Last night I had the chance to watch a select / test screening of Ocean of Pearls. The movie has won countless awards in the US and has also been on a selective theatre release. I also had a chance to interview the Director and Producer, Dr Sarab Singh Neelam. I hope to issue this audio interview in a future Sikhwithin, probably Episode 56

Dr Sarab, is both an inspiring and committed film-maker. Starting off as a medical Doctor he has also spent the last 10 years and managed a budget of $1.5million to deliver a film that really moves you. His connections to Hollywood have assisted in the development of the film and its themes.

As you watch the film you realise that it is not preaching in manner. There are some scenes that as a Sikh make your heart sink. In others, you recognise similar public stereotypical influenced episodes.

The films delivery is based on generating a universal message of self-realisation of who you are and the importance of what you represent. Other themes explored by the film include seva (service) and dilemmas introduced by different health systems.

Please see the trailer below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please visit the Website too:
http://www.oceanofpearls.com

After the movie the audience had a chance for Questions and Answers with Dr Sarab. Dr Saran spoke of the impact that the film had on people from different denominations. In the US film-goers expressed they felt  the need to know more about their own religion and some from the Sikh faith reflected on the importance of their own faith. Interestingly, I have heard this phenomena before. As chair of the Interfaith Youth Trust, we often hear that kids who attend interfaith awareness events often wish to learn more about their own religion. Thus deepening a respect for parallel ethics and greater meaning of their own elements.

Currently, European plans for this movie are under review. It is certainly a must buy to share with your family, local community, services agencies and your library.

The more we communicate who we are and our stories and we have many of those, the greater an understanding between ourselves and  diverse world will develop.

I understand you’re in training at the minute

• • Yes it’s an annual charity bike ride organised by the Sikh Arts and Culture Association. It’s been running now for 19 years and it’s from Birmingham to London. The great things about it is that nowadays people from all communities take part not just Sikhs.

You mention the Sikh Arts and Culture Association there… what constitutes Sikh Culture…

• • Personally having been born in the UK my ‘culture’ is fusion of Eastern based food, Western music and relating to what I’ve grown-up with say, TV, books and relationships.
    
    
  • Some of the Asian side of my culture is Sikh and some of it is Punjabi. So something like Gatka, which is a complete martial system which uses spiritual, mental and physical skills and it’s Sikh in nature. So that’s could be Sikh. But take Bangra Bangra music which a lot of Sikh people like… well that’s more regional than religious. And it’s developed as a fusion in terms of mixing R&B beats with traditional drums such as the Dhol. However, this is strictly Punjabi culture not Sikh.

• • Interestingly, when migrants reside in the same country for many generations you can notice for example, turban styles being different? Not sure why but there are now Singapore, Kenyan and Indian Style turbans. If you want a bit a fun, head for ratemyturban.com !!
    
    
  • I was recently asked to attend an Interfaith Youth trust meeting at The House of Lords. It was wonderful to see Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jews and Christians all coming together to see if there were specific activities that could be done to promote greater understanding between the kids of today. I found it fascinating that the a shared view was that instead of people being defensive about their beliefs, when the kids worked together they learned more about their own religion and brought out common themes, for example finding common threads in each religion about respecting the environment or performing a service for charity. One group of kids collaborated on developing a leaflet with extracts with religious references.

Here is that week’s Moment of Reflection

A few years back my family went on a Spanish discovery tour. Lead by a great tour guide called Bonzo we visited some spectacular sites including a Synagogue, the AlhambraPalace (which was built by the Moors) and the tomb of Columbus in Saint Mary of the See which is the fourth largest Christian church in the world.

These historic places of worship, no matter the religion that built them, always made me think of the effort and commitment needed to create a space where communities can come together to worship, meditate and also to celebrate.

The essence of the term worship in Sikhism is to dedicate ones life to the path set in the Guru Granth Sahib. ‘Worship’ here is living with the ‘True Lord’ in one’s own mind and ‘serving the Guru by listening, Singing, Believing, Serving and Obeying.

These are the common threads that can help you to merge with God… whether you perform them at home, at a place of worship or in acts of self-less service.

Here is part 1 of 2, re: the Interview …

And I’m pleased to say that our regular Sikh contributor Dr savi Arora is with us today… morning Savi… good to see you again.

Now we’ve been talking about places of worship on the show this morning what can you tell us about Sikh places of worship?

