Basic Postulates - the Sikh Agenda

Here is an excerpt from a very famous document of the Sikh community...can anyone guess where it is from and what year it was written?  

It is a far cry from the current Shiromani Akali Dal agenda don't you think?

But never the less it is a great starting point for the non-political aspirations of the Sikhs.  Note that political aspirations have to go hand in hand as well.

----begin excerpt----

A. BASIC POSTULATES

1. The Shiromani Akali Dal is the very embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of the Sikhs and as such is fully entitled to its representation. The basic postulates of this organization are human co-existence, human welfare and the ultimate unity of all human beings with the Lord.

2. These postulates are based upon the three great principles of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, namely Nam Japo, Kirat Karo, and Vand Chhako, i.e. meditation on God's Name, honest labor, and sharing the fruits of this labor with the needy.

B. PURPOSES

The Shiromani Akali Dal shall ever strive to achieve the following aims:

1. Propagation of Sikhism, its ethical values and code of conduct to combat atheism.

2. Preservation and keeping alive the concept of distinct and sovereign identity of the Panth and building up of appropriate condition in which the national sentiments and aspirations of the Sikh Panth will find full expression, satisfaction and facilities for growth.

3. Eradication of poverty and starvation through increased production and more equitable distribution of wealth as also the establishment of a just social order sans exploitation of any kind.

4. Vacation of discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or any other ground in keeping with basic principles of Sikhism.

5. Removal of disease and ill health, checking the use of intoxicants and provision of full facilities for the growth of physical well-being so as to prepare and enthuse the Sikh Nation for the national defense. 

For the achievement of the aforesaid purposes, the Shiromani Akali Dal owned it as its primary duty to inculcate among the Sikh religious fervour and a sense of pride in their great socio-spiritual heritage through the following measures:

1. Reiteration of the concept of unity of God, meditation on His Name, recitation of gurbani, inculcation of faith in the holy Sikh Gurus as well as in Guru Granth Sahib and other appropriate measures for such a purpose.

2. Grooming at the Sikh Missionary College the Sikh youth with inherent potential to become accomplished preachers, ragis, dhadis and poets so that the propagation of Sikhism, its tenets and traditions and its basic religious values could be taken up more effectively and vigorously.

3. Baptizing the Sikhs on a mass scale with particular emphasis on schools and colleges wherein the teachers as well as the taught shall be enthused through regular study circles.

4. Revival of the religious institution of dasvandh among the Sikhs.

5. Generating a feeling of respect for Sikh intellectuals including writers and preachers, who also would be enthused to improve upon their accomplishments.

6. Streamlining the administration of the gurdwaras by giving better training to their workers. Appropriate steps would also be taken to maintain gurdwara building in proper condition. The representatives of the party in the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee would be directed to pull their weight towards these ends.

6. Making suitable arrangements for error free publications of gurbani, promoting research in the ancient and modern Sikh history, translating holy gurbani into other languages and producing first-rate literature on Sikhism.

7. Taking appropriate measures for the enactment of an All India Gurdwaras Act with a view to improving the administration of the gurdwaras throughout the country and to reintegrate the traditional preaching sects of Sikhism like Udasis and Nirmalas, without in any way encroaching upon the properties of their maths.

8. Taking necessary steps to bring the Sikh gurdwaras all over the world under a single system of administration with a view to running them according to the basic Sikh forms and to pool their resources for the propagation of Sikhism on a wider and more impressive scale.

9. Striving to free access to all those holy Sikh shrines, including Nanakana Sahib, form which the Sikh Panth has been separated, for their pilgrimage and proper upkeep.

----end excerpt----

Culinary arts - coffee

Coffee shop in Cambridge, MA.  How do they do that?

Symbols, preachers, attitude of life...

Once again, a random reading from the book Spirit Born People rises in me a deluge of dreams and thoughts. The major question that has been bugging me is that what can be done different this year, 2009 CE, 540 and 541 N.S. (in the context of Sikhs)? Let's not forget it is the 25th Anniversary of the events that occured in the year that will live in infamy for the Sikhs (umm...yeah..1984). Many are already busy planning yet another "Memorial" and "salana" probably though not with such pomp and energy as "300 sal guru de nal...". What should we, the Panth, focus on in our educational projects, our attempts at doing good for the community and the world. Should we fix our own house first before we start trying to fix the world? Does that have to go hand in hand? Too many questions and too many potential answers.

