As you read this post I'm sure you will be wiping back the tears as realization sets in that it is the last post from the Dundee Camp saga. Stay strong, may the force be with you. LOL
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!!
i know that some of you will be moved to tears by the fact that this is the concluding part of my epic, rivalling the likes of Mahabharat, but fear not because
pRB pRIqm myrY sMig rwie ]
prabh preetham maerai sa(n)g raae ||
My Beloved God, my King is with me.
So if you arent fortunate enough to have darshan of myself (Glasgow Baba), Akal Purakh is ALWAYS with us - sometimes we just cant realise this...the next time that anybody is wavering, or maybe about to do something and something , a little voice in your head is telling you that its wrong...well thats your beloved king who is with you!
anyways thats enough sikhi for just now :p
after waking up , one of the other singhs (i wont embarass them by revealing theie name - satinder singh!!) scented the beautiful smell of guru Ka Langar - specifically pronthae!! yum yum! As you could understand we got ready rather sharpish and fought each other to get down the stairs (lol not really...honestly!!)
We all sat down, and as we looked forward to the Auntji's brilliant cooking of Guru Ka Langar something SHOCKING happened...
I'D FORGOTTEN MY BHATTA!!
--editors note--
Bhatta - a bowl made out of Iron (Sarbloh) that some people choose to eat out of, depending on their personal choice of how much rehit they feel that they can follow. Nb - it is simply ritualism to eat of the Sarbloh Bhatta without recitation of Baani/Simran. Eating from a Bhatta is scientifically proven to help us Sikhs as we are vegetarian and therefore do not get as much Iron from our food as those cannibals - i mean meat eaters:) . Each time you eat out of the bhatta a small film of iron is digested as well, providing with x% of your RDA! (dont worry not enough to poison you..im still here!) [editor note - unforunatley lol]
its not something to quarrel over or to make you think you are better than anybody else. A very great Singh - Bhai sahib Bhai Jiwan Singh is a Sarbloh Biibeki (eats only from Sarbloh) but never enters controversies or hurts the sentiments of those who wish to give him langar, he goes and gets fruit, one for him one for the other person and they eat together :) Dhan Dhan Guru Kay Sikh
-------
As quick as i could i raced up the stairs and picked up my Bhatta, then put on my The Jathedar hoody (can i just point out that i didnt mean me to be the jathedar - its Jathedar Shaheed Sukhdev Singh on the hoody who is the Jathedar!!)
coming back down i saw that Ravjeet singh and manvir singh were devouring the pronthae, with Manvir Singh Khalsa (panthic singh from [censored on request] ) was drinking down his 5th cup of Cha!! teribble what some of the youth are addicted to these days...unlike me who is only addicted to naam - well what do u expect from such a next level singh hunna!
It was camp time, and we all went into Darbar Sahib to get Maharajs hukam, and also listen to some beautiful kirtan - the rather imposing figure of bhai Vijay Singh who was in full kirtan swing, perhaps intoxicated (heheh ;)) by the power of the shabad!!! I picked up my personalised Chennay (the bell things!) - personalised because on one i had "Red" and on the other "Hot"!!! what can i say i really am awesome at chennay...just another one of my infinite talents i guess.. Ravjeet Singh was singing his heart out, and Siddharat Singh was also singing (well i think thats what it was supposed to be!) his heart out. After Bhaji Vijay Singh had finished waking us all fully up and putting GuruMaharajs Shabad in our minds for the day we listened to Hukamnama by Bhaji Manvir Singh, and Daas was given sewa of finding the hukamnama on SikhiToTheMax...
im sure i got it just before Manvir Singh ended! I blame his laptop..Oh by the way Manvir Singh Ji has a new laptop...after his old one was stolen at the camp we had in glasgow earlier this year!! I must say it looked really nice...
! We never found out who stole his other laptop, they came into the Gurudwara when we were all walking to another gurudwara for a weekly simran program! What a low thing to do..chullo - maharaj is Antarjamee and knows whatever is in all of our hearts...Btw anybody want to buy a laptop? Quick sale - no questions asked - £500!!
Sukhmani Sahib was done by another singh up from Glasgow - Kaka Sharandeep Singh who read full Sukhmani Sahib, and then Anand Sahib as we went out of Darbaar Sahib and proceeded to tie dastaars on the young children...we had come prepared with a load of keski material heheh!
