Spiritualism - Eternal Voice

Licence No. F.2 (E-2) Press/2009 dtd. 6/3/2009Eternal VoiceVol.2 No.4 November, 2010 - January, 2011 `100 / $10 / £5 A Quarterly Magazine of Universal BrotherhoodSooraj kiran mile Jal kaa jal hooaa RamJotee jot ralee Sampooran theeaa Ram.Brahm VidyaRealize yourinnerselftoUnitewith theLordInto the sun is the ray absorbed, water into water,Light into light is merged; perfection is attained.HaridwarSikhs in CricketA KALGIDHAR TRUST PUBLICATIONSpiritual Intelligence & Addiction

Baba Iqbal SinghRatanjit S. SondheDr. Isher Judge AhluwaliaJagat S. Mehta, IFSSaran Singh, IASDr. Khem Singh GillRajinder Singh Chadha Hardev SinghAnvita GargeshAvtar SinghSarabjeet SinghJasbir Singh SethiCharanjit Singh(cjsbhatti@gmail.com) Dr. Davinder SinghThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru SahibDistt. Sirmore, Himachal Pradesh-173101, IndiaPhones: 9816033303/4Fax: 91-1799-276041 Email: ev@barusahib.orgEternal Voice, F-3, Rajouri GardenNew Delhi-110027, IndiaPhone: 9810548548Fax: 91-11-25100982 Email: ev@barusahib.orgBaru Sahib 9816033303 Email:ev@barusahib.orgDelhi 9810548548 Email: ev@barusahib.orgMumbai 9821006103 Email: gurmeet_kalra@rediffmail.comKolkata 9830799453 Email:preengfab@vsnl.netBangalore 9845238013 Email: jasjeet27@yahoo.co.inUS 804-615-6705 sekhon.tkt@gmail.comCanada 604-780-7200 info@akalacademy.caUK 777-860-5187 kaka@cleversocks.co.ukSponsor aChild’s EducationFor`500/- per month• ` 500 can sponsor the monthly education of a rural child.• ` 3,500 per month can sponsor an old age citizen.• ` 4,000 can cure and restore life back to a drug-addict.• ` 5,000 per month can buy the complete development andresidential education of an orphan child.• ` 2,00,000 can sponsor the construction of a classroomin rural area.To provide a helping hand for this noble causeDonate by Credit Cardwww.barusahib.orgDonate by Cash/Cheque/DraftDeposit at any branch of HDFC Bank in favour of'The Kalgidhar Trust'SB/Ac No. : 2921000041554Donate by PostIn favour of 'The Kalgidhar Trust'F-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi - 110 027Ph. : 011-42434243From the editor’s desk...Man today, it seems, is faced with a crisis of faith. No doubt,mankind is beset by myriad problems - poverty, violence, socialinjustice and sickness - to name just a few. There seems little hopeof finding answers to these problems because those, who hold thereins of power, are perceived to be corrupt to the core. Togetherwith the crisis of faith, there is also a crisis of confidence. Scienceand technology can help us in mitigating some of these problems,but what about the spiritual crisis that has gripped us?Have we ever bothered to think about our spiritual bliss, deeplyengrossed, as we are, in the business of our everyday life? We maybe regular visitors to holy places or even routinely going throughritualistic prayers, but have we set a spiritual goal for ourselves?Actions can be meaningful only if we have a clear and well-definedaim in mind. Those, who know, where they want to go and havethe necessary grit, will surely find the means of reaching there.At the end of the day's work, one longs to return home. With timerunning out, do we have a similar urge to return to our 'true home'and become one with the Divine Realty. We can realize the realpurpose of life, if we carefully study and follow the teachingsinherent in Guru Granth Sahib, which ordains:BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw ]goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw ]Bhaee paraapat(i) maanukh d-ai-hureeaa Gobind milan(h) kee eh t-ai-ree baree-aa.(The human body has been given to you. This is your chance to meet theLord of the Universe.)According to Sikh scriptures, the aim of life is to develop the besthuman qualities in ourselves and thereby attain union with theSupreme Being rather than to get salvation or gain Paradise. Toachieve this, a person is enjoined to eschew the five vices -Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment) andAhankar (pride) and their source Haumai (ego).In thought, word and deed, the seeker after truth lives in harmonywith his fellow-beings and lets others to live peacefully. In otherwords, our body and soul need to be in complete harmony.Whenever there is a dichotomy between the body and the soul, itis because one of them, particularly the body, is given inordinatepreference. The requirements of the soul derive their nourishmentfrom righteous deeds. On the other hand, for the fulfillment of thebodily comforts, the mind longs for worldly enjoyments to themaximum possible extent and forces man to spend his entire lifeto satiate the insatiable appetite of the mortal body.The mind, thus, seeks pleasure through the senses. But the path tospiritual renewal, which brings everlasting joy, leads in anotherdirection. It calls for self-discipline and the reining-in of the waywardmind. Does one follow the path of pleasure or the path of joy?From time immemorial, seekers after truth have willingly chosenthe path of joy. All religions lay stress on self-realization throughmeditation and prayer; cultivating humility, love and selflessservice.If all men were to follow the teachings of the ancientprophets, saints and the Gurus, peace would descend on theworld, now torn apart by strife. And realizing their true spiritualkinship, men everywhere would seek to bring in an environmentof peace, friendship and mutual trust - marking the advent of'The Kingdom of Heaven', 'The Nizam-e-Mustafa', 'Ram Rajya' and'The Khalsa Raj':They taste of death who do at Heaven arrive,But we this paradise approach alive.- George EtheregeThe Kalgidhar Trust does not take responsibility forreturning unsolicited publication material.The management of Eternal Voice may not concurwith the views expressed by various authors in thisjournal.Website: www.barusahib.orgEmail: ev@barusahib.orgRajinder Singh ChadhaPublished and printed by Davinder Singh, from F-3,R a j o u r i G a r d e n ,New Delhi - 110 027. Editor: Rajinder Singh ChadhaPrinted at The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, Sirmore(H.P.)-173101All Donations qualify for Tax deductionsEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 20111

Eternal Voice for EternityP.C. Bose, New DelhiI have been receiving 'Eternal Voice', a superb publication of itsown class and I thank you for the same.The magazine comprises of variety of articles befitting the title.The overall production, its technical aspects, printing,photography, paper and layout-compositions are of high quality.As a part of our duty during school inspection, we glance throughthe issue Register of the library to find out whether the teachersdo take care of extra-reading, other than prescribed books orcheap and popular magazines. It will be appreciated, if teachersread publications on education, teaching and ethics and ethoslike your 'Eternal Voice'. In fact, it is a publication meant forintellectuals.Such publications are eternal in the sense that these may bepreserved in the library and can be read even years after.Excellent standards achievedParthiv Mahate, PuneGreat to see such talented, dedicated and excellent standardsachieved. 'Eternal Voice' magazine will go a long way to help make oursociety a better place to live. All the best!Eternal Voice in a common man's languageMohinder Singh Didden, DelhiI am addicted to reading the magazine, 'Eternal Voice'. This is amagazine, which is informative & enlightening, and gives a clearpicture of Gurmat, history, thought andphilosophy of Sikhism. Written in a very lucidand clear style in common man's English, it is agreat source of knowledge to those readers,who do not know Punjabi and are thusdeprived of knowledge regarding GuruNanak's doctrine. You are doing a fabulous jobby putting up varied articles on spirituality,quarter after quarter.A treat to the spiritually parchedPreeti, MumbaiI have been wanting to write to you for quite some time, but just havebeen occupied with work at home and office. I receive the magazineand it looks amazing. The contents are definitely a treat to thespiritually parched.I enjoy the articles and honestly, I also got an attempt to evaluate mylife and even life in general. I love every bit.Glorious & beneficial magazineJagmohan Singh, DelhiMy joy knew no bounds to go through a few beautiful, glorious andbeneficial magazines ‘Eternal Voice’ of the year 2010, about whichS. Manjeet Singh Rikhy, Member, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara ManagementCommittee, often spoke and praised very highly.In fact it is wonderful & useful; depicts pictures and quotes sacredBani from Guru Granth Sahib, which goes direct into the heart withpearls and diamonds of wisdom. This not only leads us towardsnoble road for righteousness but also makes the moral very high.Such rich articles in details along with the history are perhaps onlyavailable in the ‘Eternal Voice ’.Almighty Waheguru may bless and give you more courage and meansto spread your beneficial thoughts throughout the world.Book of poemsHarman, on emailThis is regarding to your magazine 'Eternal Voice'. I read a translatedShabad under 'Book of poems'. It was English translation of Jagat mainjoothi dekhi preet by Baljit Kaur Tulsi. (Vol.1 No. 2, May-July 2009 edition).I was quite mesmerized by knowing the true meaning of it. I want toknow whether such books are available? What is the name ofthe book?A Multifarious JournalChhanda Bose, on emailOnce again, I take opportunity to appreciate the commendablepublication under your editorship.'Eternal Voice' is multifarious in the sense,it covers various aspects such as religion,values, education, literature, tourism,spirituality, biography of spiritual personalitiesand their teachings.I specially refer to the article 'Tagore andSikhism'. In any Bengali family, the day a childsteps into the world of learning, he isintroduced to that world through RabindraNath Thakur. And during schooling, he gets knowing about Sikhism,Gurus and anecdotes, such as those of Guru Gobind Singh, TaruSingh, and Banda Bahadur through Rabindra Nath's poems. Thosetouching stanzas are remembered for long.Incidently, all Bengali speaking say the surname of the poetas 'Thakur' and not 'Tagore', which is nothing but theanglicized version.The Life & Philosophy of Guru Nanak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Stone Buddha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Special Cover - Baru Sahib . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Baru Sahib - The Confluence of Science & Spirituality. . . 10Living for Harmony & Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Parable of the Man & His Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17The Rat Race of Our Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18The Basic Perception of Spiritualism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Haridwar - Gateway of the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Spiritual Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Sehaj - The Tranquil State of Mind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Nawab Kapoor Singh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Religious Experience in Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Mudras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Profit & Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Epistles from a Father to His Daughter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Kirtan Samrat - Bhai Samund Singh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Spiritual Intelligence & Addiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Chasing the Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5152 Commandments of Guru Gobind Singh. . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Sikhs in Cricket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Brahma Vidya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Faith in Service of Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Makhan Shah Lubana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Six Impediments to Bhakti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Breaking the Fetters of Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Bhai Bhagirath and Mansukh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Book of Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Khojarnath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78One letter selected by the editorial board will entitle its writer to gift a copy of 'Eternal Voice' to a friend for a year.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 20112 3

The Life & PhilosophyofGuru NanakBy K.T. S. Tulsiuru Nanak, the founder of Sikh Religion, and the first in theGsuccession of ten Gurus, was the soul of a powerfulcurrent of spiritual and social renewal. The birth of Nanak in1469 was spoken of, by the village priest, as very auspicious.The priest prophesied that he would not only be an adorer ofGod but lead many others to Him.ChildhoodA precocious child, Nanak, at the age of five, started askingquestions about the purpose of life. When sent to a Pandit tolearn alphabet, he surprised his teacher by composing a poemof mystic import. While his parents and sister were excitedabout his brilliance, they became worried by his lack ofattention to worldly tasks. He let the cattle, entrusted to him towander into a farmer's field and distributed money, that wasgiven for business to the needy. When his father summoned aphysician to examine Nanak, the physician declared that he hadno need of healing and that he was destined to heal many.Nanak, thereafter, went to live with his married sister, whoprocured him the job of a storekeeper in Sultanpur. While heperformed his duties diligently and won the admiration of all,it was here that he began to gather a group of disciples and withthem took to singing of hymns. He shared common meals withthem and urged his friends to lead a life of simplicity andrighteousness.Encounter with DivineOne day Nanak failed to appear for work after he had gone tothe nearby river Bein, for morning ablutions. He was missing forthree days and nights and was feared drowned. But instead, hewas in intimate communion with the Divine, during which hereceived a call for going into the wider world. The mysticalexperience is described as a direct encounter with the Divine.The first words uttered by Guru Nanak on his reappearancewere, 'There is no Hindu, no Musalman.' He announced to theworld that there is one God, who is beyond the religiousdivisions created by humankind. He was now 30 years of age,already married to Sulakkhani and was father of two sons.Leaving his family behind and taking Mardana as his solecompanion, he left Sultanpur for 20 years. Guru Nanakembarked upon four long journeys - to the East, South, Northand West. At the end of each journey, he returned to Punjab. Hewent to several important places of pilgrimage - Kurukshetra,Mathura, Haridwar, Banaras, Gaya as well as those in Bengal,Assam and Ceylon. He visited Sufi establishments in Pak Pattonand Multan. He traveled beyond India to Mecca, Madina andBaghdad in the West and Tibet and China in the East. He is alsobelieved to have traveled to Mount Sumero. During his travels,he held dialogues with Pandits, Sadhus, Yogis, Peers and Qajis notas an uncommitted seeker but as a teacher. While he challengedmany religious teachers of his time, he never challenged anyreligion. He proclaimed a new vision of one God, whose powergoes beyond names and forms. He won over his opponents notby magical power or intellectual acumen, but by moralpersuasion and the power of loving devotion. He was not asectarian reformer but a preacher of diving reality transcendingall particularities of race and clan.Guru Nanak's years of traveling ended around 1521, which alsocoincided with the establishment of Kartarpur. This was thetime of consolidation, in which religious verse was reduced towriting and patterns of worship of the community established.Morning prayers commenced before sun-up with the singing ofhymns. These were followed by a day full of work and endedwith hymns and prayers each evening. Guru Nanak did notestablish a vast organization but instead developed a simple,spiritual and moral discipline that had the capacity ofreproducing itself. It is here that the Guru's own word waspreserved in Guru Granth Sahib, running through the entire bodyof verse is one clear note of witness to the will and being ofGod. From this commitment arose the unbounded love, hisdeep compassion and active concerns for the welfare of man.His compositions are dedicated musings of the Creator and Hisattributes. In all this, he speaks as a witness to revelation:jYsI mY AwvY Ksm kI bwxI qYsVw krI igAwnu vy lwlo ] (722)J-ei-see m-ei aav-ei Khasam kee baan(h)ee T-ei-sar(h)aa karee giaan(u) v-ai Lalo.(As the Lord sendsh His word so do I deliver it.)alsohau Awphu boil n jwxdw mY kihAw sBu hukmwau jIau ] (763)Hao(u) aapah(u) bol(i) na jaan(h)daa M-ei kahiaa sabh(u) hukamaao(u) jeeo(u).(By myself, I do not even know how to speak; I speak all that theLord commands.)Guru Nanak's VersesIt becomes clear that Guru Nanak believed himself to beperforming a divinely appointed commission. All of GuruNanak's preaching is set forth in verse. No other way wouldhave been adequate to the range and depth of his moods, hisfervent longing for the Infinite, his joy and wonder at the beautyand vastness of His creation, his tender love for his fellow-menand his moral speculation and concern for the people. Hiscompositions reveal an abounding imagination and a subtleaesthetic sensitivity. His hymns are composed in commonlanguage - Punjabi, which was for the first time used extensivelyThe priest prophesied that hewould not only be an adorer ofGod but lead many others to Him.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 20114 5

To the Vaishnavite and the Shaivite, theTantrist and the Penitent, the Sanyasiand the Dervish, the Bhakta and theSufi, the Pandit and the Mulla, the Jainand the Siddha, Guru Nanak spoke inthe same vein.and consistently, for literary expression. Guru Nanak's languageis delicate and innovative. The core of his vocabulary is thespeech of the common man of his days in Punjab. To thislanguage, he brings fresh element of his power of vivid imageryand from his vigorous observation and extensive experience oftravel and contact with a variety of people. He freely drawsupon the terminology of the Upanishads and of Yogis, Sadhusand Sufis.The characteristic quality of his poetry is the eloquence of itssymbolism and the down to earth sinewy presence of Punjabivocabulary, the ceremonies, observed by various faiths,conjugal lives, haunting music, dancing, games, rope dancers,acrobats and mimics. The following example of his imagerydrawn from framing enunciates how truth might be reaped:mnu hwlI ikrswxI krxI srmu pwxI qnu Kyqu ]nwmu bIju sMqoKu suhwgw rKu grIbI vysu ]Bwau krm kir jMmsI sy Gr BwgT dyKu ] (595)Mann(u) haalee kirsaan(h)ee karan(h)ee Saram(u) paan(h)ee tann(u) kh-ai-t(u)Naam(u) beej(u) santokh(u) suhaagaa Rakh(u) gareebee v-ai-s(u)Bhaao(u) karam kar(i) jammsee S-ai ghar bhaagath d-ai-kh(u).(Make body the field, the mind of ploughman, honest labor theirrigating water, sow the seed of Lord's name, let contentment be theleveler, and humility the fence, with deeds of love, the seed willfertilize.)The underlying singleness of theme could have led to inevitablerepetition but it has been rescued from plain uniformity by thevariety of his own imagery as well as range of its metre. GuruNanak resorts to no prosaic moralizing. The variety andvariation in the moods of his poetry range from mystical andlyrical to philosophical and critical; and from devotional andcontemplative to aesthetic and sensuous. But he is happiest,singing the infiniteness of God. His yearning for Him is oftenrendered in the allegory of conjugal love and His description ofnature has provided the Punjabi language with some of itsliterary masterpieces. Guru Granth Sahib is a testament aboutGod's existence and is a sterling statement of Guru Nanak'svision of Him.TeachingAnother influential factor of his poetry is the music, of which hemade extensive use. But above all was the attraction of his ownperson. He lived amongst men with graciousness and humility.Few could resist his intensely human and sympathetic manner.He had a charming and spontaneous way with the crowd, withwhom he mixed freely and won his audiences instantly. Histeaching was indirect and incidental. His words wereself-effacing. But it was his deeply absorbing personality thattouched the hearts of many.Idolatry, Superstitions, Magic & MantrasGuru Nanak strongly disapproved of idolatry, polytheism andthe attendant ritualism. There is a powerful treasure of hymnswhere Guru Nanak proclaims:piV pusqk sMiDAw bwdM ] isl pUjis bgul smwDM ]muiK JUT ibBUKx swrM ] qRYpwl iqhwl ibcwrM ]gil mwlw iqlku illwtM ] duie DoqI bsqR kpwtM ]jy jwxis bRhmM krmM ] siB Pokt inscau krmM ]khu nwnk inhcau iDAwvY ] ivxu siqgur vwt n pwvY ] (470)Parh(i) pustak sandhiaa baad(ang) Sil poojas(i) bagul samaad(ang)Mukh(i) jhooth bibhookhan(h) saar(ang) Tr-ei-paal tihaal bichaar(ang)Gal(i) mala tilak(u) lilaat(ang) Due(i) dhotee bastar(n) kapaat(ang)J-ai jaan(h)as brahm(n) karam(ang) Sabh(i) phokatt nischao(u) karam(ang)Kah(u) Nanak nihchao(u) dhiaav-ei Vinn(h) Satgur vaat na paav-ei.(Truth is not achieved by mere performance of prescribed acts -bathing in sacred pools will not help if one has not shed one's ego,nor will the sacred mark on the brow or the Janeu profit. Useless isworship without faith restrains without truth and the sacred threadwithout self-control. You may wash and bathe and run the mark ofyour caste across your forehead yet purity will not be attainedwithout pure conduct)To the Musalman, he said: “It is not easy to be called aMusalman………. when he has established his goodwill for all,O' Nanak, will he be called a Musalman”To the Yogi, he said: "Religion lies not in the patched garmentnor in his scarf nor in his besmearing the body with ashes.Religion lies not in suspending large rings from split ears, nor inshaving the heads nor in the blowing of horns To liveuncontaminated amid worldly temptations is to find the secretof religion………. He who regards all men as equal is trulyreligious. Religion lies not in wandering outside to tombs andplaces of cremation nor in posture of contemplation; Religionlies not in roaming abroad nor in bathing at places ofpilgrimage."To the Vaishnavite and the Shaivite, the Tantrist and the Penitent,the Sanyasi and the Dervish, the Bhakta and the Sufi, the Panditand the Mulla, the Jain and the Siddha, Guru Nanak spoke in thesame vein.His purpose was not to criticize any sect or order, but to call theattention of the people to the persistent fallacies whichdistorted the essential integrity of humanity. He asked all ofthem to go beyond rituals and to recover the basis andmotivation for truth and moral action.He pronounced time and again that:glI iBsiq n jweIAY CutY scu kmwie ] (141)Gallee(n) bhist(i) na jaaee-ei Chhutt-ei sach(u) kaamaae.(No-one ever reached paradise by subscribing to mere forms; onesecured release only by practicing the truth.)Guru Nanak stressed the futility of charms, spells and manysuperstitious observances prevalent at that time. He wasconcerned about the true value of faith and purity of religiouspractice. He wanted to free people's mind from the pervadingsense of fear and oppression by authority - political as well asecclesiastical - and social inequality. He wished that people willoutgrow their inertia and credulousness and recognize theharmful effects of mental enslavement. He wanted them to ridthemselves of the influence of Sadhus. “Show no reverence tothose who call themselves Gurus and Peers but go aboutbegging for alms. Those, who live by their own labor and sharethe fruit with others, have found the right path”, Nanak said.Guru Nanak denounced belief in magic and mantras andirrational notions of defilement by touch and impurity that wasbelieved to attach to occasions as child birth.:jy kir sUqku mMnIAY sB qY sUqku hoie ]gohy AqY lkVI AMdir kIVw hoie ]jyqy dwxy AMn ky jIAw bwJu n koie ] (472)J-ai kar(i) sootak(u) mannee-ei Sabh t-ei sootak(u) hoeGoh-ai at-ei lakkar(h)ee Andar(i) keer(h)aa hoeJ-ai-t-ai daan(h)-ai ann k-ai Jeea baajh na koe.(If you believe in pollution at birth, there is pollution everywhere.There are creatures in cow-dung considered sacred by Hindus, andin wood. There is life in each gain of corn.)Ahead of his timesGuru Nanak was distinctly in advance of his times. His isperhaps the first recorded version of the Universe consisting ofmillions of planets, paying their obeisance to Sun in the form ofAarti:lK Awgwsw Awgws ] (5)Lakh aagaasaa aagaas.(There are hundreds of thousands of heavenly worlds above.)To Guru Nanak, death was by God's will and was not to bedreaded:mrxu muxsw sUirAw hku hY jo hoie mrin prvwxo ] (579)Maranh(u) mun(h)saa sooriaa hakk(u) h-ei Jo hoe maran(i) parvaan(h)o.(Death was the privilege of the brave.)Such language was unique in an age dominated by timidity.Guru Nanak set in motion a current of practical reforms.“All men are equal”, he declared to prove his point. Heestablished Guru Ka Langar, emphasizing in the tradition ofcommon meal, the concept of true fellowship and equality.During his teaching, men and women were admitted withoutdistinction of caste and creed.Guru Nanak was acutely conscious of the position of inferiorityassigned to women. He made many bold pronouncements tohis followers to give them full equality with men. In one of hisverses, he said:BMif jMmIAY BMif inMmIAY BMif mMgxu vIAwhu ]BMfhu hovY dosqI BMfhu clY rwhu ]BMfu muAw BMfu BwlIAY BMif hovY bMDwnu ]so ikau mMdw AwKIAY ijqu jMmih rwjwn ]BMfhu hI BMfu aUpjY BMfY bwJu n koie ]nwnk BMfY bwhrw eyko scw soie ]ijqu muiK sdw swlwhIAY Bwgw rqI cwir ]nwnk qy muK aUjly iqqu scY drbwir ] (473)Bhandd(i) jammee-ei bhandd(i) nimmee-ei Bhandd(i) mangan(h) veeaah(u)Bhandah(u) hov-ei dostee Bhandah(u) chall-ei raah(u)Bhandd(u) mooaa bhandd(u) bhaalee-ei Bhandd(i) hov-ei bandhaan(u)So kio(u) mandaa aakhee-ei Jitt(u) jammeh(i) RaajaanBhanddah(u) hee bhandd(u) upj-ei Bhandd-ei baajh(u) na koeNanak bhandd-ei baaharaa Ai-ko sachaa soeJitt(u) mukh(i) sadaa saalaahee-ei Bhaagaa rattee chaar(i)Nanak t-ai mukh oojal-ai Titt(u) sach-ei darbaar(i).Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 20116 7

