सिक्‍खों का इतिहास वास्‍तव में सिक्‍ख खत्री गुरूओं का ही इतिहास है

सिक्‍खों का इतिहास वास्‍तव में सिक्‍ख खत्री गुरूओं का ही इतिहास है , जो गुरू नानक से गुरू गोविन्‍द सिंह तक बताया जाता है। सिख धर्म प्रचारक गुरू नानक लाहौर जिले के तलबंडी (ननकाहा साहिब) के वेदी खत्री थे। उनके उत्‍तराधिकारी गुरू अंगद टिहुन खत्री थे। उसका असली नाम लहना था। गुरू अमरदास ( 1552-1574) भल्‍ला खत्री थे। हरमंदिर या स्‍वर्णमंदिर के संस्‍थापक गुरू रामदास (1554-1581 ) खत्रियों की सोढी अल्‍ल के थे। गुरू गोविंद सिंह ने अपने ग्रंथ 'विचित्र नाटक के अध्‍याय दो से 4 में अपनी और गुरू नानक की उत्‍पत्ति भगवान रामचंद्र के पुत्र लव और कुश के वंश में बतायी है। गुरू गोविन्‍द सिंह सिक्‍खों के अंतिम गुरू थे।

मुगल काल में सिक्‍ख खत्री गुरूओं के इतिहास की एक अलग ही कहानी है। 1901 की जनगणना के कुल 1030078 खत्रियों की जनसंख्‍या में 60685 सिख खत्री दर्ज किए गए थे। इस जनगणना में जैन धर्म को माननेवाले 704 और बौद्ध धर्म को माननेवाले 27 खत्री भी दर्ज किए गए थे। आज इन सिक्‍ख खत्रियों में कुछ अल्‍ले विशेष रूप से पायी जाती हैं , जैसे अगिया , अरिन , उहिल , एलवी , कालछर , खुमाड , गंगादिल , चारखंडे , चुनाई , छेमदा , जुडे , तिपुरा , तेहर , थागर , पखरा , फलदा , भगादि , भोगर , मालगुरू , बालगौर , वाहगुरू , शोडिल , हेगर , हूगर औ हांडी वगैरह ।

हिन्‍दू और सिक्‍ख खत्रियों का संबंध तो पूरी तरह रोटी बेटी का सा एक ही रहा है। दोनो का खान पान , विवाह संस्‍कार और अन्‍य प्रथाएं भी एक जैसी रही हैं। एक समय में खत्री परिवार में पैदा होनेवाला पहला बालक संस्‍कार करके सिख बनाया जाता था। अरदास और भोग हिन्‍दु खत्रियों में भी समान रूप से प्रचलित था। सिक्‍ख खत्रियों में गुरू नानक वेदी और अन्‍य सभी सोढी खत्री थे। सिक्‍ख खत्री आज भी अपने नाम के साथ खत्री ही लगाते हैं , ताकि उनमें और जाट सिक्‍खों में अंतर किया जा सके तथा अन्‍य सिखों में उन्‍हें आसानी से पहचाना जा सके।

इस तरह हिन्‍दू और सिख धर्म को जोडनेवाली कडी खत्री ही है। धर्म से उनके बीच कोई फर्क नहीं पडा है तथा दोनो ही धर्म मानने वाले खत्री साथ साथ भोजन तो करते ही हैं , विवाहादि संबंध भी वैसे ही करते हैं , जैसे वैश्‍य वर्ग के लोग जैनियों से करते हैं। बीच में आतंकवादी गतिविधियों के कारण इसमें कुछ व्‍यवधान अवश्‍य आया था , पर समय के साथ पुन: यह प्रभावहीन होता चला गया और पंजाब में हिन्‍दुओं और सिखों के मध्‍य विभाजन नहीं हो सका।इस राजनीतिक चाल का असफल हो जाना बहुत अच्‍छी बात रही। यह सिख हिन्‍दु मैरिज एक्‍ट और डाइवोर्स एक्‍ट के अधीन ही आते हैं। इस तरह शताब्दियों पुरानी खत्री जाति परंपराएं , रीति रिवाज और संबंधों की ही ऐसी कडी बनाता आया हैं , जिन्‍हें व्‍यक्तिगत स्‍वार्थवश नहीं तोडा जा सकता

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यह लेख पहले फेसबुक पर भी पोस्ट किया गया था, परन्तु कुछ सिख भाइयों ने इसे बिना पड़े ही विवाद खड़ा कर दिया, हमारा आग्रह है कि आप पहले इसे पड़ लें और उसके बाद ही कोई टिप्पणी दें .

