Kartikeya and Diya were over in Delhi

My nephew Kartikeya and Niece Diya were in town from Freemont CA and flew out with there parents back to US

God Bless them.......Always may the Almighty's grace be on them and their parents........

Challenges to Pursue

By Jim Rohn

• Review your performance. Whether it's communication, whether it's activity, whether it's a CEO, whether it's on the job. Here's what my father said, "Always do more than you are paid for to make an investment in your future." Now some unions would argue with that. My father was so unique. Review your performance--your language with your children. Say, "Have I been too harsh, too strong, too stubborn? Should I have learned to be easier and mixed more compassion with the tough stuff I have to deal with?" And yes, prayer will help. Ask for help to say the right thing, not to ruin it all by poor communication.
• Face your fears. That's how you conquer them. Don't dismiss them; face them. Say, "Here's what I'm afraid of. I wonder what I could do to change that."
• Exercise your willpower to change direction. You don't have to keep doing what you've been doing the last 6 years if it's not yielding the benefits you want. My mentor helped me review the last six years so I wouldn't repeat those errors the next six. Pick a new destination and go that way. Use your willpower to start the process. You don't have to repeat last year. Clean up the errors. Invest it now in the next year. Watch it make the difference.
• Admit your mistakes. Sometimes you have to admit them to others. Parents have to do it. We ask our kids do it; we have to do it. Here's some of the best phrases in the English language, "I'm sorry." The reason those are good words is because they could start a whole new relationship. It could start two people going in a whole new direction. Simple, not easy. You get this done, the turnaround can be dramatic. The early years can be big in payoff. Here's the big one. Admit your mistakes to yourself. You don't have to babble about them to everyone in the neighborhood. But it doesn't hurt to sit down and have a conversation with yourself and say, "There's no use kidding myself. Here's where I really am. I've got pennies in my pocket and I've got nothing in the bank." That's what I said after a Girl Scout left my door. I had a conversation with myself and I said, "I don't want this to happen anymore."
• Refine your goals. Start the process. Set some higher goals. Reach for some higher purpose. Go for something beyond what you thought you could do.
• Believe in yourself. You've got to believe in God and you've got to believe in the community. You've got to believe in the possibilities. You've got to believe in the economy. You've got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. Here's the big one. Believe in yourself. There isn't a skill you can't learn; there isn't a discipline you can't try; there isn't a class you can't take; there isn't a book you couldn't read.
• Ask for wisdom. This is communication of the highest source. Ask for wisdom that creates answers. Ask for the wisdom that creates faith to believe things are possible. Ask for wisdom to deal with the challenges for today and tomorrow, to deal with the challenges your family brings you. Don't wish it was easier; wish you were better.
• Conserve your time. Sometimes we get faked out. Bill Bailey says the average person says, "I've got twenty more years." No, Bill says you've got twenty more times. If you go fishing once a year, you've only got twenty more times to go fishing, not twenty years. That fakes you out.
• Invest your profits . Here's one of the philosophies that Mr. Shoaff gave me. Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living, profits make you a fortune. Could we start earning profits while we make a living? The answer is yes.
• Protect your family. These are troublesome times. At school--troublesome times. Protect your family as best you can from the hidden dangers, the lurking evil one.
• Live with intensity. You might as well turn it up a notch or two. Invest more of you in whatever you do. Be a little stronger; be a little wiser. Step up your vitality contribution. Put everything you've got into everything you do and then ask for more vitality, more strength and more vigor, more heart and more soul.
• Find your place. If you just work on a job, find the best place you can serve well, and sure enough they'll ask you to occupy a better place. And if you keep doing a job well, do the very best you can. That's your best way out. Here's a Bible phrase. If you work on your gifts, they'll make a place for you.
• Demand integrity from yourself. Integrity is like loyalty. You can't demand it of someone else; you can only demand it of yourself. Be the best example of loyalty, and you'll get some loyal followers. Be the best example of integrity, and you'll have people around you who have integrity. Lead the way.
• Welcome the disciplines. Can't give you much better advice than that because disciplines create the reality. Disciplines build cities. A well-disciplined activity creates abundance, creates uniqueness, productivity.
• Fight for what's right. It's a fight we're in. The story-teller says "And there was great war in heaven." One of the writers of later scripture said, "I fought a good fight." That's extraordinary to be able to say. I fought for my kids, and I fought for what was right and I fought for good health, and I fought to protect my company and I fought for a good career that would bless my family. I fought a good fight. It's good to fight the encroachment. Opposites are in conflict, and you're in the middle. If you want something valuable, you've got to fight for it. Then this writer also said, "I fought a good fight and I kept the faith." See, that's the deal. Keep faith with your family. Fight the enemy and keep faith. Fight the illness and keep faith. Fight the evil and keep faith. I can't give you much better advice

