When do you become a sikh?

The last few days, I was thinking about when you become a sikh... And when I wrote the last words of my latest post "I may not be a sikh yet, but I am certainly a sikher... " it became so clear to me, I have not got a clue. I am not often finding myself so totally clueless as I am when it comes to sikhi, and I find it very refreshing. It is hard, don't get me wrong, but it is also very interesting, everything is new! I learn things every day, about myself and about sikhi.

MrSikhNet has been very busy the last few days and has been posting so much that I haven't been able to keep up and read it all, but I read a post called Look in the mirror where he wrote about a lot of different things but what really spoke to me were the lines

"The experience of being a Sikh is very personal and between a Sikh and his Guru. Where is the compassion, love and support that we should be giving to others? When we say we give our head to the Guru, that really means we give our ego and personality."

Gurumustuk also tells the importance of looking inside and getting to know your soul, to meditate. This is not one of my problems when it comes to sikhi, this is to me all there is. But I find myself saddened by the fact that I feel so lost when it comes to protocol. I try to read about how to go forward, I do some things that I belive is sikh and (this is so big for me) I belive and feel this is my path. But when have I crossed the line to being a sikh, when do you become a sikh?

Do you have to wear all 5 K's? Or are you a sikh when you feel the love and eternal divinity during meditation? When you visit a gurdwara regularly?

Ok, so sikh might just be a label but still... Will I ever be able to answer a question of what I belive with "I am a sikh"? Or will I always be on the outskirts of faith until I am it all? Can you be sikh in your mind and not wear a turban for instance?

So looking forward to reading your comments if you have any on this post!

Love and Bliss,

Music, go with the flow

Sat Narayan Wahe Guru
Hari Narayan Sat Nam

Sat Narayan is True Sustainer,
Wahe Guru is indescribable Wisdom,
Hari Narayan is creative sustenance
Sat Nam is True Identity.

This mantra is chanted to create inner peace so one can project outer peace, happiness and good fortune. Narayan is the aspect of Infinity that relates to the water element. This mantra helps you “go with the flow” and takes you beyond the world to the experience of Infinity.

Some weeks ago I got a wonderful gift from GuruGanesha; the chords for his version Sat Narayan. My initial thought was that I would learn to play them on guitar but my sister has really been in total control of the guitar lately so I have started play on the keyboard instead. And now I have created a short recording, full of noise and crappy sounding. But is so fun!

Thank you, GuruGanesha, for helping me! May you be surrounded by eternal love!

Summer solstice video to watch

It's a dream for me to go to summer solstice in New Mexico some day and have shared a video with you for that Ek Ong Kar Kaur made. And she has done it again!!! A new wonderful piece of love, friendship and inspiration.


Summer Solstice 2010 from ETentity on Vimeo.

This video I find at, where else?, MrSikhnet. I think he is like a big inspirational cyber buddy to all of us, even though I don't know him. When I feel low on inspiration I visit this blog and always find something new and inspirational. He has been posting for so many year and there are so much material. I have found lectures from Yogi Bhajan, music which I now love, beautiful photos that made me appreciate my own surroundings and just everyday stories that just picked me up when I was down. I'm sure you all follow MrSikhnet just as I do, but I just feel that sometimes it is important to tell the world if someone is doing great work. And MrSikhnet really is doing great work. I wish he would get an award, and why not?

This summer's Gratitude award goes to MrSikhnet! Yay!

O, o, o, this post did not go in that direction which it started in but that is life! Blessings and love!

Summer Solstice, sending my love

Today is the start of this years Summer Solstice in New Mexico. I'm not going, but I send my love to all sweet people there; I hope you have a real good time! I wish you a festival filled with laughter, insight, bliss and new friendships!

I'd love to see some picture later on. I hope some of the festival visitors share their experience. :-)

Day 86

The wisdom just flow my way through the hukams I'm receive, I'm grateful!

Within my mind and body is the intense pain of separation; how can my Beloved come to meet me in my home? When I see my God, seeing God Himself, my pain is taken away. I go and ask my friends, ""How can I meet and merge with God?"" O my True Guru, without You I have no other at all. I am foolish and ignorant; I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be Merciful and unite me with the Lord. The True Guru is the Giver of the Name of the Lord. God Himself causes us to meet Him. The True Guru understands the Lord God. There is no other as Great as the Guru. I have come and collapsed in the Guru's Sanctuary. In His Kindness, He has united me with God. No one has found Him by stubborn-mindedness. All have grown weary of the effort. Thousands of clever mental tricks have been tried, but still, the raw and undisciplined mind does not absorb the Color of the Lord's Love. By falsehood and deception, none have found Him. Whatever you plant, you shall eat. O God, You are the Hope of all. All beings are Yours; You are the Wealth of all. O God, none return from You empty-handed; at Your Door, the Gurmukhs are praised and acclaimed. In the terrifying world-ocean of poison, people are drowning-please lift them up and save them! This is servant Nanak's humble prayer.

I've been listning to Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa - Heal me and an other song of hers Triple Mantra. I feel protected, like I'm supposed to, I hope she will know that her voice makes people feel that. She and I are singing a duet in my house right now, while I'm writing this. Thank you Pimu, for posting link to this music some days ago.

