KaurStyle

We Pledge Orange.

It is a rare and special occasion for which we ever see the entire Sikh panth up in arms and united as one. In the recent days, Balwant Singh Rajoana, our Living Shaheed, has truly made this happen. For this, Rajoana Jee, we are so thankful. We are so inspired. And, as per his selfless request, we are orange.

For those of you who are not as aware of the situation in Punjab right now, I highly encourage you to do your research, read some articles, watch some videos. Here’s some to start with:

http://thelangarhall.com/human-rights/bhai-balwant-singh-rajoana/

http://thelangarhall.com/activism/the-wonder-of-the-shaheed-shaheed-da-gazab-bhai-sahib-balwant-singh-rajoana/

http://thelangarhall.com/punjab/why-we-salute-bhai-balwant-singh-rajoana/

We are all extremely moved by Rajoana’s courage; his bravery; his desire to welcome shaheedi with open arms. These actions represent our Panth exactly in the manner that Guru Sahib had envisioned: “Jau tau prem khelan kaa chaao, sir dhar talee galee meri aao. It maarag pair dhareejai, sir deejai kaan na keejai”. 

Because of this, it is my humble request that we continue to stand strong. We, as a internet-based, short-attention-span, multitasking generation have a tendency to get riled up while news is in the media and on our facebook walls and fall apart when it’s not. Let us not forget. Let us NOT move on.

Balwant Singh Rajoana’s case has potential to be everything we have been waiting for as a Sikh panth. His case will bring up hundreds and thousands of unfinished cases; missing people; unseen injustices. It is OUR job, as a united Sikh Panth, to make sure that this happens.

Do not fight for clemency for Rajoana. This is not his wish; nor is it ours. Fight for justice; fight for the right for fair trials for all captive Sikh freedom fighters; fight for the long overdue punishment of the heinous crimes, mass murders, rapes, and tortures committed against our Panth. It is time to achieve justice and we can no longer wait. The time has come; the time is now. 

Stay updated: Follow @JakaraMovement and @SikhActivist closely on Twitter and keep up to date with www.TheLangarHall.com - great sources doing fantastic work keeping the Sikh panth updated throughout the entire process. Kudos to you all.
 

In Solidarity & Celebration of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana,
KaurStyle 

can’t have Kaurs Stylin’ without Kaprae ;)

Kaprae: Kaprae is a blog that features South Asians who sport creative looks, unique outfits, and push fashion forward trends. We noticed that fashion and beauty are often tied to light skin or fashion of certain types. We wanted to break that image by giving brown folks, or those of South Asian descent, a place to showcase their stuff. Our target audience is South Asians that are into fashion and photography.

Kaprae: Currently, it is creative and appealing western wear but we’re building our portfolio of photos with fashion trends in South Asian clothing.

Kaprae: Growing up in the suburbs in the United States, we noted that a lot of young Sikhs felt they couldn’t keep their religious identity and still be fashionable at the same time. In their minds, because they hadn’t seen it being done before, the two seemed to be at odds with each other. Kaprae is place people can see that the “fashionable, hip Sikh,” or anyone who physically displays their faith while expressing their creativity is not an oxymoron.

 

 KaurStyle: What are your goals? What would you like to come out of this platform?

Kaprae: Ultimately, we want to help people feel comfortable with their identity and image. We also seek to highlight diversity of South Asian identities, artistic fashion that illuminates unique personalities, and, as a secondary goal, encourage good photographers to seek out South Asians subject matter.

Kaprae: They come from a number of different channels - our favorite is when users submit their own photos or share links to other sites online with great photos. Recently, we stumbled across A.S. Nagpal’s photography and just loved it. His portfolio is mesmerizing and showcases South Asians so beautifully.  

Kaprae:We love the photo entitled “Chic is in the details” http://kaprae.com/?p=370 In terms of the photograph, it’s a good quality photo, the composition is good: the photo is prominently showcased and there aren’t other things the picture competing for attention, it’s well lit and the subject is posing in a flattering way. In terms of the outfit, it’s unique, the accessories compliment the look, and makes use of layers and colors in a way that makes the outfit happening, but keeps it simple at the same time.

