Do You Think You Are Khalsa?

[carolineislands]

When I mentioned good people from other paths it is just a way of remembering how inclusive the message of Guru Nanak was/is. And a reminder for myself (and whomever else may choose to use it) that we are all equal and no one person has the corner on holiness or uprightness. Also to remember how important it is to be mindful of the fact that it is so easy for ego to slip in, and any time we feel we are better than others, or more enlightened than others, or superior in any way then we are probably not. Just by virtue of the fact that we think of ourselves as superior or set apart is proof enough that we are not because it shows that our ego has taken over. And so by calling oneself "Khalsa" it does seem that a person would have to be very careful of their motives and the spirit with which they do that.

I agree with the statement that the meaning of the ceremony and that it 'awakens the Soul's awareness' is the most important part and that, after that, humility should follow.

I don't know if I'm jiving with the maryada or any of the doctrinal guidelines -- I'm coming from what I've read in the SGGS and the lives of the Gurus.

So pardon me if I am wrong but what I got from the OP was a concern that people were taking the name Khalsa lightly and perhaps were using it out of ego. Although, I agree that we should not judge each other, I also think that it is important to remember to be vigilant in guarding against the infiltration of ego into our motives concerning who we are or are not. I still believe that Guru Nanak's teachings were designed to break down barriers of inequality and that it would behoove us as humans (who are by nature given to a need to distinguish themselves) to try to be mindful of the nature of this battle between ego and true altruism, which requires unselfishness and humility.

I guess my thoughts on this issue come from my background in music, where a person has to be so careful not to start thinking of themselves as something better than others and if they do, their music loses its ability to touch anyone's heart.

Ego only needs a very small crack to weasle its way in.

At least for me.

Just my thoughts as a newbie.

 

[Astroboy]

Caroline Ji,

This article is in line with your reasoning.
Is "KHALSA" appropriate as a last name?

 

[Archived_Member1]

Caroline Ji,

This article is in line with your reasoning.
Is "KHALSA" appropriate as a last name?

keeping in mind that the website it's on believes that sikhism, when practiced by westerners, is a cult.

i wouldn't take their "articles" too seriously. i'm sure there's a less biased source out there.

 

[Astroboy]

Jasleen Ji,

You're right. As the saying goes, "the best lawyer wins the case." Convincing articles like this can twist and mix false intentions with true purposes to give an overall 'true' picture.

Good going, Jasleen.
I will take heed on this.

 

[carolineislands]

keeping in mind that the website it's on believes that sikhism, when practiced by westerners, is a cult.

i wouldn't take their "articles" too seriously. i'm sure there's a less biased source out there.

Do they believe that about any Westerners practicing Sikhi, or just 3HO?

 

[Archived_Member1]

Do they believe that about any Westerners practicing Sikhi, or just 3HO?

many people think the two are one and the same. however, they seem to be mainly biased against 3HO.

the reason i knew this site is that i used to think 3HO was cultish too... so i researched them looking for the "cult" label.
but the more i learned about them the less i felt that was true... i mean, what "cult" can survive the death of their leader/founder without falling apart? 3HO, on the other hand, seems to have blossomed. the "cult" lable seems to be mostly based on the fact that they wear distinctive dress (turbans) and are not christian.

i may not agree with everything they practice, but i think that calling them a cult and slandering them is a bit over the top.

plus, rick ross comes across as kind of paranoid and just plain mean at times, which always makes me suspicious.

 

[carolineislands]

Well if the proof is in the pudding then you can't say a whole lot of negative stuff about 3HO because they've raised some AWESOME kids, like Snatum Kaur, for one.

 

[carolineislands]

I just read some other stuff off that guy's website -- he is "ate up" (as my daughter would say). Lots of bitterness going on with him.

Pretty sad...

I do agree, now that I've read some of his stuff, that he is REALLY biased.

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

In Persian script Khalsa conssist of five letters:

(i) Khe or Kh stands for Khud or oneself.
(ii) Alif or A represents Akal purukh, Allah or God.
(iii) LAM or L signifies Labbaik, which means "What do you want with me? Here am I. What would you have?"
(iV) Swad or S alludes to Sahib or Lord or Master.
(v) it ends with either A. Alif or A points to Azadi or freedom.

[FONT=Helvetica, Times New Roman]T[/FONT]he word Khalsa, therefore has the sacredness of number five as well as the presence of God with his singhs both engaged in a pleasent conversation. God himself asks the singhs:
"What do you want from me? Here am I. What would you have?"The Singhs reply: "Lord! give us liberty."

