Here is a short soothing Mul Mantra introduction that Hari Bhajan Kaur played in Gurdwara yesterday before she started playing kirtan. (with Gurujot Singh on Dilruba). Download; set your player on repeat; and relax to the soothing sounds.
You can also download another variation of Mul Mantra by Hari Bhajan from a previous Gurdwara..
I’m back from my vacation and it’s great to be home. Winter time is a nice time of coziness and consolidation. I feel like everything slows down and I am able to internalize more (Like the plants that go into hibernation the end of the year). For me it’s a time of thinking and evaluating. By the time the new year comes I always start to think about what I want to accomplish in the next year (personally, spiritually and professionally). The winter time is sort of a "deep-breath" to stop and think about where I am and where I want to go. It also helps that at this time of year I normally take a vacation, so I am able to get out of my normal every day patterns of work and day to day things.
Today me and Arjan celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. In this day and age commitment in marriage is not a common thing. Divorce rates are so high it seems that no one stays married for long these days. I am thankfull to have a happy marriage and a awesome partner to travel this journey with. That’s not to say it is always easy. I think God must be testing to see if I can keep my "marriage black belt" in recent months, since it has been quite challenging having two kids and all that goes with being a family. It is so easy to fall into your emotions and feelings and be reactive when problems come up, rather than being conscious and communicative. Having a relationship is an art and skill in itself. This is one of the reasons why I think having a family and being married is the highest "Yoga"….since it forces you to work on yourself (And hopefully become a better person). It is no longer just about YOU.
It’s been fun watching Narayan and Charanjeet (our kids) change and move into different phases. Charanjeet is 18 months old and is changing so rapidly. I keep thinking how I need to record more of the "moments". She is copying so many words and learning new things every day. Her latest favorite word is "Aaw Man…!". She heard Narayan saying that after something happened and she picked up on it. Now something will drop…and she blurts out "Aaw Man!". It’s quite funny. Another recent classic word is "Parantha!". A month or so ago I made my first stack of paranthas from start to finish and I was saying "Paronetaaaa!!" (with a loud/strong Punjabi accent). Ever since then she just blurts it out like that with lots of enthusiasm at all moments.
So, as we start this new year I hope you all are thinking about your life and all the gifts that you have. It’s a great time for renewed commitment and change. Even I need a kick in the butt sometimes to get myself going and make a change. Ready-Set-Go! (I’m "cooking" up some plans too)
Here is an audio clip by Hari Bhajan Kaur who brought the Espanola sangat through to the new year during the all night Rainsabhai Kirtan. She ended just after midnight 2008 singing the Shabad "Ram Japo Jee Aasay Aasay".
Earlier this summer a new CD came out by Sat Hari Singh (Germany) called "Servant of the Heart". Sat Hari Singh just came for a visit from Germany for the Khalsa Council Meetings here in Espanola, and he gave me a copy of this CD. On this CD my friend Hari Bhajan Kaur sings along with Sat Hari Singh, however the last track on the CD is a solo song with just her. This is an awesome track! Normally I would wait till the CD was for sale online before posting anything here, but I couldn’t help it. The last CD track titled "Sarab Nirantar" which is from a section of the So Purkh, written by Guru Ram Das and is in the Rehiras prayer/bani. This track has an upbeat yet meditative energy to it. Ever since I got this CD I have been playing it over and over. I force myself to listen to something else for a while so I don’t "burn it out". I guess I am a music junkie when it comes to good music!
Here is a sneak peak of this one audio track from the Cd for your listening pleasure. Listening on the computer doesn’t do it justice. When I hear it in my car driving it’s like my car lifts off the ground I go to another planet
Sarab Nirantar - by Hari Bhajan Kaur
Translation of the Words : "You are constant in each and every heart, and in all things. O Dear lord, you are the one. Some are givers, and some are beggars. This is all your wondrous play. You yourself are the giver, and you yourself are the enjoyer. I know no other than you. You are the supreme lord God, limitless and infinite. What virtues of yours can I speak of and describe? Unto those who serve you, unto those who serve you, dear lord, sevany Nanak is a sacrifice." - Guru Ram Das ji (So purkhs)
This past Saturday morning after Sadhana myself, Hari Bhajan Kaur and Sat Hari Singh (Germany) walked up onto the top of one of the hills which is near the Gurdwara. Our purpose was to take some pictures which Sat Hari Singh could use in a German promotional booklet for his new CD called "Servant of the Heart".
