Where did her soul come from?

Many of us wonder what happens to all the knowledge which the being acquires during a lifetime?  What happens when a person dies.

What is it that dies?
What happens to the knowledge that we acquire in a lifetime?
What happens to the soul?

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The real life story of my niece, Harpreet.


No one can say with certainty what happens. My learning, and experience leads me to the following understanding.

For us humans each one of us is made up of  3 components, they are body, mind and soul.
Think of the three travelling together in a vehicle.
The soul is the silent, non participating owner,  master, and passenger.
The body with the brain is the vehicle.

The human brain is like a computer hardware, it's just a processor.  As with all creatures the human brain comes at birth with a certain prepackaged set of biological instructions that facilitates body function. These are breathing, vision, digestion, sleep, etc.

Humans are the only known creatures to possess imagination and consciousness.
Therefore unlike other animals, we alone have the potential to evolve and be more than the mere biological functions that we are born with.

I would like to clarify here, that what we think of as the mind is not the brain.  All evolution, knowledge, and wisdom is generated, experienced, and stored by the mind.
The mind is in every cell of our body. For we begin life from a single cell multiplying into approximately  5 trillion cells. Each cell is a living being.

The mind is a continuously expanding software program both in memory storage and in processing capability.
The mind is the driver of the vehicle.


The mind because it's an extension of the body also perishes when the body perishes.
The mind is constantly expanding its knowledge but its function is the protection, enhancement of the body and to provide direction and pace to the soul.

Therefore the consequences of our actions and inactions, which we call as Karma, the mind sets the direction and location of where the soul will travel to, and what support and resistance it will receive in its journey.

Because of excessive or under stimulus to the body and mind caused by pollution, chemicals, drugs, and unnatural lifestyle, the body,  and the mind cannot communicate effectively. As a result the mind tends to become confused, or worse, deadened, which loses most of its connection with the soul the master.

To continue with our analogy of the vehicle to explain.
Like a drunken driver in a bad vehicle, the mind is unable to direct nor control the vehicle. As a result the master is flung about and out onto the road.

This soul which has no vehicle lands itself in another new vehicle. It then begins another journey in another time and place.
With the death of the body the mind also perishes.

The '[Atman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ātman_%28Hinduism%29)' (soul) feels nothing, remembers nothing, its only function is to provide consciousness.

Having said that, there are two real life examples directly from my own circle of life. which oppose what I have just mentioned. Therein lies the dichotomy.

With Ayurveda and all forms of healthy living permits the mind, body and soul working together as whole (hence holy). The ancients in many parts of the world learnt that the mind and body can unshackle the soul from the body and mind at will.

Sometimes but rarely the mind can go with the 'Atman'. They can journey together.

My niece Harpreet (name changed) was born a day after her mother witnessed a horrific road accident of a young woman hit by a speeding bus and died later that night in the hospital.
My cousin shocked by having witnessed the accident immediately  went into labour and was rushed to hospital. She delivered my niece Harpreet a day later with great difficulty.

When she was born Harpreet had extensive blue and black marks over her body, particularly the thighs, the chest, abdomen, stomach, and on the back.

Fortunately for Harpreet now 41 years of age,  most of the blue and black marks began to fade away starting from age 4 and almost disappeared by the time she was 8. She still has some light marks on her thigh and stomach.

A strange thing happened when she was 2. She kept on crying 'longing for her children', often saying "My children are hungry, they are missing me. I want to go to them."

At first Harpreet's behaviour was cute and entertaining, but soon the parents grew concerned and then seized by panic.

At first they felt that she had become possessed by some evil spirits. However that thought ran counter to what a lifetime of Sikhism had taught them. They had faith in the Guru.

Her parents religious Sikh were deeply concerned. All sorts of prayers were offered. She was taken to various pilgrimages, but the child kept on moaning and wailing. After about 6 months, a wise old aunt counselled the parents not to dismiss Harpreet's utterances. Maybe they should probe further.

The aunt conversed with now 3 year old Harpreet and tried to make sense of her uttering.
Surprisingly Harpreet was able to describe the area and landmarks near the place where her children lived. A bit of detective work and they reached the place and the child pointed the way until they reached a small but decent house in the old city part of Pune.