IK ONKAAR

Meditations on The One Indivisible Truth

Ik-Onkaar

Sat-Naam Kartaa-Purahk

Nirbhau Nirvair

Akaal-Moorat Ajuni Saibangh

Guruparsaad

Jap

Ik-Onkaar: The one, the reality, Om

Sat-Naam: of Name ever True and Eternal

Kartaa-Purahk: The Prime Doer, the Creator

Nirbhau: Fearless

Nirvair: Without enmity

Akaal-Moorat: Of Eternal Form

Ajuni: Without birth, Uncaused

Saibangh: Self-existent and Self-illuminating

Guruparsaad: Known by the Grace of the Enlightened Teacher

Ik Onkaar

The One God, the Absolute Reality

The Upanishads declare that there is only one Reality.

Guru Nanak Ji In one of his Shabads echoes this fact: “Nanak Kahat Jagat Subh Mithyaa, Jnu Supna Raheenaaie”

Nanak says this world is an illusion, like the dream at night. We think that Ishwar, jeeva & the world are three different entities. But the reality is they are one.

The wave is neither distinct nor separate from the ocean. Vedanta reiterates this eternal truth in the statement, “Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithyaa, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Apraah

Brahma Satyam: Brahman, the Infinite, alone is real.

Jagat Mithyaa: Jagat, is an illusion.

Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Apraah: And jeeva, or the individual ego, is that Infinite alone, not something other than it.”

There is only the One, there is nothing other than That.

Parmaataman has no attributes.

How can we name or describe the truth?

The Rishi’s indicated the Truth through one syllable OM, which contains the three sounds AAA, UUU and MMM. All other sounds are located within the compass of these three basic sounds.

As we know, all sounds are shaped either in the throat, in the mouth or at the lips. AAA emanates from the throat; UUU is shaped in the mouth and MMM at the lips.

AAA the first sound represents the Creator.

Bramha ji

UUU signifies the Sustainer Shri Vishnu ji

MMM is associated with the Destroyer, Mahesh or Lord Shiva.

The One Infinite Reality from which the entire universe appears, in which it is sustained, and in which it is dissolved, alone the one Ishwara who is the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. They are not three. Only one is playing the three roles. As such through Ik Onkaar Shree Guru Nanaak is invoking that one Lord who is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh simultaneously.

The ‘aaa’ sound in Om represents the waking state, ‘uuu’ the dream state and ‘mmm’ the deep sleep state. The waking state is that in which we experience the gross world through our five sense organs namely, the eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue. Dream state is that in which, during sleep, we see the subtle universe conjured up by our suppressed emotions and thoughts. And deep sleep state in which there is no experience of any object.

“AAD SUCH, JUGAAD SACH, HAI BHI SACH, NANAK HOSI BHI SUCH”. “That which was there in the beginning, that which was there through all the ages, which is here in the present, and will always remain even in the future, is the Reality. That which is negated or not present at some point in time is not real”. Sat-Naam His name is Sat, Ever True

A name is given to something that exists, never to that which does not exist. And here the name itself is Sat, which means ‘the Eternal, Changeless Existence’.

Everything in this world of nama, roopa and guna – this world of name, form and quality is ever changing. It therefore cannot be Sat. So what is the Reality supporting the world?

