Gurvinderpal Singh

I found this sweet sakhi on Sikh sangat.com
its really interesting =)

Once Bahadar Shah asked Guru Gobind Singh Jee:
“In Islam it is believed that if any person, despite how deviant, evil or sinful becomes a Muslim and instills withing faith on the Prophet Muhammad, reads the Kalma (verse from the Qu’ran) that in the Court of Allah that person’s sins and misdeeds will be washed away. Guru Sahib what are your views on this?”

Before answering, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib pulled out a coin from his pocket. He then gave it to his Sikh and signaled him to buy something from the Bazar (Market) with it.

A few minutes later, the Sikh returned back from the market. The Sikh came to Guru Sahib and said:
“Maharaj, this coin was not accepted at the Market.”

Satguru Jee picked up the coin and looking at said, “Why is this coin not accepted at the Bazar? It is made by the Emperor’s mint, and Bahadar Shah’s stamp is on it. Its outward appearance is also okay. So why wasn’t it accepted at the Bazar? Pass the coin to Bahadar Shah for him to have a look at it ask him to tell us what is wrong or lacking in this coin.”

It is said that while holding and examining the coin, Bahadar Shah said to Guru Jee, “Maharaj it is true that this coin was minted in my taksal (mint), that it is has been stamped and that the print is perfectly correct. Everything is okay. However despite this, the coin will be accepted in the Market because however the amount of pure gold there should be coating the coin, is insufficient in this one . Basically its inside is false, wrong.”

Guru Gobind Singh Jee then said to Bahadar Shah, “Badshah, you have now received the answer to your question.”

He replied:
“Maharaj, I don’t understand. Please explain to me in deeper detail.”

Satguru Jee said:
“Despite, whichever taksal (mint) the coin is minted and stamped by, If the coin is “kohtta”, false or inaccurate inside, it will not be accepted in the market. Similiarly if a person is “kohtta”, false, inside then he will not be accepted in the Court of Waheguru, despite whether he has the stamp of being a Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. Whether stamped as Christian or labelled as another religion, if we are not pure inside then we are not worthy of being accepted in God’s court.”

i thought i’d share this with ya’ll, its the lavaan, other wise known as the four rounds around the Guru let see
oh i went to Wordle and just got a translation of
the Lavaan, and just created one of these cool designs. perhaps it could make an awesome
wall paper, here is the Original Size

As of right now i sit in the offices of Sikhnet LLC, working on random tasks, which ease the transition of Sikhnet to its new version 2.0. its been about two and half days working here, trying to find my niche, in where i fit in the office. It still surprises me how much this team does, with only 3 people here in Espanola and one person in Chandigarh.
Yet some interesting highlights which occurred with in the past two days…
• yesterday We (Gurumustuk, Gurujot, and I) interviewed Ms. Shanti Kaur Ji, it was so amazing.

now its been a real busy week, and now Gurujot is in the UK.  i just have to catch up with video editing and other random tidbits…

now well yesterday i went on a 8 mile mountain hike, to celebrate memorial day or was it  labor day.  i wasn’t too certain, but it took 4 hours to climb up 4 miles….  coming back was rather excitingly dangerous.   if we were delayed by another 15 minutes we would have hiked the last mile in the complete darkness…

well i have to get back to work. take care yall.

originally this was going to be my “review of DWF” how ever i realized that it turned out to be a blog post instead of a review…. thus the confusing narrative intro….




