Sunday 10 November 2013

Arati-Arata by Dr Kamalroop Singh (Akali Nihang)

Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa Vahiguru ji ki fateh! I just finished writing about the Āratī-Āratā, I put in a eight hours a day for the last week or so, not to boast, but some people don't understand how much goes into just writing forty pages! With Guru Nanak's kirpa, I offer the first full English translation, transliteration, and original text of the Āratī-Āratā, along with a discussion of this devotional bani. Āratī-Āratā is an evening prayer that is a part of the purātan nitnem of the Sikhs. Most Sikhs have heard of the Āratī of Guru Nanak and the Bhagats, but few have heard the full version that includes many inspiring verses by Guru Gobind Singh. The Singh Sabha under the influence of Giani Ditt Singh edited the practice of using lamps or deve, and cut down the length of the piece by removing most of Guru Gobind Singh's bani from it. The unedited version remains the preserve of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa. This is discussed in this document, as well as showing that this is one of the only bania to have the writings of Adi Guru, Dasam and Sarbloh within it. Please read at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/183005595/Arati-Arata-by-Dr-Kamalroop-Singh-Akali-Nihang-pdf We will be looking at making some printed copies in the near future, so people can read from them during the ceremony. If you like this document please read my small article on the nitnem, http://www.scribd.com/doc/130906016/The-History-of-the-Nitnem-BĀņiĀ-Akali-Dr-Kamalroop-Singh-Nihang My next article will be on the puratan Rahiras Sahib, as Karen Kaur Bansal requested it! I have not forgotten. Many thanks to Gavin Singh who requested this document, and his initial help with finding files for me, and to Indy Saggu who proof read this document. Could some translate these into Punjabi please? Please pray that I can continue doing your seva, and please share this document so people 1. Read the Bani and understand it 2. So they know how our traditions have been changed. Bhul chuk maffi, das Kamalroop Singh Āratī-Āratā is an evening prayer that is a part of the purātan nitnem of the Sikhs. Most Sikhs have heard of the Āratī of Guru Nanak and the Bhagats, but few have heard the full version that includes many inspiring verses by Guru Gobind Singh. The unedited version remains the preserve of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa.



Wednesday 25 September 2013

Bhai Jaitas Epic Sri Gur Katha -Hofstra


It is one of the strange ironies of the Sikh tradition that its otherwise vibrant scholarship has hardly taken note of a magnificent text by Bhai Jaita (c.1657-1704), viz. Sri Gur Katha, even when it has been in the public domain in print for the past two decades.i This irony gets a sharper relief with the appearance of the latest comprehensive, brilliant and insightful essay on the sources pertaining to Guru Gobind Singh and his times by Gurinder Singh Mann.ii It is quite dismaying that Bhai Jaita‟s composition available in at least 6 books by then should have escaped the attention of Mann, a meticulous researcher and indefatigable fieldworker of Sikh studies. Sri Gur Katha is a powerful and evocative epic, a „story‟ of Guru Gobind Singh‟s life which has potential of settling a few important controversies generated by contentious interpretations of the Sikh tradition. Produced by a Khalsa Sikh unlike most of the early poets and writers, it lends a ring of proximity and authenticity to the central events of the tradition. It emerges as the first contemporary source to talk explicitly about the 5Ks (panj kakkars), a detailed description of „amrit bidhi‟ (khande di pahul), the initiation rite, and the „rahit’ (code of conduct) as enunciated by the Tenth Master. Being a record by the closest of witnesses, it does not mention any devi puja by the Guru while narrating the Khalsa event. Coming from a dalit Sikh (rechristened by Guru Gobind Singh as Jeevan Singh) in the lifetime of the Guru, it offers an unpolluted version of some of the central concerns to the Sikh tradition in general and the Khalsa tradition in particular as compared to the later brahmanical or brahmanised-Sikh interpolations of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Written in the prevalent old Punjabi (sadh bhasha) of the Sikh tradition, Sri Gur Katha is a testimony of Bhai Jaita as a master poet besides an accomplished warrior. Rather than exploring all nuances of the long poem the paper has a limited purpose: to analyze Sri Gur Katha to suggest correction of dates respecting Guru Gobind‟s birth and the creation of the Khalsa. While highlighting the details about amrit-bidhi and rahit the paper also argues that it turns out to be the first unambiguous source on the innovative measures introduced by Guru Gobind Singh including the five symbols of the Khalsa.

Bhai Jaitas Epic Sri Gur Katha -Hofstra

Tuesday 24 September 2013

The Birth of the Khalsa - A Feminist Re-memory of Sikh Identity by Nikky-Gurinder Kaur Singh - A must read for all Sikh Scholars

http://www.vidhia.com/Historical%20and%20Political/Nikky-Gurinder_Kaur_Singh_-_Birth_of_the_Khalsa.pdf

The birth of the Khalsa (from the Arabic khalis, meaning “pure”) by Guru Gobind Singh is a pivotal event in the psyche and imagination of the Sikhs. During the Baisakhi festivities of 1699 the guru and his wife prepared amrit, and five men from different castes sipped it from the same bowl. Their drink purified them of all mental defilements. Ending centuries of hereditary oppressions of caste, class and profession, the five were born into the egalitarian family of the Khalsa. Over time “Khalsa” and “Sikh” have become synonymous terms, and even though only a minority of Sikhs are formally initiated into the Khalsa order, all Sikh men and women trace their personality, name, religious rites, and prayers—what they do, what they wear, how they identify themselves—to this liberating Baisakhi of 1699.

Thursday 29 August 2013

New book of Kailash Puri and Eleanor Nesbitt: POOL OF LIFE: the autobiography of a Punjabi agony Aunt

Dear all,

The new book of Kailash Puri and Eleanor Nesbitt: POOL OF LIFE: the autobiography of a Punjabi agony aunt is now out (even though websites give an October publication date).