Is it not shameful that we go an auction our Beloved for the fun of preaching a sermon that has but one effect of causing hatred between man and man? Because of my personal love of my Beloved, I should be so radiant that my radiance should conceal me and my Beloved from all. And yet my radiance should be a revelation of Him, as is the fragrance of the rose. It is certainly a tiresome futility for us to go impressing on the busy world of today that unless they keep long hair and wear turbans they cannot understand the Guru. The Guru is already diffusing his mind in the world-mind and if, like other theologians and priests, we strive to force upon them our particular theology and rites and symbols we shall certainly fail. As the shape of the nose and ear and eye cannot be limitations for the ecstasy of the soul, so no symbol, no rite, no particular form, no particular virtue or vice can impede the inner realization of the great ideals of the Guru. But as the mystic expressional types of the Guru's mind, we have to roam in this world and spread the fragrance of the Guru with the braid-knot he gave us, and the flowing beards. Our shapes indeed can, in no sense, be considered symbols. But more important is the expression of the Sikh soul through their medium, and if that expression is lacking, our very life and body, whether our head be dressed or clean-shaven, are meaningless superstitions. To a person given to religion, as one given to intense human love, trifles relating to the soul are more essential than the realms of silver and gold. Surely for such people the very superstitions contain more reflections of truth than the gathered facts of the learned people of the world. If one who is at peace and fully intoxicated on those delectable heights closes his eyes in exstacy, this closing of his eyes is no symbol of religion and yet, in a sense, it is. So should be with us Sikhs, the wearing of His knot, His beard, His shape and His obedience. Our form and shape of the Guru will radiate with His inspired and extraordinary humanity. Lacking that one thing, all shall be lacking. Without that spirit within us both life and death are devoid of meaning and truth.

Excerpt from Prof. Puran Singh, Spirit Born People, "Internationalism and the Sikhs"

Couple of things

• Prof. Puran Singh refers to the "busy world of today..." in this excerpt. Can you imagine the difference in perception of "busy" in 2009 vs. early 1900's when he may have written this.
• Regarding the attitude of those that "live in His image" or don the 10th Masters articles of faith...without the inspiration of the Guru and the extraordinary humanity it represents, its donning is lacking any meaning and truth. That's a tough one to swallow but true. In this arena I am convinced that it is a progression that goes on hand in hand. As we delve into sabad whilst wearing the articles of faith - the loving attitude that we must have of wearing them becomes manifest. The more we love our image and the gifts/articles, the more the urge to delve into sabad. This has been my experience.
  

Spirit Born...random excerpts

Random excerpts from Prof. Puran Singh:

What is this Spirit Born People?

This ideal group of Spirit-born people, which has been the dream and art creation of Guru Nanak, was named Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, who he declared as his Son, his own image, the reflection of the Guru-personality, born of his blood. The Commune was named the `Khalsa Panth', which the Guru planted as the Root of the' Kingdom of Righteousness' in the garden of Anandpur, the City of Joy, to be the Ideal future International State of man. By creating the Khalsa, the Guru has given birth to a New Race, with a universal religion of faith in man and fired it with the spiritual
passion for progress....

Note in this paragraph - I have known it for some time, but many don't understand the implications - Akbar became a Brahmin...

Four hundred years ago the inhabitants of the Punjab were all slaves. The invaders that came by the Khyber Pass, destroyed by the sword all Indian hopes of ever becoming a self-governing nation. Foreign invasions showed the hollowness of the creed that was holding the people of India in its clutches of caste and colour and dual differences. What could the invaders have achieved if the will to die for freedom were there in the soul of India? Then the Moghuls settled down, Akbar became a Brahmin, Aurangzeb a mere dreamer of a Muslim Empire, and Bahadur Shah a singer of rhymes that the dancing girls sang. Islam with its sword, found its grave in India. What is the Indian Mussalman today but a Hindu who hates `others'? Perhaps in the whole of India today, one cannot find a group of people that can so continuously suffer for an ideal as the Sikhs.

The Spirit Born survive only as a Sikh Nation...

Humble labourers while digging the earth, while ploughing, while on horse-back, were in deep unison with the God of Humanity. A new spiritual culture was being nurtured in the homes of the dust-laden peasantry of the Punjab. It was the culture of simple humanity with a Godward tendency; it was the culture of spontaneous God-head flowering in essential humanity. The God ward tendency _ being Gurmukh, with face turned to the Guru -was the simple religion of the Sikh masses. And those who were full of the Guru, His Truth, His Fire, were the true representatives of the Sikh People -the Sikh Nation.