I am not too sure where to begin, but i guess i will begin on how i met ms. valarie kaur. It was 4 years ago, Valarie Ji and I met at the ECAASU conference, which was sponsored by the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA. I remember that day as if it were yesterday, it was such an amazing time meeting her, even though that was the first time i met her, its like we knew each other all our lives, most likely from a past life…We narrated our experiences as, I being a 1st generation, and her being a 3rd generation Punjabi Sikh American , and the frustrations we had trying to find a balance of which part of sikhi and punjabi culture was us and how to integrate this with out fellow Americans…

As a fellow Religious Studies major, I also remember asking Ms. Valarie’s advice on how to introduce Sikhism to my professors and students, and with her knowledge and experience she was able to give me the confidence to go forth and make that vision/dream a reality…anyways, we parted…. over the span of four years we kept in touch here and there, with a few emails almost drifted apart… but the divine had other plans… oddly enough , this past fall i relocated to Atlanta, GA apparently i wasn’t the only one…. Ms. Tracy Wells, DWF’s director of communication, also moved down to Atlanta as well =) Luckily we kept in contact with one another, and i asked her, when is Ms Valarie coming to Ga ?
She said in a month, i got so excited, then the weekend before ms valarie came, we all coordinated…

So this past tuesday Ms Valarie Kaur Ji was screening her undergrad, which also was a spring board for her, graduate work “Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath” . the site. at Emory University. It was rather interesting as i board the Atlanta Metro Light Rail, MARTA, to Decatur. I was not too sure what to expect, considering the last time Valarie and I met was a little under four years prior, yet the only way i was truely keeping up with Valarie ji, was through her blog, and through facebook. so then i arrived at the Decatur stop, and called Ms. Tracy, Valarie’s classmate from her years at Harvard Divinity school, =) but yea so they told me that they were going to be there shortly….

so i just sat on the bench and got lost writing with in my moleskin…. i was actually writing about the 1st pauree of jap ji, on Sochay Soch nah Hoee, then i actually wrote soch, then all off a sudden i was brought back to my senses and completly grounded to Ms. Valarie Ji’s loud stomp and warm fateh =) i look up and there valarie ji was with her usual smile on her face =)…. then we got in Tracy’s car and went off to “tossed” this amazing restaurant, which specialized in salads=).

During lunch we all caught up on the excitement and maturing we all went through over the past four years. Its so funny, how everyone with in society yet some how our friends or even people meet we somehow let our guards down and we just trust them. Or is some how you automatically know what your fellow human being is going through, for if its through the same testing that we all have this same out look upon life that we are not too sure how exactly it occurred it just happened to happen by itself.

Especially as we transition into the Aquarian Age, Those people meant to serve and uplift have had a bitter sweet blessing of having all their hardships come now and are learning how to endure, that way when everyone else goes through the runt and chaos, we (with God’s and Guru’s blessing) will be able to uplift and serve, or as Valarie’s Grandfather states “naam dhaan ishnaan” – through You only get Divinity if you help others or take action.

]These times remind me of What SatGuru Nanak Dev Ji went through in his life, and his own personal revelations and truths, in how he realized that he was God incarnate sent upon this earth, then after he gets the “Brahmgyan” (Supreme God Consciousness) he acts and spreads the message of Ek Ong Kaar (There is only one God…. and we are all Thy’s Creation….) instead of those Siddhis and Riddhis and those Yogis, that stayed with in the mountains of India, secluded from the world, they were able to help and do seva (Selfless seva) yet their spiritual ego was so high, that they did not care… and they just wanted people to worship them.. it was Guru Nanak Dev Ji that confronted them and asked them what was the point of these riddhs and siddhs if they weren’t even able to recognize that God was infront of them… (these dialogues are with in Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with in the Bani of Siddh Ghost (ang 950 i think?) also with in Bhai Gurdaasa Di Vaar) .



I was able to finally see Valarie’s film after four long years. I had no idea it was so amazing. Sharut and her did an amazing job, it was sad to see valarie ji leave and go off too TX for the obama campaign.

anyways i’ll write more but i’ve been- seriously neglecting a midterm due tomorrow at noon. i still have 7 more pages to write… and well hopefully my goal is to have these done by midnight tonight that way i’ll be able to go to Durham NC and see ms snatam kaur ji play at NC gurdwara.

now its official, i’ve got the unofficial welcome to Atlanta… Last night sometime between Midnight through Sunrise, my car was broken in to. The thief was only interested in my CD Player and all my CDs , which i bought from Spirit Voyage booth at this year’s Winter Solstice. So all and all… i got a broken Window, Stolen CD Player and finally 3 CDs, roughly 160 Dollars worth of stuff. The Automobile window repairman just finished installing my car window…. i can’t help to laugh that the track that i was listening to was Har Bhajan Kaur’s Track Sarab Nirantar Nirantar Ji…

