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| This shabad is
written by Bhagat Kabir Ji and is on page 1348-9 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It seems to be a
very popular shabad and is heard very often in Gurdwaras. The first interesting point to
note is the use of the word Allah for God. In the Shabad Bhagat Kabir talks about
God and how God created the Light from which he created the Creation and all beings. He
then asks the question; if all beings have originated from the One Light, then who is good
and who is bad? We often need to remind ourselves about this in our day to day lives. We
often find ourselves speaking about others and judging others, but as Kabir Ji says we are
all made from the same clay by the same Potter (God). So how can we think of ourselves as
higher or better than others?
This Shabad also tells us that The Creation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in
the Creation. This is a very important part of Sikh philosophy. God is the Creator,
but God is also within the Creation, within each one of us and that Creation is also part
of God. God is not separate from Creation and while Creation cannot exist without God, God
can exist without the Creation.
Kabir ji then goes on to tell us that whoever realises the Will of God actually
realises God and is the servant of God. So only when we truly realise the Truth (Satnam)
can we truly serve God, for God cannot be seen or known , but we can taste the sweetness
of the Lords blessings, which taste like gurr (molasses – a sweet typically found in
India). Kabir says that now that he can see the Lord in all, pervading everywhere, all his
fears and doubts have been dispelled. Most of us don’t normally believe something
unless we see it, with many people this is the same with belief in God. Many people who
say they believe in God, still have doubts when they think that their prayers go
unanswered. It is this doubt that Kabir Ji refers to when he says that he can taste the
sweetness of the Lord and any doubt that he had about God have now been dispelled . He
speaks of 100% faith in God and as any successful person will tell you, you must have 100%
belief in what you are doing to succeed, 99% is not good enough. So let us all open our
minds to God and build our faith so that we can also taste the sweetness that is Waheguru,
Almighty God.
Bhupinder Singh |
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reviews
1999 has seen the publication of many quality books on
Sikhism in the west. This is a wonderful trend and I hope more and more publishers begin
to take Sikhism seriously. While there is a flourishing publishing business in India with
many books being published from Amritsar and other parts of Punjab, the print runs are
often so few that even the best of the books do not see the light of day here in the west.
I guess this is partly due to the fact that in general Sikhs buy less books than maybe
they should. Anyway the quality of the new publications that have appeared this year has
been very high and quite rightly, being the 300th year of the Khalsa, quality books and
journals are a fitting tribute and a wonderful way to introduce the religion of the Sikhs
to a new audience
This special supplement will bring together our views of some of the major new releases
of the year. As books about Sikhism are often hard to find in bookshops we have obtained
several of these which are available through us on a mail order system with all profits
generated going towards the costs of printing and distributing this newsletter. |
 |
The Sikhs
By Patwant Singh
(John Murray 320pp £25) Probably the most talked about book to be released
has been Patwant Singh’s The Sikhs. This beautifully presented book has
featured in many book reviews in papers such as the Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph.
Billed by the publishers as the book that took 500 years to write, it is one of the
few examples of a history of the Sikhs aimed at a wide audience. In it Patwant Singh
gallops through over 500 years of history in a surprisingly small number of pages. His
writing style is concise and easy to read, making it an ideal primer for anyone who wishes
to gain a quick grounding in Sikh history. One of the complaints about the book by other
critics has been that it is biased. Well with all the bad press that the Sikhs have been
getting over the last 15 or more years it is about time that the wider community get to
read about the Sikhs from the view point of a Sikh.
Patwant Singh starts with a brief introduction to the situation before Guru Nanak and
tells the story of the Sikhs from the time of the Gurus, through to Banda Singh Bahadur
and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He deals succinctly with the period after Ranjit Singh’s
death and the complex relationships between the relatives of Ranjit Singh and the British
and leads into the two World Wars in which Sikhs fought so valiantly with the British
Indian Army. The betrayal of the Sikhs at the time of Partition is covered briefly and the
final chapter, entitled Violence and Venality 1947 to the present covers not only
the story of the Sikhs during this time but also tells the larger story of contemporary
India dealing with the events of 1984 passionately but with a certain restraint.
