BY MY SIDE
"That Beloved True Guru is always with me; wherever I may be, He will save me."
Guru Raam Das Ji
Everyone faces difficulties in life, it is the way of the world. Guru is the one who helps and guides us. Through meditation, truly believe Satguru is along side you. When facing any obstacles, from the bottom of the heart with full faith, ask the Lord for guidance. He will hold your arm; come what may.
Vaheguroo!
PROUD OF MY FAITH
On Friday 15 April 2016, I finally took a leap of faith and walked into work with a new addition to my daily outfit â my Sikh turban. I sat at my desk anxiously, waiting to be bombarded with questions about the new look. To my surprise, only a few brave souls plucked up the courage to ask questions and, although relieved, it meant my turban remained the elephant in the room.
Why were people hesitating to ask me questions about my turban? What were they afraid of? The more I questioned the silence, the more it baffled me. Did they really feel that inquisition about faith, identity, culture and heritage may be offensive, controversial or insulting?
On reflection, the whole experience opened my eyes to this bizarre new age. I realised that, living in a world where political correctness dominates our lives, we have been silenced into making assumptions and relying on Google for the answers, from fear of offending people. This silence deprives us from having friendly, and healthy, educational discussions; thereby understanding and embracing one anotherâs differences.
On the one hand we are encouraged to celebrate our differences, and on the other hand our mouths are sealed with political correctness. Schools have already banned âbaa baa BLACK sheepâ and before we know it, we will be changing HIStory to HERstory, writing Apu out of the Simpsons and banning Come Fly with Me.
Ok, I hear you; get to the point you say! So, why do I wear a turban? Who am I, and why did I change my appearance?
I was born and brought up in England, but both my parents were born in Punjab, which lies close to the foot hills of the Himalayas in northern India. Therefore, having been born in England but in a traditional Punjabi household, meant that from a young age I identified with both eastern and western cultures.
Born to semi-practicing Sikh parents I was also a Sikh but by âdefaultâ, so growing up I was far more cultured than religious. Back then, being religious wasnât really very fashionable, and I guess is even less so now. Religion was, and is, unfortunately tarnished with a reputation as being archaic, not in line with logic or science and is in some shape or form - restrictive. So, as a typical young and impressionable teenager, I shied away from being a Sikh, not wanting to draw unwanted attention and strange looks from the people around me. Not knowing a huge amount about the history of Sikhism I was happier to swim with the tide (the social norms) than to trouble myself and swim against it. However, naturally, as I grew older, the seeds of Sikhism sown by my parents began to sprout. I became more inquisitive about this way of life and actively began to research and educate myself about this relatively new religion.
I was overwhelmed with the things I was learning: at a time when women had no rights, were forced to wear veils, and were burned alive on the funeral pyre for being a widow (a practice called âSatiâ); Guru Nanak (the founder of the Sikh faith) was liberating society by freeing women from oppression and teaching mankind about gender equality. In my eyes he was the first feminist and a true revolutionary.
As I matured, and developed a greater understanding of the faith, I gradually began to practice this unique way of life. It wasnât until my later years that I read about the historical significance of the Sikh turban. In the 15th century, India was ruled by Mughals and had a predominantly Hindu population. Any ideology which was in contravention of societyâs accepted norms was met with brutal force. During this period, the turban was reserved by the Mughal empire for people whom they considered to be royals. In protest, the turban was gifted to the Sikhs by the 10th Sikh Guru as a means of promoting equality for all mankind i.e. all mankind should be considered equally royal. For 300 years Sikhs persevered and suffered 3 genocides in the process, but continued to uphold these ideals for the generations to come. Today, as a Sikh, I wear this turban to preserve my Sikh identity and as a constant reminder and in honour of those sacrifices. My turban is an expression of my heritage, history, identity and faith. My turban represents equality, self respect, dignity and courage.
Now, this is the part where I cleverly tie all of this back to Investments Solutions... not.
I will, however, close this blog by leaving you with some food for thought â the next time youâre sitting at your desk and have the burning desire to ask a question; think about the reasons why you think you shouldnât be asking the question. Why? Because you will likely find that thereâs not many life threatening reasons for you not to ask; and you may even be pleasantly surprised to find that your question opens up the floor for all to explore new and enriching avenues.
Vaheguroo!
GURU IS GOD!