Speaking to neighbours and the residents of the house. It emerged that the house was that of the young lady that had died in the bus accident which my cousin had witnessed.

At the home of the deceased woman Harpreet was almost instantly drawn to and became friendly and loving towards the 3 children of the home.
The husband and the in-laws of the deceased young lady confirmed that she had died after the horrible accident because of a lot of internal bleeding making her entire body black and blue.

Harpreet's father could not reconcile himself with the contradiction with what he had witnessed and what he had grown up learning. After they returned home he announced that never again would the family discuss this matter again with anyone.

However the matter is most important and relevant and I have shared it after taking permission of Harpreet on the condition that her real name and details would never be revealed.

____________________________________

Written and Posted: July 2020  by ~ Gurvinder Singh.
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Why must they, Rest in Peace?

Ref: G0612

It will pass

We will always see the divine in the form we have been taught all our lives in our places of study and worship or in our literature and art.  
If that should happen, then we should know that we are not experiencing the divine. 

The human mind is so powerful that it easily fools even us ourselves. When we desperately long for something, our mind is easily capable of conjuring it up for us. 

Our minds are very powerful, therefore it projects whatever we desperately seek. We feel we are conscious but in reality we hallucinate.

It is not necessary for us to seek the truth, like insects we can be born and like insects we can die. However if we wish to be truly happy and liberated, then to the core of our being we must travel.

Answers we will not find outside of ourselves, but only within.  
To travel inwards we must get rid of all that is superfluous to our being. 
What are these superfluous elements?

Its important note that anything that comes and goes is not us. 
Our possessions, attachments, desires, and anger, they are things that will come and go. We believe that they are us, but they are not. They are mere acquisitions. These are the things that will not permit us to journey within ourselves.

Then there is the ego, the 'I'.  
As long as the 'I' exists it inhibits us from discovering the truth. When we let go of the ego 
As the Guru explains, the truth is realised not by seeking but by letting go. Because we do not enter the divine, but make ourselves open to let the divine emerge from within us. 

Letting go will occur when we realise that all existence is an illusion or what the ancients call "Maya'. This realisation can come to us when we achieve great success, great failure, great anguish, sorrow, or exhilaration which leads us to meditation.

Meditating because we are merely seeking or because we are bored will produce what the student discovered, that it too will pass and we are back right we started from. 

___________________

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Fascinated by Bio-Rhythms

We all experience good days and sometimes bad days as regards our outputs, moods etc.

All living beings in nature exist in a cyclic manner. The most common being the 24 hour cycle called the Circadian Rhythm which affects our feeding and sleep patterns. Thus we feel sleepy and more alert at about the same time everyday even without looking at the clock.

There is a field of science called Chronobiology which deals with the study of periodic (cyclic) phenomena in living organisms and their adaptation to solar- and lunar-related rhythms etc. called biological rhythms.

Western scientists have tried to establish  over past 150 years how these rhythms can be mapped and use a mathematical model to predict highs and lows and peak mood and performance timing for each individual.

'Theory of Biorhythms' suggests that our physical, intellectual and emotional performance rises and falls in a predictable cycle. The lengths of the cycles are 23 days for physical factors, 28 days for emotional and 33 days for intellectual factors.

Impact of Biorhythms

Since ancient times, civilisations have used biorhythms in their social practices.  Modern scientists have for long studied the theory of biorhythms but the jury is out on the effectiveness of biorhythms  on predicting moods and performance. 

One of the advantages people like me have is we have a good experience and understanding of both tradition and modernity, theory and practice, rooted in both Judeo-Christian and Indian thought and values of the West and the East.

The approach of the West is based on postulating a theory and then working on it to prove it by scientific means. Once established it is imposed through the various institutions and often mandated by law. If it cannot be proven, it is simply discarded.

The approach of the East is based on observation of effects and impact, and empirically validate an approach. Once stated by wise people it is assumed to have merit and be relevant. It is then simply practiced by those who choose to. If it works people stick with the practice, if they do not find it effective or appropriate they simply abandon it.

Cumulative Impact

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. If scientists are not able to conclusively prove some phenomena,  does it mean that the practice has no relevance?

Biorhythm based performance is ridiculed by some as pseudo science and others swear by them.

