New weemee!!

The lover of nature - Guru Harrai Sahib ji

Cross linked to the article in The Langar Hall I thought it would be appropriate to resurrect a humble tribute to our seventh Master that I wrote in 2004. Its rainy outside, trees are still in their blossom stage, the air is surprisingly fresh and the sweet scent of the lilacs by our windows is truly amazing. Lately I have also noticed different and rare birds in our wetlands in the back. All this "should" remind me of my responsibility to appreciate, protect and nurture my natural surroundings.

Enjoy!

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One Creative Power, Truth, Obtained by Grace of the Guru

Vahiguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Vahiguru Ji Ki Fateh,

Today, 19 Maghi, Nanakshahi 535 (31 January, CE 2004), we Sikhs celebrate the birth anniversary of our Master, Nanak VII – Guru Har Rai ji.

Any cursory reading of the life of Guru Har Rai ji will reveal the following about his personality: tender, merciful and compassionate. At the same time he kept, as per Guru Hargobind Sahib ji’s instructions, an army of 2,200 warriors. He was an avid hunter and a great social thinker.

Max Arthur Macauliffe, in the book The Sikh Religion, writes: “In the afternoon the Guru used often to gird on his sword, equip himself with his bow and arrows, mount his horse, and then proceed to the chase……The Guru took some of the animals he had obtained from the chase home with him, and freed and protected them in a zoological garden, which he caused to be made for the recreation of his followers.”

Zoological garden? Recreation of his followers? When was the last time any of us felt a sense of thrill and enjoyment going to the natural history museum or the Toronto zoo (is there a Toronto zoo?). When was the last time any Sikh organization or Sikh philanthropist thought of setting up a sanctuary for animals or a museum to celebrate our natural history? Something to think about……

Principal Satbir Singh, in his appropriately titled book (punjabi) on the life of Guru Har Rai ji – Nirbhao Nirvair – writes that the Guru would sit in the sangat and listen to the recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib and then listen to the rababi style of gurmat sangeet kirtan everday. Everyday he would sit in the pangat and partake in langar, but made it a point to earn his living (kirt di kamai).

Everyone must have heard of this one: One day Aurangzeb, in an attempt to ensure that the Mughal throne would be his own, poisoned his elder brother Dara Sikhon with “crushed tiger whiskers”. Dara Sikhon was apparently quite a pious and spiritual man and became very ill because of the poisoning. No hakim (traditional south asian medicine man) was able to find a cure to his illness. However, Guru Har Rai ji had a very advanced (for its time) dispensary full of exotic medicinal herbs and it became evident that the Sikh Nation had the cure to Dara’s illness. Shah Jahan, the emperor and father of Dara Sikhon, had to eventually humbly request the herbs in order to save his son. Guru Sahib, the compassionate, agreed and thus Dara was cured and eventually became a shagird (disciple) of the Guru.

Finally, I learnt from all the sources I read about the Guru’s life that he had a favorite var of Bhai Gurdas ji (the poet laureate and par excellence Sikh theologian) that he would repeat to the Sikhs very often. Guru Sahib’s choice of this var, as a teaching utility of the philosphy of the House of Nanak, really intrigued me. So simple and straightforward to understand, yet so difficult and challenging to follow. It is var 28, pauri 15 and goes like this:

A Sikh awakes in the pre-dawn hour and enshrines the merits of nam and compassion

(A Sikh) speaks civilly, is humble and happily does good to others after having earned with their own hands

(A Sikh), according to the Guru’s instruction, sleeps, eats and speaks moderately.

(A Sikh) toils to earn a living, performs good deeds and does not let success go over the top of the head

(A Sikh) walks for days and nights in search of the company of those that sing the Guru’s word, and sings with them!

(A Sikh) keeps his/her consciousness merged in the sabad and maintains love for the true Guru

(A Sikh) amid hopes and desires, remains detatched

Hail to Guru Har Rai ji, our seventh Master, the seventh embodiment of Guru Nanak’s jot, the compassionate one, the inspiration of the downtrodden, the keeper of the zoological sanctuary, the lover of nature, the lover of things natural and scientific. May his life be a model for us to follow.

Remain in Chardhi Kalaa

Inderpreet Singh

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Sultan ul Quam - happy birthday!

Today is the birth anniversary of Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluvalia [Jassa Singh belonging to the village of Ahlu].

Interestingly no so called "panthak" media ever writes anything about him. Long time ago Tribune Newpaper (India) did an article on him, and also today there was an article on him by a different contributor to the Sunday Tribune.

Article in 2005 by Sumant Dhamija : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050123/spectrum/main2.htm

Article today by titled "Sultan of Courage" by Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090503/spectrum/main3.htm

However to get a great background on this great Sikh general, warrior, kirtania, activist you must read - "Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia" by Prof. Ganda Singh, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala, 1990 First Edition. (This was originally written in Punjabi by Ganda Singh and this one I am referring to is the english translation by Dr. Sant Singh Bal)

I can't but resist to type this out. Beginning of Chapter 30 "The qualities and Nature of S. Jassa Singh and his contribution to Punjab":

"S. Jassa Singh was handsome, with a vigorous and strong body. He was tall, and his complexion was wheatish but bright, with a broad head, full eyebrows and a downward tilt, penetrating, large eyes, and a full beard. His chest was broad and his arms were so long that when he was in the standing posture, they touches his knees, and his voice was so slentorian that even when he spoke in a low tone, it was audible to the peole standing at a distance.

S. Jassa Singh's breakfast consisted of one seer of butter and a quarter seer of mishri (condensed sugar). He had his lunch regularly, and it is a measure of his physical strength and health that he could easily digest half a goat or so. His body was well built and heavy, and he was so active, tough and strong in riding that no horse would bear his weight for more than six months. He was an expert swordsman and bowman. Very few Sardars would match him in this field. Many of the arrows carried his name or symbol. In firing a gun he was a great marksman; in the battle-field he invariably led the army, and wherever he was needed, he would give a kick to his horse and reach there. He was not in favor of wearing iron armour because he thought that after wearing such a heavy steel dress a rider could neither attack the enemy swiftly and suddently, nor effecta quick escape. For his defense hedepended exclusively on God.

His dress was essentially sky-blue. He tied his turban in the Mughal style. Over his shirt he wore a buttoned jacket followed by a belt and a short sword, and he had a big slying under garment and tight wrinkled trowsers. he would wear a large sword and other requisite weapons in his belt, along with a short sword."

A couple of other intersting tidbits

"...among the Missaldar Sardar, he was the only person who could be regarded as literate according to the tradition of the time. [In the beginning] he only spoke Urdu; and this used to amuse his Sikh brethren. Gradually he switched over to Punjabi but the influence of Urdu and Persian remained intact till the very end of his life"

And every morning in the camps what did he do:

"...He would take a round early in the morning to see whther the Singhs were reciting Gurbani or not. At this time if he saw the Muslim servants lying asleep, he would hold them by their hands, rouse them and ask them to recite namaz and remember God. There were clear instructions for the Sikh Sardars to have the kirtan (collective singing) of Asa ki var regularly."

Man, I wish we had leaders like him today. Wait...we need to become leaders like him today.

Happy Birthday Sardar Jassa Singh ji!!

Carhdi kala!