a pleasant, uplifting and spiritual place to be.

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh

Follow this Blog, without the hassle

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:35:00 +0000

Photo Credit: koka_sexton
No - you don't need to be a geek to read this

The ‘Subscribe in a reader' link at the top right of this Blog is seriously useful. An RSS Reader is a software tool which allows you to save a lot of time and hassle if you follow blogs, or browse other types of sites, which are regularly updated e.g. news sites. Have you really got time to visit tonnes of sites to see if they’ve been updated or not? Yes? – well then, you’re a student.

No? – then join the RSS revolution.

Right - this is where it could get heavy because RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, has a habit of not actually sounding really simple. If you do like reading techie stuff (geek!), here’s a good summary re: RSS. Put simply however, by subscribing to 'RSS feeds' instead of physically visiting sites such as this blog, you 'automatically pull’ any newly updated content on those sites, and can then access this content in a convenient manner.

Think of a paper-boy delivering the newspaper to you so you don't have to visit the newsagent, think of an octopus whose tentacles constantly stretch and grab here and there, think of a rainbow...erm, anyway, here are some of the ways you could, for instance, follow this very blog via RSS:

- Click the ‘Subscribe in a reader' link and select ‘View Feed XML’. You will now get to view new content directly via the ‘feeds’ icon which is conveniently located in the favourites folder of Internet Explorer. Nice.

- The above method is very neat and tidy if you’ve got direct access to your desktop PC or laptop when you want to view content, but what if you wish to access content on the go, or on someone else’s machine? Click the aforementioned link and select one of the web-based Readers instead, such as the popular Bloglines or Google Reader. Now you can log-in to your RSS reader anywhere, any time, whatever machine you're on.

- What if you’ve got a Windows-Mobile based Pocket PC (yes, I don’t care about those outsiders who use Palms, or I-Phones or other such contraptions – do your own homework! Lol) and want to view this blog in your browser, but optimised visually and structurally? Download and install a free Windows-Mobile based RSS Reader such as Viigo and simply add my blog’s RSS URL Channel: http://everydaysikhee.blogspot.com/atom.xml – done! Now this blog will be nicely optimised on your PDA/Smartphone, with lots of handy localised software options, and you can read it anywhere, at any time.

Right, that’s enough blog publicity generation for one day. I’m going to have my cake and milk, then off to bed!

((((Subliminal message - You must click the 'subscribe to this feed' link right below this line, ...I command you...mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haa!!!)))

( ( ( :-) >>> Atma Singh

The Khalsa Spirit 1: Rosa Parks

noreply@blogger.com (Atma Singh) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:57:00 +0000

Photo Credit: Website - Rosa Park Facts

Rosa being arrested and her fingerprints taken

"I would like to be known as a person

who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice

and prosperity for all people."

Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005)

A Gursikh sent me a text this morning mentioning the 'mother of the civil rights movement’, Rosa Parks, who on this day in 1955 caused quite stir. I read her story further via BBC: On This Day which I highly recommend as a way of soaking-up some very interesting history upon a daily basis.

At the end of his text he wrote:

"Was she 'anti-social', 'extremist' or 'fundamentalist'? Or was she 'sava lakh se laroan' [able to take on a legion of opponents], following a much higher law than artificial human law?"

A light bulb shone inside my little brain - why not write about a series of non-Sikh individuals who imbibe a particular component of the Khalsa Spirit? By recognising and appreciating these Khalsa sparks within our brothers’ and sisters' hearts, perhaps we can all truly start understanding how Vaheguroo lives within, and ultimately inspires, every single heart.

Let's first try and define the word Khalsa. Khalsa is an Arabic word which can be translated as ‘pure’ and ‘untainted’. It was also apparently used to refer to land belonging to a King or Emperor, which could not be taxed. These definitions converge to construct a beautiful concept. Khalsa represents The Pure Unrestrained Truth which cannot be challenged or defeated. It is the un-taxable land of Truth belonging to Vaheguroo and it's aim is to constantly manifest.

Since 1699, it has come to be known as The Satguroo’s conferred title for those people who live, breathe and meditate in complete unison with The Satguroo, so much so, that The Satguroo describes the Khalsa as His Satguroo, to whom He unconditionally submits. In 1699, the fraternity of the Khalsa was born as we know it, and this land has continued to manifest since...

Recognising The One Light manifest in all beings, the Khalsa are able to imbibe lessons of Truth through all things and all people. Now, let us travel back in time exactly 53 years ago, and learn a lesson...

Rosa discarded her concerns and boarded that bus, her resolve unshakeable. She decided that day she would live The Truth despite others’ attempts to deny her it. It didn’t bother her that the driver was the same man who threw her off a bus 12 years earlier because she had refused to enter through the back door, specially allocated for blacks.

She sat down upon her seat, tired after working long and hard manual hours, only to be confronted by a white man who requested she give-up her seat. Rosa refused and in doing sos violated American segregation laws, which stated at the time that a coloured person must give way to a white person if no vacant seats remained upon public transport vehicles.

Historically, her actions represented not the single defiant voice of a young black woman but the consolidation of a collective statement; that Blacks would not accept such degrading treatment and were willing to break any man-made law to prove it. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, American blacks everywhere boycotted buses soon after Rosa made her stand.

Photo Credit: Eege Vot Fum

The bus that Rosa sat in that day

Rosa’s actions are in complete resonance with The Satguroo’s teachings. Vaheguroo expects us all to challenge any so-called laws which treat one person as superior and the other inferior. For the Khalsa in particular, whether it was the Mughal Emperor Arungzeb forbidding our ancestors from riding horses, or a modern-day democratic nation deciding that Blacks couldn’t always have a bus-seat, there is no difference.

In my mind, Guroo Gobind Singh Jee points to her, and says to me: “You see that soul, learn from its virtue, a Truth being lived. A worthy lesson for the Khalsa”. In this way, I feel inspired by such figures and feel hope, in a day and age when so many 'Sikhs' reveal that their garbs and practices are mere religious rituals, devoid of spiritual inspiration. Why? Because their words and actions do not match the glorious spiritual heritage and relevance that their outer image portrays. I don't feel disheartened though, because the Khalsa is beyond such a façade and will always live, as a spark, waiting to ignite in any heart.

Whether it’s the boy who stands up to the playground bully, the teacher who inspires her pupils with self-belief, or the lady on that bus in 1955 who refused to give-up her seat, they all illustrate the same thing. They remind us that The Satguroo transmits lessons to His Sikhs through all things and all people, if only we are willing to receive them.

( ( ( :-) >>>

Atma Singh - everyday sikhee