The Baisakhi celebrations were yesterday were wonderful! It started with a delicious breakfast for the whole sangat hosted by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur at the Ranch and then from there we had a larg Nagar Kirtan procession all the way to the Gurdwara. Here are some pictures from yesterday’s vaisakhi celebrations.
The entry way to the Gurdwara
Continue reading ‘Vaisakhi Celebrations in Espanola New Mexico’
Here is one topic which I think is a great one for us all to think about. I have found that even within the Sikh lifestyle many people have adopted the mentality of "guilt and sin". Western influence has definitely played a big part in this, and it doesn’t help to have translations of Gurbani that translate "paap" into "sin".
In the following video interview Guruka Singh shares his thoughts on the topic of Sin, Guilt, Heaven and Hell. Hopefully the next time you catch yourself feeling one of these things you may think more deeply about it.
Gurumustuk Singh Ji asked me to write a bit about the five tattvas and the three gunas. This is what was "assumed knowledge" in the time Gurbani was written. Basically, it’s the KAR part of IK ONG KAR (ONG being the creative power itself.)
The five tattvas are: earth, water, fire, air and ether. They are not those things literally, but rather states of density of matter. For example, water can be solid (earth,) liquid (its normal state between 0 degrees C and 100 degrees C) and air (when it vaporizes.) Ether is the most subtle element. Though there is no air in "outer space," there is ether. Ether is the carrier of light and the least dense of the five tattvas.
So matter is made up of both the five tattvas (or states) along with the energy that flows through them. E=MC2 right? It’s a continuum of energy and matter, and the two flow into each other, but neither is destroyed (according to the law of conservation of matter and energy.) So the tattvas are the states of matter and the three gunas are the frequencies of energy: low-frequency=tamas (inertia,) mid-frequency=rajas (motion) and high-frequency=sattvas (calm.)
The three gunas are manifested in human qualities as well, and I’m sure you know these qualities in yourself and in other people. Most people have one of the three gunas dominant in their personality and projection. Tamas=crude, lethargic, heavy. Rajas=passionate and action oriented. Sattvas=light, pure, calm and relaxed. When we say someone has a "high" vibration, we mean they are dominantly sattvic in nature.
- Guruka Singh
P.S. - We did an earlier video on the subject of free will and God’s will. I think it was the "fate and destiny" one, but I’m happy to revisit that topic.
Well, we now have the "SikhNet Video Studio" setup! A generous Sikh donated funds to pay for new video/lighting equipment. Someone in our local community had a small storage room that they were not using so we turned it into our "studio". The room is a bit narrow but it’s much better than jumping through hoops filming in the SikhNet office (which is even smaller).
By Jessica Meisman, 12th Grade Student, Miri Piri Academy, March 28 2008
I have seen crowds of people before; India has definitely acquainted me with the masses. But never have I seen as big a group embodying the Cherdi Kala spirit as I did in Anandpur Sahib on Hola Mahala. Hola Mahala is a celebration to usher in the spring, and Anandpur was Guru Gobind Singhs home and fort. Between the Indian capacity for festivity and the religious fervor of the Sikhs, the air was humid with excitement. The school bus weaved through camps of Nihungs, complete with stables and langar kitchens, and drove past public carriers filled with families and pilgrims from all over India. We were making our way to the Siri Singh Sahib’s house in Anandpur Sahib, where we would be staying. After lunger and chai, our group of students, staff and faculty went to explore the bazaar and festivities in Anandpur. Continue reading ‘Cherdi Kala at Hola Mahala’
Here is another excerpt (story) from the upcoming book on Sikh Dharma by Shakti Parwha Kaur and Sikh Dharma International.
Taking a Hukam - by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa
“Although Yogi Bhajan had assured me many times that it was not my fault, as a mother I felt terribly guilty and responsible for the way my son James’ life had turned out.
After a fifteen-year separation from James, I was shocked when I saw him again. He had gained a huge amount of weight, and even worse, when I visited his apartment and saw the conditions in which he was living, I was horrified. I saw paper bags full of newspapers strewn around all over the place as well as other signs of an abnormal situation. Continue reading ‘Getting the Guru’s Advice’
The kids are growing up so fast! It’s been a while since I posted some pictures, so here are a few. A little while ago Narayan went through a phase where he didn’t want me taking picture of him anymore and was always avoiding the camera. Now that has changed. Recently Arjan told me that she was talking with him and he was feeling upset that I never took pictures of him anymore. Such is the life with siblings and the ups and downs of wanting to get the attention of your parents :)
Here is another excerpt (story) from the upcoming book on Sikh Dharma by Shakti Parwha Kaur and Sikh Dharma International. I love how the book is presented with personal stories and showing Sikhi from an experiential perspective, rather than in a scholarly or intellectual way; coming from the heart rather than the head.
By MSS Sadasat Singh Khalsa
My first encounter with the Guru (in this lifetime) was in February, 1973.
I was living at Ahimsa Ashram in Washington, D.C. doing Teacher Training. In those days Teacher Training in Washington meant teaching the morning Kundalini Yoga class and then going to the restaurant, The Golden Temple Conscious Cookery, to wash dishes and scrub pots and pans until midnight, then go home, get up for sadhana and repeat the process day after day. Continue reading ‘Destined to Stay’
On the train from Connecticut to Massachusetts, I remember. A childhood growing up in the Northeast. Rows of houses remodeled again and again since Colonial Times. Trees lining the streets, marking the seasons with their distinct shades of dress. Sometimes green, sometimes orange, sometimes nothing at all.
That priceless time– where it seemed, somehow, one could be 8 years old, or 10 years old, or 12 years old forever.
Looking out the window, breathing in the nostalgia, I watch my thoughts slip into another direction. Yes – this is all familiar to me. Even after so many years living in the Southwest – the Northeast still feels like home. But not everything is the same as I remember. And as the train keeps rolling, there are other scenes my eyes register, making it difficult for me to inhale deeply, to catch my breath.
I’m sure most of you have been to a Gurdwara while Kirtan is being sung, and seen the Gurbani with a translation projected onto a screen. Isn’t this cool?? This is has changed the way that Gurdwaras in this modern age bring a deeper understanding of Gurbani to the sangat. In our Gurdwaras since the old days in the 70’s we didn’t have this and relied on hundreds and hundreds of shabad sheets which were put together, copied and then organized in file cabinets. They would then be handed out in the Gurdwara so that we could sing along with the Shabad and understand the meaning.
We have come a long way since then in the world! With the digitalization of Gurbani and various translations becoming available, the options for viewing and searching through Gurbani are limitless. What we can do and how we can view Gurbani is really only limited by our creativity and imagination…and taking the time to create something new.
Get MrSikhNet by Email