At first a couple of brave little volunteers came forward, and slowly the trickle became an avalanche as all of us were swamped by eager little boys wanting dastaars tied. Just as we thought we'd finished, the penjis started to come forward to get their dastaars tied, the sewadaars couldnt all resist a smile between us, look at how far these children had come in a day - from not knowing Mool Mantar Sahib
(Ik Oankaar, Satnaam, Kurta Purkh, Nirbhoh, Nirver, Akaal Moorat, Ajooni Saibhang, Gur Prasaad)
to tying their Kes in jooras on their heads and getting dastaar'd - singhs and singhnia lining up! And then just when we thought things couldnt get any more fufilling for us, the Babajis and bibijis, Auntijis and Unclejis, Chachajis and Chachijis (ok i made that one up lol) all came forwards to get dastaars tied oon their heads!
What was looking as though it would be a five minute job had now turned into a 2 hour mission, and it was fun!! Even though i was extremley busy doing loads and loads and loads of seva, i managed to find a little time to pose for pictures! (are you surprised?!) Of course i was not 'posing' as such, as i was hard at work doing seva so never noticed my pictures being taken - i usually charge for an official signed photograph!!- all pictures of Dundee Camp have been uploaded By Manvir Singh Khalsa to flickr and you can view them here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/13892914@N02/sets/72157602099250611/ (look out for the ones with me in them!!!)
By the time we had finished the whole Sangat (bar maybe 2 or 3 brothers and sisters) had keskis and dastaars tied on their heads and we were out of material! Becharaa Ravjeet Singh Ji even gave up his dastaar material he'd just brought from india for himself! [Blogger note - I would like to add here all that material was bought especially from India. Where a certain Singh (not mentioning any names) Glasgow Baba, saw some spare he tied it around his waist!! Anyway we went and stripped him of it when yet another auntie jee came forward to have dastaar tied :D ]
It was an amazing transformation , with the blessings of Maharaj, the gurudwara which yesterday had been full of non kesadhari brothers and sisters was now in the form of the Khalsa, with kesri Dastaars and a rather nice pink colour dastaar everywhere we looked! A really nice colour of pink actually....really really nice...wonder how it'd look on me, in a pink bana...hmmmmm
LOL! anyways...moving on...SWIFTLY! - we all went back into the darbar sahib where Bhai Satinder Singh Ji was doing some melodious Kirtan, and all the sangat had their eyes closed, swimming in the warmth of the shabad.
After this it was Bhai Vijay Singh Ji's turn to do Kirtan, and boy did he do Kirtan!! Everytime there was a Tuk that related to Naam he started Simran, and the whole sangat - some of these who usually never came to the gurudwara were singing at the top of their voices!! How inspiring is that??
*how amazing is this..as i write this and recall the diwaan a shabad just started up - Jap Man Mayray Govind Ki Baani!!!* man sikhi is just too amazing for words!
the link to the shabad is here: http://www.akj.org/multimedia/Bakersfield/2006/200610bakd007fri.mp3 - Bhai Harpreet Singh Ji - beautifully sung in AKJ / Raag format!
the shabad:
| This Shabad is by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree on Pannaa 192 |
| gauVI mhlw 5 ] |
| gourree mehalaa 5 || |
| Gauree, Fifth Mehla: |
| ijsu ismrq dUKu sBu jwie ] |
| jis simarath dhookh sabh jaae || |
| Remembering Him in meditation, all pains are gone. |
| nwmu rqnu vsY min Awie ]1] |
| naam rathan vasai man aae ||1|| |
| The jewel of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, comes to dwell in the mind. ||1|| |
| jip mn myry goivMd kI bwxI ] |
| jap man maerae govi(n)dh kee baanee || |
| O my mind, chant the Bani, the Hymns of the Lord of the Universe. |
| swDU jn rwmu rsn vKwxI ]1] rhwau ] |
| saadhhoo jan raam rasan vakhaanee ||1|| rehaao || |
| The Holy People chant the Lord's Name with their tongues. ||1||Pause|| |
| ieksu ibnu nwhI dUjw koie ] |
| eikas bin naahee dhoojaa koe || |
| Without the One Lord, there is no other at all. |
| jw kI idRsit sdw suKu hoie ]2] |
| jaa kee dhrisatt sadhaa sukh hoe ||2|| |
| By His Glance of Grace, eternal peace is obtained. ||2|| |
| swjnu mIqu sKw kir eyku ] |
| saajan meeth sakhaa kar eaek || |
| Make the One Lord your friend, intimate and companion. |
| hir hir AKr mn mih lyKu ]3] |
| har har akhar man mehi laekh ||3|| |
| Write in your mind the Word of the Lord, Har, Har. ||3|| |
| riv rihAw srbq suAwmI ] |
| rav rehiaa sarabath suaamee || |
| The Lord Master is totally pervading everywhere. |
| gux gwvY nwnku AMqrjwmI ]4]62]131] |
| gun gaavai naanak a(n)tharajaamee ||4||62||131|| |
| Nanak sings the Praises of the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts. ||4||62||131|| |
as i was saying, despite some wannabe Prabhandaks trying to stop him, [someone has to keep hold of time you know! and going Guroo Guroo on everyone at that time well...] Bhai Vijay Singh was imbued with the Naam and carried on relentlessly - of course expertly and ably supported by my terriffic chennay playing skills! [btw you Glasgow baba aka Paman Singh you owe me a pair of chennay for ones you broke!!!]
