Now let us step back even more. Take a slice of bread, how was that produced? When the wheat/corn was in the field was it nourished naturally or was fertiliser and chemicals used? Were any creatures killed when the corn/wheat was cut? Were any creatures killed when the grain was ground? What was the baker’s state of mind when we kneaded the dough? All these things come into play, all the karma committed along the way are added to the bread (remember you have the physical bread but there is a huge amount lot of ‘sookhsum’ other things attached to it on a different plain) and no matter how small they will have an effect on you when you slap some marg on the bread and enjoy the toast. Yes, this is how intricate the whole physical and non-physical world is and how it interacts.

This is one of the reasons why so many Sadhus/holy men eat very simply, they eat simple foods and do not overfill. There are certain foods, like meat, fish and eggs that have their own karma baggage attached to them due to the animal that lived and breathed, that have a polluting effect on the soul, not only do they impede ones progress spiritually but add considerably to one’s own karmic account.

This leads on to the goal of most people in life, the pursuit of making as much money as possible and not caring how it is acquired. In the same way as the bread, but more intense, money has a history or karma attached to it. If you acquire money by devious means, by cheating, stealing, by gambling then that money is tainted. So you must be careful that the money you acquire is earned in an honest manner. Do an honest days work, do not cheat other people out of their money, do not steal or defraud money for gain as this money is bad money and sooner or later they will turn your life onto a bad path. This may happen in this life or it may be carried on to the next but that bad money will turn your karma bad.
Guru Nanak Dev ji when he started the faith gave his followers three simple rules:

Kirat karo - Do an honest days work
Naam japo - Sing/meditate on Gods name
Vand shako - share whatever you have with those around you.     

You may find every now and then you get a particularly disturbing dream, you make up sweaty and shaken. There can be a number of explanations for this. We have to work through our Karamas but sometimes with the grace of God these can be worked through in our dreams. With God’s blessing rather than suffer due to our past karma the whole thing is passed by in a disturbing dream, so although a dream may seem disturbing to us and when we wake up we feel shaken by it, it could be that it is a blessing in disguise.

I touched on the physical bread and what the bread has attached to it on another level. Taking this on to our human body it is similar. Doctors spend their whole lives studying the body and all its workings, but it is all on a physical level. There is the blood system, the lymphatic system, the central nervous system, the adrenal system to name but a few. All these systems or processes are in operation in your body collectively, but there is a myriad of other things attached to your body, are within your body, are an integral part of your body just like the stomach, or the heart or the lungs, but they are in a different level, not physical, but still as real. Doctors cannot see them they do not have the tools to do so, only those who have spent a lifetime in spiritual devotion and whose spiritual level (or Avasta) can see this. Yogis and sadhus attain skills or levels (sometimes called Ridhis and sidhis) where they can start to do or see things that are not physical. Many will stop here and wallow in their new found ‘powers’ and their spiritual journey grinds to a halt. They get a few devotees and are happy to use their limited powers to gain offerings from the general public. But those seekers of the truth will not get stuck here, they move on higher. The idea is that you go into yourself, you start to explore within. You will literally, with your soul, go into yourself, say into your arm or finger, and you will loose yourself in the vastness that you will find there. Just look at your fingertip, it is just a centimeter across or so yet if you went into it using your ‘surat’, your spiritual intellect then you could lose yourself in its vastness and in amongst all these things at sub atomic level you will find God smiling back at you.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji writes in Jaap Sahib (composition that describes the many facets of God, the whole prayer is in devotion and description of the qualities of Akaal) “ anake hey, fir eke hey” – (God) is infinite in His forms, yet He is One. And in everyone and everything there is God sitting behind a veil that is as thin as the wings of a butterfly, watching and smiling as we carry on with our lives totally oblivious to Him.

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How can I remove bad influences within me and start to follow the Gurus path?