Creation of the Khalsa

I have no affiliation with 3HO. I took amrit with Akhand Kirtani Jatha, so I try to humbly follow this Maryada. I am neither a supporter, nor an antagonist of 3HO or their naming practices. In Western countries, there are so many people with Surnames Singh and Kaur that it becomes problematic for id theft. Having 3 legal names instead of 2 is preferred. I could keep my birth surname, but it would denote a lot...ethnicity, social status, etc. Birth surnames really do open people to discrimination and even arrogance. How often in history have rosters of names been scoured for undesirable caste, creed, race to subject their bearers to violence? So I elected to remove my birth name completely. In this way I renounce all privilege and penalty. I can be neither persecutor nor persecuted except for my Sikh religion. And that is my solidarity with all persecuted people in history, who met with hatred because of a name.

I did not choose the name I now have. It was selected by my Punjabi friend when I got amrit chuk. The OP was concerning previous debates about people who remove kesh and consider themselves Sikhs. And the discussion revolved around the necessity or validity of amrit and Guru diksha. Hence the challenge regarding Khalsa as use in a surname.

I reiterate...are we worthy to be called Nirmal? Are we worthy to be called Amrit? Are we worthy to be called Gurshabad? Are we worthy to be called kaur? Are we worthy to be called Singh? Yet these are all accepted names which distinguish holy qualities we may not have, but strive to attain. Guruji was teaching us something about self-worth and Divine dignity with these names and qualities. He was elevating us to our highest inner potantial and truest spiritual nature.

Rather than criticizing our humble attempts at keeping a spiritual practice, it is explanatory in the very meaning of the word Khalsa from the original Farsi. Khalsa means the innermost self turns to the God and Satguru to attain liberation. Hence, rather than a spiritual attainment or element of haumai, to become amritdhari, and to have Sikh names remind us what we want to acheive in this life by these practices...spiritual liberation. We don't become better than one another. We become what we were always intended to be. One with the Vaheguru.

If people want to cut kes, that is fine. Everything in life is a choice. But you cannot have a Satguru if you do not obey his hukams. Guruji has given us the hukam not to cut the kes. Does keeping kes make someone more spiritual or holier-than-thou? No. Spirituality is an evolutionary process. But clinging in obedience to a Satguru is a sure sign of being on a spiritual path. And if you are on a spiritual path and have Satguruji, then rest assured, at some point you will attain liberation as grace of Guru. So keeping kes, keeping the panj kakkars, receiving amrit is the Sikh dharam. And Guruji has given the greatest gift to His Sikhs...a path to mukti. Follow this path or not. It is an individual choice.

When a Sikh is accepted to receive amrit which is a bond with Guru, it is the Sikh accepting Guru as Guru, and commiting to follow the Sikh Rehit Maryada as dharam, that Sikh becomes a member of the Khalsa Panth. But becoming Khalsa is an evolutionary process. And that process is something Guru will guide. And with Guruji's kirpa may we all one day become Gurmukh.

Every living thing has the presence of Akal Purakh. This does not mean following a negative path will get you somewhere. It doesn't mean repudiating a valid path will get you somewhere. Satguruji can be trusted. He is the light in the darkness. He is a sure path and a boat across this ocean of suffering. We cling to Guruji, not because we are holy, but because we need His holiness to light our way. If you don't want this path, don't criticize it. Don't criticize the amritdharis and try to change them. Just find your own path and follow it with your heart. But don't try to say that it's Sikhi.

It is a point of humility and often social ostracism to keep the panj kakkars in modern society. So it is a foolish argument to say we are so proud of our keses that we should remove them and be as vain and frivolous as modern society prefers. It is with humility that we bow down our hairs to God and Guru and take these blessed names and make their our very own. It is with longing that we take this Holy Gurbani and Rehit Maryada and try to become a sincere disciple of a true Master. Since the Master sees our inner nature, it doesn't even matter who we try to fool with our haumai. We haunt ourselves and all human history with our panj dhoots. In the kalyug, even spirituality has a bad name. All we can do is Naam jap. Put your entire focus on the good Name, on the Reality. The reality is we are passing away every second. It doesn't matter who we are. It only matters what we become. Like a child plays at being an adult, we practice what it means to be someone good.

