Wathing TV

Waheguroo Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguroo Ji Ki Fateh

Can I get some clarity about not having a TV!

I know many Gursikhs who have TV's at their properties who have families like wife, children and parents who might also watch TV programmes, so they let them be. The Gursikhs at times would watch a bit of news and Sikh Channel etc. but then carry on to do bhagti in a different room. I remember once Bhai Kulbir Singh clarified that he has not got a TV when he came to Khalsa Camp UK and at the moment my TV has broken but I am in a dilemma shall I get a new one or not? I have said no at the moment but people around me are saying that it’s about being a lotus and to live within Maya but it is the mind that we should control and not these distractions. Another question that has been put through to me is, 'what ever distractions you have will you get rid of it all for example if a person is a distraction like friends do you get rid of these people all together', can relate it to work - Work is a distraction then do we stop working?'

My question to sangat is that by not having a TV at all am I just covering my issue? Should I have more control over my mind that even if the TV is there I should not want to watch it. By Making this decision am I not being selfish as my wife might want to carry on watching TV?

I’ve done it before where I don’t watch any programmes, I then decided to watch a bit of news, then Sikh Channel and then slowly I go on to watch other programmes, making it a distraction.

Please help.

This has been discussed before.

[gurmatbibek.com]

[gurmatbibek.com]

going great without TV from past 7-8 years

TV is actually TB ( a disease).

Kulbir Singh

Bhai Sahib even though this has been discussed as explained by Mokham Singh, but my answers have not been answered.

1. By making a decision of not having a TV in the house is this not being selfish to my wife and children? They would like to carry on watching TV, should I have more control over my mind?

2. If I go to my parent’s house and the TV is on how does one stay focussed rather then get engrossed like the rest of the family?

3. Should I have more control over my mind that even if there is a TV at my house I should be strong enough to not want to watch the TV?

4. Lastly, should there be a balance in life. Ive always been up and down in my jeevan but how does one have a balance?

Thank you in advance.

Quote

TV is actually TB ( a disease).

lol!

For the first question, I've seen that families that spend more time watching TV together rather than sitting and talking to each other, are more unhappy and and have worse relationships with each other than the second. What I don't understand is why people even choose to get married and have children if they don't want to make the time they spend with their families meaningful. The closest and happiest families I have seen are the ones who don't have TVs, and instead spend their evenings talking and laughing together, and encouraging each other in one another's Bhagti.

If you want to keep the TV in your house, then at least use it to show useful things. Sikh Channel for example is good. All of the Sikhi films by Vismaad are good for children. If your children are really young, there are videos on YouTube you can download called "Little Khalsa" which are keertan sing-a-long videos designed for little kids and are quite appealing. There are other animated films about Sikhi less known to the public that are available online. Will try to post them online for you and others to download. There are interesting docu-films available online as well, such as a recent one called "Har Ki Oat", which is quite well made, and can be downloaded and played on your TV.

However, all of these things can also be viewed on a laptop and there's no need to keep a TV around. It's not selfish to throw that poisonous machine out of the house, it's guaranteed to bring benefits to your family too. TV is TB!

psingh87 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bhai Sahib even though this has been discussed as
> explained by Mokham Singh, but my answers have not
> been answered.
>
> 1. By making a decision of not having a TV in the
> house is this not being selfish to my wife and
> children? They would like to carry on watching TV,
> should I have more control over my mind?


It is selfish indeed in my opinion, however the other side of the coin is you must also make them aware of your concerns
and of the reasons why too - otherwise they wil never know.

> 2. If I go to my parent’s house and the TV is on
> how does one stay focussed rather then get
> engrossed like the rest of the family?

simple move out of the room elsewhere - there are zillion things to do apart from tv.
>
> 3. Should I have more control over my mind that
> even if there is a TV at my house I should be
> strong enough to not want to watch the TV?
>
watch what is useful - i.e news, documenteries to say the least but all else is mostly a waste of ones time.

> 4. Lastly, should there be a balance in life. Ive
> always been up and down in my jeevan but how does
> one have a balance?
>

100 % true one must find that balance - sangat of Gursiks, seva in Gurdwara, are just on paar as is daily abhyiaas of naam and Gurbani. On top of that you must measure yourself of where you are going in life , are u stuck in the same old pattern, many of us are stuck in mundane patterns and never break out.Are yoy reading more saakhis , learning Gursikhe living as well as paath and naam abyiaas? - are you making some kind of contributin to soceity in general? Being aware is of utmost importance of where one is going - there are simple steps but we must adhere to simple truths to progress.

> Thank you in advance.


I agree T.V is a disease - however it's also is not if used correctly with awareness.

The second article posted by Veer Mokham Singh is really worth reading.