The Atma Chaitanya who is the witness of the three states and therefore of the entire world of experiences, who is the witness of the ever changing body, mind and intellect, is the Eternal, Changeless existence, which in philosophy we call ‘Truth’ and in religion ‘God’.

This is the real I , the Atma Chaitanya, who is the Changeless in all the changes, which is Om and is named Sat. He who knows this has recognised the Truth. Therefore from the names of God Shri Guru Nanak Ji has Chosen Sat Naam.

Sat Naam Sat because It is the Eternal, Immutable Existence.

Sat Naam also means ‘His Name is true’, or, put another way, ‘He is true to His name’.

His name is ‘Truth’ it leads us to Him and reveals the Truth.

Guru Nanak ji ever compassionate says that the Lord does have a name …which means that He does exist, for one does not give a name to something that does not exist.

As a name also connotes status, this implies that He the Lord, has great name and fame. He is the one with the greatest position or status. And it is certainly so, for He is.

KARTAA PURAKH

The Only Doer, the One Creator

“PURI PURI BASANTAA SAA PURUKHA”

Nirbhau NIRVAIR

Fearless and All-loving is He

These two words, Nirbhau and Nirvair, are adjectives qualifying the Lord of the universe, Ishwara, the Kartaa Purakh. On a higher & subtler level, the same adjectives indicate the qualities necessary for the seeker on the quest for the Truth.

AKAAL MOORAT His Form (Existence) Transcends Time

He is beyond time, therefore without death or change. There are some who believe that God created the world and then perished. By addressing the truth as Akaal Moorat Guru Nanak Ji is pointing out that God has not become the creation, but is merely appearing as the creation. Thus the universe is not real, it is superimposed on the Reality.

Sri Krishna in the Geeta says that this Aatman cannot be destroyed by any weapon or any of the forces of nature. Wind cannot dry it nor water wet it nor fire burn it. The Self is ever indestructible and Eternal.

Ajuni He is Without Birth or Beginning

God has no birthday. He was never born. That which is born must one day die. God is beyond birth and death. So is the Aatmaa. What is born is the body, not the Aatmaa and what dies is also the body, not the Aatmaa.

Ishwara or the lord has no ignorance or ego, therefore no vaasanas or karmas. So he does not to take up any form and undergo the experiences of life forms such as plant, animal or human. That is why He is also called Ajuni. He who in devotion surrenders to the Lord realises His own true nature as the Aatmaa, which is ajuni, ‘unborn’, is freed from the cycle of birth and death.

God is the one changeless cause of the universe. Still, someone may ask, ‘If God created the entire universe, who created God?’ Shri Guru Nanak Ji says, “He is Saibangh.”

SAIBANGH He is Self-existent and Self-illuminating

That which is the cause of the entire universe has nothing other than itself as its cause. So no one created God. He was ever-existent and will ever remain.

If we say that someone created God, then the next logical question would be, “Who created that which created God?” And we could go on and on ad nauseam. So logically we could conclude that there s one ultimate self-existent cause of the universe, and that cause we call the supreme

Reality or God.

This self – existent Reality, by what can it be know How can we recognize it?

Shri Guru Nanak Ji says, It is Saibangh, which means It is ‘shining in its own light’….. It is ‘self-illuminating’.

It us if the nature of Consciousness without which even the sun cannot be seen. This Consciousness which lights up the entire universe including the body, senses, mind intellect, because of which the entire universe is known and in Whose light of awareness, the sun, the moon, the stars the lightening and the fire shine, what other source is required to illuminate It? It is ever shining in its own light.

How can such a Reality be gained? It can be gained only through…..

Guruparsaad

The Grace of the Guru

In the context of the mool-mantra, Guruparsaad also means that the Lord who is Saibangh is Himself the Compassionate Guru.

He who is the Karta Purukh , the one Doer or Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer, he alone takes the form of the Guru to liberate us from the bondage of samsara.

Therefore we say, the “Guru Brahama Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Gurureva Param Brhamaah, Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah. Guru is the Creator; Brahma Guru is the Sustainer, Vishnu. Guru is the Destroyer -, Shiva. Guru is the Lord of the universe. Guru alone is absolute reality, Param Brahma. Unto the noble Teacher, my humble prostrations.”

