Yogi Bhajan Lecture Archive
Lecture by :
Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji
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Lecture on: 10/18/1987
Category: Gurdwara
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Share With Others

Subject I am touching is Vand Chakna. It's one of the tenets of the Sikh Dharma, which is very unique, which is beyond, there are 22 religions, but there is not that straight dictate. Share with others, it is a direct dictate. Nam Japo, Vand Chako. Meditate on God, and share with others, not to share only smiles, chako means something you eat. So something practical, something realistic, not send me good wishes, send me good prayers, be nice to me. Not social graces. Vand Chakna practically means to sit together and eat. That is why in Sikh way of life without langar there is no gurudwara. It cannot be considered Guru's House if langar is not fed, period.

Not only that, but at the time of Guru Amar Das, you cannot see the Guru until you do not go in the langar, eat first, and then come.

There are two basic fundamentals in Sikh Dharma, sangat and pangat. Sangat means San Gat. Sana, root word is Sana, Sana means love. Unquestionable love, not the love I love you, you love me, you brought me rose, I give you a kiss, I didn't bring the rose, you slap my face, not that kind of love. Love which has no demarcation, no dimension, love which has no question, no answer. It's very surprising, in eighteen years I have not understood that you know the word love, you use it most of the time, for you it is a bait and a hook. You are the most fishing nation I have ever met. For you it is a game and an emotional trauma but sangat, where love, gat means done. Where love is experienced.

So when they say Gursikh, I may come the Guru's Sikh, let us meet together, and love together the God. It means a help, a combination. The other word in the Sikh Dharma is pangat. Pan Gat. It means, 60% of you is your water, so where your desires, your equity of your health, and your worldly equities are solved, that is pangat. We use these words very funny. Sangat, Pangat, Ji. But then what. Neither he knows what he's saying, nor the other man who hears knows what he is saying. That is the most beautiful thing I have seen in communication. I talk, somebody hears.

It is just doing it to get rid of the time and space we are at. Nobody understands what words mean. Mostly people do not understand nobility. Nobility comes from the root word nay- ability. When no is not in ability, when impossible does not exist, then impossible is possible, that is nobility. Base word is nobility. No ability. When you have ability over no. But you say let us be noble, nobility is the best thing.

You call word commitment. Look at this funny part of it. Commitment, common ment. When you meant to not hurt but the purpose of life is straight that is commitment. If I ask you, let us do together, you say we'll think about it. No, it is a commitment. Co ment, you ment, I ment, we do ment one thing. Pronunciation, I go to this rehab center for my heart disease, it's Mr. Shuman, he must be some shoe man, making and preparing shoes, but Schuhman, the spelling is different, but shoe man will remain shoe man, that's how shoe man is.

A word in pronunciation and spelling can be different. In english word, in Siri Guru Granth, Too mera Gura hai, (high) you are the highest Guru of mine. Sikh will translate like that. Too mera Gura hai. You are the highest formula through I can solve all problems. That is the admonition, not you are my Guru, and you are my big Guru. When these things I hear and I understand in communication and the projection, person does not have even the brain given by God to analyze the words of the Guru, I wonder where this man is going to end up. I do wonder.

All these days when I'm not well I'm enjoying one thing. I didn't do my Ph.D in communication of psychology, now I am using it, when people talk to me I become a student. I have left the role at that time, I want to study what this man is saying. Do you want to understand people are so stupid, they say things they should never ever say. They do not know that any spoken word is God, and it must and shall act and react.

Now I tell you the theory. The word came into existence because God became bored. God was so successful, so what happened was God was very much into his own mystery and mystique, whatever you want to call it, he became very bored. He didn't know what to do, he created the word. Even almighty God created problem to be busy. It is not what you are creating problems that you have to worry about, you are doing exactly what God does, you create problems and you solve them. One thing you do not understand which God understands, God said Koon, so be it, the word God performed. That's what John said in the beginning, there was a word, word was with God, and word was God.

