Wednesday, June 14, 2006

THE ASTROLOGER & THE SAINT

From interview's with Tarawati Sofat, Nairobi

Yes, this is a photograph of Babaji. That's how we called him, 'Honoured Father'. His proper name was Puran Singh. He lived in Kericho where he had a furniture-making business. How did we meet? My late husband Baburam Sofat, who had come to Kenya when he was fifteen, worked in the Labour Department for 40 years! He would go to Kisumu and Kericho to give out pay. He met Puran Singh in Kericho and by 1942 they were fast friends. No, my husband was not a Sikh like myself, he was a Hindu Punjabi. He was an astrologer and palmist, so he was known as Jyotshiji. He had very many people coming to him. Even many Europeans. They were crazy about him. He'd be busy from morning until 6 pm. He didn't charge when he started. He wrote to his Guru (in India) about this. The Guru, Swami somebody, allowed him to charge 20/-. When my husband first met Babaji, he said to him, 'I want to read your hand.' When he saw Babaji's hand lines he said, 'You are a saint.' But nobody' else knew it.

puran1.jpg

When my husband first met him, Babaji was living quietly in Kericho. I don't know anything of his background, but here is the "Sikh Sandesh" published in London (11/8/83) after his death which tells all about him. It's written in our language Gurumukhi but I can translate it for you. It says that Babaji was born in the Punjab in 1898, that he left school when he was twelve to work as a carpenter. Then in 1916 he and his elder brother Isher Singh, with whom he'd been working, came to Kenya. He worked in Eldoret for five years and in Kitale for four. In 1930 he started his own business in Kericho, making furniture. He brought his family over (he had two sons and four daughters).

This article says he had been very religious since he was a young boy. Although he worked hard in his business, his main interest was praying. He employed many people in his workshop and he would go around and supervise them, then sit in a corner and meditate. He'd make the rounds again, then go back and meditate. He and my husband had so much in common. My husband could sit three for four hours in prayer.

When Sofatji went to Kericho he'd stay with Babaji and they'd talk about religion and things. But Babaji didn't talk like that with other people, he never tried to attract people to him. At first nobody knew be was a holy man. He looked like other people, wearing a suit for business, although at home he put on white pyjamas and a white shawl. He always kept his beard loose (and encouraged his Sikh followers to do likewise). He had amazing powers.

One time my husband went to Kericho with Babaji. They stopped at Naivasha by a big rock to eat the lunch they had carried with them. Suddenly my husband noticed a lion coming very close. Babaji spoke to the lion. 'Do you want to share our lunch?' He put some food on the ground. The lion came and took it and walked away. Sofatji, he was shaking he was so afraid, couldn't believe it.

They continued their trip. It was during the rainy season. A large tree had fallen across the road, a huge tree. The tree was shaking. Babaji went in to it, amongst the branches. The tree shifted so there was room to drive past. Sofatji said he could hardly believe his eyes.

At that time Babaji still was unknown. When he came to Nairobi, he never stayed with his own relatives because they ate meat and drank. Mainly he stayed with Jaswant Singh in the Railway quarters, but he'd also spent a day or two with us. When we built this house (in South B) Babaji laid the foundation himself. Every time he came he gave us light. You couldn't see the light but you felt it.

In 1941 Babaji came to our house. He didn't know I was expecting, and that I was scared because I thought something was wrong. (No, it wasn't my first pregnancy, it was my third.) He said, is something troubling you? Don't worry.' And he blessed me, saying 'God is great. You must pray all the time. He will look after you.' He explained that God looks after us, just the way we hold a cup that is cracked so it won't fall apart. He always spoke slowly and with just a few words, and then left you to think about what he had said.

My baby girl was born all right. But after sixteen days I became ill, and I was three months in bed. In 1941 there were no clever doctors here, no good medicines. The doctor wanted to put me under anaesthetic. Then Babaji came. 'Don't worry,' he said as he blessed me. And I got better without any operation.