Upgrade to Pure Bhakti

Question: Upgrade to Pure Bhakti

How do I upgrade myself to pure bhakti?

Answer: Faith, Devotee Association, and Surrender to Guru

How does one complete a thousand mile journey? By taking one step and then taking another step, etc. etc. until the goal is reached. We begin the bhakti path as neophytes, persons who are not expert in the science of bhakti. In the beginning we may be 1% Krishna conscious and 99% materially conscious. And from there we can go to 2% Krishna consciousness and from there to 3% until finally we have fully upgraded our consciousness to 100% pure Krishna bhakti.

This upgrading of our consciousness comes by putting our faith in the process of Krishna consciousness, by associating with devotees, and by surrendering at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master who then along with the help of the Vaisnavas guides us all the way to the topmost upgrade of pure Krishna prema.

Give Me Strength to Follow Your Order

Request: Give Me Strength to Follow Your Order

You have ordered me to stop agitating my mind by looking at anything that incites lust. Please give me the strength so I can please you by following this strictly. You have given me your amazing mercy. I am forever indebted to you.

Answer: Guru's Order Gives Strength

The order of the spiritual master carries within it the potency to successfully execute that order. So nothing else is required. Simply fully embrace the order received from the spiritual master as your very life and soul. Then by Sri Guru's grace and Sri Krishna's grace, your spiritual success is 100% guaranteed.

Beyond Mechanical Chanting

Question: Beyond Mechanical Chanting

I have just recently taken up the practice of Krishna Consciousness. Since then I have been chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra whenever possible. But there are times I feel that I do it mechanically. Is this common? Is there some way to get more deeply involved in the chanting beyond the mechanical platform?

Answer: Stick to Guru's Order

For a neophyte often the chanting seems mechanical. This is normal. This is due to covering effect of the three modes of material nature. The key to rapid success on the path of Krishna consciousness is to always continue chanting one's daily vow of prescribed japa mala given by the spiritual master no matter whether it seems mechanical or natural. In this way by sticking to the order of one's guru the devotee will quickly advance on the path of bhakti and attain the platform where the chanting is fully realized as natural, just as birds are always naturally singing.

Fall in Love with Krishna Before Meeting Him?

Question: Fall in Love with Krishna Before Meeting Him?

If you describe to me about a girl verbally or in writing about her beauty, her talks, her behavior I won't fall in love in her until I see her. Similarly I won't fall in love with Lord Krishna if you tell me about Him or just make me read about Him. So why doesn't Lord Krishna appear and show his beauty, intelligence, etc?

Asking us to fall in love with Krishna first and then get his darshan sounds absurd. Getting his darshan first and then chanting, doing bhajans sounds more logical. So how do I fall in love with Him if I have not seen Him and I have just been hearing, reading about Him and just seeing his deity form?

Answer: Meet Him Immediately by Guru's Mercy

Krishna is not an ordinary person like you and me that you that you have to see Him face-to-face in order to meet Him. Because He is absolute He is fully present in everything that is directly connected with Him such as His name, deity form, teachings, pastimes, dhama, prasadam, and His external manifestation--the spiritual master. We can easily meet and develop a loving relationship with the spiritual master. And the loving relationship with the spiritual master automatically translates into a loving relationship with Krishna. So there is no difficulty if we follow Krishna's order to approach the spiritual master:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

--Bhagavad-gita 4.34

The spiritual master travels all over the world to causelessly bless everyone with a connection to Krishna. Those who are fortunate will take advantage of Sri Guru's most merciful association and experience the awakening of love of God within their hearts.

How to Follow Dharma in this Age?

Question: How to Follow Dharma in this Age?

1) What is dharma?

2) How to follow dharma as per shastras (scriptures)?

3) Is it possible to follow dharma in the present Kali yuga? If so, kindly give me an example.

Answer: Surrender to Guru and Krishna

Our dharma or duty is the fully surrender ourselves to Lord Sri Krishna. This is accomplished by taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master through the process known as initiation. The spiritual master then expertly engages us 24 hours a day in Lord Sri Krishna's service. The example of those who are following dharma in this materialistic age of Kali is found in ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Tens of thousands of ISKCON members all over the world have become solidly situated in dharma by engaging themselves completely in Krishna's service under the guidance of their bona fide spiritual masters.

How Do I Find a True Guru?

Question: How Do I Find a True Guru?

I cannot believe that your holy self has replied to my mail. Please guide me that how do I find a true guru? What are the qualities that I should ascertain before requesting someone to make me his/her disciple? Also tell me what all qualities I should cultivate in myself to become a receptive disciple. I am searching the true light which is eluding me. Is it lying dormant inside myself?