Only the true Guru can eliminate the five chore, or the five bad influences that reside within us, but there are a few very rare souls who are spiritually advanced that have total control over them. The five being Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment) and Hunkaar (pride). For normal people the five control them and they don’t even realise it. Ever noticed, mainly men, who walk past a good lookin’ gal and they feel the absolute need to turn back and look and admire her again? They cannot help it, they have done it for so long to them it is natural, but they are stuck in the noose of Kaam (lust) , and they don’t even realise it.

As you grow spiritually you learn to recognise these things and the first step to changing things is to recognise them first. If you think about it we need kaam (lust) else how would the world procreate? We need moh (attachment) else how would need care and look after our children, we need Hunkaar (pride) else we would just let our selves go and become slobs. The secret is to control them and not to let them control us, use them when needed but then tell them to keep their distance. But they are very powerful because they had free reign over your body for so long and they are not going to give it up easily.
The fact that you now recognise the fact that they are there is a major step. How can you tackle something you don’t know is there? So the first step is to recognise the issue and then one can start to tackle it. When one is doing simran (prayers) you will find that some story will start up in my mind. It will take hold of your mind and while you are reciting your paath the story continues. Many times you are not even aware of it and only realise as soon as you finish your paath and suddenly you think “where did my paath go?” Sometimes even when you are aware of it you still feel the need to follow some story or chain of thought that has developed in your head while you are doing path, you mind needs to develop to recoginse this and break the chain and move your attention back to your paath.

When Kaam (lust) comes it can be overwhelming. If you are doing simran and you become aware of it, then think of Kaam as a snake that has wrapped itself around your neck. In fact Kaam is like a snake it will wrap its coils around you and that is it your mind cannot escape. As you do simran think of the snake around your neck then in your mind lift it off your shoulders and throw it away, then warn it off “Go away and stay away.” Now, it is very powerful and it will come again and in a few moments your thoughts will sway off again. Do the same again, and again. Because it is so powerful it may take a while for it to get the message, but persevere.

Sometimes when you are doing simran you get disturbing thoughts. As you traverse along the path of the Guru then you will get these kinds of obstacles, in fact the higher you go the worst it gets. Sometimes these thoughts are very disturbing indeed, they may be against your family , your closest and dearest, sometimes they are even against Guru Ji. They can be very disturbing and they send a shiver down your soul. This is what you do, if you are doing paath or simran then for a moments stop. In your mind first ask forgiveness from Guru Ji, tell Guru Ji that the Five are throwing this dirt on you and please do not make new karama out of this, ask Guru Ji not to listen to these thoughts. Then address the Five, warn them off, tell them to go away and never come back, then with a little bow to your Guru continue with your simran.What will happen is that the thoughts will return almost immediately, do the same again, and again. Over time you will find that these disturbing thoughts will subside because the Five will start to realise that this person is not stopping against us and they will have to listen to you. Do not despair and do not get down hearted this path you have chosen, with the grace of God, is difficult but persevere and have full trust in Guru Ji.

Your job is to keep to the rehat (code of conduct) do your Naam, do your Simran, keep to a good life, think no ill of others and be prepared to help those unfortunate, that is your part of the bargain. That is it. The rest you leave to God. He will bless you and move you along His path as and when He chooses, you just keep to your part of the bargain, let God worry about the rest. Don’t worry that you are moving slowly, don’t worry that you want to move fast and merge with God, that is up to Him. He knows everything, He knows your inner thoughts, He knows your thoughts before you have even thought them, so He knows your love for Him, so let Him worry about how He will move you towards Him, you just keep your Naam Simran going, keep in good spirits, most of all .......keep happy.

