Tag Archive for 'Poetry'

Where the Sun Sets

Published
by
Gurumustuk Singh
on August 17, 2007
in 2007 Picks, Events and Videos
. 3 Comments

During the Jaap Sahib course here in Espanola earlier this month, Gurutej Singh (founder of Akal Security) started his class with a poem from his poetry book titled "Children of the Cusp". The book is a collection of poetry describing life on a spiritual path in this modern age, here in the west. The poems describe the spread of Sikh Dharma to the west and the reflections of a student. This is an awesome book of poetry that is really moving.

This poem titled "Where the Sun Sets" is about Guru Gobind Singh (Rishi Dusht Daman) and his "Job" of coming back to earth to change humanity.

Download: Video  / Audio

The Game of Love

Published
by
Guruka Singh
on July 14, 2007
in Guruka Singh, Reviews and Yogi Bhajan
. 0 Comments

Over the past two years I have been blessed to serve as editor of a new collection of poetry written by the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan. Just as the Furmaan Khalsa gathered together all his Gurmukhi poetry, this volume is a compilation of all his poetry written in English. It’s called, "The Game of Love." You can read excerpts from the book and also order it. -Guruka Singh

 

Yogi Bhajan, also known as the Siri Singh Sahib, was a man of vast knowledge and infinite facets of being. By Guru’s grace, I was blessed to be married to him. He was a master of Kundalini Yoga, a master of business and philosophy, a devoted husband and father and a spiritual master to millions; and as revealed in this book, he was a brilliant poet and master linguist.

On those days on which he was inspired to recite poetry, he would usually begin with a single line, followed by a moment of silence, and then, succeeding lines would flow from him like a fountain — rhythmically, gracefully, and his voice melodic, like a song. Within every poem that he uttered was an ocean of philosophy, worthy of becoming an entire PhD research topic!

- Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa

“If you want to play the game of love, walk on my street. 

Put your head in your hand as an offering ― headless, egoless. 

Those who walk on this path have no hesitation.”  Guru Nanak

“Cyber Sikh”

Published
by
Gurumustuk Singh
on March 22, 2007
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

     By Harmohanjit Singh Pandher
    From the book, "Sugar, Steel and the Maple Leaf" 

    "What does the command ‘www’ truly mean   
    In the land of our personal computer screen?

    If the ‘World Wide Web’ is our cursor’s first reply
    Then it’s high time to reboot our frozen third eye.

    For, ‘Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru’ is the key,
    To breaking the binary code containing life’s mystery.

    Even the information superhighway isn’t immune
    To the Webmaster who launched the sun and the moon.

    Bill Gates may have developed Microsoft Word,
    Yet Guru Nanak revealed the Light of God’s Word.

    Material things lay within a double click of the mouse,
    But priceless joy is programmed into every Sikh house.

    Silicon Valley produces Pentiums in plenty of piles,
    While only the Almighty rids viruses in all of life’s files.

    And though the system that won’t crash is solely the Nam,
    Nowadays everyone’s printing cash by adding ‘dot.com’.

    Yet in this modern era known as the Information Age,
    Our planet is still blinded by injustice, ignorance and rage.

    What good are breakthroughs in microchips and megabytes,
    If millions are persecuted and denied basic human rights?

    So let’s delete the evil emails from our innermost inbox,
    Send out messages of compassion in our everyday talks.

    Link up with the Lord by logging onto His Interface,
    Make our mind’s modem the Guru’s guiding grace.

    Surf the Guru Granth and then take that leap of faith,
    Store its Divine Data deep in our soul to keep it safe.

    Clear our heart’s hard drive of all our hatred and ego,
    Download the sacred software of love…and away we go."

