Learning to Speak Kindly ! (especially for Punjabis)

Even though I take pride in being from Punjab, India and being a Sikh, I have heard and read many times about Punjabis coming off as rude, arrogant and macho. I think it is all across cultural and national boundaries, but to help myself and other Punjabis to learn to speak kindly so we can relate to other cultures and people better, I will just post something about love and kindness. Here is something about "Speaking kindly to Yourself" that I found and can relate to the author's childhood stories to kind of my childhood growing up in Punjab. Please read if you wish and hope it can help a little in polishing off that Punjabi harshness:

http://www.forthelittleonesinside.com/mpage/speak.html

Happy Holidays!

Happy Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza Everyone!

With holidays and all, the blog activity is going to slow down for me. Wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

Good Saturday Morning Everyone! Today's Hukamnama From my Guru

AASAA, FOURTH MEHL, CHHANT, FIFTH HOUSE:
ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:
O my dear beloved stranger mind, please come home! Meet with the Lord-Guru, O my dear beloved, and He will dwell in the home of your self. Revel in His Love, O my dear beloved, as the Lord bestows His Mercy. As Guru Nanak is pleased, O my dear beloved, we are united with the Lord. 1 I have not tasted divine love, O my dear beloved, within my heart. The minds desires are not quenched, O my dear beloved, but I still hold out hope. Youth is passing away, O my dear beloved, and death is stealing away the breath of life. The virtuous bride realizes the good fortune of her destiny, O my dear beloved; O Nanak, she enshrines the Lord within her heart. 2 My eyes are drenched with the Love of my Husband Lord, O my dear beloved, like the song-bird with the rain drop. My mind is cooled and soothed, O my dear beloved, by drinking in the rain drops of the Lord. Separation from my Lord keeps my body awake, O my dear beloved; I cannot sleep at all. Nanak has found the Lord, the True Friend, O my dear beloved, by loving the Guru. 3 In the month of Chayt, O my dear beloved, the pleasant season of spring begins. But without my Husband Lord, O my dear beloved, my courtyard is filled with dust. But my sad mind is still hopeful, O my dear beloved; my eyes are both fixed upon Him. Beholding the Guru, Nanak is filled with wondrous joy, like a child, gazing upon his mother. 4 The True Guru has preached the sermon of the Lord, O my dear beloved. I am a sacrifice to the Guru, O my dear beloved, who has united me with the Lord. The Lord has fulfilled all my hopes, O my dear beloved; I have obtained the fruits of my hearts desires. When the Lord is pleased, O my dear beloved, servant Nanak is absorbed into the Naam. 5 Without the Beloved Lord, there is no play of love. How can I find the Guru? Grasping hold of Him, I behold my Beloved. O Lord, O Great Giver, let me meet the Guru; as Gurmukh, may I merge with You. Nanak has found the Guru, O my dear beloved; such was the destiny inscribed upon his forehead. 6 14 21
Saturday, 4th Poh (Samvat 537 Nanakshahi)
(Page: 451)

Taken from
www.sikhnet.org

Punjabi or Gurmukhi anyone! Learn Language of the Sikh Gurus!

Dr. Lehal has started up the www.advancedcentrepunjabi.org site for learning Gurmukhi online. It is a great website if you are a teacher or student of Punjabi/Gurmukhi, or have children to whom you are willing to teach at home. My salute to Dr. Lehal and their team! Check it out!

Love of God

Everytime I hear people talk about loving God, various questions and answers go thru my mind. Same thing happened during this morning commute. What does it mean when people say “Oh! A person should love God”? How do we show love for God? Do we love and show compassion for its creation such as people, nature, animals etc? If yes, then why do some of the people cut trees, kill animals and hate people, but at the same time they pray to God in Churches, Gurdwaras, mandirs, mosques etc.? I look at the history of this country with slavery and treatment of blacks and native Americans, history of India with treatment of low caste people, treatment of Sikhs by the mughal rulers, persecution of Jews and ask how can a person treat another human like a slave and love God next day or take a holy bath or make a confession next day to wash away sins?

A while back, there was a documentary on Donner party that came from east coast to California but got stuck in the Sierra snowstorm in the 1800’s. They had to succumb to cannibalism in order to survive? A Native American that accompanied them ran away because he heard he was next in line to be killed for meat? How can people just treat these humans like animals? Stories are endless, with treatment of native Indians by Spanish missionaries? Most of the Christians believe that animals like dogs, cats and snakes etc go to heaven and God created them for man. These animals are a creation of God and if God and its creation are to be loved then how can we eat chicken or cow for meat and but love dogs and cats? Why not eat dog meat or a cat meat? Why does a person that has been created by the same One creator but does not believe in Jesus is treated like a subhuman or slave or an animal? Where is the karma? I say, Truth is higher than any religion and no religion should have monopoly on God and like Guru Nanak said, truthful living is even higher than the truth. So it is the Truthful living we need to strive for in everyday life.

Another Great Sikh Women Website!

Here is a website of Sikh Nari Manch, an organization dedicated to empowering Sikhi in men, women and future generations:

http://www.sikhnarimanch.com/home.asp

I wish more women role models were included under role models becuase there are a lot which are not mentioned.

Painting of Sikhs in Hongkong in 1860's!

I have read a few articles on Sikhs in Thailand and Hongkong in 1800's and 1900's working as policemen, security guards, and soldiers. Here is an interesting picture of Sikh soldiers in Hongkong in 1860's. Check it out:

http://www.printsoldandrare.com/hongkong/021hong.jpg

View of Theological society in Greece on Sikhism and other religions!