The Confluence of Faith, Courage and Discipline

What - Sidak - a unique learning experience on Sikh theology, culture and lifestyle
Where - San Antonio, TX
When - July 13th through July 26th

Please check out the video below. I want to seriously recommend this program to all the readers of this blog. There are still some open spots so simply contact sidak@sikhri.org for the information and hope to see you there.

3 Interesting Youngsters! The Singhs of Palo Alto

Kudos to the kids' parents, family, friends, community and of course the Guru. I have never heard Killen before but his questioning style really brings out the dynamism and eloquence of the kids.

I pray that the Guru blesses them with the continuity of excellence in all spheres of life.

Very cool!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7397478816209281067

Plant a Billion trees...

Trees are baller!

The comforting shawl of faith

Is it not an amazing fact that in the first embodiment the Great Guru discards the Hindu’s sacred thread (janeu) and literally reprimands the ritualistic Brahmin. Then in the ninth embodiment the Great Guru gives up his earthly life to protect the right to freedom of faith and religion. It so happened that the religion he was protecting was that of the Kashmiri Brahmins. Had it been Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Bahais or any other faith, rest assured Guru Teghbahadur would have done exactly the same thing. He would have similarly challenged the ruling elite – “Try me! If you can force me to convert, then you have won and can go ahead and convert the others”.

The Guru’s purpose was to uphold Truth. Just like his grandfather, Nanak V, Guru Teghbahadur felt it more important to stand up and challenge oppression rather than seek favor and save his own skin. Another phenomenal fact was that the Guru’s inspired their disciples to do the same. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala also chose to challenge the oppressor rather than save their own skin. They did that because for the Sikh earthly life and death are inconsequential. Living life as one of the Spirit Born and laughing at physical death is only possible in the sanctuary of the Guru. Living and continuously feeling the Divine is not an easy endeavor unless we hold the Guru’s robe and let the Master lead the way. Most of us fail at it because of this feeling that it is purely our “own endeavor”. Far from it. The effort required in the process of Spirit Born life is our own. Success at it is by Grace alone.

Today we commemorate the calling of the one we know as dharam di cadar - the Comforting Shawl of Faith - Guru Teghbahadur. In very simple language he calls upon us as well to follow him in the fight against oppression and the strength to fight for freedom of religion and faith – by being Guru-inspired. The question is, shall we listen and follow?

rwgu gauVI mhlw 9 ]

swDo mn kw mwnu iqAwgau ]
kwmu k®oDu sMgiq durjn kI qw qy Aihinis Bwgau ]1] rhwau ]
suKu duKu dono sm kir jwnY Aauru mwnu Apmwnw ]
hrK sog qy rhY AqIqw iqin jig qqu pCwnw ]1]
ausqiq inMdw doaU iqAwgY KojY pdu inrbwnw ]
jn nwnk iehu Kylu kTnu hY iknhUM gurmuiK jwnw ]2]1]

In Rag Gauri by Nanak IX

Oh my dear saintly people, do away with your selfish pride.
Make sure you never go near and always run away from the frustrations of uncontrollable lust, anger, and companionship with evil minded people.

Consider both happiness or sorrow, and honorable appellations or slanderous banter to be one and the same – that is, don’t be effected by them. It is the one who remains unaffected during times of joy as well as suffering that knows the essence of how to live in the world.

Forsake the need of being showered with praise as well as the urge to slander others. Instead pursue a life which ensures that you are in a state of being spirit born.
Serf Nanak proclaims, this is a difficult game. There are only a few who know this path because they dedicate their lives by being Guru-inspired.

The coming of Nanak

The Panth has not been able to agree on a fixed date for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Sahib. A section of the community insists that it be celebrated on the full moon day (puranmashi) of the month of Katak – but according to the Bikrami calendar. So, this year it actually falls on the 11^th of Maghar according to the Nanakshahi calendar or 24^th of November according to the Common Era calendar. By the way, 11^th of Maghar is also the “fixed” date for the Shahidi gurpurab of our Beloved Nanak IX and his three jivan-mukt disciples (I will write more about that later).

On the topic of Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary I thought I would share with you the words of a great scholar, commentator, philosopher, poet, administrator (he was the first jathedar of the Akal Takhat) and, in general, thought leader of the Sikhs. This is what Bhai Gurdas ji wrote about the coming of Guru Nanak many many years ago.

