SIKH
FAITH
(A)THE FAITH
Question 1: Sikhism, you said, is the faith of the modern age.
How long would it take to be that from what it is now? If our religion is
so great, then why do people ask me, “What is your religion?” and say, “ I
have never heard of that religion before.”
(i) The Sikh religion has already
been recognized to be a faith for the modern age. If some persons ask you
about your religion it is because of their simple ignorance. There is
somuch in this world to keep the minds of the people occupied that they do
not even know whereLondon is or who Budha was. We should do whatever we
can to remove their ignorance of thepeople (we may be equally ignorant
about others); rather, we should do whatever we can toremove their
ignorance.The World Conference of Religions for Peace, in 1979, was
actually endorsing the basicprinciples of the Sikh faith when they, in
their meeting at New Jersey, concluded.Too often the names and practices
of our religions have been associated with warfareand strife.Now we must
reverse this by:
(a)
Breaking down barriers of prejudice and hostility between religious
communities and institutions.
(b) Confronting the powers of the world with the
teachings of our religions rather than conformingto them when they act
contrary to the well-being of humanity.
(c) Building inter-religious understanding in our
local communities particularly where prejudicesrun strong. The above
statements are the basic principles of the Sikh faith reworded in
modernlanguage. The Gurus preached these principles of religious tolerance
and brotherhood of humanity five hundred years ago when they said:The
whole humanity is one brotherhood and God is the only Father for us all.
(Page 611 Guru Granth Sahib) The Gurus remembered God by many names, e.g.,
Ram, Gobind, Hari, Allah, Rahim,Karim, etc., then used by the followers of
different religions. The Guru Granth Sahib is the only Holy Scripture which mentions with respect
all such names and which includes the writings of holy people born in
different religions. Kabir is a so-called low caste weaver, Farid is a
Muslim, Ravidas is a shoe-maker and considered an untouchable by Hindus,
Nam Dev is a calico printer,a low caste, and Dhanna is a simple farmer.
The hymns of more than 2 dozen such holy men are included in the Adi Guru
Granth Sahib in addition to the hymns of the Gurus.Guru Nanak preached
that there is one God, one humanity and one faith. His founding of the
institution of Sangat (praying together as equals) and Pangat (eating
together as equals without any discrimination or favor to anyone, whatever
one’s faith, caste, color, etc.) to educate people regarding the
brotherhood of man, makes the Sikh faith the religion for the modern
age.Five hundred years earlier the followers of different religions were
quarreling (some are doing soeven today) to prove their religion to be
better than that of the others. Guru Nanak preached thatnot hollow rituals
but sincere actions benefit a person here and after his death. He declared
that it is futile to argue which religion or which name of god is better
than the other. All names,whether God, Ram, or Allah, are equally good.
What matters is one’s love for Him and His children. In the same way, a
child can address his father as dad, papa, or daddy, but it is the love
and respect for the father which matters and not the name the child uses
to address him.The opinion of the World Conference of Religions for Peace,
quoted above, shows aU-turn from the old stand of the religious leaders.
Earlier the leaders believed (some evenbelieve now) that their religion is
the only true religion and unless a person accepts that religion,he will
not be saved. Now, they have come to realize that their old beliefs do not
fit with the modern thinking and will not be accepted in the future. Human
equality and non-insistence on a particular way of worshiping God were
preached by Guru Nanak to release the masses from the clutches of
pseudo-religious people. These Sikh principles have now been accepted by
religious leaders and scholars as a faith for the modern age and a hope
for peace.
(ii) Here are
some of the comments of modern scholars regarding the Sikh philosophy.The
opinions of Professor Toynbee, Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel Laureate, and H.L.
Bradshaw have already been given. (see introduction)According to another scholar, John C. Archer,“
The religion of the Adi Granth is a universal and practical
religion.......Due to ancient prejudices of the Sikhs it couldnot spread
in the world. The world needs today its message of peace and love.”
Dorothy Field in her book, The religion of the Sikhs,
writes:Pure Sikhism is far above dependence on Hindu ritualsand is
capable of a distinct position as a world religion solong as the Sikhs
maintain their distinctiveness. The relig-ion is also one which should
appeal to the occidental mind.It is essentially a practical religion. If
judged from the pra-gmatic stand point which is a favorite point of view
in somequarters, it would rank almost first in the world. It will not be out of place to mention the comments
of a Hindu mystic. Swami Nitya Nand (expired at the age of 135 years)
writes in his book, Gur Gian:I, in the company of my guru, Brahma Nand
Ji went to Mathra while on a pilgrimage tour..., we reached Punjaband
there we met Swami Stya Nand Udasi. He explainedthe philosophy and
religious practices of Nanak in sucha way that Swami Brahma Nand Hi
enjoyed a mystic lore.During the visit to the Golden Temple, Amritsar his
soulwas affected so much that he became a devotee of theGuru. After
spending some time in Punjab he went to Hardwar. Though he was hale and
hearty, one day I sawsifted sand for the whole of my life. The truth was in theHouse of Nanak. I will have to
take one more birth in that House, only then will I attain Kalyan.”
