- Meet Our SPN'er in Focus -
- (Fortnight Dec 1,2009 to Dec 15, 2009) -
Harbans Singh
Username : harbansj24
- (Fortnight Dec 1,2009 to Dec 15, 2009) -
Harbans Singh
Username : harbansj24
- Please tell us about your first experiences of Sikhi (either in your family or as a convert).
I also find Gurbani sung by ragis to be soul stirring; and good kathavachaks’ interpretations of Gurbani, truly inspiring.
- What events and experiences inspired you to continue on your journey learning about Sikhism, and deepening your understanding?
- If you could name one thing about Sikhism that is most important to you (something that you would never give up) what would it be?
- Were there individuals who were role models, who taught you how to be and live as a Sikh?
- Who may have motivated you to learn more about Sikhism?
- Did you ever experience barriers as you continued on your journey?
Then after doing all this they would say that practice of any religion is futile as it breeds only hatred towards fellow human beings. They would say reading scriptures or going to places of worship is a shear waste of time; or that maintaining religious identity like kesh, tilak, janaeu, etc. is unnecessary and only serves to widen the gap between fellow humans.
- Thinking of yourself today as a Sikh, how do you live Sikhism in your own way?
- How do you understand Seva to the Guru and to the Panth, in your own words and in your own experience?
Once you start experiencing this process of cleansing, you do automatically start differentiating right from wrong, and tend to start treading the right path. Once you start treading the right path, you automatically start doing Seva to Guru. Seva to Guru in my view is same as Seva to Panth.
- What is the most difficult part of being a Sikh?
- Is there anything else you would like to share with the Readers?
- What are the Top 5 Critical Things That You Would Love to See for SPN Members!
My humble suggestions are:
1. Whenever controversial issues are being discussed on the forum, such as Dasam Granth, Sikh Rehat Maryada, etc., caution may be exercised by prefacing the discussions with a comment that freewheeling discussions are being allowed to elicit maximum views in order to find points of agreements and to narrow down the differences. It could be clarified that the forum has an open mind on the issues. This will help in removing any misunderstandings on sensitive issues that might frighten away newcomers on the forum.
2. A majority of the forum members are quite young, and I think only a few are above 50. This is a welcome sign. It gives a fresh perspective to issues and exposes the older members to winds of change, though initially it may be a bit traumatic for them.
However, the older members, especially from India, may not be very IT savvy and may feel intimidated from visiting the site and expressing themselves. Thus, the forum may be missing out on valuable experience of a lifetime spent in Sikhi. However many of them may be able to send and receive basic e-mails in text form. It may help if the basic e-mail format is available so that such persons may contribute to one thread at a time—also with an email alert sent to them when a response is received on their post.
3. A very large majority of Sikhs are citizens of India. However, the numbers of forum members from India are very few in comparison. For better or for worse these Sikhs in India will continue as citizens of India in the foreseeable future. Forum members who are not from India must be sensitized to this aspect if more members are desired from India.
4. Persons who wish to start a new thread and who are in “threaded mode” may find it difficult to figure out how to post the new article because the “New Article” button is not prominently displayed in this mode. But this is not a problem in the “linear mode” since this button is prominently displayed. Is it not possible to display this button in threaded mode?
5. These days the number of new threads or articles is substantial, with the result that if not much discussion has taken place it goes off screen, and if one has not contributed to the discussion, then it becomes difficult to locate the article after some time. Is it possible to archive all articles date-wise and subject-wise?
Guru Nanak Ang 20
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਲਾਹੀਐ ਹਉਮੈ ਨਿਵਰੀ ਭਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
guramukh naam salaaheeai houmai nivaree bhaahi ||1|| rehaao ||
The Gurmukh praises the Naam, and the fire of egotism is extinguished. ||1||Pause||
ਸੁਣਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਗੰਢਣੁ ਗੰਢੀਐ ਲਿਖਿ ਪੜਿ ਬੁਝਹਿ ਭਾਰੁ ॥
sun sun gandtan gandteeai likh parr bujhehi bhaar ||
Again and again, we hear and tell stories; we read and write and understand loads of knowledge,
ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਅਗਲੀ ਹਉਮੈ ਰੋਗੁ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
thrisanaa ahinis agalee houmai rog vikaar ||
but still, desires increase day and night, and the disease of egotism fills us with corruption.
ਓਹੁ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ਅਤੋਲਵਾ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਕੀਮਤਿ ਸਾਰੁ ॥੨॥
ouhu vaeparavaahu atholavaa guramath keemath saar ||2||
That Carefree Lord cannot be appraised; His Real Value is known only through the Wisdom of the Guru's Teachings. ||2||
ਲਖ ਸਿਆਣਪ ਜੇ ਕਰੀ ਲਖ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਮਿਲਾਪੁ ॥
lakh siaanap jae karee lakh sio preeth milaap ||
Even if someone has hundreds of thousands of clever mental tricks, and the love and company of hundreds of thousands of people
ਬਿਨੁ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਸਾਧ ਨ ਧ੍ਰਾਪੀਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਦੂਖ ਸੰਤਾਪੁ ॥
bin sangath saadhh n dhhraapeeaa bin naavai dhookh santhaap ||
still, without the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, he will not feel satisfied. Without the Name, all suffer in sorrow.