Kaprae: Our team liked the collage, mash-up of colors, patterns and textures that were big this fall for women, along with bold, bright colors. For men, we’re drawn to the casual-formal hybrid look, where little things, like a cool scarf or nifty shoes, make all the difference. That being said, we’ve really recognized that the best photos of fashionable folks come from those who feel comfortable and confident in their look.

Kaprae: Our blog lives off of user submissions! Please do submit your photos. Photos@kaprae.com For more info, check out: our submit photos page: http://kaprae.com/?page_id=2

Kaprae: We would love for you to checkout the site and give us some feedback! Any and all suggestions are welcome. You con contact us at info@kaprae.com. We can also be reached at thapar@kaprae.com if you think we did something wrong ;)

So there you have it, folks! Spread the word :)

xox - KaurStyle

sikhi, sangat, and sustainability … part 2 of 2

Note: please see previous post prior to reading this one :)

Fateh Kaurs & Singhs! I am back… but not as excited as I thought I would be. I thought that with a little more introspection, I could find an answer that would be well suited to the questions I posed last time around. However, even after days of processing thoughts and emotions.. I can’t say I’m completely sure as to how to address you all. However—your feedback has definitely got my mind searching. Your comments, e-mails, and tweets started putting things into perspective. So, here I am now - I will try my best to explain my thoughts.

Gurbani is the sustainer of Gursikhs; not Sangat. But SAADH Sangat definitely helps one sustain his/her own Sikhi.

Got it? Good…

Jaykay. So here’s how I got there:

It is true that Sikhi without Sangat would not exist. After all, if there is no Sangat, there is no Panth… there are no Sikhs. The importance of Sangat is stressed time and time again in bani. Guru Ji goes so far as to say:

jo sathigur saran sangat nehee aaeae dhhrig jeevae dhhrig jeevaas ||3||
Those who have not sought the Sanctuary of the True Guru and the Sangat, the Holy Congregation-cursed are their lives, and cursed are their hopes of life. ||3||

Wowza.

So, it follows that all actions and beliefs embedded within Sikhi are thereby (supposed to be) carried out, executed, and displayed through the Panth. If that is true, that means that each individual member of the Panth is to do the same; for in order for the group to accomplish, each individual must play his or her own role and pull his or her own weight. However, the problem occurs, then, when the individual does not or cannot stand to be a member of the entire group - how does one go about breaking away from the corruption while maintaining faith and loyalty to Gursikhee Jeevan, Rehat, and baani?

So the answer I found lies in a metaphor commonly found in Gurbani; that of the lotus flower (referred to in Baani as “kamal” or “koulaa”). A few friends and a few readers also brought this to my attention — the lotus is unique in many ways and is commonly used to describe this state of non-attachment. It’s a remarkable organism, really - while growing in algae filled ponds and dirty water, it remains unstained and beautifully blossoms. While living in extremely cold temperatures, it regulates and maintains its warm internal temperature. (See where I’m goin’ with this one?) Living within a community, we are bound to encounter the good and the bad; we are bound to see changes in people, in ideologies, in traditions, in thoughts… and we are bound to see some stray from the Path. But, if we are centered in our own Homes (in our own bodies, minds) and use Guru Sahib and His Bani as our inspiration, then perhaps we CAN sustain our own Sikhi.

baahar sooth sagal sio moulaa ||
Outwardly, I am on good terms with all;

alipath reho jaisae jal mehi koulaa ||1|| rehaao ||
but I remain detached, like the lotus upon the water. ||1||Pause||

mukh kee baath sagal sio karathaa ||
By word of mouth, I talk with everyone;

jeea sa(n)g prabh apunaa dhharathaa ||2||
but I keep God clasped to my heart. ||2||

