Musings from a Recliner

Musings from a Recliner – 0530 hrs - 16 Jun 23 ~ Lally Virk ‘Farewell my Friend’ - ‘Death Be Not Proud’. Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.'                                                          ...

  Musings from a Recliner ---- ’Sadh Sangat” ---- 09th Oct 2020 ~ Lally Virk Since I have been away from my brothers for quite some time, I thought what better day, than today, to ‘add my log back to the ‘member piece and rekindle the light and fire once again’………!!!!  These musings are about the concept of “Sadh Sangat” in one’s spiritual journey. “SADH SANGAT” Though a ‘Sangat’ or ‘congregation’ is there in almost all religions and for more or less the same purpose, but in this piece I will restrict myself to the “Sadh Sangat” of “Sikhism”……lest I meander into some controversial waters !!!! 😊 The origins of the ‘Sangat’: Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism. As he travelled, he started to gather people together to sing hymns, worship and learn about the oneness of humanity and the one true God 'Waheguru ji'. He referred to these groups as the sangat. Guru Nanak believed that being part of a community would help individuals come closer to 'Waheguru'. Sikhs believe th...

Musings from a Recliner –  The Kabira Festival  – 27th Nov 2019 ~ Lally Virk  "THE KABIRA FESTIVAL" (22nd Nov – 24th Nov 2019) Jasmin and I were very fortunate to be invited as delegates for the “Kabira Festival”, held in Varanasi from 22nd Nov to 24th Nov 19. The “Kabira Festival” is an annual event held on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, in the month of November. It is a meticulously curated festival held over three days to celebrate the enigma that was “Kabir”.  Before I enter the Festival proper, a word on “Kabir, the poet”. Chalti Chakki Dekh Kar, Diya Kabira Roye Do Paatan Ke Beech Mein, Sabit Bacha Na Koye (Translation: Kabir says, Seeing the rotating grinding stones of the mill, the light inside cries. No one survives once put between the grinding stones.) (Meaning: Kabir sees the two grinding stones as the duality that we live in. Heaven and earth, Good and Bad, M...