Answer: You've Already Found One

You don't have to worry about finding a true guru because you have already found one. To confirm his credentials you need to see if he is presenting the Bhagavad-gita exactly as it was spoken by Krishna without any interpretation. Our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is a pure devotee of Lord Sri Krishna who presents the Bhagavad-gita precisely as it is without any interpretation. And he has trained us how to act in the same capacity. So if you put yourself under our guidance as a disciple you are sure to be properly led on the pathway back to home, back to Godhead.

Yes, the true light is lying dormant within you. And now if you will approach the bona fide spiritual master in all humility with submissive inquiries and loving service, by his grace the dormant Krishna consciousness, which has been sleeping in your heart for countless lifetimes, will be fully revived. You will attain the supreme happiness.

Question: Qualification for Devotional Service

Sir, why is it that some people get interested in Krishna Consciousness quickly while some people don't get interested quickly? Is it because the latter people will get interest in Krishna Consciousness when they are ready to love Lord Krishna? If yes, what makes a person ready to love Lord Krishna?

Answer: Previous Contact or Special Mercy

Those who take a quick interest in Krishna consciousness do so because they had a contact with it in their previous lifetime. Even a slight contact with Krishna consciousness will revive the interest of such persons, who will then seriously try to cultivate love of Krishna.

But Krishna consciousness is so powerful that even if a person had no contact with it in a previous lifetime, he can still take an interest in cultivating love of Krishna by the combined mercy of Guru and Krishna.

Peace When in Anxiety for Krishna?

Question: Peace When in Anxiety for Krishna?

When I was doing my Bhagavad-gita assignment I got this doubt. In Chapter 5 verse 12, the Lord says "The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the results of all activities to Me". Srila Gurudeva, but there is anxiety when the activity is going on that the final result should be pleasing to Sri Guru and Krishna. I am also reading Srila Prabhupada's book for our Sunday classes. Srila Prabhupada was in anxiety when he sent his disciples for acquiring land for Mayapur, when the project at Bombay got delayed, when the publishing of books got delayed, etc. He was happy and breathed with relief after the results were achieved. Before peace could be experienced, there is anxiety from another project that it should come out well for Krishna. Srila Gurudeva, then how is peace experienced or how to implement the above instruction in real life?

Answer: Anxiety for Krishna is Real Peace

The anxiety of a devotee who is trying to please guru and Krishna, is not like the anxiety of a materialist who is hankering for sense gratification. Because the devotee's anxiety is for pleasing Krishna, his anxiety is transcendental bliss.

How to Serve Guru?

Question: How to Serve Guru?

In what ways can a devotee serve his spiritual master in this age? What kind of spiritual duties does Spiritual master give?

Answer: Dedicate Your Life to His Mission

Since the spiritual master is fully absorbed in trying to save the fallen, conditioned souls of this world from the repetition of birth and death, the best service that you can render to him is to fully dedicated your entire life to assisting him in his mission.

When you fully surrender yourself at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master he will engage you in whatever way you can best assist him according to your talents and propensities.

Easiest Way to Achieve Krishna Consciousness?

Question: Easiest Way to Achieve Krishna Consciousness?

What is the easiest way to achieve Krishna consciousness in today's life?

Answer: Full Surrender at Guru's Lotus Feet

According to the authorized Vedic wisdom undoubtedly the easiest and indeed the only way to attain the supreme perfection of Krishna consciousness is to fully surrender yourself at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master.

Connect with Guru Through the Internet?

Question: Connect with Guru Through the Internet?

Gurudeva, when you say we need to seek out the association of a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him, can we use the Internet?

In this information age doesn't the Internet represent Krishna? It is not possible for most of us to come to Texas to live with you, although we would really like to.

Answer: Vibrational Connection is the Best

Srila Prabhupada describes that there are two forms of the spiritual master. One form is his vapuh, his physical presence. And the other form is his vani, his vibrational presence or his teachings. Of these two forms the vani is more important because while we sometimes have access to vapuh and sometimes do not have such access, we always have access to the instructions of the spiritual master. If we always faithfully carry out the instructions that we have received from the spiritual master, we live constantly in the shelter of this divine association.

Such instructions can be communicated via the Internet, via printed materials, via audio or video recordings, or by word of mouth. Regarding taking the Internet as a representation of Krishna, since Srila Prabhupada has written in purport to the Bhagavad-gita, "Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Krishna's opulence," the Internet can be taken as a representation of Krishna's opulence.

Does Taking Credit Reduce Bhakti?

Question: Does Taking Credit Reduce Bhakti?