~Please forgive my misunderstanding

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਨ ਭਏ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਿਹ ਜਾਨੀ ॥੪॥੩॥
kahu kabeer jan bheae khaalasae praem bhagath jih jaanee ||4||3||
Says Kabeer, those humble people become pure - they become Khalsa - who know the Lord's loving devotional worship. ||4||3||

-SGGS Ji p. 655

 

[spnadmin]

Harjas ji

Welcome back after so many months. As usual you offer a detailed and rich contribution to an SPN discussion. I for one always appreciated the amount of information you contribute in each post. Even when I did not agree or share your perspective. You were always generous with your understanding. Over time, the new ideas raised by you and question I had only contributed to filling in those gaps that helped me understand Sikhism culturally, historically. Once again you contribute a point of view that rounds out my understanding. Always grounded in sincere love of Sikhism and devotion to Waheguru.

 

[ekmusafir_ajnabi]

In Persian script Khalsa conssist of five letters:

(i) Khe or Kh stands for Khud or oneself.
(ii) Alif or A represents Akal purukh, Allah or God.
(iii) LAM or L signifies Labbaik, which means "What do you want with me? Here am I. What would you have?"
(iV) Swad or S alludes to Sahib or Lord or Master.
(v) it ends with either A. Alif or A points to Azadi or freedom.

[FONT=Helvetica, Times New Roman]T[/FONT]he word Khalsa, therefore has the sacredness of number five as well as the presence of God with his singhs both engaged in a pleasent conversation. God himself asks the singhs:
"What do you want from me? Here am I. What would you have?"The Singhs reply: "Lord! give us liberty."

Creation of the Khalsa

You appear to be giving the same rendering to glamorise the word "Khalsa" as Bhai Gurdas ji gave to the word "Waheguru" . I would disagree with the above plausible (over cooked) explaination for Khalsa.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਨ ਭਏ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਿਹ ਜਾਨੀ ॥੪॥੩॥
kahu kabeer jan bheae khaalasae praem bhagath jih jaanee ||4||3||
Says Kabeer, those humble people become pure - they become Khalsa - who know the Lord's loving devotional worship. ||4||3||

-SGGS Ji p. 655

Here the use of the word Khalsa simply stands for pure or free (freedom from duality) if you also attach the verse before this, it will make more sense.

I believe the term "Khalsa" used here is different from the "Khalsa Panth" unless it was Gurus intention make the Khalsa free from the bindings that now exist in the panth.

ekmusafir_ajnabi

 

[Archived_Member1]

in my limited understanding, these are two different words. the word in kabeer ji's sloak is derived from Khalas... meaning pure.

from my study, i have read that the word Khalsa is a persian term, which refers to land that is not owned by any local feudal chief, but belongs to the king alone. so as the Khalsa of Waheguru, we belong only to God, not to any local rulers, etc.

can anyone confirm this?

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

You appear to be giving the same rendering to glamorise the word "Khalsa" as Bhai Gurdas ji gave to the word "Waheguru" . I would disagree with the above plausible (over cooked) explaination for Khalsa.

Are you saying that brahmgyani Bhai Gurdas Ji's var explaning of Gurmantra is "overcooked glamorization?" I wouldn't dismiss Bhai Gurdas Ji's teaching on Vaheguru Gurmantra with that kind of trivialization. Certainly he's not in the same category as the scholar who explained the root meaning of Khalsa. I don't really think Bhai Gurdas Ji is debatable. He was after all, the person who scribed the Adi Granth from Guru Ji's own lips. He should know what Guru Ji meant since he could ask him directly as he was writing it down. It's we who after hundreds of years try to come between these original explanations and invent new ones.

As any explanation of the words "Sikh" or "Khalsa" there are a lot of modern political trappings we put on them. A Sikh is a disciple, a seeker, someone commited to the Sikh religion. It embodies the quality of seeking as well as represents the committed body of religious Sikhs. Khalsa is the quality of becoming free, as well as those who Guru has chosen for liberation, as well as those who have taken Sikh baptism, as well as free independant sant-sipahis who bow down to none save Guru, as well as the corporate body of the Khalsa Panth. In fact the Khalsa as a Panthic entity even form Guruji's own saroop.

Or are you implying that the corporate entity of the Khalsa Panth is not composed of individual Sikhs capable of achieving mukti? It seems the root use of the word is composed of a basic concept applied in different ways. Is it so altogether unrelated as to defy analogy and relationship?

unless it was Gurus intention make the Khalsa free from the bindings that now exist in the panth.

Since the primary objective of Guru is to free souls of this world from bondage to Maya. It would seem your rendering of "bindings of a political institution" is quite creative. If Guru can't even make His own Khalsa free, that would be silly. It seems the Gurbani is fully alive. It is like past, present and future. Gurbani tells us the Akal Purakh is inside us. Yet we only see our human forms and not this timelss presence within. We don't even see the evolution of mukti in the making. Even theoretical physics teaches us that reality is something beyond time and space. We are limited by our human experience to perceive concepts like time. But in reality, there is no time. So the acorn is already the oak tree in another dimension of reality.