Shri Guru Nanak ji Say’s “GUR ISAR, GUR GORAKH BARMAA, GUR PARBATI MA-EE”. Guru is Isar or Lord Shiva, for He destroys the ignorance and al the evil in us. Guru is Gorakh, the Protector of the cows – Shri Vishnu who protects us, sustains our aspirations for the higher and nourishes us with noble virtues.

Guru is Brahmaa, who creates in us the desire to know the Truth and inspires us to live a divine life. Guru is Mother Parvati, who fulfils all our pure desires and feeds us with the milk of Divine knowledge.

He is the Guru of all creatures.

Jaap Chant….

Dhan Dhan Gur-Guru-Satgur-Gurbani-Satsangat

Ik Oankaar Satnaam Satgur Parsaad

Dhan Dhan Gur-Guru-Satgur-Gurbani-Satsangat

Kottan Kot Dandaut Parvaan Karna Ji Shukrana Parvaan Karna Ji

MERA MUJH MEY KICHU NAHIN

Let us pray to the Gur and Guru for giving us the Gur Parsaad of understanding the Non-Truth element behind the meaning of �Me My and Mine� which is the biggest source of ego generation in our mind and body. �Me My and Mine� is the physical representation (it is physically reflected in our deeds, actions, reactions and thoughts) of the ego-Ahankaar-Haumai, which is the most serious and chronic & poisonous virus which has infected the entire human race. This virus is so serious and dangerous that it keeps the masses involved in the cycle of death and birth for an unimaginably long period in time and space. The �Me My and Mine� has created a dark screen between the eternal truth (Param Jyot Atma) and the non-truth (Maya) element. So if we can understand the �Me My and Mine aspect of our behavior then it will become easier to eliminate our ego or Haumai, because this is the root of the Haumai � ego � Ahankaar. The biggest source of ego generation is the body of the person and the mind controls the body so this way it effects the mind, or in other words we can also say that there is no difference between the mind and the body, the existence of the mind is due to the body and ego lives in the brain part of the body. In more simpler and practical way we can say that mind is body and body is mind.

Let us look at the �Me� first of all, what is �Me� � when we say �Me� we refer to our physical body, now this body is made from five elements: air, water, earth, fire and sky, now look at these five elements are these your body�s creation or the body is created from these elements, the answer is the body is created with the combination of these five elements, so the next question is who is the creator of these five elements � are you as �Me� the physical body creator of these five elements or there is some other super power behind the creation of these five elements, the answer is obviously the super power is the creator of these five elements, and if these five elements are not your creation and they are created by the superpower then who is the creator of the body � obviously the superpower is the creator of the body then how does this body becomes �Me� - it should be His (God�s) because He is the creator. Let us look at it further � body is created by the combination of five elements: air, water, earth, fire and sky � now you take these five elements physically and try to combine them � can you mix all of them together or can you combine all of them together, the fire will burn everything, the water will dissolve everything, the air will blow away everything, the sky is not accessible to you, in other words is it physically possible to combine these five elements by a normal human being ? the answer is obviously NO, these elements are physically not compatible with each other, their physical properties don�t let them be together in any circumstances. But in spite of the non compatibility of these five elements in the human body these five elements are held together, and what is it that is holding these five elements together ? the answer is the Super Power is holding them together, and what is that Super Power that is holding these five non compatible substances together in the form of your body is the Param Jyot Atma, the life element that keeps it going by breathing, this is the Jyot that keeps these five non compatible elements together and this Jyot is the God Himself, there is no difference between Atma and Param Atma, the soul that goes beyond Trihu Gun Tey Parey becomes Param Atma, this body is only a house for this Param Atma to live and spend some time, like we buy a house or a car and then after using it for a number of years we sell the old home and buy a new home or sell the old car and buy a new car same way this Param Atma lives in the body for a life time and then leaves it and enters in a new home to live another life, and this cycle continues until this Param Atma recognizes Himself and distinguishes Himself from the rest of this play of Maya and detaches itself from the Maya and finds His Eternal Home � the Nirgun Saroop like a drop of ocean goes back to the ocean. This wonderful act of holding these five non compatible elements together in the form of the body is the �KUDRAT KA KRISHMA�, it is a miracle and this miracle happens due to the Hukam, the will of Akal Purakh, there is no parallel power that can perform this miracle. So in the real eternal sense the �Me� is this Krishma, the �Me� is this Super Power, the Param Atma, the Param Jyot, the Life and not the physical body, and the physical body belongs to the creator and not the �Me� that is normally understood by the masses as the physical body. Since the body is mind and mind is body and that is what is normally understood in the physical sense as �Me� by the human beings, is replaced by the Super Power, the Param Atma, the Param Jyot, the Life in the real eternal sense. So in the end there is no �Me�, there is only the Super Power, the Param Atma, the Param Jyot, the Life.

