What didn’t happen in 2007

the man in blue
harjindersingh.amritsar@yahoo.co.uk 

At the end of 2006 it looked like I was going to have a lot of time on my hands, as I was made redundant, and also had less voluntary work. This made me write two articles under the title ‘My Sikh intentions for 2007’, setting out my programme for the new year.  

Amongst other things I was planning to organise a group walk in the high Himalayas and was considering making a start with a proper translation of the Guru Granth Sahib (not on my own). Whether God did not agree with me or whether She/He just had different ideas I do not know. Before the first month of 2007 was over I was offered a contract by the agency promoting multi-faith support for students in colleges, and Slough REC offered me more ‘casual’ work. 

I now look back to a very busy and satisfactory 2007, in spite of the fact that none of my schemes came to fruition. I am not worried about not having organised our walk in the Himalayas, and although I know I can make a contribution to a new, more accurate and more poetic translation of the Guru Granth, I have no illusion that such a project depends on me. 

There is one project that still is important to Satnam Kaur and I. We think that there is a great need for a training programme for people who plan to take amrit or who have just taken it. Obviously amritdhari Sikhs should be familiar with Guru’s teachings and the Rahit Maryada, but we also wanted to teach the beginnings of kirtan, gatka, how to recite gurbaní and how to do gurbaní víchár.  

We also hoped to involve the candidates in social work, making sure that they understand that simran needs to be combined with seva and that seva is not just done in the Gurdwara. Sarbat dá bhallá, for the welfare of all ! 

We hoped to organise amrit sanchár with panj piaré who all work hard to practice Guru’s teachings, and who are not selected on the basis of their age, caste, ethnicity or gender.   

When I took amrit I was given instructions on the colour of my turban, how not to cover my head with a towel after taking bath, how to change my kacchera, about the three kurehat, but nobody talked to me about the loving relationship with God, nobody told me to see God’s presence in all, and although we were told to do simran on mul-mantr and gur-mantr, what meditation was really about was not discussed. My panj piaré also told us not to take food from non-amritdharis, which I have never accepted, as I strongly believe that this is anti-gurmat. 

If there are Sikhs out there who are willing to help us with this programme in 2008, we might still achieve it, in spite of being very busy !

The Khalsa in 2008

the man in blue
 harjindersinghkhalsa@yahoo.co.uk

The Khalsa was created to serve all, to fight against injustice, to defend the defenceless. In that light, what contribution can the Khalsa make in 2008 ? I am not going to try to give an exhaustive list, I am just suggesting some ideas that came to my mind. Obvious the list is a result of the areas of activity that I am interested in, but the underlying idea applies to all. 

• Standing up for the right of the Sikhs to be Sikhs & Khalsas. This is not necessarily our first priority, but it has to be done. We should more often link with other communities having similar problems about beards,  head-cover or other ‘religious symbols’.
• Supporting other nations/ethnic groups that are denied their rights or get a raw deal in our society. For instance Nagas and Dalits in India or Gypsies and Travellers in the UK.  
• There are tensions between religious and ethnic communities in this country and in others where Sikhs live. We are uniquely positioned to help overcome prejudice and to point to universal values that can be shared with all. 
• The world is running out of resources because of our greed and over-population. Sikhs should be in the forefront of the campaign for a simpler life, for reusing, and for using less. Sikhs should be in the forefront of the campaign for responsible parenthood where families on average have no more than 2 children. I am not in favour of the forceful way this problem is tackled in China. Note that in India the birth-rates go down in the wealthier states, and remain high in poverty stricken states like Bihar and Orissa. 
• The above is closely linked to the problem of global warming. There always have been fluctuations in the earth’s temperatures, but at the moment we are changing the world into a hothouse, which will lead to more unpredictable weather patterns and rising sea levels. There will be both droughts and floods and countries like the Netherlands, Bangla Desh and low islands in oceans will disappear.
• Do not forget the small stuff right next to you. Treat your family members and neighbours with respect and be helpful to them. Greet the people you meet in the street in your local area. When you use your car less and walk more you will be amazed how many people you will get to know. You can campaign with the people in your neighbourhood, for instance for safer pedestrian crossings, better public transport, and against too many cars using your residential road as a shortcut. 

A Sikh, a Khalsa is no couch potato. A Sikh, a Khalsa does not live for maya alone. A Sikh, a Khalsa does not just give her/his daswant but also her/his time to the community. A Sikh/a Khalsa serves all, not just fellow Sikhs or fellow Panjabis. Being a Khalsa was never meant to be easy, being a Khalsa is the ultimate challenge.

The Khalsa (II)

THE KHALSA (II)

My attempt to start a discussion on the history of the Khalsa has mainly failed. Kashmir Singh (BSF) made a useful contribution in pointing out that the Khalsa principle was already taught by Guru Nanak. He also said that Bhai Nand Lal did take amrit, but the problem is that there is no reliable historical record for either his version or for the opposite.

So let us concentrate on what we do know and try and live by that. Guru Nanak wrote : If you want to play the game of love you have to carry your head on the palm of your hand. The game of love is our love for God and God’s love for us. In order to play this game you have to be willing to give your head, or in other words : to give all.

When Guru Gobind Singh asked for people to come forward and give their heads, he meant exactly the same thing : the game of love requires total commitment, to the point where the Sikhs, the Khalsa would be willing to risk their lives. The essence is not martyrdom, it is fighting the good fight.

Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, the 8 other human Gurus, The Guru Granth  and the Guru of Gurus (God), all want us to remember God with all we do and want us to be servants of all creation.

In times of dictatorship, foreign occupation, religious persecution this can lead to ‘using the sword’, in (not so perfect) democracies like we have in the UK we fight against injustice and stand up for the rights of all by peaceful means.

Being a soldier in a national army has nothing to do with being a Khalsa. In recent times soldiers in the British Army have taken part in actions in Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan, all areas of conflict where British might was/is not necessarily right.

Soldiers in the British Indian Army have fought against the Afghans in the North West Frontier Province and in other colonial conflicts on the side of the oppressor. Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army occupied the east of Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir and if the British had not beaten him to it, he would have occupied Sind. I cannot accept that occupying the territory of other nations is according Khalsa principles.

Do remember that the Khalsa Knight, the Sant Sipahi (saint-soldier) is not fighting from anger or greed. Do remember the symbolisms of the sweet water stirred by the sword. Do remember that standing up against injustice and defending the oppressed is all part of Guru’s game of love.           

Whatever the differences between 1699 and 2008, the Khalsa will find more than enough injustice in today’s world to fight against.