The characteristic quality of his poetryis the eloquence of its symbolism andthe down to earth sinewy presence ofPunjabi vocabulary, the ceremonies,observed by various faiths, conjugallives, haunting music, dancing, games,rope dancers, acrobats and mimics.(Of woman are we born, of woman conceived, To woman engaged,to woman married. Woman we befriend, by woman is the civilizationcontinued. When woman dies, woman is sought for. It is by womanthat order is maintained. Then why call her evil from whom are greatmen born? From woman is woman born, And without woman noneshould exist. The Eternal Lord is the only one, O Nanak, Whodepends not on woman. That mouth which praises the Lordcontinually is blessed and beautiful. O Nanak, those faces shall beradiant in the Court of the True Lord.)Guru Nanak discounted the houseless state and insisted thatliberation was won in the world itself - amid its laughter andsport, fineries and foods. He strongly supported marriage andfamily. According to him, we can fully realize our destiny only inthe home. Living in the midst of wife and children said he:ivic dunIAw syv kmweIAY ] qw drgh bYsxu pweIAY ]khu nwnk bwh lufweIAY ] (26)Vich(i) duneeaa s-ai-v kamaaee-ei Taa(n) dargah b-ei-san(h) paaee-eiKah(u) Nanak baah ludaaee-ei.(We would gain liberation by a life of service in this world alone, andwe will become entitled to a seat in the next. There can be no love ofGod without service.)Practical virtue was made an essential integrity of piety:schu ErY sBu ko aupir scu Awcwru ] (62)Sachah(u) oar-ei sabh(u) ko Oopar(i) sach(u) aachaar(u).(Truth is higher than everything else; but higher than truth is true living.)SuccessionTo assure the community of his disciples a continuing witnessof his teaching, Guru Nanak appointed his successor. Thesuccession of teachers and leaders was not dynastic. He byepassedhis own sons and chose a disciple, whom he made equalto himself and transmitted his responsibilities as well as thelight. Guru Nanak himself paid him the same reverence as wasdue to the Guru. This procedure was repeated successfully overeight generations, during which ten spiritual guides succeededone another, all of whom are regarded with equal adoration andhonor as they reflected the same light and same method as ofGuru Nanak. All that changed was Nanak's bodily frame.Guru Nanak teaches a pathway of gradual growth towardsunion with God. Recollection of Naam - the incredible awe andwonder of knowing the greatness of God. He said, “Mediationtransforms the very quality of everyday life.”The charismatic experience of interpretation of time of GuruNanak has been institutionalized in the form of a holy scripture.The Sikhs continue to experience the presence of Guru Nanak,guiding them along the pathway to the union with God, hepowerfully revealed. Guru Nanak was not an impersonal oracleof revelation. He was the embodiment of this truth. His actionsinterpreted his words, and his words, his actions. Guru Nanak isa present spiritual reality, not merely a figure of the past to berecalled by historical reconstruction. The story of his life iscentral to the Sikh religion.Stone BuddhaBy Reema AnandNothing scorchesnothing drenchesneither tears nor rains,you are immune- my buddha of stone;All emotionsnumbed into nothingness,then attained nirvana- my buddha of stone;One entranceone exit,the smiling lips of- my buddha of stone;Despite knowingnothing sustains,I can't be you- my buddhaI am no stone.Special CoverThe Valley of Divine Peace, Baru Sahib, Sirmour (H.P.)Baru Sahib, the land of meditation (Tapo Bhoomi), is the realization of vision of Sant Attar Singh.He envisaged Baru Sahib, aptly called The Valley of Divine Peace, to be the place where students will be taughtboth the spiritual and scientific education. The graduates of this divine institute will propagate universalbrotherhood and global peace.In 1959, Sant Teja Singh performed Akhand Paath (continuous recitation of the entire Guru Granth Sahib) atBaru Sahib. At the conclusion of Akhand Path, Sant Ji prophesied, “Just as a tiny banyan seed grows into ahuge tree, in the same way this place will develop into a great center of spiritual education, where highquality scientific education will also be imparted. In due course, roads will be built and all those whose heartsare full of love for Guru Nanak and who have toiled to accumulate spiritual capital from the previous births,will be drawn to this place.” Bhai Sahib Bhai Vir Singh, the renowned scholar and spiritualist was soimpressed that he suggested Sant Teja Singh to immediately put the vision of Sant Attar Singh into practiceto spread the message of Guru Nanak.At this holy place, several sages have meditated from the time immemorial. This place is also blessed by thevisit of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. Baru Sahib is spread over 400 acres and located in a distantand remote corner of the state of Himachal Pradesh. The sacred retreat of Baru Sahib is about 1300m abovethe mean sea level, surrounded by seven hills.Date of Issue: 05.10.2010.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 20118 9

he major problem confronting man today isTthe crisis of faith. There is no doubt thatmankind is afflicted by myriad social and physicalproblems such as poverty, unemployment,violence, injustice, sickness and deprivation.Unfortunately, the system in which we live isperceived to be corrupt to the core and is alsosuffering from a crisis of confidence. All thephysical problems, of course, can be overcomethrough science and technology. But where is thesolution to the spiritual crisis that has grippedman?Sant Attar Singh Mastuana Wale, the most reveredthspiritualist of the 20 century, revealed a visionthat combines the modern scientific educationwith the spiritual ethos and thus suggests a way toestablish permanent peace in the world. Moderneducation system prevalent during his time andeven today, imparts mere 'literacy', i.e., learningthe ABC of a subject, devoid of moral values.A literate person is the most egoistic and selfishand can go to any extent to achieve personal,community's or the country's objectives, whichlead to creating even the nuclear weapons. Butwhen blended with spirituality, it becomesvalue-based education, creating human materialwith universal outlook, which sees One in all andall in One. This type of education is possible byimbibing the spiritual values, as enunciated bythe spiritualists in the sacred scriptures. Tore-establish this divine vision, Sant Ji started suchtype of schools and colleges for girls and boys atMastuana, the backward rural area of Punjab, inththe beginning of the 20 century.Sant Attar Singh had a vision of creating a 'home'of spiritual heritage, or Braham Vidya Da Kendra,as he put it. This was to be manifested in the waywe get educated and initiated to take up thechallenges of modern living. To fulfill the wishesof Sant Attar Singh, Baru Sahib, ensconced in thesylvan setting of Himalayas, was identified in theyear 1956, by his devout follower Sant Teja Singh,MA, LLB (Punjab), AM (Harvard). This TapoBhoomi has been hallowed by the meditation ofsaints and sages, including Vashisht Muni, GautamRishi, the Pandavas, Guru Nanak and Guru GobindSingh. The Kalgidhar Trust, formed by Sant TejaSingh, is endeavoring to implement the vision ofSant Attar Singh.Akal Academy, with a humble beginning offive students, was initiated in 1986 at Baru Sahib.Presently, more than 1400 students from all overIndia as well as 16 countries of the world, arestudying in this residential school, affiliated withCBSE, Govt. of India, New Delhi. This uniquesystem of value-based education was extended toPunjab and adjoining Northern states of India withthe addition of 70 more branches. To spread thissystem further, The Kalgidhar Trust has drawn up aplan for 150 schools by the end of 2012, which willbe further raised to 500 schools and 100 girls'colleges by the turn of the decade.Today, we have at Baru Sahib, a full-fledged privateuniversity exclusively for girls aptly named EternalUniversity, comprising of several colleges includingThe College of Divine Music and the Teacher TrainingCollege; a CBSE affiliated flagship senior secondaryschool named Akal Academy, which has 70 branchesspread all over Northern Indian states; GurmatVidyala; Akal Charitable Hospital; Senior CitizensHome and the necessary infrastructure for themaking of Brahm Vidya Da Kendra, rooted in thefinest human-spiritual values of mankind, enshrinedin Guru Granth Sahib. The effort is to remain deeplyconnected with our history, faith and life-modes,along with full participation in the scientific andtechnical finesse of this age.Guru Granth Sahib is the only divine scripture ofthe world which promotes interfaith and spiritualbrotherhood because it enshrines the divine hymnsof the 35 enlightened souls including 6 Gurus,15 saints, belonging to `high caste' Brahmins,`low-castes' like weaver, cobbler, calico-printer anda Prince named Pipa. Among the saints, 4 Muslimsas also 11 divinely enlightened Bhattas (Brahmins)find a place of honor in this scripture. We don'tfind any other scripture in the world in which thehymns of divine souls, belonging to other religionshave been incorporated. That is why, it is claimedthat Sikhism promotes interfaith through GuruGranth Sahib.Drawing upon our finest tradition and byharnessing the services of the dedicateddevotees, who have made their mark in variousdisciplines, we have already come a long waytowards creating the code of character for ouryouth according to Sikh ethos. We hope thatgiven the grace of Akal Purakh, we should build adefinitive center of all that is quintessential toour being, as the true Khalsa of the Guru. Maythe benign sway of the Eternal Guru be ourstrength and support, ever and ever!Baru SahibThe Confluence of Science & Spirituality

Living forHa rmony &A Personal TestamentBy Bhagwant Singh DalawariPeaceiving Happily Together is so indelibly inscribed in my psychethat it seems to have come to me with a spiritual spoon inLmy mouth at birth. Ever since I remember coming into my ownadult consciousness, never has a thought come to my mind thatas a human being I am any different from others. Born inJhelum, now in Pakistan, 80 years ago, I have spent all my timein peace and harmony with all kinds of people. Even whenI was not aware of my spiritual heritage and spiritualconsciousness, I had it ingrained in my heart that all humanbeings are equal and all mankind is one brotherhood. My schoolbench-mate Sarfaraz Khan, son of a Muslim Magistrate inBritish India, smiled and laughed with me, joked and playedwith me and also quarreled with me, a fellow-student, not asone of a different religious denomination but as a human being.Despite the horrendous killings and alienation of the Partitiondays, it never brought me a feeling that the whole community,the whole group, or a whole sect carrying any denominationcould be dubbed as evil merely because one of its members hadbehaved in an inhuman way.AmityWhen I joined the Indian Foreign Service after migration toIndia, it was a real treat to work as a team in the Ministry, orabroad with no feeling at all about one's origin or religion, Stateor background. In over twenty years of service in India orabroad, not once did I feel that my colleagues, from differentreligious, different States or different economic backgrounds,were, in any way, less or more Indian.But the reality of the religious harmony being directly related touniversal peace appeared in my heart and my whole beingbecame the symbol of spiritual universality when my religiousconsciousness manifested spiritual splendor within myself.It was in 1970 that the fact of having been born in a Sikh familyand yet belonging to the whole world dawned upon me whenI began to be attracted by the words and lives of Sikh Gurus.Guru Nanak, the founder was so universal that both Hindus andMuslims claimed him as their Guru. Guru Gobind Singhemphasized spiritual oneness with defiance against tyranny andbigotry. Guru Arjan's willing sacrifice for human solidaritystrengthened my dissolution in 'Truth' and 'Love' of the oneGod of all religions. Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom for thesake of human rights and freedom of worship so impressed methat under the guidance of Guru Granth Sahib - the universalSikh scripture containing the message not only of six SikhGurus but also of Hindu and Muslim saints, including theso-called untouchable Bhaktas, like Kabir and Ravidas of U.P.,Namdev of Maharashtra, Jaidev of Bengal and Baba Farid, aMuslim saint of Punjab - I was led to lead a life of practicalreligious harmony and universal peace even when I was afunctioning Foreign Service Officer. While serving in Egypt, anold Muslim lady, on her death bed, told her children to call mefor her last meeting. In Paris, where during my time, there wereno Gurdwaras, I used to pray in Catholic Churches and used togo to the Ramakrishna Centre in Gretz, 50 Kms away, to feel theuniversal harmony in spiritual unity.EqualityLater I discovered the spirit of harmony in Guru Granth Sahib,that we had been specifically commanded to treat everyone asour friend and become the good friend of all, to have nodivisions among human beings, to show equal respect forwomen, to consider everyone our equal, to remember the oneLord of all, by whatever name people call 'Him' and, above all,display in our conduct the twin essential aspects of religion -self-annihilation through 24-hour remembrance of the Lord andthe deeds of piety and purity - throughout our life. Thesecardinal virtues were so essential - and yet so universal - thatwhen I came to learn of the universal prayer of St. Francis ofAssisi, it semed to me like the dictum from my own Scripture.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201112 13

Let us savor it:Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;Wherever there is hatred, let me sow peace,Wherever there is injury, pardon;Wherever there is sadness, joy;Wherever there is darkness, light;Wherever there is despair, hope; andWherever there is doubt, Faith.O divine master, grant that I may seek so much -- to be understood as to understand;- to be consoled as to console; and- to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive;It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; andIt is in dying that we are born to Eternal life.This prayer enthralled me and reinforced my deep commitmentto universality of religions and service of Man. My inner voicedwelt on two concepts: 'There is only one religion' that of'Truth' and 'There is only one caste' - that of 'Humanity'. That iswhy my Scripture specifically declares:KqRI bRwhmx sUd vYs aupdysu chu vrnw kau swJw ] (747)Khataree braahman(h) sood v-ei-s Upd-ai-s(u) chahu(n) varnaa kao(u) saa(n)jhaa.(There is one and the same sermon for all, whether one is a Brahmin,a Khatri, a Vaish or a Shudra.)Discrimination on the basis of caste is severelycondemned.CompassionMy heart developed the 'Urge' toLIVE the concepts of Guru GranthSahib and the prayer of St.Francis, the revered Catholicsaint. While I was serving inParis, in addition to mydiplomatic, consular orcommercial work, I became amember of the Petits Freres DesPauvres (Little Brothers'Association for the Poor), aFrench charitable society forserving French old people intheir homes. My distinct beardedand turbaned appearance did notcome in the way of my love forthem. They affectionately acceptedmy devotion and extended theirs to me.It was a divine treat not only for me but alsofor the French old couple, when I helped the paralyzedFrenchman to walk some distance on Saturdays or Sundays.Since I had developed a compulsion to ask the old people tothink of Jesus all the time so that they would never feel lonely,I received more love than I gave. In fact the 94-year old Frenchsingle lady blessed me when she said: “You have restored myfaith in Christ which I had lost.” And the widow of the paralyzedFrenchman was delighted when I attended his funeral and latertook her every month to the cemetery, where he was buried.This unique experience of spiritual unity of Man charted a newcourse for my life. I witnessed the divine glow on the face of aPakistani young doctor when I suggested to him to be regular inNamaaz, the Muslim prayer, and return to Pakistan to serve hispoor countrymen after completing his studies. He gave me awarm smile when he said his parting good-bye: “Khuda Hafiz,I shall never forget that in a non-Muslim country, a non-Muslimreminded me of my Muslim religious duties.”DedicationGod decided for me that the time had come now to leave myservice and experience on a wider scale the concept of 'LivingHappily Together' with the downtrodden through religiousharmony. I thought merely reciting the name of God was notenough; it must be translated into whole time service ofhumanity. I had experienced the truth of Love and Peace inreligion through my oneness with the French old people butI had no training to serve the sick. I did not know which serviceI should take up. Gandhiji's book: My Experiments With Truth,came to my help. I took to my heart Gandhi's advice in the'Introduction' that to see God face to face one had to love themeanest creation as oneself.I became a little apprehensive however torealize that I could in terms of my belief,never consider anyone mean. Godsolved my problem. During the halfawakestate at night, I noticed thepicture of a leprosy patient.I learnt leprosy work in CMC,Vellore and afterwards, leavingmy job, came to the leprosytreatment cum rehabilitationcentre at Amravati, started bylate Dr. Shivajirao Patwardhan.Today I 'literally' live the'reality' of 'Religious Harmonyand Universal Peace'. I came toTapovan, the name of the Center,in October 1979 and in all theseyears, I have been 'Living HappilyTogether' with more than a thousandleprosy patients. The 'reality' of thisexperience is profound because none ofthe inmates - in the management or amongpatients - is a Sikh. Most ofthem are MaharashtrianHindus and some are Muslimsand Christians, but for meevery inmate is either my sonor daughter, my brother orsister and my father or mother.The beauty is that they too regardme as their own and we live like afamily.I have various opportunities to participatein inter-faith dialogues and since 1980 I musthave attended over 20 such meetings. FormerBishop of Amravati, Rt. Rev. Joseph Rosario has been aclose friend in fostering the spirit of religious harmony eversince I came to Amravati. Since I was born in a Sikh family I amrecognized as the representative of Sikh religion, but I humblyand mildly protest by correcting that I belong to all humanityand anyone who lives 'Truth', remembers the Lord 24 hours andpractices universal love, is my co-religionist, whatever be thelabel. I firmly believe that the core of religion is 'Love' - lovewithout discrimination, love without expectation, love in thename of one God of all and love as the 'Direct Representationof Divine Presence'.PrayerThe guidance which I have received from Guru Granth Sahib is sodirect and so unambiguous that I cannot help being universal. Infact I cannot live my religion without loving and respecting allreligions. Many times I believe that for others it may be a kindgesture to foster religious harmony and peace. But for me, 'This isMy Religion'. I have prayed in a London Mosque, I have prayed inTemples, I have prayed in Churches and Gurdwaras. But I haveexperienced the same devotion, the same love, the same truthand the same divinity. We have no personal or physical Guru now,but my perpetual 'Word' Guru, Guru Granth Sahib, specificallydirects me to pray to God to save all human beings 'whicheverpath they take to come to your refuge':jgqu jlµdw riK lY AwpxI ikrpw Dwir ]ijqu duAwrY aubrY iqqY lYhu aubwir ] (853)Jagat(u) jalandaa rakh(i) l-ei Aapanhee kirpaa dhaar(i)Jitt(u) duaar-ei ubr-ei Titt-ei l-ei-h(u) ubaar(i).(The world is going up in flames - shower it with Your Mercy, andsave it! Save it, and deliver it, by whatever method it takes.)That is why I firmly declare that all religions are mine, allprophets are mine, all prayer houses are mine and all methodsof prayer are also mine. But when one ceases to love, one ismerely blowing the trumpets of empty religion and throwingaway the core.Look at our heritage. Where would you find the instance of themost important shrine of one religion having had the distinctionof its foundation stone laid byan eminent divine of anotherreligion? 'The foundation stoneof the Golden Temple of theSikhs was laid by a Muslimdivine, Hazrat Mian Mir'.Where would you find in thereligious text of one religion, thesacred divine messages of thesaints of other religions who wouldloudly talk of their own prophets? InGuru Granth Sahib, there are only six SikhGurus, but 16 highly respected saints of Hinduand Muslim faith also speak from there with the samestatus and same recognition, because every word of GuruGranth Sahib is our Guru. Namaaz and Pooja, Allah and Ram,Hindu and Muslim are so prominently mentioned in GuruGranth Sahib that this Scripture becomes the treasure of allreligions automatically. The core point is 'living thecommands of God'. Many times I have said at the interfaithmeetings that perhaps Sikhs Gurus did not meet Christiansaints, otherwise we would have some Christian hymns tooin our Scripture.When we all believe that all the religions stress Love andPeace, fraternity and equality, harmony and unity, how comewe find ourselves in strife and disunity? Where do we fall andwhy do we indulge in divisions, hatred, ill-will, whole-salecondemnation, murders, carnage, massacres, sexual crimes? Iventure to suggest the causes of our inhuman and foolishaberrations:1. We parade religion but do not practice it, and politiciansparticularly create vested interests in terms of vote-banks,racial superiority, commercial exploitation and humanupheavals.2. We pay lip-service to equality but continue economicexploitation of the underprivileged sections on religiousracial lines.3. We develop real or imagined wrongs done by somecommunity, group, country, etc.4. We regale ourselves with majority-minority imaginaryconflicts forgetting our own religious principles.5. We foolishly believe that our prophet or Guru or Swami willbe pleased with hatred for and condemnation of otherreligions and killing of people other than those of our ownreligion.True, such people are in a minority but they have perseveranceto parade untruth as truth, project loot as Lokseva, personalinterest as common welfare and, above all, political chicaneryas religious fervor.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201114 15

I firmly believe that the core of religionis 'Love' - love without discrimination,love without expectation, love in thename of one God of all and love asthe 'Direct Representation of DivinePresence'.We recently had an inter-faith rally in Amravati conducted bythe Police Commissioner and it was a remarkable success. Ilater wrote an article in The Hitavada of Nagpur referring to my24-year 'living together' with leprosy patients and mentioning aBhajan which I often sing in chorus with the patients:Mujh mein Ram tujh mein Ram sabh mein Ram samaayaSabse karlo pyaar jagat mein koee naheen paraaya.(God is in me, God is in you, God is in everyone. Let us love everyonebecause God resides in every heart.)ConflictWhen I am asked to discuss 'religious harmony and universalpeace', I have a strange sense of shame. The reality is soobvious but when religion itself becomes a hypocrite's pastime,a politician's gimmick, or a businessman's stock-in-trade, thenthe discussions alone will be an exercise in futility. Let us seewhy we make no headway. Conflicts go on rising, massacrescontinue, exploitation is on the increase and all this despite theincrease in the number of prayer houses and pseudo-saints. Thefact is that we revere Mahatma Gandhi on 2nd October and30th January but have no desire to follow him in practice.We have lost our moorings and morality is at the lowest ebb.Without morality religion is an empty slogan.We are unwilling to sacrifice even our privileges and we areunwilling to observe the rule of law.To lay down one's life for one's principle is now a thing of thepast and unless we are prepared to sacrifice our life forrighteousness, we can become only drawing room debaters.Gandhiji did not preside over seminars and issue deliberatelyvague statements when people were killing each other. He didnot evade issues. He was in the thick of rioting mobs and waswilling to lay down his life which he did. We confuse illegalitywith political benefits. We talk of conversion-debates whenpeople of one religion kill those of others. We hide behindslogans and we often indulge in double-speak. Gandhiji paid,with his life, for his faith in his convictions. We are after powerbut talk of religion and peace. Godse murdered Gandhiji witha gun, we murder his principles with our political and selfishlip-service.Practising TruthA congenial atmosphere can be created only if we all begin topractice the concepts of our religion because essentially allreligions preach love and peace. It is only the bigots whothemselves have not understood their religion and it is only theexploiters who do not wish to lead righteous lives preach hatredand since we are all ignorant about the real values, we aremisled. In reality religious harmony and universal peace are thetwo sides of the same coin but cause of hiatus in what we sayand what we do, we cannot live happily together. Guru Nanakhad emphatically preached:schu ErY sBu ko aupir scu Awcwru ] (62)Sachah(u) oar-ei sabh(u) ko Oopar(i) sach(u) aachaar(u).(Truth is above everything but higher than truth is truthful conduct).If we all live the truth of our religions, we can manifestlyprove that religious harmony and universal peace wouldbecome a reality.Let us not forget that there is another dimension to the problemof universal peace, that of poverty. If we really want to solvethe problems of poverty, we should be doing our religious dutyof looking after the down-trodden people, but what we witnessis not only our aversion towards the poor but our deliberatedisinterest in raising their standard of living. We go on creatingmore poverty by usurping their rights and exploiting theirignorance and innocence. Religion then becomes only a tool forexploitation because its basic morality is missing.Poverty - An Obstacle to PeaceWe love prophets, we love religion but only externally. Noweven religion has become a five-star culture. We nowconcentrate on external cosmetism, external celebrations,external extravagant ostentation. We believe that bigger the carin which a holy man travels and the bigger the house in whichhe lives, the more spiritual he is, depriving the poor people ofthe faith of the pious and the pure. We cannot deny that evensafe drinking water is not available to a lot of people. We cannotdeny that all our people do not have two square meals a day.What kind of religion do we preach and practise which does notensure even drinking water and two square meals to ourpeople? What peace do we talk about? And what religiousharmony? If we had practised reality of religion, there wouldnot have been starvation deaths on the one hand and heaps offood-grains being eaten by worms. Again, we would not havebeen involved in five-star ostentation in the face of humiliatingpoverty of our people. Indeed, the rulers too deny the poortheir due and exploit them in the name of religion and Sewa,whereas in reality they themselves live a life far removed fromthat of the people. The seminars and conferences also becomemeaningless with repetition of empty slogans of peace.Where is the connection between religious harmony and abjectpoverty? There can be no peace when the stomach is empty,women are humiliated and bonded labor is exploited. Practiseof religion implies morality and integrity of the highest order.In conclusion, let me recount the story of Guru Nanak, whochose to stay with Bhai Laalo, a poor artisan of low caste andwas upbraided by high-caste Brahmins. Malik Bhago, like ourpresent exploiters, was aghast, when Guru Nanak's detractorscomplained that he had broken caste rules and stayed witha low-caste person. Malik Bhago ordered Guru Nanak to jointhe public meal he arranged for all holy men, but Guru Nanakrefused to join and, when pressed, pointed out that his wealthwas collected by exploitation of the poor and contained theirblood, while the food of the honest and poor Laalo was pure.We witness the same spectacle today with ostentatiousmarriages, birthdays and political bashes while the exploiterstalk of religion and peace. Our black money runs in crores. Ourpoor people sleep on footpaths sometimes without food andsafe drinking water. Indeed even a devil can quote scriptures,but unless we have our internal commitment and internal purity,we cannot make religious harmony and universal peacea reality. This reality of living happily together would only meanthe living happily together of the elite. If we want this reality tobelong to all the people, then our hearts must change and wemust decide to do unto others what we want to be done to us.Peace cannot come with external religious words when thepoor can collect only the crumbs thrown by ostentatiouslyrich exploiters.- Nothing is permanent in thisworld, not even our troubles...- I like walking in therain, because nobodycan see my tears...- The most wasted dayin life is the day onwhich we have notlaughed.- Charlie ChaplinParable of the Manand his DogA man went out for a walk with his lovely dog. He was veryproud of the dog. It always went before him. This man had anumbrella in his hand. To show the people around him that hispet-dog would do anything for him, he made the dog carry theumbrella between its teeth. And it proudly walked before him,with the middle of the umbrella firmly caught in its teeth.Suddenly it began to rain. The man wanted to make use of theumbrella. But the dog was hundred yards ahead of him.He ran towards it. The dog, not knowing why the master ranafter it unusually, was frightened and ran towards the houseat top-speed. The proud man was drenched to the skin, beforehe could reach the house and recover the umbrella.The Man, blinded by pride and ignorance, entrusts itsspiritual consciousness to the mind. For some time the mindseems to walk before and lead the Man; and theconsciousness is there firmly held by the mind and the Manfeels that it is safe. There is a heavy shower of miseries ofmundane life and temptations of sense-objects. The dogmindwith the umbrella of spiritual consciousness hadparted from the Man and is separated by great distance.If the umbrella of spiritual consciousness had not beenentrusted to the mind (which incidentally, could not makeproper use of it), the Man could have protected itself fromthe rain of miseries and temptations. Now, the faster he runsforward to get relief from miseries and temptations, thefarther this relief seems to recede.Thus, O Man! commit not the folly of entrusting your spiritualwealth and welfare to the defective mind. It is mostundependable. It will desert you in the time of trials. Learn totrust in the Lord alone. Make Him your sole support.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201116 17

TheRat Raceof Our TimesBy Dr. (Bhai) Harbans Lal, USAe make ourselves hectic in life and take pleasurein spending our life in this manner. Actually weWare brain washed to take pride in working late at nights,earning money and acquiring wealth in term of cars,titles, property and in publishing books and papers etc.But we are like a mouse that remains busy in shreddingpapers to produce a product no good for any one. Forexample, I knew of a distinguished Professor, who wonall the acclaims but had two heart attacks, alwayswalked with clogged arteries but walls of his office werereplete with plaque. Eventually when he was paralyzed,his institution had to hire help to shred his publications.Guru Arjan describes this condition as:swkq kI Awvrdw jwie ibRQwrI ]jYsy kwgd ky Bwr mUsw tUik gvwvq kwim nhI gwvwrI ] (681)Saakat kee aavardaa jaae birthaareeJ-ei-s-ai kaagad k-ai bhaar moosa took(i) gavaavat Kaam(i) nahee(n) gaavaaree.(The faithless cynic passes life uselessly. This person is likethe mouse, gnawing away at the pile of paper, making ituseless to the poor wretch.)As is shown by this example, the Guru questioned thefanaticism of taking pride and emphasizing rat race forworldly accomplishments. The Guru wants us to take offthe distorting glasses that we have grown accustomed towearing and look at what is happening from a spiritualperspective. The Guru explains:ry mn mUs iblw mih grbq krqb krq mhW muGnW ]sMpq dol Jol sMig JUlq mwieAw mgn BRmq GuGnw ] (1387)R-ai mann moos bilaa meh garbat Kartab karat mahaa(n) mughnaa(n)Sampatt dol jhol sangg(i) jhoolat Maaiaa magan bharmat ghughnaa.(O mind, you are a mouse, living in the mouse-hole of thebody; you are so proud of yourself, but you act like anabsolute fool. You swing in the swing of wealth, intoxicatedwith illusions of Maya, and wander around like an owl.)andsuq binqw swjn suK bMDp qw isau mohu biFE su Gnw ] (1387)Sutt ban(i)taa saajan sukh bandhap Taa(n) sio(u) moh(u) badhio su ghanaa.(You take pleasure in your children, spouse, friends andrelatives; your emotional attachment to them is evenescalating.)and alsoboieE bIju AhM mm AMkuru bIqq AauD krq AGnW ] (1387)Bo-i-o beej(u) aha(n) mamm ankur(u) beetatt aoudh karat aghanaa(n).(Actually, you have been planting the seeds of egotism, andthe sprouts of possessiveness would come up. Then you willpass your life making more and more sinful mistakes.)You can assess your situation by asking yourself somesimple questions on your worldly image of self. You askyourself to what extent have you sought other people'sdefinition of what our accomplishments are? Or doyou define yourself by a measure given by yourspiritual teacher?Or more prosaically: In the long run, do you actuallybenefit from the highly advertised values of yourworldly accomplishments? Your rank and status in theprofession, your promotions and elections and numberof plaques on your wall?Is the company of profession you work for, deserving allyour employer really the best investment of your lifeenergy? Does a long resume represent the highest peakof human accomplishment? Is blindly going through allthe rituals of a Gurdwara session for ordering an AkhandPaath in your home is fulfilling your Guru's advice?If answer to your questions is not in affirmation, thenyou may benefit from the advice given by Sheikh Faridthat was selected by Guru Arjan for inclusion inGuru Granth Sahib:PrIdw ijn@I kMmI nwih gux qy kMmVy ivswir ]mqu srimMdw QIvhI sWeI dY drbwir ] (1381)Farida jinnee kammee naahe gunn(h) T-ai kammar(h)-ai visaar(i)Matt(u) sarmindaa theevahee Saa(n)ee d-ei darbaar(i).(O Farid! Forget about those deeds, which do not bring merit,otherwise, you shall be put to shame in the Court ofthe Lord.)