It means whatever you say and speak, that's what action and reaction is. There are three basic dharmas on which I am speaking, that is dharma, karma, barma. Barm means the doubt, dharm means the state of ecstacy when achievement is positive and definite, and karm is the action, may be, may not be, you know better what you do.

The topic today in Sikh Dharma which I am describing today is Vand Chakna. Share, share, practically sharing with others. Now what you can share when you don't have anything. Sharing has a pre-condition. Sharing means you should have something and then share.

Why Guru thought that every Sikh shall be extremely successful? The Koona Sikh says, "paypaiee." One can eat meat, there is a controversy over whether one should eat meat or not. Dictate in the Khalsa is Koota Nay Khana. Koota is a meat which is made in sabbath ways, they read the word of God and kill the man, so, the justification is thou shall not kill, but when you take the word of God you can kill anybody.

To which Guru Nanak said Koota Nay Khana. The types of meat available was moordhar that when animal dies people take the part of the meat and these people, low class, they will take that meat and cook it and eat it. Moordhar. Second was Bali Chakta, which normally you will see eating is permissible. This tradition of Chakta or Bali comes and it is called Mahan Prasad, great Prasad, it comes from Rajpur tradition.

In Rajpur tradition, Rajpur's are normally vegetarian, they don't eat meat, but they offer sacrifice to the goddess, and they offer goddess the sacrifice and whatever that goat is sacrificed, or whatever that sacrifice is, that has to be eaten. That becomes mahan prasad, that is where one stroke killing is done.

Normally at that time, the meat they were eating, for which these Muslims were trying to put the karma on it, what you call kosher meat. Guru said, Koota Nay Khana, which was commonly available he stopped not to take it. What we do? All right, this is not to be taken, therefore other things can be taken, you know, it is our way. One thing practically as Guru said, Koota Nay Khana, then you can say, well Koota can be only a goat, sheep is all right, duck is all right, birds are okay, snakes is a shukr, is a low cost, we could eat that.

There is no place in this world where you can be logically convinced, but spiritually you can always understand what Guru says. Between Sikh and Guru the command and the knowledge of the command is well known at the heart. I always know what I am saying, the other man always knows what I am saying, but only the talk goes on when I am saying and he's not listening, or he's not trying to listen. Basic subject is, Vand Chako, a command. Command as Sikh was. Vand Chako. Share.

What you can share, you can share your poverty? You are hungry from last seven days, you can share, all right let us be hungry another eight days. What you are going to share? If you are commanded to share, it means it was presumed by Guru's dictate that you shall be rich, you shall be in a position to provide. Now what I am asking in the modern psychology today, what happened to Guru Gobind Singh, the great Guru, that he presumed every Sikh shall be successful? Yes. Success and Sikh cannot be separated.

First Nanak said, Sochai Soch Na Hovai, Je Sochai Lakh Var. Think not you think, thinking hundred thousand times won't dissolve the problem. We do think, we want to think, what makes us think? What makes us think is our duality. The other word Guru says, Thal vich tin vas too paio, sat santokh veecharo. Truthfully, patiently, plan it out. Veecharo means, veyhar, veychar, bibchar, these are three words, bad deeds, deeds, and planned deeds.

Sikh is permitted to live planned deeds. Now planned deeds does not have a defeat. Success is granted. When you'll plan, then naturally one thing will come to you. You know who you are, you know what you are, you know what you are going to do, you know what you are achieving, you know already the pros and cons.

Life success comes only when you put your cons before you and put pros over, and deal with it. The time you start wasting in pros and cons, at the moment shall bring you defeat, how intelligent you may be. It is impossible to get rid of the tie of the hook of the commotion. Commotion is caused by duality, just remember that.

Duality is nothing but waste of the most precious time of life. Guru presumed Sikh understand the line in Japji, obey. Bana. Sikh understand the will of God, he understand. Recognized it, understands it, lives it. Then after you understand the hukam and the will of God, what these minor things in the world can do for you, nothing. If they can do anything, then what can happen to you. You by grace, you by existence, try to understand. If you are in your own grace, you're that very specialty that you are in grace, will attract opportunities to you.