As I read the words and try to assimilate and comprehend the Divine word and Divinity of Guru Ram Daas Ji… I have a hard time figuring that even with in this thief Waheguru resides. It so weird and sad that in this day , that we say oh God we love we Love you, but as soon as something happens and we get frustrated we start pointing fingers and blame the other person for our Misery, yet we fail to realize that the only one we have to blame is ourselves…

Looking further for the answer to my question of how and why? my soul automatically starts hearing Jap Ji specifically this pauree….

Its so odd but now it makes sense… Even with in this thief perse you were with him Guru Ji, Sabh Mai Jot Jot Hai Sohee, as you told us and tell us every night =) its so odd and i felt kind of bad for the thief because the CDs he or she stole were all of keertan… perhaps his/her soul was yearning to sing God’s praises =) …

titles such as Destiny By Yogi Bhajan Ji, The Journey Home By GuruNam Singh , and finally Servant of the Heart By Sat Hari Singh and Hari Bhajan Kaur… i can’t just help it, it makes me laugh how all this was planned, the Servant of the Heart was Destinied for Thy’s Journey Home lol….. God really has an awesome sense of humor, i kid you not. It just as if the thief’s soul and the wanted to sing and hear God’s praises….

It was kinda of frustrating that i was about to curse the thief then i remembered how  the pauree before hand, Guru Ji describes those fortunate Souls which get the bliss and pyaar from doing the proper things in life….

this is such a strong contrast, with  in earlier this week,  where i was so fortunate and well Guru Ji completely covered me or “poora rakhed” me, It was so weird on Monday when I was working on two papers for class in the library, and a Punjabi Bhenna was shocked that i was punjabi, she thought i was a “Persian Sufi Mystic =)” simply hilarious lol…. Then on Tuesday my Level 1 KRI Teacher training book came in the mail , then on Wednesday  I had to give a presentation on “Ethical Behavior & Public Trust” Guru Ji still held me close…..  then later Weds night the break in….  I am so grateful to Rabh’s Mehr and Kirpa on my bemukhness & pakhandhi ways,  still waheguru lets me worship Thy… i’m so not worth it….

I still can’t get over the get over the stark contrast of the week and of how the paurees of 17th and 18th are right beside each other with in Japji, just the same way how little children and Adults ask “If there’s a God, why is there suffering?”  Yet then at the very next pauree:

Guru Nanak Dev Ji explains it as with Out God’s Divinity there’s nothing… Nothing is Good Nothing is Bad…. cause its all from Thy….  its so amazing i can’t help but laughing in the sense there so much contract with in this World and its so amazing how Guru Ji maharaj just states it like that with in Bani =). it still amazes me that its only been roughly 500 years since this was written and even back then , things were as crazy as they are now a days =)

Also it was weird last night there was a Full Lunar Eclipse along with Mercury went in retrograde as well, oh the times are a changing, as we progress into the transition into the new Age of Aquarius, so much more crazy things are happening.  In the end i still feel really bad about the theif, because even though those CDs cost me 60 bucks, at the Pawn Shop he’ll barely get 15 probably….  anyways where ever you are thief i hope you are doing well and i hope that it will be in your Destiny that  you shall listen to the keertan,  and it shall Serve Your Heart and Lead you to your Journey Home….

Bull CHuk Maaf Karnee

Waheguru ji ka khalsa  waheguru ji ki fateh,

Akaal

well heres something i’ve been thinking about for the past couple of days… weeks… well years, especially when i came in to Sikhi… its one of the things that drew me to Sikhi… and it was something Akaali Jathedhar Bhai Sahib Sukha Singh Nihang ji, spoke about in his Inspiration to the Panth Katha.   its the treatment of women with in Sikhi.  