Using the Biorhythm Calculator, it might be interesting to map one's biorhythms and maintain a diary on moods, behaviour and performance and see for yourself if biorhythms works for you. 

'Know thyself' say the wise people. 
It's possible that we will learn more about oneself and have fun in the process of our own evolution.

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Interesting Links:

• Calculate your biorhythm.
• Biorhythms - Wikipedia
• Biorhythms explained based on ancient Indian life energy forces & Chakras
• What is Circadian Rhythm?

In service of Humanity - Bhai Kanhaiya Lal

There are no enemies nor strangers

Bhai Kanhaiya Lal

Bhai Kanhaiya Lal (1648-1718), left his service as an officer in the Mughal army, and came to serve the 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bhadur ji 

After the martyrdom of the Guru he longed to meet the noble Guru's successor, [Guru Gobind Singh ji
, the 10th Sikh Guru. 

Arriving at Anandpur (Panjab) in 704 C.E. Bhai Kanhaiya found that the Guru and his followers under attack by the combined forces of the Rajput Hill Chieftains and the Mughal army.


The Rajputs and Muslims who together ruled over much of India, simply could not tolerate any other political or self defence entity.

The greatly outnumbered and outgunned Sikhs were fighting valiantly to defend themselves and the battlefield was littered with wounded and suffering soldiers from both sides.

Amongst the wounded wandered a solitary figure, the Sikh,  Bhai Kanhaiya trying to help those he could and giving them water from a mashk irrespective of whether they were Sikh, Hindu or Muslim.

The Nihang the Sikh warriors were very annoyed with Bhai Kanhaiya, they dragged and threw him in front of Guru Gobind Singh ji for suitable punishment for aiding the enemy.

The Guru asked Bhai Kanhaiya if the charges of treason were true? 
Bhai Kanhaiya replied, "I see no enemy, all I see is you, my beloved Guru. Have you not taught us, that to destroy enmity, we see the divine in each being? That is why I assist and serve water to the wounded irrespective of who they are.


The Guru proclaimed to the Sikhs "Bhai Kanhaiya is a true Sikh. He has understood and imbibed the meaning of the universal brotherhood of Sikhism. His service towards others without discrimination is highly praiseworthy. He is an inspiration to all of humanity and I bless him that in time he establish a great movement to selflessly serve humanity. I ordain that none will come in Bhai Kanhaiya's way to perform his noble duty."

The Guru blessed Bhai Kanhaiya and handed over to him a large medicine chest and requested Bhai Kanhaiya not only to serve the wounded with water but to apply these medicines to heal their wounds.

Many Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus who received the selfless love and service of Bhai Kanhaiyalal and survived, were drawn to his noble cause. Upon leaving the service of their Masters they either joined his mission or started selfless service on their own. 

The Sewapanthi also known as the Addanshahi order of Sikhs which started by Bhai Kanhaiya a hundred and fifty years before the Red Cross
was founded in 1864  by another great being Henry Dunant in Europe. 

The Sewapanthi order continues to render noble service to people irrespective of religion, caste or gender across numerous centres across North India. Proving once again, 'When the Guru blesses, it is certain to succeed'.

_________________

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'Ubuntu' - I am, because we are

An  anthropologist who had been studying the Xhosa people of Africa, was leaving to return home when he had a revealing experience, which he narrated.

While waiting for his ride, he decided to play a game with the little children who milled around him.  He placed some sweets in a basket, and tied the basket under a tree a small distance away. He asked the children to play a game and run a race. Upon his signal the children were to run to the tree and collect the sweets. Winner was to take all.

When he said “Go!” the kids ran towards each other and held hands, and together they ran off towards the tree. The untied the basket and happily shared the sweets amongst themselves. 

The Anthropologist was pleasantly surprised. He asked the children to explain what they did and why?
A young girl simply replied: “How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”

The anthropologist was dumbfounded! For months and months he’d been studying the tribe, yet it was only now that he really understood their true essence…

“Africans have a belief called Ubuntu (oo-boon-too, n.) which means, “I am because we are." The individual is a part of the whole universe, a part of other people and all living things, and they cannot be treated separately.

For centuries, many people have considered the people of Africa backward. When one witnesses such great wisdom and humanity, it makes one wonder who really is backward?