Slowly people came to know he was a holy man. They talked about him and his reputation spread. We started having meetings in the South C gurdwara when he was here, so people could see him, have darshan. When Babaji realised he was known he made a society. Jagjeet Singh was the leader of our sangat. That was about 30 years ago.

kericho.jpg

We would meet twice a week for prayers. Once every six months or so we would all go up to Kericho for an 'Akand Path', three-day continual prayers. Big crowds would gather at Babaji's. He would clear out his workshop and we would have the meeting there, with prayers and singing. No one asked why you came, you were just made welcome. Everything was ready, food and bedding for everyone. Babaji's wife was helping. Baiji looked after him very well, his clothes and his food. She was a simple woman, very good hearted. She loved people, both grown-ups and children.

Babaji would sit there, talking with the people up until 11 pm. He'd be laughing and chatting. He wasn't a serious man. When you met Babaji you felt very fresh. He'd give you a great look, a great smile. Even one word from him made you feel good. He gave us his light. I think Babaji had a gift from God. God gives different gifts. (He gave me the gift of singing nicely.) Babaji had the gift of healing, of making people feel better.

According to this article he first realised he had some power when he was very young, when he cured his father of a terrible pain in his neck. But he never demonstrated his powers publicly, only when you went to him. Or he would come to you.

Around 1970 Babaji went to live with his son in London. The other son died but his son Billy still lives in Kericho. Yes, that was the one you met, his real name is Ragbeer. Babaji had a huge following in UK.

About ten years ago (May 29th 1983) Babaji had a heart attack. He said that it came from God and he accepted it. His son wanted him to go to hospital. Babaji said, This is my last day. If I go to hospital I don't come back.' His son insisted -and after two or three hours Babaji was gone.

Here we are not so many now. My husband Sofatji passed away in 1989. Jagjeet Singh, the leader of the sangat here, has also died. Babaji's followers have dispersed. We no longer have meetings at the gurdwara. Those of us who believe in him, we pray at home. He still gives us his light.

puran1jpg.jpg

Baba Puran Singh Ji with Sangat members at the Gurdwara Makindu on Mombasa Road. The Sikhs had built a small place for worship, which was 100 miles from Nairobi and 200 miles from Mombasa (port), during the building of the railways.

Legend has it that an African who took care of the place, used to see a Sikh horseman in beautiful attire, get off the horse and pay obeisance on the steps of the Gurdwara. He saw this horseman quite a few times and told the Sikhs about it. From his description it was deduced that it could be no one other than Guru Gobind Singh. This legend is well known till this day. This Gurdwara, middle of nowhere, is visited by thousands of people of all castes and creed everyday going to and fro Nairobi and Mombasa. Langar is available 24 hours a day and the place looks like a 3 star hotel now-a-days, with rooms to stay the nights. Simply a masterpiece and a feather in the turban of the Sikhs.

Baba Ji was one of the first persons to come to this Gurdwara regularly and perform keertan and paths and eventually it caught on and now this Gurdawara can be classified amongst the top gurdwaras of the World - income and visitation vise.

Friday, June 09, 2006

ridh sidh

Author: Harjas Kaur
Date: 06-09-06 04:18

If a person has spiritual development, the riddia siddhia comes from within. He doesn't have moral shortcoming to use innappropriately or to harm.

If a person does not have spiritual development, he is acting with aid of bhoots, jinn, and evil beings. These people are possessed. Even before his end he is under influence of destruction. Life is hell, and death is hell. No one can have real happiness at the expense of suffering of others. All you will have is delusion of happiness, and then great emptiness and deep regret. You will suffer all that you cause others to suffer. It is divine law.

There is a power which is light and joy and peace and healing and good. There is a power which is cruel and ugly and evil and hateful and sickening.

You choose what you become.


Aleister Crowley


Adolf Hitler


Indira Gandhi

Hair

Why the hair?

June 09, 2006

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki fateh

A Gurmukh Singh was telling daas of his experience when he was in University. It was a conversation between him and another student:

Student: “Singh why have you got long hair and a big beard?”

The Gurmukh Singh was very clever and questioned back to him:

Gurmukh: “Why haven’t you got the hair? It was there in the first place but you have cut it off. Why have you cut it off?”

