Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Spirit Born...random excerpts

Random excerpts from Prof. Puran Singh:

What is this Spirit Born People?
This ideal group of Spirit-born people, which has been the dream and art creation of Guru Nanak, was named Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, who he declared as his Son, his own image, the reflection of the Guru-personality, born of his blood. The Commune was named the `Khalsa Panth', which the Guru planted as the Root of the' Kingdom of Righteousness' in the garden of Anandpur, the City of Joy, to be the Ideal future International State of man. By creating the Khalsa, the Guru has given birth to a New Race, with a universal religion of faith in man and fired it with the spiritual
passion for progress....
Note in this paragraph - I have known it for some time, but many don't understand the implications - Akbar became a Brahmin...

Four hundred years ago the inhabitants of the Punjab were all slaves. The invaders that came by the Khyber Pass, destroyed by the sword all Indian hopes of ever becoming a self-governing nation. Foreign invasions showed the hollowness of the creed that was holding the people of India in its clutches of caste and colour and dual differences. What could the invaders have achieved if the will to die for freedom were there in the soul of India? Then the Moghuls settled down, Akbar became a Brahmin, Aurangzeb a mere dreamer of a Muslim Empire, and Bahadur Shah a singer of rhymes that the dancing girls sang. Islam with its sword, found its grave in India. What is the Indian Mussalman today but a Hindu who hates `others'? Perhaps in the whole of India today, one cannot find a group of people that can so continuously suffer for an ideal as the Sikhs.

The Spirit Born survive only as a Sikh Nation...

Humble labourers while digging the earth, while ploughing, while on horse-back, were in deep unison with the God of Humanity. A new spiritual culture was being nurtured in the homes of the dust-laden peasantry of the Punjab. It was the culture of simple humanity with a Godward tendency; it was the culture of spontaneous God-head flowering in essential humanity. The God ward tendency _ being Gurmukh, with face turned to the Guru -was the simple religion of the Sikh masses. And those who were full of the Guru, His Truth, His Fire, were the true representatives of the Sikh People -the Sikh Nation.

The Confluence of Faith, Courage and Discipline

What - Sidak - a unique learning experience on Sikh theology, culture and lifestyle
Where - San Antonio, TX
When - July 13th through July 26th

Please check out the video below. I want to seriously recommend this program to all the readers of this blog. There are still some open spots so simply contact sidak@sikhri.org for the information and hope to see you there.




Tuesday, June 17, 2008

3 Interesting Youngsters! The Singhs of Palo Alto

Kudos to the kids' parents, family, friends, community and of course the Guru. I have never heard Killen before but his questioning style really brings out the dynamism and eloquence of the kids.

I pray that the Guru blesses them with the continuity of excellence in all spheres of life.

Very cool!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7397478816209281067