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African Proverb

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Source:  “This is the Age of Ubuntu” from The noble Sikh Hari Singh. I am deeply grateful to my friend Bobby Basu for introducing me to the concept of Ubuntu.

Interpreting the interpretation of the interpretation

Curious people sometimes get a big doses of information, particularly when it comes to religion.   

Once again I was being imposed on with more heat than light about the magnificence of a gentleman's religion. The greatness of  his 'Holy Book.'

After listening to much confusing talk, I asked him, how often did he read the holy book? He replied sheepishly that he never read the book, because, the script was in another language, and the words were rather difficult. 

However he knew the messages and their meanings thanks to his elders and the preacher. I asked myself how could a person who never read the book nor understood the language quote so confidently from it? Looking at my wanting to know more he offered to take me to the local preacher.

The preacher was excited by the opportunities of my joining the fold. He was better able to explain about the holy books and the message better than my acquaintance. 

He had spent some years in learning the ropes to becoming a priest. He spoke confidently, sprinkling his sermon with quotes from the holy book. I could understand little as he prattled on delivering his standard pitch, perfected by its repeated delivery.

Yes the book was not easy to understand, the language, the context, challenged him, but the senior preacher knew so much more and he had taught him and was often guided by him. 

Here I was receiving a sermon and explanations delivered by someone, who acquired it from a paid preacher who got it from an older paid preacher. The text that was quoted so frequently, may or may not have been understood by any of us but we were all  simply regurgitating the same thing without experiencing anything. 

_________

This is exactly how dogma grows. No one understanding what they say, but just parroting it. To show loyalty to a group, society, community, religion, to exercise dominance over others based on our knowledge. 

The followers increase in numbers and and more adherents are pulled in by lure or coercion. Even the greatest edifice built will collapse sooner or later if the foundation is weak.  

As long as no one asks a question everything is fine. Like the Chinese whisper effect a message finally delivered something vastly different from the original message. It is shallow because it does not stand on original truth, often being tainted by the biases of the communicator. Worse, it is a pure textbook exercise, with no one having experienced anything.

Believers are certainly guilty of this lapse, but so are opponents, who seek to condemn a faith or a people without trying to truly understand what it means and how it is relevant.

_______________

Next time you are lectured on the good or the evil of an individual, people or a faith, it might be a good idea to understand what the person giving the message really understands and has experienced.

All religious knowledge is invalid unless it is experienced. It does not belong to us. It can be ours only after experiencing it. Then and only then can it blossom into spiritual wisdom and an awakening. 

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers

       - Alfred Tenyson

I visited the Universal Business School (UBS) in Karjat (near Mumbai, India) several times. An impressive and wonderful feature at UBS is called, 'The Wisdom School'. UBS is probably the only managerial and business school in India which seeks to amplify and stimulate human goodness.

In addition to producing some good potential business managers UBS also strives to evolve good human beings and leaders.

Usually students and parents too often are focussed only on facts and figures, tools and techniques seeking to get knowledge. The grades and mark sheets are all that matter to them and to potential employers. Alas if more of them also sought wisdom.

UBS have not yet got there but they believe that in addition to the knowledge they impart, they must help their students to become wise.

Mr. Gurdip Anand the main founder of UBS, sought my opinion on what I felt would help the students be wise. That really stumped me and I needed to think long and hard and search for an answer. 

No doubt many of our education institutions provide knowledge but that is wholly inadequate. Knowledge increases our ability to act. However mere actions without wisdom often causes suffering and degradation of individuals,  society and nature.  

The ability to apply knowledge, understanding experience, insight, and common sense for the benefit of oneself, for others and for creation, is called wisdom.

Good education should teach the person,

• To discover oneself and realise one's potential
• How to be in harmony with oneself?
• To enjoy life by being true to oneself.
• To be friends with the world.
• To continuously learn, un-learn and re-learn?
• Respect for oneself, others and creation in general.
• To be compassionate
• Tolerance
• To be healthy?
• Enjoy art, creativity and to be innovative?
• The true meaning of responsibilities and rights and their judicious application 

_______________________

"The more I see, the more I learn.

The more I learn, the more I know.

The more I know, the more I realise.