There is a lengthy further reading list at the back of the book, which is just as well
as this book will leave many wanting to learn more about the Sikhs. |
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 Spiritual
Breeze (Sandalwood Publishing £3)
A new journal to be published twice a year with a good mix of contemporary articles and
poems and some re-published works and translations. This first issue includes an article
by Prof Puran Singh, the famed Sikh writer of the 1930’s; an article about the
writings of Bhai Nand Lal; an interview with Susan Stronge, the curator of the Arts of the
Sikh Kingdoms exhibition at the V&A museum; articles on Sikh history; two Shabads with
western musical notation; and several colour photographs of the Vaisakhi celebrations in
India and of artefacts from the V&A exhibition.
Spiritual Breeze priced at £3-00 ( with 2 year membership £11 and life membership
£101)
Cheques payable to "Sandalwood Publishing Co"
send to: 152 Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Middx TW8 9LE. UK Email: dakhalsa@aol.com |
|
Warrior Saints
Three Centuries of the Sikh Military Tradition
By Amandeep Singh Madra and Parmjit Singh
(I B Tauris & Co Ltd Hardback 192pp £29.95) Warrior Saints is a
stunning collection of over 100 photographs documenting the military history of the Sikhs.
The collection is the result of painstaking research by Amandeep and Parmjit, sifting
through the archives of several museums, galleries and private collections. Most of the
photos, spanning 150 years of photography, are very rare and have not been published
before. The pictures, which also include a few early paintings, are supplemented by a well
written and easy to follow text, which explains much of the context of the martial
tradition of the Sikhs.
The book is brought to life by the inclusion of carefully selected quotations from the
writings of several British and Indian writers, soldiers or acquaintances of the Sikhs.
For example: "In the last two world wars, 83,005 turban-wearing Sikh soldiers were
killed and 109,045 were wounded from the freedom of Britain and the world during shell
fire, with no other protection but the turban, the symbol of their faith" General
Sir Frank Messervy KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO.
This extract gives an idea of the number of Sikhs who fought in the World Wars, a fact
that is often over-looked, but the photos in this book bring the hidden truth out about
the contribution of Sikh soldiers to uphold justice all over the world.
This book is a welcome addition to my library and I look forward to displaying it
proudly to friends and colleagues. |
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Sikh Gurus
A poetic appreciation
By Jaswinder Singh Chadha
(Libroitaliano World softback 225pp £8)Poems based on historical facts are often very
complicated affairs, but this comprehensive collection of poems based upon the lives of
the Sikh Gurus is both a pleasure to read and historically accurate. The poems are written
in a very lively style, almost begging to be sung out loud. Easy to read this book is
ideal for all ages. The poems are arranged with a life sketch of each of the Sikh Gurus,
including a history of the Guru Granth Sahib. These long poems are supplemented by shorter
poems telling individual stories or sakhis, a great way to lean about the Gurus.
|
|
Shabad Kirtan 
with English Discourse
By Onkar Singh and party
(Audio CD £9)How many times have you sat and enjoyed beautiful
kirtan being sung, but when the raagi comes to explaining the lines he is singing, you
still don’t quite get the gist of what is being said? This CD brings together both
beautifully sung kirtan with a straight forward explanation in English, all performed and
produced to the highest standards. Highly recommended for all who enjoy kirtan and
especially for those whose first language is not Punjabi. |
| contents |
 On
Monday 12th April the BBC showed a two-part programme called 'Sikhs'.
The programme, in my view, was excellent.
It was balanced, professionally made and well presented. It was made by Sikhs for
everybody. In the past I have seen programmes on things like Jallianawala Bagh which have
been presented by some Indian academic who speaks his own ignorant utterances on Sikhism.
This programme was produced by a Sikh, had a Sikh consultant, was presented by Sikhs and
was narrated by a Sikh woman (Daljeet Dhaliwal, the news reader).
The programme was in two parts, the first from 7pm to 8pm and the second from 11:15pm
to 11:45pm. The first part dealt with Sikhism from the time of Guru Nanak right up to
present day. The second part looked at Sikhism outside of India, including a look at Sikh
Dharma Sikhs (a la Yogi Harbhajan Singh) and also young Sikhs in Britain and the
particular challenges faced by them. Some of the contributors were Patwant Singh,
Khushwant Singh, Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Bhai Sahib Ranjit Singh, though the latter two
fairly briefly.