• Sikh temples are called Gurdwaras… which literally means Guru’s House or Door. So it’s the place to goto to learn from the Gurus. Each Gurdwara houses the Guru Granth Sahib… which is the holy book and of course religious ceremonies take place there including events like weddings.

But the gurdwara is for more than just worship isn’t it?

• As well as being a place for religious services, the Gurdwara also serves as a community centre, a school, a guest house for pilgrims and travellers – and not just Sikhs , occasionally a clinic, and a base for local charitable activities.
  
  

Now the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar is recognised as one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the world… what are Gurdwaras like in the UK?

• • Well most of the Sikh community in this country was established after the second world war so for a long time Gurdwaras were in people’s houses or commercial spaces. And then communities would buy a school or industrial complex that were no longer being used… but now we have some large and spectacular ones… for example, both Southall and West London based Gurdwara’s have been visited by Prince Charles and the Queen over the last few years. In fact one that my father went to was originally in a an old dairy that the community purchased (this is true? Yes?)
  • One of the oldest Gurdwara is Britain, in all of Europe in fact, which is in Shepherds Busch in London and it is celebrating it’s 100^th anniversary this year.

It’s interesting that churches are often used by other religious communities when they are no longer required for Christian worship… what does that say

• • My understanding is that there have been church halls that have been made available for groups to run Yoga classes and community events. I believe that this shows there is not a sense of possessiveness or a demand for exclusiveness related building ownership
  • If we all respect each other in terms of the cliché that there are many paths and they all lead to the same goal, then as a message for greater interfaith understanding this has to be viewed as a positive. I personally am a big fan of bringing people together to raise funds for a common cause. Amazingly people then forget their differences and focus on the common cause a common love for doing something for humanity under a house that happens to be where some go to pray.

BREAK FOR MUSIC

What was surprising was that not only have a noticed an increase in this type of shop but I was also astounded by the seated queue inside the shop.

The expression, ‘BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP’ came to mind The proverb has been traced back to ‘A Wife’ (c.1613) by Thomas Overbury (1581-1613).” From the “Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings” by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).- “What you don’t see is hidden under the skin and it may be more important than physical beauty.

Another related expression is, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER – This proverb appear to have come from the English dramatist John Lyly, who wrote in ‘Euphues in England’ (1580).

We may spend time on our physical being but how much do we dedicate to our inner beauty or spiritual existence?

Interestingly, after researching this area I discovered that some Health coaches suggest that fitness training alone is not enough, people need to also de-stress. I’m not suggesting that becoming spiritual is just another tick box. One fitness piece of advice suggested that everyone has 4 basic health needs: Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual.

Emotional development is an interesting area, especially in the context of respecting each other and ensuring that we do not degrade others. Bad mouthing never helped anyone.

Statistics have shown that people who have strong religious beliefs and convictions are less likely to have health problems in the other 3 facets of their health. In addition, it has been suggested that commitment to prayer is helpful and can fight off potential illness and depression.

As I said before, becoming spiritual should not be seen as an add-on or a simple health supplement. We cannot and should not perform any tests on our religious beliefs – It does not work like that. I remember a few years ago a BBC documentary divided a group of patients and families up into two groups. One group prayed for the wellbeing of their patients and the other did not. You cannot test God !

Commitment to prayer and meditation has the potential to make us a better physical person but also remembering God. Our existence in this world is really only temporary, therefore we should aim to be fair to each other.
Hey! We leave it all behind anyway, only our soul is what we need to value and enrich.

The aim should be to merge with God. Achieving Mukti:

Mukti has two aspects—a negative and a positive one. On the negative side, it stands for having got ‘loose from’ or ‘rid of’. That essentially implies a bonded state from which a human must be freed—be it ignorance (ajnan), nescience (maya), mortality (kal), suffering (dukkha), passion (kama), desire (trishna), attachment (moha), superstition (bhrama), physical body (sharira) or the wheel of life and death (avagavan). All these spell only a perilous existence for a human.

Mukti, however, is not to be construed as escapism. It is not that a human is removed to a safe quarter in existence where no perils overtake him/her. He/She, rather, discovers within himself an unexpected power to withstand and not be shaken by any threat or danger. The security and integrity experienced are spiritual and ultimate; neither ephemeral nor circumstantial.