More info on the book can be found here:

Pre-Partition life; Guru Nanak's descendants; experiences as a Punjabi woman; Punjabi journalism; postbag of diaspora Asians' problems; community relations in UK; life in Africa; travel in Europe; return to roots in Pakistan - it's all there...    


Wednesday 28 August 2013

The Punjabis in British Columbia - Location, Labour, First Nations, and Multiculturalism - By Kamala Elizabeth Nayar

The Punjabis in British Columbia
 
Location, Labour, First Nations, and Multiculturalism  
 
By Kamala Elizabeth Nayar 
 
  

In this richly detailed study, Kamala Nayar documents the social and cultural transformation of the Punjabi community in British Columbia. From their initial settlement in the rural Skeena region to the communities that later developed in larger urban centres, The Punjabis in British Columbia illustrates the complex and diverse experiences of an immigrant community that merits greater attention.

Exploring themes of gender, employment, rural and urban migrant life, and the relationships between the Punjabis and surrounding First Nations and other immigrant groups, Nayar creates a portrait of a community in transition. Shedding light on the ways in which economic circumstances affect immigrant communities, Nayar presents findings from interviews conducted with over one hundred participants. She details the relocation of Punjabi populations from the Skeena region to British Columbia's lower mainland during the decline of the forestry and fishery industries, how their second migration changed their professional and personal lives, and how their history continues to shape the identities and experiences of Punjabis in Canada today.

A nuanced look at the complexities of social and cultural adaptation, The Punjabis in British Columbia adds an essential perspective to what it means to be Canadian. 

 
Click here to learn more or order a copy of the book 

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Sikh and Punjabi Studies, (Re-)Building Punjab: Political Economy, Society and Values.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

We are very pleased to invite you to UCSC's next conference in Sikh and Punjabi Studies, (Re-)Building Punjab: Political Economy, Society and Values.

The URL for the conference, with abstracts, registration information, and other details, is athttp://ihr.ucsc.edu/rebuilding-punjab

Hoping to see you in Santa Cruz

Sincerely,
Professor Nirvikar Singh and Dr. Inderjit N. Kaur, Conference Organizers

Program Summary

Friday, March 29

Session 1: Sikh Values and Punjab Society in Historical Perspective
Presenter: Prof. Pashaura Singh, Religious Studies, UC Riverside
Discussant: Dr. Harpreet Singh, South Asian Studies, Harvard University

Session 2: A Case Study of Sikh Diaspora Philanthropy in Punjab
Presenter: Prof. Verne A. Dusenbery, Anthropology, Hamline University
Discussant: Prof. Supreet Kaur, Economics, Columbia University

Session 3: Punjab Politics and Society
Presenter: Prof. Pritam Singh, Accounting, Finance and Economics, Oxford Brookes University
Discussant: Prof. Jugdep S. Chima, Political Science, Hiram College

Session 4: The Punjab Economy: Problems and Prospects
Presenter: Prof. Lakhwinder Singh, Economics, Punjabi University
Discussant: Prof. Nirvikar Singh, Economics, UC Santa Cruz
Dinner & Lecture: Reflections on the Columbia/UC Santa Barbara Punjab Summer Program
Prof. Gurinder Mann, Religious Studies, UC Santa Barbara

Saturday, March 30

Session 5: Groundwater in Punjab: Environmental Challenges
Presenter: Prof. Rajinder Singh Sidhu, Punjab Agricultural University
Discussant: Prof. Upmanu Lall, Engineering, Columbia University

Session 6: Punjab's Ethical Soundscapes: From Asa ki Var to Dhadi Var and Hip HopPresenter: Dr. Inderjit Kaur, Music, UC Santa Cruz
Discussion and demonstration: Mr. Mandeep S. Sethi, Hip-hop artist
Session 7: Lunch Panel: Punjab’s Future – What’s to be Done?
Dr. Narinder Kapany, Sikh Foundation
Dr. Ajit Singh, Artiman Ventures and Stanford University
Mr. Michael Singh, Filmmaker

Friday 1 March 2013

“Dialogues with/in Sikh Studies: Texts, Practices and Performances” (May 10-12, 2013)


THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
3rd Dr. Jasbir Singh Saini Endowed Chair in Sikh Studies Conference
On
“Dialogues with/in Sikh Studies: Texts, Practices and Performances”
(May 10-12, 2013)

http://www.religiousstudies.ucr.edu/SPS/events/Abstracts-3rdSikhStudiesConference-May2013.pdf

http://www.religiousstudies.ucr.edu/SPS/events/

The main purpose of this conference is to explore interdisciplinary approaches, resulting from academic inquiries into Sikh texts, as well as the practices that surround them and their performance. The dialogues to be explored are made possible by the environment of the university, which serves as a place where scholars from many fields and disciplines come together to pursue critical inquiries and comparisons. In many ways the Sikh community has been very supportive of academic inquires – though, at times, they have voiced outright criticism. Our hope for this conference is to provide a forum that focuses on how academic discussions and those arising in the community at large can complement one another, rather than being at odds


8. “The Textual History of the Dasam Granth Sahib”

Dr. Kamalroop Singh, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK


W.H. McLeod (1979/2007) states that ‘Research on the Dasam Granth has been very 

limited, with the result that most of the major questions which it raises cannot be 

answered at present.’ The previous research has been limited to the examination of its 

poetry, with the exception of one detailed study of Dasam Granth manuscripts (Jaggi 

1966). Very little research has been undertaken on the development of the Dasam 

Granth (DG) in the lifetime of the Tenth Guru, and therefore this paper addresses this 

gap. This paper begins with an examination of the editing and dating of primary 

sources, so that an accurate chronology can be constructed of the textual history. This 

has been explored in reference to late seventeenth and eighteenth century hagiographies

which are examined alongside several extant seventeenth century DG manuscripts; and 

with supplementation from later secondary sources. A major development in the textual history 

of the DG was its standardisation and subsequent printing in 1897, however 

some original manuscripts contain extra ‘apocrypha’ which are absent from the printed 

edition. The compositions in the standard version of the DG will be discussed, along 

with new translations and discussion of the ‘apocrypha.’ By re-examining the earliest 

sources, it is clear that the Scripture of Guru Gobind Singh was compiled in his Court. 