Lokeh paki bhajey dhaor bhote din ratai con na hai-ey hati, je sevai har Gur or piara tin ke pul-ley ley charkra may-ti now this is as old a saying by a Bhagat in Rajistan, as India can exist. I'm not talking about Siri Guru Granth, I'm going thousands of years back, and that it says, that people who run after the world, wealth, money, prosperity, success They sometimes get so run out that they can't even catch it. Those who sat down and radiate their grace, it comes to them not only, it runs around them in circles.

Basically, the most attractive thing, and practically it is true, when it was the Bhaisaki of Anandpur, now let us sit there and imagine that. It was the Bhaisaki of Anandpur, according to the record of the imperial recorder, 80 to 90,000 beloved Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh came at Anandpur Sahib. He says there was a tent, and there was a stage, and Guru was supposed to come and sit and give them charan paho. An initiate will get from the right toe of the Guru dipped in the water and then they will drink that, that was the procedure up to that time.

Instead, Guru came out with a naked sword, asked everybody, I need a head. Question is, who wants to excel death, that was the question. One Dharm Singh, got up, and said not only the head, I am all yours. Guru took him, took him in tent, came out with a bleeding sword. My God. Now you understand the second man who said, head is yours.

First might have some conception, the second had no doubt. Then it came to the third, fourth and fifth. After doing all that, Guru reappeared with the five people, as beloved of the Guru, and dressed them himself. Gave them bana. Sikhs do not understand the concept of bana. They think, well we can wear anything we want. No, no, no. That's not true. We gave five heads on the Bhaisaki Day, and out of 80 to 90 thousand people, five could stand up to give that thing, and what Guru gave us is the bana. Why? It is a very simple thing. Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam.

Identity is true. Guru gave you true identity that day. Such a great identity my dear people, that after that not only Guru gave bana, 72 hours later, Guru gave the amrit, and called them the beloveds, and a day later asked them to initiate them so that he can become Gobind Singh from Gobind Rai. Just understand the strength.

If from the sparrow I can get a hawk broken, then I am Guru Gobind Singh. That was the shakti, that was the power, that was the ecstacy. In Siri Guru Granth you read Mehela Chota, Mehela panjva, Mehela Navan, Mehela pela, Mehela Teeja. There is but one God, everybody is a female to it. In the writings of Guru Gobind Singh you will be surprised to see, Siri mukh var patishai dasamee, the king of the kings, the tenth king, from the great mouth of the tenth king. Nowhere Mehela Dasama has been used. Because tradition, conception, experience, and the being changed.

Therefore, the success, the concept of success, is not in the technology you know. Technically you can be perfect, you may not be in a position to deliver. Then while delivering there are challenges, you may not be in a position to meet them. In meeting the challenges, you may not do justice to yourself. In doing justice, you may get bored and depressed, and you may destroy. Your commitment may not be excellence. Sikh and excellence cannot be separated.

This morning I was making a phone call and I was asked, what is the idea, calling again and again and again. I said what is wrong in expecting to get milk out of the stone. They said, well milk doesn't come out of the stone. I said then stone shall crack, it will become sand. I do not understand. I said I do not know, when goodness in sight, why to give it up?

The life is not pursued for the joy of life, life is not pursued for the pleasure of life, life is not pursued for the success of life, life is not pursued for the sharing of life, life is pursued for the goodness of life. When life is pursued for the goodness of life, that is the Godliness of life. That is where God comes to love. You millions of you can love God, God may not love you. God shall love you when you love the goodness. Good, very good. Very best.

Guru said, share the goods, Vand Chako. If you are not pursuing goodness, what can you share? If you are pursuing commotions, emotions, feelings, and neurosis, and all that, then your very pet cat can laugh at you because she doesn't pursue that. She knows it. The animals and the birds and the life in water just survive and accept it. All lives other than human life is impulsive life. It has absolutely no rational, logical, breakdown. When a tiger is hungry, tiger is hungry. At that time hungry tiger only knows one thing, kill. When a man is hungry, he cannot kill because there is a commandment, thou shall not kill.