After sayingthat the soul left his body.I also constantly meditate on
Waheguru revealed by Nanak. First, I practiced Yoga Asnas under the
guid-ance of Yogis and did that for many years. The bliss and peace which
I enjoy now, were never obtained earlier.
When the world religions are named today, Sikhism is
named among the top six; they are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism,
Hinduism, and Sikhism. Sikhs do not form even 2% of the population of the
country of their origin - India. The basic principles of the Sikh
philosophy and contributions of the Sikhs to society have raised the
status of their faith to that of a unique universal world religion.
Unparalleled sacrifices were made by them to fight against state terrorism
for protecting human rights and religious freedom of common people.Having
mentioned the opinions of some world scholars and mystics, the reader is
left todecide himself/herself regarding the ranking of Sikhism among the
world faiths. He/she also hasto decide what his/her part is in educating
society about these basic principles of the faith and the history of the
Sikhs. 
(iii) If a person
asks you “ What is your religion?” it reveals his ignorance about the
Sikhfaith while it shows indifference on the part of the Sikhs themselves
towards their faith. Many Sikhs themselves are not clear about the basic
principles of their faith, its philosophy and its contributions to human
rights. If the Sikhs themselves know this and explain it to their friends
byliving according to the Sikh principles, (not just knowing and talking
about them) the world willknow within a short period of time about Sikhism
and its greatness.All humans are born illiterate and ignorant. We have
schools to teach people languages,art, science, etc. Parents also spend a
lot of time at home to educate their children. Even then,(there should be
no surprise) many American youth don't know where the headquarters of
theUnited Nations are. People do not know about Sikhs because there is too
much to be known and they are too busy in other pursuits of life. It is we
who have to tell them about Sikhism, they are going to learn about it
themselves, but very slowly. A few have already found it as mentioned
above. Their writings are going to influence many more to know about the
Sikh faith and guide their lives accordingly.
Think of the Christians who are all around us. Not
just millions or billions, but trillions of dollars are being spend to
preach Christianity. Christians are the rulers holding political power
intheir hands. They were once virtual rulers of the whole world. National
holidays and social events are chosen according to Christian holy days.
BUT STILL many youth are not accepting and are not attracted towards it.
In his recently published book, For Christ’s Sake,
Tom Harper of the Toronto Star has the following to say.Christianity
may well be thriving in parts of Africa and Asiatoday, but in the West
Christian faith is eroding at an alarming rate. Secular humanism is fast
becoming the prevailing “religion” of the Western world. For instance,
itis no longer true to describe either Canada or England as a Christian
country, since the vast majority of their respective populations have no
traditional ties with any religious body(the Church of England has closed
nine hundred churchessince 1974). Added to this the fact that only a small
fraction of children and young people now receive any religious
inst-ruction whatever, and the prognosis for the year 2000 looksvery bleak
indeed. The so-called mainline churches have much to learn about the use
of mass media in communicatingt heir message, but no amount of technical
sophistication will avail unless the message itself is one that makes
sense.
The last sentence
is very significant. The above reference has been given here to tellthe
readers that the correct message is very important for the new generation.
Along with this,the method of education is also very important. Sikhs have the correct message but they have not
developed the correct educational system. This is the responsibility
which falls on the shoulders of the Sikh youth. It is they who have to
learn the basic principles of Sikhism, practice them in their life, and be
a model for the rest of the youth. They have to adopt the modern methods
to explain Sikhism to the youth of the modern age.
Question 2:
In Rehras-Chaupai, it said,”(God), protect me by your hand and destroy all
myenemies.” In Ardas, we pray for the welfare of whole humanity, “Sarbat
Ka Bhala”. Does the word Sarbat exclude our enemies?
We mistakenly assume our
enemies to be human beings. In spiritual life our enemies arethose who
mislead us from the path of truth and put us in trouble. The major ones
among themare lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego. They are called
“diseases” or “devils” which “kill”our soul. They attack our mind and fill
it with vices destroying its virtues.