This is one of the interesting sites I found on Theological aspects of a religion. Check it out:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theosophicalsociety.gr/graphics/religions/Sikh.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theosophicalsociety.gr/worldreligions/&h=328&w=211&sz=89&tbnid=rlQMzO1MAdIJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=73&hl=en&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsikh%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&oi=imagesr&start=2

Don't go overboard on Bill Gates, says Rahul Bajaj

I agree more with Rahul Bajaj on this one. Is this investment of $1B is really good for India?? Afterall it is an investment not a charitable donation. I wonder, where is Punjab in all these high tech booms of India? Why Punjab is not being promoted as a place for reserach and development of any kind? I am pretty sure there are millions of Sikh techies (both hardware, Software, medical scientists etc) that can do a much better job than people in Banglore. For menial work, yes! Banglore is the place, but I think innovation should belong to Punjab, since Sikhs have always been innovative and creative. Afterall, it took a Sikh Prime Minister to turn the debt ridden country around and habit of begging for relief money ( see article: http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/news.nsf/NewsArchive/2AE1D61609A7C63187256E9800690C42!OpenDocument )

Just imagine where India would have been if it would have been turned over to Sikhs 50 years ago. Anyways, I hope Punjab gets promoted as a place for research and development and innovation since that is in the Sikh spirit and may be, it will see some of the benefits of Bill Gates investment. Anyways, read it if you like:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1567206,00020020.htm

A funny Sikh blogger!

I just found this blog. You guys need to visit this and read some of the cartoons and jokes. It is hilarious:

http://sikhlionz.blogspot.com/

Books on Sikhi

Who says there aren’t enough books on Sikhi. Here is a list for you and your kids to start reading. I have only read a couple of them and did not know there was such as selection:

http://www.trafford.com/robots/04-2522.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1903863007/ref=pd_bxgy_text_2_cp/203-7567197-7471935
Search keyword Sikhism:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&field-keywords=sikhism&Go.x=9&Go.y=11
Search keyword Sikh:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&search-option=search-amazon&field-keywords=sikh&Go.x=7&Go.y=7
Search keyword: Sikh women
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&search-option=search-amazon&field-keywords=sikh+women&Go.x=8&Go.y=15
Search Keyword: Sikh Youth
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&search-option=search-amazon&field-keywords=sikh+youth&Go.x=7&Go.y=5
Search keyword: Sikh Children
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&search-option=search-amazon&field-keywords=sikh+children&Go.x=1&Go.y=8
Search keyword: Sikh baby names
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-3174612-2487847?url=index%3Dblended&search-option=search-amazon&field-keywords=sikh+baby+names&Go.x=10&Go.y=14

Sikh Women - The Quiet Force Behind Great Sikh Leaders

Even though in the past there has been very little historical references about Sikh women that have helped shape the Sikh society of yesterday, today, and, are currently on the forefront of building the Sikh men and women leaders of tomorrow. Even in everyday life on several occasions I have encounterd many bright young ordinary girls and women at Khalsa Camps, villages of Punjab, weddings and internet etc.and have been amazed at their artistic skills, intellect, inner strength, leadership qualities and the willpower. It is the quality women like these that are the helping shape great leaders such as Manmohan Singh, Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Inderjit Kaur (Sikh Dharma) Pooran Singh, Dr. Inderjit Kaur (Pingalwara), I sometimes wonder, what would happen if this energy and ethusiasm is released and let go.

A few years back I met a Sikh gentleman in a local park here , he himself was from Thailand since a lot of Sikhs went to China and Thailand in the 1920-30’s as police and security officers. He told me about his daughter who was in Indian Air Force and would jump from planes with parachutes. The story stuck with me since I had not heard of Sikh women pilots jumping from planes. In 2003, during a trip with my daughter to a village school, this one 12 year old girl from our distant relatives just stood out. The girl just took my daughter all around and spoke Punjabi with so much confidence and with no hesitation with my daughter that my jaws just dropped. There are so many other little stories like this. I would say that girls in Punjabi villages are even more strong willed, confidant and show better leadership and orginality than the ones in big cities that were raised in somewhat western atmosphere. Anyways, I think there are a great number of Sikh girls and women that are currently shaping the societies of Punjab, India and elsewhere in the World. Here are some of the women of recent past and present with impacts on Sikh society:

Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Fightingfor freedom is in her blood):
http://punjabassembly.nic.in/Members/Detailbio.asp?mlacode=12080
Late Kalpana Chawla (Astronaut):
http://altreligion.about.com/cs/sikh/a/aa020503.htm
Dr. Inderjit Kaur (President - Pingalwara)
http://www.pingalwaraonline.org/about_pingal/organization.htm
Kavita Chibber:
http://www.kavitachhibber.com/biography.html
Valeri Kaur:
http://www.sikhwomen.com/equality/ideology_vs_practice.htm
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/05/28/harvard_abu_ghraib_play/index_np.html Shauna Singh:
http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/1199/baldwin/index.html
Bibi Inderjit Kaur (Sikh Dharma)
http://www.sikhcouncilusa.org/article.aspx?article=evtwhitehouse1
Snatan Kaur
Ek Onkar Kaur Khalsa (Song of the Soul)
And Many Many more that I can't even list:
http://www.yourtruehero.org/content/hero/view_hero.asp?4493
http://www.yourtruehero.org/content/hero/view_hero.asp?23476
http://allaboutsikhs.com/women/