The BasicPerceptionofSpiritualismBy Bahadur Singh Sethiuman being is a creation of God and a part of Nature - aword used for the entire creation in this universe. It is notHan inert object. He is a living being with a body, mind and soul.Gurbani tells us the four means by which the life gets created onthe Earth:AMfj jyrj syqj kInI ]auqBuj Kwin bhuir ric dInI ] (Chaupai Sahib)Andaj j-ai-raj s-ai-taj keeneeO(u)tbhuj khaan(i) bahur(i) rach(i) deenee.(You are One, manifest in varied forms, as a poor man, rich manor aking. You create the egg born, the sweat born, the earth born and thefoetus born.)The above quote from Benti-Chaupai of Guru Gobind Singhstates that life on this planet comes through eggs, fertilization ofovum with male sperms, born out of heat grime and moisture,and vegetation.In the words of Guru Amar Das, a human being has appearedon this Earth as a part of the formation of this Universe:hir Awpy mwqw Awpy ipqw ijin jIau aupwie jgqu idKwieAw ]gur prswdI buiJAw qw clqu hoAw clqu ndrI AwieAw ]kh Y nwnk u issR it kw mlU u ricAw jio q rwKI qw q U jg mih AwieAw ] (921)Har(i) aap-ai maataa aap-ai pitaa Jin(i) jeeo(u) o(u)paae jagat(u) dikhaaiaaGur parsaadee bujhiaa taa(n) chalat(u) hoaa chalat(u) nadree aaiaaKah-ei Nanak srist(i) kaa mool rachiaa Jot(i) raakhee taa(n) tu jagg meh aaiaa.(The Lord Himself is your mother, and He Himself is your father; Hecreated the created beings, and revealed the world to them. ByGuru's Grace, some understand, and then it's a show; it seems likejust a show. Says Nanak, He laid the foundation of the Universe,and infused His Light, and then you came into the world.)Guru Arjan has advised us as under:BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw ] goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw ] (12)Bhaee praapat(i) maanukh d-ai-hureeaa Gobind milan(h) kee eh t-ai-ree bareeaa.(This human body has been given to you. This is your chance to meetthe Lord of the Universe.)We have been given the form of a human being to realize Godand reach Him during this span of our life.Now, body is nurtured and nourished by the ingredientsprovided to us by the Nature. We are born, we grow anddevelop and then our body weakens and perishes. We havebeen given a number of senses that help us sit, stand, move,walk, run, see, hear, think, learn, plan, decide and function inmany ways. There must also be something that has been kepthidden and beyond our reach. We can have an access to thatfaculty only through the grace of God. For our convenience, wemay term that gift as Divine Wisdom cum Divine Light. Wereceive a Divine message or under the cast of Divine Light, weare able to see many things comprising of objects and forcesnot realizable through our conception and senses that wepossess as ordinary human beings.Guru Amar Das has given an indication of the same in thefollowing words:hir jIau guPw AMdir riK kY vwjw pvxu vjwieAw ]vjwieAw vwjw paux nau duAwry prgtu kIey dsvw gupqu rKwieAw ]gurduAwrY lwie BwvnI ieknw dsvw duAwru idKwieAw ] (922)Har(i) jeeo gufaa andar(i) rakh(i) k-ei Vaajaa pavan(h) vajaaiaaVajaaiaa vaajaa pao(u)n(h) Nao(u) duaar-ai pargat(u) kee-aiDasvaa(n) gupt(u) rakhaaiaaGurduaar-ei laae bhaavnee Iknaa dasvaa(n) duaar(u) dikhaaiaa.(The Lord placed the soul to the cave of the body, and blew thebreath of life into the musical instrument of the body. He blew thebreath of life into the musical instrument of the body, and revealedthe nine doors; but He kept the Tenth Door hidden. Through theGurdwara, the Guru's Gate, some are blessed with loving faith, andthe Tenth Door is revealed to them.)We must assiduously peep into the realm of our mind, feelingsand other faculties to perceive as to how we can reach thatstage and attain the distinguished level of human existenceduring our life span.Generally, the people of this world are unable to focus on orperceive the identity and form of God. Some have a dim ideathat God is there and governs the whole Universe. The waysand means are not known to us and we can know something ifwe carefully study the words of godly persons, who were veryclose to God and had given description not through imaginationor the ordinary perceptive ability but have described what theyhad seen and observed under the cast of Divine Light. Gurbanihas that distinction and we are generally mistaken, when weequate ordinary literature with Gurbani. There is a bigdifference. Those, who comment on the lives, ways and wordsof the Gurus and the saints of the true order, with the strengthof their intellectual power, cannot present us a true picture untiland unless they are gifted with the Divine perspective. They cangive us only a vague appraisal, since their vision and intellectualSpiritualism, in its basic perception, leadsus to God and affords us an opportunity tohave a communion with Him. To love God,we must love humanity and be kind toother creatures. To serve God, we mustserve humanity in a noble way.Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201121

Chatar chakar vartee chatar chakar bhugat-aiSuambhav subha(n) sarbadaa sarab jugat-aiDukaal(ang) parn(h)aasee diaal(ang) saroop-aiSadaa angg sangg-ai abhang(ang) bibhoot-ai.(O Lord, You pervade in all the four directions. You are Supremeeverywhere in all the four directions. Self Existent, All Beauty, andever united with all the creatures. You extirpate the miseries of birthand death of the creatures, Embodiment of Mercy, and ever presentwith creatures. Your Glory is ever Undiminished.)1½ spoons tohealth and happiness.competence, to examine and analyze things, is limited both intract and field. Guru Arjan has enlightened us on this aspect inthe following words:sMq jnw kw pyKnu sBu bRhm ] sMq jnw kY ihrdY siB Drm ]sMq jnw sunih suB bcn ] srb ibAwpI rwm sMig rcn ] (295)Sant janaa kaa p-ai-khan(u) sabh(u) Brahm Sant janaa k-ei hird-ei sabh(i) dharamSant janaa suneh(i) subh bachan Sarab biaapee Ram sang(i) rachan.(In the eye of the Saint, everything is God. In the heart of the Saint,everything is Dharma. The Saint hears words of goodness. He isabsorbed in the All-pervading Lord.)Guru Nanak has dwelt on God and Nature in quite at length inJap(u) Bani. Ik Oankar, the opening word means that there isone and only one, who is the Master of the entire creation,visible or invisible to the eyes and accessible or inaccessible tothe perceptive ability of a human being. Oankar is composed oftwo parts - Oan'g+Aakar (EAM+Awkwr). Recitation and study ofJap(u) Bani requires deep concentration, since there are somedescriptions and revelations, which need deeper perceptionthan the apparent conclusion, which we generally take from theanalogy of the word, e.g.:socY soic n hoveI jy socI lK vwr ]cupY cup n hoveI jy lwie rhw ilv qwr ] (1)Soch-ei soch(i) na hovaee J-ai sochee lakh vaarChupp-ei chup na hovaee J-ai laae rahaa liv taar.(By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinkinghundreds of thousands of times. By remaining silent, inner silence isnot obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within.)Similarly, Guru Gobind Singh has given us a glimpse of God andGod's potential and presence in every object of the universe inconcise terms:c`qR c`k® vrqI c`qR c`k® Bugqy ]suXMBv suBM srbdw srb jugqy ]dukwlµ pRxwsI idAwlµ srUpy ]sdw AMg sMgy ABMgM ibBUqy ] (Jaap Sahib)These are the concluding lines of Jaap Sahib. If learned personsconcentrate on the contents of these lines, their intellectualdomain will soar to such heights that they may not haveexperienced or visualized throughout their lives. Thus,meditation is not an art nor an exercise, we generally believeand take to be, but a physical condition in which we arecompletely cut off from the activities of this world or theirassociated perceptions and are transmigrated, thoughtemporary, to a new regime, where Divine light or Divineperception can appear to enlighten and educate us about thisUniverse, its ways and means and the part which a human beingis supposed or destined to play amidst the congregation of theforces which function and activate this Earth and other parts ofthe universe.When we return to the scene of this Earth as a participant inthe big show, we are able to comprehend our shortcomings andpoints of merit and substance. We become chastened personsand speak only from the virtuous field ignoring and discardingthe evil dimensions. We can assume the characteristics andqualities of a true saint or Bhagat only after going through theexperience of that kind.Spiritualism, in its basic perception, leads us to God and affordsus an opportunity to have a communion with Him. To love God,we must love humanity and be kind to other creatures. To serveGod, we must serve humanity in a noble way.It is no wonder that a Sikh, in his or her daily prayer (Ardas),always conclude it with an earnest pleading for the good for all,who happen to breath and breed on this globe and other partsof the Universe.May God bless one and all.jlY n pweIAY rwm snyhI ]ikriq sMjoig sqI auiT hoeI ] (185)Jal-ei na paaee-ei Ram san-ai-heeKirt(i) sanjog(i) satee o(u)th(i) hoee.(By burning oneself, the Beloved Lord is not obtained. Only by theactions of destiny does she rise up and burn herself, as a 'satee'.)The woman performing Sati by burning in fire cannot reach tobenevolent God. By her deeds and ordained fortune, she canburn spiritually herself into the fire of Truth.For General Enquiries, Call: 9350106414, 011-42434200 • SMS CANOLA to 9220092200For Distributorship, Call: 9871312313 Institutional, Call: 9810041543 Industrial, Call: 9810092292www.jivo.in - Email: info@jivo.in1½ tablespoonsa day keepheart diseaseaway. *22Eternal Voice

aridwar, Gateway of the Lord, is, where the pilgrims andtravelers gather to undertake the ascent to pilgrimages likeHGangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Nestling inthe foothills of the Shivalik range, the town of Haridwar findsmention in the Mahabharata and Puranas. It has been referredvariously as Mokshadwar (the Door of Salvation) or Gangadwar(Gateway of Ganga). The Ganga is considered the most holyhere. In the Mahabharata, epical heroes like Bhishma andArjuna undertake penance at the place, where the Ganga entersthe plains.Funeral rites are among the most significant rituals conductedhere. From all over the country, people come here, have a dip inthe Ganga and conduct the rite of immersing the ashes of thedead, seeking salvation for the departed soul. Just like the mythof Ganga’s descent to purify the ashes of Bhagirathi’s ancestors.The ashes are immersed at Kankhal, a small town nearby,known also as Panchpuri or Mayapuri.Ganga JalFrom Haridwar millions of believers goback to their homes clutching a small pot ofGanga Jal (holy water) to be used duringbirth, death or marriage ceremonies, or topurify their hearths and hearts.A staunch belief in the restorative powersof the Ganga here is evident throughouthistory. It is said that Mughal emperors Akbar and Jehangirwould have nothing but Ganga Jal, which was carried over longdistances for them. As a 17th century traveler Tavernier pointsout that Ganga Jal sealed by a Brahmin was given “…at the endof the repast,” or wedding feasts.GhatsThe life of Haridwar revolves around the bathing Ghats, for, thedevout believe that even one dip in the Ganga in a lifetime isenough for their salvation. The five sacred bathing spots inHaridwar are Gangadwara, Kankhal, Neela Parvata, BilwaTeertha and Kusavarta.The Ganga Aarti or Maha AartiOne of the most spectacular, aesthetically and spiritually upliftingrituals is that of the evening Ganga Aarti, in which the light ofDiyas (lamps) offered to the Ganga recreates the primeval myth ofworshipping nature’s life force. The Aarti is conducted at the mainGhat of Har-ki-Pauri or Hari-ki-Pairi, named so after a myth abouta footprint of Vishnu embedded on a stone in a wall. As the sunsets, cloaking the sky in muted colors, the temple bells ring inunison at 7 pm. It is time for the Aarti. At that moment, hundredsof lighted Diyas, placed on banana leaves along with flowers, arelaunched on the river, carrying hopes, prayers and invocations.The river becomes a shimmering surface of twinkling lights, allbobbing towards the current, until they become tiny specks oflight exploring the soul of a river.Near Har-ki-Pauri is the Gangadwara temple, the most importantof the several temples in this town. In Kankhal is the ancientDaksha Prajapati temple, that tells the legend of DakshaPrajapati, a powerful king, who faces the wrath of his son-in-lawShiva. Incensed at the fact that his daughter Parvati marriedagainst his wishes, Prajapati refrains from calling Shiva to aYagna for which he has called all the gods. Parvati reaches thesite only to immolate herself, and Shiva’s attendant beheadsPrajapati while Shiva brings him back to life.The Spectacle of Kumbh & Ardha KumbhEvery 12 years, Haridwar gets converted to a vast, billowingtented city on sand as millions converge to take a bath in theGanga for a month’s time during a period consideredauspicious. The believers hold that the Ganga water attains allthe properties of the Amrit that made the gods immortal andbathing in the Ganga would purify their souls and they would bereborn in heaven. Further, it is the water in Har-ki-Pauri orBrahma Kund that is supposed to hold the Amrit-like Ganga.Myth has it that the Devas (gods) and Asuras (demons) churned theocean to get to the Kumbh (jar) that contained Amrit or nectar ofimmortality. In this battle, Vishnu, the preserver of the world aidedthe Devas in securing their hands on the Amrit Kumbh. Handing theKumbh to the divine physician Dhanvantri, Vishnu bade him leavefor heaven. As the Asuras gave chase to Dhanvantri, four drops ofamrit fell from the Kumbh at Haridwar, Prayag (confluence ofGanga and Yamuna in Allahabad), Ujjain and Nasik.Associated with this myth, these places have gained the statusof great pilgrimages. Since the journey back to heaven took12 days, a Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years at one of thesefour locations (one day of the gods is taken to be 12 years long).And every six years, an Ardha Kumbh is held.At the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, Hindus from all over thecountry and abroad jostle to get a dip in the Brahma Kund at thedesignated times. But they have to give way to the differentschools or Akharas of Sadhus, whose heads lead the way to theShahi Snan, or royal bathing days that are consideredparticularly auspicious. Then it is the turn of the ordinary menand women - householders, peasants, businessmen andprofessionals - to dip themselves in the water.The winding processions of Sadhus on caparisoned elephantscamels and horses, the deafening noise of full throated cries,cymbals and conches, punctuated by singing lends the KumbhMela a panoramic splendor and pomp. In 1830, Captain Skinner,Gateway of theBy Rajinder Singh Chadha

witnessed a Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. He noted that “…no spoton earth can produce so great a variety of the human race atassemblage.” It is so even today.Hindu genealogy registers at HaridwarSomething that is not generally known today to many Indiansand to those settled abroad, is an ancient custom, wheredetailed family genealogies of Hindu families for the pastseveral generations are kept by professional Hindu BrahminPandits, popularly known as Pandas, at the Hindu holy city ofHaridwar in hand written registers passed down to them overgenerations by their Pandit ancestors. These are classifiedaccording to original districts and villages of one's ancestors,with special designated Pandit families in charge of designateddistrict registers, even for cases where ancestral districts andvillages that have been left behind in Pakistan after Partition ofIndia with Hindus having to migrate to India. In several casespresent day decedents are now Sikhs and many may beMuslims or even Christians. It is not uncommon for one to finddetails of up to, or even more than, one's seven pastgenerations in these genealogy registers kept by the Pandasof Haridwar.For centuries, when Hindu ancestors visited the holy town ofHaridwar for any purpose which may have mostly been forpilgrimage purposes or for cremation of their dead or forimmersion of ashes and bones of their kin after cremation intothe waters of the holy river Ganges, as required by Hindureligious custom, it has been an ancient tradition, to go to thePandit, who is in charge of one's family register and update thefamily's genealogical 'family tree' with details of all marriages,births and deaths from one's extended joint family. Known asVahis (ledgers), these records are updated on each visit to thecity and are a repository of vast 'family trees' of families inNorth India.In present day India people visiting Haridwar are dumbfoundedwhen Pandits out of the blue solicit them to come and updatetheir very own ancestral genealogical 'family tree'. News travelslike wildfire among the Pandits with ones family's designatedPandit being quickly notified of one's visit. A visiting familymember is required to personally sign the family genealogicalregister furnished by one's family Panda after updating it forfuture family visitors and generations to see and to authenticatethe updated entries. Friends and other family membersaccompanying on the visit may also be requested to signas witnesses.Guru Nanak at HaridwarDuring his visit to Haridwar, Guru Nanak bathed at KushwanGhat, wherein the famous, 'watering the crops' episode tookplace. His visit is today commemorated by GurdwaraNanakwara. According to Janamsakhis, this visit took place onthe Vaisakhi day of 1504. The Guru, later also visited Kankhalenroute to Kotdwara in Garhwal.Watering the cropsGuru Nanak, while on his eastward Udasi (spiritual sojourn),reached Haridwar. The people, gathered there in large numbers,were bathing in the holy river. Guru Nanak observed manypeople throwing water towards the sun in the east. The Guruhad already heard about this meaningless ritual. He, therefore,thought it the right place and the proper time to give guidancethat those kinds of hollow rituals have no meaning.him as a naive visitor, the nearby bathers told him that he wasnot performing the rituals correctly. They advised him to throwwater to the east.Guru Nanak continued throwing water towards the westpretending that he was very much absorbed in the 'holy' act andhad not heard anything. Soon, many people gathered there totell him that the proper method of performing the ritual was tothrow water in the other direction. His water thrown to the westwas of no use to him nor to his dead ancestors. The pilgrimsthought that the Guru was acting strangely and soon manybathers surrounded him and were telling Guru ji that he wasthrowing the water in the wrong direction and that it wouldnever get to his ancestors - who live in the East. They flocked tothe Guru and laughed at what they thought was a very funnyaction.The leader of the pilgrims approached and asked Guru ji, “Whyare you throwing the holy water to the West - the wrongdirection?” Many bathers were watching Guru ji. "The water isto be thrown towards the rising sun in the east so that it reachesyour dead ancestors."The Guru calmly replied, “I am watering my withering crops inPunjab. All my crops in my village are dying as there has beenno rain” and continued to splash the water to the west. Hewanted to irrigate those crops. Hearing the Guru's reply,everybody started laughing.The curious spectators asked, “Are you crazy? How can yourwater reach hundreds of miles away to Punjab from here?”Guru ji replied, “The very same way as yours reaches yourancestors in the other world many millions of miles away. Infact, my farm is quite closer on this very earth." Guru ji stoppedsplashing the water. Guru ji became serious. He added, "If thewater thrown by me cannot reach a few hundred miles away onthis very earth, how can water thrown by you to your deadancestors reach them in the heavens?"These people, who were throwing handfuls of water from riverGanges, towards the sun in the east, believed that by this ritualthey could offer water to their dead elders in the next world.This next world was in the East from where the sun rose.Guru Nanak entered the river for purposes of bathing, as allother pilgrims were doing. Instead of throwing water to theeast, he, however, started throwing water in the oppositedirection towards the west, where the Guru's farm was. TakingEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201126 27

'Haridwar' in Mahabharata"O Yudhishthira, the spot where Gangarusheth past, cleaving the foremost ofmountains, which is frequented byGandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas andApsaras, and inhabited by hunters,and Kinnaras, is called Gangadwara(Haridwar). O King, Sanatkumara regardeththat spot visited by Brahmarshis, as alsothe Tirtha Kanakhala (that is near to it),as sacred."- The Mahabharata, Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatraParva: Section XC.The leader of the pilgrims had no answer to this. The peoplebecame quiet and started thinking over the reply given by theGuru. They had no logical argument to challenge hisstatement. This made the people think about the uselessnessof their ritual.Guru Nanak came out of the river and the crowd followedhim. The Guru calmly told them the truth. He explained thathollow rituals do not have any religious value. They shouldlove, respect and take care of their people, friends andreligions when they are alive rather than perform theseuseless rituals afterwards. When people die, they do not needanything from us and nor can we send them anything afterthey have left this world. After death, people get what theyhave given to the needy, out of their honest earnings, whileliving on this earth.So remember the message - Do the good deeds for your eldersnow - because once they are gone, you will not be able to doany service for them. Don't lose this opportunity!How effective and rational a way to get people's attention andremove their ignorance!Places of pilgrimages in HaridwarHar ki Pauri, Chandi Devi Temple, Mansa Devi Temple, MayaDevi Temple, Kankhal, Piran Kaliyar, Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar,Bhimgoda Tank, Ram Mandir, Doodhadhari Barfani Temple,Sureshvari Devi Temple, Pawan Dham, Bharat Mata Mandir,Jairam Ashram, Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Sarovar,Parad Shivling, Ramanand Ashram, Anandamayi Maa Ashramand Shantikunj.SpiritualInstructions¤ Why do you get a disease? It is a blessing from God to purge out the evil effect ofyour bad Karmas, to infuse in you more Sattva and also the virtues, power ofendurance (Titiksha), mercy and love towards human beings and to make youremember God. Pain is the best thing in this world. It opens your inner eyes.Philosophy takes its origin from pain, finds out the cause of pain and ignoranceand tries to reduce it by the eradication of ignorance.¤ All people are not benefitted by pain and adversities. The egoism thins out a bitduring sufferings. It asserts itself with redoubled force when they get back theiroriginal health. The veil again comes back, it is only a Viveki who is reallybenefitted. He remembers his sufferings.¤ Do not waste time. Do not waste even a minute. Time is very precious foraspirants. Meditate. Realize. Drink the Spiritual Nectar of Immortality.¤ Who can command? He, who knows how to obey. Obedience is better thansacrifice.¤ Drink the gruel and water alone and be happy and contented. A contented mindis a continued feast. Even Brahma and Indra will be jealous of you.¤ Do not belittle others. Do not treat others with contempt. Respect the sentimentsand words of others. Praise others and expose your faults before others.¤ Hide yourself. Do not show your skill and ability to others. Do not care for nameand respect. Treat name and respect as straw, dung, dust and poison becausethey are false and worthless. Then only will you get Peace.¤ Scrutinize your motives. Sit alone. Analyze your mind and your own nature.Keep a check on your thinking and pray. Study your own nature and defects andtry to remove them by suitable methods.¤ Think of yourself as nothing in the world. You can remove your pride and egoismby doing so. Sit on the ground. Shun chairs, sofas, benches and bedsteads. Doalways menial service. Serve others. Speak well of others. Do not expose the faultsof others.¤ When a man speaks ill of you, excuse and pity him. Pray for him. Do good to him.Love him. Bless him, who despises you. Bear insult and injury. This will developyour will-force.¤ The company of a worldly-minded man is dangerous for an aspirant ofspirituality.Compiled by: D.K. Sharma28Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 2011

Sehaj - The Tranquil State of MindBhagat Kabir says:qh pwvs isMDu DUp nhI ChIAw qh auqpiq prlau nwhI ]jIvn imrqu n duKu suKu ibAwpY suMn smwiD doaU qh nwhI ]shj kI AkQ kQw hY inrwrI ]quil nhI cFY jwie n mukwqI hlukI lgY n BwrI ] (333)Teh paavas sindh(u) dhoop nahee(n) chhaheeaa Teh utpatt(i) parlao(u) naaheeJeevan mirat(u) na dukh(u) sukh(u) biaap-ei Sunn samaadh(i) do-oo teh naaheeSehaj kee akath katha h-ei niraareeTul(i) nahee(n) chaddh-ei jaae na mukaatee Hal(u)kee lag-ei na bhaaree.(There is no rainy season, ocean, sunshine or shade, no creation ordestruction there. No life or death, no pain or pleasure is felt there.There is only the Primal Trance of Samaadhi, and no duality. Thedescription of the state of intuitive poise is indescribable andsublime. It is not measured, and it is not exhausted. It is neitherlight nor heavy.)Sehaj is the ultimate positive state of mind wherein Goddwells. The aim of a Sikh is to attain to this state of mind.Guru Arjan states:pRQmy grB vws qy tirAw ] puqR klqR kutMb sMig juirAw ]Bojnu Aink pRkwr bhu kpry ] srpr gvnu krihgy bpury ]kvnu AsQwnu jo kbhu n trY ] kvnu sbdu ijqu durmiq hrY ]ieMdR purI mih srpr mrxw ] bRhm purI inhclu nhI rhxw ]isv purI kw hoiegw kwlw ] qRY gux mwieAw ibnis ibqwlw ]igir qr Drix ggn Aru qwry ] riv sis pvxu pwvku nIrwry ]idnsu rYix brq Aru Bydw ] swsq isMimRiq ibnsihgy bydw ]By Dalip Singh, USAqIrQ dyv dyhurw poQI ] mwlw iqlku soc pwk hoqI ]DoqI fMfauiq prswdn Bogw ] gvnu krYgo sglo logw ]jwiq vrn qurk Aru ihMdU ] psu pMKI Aink join ijMdU ]sgl pwswru dIsY pwswrw ] ibnis jwiego sgl Awkwrw ]shj isPiq Bgiq qqu igAwnw ] sdw Anµdu inhclu scu Qwnw ]qhw sMgiq swD gux rsY ] AnBau ngru qhw sd vsY ]qh Bau Brmw sogu n icMqw ] Awvxu jwvxu imrqu n hoqw ]qh sdw Anµd Anhq AwKwry ] Bgq vsih kIrqn AwDwry ]pwrbRhm kw AMqu n pwru ] kauxu krY qw kw bIcwru ]khu nwnk ijsu ikrpw krY ] inhcl Qwnu swDsMig qrY ] (237)Pratham-ai garabh vaas t-ai tariaa Putar kalattar kutambh sangg(i) juriaaBhojan(u) anik parkaar bah(u) kapar-ai Sarpar gavan(u) karhigg-ai bapur-aiKavan asthaan(u) jo kabah(u) na tarr-ei Kavan(u) sabad(u) jitt(u) durmat(i) har-eiIndar puree meh sarpar marn(h)aa Braham puree nihchal(u) nahee(n) rehn(h)aaSiv puree ka hoegaa kaalaa Tr-ei gunn(h) maaiaa binas(i) bitaalaaGir(i) tar dharan(h) gagan ar(u) taar-ai Rav(i) sas(i) pavan(h) paavak(u) neeraar-aiDinas(u) r-ei-n(h) barat ar(u) bh-ai-daa Saasat simrat(i) binsahig-ai b-ai-daaTeerath d-aiv d-ai-huraa pothee Maalaa tilak(u) soch paak hoteeDhotee dandaout(i) parsaadan bhogaa Gavan(u) kar-ei-go sagalo logaaJaat(i) varan turak ar(u) Hindu Pasu pankhee anik jon(i) jindooSagal paasaar(u) dees-ei paasaaraa Binas(i) jaaego sagal aakaaraaSehaj sifat(i) bhagat(i) tatt(u) giaanaa Sadaa anand(u) nihachal(u) sach(u) thaanaaTahaa(n) sangat(i) saadh gunn(h) ras-ei Anbhaou nagar(u) tahaa(n) sadd vas-eiTeh bhaou bharmaa sog na chintaa Aavan(h) mirat(u) na hotaaTeh sadaa anand anhat aakhaar-ai Bhagat vasah(i) kirtan aadhaar-aiPaarbraham kaa antt(u) na paar(u) Kaoun(h)u kar-ei taa(n) kaa beechaar(u)Kah(u) Nanak jis(u) kirpaa kar-ei Nihchal thaan(u) saadhsangg(i) tar-ei.(Which is the place where there is ever consistency, and which isthe word that cleanses our mind? After release from the mother'swomb, one grows, develops relation with sons, wife and otherfamily members, relishes many types of food, wears finegarments. But, for sure, pitiable man shall leave all this behindwhen he departs. Mountains, rivers, woods, the earth, the skyand the stars, the suns, the moons, air, fire and water, the dayand night, various rituals ordained by Shastras and Smritis shallat the end, perish. One must transcend that, which is in limitationand creates prejudices. The infinite Creator is the only ultimate.All the holy places, the gods, the temples, the holy books, therosary, the saffron mark, the acts of ablution, the loin cloth andprostration before gods, the enjoyment of goods, all these and allliving beings, will pass away. But the state of contemplation ofthe Lord in His glory is the highest state of mind of Sehaj, theEssence of Worship, which takes man to Wisdom, Joy and Truth.In that realm of holy One, one utters and relishes the praises ofthe Lord, and ever abides in the domain of fearlessness. There isno fear there, no doubts, and no sorrow of any kind. One is thenredeemed from the cycle of repeated births and rebirths. There isthe state of eternal joy, which springs from the celestial melodies.There, the devotees lean on nothing else but on the Lord's praises.The Lord is infinite, without any limitations. No one can find thelimitations of the Lord. Nanak says, on whom the Lord's gracedawns, he swims across (the sea of existence) by associating withthe holy ones.)The state of equipoise of mind or the perfect peace inmind is unique and is of its own kind, which cannot bedescribed in words. Sehaj is a state of infinite peace, whichcannot be compared with any other impulse, with any gainor loss of material things. There prevails completetranquility of mind, no evil thoughts emerge, and there isno sense of duality or selfishness.In the state of Sehaj, one sees every one alike, neither low norhigh, there is no doleful feelings (night), nor the recklessactivity in pursuit of worldly accumulations (day). In thisDomain, there is no temptation for indulgence in evil deeds,nor do evil thoughts arise, nor is there the fire of greed. O thisis the place where Satguru (God) abides. In such a state ourUnfathomable or Unperceivable Lord abides in our inner Self.We can be united with Him through the Grace of the Guru.All that we see and know has been created by God'scommand, through five basic elements - space, air, water, fireand earth. It is God's light, which is spread everywhere and iscreative - gives life to all. All the activity of creation is underHis control. How much power do these elements have, can bejudged from the tremendous force of gravity of earth, whichextends up to 36,000 km in the space. These elements are thebasis of Maya of three Gunas and the five sensual instincts,which play havoc in one's life.These five elements are both creative as well as destructive.How to rise above the Maya of three Gunas and use thegigantic force of matter to our benefit and avoiddestruction? We may abandon hearths and homes and livein jungles or mountain caves, yet Maya does not spare us.The blessed persons during the course of their earthly lifelive in this Space of Sehaj and become immune from the evileffects of Maya.How can we attain to the Domain of Sehaj? Submit to theGuru (God's Light in us) and always reflect our mind onSatguru, verily, Absolute Lord Himself, who abides within us.We should associate with the company of the learned onesor the Saints and yearn to listen to the Infinite Lord'spraises. This association is attained through His grace andunion with Him within our body and while living is attainedby His Grace. No one else is competent to bless with Naamor Union with Him or the state of Sehaj, God alone iscompetent and He does it. Man needs guidance and controlover his activities in every walk of his life from birth tilldeath. Guru Amar Das teaches us:mnu kuMcru pIlku gurU igAwnu kuMfw jh iKMcy qh jwie ]nwnk hsqI kuMfy bwhrw iPir iPir auJiV pwie ] (516)Mann(u) kunchar(u) peelak(u) Guru Giaan(u) Kunddaa jeh khinch-ai teh jaaeNanak hastee kundd-ai baaharaa Phir(i) phir(i) ujharh(i) paae.(The human mind is like the elephant (blind force). The divine Lightin us, 'Guru', is the elephant-driver and divine knowledge is like thegoad. Whatever the way, the all-wise Guru directs the mind, itfollows. Nanak says that the mind-elephant (blind force) without theGuru's goad, goes astray and destroys itself.)Also:ibnu gur pUry nwhI auDwru ] bwbw nwnku AwKY eyhu bIcwru ] (886)Binn(u) Gur poor-ai naahee udhaar(u) Baba Nanak aakh-ei ai-h(u) beechaar(u).(Without living with divine light within us, there is no redemption,says Nanak for serious reflection.)"O my mind, why do you not reflect on Him, who is thesource of all virtues? You can thus overcome your bad habitsby reflecting on Him. The time passes, each night and day, arethe nets cast, every moment is a snare (in separation fromHim, as Maya created is most powerful, none can conquer it).Just like a bird one pecks at the bait (temptations), he istrapped. How he is to be saved? The body is the furnace inwhich is cast the iron of mind, heated by the fire of Five evils.But the burnt mind is turned into Gold, if it reflects on Him(Satguru in us). The Guru blesses one with the Name of God,and the restlessness of the mind comes to an end."Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201130 31