A Muslim fakir, spent his whole life in simran of God. One day in his chosen way of saadana he was dangling upside down in a deep well tied to the top by a metal chain deep in simran, when a farmer happened to pass by, he asked what the fakir was doing, a little irritated that someone should disturb his worship he told the man that he was on a path of God and was doing simran. “Is this what you have to do to meet God?” asked the man, “Yes” said the fakir. The man thought that this seemed okay he went home couldn’t find a chain but quickly twisted some hay and long grass to make a rope. He thought that if he was going to contemplate on God then God would look after him. He threw himself down the nearest well and started his tapasia. Very some he had darshan of God, God appeared to him and blessed him. He went running to the fakir and told him what had happened. The fakir became very depressed and down hearted he had spend his whole life in deep contemplation and he had not had one darshan of God yet this man obtained it so quickly. Then God appeared to the fakir , “The framer put his total faith in Me, he did not care if he the grass rope would break or not he wanted to meet me, but you had your faith in the metal chains rather than in me.”

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 What is the relationship between Guru and Sikh ?

Many people worship deities and gods and goddesses, but they are low down in the whole scheme of things and they will only get you to a certain level. Some worship Shiv Ji, others Hanuman, Kali, Durga Devi etc but this will not get you very far. If you learn Karate from a brown belt then he will only take you to brown belt level, if you learn maths from a teacher who knows it to high school level then he can only take you to that level. To get to black belt you need a master who is of at least that level, if you want to study maths at degree level then you need a teacher of that level. In the same way if you attach yourself to a deity then that deity will only get you to the level it has achieved. Why not aim to the very top, remember the one Almighty and you cannot go wrong, but to get to the Almighty one needs help, one needs someone to show you the way.
This brings us on to Guru – Sikh relationship. This is another of those most important concepts to Sikhism. The relationship between Guru and Sikh cannot be stressed enough. Remember when Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Khalsa brotherhood he then knelt before the 5-beloved ones and asked to be initiated into the Khalsa himself. From the day a Sikh becomes initiated (Amritdhari) then his father is Guru Gobind Singh Ji, mother is Mata Sahib Kaur and he was born in Anandpur Sahib. For a Sikh the word ‘Guru’ is used very specifically, it is only referred to the ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib Ji and non else. One must have a Guru, for without one one cannot attain the ultimate, the union with God. If you try to raise your hand and grab hold of a light bulb you will get your fingers burnt, you need to know how to attain the bulb, the ‘knack’, the secret, the knowledge. To get to God one needs a Guru. Once you have the stamp of Guru Gobind Singh Ji on your forehead then when you pass over to the afterlife there is no one or no thing that can touch you, because you now belong to the Guru.
Now what sets off Guru Gobind Singh Ji from all other myriad of self proclaimed so called Gurus that walk this Earth?
Guru Ji in his part autobiography Bachittar Natak (Wondrous drama) states that after much tapasia (higher from of meditation) the two (Guru and the Almighty) became One. So Guru ji merged into the Almighty, just as a river merges into the ocean and you cannot tell apart one from the other so the Guru merged with Akaal, there is no difference between the two. So to meditate with all your attention on Guru Ji is the same as meditating on the Almighty.

The relationship between Guru and Sikh can take various forms. If you regard Guru Ji as ‘Guru’ then the relationship is that of teacher-pupil. The teacher will then ask if the pupil is doing all that has been asked of him and if not there are consequences. If however you make the relationship that of father-son,then the whole dynamic changes. Just think of the relationship of a father and son, the son makes a mistake the father will forgive. The son will keep on making mistakes and the father will forgive and love his son. Even if he has to admonish the son the father never stops loving his son. So, make this relationship that of father and son and you cannot go wrong, love him as your true father and he will save you from all manner of ills. Meditate on the One or meditate on the Guru, same thing.

Now, a Sikh is regarded as sant / sapahi.
Sant - saint
Sapahi – soldier.     

The two are married together, two sides of the same coin. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji (sixth Guru) brought together temporal and spiritual authority. Guru Gobind Singh Ji brought the sant and the sapahi together. You cannot have one without the other. The sapahi side is one of protection of Dharam and of the oppressed and of the poor and vulnerable. A Sikh will not go on the offensive, he is there is protect. Of the four battles fought by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and the 14 fought by Guru Gobind Singh Ji none was in aggression, all were is defense from the onslaught of the enemy. Even then the code of conduct handed out by Guru ji to his Sikhs was to be adhered to. For example, never attack anyone who has his back to you, never attack anyone running away, never attack a female.

