Vesakhi Month! I turn 57! I could only start writing on Friday April 20 due to a fairly invigorating two week 'Easter/Vesakhi' tour in eastern Australia mainly in New South Wales and the federal territory. No gurdwaras nor Sikh sangats - just spiritual concerts and workshops enjoyed by literally thousands of non-Sikh Australians and a few like minded Sikhs. Itinerary - as below ...

Good Friday: 6April : Canberra National Festival - concert
Saturday : Griffith : Easter 'Festa' street party - two 45 minute concerts in open stage.
Sunday : Back at Canberra National festival: Two workshops on 'naam' and music/sound simran
Easter Monday : Canberra National Festival : concert 10/11 Travel to Sydney and rest day.
Wednesday 12th. North Tamworth Bowling Club : 2 hour concert
Thursday - rest
Friday 13th. : Uralla : Concert in Sufi Church (Sufi Inayat Khan's followers)
Saturday 14th. Vesakhi : Woolgoolga Curry Fest - 2 hour dusk concert to an estimated outdoor crowd of 3000.
Sunday 15th. The Rocks - Kempsey. Concert at the old Gaol 3pm - 6.30pm.
Tuesday : Path - dha- Bhog. at Sardar Ajmer Singh Gills abode in Penrith, Sydney.

I hope the title captured your eye! I have been accused by a close friend of being highly prejudiced against 'Sikh' sangats as I have a tendency of talking about different kinds of sangats and their different responses towards kirtan, especially our brand of kirtan. Another has branded me full of ego. 'Kirtan is kirtan, and you think your kirtan is of a superior nature," exploded this friend. So, this month I am going to reflect on both issues.

SANGATS:

Yes, there are different 'sangats' whether my friend likes it or not.

'Indian' sangat is basically divided into two types - the village/pendu type which likes straight 'dharna' (folk melodies) which they can sing along to - not necessarily gurbani but lines pertaining to the glory of Sikhi or Guru Ji's. They have no time for 'raag' etc. Comments like 'ragis constantly clearing their throats' and 'gargling sounding kirtan' abound amongst these villagers. They love the dhad-sarangi type of balladeers who sing of the glories of Sikhs, Sikhi, Guru Ji's and historical events.

The Akhand Kirtani Jathas of course love to have 'Waheguru' chanting after almost every line of gurbani - again highly participative and 'high-octane'.

The 'learned' Delhi-type sangat like the raags and 'bandeshas' and pride themselves on their knowledge of raag. They also like the clean looking three man ragi jatha which sings at least one shabad in 'raag' and then produce some juicy sounding Bollywood-like (especially old) sweet melodies for shabads.

Generally the 'Kenyan' Sikhs like ghazal sounding kirtan and also high octane raag type of gurbani shabads. They are less inclined towards the Bollywood, juicy sounding melodies.

The Malaysians love the Bollywood sounding melodies - they love the Harjinder Singh Sri-Nagar type or Niranjan Singh type of kirtan - not overmuch into raag.

We once sang to a Kabul (Afghanistani) sangat in Southall, UK and decided to sing a number of shabads in qawali form and I receive emails from them till today remembering the occasion and asking when we will be back. In opposition to that, I once sang a qawali form shabad in a gurdwara in LA and was roundly condemned by the stage secretary for singing filmi tunes! he could not work out the difference between qawali and bollywood.

Lastly, my prejudice is for the American Western Sikh Dharma type of sangat which generally treats all kirtan - as long as it is gurbani, with great reverence. Bless'em ! They sing too, with deep shardha (reverence) and sweetness.

KIRTAN IS KIRTAN!