The juxtaposition against later sources brings the modern Singh Sabha theory that the 

compilation of the DG was compiled by Bhai Mani Singh into question.

UCSC Conference in Sikh and Punjabi Studies, March 29-30‏


UCSC Conference in Sikh and Punjabi Studies, March 29-30‏
University of California, Santa Cruz


The conference program is below.


For logistical details, please contact Courtney Mahaney, Institute for Humanities Research, UCSC. Hoping to see you here in Santa Cruz
Regards,Professor Nirvikar Singh and Dr. Inderjit N. Kaur, Conference Organizers

Friday, March 29
Presenter: Prof. Pashaura Singh, Religious Studies, UC Riverside
Discussant: Dr. Harpreet Singh, South Asian Studies, Harvard University
Presenter: Prof. Verne A. Dusenbery, Anthropology, Hamline University
Discussant: Prof. Supreet Kaur, Economics, Columbia University
Discussant: Prof. Jugdep S. Chima, Political Science, Hiram College
Discussant: Prof. Nirvikar Singh, Economics, UC Santa Cruz
Prof. Gurinder Mann, Religious Studies, UC Santa Barbara

Saturday, March 30
Presenter: Prof. Rajinder Singh Sidhu, Punjab Agricultural University
Discussant: Prof. Upmanu Lall, Engineering, Columbia University
Presenter: Dr. Inderjit Kaur, Music, UC Santa Cruz
Discussion and demonstration: Mr. Mandeep S. Sethi, Rapper
Dr. Narinder Kapany, Sikh Foundation
Dr. Ajit Singh, Artiman Ventures and Stanford University
Mr. Michael Singh, Filmmaker



Session 1: Sikh Values and Punjab Society in Historical Perspective
Session 2: A Case Study of Sikh Diaspora Philanthropy in Punjab
Session 3: Punjab Politics and Society
Presenter: Prof. Pritam Singh, Accounting, Finance and Economics, Oxford Brookes University
Session 4: The Punjab Economy: Problems and Prospects
Presenter: Prof. Lakhwinder Singh, Economics, Punjabi University
Dinner & Lecture: Reflections on the Columbia/UC Santa Barbara Punjab Summer Program
Session 5: Groundwater in Punjab: Environmental Challenges
Session 6: Punjab's Ethical Soundscapes: From Asa ki Var to Dhadi Var and Hip Hop
Session 7: Lunch Panel: Punjab’s Future – What’s to be Done?



Tuesday 19 February 2013

Presentation “Online Authorities? Young British Sikhs, Religious Transmission and the Internet” by Jasjit Singh of the University of Leeds


SPEL Conference Jasjit Singh

09 May 12


Presentation “Online Authorities? Young British Sikhs, Religious Transmission and the Internet” by Jasjit Singh of the University of Leeds, about the collaborative studentship Keeping the Faith: The Transmission of Sikhism among young British Sikhs funded by Religion and Society. Introduction by Professor Kim Knott of Lancaster University. Access the accompanying slides below. Recorded at the conference “Sacred Practices in Everyday Life”, held in Edinburgh May 9th-11th 2012, by the Religion and Society Programme.

Associated file:

SinghEdinburghFINALPPTS.pdf

FROM BHINDRANWALE TO BIN LADEN - Mark Juergensmeyer

FROM BHINDRANWALETO BIN LADEN - A search for understanding religious violence - Mark Juergensmeyer by

An interesting account about the events after 1984, but is it fair to compare Sant Jarnail Singh to Bin Laden, and Al Qaida to the Khalistan movement?

Measurement of time in Adi Guru Granth Sahib

The correspondence of traditional Indian units of time to the modern western units of time is given below. We can find the names of some of the Indian time period in the second Shabad of Sohila Sahib: ਵਿਸੁਏ ਚਸਿਆ ਘੜੀਆ ਪਹਰਾ ਥਿਤੀ ਵਾਰੀ ਮਾਹੁ ਹੋਆ ॥ (Guru Granth Sahib, p. 12) Day = 8 Pahars = 24 hrs 1 Pahar = 8 Gharis = 3hrs 1 Ghari = 60 Pal = 22.5 minutes = 1350 secs 1Pal = 3 Chassa = 22.5 secs 1 Chassa = 15 Visuas = 7.5 secs 1 Visua = 15 Nimakh = 0.5 secs 1 Nimakh = 0.0333 secs. Hindus and Sikhs by convention take a day to begin at sunrise to sunset. Muslims on the other hand consider period on a day to begin at sunset and end at the next sunset. The Christian day begins at midnight and ends at the following midnight."

Thursday 7 February 2013

The Concept of Sahaj in Guru Nanak’s Theology - Prof. Nihar Ranjan Ray


Excerpt from "The Sikh Gurus & The Sikh Society - A Study in Social Analysis." [Punjabi University, Patiala 1970] This may be read in the continuation of Professor Ray’s article "One Message, One Mission : A Study in Social Analysis from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singhji"- SR Feb 1999.