In fact when the battles were over and the Sikhs brought their injured home, Guru Ji would ask any enemy injured to be brought back also. The soldiers would be cared for, given shelter and food and warmth and nursed back to health. Guru Ji would personally then hand them back their weapons and say “Go my son, we shall see you again on the battle field.”
Many solders would lay down there arms there and then, “How can we fight against Khudaa?” they would cry– ‘how can we fight against the Almighty?’

Guru Ji forbid his Sikhs to even touch a Muslim woman. On the face of it this seems rather strange, what is wrong with muslim women? The thinking was deeper then this.

At the time the imperial forces were in control of India and they did what they wanted, and the indigenous Indian population were at their mercy, all untold things happened to Hindu and Sikh women. The instinct would be to retaliate and maybe do the same to their women. However if your Guru has forbidden you to even touch a muslim woman then that is going to be impossible. Sikhs were instructed to regard all women as their sisters or mothers

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How does one start naam and perform an ardaas ?

Ardaas is performed when you start or end anything significant in your life. So for instance if you buy a new car you can do an ardaas. Guru Arjun Dev Ji says “simar simar har karan carna” Always remember God before starting anything. So, after you have done your nitname and simran stand up hands folded, imagine Guru Ji is in front of you and you are addressing him. It is your personal dialogue with your Guru.

The ardaas can be found in most 'gutkay' and has a set formal initial invocation, but the beginner can start simply until he/she can recite the formal ardaas. First start with salutations to the Almighty, then name all the ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib Ji then remember the 5 Piyara (five beloved) , the 4 sahibzadhia (Guru Gobind Singh Jis four sons) and the 40 liberated ones, and then just say a collective remembrance of all shaheeds who have given their lives for the faith. You can start off with just this simple opening, need to go further then this. Once you have remembered all these the next part of the Ardaas is open ended, this is your chance to talk to your Guru directly. First thank Guru Ji for Amritwella, then thank for the nitname you have done, then ask forgiveness for any mistakes you have made while reciting gurbani and for your mind wondering off. Then ask forgiveness for the past 24 hours and all the mistakes you have made. It is then up to you to speak to your Guru from your heart, as if you are talking to your father, make it personal make it loving. Some people pour out their woes, some ask for a son, others for a good job and many other things, some ask for nothing and say whatever you give me Lord I am fine with that, it is up to you. Finish with a ‘Bole sohan hall, satsiri akaal’ and a bow. Ardaas is performed when you start or end anything significant in your life. So for instance if you buy a new car you can do an ardaas. Guru Arjun Dev Ji says “simar simar har karan carna”

Have a personal conversation with Guru Ji, tell them all of your misdemeanors, tell them all the mistakes you have made, maybe you lied, or you cursed someone, or you may have hurt someone not physically but mentally, lay it all out. Your most darkest secrets, those that you keep hidden in the deepest recesses of your mind, drag them out and lay them all out in front of Guru Ji and ask for forgiveness.

Here is the secret – Guru Ji already knows your darkest secrets, He knows exactly what you have done, but Guru Ji wants to know how close you are to Him. If you are close then you will lay it all out, warts’n’all and ask for forgiveness and Guru Ji will forgive you. It is when we start to play silly games, when we start to think we are cleaver and try to hide things from the one person you cannot hide anything from, then Guru Ji thinks, this person is not really on my path, he is after something, he doesn’t love me, not completely, not unconditionally. We may look at the Catholics and their confessionals but they have something there, but they also have the guilt factor. There is no guilt for a Sikh, he makes a mistake, he asks forgiveness and Guru Ji forgives and that is it. So if you can, in your ardaas in the morning, bring out every secret you have from over the years , I am sure there are not many, and just say “O Lord I did this once and it was because of such-and-such, I ask for forgiveness, please forgive me”, and you are forgiven, job done. Then no karma is created for you.