Imagine, if you will, walking in an area where one cannot see anything because of mist, dust, and darkness. Then suddenly the mist and dust clears and resplendent light shines bright. Imagine, if you will, a dark night with only the occasional twinkle of stars in the sky that may seem beautiful but really don't give aid to the direction of our walking path. Then suddenly the sun rises, the skies are bright and the sparkling stars are over taken by the bright shining light of the sun - now one can see where they are walking. Imagine, if you will, a jungle with quiet and calm deer munching along in the brushes and grass and suddenly the sovereign lion comes out of the trees and roars loudly communicating its presence. The deer scatter away in fear as the king of the jungle has come to establish its empire. That was the feeling when Guru Nanak came to this earth. Wherever the great Baba went, there was established a place of learning. All the hearts he touched became active with remembrance of the Divine and all the homes he visited became active with societal and community service. The pursuit of Truth became the passion for everyone and this revolution hit everywhere.

Such was the coming of Guru Nanak, the First Prophet of the Sikh Nation...

In this var Bhai Gurdas ji has established the uniqueness and the strength of the first Master of our Nation. The coming of Guru Nanak is best celebrated by understanding our place in world society. By understanding our scripture, practicing our way of life and living - not resting - on the laurels of our history.

Congratulations on the celebrations of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak - the First Prophet of the Sikhs.

Var 1, Pauri 27 - Varan Bhai Gurdas

siqgur nwnk pRgitAw imtI DuMD jg cwnx hoAw]
ijauN kr sUrj inkilAw qwry Cpy AMDyr ploAw]
isMG buky imrgwvlI BMnI jwey n DIr DroAw]
ijQY bwbw pYr DrY pUjw Awsx Qwpx soAw]
isD Awsx sB jgq dy nwnk Awd mqy jy koAw]
Gr Gr AMdr Drmswl hovY kIrqn sdw ivsoAw]
bwby qwry cwr ck nO KMf ipRQmI scw FoAw]
gurmuK kil ivc prgt hoAw ]

With the emergence of the true prophet Guru Nanak,

the mist cleared and the light scattered all around.
As if at the sun rise the stars disappeared and the darkness dispelled.
With the roar of the lion in the forest the flocks of escaping deer now cannot have endurance.
Wherever Baba Nanak put his feet, a religious place was erected and established.
All the sidh-places now have been renamed on the name of Nanak.
Every home has become a place of dharma where singing of hymns has become a daily liturgy.
Baba Nanak gave deliverance to all within the four directions and nine divisions of earth.
Gurmukh (Guru Nanak) has emerged in this kaliyug, the dark age.

Carhdi Kala

P.S. - Translation based on "Varan Bhai Gurdas - Text Transliteration and Translation - Dr. Jodh Singh"

Sikhs are HOT

Economist Article - Sikhs and Dera

I don't know if this is accessible to non-members. Economist a few weeks ago also covered the Dera Sacha Sauda issue. Pretty interesting I would say for a magazine of that caliber to go into the nitty gritty issues of the Sikh Nation. Here is the link.

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9444533

Sikh Research Institute wrote a brief missive on the article. Here is the link.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/theinbox/2007/07/heresy_and_history_july_7th.cfm

Be-adbi

There has been a lot of carca (discussion and incidents) on the be-adbi of Guru Granth Sahib. I have been thinking about this quite a bit, especially in light of the pakhandi Gurmeet Ram Rahim episode. What really is the disrespect of Guru Granth Sahib? I recall a speech of Baba Jarnail Singh which he says something like: Respect all your daughters and sisters, older generations and all people from different religions. Don't lay a hand on innocents. However, don't leave alone the "disrespectors" of the Guru Granth Sahib.

I agree with that...but we must all be careful and require the blessing of discerning intellect before acting (bibek dan).

Recently, we held a Nagar Kirtan from Milford Gurduara to Millis Gurduara here in Massachusetts. Someone came to me and mentioned that he cannot believe that we are doing parkash of Guru Granth Sahib on the lead truck and taking it in the Nagar Kirtan. Where he grew up, they always took Guru Granth Sahib in sukhasan form. Why - so as to avoid be-adbi along the way. Hmm...in sukhasan, no disrespect...when parkash...disrespect?

The key is to discern the difference between idolatry and worship of the word.

Respect Paid to the Holy Granth

Great respect is shown to the Book when opening, reading, or closing it. It is kept in clean clothes, is opened under a canopy and a flyflicker (chaur) is always kept at hand to wave over it. When it is brought in, all those present stand up with bowed heads.

