**AKJ EXPOSED** Exposing of the Akhand Kirtanee Jatha

The purpose of this article is to expose the truth, love and deliberate attempts to follow Rehit and Gurbani by the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ), its members and its founder Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji.

1) AKJ EXPOSED - NAAM SIMRAN

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Gurmantar is Vahiguru
• Waking up Amrit vela, the ambrosial hours, and doing 2 hours Naam Simran followed by their Nitnem. Others read more Banis than the prescribed minimum.
• Remembering Vahiguru with each breath that comes in and out, known as Saas Giraas simran.

2) AKJ EXPOSED - AMRIT VELA
Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Waking up Amrit Vela is necessary and not doing so means we cannot call ourselves Sikhs of the Guru
• Doing full Ishnaan or bath of the body, including the hair, is crucial for hygiene and alertness of the body.
• Amrit Vela is the best time to do intense meditation and devotion.

3) AKJ EXPOSED - WOMEN & EQUALITY

     Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Women can read Gurbani, do Kirtan, read from Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and do Ardaas for the Sangat.
• Women should wear a Dastaar (turban) just like men are expected to and keep full visible Sikh identity
• Women do not need to wear make-up, earrings, nose rings, and put on henna to make themselves beautiful. The Panj Kakkaar, Simran, Nitnem and virtues of a Sikh woman are her decoration and beauty.

4) AKJ EXPOSED - VEGETARIANISM

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Do not eat dead dogs, cats, cows, pigs, rats, chickens, goats or humans.
• Do not practice animal slaughter or animal sacrifice
• Respect animals and don't engage in animal cruelty
• Do not eat Haram meat nor Halal meat

5) AKJ EXPOSED - DIETARY HABITS

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• They only eat what they perceive the Guru would eat. They do not cook or eat anything that the Guru would not touch, eat or anything that cannot be brought in the presence of the Guru for Ardaas and Bhog. For this reason they do not eat at McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Nandos or eat food at parties and weddings or made by people who smoke, drink, cut their hair, don't do Simran, or taken Amrit.
• They eat in iron, called Sarbloh because Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Khalsa ate in iron.
• They respect iron and believe that cooking and eating in it helps to make the food or drink to become Amrit when prepared with prayers by a spiritual disciplined Gursikh.

6) AKJ EXPOSED - DRESS

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Do not wear red, green, flower pattern or sparkling turbans.
• They wear traditional colours worn by the Guru like blue, white and yellow. They also wear black following on from the Akali agitation and calls from Akal Takht to wear black turbans in the early 1900s.
• They allow women to wear Chola and Pyjamee, and believe Khalsa dress looks more beautiful than the dresses of other cultures.
• They wear a Hazooria, white scarf, around the neck believing to be forever ready to do seva of Maharaaj.

7) AKJ EXPOSED - SING KEERTAN ALL NIGHT LONG

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• Rather than go to night clubs, parties or discos, they go Gurdwaras and sing hymns from Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji all night long and don't get tired.
• The Kirtan is non-stop and they don't allow any breaks like Shri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar
• They sing Vahiguru's name in joy and sometimes energetically because Gurbani asks them to chant Naam, sing Naam and repeat Naam.
• Women and children are allowed to do Kirtan and they do Kirtan sitting on the floor like Shri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar.
• They do not take money for singing Kirtan, as the believe Gurbani is not a commodity to be sold and profit from.

8) AKJ EXPOSED - LENGTH OF BANI

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• They accept the minimal requirement of Rehraas Sahib set by the Panth and read Shri Harmandir Sahib, and recognise if someone wishes to read additions Shabads or Dohras in Nitnem that is their personal choice which they can practice in their personal space.
• They don't criticize anyone for reading more Bani than the specified requirement. Nor condemn anyone who cannot read Gurbani for whatever reason to not be a Sikh
• They believe that someone who doesn't read Bani because they cannot, but lovingly chants Mool Mantar is still a Sikh. They also believe that someone who just knows Japji Sahib by memory and lovingly reads it but cannot read or recite any other Bani of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is still a Sikh. Similarly, someone who doesn't read Raag Mala (the last hymn contained in most Saroops) is still a Sikh.

9) AKJ EXPOSED - MOOL MANTAR

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• They read Mool Mantar as stated by Shri Akal Takht Sahib.
• They read Mool Mantar up to GurPrasaad and state JAP is the title name for Japji Sahib and Aad Sach to Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach is a "Salok" as stated by Guru Arjan Dev Ji at the top of same lines written in the 17th astpaddi (chapter) of Shri Sukhmani Sahib.
• They believe if someone wishes to read more Bani that Mool Mantar and read Jap and Salok, or even read first 5 paurian of Japji Sahib, that perfectly fine. As Bani is Bani.