Our attachment to Sangat should be just like this. As one awesome commenter (and inspirational writer, spiritofthesikh) pointed out, Sangat is not a fixed entity; it is constantly changing. While we should find love in everyone, we should remember that Waheguru is our only true Sangat; our only everlasting love. Sometimes, the Sangat we grow to love and admire and respect disappoints us, and that sends us into a downward spiral of thoughts and doubts.. but Saadh Sangat - the kind of Sangat that we really want - are those who move us closer to Guru Sahib. If your Sangat is not doing this for you, “perhaps it’s time to find a new Sangat”. And by this, I DO NOT NOT NOT NOT mean to drop everyone that you talk to who isn’t an ideal Sikh and find some “Gursikhs” to hang out with so that you become better than all others………Yeah, no. I mean, search for that Sangat inside and out, find within yourself, within Bani, within the Gurmukhs around you, that light of inspiration that drives you to be a better person- and perhaps, you too could then become a source of inspiration to others as well.

I think I’ve blabbered on for long enough :) Hope this post made sense. It is by no means a complete answer to all of my questions…but it’s a start! I welcome your discussion wholeheartedly.

Hoping to hear from you,
KaurStyle

is Sikhi sustainable in the self? — part 1 of 2

The term “sustainability” is huge these days. Normally, it’s used in the context of environments and projects being able to last beyond this generation or the next; ie) - the ability of something to support or maintain itself for the future. The concept is rather awesome; creating a sustainable society entails prevention, preparation, and security for upcoming generations and populations. While discussing sustainability and pondering on the notion, a rather novel thought came to me - and that was the sustainability of Sikhi.

(( Forgive me, in advance, for this post is likely to be extremely stream-of-consciousness inspired… so if i lose you, stop and read again! ))

So, what do I mean by ‘Sikhi’s sustainability’? Well, let me guide you through my thought process as I came upon this idea and maybe you’ll get a feel for it. Now- you all have come to know me.. I try to maintain my Sikhi as much as possible; through my actions, saroop, thoughts, etc - but there is much to be improved on. I have not always been this way, but it is the way I am now and it is the way I intend to stay. I also know that without my Sikh Sangat, I would likely not have found the strength to become who I am today. I know that they played an essential role in guiding me, sharing Guru’s Hukam with me and guiding me along this treacherous path of love.

But……what happens when that Sangat starts to be my turn-off from Sikhi? What happens when I start, because of my inclination TOWARDS Gursikhi jeevan, to go to Gurdwara - and I see fights breaking out; greed and ego towering in; and people being torn apart? What happens when I begin to see hypocrisy, jealousy, anger in those who I most respected and considered to be MY panthic leaders? What happens when I see my “brothers” dishonoring my sisters? What happens when I see my role models talk shit, or bully, or straight up ignore those who have fallen off the path instead of helping them back up?

Well, what happens is… I get pissed off. And I want to leave.

This is not an unlikely story; and it is not entirely a hypothetical one. I am sure that a lot of us know of people who have gone through this very scenario, and end up disconnecting from the “Sikh scene” as it’s called. They may cut their hair; they may stop showing up to gurdwara and Sikh events; they may start drinking and smoking…. or they just seem to fall off the face of the earth and no one knows what happened.

So, say that this is the situation I’m in, but I really do harbor this love for Sikhi & Guru Maharaaj within me. I really, truly feel that Gurbani is the love of my life and though I cannot stand the Sikh community, I do not wish to lose my Sikhi. Can I sustain my own Sikhi? Can I, without Sikh sangat, maintain Sikhi saroop, Sikh rehat, Gursikhee Jeevan?

…. I really don’t know.

But, if the answer is no, then….how do I know what is even real? Is my love for Sikhi real if I cannot LIVE a Sikh life on my own? Am I just doing it for everyone around me? Am I doing the “whole Sikh thing” because that is what is expected of me by the Sikh panth? …And what if I am, is that necessarily a bad thing?

—

Disclaimer: These thoughts and questions are real and I don’t have the answers… though I wish I did. Please, please share yours with me so that we can maybe find an inkling of inspiration. I plan to reflect on this now and turn to Gurbani for some guidance… will post a follow-up after the weekend. Stay tuned :).

Awaiting your replies,
KaurStyle