These signs of royalty and the marked attention paid by Sikhs to the Holy Book - especially when it is exaggerated by ignorant people - give an impression to others that Sikhs worship their Book. This is wrong. Sikhs are enjoined to worship nothing by the Name (see Guru Nanak's Sri Rag, viii. 3) They can offer respect to any person or thing worthy of praise, but worship is due to God alone. Perhaps the bowing of Sikhs before the Book is misunderstood by Westerners whose way of salutation is different. They kiss their book as Sikhs bow before theirs, both conforming to the local custom of paying respect. Both ways of salutation are highly personal, but they cannot be called idolatry, as long as the Book is not given the place of God. In Sikhism the highest respect is paid to the Word, as in a modern state the greatest homage is paid to the Law, which stands even above the king. This sovereignty of the Shabd or the Word was acknowledged even by the Gurus who bowed before it in reverence.

Taken from "The Holy Granth Sri Rag to Majh" by Professor Teja Singh

The 99 connection and Carhdi Kala!

I think I'm back...slowly yet surely.

1499 - the Revolution begins
1599 - the Granth begins to emerge
1699 - the Panth is inaugurated
1799 - the Sikh Raj is established (for the 2nd time!)
1899 - the Revival was triggered - reason was 4 Sikh boys chopped their hair in public! Just 4!!
1999 - huh? What happened? 8 years later - 80% of Sikhs in Panjab have shed the Guru's insignia.

And we thought we were the Spirit Born People!

No, don't worry - I am not in dhaindi kala...the essential ingredient of carhdi kala is to look forward, have a refreshing outlook and a positive mindset. It reminds me of the words of the great Giani Dit Singh. His words were a call to arms even though they sound like the sounding of a catastrophe. What do you think?

“An English newspaper writes that the Christian faith is making rapid progress and makes the prophesy, that within the next twenty five years, one third of the Majha area would be Christian. The Malwa will follow suit. Just as we do not see any Buddhists in the country except in images, in the same fashion the Sikhs, who are now, here and there, visible in their turbans and their other religious forms like wrist-bangles and swords, will be seen only in pictures in museums. Their own sons and grandsons turning Christians and clad in coat and trousers and sporting mushroom-like caps will go to see them in the museums and say in their pidgin Punjabi: Look, that is the picture of a Sikh - the tribe that inhabited this country once upon a time. Efforts of those who wish to resist the onslaught of Christianity are feeble and will prove abortive like a leper without hands and feet trying to save a boy falling of a rooftop” - Khalsa Akhbar of Lahore, May 25, 1894, from the pen of its editor Giani Dit Singh."

Ardas

I was at the Surat Conference a couple of weeks ago. My topic/lecture was on Ardas in the context of Sohila sahib di bani and relationship with Hukam. An aspect of the talk was to review the Sangati or Panthak Ardas.

Here is a translation/transcreation that was shared at the first Candlelight Vigil in Toronto in 2004 (november). I have used Sirdar Kapur Singh's translation, a little bit of Principal Teja Singh's translation and then Harpreet Singh (Harvard University) and I modified it a little. Reading through it really gives a sense of the original that our ancestors wrote...but there is really no comparison to the original. Our ancestor Gursikhs not only lived Guru-inspired cultural lives, they were so eloquent at describing it....

Would be delighted to hear suggestions for improvement to this....

Carhdi kala!

-------

Ardas

One Formless-form, To Vahiguru, the abiding Victory.
Var Sri Bhaguti composition of the 10th.

To begin with, we invoke the Divine Spirit of Vahiguru and we remember Guru Nanak (This Spirit) which then inspired Guru Angad, Amardas, and Ramdas.
We call upon the Gurus, Arjun, Hargobind, and Harirai. Let us invoke the blessed Harikrishan whose vision heals all pains.
Let us call upon Guru Tegbahadur so that the nine spiritual treasures may abide in our hearts.
May they help us everywhere. Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh, may he help us everywhere.
The Spirit of the Ten Masters enshrined in the sabad (word) of the Guru Granth Sahib, concentrate on that and say, revered Khalsa, Vahiguru!