Some of us have heard this shabad from Maharaj, within Asa Di Vaar.  

 Now i may be biased because i was raised by my punjabi mother, but its  a weird thing.  Its kind of a sad thing to admit but most of the punjabi males, (sikh, hindu, and muslim) i’ve come across, have had raised their hand against their wives.  Now i know i’m putting my self in hot water once again, but anyways…

So now i dont even know how to say this because its really bad and i can’t even stomach the thought of it.  or i can not even write it, with out offending everyone who reads this.  So i’ll say it anyway, so one of the reasons why our sisters are leaving the panth and marrying with other faiths is simple, they do not want to get beat by their husbands.  Believe me because growing up in that type of household, definitely traumatizes  childrens’ minds.  Then when the child grows up they would think most punjabi male suitors would probably beat them or not respect them.  Or even allow them to flourish with in their own divinity.  

another thing is that Alot of punjabis wonder, how come 3HO sikhs don’t interact that often with the punjabi counterpart.  in the sense of marriage, why aren’t there any mixed punjabi and american sikh couples…. its rather simple in the past , during the late 70s and early 90s alot 3ho Bhen jis actually married alot of Punjabi males, what wound up happening was simple Majority of the punjabi males beat their wives, so then soon after all of the marriages ended in divorce.  Then word spread around 3HO and warned them to Stay away from punjabi men, inlieu of getting caught in an abusive relationship. 

 Its also really weird with in punjabi culture that if a woman is seen as divorced, then its socially unfit and that she’s bad or evil. Also with in sangat she is viewed as a bad person, so in most of these cases of abusive relationships, the wife is stuck in this horrible marriage with an abusive relationship.  Her parents usually don’t speak up and tell her to just deal with. But when she decides to leave the union, she gets labeled as the bad person.  and her husband says “Oh she deserved it because she wasn’t listening to me, or she spoke up to me, she wasn’t being an obedient wife”…

 when will realize that we have to treat our women properly and respect them for when we raise our hand against our bhena, we are raising a hand against our own divinity.  also when you look at  Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s writings, he speaks about shakti and the importance of female energy.  Maharaj also said never to raise your hand against your wife, she’s your equal not your subordinate.    

Sangat ji how can this keep on happening in our panth, women are not our shoes, the hell where did this happen, considering the UN Declaration of Human rights, US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, these basic human rights and values and social justice, is what the Sikh Gurus taught and practiced, as the Jyot passed from Guru Nanak Dev JI to Guru Angad Ji to Guru Amar Das Ji to Guru Ram Daas Ji to Guru Arjan Dev Ji to Guru Hargobind Ji to Guru Har Rai to Guru Harkrishan Ji to Guru Tegh Bhadhur ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji then finally to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.   it took over 200 years to teach and practice these teachings of divinity and social justice…

its sad other nations have picked up on this, but now somehow we have forgotten, its so funny how these saaakis of the great valour of great gursikhs such as Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, who rescued the enslaved women of India, who were going to get sold off to Arab princes and all over afghanistan.  yet when it comes to our own sisters and mothers and daughters…. we just don’t give them that simple honor or respect. 

 After morning sadhana i have feel as if i have to explain my rational of the comparison of punjabi sikhs to 3ho, i am not trying to  create a division with in the panth, i’m just simply stating that this is one, that in the eyes of the west and the rest of the world Punjabis look like a bunch of barbaric peoples. ie other things such as Honour Killings, like this special which as aired upon National TV by msnbc how can we even dream of being as a united qaum, if we can’t even respect our better half….   Khalsa ji we really have to make an effort, and i pray to Guru Ji Maharaj that  those of our Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Grandmothers that may be stuck in this situation, may that have the strength of surviving and staying strong. Also Khalsa Ji I’m I know some of you may think oh how can you point this think out with in Punjabi Culture… its in every culture, its the result of the diaspora of punjab… there is still no excuse!!! this should not exist with in Sikhi period.  granted  this  may occur with in punjabi culture, there are other things too which i dont get, but that is a whole different type of matter