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Siri Singh Sahib stories

Hari Jiwan Singh shares a monthly story about his personal experiences with the Siri Singh Sahib Ji.

Yogi Bhajan: Take Happiness for Example, Please

The seven steps to happiness are: Commitment, Character, Dignity, Divinity, Grace, Power to Sacrifice, and Sacrifice. You can grade yourself along this scale. It may tell you where you are, and what to focus on next. Like any really good astrologer, gemologist, yogi, seer, or numerologist can provide, a preview into the future can help traverse any future objects. As they say, 'forewarned is forearmed'. When your focus proceeds correctly past present reality, thing happens more quickly and easier. Please let me explain.

Yogi Bhajan: Self-Aggrandizement

As a spiritual journeyer, not only must you not self-aggrandize, but you must not fear self-aggrandizement. That sounds counterintuitive. The only way to know you don’t fear something is to go though the experience. In this case, that means the exercise of self-aggrandizement. How can that be? First you mustn’t, then you must do the same thing. Which is it? It can’t be both? Can’t it?

Yogi Bhajan: Finger Food Gratitude

We talk of gratitude, but we just touch the edge. Until you’re constantly in the pursuit of being totally devoted, totally loyal, totally committed, totally obedient, totally trusting, totally subservient, totally loving of something or someone, true gratitude is lost. 

The experience of gratitude is Infinite, as is, naturally, the pursuit of more and more gratitude. They go hand and hand as the Infinite example of God. They represent love and duty, the way of a Sikh. 

Yogi Bhajan: Happy, Spiritual?

How can you be spiritual if you’re not happy? Who are you fooling? Not me. Yes, spirituality is a process. You should not see it as the end game. The actual mission of spirituality is to deliver a happy, carefree, protected, life. Otherwise, what’s it all about?

 

One of the techniques to be used in becoming spiritual is the nurturing of you experiencing happiness and contentment. 

Yogi Bhajan: Spiritual Warrior, What?

I don’t think people, especially Sikhs, have appreciated the God-infused, warrior nature of Guru Gobind Singh. I’ve been blessed to see it. It still exists in the nature of some Punjabis. It’s beyond what you’d expect. It’s relentless, it’s continuous, it’s victorious. The thing is though, it can be victorious through bullying or honor. This fight has gone on since the beginning of existence. Nevertheless, the Punjabi way is born out of the spirit of Guru Gobind Singh.

Yogi Bhajan: Accrued Fortitude

You want to talk about courage? Do you know how much courage it takes to give up, surrender, your way of thinking? I mean give up to the point where your mind becomes mindless as your thinking floats by in a continuous stream of nothingness. Surrendering to nothingness takes courage - a lot of it. Or, stupidity. That’ll work too. The difference is what the ‘nothingness’ is attached too. Please, let me explain.

Yogi Bhajan: Marry the Scary Carry

“Hari Jiwan, I’m sitting here with a young lady who’s perfect for your office. Can you take care of it? She’ll be a great help?” The Siri Singh Sahib’s voice and command were unmistakable. “Sure,” I responded, “I’ll send someone over to pick her up now if it’s your will.” This wasn’t the first time he sent someone over to work for me, it was a rather usual routine.  I accommodated. If at times his request would create too much pressure, I let him know and he understood. He had other outlets, but that was rare.

Yogi Bhajan: Our Lonely Way Back Home

Someone asked me recently, “How do you judge where this Dharma is going and if leadership is doing a good job?” Innocence is great. This question was from a new student who was spending forty days in our Sadhana Seva Program. She asked a question that most would consider terribly provocative. I didn’t; I loved it!

“First of all, let me say that it’s not my business to judge anything. Analysis maybe (no emotion involved), but even analysis doesn’t always get the desired results. It’s my job to serve and teach.

Yogi Bhajan: The Sizzle Chisel Fizzle

Our beloved teacher liked to quiz us. One of his favorite questions was, “Why is the student/teacher relationship like a hammer and chisel to a stone?” That was easy to answer. However, through the years, I’ve become aware of why this question begs another. How does the student become a stone? Let’s begin.

At first blush, this is easy to answer: The student must do what the teacher says, take the hammers blows, and experience the pain of the chisel’s edge. 

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Yogi Bhajan: Obedience Refocused

By Hari Jiwan Singh

What’s the difference between obedience, blind faith, and stupidity? Do you know? It’s a difficult question. One that obedience has allowed me to answer. Please, let me explain.

Let’s start with obedience. Now, that’s a very charged word. These days, "do your own thing" is much more acceptable. It used to be that you had no choice - obedience to the king, or the consequences would follow for lack thereof. Of course, that led to massive abuse. Those in charge could pretty much do what they wanted. Many still do. Much of what they wanted wasn’t good for us so we rebelled. Many still are.

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