Similarly let us look at �My and Mine�, which again for all practical purposes on the physical planes of the Maya World is understood the stuff belonging to your physical body, such as your clothes, your house, your car and so on. Let us take an example of a brick used for building the home � which is made by mixing the clay with water then molding it in to the proper shape and then baked in the fire before it is used for building the home for you. Now think for a moment � does the earth or the clay belong to you or created by you, the answer is no the Creator has created this element and by virtue of that this is the property of the Creator, the second element that goes in to making the brick is the water � does the water belong to you, are you the Creator of the water, the answer is obviously no, the Creator has created the water so the water belongs to the Creator, so the brick - the clay mixed with water belongs to the Creator, then the fire is used to bake the brick, again the question is who created the fire � was it not created by the Hukam of the God, the only Creator then where is the question of you claiming that the brick belongs to you and how can you claim that the home build of these bricks belongs to you, will it be wrong if we say that everything is created by the Creator and so everything belongs to the Creator and not �My and Mine�. Once you understand this divine wisdom that every thing belongs to the Creator and there is nothing that belongs to your (Soul) physical body and detach yourself (soul) from all these physical elements whatsoever they may be � house, clothes, household goods, family members and so on for that matter everything that is physically seen with human body eyes is not yours (soul Param Atma the Jyot) then you will be able to win over your ego � Haumai � Ahankaar and by doing so you will be able to win over your mind completely and so win over the Maya completely and once that happens then you (soul) will go beyond the three attributes (Raj, Tam Sat Gun) of Maya and go back to your (Soul) eternal home and never be born again to live in the house made from these five non compatible elements � your physical body and find your eternal home the Dargah of Akal Purakh and stay there forever and enjoy the highest and most blissful place in time and space.

The above description explains what is meant by: Mera Mujh Mey Kichu Nahin Jo Kichu Hai So Teraa. The person who understand this wonderful piece of divine wisdom given in the Gurbani will be able to achieve the Jivan Mukti, because Jivan Mukti is the Mukti from Haumai, Jivan Mukti is Mukti from Maya, and by deleting �Me, My and Mine� from your inside you will be able to do so. Just an understanding and acceptance of this piece of divine wisdom will take you Trihu Gun Tey Parey and merge your soul back in to the Nirgun Saroop. So please delete the �Me, My and Mine� from your speech, mind and Hirda and you will reach heights of the spiritual world.

Dassan Dass

Trekking and meditating in the Himalayas

I can help people who wish to go to points of interest in the Himalayas in North India. Like Mc Loedganj to visit HH Dalai Lama's Temple. Plus meditation in the mountains and prayers in Jageshwar in the Almohra region close to Haldwani. Staying and meditating in a quaint village called Jagathsukh (means the worlds happiness) or further in the interior close to Nagar again in the Manali region. Visits to the high medows in Narkanda and stay in the interior in those parts will be an experience to relish.

Meditations along the banks of the Holy river Ganga in Rishikesh can also be arraged in Rishikesh.

Treks in the Spiti & Lahul Valley, or right up into Ladakh where one can have an experience of trekking in high altitude conditions and with extreme conditions.

These trips will be arranged for on actual billings (i.e.) and further as I will acompany the person who wishes to make the journey there would be a nominal daily fee of a 100 USD