‘Walsall Camp’
Camp starts on Sunday; this year has flown by so quickly. I remember leaving camp last year; it was the best camp so far in the 15 years I’d been going.
I remember going there for the first time. I had broken my arm and was going to have to miss a day ‘cause I was having the cast removed and I was worried they wouldn’t let me attend the camp at all! I don’t remember much of the camp except for colouring in pictures of Guru Sahib’s (I was 8).
Fast forward 4 years and I attend camp as a 12 year old. This was a year were none of us (siblings and cousins) wanted to go, no one knew why we didn’t want to go but all the same our parents made us go. It was this year that something happened and my life changed.
I remember being told in a talk that Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not a ‘book’ and that They are our living Guru. Upon hearing this I remembered something from a earlier camp, we were sleeping close to Sach Khand and some older girls were practicing Kirtan. Some of us younger kids were making a fair bit of noise messing around and someone turns around and says ‘quieten down, Guru Ji sleeping’. That comment made no sense whatsoever to me then, I remember looking across a dark hall in the direction she pointed (towards Sach Khand) and thinking ‘who’s asleep over there?’ 4 years later I had my answer. After the talk it was time for evening Diwan and as we went and did matha tek to Maharaaj I remember looking at Maharaaj and thinking ‘this is our living Guru’.
It wasn’t until halfway through that Diwan that something inside me stirred and I felt something that I’d never felt before.
All the group leaders were on stage doing Kirtan and someone started doing the following Shabad,
I remember going there for the first time. I had broken my arm and was going to have to miss a day ‘cause I was having the cast removed and I was worried they wouldn’t let me attend the camp at all! I don’t remember much of the camp except for colouring in pictures of Guru Sahib’s (I was 8).
Fast forward 4 years and I attend camp as a 12 year old. This was a year were none of us (siblings and cousins) wanted to go, no one knew why we didn’t want to go but all the same our parents made us go. It was this year that something happened and my life changed.
I remember being told in a talk that Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not a ‘book’ and that They are our living Guru. Upon hearing this I remembered something from a earlier camp, we were sleeping close to Sach Khand and some older girls were practicing Kirtan. Some of us younger kids were making a fair bit of noise messing around and someone turns around and says ‘quieten down, Guru Ji sleeping’. That comment made no sense whatsoever to me then, I remember looking across a dark hall in the direction she pointed (towards Sach Khand) and thinking ‘who’s asleep over there?’ 4 years later I had my answer. After the talk it was time for evening Diwan and as we went and did matha tek to Maharaaj I remember looking at Maharaaj and thinking ‘this is our living Guru’.
It wasn’t until halfway through that Diwan that something inside me stirred and I felt something that I’d never felt before.
All the group leaders were on stage doing Kirtan and someone started doing the following Shabad,
maerae sathiguraa mai thujh bin avar n koe
ham moorakh mugadhh saranaagathee kar kirapaa maelae har soe 1 rehaao
O my True Guru, without You I have no other at all.
I am foolish and ignorant; I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be Merciful and unite me with the Lord. 1Pause
I remember I was looking down at the floor when this Shabad started and as I heard the first line I looked up at Maharaaj and somewhere inside felt a sense of love and happiness. It was that moment that I realised that Guru Sahib is the King of Kings that I’d been bowing down to for 12 years without even knowing it. The next Shabad that was sung was,
ham moorakh mugadhh saranaagathee kar kirapaa maelae har soe 1 rehaao
O my True Guru, without You I have no other at all.
I am foolish and ignorant; I seek Your Sanctuary. Please be Merciful and unite me with the Lord. 1Pause
I remember I was looking down at the floor when this Shabad started and as I heard the first line I looked up at Maharaaj and somewhere inside felt a sense of love and happiness. It was that moment that I realised that Guru Sahib is the King of Kings that I’d been bowing down to for 12 years without even knowing it. The next Shabad that was sung was,
har har har gun gaavahu
karahu kirapaa gopaal gobidhae apanaa naam japaavahu rehaao
Sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, Har.
Have Mercy on me, O Life of the World, O Lord of the Universe, that I may chant Your Name. Pause
Within minutes my life had changed, I now knew who my Guru was and how I was here for a reason; to ‘Sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, Har’.
I’ve often had conversations with people who say things like ‘one has to make an effort to realise religion’ or ‘one gets what they are looking for only when they make an effort’. I found something so amazing without even wanting it or looking for it, I feel extremely lucky and blessed that Maharaaj took me even though I had no clue about anything. I know a lot of people who have had times at camp where they have gone home disappointed/sad with the camp/the organisers or the experience on the whole and not come back to camp. I have also been to camps where it’s been the worst thing ever, but I keep going back. I’m not too sure why I keep going back to be honest, there’s just something about it that keeps pulling me back, and I can’t get enough of it :- )
That Gurdwara Sahib, that camp, that moment is so special to me, I can go there even now and get that same feeling as I sit there looking at Maharaaj.
Going to camp is like getting your batteries recharged. Even though I get next to no sleep all week, have some of the funkiest kids I have ever come across (they get more interesting each year) in my group and have to iron my clothes in the dark (you have to be there to get it :p) I come back on a Sikhi high.
Only a few days to go now and I can’t wait, time to pull out my stash of pro plus.. Bring on year 16..
Some pictures from previous camps.
karahu kirapaa gopaal gobidhae apanaa naam japaavahu rehaao
Sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, Har.
Have Mercy on me, O Life of the World, O Lord of the Universe, that I may chant Your Name. Pause
Within minutes my life had changed, I now knew who my Guru was and how I was here for a reason; to ‘Sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, Har’.
I’ve often had conversations with people who say things like ‘one has to make an effort to realise religion’ or ‘one gets what they are looking for only when they make an effort’. I found something so amazing without even wanting it or looking for it, I feel extremely lucky and blessed that Maharaaj took me even though I had no clue about anything. I know a lot of people who have had times at camp where they have gone home disappointed/sad with the camp/the organisers or the experience on the whole and not come back to camp. I have also been to camps where it’s been the worst thing ever, but I keep going back. I’m not too sure why I keep going back to be honest, there’s just something about it that keeps pulling me back, and I can’t get enough of it :- )
That Gurdwara Sahib, that camp, that moment is so special to me, I can go there even now and get that same feeling as I sit there looking at Maharaaj.
Going to camp is like getting your batteries recharged. Even though I get next to no sleep all week, have some of the funkiest kids I have ever come across (they get more interesting each year) in my group and have to iron my clothes in the dark (you have to be there to get it :p) I come back on a Sikhi high.
Only a few days to go now and I can’t wait, time to pull out my stash of pro plus.. Bring on year 16..
Some pictures from previous camps.
Love You Maharaaj - 'maerae preethamaa mai thujh bin avar n koe '
posted by indi.kaur™ at
22:06
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