Love of Poetry and Sikhi

Published
by
Gurumustuk Singh
on March 9, 2007
in Audio
. 3 Comments

Guru Kirn Kaur from Phoenix, Arizona wrote a beautiful book of poetry titled "Pure Longing Fulfilled". She not only does poetry but is a really good artist. and had made some amazing paintings. I was reading through her poetry book today and picked out a few poems that I liked. Here are two recordings of me reading the poems by Guru Kirn Kaur.

After I finished recording the poems I felt like every time I spoke to Arjan or Narayan I had to rhyme my words. It was a funny feeling. Poetry has such a unique way of conveying a message.

If Guru Nanak Came Back Today 

Download 

Daily Bread 

Download 

 

More Poetry by Guru Kirn Kaur Khalsa 

Victory March

Published
by
Guruka Singh
on December 25, 2006
in Furmaan Khalsa and Yogi Bhajan
. 10 Comments

Victory March
       (Charat Charain)

The Waves of Life roll on …
No one can ever stop them.

Life marches onwards …
There is no one who can stop it.

The Cosmic Laws of Life,
Come from the Heavenly planes.

Who could ever tire of living a Life like this?
But there are many travellers and many guides who have been left behind in the dust.

I, Narindar Pal, sustained by God, walk with steps that never tire.
The Golden Ray of the Inner Sun ever shines within me.
The Silver Ray of the Goddess Moon casts away all darkness.

My Light is God’s Light.
My Story is God’s Story.
The True Guru, the Guru’s essence, lives within my words.
My home is the Sound Current.
My Pranas come from the heavens.
I come from the Infinite One,
And, though all the world may try,
My story cannot be told.

Oh, People! Don’t try to stop me!
Truth is my profession. Samadhi is my consciousness.
I am called Narshima, Ravana, and Narindar Pal.
I bow my forehead wherever the True Guru lives, And utter Har, Har!

Entering into Samadhi, the Yogi says:
We came into the world uttering Har! Har! Har!
Let us never have to visit here again!

Written in the first person as "Narinder Pal," this autobiographical poem is filled with a sense of irrestible and triumphant strength. Narshima was an incarnation of Vishnu, a fierce warrior who killed the wicked king Harnaksh. King Harnaksh forbade all worship of God in his kingdom, because he wanted his people to worship only him. Harnaksh’s son was Prahlad, a devoted man of God who worshipped the Infinite One in the form of Lord Vishnu. It was just as the evil king was about to kill his own son that Narshima stepped in and saved Prahlad’s life. In the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, Narshima is referred to as the "man-lion," and the Guru uses him as the symbol of one who has overcome his animal nature and perfected the power of his human consciousness. Ravana was the demon king who stole Sita from Lord Rama (another of Lord Vishnu’s incarnations.) Ravana is the symbol of the violent, kinetic, unbridled ego. In this poem from the Furmaan Khalsa, the Siri Singh Sahib is saying that people call him many things. Some see him as a hero and some see him as a demon. But in the midst of people’s judgements he simply bows his forehead wherever the True Guru lives and utters the True Name.

…..Guruka Singh

Life

Published
by
Guruka Singh
on December 21, 2006
in Furmaan Khalsa and Yogi Bhajan
. 8 Comments

ZindageeHere is yet another poem from "Furmaan Khalsa" by Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji. Some of the poems in this volume are so short and simple, and yet they are also very profound and deeply touching. Let me know if you enjoy them, and if so, I’ll keep on posting some more of them as I have the time.

…..Guruka Singh


Life

Life is Flowing…

Moment to moment…

Flow with it,

And be sheltered from the hassles

Of time and space.

Life is full of Power…

Live it…

From breath…

To breath! 

 

ANSWERING THE CALL

Published
by
Gurumustuk Singh
on October 22, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

Here is another poem by Gurukirin Kaur from the same book "Pure Longing Fulfilled" which is a beautiful book of art and poetry. This poem tells the story from March of 1996 when Gurukirin Kaur and a group of American & Indian Amritdhari women were (somewhat) allowed to do the ishnaan seva at the Golden Temple under the protection and guidance of Singh Sahib Bhai Manjit Singh, the then acting-Jathedar of the Akal Takhat.