You can do Jaap or Simran of any shabad. Mostly people will do jaap of “waheguru.” Take natural breaths, “Wahe” when you inhale and “Guru” when you exhale, keeping your attention either between the eyes or at the top of the head whatever feels natural. Some do it of Mool Mantra. Just like you have butter and cheese and rice pudding, all very nice in their place but all have main ingredient of milk, in a similar way Mool Mantra is the milk the base ingredient.

You can also take any shabad or even a line or two from a shabad and do simran on that. Depending on what shabad or lines you choose that is the benefit you will get.

For example the beginning lines of Sukhmani Sahib are : “ Simoro simar simar sukh pavo, kaal kalaish tin mahe mitavoh”
This means when you do simran of AkaalPurkh then you will obtain SUKH (happiness) and KAAL (death) and KALAISH (bad things) will be rubbed out.

By doing simran upon this line of Gurbani then that is the main benefit you will get.

When you start simran/jaap it is important you pronounce the words correctly and also to get into the rhythm of the shabad, so it is advisable to first chant loudly. But the chant only needs to be loud enough for you to hear and not to disturb anyone else (or to show anyone else how fantastic one is because of doing simran). Once this is embedded you will automatically start to lower the volume of your voice until only your lips move and there is no sound. The benefit of this is ten times that of when chanting aloud. As you progress the jaap will transfer inwards until you will be doing it within your mind with your soul. The benefit here is ten times that when just the lips were moving.

The urge is to get to the third stage as quick as possible but this should not be rushed. If your foundation is not good then you will find progression more difficult. So take your time do not rush, it may take weeks or may take months, it does not matter, what matters is that it is done naturally and you own simran will show you how to progress.

It is easier to chant aloud and one can concentrate a little better, as you start rasna-simran within then there is more of a tendency for your mind to wonder. Try avoiding simran with your memory because while your memory is doing simran your mind has wondered of somewhere. Some people do saas-graass simran, this type of simran is rapid breathing and repeating “Wahe” “Guru” as you inhale and exhale. This has its own merits but it is not recommended for the novice. Simran should be done gently and rhythmically with concentration between the eyes or at the top of the head. Over time you may find that your attention (surat) starts to rise and suddenly for a few moments the simran becomes effortless and takes on a life of itself and becomes incredibly fast, this is good, it may last only a moment but that is where to start to aiming for with your surat.

Sometimes we carry on in our lives and we try to do good things and do our naam simran but feel that we are not getting anywhere. Whatever Naam Simran you do, however small it is always worth it, we may not know it but it is always beneficial.
There were two friends and every Saturday they would leave their village and go to the nearest town. At a split in the road one would go off to a place where they did Simran and he would do sewa and chant Gods shabads, the other would go to a place where he gambled in smoky dens and generally got drunk. Time passed. One day on the way home the drunk friend came across a small pouch and it had three gold coins, he was delighted. As fate would have it just then he saw his friend hobbling along towards him His friend told him that he had just stepped on a particularly large and sharp thorn which stuck in his foot, blood flowed and now he was hobbling home. The drunken man was amused at this and told him of his find. For days this played on the mind of the man with the injured foot, he then asked his friend to accompany him to a holy man. They went to a holy man and told of their story and asked what was the meaning of this, a person who wastes away his life finds gold coins while the man who tries to follow a good path gets a thorn in the foot.

The Saddhu explained thus : The first man, who frequented the gambling den, had written in his karama that he was to find a sack full of thousands of gold coins, but the good karma had been whittled away due to him abandoning God until only three coins were left. The other guy was to have contracted an illness that would bring him much pain and suffering but due to his good deeds that whole bad karma was burned away and passed through his life in a single thorn in his foot.