An individual Khalsa is not the Khalsa Panth. And the Khalsa Panth is not any individual Khalsa. Yet, the Khalsa Panth is clearly composed of individuals who are Khalsa. Just as the individual drop of water is composed of everything the ocean is, yet it is not itself the ocean. But when the drop merges into the ocean, there is no more drop. there is only ocean. You see no relationship here? These are completely unrelated words and concepts?

Bhai Gurdas ji Vaar In Satyug, ​

Visnu in the form of Vasudev is said to have incarnated and ‘V’ Of Vahiguru reminds of Visnu.
The true Guru of Dvapar is said to be Harikrsna and ‘H’ of Vahiguru reminds of Hari.
In the the Treta was Ram and ‘R’ of Vahiguru tells that rembering Ram will produce joy and happiness.
In Kalijug, Gobind is in the form of Nanak and ‘G’ of Vahiguru gets Govind recited.
The recitations o f all the four ages subsume in Panchayan i.e. in the soul of the common man.
When joining four letters Vahiguru is remembered, The jiv merges again in its origin. ​

For a deeper understanding of the word “Vaheguru”, we can look at its four syllables individually. These four syllables (in Gurmukhi) are "Vaavaa", "Haahaa", "Gaggaa", and "Raaraa". Guru Granth Sahib Ji reveals to us on ang (respected word for page) that these four syllables represent the Names of the One Creator Supreme Being. For example, Vaavaa represents ‘Vaasudev’, Haahaa represents ‘Hari’, Gaggaa represents ‘Gobind’, and Raaraa represents ‘Raam’. All these are different names of the same One Timeless Reality, which have been repeatedly used throughout the Gurbani; which suggests that this Mantra is not only condensed into a short and sweet form, but also very powerful! vavai vaaree aaeiaa moorre vaasudeo tudh veesriaa.

- Vavai (Vaavaa): Your turn has come, you fool, but you have forgotten Vasudev (God).
This opportunity will not come again, you fool; you will fall under the power of death's messenger.
(Aasa, Ang 435, SGGS) ​

haahai har kathaa boojh too moorre, taa sadaa sukh hoee.
manmukh parrhi, tetaa dukh laagai, vinn satgur mukat na hoee.16.​

- Hahaa: Understand the Sermon of Har (God), you fool; only then you will attain eternal peace.
The more the Manmukhs (self-willed people) read, the more pain they suffer.
Without the True Guru, liberation is not obtained.
(Aasa, Ang 435, SGGS) ​

gagai gobind chit kar moorre, galee kinai naa paaeiaa.
gur ke charan hirdai vasaae moorre, pichhle guneh sabh baksh leiaa.15.​

Gaggaa: Keep Gobind (God) in your mind, you fool; by mere words, no one has ever attained Him.
Enshrine the Guru's feet (i.e. Gurbaani) within your heart, you fool,
and all your past sins will be forgiven.
(Aasa, Ang 435, SGGS) ​

raarai raam chit kar moorre, hirdai jin kai rav rehiaa.
gur parsaadee jinee raam pachhaataa, nirgun raam tinee boojh lehiaa.17.​

- Raaraa: Centre your consciousness on Raam (God), you fool;
abide with those whose hearts are filled with Him.
By Guru's Grace, those who recognise Him, understand the Absolute Being.
(Aasa, Ang 435, SGGS) ​

Therefore joining the word letters and syllables, which form to make the word “Vaheguru” represents four Names attributed to the One Creator Supreme Being into one word, which means “Wondrous Guru” or “Wondrous Dispeller of Darkness”. Bhai Gurdas Ji says in his poetry: vaaheguroo gur shabad lai piram piaalaa chup chalolaa. - The Guru's word he receives is "Vaheguru", the wondrous Lord, and remains silently immersed in delight. (Vaar 4, Bhai Gurdaas Ji, Contemporary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji)

Bhai Gurdas Ji ‘re-emphasises’ Guru Nanak Sahib Ji’s Mantar, which he blessed the Sikhs with. The Mantra, which is recorded in Gurbani and also bestowed upon Sikhs by the Panj Piare: vaaheguroo gur mantr hai jap haumai khoee.
aap gavaae aap hai gunn gunnee paroee.13. ​

- The Gurmantra is "Vaheguru", through reciting which erases egotism.
Losing egotism and merging into the qualities of the supreme Lord,
he himself becomes full of qualities.
(Vaar 13, Bhai Gurdaas Ji, Contemporary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji) ​

Waheguru - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.

