MrSikhNet Audio

There is so many Gurbani MP3 files out there and it can be quite overwhelming. So I take it upon myself to share some "Gurbani mp3 picks" which I think stand out. Everyone has different tastes so I am just sharing the things that I like.

The last time I posted some Kirtan by Dalip Kaur was last june from the Summer solstice camp here in Espanola. If you haven't heard those already...check them out.

Some people had asked me to post some more of her Kirtan so here is another one that I just came accross while going through my MP3 files. It is a slow and meditative shabad and makes me feel relaxed.

For the past 4 years Some of our local Sangat have put together video stories in an effort to educate and inspire the sangat during Baisakhi time. These videos are normally shown at the grand Baisakhi celebration in Los Angeles, California every year. Here is one of those videos. More to come tomorrow.

This video was put together by Shanti Kaur Khalsa and narrated by Guru Tej Singh and Sat Nirmal Kaur from Espanola, New Mexico.

In the mid 70's Guruliv Singh created quite a few different audio stories relating to different things from Sikh history. These are the stories that I grew up on and used to fall asleep listening to. Narayan now listens to them too when he goes to sleep. At night he always says "Papa...I want to hear the Guru Stories!". I think he has heard them enough times to know quite a bit of the story-line by heart. It's a great way for kids to learn.

I recently found a few more stories that Guruliv Singh had produced that I did not have. Tonight I will share one of them with you. This story is titled the "Martyrs of Amritsar", and was made to tell the story of those that sacrificed their lives in Amritsar on Baisakhi Day, 1978. It tells the story of Bhai Fauja Singh's leadership along with the other Sikhs. Curious about the story? Well...you'll just have to listen to it to find out more.

One of my favorite Ragis is Bhai Chattar Singh. For me his music and singing has a certain meditative quality to it. I love the Asa Di Var that he plays too (I'll post another time). Most of the music I have of him is from live recordings. Here is one track from one of the few "commercial" recordings I have heard. It's a great track.

As you can tell I am a music/kirtan lover so like to share my favorites with you all :)

Tonight I would like to share a beautiful recording from Gurdwara yesterday of a group of the Sikh youth chanting the mantra "Gobinday, Mukhanday, Udharay, Aparay, Hariung, Kariung, Nirnamay, Akamay." The chanting was lead by Hari Bhajan kaur (Guitar) along with, Hari Rai Kaur, Hari Simran Kaur, Hari Kaur (Harp), Guru Nam Singh and Guru Darbar Singh (Tabla). It is so inspiring when other Sikh youth get together and sing from the heart. When someone does this I think it really penetrates the Sangat and everyone feels inspired.

This audio track is about 14 minutes long and is a great meditation. Some of you may have tried the other meditations that I have posted in the past. If not...or if so.... give this one a try.

The audio track changes and progresses all the way through it, building energy. I love the chorus sounding voices of all of them singing together. Then the Intertwining of voices together singing different parts.

This mantra is from Jaap Sahib (pauri 94-95) by Guru Gobind Singh. It contains the eight facets of God that we all have to deal with. Gobinday, one who sustains us, Mukhunday, one who liberates us, Udharay, one who uplifts us, Aparay, who is infinite, Hariung, who does everything, Kariung, for which grace everything is done, Nirnaamay, nameless, desireless, Akaame, is by itself.

Har is the creative energy of God. The four repetitions of Har give power to all aspects and provide the power to break down barriers of the past.

To Meditate to the Mantra...
Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine, or in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. With the eyes closed chant the mantra with the tip of the tongue hitting the ridge of the palate. The tongue must be stiff. Pull in the navel slightly with each "Har". The closed eyes must be fixed on the tip of the nose to maintain concentration. The closed eyes, fixed on the tip of the nose, focuses our attention, centers us and stimulates the pituitary gland. Chant 11-15 minutes when you wake up and 11-15 minutes when you go to bed. You can also listen to the mantra on auto reverse when you sleep.

Gobinday Mukhanday Meditation


Download Audio

Ok, I'm think I'm in trouble already for not going to sleep yet, but I think "WaheGuru" wills it to be. Hahaha. Wait!...maybe that is me who is willing it and I just think it is God/Waheguru. I guess I'm part of God too, right? Oh well, so much for justifying myself. Hahaha... As long as you all enjoy, it's all worth it.

The problem with having lots of cool stuff to share is that I want to just keep sharing it all, but the reality is that it is too much to share all at once so I have to be patient and just post things over time so people have the time to enjoy and take it in.

I was browsing through the SikhNet mp3 archive and I just happened upon this track. The "problem" with having so much music is you may not even know or have heard of all of it. This was one of those tracks that I had under "Classical Indian" but was in fact all Gurbani shabads by Chand Afzaal Qawwal which I'm sure you guessed by the name is Qawalli music. I love the Qawalli style of music which is very spirited and up-beat. If you are new to the blog you can hear another good Qawalli style shabd that I posted back in Aug.

Here is another Gurdwara lecture from Jan. 6th 1988, by Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi ji. Below are a few quotes that I typed up from the talk.

"You don't have any enemy. Your enemy is your own mind, When your mind controls you and draws you out of you; And takes you where it wants to take you. You are absolutely going to default, not for unhappiness, but for tragedy. Mind cannot be controlled by you alone. Mind needs meditation. Mind needs positive affirmation and Gurus word is that positive affirmation...."