i) What hope could be there for a person suffering
from Five ‘incurcable’ Diseases. (Page 486 Guru Granth Sahib)ii) The poor
fellow is possessed by the Five Devils. My Savior, God, please save me
from them. (Page 205 Guru Granth Sahib)iii) With the blessings of the
Guru, I overpowered the strong Five Youths (devils). (Page 74 Guru Granth
Sahib) Out of these ‘enemies’, ego is the strongest one of all. However,
there is a method tocontrol it. If blessed by the Lord, the person
meditates of His virtues and destroys his ego. This ismentioned in the
Gurbani .(Page 466 Guru Granth Sahib) Gurbani teaches us to give up all
Five and follow the path of Gurmat; obey the Will of the Lordrather than
obeying these evil thoughts. (Page 9 Guru Granth Sahib)May also be
mentioned that the above hymn, in the beginning of the Rehras, refers
tospiritual life and not to physical life. It means “I can live only if I
remember God’s Name. I die if Iforget His Name.” This life of death of a
person is not related to the body; it refers to the soul. Ittells that the
soul is ‘dead’ if one does not love God. We conclude that the Sikhs wish
well for all humanity; they have no enemies. Evilthoughts or vices are to
be avoided by a Sikh. In physical terms, the Sikh philosophy says that
ifany violence is committed against an innocent person, he has a right to
take up arms, to defendhimself and the virtues he practices. While doing
so he does not nurse any enmity against anyindividual, but he is
protecting himself against that wrong thought which led the person to
committhe violence.
Question 3: In Chopai , it says anyone who remembers God for a
moment will be saved from thenoose of death. Then why have Sikh soldiers,
who remembered God, died?
The answer to this question has already been given
above.This has said in relation to the attainment of ever-lasting Peace.
It is not concerned withthe physical death of the body.
Question 4:
When we went to Gurdwaras in the cities, A and B (actual names withheld)
they hadChristmas decorations hung up. Why? Is this because Sikhs also
have faith in Jesus?Why do Sikhs in some Gurdwaras celebrate New Year’s
Eve? It is related to the Christian calender and not to the Sikh calendar,
(Baisakhi).
Dear
youth, your (all who asked this question) keen observations and deep
analytical approach deserves appreciation from all Sikhs. Your sensitivity
to the non-Sikh practices in Gurdwaras will go a long way to awaken the
Gurdwara management committees. Here are the answers to your questions.
(a) Holiday Decorations: Gurdwaras are generally
decorated all the time for aesthetic reasons, not just during theChristmas
season only. Maybe, you went there during Christmas and hence you took
them to beChristmas decorations. Or maybe, they were hung because of the
Christmas season; in thatcase, it shows total ignorance of Sikh
principles.Sikhs do not have faith in Jesus and they neither celebrate
Christmas as a religious day.However, any day can be celebrated as a
community or a social day. Religious functions arecelebrated through
social activities. In due course of time, the religious aspect is
forgotten andsocial activities take over the whole event. Some days are
seasonal events and some religiousaspect is connected with them to give
sanctity to the function and attract more people to it. Forexample,
Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween in the West and Lohri, Diwali and Holi
in the Eastare celebrated as religious, social and seasonal days. The
whole community participates in thecelebrations, irrespective of one’s
religious denomination.Diwali, in Northern India, is everybody’s event.
During this week, some people worshipRam, others worship Durga, Lakshmi,
or Sarswati. Fireworks are shown at the Golden Temple,Amritsar, too, on
this day. Everybody is in a cheerful mood; houses are cleaned, decorated
andlighted.In the same way, business people have made Christmas more a
seasonal and socialfunction than a celebration of the birth of Christ.
(December 25 is not the birthday of Christ. He isbelieved to have been
born sometime during August of September.) After watching theChristmas
celebrations for many years, a large number of Christians have strongly
disagreedwith the way the event is celebrated. They say it has been
changed into a social and commercialevent, rather than a religious one.
Religious aspects of many events have faded away and theyare celebrated as
community events by all people irrespective of their faith.
(b)
New Year’s Eve: The first or any other date of a month including the
first month of the New Year, has nomeaning for the Sikhs. Every day is a
new day in the life of a Sikh. Celebrating Sankrant,Pooranmasi (full
moon), Amavas (no moon), New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day as a sacreddays
is contrary to the Sikh belief. (See chapter 1 - D Founding of the
Faiths)How can one decide that a particular day is a New Year’s Day? A
year means onecomplete revolution of the earth around the sun. There is no
beginning and no end of the orbit.Therefore, any day, when it is presumed
that the year begins, is an arbitrary day. Every day canbe taken to be the
beginning of the New Year. The Christian calendar starts from the first
ofJanuary; the Chinese New Year starts in February; the Indian year starts
in March ( some peoplecount it from April) etc. For the Muslims the new
year starts with the rise of the new moon andconsists of 354 days and not
365 days. Therefore, in relation to the seasons are not the same inthe
same Muslim month. A month which comes in winter would come in summer
after someyears. Where is the sanctity of the New Year Day, when nobody
can tell when the New Year trulybegins?Sikhism has been found to be right
and justified not to attach any religious significanceto any such lunar or
solar day. Unfortunately, because of the influence of the old thoughts of
themajority community, the Sikhs also have started celebrating these days.