Answering the Call
by Gurukirin Kaur Khalsa

From the Head Jathedar had come the call,
For women to wash the floors
Of the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar,
The Golden Temple, whose four doors
Face the four corners of the world,
As open as heaven’s gate,
Except in the earliest hours of the morn,
When women are made to wait
Outside while men alone clean the dust
Left by the holy saint’s feet.
Yet now, his call had come to us,
This sacred rite to complete.

From the West, we made the trip
To the holy nectar tank.
Bowed our heads, took a sip and a dip
And humbly gave our thanks
For this chance to honor the God in all,
Regardless of race, gender, or caste.
By answering the Jathedar’s call
We truly felt that at last
Women would be honored as in Nanak’s song
Of Bandh Jameeai,
And she who had been separated for so long
Would be bathed in the Guru’s ray.

Fireworks burst over the water that night,
During the reading of Kirtan Sohila,
In honor of this, the very first time
That women would perform this seva.
And so with hearts glad and spirits high,
We dressed in our best for the occasion.
Walking down from the Nivas, we felt we could fly,
No doubt, no hesitation
Entered our minds as we bowed our foreheads
And welcomed the cool marble’s kiss.
We felt that the hand of destiny had led
Us to this experience of bliss.

Continue Reading The Poem

PURE LONGING

Published
by
Gurumustuk Singh
on October 21, 2005
in Sikh Role Models
. 15 Comments

Here is a beautiful poem and painting by Gurukirin Kaur relating to the longing of women to do seva inside Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple).

It’s really sad to see that this isn’t allowed, and continues to be a political thing. Even though in Sikhi one of our most basic beliefs is equality of Gender. How can we say this if at our most sacred temple it is quite contrary. It doesn’t set a good example for people to follow, and for me gives no confidence in the "leadership" there in Punjab. No wonder most Sikh youth don’t have an interest in being a Sikh! (not to put all the blame on them…but it does have an impact).

I must not understand the issues in India…but it seems like a no brainer. Does anyone know some of the reasons why people appose women doing seva and playing Gurbani Kirtan inside Harmandir sahib? Most of the things I have heard don’t make sense and are so backward. It’s like it is a "Platinum Exclusive Club" and they don’t want others to be able to get in. We have to stand up to this thinking and make our voice heard. At the very least, let others know. Quite a few people I meet don’t even know that women can’t do this seva or play kirtan. When they find out…they can’t believe it!

Anways… here is the poem.


By Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa

Harimandir Sahib longs for the touch of Thy mothers,
Thy sisters, daughters, and all the others,
Who bow each day to Siri Guru Granth,
Following the path of the Khalsa Panth,
Who enter freely through all four doors,
Except when it is time to clean the floors.

In those holiest hours when it is such
A beautiful time to serve and touch
The marble where the saints have walked,
Why must those gilded doors be locked
To women alone, the Guru’s daughters,
Cleansed by Thy Word and Thy Holy Waters?

The women of Bibi Bhani’s line,
And those descended from Mata Sahib Kaur’s time,
Gather as one to utter this prayer:
"O compassionate Guru of infinite care,
Let all Sikhs enact this holy rite,
As all are immaculate in Thy sight."

Download the poem as a wallpaper
Read updates and background info on the seva issue

The above poem and artwork is from the book of poetry titled "Pure Longing Fulfilled" by Gurukirin Kaur Khalsa.

"This is a work of great depth and originality in which Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa combines her inspiring poetry, exquisite paintings and photography for the first time in one volume. Both witty and wise, she brings a refreshing perspective to the expression of the soul’s longing for the infinite. Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa is an Award-winning poet and artist. She is a Sikh, and a juried member of Arizona Artists Guild, and a member of the Interfaith Action Coalition. Available in hardcover or softcover"