On the positive side, mukti signifies the fullest and truest realization of the self. The saved life is a fully human self, open and unhindered. It embodies the realization that there is no other than the self. Separation and ego-consciousness stand decimated. Everlasting peace of the eternal and infinite self transcend the make-believe world of wealth and woe, good and evil, gaiety and sorrow, wisdom and folly. See http://www.sikhiwiki.org for more on this.

Clearly we live in a body conscious world where thousands of products are available to help you: clean-up, paint up, and in some cases fix-up. Television programmes obsess about the ideal weight and shape. Diets range from low fat this, low fat that and diet pills! NB There are some great programmes on being more aware of diseases and staying healthy.

Across the world exercise clubs fill up in the early hours and if there is any spare air time one can always view the famous range of 12minute experiential advertisement trailers on the latest gizmo to ‘turn your life’ around.

I’m certainly keen on ensuring that we all watch what we eat, for example: watching ones cholesterol level, reducing salt and eating more roughage. My point is simply how the mind works in terms of the need to place priority on internal issues. For example, do we get up in the morning and consider the importance of spirituality, not just to exercise the mind because we have to – but to consider being thankful for being here and establishing connection to God.

Recently I had a chance to view an interesting documentary on alternative therapies. The BBC 2 series on Alternative therapies saw Professor Kathy Sykes set off on a personal and scientific journey to explore three popular, and fast-growing, alternative therapies: meditation, hypnotherapy, and reflexology. In search of answers Kathy traveled to Nepal, Italy and across the length and breadth of Britain and the USA. She uncovered historical origins full of allure and mysticism. She even tried each therapy for herself and it was great to see her share her honest reactions.

When practicing mediation (the key word here being ‘practice’) she admitted that it did help her. I heard recently that meditation has an immediate affect. On the few occasions that I have been to a Kundalini Yoga session, I’ve noticed how it refreshes the mind. I need to make more time to attend!

Saying this, the point of my article is to suggest meditation is good but it is different to Naam Simran. Simran refers to the remembrance of God by repetition or recital of His Name – The process brings calmness to the mind and allows one to concentrate on God. The process is to allow one to ‘connect’ to the Creator. Sikhs prefer the name ‘Waheguru’ to other names of God. Sometimes, the person doing simran will do this as part of a group or individually. Early morning is normally the preferred time although no one time period is considered more sacred than another.

Both physical and mental development is essential – Our personal journeys are our own and it is important to note our body temples do not last forever. We take the journey with us.

These five were then administered ‘Khande di Pahul’ , the double-edged Sword Amrit. They were then knighted as Singhs, as the Five beloved ones, the first members of the Order of the Khalsa. The Guru then asked them to administer the Pahul to him in the same manner in which he had given the Pahul to them, and it was done so.

The Guru said that  whenever and wherever five baptised Sikhs come together, the Guru would be present. All those who receive Amrit from five baptized Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and strength to sacrifice. Thus with these principles he established Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure Ones.

At the same time the Guru gave his new Khalsa a unique, indisputable, and distinct identity. The Guru gave the gift of bana, the distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and courage. These symbols, worn by all baptised Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair; Kangha, the wooden comb; Karra, the iron (or steel) bracelet; Kirpan, the sword; and Kachera, the underwear.

Unlike most of other faiths where only the clergy are in uniform, all Sikhs are enjoined to always wear their uniform of faith at all times and to adhere to the ideals of the “Sant-Sapai” Saint-Soldier; to practice their belief always (rather than on just a particular day or time ie: just Sunday or Friday); to maintain and protect the cosmic balance in the world; to guard against tyranny, discrimination, evil and injustice. These five articles of faith distinguish a Sikh and are essential for preserving the life of the community founded on nothing but truthful living.

The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are five items which display and show the wearer’s conviction to the Master and are a constant reminder of the adorner’s love for the high principles set by their Leader and Commander-in-Chief; faith in the Khalsa; deep conviction to Satguru – the “timeless true Guru”; putting the values of the Khalsa above one’s personal and materialist needs; the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the value set by the Sikh Gurus.

