The Sikh Newsletter - Volume II

[bLaDe]

There is only One God:


"The Formless Supreme Being abides in the Realm of Eternity. Over His creation He casts His glance of grace. In that Realm are contained all the continents and the universes, Exceeding in number all count. Of creation worlds upon worlds abide therein; All obedient to His will; He watches over them in bliss, And has each constantly in mind." (Guru Nanak)

Yo, wuz sup ya'll, I decided to continue the Sikh newsletter for a while, since many people appreciated it....

Aight first of all, April 13 was a special day.  The day of Baisakhi.  A festival to mark the day Sikhism was completed. Significance of Baisakhi
Baisakhi has a special meaning for the Sikhs. On this day in 1699, their tenth Guru Gobind Singh organized the order of the Khalsa and administered amrit (nectar, holywater) to his first batch of five disciples making them Singhs, a martial community. Again, on this day in 1875, Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj-a reformed sect of Hindus who are devoted to the Vedas for spiritual guidance and have discarded idol worship. This day is once again of immense religious import to the Buddhists because Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and Nirvana on this auspicious day.


The Khalsa  
"I have made this body and mind a sacrifice, a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Dedicating my body and mind, I have crossed over the terrifying world-ocean, and shaken off the fear of death." (Guru Arjan Dev, Chant)

Guru Gobind Singh was the last Guru of the Sikhs in human form. He created the Khalsa, a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood devoted to purity of thought and action. He gave the Khalsa a distinctive external form to remind them of their commitment, and to help them maintain an elevated state of consciousness. Every Sikh baptized as Khalsa vows to wear the Five "K's":

Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a turban, the crown of spirituality.

Kangha - a wooden comb to properly groom the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.  A symbol of hygiene and discipline as opposed to the matted unkept hair of ascetics. A Khalsa is expected to regularly wash and comb their hair as a matter of self discipline.

Katchera - Drawers. A symbol signifying self control and chastity. As a reminder of the commitment to purity.

Kara - a steel circle, worn on the wrist, signifying bondage to Truth and freedom from every other entanglement.

Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is committed to righteously defend the fine line of the Truth.  Ceremonial Sword. A symbol of dignity and the Sikh struggle against injustice. It is worn purely as a religious symbol and not as a weapon.

Khalsa also vows to refrain from any sexual relationships outside of marriage, and to refrain from taking meat, tobacco, alcohol, and all other intoxicants.

Dastar - Turban. A symbol of royalty and dignity. Historically the turban has been held in high esteem in eastern and middle eastern cultures. Guru Gobind Singh transformed this cultural symbol into a religious requirement so that the Khalsa would always have high self-esteem. It differentiates Sikhs from other religious followers who keep long hair but wear caps or keep matted hair. The turban cannot be covered by any other head gear or replaced by a cap or hat. The turban is mandatory for Sikh men and optional for Sikh women.

Then Guru Gobind Singh infused his own being into the Khalsa, declaring that the Khalsa was now the Guru in all temporal matters. For spiritual matters, the Guruship was given to the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib", a compilation of sacred writings by those who have experienced Truth. For Sikhs, "Siri Guru Granth Sahib" is the living embodiment of the Guru, and is regarded with the utmost reverence and respect wherever it is found. Sikhs all over the world took to the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib" as their living Guru, as the source of spiritual instruction and guidance.


Theres a bit more about the Khalsa which i will talk about in the next newsletter along with more Sikh belifs of Life and way of living, hope ya'll enjoyed it, peace

 -{bLaDe}

[Trauma-san]

Nice

Yup, I remember the 5 K's now.  Latter day saints do a similar thing, ceremonial undergarments, and refrain from sex outside of marriage, alcohol, drugs, ciggarettes, etc.  Cool

[Instant_Killa]

thats dope to know, thankx blade.

[infinite59]

Nother dope newsletter, keep them coming....You mentioned this in your newletter........

The Khalsa  
"I have made this body and mind a sacrifice, a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Dedicating my body and mind, I have crossed over the terrifying world-ocean, and shaken off the fear of death." (Guru Arjan Dev, Chant)

^^^^ I believe that that unique level of consciousness and spirituality, is what all human's should be striving for, far too many of us are saying, "I want to be a millionaire," that's poison, but it is knowledge like this that purifies that pollution, washing it away with wisdom, and the knowledge that you have dedicated your mind and body to the lord, that you have defeated the illusion of the physical world, and that you have shaken your fear of death.  Peace.