Sir, is there a danger of a devotee's bhakti getting reduced if he takes credit for the fame of being a nice devotee.

Answer: Credit Takers Have Zero Bhakti

It is not that there is a danger of bhakti being reduced if a devotee takes credit for his reputation of being a nice devotee. His bhakti is already reduced. Why reduced? His bhakti is gone. He has no bhakti because he desires his own worship instead of Krishna's worship. His show of bhakti will soon be finished because pure bhakti is the only thing which fully satisfies the self.

Those who are actually Krishna conscious give all credit to their spiritual master for whatever progress they have made on the path of bhakti. The more that one gives credit to guru, Krishna, and Vaisnavas, the more he becomes recognized and naturally famous.

How to Know One's Occupational Duty?

Question: How to Know One's Occupational Duty?

When I was reading chapter three of the Bhagavad-gita I understood the importance of occupational duty and how lust is our enemy. But I failed to understand what is occupational duty and how one can identify his or her duty. In those days people followed the varnashrama system, but how is it applicable in today's life?

Answer: By Surrender to Sri Guru

For perfect understanding of occupational duty one should fully surrender himself at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master. The spiritual master will then engage him in doing his duty in such a way that it is pleasing to Krishna. And in this way by pleasing Krishna he will become free from lust. This is the real meaning of varnashrama.

Why is the Guru Indispensible?

Question: Why is the Guru Indispensible?

So the path of transcendental life can only be reached through study with a master? If the perfection is there within oneself, in one's own consciousness, why is the master indispensable? Isn't it another illusion to maintain the subjugation of the masses by a few in the elite of human power? Where is individual liberty? Is it that those in other religions are not saved? Whether they be Christians, Mohammedans, or whatever they may call themselves? What do you think of these statements?

Answer: The Sincere Seeker of Truth Welcomes Someone Who Can Reveal It to Him.

We may not like to accept any master or authority other than our own minds. But the reality is that there is a higher power and authority. We are the not the supreme. Each of us is a tiny part of a Complete Whole which is much, much greater than any of us. Like it or not we are indeed subordinate to that from which we have come. We have not created this reality. Rather we were born into it. At the present moment we are in a state of disharmony with our Source. When the individual consciousness is out of sync with the Supreme Consciousness, he must necessarily suffer. This is a highly unnatural condition for him to be in because in his original pure state, he is perfectly dovetailed with the Supreme Consciousness experiencing an eternal existence full of knowledge and full of bliss.

The individual's liberty is to choose whether he would like to live in harmony with the Supreme Consciousness, or whether he would like to strike out on his own and try to create his own new reality in which he is the center of existence. Modern humanity has chosen the latter and has become helplessly entangled in the fourfold miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. The intelligent and thoughtful person opts out of the "I am the center" mass psychosis seeking an enlightened state of consciousness in which he is liberated from all types of suffering. He has an intuitive sense that there is a higher enlightened consciousness within him. And he seeks out someone who is already self-realized who can guide him how to also become self-realized. He does not think, "I refuse to take help from anyone." Only a person who is infected by false pride would refuse to take help from someone who can give him the key to unlock the door to the eternal treasure house of unlimited love, knowledge, and bliss sitting within.

Krishna consciousness is not a religion. It is the essence of all religions. It can be practiced by anyone in any religion. It means to come to the point of perfectly dovetailing one's individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness, i.e. attaining a state of absolutely pure, selfless devotion to that one Supreme Person, who is the source of all existence. While Krishna consciousness is not a religion, it is religion in its original pure form. It is the pure essence of being itself.

And, by the way, I found your statements to be thought provoking, and I wish you to best in your search for truth. My search for truth was fruitful. I found it by discovering a spiritual master who revealed to me. And I hope that you can find it too!

And one more point I hope that you can understand: The sincere seeker of truth welcomes someone who can reveal it to him. Would a person drowning in the middle of the ocean hundreds of miles from the nearest shore refuse to take help from a rescue boat saying, "I do not want your help. I will swim for the shore on my own."?

How to Select a Guru?

Question: How to Select a Guru?

I wonder whom to make my spiritual master, as I have no perfect knowledge myself to test the person whether he is following the shastras (the scriptures) and his own spiritual master perfectly. I feel sometimes I should select my master fast. Please advise what is good for me whether to have patience and read thoroughly Prabhupada's books first and then select a master or something else? Basically I am not able to develop a faith in any of the Prabhupada's disciples who are living today and always feel that nobody is as good as Srila Prabhupada. Please forgive me if I appear arrogant.

