Success: What it Is & Isn’t

Success is defined in different ways by different people, but let’s talk about what most people agree “success” looks like. Success Is:    knowing you did a good job during your day and had positive interactions with other people Success Is:    looking forward to going home to your family and sharing yourself with them Success Is:    knowing you have enough funds to pay this month’s bills and the bills that will arise in the future Success Is:    knowing that your spiritual life is in order and that you have somewhere to turn when you hit a bump in the road Success Isn’t:        running home and then hiding from your family because you’ve “had a hard day” Success Isn’t:        having all the money in the world and then trying to figure out how to amass even more Success Isn’t:        going to a worship service and creating your “to-do” list during it Success Isn’t:        burning the candle at both ends, never having time to play or relax In short, success is not always monetarily-related; you aren’t deemed “un-successful” if you don’t earn a six-figure salary.  Success is more than moving up a corporate ladder and it touches more than just your career.  It affects your marriage and family, your home life (finances, etc.), your spiritual life, and more. Being successful is a balancing act.  One isn’t considered successful in life if s/he climbs the corporate ladder but has a home- or family-life that is in shambles.  One isn’t considered “successful” if s/he earns plenty of money to retire on, anticipating spending that retirement with family, only to find that his/her children are gone and disinterested in any family relationships by the time retirement is possible. So is there one formula to be successful?  I think there is, and the components are:  positive thinking, the right skill set, the right philosophy, having direction, and having character.  All of these things make up a formula for success, and each of these things, if left out of the formula, will cause an individual to lack success in life. Learn how to think “success”so that you are successful at whatever you choose to do.

Power Of Mool Mantra (Is For All.)

Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa,

Waheguru ji ki Fateh Jiyo. 

STORY OF

"General Ayub Khan, former President of Pakistan"

"I used to study at a place name Aibtabaad.

I used to get the beatings from teacher (Maulvi) everyday as I was the weakest student of my class.

One day I became determined that I will not go to school. Halfway to school there was a Gurdwara Sahib. 

I would go inside the Gurdwara Sahib to hide away. 

The Baba jee (main sevadaar) of the Gurdwara Sahib knew me very well.

He asked me 

"O Yubeyaa! Isn’t it your school time? What are you doing here?”

I replied,

"I don't want to go to school because the teacher scolds and beats me everyday. 

I can’t bear it any more. I don't want to go to school.” 

He took me under his lap and said me, 

"Yubeyaa! I assure you, you will never ever get the beating from your teacher any more, but in return you will

 have to follow my instructions." 

He told me that whenever I go to school I should just keep reciting this holy Mool mantar. I followed his instructions. I went to the school reciting the "Mool Mantar". 

It was the first day in my school when I was spared from the beatings and scoldings of the teacher. I followed 

it everyday. Whenever I used to go to school I used to recite this holy Kalaam (Word of God) and after that I was never beaten by any teacher in the school.

Then exams arrived, so I went to the same Baba jee at the Gurdwara Sahib and said, "Baba jee, I want to get good marks in the exam, tell me what should I do?”

The Baba jee replied ,"Never leave the Holy Word of Guru Nanak (referring to the Mool Mantar) you will reach any position you wish.” 

It’s because of this Kalaam (Holy Word) of Guru Nanak Sahib that I have reached the position of president today."

At Ayub kHAN'S Home in Drawing Hall

You can see On the wall

"painting of the Mool Mantar (the opening verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee) in Urdu and Panjabi"

GURUDWARA IN DUBAI.

