Singh Ji

I was lucky in that my parents took amrit a year before I was born. As a child, I remember my parents telling me stories about the guru's and great sikh warriors. I also used to read sikh comic books and we regularly attended the gurdvara. This was in the early 80's and people were quite riled up about the events going in the panth. I also used to do a lot of moolmantar, as my mother had taught me this. However, other than this, due to things going on in the family, I never actually learnt any gurbanee. As a teenager, I began to move away from whatever sikhee I thought I had. In the back of my mind, I always knew that one day I would shuk amrit, but wasn't doing anything to move towards it. I enjoyed sikh history and had a lot of interest in the sikh struggle going on, but had no interest in gurbanee or keertan. All my friends were monay or ended up cutting their hair and moving down the path of drugs and alcohol. However, despite my lack of sikhee, Guru Saahib kept me from following their path. I can't remember the number of times I was tempted and encouraged to follow them, but Guru Saahib saved me time and time again. One thing that always stuck with me was my mother combing my hair as a child and each time telling me that I must never do be-adbee of these kes.

Eventually, I was lucky enough to see the lives of some gursikhs from the Akhand Keertany Jatha. I was impressed by the fact that these people's lives seemed to revolve more around Sikhee than money and material needs. I admired singhs from other groups too. However, I found the AKJ much more intriguing and was in awe of whatever glimpses into their lifestyles that I had, despite the fact that I had always been given somewhat of a negative image of this jatha. I never actually did any real sangat of any of these singhs, but simply saw them around. Just seeing gursikhs had a great influence on me. Due to this influence, while doing homework one day, I decided I should try listening to keertan and turned on the radio to one of the local punjabee stations. There was akhand keertan going on. I had never really listened to keertan until that time, but from that day on I was hooked. I started listening to tapes of Bhai Jeevan Singh and would sometimes listen to 7 or 8 hours of keertan straight. I also started learning my nitnem and started reading more books on sikhee, including by Bhai Randheer Singh, and heading to the gurdvara every chance I got. The table/chair stuff had also started in BC at that time and this also made my interest in Sikhee increase dramatically. I eventually decided to shuk amrit (after thinking about it for a few years) but do to illness, I was unable to. So, I got back into my mode of 'getting ready'. I remember listening to a tape, in which Bhai Jeevan Singh kept singing about people with hair but without amrit being 'bhekee moorakh sikhs'. The next day, I ran into Bhai Jeevan Singh and decided to say Fateh. Like he does many times to so many people, he tried touching my feet. I was touched and also felt like a true 'bhekee moorakh sikh' for walking around trying to look like some singh. I decided that I must now shuck amrit but still ended up waiting for several months until the thirst became too strong. I wanted Naam Dhrir but people close to me discouraged me from jatha amrit sanchaars so I headed off to the local gurdvara to shuk amrit. Unfortunately, the granthee had told me the wrong day and the amrit sanchaar was already over. I was devastated, as this was my second attempt. I did an ardaas that I would go to the very next amrit sanchaar, no matter who or where. There was one about 2 weeks later and I shukked amrit. I still wanted Naam Dhrir though and wanted to clear up some things in front of the panj piyaaray. Exactly one year to the day after shukking amrit, Vaahiguru granted me this as well at an amrit sanchaar organized by the AKJ. I continue too struggle along the path now, but with guru saahib's kirpa, I will remain on this unbelievable path. I have to say though, no matter how ready you might try to get, you will never realize what ready even is until you shuk amrit.