That's the difference, this commandment doesn't fit in with the animals. They don't understand English, James version either. They do not call a rabbi that he can do some business, then you can kill, then it's okay. It's the same thing we Sikhs do. Guru said read Anand Sahib, we read five pauris, took the fortieth with it. Then we stand before the same Guru and say Anand Sahib Ji ke Ardas. Look at the joke.

In the Siri Guru Granth, Anand Sahib is written, it is in the very Guru's heart, and before that Guru we read five pauris, read the fortieth with it, make it full. I mean to say, what a conceit, then stand before it, Anand Sahib ji ke Ardas? If I have to give you forty dollars, I give you five dollars and then sixth dollar as fortieth dollar and say we quit, how many of you will like to even believe me next time? You know what you'll do next time? Go get it, count it, get the cashiers check, let it be forty dollars, show it to me, I'll read the word forty, I'll talk to you. That is how things are.

Guru says Vand Chako, Dharm di kirt karo. Dharm di kirt karo. Dharm di kirt is nothing but a technology of total success. It cannot meet any failure. There is no way out. The entire teachings of Guru are based on one thing. If you seek happiness for yourself you shall never be happy. Seeking happiness for self is seeking misery. If you seek happiness for all you shall be the happiest.

So all dictates Nam Japo. Why we praise anybody other than ourself? Because we dedicate ourself. The universal infinity we bow to, this Adi Shakti, this kanda, that represents infinity. That's our symbol, that's our religious symbol. When we worship infinity, then we appreciate the infinity, we bow to the infinity, and we ask the infinity to be with us. When you are with infinity, you are not limited. Nam Japo, Dharm di kirt karo, do with the sweat of the brow because success comes when it is planned. When it is planned and achieved then don't.....

You know what word came to me this morning. People do one thing. Half jerk, half work. Half jerk, half work. Now California is very beautiful, temperature is fantastic, everything is nice, but earthquake has shaken everybody out. Yesterday was yelling and screaming for three hours, and I just asked to myself a question, is it worth living?

Now they are saying from one day and in fifty years this place you call it haven is going to be leveled off. It has to be leveled off because karmas are heavier and heavier, heavier, heavier. Disgrace is all around, all around, all around. This country where you never used to close your doors of the house, you used to leave the door open and go wherever you want and it was intact. Today you close the door, you come back, nothing will be in tact. Today the modern ad is to buy a direct double direct double bolt.

That country which used to take pride amongst its people, that you don't have to close the door, today that country, there is a parking lot, but God knows you'll be parked there forever, you'll come out of it or not. Parking lot is for cars, not to be murdered, not to be shot at, not to be raped. You walk into a parking lot you are not sure if you'll come back or not. You go to a grocery store, 7/11, and you don't know whether you'll get the things or you'll ask hands up, lie down flat on the floor, don't move.

What we have become? Fight between the haves and have not is endless, that's why the Guru said, those who don't have, share with them, so they do not become panicked, neurotic, and make great hell for you. Guru didn't teach you socialism, Guru taught you grace. Grace in the sense that you must understand, Tik nihali baysun ik ootay benkaray. There are some who are lying down in the quilts and sleeping, and there are some who are standing over and fanning them. God, these are your ways, because law of karma is it has to be paid one way or the other.

The only way the freedom for karma shall be by living dharma, and getting rid of the parma, simple things. Some people say, why to come for sadhana in the morning. I said so you may not be depressed at night. What is a sadhana? A discipline to conquer the death, conquer the laziness, conquer the duality. Who wants to get up at 3 A.M. and 4 A.M., tell me one person, that's the best time to snore and sleep. Guru says get up because between 3 to 6 you will get terrible dreams and your breath becomes short. It is better to get up and enrich yourself, nurture yourself, grow yourself, than to sleep and snore. Then the western teachings will come through, early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Forget about Guru, this is a western saying. Western saying is early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Tell me in the entire congregation is there one person who doesn't want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise? You all want to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, then you got to sleep early, go to bed early. Only that person can go to bed early who has the conception. Who has done sadhana with the Juka.