The earlier they givethem up, the better it would be to bring the
greatness of the Sikh thought into the limelight andattract more people to
Sikhism.May it be mentioned here that Sunday is a sacred day for
Christians, hence they go totheir church. For Sikhs, it is a holiday (not
a sacred day) which they utilize spending more time inthe Gurdwara. In
Saudi Arabia, Sikh gatherings are held on Fridays, that day going a
holidaythere. Muslims go to their mosque that day because Friday is a
sacred day for them. Similarly, afull moon, no moon, Sankrant, etc., are
sacred days for Hindus, but they have no significance forthe Sikhs.
Gurbani says those who worship days of the week or dates of a month are
idiots.(Page 843 Guru Granth Sahib)
Question 5: It is against our religion
to have a drink of alcohol or is it bad only if you over drink and get
drunk.
Yes. Drinking
alcohol even in small quantities to enjoy its effect is against the Sikh
Rehat.Alcoholic drinks are forbidden because of their ill effect on the
mind and body. But there is no restriction against taking medicine or
foods which may have minute quantities of alcohol in them.Most of the
liquid medicines usually do have some kind of alcohol as a solvent. They
are not prohibited for a Sikh. However, taking medicine with the intention
of drinking alcohol is contraryto the Sikh belief.It would be interesting
to give here some quotations from Gurbani:One
should strictly avoid alcohol by drinking of which one loses one’s love
for God and is punished in His Court. (Page 554 Guru Granth Sahib).
Good persons do not
consume alcohol even if it is prepared by using Gangajal (sacred water of
the Ganges). (Page 1293 Guru Granth Sahib). One should ‘drink’ the nectar
of His Name and not the useless alcohol. Drinking alcohol means losing the
valuable life in gambling. (Page 360 Guru Granth Sahib).
Question 6: .
Do you think the Sikh religion has helped the world the way that Guru
Nanak Dev Jisupposed it would? This is a very
important key question to which Sikh leaders, rather the wholenation, must
address.
Keeping in
mind the mission of the Guru, they should develop a projectto educate the
world about his thoughts and his revelations. The mission of Guru Nanak
Dev hasbeen outlined in popular words by Bhai Gur Das, the scribe of the
Adi Guru Granth Sahib. In hisvery first Var, he mentions the causes of
human problems and conflicts. He then explains how Guru Nanak devoted his
life to eradicate those conflicts and bring peace on this earth
(Pauri19-38).
The essence of the complete Var
(though all is not related to the topic under discussion but the contents
are interesting and helpful in general) is given at the end of this
answer.
The message of Guru Nanak is that there
is one God, one humanity, and one faith whichmandates us to love God and
His children. There is no physical place called Heaven or Hell.When one is
drenched with love of God and sings His virtues, the person enjoys
heavenly bliss.Suffering from lust, ego, anger, greed and other vices is
being in Hell while living on this veryearth. The mission of human life is
not to get salvation or qualify for paradise but to realize Godvibrating
everywhere in the universe. Hatred is the cause of violence and all other
problems ofman. We must give it up and treat everybody equally. Sangat and
Pangat were formed to achievethis goal (see also introduction of this
book).The responsibility now falls on the shoulders of the Sikhs, who know
the message, tocarry it to as many people as they can. This may be done
by, i) believing as a Sikh, ii) appearinglike a Sikh, and iii) living like
a Sikh.People hungry for peace are sure to find out the principles of the
Sikh Faith as hasalready been done by many scholars (see chapter 1-D).
Only God knows how and according towhich time-table these truths will
unfold themselves to the people. We have to perform our dutyby living as
Sikhs. [ Var 1 by Bhai Gurdas:]
Solution:PAURI 1. I salute Guru Nanak Dev Ji who
told me the truth, God’s name, the magic word. My sincere love and
devotion to Him Who removed all my illusions and problems in the world.
Creation:2-4. To
begin with there was nothingness (dark). God created matter, energy, and
millions of kinds of lives; humans were given the top position. They were
told to earn their living through hard, honest work and share their
earnings with others. To achieve the goal of their lives they were to love
God and live in peace with the whole of humanity. They were to guide
othersas well as to love God.
Creation is unlimited.
Millions multiplied by
millions and millions of times cannot take us even near the limits of
creation. Vyas authored Vedas and Mohammed authored Koran. Innumerable
people like them have been created by God. 5-14. According to Hindu
scriptures, to begin with, people were honest and lived a simple life.
With the passage of time virtues decreased and vices increased in them.The
six Shastras and yoga became the guidelines for the people in their own
individual way. However, without the true guide people could not realize
the Truth.15-16. During the four yugas, the people suffered from ego and
selfishness. Peace could not be obtained without God’s name during any
time.