Once he was finished, the stage was set for Manvir Singh Ji - and he started with heart warming simran - in only the way that he can - y'all know what im talking about!!
Perhaps the simran charged him up, because when he gave his lecture to the sangat he was like a man possessed - he told the sangat things that i felt they needed to hear about the practicalities, and how they ought to follow Guru Sahib jis Hukam - why do we cut our hair when maharaj is giving us a gift - we refuse it and turn our backs on Maharaj!! Maharaj is helping us - the more kes we have the more Maharaj blesses us to Jaap Naam because each and every hair multiplies your Naam Kamaaee, Maharaj is reaching his hand out to bring us across the terrifying worldly ocean (lol i ripped that phrase from English nitnem Gutka Translations!!) and we are pulling our hand back and drowning! Remember the mind is oh so fickle, always running away - you know when we sit in Darbar Sahib, and we dont really listen to kirtan - instead we think about how the day was, what people will think if you go downstairs, what he/she is wearing etc etc! Maharaj tells us we are asleep - asleep in Maya's arms, without realising that each and every second is gone, and irreplaceable!
| This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Aasaa on Pannaa 418 |
| <> siqgur pRswid ] |
| ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh || |
| One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: |
| Awsw kwPI mhlw 1 Gru 8 AstpdIAw ] |
| aasaa kaafee mehalaa 1 ghar 8 asattapadheeaa || |
| Aasaa, Kaafee, First Mehla, Eighth House, Ashtpadeeaa: |
| jYsy goieil goielI qYsy sMswrw ] |
| jaisae goeil goeilee thaisae sa(n)saaraa || |
| As the shepherd is in the field for only a short time, so is one in the world. |
| kUVu kmwvih AwdmI bWDih Gr bwrw ]1] |
| koorr kamaavehi aadhamee baa(n)dhhehi ghar baaraa ||1|| |
| Practicing falsehood, they build their homes. ||1|| |
| jwghu jwghu sUiqho cilAw vxjwrw ]1] rhwau ] |
| jaagahu jaagahu soothiho chaliaa vanajaaraa ||1|| rehaao || |
| Wake up! Wake up! O sleepers, see that the travelling merchant is leaving. ||1||Pause|| |
| nIq nIq Gr bWDIAih jy rhxw hoeI ] |
| neeth neeth ghar baa(n)dhheeahi jae rehanaa hoee || |
| Go ahead and build your houses, if you think you will stay here forever and ever. |
| ipMfu pvY jIau clsI jy jwxY koeI ]2] |
| pi(n)dd pavai jeeo chalasee jae jaanai koee ||2|| |
| The body shall fall, and the soul shall depart; if only they knew this. ||2|| |
| EhI EhI ikAw krhu hY hosI soeI ] |
| ouhee ouhee kiaa karahu hai hosee soee || |
| Why do you cry out and mourn for the dead? The Lord is, and shall always be. |
| qum rovhugy Es no qum@ kau kauxu roeI ]3] |
| thum rovahugae ous no thumh ko koun roee ||3|| |
| You mourn for that person, but who will mourn for you? ||3|| |
| DMDw ipithu BweIho qum@ kUVu kmwvhu ] |
| dhha(n)dhhaa pittihu bhaaeeho thumh koorr kamaavahu || |
| You are engrossed in worldly entanglements, O Siblings of Destiny, and you are practicing falsehood. |
| Ehu n suxeI kq hI qum@ lok suxwvhu ]4] |
| ouhu n sunee kath hee thumh lok sunaavahu ||4|| |
| The dead person does not hear anything at all; your cries are heard only by other people. ||4|| |
| ijs qy suqw nwnkw jwgwey soeI ] |
| jis thae suthaa naanakaa jaagaaeae soee || |
| Only the Lord, who causes the mortal to sleep, O Nanak, can awaken him again. |
| jy Gru bUJY Awpxw qW nId n hoeI ]5] |
| jae ghar boojhai aapanaa thaa(n) needh n hoee ||5|| |
| One who understands his true home, does not sleep. ||5|| |
| jy cldw lY cilAw ikCu sMpY nwly ] |
| jae chaladhaa lai chaliaa kishh sa(n)pai naalae || |
| If the departing mortal can take his wealth with him, |
| qw Dnu sMchu dyiK kY bUJhu bIcwry ]6] |
| thaa dhhan sa(n)chahu dhaekh kai boojhahu beechaarae ||6|| |
| then go ahead and gather wealth yourself. See this, reflect upon it, and understand. ||6|| |