Dubai, Jul 3 (IANS): Ornate 24-carat gold canopies for the Guru Granth Sahib religious text of Sikhism, Italian marble on the walls  and floor, stunning chandeliers and a five-star kitchen - Dubai's first gurdwara is a grand realisation of the aspirations of 50,000 Sikhs in  the UAE. Gurunanak Darbar is a heady mix of spirituality, tradition,  modernity, opulence and the determination of a man.   On entering the building, one is in awe of its sheer grandeur and the attention to detail. A sense of calm descends as strains of "Tu Prabh Daata," a popular 'kirtan' or devotional chants, fill the air. As the ambience sinks in, NRI businessman Surender Singh Kandhari, the man behind the Sikh temple, walks in, urging devotees to use the lift instead of taking the stairs to the main prayer hall. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, who donated a piece of land in the Jebel Ali area for the gurdwara about six years ago, wanted it to be iconic. The opulent building is worth every bit of the 65 million Dirhams spent on it - a large part of it contributed by Kandhari himself. "We didn't want to compromise on anything. It has the latest Italian marble and best lights. I told the contractor I want a 100-year guarantee for the building so that our future generations are able to utilise it," Kandhari told IANS in an interview. "I told the ruler, 'Well, one can't surpass the Golden Temple.' But what we have is the most modern gurdwara in the world," said Kandhari, chairman of the Al Dobowi Group that manufactures and distributes automotive batteries and tyres. The idea of the building was born 11 years ago with the growing need of a proper place of worship for the Sikhs, who until January this year shared space in the cramped temple premises in Bur Dubai. The permission came through six years ago when the ruler of Dubai gave 25,400 sq feet of land to build the temple, said Kandhari. On the grand opening of the gurdwara January 17, Kandhari compared Sheikh Mohammed, also the vice president of the UAE, to Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir, who had laid the foundation stone of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine for Sikhs. Six months on, as many as 10,000 people visit the temple with three floors of parking space on Fridays. "On Baisakhi, we served food to around 40,000 people visiting the gurdwara," Kandhari said proudly, adding that several Pakistani Sikhs also come to offer prayers besides many Sindhis and Hindu Punjabis. The state-of-the-art kitchen, which churns out food for devotees through the day every day, is worth a peek. It is complete with a dough-kneader, a chappati-maker and large dishwashers. And along with the rest of the building, the kitchen too is spotless. Apart from a large carpeted prayer hall, there are three smaller rooms for private functions, a meditation room, a library and the spacious 'langar' or common kitchen hall. Gurunanak Darbar is modelled on both the Golden Temple and the gurdwara in Southall, London. Interior designer Paul Bishop was sent to both these shrines "to get the feel" of gurdwaras. To develop religious values among the next generation of NRIs, special three-hour sessions are held for children on Saturdays at the temple where they are taught Punjabi, 'Kirtans' and how to behave in places of worship. "There are already 55 children attending these classes. All four of my grandchildren, one of them just two years old, go there," he said. "The women are keen on sending their children to learn kirtans. When you are out of India, your desire to connect to your roots becomes stronger," he said. Having grown up in Andhra Pradesh and later studying in Chennai's Loyola College, Kandhari admitted that he learned about his language and religion when he came to Dubai in 1976. Thus, he understands the need for children to know about their culture in a foreign land. "They can't learn without getting proper lessons. In Vijayawada, I had no one to teach me Punjabi. While in Loyola College in Madras, I used to go to church every Sunday. I started learning about Sikhism and Punjabi after coming to Dubai." Although the NRI businessman had to borrow from friends to complete the gurdwara, he calls the income generated by it as "unbelievable". He already has plans to use the money. "I want to build a hospital for the poor. Healthcare is so expensive in Dubai... Labourers living in camps nearby can't afford the high medical costs." Kandhari says the gurdwara now attracts visitors from across the world. "We have visitors from the UK, the US, France and Canada... They get surprised that in an Islamic country, we have the most modern gurdwara."

Shri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Scripture)

The central text of the Sikh religion - the Guru Granth Sahib - is a different kind of scripture. A number of features mark its distinctiveness among the scriptures of the world, including its style, content, history and authority.

One unique aspect of the Guru Granth Sahib relates to its historical development. Unlike the texts of most world religions, Sikh scripture was written and compiled by the prophets of the tradition.

In fact, the precedent of Sikh scriptural writing began with the founder and first Guru of the tradition - Guru Nanak (1469-1539). Nearly 1,000 of his compositions have been preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, and to this day, some of his writings are included among the daily prayers of the Sikhs.

On the basis of references within the text and other early literature, traditional Sikh interpretations consider the scriptural writings to be revealed. For instance, one of Guru Nanak's compositions translates as: "I have spoken as You have caused me to speak." Another proclaims: "I express the speech of the Divine as it comes to me."

For Sikhs, these references serve as evidence of revelation and give the Guru Granth Sahib a level of Divine authority.

As the Sikh tradition developed over the 16th and 17th centuries, so did the scriptural corpus. Six of the 10 Gurus contributed to the canon, and in compiling the scriptures, the Gurus took an unprecedented step by collecting and including writings of religious thinkers from a variety of backgrounds (e.g., social, regional, professional).

