Laavaan – The Sikh wedding Ceremony

Laavaan – The Sikh wedding Ceremony Human birth is an opportunity for the soul to unite with the Creator. In the Sikh faith, the process of this union is taken as the model for conjugal union between the spouses. In spiritual union, the soul looks forward to finding the Almighty within. In this one […]

Friday, 04 May 2012 16:08 Written by Rawel Singh 4 Comments

The Creator, Soul and Body Relationship

Creator Soul and Body Relationship ਸਰਬੇ ਏਕੁ ਅਨੇਕੈ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਸਭ ਘਟ ਭੋੁਗਵੈ ਸੋਈ॥ ਕਹਿ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਹਾਥ ਪੈ ਨੇਰੈ ਸਹਜੇ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਹੋਈ॥੪॥੧॥ ਭਗਤ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ੬੫੮ The Master is at once One and many, enjoying IT’s creation being in every body; He is nearer than our hands and feet, making things to happen effortlessly (SGGS 658). […]

Tuesday, 14 June 2011 01:42 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

God – The Unifying Spirit

ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੋਇ ਜਿਸ ਕਾ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਰਹਿਆ ਭਰਪੂਰਿ ਸਚਾ ਸਚੁ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਅ(ਆਸਾ ਮ: ੫, ਪੰ: ੩੯੮). My God is One who belongs to all; God is eternal and all pervasive. Pause. (M: 5, p 398). The above verse from the Sikh scripture Sri Guru Granth Sahib emphasizes the […]

Monday, 30 May 2011 13:10 Written by Rawel Singh 1 Comment

Naam and Hukam – Divine Virtues and Commands

ਤੂੰ ਵਰਨਾ ਚਿਹਨਾ ਬਾਹਰਾ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਦਿਸਹਿ ਹਾਜਰੁ ਜਾਹਰਾ ॥ ਸੁਣਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਤੁਝੈ ਧਿਆਇਦੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਭਗਤ ਰਤੇ ਗੁਣਤਾਸੁ ਜੀਉ ॥੨੦॥ O Lord, You have no color or features; but Your presence is felt all over; the devotees, hearing and dwelling on Your virtues, are imbued with them (SGGS, p 74). ਤ੍ਵ ਸਰਬ ਨਾਮ ਕਥੈ ਕਵਨ […]

Sunday, 22 May 2011 13:11 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Faith and Rationale – Sidak and Bibek

Faith and Rationale Faith and drationale or reasoning are two valuable virtues. However if they are treated in two exclusive compartments they can become pitfalls. For example faith alone may lead to the belief that one’s religion is the only one or the best. This is used by some as the basis to criticize or […]

Monday, 18 April 2011 23:31 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

KARMA

Note: This study is based on Gurbani or Guru’s Word as contained in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) and all pages in parentheses are thereof. The original in Gurbmukhi also shows the author e.g. the numeral ੫ means the Fifth Guru. Karma is the phenomenon of cause and effect. Karma literally means ‘deeds’ and […]

Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:53 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

JAPJI– A JOURNEY TO DIVINE GRACE

JAPJI– A JOURNEY TO DIVINE GRACE Japji is the first composition in the Sikh Holy Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) whose contents are referred to as Gurbani meaning the Guru’s word. The Sikh s treat this scripture as the eternal living guru. One theme that runs throughout is Divine grace. Japji is a composition […]

Tuesday, 22 March 2011 01:26 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Maaia (Maya)

Maaia is an all encompassing phenomenon in the mortal world. The third Guru defines Maaia thus: ਮਾਇਆ ਕਿਸ ਨੋ ਆਖੀਐ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਇਆ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ ਦੁਖਿ ਸੁਖਿ ਏਹੁ ਜੀਉ ਬਧੁ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਚੂਕਈ ਨਾ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਇ ॥੬॥ What is Maya and how do we act under its […]

Thursday, 03 March 2011 22:55 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Naam

Naam is fundamental to the Sikh faith. It has been used in Sri Guru Granth Sahib or Gurbani innumerable times The scripture uses it in the beginning of Mool Mantar as Sat Naam and in the last Tuk “Nanak naam mile ta jiva tann mann theevai haria” before Ragmala. So SGGS starts and ends with […]