All knowledgeable Sikhs and students of Sikhism recognize that the ultimate goal which the religious and spiritual discipline laid down by Guru Nanak was supposed to lead to, was the experience of Sahaj. Sahaj, according to him, was indeed the last reach of human experience, beyond which lay the realm of formlessness, of inarticulation. What is this Sahaj experience, what is its nature and character? Howdoes one achieve it, how does one recognize it?  In common with Kabir and other sants of medieval India, Guru Nanak came to recognize and accept that religious and spiritual quest was a matter which was altogether internal to man. Negatively speaking, it was not a matter of external practices and observances of traditional forms and prescriptions of religion. Positively, it was a matter, first, of cleansing and purifying one’s heart and mind; secondly, of filling them with an intense love for - and devotion to - God, the Ultimate and the Absolute, and waiting cravingly for His grace (kirpa, prasad, daya etc.,), and thirdly, striving unceasingly for a complete, unalloyed and absolute blending of one’s individual self, or atma, with the Universal Self or Paramatma who is none other than God Himself. For each one of these stages Guru Nanak laid down certain discipline which each individual aspirant was called upon to go through to prepare himself for the final merger or blending. An analysis of these disciplines seems to indicate that what Guru Nanak was aiming at was a transformation of the individual psyche and will, by bending and directing both towards the ultimate goal of achieving the merger with the Ultimate Absolute. It was only when the soil of life was made ready that the final ascent could be made. This ascent too, wasin several khands, or stages, in spiritual progress, as Guru Nanakdescribed them; they were five in number, namely, Dharam Khand, Gian Khand, SaramKhand, Karam Khand and Sach Khand. For the purpose of this essay it is notnecessary to go into an explanation and analysis of these khands; itwould be enough to indicate that neither God’s grace nor the merger or blendingwith Him was any matter of accident, happening as if in a sudden flash. Toreach upto the ultimate state of Sahaj or absolute union, merger orblending, one had to prepare himself through a rigorous process of sadhana or discipline and proceed stage by stage.How does one recognize that one has reached the state of Sahaj; whatis the nature and character of Sahaj experience?Ascent of Spirit: Sach Khand, the last of the five khands or stages is the realm of Truth, the ultimate stage of human aspiration andexperience in which one reaches a state of blending with the Absolute, a statewhich is beyond words, beyond articulation and can be known only in experience.It is beyond the three gunas; tamas, rajas and sattva, and ishence called the chautha pad, the fourth state. It is also called the sahaj pad, turia pad or avastha, that is, the supreme state, the parampad, the absolute state, the amara pad, the deathless state. It is astate of absolute peace and tranquillity, of changelessness since it liesbeyond the cycle of birth and death, and of eternal wonder and bliss; it isalso a state of ineffable glory and light radiating beyond the dasam duar or the tenth door. The Sahaj blending or merger is like the blending ofthe light of the individual with the light of God, like that of a drop of waterin the ocean. It is a state of existence in which the atma of theindividual is dissolved and absorbed in the Paramatma, and the innerduality dies within. It is variously described as sunn (sunya) samadhi,sahaj samadhi, sahaj yog, for instance, and the experience itself as mahasukh,param sukh, param anand. Indeed, the Sahaj state is not merely theUltimate Reality, it is the Lord (Prabhu), the ultimate in-dwelling Beloved inwhom one is merged or absorbed. One who achieves this state of being isdescribed by Guru Nanak as jivanmukta, and the state itself is describedas that of jivanmukti.Unity of Spirit: The word in which this absorption or blending ormerger is characterised is a very significant one; it is either samati or samauna as in sahaji samati, sahaji samauna, joti-joti samauna,sabadi samauna, sachi-samauna, for instance, the root verb in each casebeing sam which literally means to equalise, merge, blend, absorb, fill,pervade, unify. But from the context in which the word samati or samauna is used it is clear that what is meant is absolute absorption, unification,merger or blending in a manner so as to leave no trace or consciousness ofduality or separate identity.Apart from the characteristics of peace and tranquillity, of wonderment andbliss and of ineffable radiance by which one recognized the Sahaj stateof being, Guru Nanak recognized another, that of anahad sabad, anunstuck sound which he used to experience within himself at that ultimate stateof being.All said and done, the fact remains that in whichever manner one seeks todescribe the Sahaj experience, its real nature must elude understandingin humanly communicable language. The articulation of an experience which wasessentially a mystical one and, hence, according to Guru Nanak himself, wasincapable of being translated in communicable terms, was indeed beyond humanexpression, had necessarily to be in traditional mystical terms made currentand somewhat understandable by his predecessors belonging to various mysticorders of sants and sadhus, and in well-known traditional symbolsand images that had some meaning, howsoever vague and generalized, to thosewhom his words were addressed.Sabad, the Holy Word: What I have just essayed to do is to present,as faithfully and as briefly as possible, the nature and character of Sahaj as was sought to be articulated by Guru Nanak himself at different places ofhis enormous corpus of sabads, or dohas and slokas. Yet ismust be recognised that, the ultimate analysis, the essential nature of theexperience lay in the experience of the actual absorption or union itself byone who experienced it in the lineaments of his being. That Guru Nanak wasconvinced that one did so by one’s senses and the mind - all physical entities- there is no scope for doubt. He is very clear, precise and definite when hesays: "This body is the abode of God, His palace where-in He shines ininfinite radiance. By Guru’s word one is ushered into the palace. There aloneone comes face to face with God."Was Guru Nanak absolutely original in what he said about Sahaj, itsnature and character? Were the terms and concepts like sahaj, anahad sabad,samati and samauna, mahasukh, sahaj samadhi, jivanmukti, etc. and thenature of the description of the experience of Sahaj entirely his own?There are many points of similarity and divergence between Guru Nanak on theone hand, and the totality of the Indian medieval protestant and non-conformistmystic tradition, and the individual mystics belonging to this tradition, onthe other. But for the purpose of this paper I shall confine myself to oneconcept alone, that of Sahaj, and its nature and character, of theIndian medieval mystics, considered individually and collectively, and try tofind out answers to the questions I have put to myself in respect of this oneparticular concept.Synthesis: One of the tallest of Guru Nanak’s predecessors, perhapsan elder contemporary, in the line of mystic sants and sadhus,and the greatest representative of what is called the Sant synthesis, wasKabir, and it was Kabir’s way of life and thought that seems to have had animpact on the life and mind of Guru Nanak, the Nathapanthi and Kanphata yogis and the leaders of the Bhakti movement, figures like those of Ramanand andNamdev, for instance, being the next formative influences on him.But in so far as the concept of Sahaj is concerned it would be enoughif we turn to Kabir and the Nathapanthi yogis in the first instance, andin the second, to the Sahajayani Buddhists and their spiritual descendants, theSahajiya Vaishnavas and Bauls of Bengal, since all these sects and cults cameto accept Sahaja as the Ultimate and Absolute reality. The Sufi saintsdid not accept the term, but they too conceived the Ultimate Reality in termsof the Supreme Beloved, just as Kabir and Dadu, even Guru Nanak, the SahajiyaVaishnavas and Bauls of Bengal and other devotional sects and cults did underthe impact of the Bhakti movement. The sants and sadhus ofNorthern India seem to have had already achieved a kind of synthesis betweenthe Sahaja and Sufi ideas when Guru