Five Beloved Ones, Four Princes, Forty Redeemed Ones, those who have kept constant remembrance of Vahiguru, those who have constantly lived in the Divine Presence, those who have loved their neighbors by sharing their possessions with them, those who have turned a blind eye to the faults and failings of others, those who have assuaged the hunger and want of the hungry and the needy, those who have persevered in their fight in the cause of Justice, concentrate your mind on the struggles and achievements of those, O, revered members of the Order of the Khalsa, and say, Vahiguru!

The Singhs and Singhnis who courted martyrdom in the cause of Religion and underwent unspeakable sufferings of being dismembered alive, scalped alive, broken on wheels, sawed alive and boiled alive and those who made sacrifice in the service of the centers of the Sikh religion, the Gurduaras, but never wavered in their faith and remained steadfast in the cause of Sikhi to the last hair of their body and to their last breath, O, revered members of the Order of the Khalsa, concentrate your minds on the glorious deeds of those, and utter, Vahiguru!

Think of the Five High Seats of Sikh Authority, the Thrones of Religion, and all the centers from where the good Religion is preached, and say, Vahiguru!

First, we pray on behalf of all the creatures of Vahiguru.
May the Presence of Vahiguru be progressively felt in the hearts of all the sentient creatures, and may the whole Creation become happy and prosperous thereby. (Then) may Vahiguru shower blessings upon and grant protection to each and every member of the Order of the Khalsa, wherever he, she or they are.

May the supplies of the Khalsa ever remain replenished.
May the Sword of the Khalsa be ever victorious.
May the Royal title of the “Khalsa” be universally recognized and honored.
May victory attend upon all just endeavors of the Panth, the Khalsa Commonwealth. May the arms and armaments be our constant ally. May the Order of the Khalsa achieve ever-expanding progress and supremacy. Revered Khalsa, say, Vahiguru!

May Vahiguru grant to the Sikhs, the gift of Faith, the gift of uncut Hair, the gift of Discriminatory Intellect, the gift of Mutual Trust, the gift of Self-confidence and the Supreme Gift of all gifts, the gift of communion with Vahiguru, the Name, and may Sikhs freely center around and dip in the holy Amritsar.
May the government-centers, the banners, the cantonments of the Khalsa ever remain inviolate.
May the Cause of Truth and Justice prevail everywhere and at all times.
Revered Khalsa, say, Vahiguru!

May the passions in the heart of the Sikhs remain calm and their reason flow clear, and may the reason always be guided by the Light of Vahiguru.
Vahiguru Almighty, our protector and Helper ever, restore to us the right and privilege of unhindered management and free service of and access to all centers of the Sikh Religion, the gurduaras, out of which we have been forcibly evicted.

(Here, the specific purpose and occasion of the prayer is stated by the officiant – adasia - in suitable terms and the blessings and aid of Vahiguru are beseeched.)

Vahiguru, forgive us our remisses. Extend Your Helping Hand to all and everyone.
Grant us the company of those who may help keep Your Nam fresh in our hearts.
May Your Nam, the path preached by Nanak, prevail and prosper forever and forever.
May Your Will be done wherein lies the good of all mankind.
The Khalsa is of Vahiguru, and to Vahiguru the Victory.

Amazing Photos - Being Sikh

Just got information about this photographer and his current work in the Panjab.

Goto: http://www.charlesmeacham.com/ and click on "Being Sikh".

I am quite impressed with some (not all) of the text/captions that he has written too!

Carhdi Kala!

Quiz - Sikh strangulation

When writing his report on the development of Sikh politics, who made the following observation: “The activities of Hindus have, therefore, been constantly directed to the undermining of Sikhism both by preventing the children of Sikh fathers from taking pahul and by reducing professed Sikhs from their allegiance to their faith. Hinduism has strangled Buddhism, once a formidable rival to it and it has already made serious inroads into the domain of Sikhism.”

a) Mr. D. Petrie
b) Emperor Akbar
c) Lepel Henry Griffin
d) Max Arthur Macauliffe

Scripture and weapons...

Pehle shāstar se maro. Jo bach jai, to shastar se maro...
First attempt to destroy (all religions and movements that are a danger to Brahmins) should be through re-interpretation of their theology and scripture. If that does not work, then physical destruction of the enemy with weapons is a must.

This is attributed to Ādī Shankarāchāryā (788-820 C.E.), a Brahmin well versed in the Vedic tradition, who led the movement to completely annihilate Buddhism from South Asia.

Does it sound familiar? The difference with the Sikhs and Sikhī is that complete annhilation or assimilation has not taken place yet. But its getting awfully close! And the strategy of scripture and weapon attack as espoused by the Brahmin seems to have morphed into a cyclic tactic. Why? Well, look back at the major events of our past.