 

[Astroboy]

Do you think that there's a difference between a Sikh and a Khalsa ?

Text : jo deesai gursikh-rhaa tis niv niv laaga-o paa-ay jee-o

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

Question: "Do you think that there's a difference between a Sikh and a Khalsa ?"
-To answer this, let's look closely at some definitions.

Khalsa (Punjabi: ਖਾਲਸਾ, literally "Pure") refers to the collective body of all baptized Sikhs. The Khalsa was originally established as a military order of "saint-soldiers" on 30 March1699, by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. It was the name given by the Guru to all his disciples baptized in the Amrit Sanchar ceremony.

The word Khalsa is derived from Arabic word khālisa[h] خالصة ("pure/devoted"). In the Sikh tradition, the term first appears in a hukmanama (order) by Guru Har Gobind (the sixth Guru), which refers to a sangat as "Guru ka khalsa" ("Guru's own Khalsa"). It also appears in a letter by Guru Tegh Bahadur (the ninth Guru), in the same sense.

Khalsa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sikh (English: [siːk]; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ, sikkh. Is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit "shishya", which means disciple or learner. Many male Sikhs can easily be recognized by their turbans, beards, or steel bracelets on their right wrists.
Sikh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The word 'Sikh' goes back to Sanskrit 'Shishya', meaning disciple or leader. In Pali, Shishya became Sissa. The Pali word Sekh (also Sekha) means a pupil or one under training in a religious doctrine.
http://www.webindia123.com/religion/sikhism/index.htm

We see clearly that the Khalsa are the organized body of initiated Sikhs who receive amrit and follow a strict code of conduct. We also see the qualities denoted by the word include: purity and devotion. Purity is a condition of spiritual freedom from bondage and defilement, and devotion is of commitment or belonging...property, so to speak, of the Guru. We see this in the greeting

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa: "The Khalsa [pure one] belongs to Waheguru [God]"
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh: "Victory belongs to Waheguru"​

In todays society of Sikhs, yes, a Sikh does not have to be a Khalsa. But a Khalsa will always have to be a Sikh. Ultimately in its purest form though, a true disciple of Guru will become both His Sikh and His Khalsa. And the word implies both the literal definition as well as its implication, that Khalsa should be not only members of an organized religious body, but live up to certain implied ideals. Does someone who receives amrit instantly become all the highest ideals of a Khalsa? No. But becoming the Guru's own implies a process of continuing surrender and development.

Do you think in the Satyug there will be sehajdhari, keshdhari or only amritdhari? Maybe all these terms are ultimately describing one thing...a deepening quality of surrender and commitment (Sikh), joined with a quality of becoming pure and thus free, jeevan-mukta (khalsa). So the Sikh becomes initiated to Guru as Khalsa and lives in such a way as to become Gurmukh, or the "Guru's own face." And the Gurmukh is also a Khalsa and is also a Sikh.

1. Page493 Line 11
ਸਿਖਾ ਹੀਣ ਕੋਈ ਸੰਤ੍ਰ ਨ ਫੁਰੈ ॥ ਜੋ ਕੋਈ ਜਪੈ ਉਲਟ ਤਿਹ ਪਰੈ ॥੧੦॥
Sikhaa heen koimantra na phuraee|| Jo koijapai ulat tih parai||10||
Those without hair or without the lock of hair on the crown of their heads could not remember any mantra and if anyone repeated the mantra, there was negative influence of the mantra on him.10.

-Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji

What is the nature and purpose of hair? First hair has the quality of being able to conduct an electro-magnetic current. It attracts lightning, like a lightning rod. It is only on the human being that has such a highly developed brain that the hairs grow very long on the head. No other animal has this peculiar feature. The hair, brain and spine are one unique biological and metaphysical system at least for purposes of yoga.

The human infant is born with the sutures of his skull remaining open in areas called fontanels. With age the sutures of the skull tighten. But you see this area of the anterior fontanel approximates the metaphysical location of the dasam duar, or tenth opening of the body. It is part of Sikh discipline to keep the hairs long and uncut, and wrap the hairs in a topknot/jura over this area of the dasam duar. This alone means nothing. The hairs have to be charged with vibrational current by japping Naam Gurmantra. And then the energy of this Gurmantra in the hairs, with the ground of wooden kanga and insulated with dastaar places a seal or protection over the mind.

