I could argue that over 500 years ago the Sikh Founder-Gurus offered the model of an egalitarian society that promised self-governance, transparency and accountability with freedom from racial, caste and gender stereotypes. I have to concede, though, that the practice often remains short of the teaching.
American society tends to delude itself into believing that ignorance is the exclusive source of hate-violence. Part of the reason for this is that this idea is more comforting than the reality. It’s comforting for us to think that people would be compassionate towards one another if they were more educated.
Last year Nishaan, the colorful Sikh quarterly from Delhi, asked me to trace the Sikh (and Punjabi) presence in Delhi. Pushpinder Singh Chopra, Bhayee Sikander Singh Bagriyan and Monica Arora provided much of the research material. The more I learned about Delhi, the more I became entranced with it.
"Anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present. Whoever refuses to remember the inhumanity is prone to risks of new infection"
There is likely little doubt that over 300 years ago when the 10th Master’s presence graced the earth and he led Sikhs and others into necessary battle, that Sarb Loh (pure iron) was the preferred blade material for Kirpans and possibly swords that might have seen duty in the protection of oneself and the innocent.
Let's agree what have we done to reflect ourselves in the community? Yet with the weakening economy people are going to portray us as aliens taking up their jobs. Little do they realize that diversity can be a strength. We all stand out; are most visible, yet we haven't done anything to portray ourselves.
While reading Shakespeare's poem "All the world's a stage", I was surprised to find that its conceptual framework already existed in Guru Nanak's hymn and the poem content is very similar to the hymns of Guru Nanak recorded at Ang 137-138.
Many human issues, admittedly of great significance — religions, nations, war and peace, for instance — are measured by the yardstick of history, which is often the only dependable criterion available. But how honest or reliable is it?
REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE SON.... OF THE ONE THAT GAVE UP HIS 'SARBANS' FOR THE KHALSA THE 'NYARA' KHALSA WITH THE BLOOD OF HIS OWN, HIS SIKHS, AND HIS OWN KIN.....
Sikhi understands suffering as a mental construct. One who is spiritually connected with the Divine does not suffer,...