"If you want to see Guru Gobind Singh or don't see Guru Gobind Singh. Some people say 'we don't want to see the picture of Guru Gobind Singh because some painter painted it'. Forget it, don't go after the painting, don't go after the picture. Dress yourself and stand before the mirror and see Guru Gobind Singh in the mirror.

Guru gobind Singh will be always alive or dead, represented, not represented, graceful, not graceful, because of the act and pace and space of a Sikh. These are the Guru Gobind Singh's own words; That my life is that of the Sikh; My prana is that of the Sikh. My Sikh is my grace. These are the words of the same Guru which you want to appear. How more explicit, open and honest a Guru can be? The problem with is that we want to dress ourselves to please others. The day we dress ourself to please ourself, and the day we dress ourself to please the Guru, we made it....."

"In you is your own soul. I am not saying follow Sikh Dharma. I'm not saying follow Islam. I'm not saying follow Christianity. I say follow the whole universe, follow anything, or don't follow anybody. But if you do not get to see your own soul within your own concept and conception, whatever you have followed or not followed, you have wasted your lifetime. There is no redemption. Guru Guides you, by the experience...."

"Sikh Dharam is a practical religion. It is not a religion to only be followed on Sunday. This religion starts at 3AM and never ends. It's an endless religion...."

The other day when we had our "Secretariat meetings" (described in the previous blog post) was hosted by some of the Sikh youth here. Nirmal Singh (one of the youth here) was assigned the task of giving an introduction about each of the Gurus. As he started doing his research, he kept coming across the metaphor of "The Gurus being a boat to ferry us across this world ocean". It occurred to him that each Guru has unique qualities and as a result was probably a different kind of "boat". This is story of the different qualities of each Guru and which type of "boat" he relates each Guru as.

It is a fun, yet educational story. When I was listening I was anxious to hear which boat he related to each Guru.

Yesterday some of our local Sikh youth headed up the meeting agenda and the whole half day meeting. It was an awesome meeting and an empowering experience. We discussed a lot about leadership and dealing with the issues of helping our "elders" pass on responsibility to the younger generation. We meditated together to set the tone for the meeting and then broke out into smaller groups. We spent a good amount of time brainstorming different issues and coming up with solutions. At the very end we were instructed to think of people and things that inspire you. From those thoughts we were told to write some words down on a card as an affirmation that will inspire you to be more of a leader. We did a sort of musical chairs and then ended up on someone else's chair with their "affirmation card". Then we all sat on the floor in a circular form around a bowl like a flower. We closed our eyes, and then one at a time someone would be tapped on the shoulder as a cue to read the affirmation card and then put it in the bowl...which was like a pool for our leadership projection. It was so cool to meditate and hear one by one these thoughts. The voices of everyone speaking would bounce back and forth from different parts of the room as each person spoke. It was a great feeling of group consciousness and very empowering to do this together as a group. This experience made me think how it would be cool to hear this again as a personal affirmation and to motive me. So I got all the cards after the meeting, and got as many people as I could, to re-create reading the cards. Then I added in some beautiful music by Balvinder Singh from Australia and it was done.

You can take a listen if you like, an hopefully it will help give a spark to you, to help find the leader in you.

See original post at: http://www.mrsikhnet.com/2006/02/working-together-finding-leader-in-you.html

Tonight I wanted to share a story which was written by Shanti Kaur (of Espanola) about one particular day at the end of the Vishav Sikh Samelan in Amritsar. It relates to the song "Song of the Khalsa" written by M.S.S Livtar Singh Khalsa. This is an inspirational song which we sing during every Gurdwara before Anand Sahib. For us it holds much meaning and gives a lot of inspiration.

To animate the story more than just reading it, I recorded myself reading the story and then added some beautiful music by Balvinder Singh (Australia) who has just created an awesome new CD (I'll be feature it on the blog soon).

From time to time I like to share some of my favorite Gurbani MP3 files here on the blog. Tonight I would like to share a live recording of Bhai Anoop Singh with Guru Raj Kaur (and others as backup female vocals).

This a great lively and up-beat track of "Wahe Guru Simran". I enjoy to sing and meditate with it. So, download it and get ready to sing out loud along with the music.

Want to Meditate? Try this...
(first download the audio) Sit down somewhere private and quiet where you will not be disturbed. Sit up straight (on the floor or on a chair), make sure your spine is straight and shoulders relaxed. When you slouch over it blocks the energy from flowing up and down your body. Put on the music from this track and close your eyes. Hear the "Wahe Guru" chanting for a few repetitions, and then join in and sing along with it. Sing with energy and enthusiasm focusing your mind on the "Wahe Guru" Mantra. If your mind starts to wander just keep consciously bringing it back to focus on the "Wahe Guru". Feel Wahe Guru fill your whole body and resonate in every cell of your being. Ang Sung Wahe Guru. Feel God is in every part of your body. Continue till the end of the audio (11 minutes) and then inhale deeply and hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale. Now just sit for a few minutes in silence and just meditate on the sound vibration of Wahe Guru echoing. Relax. :) Nice eh?