This is a yogic and spiritual practice. It is a technique to obtain purification of the mind and spiritual liberation. This is why it's important not to wait until one is too old to receive initiation and Gurmantra, and hairs are lost naturally and lose this effect. This is why you cannot have Guru's mantra as a sehajdhari. You may say the word. But it will not achieve the same effect. Without keeping hairs and japping Naam, you cannot achieve liberation in this life. If you are following the path of a Sikh, the goal is mukti. And this is the practice of attaining mukti. The precious human form is a rare gift. The life is a precious gift don't waste it.

gur imilAY nwmu pweIAY cUkY moh ipAws ] (26-11, isrIrwgu, mÚ 3)
gur mili-ai naam paa-ee-ai chookai moh pi-aas.
Meeting with the Guru, the Naam is obtained, and the thirst of emotional attachment departs.
-SGGS Ji p. 26

khu nwnk guir mMqRü idRVwieAw ] (188-8, gauVI, mÚ 5)
kaho naanak gur mantar drirh-aa-i-aa.
Says Nanak, the GurMantra has been implanted within me;

kyvl nwmu ird mwih smwieAw ]4]42]111] (188-8, gauVI, mÚ 5)
kayval naam rid maahi samaa-i-aa. ||4||42||111||
the Name alone is contained within my heart. ||4||42||111||

It's not enough to meet the Guru. We have to take that next step and receive the Naam from Guruji. What is the Naam? Gurbani says Gurmantra drihr is Naam. Naam drihr is implanted in you when you receive amrit from Gursikh Panj Piare who are Guruji's own saroop. That is the only way to receive it.

Who is the acknowledged Sikh

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਰਣੀ ਜਾਇ ਸੀਸੁ ਨਿਵਾਇਆ ।
satigur saranee jaai seesu nivaaiaa|
ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣੀ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਇ ਮਥਾ ਲਾਇਆ ।
gur charanee chitu|aai madaa|aaiaa|
ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਰਿਦੈ ਵਸਾਇ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ।
guramati ridai vasaai aapu gavaaiaa|
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸੁਭਾਇ ਭਾਣਾ ਭਾਇਆ ।
guramukhi sahaji subhaai bhaanaa bhaaiaa|
ਸਬਦਿ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ ।
sabadi surati|iv|aai hukamu kamaaiaa|
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਭੈ ਭਾਇ ਨਿਜ ਘਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ।
saadhasangati bhai bhaai nij gharu paaiaa|
ਚਰਣ ਕਵਲ ਪਤੀਆਇ ਭਵਰੁ ਲੁਭਾਇਆ ।
charan kaval pateeaai bhavaru|ubhaaiaa|
ਸੁਖ ਸੰਪਟ ਪਰਚਾਇ ਅਪਿਓ ਪੀਆਇਆ ।
sukh sanpat parachaai apiao peeaaiaa|
ਧੰਨੁ ਜਣੇਦੀ ਮਾਇ ਸਹਿਲਾ ਆਇਆ ॥੨੦॥੩॥
dhannu janaydee maai sahilaa aaiaa ॥20॥3॥

Line 1: He is true Sikh who surrenders before the Guru and bows his head;
Line 2: Who puts his mind and forehead on the feet of Guru;
Line 3: Who holding dear to his heart the teachings of the Guru expels ego from his self;
Line 4: Who loves the will of Lord and has attained equipoise by becoming Guru-oriented, gurmukh;
Line 5: Who by merging his consciousness in the Word has acted according to the divine Will (hukam).
Line 6: He (the true Sikh) as the result of his love and fear of holy congregation attains his own self (atma).
Line 7: He remains stuck to the lotus feet of the Guru like the black bee.
Line 8: Getting enveloped in this delight he goes on quaffing the nectar.
Line 9: Blessed is the mother of such a person. Only his coming to this world is fruitful.

-Bhai Gurdas Ji, vaar 3, pauri 20

Indenticalness of the Sikh with the Guru

ਰਾਗ ਨਾਦ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਹੋਇ ਗੁਣ ਗਹਿਰ ਗੰਭੀਰਾ ।
raag naad visamaadu hoi gun gahir ganbheeraa|
ਸਬਦ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਲਿਵ ਲੀਣ ਹੋਇ ਅਨਹਦਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਧੀਰਾ ।
sabad surati|iv|een hoi anahadi dhuni dheeraa|
ਜੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਜੰਤ੍ਰ ਵਜਾਇਦਾ ਮੰਨਿ ਉਨਿਮਨਿ ਚੀਰਾ ।
jantree jantr vajaaidaa manni unimani cheeraa|
ਵਜਿ ਵਜਾਇ ਸਮਾਇ ਲੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦ ਵਜੀਰਾ ।
vaji vajaai samaai|ai gur sabad vajeeraa|
ਅੰਤਰਿਜਾਮੀ ਜਾਣੀਐ ਅੰਤਰਿਗਤਿ ਪੀਰਾ ।
antarijaamee jaaneeai antarigati peeraa|
ਗੁਰ ਚੇਲਾ ਚੇਲਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਬੇਧਿ ਹੀਰੈ ਹੀਰਾ ॥੮॥
gur chaylaa chaylaa guroo baydhi heerai heeraa ॥8॥

