Zen~spiration
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Amsterdam - Havenstraat
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Amerongen
Copyright - All images are copyright © protected. All Rights Reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited
The secret of spiritual success is a hunger that persists…It is an awful condition to be satisfied with one’s spiritual attainments…God was and is looking for hungry, thirsty people. - Smith Wigglesworth
.
Unnoticed
transparent in the hustle ....
a rush though,
a rare glimpse
of energy
so that, when fully realized
we wonder with mouths and hearts open.
A prayer to all sentient beings
to the realization of their enlightenment.
For their liberation from lower rebirth in the realms of Saṃsāra.
To their ultimate attainment and ascension to the blissful state of Nirvāṇa.
By the gracious and merciful blessings of the holy one, and of all enlightened beings.
making van gogh
recognition by vincent van gogh
30. März 1853 in Groot-Zundert; † 29. Juli 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise
"Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes?"
~Joseph Campbell
Various textures from FlyPaper, Florabella and SkeletalMess
Occassionally one can find an isolated one-lane road around these parts. It was such an awesome sight this fall with the riot of color.
Introduction
Gospel Movie "The Mystery of Godliness" (5) - How to Know That Christ Is the Truth, the Way and the Life
Storyline:
Lin Bo'en was an elder at a house church in China. During all his years as a believer, he felt honored to suffer for the Lord, and valued the knowledge and attainment of the Lord Jesus Christ above anything else in the world. One fateful day, he went out to preach and heard some shocking news: The Lord Jesus has returned in the flesh, and He is Christ of the last days— Almighty God! Lin Bo'en was puzzled. When the Lord returns, He is supposed to descend with the clouds, so why would He incarnate Himself and do His work in secret? What mysteries were hidden behind God's incarnation? If the Lord has truly returned, why haven't we been raptured? … An intense debate unfolds between Lin Bo'en and his co-workers and the preachers from the Church of Almighty God … Will they finally be able to understand that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus, the appearance of God in the flesh?
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
To pray is to take notice of the wonder, to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings, the divine margin in all attainments. Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living…
… Only one response can maintain us: gratefulness for witnessing the wonder, for the gift of our unearned right to serve, to adore, and to fulfill. It is gratefulness which makes the soul great.
--Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism
One of the most damaging assumptions we can make is that people from a culturally different background, people with less conventional educational attainment or whatever are somehow less capable of absorbing the message of the apostolic life and the worship of a dedicated community. Many different kinds of excellence and beauty are involved here, and the challenge is always to find what is authentic to the community itself, without being too much distracted by worries about what will ‘communicate’.
--Rowan Williams, The Way of St. Benedict
It is simply by not being attached to changing things that the everlasting joy of attainment is reached. You are one, conscious and pure, ...
comments disabled! Thank you all for your support, visit and faves!! <3
Wesak is considered as both a religious and cultural festival in Sri Lanka. It is celebrated on the day of the full moon in May. Wesak Day is one of the biggest days of the year in the Buddhist calendar and is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world.Buddhists commemorate the important events that took place in the life of Lord Buddha on this Wesak Full Moon Poya Day. First comes the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini in Nepal which took place under the arbor of Sat trees where queen Mahamaya gave birth to him. The second event was Siddharta Gautam's supreme attainment as the Buddha, the Enlightened One. The third event was Lord Buddha's Parinibbana over 2500 years ago at Kusinagar.
Apart from Sri Lanka, many Asian countries including India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and Nepal celebrate Wesak. Many religious activities are organized during this period in Sri Lanka such as Sil campaigns, Bodhi Poojas, Dansalas(Freely giving foods, coffee, tea from people ), Wesak devotional songs (Bakthi Gee), pandols (thoran) and lanterns. Lot of Wesak pandols and Wesak Lanterns are making Colombo in Sri Lanka.
Other than the exclusive religious aspects of the festival, the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, decorate their houses and public places and arrange for various cultural events to bring happiness to everyone on that day.
Thank you very much for your visits, faves, and kind comments ❤ Chandana
The phrase "the wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine" means that while justice may be delayed, it will eventually be delivered thoroughly and accurately. This proverb highlights the often-protracted nature of legal processes but emphasises the eventual attainment of a fair and just outcome.
The proverb has roots in ancient Greek philosophy and has been adapted and used throughout history in various contexts, including religious and legal settings. It is also found in literature and popular culture.
A reference to a hexameter by an unknown poet, cited by sceptic philosopher Sextus Empiricus (2nd century) in his Adversus Grammaticos as a popular adage:
"The millstones of the gods grind late, but they grind fine.
------------------------------
Didcot Railway Centre is a railway museum and preservation engineering site in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England. The site was formerly a Great Western Railway engine shed and locomotive stabling point.
Excerpt from www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/tenryu-ji/:
Tenryū-ji’s garden, located behind the Abbot’s Quarters, dates back to the mid-14th century. Designed by the Zen master Musō Soseki (1275-1351), Tenryū-ji’s founder, the garden centers around the Sōgen Pond and skillfully employs the scenery of the surrounding mountains in a method called shakkei (borrowed landscape) to give it an added sense of depth. On the far bank of the pond is an arrangement of large stones representing the Dragon Gate Falls on the Yellow River in China. Legend has it that any carp able to jump these falls transforms into a dragon, which in Zen has come to symbolize the attainment of enlightenment and the realization of buddhahood. Depending on the season the visitor can also enjoy cherry blossoms, azaleas, and autumn maple colors.
In readiness, are we?
do you sense change
can you muster enough strength?
do you imagine a journey...
right now, with firm belief
in your heart,
segue pulsebeats directing
between peduncle reflections
the harbour of what you see,
a port of call in the mind's eye
near, within attainment, yet...
offers a dream away from malcontent
tempting, merciful, and navigable
sail on dreams, a float of thoughts,
swim for freedom of belief
drown your sorrows now!
and flow, flow, flow away...
by anglia24
12h30: 24/09/2007
© 2007anglia24
☀
Halfway
Carolina Chickadees are one of my favorite winter birds, so it seemed appropriate to post a photograph of one to celebrate that winter is almost over and attainment of the halfway point on the Challenge 150.
I expect that the second half of the challenge will be much more difficult but I eagerly await the the arrival of the Spring and Summer migrants
Species 75 for the Challenge 150
2017_02_09_EOS 7D_1892_V1
We want to taste God
For whatever we aspire to become, it is inspiring to associate with a master. This holds true for those of us who dream to be great athletes, musicians, artists, or businessmen.