We couldn’t have asked for a better morning since it had just rained a lot the night before and there were still clouds in the sky as the sun peaked over the horizon. It was so beautiful! I love taking pictures! Especially when there are good environments/lighting. After we were done we munched on German chocolate and talked about how we should plan something in the future to have Kirtan/Meditation up on this hill another time. There is nothing like being outside in the fresh air with beautiful environments and meditation!
(Ps. If you want to see the pictures properly, click on the picture and then when you are on flickr click the option that says "All sizes" which is on the top of the picture)
It’s been a while since I posted any audio from Gurdwara. Here is a beautiful audio clip by Hari Bhajan Kaur from yesterday (with Gurujot Singh on Dilruba). Download; set your player on repeat; and relax to the soothing sounds.
While I was away in Los Angeles this past weekend, my computer faithfully recorded the audio from Gurdwara, as it does every Sunday. Here are two live recordings of Hari Bhajan Kaur playing Kirtan.
Ajai Alai (Ek Achhri Chand from Jaap Sahib)
Prabh Mera Antarjami
Ik Ardas Baat Kirat Ki
Related Posts:
JAAP - Gobinday Mukhunday & Ajai Alai
This past Sunday my wife Arjan wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed home while I took my 8 month old daughter Charanjeet Kaur and son Narayan Singh to Gurdwara. I like to sit right up front in the Gurdwara by the Guru where the kirtan is played. I find that I don’t get distracted as often by people who are coming inside or people who are in front of me. My focus can be more on the Guru right before me and listening to the Kirtan. It’s a whole different story when you have kids with you though!
Narayan sat next to me, and Charanjeet was in my lap as we started listening to Snatam and Hari Bhajan Kaur play kirtan. As you might have heard from my previous blog post, Charanjeet Kaur is starting to get quite mobile and crawling all over the place. The next thing I know she pushes herself out of my lap and starts crawling towards the Guru. I let her go a few steps and then pull her back. Then again…she gets loose and crawls again back to the bottom of where the ramalas of Siri Guru Granth Sahib are. While this is going on the shabd is being played: "Darshan Maago Dhaehi Piaarae" (I beg for the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan; please, give it to me, O Beloved!). It started to seem like Charanjeet was trying to Get Guru’s Darshan. So I let her go again and away she goes towards the Guru.
For a baby I can imagine being attracted to Guruji, adorned with colorful ramalas with shiny gold stitching. So Charanjeet kaur went right up before the Guru as she had done before. I allowed her to do what she wanted to do while staying close to her. She seems enamored with the green and gold ramalas. In the front of the Guru is a sort of "railing" made of golden brass with beautiful round marble pieces on the corners. She grabs a hold of it and pulls herself up, and seems to enjoy herself standing there. She loves to stand…and seems very excited. This is right up front….so I again pull her back to me not wanting to make a scene. She wouldn’t stay with me though…and made a grunting sound like I was holding her back from something that she really wanted…so I loosen my hold of her. Again…and again…she crawls over to the same spot in front of the Guru. For whatever reason she just wants to be there…at the feet of the Guru. Sure it might just be her loving the colorful ramallas and shiny gold railing, but I had that feeling like there was something deeper. Like that soul yearning to meet with the Guru. She just wanted to stay there with her bright smiley face.
This is a picture that Narayan sneakily took when my eyes were closed of the area before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib that Charanjeet kept crawling to.