Saying this the other student couldn’t answer and just made up some excuse about cutting hair makes a person look more clean.
Daas can say the true fact is that the ones who cut their hair aren’t clean and are getting slapped by nature every morning.
When one cuts his beard and shaves it regularly the next day it comes back. Thus proving that hair was actually meant to be there in the first place. Daas believes that this nature slapping us on the face telling us how foolish we are.
Daas remembers distinctly a conversation he had with a mona (one who cuts hair) and remember him saying he can understand Sikhi but never why one has to keep their hair long. Even though daas had given him a good explanation on why the hair is essential he still questioned it and never accepted what I was saying. This is because ones mind becomes so blackened with filth that they follow what there minds tell them. Like sheep they follow each other and never use Guru Sahib’s teachings.

dyKw dyKI sB kry mnmuiK bUJ n pwie ]
They all show off and pretend, but the self-willed manmukhs do not understand.

What daas means by ‘Like sheep they follow each other’ is that the ones who cut their hair are just copying what others have done and without understanding or logic they cut their hair as if it is nothing. This is what sheep do. Sheep run around in fields following each other without understanding of what they are doing. In this same way the self-willed manmukhs are copying each other. The women are following the men by cutting their hair shorter and men are copying the women by wearing earings. In Kaljug everything is becoming opposite.
Here is an extract daas found on the internet regarding this topic. It is an extract from Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh’s book, Undhiti Duniya.

START OF EXTRACT------------------------------------------------------------------

The mortal of evil leaning, burning the evil desires, wear evil adornments and ruin thir lives even in the next world. All the adornments and beauty of falsehood are transitory and of no avail after death. Aping the false adornments the women of other faiths, the women who forsake their own dress-code of Sikhism in pursit of the latest fashion, come to grief, as the following Gurbani quotes illustarte:

mwiT guMdwe^ØI ptIAw BrIAY mwg sMDUry ]
I have woven my hair into lovely braids, and saturated their partings with vermillion;

AgY geI n mMnIAw mrau ivsUir ivsUry ]
but when I go before Him, I am not accepted, and I die, suffering in anguish.



Leaving aside the simple way of Gursikhi God-Oriented Gurmukh ladies, is to have trss-knot at the top of the head covered with turban, as per the khalsa dress code. Those who delve in fashionable hair-dos and make-up are paving their way to hell. The above Gurbani makes it clear, delving in fashion leads not to true love, but only to wailing and grief in the Court-Divine. Should these sikh ladies have fear of awaiting Justice-Divine, so well explained repeatedly through the Wisdom of the Guru, they would not dare to delve in falsehood of fashion and spoil their life in the hereafter.
Fearlessness of the futre life after death and the non-belief in its existance is to get engrossed in the filth of characterlessness. Even in this world, the schorching of characterlessness leads many to their living verily in hell in prime of their youth. The worst may still be awaiting them when they depart in disgrace. Here is gurbani qoute to illistrate this.



dohwgxI KrIAw ibllwdIAw iqnw mhlu n pwie ]
The abandoned brides cry out in their suffering; they do not attain the Mansion of the Lord's Presence.

dUjY Bwie krUpI dUKu pwvih AwgY jwie ]2]
In the love of duality, they appear so ugly; they suffer in pain as they go to the world beyond. ||2||



Deprived of the love of the Beloved Lord, the true Union of Love, depicted inGurmat, the mortal beings delving in the evil adornmants truly lament as the discarded beings here in this world and also in the next. Their miserable plight of wailing and grief has been witnessed by Satguru as also by the ones graced with Divine-Sight, Saintly Gursikhs and devotees. Says the Guru, the unfortunate ones are not destined to find the Lord's Abode nor is it feasible. Given to worldly fashion, adopted bt women of ill-repute, like adornments of lustful gaudiness make a person appear ugly and unclean. Such ones are bound to suffer in the hereafter. Unlimited shall be their misery and sufferings. Rest assures there is no escape from this fate. Never slacken your vigil regarding life that awaits in the hereafter, for the mind- oriented shall certainly be meted out punishment there.

END OF EXTRACT---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daas would like to end this post by saying that the keeping the hair is accepting the divine will of Waheguroo and it is a basic principal of Sikhi. It is known to be the Moar (stamp) of Sikhi and without hair one can never be classed as Sikh of Guru Sahib. Keeping hair itself is Gurmat and accepting hair is accepting the will of Waheguroo which leads to a better life. Remember Gurmat itself is beautiful as one learns to live for Naam and not for himself. Without accepting the will of Waheguroo and keeping long hair one can never progress spiritually and is left spiritually blocked.

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