Moreover, nowadays many of us are waking up to an understanding that we are spiritual beings; somewhere along the path of realizing that the purpose of human life is more than just survival and material accomplishments. We are beginning to see that we are souls, not just mechanical bodies. We see all around us the allure of material life, but our hearts are yearning for a deeper, richer, fuller experience. We want to taste God. We want to be whole and fulfilled, not for five minutes or five hours, but forever – and for that attainment, inspiring masters are also available.
These days we are very fortunate, because we have so much access to information through books and the internet. We also have access to the Vedas, the ancient scriptures, a vast opus compiled thousands of years ago in India by great sages in order to benefit mankind to progress along the path of self-realization.
However, there is such an enormous diversity of information available from these timeless books of wisdom, with so many interpretations, that choice can lead to confusion. Thus, we become like starving children entering a sumptuous restaurant. There is so much available, but what would be good for us to eat? What will really nourish us?
With our hearts yearning for truth in a world offering a myriad of solutions, the spiritual master, the sadhu, or saint, plays an essential role. The word sadhu is derived from the Sanskrit word sat, or sattva, which means the ‘ever-existing Supreme Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’
The next few weeks are going to be uber-busy with trips for open days at the Universities my youngest, Phoebe, wants to go to. At last she has made her choice of the course she will be studying, Veterinary Medicine or Vet-Med. She will be completing the M.S.A.A exam to allow aplication to Cambridge but our first visit was to Glasgow University, a great day. In a couple of weeks time a trip to York, Bristol and Cambridge, then during the summer break The Royal London School of Veterniary Medicine, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Nottigham. Competition is tough but I strongly believe with Phoebes academic attainments and experiences with animal management she will be well placed to move forward as a Vet, can't wait as I will be accompanying her with all her visits. But we have already learnt a lesson, don't try and do a University visit in one day, up at 01.30am in the morning to fly up to Glasgow and returned at 02.00am this morning from Gatwick.......goodnight!
All Physical belongings, momentary glimpse
Of an ever-changing Physical substance
Mental attainments, mere mediocre
Part of undivided Mental substance
With Physical and Mental substances
Flowing uninterrupted,
'I' am homogeneous, Eternal;
Belongings unlimited.
What to lose and what to gain
When objects of all worlds are 'mine' ?
Immortal Self, a part of Eternity
Self is Eternity Itself.
- Anuj Nair
------------------------------------------------------
© 2010 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.
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________________________________________________
© 2010 Anuj Nair. All rights reserved.
All images and poems are the property of Anuj Nair.
Using these images and poems without permission is in violation of international copyright laws (633/41 DPR19/78-Disg 154/97-L.248/2000). All materials may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any forms or by any means,including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording without written permission of Anuj Nair. Every violation will be pursued penally.
This is one of my favorite temples in Kyoto, It has 1,200 statues that represent Arhats, some other call them Rakan, these were priests who spread the teachings of Buddhism, and it is said that 500 of them witnessed the Buddha's attainment of Nirvana, and 700 of them gathered to hold a seminar 100 years after the death of the Buddha. I love the peaceful atmosphere of this temple
Excerpt from www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/tenryu-ji/:
Tenryū-ji’s garden, located behind the Abbot’s Quarters, dates back to the mid-14th century. Designed by the Zen master Musō Soseki (1275-1351), Tenryū-ji’s founder, the garden centers around the Sōgen Pond and skillfully employs the scenery of the surrounding mountains in a method called shakkei (borrowed landscape) to give it an added sense of depth. On the far bank of the pond is an arrangement of large stones representing the Dragon Gate Falls on the Yellow River in China. Legend has it that any carp able to jump these falls transforms into a dragon, which in Zen has come to symbolize the attainment of enlightenment and the realization of buddhahood. Depending on the season the visitor can also enjoy cherry blossoms, azaleas, and autumn maple colors.
There is a space between man's imagination
and man's attainment that may only be traversed
by his longing.
-Kahlil Gibran
Taken during my trip to Dorset.
Nothing extraordinary about this post except that this might be my last upload for this month as tomorrow onwards, I'll be on vacation to India for Diwali.
Since I have become so addicted to flickr so I still donno how I'll manage without visiting your uploads and obviously without uploading some new pics :)
But I think, it is a much deserved break from my routine busy life. I hope you have a great month...Keep clicking and keep uploading. I'll be back to visit them as soon as possible. :)
And yes, Wish u all a very happy and prosperous Diwali.
For my friends who don't know what Diwali is, here is a description from Wiki:
'Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepawali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, celebrated for different reasons, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. For Sikhs, Diwali is celebrated as Bandhi Chhor Diwas (The Celebration of Freedom), and celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, who also rescued 52 Hindu kings held captive by Mughal Emperor with him in the Gwalior Fort in 1619.
Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.
The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dīpas) in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.
Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, from his 14-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas and by bursting firecrackers.'
HBW!!!!
“Matter rather than Forms should be the object of our attention . . . for Forms are figments of the human mind.”
-Francis Bacon, Advancement of Learning.
“Thus, it was not only Greek words of which [Plato] was to alter the meanings, nor only Greek and Latin words. Love and good, for instance, are neither Greek nor Latin, and beauty is only Latin remotely, yet the spirit of Plato really works more amply in them, and in a hundred others bearing on the presence or absence of these qualities, than it does in such specifically Platonic terms as idea and dialectic. Let us try and trace the origin of some of the meanings which are commonly attached to the word love. As in the Mysteries, so at the heart of early Greek philosophy lay two fundamental assumptions. One was that an inner meaning lay hid behind external phenomena. Out of this Plato’s lucid mind brought to the surface of Europe’s consciousness the stupendous conception that all matter is but an imperfect copy of spiritual ‘types’ or ‘ideas’—eternal principles which, so far from being abstractions, are the only real Beings, which were in their place before matter came into existence, and which will remain after it has passed away. The other assumption concerned the attainment by man of immortality. The two were complementary. Just as it was only the immortal part of man which could get into touch with the eternal secret behind the changing forms of Nature, so also it was only by striving to contemplate that eternal that man could develop the eternal part of himself and put on incorruption. There remained the question of how to rise from the contemplation of the transient to the contemplation of the eternal, and, for answer, Plato and Socrates evolved that other great conception—perhaps even more far-reaching in its historical effects—that love for a sensual and temporal object is capable of gradual metamorphosis into love for the invisible and eternal. It is not only in the New Testament and the Prayer Book, in the Divine Comedy, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and all great Romantic poetry that the results of this thinking are to be seen.”
-Owen Barfield, History in English Words, 106–7.
/******
I desired deep,
one led the way…
by invisible hand…
I grasp…
and she gently…
guided me….
beyond my senses…
beyond space and time…
before thought…
before articulating…
before feeling.
