How do you view the world?

We live in world which is full of views. Don't do this, don't do that. You must do this, you must do that. You shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that. We also live as if our views are us. In reality, your view is your view, and you are you. They are two different things. Your view that you hold about a particular topic is just your view, it is not who you really are. You really are just you. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

Therefore, a view is just like a filter or a pattern which consolidates reality in such a way so it may be understood and grounds the mind into a particular way of thinking. For example, if I say that "apples are disgusting" then every time I see an apple, the view I hold about the apple filters the information from my senses so that the apple seems disgusting to me. Actually what my senses are picking up is just an apple - the apple is neither disgusting nor tasty - it's just an apple! But my view of what an apple is misconstrues this input coming in from my senses and gives me the result "apples are disgusting". To another person who holds the view "apples are delicious", the result will be different.

However, our views of the world which were formed when we were children, are a little more complex than this basic apple analogy. They affect each of our actions, each of our interactions and each of our relationships with everything. Every-thing! Every time we do anything, we are acting under the filter of our views which we ourselves created but forgot we created! This basically means everything we do is inauthentic. It's not pure, it's not truthful, it's not anything but a 4-year-old running our lives! And that 4-year-old is us when we were 4 years old and formed our view about reality. An example of a view created by a 4-year-old might include "Don't express", or "No one loves me", or "Life is boring". This view then goes onto affect every action, interaction and relationship we have - it becomes the foundation from which we build our lives upon.

Unfortunately however, views can also cause great divisions to our world and to our society when we lead ourselves to believe that our particular set of views are the only truth, and therefore all other views are false. This is only true in the animal kingdom, where one beast reigns supreme and everyone else is second-class. But in the human kingdom every human being on Earth has a different view to everyone else, and every view is valid. You see, the difference between me and other people is that I am aware that even my view that all views are valid, is just a view, it is also not the truth, it is merely my truth. However, my view is a Universal one and allows us to create a world of peace in which everyone respects each others' points of view, whereas if a person thinks there is only one truth and it's exclusively for them then this will create a divided society. The choice is up to us, either to create a world of unity or create a world of division.

Also, sometimes views can become very destructive when, a person who thinks their view is the only truth, tries to force another person to accept their view. At a macro level this happened with the Mughal Empire in the 16th century which began to forcibly convert people to Islam, and with Adolf Hitler in the 19th Century who began ethnic cleansing of the Jews. At a micro level this happens everyday at home, in the workplace and at places of 'worship', and most people do this unconsciously. We all try and force our views about particular subjects on other people thinking that they are the absolute and only truth. Examples of this include: homosexuality is wrong, women are weaker than men, all men are cheaters, all Americans are greedy, having too much money is bad, governments are to blame for everything, there will always be violence in the world. We have to understand that these are just views, they are not the truth and they do not correspond to the reality - they only correspond to our individual truth and our individual reality.

Therefore, there is nothing right or wrong in having views, whatever the views may be, in fact we need them as human beings to function on a day-to-day basis. But if our particular set of views do not allow us to understand who we really are, or our purpose in this life, then this view is keeping us limited. Some of these views which we created as children or as adults don't serve us anymore, so we should become aware of these views and then choose to let go of them. Other views may still serve our purpose in life very well, but by becoming aware that these still are just views we created, means we are aware that they may not serve us one day and we can just choose to let go and move on.

The reason why the world is divided at a macro level is because we have created small divisions at a micro level. These divisions exist because we hold steadfast to our views as the only reality and only truth. If we are to create a peaceful society we will have to transform our limited views into a Universal view, and to let go of our views that do not serve our purpose in this life, and to become aware that: your view that you hold about a particular topic is just your view, it is not who you really are. You really are just you. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing added, nothing taken away!

Sat Naam.

Article inspired by Landmark Education and Yogi Bhajan's book on The Mind and It's Multiple Facets and Projections

How do you view the world?

