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Go Sikh Gurmukhi Letter Board

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:49:59 +0000

Featured Photo: Go Sikh Gurmukhi Letter Board

Do you know the letters of the Gurmukhi alphabet?

First Guru Nanak, as a young student, astounded his teachers when he wrote an acrostic poem on the divine significance of letters:

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The Establishment of Langar by Mata Khivi

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:51:12 +0000

Bhai Lehna became the disciple of Guru Nanak as a young man along with his wife Khivi and their two young children when they left the worship of goddess Durga to follow the newly founded faith of Sikhism. Khivi had become the mother of four when First Guru Nanak Dev later entrusted the care of the budding Sikh religion to her husband Lehna, naming him Second Guru Angad.
As the Guru's wife and helpmate, Mata Khivi took charge of organizing langar, the communal free kitchen. She made certain fresh food would always be available, and personally served meals to the Guru's followers.

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Royal Falcon Musical

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:37:44 +0000

The Royal Falcon Musical
Based on Author Jessi Kaur's book The Royal Falcon adapted for the stage as a musical play by Tony Kientz

Kushi the Royal Falcon in Flight with Arjan
Photo Copyright Protected © [G & H Studios Courtesy IGS NOW]

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Prem Dhey Theer, the Arrows of Spiritual Love in Sikhism

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:52:13 +0000

Prem Dhey Theer, Valentine Arrows of Spiritual Love in Sikhism

Photo © [Courtesy S Khalsa]
Sharing Spiritual Love

In Sikhism, regardless of the body's gender, its soul is considered to have a feminine aspect corresponding to male aspect of the Divine. The Sikh holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib is a guide to ridding the self of ego through the practice of simran and meditation on naam in order to experience the ecstatic union of spiritual love between the soul bride and her divine groom. A special love exists between soul-bride sisters who are fondly known to each other as a sakhi, or girlfriend. A Sakhi expresses love by exchanging divine valentines "Prem Dhey Theer" or "Arrows of Love" with her spiritual sisters so that they help each other to remain always focused on remembrance of their Divine Beloved.

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Creation vs Evolution or Does It?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:02:13 +0000

Charles Darwin's February 12 birthday has a way of refueling the debate between Evolutionists and Creationist. However I don't see the controversy. Intelligent design and the evolutionary process seem completely complimentary. Imagine bothering to create creation without the ability to adapt. The result would be in built-in extinction. An outcome without possibility for change could not further propagation. Only limited intellect seeks to limit the illimitable infinite to its finite understanding.

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How Do You Cope With Heart Break?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:15:04 +0000

When I learned that someone, who is like family to me, had gone with a group of volunteers to Port-au-Prince, Haiti I never expected that it would become a personal journey for me. I called his mother immediately. We had both become grandmothers that year. I could hardly believe he had left his wife and new baby to take part in disaster relief. He's been very kind to share photographs of the trip, asking only that they be attributed to United Sikhs, the UN affiliated, international aid organization who organized the seva project he volunteered for in Haiti. As I began sorting through the images, I became choked up looking at the devastation and condition that earthquake survivors are dealing with. The little children especially affected me. I asked, my young friend who had been with these children, "How do you cope with the heartbreak?" He gave me an irreverent answer, which is a method I've employed myself during dire moments, try hard to make each other laugh. But when I took a careful look at pictures of him with orphans, I could see his grim expression and I realized in actuality that his manner of coping meant going there and doing whatever he could to help, even though it meant being away from his own family.

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Garden of the Heart

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:28:19 +0000

What do you plant in the garden of your heart?

"Man tan nirmal karat kiaaro har sinchai sudhaa sanjor ||
I make my mind and body into pure little gardens, and irrigate them with the sublime essence of the Lord. SGGS||701

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Falling in Love - What Does it Mean?

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:24:16 +0000

What is love?

"Naanak dhan suhaaganee jin seh naal piaar||5||13||
O Nanak, blessed is that fortunate bride, who is in love with her Husband Lord. SGGS||18

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The Forgiving Heart Blossoms

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:43:30 +0000

As a lad, Guru Har Rai wept when his robe caught the thorn of a rose bush, broke its stem, and bruised its blossoms. Some might have faulted the rose's thorns, overlooking their own carelessness, but Har Rai felt remorse for not taking care to avoid them.

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Love and Romance in Sikhism

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:22:52 +0000

Arranged marriage is very much the norm in Sikhism. Dating is discouraged and premarital relations are forbidden by the Sikh code of conduct. Romance between couples is something which takes place after the wedding and occurs behind closed doors. Commitment to marriage and family is strong. Divorce and remarriage is unusual with estimations below two percent. Compare that with the national average in the United States where 40 - 50% of first marriages, 60 - 67% second of marriages, and 73 - 74% of third marriages ending in failure.

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