A lot of people ask me, when did you sleep? I said, when I feel like it. Normally in your health you have to sleep 8 hours. In those 8 hours, to be very frank with you, you only sleep deep sleep, nap sleep, what you call it, when you become God, is about half an hour, when you don't know you are a man or a woman, rich or poor, Sikh or no Sikh, you understand? Nothing you remember of this world, but if you remember nothing of this world, and you are not trained to experience to remember the other world, then you are yo-yo. You're not here, not there, that is called the state of hell, that's hell.

So sadhana gives you a concept to penetrate in that deep self, to relate to oneness of the God. That way duality is conquered, prosperity comes, and grace and radiance becomes the shield. Then you don't love God, God is proud and proud and proud to love you. That is the concept of Vand Chakna in Sikh Dharma. Not giving you gift and saying thank you, not giving you gift and expecting to be thanked. In Sikh Dharma giving has a concept. Give, and feel grateful to Guru that you could give.

Tera keeta jato nahi maynoo jog ki toee, May neergun harey apey darsh payoee..... This is one shabd in which Guru has described the entire life. The success, the prosperity, which people want, they can have success, they can have prosperity, they shall not be happy. Marilyn Monroe, that sex symbol of America, she has to take death pills, she was not happy. John F. Kennedy has to go to Dallas to get killed in spite of the fact he knew that he would be shot. His death wish became his success wish, even they told him that he should go in a bullet proof car, he said no. It was an open invitation to death, it was.

Today we do believe that where is the place for a Sikh in the world. Place for the Sikh in the world is in the heart of this universe. Because many, many, years ago, an article was written, Hum Hindu Nayeeah, We are not Hindus. I laughed when that pamphlet was given to me, yes I am Hindu Nayeeay, I'm Hindu ?528? We are saintly, we are saints, we are soldiers. That is the character, combined character of a Sikh, to be a soldier and saint in one person. Now if you are a soldier and a saint, you are not successful, then something is wrong with God. Shustra and Shastra, two things; the spiritual knowledge, and technology of self-defense, have to be together in a person, and that is what Guru Gobind Singh gave us. Gave us with absolute flawless detail.

To brought the truth to the fact, what was said, Akal Moort Ajuni Sai Bhang Gur Prasad. You shall look like God, Akal Moort, you are the picture of God. Today, there are five billion people on this earth. Forget about the tribal people, and just remember the Khalsa. Even Sikhs are saying today, well what is in the hair, what is in the beard, what is what. I'm not discussing what is what, I'm just discussing, there is one dictate Shabd surat distar sala. You'll have a perfect face, that's one acceptance of the God.

It didn't say, oh woman, grow the beard, oh man, you shave it off. No, it said, be perfect. Accept the will of God. Yesterday somebody was telling me, why some Indian Sikhs, they love you so much, they don't come near you? I said, the tragedy is very simple. Americans came near me, how they look. If Indian come near me, they are going to look exactly like this, that's what they don't want.

It's not a problem with me, it's a problem with them. They want to do what they want to do, and I'm going to tell them that they have no right to do anything what they want to do, they have to do what Guru said to do. I'm going to remind them the Bhaisaki, I'm going to remind them the bana, and I'm going to remind them the bani, I'm going to remind them the seva, I'm going to remind them simran. You are the sovereign of all sovereign, patishaee, patishah jis noo bhakesay sift sala, Nanak patishaee, patishah.

Sikh has not to introduce himself, his very presence is introduced. His concept is introduced. His trust is established. His radiance has already charmed another person because one feels this man believes in himself. It doesn't matter how phony you are inside, that's your problem, but when another man looks at you, he says, wow, who are you?

All these kids in this road used to say genie has come. Today they say, Shalom Rabbi. Now there are a lot of little kids with this yamaka on, having those little bright kids, and they feel that there is a rabbi running around in the street, they call me shalom, I call them shalom back. The very presence tells them that I am the rabbi, they have never seen or asked me to show my driving license or something like that. The very fact, the very presence, has that indication.