Wednesday, 02 March 2011 04:11 Written by Rawel Singh 1 Comment

Religion versus Science Debate

Advancement of science and education in the last five or six centuries threw up many scientific theories which could be verified but the Church would have none of those as they are not verifiable from Biblical texts. A striking example of this was Copernicus (1473 -1543) formulating the theory that the sun and not […]

Monday, 14 February 2011 04:00 Written by Rawel Singh 1 Comment

Gurbani and Nature

Gurbani and Nature Gurbani, the guru’s word as contained in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture is meant for the learned and the common folks alike. Keeping in view the latter it makes extensive use of allegories and metaphors to convey the spiritual message. They are in the form of using physical/natural […]

Friday, 11 February 2011 07:18 Written by Rawel Singh 3 Comments

Gurbani and Cosmology

Introduction. Cosmology is the study of the origin of the universe, its structure, and the laws governing it. This study has been carried out in two fields – religious and scientific, the latter as part of astrophysics. Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with physical properties of the universe, how it […]

Friday, 28 January 2011 04:20 Written by Rawel Singh 4 Comments

Jap Tap Sanjam

Some people feel that Gurbani contains seemingly contradictory references on the subject of Jap and Tap i.e. remembrance and penance. However if we see the context in which they are used it becomes clear that there is no contradiction. Let us first see what these terms mean. In the Hindu practices Jap is taken as […]

Wednesday, 28 July 2010 11:56 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Concentration during Nitnem

Human birth is supreme amongst all life forms as it provides an opportunity for the soul to end its journey of births and deaths and merge in God. For this the humans must realize what they are here for and conduct their life accordingly. This is taught by the scriptures which are Sri Guru Granth […]

Saturday, 13 February 2010 23:04 Written by Rawel Singh 21 Comments

Gurbani on Names of God and Hindu gods

Gurbani on Names of God and Hindu gods Gurbani or the Guru’s word as contained in Sri Guru Granth Sahib says God has no name but still innumerable names. Gurbani contains the Gurus’ discourses which they sang and explained to their audiences. The compositions of various saints selected by the gurus for inclusion in […]

Sunday, 07 February 2010 02:54 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Ninda tay Nindak – Slander and the Slanderer

It is common experience that whenever some one is talking ill of another every one listens with attention. Criticism of others seems to add spice to conversations. The criticism may or may not be based on truth.In most cases slander of another is manifestation of the slanderer’s own faults and mindset, says the fifth Guru: […]

Sunday, 31 January 2010 02:51 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Moving from Cravng to Contentment

Santokh (or Santosh) means contentment, satisfaction or happiness. Let us try and understand what it really is. It is generally understood that a contented person is one who is satisfied with what he (or she) has, or has achieved in life. It may be argued that if one is satisfied with what one has there […]

Saturday, 23 January 2010 14:26 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

The Sikh and other Religions – Comparative Study

The Sikh religion is the youngest of the organized religions, its origin dating to the 15th century coinciding with the advent of its founder Guru Nanak (1469- 1539). At this time considerable progress in the educational, scientific and industrial fields was being made. Communications had also improved making interaction between geographically separated people. The religion […]

Sunday, 10 January 2010 02:35 Written by Rawel Singh 1 Comment

The Game of Chaupar and Human Life

Gurbani makes generous use of metaphors for facilitating easy understanding of many phenomena. A fairly often used metaphor is of the game of ‘Chaupar’ to represent how roles of all living beings are allotted by God. It also shows how deeds of the creatures affect them. All this is set in the context that the […]

Saturday, 02 January 2010 14:54 Written by Rawel Singh 0 Comments

Sikh Approach to War and Peace.

Sikh philosophy looks at peace and war from three angles. First against evil within the mind, second defense against attacks, including preemptive strikes, and third in aid of the weak or oppressed. There is a continuous battle raging in the mind. On the one hand temptations try to entice the mind and largely succeed in […]

Sunday, 27 December 2009 02:54 Written by Rawel Singh 1 Comment

Category: Philosophical Concepts