I let her stay there for a while and then moved further back towards the middle of the Gurdwara hoping that she might stay with me. One cannot meditate or listen to kirtan with a baby crawling off. Hahaha… This worked a bit better…but again she was off towards the Guru. It was pretty funny seeing her determination. My friend Siri Chand Singh was further up in front of me…and he helped intercept her a bunch of times before she finally stopped her efforts to go to the same spot (after me giving her some distractions to play with).
I love the innocence of children. They are so pure and free. It is like they can still connect with God in a way that us as adults have a hard time doing. Whether it was her actually meeting with the Guru or not…it was an amusing and fun experience seeing my daughter in this way. My prayer is that when she is older she has the same kind determination and love for the Guru; So that she will always be be attracted and drawn to the feet of the Guru just as she did as a baby.
The babies are no longer babies anymore. Here are two two of the kids during the children’s program at Gurdwara. They looked so cute, I wish I had my proper camera to have gotten a better picture.
Here the shabads that Snatam and Hari Bhajan Kaur played during Gurdwara:
Darshan Mangau Dai Piaray
Download
Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam
Download
Sakhi Au Sakhi Vasi Au Saki
Download
For those of you who missed the live broadcast of Gurdwara today you can download and listen to a couple of my picks from today. Hari Bhajan Kaur as usual played some beautiful kirtan and ended the Gurdwara with this rendition of "Wahe Guru, Wahe Jio" played with the Guitar.
During Gurdwara we also heard the following lecture on the topic of "Sangat".
Hari Bhajan Kaur - Wahe Guru Wahe Jio
SSS Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji - Gurdwara Lecture on "Sangat"
In continuation of my previous blog post on Sikh women and Gurbani…. I am posting another audio file for you all. This is a recording of Snatam Kaur and Hari Bhajan Kaur during their visit to Malaysia in 2005. It’s a beautiful recording of "Wahe Guru" chanting, which starts slow and then builds with energy, and then comes back down. It’s about 45 minutes long so the download size is a bit large (but worth it). So…download away….sing along…meditate…and feel WAHEGURU in every part of your body! Ang Sang Wahe Guru! Have a great weekend!
It is always a blessing to go to the Gurdwara and meet with my Guru (The Siri Guru Granth Sahib) and be with the Sangat. Today I got a lot of comfort and support sitting in Gurdwara and listening to the Gurbani. Last week my Grandfather passed away due to complications from a stroke. He was almost 96 years old and had been married to my Grandmother for around 68 years. As I sat in Gurdwara I remembered his soft and quiet manner, his joyful smile and the good person that he was. I have not had many friends/family who were close to me pass away, so this was a new experience. It made me think about my family and parents, and how one day they too will die. The realities of life seemed to sink in. It is easy to just feel like they will always be there, when in reality one’s life could end at any moment without any warning. It is one of those reality checks, that makes you think differently about those loved ones around you and what you do with every day in your life.
As I listened to the Shabad (Tera Naam Rooro Roop Rooro) and felt the words of the Gurbani sink in, I found tears welling up in my eyes. It was as if the Guru was talking to me and giving me comfort. I didn’t understand the meaning in English…but somehow felt the meaning in my heart. Then as I looked at the translation of the Shabad it all seemed so clear. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib tells us over and over what we need to do and how to live life. Such a Gem that we all have and yet most don’t even realize the gift which is right before us.
Here are a few audio clips from Gurdwara, played by Hari Bhajan Kaur (Vocals, Harmonium), along with Guru Jot Singh (vocals, dilruba), Hari Rai Kaur (Violin).
Tera Naam Rooro Roop Rooro,
Ath Rang Rooro Mero Rameeaa
View Shabad Translation - Download - More by Hari Bhajan Kaur
Wahe Guru Wahe Jio
Chanting Waheguru while the Granthi does Sukhasn after Gurdwara.
Kal Akal, Siri Akal, Maha Akal,
Akal Murath, Wahe Guru
This is a very energetic recording as the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is carried in procession to the Guru’s room after Sukhasn. You can hear the deep beat of the huge Nagara drum along with the rhythmic tabla.
Get MrSikhNet by Email