• Kesh: (uncut hair) A Sikh is to maintain and adorn this natural God-given gift. To work with nature and not against it. The Kesh was covered with a turban, Keski or Chunni to keep it clean and manageable.
• Kanga (wooden comb) for the maintenance and ongoing upkeep of Kesh. A reminder to regularly maintain the body and mind in a clean and healthy state.
• Kara (steel bracelet or bangle): Symbolises an unbreakable bond with God. It is a constant reminder that the Sikh is a servant of the Lord. He or she must only do His work in accordance with the Holy Scripture; to abstain for wrong-doing at all times.
• Kachhera (cotton underwear) Standard, Naturally Comfortable, dignified attire reflective of modesty and control. A sign of a soldier; ever ready; dignified and highly mobile.
• Kirpan (a small sword) A sign that a Sikh is a soldier in “Akal Purakh’s (God’s) Army” (Akal Purakh de fauj); to maintain and protect the weak and needy and for self defense. Never to be used in anger.

The Sikhs uniform unifies and binds a Sikh to his/her commitment to the true, universal, social and temporal principles defined and amplified by the ten Sikh Gurus and laid down in Sri Guru Granth Sahib at all times.

The Nagar Kirtan

Vaisakhi is celebrated in much the same way as Gurpurbs. Gurdwara’s are decorated and visited. Many Sikhs choose to be baptised into the Khalsa brotherhood on this day.

The festival is marked with nagar kirtan processions: processions through the streets (nagar means “town”) which form an important part of Sikh religious celebrations.

Kirtan is a term meaning the singing of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib/ Sri Granth Sahib Ji. This is more than scripture of the Sikhs. The Sikhs treat it as a living Guru. The Guru Granth Sahib means “The Supreme Scripture Enlightener,” which was recognised as the guiding scripture and spiritual leader of the Sikh community in October, 1708.

Celebrations always include music, singing and chanting scriptures and hymns. The Guru Granth Sahib is carried reverentially into the Gurdwara. The processions are led by the Panj Piaras. The Guru Granth Sahib will be carried in the procession in a place of honour.

At the Gurdwara, the Nishan Sahib – the holy flag or exalted ensign – a symbol representing the values of the Sikh faith is cleaned with the pure substance of Yogurt. The Sikh pennant is made out of saffron-coloured, occasionally out of blue-coloured. The cloth is triangular in shape, normally each of the two equal sides being double of the shorter one. The pennant is stitched to the mast sheath at the top which is also of the same cloth. The symbol shown on the flag is the Khanda – In the centre of the insignia is the two-edged sword which symbolises the Creative Power of God which controls the destiny of the whole universe. It is the Sovereign Power over life and death. One edge of the Sword symbolises divine justice, which chastises and punishes the wicked oppressors; the other edge symbolises Freedom, and Authority governed by moral and spiritual values.

On the outside of the two-edged sword, we can see two swords: On the left is the Sword of Spiritual Sovereignty (Piri); On the right is the Sword of Political Sovereignty (Miri). There must always be a balance between the two, and this balance is emphasised by a circle inside. This circle is what is called a Chakra. The Chakra is a symbol of all embracing Divine Manifestation, including everything and wanting nothing, without beginning or end, neither first nor last, timeless, Absolute. It is the symbol of oneness, of Unicity of Justice, Humanity and the Immortality.

In 2008 the Sikhs will be celebrating the 300th Gugaddi Divas of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In October, 1708 Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji, bestowed the Gurgadi (spiritual, social, political leadership and throne of enlightener) to Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

On Monday 3rd March I was asked to attend a workshop at the House of Lords, re: ideas for projects to help youth appreciate and respect each other, i.e: our religious differences. The Trust was established to promote the education of children and young people about the religions of the world and funds projects that bring together young people of different faiths to improve collaboration and understanding.

On Tuesday 4th March I was back to Westminster to attend a meeting to see if selective Members of parliament and a minister would support the development of a sports arena in West London, again for youth.

With regard to the Inter faith meeting it was great to see so many people come together in a hope that projects could be developed to help form a foundation of respect. I suggested more multimedia.

In terms of the sports facility that may take time but the intentions are good – an aim to bring people together in an area that has seen issues such as crime, drugs and underinvestment.

The concept of unifying oneself towards a common aim is a good one. Not only for moral support and increased understanding but in a hope that a positive outcome can result.

Interestingly, on Friday of the same week (7th March) the BBC commenced their series entitled, ‘White season’. The commissioning of this potentially dangerous line of thought (you only have to see the advert to spot the alarm and complaints already lodged) could be described as being negative.