These diverse backgrounds highlight the tradition's inclusive worldview. For example, the Guru Granth Sahib does not just include the compositions of the Sikh Gurus; it also contains the words of, for example, Sufi Muslims and 'low-caste' Hindus.

According to traditional interpretations, these writings share the same message, ideology and spirit expressed by the Sikh Gurus, and furthermore, their inclusion reflects the Sikh belief that anyone can experience the Divine, no matter their context or background.

The Guru Granth Sahib is written in a unique script - Gurmukhi - and incorporates a number of different languages, including Punjabi, Persian and Braj. Sikh traditions explain that these languages were purposefully selected to make the message more accessible - by using popular languages that diverse communities could understand, the Gurus created a scripture that catered to the masses.

Before he passed away in the early 18th century, the 10th and final living Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) - conferred the authority of the Sikh tradition to two distinct institutions: Guru Khalsa Panth and Guru Granth Sahib.

(The former [i.e., Guru Khalsa Panth], refers to the community of formally committed and initiated Sikhs, an institution to be discussed in a later essay.)

The elevation of the scripture to the status of Guru gave it a further level of authority. In addition to viewing it as Divine revelation, Sikhs also understand it as their complete, eternal, and infallible life-guide.

Another unique aspect of Sikh scripture relates to its content and style. The Guru Granth Sahib is comprised of poetry and music relating to Divine experiences; some compositions provide guidance for achieving these experiences, while others offer inspiration by expressing the bliss and satisfaction that comes with these experiences.

These poetic and musical expressions continue to serve as the centerpiece of Sikh public and private religiosity.

Individuals read and recite selections from the text on a daily basis, congregations gather and sing from the scripture collectively, and major life events (e.g., birth, marriage, death) are marked by ceremonies that center around the Guru Granth Sahib.

The lives of Sikhs, as well as the life of the Sikh community, revolve around their central text - the Guru Granth Sahib - a unique scripture that establishes and exemplifies foundational Sikh ideologies.

 

There is one God for all humanity.

God has no particular form, color, caste, gender, or language

All humans, men and women, are equal before God.

It is imperative to earn an honest living and share ones earnings with others

One should strive in their lives to realizing the spark of the divine within themselves.

Refraining from intoxicants (alcohol, tobacco, and drugs)

What Is SIKHISM ?

Sikhism is the fifth largest world religion with over 25 million devotees worldwide. It is a monotheistic religion founded in 1469, by Guru Nanak. It holds as its basic tenets, the equality of mankind, the equality of men and women, and the fundamental equality of all religions. Guru Nanak rejected idolatry and the caste system, and taught that there is a universal, genderless and formless God, who is accessible equally to all, irrespective of their race or religion.

Born in the Punjab region of South Asia, Guru Nanak travelled far during his lifetime and taught the principles that have become the core of Sikh belief. Everywhere he travelled, a community of disciples arose, called Sikhs. The term Sikh literally means a student or disciple.

Towards the end of his life, Guru Nanak nominated a successor to carry on his teachings. This successor, the second Guru of the Sikhs, in his turn nominated a successor towards the end of his life. The evolution of the religion continued in this manner for a period of about 200 years, with a succession of ten living Gurus from 1469 to 1708.

Guru Nanak and his successors wrote extensively, choosing spiritual poetry set to music as the primary form of disseminating their ideas. The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan, put together the complete set of writings of the Gurus in the form of the Adi Granth. In the Adi Granth, Guru Arjan also included the spiritual verse of many non-Sikhs as well, thereby firmly entrenching within Sikh ideology and practice Guru Nanak's philosophy of the universality of humanity.

The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, took the final steps in codifying Guru Nanak's ideology within Sikh practice. He gave instruction that after him, there would be no more living Gurus, that instead the Adi Granth would become the 'Guru' for the Sikhs. The word 'Guru' itself means spiritual teacher or guide, and after Guru Gobind Singh, the Adi Granth became the Guru Granth, and is revered by Sikhs as such.

Guru Gobind Singh also created the contemporary ceremony by which an individual is formally initiated within the Sikh faith. This ceremony, called the Amrit ceremony, first took place in 1699, under Guru Gobind Singh's direction, and Guru Gobind Singh, in an act of humility, asked his disciples to formally induct him also through this ceremony.

A Sikh who has undergone the Amrit ceremony is called an Amritdhari Sikh. Both men and women are inducted similarly through this ceremony. Once inducted, an Amritdhari Sikh also adopts Five Articles of Faith.