Root cause of the problem:17-18. Without the sun
(knowledge) people remained in the dark (ignorant of the truth). Hence
they suffered from the sin of hatred for others. The hatred caused
friction, which produced fire that burnt them in the same way as strong
winds burn bamboo plants by rubbing them against each other. (Fire is
ignited because of the heat of friction). Rather than loving the living
people and the Creator, people worshiped the creation. Some worshiped
stones (idols) and other worshiped tombs (graves). Some believed in magic
and others believed in the sun, moon, earth, fire, etc. They were
following useless pursuits.19-21. Hatred, the root cause of all troubles,
took birth when society was divided into four castes, considering some
persons as high and others as low. Yogis and Sanyasis also split
themselves into upper and lower divisions. Thus, they too, lost the truth.
Mohammed further split people by adding another set of rituals to be
practiced by his followers. They intensified the illwill among the two
communities by demolishing Hindu temples and raising mosques in their
place. In other words, sin prevailed everywhere. Muslims and Hindus put
themselves into opposing camps. They stuck to the rituals of their faith
but forsook the Truth.
Guru Nanak Deputed:22-23.
Without the guide for Truth, there was darkness all around. The people,
therefore, prayed to God to send a holy man to show them the light.
Listening to the prayers of the people, God deputed Nanak to preach
Truth.24-26. With the blessings of God and devotion on his own part, Guru
Nanak received the light of Truth. He saw the whole world burning in the
fire of ego and hatred. He decided to go around and tell people the Truth.
Ignorant guides were misleading themselves and their followers by
worshiping innumerable gods and devils instead of God.27-31. When Guru
Nanak, the Sun of Truth, rose, the pretenders vanished and the light of
Truth spread everywhere. Guru Nanak convinced Yogis, Sidhs, and selfish
religious leaders to seed Truth rather than miracles.32-38.
Guru Nanak went to the
Middle East and had discussions with the Muslim leaders at Mecca, medina,
and Bagdad. To answer their question who is
superior, a Hindu or a Muslim, the Guru replied, “Only good, sincere deeds
help a man to achieve peace. Without good deeds, whatever their faith, all
will repent.”37-38. After visiting all the major religious places and
giving his message of one Father and one humanity, Guru Nanak settled at
Kartarpur (on the banks of the river Ravi).39-44. He had discussions with
the Sidhs at Batala and the Muslim holy men at Multan to give his message.
Guruship continues:45-48. The Guruship passed on
through Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan Dev to Guru
Hargobind.(Bhai Gurdas died during the period of Guru Hargobind).49.
Meditation on Waheguru helps one to realize the Master, God.
Question 7:
What is the purpose of repeating Paath over and over again if you don’t
understand it? Is Nam Simran (saying Waheguru repeatedly) more important
than reading Gurbani? Which one is more useful in our life and why?
(a) Reciting Paath: It is agreed by all that we
should recite Paath regularly because that is a direction from the Gurus.
In this, three steps are involved.
i) reading (listening to) the message
ii)
understanding the message
iii) benefiting from the message.
The first two
steps are essential for the third. Hence, the beginning has to be made
withreading. Obviously, reading alone without understanding and benefiting
from the message is notof full use.There are many other examples in life
where we end at the first or the second step andwe fail to take the third,
i.e., to obtain the full benefit. We know exercise is good for our
health,but many of us don't do it regularly. Smoking is very harmful for
our health but some people stillcontinue to smoke. Stealing is both
immoral and illegal. Knowing all this, some people still getthemselves
involved in stealing. Our failure to benefit from the message is mentioned
in Gurbanilike this:Our mind knows what is right and what is wrong but
still it leads us to do wrong things. How can one be saved if the person
himself chooses the path? (Page 1376 Guru Granth Sahib)
We should not feel
discouraged that we cannot understand everything when we readPaath or
because we cannot practice all what we do understand. We must make a start
byreading and then try to move ahead steadily, maybe even slowly. Once we
know the benefit ofpracticing the lessons of Gurbani, our mind will start
to enjoy the recitation and benefit from it.People who have been reading
Jap Ji for 50 years or more still find something new and fresh in itwhen
their mind turns to it. The inner meanings of Gurbani are known only under
that situation.Reading Gurbani is a good habit and must be practiced
regularly by making all efforts tounderstand it and adopt the message. It
is beneficial in many other ways ever if we do notunderstand it well and
do not take full advantage of it.