There currently seems to be a debate to define the differences between multi-culturalism, ethnic origins and religion.

The French have clearly become confused with their disrespect, hidden inside their thoughts on Secularism.

Back to the Interfaith meeting…

What I found was encouraging was the way that all the faith representatives who attended suggesting lots of projects and potential ways of countering concerns. For example:

• Meeting people from different faiths and backgrounds can strengthen your own beliefs
• The need for co-ordination between different groups
• Encouraging dialogue between youth from different UK regions and religions
• Developing interfaith projects driven by the youth

With regard to the latter, there was an excellent Sikh speaker from Scotland. She spoken about how each year people from different faiths would meet, camp, share ideas and develop a booklet on common themes – For example, the environment. She gave hope to us all that the youth had the power to lead us to better understanding and as adults we also had a part to play.

The annual Birmingham to London Cycle ride is another charity that attempts to bring communities together – raising funds for children’s charities. In July 2008 it will be held between 19th-20th July – More information and a new website coming soon at http://www.charitybikeride.com

A few weeks back I wrote an article on the need for more positive media. Developing projects that celebrate what people from different backgrounds can do is certainly good news to communicate.

During the function my sister approached me and said that her 3 year old daughter had just declared to her the following, ‘You need to meet your brother as you love him like I love my sister.’

These direct words cut a clean direction for the way we all should see the relationships between family and friends.

I was impressed with the innocence and profoundness of the sentiment expressed.
It was from the heart, unclouded, unjudged and pure.

In the USA the hugely popular Oprah show has yielded great successes for regular experts and guests. For example, Oprah’s guest Doctor: Dr Phil. The Doctor now has his own successful TV programme.

A look through Dr Phil’s site reveals some interesting information and practical advice on building a range of personal relationships.
Visit http://www.drphil.com to discover useful guides on:

What Impression do You Make?
Helping Your Child Succeed In The World
Keeping the Peace in Your Extended Family
Overcoming Your Competitive Nature

For example, in the latter section he suggests…Live true to your authentic self.
Discover who you really are, and accept yourself. “You don’t need to compare yourself to somebody else to be able to look in the mirror and be proud of who you are,” Dr. Phil explains. Remember that you are an individual, and people will form an opinion about you based on your own actions, not how you compare to someone else.”

I wondered if this concept of being, ‘true to oneself, respecting others and considering that we are only here on this Earth for a short period is lost amongst the need and desperation to survive?

Often people are chasing the treasure of their rainbows rather than valuing what they have in front of them. Could it be that our temptation to perform against each other keeps us in the dark about the opportunities to progress on both a spiritual and self-less manner?

To help resolve family issues, Dr Phil suggests that… sometimes relationships need a hero. That means someone has to step up and be the bigger person to close the gap.
Someone has to make the first move, the first compromise, to heal the relationship.
Swallow your pride and be that person. Think about what the future holds if you do not mend this.

Although much of what is suggested appears to be obvious, as time passes wounds can deepen and before one knows it life has passed everyone by. Time runs out for redemption or keeping the peace. I have seen episodes where once good friends can stop talking to each other permanently.The pain this causes is not shown on the surface but underneath in the soul.

Recently a friend of mine did not realise that my innocent and unawareness of lack of communication was causing him issues, I had lost his emails in my SPAM box! Eventually his ‘pot boiled over’ and it was a shock to me about how serious he thought the situation had become. Luckily we managed to clear the air and accept that we both needed to improve our associated reliabilities.

Like my niece’s attitude I should have valued the relationship as something that was worth keeping in tact regardless of any noise or distractions.

I also recently heard that the benefits of mediation are immediate. Interestingly the article had a fascinating phrase that I really liked it was from Martin Boroson, suggesting:

…doing one basic minute as making a single pinprick in a great dark sheet of consciousness, on the other side of which is a bright light. Martin turns a nice metaphor: another of his comes from oil prospecting. He says a minute meditation allows you to drill down into a reservoir of peace.

Martin’s book is called The One-Moment Master (see http://www.onemomentmaster.com I believe the same as: http://www.martinboroson.info

Reading from Martin’s website he has podcasts and also excerpts from his book.