The more I realise, I learn how little I know."

______________________________

If you wish to know more about Universal Business school you may contact 

Brigadier GPS Cheema

Chief mentor of UBS Wisdom School 

email:      gpscheema@yahoo.com

Mobile:   +91 787 587 0837

The Bitter Woman

We may not be aware of it but every encounter with a living being effects us in some way or the other. 

This is why the ancients stressed upon the company we keep. Good, noble and loving people enrich us and some not so good people tend to impoverish us.

With good fortune, it was on Guru Poornima (full moon) at the ashram of Baba Ishwar Singh in Dehradun (India) that my wife Mohini and I met a spiritual man, Kulwinder Singh who drives a taxi in NewYork city (USA) for a living.

Contrary to perception, truly spiritual individuals are genuine egoless people, often witty, deep in character and exuding peace & joy. Their presence always leads to an awakening, like the petals of the bud blooming into a flower. An spiritual person can impart positive energy to us if we are receptive.

Kulwinder had many experiences to share as a cab driver. People drifted into his life for a few minutes to a couple of hours. After much prodding by me he shared several of the experiences he had with various passengers.

Here is an experience he shared about ‘The bitter woman’.

       ________________________________________________

One day a lady got into Kulwinder's cab. She was busy on her cellular phone and snapped an address at Kulwinder. She was in a terrible mood and was quarreling  with someone at the other end of the phone. Soon after they started they got caught in a traffic jam.  

The woman turned her wrath on Kulwinder screaming and using rather foul language, venting her bitterness and unpleasantness on him also. She blamed Kulwinder for getting them stuck in the slow moving road traffic and then she went back to her war against the unfortunate person on the phone. This was repeated several times during the long drive. Kulwinder remained unaffected by the woman's disgraceful behaviour.

About 10 minutes before they reached their destination the woman hung up her phone, brooding for a while before holding her face in her hands and began to cry.

When they arrived Kulwinder said “ Miss we are here” . The woman just sat unmoving in her seat. Kulwinder reminded her a couple of times that they had arrived at her destination.

She looked up and started crying again and said “ I am sorry, I abused you, I know my behaviour was unacceptable. You may not know it but I am not a bad person, and normally do not behave in this way. However I am very curious as to, why did you not react and say something back?”

Kulwinder replied “ Miss, I do not know what your problem is and why you behaved in the way you did. I cannot change you or your circumstances but I can definitely manage my response. If you permit me I can tell you what I believe in and maybe you will understand why I did not react”

The woman still sniffing requested Kulwinder to say more.

“ Let me first tell you a story about Mahatma** Buddha” Kulwinder said;

One day as he approached a village, Mahatma Buddha met an aggressive man who was in a foul mood. He started abusing Lord Buddha, who merely stood there listening to the man for quite a while as the insolent man went on and on with his acidic tirade.

At last, exhausted and emptied of his toxic anger the man sat down.

Mahatma Buddha politely asked " If you have finished , may I proceed on my journey?

The foul mouthed man looked at the Mahatma in astonishment and said; “ I have been so bitter in my behaviour towards you and abusive in my conduct, yet you just looked at me smilingly. Are you deaf, a coward or mad? “

Mahatma Buddha said “ I have just come from the neighbouring village. As I was departing from that village, a kind man presented me a tray of wonderful sweets. I took the tray, and I shared the sweets with other residents of the village and everyone was happy. Unfortunately my brother, you gave me something which I cannot share with anyone else, therefore I cannot accept what you have showered on me. You must take what you have brought here for me, back with you.”

Kulwinder told the woman “ Had I accepted what you gave me, I would have shared the misery with the next passenger, and whoever I came in contact with for the rest of the day. Imagine the pain and anguish I would have inflicted on my family when I returned home. Forget me for a while , think what will happen to you when you walk around with this toxic anger? How will be your behaviour with your loved ones and your family?”

The woman started sobbing uncontrollably and after a few minutes said “please forgive me and thank you for your words of wisdom”

Kulwinder Singh, replied “ It is God you must thank for his great mercy and kindness and my Guru for his teachings which I imbibe.”

*Guru Poornima is also the auspicious day on which lord Buddha gave His first sermon at Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh, India).

** Mahatma means great soul.