Here are some reasons why
Gurbani should be read daily:
i) Gurbani is written in
poetic form. Its rhythm and sound waves have many positiveeffects. They
cool our nerves and calm our mind in the same way as does music, which
many ofus also do not understand.
ii) Regular reading of Gurbani (Nitnem) forces a
timely pause in the never-ending andnever-slowing rat we are running. All
doctors now agree that we must sit calmly and quietly tomeditate on
something to take away our mind from the worldly tensions. This is
essential to givea daily rest to our over-worked and over-heated nervous
system. Reciting hymns regularlyprovides us this benefit. It keeps our
minds safe from the tensions and pressures of living thehigh-tech modern
life.
iii) This practice
is a repeated reminder to us that our life has a purpose; being remindedof
this every day is very important to deep our lives on the right track.We
are like children playing outside away from our Mother, God. When it is
time to work,the mother gives a call to the child, “Dear, now stop
playing, come home, and finish your schoolwork in time.” The call is first
ignored by the children because they love to play (as we loveworldly
life). Repeated calls of the mother put pressure on the mind of the chid
to come home and do his school work. Regular sittings for doing Nitnem are
repeated call from the Mother,God, reminding us, “Dear, you have a
responsibility towards yourself. Now is the time, the call will touch the
heart of the reader and motivate him to recite Gurbani hymns devotedly and
obtainpeace.
iv) In the
evenings, we usually chat over a cup of tea with our friends. Many times
wecarry on our meaningless talks endlessly. If someone says, “Let us
recite Rehras; it is time to do it”, those who were wasting your time and
theirs too, melt away. For those who stay, themeaningless social gathering
becomes a sacred Sangat, i.e., solace giving, calm restoring and
God-loving congregation.v) The test of the pudding is in tasting. If a
person recited Gurbani sincerely (even whenhe doesn't understand it fully,
and most of us actually don't) he will notice a change in him to the
better side. The feeling, “I do Paath, therefore, I should not do this bad
thing.” Will become stronger and stronger, keeping him safe from all wrong
acts. We know what is right and what iswrong, but we don't have the moral
strength to keep a check on us. The regular reading of Paath provides us
the necessary reasoning and the required strength to keep our mind under
control.
v) The very
question, “What use is reading Paath if I don't understand it?”
becomesvery meaningful to a person who reads Gurbani regularly. One day it
will awaken his soul andmake him decide, “I must also know what I read.”
When he knows what he reads, he will startpracticing it, making his own
life happy and spreading happiness around him.
(b)
Nam Simran: ‘Nam Simran’ means to remember, love, and meditate on God.
There are many ways todo it. The formal method is to sit in a calm, quiet
place, close your eyes, concentrate your mindon the virtues of God and
utter Waheguru in your mind. The sound may be tuned with yourbreath to
keep your mind fixed on the track.There are also many informal methods
such as reading Gurbani, doing Sewa, listeningto Kirtan, etc. The idea is
to keep in mind God and His virtues. The relative importance of
thesemethods cannot be compared. All these activities are expected to be a
regular part of the life of aSikh to enjoy the full benefit of Simran.Nam
Simran is explained in a Gurbani hymn in question-answer from between
twodevotees.Bhagat Tarlochan finding Bhagat Namdev busy in calico printing
asked him, “You seem to be more interested in money than in God’s Name.
You remain busy printing sheets instead of meditating on God.” Bhagat
Namdev responded, “While the body is busy doing work one can keep his mind
turned in to the love of God.” (Page 1375 Guru Granth Sahib)
In another hymn Bhagat
Namdev refers to some daily experiences in life explaining how we keepour
mind fixed in things with which we are deeply concerned and we love. When
the boys fly kites, they also enjoy their mutual conversation. While busy
in their conversation, their minds always remain tuned to their kites. A
mother, who has her child sleeping in the crib while busy in her daily
house chores, keeps her mind all the time tuned to the baby. The same way
a devotee should always keep himself tuned to the love of God while he is
busy performing his routine worldly chores. (Page 972 Guru Granth Sahib)
In a professional
course, both theory and practice are necessary to learn the subject.Each
has its own importance. In the same way, a Sikh must practice all the
methods mentionedabove depending upon his mood, time, situation,
environment, and need.The utility and benefit of regular Nam Simran can be
understood from the followingsimple example. To live a happy and peaceful
life, we need both body and mind in a healthycondition. Proper food is
needed to keep the body healthy and strong. Sewa and Simran areneeded to
keep the mind free from vices. This is the way to keep your mind strong
and directyour activities on the right path.
Question 8: In some Gutkas, why are
the Banis and Ardas longer than normal?
All Gutkas have the same length of Banis in them. It
is only in the case of Rehras that afew Gutkas have a couple of additional
Shabads. Ardas of course is different in different Gutkas because it was
written by different persons. We should all follow the standard Ardas and
Rehras written in the Gutkas printed by the Gurdwara committee, Amritsar
and the Sikh Missionary College, Ludhiana.Differences in Rehras have
history behind them. This Bani was originally known as So-Dar. The title Rehras however became popular
later on, perhaps because of the live - HarKeerat Hamri Rehras -- in the
fourth shabad. The Rehras approved by the Khalsa Panth and mentioned in
the Sikh Rehat Maryada Tract and regularly read at Akal Takhat consists
of:
a)
i. So-Dar
ii. So-Purkh. Nine
Shabads in all as mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib before thestart of
Ragas.
b Chaupai including Swaya and Dohra from Dasam Granth.
c) The
Rehras is concluded by reading the first five and last Pauri of Anand
Sahib, followed bythe last Slokas in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Additions to the above prescribed Paath and reasons
for them:
In every
Gurdwara people get together for evening Diwan called So-Dar Diwan. Before
starting the So-Dar Bani recitation, it was common (it is practiced at
Akal Takhat and many other Gurdwaras even now) to sing some Shabads. When
the Kirtan starts, Sangat knows that it is time for So-Dar recitation.