Answer: See Who is Purely Representing Krishna and Srila Prabhupada

The original spiritual master is Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He is the source of all knowledge and is the supreme authority.

Right now you are feeling that you are lacking in perfect knowledge and cannot therefore discern who is a bona fide spiritual master. Therefore you should deeply absorb yourself in studying and following the teachings given by Srila Prabhupada in his books. In this way you will become nicely connected with the Supersoul, Lord Sri Krishna within your heart, who will then reveal to you who is your spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada will always remain in a completely unique position as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and the pre-eminent acharya for the modern age. No one can ever take his position. So you simply must find a spiritual master who purely represents him and who can therefore perfectly connect you with him. Even though such a spiritual master is simply a tiny servant of Srila Prabhupada, by purely representing Srila Prabhupada that spiritual master can act as powerfully as Srila Prabhupada for delivering his disciples by the divine potency which Srila Prabhupada has invested in him.

I hope that you see how I am purely presenting and following the teachings of Srila Prabhupada so that you can put your faith in my instructions.

Acceptance without Understanding?

Question: Acceptance without Understanding?

When we do not understand something we have to refer to the guru, the devotees, and the scriptures. But even if after consulting them we are still not convinced, do we have to accept or not?

Would you please explain what is the difference between blind adherence and real realization?

Answer: You Must Inquire Further

When you are not convinced, you should not blindly accept. If you are not convinced, you should inquire further from the spiritual master and the devotees as much as is necessary until you have perfect comprehension of the science of the Absolute Truth.

When one has personally experienced the truth of Krishna one's realization is real and his adherence to the practices of Krishna consciousness are based on that personal experience, not blind adherence.

Question: Is Only Worshipping Guru Bona Fide?

Recently I was invited by a friend to visit a Bhakti centre, where they teach some spiritual matters. I visited there and my humble questions are as below:

Their teachings are they only worship guru. No other God worship is done at their Bhakti centre. They worship their guru's sandals, which they worship daily.

Can you please explain how this worship is connected with our Vedas and is it recommended by our Vedas. I am very confused and please dissipate my darkness.

Answer: It is Completely Bogus

This teaching has nothing to do with the Vedas. It is not bhakti and is completely bogus. A bona fide spiritual master will never engage his disciples in this way. A spiritual master who teaches his disciples to worship him and not to worship God is bogus. He is not a spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master teaches his disciples to fully surrender to Krishna or God. While the spiritual master is meant to accept all honor and worship on behalf of the Supreme Person, he personally worships God and engages his disciples in doing the same. Such a center, although advertised as a bhakti center, cannot give you genuine bhakti. Instead it will give bewilderment and delusion. Therefore it is better to avoid such a center.

How to Please a Guru?

Question: How to Please a Guru?

Being a reader of these mails I feel that you are a selfless representative of Lord Krishna. I know that it is wrong to judge a devotee by my fallen intelligence. Neither I have the capacity to understand your selfless services to the society. Nor am I capable of judging a devotee's capabilities. Please let me know, how can I please a devotee and above all a guru who I understand is actually an external representative of Krishna. Please help me understand this, and also forgive my foolishness.

Answer: Develop Your Love for Krishna

The way to please the Lord's devotees and especially the spiritual master is to develop your love for Krishna. The spiritual master's only mission is to awaken the dormant love for Krishna in the hearts of all men. So if you will fully dedicate your life for awakening your dormant Krishna consciousness, the spiritual master will be most pleased with you.

God as One's Guru?

Question: God as One's Guru?

Do scriptures permit having God as one's guru?

Answer: Yes, Both Internally and Externally.

We must accept Krishna or God as our guru because He is the supreme authority. He orders us in the Bhagavad-gita to surrender to Him. He is manifested within our hearts as the caitya guru, the guru within. And when He brings us into contact with His external manifestation, the guru without, He orders to also surrender to that guru, the bona fide spiritual master. So if we decide that we will only surrender to the guru within and not the guru without, we are guilty of the logical flaw known as ardha-kukuṭi-nyāya, half-hen logic.

The farmer had a hen who laid very nice eggs. But he was unhappy that the hen ate a lot of feed. So one day he got a so-called bright idea. He decided the cut off the end of the hen that he did not like (the head) and only keep the end he liked (the rear end). He was so dull that after cutting out the hen's head he could not figure out why the hen stopped laying eggs.

So if we accept the guru within, while neglecting the guru without, we will find ourselves with a hen that does not lay eggs. In other words we will find that we are without any access to that wondrous spiritual sky. Therefore let us not be half-hen logicians. Let us intelligently both the guru within and the guru without, the internal guru and the external guru.