Nanak emerged on the scene ofmedieval Indian religious thought and activities. It must be pointed out atonce that the sants and sadhus, including Kabir and Guru Nanak,were never tired of asserting that Rama or Krshna was not any historical oreven a mythological person, not any incarnation of God nor even of Rama orKrshna himself; indeed he had no anthropomorphic form whatsoever. As a matterof fact they conceived their Rama or Krshna as an in-dwelling principle which was the Ultimate, formless, colorless reality immanent in man; it wasnone other than God himself. Sahaj experience was indeed with them Godexperience itself.Kabir characterises the experience of Sahaj as the ultimate human experienceof bliss and peace; he calls it sahaj samadhi which one can attain byfinally arresting all the functions of the mind and hence by creating anabsolute vacuity within. He therefore characterises Sahaj as suni(sunya) sahaj which he describes, just as Guru Nanak does, a state ofsupreme peace and bliss, of mahasukha. It was a state of absolute mergerin which there was left no trace of duality. What is significant is that theterm for merger or blending or union that Kabir uses is samana which is thesame as in Guru Nanak. Speaking of Sahaj Kabir says : "Everybodyspeaks of Sahaj, but nobody knows what Sahaj really is. Sahaj really is when one gives up all his desires, keeps his senses under his fullcontrol, when his son, wife, wealth and desire are all kept aside and whenKabir becomes the maid of Rama; that is real Sahaj when one is unitedwith Rama, that is, with the Lord, in a natural manner.Guru’s Role: It is perhaps necessary to mention the elements thatwere the pre-conditions of the Sahaj experience, that is, these elementsconstituted the stages of preparation and of the psychological pre-conditionwhich led to the experience of that state of peace and bliss, happiness andradiance which was called Sahaj. Negatively speaking, these were (a)sharp criticism and rejection of all external formalities in regard toreligious practices and spiritual quests, and (b) protest against and rejectionof priestly and scriptural authority, celibacy, penances, austerities and thelike. Positively, the most important elements were (a) recognition of the Guru as essential for any spiritual exercise and quest, (b) recognition of the humanbody as the seat and habitat of all religious and spiritual experience, indeedof the Truth or Ultimate Reality and hence rejection of any transcendentalreality external to man, and finally, (c) recognition of the experience of theUltimate Reality as one of inexpressible happin ess and ineffable radiance,waveless equipoise, absolute peace and tranquillity, and of absolute non-dualityor complete unity. The Sahajayani Buddhists, the saintly poets of the Santtradition, Kabir and Guru Nanak knew thi s experience of the Ultimate Reality as Sahaj; indeed the sants and Guru Nanak seemed to have receivedthe term and concept as an inheritance from the Sahajayani Buddhists who intheir turn seem to have received - not the term but - the concept of theresolution of the duality through an absolute union of two principles, one maleand another female; as well as the nature and character of the ultimateexperience, from the older Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. TheSahajayanis too, knew this experience as one of mahasukha.Judging by the north Indian regional literatures on the Nathasiddha yogis and the variety of myths and legends connected with them, it would seem thatthe Natha movement was at least a pan-north Indian one, and if Matsyendranathais regarded as one of the originators of the cult, its antiquity must be atleast as old as that of the Sahajayana. Apart from a general predilectiontowards occult practices and acquisition of supernatural powers, theNathasiddhas owed their religious affiliation to the Siva-Sakti cult, but theirreligious discipline was that of Hathayoga, which was almost an articleof faith with them. Yogic practices, some-what of the nature and character ofthose of the Natha yogis, were common to the Sahajayani Buddhists andother esoteric sects, but with the Natha-yogis these were the mostimportant means of achieving their goal, while with the others theseconstituted only one of the disciplines. With the former it was altogetherphysiological, while with the latter it was also a psychological discipline.Final Goal: The most important difference lay in the ultimate goalitself. The ultimate objective of Guru Nanak was the achievement of Sahaj experience which the Sahajayanis identified with mahasukha, but theNatha-yogi objective was to attain the state of jivanmukti orimmortality in life, according to their own way of life and its interpretation.How did they propose to achieve this end? Bereft of esoteric complexitiesand scholastic niceties as recorded in relevant texts their position may bestated, for our present purpose, as follows:This ordinary human body is a raw, indeed a very imperfect, a mostinadequate object for the achievement of jivanmukti, that is, forfreedom from bondage of decay and death, in other words, of immortality. Butthrough the yogic processes of ulta-sadhana, that is, by making thevital fluid flow upwards instead of downwards, which is the natural physicallaw, and of kaya-sadhana, that is, by the disciplining of the muscles,sinews, ducts, nerves and nerve centres, as well as of the mind, throughperfect control of the vital wind, this raw, imperfect body can be transformedfirst, into a pakkva deha or ripe body and then transsubstantiatedsteadily into a divya deha or divine body, which was the only way toovercome decay, destruction and death. This disciplining of the body and themind involved, a detailed classification and analysis of the entire humanphysiological system so well-known in Hathayoga; it also involved according toNathayogic interpretation, a number of theoretical postulates and actualphysiological processes which have all been studied, analysed and described insome detail by competent scholars.For our purpose, I need not go into any of these very intricate details; Ineed only point out that the conception of the sun and the moon - identifiedrespectively with Sakti and Siva on the one hand and with womanand man on the other, had an important role to play in the yogic scheme ofthings of the Natha-yogis.Their attitude towards - and aversion of - women was unacceptable. EvenKabir refers to women as tigresses who were always seeking men to prey upon tosuck their vitality out of them. Guru N anak derided such attitude, holdingwomen as deserving of respect.Sahaj & Amrit: Guru Nanak uses the term amrit, in thesense of nectar of immortality. His use of the term is found in associationwith the Naam, the na me of God, His name being the Truth. "WhateverGod has made is the manifestation of His Naam" says the Guru."There is nothing in creation which is not such a manifestation".This Naam is veritably the amrit (=namamrita) the nectar ofimmortality, and it is in this sense and in this context that the word amrit is more often than not used. Nowhere do I find any yogic meaning of the term.In common with the Sahajayani Buddhists Guru Nanak used the term mahasukha to describe the nature of the experience of the sahaj state of being,which may at once suggest a very close and intimate association with Sahajayaniyogic practices, especially because he also uses the phrase sahaj yog inthis context. But here too, one must take into consideration the fact that heuses the term mahasukh - not in its technical Tantric yogic meaning -but synonymously with paramsukh and paramanand, that is, in itsliteral sense of supreme pleasure, supreme joy and bliss. A technical term isnot interchangeable, but Guru Nanak seems to have admitted theinterchangeability of mahasukh with param sukh and param anand,and - by and through - this simple means he seems to have divested the term andconcept of mahasukha of all its exclusive Tantric yogic significance.Guru Nanak also uses the term and concept of jivanmukti. But heretoo, if one has to go by the context, he seems to have used the term in its literal sense of liberation from bondage in one’s temporal existence, and not in the Tantric sense in which the Nathapanthis used the term. Indeed, with the latter jivanmukti, which they interpreted in terms of immortality, was the ultimate objective of their spiritual pursuits, while with Guru Nanakjivanmukti was but another name of what was the Sahaj state of experience.