I tell you today, Guru was right. If your presence cannot speak for you, you cannot speak for yourself. Nobody else can speak for you. That's why when you go for business you end up with a business suit. I still bet, how yippie you are, but if you go for a business appointment, and you know you are going to make a kill, you are going to put three piece suit on. I asked somebody, I said, you wear bana all the time, and you are very successful. He said, sir, the difficulty is very simple. Once people meet me, they never forget me. Sometimes they say, oh, that funny man, who is always in white, or sometimes they say, oh that man, you don't have to recognize him, you can know him. He said, add all the pluses and minuses, fact is whenever I meet somebody, he never forgets me, and thus he never forgets my number.

One account we blundered, when we met them, he said, well there is a dark spot in this whole thing, but you wear white, I hope you'll keep it white. He said, since then, I have a confidence that I am the best. Your presence is given to you to speak, and Guru gave you the presence on the Bhaisaki. What was the year? Anybody remembers? 1699. Year was very well chosen. One year less than the century. 17th was to start, 16th was ended, when Khalsa was born. 1699 on the day of the Bhaisaki, the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Rai of the Sikhs, came out, with a sword in his hand. Asked for the head of the Sikh and Khalsa was established. Gurmanter was given. Do you understand what happened that day?

Then the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Rai, knelt down before those five, and asked them to baptize him. Rebirth, reborn, method of being reborn cannot be practiced on this planet by the humans, then humans do not know what they are practicing. This is the miracle, this is the karamat, to which Guru Ram Das sang to it, Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru, Jin Siria tinai Savariaa, Poori Hoee Kara Mat, Aap Sirjan Hare Dharia.

The God himself personified himself, that is why Guru Gobind Singh was right to say Khalsa Akal Purkh Ki Mauge, Khalsa Akal Purkh Ki Fauge, Bhagio Khalsa Parmatam Ki Mauge. It's the God's glorified will in which the Khalsa appeared. I know these days question is being asked, what shall happen to the Sikhs. Worry not, we have gone through this many times, but we are timeless. You do not understand, our watch doesn't mean anything, because after every 24 hours there is going to come the same thing.

That's why we say Sat Siri Akal. That is why seal of the Akal Takhat is Akal Sahai. That is why we are Akal Moorat. Remember that deathlessness is in our very one cell. Therefore, please remember, today, that success and a Sikh cannot be separated. It is the religious duty of the Sikhs to share. Law of vacuum is there is no vacuum. If you don't share, you don't get anything. So in the creative consciousness, Guru has dictated in Sikh Dharma a tenant, Thou shall share with others who need to be shared, because our homes are Guru's homes, our being is the Guru's being, and ourself is the Guru's self.

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hukum -

Slok 3rd Channel - Guru Amar Das

In ego world is dead, and in ego the world continues to die. As long as there is breath in the body, so long the man does not remember the Lord. What shall he do when he goes beyond this world. In ego the world is dead and continues to die. As long as there is breath in the body so long the man does not remember the Lord. What shall he do when he goes to the world beyond. He who is divine is on the alert. The agnostic acts with blindness. Nanak, what man does here, he receives the results and obtains it going hereafter. 3rd Guru From the very beginning, if it is the will of the Lord that he cannot be remembered without the Guru. From the very beginning it is the will of the Lord that he cannot be remembered without the true Guru. Meeting with the true Guru, the man realizes the Lord to be contained in his mind, and he ever remains absorbed in God's love. With every breath he remembers the Lord and no breath of his passes in vain. His fear of birth and deaths departs and he obtains the dignity
of eternal life. Nanak, the commandment gives his rank to him to whom God shows his mercy.

Pauri

The Lord himself is all wise, he is omniscient, and himself supreme. He himself shows himself and he himself attaches man to his meditation. He himself poses as a taciturnist and himself expounds divine knowledge. He seems bitter to no one and is pleasing to all. His praise cannot be described. Ever, ever I am a sacrifice unto him. He seems bitter to no one and is pleasing to all. His praise cannot be described. Ever, ever I am a sacrifice to him.

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh.

Above Article Copyright © Yogi Bhajan 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.



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