Nawab Kapoor Singh(1697 - 1753)By Hardev Singhollowing the martyrdom of Banda Singh Bahadur in 1716,Farukhsayar unleashed systematic persecution of the Sikhs,Fwhich continued till his death in 1719. After his demise, therewas some relaxation in the policy of genocide of non-Sikhs butwith the passage of time this policy of rapprochement wasextended to Sikhs too. With direction from the Mughals ofDelhi, Zakaria Khan, the Governor of Lahore, decided to co-optprominent Sikhs to befriend them. He sought the association ofSikhs by offering the title of Nawab including the Jagir ofDipalpur, Kanganwal and Jhaba, which would yield revenue ofone lakh rupees annually. At that time, Jathedar Darbara Singhwas the leader of the Sikh wandering warriors. Therefore, hewas offered to be a Nawab. However, he showed reluctance toaccept the offer, saying that he wants the Sikh Raj in the entirePunjab. Subegh Singh, a contractor, who was negotiating thedeal, encouraged Kapoor Singh, who was the Deputy ofDarbara Singh, to accept the offer for strategic reasons. KapoorSingh accepted the offer in 1733 after the Mughal Commandwas touched by the feet of five leading Sikhs.After this, Nawab Kapoor Singh started re-organizing the Khalsaby forming Buddha Dal, constituting the veteran fighters abovethe age of 40, who were required to manage the places ofworship and carry out the work of priests and preachers. TheTaruna Dal, made up of more active fighters under the age of40, was to take up arms at the time of emergency. This was thefirst organized attempt to build the Khalsa army of around12,000 fighters under five commands headed by (i) Deep Singh,(ii) Harnam Singh and Sharan Singh, (iii) Kahan Singh and BinodSingh, (iv) Dasaundha Singh, (v) Bir Singh and Jiwan SinghRangretta. These were located at Ram Sar, Bibek Sar, Kaul Sar,Lachhman Sar and Santokh Sar respectively at five Sarovarsaround Harmandir Sahib. Each command had its own bannerand drum. They maintained a common store of essential itemslike clothes and ration, though they had their own kitchens. Thetreasury was also common.This organized Khalsa, held meetings to take decision for futureaction under the guidance of Nawab Kapoor Singh. Theyunderstood that the peace was short-lived and therefore wantedto strengthen themselves - financially and in terms ofequipment. They decided that under Nawab Kapoor Singh'sgovernment, money should be appropriated and weapons andhorses should be added. When they received the informationthat money was being transferred from Multan to Lahoretreasury, the Khalsa pounced upon the carriages and looted thefunds, weapons and horses and vanished in the jungles in notime, leaving the guards stunned. They also looted the revenueof Kasur Subedar. A caravan from Afghanistan was also attackedby the Khalsa guerillas, capturing large stock of arms, horsesand money, which were urgently required by the Khalsa. Inanother attack, a caravan, carrying gold and silver fromAfghanistan, was looted. The Khalsa army went on to defeat thechiefs of Jhajjar, Dabri, Dujana, Bahadurgarh, Faridabad,Mehrauli and Gurgaon.Nawab Kapoor Singh took several measures, which made himpopular among the Khalsa and other Sikhs. He let it be knownthat (i) All money obtained by the Jathas would be deposited inthe common Khalsa Fund. All provisions for the fightingwandering warriors such as arms, horses and clothes wereprovided from this common fund. (ii) The fighting force wouldhave common Langar at various places. (iii) The Jathedars of theKhalsa Jathas would be respected and their orders followed. Themembers of the Jatha had to keep the Jathedar informed abouttheir whereabouts.The Mughal authority at Delhi was alarmed after they receivedthe information of this organization. In 1735, the Delhi Darbardecided to take back the Estate given to Kapoor Singh but hedid not care about this and said that Khalsa wanted the wholeof Punjab and not this paltry Jagir.The Mughal army unleashed unspeakable violence against theSikhs. As a result, the Sikhs crossed the river Sutlej and reachedsafe areas of Malwa. Kapoor Singh went to Patiala and initiatedBaba Ala Singh to take Amrit. He also helped the Patiala state toconsolidate its force and extend boundaries.Around this time, Bhai Mani Singh had asked Zakaria Khan toallow the Sikhs to celebrate Diwali at Amritsar for 10 days on apayment of five thousand rupees. But some anti-Sikh elementstold Zakaria Khan to massacre the Sikhs on this occasion. WhenBhai Mani Singh got this information, he sent messages to theSikhs not to come to Amritsar as the Diwali meet had beencancelled. But a few, who could not be contacted, had to facehard time and many were killed. Bhai Mani Singh refused to paythe money for which he was arrested and faced martyrdom.In 1736, the Khalsa attacked Sirhind and captured the city aftera frantic fight. The Khalsa took over the treasury and arms andestablished Gurdwaras at holy places of martyrdom. After this,the Khalsa returned to Amritsar. The Mughal was greatly upsetby the loot in Sirhind and sent a large force. Kapoor Singhentrusted the treasury to Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and asked himto reach a safe place in the hills, while he himself madeEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201132 33

a strategic retread to Tarn Taran. He dug himself in trenchesand waited for the Mughal army, which was following them. Asthe enemy came near the Khalsa army, they first showered gunshots and then pounced upon them like hungry wolves.The Mughal army was demoralized by the swift action and lostthree arrogant generals. Having lost many soldiers and manywounded, the helpless Mughal army hastened to withdrawto Lahore.Later on, the Mughals decided to control the AmritsarHarmandir, where a large army was posted all around. KaziRehman, the leader of the post, was attacked by Kapoor Singh,who killed him in the fight. Kazi's son came forward to rescuehis father and was also killed. Mughals, then came with a largeforce and Kapoor Singh had to withdraw.Massa Ranghar took over the command and made theHarmandir his resting place. He smoked and drank there andbrought the Nauch (dancing) girls to perform in the gatheringthere. Sikhs, stationed at Bikaner, were shocked to learn this.Bhai Sukha Singh and Mehtab Singh Mirankotia rushed there inthe disguise of rent collectors. They tied their horses outsideand went in to swiftly chop off the head of Massa Ranghar andescaped on their horses.Samad Khan, a senior commander from Delhi, was sent topunish the Sikhs. He came with a large force. While he wasadvancing, a Jatha of daring commandos disguised asmessengers, was sent to the location of the armory. The leaderof the Sikh Jatha told the chief that Samad Khan is holdingmany Sikhs and he wanted him to come and arrest them. Whenhe moved away with his force, the Sikh commandosoverpowered the few soldiers left there and ran away with armsand ammunition and brought it all to the Sikh camp.While Samad Khan was fighting the Khalsa with a large force,Kapoor Singh went round the scene of battle and attacked like ahurricane from the rear. Soon, Samad Khan and his generalswere killed and the remaining Mughal army ran away.In 1738, Nadir Shah invaded Punjab. After defeating theMughals of Karnal, he ravaged Delhi to loot huge wealth fromthe rich people and the Mughal treasury. He mercilessly killedmore than one lakh soldiers and other people to create terror.He took away the peacock throne and Kohinoor diamond.While returning in 1739, Nadir Shah changed his path along thefoothills to avoid heat. This landscape suited the Sikhs, whoknew the Shivalik landscape thoroughly. The Khalsa under theleadership of Kapoor Singh pounced upon the rear part of thecaravan to loot wealth and release women and workmen. NadirShah asked Zakaria Khan about the place, where these Sikhslive. Zakaria Khan replied that they even sleep on the saddles oftheir horses. Nadir Shah then quipped that time is not far whenthey will rule the country.While Nadir Shah was crossing the river Chenab, he had relaxedhis vigil. Kapoor Singh asked the Sikhs to attack the rear part ofthe caravan because the army, which had crossed the riverwould not return to fight. Kapoor Singh carried away aconsiderable part of the loot and treasury and released most ofthe women. The plunder of Nadir Shah endeared the Sikhs withthe people.When Nadir Shah was gone, Zakaria Khan followed the policyof genocide against the Sikhs. Head-hunting became a pastimeof the Mughal soldiers.In 1745, Zakaria Khan died. There was dispute between his sonsover succession. But the security around Amritsar wastightened. Kapoor Singh sent his trusted junior, Jassa SinghAhluwalia, to break the cordon. He attacked fearlessly and killedthe commander and also his nephew, who had advanced tosave him. After this, Kapoor Singh became a powerful leader ofthe Sikhs and built a fort named Ram Rauni.In 1748, Ahmed Shah Abdali came with a large force. To stophim, the governor of Lahore advanced with his army. At thattime, Kapoor Singh led a force of Sikh commandos and looted apolice station in Lahore, taking away their weapons.Kapoor Singh took control of Amritsar in 1753 and called theSikhs to organize the Khalsa Army. He profusely thanked theKhalsa for all the support given to him and announced the nameof Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as his successor. The sword, he hadreceived from Mata Sundri, was handed over to Jassa SinghAhluwalia. On his demise, Kapoor Singh's body was crematednear Baba Atal Gurdwara.In 1735, the Delhi Darbar decided totake back the Estate given toKapoor Singh but he did not careabout this and said that Khalsawanted the whole of Punjab andnot this paltry Jagir.SAREE CENTREChoiceofdesigner collectionDESIGNER BOUTIQUESUITSSAREESLEHNGASDRESS MATERIAL34Eternal VoiceH.O.: A-3/22, Lal Quarter, Krishna Nagar, Delhi-110051Phones: 22007031, 22009429 E-mail: shrimatisaree.centre@gmail.comF-4&5, Cross River Mall (Near Karkardooma Courts) Delhi-110032 Phones: 22305968, 42111811

ReligiousExperienceinScience"The cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblestmotive for scientific research."- Albert Einsteincience and Religion represent two great systems of humanSthought. For the majority of people on our planet, religion isthe predominant influence over the conduct of their affairs.When science impinges on their lives, it does so, in general,through technology.The core of religion is the religious experience. True religiondoes not thrive on belief, it requires us to become; it is not a setof propositions to be accepted, it is a state to be experienced.The so-called religious experience is the progeny of a free mind- a mind that does not conform unthinkingly, but questionseverything and finds the truth itself.Such a mind is capable of turning inward, searching for truth inits deepest recesses and experiencing the absolute. With this,there is not the arrogance of religious power but the humility ofcompassion; there is not the necessity for words and scriptures,for there is the immensity of silence. For the truly religiousmind with an intelligence of its own, religion is not a staticabstraction, but a way of life.In religion and science, man has two of the greatest forces whichinfluence him: One is the force of his intuition and the other isthat of his impulse to accurate observation and deduction. Someof the greatest scientists have succeeded in synthesizing the twoforces inwardly, on a personal level. Religious experience is thenseen as an extension of scientific activity.Writing about the religious spirit of science, the renownedscientist Albert Einstein said, "You will hardly find one amongthe profounder sort of scientific minds without a religiousfeeling of his own. But it is different from the religiosity of thenaive man. For the latter, God is a being from whose care onehopes to benefit, and whose punishment one fears. It isa sublimation of a feeling similar to that of a child for the father,a being to whom one stands, so to speak, in a personal relation,however deeply it may be tinged with awe.wishes to do/pursue science. This point has been stressed bymany scientists as being indicative of the psychologicalconnection between religion and science.Scientists frequently talk in terms of religious experiences.However, there is an essential difference between the means thescientists and the mystics use to reach this stage. While themystic's way is inward and contemplative, the scientist's isoutward and analytical.It has been the experience of many great scientists, that scienceultimately leads man to a personal encounter with the absoluteor the ultimate reality. An awareness of the ultimate reality maycome to the scientist through the perception of order in nature,in the form of a spiritually moving experience.Charles Darwin has described such an experience thatimprinted itself on his mind in the Brazilian forests. He said,"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers,having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few formsor one. And whilst this planet has gone cycling on according tothe fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endlessforms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and arebeing evolved".Albert Einstein insists on the overpowering impact thatboundlessness of the objective intelligibility of nature makes onthe mind of the scientist. According to him, this gives rise toa sense of religious reverence. In his words: "In every truesearcher of nature, there is a kind of religious reverence;for he finds it impossible to imagine that he is the first to havethought the exceedingly delicate threads that connect hisperceptions". Science then, according to Einstein, becomesa reverential activity.Fred Hoyle, the famous astronomer, while delivering an addressto a meeting of the American Physical Society, said, "Why in factdo we do science? ... The real motive of course is a religiousone ... our aim is the same (as that of religion): To understandthe world and ourselves, not to make a profit or justify ourselvesby producing an endless stream of technical gadgets."By Dr. D.P. Singh"But for the scientist, the religious feeling takes the form ofa rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, whichreveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared withit, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is anutterly insignificant reflection. This feeling is the guidingprinciple of his life and work, in so far as he succeeds in keepinghimself from the shackles of selfish desire. It is, beyondquestion, closely akin to that which has possessed the religiousgeniuses of all ages."Science and religion, in spite of being autonomousundertakings, are like complementary forces that operate intandem. In fact, as is the opinion of many a scientists,religiousness is an indispensable condition for anyone, whoCarl Sagan, the well-known cosmologist, said, "If we look at theuniverse in the large, we find something astonishing. Theuniverse is exceptionally beautiful, intricately and subtlyconstructed. There are cataclysms and catastrophes occurringregularly in the universe and on the most awesome scale ...We see a universe simultaneously very beautiful and veryviolent. We see a universe that does not exclude a traditionalWestern or Eastern god ..."In Goethe's words, "Man's highest happiness is to havefathomed - and to bow in reverence before - the unfathomable."To quote Einstein again: "The most beautiful emotion we canexperience is the mystical ... (it is) to know that which isimpenetrable to us really exists...”Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201136 37

eople fold their fingers in various Mudras (gestures). It islittle known, however, that Mudra Science is Tatva Yoga -PYoga based on science of elements. Acharya Keshav Devbelieves that these Mudras can help cure many diseases.• Mudras can bring about miraculous change andimprovement in our body.• Mudras generate powers to provide all round development ofthe mind and body, which brings peace and happiness.• Mudras look like miraculous remedies. They provide instantrelief to many ailments from simple ear-ache to heart attack.• Mudras help in moulding the physical, mental and even themoral aspects of the individual.• Some Mudras can balance the elements of the body within45 minutes, while others are fast enough to act withina few seconds.• Practice of some of the Mudras regularly can cure insomnia,arthritis and improve memory.• Mudras have extra-ordinary powers. Practice of Mudrasbrings about a quick and fundamental reversions of thedestructive changes in the human body.• They also develop virtuosity, social amiability, non-violence,piety and courteous dispositions.• All divine persons like Lord Mahavira, Gautam Buddha, LordShankaracharya and others used to remain in these Mudras.• Mudras help in Kundalini Yoga to awaken the cosmic energyMudras Byand to unite consciousness of the inner Supreme Soul.• Mudras are significant and simple Yogic functions by whichone can develop internal and external dispositions.• Detailed description of Mudras are found in Tantra Shastra,Upasana Shastra, Nritya Shastra, Art of Sculpture etc.Gyan MudraAcharya VikrmadityaHuman body is the supreme machine of the Nature, and muchmore advance than any modern super computer. According toAcharya Keshav Dev, this human is complete and miraculous initself and the marvelous creation of the Nature. To govern thissupreme machine of Nature, our learned seers and sages; Rishisand Tapasvis, after deep research and analysis, had discoveredYog Tatva Mudra Vigyan (Science of Gestures). And thesegestures act like remote control to govern this miraculoushuman body very minutely.Physical ailments are the results of the disturbance in theequilibrium of the five elemental forces of the body.This imbalance can be cured through medicine, Mantra Vigyanor even by any therapy. But Gurudev says that all these are theexternal things. As earlier stated, human body is complete initself. Then Nature must have given or made something in thisbody itself to cure this imbalance of elements. This imbalanceof elements can be easily cured through Science of Mudras.Here, by Mudras, we mean the different postures, which areformed by crossing and joining of the fingers of one or boththe hands.Earlier, these Mudras were used as the rituals for worshipingonly. Acharya Keshav Dev is the first person in the modern ageto discover and analyze the modern scientific and healinganalysis of these Tatva Yog Mudras and presented them beforethe masses for the betterment of their living.You might have seen the renowned seers and sages siting invarious postures and gestures around the world. Varioussculptures of Lord Buddha have been made in various differentMudras. Similarly, various sculptures of other saints like SwamiDayanand Saraswati, Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj, LordMahavira, Lord Krishna, Lord Shankar etc. have been seen inGyan Mudra. You will be surprised to know that in one of theChurches of Rome, there is one special statue in which evenLord Jesus Christ is in Gyan Mudra pose.Simply by touching the tip of the index finger (Tarjani) with thetip of the thumb, i.e., by joining the fire element with airelement, this Gyan Mudra is formed.Gyan Mudra calms the whole nervous system in a natural way.The regular practice of this Mudra will help in overcoming allthe weaknesses of the nervous system.Gyan Mudra is very helpful to the students, Yogis and those, whomeditate on the Divine Name. This Mudra generates new andadvance ideas in the mind of the person practicing it. That is tosay that this Mudra will give a new direction to the thinking inany particular field, to which the practitioner belongs.Gyan Mudra also plays a vital role in increasing memory of aperson. Students will be benefitted the most through GyanMudra. Those desirous of gaining the most of this Gyan Mudra,should stop unnecessary utilization of their vital energy.Everyone knows something about it. You might have beenrefrained by your grand-parents for unnecessary cracking of thefingers or swinging of the legs. If the child argues on this, theysimply say that these are the bad habits and inauspicious butthey don't know the reason behind it. These acts are responsiblefor unnecessary wastage of the vital energy.We experimented this on the students, who were brilliant intheir studies and could learn the subject just by studying onceonly. We made them habitual to the bad habits of mis-utilizingtheir hands and legs like, cracking of the fingers, swinging ofthe legs etc., And you will be surprised to know that after acertain period, we found that those students became dull andHuman body is the supreme machineof the Nature, and much more advancethan any modern super computer.According to Acharya Keshav Dev, thishuman is complete and miraculous initself and the marvelous creation ofthe Nature.weak in their memory and concentration. Again to improvetheir memory and concentration, they were asked to practicethe Gyan Mudra and simultaneously to stop the bad habit ofunnecessarily cracking of the fingers and swinging of the legs.After a few months, we observed that they regained their earlierlevel of memory and concentration.Further, this Mudra has several other important effects. GyanMudra can also heal the person suffering from insomnia.Gurudev calls this Mudra a Yogic tranquillizer.Gyan Mudra is also helpful in overcoming the anger.One of the important roles of Gyan Mudra is that this Mudracan also develop the moral character among the individuals.With the practice of Gyan Mudra, there can be a drastic changein the nature of a human being, as many of his bad habits canbe curbed.www.mudrasforhealing.comEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201138 39

ProfitandLossByhen a daughter was born, after five sons, her parentsWdotingly name her Nirupama (Peerless one). Such ahigh-flown name had never been heard in the family before.Usually names of gods and goddesses were used - Ganesh,Kartik, Parvati and so on.The question of Nirupama's marriage now arose. Her fatherRamsundar Mitra searched and searched without finding a groomhe really liked; but in the end he procured the only son of a grandRaybahadur. The ancestral wealth of this Raybahadur haddiminished considerably, but the family was certainly noble. Theyasked for a dowry of 10,000 rupees, and many additional gifts.Ramsundar agreed without a thought – such a groom should notbe allowed to slip through one's fingers. But no way could he raiseall the money. Even after pawning, selling, and using everymethod he could, he still owed 6,000 or 7,000 rupees; and the dayof the wedding was drawing near.The wedding-day came. Someone had agreed to lend the rest ofthe money at an extortionate rate of interest, but he failed toturn up on the day. A furious scene broke out in the marriageroom.Ramsundar fell on his knees before the Raybahadur,implored him not to bring bad luck by breaking off theceremony and insisted he would pay him in full. 'If you can'tgive the money to me, now,' replied the Raybahadur, 'thebridegroom will not be brought here.'The women of the house wept and wailed at this disastrousupset. The root cause of it sat mutely in her silk wedding-dressand ornaments, her forehead decorated with sandal-paste.It cannot be said that she felt much love or respect for herprospective husband's family.Suddenly the impasse was resolved. The groom rebelled againsthis father, saying firmly, 'This haggling and bartering meansnothing to me. I came here to marry, and marry I shall.''You see, sir, how young men behave these days,' said his fatherto everyone he turned to.Rabindra Nath Tagore'It's because they have no training in morality or the Shastras,'said some of the oldest there. The Raybahadur satdespondent at seeing the poisonous fruits of moderneducation in his own son. The marriage was completed ingloomy, joyless sort of way.As Nirupama left for her in-laws' house her father clasped her tohis breast and could not hold back his tears. 'Won't they let mecome and visit you, father?' she asked. 'Why shouldn't they, mylove?' said Ramsundar. 'I'll come and fetch you.'Ramsundar often went to see his daughter, but he had no honorin his son-in-law's house. Even the servants looked down onhim. Sometimes he saw his daughter for five minutes in aseparate outer room of the house; sometimes he was notallowed to see her at all. To be disgraced so in a kinsman'shouse was unbearable. He decided that somehow or other themoney would have to be paid, but the burden of debt on hisshoulders was already hard to control. Expenses bragged at himterribly; he had to resort to all sorts of petty subterfuges toavoid running into his creditors.Meanwhile his daughter was treated spitefully at every turn. Sheshut herself into her room and wept – a daily penance for theinsults heaped on her family. Her mother-in-law's assaults wereespecially vicious. If anyone said, 'How pretty the girl is – it's apleasure to look at her,' she could burst out, 'Pretty indeed!Pretty as the family she came from!' Even her food and clothingwere neglected. If a kind neighbor expressed concern, hermother-in-law would say, 'She has more than enough,' –implying that if the girl's father had paid full price she wouldhave received full care. Everyone treated her as if she had norights in the household, and had entered it by deceit.Naturally news of the contempt and shame his daughter wassuffering reached Ramsundar. He decided to sell his house. Hedid not, however, tell his sons that he was making themhouseless: he intended to rent the house back after selling it. Bythis ploy, his sons would not know the true situation till after hisdeath. But his sons found out. They came and protestedvigorously. The three elder boys were married and had children:their objections were so forceful that the sale was stopped.Ramsundar then started to raise money by raking out smallloans from various quarters at high interest – so much so, thathe could no longer meet household expenses.Nirupama understood everything from her father's expression.The old man's grey hair, pallid face and permanently coweringmanner all indicated poverty and worry. When a father letsdown his own daughter, he cannot disguise the guilt he feels.Whenever Ramsundar managed to get permission to speak tohis daughter for a few moments, it was clear at once even fromhis smile how heart-broken he was.She longed to return to her father's house for a few days toconsole him. To see his sad face made it awful to be away. Oneday she said to Ramsundar, 'Father, take me home for a while.''Very well,' he replied – but he had no power to do so, thenatural claims that a father has to his daughter had beenpawned in place of a dowry. Even a glimpse of his daughter hadto be begged for meekly, and if on any occasion it was notgranted, he was not in a position to ask a second time. But if hisdaughter herself wished to come home, how could he notbring her?It is better not to tell the story of the indignity, shame and hurtthat Ramsundar had to endure in order to raise the 3,000 rupeesthat he needed for an approach to his daughter's father-in-law.Wrapping the banknotes in a handkerchief tied into a corner ofhis Chadar, he went to see him. He began breezily with localnews, describing at length a daring theft in Harekrishna's house.Comparing the abilities and characters of Nabinmadhab andRadhamadhab, he praised Radhamadhab and criticizedNabinmadhab. He gave a hair-raising account of a new illness intown. Finally, putting down the Hookah, he said as if in passing,'Yes, yes, brother, there's still some money owing, I know. Everyday I remember, and mean to come along with some of it, butthen it slips my mind. I'm getting old, my friend.' At the end ofthis long preamble, he casually produced the three notes, whichwere really like three of his ribs. The Raybahadur burst intocoarse laughter at the sight of them. 'Those are no use to me,'he said, making it plain by using a current proverb that he didnot want to make his hands stink for no reason.After that, to ask to bring Nirupama home seemed out of thequestion, though Ramsundar wondered what good he was doingto himself by observing polite forms. After sitting in heartstrickensilence for a long time, he did at last softly raise thematter. 'Not new,' said the Raybahadur, giving no reason; thenhe left, to go about his work.Unable to face his daughter, hands trembling, Ramsundar tiedthe three bank-notes back into the end of his Chadar and set offhome. He resolved never to return to the Raybahadur's houseuntil he had paid the money in full; only then could he lay claimto Nirupama confidently.Many months passed. Nirupama sent messenger aftermessenger, but her father never appeared. In the end she tookoffence, and stopped sending. This grieved Ramsundar sorely,but he still would not go to her. The month of Asvin came. 'Thisyear I shall bring Nirupama home for the Puja or else!' he saidto himself, making a fierce vow.On the fifth or sixth day of the Puja-fortnight, Ramsundar onceagain tied a few notes into the end of his Chadar and got readyto go out. A five-year-old grandson came and said, 'Grandpa,are you going to buy a cart for me?' For weeks, he had set hisheart on a push-cart to ride in, but there had been no way ofmeeting his wish. Then a six-year-old granddaughter came andsaid tearfully that she had no nice dress to wear for the Puja.Ramsundar knew that well, and had brooded over it for a longtime as he smoked. He had sighed to think of the women of hishousehold attending the Puja celebrations at the Raybahadur'shouse like paupers receiving charity, wearing whatevermiserable ornaments they had; but his thoughts had noresult other than making the old man's lines on his foreheadeven deeper.With the cries of his poverty-stricken household ringing in hisears, Ramsundar arrived at the Raybahadur's house. Todaythere was no hesitation in his manner, no trace of the nervousEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201140 41

As Nirupama left for her in-laws' househer father clasped her to his breast andcould not hold back his tears. 'Won'tthey let me come and visit you, father?'she asked. 'Why shouldn't they, mylove?' said Ramsundar. 'I'll come andfetch you.'glances with which he had formerly approached the gatekeeperand servants: it was as if he was entering his own house.He was told that the Raybahadur was out – he would have towait a while. But he could not hold back his longing to meet hisdaughter. Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks when he saw her.Father and daughter wept together; neither of them could speakfor some moments. Then Ramsundar said, 'This time I shall takeyou, my dear. Nothing can stop me now.'Suddenly Ramsundar's eldest son Haramohan burst into theroom with his two little sons. "Father," he cried, "have you reallydecided to turn us out on the streets?"Ramsundar flared up. "Should I condemn myself to hell for yoursakes? Won't you let me do what is right?" He had sold hishouse: he had gone to great lengths to conceal the sale from hissons, but to his anger and dismay it appeared that they hadfound out all the same. His grandson clasped him round hisknees and looked up, saying, "Grandpa, haven't you bought methat cart?" When he got no answer from the now crestfallenRamsundar, the little boy went up to Nirupama and said,"Auntie, will you buy me a cart?"Nirupama had no difficulty in understanding the wholesituation. "Father," she said, "If you give a single paisa more tomy father-in-law, I swear solemnly you will never see me again.""What are you saying, child?" said Ramsundar. "If I don't paythe money, the shame will be forever on my head - and it will beyour shame too.""The shame will be greater if you pay the money," saidNirupama. "Do you think I have no honor? Do you think I amjust a money-bag, the more money in it the higher my value?No, Father, don't shame me by paying this money. My husbanddoesn't want it anyway.""But then they won't let you come and see me," said Ramsundar."That can't be helped," said Nirupama. "Please don't try to fetchme any more."The trembling Ramsundar pulled his Chadar - with the moneytied into it - back round his shoulders, and left the house like athief again, avoiding everyone's stare.It did not, however, remain secret that Ramsundar had comewith the money and that his daughter had forbidden him tohand it over. An inquisitive servant, a listener at keyholes,passed the information on to Nirupama's mother-in-law, whosemalice towards her daughter-in-law now went beyond all limits.The household became a bed of nails for her. Her husband hadgone off a few days after their wedding to be Deputy Magistratein another part of the country. Claiming that Nirupama wouldbe corrupted by contact with her relatives, her in-laws nowcompletely forbade her from seeing them.She now fell seriously ill. But this was not wholly her mother-inlaw'sfault. She herself had neglected her health dreadfully. Onchilly autumn nights she lay with her head near the open door,and she wore no extra clothes during the winter. She ateirregularly. The servants would sometimes forget to bring herany food: she would not then say anything to remind them. Shewas forming a fixed belief that she was herself a servant in thehousehold, dependent on the favors of her master and mistress.But her mother-in-law could not stand even this attitude.If Nirupama showed lack of interest in food, she would say,"What a princess she is! A poor household's fare is not to herliking!" Or else she would say, "Look at her. What a beauty!She's more and more like a piece of burnt wood."When her illness got worse, her mother-in-law said, "It's all puton." Finally one day Nirupama said humbly, "Let me see myfather and brothers just once, Mother.""Nothing but a trick to get to her father's house," said hermother-in-law.It may seem unbelievable, but the evening when Nirupama'sbreath began to fill was when the doctor was first called, and itwas the last visit that he made too.The eldest daughter-in-law in the household had died, and thefuneral rites were performed with appropriate pomp. TheRaychaudhuris were renowned in the district for the lavishnesswith which they performed the immersion of the deity at theend of Durga-Puja, but the Raybahadur's family became famousfor the way Nirupama was cremated: such a huge sandalwoodpyre had never been seen. Only they could have managed suchelaborate rites, and it was rumoured that they got rather intodebt as a result.Everyone gave Ramsundar long descriptions of themagnificence of his daughter's death, when they came tocondole with him. Meanwhile a letter from the DeputyMagistrate arrived; 'I have made all necessary arrangementshere, so please send my wife to me quickly. 'The Raybahadur'swife replied, 'Dear son, we have secured another girl for you, soplease take leave soon and come home.'This time the dowry was 20,000 rupees, cash down.My Dear Daughter Kamla,Epistles From a Fatherto His Daughter(Dada Chellaram to Kamla Devi)You have been reared in a totally spiritual atmosphere. Of course, at the sametime, you must have witnessed some dark clouds or worldly storms. But, whererighteousness exists, there darkness cannot last.You have to a great extent heard as to why man has come into this world. Thisquestion you have to ask yourself from time to time. At this time of your life you aremature in your thinking. Therefore, all the problems of your life, have to be solved byyou alone. My only duty now is that I should, from time to time, remind you of thoseadvices, which I received from my Guru.No doubt, I am quite weak in following those advices, but I was not nurturedthe way you were brought up. The realization about Guru dawned on me only recentlywhen my feet have reached the last leg of my life’s journey. But you are not in the samesituation. You are young. You have all the powers. You are well-informed. God willing,you will rise more than me and be the pride of my family.Go on asking for God’s kindness. Go on begging for Guru’s Grace. WithoutGrace, a human being cannot do anything.For your well-beingNiragunaEternal VoiceNov - Jan, 201042 13

Kirtan SamratBhai Samund SinghAn Ocean of Sikh Religious Music(1900 - 1972)By Prof. Ravinder Gargesh & Rajinder Singh Chadhahere are people who come to this world and make a noblepresence and depart noiselessly. Their noble presence isTfelt through their devotedness to what they believe in and whatthey do, particularly if these are rooted in their cultural ethos.The life of Bhai Samund Singh is like a beacon that shows thepath of happiness and fulfillment in today's complex world. Hislife displays a love for devotional music rooted in the desire torender Gurbani in its true classical Indian musical form thattouches the inner chords of consciousness and provides peace,succor and rationality to the living. Sixty five years of his lifewere devoted to seeking perfection in singing devotional musicin congregations, known as Kirtan. He had a unique melodiousvoice, an extensive and deep understanding of Gurbani, correctinterpretation of ragas, attractive style of singing and greathuman qualities. He is one of those rare gems, whose worth wasrecognized during his life time as well.Bhai Samund Singh rendered Gurbani Kirtan for 36 years fromAll India Radio, Lahore and later from Jalandhar; andcommanded wide listening. He got the unique distinction ofbecoming the first Sikh religious classical musician to perform aone-and-a-half hours long live program in the prestigiousweekly Akhil Bhartiya Program of Classical Music, the highestrecognition of his art, on a Saturday evening at the Delhi stationof AIR. He was also given the state award by the Punjabgovernment in 1971.Bhai Samund Singh was born on January 1, 1900 in anenvironment of devotional music and religion, in the family ofHazoora Singh and Karam Kaur in village Hamzan, DistrictMontgomery, now in Pakistan. His father worked with the ForestDepartment and also served as the Chief Sewadar at GurdwaraNankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. He also performedKirtan along with his brother Bhai Gurdit Singh, who played theTabla. His grandmother Sada Kaur was a pious lady, who recitedSukhmani Sahib everyday. The religious atmosphere permeatedthe being of the child Samund Singh and he began to performKirtan on occasions like the Gurpurab and other religiousgatherings and conferences from the tender age of 7 years.While Samund Singh was still very young, his father had set avigorous training regimen for the aspirant, which continued forall times. Strict spiritual discipline (Nitnem) and regular Riaz(practice) of the ragas, was the hallmark of his life style. By theage of 12, Samund Singh had learnt a thousand Shabads fromGuru Granth Sahib by heart and recognizing his skills, he wasappointed Hazoori Ragi at Nankana Sahib, where he served inthat position till 1947. At the age of 15, his rendering ofKirat(i) karam k-ai veechh(u)arh-ei Kar(i) kirpaa m-ai-lah(u) Ram at the SikhEducational Conference at Ferozepur in 1915, won him a lot ofpraise. His father had provided the motivation and the youngSamund Singh got training in music from Mahant Sham Singh.Thereafter, he also acquired the complexities of the traditionalsystem of ragas from Bhai Hira Singh Pharukewala. He was alsoclose to a contemporary Ragi Bhai Sher Singh Gujranwale.Later, he also got inspiration from Bhai Pyara Singh Rababi andfrom the noted classical vocalist Bade Gulam Ali Khan.In 1947, after Partition, Bhai Samund Singh migrated to Indialeaving behind his home and belongings. But he brought withhim, with great care, his Tanpura for Riaz (practice of vocalmusic). Here he did not accept any position as a Ragi, neither ofHarmandir Sahib nor of the position of a Royal Ragi in theKingdom of Patiala. In fact, after experiencing the freedom atNankana Sahib, he did not want to be subservient to anyone. He,therefore, began to perform Kirtan wherever he was invited andof his own free will. Due to his artistic devotion to Gurmatmusic, he was often invited to the religious functions organizedby Sant Attar Singh Mastuanewale, Baba Nand SinghKaleranwale, Sant Sham Singh Attariwale, Sant Attar Singh HotiMardanwale, Sant Sangat Singh Kamaaliyewale and Sant IsharSingh Rarewale.Bhai Samund Singh was well-built, though of a less thanmedium height. He had prominent eyes and good facial featureswith a nice flowing beard. He was generally clad in whiteKurta-Pyjama, adorned a blue turban and wore an almondcolored waistcoat. He was of a jovial nature. He was young withthe young and old with the old. He was simple andopen-hearted. Due to his good and kind nature, Bhai Teja Singhand Bhai Harnam Singh were part of his team for performingKirtan for many years. He was also a successful householder. Hegot his three daughters and his only son high education and allof them are well-settled in life. He was also fond of maintaininga floral garden as well as a good kitchen garden.Many institutions have created people for the occupation ofKirtan, but none has replaced Bhai Samund Singh. Kirtan in theSikh tradition had begun from the time of Guru Nanak and thiswas carried forward by Guru Arjan, by providing Gurbani withthe form and format of Indian classical music, so much so thatthe Guru declared Kirtan as the main medium of salvation:kljug mih kIrqnu prDwnw ] (1075)Kaljug meh kirtan pardhaanaa.(In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises ismost sublime and exalted.)Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201145

andqhw bYkuMTu jh kIrqnu qyrw (749)Tahaa(n) b-ei-kuntth Jeh kirtan t-ai-raa(That place is heaven, where the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises is sung.)It is in this tradition that Bhai Samund Singh performed Kirtan atNankana Sahib for thirty five years. He combined the raga withthe Bani in a very effective way. His voice was extremelymelodious and he was not only steeped in Gurbani and knew itwell but was also a connoisseur of the Indian classical musicaltradition. He sang the Bani very clearly and melodiously. Heoften performed Kirtan in the Thumri format, but had thecapacity to render the same Bani in different ragas too. At timeshe could change the raga midway during the rendition of aShabad yet not violate its continuity. He was also fond of usingthe following musical forms for singing the Shabads: RaagSorath, Multani, Kafi, Bhairavi, Maand, Darbari, Aasaavari andBahaar.While at Nankana Sahib, Bhai Samund Singh was accordedmore slots to perform Asa Ki Vaar, because he mastered thetechnique of the rendering of Tunde Asraje Ki Dhuni toperfection. One of his masterpieces is supposed to be therendering of the shabad Bhinnee r-ei-nar(h)ee-ei chaamkan(i) taar-ai inRaag Sorath. His rendition of the Shabads in the filmNanak Naam Jahaaz Hai Kal(i) taaran Guru Nanak aaiaa and Satgur Nanakpargatiaa miti dhundh jagg chaanan(h) hoaa in Raag Bahaar made himextremely popular in the country.technique in his voice that he could renderthe most difficult modulations with perfectease. He not only sang Shabads as per theragas laid down in Guru Granth Sahib butalso experimented by rendering them inother ragas of the Indian Classicaltradition. He, therefore, contributedcreatively in furthering the art ofrendering the Shabads in the classicaltraditional styles. Bhai Sahib was veryparticular about the timing of theraga. He rarely made a variationfrom the strict time regimen of theragas. He was a versatile singerand was praised by the renownedmaestro Bade Gulam Ali Khanand by musicians like DalipChander Bedi. Versatile filmactor Balraj Sahni rated himamongst the best four artists ofPunjab - the other three beingGurbaksh Singh (Founder-Editor, Preet Larhi), SobhaSingh (Painting) and UstadBade Ghulam Ali Khan(Classical Music). TheP u n j a b G o v e r n m e n trecognized him as themaster Ragi and twicebestowed on him theBhai Mardana Award. Hewas also recognized asan 'A' category vocalistby the All India Radio,Jalandhar, which hadfixed Friday of everyweek for ShabadKirtan programof Bhai Sahib at the only radio station of Punjab.After Partition, Bhai Samund Singh settled down in Ludhiana.He was an eminent Ragi, who not only sang but carefully listenedto others' performances as well. In Ludhiana, he formed theGurmat Ragi Sabha in 1956. He remained its President for about16 years and organized annual programs of Kirtan rendition bydifferent Ragis. In this way, he was instrumental in makingLudhiana the center for Ragis. In his life time, he performed Kirtanand got widespread recognition. He is said to have begun to gainfame at the age of 15 with his rendering of Kirat(i) karam k-aiveechh(u)arh-ei Kar(i) kirpaa m-ai-lah(u) Ram and this kept spreading till hislast rendering on all India Radio of the Shabad M-ai-l(i) l-ei-h(u) da(i)aaldheh pae duaariaa Rakh l-ai-veh(u) deen da(i)aal bhramat bah(u) haariaa.Bhai Samund Singh was against mixing Katha (a lecture or aspiritual discourse) with Kirtan. Bhai Sahib Bhai Vir Singh wasalso vehemently opposed to Katha by the Ragis. He firmlybelieved that Katha should be the domain of the interpreters ofthe Guru's 'Word', as much as the Kathakars should leave the artof singing of the Gurbani hymns to the Ragis. Each can do abetter job in his field of speciality.Towards the end of 1971, Bhai Samund Singh was a very sadgrand old man of Sikh religious music. Public taste of the Sikhcommunity had deteriorated significantly. Mediocrity had takenhold in popular Kirtan and those, who had struggled hard tohone their skills in the ragas, were being short-changed. EvenBhai Samund Singh generally began his renderings of a Shabadwith a Manglaacharan, rendered in Vilambat ik taal. After a shortAlaap, he used to go directly into the Madh Lai. This would setthe mood of the Kirtan and the entire Shabad would becompleted in the same tempo. His style of rendition was namedChhota Raga Shailee. Thus Bhai Sahib always sang in acompletely relaxed style in all kinds of notes and unlike hiscontemporary Bhai Santa Singh, seldom went into the highestnotes. Through prolonged Riaz, he had developed such a fineEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201146 47

istotle's definition of Man as a rational animal created anAobsession with intelligence. At the beginning of thetwentieth Century in 1905 Binet & Simmon introduced theconcept of IQ (intelligence quotient) which varies from personto person. IQ is an ability to learn, understand and thinklogically, and it is a nature's endowment which remains fairlyconsistant throughout the life. In mid nineteen nineties DanielGoleman popularized the concept of EQ (emotional quotient).He maintains that IQ alone is not the predictor of success andhappiness of a person. There are, according to Goleman, othercorrelates which are equally or more desired, as competencedoes not depend on rational intelligence alone. Inter alia, theseinclude understanding one's own feelings; ability to interactwith others; and to have empathy (the ability to place oneself inanother's situation.) There is a difference between intelligenceand competence. One is likely to be more competent with anaverage IQ and a high EQ. Emotional intelligence can improvewith experience and maturity.IntelligenceandAddictionBy the end of the twentieth century there was enough evidencefrom psychology, neurology, anthropology and cognitivesciences that there is a third Q that is SQ (spiritual quotient).Spiritual intelligence indicates a spiritual correlate to IQ. SQ canbring about a dramatic change in the personality. It cantransform an ordinary man into a super-human. While robotsmay have high IQ and chimpanzees have EQ, SQ however isuniquely human. Emotional intelligence is a link betweenrational intelligence and spiritual intelligence.Addiction - A ChallengeBy Dr .(Col) Rajinder SinghTo start with, a drug is taken for pleasure. Gradually, with thedevelopment of tolerance and craving, it becomes acompulsion. Addiction to drugs and alcoholism has graverepercussion on the physical and mental health of a person. Hisfamily and social life is deeply impacted. Addiction is anintractable and a chronic malady beset by many problems suchas poor motivation for treatment, disordered nature of thepersonality and other associated disorders.The first step in the management of any illness is the desire toseek help and treatment. This is lacking in addicts. Dr. CarloC. DiClemente refers to addiction and especially to alcoholismas a 'disease of denial'. This is due to various psychologicaldefenses as denial, minimization, rationalization and projection.A deep rooted personality disorder of psychopathic nature isencountered in drug addiction and alcoholism. A psychopath isan emotionally unstable person having a tendency to lie, cheatand indulge in criminal behavior. Alcoholism leads to manydisorders such as alcoholic liver disease, high blood pressure,depression, sexual dysfunction, epilepsy and dementia. Thesediseases further complicate the management of alcoholism.Perceptual AnomalyAddiction involves perceptual and experiential anomalies.When a group of people were questioned regardingvulnerability of smokers to develop lung carcinoma. A studyrevealed that only 7% of smokers believe that the connectionbetween smoking and lung cancer is conclusively proven. Asopposed to this, a large percentage of non-smokers believe thatsmoking causes cancer. Smokers tend to mitigate theirpsychological conflict by persuading themselves that smoking isnot harmful.Religion & IntelligenceWhen the relationship of religion and intelligence is considered,they may be seen as mutually exclusive of each other. On thecontrary religion can contribute to effective cognitivefunctioning, and can bring about emotional well-being andenhanced overall quality of life. It fosters healthy thinking.People who orient themselves around the attainment of spiritualends experience their lives as worthwhile, unified andmeaningful. William James, the author of Varieties of ReligiousExperience says, “Religion is one of the ways in which a mangains the gift of happiness. It often transforms the mostintolerable misery into the profoundest and most enduringhappiness."Thoughts have a powerful influence on a man's life. Duringmeditation the divine attributes are projected on to the mindand leave an impact on the psyche. Since human psyche isimmune from fear and death, thoughts of affliction and illnessare dispelled. Gurbani says:dUKu drdu Brmu Bau nisAw ] krxhwru nwnk min bisAw ] (189)Dookh(u) darad(u) bharam(u) bhao(u) nassia Karan(h)haar(u) Nanak mann(i) bassia.(My troubles, pains and doubts have fled away. The creator hasacquired an abode in Nanak's mind.)The Guru further says:jw kY ismrix hoie Anµdw ibnsY jnm mrx BY duKI ]cwir pdwrQ nv iniD pwvih bhuir n iqRsnw BuKI ] (617)Jaa(n) k-ei simran(h)i hoe anandaa Binas-ei janam maran(h) bh-ei dukheeChaar(i) padaarath nav nidh(i) paaveh(i) Bahur(i) na trisnaa bhukhee.(By meditation, the bliss is attained. The pain, fear of death andbirth is removed. One gets all the boons and all the treasures.The thirst of desire will not trouble again.)Addiction & SpiritualityIt has been observed that the primary strategy of preventionand intervention of alcohol and drug abuse should include aspiritual component. Carl Jung, an illustrious psycho-analystsays: "Prevention and recovery of addiction involvesspiritual themes."William James an eminent psychologist believes that the curefor Dipsomania (an old term for alcoholism) is 'religiomania' orthe cure for the malady of the spirit lies in spiritualism.M.K. Benson reviewed nearly 40 studies, documenting thatpeople with strong religious commitment are less likely tobecome involved in addictions.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201148 49

The big book of Alcoholics Anonymous insists that alcoholism isa spiritual problem and the remedy lies in following therecommended 12 steps.Spiritual IntelligenceSpirituality is a higher form of awakening, an inward journey torealize the ultimate and seek the truth. It is an activity, centeredon the soul, a search for the highest human potential. Religion isa ladder to reach the soul through the steps of spirituality, whichis the goal of human existence.SQ concerns with the meaning of life, the virtues & values ofliving and a global vision. Many humanists, though agnostics,may have high SQ. Some self-righteous loud-mouths may havelow SQ. Neurobiologist have postulated the existence of an areain the temporal lobe of the brain which is concerned withspiritual experience. The so called 'God module' or 'God spot' issaid to be activated when a person engages in spiritual domain.Spiritualism is a positive construct propounded by RobertEmmons, It has five core components:1. The capability to transcend beyond the material world.2. The ability to enter into higher state of consciousness.3. The ability to invest sacredness into an event or arelationship.4. The ability to utilize spiritual resources to solve problems oflife.5. The capacity to engage in virtuous behaviors, i.e., to behumble and compassionate, to express gratitude andforgiveness.Managing Addicts at Akal De-addiction CenterAkal De-addiction Center, being run under the aegis of TheKalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, is located in Cheema Sahib, Distt.Sangrur, the birth place of Sant Attar Singh Mastuana Wale andwas commissioned in mid 2004. The corner-stone of treatmentof the addict is the blending of the traditional treatment withthe concept based on spiritual intelligence. The traditionaltreatment consists of administering pharmalogical medicine,individual and group counseling, family therapy and otherrecreational and relaxing activity. For spiritual therapy, a timestructured schedule of Nitnem, prayers, meditation, Simran andJaap is followed by the patients. The outcome of blendedtherapy is better than that of conventional therapy alone.Another de-addiction center was established at a close byvillage Jharon. A study was conducted at these two centers.At the former center, conventional treatment was incorporatedwith spiritual therapy while at the latter only conventionaltreatment was given.The result of treatment was better in the blended therapy groupthan the control group, where only conventional therapywas given.It is good to have rational intelligence. The human mind iscomplex, intricate, highly evolved and the most wonderfulcreation of nature. It can not be fathomed purely by reason.Psyche/soul is the representative of God in the human beingand it can be explored by spiritual means. Scientific measuresand searches will not be able to reveal the whole truth.Albert Einstein said: "Science without religion is lame andreligion without science is blind."We have combined scientific and religious measures in themanagement of addicts and are getting better results. Some ofthe addicts have not only improved, they have beentransformed by this blended treatment. Recovered patients areinvolved in motivating reluctant patients to come forward foradmission and treatment at this Center.Some ObservationsThe number of patients seeking treatment in Akal De-addictionCenters at Cheema Sahib and Jharon has been steadily risingsince their inception. The Centers are providing comprehensivede-addiction facilities in this Malwa belt of Punjab. The staffcomprises a senior psychiatrist, a medical officer, a counselingpsychologist, a clinical psychologist, nursing staff, a pharmacist,ward boys and security staff. The number of young, unmarriedand educated patients seeking admission in these centers showsa rising trend since the start of the De-addiction Center in mid2004. In the early days, crude opium (Bhuki) was the commonaddictive substance. Today smack, heroin, alcohol and thebenzodiazepines (Alprax) are the most common. Prognosis wasbetter with Bhuki addicts, most of whom were poor andilliterate as compared to the present addicts, who are educatedand belong to higher strata of society.Till date, the number of beneficiaries from these Centers hasbeen 2438, which includes indoor and outdoor patients -detoxified and treated. Most of these patients are under regularfollow-up. The Kalgidhar Trust is determined to do its best toweed out the drug menace from Punjab, the land of the Gurus.Say 'NO' to drugsDrugs take:Friendship, Happinessand lifeDrugs give:P a i n , l o n e l i n e s s a n ddeath.Chasing theReflectionsA man was travelling on his path. He was determinedto reach his ultimate goal. Along the way he startedfeeling hungry. He now had a new goal - to eat. Healso felt thirsty so he left his original path andstarted walking towards the river. Reaching the riverhe thought it's best to wash his hands before eatingor drinking - yet another goal. So he bent down. Theriver was still. He could see a golden bracelet deepdown. All of a sudden he forgot his hunger and thirst.He forgot about washing his hands and thought onlyof possessing the golden bracelet. He jumped into thewater but couldn't find it. A passer-by saw himjumping in and out of the river and said, "O Friend,the bracelet is not in the river, it's high up on thebranches of the tree. You are chasing the reflection!"The man now had yet another goal - to climb the tree .. . and so on.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201150 51

52 Commandments of Guru Gobind SinghPart - 1ikrq Drm dI krnIKirt Dharam dee karnee(Earn by honest means.)dsvMD dyxw (dy dsvMD gurU ky rUVw)Daswandh d-ai-n(h)aa (D-ai Daswandh Guru k-ai roor(h)aa(Give one-tenth of your righteous earning.)kMT krnI gurbwxIKantth karnee Gurbani(Memorize Gurbani.)jwgxw AMimRq vyly (nihM spuqihM isK soq svyry){Jaagan(h)aa amrit v-ai-l-ai (Nahi(n) saputahi(n) Sikh sot sav-ai-r-ai)}{Wake up at ambrosial hour (before dawn)}syvw rucI nwl isK syvk dI krnIS-ai-vaa ruchee naal Sikh s-ai-vak dee karnee(Serve a devoted Sikh with devotion.)ArQ gurbwxI dy pVHny gurU-Gr dy ivdvwn is`KW pwsoNArath Gurbani d-ai par(h)n-ai Guru-ghar d-ai vidvaan Sikhaa(n) paaso(n)(Learn the meanings of Gurbani from Sikh Scholars.)rihq pMjW kkwrW dI idRV krnIRehat panj kakaaraa(n) dee drir(h) karnee(Strictly adhere to the discipline of the 5 K's.)siqsMg jW Sbd dw AiBAws krnwSat(i)sangg jaa(n) shabad daa abhiaas karnaa(Practice Shabad Gurbani in life.)iDAwn siq srUp siqgurU dw krnwDhiaan satt(i) saroop Sat(i)guru da karnaa{Concentrate on the True Guru (God).}siqgurU sRI gurU gRMQ swihb jI ƒ mMnxwSat(i)guru sree Guru Granth Sahib jee noo(n) mann-n(h)aa(Accept Guru Granth Sahib as Guru.)Ardws sB kwrjW dy ArMB ivc krnIArdas sabh kaarjaa(n) d-ai arambh vich karnee(Perform Ardas before commencing any task.)kVwh pRSwd – iqhwvlKar(h)aah parshaad - Tihaaval(At birth, death, or marriage ceremonies, recite Japji Sahib and prepare Karaah Parshaad, render first five and last stanza of AnandSahib, say your prayers and then distribute Karaah Parshaad to the Panj Pyare, the Granthi, and then to the Sangat.)jdoN qk kVwh pRSwd vrqdw rhy swrI sMgq Afol bYTI rhyJado(n) tak kar(h)aah parshaad vartadaa rah-ai Saaree sangat adol b-ei-thee rah-ai(Until Karaah Parshaad is distributed to all, the entire Sangat should remain unmoved.)ivAwh AnMd ibnW gRihsq nhIN krnwViaah anand binaa(n) grehsat nahee(n) karnaa(Do not cohabit without Anand Karaj - Sikh ceremony of marriage).pr iesqrI mW, BYx, DI-BYx kr jwxnIPar istaree maa(n), bh-ei-n(h), dhee-bh-ei-n(h) kar jaan(h)nee(Recognize all women, other than your wife, as mothers and sisters.)iesqrI dw mUMh nhIN iPtkwrnwIstari daa moo(n)h nahee(n) phitkaarnaa(Do not silence your wife.)jgq-jUT qmwkU ƒ nw syvJagat-jooth tamaakoo noo(n) naa s-ai-v(Do not consume tobaco or any other intoxicants.)rihqvwn qy nwm jpx vwilAW guris`KW dI sMgq krnIRehatvaan t-ai Naam japan(h) vaaliaa(n) Gursikhaa(n) dee sangat karnee(Keep the company of Sikhs, who follow the spiritual code of conduct and meditate on the Naam.0ijqny kMm Awpxy krn dy hox aunHW dy krn ivc dil`dr nhIN krnwJitan-ai kamm aapn(h)-ai karan d-ai hon(h) Unnah(n) d-ai karan vich daliddar nahee(n) karnaa(Don't be lazy to perform any task.)gurbwxI dw kIrqn qy kQw roz suxnw qy krnwGurbani da kirtan t-ai kathaa roz sun(h)naa t-ai karnaa(Listen and perform Kirtan and Gurbani discourses daily.)iksy dI inMdw, cuglI qy eIrKw nhIN krnIKis-ai dee nindaa, chuglee t-ai eerakhaa nahee(n) karnee(Do not engage in slander and gossip or spite anyone.)Dn, juAwnI qy kul-jwq dw grb nw kryDhan, juaanee t-ai kul-jaat da garab naa kar-ai(Do not take pride in wealth, youth and caste. All Sikhs of the Guru are siblings.)miq au~cI qy su`cI rKxIMat(i) uchchee t-ai suchchee rakhan(h)ee(Keep the religious discipline high and pure.)SuB krmn qy kdy nw trnwShubh karman t-ai kad-ai naa tarnaa(Do not refrain from doing righteous deeds.)bu`D bl dw dwqw vwihgurU hYBudh bal daa daataa Waheguru h-ei(Recognize God as the giver of intellect and strength.)sugMD (ksm, shuM) ky kr ieqbwr jnwaux vwly 'qy XkIn nhIN krnwSugandh (Kasam, sahu(n) k-ai kar itbaar janaaoun(h) vaal-ai t-ai yakeen nahee(n) karnaa(Do not believe a person, who swears to bring home his point.)Compiled by Inderjeet Kaur

Sikhsin Cricke(From Maharaja Bhupinder Singh to Harbhajan Singh)With World Cup mania around -Lakhmir Singh goes down the memorylane to remember the contribution ofSikhs, who gave their best to the'gentleman's game'.he Sikhs are a sports-loving people. They have inheritedtheir love for sports from their Gurus - Guru Hargobind andTGuru Gobind Singh - who encouraged swimming, horse-riding,archery and swordsmanship, among their disciples. They havealways excelled in games that demand physical prowess andstamina. Though, they constitute a mere two percent of India'spopulation, their contribution to the country's sports is secondto none. Be it athletics, hockey or shooting, the Sikh players arean integral part of Indian teams.The Sikhs didn't take to cricket in the way they did it to hockey -a game in which the Indian team is thought to be incompleteunless 4-5 Sikh players are there in its ranks. But theircontribution to cricket as administrators and players is still quitenoteworthy.Bhupinder Singh, the PatronIt was Bhupinder Singh, the SikhMaharaja of Patiala, who madequite a substantial contribution tothe promotion and development ofcricket in India in the thirties of the20th century. He was largelyresponsible for the establishment ofBoard of Control for Cricket inIndia. He donated a huge amountof money for construction ofBrabourne Stadium in Bombay;helped to build a new pavilion atLawrence ground in Amritsar andfinanced the infra-structure on cricket ground in Lahore. Hisown Rajendra Pavilion at Patiala was said to have the bestfacilities for cricket in the country. The Maharaja was alsoinstrumental in starting the Ranji Trophy tournament in 1934 tocommemorate the memory of Ranjitsinhji. He donated theTrophy for this tournament as well.The Maharaja's love for cricket was so great that he sponsoredEngland's first official tour to India. He also sponsored tours ofJack Ryder's Australian and Lord Tennyson's English teams witha view to providing experience of international cricket to Indiancricketers. The Maharaja also raised his own powerful Patialateam that had the likes of Mohammad Nissar and LalaAmarnath in its ranks. He even engaged foreign coaches to trainthe Patiala team. He himself often donned white flannels to leadPatiala particularly against the visiting teams.Strange though it may seem, not many Sikhs in India took toplaying cricket in those days despite Maharaja BhupinderSingh's patronage. Lall Singh, who was selected for the first everofficial Indian tour of England in 1932, was a Malaysian Sikh,who played his cricket at Patiala. He was again selected to playfor the country against an English team that toured India in1933-34 under Douglas Jardine's captaincy. He wasunfortunately not allowed to represent India on technicalgrounds by the England captain as he did not fulfill the requisiteresidential qualifications.Yadvindra Singh, son of MaharajaBhupinder Singh and the heir apparentto Patiala state, however played forIndia in the third Test against theEnglish team and scored a sparkling 60against a menacing pace attack.Yadvindra Singh would have led Indiaon its tour to England in 1936, butthe manipulative Maharajkumar ofVizianagram (Vizzy) used his proximityto Lord Wellingdon to get thecaptaincy. He, however, did lead Indiain an unofficial Test against JackRyder's Australian team in 1937. Healso captained 'The Hindus' in thefamous Quadrangular Tournament. After Maharaja BhupinderSingh's premature demise in 1938, he did not find much time forcricket, though he did occasionally turn up for Patiala indomestic cricket.Independence and afterA highly respected cricketer in pre-independence days wasA.G. Ram Singh, who had settled in Madras and played most ofhis cricket in South.Rai Singh, a Sikh cricketer from Patiala toured Australia withLala Amarnath led team in 1948, without, however, playing a test.The first Sikh to play a test in the post Independence era wasincidentally again from South and was none other thanA.G. Ram Singh's eldest son A.G. Kirpal Singh, who scored acentury on his Test debut at Fateh Maidan, Hyderabad in1955-56 against New Zealand in 1956. Kirpal Singh was thesecond Indian to achieve this distinction, the first being LalaAmarnath, who had done it against England in 1933-34. KirpalSingh's younger brother A.G. Milkha Singh also played acouple of Tests. A.G. Satwinder Singh, the youngest son ofA.G. Ram Singh, was also an accomplished left-hand batsman,who scored heavily for Madras and South Zone. Like him,Swaranjit Singh Butt, a talented batsman from Punjab, whostood courageously to the blistering pace of Gilchrist and Hallin a zonal match against the West Indies team in 1959-60 alsomissed playing for India.Bedi, the MagicianBishan Singh Bedi is the first Sikh cricketer, who played testcricket over a sustained period of twelve years. He made animpressive debut against the West Indies in 1966-67 andcontinued to represent India till 1979. Bishan Singh Bedi,Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201155

captained India against Australia, England, New Zealand,Pakistan and the West Indies in 22 tests.Bishan Singh Bedi is unquestionably the greatest left arm spinbowler that India has produced. With his smooth and shortrun up; easy flowing action, the subtle variations of pace andflight and a deceptive loop, Bedi raised spin bowling tosublime heights and mesmerized the best of batsmen. Hisaction was so relaxed and co-ordinated that he was able tobowl all day with rhythm and control - a great asset to anycaptain. His 266 wickets in 67 Tests and 1560 victims in firstclass cricket - more than any other Indian's - are ampletestimony to his remarkable bowling achievements. Hisfigures of 12-8-6-1 in the first world cup in 1975 is the mosteconomical bowling feat, which will be hard to surpass.Playing for Delhi against J&K, Bedi took 7 wickets for 5 runsin a Ranji Trophy match.Cold statistics impressive as these are, do not however give acomplete picture of Bishan Singh Bedi's greatness. It was he,who brought about a paradigm change in the nature ofIndia's Test team. First he instilled self-belief in the team.That is why India could successfully chase a mammoth 400plus score in the second innings in a Test match to record ahistoric victory against the West Indies in 1976. Bedi's wasthe second test team to perform this remarkable feat afterDon Bradman's 'Invincible Australians'. Secondly, manytalented cricketers from North Zone like Mohinder Amarnath,who had been consistently ignored by the powers that be,began to find a place in the Test teams.Bishan Singh Bedi brought about a similar change in themindset of Delhi cricketers. The result was that Delhi wonthe Ranji Trophy for the first time under his captaincy. Lateron, as a coach and manager of Punjab Ranji Trophy team, hetransformed the ordinary Punjab team into a fighting unit.Punjab, too, won the Ranji Trophy championship. Bedi coulddo it all because he was essentially a players' man and couldeven risk his own cricketing career for their sake, as he didwhen he took on the authorities, who had reduced DDCA totheir personal fiefdom.Bishan Singh Bedi was undoubtedly an impacting cricketer.His very presence at the top must have surely enthused andinspired many young Sikh sports persons to play cricket forthere were around his time so many Sikh cricketers playing inRanji tournament such as Balwant Singh and Inderjit Singh(Delhi), Sarabjit Singh (Haryana), Harbhajan Singh Anand,Jasbir Singh and Jaswinder Singh (Railways) and Col A.S.Mann (Services). Rajinder Singh Hans of Delhi was yetanother left arm spinner, who could on his day run throughany team. Ram Singh, a Sikh settled in far flung Bikaner, alsoplayed a few matches for Rajasthan. Gurcharan Singh, who isnow an eminent coach, turned up for Railways in mid-sixties.Jasbir Singh of Punjab and Jodh Singh from Biharrepresented India at junior level.The Sikh cricketers continued to make important contributioneven after Bishan's retirement in 1979. Yograj Singh played aTest and six one-day internationals in 1981. Balwinder SinghSandhu, who played for Bombay and the West Zone, was amember of 'Kapil's Devils', who won the Prudential WorldCup in 1983. Sandhu played a pivotal role as a medium pacerin the final. The Indian junior team that toured the WestIndies in 1981-82, had as many as four Sikh cricketers namelyGursharan Singh, ManinderSingh, Navjot Singh Sidhu andRaju Sethi. Gursharan Singhlater played a test matchagainst the mighty WestIndians. Maninder Singh, a leftarm spinner cast in the Bedimould played as many as 35Tests and 59 one-dayers in theeighties and nineties. ManinderSingh is one of the bestexponents of spin bowling everproduced by India. The ball heclean bowled Javed Miandadis still considered one ofthe greatest balls bowled ininternational cricket. He hadm a n y o u t s t a n d i n gperformances against England,Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Maninder Singh now acts as aexpert commentator for someT.V. channels.Both Gursharan Singh andManinder Singh were coachedby Gurcharan Singh.Navjot Singh Sidhu, a mercurial batsman from Patiala, had avolatile career as a cricketer from 1983 to 1999. He playedmany swash-buckling innings for India in his Test careerspread over 16 years. 'Sixer Sidhu' represented India in morethan fifty Tests. Some other Sikh cricketers like ReetinderSingh, Bhupinder Singh Sr., Rajinder Singh Ghai andHarvinder Singh played one-day internationals.There were quite a few more Sikhs, who distinguishedthemselves in domestic cricket. Kanwaljeet Singh, an offspinnerfrom Hyderabad played in more than fifty RanjiTrophy matches and Sukhvinder Singh, a left-arm spinner.In the first decade of the 21st century, many Sikh cricketershave represented India in international tournaments.Sarandeep Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi and Manpreet SinghGony have all played in one day internationals. Yuvraj Singh,son of a Punjab actor and test cricketer Yograj Singh, is anoutstanding cricketer, who has played a stellar role in manyof India's victories in Twenty-20 and one day internationals.He has already scored more than 7000 runs in one-dayers.He is a flamboyant batsman, a brilliant fielder and more thana useful left-arm spinner. His six sixes in an over against ChrisBroad of England is a record for Twenty-20 World Cup.Although he has done reasonably well in Test matches also,Yuvraj Singh, however, is yet to blossom to his full potentialas a Test batsman.Bhajji – the TurbanatorHarbhajan Singh, the Turbanator, is one Sikh cricketer, whodeserves a special mention. Born in a lower middle class family,Bhajji, as Harbhajan is fondly called, is the finest off-spinner inthe world today. He has been anintegral part of India's Test,One-day International andTwenty-20 for well over adecade. Harbhajan Singh hasalready 393 Test wickets and246 victims in One-dayInternationals against his name.Great as Bhajji's achievementsas a bowler are, his theatricalbatting is also a delight towatch. Harbhajan was trainedas a batsman by his first coachand he shows that he canswing the bat around onoccasions. In a recentlyconcluded Test series againstNew Zealand, Bhajji scoredtwo centuries in successiveTests and was the top scorer ofIndia in that series.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201156 57

The feisty and ebullient Sikh from Jalandhar is always buoyedup on the field and remains in Charhdi Kala. Combative andaggressive that he is, he gives no quarters to his opponents andexpects none. His spat with the mighty and boastful Australiansleft them so much softened that the masters of innuendo andsledging have not been the same for sometime.It may not be out of place to mention that two Sikhcricketers are currently representing England in Tests andOne-day Internationals. Monty Panesar, a genial turbanedSikh, is a left arm spinner of considerable merit and hasalready 126 Test wickets in his kitty. Ravi Bopara, is anall-rounder, who has played several Twenty-20, One-Dayersand Test matches for England.Administrators & CoachesAs of now, it is no longer a rare sight to see Sikh cricketersrepresenting India, as it was before Bishan Singh Bedi's arrivalon the cricketing arena. What must give a sense of pride to thecommunity is that all our cricketers; Bedi, Sidhu, Mani andBhajji, have played their cricket the hard way.It is however a matter of some disappointment that theimmense talent of great cricketers like Bishan Singh Bedi havenot been used to develop and groom young cricketers evenwhen there are scores of educational institutions run by ourGurdwara Parbandhak Committees.Of the many Sikhs, involved in cricket administration, Surjit Singh Majithia did acommendable job in the fifties of the last century.Dr. Amrik Singh was one of the vice-Presidends of the Board of Control for Cricket in India inthe seventies and left an imprint for his very valuable contribution for the game of cricket.Inderjit Singh Bindra of Punjab is a former President of the Board of Control for Cricketin India.Apart from them, many former Sikh cricketers have earned a name as coaches also. FormerIndia captain Bishan Singh Bedi has been a coach of Punjab as well as Delhi Ranji Trophyteams. He has often organized month-long coaching camps for promising cricketers. Bedi alsocoached Indian Test cricket team in the early nineties. Presently, he is running Bishan BediCricket Coaching Trust under which he trains budding cricketers throughout the year andoccasionally takes them on the overseas tours also.Balwinder Singh Sandhu, one of the 'Kapil's Devils', was a coach of Mumbai and Punjab'scricket teams. He also worked with the National Cricket Academy.Rajinder Singh Hans had a stint as a coach for Uttar Pradesh Ranji Tropy cricket team.By Bhagwan SinghGursharan Singh, a former Test cricketer, is also coaching the youngsters in reputed schoolsof Delhi.Dronacharya Award winner Gurcharan Singh has devoted his entire life to coaching. Some ofthe outstanding names in Indian cricket have been coached by him. Among the many thenames of Kirti Azad, Ajay Jadeja, Vivek Razdan, Maninder Singh and Gursharan Singh aremore prominent. Though 75, Gurcharan Singh's passion for coaching still continues and heregularly coaches young cricketers at his Dronacharya Coaching Center in East Delhi.The Sardars of ChepaukThe Ram Singhs have been an integral part of Tamil Naducricket for over seventy years. The story has often been repeatedof how the late patriarch of that unusual cricketing clan wasdenied a place in the Indian team despite being far and awaythe best all rounder of his time. Yes, Amritsar Govindsingh RamSingh was a towering figure in Madras cricket in the first twodecades of the Madras Cricket Association.Besides scoring more than 1500 runs at an average of 35 plus and taking over 150wickets at a pusillanimous average in the Ranji Trophy, the Sardar of Chepaukcontributed three sons to the state team, two of whom went on to play for India.An even greater contribution was his coaching of three generations of youngcricketers in the state and elsewhere in India.Amritsar Govindsingh Kripal Singh was the eldest of Ram Singh’s sons and thefinest all round cricketer of them all. An accomplished batsman, ‘Pali’ as hewas known to one and all, was an astute strategist, an inspiring leader of menand a clever off spinner, who won many a psychological battle over batsmen ofclass. Hopes of a bright career were raised when he made a splendid century ondebut against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1955.At one time tipped to lead India, Kripal Singh lost out on account of an allegedtendency to court trouble off the field. An interestingconversationalist and a keen student of the game, KripalSingh was popular among his peers as well as players muchyounger, especially during his stint as a national selector.Kripal Singh was a new recruit in the Madras team thatbeat Holkar at Indore in the Ranji Trophy final in 1955, andan unknown quantity whose brilliant all round display inthat match took the formidable host completely by surprise.In fact, Kripal’s performance that year was a major factorresponsible for the success of Balu Alaganan’s men....Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201158 59

nowledge (Vidya) is of two kinds: Knowledge of theSupreme God, the Creator (Aparavidya) and knowledgeKof the Creation, the physical world (Paravidya). Creator of theentire universe is God. Knowledge of God is Brahma Vidya.Scientifically speaking, it is the science of God.Scientifically, everything in the universe is made of energy.The entire energy originated from God. This total energyconsists of dark energy (74%), dark matter (22%) and thevisible energy (4%). Entire universe is a part of energy. Whatis visible is the visible energy; what is not visible is invisibleenergy. Only 4% falls under the visible energy.God is both visible and invisible. He can be seen through HisCreation. He is in every part of His creation. God has itsattributes as well as is attribute-less. His attributes can beseen in His creation; His nature.Brahma VidyaCol. Dr. Dalvinder Singh GrewalA scientist deals with this visible Creation and the visible formof energy. It has researched into this area but has succeededonly an iota of it; as this visible energy too is too much forhim. How to know this visible energy completely; the darkmatter; and the dark energy? We have to work beyondscience. Science is only a partially unified knowledge of partof the visible universe. A scientist infers, investigates anddraws exact conclusions from his observations of the onlysmall part, which he can observe. God's Nature is limitlessand he works within limits. He understands Nature but heknows nothing of the origin or destiny of Nature.All secular sciences have their own limitations. A scientist workson the physical plane with a finite mind and with instruments.He knows the physical laws. He has some knowledge of theelements, atoms and physical energy. His knowledge isfragmentary. He has no experience of the whole. He has noknowledge of transcendental or super-sensual things.Who made the sun and gave power to its rays? Whocombined four parts of nitrogen with one part of oxygen?Who gave power to the electrons? Who gave power to theatoms to combine into molecules? Who or what made andbestowed upon the ultimate particles of matter theirmarvelous power of varied interaction? Science does notknow this great mystery.Scientists have to know many things. Who gave power tothe electrons to revolve? What is at the bottom of theseelectrons? Who gave life to the cell or the protoplasm? Whogave intelligence to the cells to secrete milk or bile orgastric juice from the blood? The scientists are stillobserving and experimenting. They are still groping indarkness. What is the cause of the origin of an impulse?Who is the director of the mind? What is the cause of theorigin of thought? Even if all the living scientists were to puttheir heads together to solve these questions, they cannotgive definite and conclusive answers.The scientist observes the physical phenomena, makesexperiments and goes from the effects to the cause. His mindattached to physical and material phenomenon is gross andimpure. It has outgoing tendencies. It is filled with desires,passions and worldly impressions. The scientist cannot lookwithin - introspect and meditate. He can analyze the atoms ofdifferent elements but he cannot do self-analysis. He canbombard the atoms, watch the movements of the electronsand make discoveries in Nature. But it is not pure or subtle tosee through and beyond the material things.A study of the physical forces and the physical laws and anunderstanding of the mental forces and the mental laws arenot sufficient to make us perfect. We should have a thoroughknowledge and realization of the substratum that lies hiddenbehind these names and forms and all physical and mentalphenomena. Then only will we become perfect masters orfull-blown adepts or Arhats or Buddhas.A close study of the observations and revelations of sciencebrings a man closer to God. Who has framed the laws ofNature? Nature is blind. What is that intelligence which movesNature? Who is the primum mobile?As said earlier, God is everywhere and in everything. Tounderstand Him, one has to understand His Creation. Everybeing is His Creation. You, me and all and everything is HisCreation. Knowing every bit or any bit of His creation canprovide one His knowledge. Why to go far then? Startunderstanding oneself and you will understand Him. One ismade of physical and the subtle. Physical consists of yourstructure. The inner consists of your energy, your mind andyour soul. The soul is said to be in continuity with the God(Atma and Parmatma are in continuity). Atma, thoughcontained in body, is part of the limitless, the Parmatma, theGod. God is limitless. How can one know the limitless?If one knows its part; the soul, it can understand the limitless,the God.The mind of a Rishi or a Yogi is subtle and pure. It is freefrom worldly desires and passions, from selfishness, lust andhatred. It is equipped with the instructions of the sages andthe Srutis (revelations, i.e., The Vedas). It is filled with purity.It is free from outgoing tendencies. It is fit for divinecontemplation. It is properly disciplined in a variety of waysthrough rigorous austerity and self-restraint. The Yogiundergoes a discipline, a rare discipline - through thepractice of tranquility of mind, control of the senses,restraints, internal and external purification, etc. - whichcannot be had in the universities.The Rishi or the Yogi goes directly to the cause or thesource. He dives deep into the source and brings forth thepearl of knowledge of the 'self'. The man of science seesand observes things only as they appear to be to his senseperception.The seer perceives them as they actually are intheir very essential nature. He has direct intuition andperception of the Truth through Nirvikalpa Samadhi(super-conscious state). Then he comes to the effect - themanifested universe. Therefore, his utterances are infallible.They are gospel truths. The Srutis of the Upanishads aredirect revelations. They are the infallible utterances of theseers or sages. They are beyond questioning, beyond theleast shadow of doubt.We have to have another way of knowing the universe and theCreator of this entire universe, The God. The answer to this isBrahma Vidya.On the contrary, Yoga is completely unified knowledge. A Yogigets inner, divine realization. He clearly sees with his innerYogic eye the subtle rudiments of matter. He identifieshimself with the Supreme Being, who is the Lord of Prakriti ormatter. He gets control over the five elements. He clearlyunderstands the whole mystery of creation through directintuitional knowledge. The scientist lacks this sort ofknowledge. He has only experimental knowledge.God is said to be everywhere and in everything. It is notpossible to know about everything.It cannot be obtained by the five senses because everythingof God cannot be observed, heard, smelt or felt by touch. Godis both visible and invisible. You may see the visible but howdo you find abound invisible?Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201160 61

Faithin Service of SocietyBy Dr. Gurbakhsh Singh Gillhe purpose of the faith according to Sikhism is to provide peace andTpleasure to human beings. To direct the actions of the people accordingly,Guru Nanak preaches:ividAw vIcwrI qW praupkwrI ] (356)Vidya veechaaree taan parupkaaree.(A learned person is one, who serves the needy)The rulers, however, were greedy, hence unfair to the common man. The Guruchallenged the right of such kings to rule. He stated:rwjy sIh mukdm kuqy ] jwie jgwiein@ bYTy suqy ]cwkr nhdw pwiein@ Gwau ] rqu ipqu kuiqho cit jwhu ] (1288)Raaj-ai see(n)h mukadam kutt-ai Jaae jagaa-in(i) b-ei-th-ai sutt-aiChaakar nahdaa paa-in(i) ghaao(u) Ratt(u) pitt(u) kutiho chatt(i) jaah(u).(Rulers have turned beasts of prey, their officers hounds.They suck the blood of the common man.)The Guru adds:qKiq rwjw so bhY ij qKqY lwiek hoeI ] (1088)Takhat(i) Raja so bah-ei Je takhat-ei laaik hoee.(Let such alone be seated on the throne as are fit there for.)To motivate the rulers to walk the righteous path of helping the needy andprotecting the weak, the Guru says:nIcw AMdir nIc jwiq nIcI hU Aiq nIcu ]nwnku iqn kY sMig swiQ vifAw isau ikAw rIs ]ijQY nIc smwlIAin iqQY ndir qyrI bKsIs ] (15)Neechaa(n) andar(i) neech jaat(i) Neechee hoo att(i) neech(u)Nanak tinn k-ei sangg(i) saath(i) Vaddiaa(n) sio(n) kiaa reesJitth-ei neech samaaleean(i) Titth-ei nadar(i) t-ai-ree bakhsees.(I seek the company of the lowliest, and have no interestin the egoists (so-called big people). God's blessings areshowered where the weak and meek are taken care of.)During his first Udasi (spiritual sojourn), the Guru agreed to be the guest of anhonest but poor carpenter and declined the invitation of the rich but corruptlocal chief. Explaining the reason for rejecting the sumptuous food served freeby the latter, the Guru replied that he extracted money from the helpless people.Taking away the rights of the weak and helpless is like sucking their blood.This is as sinful as beef for Hindus and pork for Muslims. The Guru explained:jy rqu lgY kpVY jwmw hoie plIqu ]jo rqu pIvih mwxsw iqn ikau inrmlu cIqu ] (140)J-ai ratt(u) lagg-ei kapar(h)-ei Jaamaa ho(i) paleet(u)Jo ratt(u) peevah(i) maan(h)saa Tinn kio nirmal cheet(u).(Cloth is reckoned soiled if blood-stained, how mayminds of such persons be deemed clean, as blood ofmankind suck?)In brief, the Guru preached that a person can be accepted in His Court only if hepractices justice while dealing with people in his day-to-day life. A religiousperson must stand up and protest if the rulers are corrupt and they attempt totake away the human rights of the weak. The history of the Gurus and theSikhs is filled with numerous sacrifices made while practising this virtue.The same consensus was reached at the World Conference of Religions forPeace, New Jersey, USA in 1979. They virtually restated the basic principles ofthe Sikh faith in modern terminology, when in their meeting they concluded:Too often the names and practices of our religions have been associated withwarfare and strife. Now we must reverse this by:i) Breaking down barriers of prejudice and hostility between differentreligious communities and institutions.ii) Confronting the powers of the world with the teachings of our religionsrather than conforming to them when they act contrary to the well-beingof humanity.iii) Building inter-religious understanding in our local communities.Before shedding his physical frame in 1539, Guru Nanak anointed his disciple,Bhai Lehna, as the second Nanak. Nine successors of Guru Nanak elaboratedhis message. They preached it in different regions of India and adjoiningcountries. The Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, was compiled by the fifthNanak, Guru Arjan. The tenth Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, passed on theGuruship to the Sikh community through Panj Pyare (the five beloved ones)under the directions of Guru Granth Sahib.

Makhan Shah LubanaBy Jagjit SinghOn finding his ship, full of rich merchandise, sinking,Bhai Makhan Shah Lubana prayed that if his ship survived,he would offer a certain amount to the Guru. But when hecame to Baba Bakala to make the offering, he found that therewere too many claimants to Guruship. Presuming that theReal Guru would himself know and question him to make thepromised offering, he went around placing five coins beforeeach one of them. When the ninth Guru asked for thepromised offer, Bhai Makhan Shah went to the top of the roofand declared:"Come all ye followers of the Guru, I have found Him!"akhan Shah Lubana was a devout Sikh and a rich traderfrom Tanda, district Jhelum (now in Pakistan). He isMcalled 'The discoverer of the ninth Nanak' for his famous actof finding the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur in Bakala,Punjab in 1665.The story of that discovery is recorded in Janamsakhis andhas been told as a folk story among the Sikhs for manygenerations. Makhan Shah, was a Gursikh, who played animportant role in Sikh history. He was a person, whodisplayed trust and confidence in the Guru. He was patient,intelligent and had a deep belief in the existence of God.BackgroundBaba Makhan Shah was born to Mata Vijay Devi and BhaiDasa on 7 July, 1619 on the banks of Narmada, in villageSarwan Nagar (Nar Singh Pur). He was the grandson of BhaiArtha and great-grandson of Bhai Banna, who was adescendent of Beherhu. He was a rich trader of Pelia Gotra ofthe Lubana tribe.Most scholars say that Baba Makhan Shah was a native ofKathiawad, Gujarat, India. Even today, there are manyLabanas living in Kathiawad. They call themselves Lobana.The word Lubana is also derived from Lobana. Businessmenand traders of the region are of the opinion that Babaji wasborn in Kathiawad, Gujarat.Early LifeHe got his basic education from Vijaynagar. He was anintelligent, faithful and a humanitarian. Besides being amaster in Sanskrit language, he also learned many foreignlanguages including Portuguese and English, which werepicked up during his travels as a trader. He learned all of histechniques of business and trading from his father. He wasnot good in Punjabi. Lubanki was his mother tongue and thatis why when he found Guru Tegh Bahadur, he shouted:"Guru Ladho Rae" ('Found the Guru' in Lubanki.)Married lifeWhile still young, he was married to Bibi Sital Devi (Suljai),who was the daughter of Naik Purshotam Das. She was fromthe Sandlas caste of Naik Rajputs. Their marriage wasaccording to the Rajput creed, custom and ways. His wifehelped him vigorously in his business. He had one son by her,namely Bhai Lal Das (some say Kushal Chand). It is said thathis son took Khandey Batey di Pahul and became NaikJawahar Singh, who was martyred in the Battle of Chamkaur.BusinessBaba Makhan Shah was a trader and traded not only in Indiabut with different countries as well. He traded in spices,Bengali silk, Kashmiri shawls etc. In India, he used camels,oxen and horses, often pulling carts. Outside the country, heused ships for the purpose of trading. He was a Mughal traderand much of his dealings were with the Mughal authorities.He used to trade with Arabian countries. Some say he evencrossed the Mediterranean Sea, trading as far as Portugal.Surat was the main center or port from which he traded. Hewas indeed a wealthy trader. Although, having a flourishingbusiness, he was a great Sikh of Guru Nanak.During Guru Har Gobind and Guru Har RaiMakhan Shah was associated with Sikhism since the sixthGuru. Bhatt Vahis testify this: “The cavalcade of Bhai MakhanShah, who was the Sikh of Guru, was going to Kashmir. TheSatguru joined him there. After pilgrimage of MuttonMartand along with Bhai Dasa and Bhai Aru Ram, he reachedthe place of Bhai Makhan Shah at Mota Tanda. Bhai Dasa,father of Bhai Makhan Shah breathed his last there.”The seventh Guru, Guru Har Rai stayed with him in Kashmir,This is mentioned in Guru Keean Sakheean and Bhatt Vahis.Guru Har Rai, the seventh Guru, son of Baba Gurditta,arrived in Srinagar in the year 1717 (Bikrami), Krishan Pakh,Panchami of Jeth month. Makhan Shah, son of Bhai Dasa,grandson of Binai, maternal grandson of Beherhu.’(Guru Keean Sakheean, P.40). The Guru stayed at the Tandaof Makhan Shah in Kashmir for four months. (Bhatt VahiTalaunda Pargana Jeend).Baba Makhan Shah Labana a Masand?Scholars say that he was a Masand of that area (Kathiawad),which seems to be right because after completion of Ardasand important chores, he started moving towards Delhi withhis whole family and followers, to thank the Guru. KiratpurSahib was the normal residence of Guru Har Krishan butbecause of some urgency, he had gone to Delhi. Themovement of the Guru from Kiratpur to Delhi was notcommon knowledge and was not known to everyone.However, as Makhan Shah apparently knew about thisconfidential movement of the eighth Guru, it is assumed bysome scholars that Makhan Shah may have been a Masand asthey were the only ones, who would have access to suchconfidential information about the Guru.Instead of moving towards Kiratpur Sahib, Makhan Shahmoved to Delhi, which shows that he had access to theconfidential information about the Guru. So this theorymakes him special to Guru's organization and Masands werelocal leaders, who had authority to such personal informationabout the movements of the Guru.But there is no evidence to support this. Also it is thoughtthat a trader could not do two jobs (i.e., trading andpreaching) at the same time as it is recognized that he had toNov, 2010 - Jan, 201165

travel frequently in connection with his business.Ship in StormOnce, while returning home with his ship packed full ofvaluable goods over the vast seas, his ship got caught up in afurious storm. His ship was stuck in the whirlwind in the rivernear Tremu harbor. At first, he did not think anything of thestorms, as these were quite common in that area. But soon,the waves were coming over the deck of the ship. The galewas blowing full force. The ship creaked as it was tossedabout. Makhan Shah's return trip was becoming a nightmare.He was sailing northward with his valuable trade goods, upthe coast of India towards the Gulf of Khambhat.It was the worst weather he had ever encountered. He was ondeck at the helm and the situation seemed near hopeless. Thewheel had been tied fast, so the rudder would steer a straightcourse, something that seemed nearly futile and impossible,yet absolutely necessary if he was not to lose this ship. Thefury of the storm mounted when a large wave broke over thedeck, making the ship roll dangerously in the choppy sea.Anything that wasn't fastened down was tossed about. Thenanother larger wave broke, washing fully over him all butwashing him overboard. The force of the wave tore at hisDastaar (turban), flinging it loose. Drenched with seawater, ithung heavily flapping wildly about. He unwound it, with handsclumsy from the cold, removing it, he used it to lash himself tothe helm just as another wave broke over him. It knocked himoff his feet and would surely have carried him overboard, butfor his Dastaar holding him fast to the helm. Now on his knees,he groped about finding the wheel again. He clung to thewheel, gripping it tightly, his knuckles scraped and bleedingfrom his fall.His Joorha (head-knot) had come down completely. His longwet Kesh (hair) were blowing about like heavy ropes in thegale force winds, blinding him. Raindrops were pelting hisface like tiny needles and salt spray was stinging his eyes. Thesky was black with clouds. No guiding star, nor any point oflight, was visible at all. Wave after wave washed over thecraft, beating and hammering it relentlessly. It rolled wildly,creaking and groaning as though it would split at the seams.A box broke loose, from where it had been secured on deckand was washed over board. The crew's frightened voices,calling to each other, could be heard above the howlingwinds, as they struggled to lower the sails.Lightening struck, lighting up the dark sky with flash andcrash of thunder, when suddenly the mainsail split with anunearthly rant. The force of it nearly snapped the mast. Theship dropped sharply from the impact, then shot up again,bobbing crazily. The bonds, holding fast the wheel at thehelm, broke loose from the stress of the violent motion. Thewheel began turning freely with the rudder, as the craft wasdashed wildly about in the churning sea. Makhan Shah wastaking a beating tied to it, he surely couldn't take any more.His chest and shoulders were bruised and aching, yetwithout being bound there, he would already have beenwashed over and drowned in the black, raging sea. Fearful,the tiny ship was buffeted about mercilessly in the vast,huge, angry, ocean.Large, dark, menacing rocks loomed perilously close, alongthe jagged coastline. Threateningly, like teeth in thecavernous jaw, of the horrible witch Maya, which eats up theworld, they waited hungrily, to break and smash the ship tobits. Wave after wave broke, washing over the boat. Eachenormous swell seemed like a giant mouth about to swallowthe sinking ship into its dark unforgiving depths forever.Another wave broke over the deck, tearing his clothing away,leaving him clad only in tatters. The sails were hanging inshreds. The crippled ship was taking on water. The endseemed inevitable. Salty tears sprang to his eyes, spilling,mingling, with the salty water of the sea, pouring over hisface, filling his nose and mouth.His options were now limited. Finally, he decided his timehad come to remember his Guru and ask for his help.Completely powerless now, he knelt down, and said his Ardas(prayer) to God and Guru Nanak for safety. "Babaji",he prayed desperately, "Please save my ship and my men...I pledge the 500 gold Mohars (coins) tied to the belt of mywaist, which without your help will soon be at the bottom ofthe sea. Please accept this as my humble offering. He thenrecited this Shabad of Guru Arjan:Apuny syvk kI Awpy rwKY Awpy nwmu jpwvY ]jh jh kwj ikriq syvk kI qhw qhw auiT DwvY ]syvk kau inktI hoie idKwvY ]jo jo khY Twkur pih syvku qqkwl hoie AwvY ] (403)Apun-ai sewak kee aap-ai raakh-ei Aap-ai Naam(u) japaav-eiJeh jeh kaaj kirat(i) sewak kee Tahaa(n) tahaa(n) uth(i) dhaav-eiSewak kao(u) nikatee ho(i) dikhaav-eiJo jo kah-ei Thaakur peh(i) sewak Tatkaal ho(i) aav-ei.(He Himself preserves His devotees; He causes them to recite HisNaam. Wherever the business and affairs of His devotees are,there the Lord hurries to be. The Lord appears near at hand to Hisdevotee and whatever he asks of his Lord Master, immediatelycomes to pass.)Miraculously, the winds started to die down and the wild seascalmed. Safely secure, in the very center of the storm, theship was carried past the dangerous rocks, and guidedwithout further harm, through the treacherous waters, intothe nearest harbor, the Port of Surat. The men collapsed inrelief. After recovering his strength and attending to hisfamily and work duties, he made his way to Punjab. His onlymission now was to fulfil his vow and present himself to hisGuru and offer the promised 500 gold coins.Finding Guru Tegh BahadurWhen Baba Makhan Shah moved to Baba Bakala from Delhiwith voyage, including soldiers loaded with arms and horseriders.More then 500 people were with Baba Makhan ShahLubana. In Suraj Parkash, it is said, "Jodha Hutey Panch Sai Sang, JinheyUthaye Kharagh Utang". Baba Makhan Shah was happy that he wouldmeet his Guru at Bakala. The agents of pseudo Gurus, whichwere in Baba Bakala, were seated on the way and were tellingthat his 'Guru' is the real one. The people and the agents werewatching Baba Makhan Shah and were thinking that he wasthe one, who wanted to occupy ninth Guru's Gaddi. He wasthe 23rd 'Guru' arrived at Bakala. Some were thinking that hewas a Masand, who had come to submit the Daswandh. Somepeople were thinking that some Shahi trader is going toLahore and on the way, he had arrived there for Darshan ofthe Guru. After confirming, people got to know that he wasBaba Makhan Shah, the disciple of Guru Nanak. But BabaMakhan Shah found that there were 22 imposters presentover there. He was confused and was thinking how to find thetrue Guru. Here, the situation was that the Guru was taking atest of his Bhagat and now Bhagat had to test his Guru.Makhan Shah & ImpostersSeeing all this, Baba Makhan Shah was in a dilemma. Hedevised a plan. At first, he was led to the house of DheerMal by the attendants of this 'Guru'. Makhan Shah giftedfive coins. The Beerh of Guru Granth Sahib written byGuru Arjun was with Dhir Mal. Dheer Mal saw him offafter bestowing Siropa on him. Makhan Shah also giftedfive coins to all imposters and they became happy andblessed Makhan Shah. Makhan Shah was sad as nobodydemanded 500 Mohars. Baba Makhan Shah startedenquiring about any other Sodhi Vanshaj (successor) inthe city. Finally, he was informed about Baba Tegha.Makhan Shah with Guru Tegh BahadurMakhan Shah had thought that the true Guru would himselfdemand the exact amount he had vowed to give. Accordingto him, it would not be possible for the false and imposters todefine the exact purpose of his visit. Thereby their ignorance,lack of spiritual insight and character would be exposed.If none of these men were the Guru then where is the rightfulGuru? Then he heard of a recluse, named Tegh Bahadur, whowas the son of Guru Hargobind. So Makhan Shah went to seethis man and when he placed five coins before Tegh Bahadur,the great sage at once remarked, "God bless you, my man,why only five coins after pledging five hundred? The Guru isnever in need of anything, but a Sikh is expected to keep hispledge to the Guru." Thus the issue was clinched and the realGuru was discovered by Makhan Shah.In amazement, Makhan Shah proclaimed that he wouldinform everyone upon discovering the true Guru. Guru TeghBahadur was still desiring to meditate in solitude andrefrained Makhan Shah from revealing his identity. The Gurutried to discourage him by saying his face would beblackened if he did so (this is a statement meaning you willbe dishonored). Makhan Shah took this as a challenge insteadof a curse and put ash on his face and climbed to the rooftopto announce to all that he had found the Guru shoutingGuru Ladho Rae to one and all.Attack by Dhir MalAfter the revelation of the true Guru, there was apandemonium and all 22 Manjis (pseudo Gurus) startedrunning like bulls during a stampede and all of them vanishedin no time. Only Dhir Mal stayed put and said, "Who isMakhan Shah to put himself in charge of a case involvingSodhis? He also spoke foul about Guru Tegh Bahadur and hisassistants, who were refusing to relinquish their right to theGuruship. Dhir Mal felt so jealous that he was ready to fightto the death, if required.After Baba Makhan Shah left the Guru Darbar, Guru TeghBahadur was left only with a few personal attendants andmembers of the household. With about hundred fully armedmen, Masand Shihan rushed out of the house commandingall other men of his gang to follow him. Dhir Mal followedthem to watch and direct the operations.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201166 67

Kirpal Chand, Bhai Jetha, Bhai Dayala put up a stout defencewith whatever stick or staff they could get hold of. In the nextmovement, Shihan aimed bullet at Guru Tegh Bahadur andfired point blank. The Guru had a minor bullet injury on hisshoulder. Kirpal Chand and Bhai Jetha asked all the men tohold their arms and be prepared to punish the bandits andredeem the stolen goods. A messenger was immediately sentto Makhan Shah. Guru Tegh Bahadur urged everyone not toget upset by the material loss. Soon, Makhan Shah arrivedwith his men armed to their teeth. Makhan Shah was shockedat the damage done to the Darbar and injuries sustained bythe Guru.After a tough battle, everyone of Dhir Mal's Masands andhired bandits were arrested and dragged to the presence ofGuru Tegh Bahadur. Addressing Dhir Mal, Makhan Shah said,"I have spared your life just because you are the Guru'snephew, otherwise I would not have hesitated to finish acowardly killer like you." Dhir Mal and his Masands weredown on their knees begging the Guru to pardon theirmisdeeds. Deeply moved by their tears of repentance, GuruTegh Bahadur not only ordered their immediate release, buteven resented harsh treatment accorded to them. Explaininghis action, Makhan Shah said, "Gurudeva, if we allowedourselves to be robbed and plundered the way Dhir Mal andhis Masands have done, we might be completely annihilated.How could we tolerate their attempt to murder you, Master?"All the items brought from Dhir Mal's camp were returned asper the Guru's directive. Dhir Mal then reprimanded Shihanfor all these happenings and left for Kartarpur.At KiratpurGuru Tegh Bahadur and his followers reached Kiratpur viaAmritsar, a number of distinguished visitors came to payobeisance to the Master. Rani Jalal Devi, wife of Raja DeepChand of Bilaspur, offered substantial amount of money andland to build a new city for Guru's residence. Guruji refusedto accept the land as gift but agreed to buy it on reasonablepayment in the vicinity of Kiratpur. Makhan Shah had madeconsiderable contribution in the payment. An old villageMakhowal, 8 km from Kiratpur, was selected as the site fornew city, which was first called Nanaki Chak and after itsextension with villages Mathaur and Lodhipur, it was namedAnandpur.Makhan Shah and Kirpal Chand's contribution in processingthe present site of Anandpur Sahib is worth mentioning. Both ofthem had the active participation during the purchase of land.Separation from the GuruAs soon as rainy season was over and it was time to attend tohis trade commitments, with a heavy heart, Makhan Shahasked his men to get ready to depart. He visited first motherNanaki for blessings. She said, "Makhan, my dear child! Theservices you have rendered will be remembered for all timesto come. To me, you shall be as dear as my son. Whereveryou are, my blessings shall always be with you." Makhan Shahthen bowed in devout reverence to Mata Gujri, whoaffectionately said, "Would you leave us so soon brotherMakhan, what will be the Guru Darbar without you?" MakhanShah next went to the Guru Darbar to seek permission and bidfarewell to the Master. With folded hands, he stood beforeGuru Tegh Bahadur, who bestowed on him very costly robesof honor and blessed him saying, "You are the most sincereand loyal devotee of Guru Nanak. You are free from the cycleof birth and rebirth." Makhan Shah bowed in reverence andplaced his head on the feet of Guru Tegh Bahadur. TheMaster's hand blessed him with tender affection and urgedhim not to make the parting painful. Without turning his backto the Guru, he came out of Darbar. He left for his destinationalong with his caravan of men, material and machinery.SixImpedimentstoBhakti- UpdesamritaOne's spiritual advancement is spoiled when hebecomes too entangled in the following sixactivities:1. Eating more than necessary or collecting morefunds than required;2. Overendeavoring for mundane things that arevery difficult to obtain;DeathBaba Makhan Shah was told by the Guru that besides trade,he had to propagate Sikhi too. In the North-West Punjab, hepreached Sikhi. During his last days, he traveled aroundDelhi, Kashmir and Sialkot, where he made a Dera in HarpalNagar. Baba Makhan Shah died in 1674 at village RajaHarpal, Sialkot.Baba Makhan Shah Lubana dominated the stage of eventfulSikh history as 'Defender of Faith', 'Champion of Truth' and'Revealer of Guru Tegh Bahadur'. He was a terror to impostersand relentless fighter against falsehood in all spheres of life.Makhan Shah was practical, powerful and imposing in actionand always eager in upholding the glory of his revered Master.He was decisive, uncompromising in his conviction, submissiveand humble before the Guru. He spent all his time, money andenergy under guidance and inspiration of Guru Tegh Bahadurto remove the physical, mental and spiritual hungers of toilingand suffering humanity.3. Talking unnecessarily about mundane subjectmatters;4. Practicing the scriptural rules only for thesake of following them and not for the sake ofspiritual advancement, or rejecting the rulesand regulations of the scriptures and workingindependently or whimsically;5. Associating with materialistic people, whohave no interest in spiritual life;6. Being greedy for mundane achievements.Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201168 69

Breaking thefetters of FearBy Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandeyost of us spend large portions of our lives living in fear.Fear seems to be a part of the human condition and weMneed to ask ourselves: why do we live in fear? And do faithand religion provide answers to show us how we can livewithout fear?While the word 'fear' is being used in a wider sense, it alsoencompasses the lesser self-constraints we bind ourselves with,like worry, stress and of course fear itself.Babies are taught to fear those things that might cause themharm or injury. We must not touch fire, or plug points, or cometoo near the edge or near sharp objects as we might hurtourselves. We are taught that unless we do as we are told(by others) we will get hurt or injured, so we must limitourselves. Most of us learn the lessons almost too well. Later inlife, when we need to make a leap of faith and stretch ourselvesto even beyond our reach, some of these early lessons becomebinds that hold us back in fear.From childhood, we also learn to do those things that pleasethose near us. We begin with our parents, siblings and friends.We learn to fear the disapproval of our teachers; we fear failure,and of becoming objects of ridicule; and the fear of breakingthe web of social norms.As we grow up, we fear professional disapproval - fear of notmeeting the boss's or our colleagues' approval. We fear that ourskills and knowledge may not stand up to scrutiny or that in afast-paced world our knowledge may be outmoded and not upto the mark.We also have many fears of the natural world; some fears areremnants from past lives like fear of water, of fire, of crowdedplaces, of creatures. We also suffer from the fear of loss,fear of abandonment and the fear of becoming helpless beforeexternal forces.Till we achieve success in life, our fear is that we will spend therest of our life at a mediocre level, while others apparently arerising to greater heights (the grass always appearing greener onthe other side). Once we have made it - there is the fear oflosing it - our position, beauty, reputation, wealth and theesteem of our society. Something might shame us and ruin ourstatus in society. The burglar might rob us of our belongings;our own kith and kin might let us down and cause loss of facebefore our social peers (imagine the mind of the parent, whokills his son or daughter to uphold family/community honor -the fear of losing honor becomes even greater than the fear oflosing a child!)With every gift from life is an associated fear of losing that gift.A great job – we fear to lose it; a great performance report fromthe boss – we fear that even a small drop in achievement couldmake us number two; we are declared the most beautifulwoman in the world and we are terrified of an accident or illhealth that might rob us of that beauty. Underlying such fears isalso our growing awareness of the impermanence of things -eventually the impermanence of life itself.A major fear is the fear of being let down, by ourselves and byothers – and yet that is the reality of the human condition.Because human life has limitations, it is inevitable that we willbe let down at some time or the other - because even theperfect moment cannot be frozen into perpetuity. Often, we arefearful because we do not believe in our own deservingness orour worthiness of the success we have achieved.Some might say that these fears provide the necessary fillip toour progress and that the fear of breaking social norms is whatallows us to co-exist successfully in a civilized society without ittaking legal constraints to rein us in from aggression andexpression of aggressive self-will.According to psychiatrists, fear of any kind, constrains humandevelopment and prevents us from reaching our full potential.In the case of children, it undermines their personalities.Perhaps the fault lies in our training of our young ones as weinstill in them many fears, including the fear of failure. In factfailure is the best opportunity to learn how to succeed.Our Creator gave us many gifts to start our lives with and eachof us has something, we can be thankful for. We must build intoourselves/our next generation a basic faith in life, in the powerof goodness and moral strength, of the power of doing the rightthing because it is right. We also need to exercise our moralmuscle to enable growth of our inner strength.Today, every magazine and television guru tells us theimportance of exercising the body to keep healthy. Some arebeginning to encourage the strengthening of the moral fibre ofindividuals. India's Mid-night children were carted by ourparents to Satsangs and prayer meetings, and imbibed manymoral lessons, both from example and from these discourses.Our generation was taught something called 'Moral science' inour schools. These classes offered a platform to discuss issueslike the need for parents to define the limits for their children orthe need for differentiating between social acceptance andmoral strength - issues that some families would not allow to bedebated at home. That, and of course, the whole force ofDaadi Ma telling stories from various scriptures, whichreminded the young of the need for building and maintaining amoral backbone. Our Daadi narrated to us the Saakhis – storiesfrom the lives of the Gurus – which taught some history and alot about right and wrong action.We need to encourage our young generations to build theirmoral muscle and strength, otherwise in the face of misfortuneor tragedy they will not have the ability to sustain the shock.Living in fear is not the way forward.What does Sikhism have to say about fear?Sikhism reminds us of our Creator, Waheguru. In theMool Mantra, we are reminded that He is 'Nirbhau' (fearless).What does He expect from His Gursikhs? Our guidance is to liveby the three main tenets of Sikhism, Kirat Karo, Wand Chhako,Naam Japo. Even if most of us do not meet these tenets ahundred per cent, if we try to follow these for a major part ofour lives, they would allow us freedom from fear.Kirat Karo: Sikhism is not asking a devotee to take aKarmandal and head for the Himalayas. A Gursikh is expected tobe both a householder and to uphold the highest tenets ofSikhism not by escaping everyday life but by living it – andliving it as well and truly as he can. Sikhism expects eachperson to lead this life, this gift of human life - which we haveearned, after, God knows, how many eons of re-births - as wellas we can.Our duty is to accept what comes, good and bad, as a Daat fromWaheguru and thereafter to give it our hundred percent effort todo our best. Work hard, work honestly, and do not hanker aftera result. Accept what we have as:eyih iB dwiq qyrI dwqwr ] (5)Eh bhi daat(i) t-ai-ree daataar(Even these are Your Gifts, O Great Giver!)Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201170 71

Our weakness is that we are easily overcome with whateverbefalls us - sickness, ill luck, too much wealth, too little wealthor becoming victims of violence or accidents. Anotherweakness is that after we have done our bit, (kindness to a littledeserving person - who later forgets the good deed and bitesthe kind hand), when the result is failure, we see our worst fearsfulfilled, despite our best efforts. We see ourselves and our livesas failures and give up on doing further good.Our Karmas in this life have to be worthy, yet sometimes the badthings will happen in our lives. We have to give account of ourpast Karmas. We do not remember our past actions, but we aretold that good action in this life can reduce the karmic 'Sooli to amere thorn'.There is the story of the two friends who daily went theirdifferent ways - one to Guru's Sangat, the other to an evening ofliquor and immoral deeds. One day the person going to Gurujeestubbed his toe on a big thorn, and limped his way to meet hisfriend. The friend returning from an evening of ill deedsstumbled against a pot which contained a gold coin. Afterexchanging their news both decided to ask Guruji why thesethings had happened. Guru jee heard the story and told themthat the man, who was pricked by a thorn, was to have diedviolently on a Sooli because of his past Karmas, but his goodKarmas in this life had reduced painful death to a mere thorn.The other man was to have received a pot full of gold coinsbecause of his good past life Karmas but had squandered it alldue to his bad actions in this life. He still received one coinbecause he kept company with the man of good deeds.We need to remember that we are Waheguru's Banda and like agood soldier, to be on duty, toil hard honestly and earn our dailybread.Wand Chhako: Sharing what we earn - is the second importanttenet of Sikhism. If we learn to share what we have - be it asmall Roti to share with one, who is without food, or largessefrom our earnings if they are large - sharing needs to be donewith the right attitude. We should share - not with a sense ofhow wonderful we are in our generosity, but rather with arecognition that when Waheguru gave us more than our need itwas so, because we could learn to share. We were given thatone Roti, precisely because the person next to us had none andthat a Gursikh would know that his earning must be shared. It isas if each of us is earning not only for ourselves but also forothers. We may not be able to see the wider picture of life, butoften we all are just a media to provide others (a Zariya forwhich we can take no credit as the earning was in any case byHis Grace).I think the most important learning we can have is to let go ofour expectation of the reward or the outcome of our positiveefforts. Obviously that is easier said than done. After all ahuman being believes that we must aspire to the top, and if,after sincere effort, there is failure, how to stop feeling a deepsense of let down – to see our worst fears coming true?According to the guidance given to us in Guru Granth Sahib, allCreation and everything that exists in this world is His Creation.Gurbani teaches us that everything, our birth and death, all ourachievements as well as our sorrows and sufferings, in factevery thing that 'was', 'is' as well as all that 'will' happen, isbecause of His divine Hukam (Will).Gurbani teaches us to do our best but leave the results toWaheguru. Actually, if we look back - there is the need torecognize that the results were never in our hands. We aregiven the right to action, to choose what we want to do. Butonce we have done that, since the Karta is Waheguru, thenobviously the outcome is in His hands. It never was in ourhands. Once this truth is accepted and understood, it is easy tolet go. That is the key – let go the ego, let go the arrogance.It is not 'I' who performed - I was merely an instrument inWaheguru's scheme of things. Once you know the doer isWaheguru, fear of failure simply falls away.It is easy when we are gifted or talented or have excelled in anyfield, for the ego to preen with pride and a sense that we haveachieved so much. For example we think we have learnt to singGod's praise and are very proud of our skill and gift. However,the day we sit down to sing his praises; we are so full of ego - soconscious of how wonderful we are going to sound, that our tripup, our voice is awful, we sing off-tune, the hall echoes with aweak warble. And then we realize - that even the learning wasHis gift. How arrogant to think we were the one - how arrogantto forget that it was His Grace in the first place that allowed usto learn. We should remember that and re-orient our thoughtsand ask for His Grace. And then the music flows - from HisGurbani - in His praise - there is only He and we are envelopedin His Grace.We worry and fret and fear that our child will not get a goodmatrimonial match, or not get a great job appropriate to herlearning and intelligence. What if she chooses wrong? What ifshe decides to be a career woman and keeps saying 'not yet' tomarriage. We try hard to convince her, scour the matrimonypages, speak with friends and relatives, and find that we are nocloser to our goal than we were a year ago. We fear we have letour child down. We fear our child's future will be ruined.We fear we are a bad parent.But one day, when our ego is looking the other way, a thoughtpenetrates our mind - why are we making this huge effort? Whoare we in this equation? Waheguru created our child and has awhole life mapped out for her. We realize that all we have to do islet go our ego's stranglehold on this need for us to make ithappen. We stand before Him, humbly and with great faith, andpray to Him – we say “Dear God, this is your child. I know youhave a wonderful future for her. You know best, but as a parent,my prayer is for the best to happen - whatever is best for mychild.” We 'Let Go' and pray hard, our head at His feet. And oneday, totally without any announcement, things fall into place. It isonly when we understand that we are not the one, who can claimthe achievement that the best happens. So long as our ego tussleswith all the powers, we are in fact in actual conflict with the lawsof Nature and are being an obstacle to achieving results.There are many reminders of the primacy of Waheguru inGurbani. To quote from Sukhmani Sahab:jb lgu jwnY muJ qy kCu hoie ]qb ies kau suKu nwhI koie ]jb ieh jwnY mY ikCu krqw ]qb lgu grB join mih iPrqw ] (278)Jabb lagg(u) jaan-ei mujh t-ai kachh(u) hoeTabb iss kao(u) sukh(u) naahee koeJabb eh jaan-ei m-ei kichh(u) kartaaTabb lagg(u) garabh jon(i) meh phirtaa.(As long as someone thinks that he is the one who acts, he shall haveno peace. As long as this mortal thinks that he is the one who doesthings, he shall wander in reincarnation through the womb.)Naam Japo: The third tenet of Sikhism is Naam Japo, i.e.,meditate on the Divine Naam. Remember that He is the onlyOne, who is the Truth.Guru Nanak sees the world and its Creator as One. In the midstof measuring grain at his father's shop, he gets lost at 13 - or'Teraan' - meaning 'yours'. For the Guru, his love of Godpervades his daily life in the world. He sees God through Hiscreations.Osho writing on Guru Nanak in The True Name says:- That for Guru Nanak, God the creator is fearless, because fearis when the other is. Osho asks:What is fear?And provides the answers:“Fear always involves the other: if someone can take somethingaway from you, it destroys your security. Then there is deathand there is illness - both are the 'other'. Hell is beingsurrounded by the 'other'; hell is the 'other'.But how can you escape the 'other'? Should you run away to theHimalayas, you will still not be alone. Sit under a tree; a crow'sdropping falls on your head, and you are filled with angertowards the crow. There are the rains and the sun - irritationseverywhere. How will you escape the 'other', who is presenteverywhere?Eternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201172 73