Tuesday 29 January 2013

The 'Path of Love' - Prem Sumarag Granth - Patshahi 10·


One of the oldest dated Rahitname is the 'Prem Sumarag Granth', the oldest manuscript copy I have seen of it is from 1701 AD, therefore in the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh ji. The Nihang Singhs, and Sant Khalsa i.e Nirmale and Namdharis, consider this Granth to be very important. Dr Leyden was the first person to translate the Prem Sumarag Granth into English, he travelled to India in the 18th Century, and his translation is in the British Library.
Please visit
The 'Tat Khalsa' Singh Sabha found this Granth to be quite controversial and side-linded it. The purpose of this note is not to talk about those sections, but concentrate on others of profound beauty and depth. You can see an original copy of the first chapter on the Panjab Digital Library.
The following was translated by the ex-Christian priest, the scholar W. H. McLeod, Prem Sumarag, :
[My] son, I have fashioned you from my own being [ and I have created] a Panth to serve as witness to the world. What kind of Panth [ have I created]? One in which dharam has made its abode, [one in which], error is destroyed and true wisdom exalted. I am the Supreme one. Know none save me, for I have set forth the Panth [as a witness to the truth]. To the people [of the world] I have delivered the message of the divine Word through succession of 10 incarnations. To the shame of all who inhabit the world error still remains. That which I have performed I have imprinted on [every] person. I, the Supreme One, dwell within every heart. Is anything hidden from me?
The next section can be summarised as. the first rahit is to wake up at Amritvela, to relieve one's self, bathe, then do nam simran and the second rahit is to read Gurbani. The third rahit is Rahiras Sahib and the forth is read bani from both the Adi Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth Sahib in the evening, recite Kirtan Sohila, then:
'Breath Vahi from your navel as you inhale and Guru as you exhale.'
Then you will repeat Vahiguru and your deep consciousness will remain ever awake.
A Singh should be humble but always with his weapons! Accept the Guru's bani as Guru.
Let those who are Sikhs of the Khalsa show affection towards each other. Let them remain united, regardless of the good or evil each may perform. If any Sikh is attacked all others should be prepared to join in his defence. Thus shall they earn the merit conferred on those who believe in the Sikh Faith and they will see Guru Baba Sri Akal Purakh come to their instant aid.
A man must not keep the company of another man's wife. Do not act possesively. Do not act out of anger and pride. Do not be attached to mundane concerns and avoid vilifying others. Do not lie - but do not speak the truth that will harm another. Act graciously remembering this human body will one day perish. Live in the awareness that this very breath may be your last. Do not waste your breaths idly. Harm no one. Speak to bring happiness. If your are abused do not take it to heart. Let nothing grieve you, see respect and insults as the same. Do not live of charity, work your dharam ki kirati. The only giver is Guru Baba Akal Purakh. To fulfill your desires do not visit tombs, temples of deities (gods/goddesses), fast, idol worship, magic, or ritually bath. Do do not go to the Brahmins. Do not follow empty ritualism. Instead meditate on the Lotus Feet of Sri Akal Purakh.

Monday 21 January 2013

Do you want to help to restore one of the oldest Guru Granth Sahibs in the world?