We live in world which is full of views. Don't do this, don't do that. You must do this, you must do that. You shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that. We also live as if our views are us. In reality, your view is your view, and you are you. They are two different things. Your view that you hold about a particular topic is just your view, it is not who you really are. You really are just you. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

Therefore, a view is just like a filter or a pattern which consolidates reality in such a way so it may be understood and grounds the mind into a particular way of thinking. For example, if I say that "apples are disgusting" then every time I see an apple, the view I hold about the apple filters the information from my senses so that the apple seems disgusting to me. Actually what my senses are picking up is just an apple - the apple is neither disgusting nor tasty - it's just an apple! But my view of what an apple is misconstrues this input coming in from my senses and gives me the result "apples are disgusting". To another person who holds the view "apples are delicious", the result will be different.

However, our views of the world which were formed when we were children, are a little more complex than this basic apple analogy. They affect each of our actions, each of our interactions and each of our relationships with everything. Every-thing! Every time we do anything, we are acting under the filter of our views which we ourselves created but forgot we created! This basically means everything we do is inauthentic. It's not pure, it's not truthful, it's not anything but a 4-year-old running our lives! And that 4-year-old is us when we were 4 years old and formed our view about reality. An example of a view created by a 4-year-old might include "Don't express", or "No one loves me", or "Life is boring". This view then goes onto affect every action, interaction and relationship we have - it becomes the foundation from which we build our lives upon.

Unfortunately however, views can also cause great divisions to our world and to our society when we lead ourselves to believe that our particular set of views are the only truth, and therefore all other views are false. This is only true in the animal kingdom, where one beast reigns supreme and everyone else is second-class. But in the human kingdom every human being on Earth has a different view to everyone else, and every view is valid. You see, the difference between me and other people is that I am aware that even my view that all views are valid, is just a view, it is also not the truth, it is merely my truth. However, my view is a Universal one and allows us to create a world of peace in which everyone respects each others' points of view, whereas if a person thinks there is only one truth and it's exclusively for them then this will create a divided society. The choice is up to us, either to create a world of unity or create a world of division.

Also, sometimes views can become very destructive when, a person who thinks their view is the only truth, tries to force another person to accept their view. At a macro level this happened with the Mughal Empire in the 16th century which began to forcibly convert people to Islam, and with Adolf Hitler in the 19th Century who began ethnic cleansing of the Jews. At a micro level this happens everyday at home, in the workplace and at places of 'worship', and most people do this unconsciously. We all try and force our views about particular subjects on other people thinking that they are the absolute and only truth. Examples of this include: homosexuality is wrong, women are weaker than men, all men are cheaters, all Americans are greedy, having too much money is bad, governments are to blame for everything, there will always be violence in the world. We have to understand that these are just views, they are not the truth and they do not correspond to the reality - they only correspond to our individual truth and our individual reality.

Therefore, there is nothing right or wrong in having views, whatever the views may be, in fact we need them as human beings to function on a day-to-day basis. But if our particular set of views do not allow us to understand who we really are, or our purpose in this life, then this view is keeping us limited. Some of these views which we created as children or as adults don't serve us anymore, so we should become aware of these views and then choose to let go of them. Other views may still serve our purpose in life very well, but by becoming aware that these still are just views we created, means we are aware that they may not serve us one day and we can just choose to let go and move on.

The reason why the world is divided at a macro level is because we have created small divisions at a micro level. These divisions exist because we hold steadfast to our views as the only reality and only truth. If we are to create a peaceful society we will have to transform our limited views into a Universal view, and to let go of our views that do not serve our purpose in this life, and to become aware that: your view that you hold about a particular topic is just your view, it is not who you really are. You really are just you. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing added, nothing taken away!

Sat Naam.

Article inspired by Landmark Education and Yogi Bhajan's book on The Mind and It's Multiple Facets and Projections

Infinite, Forever

Never ending, beginning forever,
Present future, past,
Experience, life’s endeavour,
World finite, contrast.

Endless, countless,
Within, unfounded,
Wealthy fame, fruitless
Unlimited, unbounded.

Boundless, vast,
Tenth gate, accessible,
Attachments, surpassed,
Immeasurable, inestimable.

Everlasting, continual,
Sow seed, water the crop,
Loving love, perpetual,
Continuous, nonstop.

Constant, incessant,
Daily practice, unwilling,
Meditatively sit, chant,
Interminable, unremitting.