-rc
The only hope there is of standing righteous and acceptable before God is by receiving by faith what another has done for you. All self-attainment, self-accomplishment, self-righteousness must be abandoned realizing the vanity and hopelessness of bringing to pass our own right standing before God. We must humble ourselves before a holy God, recognize our sin, acknowledge our complete inability to remove that sin. Then we must embrace what Christ has done for us, instead of us, paying the penalty of our sin in our place in order to bring to us, by faith, a credited righteousness by which God may rightly justify us as ungodly sinners. Look to Christ and Christ alone. - Bruce Ware
A Bodhi Tree in Ngong Ping Village that is hung with wishes in Hong Kong Chinese tradition. I guess they couldn't get a real Bodhi tree as this tree is clearly plastic. I also suspect the fruit and wishes are also plastic to minimise maintenance. Nevertheless it is a picturesque photo opportunity feature in the Ngong Ping Village for tourists and pilgrims. The Ngong Ping 360 tourism website even suggests tips for framing and posing. I wonder how many people notice that it is fake?
The Bodhi Tree is significant as it was shading the original Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) when he was meditating on “Who am I and why am I here?” and attained enlightenment to became The Buddha.
Excerpt from www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/tenryu-ji/:
Tenryū-ji’s garden, located behind the Abbot’s Quarters, dates back to the mid-14th century. Designed by the Zen master Musō Soseki (1275-1351), Tenryū-ji’s founder, the garden centers around the Sōgen Pond and skillfully employs the scenery of the surrounding mountains in a method called shakkei (borrowed landscape) to give it an added sense of depth. On the far bank of the pond is an arrangement of large stones representing the Dragon Gate Falls on the Yellow River in China. Legend has it that any carp able to jump these falls transforms into a dragon, which in Zen has come to symbolize the attainment of enlightenment and the realization of buddhahood. Depending on the season the visitor can also enjoy cherry blossoms, azaleas, and autumn maple colors.
Introduction
The Mystery of Godliness (4) - Only God Incarnate Can Do the Work of Judgment in the Last Days
Lin Bo'en was an elder at a house church in China. During all his years as a believer, he felt honored to suffer for the Lord, and valued the knowledge and attainment of the Lord Jesus Christ above anything else in the world. One fateful day, he went out to preach and heard some shocking news: The Lord Jesus has returned in the flesh, and He is Christ of the last days— Almighty God! Lin Bo'en was puzzled. When the Lord returns, He is supposed to descend with the clouds, so why would He incarnate Himself and do His work in secret? What mysteries were hidden behind God's incarnation? If the Lord has truly returned, why haven't we been raptured? … An intense debate unfolds between Lin Bo'en and his co-workers and the preachers from the Church of Almighty God … Will they finally be able to understand that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus, the appearance of God in the flesh?
Image Source: The Church of Almighty God
Terms of Use: en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
“Human nature, at its best, had always been based on a deep heroic restlessness, on wanting something--something else, something more, whether it be true love or a glimpse just beyond the horizon. It was the promise of happiness, not the attainment of it, that had driven the entire engine, the folly and glory of who we are.”
Edge of Desire..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GTbM5-ku-M
Hope you all are having a wonderful day
Have a fabulous weekend :))
Thank you, dear friends, for always visiting xxx
TO ALL MY FLICKR-FRIENDS:
THANKS for your friendship, support and presence all over the last year.......................
I WISH you A HAPPY,HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2010..........A CHANCE FOR A NEW BEGINNING......................
( will be away 1 week.............)
Dies Slowly who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes place,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience, dies slowly.
He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
dotting ones “is” rather than a bundle of emotions,
the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings, dies slowly.
He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives, die slowly.
He who does not travel,
who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself, dies slowly.
He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck,
about the rain that never stops, dies slowly.
He or she who abandon a project before starting it,
who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn’t know,
he or she who don’t reply when they are asked something they do know, die slowly.
Let’s try and avoid death in small doses,
always reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort by far
greater than the simple fact of breathing.
Only a burning patience will lead to the attainment of a splendid happiness. (Neruda)
"Among all the marvels of modern invention, that with which I am most concerned is, of course, air transportation. Flying is perhaps the most dramatic of recent scientific attainment. In the brief span of thirty-odd years, the world has seen an inventor's dream first materialized by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk become an everyday actuality."
-- Amelia Earhart (American aviation pioneer who, on July 2, 1937, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world)
-- Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff) --
‧ Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)
‧ Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
‧ ISO – 125
‧ Aperture – f/11
‧ Exposure – 1/125 second
‧ Focal Length – 18mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: Guānyīn) is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर).[1] Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World".[2] Due to sociogeographical factors, Guanyin can be historically depicted as genderless or adorning an androgynous apprentice.[3] On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.[4] Guanyin has been appropriated by other religions, including Taoism and Chinese folk religion.[note 1] ...
--- Wikipedia
菩薩的通用中文名稱，稱為觀世音菩薩（梵文：अवलोकितेश्वर）。觀音是觀世音的縮寫，意思是「感知世界聲音的人」。由於社會地理因素，觀音在歷史上可以被描述為無性別或裝飾雌雄同體的學徒。農曆六月十九日，慶祝觀音成佛。觀音已被其他宗教所盜用，包括道教和中國民間宗教。
摩訶菩提中國佛教寺廟，印度菩提伽耶佛教
Mahabodhi 中國寺廟
❤️ UNICEF: Children in Crossfire of Ukraine Crisis ❤️
UN Charter, Article 1
To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.
🎧 Music: Peter, Paul & Mary - Blowin' in the Wind
✈: Startdust's Exhibition for Modern Art
4K 4096 × 2160 resolution screenshot
I met him on Bandra Hill Road liked his look , his turban , his peaceful attitude and shot a few frames.
He belongs to the Sikh religion.
about Sikhism
Sikhism,[1] founded in fifteenth century Punjab on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten successive Sikh Gurus (the last one being the sacred text Guru Granth Sahib), is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world.[2] This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction".[3][4]
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in waheguru—represented using the sacred symbol of ik ōaṅkār, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which, along with the writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions and teachings are distinctively associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 23 million across the world. Most Sikhs live in Punjab in India and, until India's partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab.[5]
The origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living".[6] Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.[7][8] In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is shapeless, timeless, and sightless: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite, and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār.[9] Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and Its hukam (will or order).[10] When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception of reality.[11]
While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings,[9] Nanak described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. Guru Nanak Dev emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.[9] God has no gender in Sikhism, (though translations may incorrectly present a male God); indeed Sikhism teaches that God is "Nirankar" [Niran meaning "without" and kar meaning "form", hence "without form"]. In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life.[12]
[edit] Pursuing salvation and khalsa
A Sikh man at the Harimandir Sahib
Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation.[13] The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth—a concept known as reincarnation.
Māyā—defined as illusion or "unreality"—is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust—known as the Five Evils—are believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.[14]
Nanak described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation.[15] Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God. Nanak distinctly emphasised the irrelevance of outward observations such as rites, pilgrimages, or asceticism. He stressed that devotion must take place through the heart, with the spirit and the soul.
A key practice to be pursued is nām: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but Nanak's interpretation emphasized inward, personal observance. Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". Nanak described the result of the disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sac khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.[15]
Nanak stressed now kirat karō: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a chaṛdī kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing—vaṇḍ chakkō—through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras (laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sēvā).
[edit] The ten gurus and religious authority
Main article: Sikh Gurus
A rare Tanjore-style painting from the late 19th century depicting the ten Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.
The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, meaning teacher, guide, or mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by ten specific gurus from 1499 to 1708. Each guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Nanak was the first guru and appointed a disciple as successor. Gobind Singh was the final guru in human form. Before his death, Gobind Singh decreed that the Gurū Granth Sāhib would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs.[16] The Sikhs believe that the spirit of Nanak was passed from one guru to the next, " just as the light of one lamp, which lights another and does not diminish ",[17] and is also mentioned in their holy book.
After Nanak's passing, the most important phase in the development of Sikhism came with the third successor, Amar Das. Nanak's teachings emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparable to a diocese) system of clerical supervision.[15]
The interior of the Akal Takht
Amar Das's successor and son-in-law Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar, which is home of the Harimandir Sahib and regarded widely as the holiest city for all Sikhs. When Ram Das's youngest son Arjan succeeded him, the line of male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was established: all succeeding gurus were direct descendants of this line. Arjun Mathur was responsible for compiling the Sikh scriptures. Guru Arjan Sahib was captured by Mughal authorities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious order he was developing.[18] His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and political organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attacks of Mughal forces.
The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion to react as a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, Har Gobind, was responsible for the creation of the concept of Akal Takht (throne of the timeless one), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhdom and sits opposite the Darbar Sahib. The Sarbat Ḵẖālsā (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) historically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or Diwali and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation. A gurmatā (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the Sarbat Ḵẖālsā in the presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib. A gurmatā may only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs.[19] The term hukamnāmā (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchangeably with the term gurmatā. However, a hukamnāmā formally refers to a hymn from the Gurū Granth Sāhib which is given as an order to Sikhs.
[edit] History
Main article: History of Sikhism
Nanak (1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talwandī, now called Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan).[20] His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari, an accountant of land revenue in the employment of Rai Bular Bhatti, the area landlord. Nanak's mother was Tripta Devi and he had one older sister, Nanaki. His parents were Khatri Hindus of the Bedi clan. As a boy, Nanak was fascinated by religion, and his desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually led him to leave home and take missionary journeys.
In his early teens, Nanak caught the attention of the local landlord Rai Bular Bhatti, who was moved by his intellect and divine qualities. Rai Bular was witness to many incidents in which Nanak enchanted him and as a result Rai Bular and Nanak's sister Bibi Nanki, became the first persons to recognise the divine qualities in Nanak. Both of them then encouraged and supported Nanak to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. One day, he declared: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān"). It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism.[21] Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca.[22]
Nanak was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice trader from the town of Bakala. They had two sons. The elder son, Sri Chand, was an ascetic, and he came to have a considerable following of his own, known as the Udasis. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the other hand, was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed in the ideal of rāj maiṁ jōg (detachment in civic life), both his sons were unfit to carry on the Guruship.
[edit] Growth of the Sikh community
In 1538, Nanak chose his disciple Lahiṇā, a Khatri of the Trehan clan, as a successor to the guruship rather than either of his sons. Lahiṇā was named Angad Dev and became the second guru of the Sikhs.[23] Nanak conferred his choice at the town of Kartarpur on the banks of the river Ravi, where Nanak had finally settled down after his travels. Though Sri Chand was not an ambitious man, the Udasis believed that the Guruship should have gone to him, since he was a man of pious habits in addition to being Nanak's son. They refused to accept Angad's succession. On Nanak's advice, Angad shifted from Kartarpur to Khadur, where his wife Khivi and children were living, until he was able to bridge the divide between his followers and the Udasis. Angad continued the work started by Nanak and is widely credited for standardising the Gurmukhī script as used in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.
Amar Das, a Khatri of the Bhalla clan, became the third Sikh guru in 1552 at the age of 73. Goindval became an important centre for Sikhism during the guruship of Amar Das. He preached the principle of equality for women by prohibiting purdah and sati. Amar Das also encouraged the practice of langar and made all those who visited him attend laṅgar before they could speak to him.[24] In 1567, Emperor Akbar sat with the ordinary and poor people of Punjab to have laṅgar. Amar Das also trained 146 apostles of which 52 were women, to manage the rapid expansion of the religion.[25] Before he died in 1574 aged 95, he appointed his son-in-law Jēṭhā, a Khatri of the Sodhi clan, as the fourth Sikh guru.
Jēṭhā became Ram Das and vigorously undertook his duties as the new guru. He is responsible for the establishment of the city of Ramdaspur later to be named Amritsar. Before Ramdaspur, Amritsar was known as Guru Da Chakk. In 1581, Arjan Dev—youngest son of the fourth guru—became the fifth guru of the Sikhs. In addition to being responsible for building the Darbar/Harimandir Sahib (called the Golden Temple), he prepared the Sikh sacred text known as the Ādi Granth (literally the first book) and included the writings of the first five gurus. In 1606, for refusing to make changes to the Granth and for supporting an unsuccessful contender to the throne, he was tortured and killed by the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir.[26]
[edit] Political advancement
Hargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swords—one for spiritual and the other for temporal reasons (known as mīrī and pīrī in Sikhism).[27] Sikhs grew as an organized community and under the 10th Guru the Sikhs developed a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Har Rai became guru followed by Harkrishan, the boy guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus are included in the Sikh holy book.[28]
Tegh Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Teg Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb for helping to protect Hindus, after a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor condemned them to death for failing to convert to Islam.[29] He was succeeded by his son, Gobind Rai who was just nine years old at the time of his father's death. Gobind Rai further militarised his followers, and was baptised by the Pañj Piārē when he formed the Khalsa on 13 April 1699. From here on in he was known as Gobind Singh.
From the time of Nanak, when it was a loose collection of followers who focused entirely on the attainment of salvation and God, the Sikh community had significantly transformed. Even though the core Sikh religious philosophy was never affected, the followers now began to develop a political identity. Conflict with Mughal authorities escalated during the lifetime of Teg Bahadur and Gobind Singh. The latter founded the Khalsa in 1699. The Khalsa is a disciplined community that combines its religious purpose and goals with political and military duties.[30] After Aurangzeb killed four of his sons, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnamah (Notification/Epistle of Victory).
Shortly before his death, Gobind Singh ordered that the Gurū Granth Sāhib (the Sikh Holy Scripture), would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would be vested in the Khalsa Panth—the Sikh Nation/Community.[16] The first scripture was compiled and edited by the fifth guru, Arjan Dev, in 1604.
A former ascetic was charged by Gobind Singh with the duty of punishing those who had persecuted the Sikhs. After the guru's death, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur became the leader of the Sikh army and was responsible for several attacks on the Mughal empire. He was executed by the emperor Jahandar Shah after refusing the offer of a pardon if he converted to Islam.[31]
The Sikh community's embrace of military and political organisation made it a considerable regional force in medieval India and it continued to evolve after the demise of the gurus. After the death of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, a Sikh Confederacy of Sikh warrior bands known as misls formed. With the decline of the Mughal empire, a Sikh Empire arose in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with its capital in Lahore and limits reaching the Khyber Pass and the borders of China. The order, traditions and discipline developed over centuries culminated at the time of Ranjit Singh to give rise to the common religious and social identity that the term "Sikhism" describes.[32]
After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell into disorder and was eventually annexed by the United Kingdom after the hard-fought Anglo-Sikh Wars. This brought the Punjab under the British Raj. Sikhs formed the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sikhs' religious and political organization a quarter of a century later. With the partition of India in 1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and millions were forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab.[33] Sikhs faced initial opposition from the Government in forming a linguistic state that other states in India were afforded. The Akali Dal started a non-violence movement for Sikh and Punjabi rights. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a leader of the Bhindran-Mehta Jatha—which assumed the name of Damdami Taksal in 1977 to promote a peaceful solution of the problem. In June 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to launch Operation Blue Star to remove Bhindranwale and his followers from the Darbar Sahib. Bhindranwale, and a large number of innocent pilgrims were killed during the army's operations. In October, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination was followed by the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots massacre[34] and Hindu-Sikh conflicts in Punjab, as a reaction to the assassination and Operation Blue Star.
[edit] Scripture
There are two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth. The Gurū Granth Sāhib may be referred to as the Ādi Granth—literally, The First Volume—and the two terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the Ādi Granth refers to the version of the scripture created by Arjan Dev in 1604. The Gurū Granth Sāhib refers to the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh.
[edit] Adi Granth
Main article: Ādi Granth
The Ādi Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Arjan Dev between the years 1603 and 1604.[35] It is written in the Gurmukhī script, which is a descendant of the Laṇḍā script used in the Punjab at that time.[36] The Gurmukhī script was standardised by Angad Dev, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the Śāradā and Devanāgarī scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and selected bhagats. At the time, Arjan Sahib tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival.[37]
The original version of the Ādi Granth is known as the kartārpur bīṛ and is claimed to be held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.[citation needed] (In fact the original volume was burned by Ahmad Shah Durrani's army in 1757 when they burned the whole town of Kartarpur.)[citation needed]
[edit] Guru Granth Sahib
Gurū Granth Sāhib folio with Mūl Mantra
Main article: Gurū Granth Sāhib
The final version of the Gurū Granth Sāhib was compiled by Gobind Singh in 1678. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of Teg Bahadur's hymns. It was decreed by Gobind Singh that the Granth was to be considered the eternal guru of all Sikhs; however, this tradition is not mentioned either in 'Guru Granth Sahib' or in 'Dasam Granth'.
Punjabi: ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
Transliteration: Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai gurū mānyō granth.
English: All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru.
It contains compositions by the first five gurus, Teg Bahadur and just one śalōk (couplet) from Gobind Singh.[38] It also contains the traditions and teachings of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Sheikh Farid along with several others.[32]
The bulk of the scripture is classified into rāgs, with each rāg subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main rāgs within the Gurū Granth Sāhib. In addition to the rāgs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the scripture is known as Sant Bhāṣā, a language related to both Punjabi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion.[30] The text further comprises over 5000 śabads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical tāl, or rhythmic beats.
A group of Sikh musicians at the Golden Temple complex
The Granth begins with the Mūl Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak:
Punjabi: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi.
Simplified transliteration: Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh nirbha'u nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur prasād.
English: One Universal Creator God, The Name Is Truth, Creative Being Personified, No Fear, No Hatred, Image Of The Timeless One, Beyond Birth, Self Existent, By Guru's Grace.
All text within the Granth is known as gurbānī. Gurbānī, according to Nanak, was revealed by God directly, and the authors wrote it down for the followers. The status accorded to the scripture is defined by the evolving interpretation of the concept of gurū. In the Sant tradition of Nanak, the guru was literally the word of God. The Sikh community soon transferred the role to a line of men who gave authoritative and practical expression to religious teachings and traditions, in addition to taking socio-political leadership of Sikh adherents. Gobind Singh declared an end of the line of human gurus, and now the Gurū Granth Sāhib serves as the eternal guru, with its interpretation vested with the community.[30]
[edit] Dasam Granth
Main article: Dasam Granth
A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth
The Dasam Granth (formally dasvēṁ pātśāh kī granth or The Book of the Tenth Master) is an eighteenth-century collection of poems by Gobind Singh. It was compiled in the shape of a book (granth) by Bhai Mani Singh some 13 to 26 years after Guru Gobind Singh Ji left this world for his heavenly abode.
From 1895 to 1897, different scholars and theologians assembled at the Akal Takht, Amritsar, to study the 32 printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. They met at the Akal Takhat at Amritsar, and held formal discussions in a series of meetings between 13 June 1895 and 16 February 1896. A preliminary report entitled Report Sodhak (revision) Committee Dasam Patshah de Granth Sahib Di was sent to Sikh scholars and institutions, inviting their opinion. A second document, Report Dasam Granth di Sudhai Di was brought out on 11 February 1898. Basing its conclusions on a study of the old handwritten copies of the Dasam Granth preserved at Sri Takht Sahib at Patna and in other Sikh gurudwaras, this report affirmed that the Holy Volume was compiled at Anandpur Sahib in 1698[3] . Further re-examinations and reviews took place in 1931, under the aegis of the Darbar Sahib Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. They, too, vindicated the earlier conclusion (agreeing that it was indeed the work of the Guru) and its findings have since been published.
[edit] Janamsakhis
Main article: Janamsākhīs
The Janamsākhīs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biographies of Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several—often contradictory and sometimes unreliable—Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.
[edit] Observances
Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib, especially the Japu (or Japjī, literally chant) hymns is recommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurduārā, meaning the doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara). There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race.
