i have a love/hate relationship with the internet. i love it because i can't seem to function without it. it's my link to the rest of the world. i'm an obsessive researcher, the perpetual student, and i need to know the how/why/when/where of every little thing, and the 'net can bring that to me. it keeps me connected, especially since i moved away from my family. i hate it because i can't seem to function without it. it's my soapbox for every little thing that i think everyone should hear and agree with. i rant, i argue, i laugh, i make friends and occasionally enemies. i've discovered a love for AKJ smaagams that i didn't even know existed before i found facebook. i've met other Sikh women who wear dastaars and manage live totally normal lives, a great inspiration to me. i've found that there are other converts to Sikhi in the world, which is really incredibly helpful to me. i've found that there are people who think like me... and quite a few who don't. i have found an outlet for my creativity- sharing my photos with other amateur photographers. and of course, there's always the blog, where i get to say anything i want and no one can stop me.
but is it healthy? good question. anything that takes my mind off Waheguru is basically a waste. a distraction from Naam.
but at the same time, i've become connected to so many incredible Gursikhs... it can't be bad for me to find such good sangat, even if it is a cyber sangat.
eihu manooaa khin n ttikai bahu ra(n)gee dheh dheh dhis chal chal haadtae || This mind does not hold still, even for an instant. Distracted by all sorts of distractions, it wanders around aimlessly in the ten directions.
yep, that's me all right. this mind does not hold still. at all. but how to tame this wandering mind?
raag aasaa mehalaa 5 ghar 17 aasaavaree Raag Aasaa, Fifth Mehla, Seventeenth House, Aasaavaree:
ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh || One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
gobi(n)dh gobi(n)dh kar haa(n) || Meditate on the Lord, the Lord of the Universe.
har har man piaar haa(n) || Cherish the Beloved Lord, Har, Har, in your mind.
gur kehiaa s chith dhhar haa(n) || The Guru says to install it in your consciousness.
an sio thor faer haa(n) || Turn away from others, and turn to Him.
aisae laalan paaeiou ree sakhee ||1|| rehaao || Thus you shall obtain your Beloved, O my companion. ||1||Pause||
pa(n)kaj moh sar haa(n) || In the pool of the world is the mud of attachment.
pag nehee chalai har haa(n) || Stuck in it, his feet cannot walk towards the Lord.
gehaddiou moorr nar haa(n) || The fool is stuck;
anin oupaav kar haa(n) || he cannot do anything else.
tho nikasai saran pai ree sakhee ||1|| Only by entering the Lord's Sanctuary, O my companion, will you be released. ||1||
thhir thhir chith thhir haa(n) || Thus your consciousness shall be stable and steady and firm.
ban grihu samasar haa(n) || Wilderness and household are the same.
a(n)thar eaek pir haa(n) || Deep within dwells the One Husband Lord;
baahar anaek dhhar haa(n) || outwardly, there are many distractions.
raajan jog kar haa(n) || Practice Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success.
kahu naanak log alogee ree sakhee ||2||1||157|| Says Nanak, this is the way to dwell with the people, and yet remain apart from them. ||2||1||157||
to dwell with the people yet remain apart from them. sounds good to me. but raja yoga? what exactly IS raja yoga? traditionally, raja yoga is the yoga of meditation. raja, because the mind is the "king" of the body. raja yoga does not involve any physical gymnastics or awkward breathing techniques. it's about making the mind still and empty, so that we can realize God. raja yoga is not something you can just decide to practice and then achieve. like everything else, it is given with Guru's grace.
rasanaa japeeai eaek naam || With your tongue, chant the Name of the One Lord.
eehaa sukh aana(n)dh ghanaa aagai jeea kai sa(n)g kaam ||1|| rehaao || In this world, it shall bring you peace, comfort and great joy; hereafter, it shall go with your soul, and shall be of use to you. ||1||Pause||
katteeai thaeraa aha(n) rog || The disease of your ego shall be eradicated.
thoo(n) gur prasaadh kar raaj jog ||1|| By Guru's Grace, practice Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. ||1||
har ras jin jan chaakhiaa || Those who taste the sublime essence of the Lord
thaa kee thrisanaa laathheeaa ||2|| have their thirst quenched. ||2||
har bisraam nidhh paaeiaa || Those who have found the Lord, the Treasure of peace,
so bahur n kath hee dhhaaeiaa ||3|| shall not go anywhere else again. ||3||
har har naam jaa ko gur dheeaa || Those, unto whom the Guru has given the Lord's Name, Har, Har
naanak thaa kaa bho gaeiaa ||4||8||146|| - O Nanak, their fears are removed. ||4||8||146||
ahh, back to naam. always back to naam. so without naam, i can't have raja yoga (mastery of the mind), and without raja yoga, my mind will continue running in all directions. and without gurprassad, i can't have anything at all.
oh Waheguru, please grant a drop of your grace to your slave, that i may still this unquiet mind and detach myself from love and hate and silly social networking sites...
but can i please keep my cyber sangat? thanks!
2 comments:
awwwwwww...that was sweet!!!
I'm much the same as you with the Net. It's amazing to have what is basically the sum total of human knowledge of Maya at my fingertips. I got this computer in April 2006, about 2 or three weeks before my stroke.
It has been an incredible help in my recovery. It has also been invaluable in my return to Sikhi, especially since I am often unable to go out.
That said, it has not really been very healthy for my marriage. I spend far too much time online I am not doing time wasting things, I am usually writing the blogs, studying different aspects of Sikhi, contributing to forums, that sort of thing.
Still, balance is needed. I am considering making one day each week to be a no computer day. That would be difficult, especially since I keep track of my rather numerous medications via computer. There are other ways to do that, however, and I suppose I could get by safely.
Have to try that.
And, of course, NOTHING must be permitted to take time away from quiet time and prayer time with Guru ji.
Chardi kala!
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