Permanent, Eternal,
Reality, life parade,
Cleanly focus, internal,
Innumerable, myriad.

Limitless, incalculable,
Materially happy, addicted,
Divine peace, Insurmountable,
Numerous, unrestricted.

Unrestrained, bottomless,
Knowledgeable, clever,
Spiritual experience, true success,
Infinite, Forever.

Written with God’s Grace by,
Onkardeep Singh Khalsa

Infinite, Forever

Never ending, beginning forever,
Present future, past,
Experience, life’s endeavour,
World finite, contrast.

Endless, countless,
Within, unfounded,
Wealthy fame, fruitless
Unlimited, unbounded.

Boundless, vast,
Tenth gate, accessible,
Attachments, surpassed,
Immeasurable, inestimable.

Everlasting, continual,
Sow seed, water the crop,
Loving love, perpetual,
Continuous, nonstop.

Constant, incessant,
Daily practice, unwilling,
Meditatively sit, chant,
Interminable, unremitting.

Permanent, Eternal,
Reality, life parade,
Cleanly focus, internal,
Innumerable, myriad.

Limitless, incalculable,
Materially happy, addicted,
Divine peace, Insurmountable,
Numerous, unrestricted.

Unrestrained, bottomless,
Knowledgeable, clever,
Spiritual experience, true success,
Infinite, Forever.

Written with God’s Grace by,
Onkardeep Singh Khalsa

The Kara - A Succinct Summary

I was recently asked by a non-sikh student studying Sikh Dharma at university what the Kara was. A lot has been written about this but I think this is a great summary:

1. The Kara is my handcuff to God. (My commitment to a God-Centered life)
2. The Kara is my pledge to be aware of my actions and be in a state of higher conscience in all actions (Hence, it worn on the hand most used or even both arms). Higher Conciousness leads to better actions. Actions are our behavior. Behavior is our society. Society is our world.
3. The Kara is my pledge to stand for justice and be courageous. (It has and is also a weapon (melee weapon) sometimes called 'chakar')
4. The Kara signifies God's infinite never beginning and never ending nature. (Ofcourse the nature of God is not exactly empirically provable but being beyond the dimension of time would by default make something infinite)
5. The Kara for me acts as a balancer of the body's magnetic field (being made of Iron) and provides some iron to the body.
6. The Kara for me is symbolic but more importantly it is a spiritual tool gifted to the Sikhs along with 4 other 'k's' (spiritual tools) that help a person on their spiritual journey. The Kara is an integral part of a Sikh's identity because it is an integral part to a Sikhs way of life. It is certainly not jewelry (which is of course the assumed purpose).

Blessings,

Onkardeep Singh Khalsa

The Kara - A Succinct Summary

I was recently asked by a non-sikh student studying Sikh Dharma at university what the Kara was. A lot has been written about this but I think this is a great summary:

1. The Kara is my handcuff to God. (My commitment to a God-Centered life)
2. The Kara is my pledge to be aware of my actions and be in a state of higher conscience in all actions (Hence, it worn on the hand most used or even both arms). Higher Conciousness leads to better actions. Actions are our behavior. Behavior is our society. Society is our world.
3. The Kara is my pledge to stand for justice and be courageous. (It has and is also a weapon (melee weapon) sometimes called 'chakar')
4. The Kara signifies God's infinite never beginning and never ending nature. (Ofcourse the nature of God is not exactly empirically provable but being beyond the dimension of time would by default make something infinite)
5. The Kara for me acts as a balancer of the body's magnetic field (being made of Iron) and provides some iron to the body.
6. The Kara for me is symbolic but more importantly it is a spiritual tool gifted to the Sikhs along with 4 other 'k's' (spiritual tools) that help a person on their spiritual journey. The Kara is an integral part of a Sikh's identity because it is an integral part to a Sikhs way of life. It is certainly not jewelry (which is of course the assumed purpose).

