"There's no good people in the world..."

During Dastaar Day in London on Sunday, I met Bhai Amrik Singh is a Sikh Chaplain working at Heathrow Airport who shared an inspirational story...

During Guru Arjan Dev jee's Shaheedi purb (martyrdom day) the Sikhs working at Heathrow airport decided to give out free ice creams to the public and at the same time give out a small and simple leaflet about the Gurpurb. Sikh volunteers got on the buses and gave out free ice-creams to the passengers and then handed over the small leaflet. At the end the bottom of the leaflet was Bhai Amrik Singh jee's contact details and phone number.

One young lady who was given a free ice-cream on the bus rang Bhai Amrik Singh that evening. She said,
"Hi, I got a free ice-cream today and got your number from the leaflet. I was going through a really bad day. I am going through a divorce and I am feeling depressed and sad about life and the world. I was thinking there's no good people in the world, when a lovely Sikh man offered me a free ice-cream. I got home and remembered I was given a leaflet. I read the leaflet and found out about Guru Arjan Dev. Reading the leaflet has changed me. I thought my pain and suffering was bad, but reading about Guru Arjan Dev everything got put in perspective. What I was going through was nothing like what the Guru went through. I couldn't believe and get over how he said, "I accept God's Will sweetly" whilst going through so much torture. I just wanted to say thanks for making me realise this and changing my life."

Bhai Sahib said that since they have commemorated the Gurpurb in this way every year and do similar things for other Gurpurbs.



Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!

Without Amrit is the world losing the game?...

Below is another question asked by someone which Bhai Balpreet Singh jee (Toronto) kindly answered with Guru Jee's Kirpaa. Daas felt like sharing this question answer with the Sangat...

Question:
"If Sikhi is the true religion and without Amrit Sach Khand or absorption into God is not possible, then this means most of the world is playing a losing game. But why would God put all humans to a test he knew hardly any of them would pass - does this not prove this concept to be questionable?"

Answer:
This interpretation of 'losing game' is based on the Semitic idea that we only have one shot at life and then either hell or heaven. The game is much longer and complicated than that. We come to Sikhi through great karma and kirpa (grace) from past lives. Others who haven't' found Sikhi aren't condemned. If they do good karma perhaps they will get Sikhi in a future life. So indeed, we are where we are in Sikhi today because we too are players in this 'losing game'. It would only truly be losing if this was our only shot, like the Christians and Muslims believe.

Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!

My Faith - Brainwashed or the Truth?...

Below is a question asked by someone which Bhai Balpreet Singh jee (Toronto) kindly answered with Guru Jee's Kirpaa. Daas felt like sharing this question answer with the Sangat...

Question:
"I recently watched a documentary about a man who claimed he was God, he in this way had brainwashed many people to believe the same, he of course was lying for his own benefit. However it got me thinking that just as those people were convinced he was God, in the same way am I brainwashed to believe in my faith? Each faith claims to be the ultimate truth however which faith is? How do I know that I am not brainwashed just like those in the video. I never question my religion as it is taboo, but if for example Islam says the same then no woman would stand up and is it not the same if I don't stand up."

Answer:
Brainwashing: the difference between Sikhi and that man who claims he is God is that Sikh attaches us to Shabad whereas that man was attaching people to himself. Guru Sahib never attached us to personality, shabad was always the Guru. Guru Sahib encourages us to experience Shabad ourselves. The result isn't' something we have to wait for after death but something we can have in life. Looking at cults and other faiths, the question is whether I am incurring some pain or loss of status due to following my faith. If I am a low caste Hindu, I follow my faith because although I am low now, in the next life I will do better. If I am a Muslim woman, I accept I am subservient but I will get my reward in the afterlife. Sikhi doesn't' ask you to do anything in this life which would be negative or accept a position which is to your detriment. Sikhi is "halt sukh, palt sukh" or sukh here and sukh hereafter. Everything Sikhi asks you to do is for your own benefit. So just ask yourself whether being a Sikh is a detriment to you and whether it benefits a third party.

Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!

Importance of Maa Boli...

When Your Language Dies...
Posted by: Bhai Atma Singh (UK)

"One language system is lost every two weeks. Of 6,000 known human languages, half are in imminent danger of disappearing and 90% could be erased forever within a century." - United Nations Cultural Agency

"When a language dies,
the divine things,
stars, sun and moon,
the human things.
to think and to feel,
are no longer reflected
in this mirror.

When a language dies,
all that there is in this world,
oceans and rivers,
animals and plants,
do not think of them,
do not pronounce their names;
they do not exist now.

When a language dies,
the window and the door
are closed up
to all the people of the world,
no longer will they be shown
a different way
to name the divine and human things which is what it means
to be and to live
on the earth.

When a language dies,
its words of love,
intonations of pain and caring,
perhaps the old songs,
the old stories,
the speeches, the prayers,
no one no matter whom
will be able to repeat them again.

When a language dies,
then many have died,
and many more will die soon,
mirrors forever broken,
shadows of voices
forever silenced.
Humanity grows poorer
when a language dies."

- 'When a Language Dies', translated from the Aztec by Miguel Leon Portillo & John Ross.

Journey Back from Khalsa Camp 2011...

Inspiring video made by the Bradford Sangat showing the journey home back from camp. The Sangat got caught up in traffic due to various accidents that happened on the motorway and got home really late. With Guru jee's Kirpaa the campers did keertan throughout the journey and then got of the bus and offered food and drink to the people stuck in the cars. Waheguru.

Dhan Hai Guru! Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!

Khalsa Camp 2011...

Khalsa Camp UK took place from 26th to 31st August. As always the camp was a great inspiration and 6 days of pure bliss! What makes Khalsa Camp special is the elder Gursikhs that are there who share their wealth of knowledge, experience and pyaar. With Guru Sahib's kirpaa this year's camp was well attended with approximately 350 to 400 people at the camp. The majority of campers were new campers. There were campers from South America, Canada, Finland, Holland, India, Germany, Ireland and from across the UK.

This year the talks were based around the Khalsa. The talks included 'Romance of Enlightened Soul' by Dr. Daljeet Singh Virk (Derby); 'Rehit Pyaaree Mujh Ko'; Khalsa being relevant to the modern world by Bhai Satnam Singh (Gravesend); Life of the Khalsa by Bhai Surjit Singh jee (India); Qualities of a Gursikh by Bhenji Mandeep Kaur (Army Chaplain); Leadership and the Khalsa by Bhai Harinder Singh (USA); Sikh history and heritage by Bhai Jasprit Singh (V&A Museum); 'Moving Forward' by Bhai Joginder Singh (Leicester). With Guru Sahib's kirpaa the camp was great.

Below are some photos (taken from Bhenji Harsimrat Kaur's Flickr):


Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaaj - Amritvela


Talk by Dr. Daljeet Singh Virk


Talk - Romance of Enlightened Soul


Talk by Sikh Organisation of Prisoner Welfare.


Talk - Rehit Pyaaree Mujh Ko


High ropes


Low ropes


The Big Bounce


Bhai Sahib and campers playing Table Tennis.


Gurbani workshop with Giani Kulvinder Singh jee


Workshop with Bhai Surjeet Singh jee


Veer Ravjeet Singh making announcements


Bhai Satnam Singh (Gravesend) doing a talk on how the Khalsa is a social activist of the world


Bhenji Mandeep Kaur doing a talk


Children's crèche.


Evening Simran by Veer Amritpal Singh


Evening keertan by Jasleen Kaur



Evening divaan.


Bhenji Sangeet Kaur doing keertan.


Sangat.


Guru Jee leaving camp site.




Dhan Hai Guru, Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee!