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Valentine's Day Reflections

Valentine's Day Reflections
by Manvir Singh Khalsa
http://manvirsingh.blogspot.com/

Valentine's Day celebrates love.
Valentine's Day is about showing your love.
Valentine's Day involves sharing love.

Who do you love?
Who would you want show your love to?
Who do you wish to share your love with?

We all have love.
We can all show love.
We can all share love.

My Valentine's would be the person who taught me about love.
My Valentine's would be the person who showed me love.
My Valentine's would be the person who I learnt to share love.

My Valentine's Day is everyday.
My Valentine's Day is the early hours before sunrise.
My Valentine's Day is waking up to Vaheguru.

My special person would be my Beloved Guru.
My special person would be my parents.
My special person would be my Dear Vaheguru.

The sign of love is willing to sacrifice all you have.
The sign of love is being graceful and forgiving.
The sign of love is being side by side forever.

Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji sacrificed his mother, father, four sons, and all he had for his children.
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji showered His grace on me and gave me the gift of Amrit and Naam.
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji is always with me in the Divine form of the Shabad and the roop of the Khalsa.

sukhee basai mero parivaaraa. sevak sikh sabhai kartaaraa.
"May me family, the Sikhs, live happily, and may my Sikhs and disciple cross over to Vaheguru."
(Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Benti Chaupai)

A mother sacrifices her share of a meal just to see her child does not feel hungry
A father sacrifices his time and energy, to work hard bring his children up.
A mother will be forgiving and show grace to her child when he or she does something wrong.

Our parents teach us to walk, talk and eat.
Our parents hug us when we feel lonely and wipe our tears when we feel sad.
Our parents do so much for us and yet do not seek thanks or appreciation.

kaahe poot jhagarat hau sang baap. jin ke jaNe badeere tum hau tin sio jhagarat paap. ||1||
" Why O child do you argue with your parent? It is a sin to argue with him who gave you life and brought you up."
(Ang 1200)

The mother is the first one to offer companionship to her child from when the child is in her womb.
During hard times our parents stand side by side us.
When a child is sick or upset, our parents are still there to listen and offer a shoulder to cry on.

Vaheguru has given me the gift of a human body.
Vaheguru has given me the gift of the breathing.
Vaheguru has given me the gift of intellect.

Vaheguru can make me us from nothing to everything.
Vaheguru is a merciful judge who is neither harsh nor lenient.
Vaheguru bears no hatred; He listens and guides all those who ask with devotion.

saach kaho sun lehu sabhai jin prem kee-o tin hee prabh paae-i-o. ||9||

"I tell the truth, listen everybody: those who love (Vaheguru) obtain the Dear Lord."
(Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Swaarag Swaiye)

Vaheguru is my mother, father, friend and companion.
Vaheguru is always with me, within me and beside me.
Vaheguru protects me when I am a weak, lifts me when I fall, and guides me when I can't see.

Lets all pray that may we love Vaheguru as much as He loves us.

May Guru Sahib bless us all with Gursikhi Jeevan, Naam and Sikhi Sidq.

Bhagat Puran Singh Ji

Puran Singh, Bhagat
Great Saint and helper of the disabled (1904-1992)

user posted image

Bhagat Puran Singh Ji is undoubtedly the single Sikh Hero of this century who worked totally selflessly all his life to provide the last hope to the mentally and terminally ill patients. Whenever he use to see a deserted dead body (human or animal) immediately he would prepare (by his own hand) a grave and give the human or animal a deserving respect of death. He was to Sikhism, what Mother Teresa is to Catholicism.

Against the backdrop of violence and poverty in 1947 he established a premier institute which takes care of sick, disabled and forlorn persons. Whatever money and financial resources he could gathered he used it to establish this institute. It is also believed that he was almost nominated to receive Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 but by not giving him prize it was the loss of sick and disabled persons as well as Nobel Prize committee. His life story is a saga of grit, determination, faith in the almighty and unending love for the suffering humanity. A very brief sketch of Bhagat Ji's life is given below.

Bhagat Puran Singh, born at Rajewal, Distt. Ludhiana on June 4 1904., at the house of Chaudhari Chibu Mal and Mehtab Kaur. In an interview to Patwant Singh Bhagat Puran Singh discloses how he became a Sikh ,in his early life he use to travel a lot from village to village and would stay at a Hindu Temple. One day when he was staying at a Temple Brahmins told him to clean the temple and then when he was done they sat in front of him and ate the food without offering him., Incidentally next time he had to stay at a Gurdwara and Bhai ji of Gurdwara not only gave him good food but also a cot and a glass of milk afterwards., without asking for any sewa for Gurdwara. After this Bhagat Puran Singh didn't even thought twice and became a Khalsa.