No my friend, there is kirtan and there is kirtan. I have sat through bliss listening to the late Bhai Avtar Singh and jatha. I have experienced the legendary Bhai Dharam Singh/Shamsher Singh Jakhmi jatha and revelled in their mastery of 'sur' and 'taal'. I have had problems listening to 'Jegadherivalla' because of his put on 'shardha' to milk the sangat and jerk the odd tear. I have revelled in the bliss of Bhai Nirmal Singh's first shabad in raag and then cringe when he attempts his Bollywood-style melodies. I have also felt excruciating pain at listening to a lady with a high screech voice singing completely out of tune and tagging along a tabla player who is playing catch-up all the while because she has no clue of 'sur' and 'taal'. That is probably close to a heart attack sensation.

I will probably be roundly criticised for saying all the above, but you know and I know that that is the truth. My reverent father used to say 'Guru dha jas gao, bhavayn katay vangoon eda-o' (Sing the praises of the Guru, even if you can only bray like a donkey). I agree, everyone must make the attempt to sing gurbani but everyone should know his/her limitations. Yes, I am very fortunate that I can do some kirtan and I wish that upon all my brothers and sisters. My kirtan is no superior to anyone elses. but I believe I have been gifted to do kirtan - though there are some (Sikhs, I mean) out there who do not believe so and would like to shut me up!

HAUMAI/EGO.

'Haumai dheerag rog hai, dharu bhi is mahe'. The line (pangati) has always intrigued me. Yes, I have known ego and I believe what the above line means is that the recognition of ego in oneself is the cure.

I have some great stories to tell about ego. I shall narrate one. First of all, the very fact that I am writing all this and using the 'I' pronoun is all 'EGO'. Let us all recognise that fact in the first place.

I have also been on many occasion roundly criticised in writing, in public, and also from gurdwara stages and these instances have always been great occasions for self analysis and contemplating on 'ego'.

On our first 'international' assignment we went to the Singapore Arts Festival (1994, I think). There was great publicity and the Sikhs of Singapore wanted kirtan in gurdwaras. All the gurdwara programs, due to the high publicity were full to capacity and over. Our first big program at the Central Sikh Temple and throughout our program, there was a line, four-wide of late comers 'metha-taking'. All quite off putting. This meant virtually three quarters of the sangat could not see us. (Remember we are talking of ego here. Let the story unfold before you start judging me!) Our second program was at the Singh Sabha - again capacity crowd. Our specification for 'sound' and stage setting etc. had been met and we were told that the stage for Singh Sabha too had been properly set for our nine person group/jatha. After all, I was a superstar of kirtan!

As I came to the front entrance after removing my shoes, I washed my hands in the sink in front and looked in to see if all arrangements for the stage etc. looked good. There was an old white bearded man standing beside the sink holding a towel for sangat to dry their hands. I ignored him but accepted the towel and as I wiped my hands on it, he whispered in my ear - 'Haumai to becheen, putr' ( Do not fall into the trap of ego, son). As I turned to look at him, I realised there was no one there. The towel was on a hook! It was as if a hole opened and I had dropped in. My first thoughts were about the stage setting, not my Guru! It was one of those earth shattering moments when realisation dawns. I 'metha-taked' in the doorway, asked for forgiveness from my Guru and went in, hopefully a different person.

Hopefully, I know about haumai. Ragis, kirteniays are notorious for haumai, my father used to say because most of them do not practice what they preach and that leads to a great deal of suffering for them.

I hope I can recognise my haumai when it rears its ugly head, but truly I feel, as my intepretation of the pangati - (Haumai dheerag rog hai, daru bhi iss mahe) is, it is not that we must 'kill' our haumai, but more that we recognise its existence within us and control it.

Saturday 21st. Sikh Simran Society 'service'

Sunday 29April : Multifaith Healing Concert - Daylesford, Victoria.

More next month ... meanwhile Cherdhi Kala and recognise thy ego and keep it in check. Humility comes with the realisation that our physical body shall perish one day and all that goes with us is our goodness - not how rich we are, how talented we are, how many accolades we have won etc. etc.

Love, Light and Laughter

Dya Singh

PS - Next months Highlight - setting up of Simran House in Sydney.