10) AKJ EXPOSED - RAAG MALA

Members of Akhand Kirtani Jatha believe and practice:

• They believe that Shri Akal Takht has the final say on Panthic matters rather than any one individual, Sant, Baba or organization.
• They believe and accept the Bhog (completion) of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to be upto Mundavanee as read at Shri Akal Takht Sahib.
• They recognise that Raag Mala is written in a poem called "Madhav Nal Kaam Kundla" as found in libraries across India, which was written by Kavi Alam 21 years before Guru Arjan Dev Ji had Shri Guru Granth Sahib written by Bhai Gurdas Ji.
• They respect the Panth's decision in absence of proving Raag Mala to be Bani or not of Maharaaj that it is up to one whether you read or not read Raag Mala in completion of a complete reading of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but due to the controversy no Saroop should be published without it.

They sound like pretty cool Gursikhs and many of them have them give up their lives for the freedom of Punjab and the Sikh nation.

ਗੁਰ ਸਿਖਾ ਇਕੋ ਪਿਆਰੁ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਤਾ ਪੁਤਾ ਭਾਈਆ ||

The Guru loves all of His Gursikhs equally well, like friends, children and siblings.

Gossip, Slander, Nindia : Is it worth it?

Taken from http://www.sikhnet.com/news/gossip-ninda
Written by Jotsimran Singh Dua

A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbour.

Within a few days the whole community knew the story. The person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended. Later, the woman responsible for spreading the rumour learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old sage to find out what she could do to repair the damage.

"Go to the marketplace," he said, "Purchase a bag of feathers". Then on your way home, drop them one by one along the road." Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.

The next day the wise man said, "Now, go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me."

The woman followed the same road, but to her dismay the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three feathers in her hand.

"You see," said the old sage, "It's easy to drop them, but it is impossible to get them back.

So it is with gossip.

It doesn't take much to spread a rumour, but once you do you can never completely undo the wrong.

Gossiping is an addiction. if you get into this dirty habit, its hard to break out of it, its even harder if your Sangat (the people who you hang around with "chill" with) are also big gossipers, and love knocking people down.

Slander is similar to gossip (very very similar) but its mainly done out of Jealousy (eerkha), of maybe somebody's success, fame, looks etc, or even their wealth and other materialistic things. It happens simply because "we can't take it" or it could be done out of hatred or simply disliking some due to their views or ideas...whatever the reason for slandering, its not a good habit and Gurbani clearly tells us the consequences...

Siri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Says:

jis a(n)dhar chugalee chugalo vajai keethaa karathiaa ous dhaa sabh gaeiaa ||
One whose heart is filled with malicious gossip, is known as a malicious gossip; everything he does is in vain.

which I have observed to be true (well every thing Maharaj Ji says is :-) We are always sooo happy to find out what's happening to people, we get some sort of unknown joy and fun, we make it a habit to find out gossip and then it is our habit to spread it, far and wide!!!!

Contrary to the "normal" way of thinking, Gursikhs (True Sikhs of the Guru), like it when people gossip and slander them, their looks, their characteristics etc... That's because energy is energy. It doesn't matter if it's positive or negative. People who slander you are actually just giving you energy. When you do not react, you can simply enjoy the energy itself. This is what Bhagat Kabeer Jee (a muslim Saint) in Siri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Says:

ni(n)dho ni(n)dho mo ko log ni(n)dho ||
Slander me, slander me - go ahead, people, and slander me.

ni(n)dhaa jan ko kharee piaaree ||
Slander is pleasing to the Lord's humble servant.

Worthwhile reading whole Shabadh: http://sikhitothemax.com/page.asp?ShabadID=1355
Bhagat Jee is happily inviting people to slander him, he doesn't really care! In fact, he enjoys it.
The way to beat reacting to other people's negativity is to learn how to control your mind. In Japji Sahib, Guru Ji  says: man jeetai jag jeet, master your own mind and you have won the world. You have broken the shackles, and gandh of society, the same society that gets us in these messes and bad habits...

Also reading more Gurbani helps as does reading inspiring sakhis. Bring stability to your mind by doing Japa of Vaheguroo, Mool Mantra or several Jap Jee Sahibs each day. Balance your sleeping routine, wake up early and do simran and read reading Gurbani first off, before you do anything else.... Hey, that means no late night gossip sessions :-P
Before you speak, think first. Does this really contribute to what is being said? Is it truthful? Will it elevate the situation?

Let us all strive to be better humans, and to live in our excellence as Sikhs of the Guru.

Okay, now....  challenge yourself! See if you can go at least one week without talking behind someone's back or spreading a lie. Check yourself. Listen to yourself.
 Do a simple search on "gossip" using Sikhitothemax, and see what turns up. You do know Sikhitothemax, right? It is a fantastic tool in English where you can find out the meaning of Gurbani and also do research into meanings and what gurbanee says about various things.
Bhul Chuk Maaf..
Dass...
This article was based on an email from Amarpreet Singh - Sikh youth - Slough sikhyouthslough@googlegroups.com