He set out in life for the service of the suffering humanity- the greatest religion. He founded Pingalwara in 1947 with a few discarded patients. He was also a writer as well as publisher and an environmentalist. Pingalwara is a very big home of human service. Bhagat Ji's contribution in spreading awareness about the global dangers of environment pollution, increasing soil erosion etc are also commendable. His dedication was awarded with heaps of honours by many quarters. Prestigious among these was the Padamshri award in 1979, which he surrendered in the wake of the army attack on the Golden Temple in 1984. He left for his heavenly abode on August 5, 1992.

As a sturdy youth of moderate means about 70 years ago, Bhagat Puran Singh saw a little boy who couldn't walk. He decided to be the boy's carrier "Until the latter could use his own legs".

The boy never did and Bhagat Puran Singh carried him on his shoulders until the time he himself became too frail to walk. And he decided to collect humans who did not have the abilit to help themselves. His Pingalwara became a home for orphans, mentally retarded persons and, the totaly deprived sections of society. It was a primitive place and neither society nor the State helped. The media winked a lot, took occasional notice and lapsed back to winking. But Bhagat Puran Singh carried on.

He remained an avid collector ever since. He collected "human pebbles" from the streets and housed them in Pingalwara. He collected funds, in driblets rather than droves, to run it. And he collected all the purposeful articles in the newspapers and magazines writings on the economy, environment, public health, population, etc. -- published booklets of these and distributed them free to interested people. The front page of newspapers never interested him. It was amazing to see how his eyes went straight to reports and write-ups dealing with human problems and welfare. He lived all his life for others and packed 72 hours of activity in a normal day.

At this time Pingalwara is run by Dr Inder Jit Kaur, she is also President of All India Pingalwara Charitable Society(Regd). She has embarked upon a mission to produce a movie on the life of Bhai Puran Singh Ji. Please spread this information.

Source: www.naamvairaag.blogspot.com

Happy Gurpurb - Prakaash Divas of Guroo Gobind Singh Ji

Today is the 341st Prakaash Diwas (Birth Day) of

Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee

---Sariaa Nu Lakh Lakh Vadhaaee---

A GLIMPSE AT THE LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH SAHIB JEE

Sacrificed entire family
In any other religion you don't hear how the Prophet or leader sleeps. However, in Sikhi we remember in our history how our Tenth Father slept in the Machheewala Jungle. Despite losing his father, mother, four sons, home, wealth and followers, the Guru slept as if nothing had happened. A Dervish mocked the Guru and said “guroo rehgiaa kalaa kalaa” (the Guru remains alone, alone). The Guru replied: “nehee, guroo de naal allaah allaah” (No, with the Guru there is Allah, Allah). Guru Sahib exemplified the attitude and psyche of always remaining positivistic and in Chardi Kalaa (high spirits).

Inauguration of Khalsa (sovereign) – Vaisakhi 1699
Through creating the Khalsa the Guru rested leadership with the community. Guru Sahib carried on the tradition of Amrit from Guru Nanak Sahib jee, which was whereby the follower is spiritually reborn and commits himself or herself to a new life with a distinct lifestyle, morals and principles. Through Amrit, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee eradicated stereotypes of who comes into the idealistic community.

40 Mukte
40 Sikhs deserted Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee and wrote a letter of disownment saying, “We are not your Sikhs, and you are not our Guru.” However, realising they were wrong through speaking to their wives, the 40 Sikhs returned and fought defending the Guru in battle. As a last wish, the leader of the 40 Sikhs asked the Guru to tear up the letter of disownment. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee forgave them. This shows that the relationship with the Guru is most important and that Guru will always give us another chance and forgive our past.

Mai Bhago jee
She led the 40 deserted Sikhs back to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee and to fight alongside them in the battle. Mai Bhago (properly known as Mata Bhaag Kaur jee) was the personal bodyguard of Guru jee for 7 months and is a role model of leadership and decision-making.

Baba Banda Singh Bahadar jee
Meeting Guru Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee, Madho Daas, a misguided spiritual mystic, was transformed to Gurbaksh Singh, a Saint-Warrior. He was a role of leadership and decision-making to establish Khalsa Raaj. He ruled in accordance to the Guru’s teachings of leadership resting in the ‘Khalsa Panchayat’, which is a board of 5 spiritually wise and practicing Sikhs, with the chief executive officer (the Jathedaar) being the executor of decisions.

Summary
Bhai Nand Lal Singh Ji writes in his poetry that if one word could describe and summarise Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee's life, that word be "COURAGE." Guru Sahib not only showed courage in his psyche, personality and life however instilled courage into his followers to always remain victorious as victory always belongs to Vaheguru.

-- Dhan Dhan Pitaa Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee --
from www.Manvirsingh.blogspot.com