Worship in a gurdwara consists chiefly of singing of passages from the scripture. Sikhs will commonly enter the temple, touch the ground before the holy scripture with their foreheads, and make an offering. The recitation of the eighteenth century ardās is also customary for attending Sikhs. The ardās recalls past sufferings and glories of the community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.[39]
The most sacred shrine is the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, famously known as the Golden Temple. Groups of Sikhs regularly visit and congregate at the Harimandir Sahib. On specific occasions, groups of Sikhs are permitted to undertake a pilgrimage to Sikh shrines in the province of Punjab in Pakistan, especially at Nankana Sahib and other Gurdwaras. Other places of interest to Sikhism in Pakistan includes the samādhī (place of cremation) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore.
[edit] Sikh festivals
Festivals in Sikhism mostly centre around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. The SGPC, the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the gurdwaras, organises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi calendar. This calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Several festivals (Hola Mohalla, Diwali, and Nanak's birthday) continue to be celebrated using the Hindu calendar. Sikh festivals include the following:
* Gurpurabs are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurabs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurab that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a shaheedi Gurpurab, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur.
* Vaisakhi or Baisakhi normally occurs on 13 April and marks the beginning of the new spring year and the end of the harvest. Sikhs celebrate it because on Vaisakhi in 1699, the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, laid down the Foundation of the Khalsa an Independent Sikh Identity.
* Bandi Chhor Divas or Diwali celebrates Hargobind's release from the Gwalior Fort, with several innocent Hindu kings who were also imprisoned by Jahangir, on 26 October, 1619.
* Hola Mohalla occurs the day after Holi and is when the Khalsa Panth gather at Anandpur and display their warrior skills, including fighting and riding.
[edit] Ceremonies and customs
The anand kāraj (Sikh marriage) ceremony
Nanak taught that rituals, religious ceremonies, or idol worship is of little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages.[40] However, during the period of the later gurus, and owing to increased institutionalisation of the religion, some ceremonies and rites did arise. Sikhism is not a proselytizing religion and most Sikhs do not make active attempts to gain converts. However, converts to Sikhism are welcomed, although there is no formal conversion ceremony. The morning and evening prayers take about two hours a day, starting in the very early morning hours. The first morning prayer is Guru Nanak's Jap Ji. Jap, meaning "recitation", refers to the use of sound, as the best way of approaching the divine. Like combing hair, hearing and reciting the sacred word is used as a way to comb all negative thoughts out of the mind. The second morning prayer is Guru Gobind Singh's universal Jaap Sahib. The Guru addresses God as having no form, no country, and no religion but as the seed of seeds, sun of suns, and the song of songs. The Jaap Sahib asserts that God is the cause of conflict as well as peace, and of destruction as well as creation. Devotees learn that there is nothing outside of God's presence, nothing outside of God's control. Devout Sikhs are encouraged to begin the day with private meditations on the name of God.
Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sāhib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left-hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the middle name or surname Singh, and all girls are given the middle name or surname Kaur.[41] Sikhs are joined in wedlock through the anand kāraj ceremony. Sikhs are required to marry when they are of a sufficient age (child marriage is taboo), and without regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriage ceremony is performed in the company of the Guru Granth Sāhib; around which the couple circles four times. After the ceremony is complete, the husband and wife are considered "a single soul in two bodies."[42]
According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife is permitted to divorce. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able to do so in a civil court—but this is not condoned.[43] Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any means of disposing the body may be employed. The kīrtan sōhilā and ardās prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known as antim sanskār).[44]
[edit] Baptism and the Khalsa
A kaṛā, kaṅghā and kirpān.
Khalsa (meaning pure) is the name given by Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit in a ceremony called ammrit sañcār. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Vaisakhi, which fell on 29 March 1698/1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. It was on that occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the Pañj Piārē who in turn baptised Gobind Singh himself.
Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as pañj kakkē or pañj kakār), or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. The 5 items are: kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small comb), kaṛā (circular iron bracelet), kirpān (dagger), and kacchā (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.[45]
[edit] Sikh people
Main article: Sikh
Further information: Sikhism by country
Punjabi Sikh family from Punjab, India
Worldwide, there are 25.8 million Sikhs and approximately 75% of Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they constitute about 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Sikhs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhism as a major religion and Sikhism has no relation to Hinduism. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% of the Indian population.
In addition to social divisions, there is a misperception that there are a number of Sikh sectarian groups[clarification needed], such as Namdharis and Nirankaris. Nihangs tend to have little difference in practice and are considered the army of Sikhism. There is also a sect known as Udasi, founded by Sri Chand who were initially part of Sikhism but later developed into a monastic order.
Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significant communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontario and Surrey in British Columbia), East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and more recently, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Western Europe. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in Mauritius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iraq and many other countries
Malta: Charles Bray took this picture from another painting where you could see Admiral Horatio Nelson in Marsaxlokk Bay, Malta, coming ashore from his Battleship. As Horatio Nelson was leaving Toulon, Napoleon was approaching Malta. The Knights of St. John, a last remnant of the crusades, still held the island, but it was a shadow of its former self. Their resolve was weakened by French knights, who refused to fight fellow Frenchmen, and it was ended by a revolt amongst the Maltese. Napoleon now reorganised the island, abolishing the Knights, and plundered their fortress. After a week of intense activity, he sailed on towards Alexandria. Nelson was also heading in the same direction, having heard news of the fall of Malta when he reached Naples. Nelson met Keith on 20 January 1800. They both returned to Palermo, from where they moved on to Malta, still in French hands. On the trip to Malta, the fleet got separated in heavy fog. On 18 February, his small squadron encountered a French force attempting to take supplies to the besieged island. Keith and Nelson came back together off Malta. Lord Keith ordered Nelson to take personal command of the blockade, but claiming ill health (a constant theme with Nelson), he returned to Palermo, leaving Captain Berry to conduct the blockade. This was probably the final straw for his superiors, and Nelson was quietly ordered to return home. Tsar Paul was strongly anti-British (and only marginally sane). Tension over the fate of Malta also played a role in his change of alliance. On 27 August 1800, Tsar Paul issued a declaration inviting Sweden, Denmark, and Sweden to join with Russia in Armed Neutrality. The aim of this was to use force to defend convoys of neutral ships. In Britain it was seen, with some justification, as a move that could only help the French. Tsar Paul had been murdered on 24 March, before the battle had been fought, and replaced by his son Alexander. The new Tsar was less anti-British than Paul, although he was later to ally with Napoleon, at least for a period. Nelson had replaced Parker as commander in chief in the Baltic on 5 May, placing him in charge of the Russian negotiations. The French had to close themselves up behind the fortifications of Valletta and the surrounding Grand Harbour cities and outlying major forts besieged by the Maltese who in due course asked for and found support and protection from King Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of the two Sicilians and from King George III of England through the Royal Navy. Napoleon himself only stayed for 6 days, time enough to load his flagship, L'Orient with as much booty as he could. Much of it was sunk at the Battle of the Nile and lost forever. He left military garrisons in Mdina and Valletta. He abolished the Inquisition and slavery. Rapid administrative and legislative change followed some of which, to Malta’s credit, survives to the present day. The French needed funds to support their European war and further looting and confiscation of property became commonplace. After 3 months, relief at the departure of the Knights had turned to anger, and the Maltese rose up in Mdina when Church property was stolen. They killed the French garrison, and laid siege to the French in Valletta. Help was sought from the British who had just won the Battle of The Nile under Lord Nelson. Their reinforcements blockaded the harbour and the French, many of whom had already died from starvation and disease, surrendered in 1800. Lord Nelson's fleet blockaded the French garrison within the walls of Valletta, thereby cutting off maritime routes for the supply of provisions and munitions. The French capitulation opened a new chapter of Malta's history and led to the island's long period of association with the British Crown. After the French were expelled from Malta in 1800, British rule was established for over 150 years. Horatio Nelson, the first Sea Lord of the navy visited the Islands in the early 19th century before proceeding towards Egypt for the Battle of the Nile. The British Era was one of peace and prosperity during which the Maltese were gradually granted a say in the running of their own country, until the attainment of independence in 1964.