The only way to escape the 'other' is to seek the One; then no'other' remains. Then all fear fades away. There is no death, noillness; there are no inconveniences, because there is no 'other'.Finally, you are alone. Fear persists as long as the 'other'remains the 'other' for you.Ek Omkar Satnam. Once this Mantra has penetrated your being,where is fear? God has no fear. Whom should he fear? He is theonly one, there is no one besides him.” (from The True Name).In life, there are many reminders of hell, which try to put thefear of after-death in mortals. In some religions, vivid picturesof hell are depicted to remind people, where they will head ifthey do wrong in this life. In Singapore, the famous Haw ParVilla Gardens (also called the Tiger Balm Gardens), in fact, havethese paintings and murals, which graphically show peoplebeing held down by pinions, being burnt by hell fires,and butchered.A woman, whose husband had died, was made to play tapes,which described the stages of the soul's journey after death.The stories were terrifying, spelling out the terrible landscapethe soul has to traverse through. She felt scared and torn, andalready traumatized by the death of her husband, needed someassurance that the 'hereafter' is not a terrible place. She askedfor some tapes of Gurbani, which would heal her spirit and forma balm to remind her that God is a kind and loving father, not anunkind monster waiting to behead those, who have erred.Sikhism does not encourage fear or uphold a balance-sheet ofrewards and punishments. In place of fear, Sikhism advocatespersonal courage and the victory of the moral order. Do goodKarma, but stop believing for a moment that you are the 'doer'or achiever. The world will continue to weigh heavy on yourshoulders so long as you believe that you are the one carryingthe weight of decision and action. Stop - and remember that theKarta is God, and once you do that, the weight of worry andfear of our human limitations, stops.But Sikhism does not allow each one of us to sit idle, waiting fora miracle to happen – each one of us has to work hard andsincerely at whatever is our life's calling. We need to do ourtasks, yet acknowledge our achievements with real humility,knowing in our hearts, that it is only due to His Grace that wehave been able to achieve, to overcome and to strive. Equally,we have to be able to take lightly our burdens, our travails aswell as our achievements, knowing that whatever He gives, isexactly what our lives need, as a learning and as a potential forour growth in this life.When there is pain, do not fear life, but pray to Him, and youfind He has carried you through your difficult period, softly andgently in his two hands - till you are safe, out of the storm ofanguish and loss. But most of all let us remember that Waheguruis our Father and our Mother - and our loving Creator.Remember Him and He enfolds us in His loving embrace.Let us learn to live as true Gursikhs - then we can learn to liveour lives, fearlessly.Essence of SikhiExcerpted from 'Gurbani Shabad Surati'Water, air, earth, fore and ether are the basic elements of theCosmos. All forms, animate or inanimate, are made of theseelements and represent various stages in life's evolution inthe universe. We perceive them with our senses and oftencommit the mistake of being totally involved with them tothe extent of neither knowing them nor doing anything toknow that which imparts them with life. Without anawareness of the Eternal, its structural representations areno more than carcasses.A visionary, philanthropist, man of principles,beloved of all and generous to a fault.Though no longer with us,his spirit, vision and valuescontinue to inspire us.The ANAND familyand all members of the MNR ANAND group of companiesmiss him every moment.His vision and dedication has made MNR a well known brand in the globalautomotive industry today. His fundamentals of hard work, honesty and theprinciple of “Customer First” have laid a very strong foundation for the MNRANAND group. A simple and approachable person with a big heart is how youcan describe him the best. His larger than life persona, honesty, integrity,ethics and unrelenting quest for perfection helped him climb the ladder ofsuccess.The whole MNR ANAND family pledges to take forward the legacy leftbehind by him to achieve greater heights in the future.74Eternal Voice

Translated, abridged and retold from Bhai Vir Singh's ‘Guru Nanak Chamatkar'Bhai Bhagirath and MansukhBy Indra Kirpal SinghA poem be read several times in order to ‘hear’ it and feel its emotions.Melsihan was a village about 4 - 5 miles fromSultanpur. Bhagirath was its chieftain. One day,Guru Nanak visited village Melsihan. Bhagirathwelcomed him and had his dinner with the Guru. Hedecided to stay with the Guru for the night. Guru Jigot up very early in the morning and after his bathwent into meditation.During this time, Bhagirath observed a woman witheight arms sweeping the floor. On being asked byBhagirath, who she was, the woman replied that shewas a Devi. Bhagirath was astonished and asked herwhat was the need for her to sweep. She replied thatGuru Nanak, being Gurparmeshar (Supreme), shebecomes powerful by serving him. Bhagirathrealized that he should also serve Nanak.Bhagirath gave up the worship of the Devi's idol andshifted to Sultanpur. He started attending Satsang(congregation) of Guru Nanak. During the day, GuruJi attended to Modikhana (store) and convenedSatsangs during mornings and evenings.A poor Khatri's daughter was soon to be married, buthe had no money for the celebrations. He requestedGuru Nanak for help. Guru Ji told Bhagirath to takethe list of items required and proceed to Lahore. Heshould buy everything and return the next day.Bhagirath immediately left and went to a tradernamed Mansukh, who told him that it would takehim a couple of days to collect the required items.But on being told that Bhagirath was to return thenext day and was not to spend more than one night,Mansukh felt curious and asked him why he couldnot spend more than one night. Bhgirath told him itwas his Guru's order and he had to obey him.Mansukh felt all the more curious and insisted onknowing whose order it was that Bhagirath wasobeying. He replied that he was one in whose heartGod stays and who had shown him the true pathand added, "I am very happy to have followed him."Mansukh was inspired on hearing all this and gotready to accompany Bhagirath, but on conditionthat he would test his Guru and see if on reachingSultanpur, the Guru would call him by his name.Bhagirath cautioned that it is not fair to test the holymen, but he could do so to satisfy himself.When both reached Sultanpur, Bhagirath placedeverything before Guru Nanak saying that the Chura(set of bangles) was from his friend, who hadaccompanied him out of curiosity. Guru Jiaddressed his friend by name and said, "Mansukh,truth is nowhere to be found, there is darkness allaround. Therefore, a seeker is always confused in hissearch for God". Mansukh, who was assured byGuru Ji addressing him by his name, fell on theGuru's feet and became his devotee. Guru Nanaktold him to meditate on the Divine Naam and bysubduing his ego submit to Will of God. He shouldread the holy scriptures. Mansukh did not returnhome but stayed in Sultanpur for a long time. Heattended Satsang early in the morning, wrote downGurbani and learnt it by heart. Being a trader, hesometimes went to attend to his work in Lahore butwould come back soon thereafter with the resultthat he became a resident of Sultanpur. Bhagirathwas sent back to his native village Melsihan.Material Mirage(Sadho eh tan mithya jano)baljeet kaur tulsi-128- -129-The book of poemsEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201176 77

estern Tibet, also called 'Ngari' in local language, wasWhome of three kingdoms in the past, viz., Taklakot, Zhadaand Rutok. Of these, Taklakot was the largest in size, while Zhadawas the most famous kingdom, situated about 400 km north westof Taklakot.There is a legend popular among the Tibetans about the reign ofKing Kunga Gyalsten of the Zhada kingdom. It says that once,seven monks came to his court. All had brought one bag of silvercoins and they requested the King to keep the bags in safe custodyfor the next 9 years, saying that they would reclaim them if theyreturned before the 9-year period was over. However, if they failedto do so the King would be their rightful owner and was free to usefor whatever purpose he considered right.The monks were actually representing the God of wealth, Kuber.The monks were never seen thereafter and the seven bags ofsilver coins remained in the King's treasury for long even after 9years. One day, the King consulted his Royal Priests about thecoins and their possible use. He was advised to have an idol madefrom the silver coins.Expert craftsman were consulted, including those fromneighbouring kingdoms of Nepal and Kashmir, for casting the idol.The work was finally awarded to a craftsman living at a placecalled 'Sher', in northwest Nepal, about 13 kms from the presentKhojarnath monastery. A day was ordained for commencing thework. But on the appointed day, the idol manifested by itself to theKhojarnathbewilderment of all. The King then arranged to bring the idol onhis chariot in a procession to his palace. The chariot got stuck atKhojar and a celestial voice forecasted that the idol wished to stayat that place only. The King again consulted his Royal Priests, whoreadily complied with the Divine command and the idol wasinstalled there itself in an elaborate ceremony. This is how theKhojarnath monastery came into existence some 1800 years ago.Khojar is derived from two words: 'Khor' which in Tibetanlanguage means to come and 'char' meaning to settle down. Inother words, it represents the coming of the idol down there.'Nath' is a Sanskrit word meaning benefactor and is used as suffixto the names of holy shrines. It is said that at first there was onlyone statue, of Buddha, the compassionate or the Avalokiteshwara.Subsequently two more statues, that of Vajrapani and Manjushree(Goddess of knowledge, Saraswati) were also cast and installed.The Khojarnath monastery finds a description in the Manas Khad,where it is pronounced Khocharpuri. Maharishi Vyasa narrates tothe Rishis the story of Vishvakarma, the architect supreme. LordIndra had asked him to design a beautiful home for Lord Shiva.Vishwakarma came to Mansarovar and as he prepared to select asite, a divine voice ordained him to proceed towards Indra Parbat.There he established the serene and beautiful Khochar Puri(township). He created an absolutely enchanting idol of Mahakala(Shiva as the destroyer) and also made many other idols of Gods,Gandharvas and Yakshas.Swami Pranavananda gives a vivid description of theKhocharnath monastery as it existed in the 1930s. “It consisted oftwo halls. The three beautiful idols of Buddhistic deities in theprayer hall were made of Astadhatu (mix of eight metals) andplaced on a beautifully designed pedestal, about 5 ft. high, madeby a Nepali sculptor. The middle statue was called Jambyang andwas about 8 ft. high, with four hands, of which two were goldenand two silver. The right idol of Chanraje (Avalokiteshwara) was7 ft. high, and of yellow complexion and the one foot idol ofChhanadorje (Vajrapani) was also 7 ft. high of blue complexion”.The Hindu pilgrims erroneously described them as those ofRama, Laxman and Sita. Tibetans believe that the idols were ofdivine origin. They were not made by human beings and emergedby themselves from the lake. The other hall was used for a divinedance called Namdong and for holding annual feasts. There wereabout 50 monks in the monastery with a Tulku or Lama.After the Tibet uprising of 1956-59, the idols in Khojarnathmonastery were vandalized. They were broken and all valuablesinside the idols were looted. The Chinese Government has nowpermitted restoration of many of these monasteries. TheKhojarnath monastery has been fully restored and the idols recastthree years ago. They are made of clay from outside and are filledwith silver, gold, ornaments and other valuable jewels inside,offered by faithfuls and the authorities. The Lamas perform thePrana Pratishtha ritual to invoke life into the idols in an elaborateinstallation ceremony in the monastery.The monastery is situated on the left bank of river Karnali whichoriginates from west of the Gurla Mandhata mountain ranges andflows down to Taklakot, Khojarnath and onwards to Nepal andIndia. More and more Tibetans are coming to settle down in thesurrounding areas of the monastery and new constructionactivity can be noticed. Greenery along the valleys due toagricultural development by the villagers adds charm to themonastery. The surrounding snow peaks of the greaterHimalayan ranges provide an ideal natural setting. It may not belong before the monastery returns to its past glory and prosperity.- Courtesy: UTDBEternal Voice Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201178 79

Baru NewsNov, 2010 - Jan, 2011A Quarterly Newsletter of The Kalgidhar TrustMedical Camp at Baru SahibThe Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib organized a free medical camp on1-2 October, 2010 at Akal Charitable Hospital, which was managed bymedical professionals from Washington, Chicago, Sydney, Jalandhar,Ludhiana, Moga, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi. These doctorsprovided selfless-services to the rural-poor and underprivilegedpeople of the remote Himalayan region virtually at their doorstepsdespite adverse challenges of far-flung hilly terrain and distances.In addition to the usual medical professionals from all parts of India,four eminent doctors from abroad also joined in this year's campincluding Dr. Jasjeet Kaur Atwal (Anesthetist) and Dr. Satinder Brar(Psychologist). The camp was formally inaugurated by Mrs. Jaishree,Director, Research and Medical Education, Government ofHimachal Pradesh.Approximately 800 patients were attended in the O.P.D. and82 surgeries were conducted during the two days of the medical campat the Akal Charitable Hospital, which is a 250-bed hospital located in aremote and difficult terrain of the Himalayan foothills. It is the onlyfull-fledged medical facility beyond Solan, available to poor patientsof this remote, rural and backward region. Akal Charitable Hospital isthe only hospital in the region attending to the patients of snake-bitefor which expensive antivenin is given. Regular free medical campsare organized by Akal Charitable Hospital from time to time.The Kalgidhar Society is spending lakhs of rupees in these camps onthe treatment of poor patients, which include the expensive plasticsurgery.During the two-day camp, large numbers of minor and majorsurgeries were conducted and patients treated of the various ailmentsfree of cost. A team of 100 medical and para-medical professionalscomprising of ENT specialists, Surgeons, Physicians, DentalSpecialists, Child Specialists, Psychiatrists, Gynecologists, Ortho(Bones and Joints) Specialists put forth their expertise by sparingvaluable time for this noble cause to help the poor and underprivilegedpeople of this remote area, where hardly any service is available.Amrit Sanchar at Akal Academy CheemaThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib has established a chain of AkalAcademies in North India, where emphasis is given on education basedon spiritual ethos. In the continuance of this, Amrit Sanchar wasconducted in Cheema branch of Akal Academy, wherein 121 blessedsouls volunteered to partake of Amrit at the hands of the Panj Piaras(the five beloved ones). Of these 121 blessed souls, 16 studentsbelonged to Akal Academy Mander, 26 to Cheema, 74 to Benra and5 members of staff.While blessing the budding Amritdhari students, Principal KushpinderKaur said that the aim of Akal Academy is to provide value-basededucation. By imparting such holistic education, the children will beprotected from the social vices like drug-addiction etc.Tree plantation at KhamanoTaking the philanthropic activities of The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahibforward, a tree plantation drive was organized at Akal Academy,Khamano. It was inaugurated by Hon’ble Smt. Roopanjali, IAS, SDM,Khamano. The objective underlying this campaign is to plant 1001trees in and around the Academy complex. As the environment isdeteriorating due to fast-developing industrialization and pollution,the need of the hour is to ‘plant more trees’ for human survival.Speaking on the occasion, the Chief-Guest Smt. Roopanjali lauded theeffort of the students and staff of Akal Academy. She blessed theyoung students and exhorted them to excel in every field of life.41st free medical checkup campThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, in its ongoing efforts for the ‘welfareof all’, organizes various programs of public interest from time totime. Healthcare is on top of the agenda along with providing holisticeducation and spiritual uplift.So far as healthcare is concerned, free medical camps are organized atBaru Sahib and various other centers of The Kalgidhar Trust. TheCheema chapter of the Trust hosted a free medical checkup camp onSunday, 31 October, 2010 in association with Nishkam Medical CareSociety, Punjab. Specialists in the field of ENT, eye, skin, ortho, dental,gyane and pediatrics managed patients from the surrounding areas.At the end of the day-long camp, Dr. Gurdeep Singh informed with themedia that the free checkup was conducted on 696 patients. Freemedicines were provided wherever required. Out of these, 60 patientswere recommended for surgeries, to be conducted free of charge byThe Kalgidhar Trust.Dr. Singh added that every year, four such camps are organized atCheema Sahib, where the doctors offer voluntary services withoutany consideration.All the doctors, volunteers and the para-medical staff were honoredwith mementos and Siropaos.56 rural patients diagnosed for free surgeries atBaru SahibA batch of 56 patients from Sangrur district was seen off by theDeputy Commissioner Dr. Harkesh Singh Sandhu for Akal CharitableHospital, Baru Sahib.Speaking on the occasion, the D.C. lauded the effort of The KalgidharTrust, Baru Sahib, which besides imparting value-based education inthe northern states of India comprising Punjab, Haryana, U.P., H.P.and Rajasthan, is also taking care of the social and healthrequirements of the needy.The villages from where this group has been finalized for operationincludes Cheema, Tolawal, Satej, Hero Khurd, Dhepai, Jakhepal,Ugrahan, Chhajali, Chhajala, Mejowal, Maidevas, Moranwali,Bishanpura, Sunam, Dharamgarh, Aalampur and Phalerha.68th Akal Academy Established at village Rorhi,Distt. Sirsa, HaryanaIn order to take the value-based education to every nook andcorner of North India, the foundation stone for the 68th branch ofAkal Academy was inaugurated at village Rorhi in district Sirsa,Haryana on 9 October, 2010. Baba Iqbal Singh, President, TheKalgidhar Trust, performed the Ardas on the culmination of theGurmat Samagam before laying the foundation stone of the schoolalong with Sh. Balbir Singh Malik, IAS, Commissioner, HissarDivision. S. Charanjeet Singh MLA also graced the occasion.The program commenced with the Bhog of Sri Akhand Paath Sahibfollowed by the rendering of Gurbani Kirtan by the students ofAkal Academy Ratia and Kauriwara.A 4-acre plot of land for the establishment of Academy has beendonated in remembrance of Late S. Kaur Singh by his family,which included S. Amarjit Singh, S. Aaia Singh and S. Amrik Singh.Speaking on the occasion, Sh. Balbir Singh Malik, IAS,appreciated the efforts of The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib fortaking the value-based education to the rural masses byestablishing schools in the remote areas of North India. He saidthat students of Akal Academy with the base of value-basededucation would become the ideal citizens and serve the societyin a better way.In his address, S. Charanjeet Singh, MLA, said that a ruraleducation revolution has been initiated by The Kalgidhar Trust,Baru Sahib by establishing Akal Academies in the far-flung villages.In his concluding address, Baba Iqbal Singh apprised thegathering that The Kalgidhar Trust established 22 Academies in thefirst two decades, but in the last 4 years, 50 more Academies havebeen established on the demand and support of Saadh Sangat.More and more Panchayats are coming forward and benefic soulsare performing selfless-service by donating their lands for thewelfare of humanity. He added that students of Akal Academiesstart their day by performing Nitnem in the Academies, whichenables them to keep the social evils like drug-addiction at bay.The students of Akal Academies are even proving a source ofinspiration for their elders.

The Greenest Akal Academy CompetitionAkal Academy Fatehgarh Chhanaa has taken many steps tofamiliarize the students with environment and environmental issuesand to inculcate positive feelings in them towards theirsurroundings to make the Academy greenest and eco-friendly. Theneed of keeping the Academy green and clean resulted in theestablishment of the Eco Club in the Academy under the ableguidance and supervision of Ms. Kulwinderpal Kaur, Principal andMs. Hanspreet Kaur head of Eco Club.On 3 October, 2010, Environment day was celebrated by theAcademy to spread awareness among students regardingenvironment and also to assess the students for co-scholasticpurpose. The students were encouraged to water the plants and toclean ground as well as class-rooms.Composting is the best way to decompose the biodegradable wasteand it also helps in cleaning our environment. To execute the aboveplanning, the students of Akal Academy made a compost pit inAcademy campus. Enthusiastically, they collected the waste from theAcademy campus and dumped into the pit. They were introducedabout the uses of making compost-pit and process of changing thebiodegradable into useful manure. She also acquainted them withvermin-composting and other helpful worms found in the soil. Thiswhole activity was very interesting and educative for the students.Separate dustbins, indicating green for biodegradable and blue fornon-biodegradable waste, were kept in the classes to raise theawareness among students regarding the uses of biodegradable aswell as non-biodegradable wastes. By doing so, we can compost thebiodegradable ones and we can recycle the non biodegradable one.Separate pits were also dug to dump biodegradable waste and nonbiodegradablewaste. This step will not only raise awareness amongstudents but also help in using both types of wastes.The students were encouraged to use the waste paper to make paperbags, flowers, huts, sceneries and wall-hangings. The collective effortsof the students in this activity were praiseworthy.With the objective of spreading awareness among students regardingenvironment and to make the Academy campus green, 350 trees wereplanted by students in the Academy campus on the occasion ofEnvironment Day celebrations.67th Akal Academy established at village Chakk Desraj,Distt. Jalandhar, PunjabThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, established by Sant Teja Singhas per the wishes of Sant Attar Singh, has valuable contributionto its credit in the field of value-based education in the northernstates of India. Several branches of Akal Academy are alreadyrunning successfully under the aegis of the Trust for the lastfew decades.On 23 September, 2010, 67th branch of Akal Academy wasestablished at village Chakk Desraj, Distt. Jalandhar, Punjab onthe three and half acre piece of land donated by S. SantokhSingh Sahota and his family on being inspired by Sant CharanDas. It was inaugurated by Dr. Dalbir Singh Dhillon, Chairman,Punjab School Education Board, after the prayer to Almighty byBaba Iqbal Singh, President, The Kalgidhar Trust.While addressing the gathering on this auspicious occasion, theChief-Guest Dr. Dalbir Singh Dhillon said, “The great endeavorof imparting scientific education based on spiritual ethos inAkal Academies by Baba Iqbal Singh can’t be expressed inwords. The Akal Academies are impacting their surroundingareas positively.”Bibi Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Chairperson, Punjab State WomenCommission, said that the moral character of the younggeneration is being built through the value-based education inAkal Academies. She added that the youth is being preventedfrom falling into the clutches of drug-menace and othersocial evils.Addressing the gathering, Baba Iqbal Singh exhorted all toperform selfless-service for the welfare of humanity. He askedthe various Panchayats to come forward and donate land for theestablishment of Akal Academies in their respective villages,so that the youth could play their part to boost the economy ofthe country. He added that value-based education is the need ofthe hour to establish permanent peace.On this occasion, Baba Iqbal Singh was honored by Mrs.Balwinder Kaur, the member of donor family and the Panchayatof Chakk Desraj. Baba Iqbal Singh blessed all the guests withSiropaos (robe of honor).66th Akal Academy Established at village Maio Patti,Distt. Kapurthala, PunjabthThe foundation stone for the 66 branch was made at Maio Pattiin district Kapurthala, on 22 September, 2010.Baba Iqbal Singh, President, The Kalgidhar Trust, performedthe Ardas on the culmination of the Gurmat Samagam beforelaying the foundation stone of the school along with S. SukhdevSingh Dhindsa, member parliament and former Union Minister.S. Jarnail Singh Wahid, Chairman, Markfed, Punjab and Sh. RajKanwal Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, alsograced the occasion.A 4-acre plot of land for the establishment of Academy hasbeen donated by Jagpal Singh and his family.Speaking on the occasion, S. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsaappreciated the effort of Baba Iqbal Singh and his team fortaking the value-based education to the rural masses byestablishing schools in the remote areas of north India, whereinmodern scientific education is being blended with the spiritualethos. This unique technique is the dire need of the time.The Deputy Commissioner Sh. Chaudhary admitted that theeducation being imparted in various branches of Akal Academywill go a long way in lifting the declining level of educationin Punjab.S. Jarnail Singh Wahid stressed that there was a dire need forestablishing a branch of Akal Academy in this region and BabaIqbal Singh has shown a ray of hope to the residents of thisbackward area.S. Ravinder Singh Mehta, Director, Akal Academies, apprised thegathering with the various projects and activities being undertakenby The Kalgidhar Trust in the field of education.In his concluding address to the august gathering, Baba IqbalSingh exhorted the distinguished guests to understand theimportance of value-based education if India has to progressand if we want to establish permanent peace in the world asenunciated by Sant Attar Singh.50% off & 25% offon Lifetime on AnnualSubscriptionsPlease fill this form and send toEternal VoiceF-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110027Name.......................................................................................Address.........................................................................................................................................................................................City............................State.......................Pin.....................Email:.....................................................................................Tel.: ............................................................................................Subscription: AnnualLifetime*Cost Single copy: ` 100/$10Annual (4 copies): ` 400/$40 ` 300/$30Lifetime (40 copies): ` 4,000/$400 ` 2,000/$200*Cost includes postal chargesA humble requestWe would be grateful if our esteemedreaders would kindly send in theirrenewals / subscriptions.Also support us by givingadvertisement in ‘Eternal Voice’.11-10

Readers' ServiceOrder a new subscription for yourself?orWant to renew your Annual membership?orWant to change from Annual to Lifetime?orWant to gift Eternal Voice?No other gift will bring you such warm and repeated thanks!The annual subscribers, whose subscription has expiredare advised to remit a fresh Annual Subscription of ` 300/$30to continue receiving their favorite copy of 'Eternal Voice',Alternately they can, in their own interest,switch over to Life-Membership by sending a sum of ` 2,000/$200Find enclosed Cheque No......................................Dated............................for `/$......................................in favor of 'Eternal Voice'.Alternately, the subscribers may deposit by Cash/Cheque/Draft at anybranch of State Bank of India in favor of 'Eternal Voice' - Savings BankAccount No.: 30317528086Eternal Voice, F-3, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi-110 027Ph.: 42434243 Mobile: 9810548548Email: ev@barusahib.org Web: www.barusahib.orgFor subscription in US, please contact:JASPAL SINGH SIDHU5195, S. DURANGO DRIVE, LAS VEGAS NV 89113M: (702) 429-7355, Ph: (702) 658-4543 E-mail: deep@akalconstruction.usThe Recitation of Gurbani Eradicates EgoA Gurmat Samagam was organized with great enthusiasm atGurdwara Sri Nanaksar Sahib and Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sant AttarSingh ji Maharaj, Cheema.A series of spiritual cum healthcare programs were arranged byThe Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, on the occasion.Large number of devotees from surrounding villages attended thecongregation since early morning after a bath in the holy Sarovar.The day-long program began with the recitation of WaheguruGurumantra, Nitnem, Paath Sri Sukhmani Sahib and Bhog Sri AkhandPaath Sahib. Ragi Jathas recited Gurbani Shabad Kirtan whileDhadi Jathas sang songs of valor from Sikh history.Addressing the largely attended congregation, Baba Iqbal Singhexhorted the Sangat to wake-up at Amrit Vela (the ambrosial hour) andmeditate on the Divine Naam. He dwelled at length on the importanceof Amrit Vela and added that the meditation on the Divine Nameeradicates all the worries, diseases and vices of the human beings. Theego of the mind is tamed and one attains salvation. He appealed to thepeople to donate generously out of their tithe for the ongoing KarSewa at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, where a huge complex is being built.A free charitable Dental-Care Camp as also a free Homeopathic Campwas organized to mark the occasion. 49 patients were managed in theDental-Camp while another 88 were treated in the HomeopathicCamp. Free medicines were also provided to the patients.Akal Academy Student Secures Top Position in J.E.T., PunjabNavdeep Singh of village Udaikaran, secured1st position in Joint Entrance Test (J.E.T.) forEngineering in Punjab. By so doing, he hasbrought the name of the village on the nationalmap. A sea of humanity lined-up to felicitatehim on this achievement.Dr. Amarpal Singh, Secretary, Punjab StateTechnical Board, informed that out of 30,980students, who appeared for the 2010 JointEntrance Test, Navdeep Singh Udaikaran secured 649 out of800 marks. Earlier, during his X Class CBSE examination also,Navdeep Singh stood first in his school, Akal Academy, Muktsar bysecuring 94.4% marks.Navdeep dedicates his success to the guidance of the school teacherson the one hand and co-operation extended by Master SampooranSingh and brother Surjeet Singh on the other. He informed that afterobtaining his mechanical degree in Engineering, he will develop newtechniques in the field of agriculture.A revitalizingcup of tea withTEAKesar Tea Kesar Gold Tea Megha TeaHead Office:Iqbal Tea Traders Pvt. Ltd. A-2, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi - 110015 • Tel : +91-11 25151111 • Telefax: 25161111Website: www.kesartea.com • Email :contact@kesartea.comBranch Office:Kesar Tea Company, 10, 11, 12, Main Najafgarh Road, Moti Nagar, New Delhi - 110015 • Tel : +91-11 25119403Email :kesarcare@kesartea.com