This blog has often highlighted the dark side of our human existence during this Kalyug. Reading here, you have been exposed to murder of various sorts, mayhem, torture, genocide, war and all the effects of the evil around us.
Today, I am setting all that aside and sharing with you a Valentine correspondence I have received. On one level, Valentine's Day is not a Sikh celebration. But on another level, is not our religion, our panth, our whole way a life a celebration of Vaheguru Our Husband, and His Love of each of us as His Wife? The ultimate romance.
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I sent this to a cyberfriend, in fact a reader of this blog:
This is someone's signature at the Sikh Philosophy Forum. It reminded me of you!
ik®pw jlu dyih nwnk swirMg kau hoie jw qy qyrY nwim vwsw ]4]1]7]9]
Bless Nanak, the thirsty song-bird, with the water of Your Mercy, that he may come to dwell in Your Name. 4179
She responded:
Thank you for this lovely and delicate line of gurbani. A thirsty song bird... singing and singing her whole life a song in the midst of all of her daily tasks, perhaps THE song of remembrance, though she is unsure because even though she has a good heart, she is enamored and distracted by the battles around her... the daily struggle to find worms for the family, the difficulty to find soft straw light enough to carry to fit into her nest, the rivalry between her own bird clan vs the other bird clan, the constant guard against the larger predatory animals intent to eat her and her family for sport ... these are the distractions which sometimes inform her simple song... and now her throat is scratchy, needs something soothing, and beyond that, needs something nourishing... and for relief she goes to the cool pond...for a drink of the true enlightened salve, the true comfort of the Guru's philosophy and name. Waheguru...
I sent her response to the person who had originally used it. She responded:
Yes, the thirsty song bird is forever searching for just the right straw and for worms that her "young" will accept. And yesterday she was indeed fighting another bird clan, and she will again tomorrow--- As it is His hukam.
But she finds shelter and protection in the mango tree -- which is so immense that most of it she has not yet explored.
The signature line comes from Shabad Hazare. Who cannot find bliss in the hymn of Sohila -- that is an understatement. Everyone loves that Shabad. But Shabad Hazare? That is where the songbird lives
I have not asked for permission to blog these, as I usually do, but I can't imagine anyone objecting.
Happy day of romantic love to all.
Husbands, please find a special way to show how dear your wife, your life's companion is to you, especially on this day, but not just for this day, every day and always. Wives, that applies to you as well. Please let him know how dear he is to you.
And if she and/or he isn't all that dear, may I suggest you work on it? Both of you.
Love and Chardi kala!
Mai, TINT
WHY TRY TO FIT IN?
YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
Mai ji
ReplyDeleteThis is the thirsty songbird writing to you. Your blog is quite a wonderful place to read, and think, and explore. So crisp and bright and at the same time dead-serious in its content.
I will visit often. You have some reading material here on subjects that I need to understand better.
As for the songbird of Gurbani. She likes all those bird pictures. They really tell her story very well. And she also told me that she was not exaggerating. A mango tree can be very big place -- lots of shelter and protection -- as your picture makes clear. So I told her that her words ring true and clear. She can describe Him to me any time.
Fateh!
Antonia
Antonia Ji!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely melodious name. Do you pronounce it An to' nia or An to ni' a? Both are nice.
I apologise for taking so long to greet you; if you were waiting for my reply, you would be thirsty, indeed. Sometimes blogger just won't let me leave comments; I'm not sure why.
My parrot is most interested in all these little birds, in her own way. We have a feeder outside our living room window and she loves to watch. Right now she is screeching, as parrots do.
Vaheguru gave a great gift in the form of the birds, both to us and to them. Such strange and glorious creatures!
Vaheguru!
Here is a story from my personal blog about thirsty birds.
ReplyDeleteI think you might enjoy it.
http://mai-sometimes.blogspot.com/2007/08/sparrows.html