In October 21st 1805, Horatio Nelson was struck down by a French sniper's bullet, in which he died on the first day of Battle of Trafalgar. He was buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London, after a colourful state funeral starting in Greenwich. He is commemorated by Nelson’s Column, one of London’s most famous landmarks. It was planned in 1838 and finished 11 years later. It stands in Trafalgar Square, named after Nelson’s greatest triumph. Vice-admiral Villenneuve In 1800 he was the French naval officer who represented the French by the armistice of Malta. In 1805 he became Commander in Chief Armada, but was captured in the battle and later sent back to France against a captured British sea officer.
Note: Thanks to Frank Carrick in which he suggested that I should write about Horatio Nelson when he was in Malta at Marsaxlokk Bay, well known by the Navy Boys and other ex-service men, specially the 100 SU Tas-Silg Boys.
The reflections reveal a different landscape and an alternative pursuit. From the Hunt of the unfigured quarry to chase without focus can become the attainment. The Sun that travels over the Eastern horizon from fixed point to fixed point if viewed from the same station gives the broken arrow through the patterned crescent as a guide to location. The Solstice to Solstice travel has a centre found at the Equinox. Within the transit of the Sun we have fertility of all that has ever begun and we have ourselves as one within the world around us whether we choose to seek, to find, to run astray, to revel amok it is our way that we under the Sun display.
Positive and Negative versions are mirrored and reflected here sometimes offering an eternal horizon and also not. One to the other is a transformation that revolves around and around like our seasonal progressions about The Sun. Stone is often flattened and squared into working shapes and for older even ancient symbol stones and also for our contemporary memorial stones these cut and polished slabs hold iconic reference that we readily look at them for meaning and understanding. Our iconography changes through our cultural references and we still marvel at hieroglyphs and ponder at pictograms both modern easily interpreted shapes and signs as well as older more mystic fashions. When in certain areas of Scotland we are free to enjoy the sites of the original Pictish Symbol Stones and to wonder at their marvellous decoration that whispers of their ways and grants us access into their days.
This site is amazing with great views from the location of this stone. The half ton replica stands tall as a great beacon. When looking the Cross Motif viewers are facing east and this may have been a focus for outdoor worship. Due to the symbols and the story inscribed in pictures and icons some believe that the stone speaks of Baptism and that the Church here may have used local water sources specifically at Easter Times to host Baptism ceremonies.
Location is off road from B9166, Balintore, Easter Ross, IV20 1XE
Follow signs when you are close and keep going through Balintore til you reach the grass area after the houses and on your left you will see the Hilton of Cadboll Pictish Symbol Stone and the Church / Abbey remains.
The Links record all three of the parts on display,
1. Replica here at Balintore, Easter Ross, IV20 1XE.
2. Detailed Base of the monument The Seaboard Centre, East Street, Balintore, IV20 1UA.
3. Largest original section with one side of the base reproduce National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
© PHH Sykes 2025
phhsykes@gmail.com
Highland Historic Environment Record
Clàr Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil na Gàidhealtachd
her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG42384
Hilton of Cadboll Stone Clach Bhaile a’ Chnuic
highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/hilton-of-cadboll-stone/
Hilton of Cadboll Cross slab Date 7th - 8th century Collection Archaeology
www.nms.ac.uk/search-our-collections/collection-search-re...
The Easter Ross (Tarbat) Peninsula Rubha Thairbeirt
A special Pictish place Àite àraid Cruithneach
highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/the-easter-ross-peninsula/
Highland Objects Podcasts
Hilton of Cadboll Base Stone
highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/seaboard-centre/
Hilton of Cadboll Stone – base Clach Bhaile a’ Chnuic – bonn
Seaboard Centre Ionad Bòrd na Mara
highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/seaboard-centre/
Hilton of Cadboll stone. From J Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, i, pl.xxv.
Hilton of Cadboll Chapel Historic Scotland Minor Archaeolgical Works 2001
her.highland.gov.uk/api/LibraryLink5WebServiceProxy/Fetch...
Hilton of Cadboll investigation of the setting and recovery of the stump 2001
her.highland.gov.uk/api/LibraryLink5WebServiceProxy/Fetch...
Hilton of Cadboll Geophysical and Topographical Survey May 1998
her.highland.gov.uk/api/LibraryLink5WebServiceProxy/Fetch...
Hilton of Cadboll Chapel 1998 PDF
her.highland.gov.uk/api/LibraryLink5WebServiceProxy/Fetch...
Discover the lost kingdom of the Highland Picts Lorg dùthaich chaillte nan Cruithneach Gàidhealach
Highland Historic Environment Record
Clàr Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil na Gàidhealtachd
MHG32548 - Replica stone - Hilton of Cadboll
her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG32548
Discover sites
Discover the lost kingdom of the Highland Picts Lorg dùthaich chaillte nan Cruithneach Gàidhealach
highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/discover-sites/
Highland Historic Environment Record
Clàr Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil na Gàidhealtachd
her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG42384
Seaboard Centre, also known as the Seaboard Memorial Hall
Museum of the Highlands
Looking up at the roof in one of the building at the Haci Bektas Veli mausoleum and museum. Haci Bektas Veli put emphasis on peace and tolerance making his a universally relevant doctrine still widely popular today. Anatolia, Turkey.