They gather there and listen to the Kirtan of the Shabads before the start
of the Rehras Paath. This helps tuning their minds to Gurbani. At the
fixed time the Kirtan is stopped and a Sikh recites the Paath.Wherever
Kirtan could not be sung in a Gurdwara, because of the non-availability of
the Ragis there, the Sangat would jointly recite Shabads in rhythm. This
would give Sikhs time to sit,settle and concentrate their minds before the
start of reciting Rehras.Later, when printing of Gutkas started, the
Shabads commonly read by the Sangat were also printed along with the
Rehras. This was to facilitate the correct singing of Shabads before
starting the Rehras. However, having sung these Shabads over a long period
of time, Sikhs mistakenly assumed the Shabads to be a part of Rehras. As
different Sangats recited different Shabads to their liking, the contents
and hence the length of the Rehras became different accordingly.To remove
this misunderstanding, the Sikh Rehat Maryada expressly states that Rehras
Paath starts from the Shabad So-Dar and ends at Salok Mahala 5: Tera Keeta
... Anything printed before So-Dar or after Mahala 5 is not a part of
Rehras.Some Sikhs, however, made many more additions on their own after
the Chaupai. TheKhalsa Panth have decided not to include any of them as a
part of Rehras. They are not allowed to be read as a part of Rehras.Even a
little attention paid to the meaning of additional couplets chosen from
Avtar Kathas easily proves that their reading as a part of Rehras is
wrong. For example, one couplet tells that Vishnu devotees face no
problems while the other couplet contradicts it saying that one should not
pray to Vishnu, Krishan or other gods. Basically, the message of many of
the added couplets is against the directions of Gurbani. They were picked
up from the stories of Hindu Avtars included in a compilation now called
Dasam Granth.
The Gutkas
published by the Gurdwara Committee, Amritsar and other such organizations
have the correct Rehras Paath. Only the Gutkas published by the private
printers include extra Shabads after Chaupai. This is against the ruling
of the Rehat Maryada.Instead of agreeing with the scholars and the orders
of the Guru Khalsa Panth, some Sikhs argue that reading extra Bani is more
beneficial. Hence, they think that they are “better”Sikhs than those who
read the standard Rehras. One is welcome to read as many hymns as he
wishes to but no individual has a right to make any additions to the
approved Rehras Paath. It should be read as directed. Other Banis can be
read whenever one wants, but not as a part ofthe Rehras.
(B)
MARRIAGE
(a) An institution Marriage is an institution,
which allows a man and a woman to live as husband and wife.The functioning
of this institution is based not only on religious principles, but also on
social andmoral values prevailing among the people. As these values differ
with different societies and different religions, the answers to many of
the questions relating to dating and marriage will alsodiffer. The proper
answers will depend upon the community to which they are addressed.In some
cases, not only dressing properly but also keeping a veil is obligatory
for awoman. In others covering of just the vital parts of the body, as by
bathing suit, is considered enough dress for a lady to move in public. In
some communities, adults with mutual consent canhave sex without any
eyebrows being raised while in others talking to a girl in a lonely place
is considered an immoral act. In one society, shaking hands with a girl is
considered undesirable whereas in another society necking and kissing in
public is accepted to be normal behavior.Marriage has many aspects such as
legal, social, moral and religious. In different casesthese aspects are
involved to different degrees. In some cases religion can be ignored
totally.The concerned persons can go to the court, fill out the forms, and
get married without performingany religious ceremony.
Marriage is
sometimes defined as legally agreed, socially permitted, andreligiously
allowed sexual partnership.According to the Sikh faith, marriage is a
sacred union between husband and wife toachieve the goal of human life
jointly with each others help and dependence. The two, the husband and the
wife, seek to have one mind and one goal to be successful in their
lives.The goal of human life is to realize Truth (God). When seen from the
angle of the SikhFaith, the spouse is a companion, a supporter, and a life
partner to travel on that path. The mutual dependence, understanding, and
inter relationship between the two is so strong that thehusband and wife
live as ‘one’ soul, i.e., they think and act as a unit. A Sikh, therefore,
is tomarry only a Sikh. The spouse may be of any color, caste, country,
community, or race. Acouple can achieve the goal of their lives with
greater ease if both persons have the same faith.A spouse from the same
community is preferred for easy and better mutual understanding. Thishas
no reflection on other communities being inferior or superior. A Sikh can
marry a personborn in a non-Sikh family. However, it is to be assumed
before marriage, that the spouse hasvoluntarily decided to believe in Sikh
faith and live like a Sikh.