Line 1: Elated in the music and sound (of the word), the disciple of the Guru becomes full of serene qualities.
Line 2: His consciousness gets merged into the Word and his mind stabilizes in the unstruck melody.
Line 3: The Guru plays upon the instrument of sermon, listening to which the mind dones clothes of the highest state of equipoise (to dance before the Lord).
Line 4: The Sikh of the Guru, getting attuned to the instrument of teaching ultimately turns out himself to be a player of the Guru Word.
Line 5: Now the omniscient Lord understands his pangs of separation.
Line 6: The disciple transforms into Guru and the Guru into disciple in the same manner, as the diamond cutter in fact is also a diamond.

-Bhai Gurdas Ji, vaar 9 pauri 8

So the answer to your question seems to be that a Sikh (student of the Guru), becomes committed Khalsa (Initiated, receives amrit and Naam Gurmantra, Rehit Maryada code and thus is true property of the Guru. By these practices begins a process so atma can become pure and thus free), and ultimately by Guru's grace becomes Gurmukh (the Guru's own form).

-bhul chak maaf karni ji

BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw ] (12-6, Awsw, mÚ 5)
bha-ee paraapat maanukh dayhuree-aa.

goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw ] (12-6, Awsw, mÚ 5)
gobind milan kee ih tayree baree-aa.

Avir kwj qyrY ikqY n kwm ] (12-6, Awsw, mÚ 5)
avar kaaj tayrai kitai na kaam.

imlu swDsMgiq Bju kyvl nwm ]1] (12-7, Awsw, mÚ 5)
mil saaDhsangat bhaj kayval naam. ||1||

srMjwim lwgu Bvjl qrn kY ] (12-7, Awsw, mÚ 5)
saraNjaam laag bhavjal taran kai.

jnmu ibRQw jwq rMig mwieAw kY ]1] rhwau ] (12-8, Awsw, mÚ 5)
janam baritha jaat rang maa-i-aa kai. ||1|| rahaa-o.

jpu qpu sMjmu Drmu n kmwieAw ] (12-8, Awsw, mÚ 5)
jap tap sanjam Dharam na kamaa-i-aa.

syvw swD n jwinAw hir rwieAw ] (12-8, Awsw, mÚ 5)
sayvaa saaDh na jaani-aa har raa-i-aa.
khu nwnk hm nIc krMmw ] (12-9, Awsw, mÚ 5)
kaho naanak ham neech karammaa.
srix pry kI rwKhu srmw ]2]4] (12-9, Awsw, mÚ 5)
saran paray kee raakho sarmaa. ||2||4||


This human body has been given to you.
This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.
Nothing else will work.
Join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; vibrate and meditate on the Jewel of the Naam. ||1||
Make every effort to cross over this terrifying world-ocean.
You are squandering this life uselessly in the love of Maya. ||1||Pause||
I have not practiced meditation, self-discipline, self-restraint or righteous living.
I have not served the Holy; I have not acknowledged the Lord, my King.
Says Nanak, my actions are contemptible!
O Lord, I seek Your Sanctuary; please, preserve my honor! ||2||4||

-SGGS Ji p. 12

 

[Astroboy]

Harjas Kaur Khalsa Ji,

Two things I like about your presence at SPN. Your Avatar and your answer to my question. I see you, from your words, to be confident, highly-spirited and energized. Would like to know how you acquired all these qualities. What background moulded you to be a survivor ? A person like you can take anyone by surprise and I am too, completely dumbfounded by your answer. Kindly share your training which makes you what you are today.

 

[kilemba]

What is Khalsa? Is it a name or is it the individual who practices the teachings and way of Khalsa. I was brought up to believe in the names Singh and Kaur and not place my surname after . And to consider all as my brothers and sisters and defend the helpless regardless of their faith . I believe and hope that all will follow the Khalsa panth and aim to be one.

 

[Astroboy]

What is Khalsa? Is it a name or is it the individual who practices the teachings and way of Khalsa. I was brought up to believe in the names Singh and Kaur and not place my surname after . And to consider all as my brothers and sisters and defend the helpless regardless of their faith . I believe and hope that all will follow the Khalsa panth and aim to be one.