| vxju krhu mKsUdu lYhu mq pCoqwvhu ] |
| vanaj karahu makhasoodh laihu math pashhothaavahu || |
| Make your deals, and obtain the true merchandise, or else you shall regret it later. |
| Aaugx Cofhu gux krhu AYsy qqu prwvhu ]7] |
| aougan shhoddahu gun karahu aisae thath paraavahu ||7|| |
| Abandon your vices, and practice virtue, and you shall obtain the essence of reality. ||7|| |
| Drmu BUim squ bIju kir AYsI ikrs kmwvhu ] |
| dhharam bhoom sath beej kar aisee kiras kamaavahu || |
| Plant the seed of Truth in the soil of Dharmic faith, and practice such farming. |
| qW vwpwrI jwxIAhu lwhw lY jwvhu ]8] |
| thaa(n) vaapaaree jaaneeahu laahaa lai jaavahu ||8|| |
| Only then will you be known as a merchant, if you take your profits with you. ||8|| |
| krmu hovY siqguru imlY bUJY bIcwrw ] |
| karam hovai sathigur milai boojhai beechaaraa || |
| If the Lord shows His Mercy, one meets the True Guru; contemplating Him, one comes to understand. |
| nwmu vKwxY suxy nwmu nwmy ibauhwrw ]9] |
| naam vakhaanai sunae naam naamae biouhaaraa ||9|| |
| Then, one chants the Naam, hears the Naam, and deals only in the Naam. ||9|| |
| ijau lwhw qotw iqvY vwt cldI AweI ] |
| jio laahaa thottaa thivai vaatt chaladhee aaee || |
| As is the profit, so is the loss; this is the way of the world. |
| jo iqsu BwvY nwnkw sweI vifAweI ]10]13] |
| jo this bhaavai naanakaa saaee vaddiaaee ||10||13|| |
| Whatever pleases His Will, O Nanak, is glory for me. ||10||13|| |
anywaaaaaaayyyyys - back to the email - Manvir Singh was not flowery in his language shall we say.
Now come on...do you really see him doing that!?His lecture was one of the most inspirational and amazing ive ever heard - i think it was recorded, and i know for a fact that it hit home, as several parents came up and remarked to me afterwards on just how right Singhji was.
And then it was hukamanama -
ਸਭਿ ਕੁਸਲ ਖੇਮ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਧਾਰੇ ॥
Sabẖ kusal kẖėm prabẖ ḏẖārė.
God has blessed all with peace and pleasure.
ਸਹੀ ਸਲਾਮਤਿ ਸਭਿ ਥੋਕ ਉਬਾਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Sehī salāmaṯ sabẖ thok ubārė gur kā shabaḏ vīcẖārė. Rahāo.
Everything is safe and sound, as we contemplate the Word of the Guru's Shabad. ||Pause||
how amazzing is our Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj?! I cant stop being amazed - maharaj ACTUALLY talks to us - eveytime i hear a Hukamnama it relates to me, just incredible.
And with that once we finished the Program that was Smaapti and the end of the camp!
It was such a wrench to leave the sangat after we all bonded so well, they really did become part of my family - from Gupt Sewadaar Bhagat Singh, to Princess Seva Kaur :D:D, all the way to Bhaji Siddharat Singh - Jelaybeean Wale!!
We departed and I took Sharandeep Singh, Ravjeet Singh, Manvir Singh and vijay Singh in my car as we drove down to Edinburgh to drop them off at the airport, without simran being done most of the way, as well as kirtan - just as well according to them - especially considering my driving! But i told them that i was a much better driver than any of them - after who had recieved the most points for driving!!! [hence we had loud simran going most way as we did ardaas that our Keertan Sohila wouldn't be read today... at least not in Paman singhs car...]
So we dropped them off, and despite almost making them leave as we all had photogrpahs and hugs for a good 10-15 mins at the airport (oblivious of all the goray looking at these bearded - knife carrying - long dress-like-clothes wearing people)
We waved them off, and then Sharandeep Singh and i began our journey back to Glasgow, feeling as though id left a part of me in Dundee, and another part of me was somewhere in the air on a flight to England....
THE END!!!
(im sure for some of you those two words are the most beautiful you'll have read!!)
Manvir Singh and Dass doing workshop
Gupt Sevadaar aka Bhagat Singh :P