Guru Arjan Dev Ji, talks about how Guru Nanak is God himself in this shabad. Guru Ji Says, I worship and adore my Guru; the Guru is the lord of the universe. My Guru is divine, invisible and mysterious. I serve Guru Nanak who is worshiped by all. Without the Guru, I have no place at all. Night and day, I chant the name of the Guru. The Guru is my spiritual wisdom. The Guru is the meditation within my heart. The Guru is the boat to purify this mind and help me cross this terrifying world ocean.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji then goes on to say, serving Guru Nanak, one is released from the messenger of death. In the darkness, Guruâs mantra shines forth. With the Guru all the universe is saved. The perfect Guru is found with great, good fortune. Serving the Guru pain does not afflict anyone. No one can erase the word of the Guruâs shabad.
Guru Ji finishes off by saying, Nanak is the true and pure Guru; Nanak is God himself.
In this shabad, Guru Ji has made it clear, that Guru Nanak and the teachings of the Guru had directly come from God themselves!
Guru Arjan Dev Ji Says, âGur Kaa Sabadh N Mayttai Koi || No one can erase the Word of the Guru's Shabad. Gur Naanak Naanak Har Soi|| Nanak is the Guru; Nanak is the Lord Himself.â
Vaheguroo!
CORONA
The world is going through very testing times. We turn the news on and all we hear about is COVID-19. We look at our social media accounts and all we read, see and hear is COVID-19. We speak to our friends or people we pass in the supermarket and all we ever talk about is COVID-19. Those of us that are still going out to work, speak to colleagues and all we speak about is COVID-19. We go to fill our cars with petrol and the energy around us just feels so negative. Wherever we go and whatever we are allowed to do in these difficult times, thereâs only one subject on the lips of the world and we all know what that is!
In such difficult times, itâs imperative that we all remain very positive and remain in high spirits. The virus has taught us all to slow down and appreciate everything we had in the extremely busy but luxurious lives we live in today. It has made the world seem very small to everyone and it has connected us all as one and equals, which we should have always been.
The more negative we are and the more we listen to the negative news, the more this becomes a part of our mind and soul and we begin to fully believe everything we hear. Most of it will always be negative and it will get us down. Weâll pass it on to others and it becomes a vicious circle. All of a sudden, the negative energy around myself, yourself and everybody else becomes drastically negative. The world becomes a very sad and sour place to live in. The more we feel down and upset, the more we are prone to depression, stress and anxiety. When negative energies like these attack our minds, this is when we get prone to illness, disease and viruses.
Mental well being is the most important in such testing times. How can we preserve our health through being mentally strong? There are many ways. Firstly, remain positive by being light hearted, not watching the news as much. Not believing everything the news says. Not to always talk about the virus. Talk about positive subjects. Have a laugh and giggle. Most of all remain in high spirits. When the mind starts to become weak and needs company, remember to meditate. Breathe in through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Watch your breath. Listen to it and begin to control your thoughts and emotions in that way. Control your mind, donât let it control you. For those of us who know about Naam meditation, this is the most powerful energy that we can link our mind, body and breath to. No virus can come anywhere near it. The energy of Godâs name is too powerful for a virus to even touch.
In these ridiculously hard times, we need to show how we should truly behave as amazing humans and Samaritans of the world. How can we help the elderly and the vulnerable? How can we help our neighbours and our community? How can we support the people around us? The virus has not looked at cast, colour, creed or religion. In the same way, the human should not see cast, colour, creed or religion. There are many organisations now who are sacrificing their own well being and families to help, support and guide the elderly, vulnerable and those in need. Letâs become a part of these amazing organisations, who have empowered themselves with love, compassion, kindness and positive energy to support society and their communities.
Itâs very important we carry out the basic measures the government is asking us to carry out however, letâs not Sit there worrying about what is going to happen, because we canât control what is not in our hands. This is now all in the hands of God and we all need to pull together to make a difference. We are all one and the sonâs and daughters of the same father God (Vaheguroo).
Letâs not be the one to spread negative news through social media. Letâs be the one to keep everyone positive and in high spirits so that we can challenge/smash the virus and beat it together as ONE!
Guru Arjan Dev Ji Says, âSarab Rog ka aukhad Naamâ
The Naam is the panacea, remedy to cure all illness and viruses.
Kalyaan roop Mangal gunn gaamâ
Singing the glory of Godâs name is the embodiment of bliss and emancipation.
Vaheguroo!