Personally, I believe that a good thing is that once you start down the mediation route of one minute you will no doubt build on it.
Interestingly, Wikipedia describes something called, Kundalini Rising as follows, ‘According to modern experimental research, Kundalini and Bioenergy are expressions of the same energetic reality in humans. Through social conditioning and emotional traumata, this life energy is usually suppressed and blocked in chronic subconscious muscle tensions, which have their psychological counterpart in emotional blocks and ego-defenses.’

The whole concept of making one minute available got me thinking about how fast our lives actually are. For example, Do the mobile phone and email that make us more efficient? Or, do we expect rapid results in return? The fact is that both are certainly mutually linked.

Another example is the Internet. Does it make us more connected? Is it a vital component for globalisation? The answer to both is yes, yet in a world where Websites and commentators have to shout loud through the ranking wars to get heard, have we not made the Internet too commercial?

With one minute type books and techniques becoming increasingly popular, we tend to look for quick fixes. We focus on personal development rather than development of our neighbours. The Internet brings us these quick fixes on ‘push’ basis rather than reflecting our social consciousness.

In summary, there is nothing wrong with embarking on a journey of self-discovery in an attempt to attain harmony. What would be even better would be to both meditate and also seek inspiration from that ‘place of solitude’. The Times article was written by a journalist who used the technique when he strived for some inspiration whilst writing an article. Apparently it worked.

Maybe we should all consider the art of mediation to: discover the value of the universe around us and just as important the speed and impact that we make on the world on those around us.

Aled:
Savi was with us a few weeks ago during Radio 2’s Faith In The World week in which he talked about technology and religion – and in Savi’s case – Sikhism and podcasting … remind us what you do

Savi:
We’re up to Episode 33 and starting our 3rd year of transmission. Every 10 episodes Savi puts together a compilation show and episode 33 is now available at itunes or even http://www.sikhwithin.com !

Aled:
Now for many Britons they’ll be creaking open their new diaries for 2008 … Sikhs across the world have their own Universal Calendar

Sikhs across the world have their own universal calendar. The Nanakshahi Calendar, it takes its name from Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism. It was developed by a Canadian Sikh, Pal Singh Purewal, a retired computer engineer. He started work on the new calendar in the 1960s. Purewal believes that having a unique calendar is vital for the integrity of the Sikh religion.

Aled: Talking about Calendars and dates you’ve just celebrated the birthday of the celebrated 10th Guru.

Savi: Gobind Singh’s birthday. Interestingly, in terms of calendars Sikh Guru’s dates are derived from the Solar calendar. Guru Gobind Singh Ji:

* Gave Sikhs their identity / uniform
* Fought off the repressive regime of the Mogul ethnic cleansing campaign
* Gave his life and his entire family for freedom for all
* Established the Guru Granth Sahib as the everlasting Sikh Guru.

Aled: Pope Benedict XVI has described family values as the foundation of world peace in his New Year’s Day Mass.
“The family is the first and indispensable teacher of peace,” the Pope told worshippers at St Peter’s Square in Rome.
The pontiff said that “whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community”.

Savi: In Sikh faith women have equal right. In the gurudwara everyone is equal and all work is shared by everyone talk about the institution of langar. All family takes part in everthing that happens in the sikh community. A family that pray together, stays together.

Aled: The Archbishop of Canterbury has talked about the importance of protecting the environment in a New Year message which was placed on video-sharing site YouTube. Dr Rowan Williams’ message which says God “does not do waste”, was filmed in Canterbury Cathedral and at a nearby recycling centre. He says the tendency to waste could have implications on relationships.

The Queen also used the website to post her Christmas message for the first time this year.
Dr Williams warns the short-term exploitation of resources which produces a vast amount of waste has implications for other areas of life.

Savi: Sikh Guru’s advocated honest living and respecting the Earth.

Dr Savi’s Moment of Reflection:

I wonder about New Years Resolutions?
Should we go for a detox?
Is there a need to set new goals on a special day.
Is it a great prompt to start something afresh?

Well, yes to all those, if you feel you need it.
Many of us do need to vision success or simply establish goals.
However, targets can fall apart unless they are realistic and have some support mechanisms in place.

Take for example fitness, giving up on junk food or even trying to improve your own mood or be happier.
I recently heard about an exercise that helps improve the latter.
Before you go to sleep each night consider 3 things that made you or somebody else feel happy or even an achievement mapped to your goals.

Apparently, it works! Then you will feel honored that God has given you life to enjoy!