(b) Interfaith Marriage
Marriage between
followers of two different faiths cannot move smoothly. It can
becelebrated but not practiced. A person cannot walk on two different
paths simultaneously. Thesame way, one cannot have two faiths at the same
time. Faith is not just a philosophy to be learnt but a path to be
followed. Respecting a person of another faith is totally different than
living withthat person as a spouse.To explain the above, we can have an
example from our social life. A person cannot be amember of two different
political parties at the same time. If one joins another party, one
automatically loses the membership of his/her previous party.How can a
marriage between members of two different faiths take even a start in
theirlife when loyalty and sincerity are essential conditions of every
faith. As a visitor, one can go to atemple, a Gurdwara, a church or a
mosque, but one must decide where one belongs to . One canmarry a person
born in any faith, but before marriage they ought to decide which faith
they wantto follow.Marriage, in addition to the living of the partners
together as one soul, also involves raising children. If the partners in
marriage do not have the same faith, the children will find itdifficult to
choose the path of their life. It can be argued that the children can be
taught aboutboth faiths. When they become adults, they themselves may
choose the faith they want to follow.Well, we can indulge in wishful
thinking, but in practice it involves real problems. Faith is not likea
profession that one can choose later. One has to learn and understand it
by living as a faithful.The Sikh view as given above is also echoed by
other religious communities. Thefollowing news cited up from the Free
Lance Star, Virginia, USA, December 9, 1989, tells uswhat others think of
mixed marriages.
ONE FAITH BEST FOR CHILD, PANELISTS PAYChildren of
Christian-Jewish marriages are psychologicallyhealthier if raised in the
religion of one of the parents thanin both faiths or none, a panel of
experts indicated here.Lydia Kukoff of Los Angeles, a Reform Jewish
specialist, said reluctance of interfaith couples to choose one faith
fortheir child, or their decision to let the child decide later“masks a
dangerous ambivalence.” As mentioned earlier, marriage involves not only
the religious aspect but also the socialand legal aspects. As most of the
questions asked involve non-religious aspects of the marriage,they need to
be answered in a separate booklet.It must be mentioned here that according
to the Sikh faith a sexual relationship withunwed partners is considered a
sin. Anyone who commits this act is considered fallen out of theSikh
faith. Experience has shown that to begin with, a partner may be more
attractive than thefaith; however, soon the faith becomes more important
than the partner. In that case, thespouses may find themselves in real
trouble. It is always desired that a non-Sink spouse livesthe life of a
Sikh before marrying a Sikh. This helps to assure that he or she is well
versed in thebasic principles and the practices of the Sikh faith to enjoy
one’s life with a Sikh spouse.The celebration of the Sikh marriage is
described in the Sikh Rehat Maryada bulletinpublished by the Shiromani
Committee Amritsar. The reader may refer to the bulletin for details.
(C) REINCARNATION
Question 9: Is
the dead body of a Sikh to be cremated or buried? What happens to it?
Sikhism does not restrict the way in which a dead body may be disposed of.
People may bury the body, throw it in water, cremate it, or treat it in any
convenient but respectful way.
None of these
methods helps or harms the soul in any matter. The soul remains
unaffected by any treatment to the body. Sikhs generally cremate the dead
body just because it is a convenient way to dispose of the corpse. They do
not do so because it will help the soul go to Heaven. In contrast, other
religions believe that the disposal of a dead body is a religious act and
that the dead body has to be treated in the way prescribed by their
religion. Muslims and many Christians bury the dead body, burning it is
against their faith. Hindus generally cremate their dead or deliver their
bodies to some sacred river or sea.
Question 10: If we
believe in re-incarnation, were the Gurus re-born? How do we know people
have a previous life?
It does not matter, whether it was the first
stage of the cycle, or the Gurus and Bhagatas earlier undergone some
cycles of re-incarnation. We are concerned with what lessons of life they
gave to us through their teaching, preaching, and living.Existence of the
soul and the cycle of birth and death has been reported by the scientists.
If somebody wants to see the details he is welcome to read “Unto the
Unkown” by the Reader’s Digest publications, “Life after Life” by Raymond
A. Moody, JR M.D. and other bookson the subject. They have mentioned many
documented cases of the soul going out of the bodyand getting back into
the same body by taking a new birth. A couple of such documented incidents
are reported in the newspapers almost every year.
Question 11: What is the Sikhs’ version of Heaven and
Hell?
According to the Sikh faith, there is no place which has been
reserved as Heaven of Hell. In the following hymn, Gurmat says living in
love with God is living in Heaven and living by ignoring God is living in
Hell on this very earth. (Page 1369 and 749 Guru Granth Sahib)