Me too, Kilemba Ji. :star:

 

[pk70]

What is Khalsa? Is it a name or is it the individual who practices the teachings and way of Khalsa. I was brought up to believe in the names Singh and Kaur and not place my surname after . And to consider all as my brothers and sisters and defend the helpless regardless of their faith . I believe and hope that all will follow the Khalsa panth and aim to be one.

The world knows now that Tenth Master created Khalsa, Army of The Creator as only His believers. Also it was a hint at purity and freedom spiritually and worldly together. At the time of creation of Khalsa, neither the close followers of Guru Ji felt a need to use it for them themselves individually nor others many years to come.. The well known worriors who fought aganst tyrany didnt feel need to use it during peak power of sikhs. Whenever Khalsa was used, it was in concept of all together. As you said it was Singh or Kaur from the beginning. Nothing wrong with to use it but I feel it has been used under a wave with many excuses. It doesnt represent any thing if not kept it in spirit of Khalsa in totality. We love illusions and dreams though.

 

[Sinister]

:{- sorry but your posts are wrong... well at least rationally they make no sense.

What is the nature and purpose of hair?

to protect your skull from high g blows, cushioning your brain (in its natural state it is suppose to be long and frizzy to accomplish the afro look, the ultimate cushion). The secondary purpose is to provide insulation to the head.

First hair has the quality of being able to conduct an electro-magnetic current.

Wrong :rofl!!:
Hair cannot conduct very efficiently. Has less conductivity than your skin or your bones, nervous tissue and the REST OF YOUR BODY… in fact it has the lowest conductivity of your entire body…the most resistance (resistivity of hair= 3 x 1012 ohm-cm at room temperature). The fact that STATIC CHARGE can build up on hair is proof that hair is not a good conductor of electro-magnetic current.

It attracts lightning, like a lightning rod.

That’s quite an Imagination you have

It is only on the human being that has such a highly developed brain that the hairs grow very long on the head. No other animal has this peculiar feature.

dogs (especially some breeds of poodles), Cats, Lions, Buffalo's, bison, some camels, goats and Horses...all can have long hair on their heads relative to their body size

The hair, brain and spine are one unique biological and metaphysical system at least for purposes of yoga.

What is metaphysics?
What is a metaphysical system and how do you relate it to biology? (metaphysics , by its shear definition is suppose to be beyond the natural sciences…if it isn’t then it cannot be classified as metaphysical)
Better yet how is Hair, Brian and spine part of a metaphysical system?
youve learnt the word, unfortunately never bothered to look up the meaning.

The human infant is born with the sutures of his skull remaining open in areas called fontanels. With age the sutures of the skull tighten. But you see this area of the anterior fontanel approximates the metaphysical location of the dasam duar, or tenth opening of the body.

Name the other 10 and I will show you more!
Also
The skull never remains OPEN!…in infants it is always covered if not with bone tissue…then with cartilage (later to go through bone ossification with the help of Osteoblasts)

It is part of Sikh discipline to keep the hairs long and uncut, and wrap the hairs in a topknot/jura over this area of the dasam duar.

Ok

This alone means nothing. The hairs have to be charged with vibrational current by japping Naam Gurmantra. And then the energy of this Gurmantra in the hairs, with the ground of wooden kanga and insulated with dastaar places a seal or protection over the mind.

:hmm: really? :whisling:

This is a yogic and spiritual practice. It is a technique to obtain purification of the mind and spiritual liberation. This is why it's important not to wait until one is too old to receive initiation and Gurmantra, and hairs are lost naturally and lose this effect. This is why you cannot have Guru's mantra as a sehajdhari. You may say the word. But it will not achieve the same effect. Without keeping hairs and japping Naam, you cannot achieve liberation in this life. If you are following the path of a Sikh, the goal is mukti. And this is the practice of attaining mukti. The precious human form is a rare gift. The life is a precious gift don't waste it.

What a loaded wash! With the rather typical arguments using fear and maintaining exclusivity for attaining mukti (all I see is ego with every judgmental word).
According to this primitive thought pattern any child practicing Sikhi and fighting leukemia (undergoing treatment with chemotherapy) cannot, whats the word? : “achieve vibration in this life” ?

Nor can balding men.

Nor can those inflicted with severe Alopecia Areata Totalis (go ahead look it up...these are people that are born with no hair whatsoever).


and exactly how long does this hair have to be before it can pick up these "vibrations" (considering many people have hair of varrying lengths...i guess those with longer hair have better reception? :{;o

Anyways, the rest of your post is actually worth reading.




cheers