I found a new blog yesterday, http://hearthesoundoftheguru.wordpress.com/, we are so many new seekers (or sikhers) now. Cyber sangat, you all are a blessing. The blog post about wearing a kara was really nice, I been longing to do so, wearing a kara, for some months, I think it was one of the first things I really could relate to in sikhism of the 5 K's. I think it's a nice reminder to think of, ok then God, or the divine. Beautiful!

And I completed my second 40 day sadhana. By the Guru's grace...

Some little notes and music :-)

Took a hukam... well what can I say, I have at least decided to apply for teacher training. :-) We'll see if I get in.

Youth and old age - my entire life has passed, but I haven't done any good.

Snatam Kaur has begun to post on her blog again, I like her music so much and I'm happy that she will share her thoughts. She carries me to the Guru every day when I listen to her music to and from work. You can find her blog here.

And as usual I can't resist, some nice music Livtar Singh - The Birthday Song (Long Time Sun)

Cyber-Hukam

Through a sister blog, (Swedish woman doing a kundalini yoga & mediation journey also sikhing as she puts it)Sweat and laugh: a journey into kundalini yoga, I found something called a Cyber-Hukam. I really tried to do this the respectful way and found out it's customary to recite Ardaas before taking a Hukam, standing before the Guru Granth Sahib Ji with your hands put together.

Unfortunately, I could not understand what I was supposed to say. I did some searches on "Ardaas" on google and sikhiwiki. Finally I came to understand that I should say the first part of the Ardaas, starting with Pritham Bhagautee. Weirdly enough, this is my favorite song with Snatam Kaur so I looked on the SpiritVoyage Mantrapedia and Pritham Bhagautee is the also known as Ardaas, so I said it all since I didn't know where to stop. I clicked on the "Take Hukamnama" and this is the advice to me:

ik oa(n)kaar sath naam karathaa purakh nirabho niravair akaal moorath ajoonee saibha(n) gur prasaadh

One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying. Beyond Birth. Self-Existent. By Guru's Grace

This is true, this was for me. This is love on an unimaginable level. I was moved to tears by the truth of it. I'm so grateful to Pimu for showing me this.

After taking the hukam I said 'Guru Granth Ji Maneo, Pargat Guraa Ki Deh. Guru Granth Sahib is the spiritual embodiment of the Gurus. Jo Prabh Ko Milbo Chahe, Khoj Shabad Meh Leh. Those who seek union with God should search through the divine wisdom contained in Guru Granth Sahib.', something I read you should do after. It felt right, so I guess it was.

Here are some beautiful songs containing the words of the hukam for me:

Amrit Kirtan singing the Mul Mantra
Guru Ganesha Singh singing the Mul Mantra (from Live at five)
Guru Ganesha Singh singing the Mul Mantra (from Grateful Ganesh)
Snatam Kaur singing the Mul Mantra (from Anand)
Sat Kartar singing the Mul Mantra (from A Daily Practice)
Guru Das Singh and Kaur singing the Mool Mantra (from Longing to belong)
Chardikala Jatha singing the Mool Mantra

Sangat - in the fellowship of the holy

I've been thinking about the concept of sangat for a few days now. I think I long for a group fellow seekers, to support and inspire each other to look further, I've been a bit sad sometimes that I'm living far away from people thhat know a lot about things I'm interested to know more about.

But the absolute beautiful part with the internet is that I'm already in the fellowship of the holy. I find spiritual inspiration by reading other bloggers views on sikhism and spirituality, I feel connected watching Youtube videos with lectures and I feel blessed for every comment someone takes the time to write on this blog. Every signed up Google follower makes my heart warm every time I log on to my blog and I feel uplifted and more educated when I read my newsletters. My point is that we all can choose what we use the internet for, it can be a dark and not so pleasant place to be in but it can also be light and beautiful.

I'm so happy that I get to be in the company of the holy! Thank you all for inspiring me!

Mixed thoughts

My new kundalini yoga and meditation set is wonderful. I like the prepering yoga postures and the meditation is pure love. The mantra is "Har Hare Hari Wahe Guru". I do not know why I was worried to start. This set is so challenging and still so rewarding, it's just a miracle.

Gurumustuk, MrSikhNet, wrote about my blog and after that it feels like more people have been reading my words. I don't have a visitor counter on this blog by choice, I don't want to be distracted, if people want to make them self known they will, by commenting or following this blog. It feels a bit weird though, I'm thinking; what do I have to offer? Do I have to write more inspiring posts now? It's a bit scary when you realise that the there are more than three, four persons reading. But I think this blog will stay the same as it started, very personal. And I like getting comments, it put things in perspective and often warm my heart.

I do understand that I sound like a child in many of my posts, but it's because english isn't my first language and I'm a total beginner at this; meditating, sikhism and so on. I'm actually having my 29th birthday today. It's been a really nice day; been at work, went to the movies with my husband, meditated, reading blogs on sikhism. I baked some vegan chocolate muffins to celebrate my birthday with my work colleagues, and they really liked it. They usually hassle me a bit about eating vegan food.

MrSikhnet uploaded some really nice videos on the topic Becoming a Sikh on youtube. Some of the interviews I've seen before but it was the first time I saw Hari Bhajan Kaur and Prabhu Singh, both interviews touched me.

Love

Watch this 25 minute long movie. Pure love! Thank you, Ek Ong Kar Kaur, for sharing!