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Faith & Religion |
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Keynote address by S. Sarjit Singh Barnala By : Sardar Sarjit Singh Barnala, MP (Member of Parliament - India) Sikhism is the youngest of the world religions. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 AD For about thirty years, he traveled extensively in various parts of the world, visiting especially the major religious centers of all the contemporary religions and preaching his gospel of truth love and service. Sikh religion had its origin at the close of the middle ages and the beginning of the modern world. India in the middle ages presented a picture of gloom arid despondency; misery in the material sphere; ignorance and pessimism in the spiritual, sphere. But the Indian mind was not stagnant. A long line of Hindu Saints had brought about religious reformation- The Indian Muslim Sufi Faqirs, drawing their inspiration party from Indian Philosophy and partly from Western Renaissance, exerted as great an influence as the Hindu reformers. They rejected the pretensions of the priestly class and advocated direct communion with God. The Hindu mystic saints and the Sufi Faqirs heralded the approaching dawn. Guru Nanak's fundamental approach is one of optimism in life, and joy in natural phenomena. He sings the praises of the' glory of nature in joyous abandon, reminding us of the hymns of ancient Rig Vedic Rishis- For him, nature is not cruel but rewarding, pleasant and full of harmony. He sought to realize the same harmony in life and society., Guru Nanak and his successors saw the conflict of two religious cultures, Hindu and Muslim. He harmonized the two streams of religion, emphasizing the value of Truth and Equality of man. The Sikh Gurus have equated God with Truth and love of God with service of humanity. There is a deep social commitment in the teachings of all the Gurus. Guru Nanak identified himself with the Lowliest of' the low and said that he was in their society, he does not follow the rich. Condemning exploitation, the Guru said. "If blood stains the clothes, the dress is considered soiled; those who drink human blood (exploit their labor), how can they have a pure heart?" Equality of human beings on the basis of sex is also emphasized in Sikhism- In medieval age the woman was in a pitiable plight, not only in India, but also in other countries. She was considered much inferior to man and was treated as merely a means of pleasure and procreation for man. In India, she was known as the "Shoe of the Foot". The Yogis abhorred her, the priests exploited her. She was considered as an obstacle in the way of spiritual attainment. But the Sikh Gurus were critical of all such adverse thinking for womanhood- Guru Nuance De said:
Respect for womanhood and her equality flows from the integral view of life stressed in Sikhism for two hundred years, the Sikh Gurus spread the -message of amity, peace and non-violence. They aroused the conscience of the people to make them fearless righteous and truthful. Sikh religion is unique in many ways. Sikhism is essentially a secular religion. This may strike as something paradoxical or a contradiction in terms - because ordinarily secularism is understood as a socio-political polity that transcends religion; it is also said that secularism desires religion to play a role in its own domain. The protagonists of' this view say that in the modern secular secular state religion is, at the most, needed to provide spiritual anchorage to the individual. But we have to bear in mind that man is an indivisible whole; his subjective life has beating on his social objective life that constitutes the fabric of relationships. As such, the religious commitment of a person has to be taken account of in any socio-political reckoning to ensure its harmonious positive of secularism so as equation with religion. Another distinguishing feature of Sikhism is that the Sikh religious culture has the whole humanity in view for the spiritual and social amelioration. That is why, the daily Sikh prayer seeks the welfare of the entire mankind. Sarbat-da-Bhala The humanistic value-pattern of Sikhism can contribute a lot towards the creation of the 21st century society and a Sikh integrates two lives at the same time, the worldly and the spiritual. He combines within himself the worldliness and saintliness. On the one hand, he is a man of the world, working hard for the welfare of family the society and the State and on the other, he rises above mere worldliness, living the life of a saint. He is like a lotus born and bred in water but rising above the surface of water. s a man, of the world, he is a faithful partner, loving ,.truthful dealer and a sincere worker, who shares his earnings with the needy. Though outwardly attached with all his dealings and duties he is inwardly working for the ultimate goal. He attends to his normal chorus as we 11 as the holy congregation. He lives a full integral life, activating both the body and the soul Sikh religion is universal and practical. The high and low, male and female, old and young, rich and poor every one can practice it, because it is without any empty formal practices, rites and ceremonies. The Guru wanted his Sikhs to live high on moral and spiritual planes. The Sikh Gurus preached-that liberty of though and conscience are fundamental rights of mankind, which should, on no account, be compromised . They also wanted their followers to lead a life of dedication to the Creator and fight against, oppression. Man must live without fear. Guru Tegh Bahadur applauded a man who neither inspired fear nor .lived in fear of any one: It is in tune with the Global Ethics that the Inter-Faith Movement is endeavoring to evolve through religious interaction and religious dialogue. Sikhism has played a historic unifying, synthesizing role in the medieval and contemporary times. This role assumes greater relevance and greater significance on the threshold of the 21st century. Source: isha.net
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