The post-Banda Singh Bahadur and pre-Misl period, physical destruction was attempted by the ruling elite (with connivance with Brahminical forces) because the Guru's scripture and theology was intact. Don't forget that prior attempts to dilute Sikh thought by Dhīrmalīe, Rāmrāīe, Masands, etc. had already taken place, so attack on scripture and theology was indeed attempted first. Then Misl period and the Sarkār-e-Khālsā period (aka Ranjit Singh rule) the Sikh literary canon had been severely tampered with (gurbilas, janamsakhis, rahatname, and others). Thankfully the Singh Sabhā period brought an end to that. Then post-partition of Panjāb (1947 onwards), when Sikhs were destined for 2nd class citizen status in Bharat, once again a physical annhilation was attempted in the 1980's and 1990's. Although there was tremendous loss of quantity, the quality seemed to have survived to some extent.

But alas, now it is clear and evident that the attack on our scriptural canon and theology is in full swing. The whole concept of Sikhī is under attack once again and sanction for this is being announced in the highest echelons of Sikh leadership. I will not give specific details, I leave it up to you to decipher the situation by reading and asking for yourselves.

Anonymous' - a post of your own.

Well, I didn't want to post this, but I couldn't resist. I actually got quite a few comments on my last two posts both officially and informaly. But apparently this mr. or mrs. anonymous found my usage of non-alphanumeric characters as quite horrendous and reprimand worthy.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post " (Customs + traditions + history) = Sovereign = Pan...":

What is this "*(^%^! "? What do you have on mind? On one side you talk big about being a Sikh and on the other hand you talk so loose that you have inappropriate words in your head that you yourself don't like to put in words..... I know, I know you will give Why Anonymous stuff.... Why dont you just bar Anonymous comments.... I'm pretty sure this one won't make it to your blog as it will meet the moderator's knife.

Then a few days went by where I didn't pass through any comments because I was travelling and mr. or mrs. anonymous seemed to be getting anxious to see the comment published:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post " (Customs + traditions + history) = Sovereign = Pan... ":

What happened to my comment on your use of "*(^%^!".... You are a big hypocrate I came across....

I could go off on a philosophical rant in defense or in offense. But I would rather be short and sweet. The nit picking of Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous is as narrow minded and missing the point as it would be if I picked on his/her spelling of the word "hypocrate". Neither of us are getting each other's point!

(Customs + traditions + history) = Sovereign = Panth

OK, one more before I hit the sack!
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The trend in my writing has been to share what I truely believe and that is that the Sikh or Khalsa is an inherently sovereign entity. If there is one modern Sikh writer who has been able to articulate the inherent sovereign sense of the Khalsa it is Sirdar Kapur Singh. In order to even comprehend what he is talking about it is necessary to know our "immemorial customs", cherish and practice our "long-established traditions" and live with examples from "the facts of the history of the Sikhs". Here is how Sirdar Kapur Singh explains the Khalsa's status in world politics:

“The Panth stands for the Sikh religion as well as the invisible mystic body of the committed Sikhs who profess it and who thus represent the Will of God on Earth. It is to this Panth that all true Sikhs owe their allegiance and it is in the name of this Panth that true Sikhs are expected to sacrifice their all on this earth. This political concept of the Panth sharply distinguishes it from the current political convictions that hold that economic activity and considerations are the sole concern and aim of politics. The concept of Panth joins issues with the contemporary political mode of thinking and asserts that the true concern of politics is the ethical and spiritual evolution and life of human beings in an organized society … The Panth’s metalegal constitution lays down that (1) the Sikhs must be approached and dealt with at State level as a collective group and entity, and (2) they must be governed impersonally, that is, through the rule of law and not by arbitrary will, and this self limitation must further be circumscribed by the immemorial customs, long-established traditions and the facts of the history of the Sikhs.”

Can any "Guru Nanak nam leva Sikh" disagree?

Carhdi Kala!

P.S. - you might be thinking where the *(^%^! does he get all these quotes from? Especially when he is on business travel down in Boca Raton, Florida! You can't imagine the kinds of documents and clippings and writings I have stored in my laptop which I peruse in solitary confinement of the hotel rooms on some (not all) business trips. :-)

The sleeping sovereign...

I was browsing through Sikhi blogosphere and noticed that a few bloggers had cut and pasted translations of a guru-vak recently.

ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ ਬਾਣੀ ਭਗਤ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਕੀ
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਜਬ ਹਮ ਹੋਤੇ ਤਬ ਤੂ ਨਾਹੀ ਅਬ ਤੂਹੀ ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
ਅਨਲ ਅਗਮ ਜੈਸੇ ਲਹਰਿ ਮਇ ਓਦਧਿ ਜਲ ਕੇਵਲ ਜਲ ਮਾਂਹੀ ॥1॥
ਮਾਧਵੇ ਕਿਆ ਕਹੀਐ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਐਸਾ ॥
ਜੈਸਾ ਮਾਨੀਐ ਹੋਇ ਨ ਤੈਸਾ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਨਰਪਤਿ ਏਕੁ ਸਿੰਘਾਸਨਿ ਸੋਇਆ ਸੁਪਨੇ ਭਇਆ ਭਿਖਾਰੀ ॥
ਅਛਤ ਰਾਜ ਬਿਛੁਰਤ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਸੋ ਗਤਿ ਭਈ ਹਮਾਰੀ ॥2॥
ਰਾਜ ਭੁਇਅੰਗ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਗ ਜੈਸੇ ਹਹਿ ਅਬ ਕਛੁ ਮਰਮੁ ਜਨਾਇਆ ॥
ਅਨਿਕ ਕਟਕ ਜੈਸੇ ਭੂਲਿ ਪਰੇ ਅਬ ਕਹਤੇ ਕਹਨੁ ਨ ਆਇਆ ॥3॥
ਸਰਬੇ ਏਕੁ ਅਨੇਕੈ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਸਭ ਘਟ ਭੁੋਗਵੈ ਸੋਈ ॥
ਕਹਿ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਹਾਥ ਪੈ ਨੇਰੈ ਸਹਜੇ ਹੋਇ ਸੁ ਹੋਈ ॥4॥1॥

One blogger, in addition to using the sikhitothemax translation, also intensely personalized the sabad for herself. It was great reading that. Guru-vaks (aka hukams) are precisely that. Personalized messages of the Guru to individual Sikhs as well as collective orders of the day. Whenever I hear or read this sabad of Bhagat Ravidas ji I recall the first time it was explained to me via a cassette recording kirtan.

Some of you may be familiar with the post 1984 Darbar Sahib attack kirtan and katha of Prof. Darshan Singh. These recordings were banned in India and some Gursikhs from Singapore had tapes copied and distributed widely. I had the opportunity to hear it while at home in Japan. I still have most of the cassettes BTW. Anyway, Prof. Darshan Singh personalized it for our collective in explaining the tuk regarding the sleeping sovereign (or in gender specific terms the sleeping king). He made the analogy something like this:

"Imagine if you will, a sovereign, while sitting on the throne, may fall asleep and start dreaming like he/she is a beggar. All around the sovereign, there is glory, freedom, actionable responsibility in reality, but in the dream there is intense poverty, slavery, oppression and despair. This is usually the state of humans in the context of their relationship with Vahiguru. More importantly, this was the state of the Khalsa collective prior to the recent events. The Panth is an inherent sovereign entity, and the current state of affairs in the country called India for the Sikhs is that of 2nd class citizens and slaves. The state of the Sikhs "was" like the sovereign who is asleep and dreaming. And, sadh sangat ji! Blessed be Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale for waking up the sleeping sovereigns!" Then there is a roaring interruption to his katha with jaikara after jaikara! The timeframe was summer of 1984 after the Darbar Sahib attack. I am sure many of you would be quite intrigued by it. I for one completely agree.

Of course, this sabad is very intense, has deep meaning and is universal in nature. At that time and context when Prof. ji interpreted it was very apt. I believe it still is. I truly believe if active Sikhs were to accept and realize that we sovereigns, then 80% kes-katal, and 80% drug addiction in Panjab would never occur.

Oh well, so this sabad also presents, in very imaginative and intriguing manners, the relationship of human action and reaction viz a viz human ego. It also, reemphasises the relationship of human and Vahguru that is unique to Sikh thought - ie. humans are inherently sin-less and the Guru is required to keep sin out; rather than the Christian thought of humans are inherently sinners and Guru or Prophet is needed to eradicate that sin. This is understood with the "kahi ravidas hath pai nerai..." tuk and the general "don't get fooled by duality" theme of the sabad which is the rahao di tuk.

So, let's wake up sovereigns. And remember Vahiguru is near...never far.