Haci Bektas Veli was a mystic, humanist and a philosopher who lived approx. from 1248-1337 in Anatolia (Central-Turkey). His teachings had great impact on the Anatolian cultures. Haci Bektas Veli's characters are his humanistic teachings and his mystic personality.
Search and find.
Educate the women.
Even if you are hurt, don’t hurt.
Sages are pure sometimes purifiers.
First stage of attainment is modesty.
Whatever you look for, search in you.
Don’t forget even your enemy is human.
Control your hand, your word, your lust.
Beauty of human is in the beauty of his words.
Prophets and saints are God’s gift to humanity.
Road that doesn’t go through science is perilous.
Don’t try to find faults neither in nation nor individual.
How nice to ones who put light in the darkness of thought.
Don’t do anything to anyone if you don’t want it to be done to you.
Peace be with you!
Haci Bektas Veli
"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory." Mahatma Gandhi.
More than three years have passed since I took this photograph. Those were times when I was still looking for my own photographic style. Now I usually have my goals very clear, and although there is always room for improvisation, I do not use so much time to look for compositions throughout the day and at all hours as I did before when I was traveling. Or maybe I still do, but without looking through the camera, maybe now I do even more than before, but I use my eyes more, and when I intuit a great image, I am ready to immortalize it.
Of the thousands and thousands of photographs that I have taken before having clear my style, few I still consider worthy of being shared. However, this image of the impressive bamboo forests at the mountains of Nantou County, in central Taiwan, still transports me to that place and those moments when I was striving for a composition that conveyed the beauty of what I had in front of my eyes. A constant effort to do the best possible that I still keep in my photography, but now in a different way.
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“La recompensa se encuentra en el esfuerzo y no en el resultado. Un esfuerzo total es una victoria completa.” Mahatma Gandhi.
Más de tres años han pasado desde que realicé esta fotografía. Eran tiempos en los que a nivel fotográfico todavía andaba buscando mi propio estilo. Ahora suelo tener mis objetivos muy claros, y aunque siempre hay espacio para la improvisación, no uso tantísimo tiempo para buscar composiciones durante todo el día y a todos horas como hacía antes cuando viajaba. O quizás sí lo sigo haciendo, pero sin necesidad de mirar a través de la cámara, quizás ahora lo hago incluso más que antes, pero uso más mis ojos, y cuando intuyo una gran imagen entonces me dispongo a inmortalizarla.
De las miles y miles de fotografías que he realizado antes de tener claro mi estilo, pocas me siguen pareciendo dignas de ser compartidas. Sin embargo, esta imagen de los impresionantes bosques de bambú de las montañas del condado de Nantou, en el centro de Taiwan, me transporta todavía a aquel lugar y a aquellos momentos en los que me esforzaba por conseguir una composición que transmitiera la belleza de lo que tenía ante mis ojos. Un esfuerzo constante por hacerlo lo mejor posible que sigo manteniendo en mi fotografía, pero ahora de un modo diferente.
Probably it was the biggest demo London ever seen. Official referendum result is 48:52 in favour of leave and I personally accepted it, until I saw on BBC the following conclusions:
The data confirms previous indications that local results were strongly associated with the educational attainment of voters - populations with lower qualifications were significantly more likely to vote Leave.
If you do not believe me, go and check this out - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38762034. Also, even those people were mis-sold Brexit. They have seen prices hike since vote and I do not think even those people will vote for it if they were given a second chance.
Guanyin (traditional Chinese: 觀音; simplified Chinese: 观音; pinyin: Guānyīn) is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion.[note 1] She was first given the appellation "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China.[1] Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World."[2] On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.[3] … — WikiPedia
I will be happy forever
Nothing will hinder me
I walk with beauty before me
I walk with beauty behind me
I walk with beauty above me
I walk with beauty below me
I walk with beauty around me
My words will be beautiful
~from the Navajo Blessingway
Dancing... in "The present is my point of power. All light, all love, all energy, pass through me now creating ongoing beauty, balance, and awakening on the path toward infinite bliss. From death, the pause of perfect peace, I am born to dance on top of the world." Carol Bridges
Photograph taken by Molly Poitevint. May 13, 2007. Molly Poitevint Personal Collection.
This photograph of Broadway in New York City depicts the excitement that surrounds Broadway plays. Broadway touches lives in one way or another throughout the country. Although Broadway today isn’t experiencing the success that it once did, it still serves as the American dream for many and as a very profitable business for the owners.
From songs written about Broadway to the countless times its plays have been reproduced in books and films, it would be hard to find many Americans who can’t recognize a single song that started on Broadway. Americans have always been interested in theater, and Broadway facilitates all types of performers. From musicians to dancers, actors to directors, lighting technicians to set and costume designers, there is a potential job opportunity for anyone interested in the production of theater on Broadway.
Since the 18th century, New York City has had a professional theater district. In the area roughly between 39th Street and 59th Street, and between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue, Times Square has housed over 70 theaters, producing around 250 productions per year since the beginning of the 20th century. Broadway was able to have a national impact through touring. The audiences would come to the shows to escape the stress of the real world and to merely be entertained. Broadway plays became so successful that they even started to be produced overseas in countries such as France and England.
Besides being a central focus for actors and actresses to aspire to, Broadway is a thriving business. Americans take pride in the fact that they can go to Broadway shows, and the fact that they spend a significant amount of money for one ticket makes them have high expectations that they’re getting their money’s worth. According to Stanley Kauffmann, Broadway serves as “the only locus in the American theatre where American success is possible.” Therefore, actors and actresses of the highest caliber from across the country are attracted to working on Broadway. For the consumer who wants to see a good show and for the actor who wants to be the best in the business, Broadway can please both.
Although scholars disagree on whether the performances on Broadway are examples of high art, most Americans agree that seeing a show on Broadway is an experience that they will always remember. This American street exemplifies how theater and the attainment of what is considered to be the best place to perform in America has become a dream for so many people involved in the performing arts.
For more information, visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_theatre
Stanley Kauffmann, “Why We Need Broadway: Some Notes,” Performing Arts Journal 9 (1985): 193-198.
Arthur Laurents, _Original Story By: A Memoir of Broadway and Hollywood_ (New York: Applause, 2000), 178.
Brooks McNamara, “Broadway: A Theatre Historian’s Perspective,” TDR 45 (2001): 125-128.
Visit www.purebliss.in for Paavani Bishnoi Photograohy.
Bodhgaya is a city in Bihar, India. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana (Enlightenment). There is a Mahabodhi Temple, a World Heritage Site and next to it is a colossal statute called the Great Buddha Statue. This statue is 80 ft high and it features the Lord Buddha in meditation pose or dhyana mudra seated on a lotus in open air.
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