Panjab Cultural Association is proud to announce our preservation project of Guru Granth Sahib. This valuable Sikh treasure was discovered by a leading academic who works with Panjab Cultural Associations, took the great task of arranging to preserve this valuable treasure for posterity. Unfortunately, the Guru Granth Sahib currently requires extensive conservation work in order to restore it. We urgently need you to donate and volunteer your skills in order to restore the saroop and create and exhibition around it. Please email admin@5culture.org .



- It is all written in hand and continuous (larivar).
- This Guru Granth Sahib is one of the oldest saroops in the UK, if not in the world.
- Like many other saroops in the UK it was taken in the Anglo-Sikh wars.
- The ink recipe is at the end of this Holy Guru Granth Sahib.

Where did this saroop come from?

It was taken in the Battle of Gujerat or final Anglo-Sikh war. It was alleged to have been taken from a Sikh priest by an officer of the 52nd Bengal Native Infantry at the Battle of Guzerat (Gujrat) on 21 February 1849.  

How do we know how old it is?

From the features of this saroop and studies of it by experts in the field we can be sure that this saroop is at least from 1690 AD. What is exciting is that it has been rebound and the Saloks of the Ninth Guru added in, which might make it even older.

Out of 15 manuscripts of this type of recension, a leading academic records this manuscript to be the oldest! More information will be provided at the seminars!

Other discoveries made from within this saroop will be disclosed in a forthcoming exhibition of this Guru Granth Sahib once it has been restored and digitalised. We urge you to donate generously towards the restoration costs of this Granth {27,000 GBP} and 7,2500 GBP in order to digitise the saroop. Please visit oursecure donation page to contribute towards this valuable seva.



The Sri Guru Granth Sahib has been examined by a number of experts of Sikh manuscripts and evaluated by Giani Rann Singh head Giani of Sant Samaaj and Tarnadal.  
CONSERVATION TREATMENT 
The following report has been provided by a University.
CONDITION: Book block: has sustained serious damage such as missing areas and tears. The first and last pages are in the worst condition, particularly the endpapers have been seriously damaged. The paper at the ends of the book is much more brittle as a result of being more exposed to the air and the paper being oxidised.
Boards & Board Attachment: The leather is worn at all corners of the book block, down the sides of the spine, across the middle raised band on the spine and the point of the enclosing flap. The leather is tornand lifting.  The spine adjacent to this tear is also lifting, revealing the join between the two covering pieces of leather. While still attached to the endpapers the front endpaper is no longer attached to the book block
Endpapers: Poor condition, the front endpaper has been torn in half and is separate from the book block, and as a result is torn, creased and dirty.
TREATMENT: 12 months, Manuscript will be complete, strengthened and useable for most library purposes, consultation, reprography, display etc
COSTS: Conservator (Grade 4) = £27,000 Materials costs £500 approx
Approximate total cost: £27,500
RECOMMENDATIONS 
It is also recommended that the manuscript be digitised as part of the conservation process.
DIGITISATION COSTS
£7,250.00
We urgently need you to donate and volunteer your skills in order to restore the saroop and create an exhibition around it. Please email admin@5culture.org .

A reply to a message about the meaning of the Adi-Chand emblem


ਗੁਰੂ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ!

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ॥
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ॥

ਫ਼ਤਿਹ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਨ ਹੋਵੇ ਵੀਰ ਕਮਲਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ!
ਆਸ ਹੈ ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਸਦਕਾ ਆਪ ਜੀ ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲ੍ਹਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਵੋਗੇ! ਵੀਰ ਜੀਓ, ਆਪ ਜੀ ਤੇ ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਮਿਹਰ ਹੋਈ ਕਿ ਆਪ ਖ਼ਾਲਸੇ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸ ਦਿੱਖ ਦੇ ਮਾਲਿਕ ਬਣੇ। ਆਪ ਜੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਤਸਵੀਰਾਂ ਦੇਖੀਆਂ। ਇੱਕ ਤਸਵੀਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਦੁਮਾਲੇ ਤੇ ਜੋ ਚੰਨ-ਤੋੜੇ ਸਜਾਏ ਹਨ ਕੀ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਕੁੱਝ ਚਾਨਣਾ ਪਾਉਗੇ? ਆਪਣੀ ਤਸਵੀਰ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੱਖ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਹੇਠ ਲਿਖਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੀਮਤੀ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਸਾਂਝੇ ਕਰੋ ਜੀ:
“ਇਤਿਹਾਸਿਕ ਖੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਜਗ੍ਹਾ ਦੋ ਘੁੰਗਰੂਆਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਚੰਨ-ਤੋੜੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਿੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਸ ਨੇ, ਕਦੋਂ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਉਂ ਪ੍ਰਚੱਲਤ ਕੀਤਾ? ਕੀ ਵਜ੍ਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਅੱਜ ਦੇ ਅਖੌਤੀ ਸਾਧ ਅਤੇ ਕਈ ਹੋਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੁਮਾਲਿਆਂ ਤੇ ਬਜਾਏ ਖ਼ਾਲਸੇ ਦੇ ਵਿਰਾਸਤੀ ਖੰਡੇ (ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਖੰਡਾ, ਚੱਕਰ ਅਤੇ ਦੋ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਨਾਂ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਸੰਪੂਰਨ ਖੰਡਾ ਬਣਾਉਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ) ਨੂੰ ਤਿਆਗ਼ ਕੇ ਇਸ ਚੰਨ-ਤੋੜੇ ਨਾਲ ਮੋਹ ਵਿਖਾ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਪਿੱਛੇ ਜਿਹੇ ਵੀਰ ਡਾ: ਉੱਦੋਕੇ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਇਹ ਵੀ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਾਏ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਉੱਪਰ ਵਾਲੇ ਖੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਲ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਤ੍ਰਿਸ਼ੂਲ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ ਦੇਣ ਦੇ ਕਈ ਕੇਸ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆਏ ਹਨ। ਅਸੀਂ ਕਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਇਸ ਚੁੱਪੀ ਨੂੰ ਧਾਰੀ ਰੱਖਣਾ? ਕੀ ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਹੀ ਹੌਲੀ-ਹੌਲੀ ਹਿੰਦੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਦਾ ਘਾਣ ਕਰਵਾਈ ਜਾਣਾ? ਅੱਜ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਸਾਡੇ ਹੀ ਭਰਾਵਾਂ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਸਾਡੇ ਹੀ ਧਰਮ, ਧਰਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਧਰਮ ਚਿੰਨਾਂ, ਵਿਰਾਸਤ, ਸਤਿਕਾਰਿਤ ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ, ਮਾਂ-ਬੋਲੀ, ਮਾਂ-ਧਰਤੀ, ਆਦਿ ਨੂੰ ਮਲਿਆਮੇਟ ਕਰਣ ਦੇ ਨਿੱਤ ਨਵੇਂ ਪ੍ਰਯੋਜਨ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਹਾਂ ਕਿ ਦੇਖ਼ ਕੇ ਵੀ ਅਣਦੇਖਿਆ ਕਰ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਸੋਚ ਲਓ ਕਿ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਕਰਨਾ ਜਾਂ ਗੁਰੂਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਜਾਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਲ ਲਈ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਨੂੰ ਕੌਡੀਆਂ ਭਾਅ ਰੁੱਲਣ ਲਈ ਛੱਡ ਦੇਣਾ। ਕਈ ਸਦੀਆਂ ਗ਼ੁਲਾਮੀ ਕੱਟਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਜ ਜਦੋਂ ਰਾਜ-ਭਾਗ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਉਹ ਅੱਜ ਘੱਟਗਿਣਤੀ ਕੌਮਾਂ ਮੁਸਲਿਮ, ਸਿੱਖ, ਈਸਾਈ, ਆਦਿ ਨਾਲ ਕਹਿਰ ਕਮਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਲੋੜ੍ਹ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਜੱਥੇਬੰਦ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਮੂੰਹ ਤੋੜਵਾਂ ਜਵਾਬ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ।”
ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਜੀ! ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰਣ ਅਤੇ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲ੍ਹਾ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਣ!
ਗੁਰੂ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ!
ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਸਹਿਤ,
ਸੁਖਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ


The Adi-Chand is the union of Adi Shakti (the Khanda) and the Channd (the moon).

According to the Buddha Dal oral tradition, at Mecca Guru Nanak was given the Channd, he said in my Tenth form I will unite it with the Sword.

The symbol means Degh and Tegh - eg the Batta of charity (Degh) - and the Tegh Sword -(Khanda)

Therefore it is the Khanda and Batta of the Amrit sanchar.

If we go even deeper into the spiritual meaning:

The Khanda is a solar symbol. The channd is obviously the moon.

This Shabad is by Bhagat Kabeer Ji in Raag Raamkalee on Pannaa 971 

sis kIno sUr igrwsw ] sas keeno soor giraasaa || the moon energy has devoured the sun energy.


MATV Interview with Harjap Singh Bhangal

MATV

I was invited on MATV to dispel the myths about Nihang Singhs. Harjap and I were at Uni together in the mid 1990s.  It was televised live from Wembley, 31 st January, 2011 6.45pm. Here are some of the question put forward:


What are nihangs? how did they come about? what do you believe in? what is your way of life? why as a uk born and bred person have u adopted this way of life? what are the codes of nihangs? why you wear what you do....is there still a purpose and need for nihangs in this day and age?....why are people afraid of approaching you? are u fundamentalists?....are you warmongers?....what are the positives and negatives in the way our gurdwaras are run on the uk?....why do nihangs not participate more in gurdwara structures?....what can youngsters do if they want to learn more?...what can you say to parents to make them realise this isnt a cult or extremist faith?....how are you precieved by the punjabi community?....is it true that nihangs drink bhang?....do nihangs do nasha?....do nihangs eat meat?....do they drink sharaab?....generally anything and everything to do with nihangs...and of course you are more than welcome to add any message of your own....

The video is coming soon.................

Sunday 20 January 2013

This lecture was given by Prof. Lou Fenech on November 14, 2012 at Mount Royal University to a public audience showcasing his work in examining Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Zafarnama



This lecture was given by Prof. Lou Fenech on November 14, 2012 at Mount Royal University to a public audience showcasing his work in examining Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Zafarnama.
The information and research provided is protected under copyright by the author.

In his upcoming book, Louis E. Fenech offers a compelling new examination of one of the only Persian compositions attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708): the Zafar-namah or 'Epistle of Victory.' Written as a masnavi, a Persian poem, this letter was originally sent to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (d. 1707) rebuking his most unbecoming conduct. Incredibly, Guru Gobind Singh's letter is included today within the Sikh canon, one of only a very small handful of Persian-language texts granted the status of Sikh scripture. As such, its contents are sung on special Sikh occasions. Perhaps equally surprising is the fact that the letter appears in the tenth Guru's book or the Dasam Granth in the standard Gurmukhi script (in which Punjabi is written) but retains its original Persian language, a vernacular few Sikhs know.
Drawing out the letter's direct and subtle references to the Iranian national epic, the Shah-namah, and to Shaikh Sa'di's thirteenth-century Bustan, Fenech demonstrates how this letter served as a form of Indo-Islamic verbal warfare, ensuring the tenth Guru's moral and symbolic victory over the legendary and powerful Mughal empire. Through analysis of the Zafar-namah, Fenech resurrects an essential and intriguing component of the Sikh tradition: its Islamicate aspect.