Blessings,

Onkardeep Singh Khalsa

Quantum Physics and Consciousness by Deepak Chopra

In the video below, Deepak Chopra reveals some of what Quantum Physics scientists are now discovering about the nature of consciousness. The traditional view is that the essential building block of the Universe is matter, however, another theory which is gaining popularity is that the essential building block of the Universe may well be consciousness. If this is true, it could change our entire understanding about the nature of life and existence. Enjoy the video...

Quantum Physics and Consciousness by Deepak Chopra

In the video below, Deepak Chopra reveals some of what Quantum Physics scientists are now discovering about the nature of consciousness. The traditional view is that the essential building block of the Universe is matter, however, another theory which is gaining popularity is that the essential building block of the Universe may well be consciousness. If this is true, it could change our entire understanding about the nature of life and existence. Enjoy the video...

An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga, the yoga of awareness, is a tool to achieve self mastery and happiness of total self. It works on all aspects of the body, mind and spirit through, pranayama (breath), mantras (chants), asana (body positioning), mudra (hand positioning), bhanda (body locks) and relaxation to provide a more healthy, happy and holy way of life for each person who practices it.

Kundalini Yoga is one of the oldest forms of human development, being at least 6000 years old. Some believe it dates back as many as 70,000 years. Kundalini yoga produces results 16 times faster than ordinary yoga and is the original and most powerful of the twenty two schools of yoga, all of which are beneficial. The Yoga Sutras say that what you can achieve in 12 years of Hatha Yoga, plus 6 years of Raj Yoga, plus 3 years of Mantra Yoga, plus 1 year of Laya Yoga can be accomplished in a single year of perfectly practised Kundalini Yoga. It is therefore known as the fastest form of Yoga practise and personal development.

The word "Kundalini" means awareness and hidden potential of that awareness; it is the greatness of what we are capable. "Yoga" means relationship, unity, the merging of the individual creative consciousness with the infinite Creative Consciousness. By practicing this form of yoga an awareness and conscious relationship with our spiritual origin is developed. It is not a religion but rather the science of all religions. The spiritual impulse and identity is basic to human nature, but for many people in this society it has been lost. Practicing Kundalini yoga brings us back in touch with our three folded nature: body, mind and spirit.

Kundalini Yoga incorporates gentle stretching as well as energetic aerobic workout with breath coordination. All yoga sets are designed to work on specific body systems, such as the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine or reproductive system. It provides happiness by balancing the glandular system, strengthening the nervous system, and enabling us to tap into the energy of the mind and the emotions, so we can be in control of ourselves, rather than being controlled by our thoughts and feelings. Kundalini Yoga promotes better functioning of our bodily systems, increases our radiance and the impact we have on others, promotes emotional balance and enhances intuition, helps to eliminate negative habit patterns, and promotes a sense of relaxation, well being and centeredness as well as reducing stress effectively. The benefits therefore impact all aspects of our physical, mental and spiritual being.

"The process of self-healing is the privilege of every human being. Self-healing is not a miracle, nor is it a question of being able to do something that most people can’t. Self-healing is a process that occurs through the relationship between the physical and the infinite power of the soul. It is a contract, a union - that is the science of Kundalini Yoga." - Yogi Bhajan - Master of Kundalini Yoga

Immediately after class most students feel a sense of general well being and relaxation, or a feeling of inner peace and joy. Many students also report mental clarity and an increase in energy levels the day or days following class.

Summer Solstice, Solstice Summer

Summer Solstice,
Solstice Summer,
Are you ready for bliss?
Do you need a plumber?

For unblocking your soul,
Life must flow,
Fulfil this life's goal,
Which way will the wind blow?

Towards New Mexico,
Espanola,
Don't say no,
Come eat some granola!

Book your flight,
To ABQ,
Bliss is in sight,
Skies are turning blue!

Help you find You,
Don't worry about money,
Help your life brew,
Into golden milk and honey!

Ram Das Puri awaits,
Patience is a virtue,
Nurture your inner traits,
Come relax and renew!

There'll be lots of jokes,
There'll be lots of laughing,
There'll be lots of folks,
There'll be lots of chanting!

So, be honest, do you need a plumber?
Are you ready for bliss?
This Solstice Summer,
Come Summer Solstice!

By Jasdeep Hari Bhajan Singh Khalsa
27th March 2009