The first part dealt with the revelation of
Sikhism by Guru Nanak Dev Jee, the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the concept of
Miri/Piri revealed by Guru Hargobind Ji, the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and the
creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It further explored the early history of
Sikh Nationhood and encompassed the fall of the Mughal Empire, the era of Maharajah Ranjit
Singh and the capture of this empire by the British. It covered Sikhs under the British
and the huge (in fact overwhelmingly dominant) role of the Sikhs in the Indian freedom
movement. The poor leadership of Master Tara Singh and the like was analysed resulting in
Sikhs paying the heaviest of prices during Partition.
The dissatisfaction of Sikhs under Indian rule was covered, including the Punjabi Suba
movement , the Emergency Rule of Indira
Gandhi and its opposition by the Sikhs. The events leading upto Operation Blue Star and
the operation itself were analysed in some detail, including an interview with the
hell-bound (if hell will let him in) Nirankari Kuldeep Brar who headed the Indian Army's
attack on Sri Darbaar Sahib. The subsequent assassination of Indira Gandhi and the Delhi
riots was covered. It was openly stated on this programme that government involvement and
instigation was behind these riots. A look was taken at the part played by Sikhs outside
India, particularly Canada. Then the situation in Punjab during the late 1980s and early
1990s was gone into: how the TADA law gave government sponsorship to the murder of
thousands of innocent Sikhs; how the people had/have been repressed through state
brutality and how few have received justice. Patwant Singh stated that there is no known
case of political problems being solved through state brutality and that the Sikh
situation in Punjab is not yet anywhere near solution.
The second part visited the Sikh Dharma Sikhs in USA and mentioned how they were drawn
to Sikhism by Harbhajan Singh Yogi and also how some of their practices are not in
accordance with most Sikhs' principles. Also, the issues facing young Sikhs in Britain who
are born to Punjabi parents but themselves cannot understand "Gurdwara level"
Punjabi was delved into. A young Sikh working in the City (financial centre of London)
with full Kesh and dastaar, and also a monaa Sikh who believes being a Sikh is not
possible in the West were both interviewed among others. Also, a look at Sikh MPs in
Canada was taken, including Herb Dhaliwal who is the first Sikh to be in the Cabinet.
While I'm at it, I may as well mention that I also listened to the first part of the
BBC Radio 4 programme 'Sikhs' on Thursday April 15th. Again, I and others thought it was
very good. I loved the part when I heard young Sikhs saying that taking Amrit "was
the best day of my life, I feel on top of the World!"
Jitinder Singh
pictures courtesy of BBC Birmingham
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| Star Wars®
There are, of course, lots of parallels
between Sikhism and Star Wars. The Jedi themselves are saint-soldiers just like the
Khalsa, and the Jedi are called "an ancient religion" in the way that Gurmat has
existed from the beginning of time. The Force is a Universal Grace like the Naam,
something which is worshipped at all times beyond religion. The Lightsaber is a sword to
fight injustice like the kirpan, and is constructed individually in the same way as
"sarb loh" is not mass-produced ironwork. The vir asan is used by the Jedi when
they bow with uplifted left knee and right knee placed on ground; the vir asan or heroic
pose is used when receiving Khande-de-Pahul/amrit. Jedi knights are cremated like the
Khalsa. The difference between the light side and the dark side is like the difference
between Gurmat and manmat, God-oriented or ego-oriented which is the only distinction. The
Jedi are not missionary trying to impose their faith on any, and the same is true of the
Khalsa. The path to the dark side, to ego-centricity is fear, and the path of the Guru is
fearlessness. The Khalsa is to be Nirbhao, Nirvair, without fear, without hatred. The
Khalsa has no fear since s/he is awake to Universal Grace or Gurmat. Guru itself means
"destroyer of darkness" and the Guru-Sikh relationship is paralled by the
Master-Apprentice relationship of the Jedi and the Sith. Just like the Sarbat Khalsa, the
body of all members of the Order of the Khalsa, the Jedi have a Supreme Council where all
sit as equal and decisions are made by consensus.
Three major differences stand out: Sikhs
also enjoy Guru Granth Sahib Ji where the Light side of the Force, the Guru, is visible.
In some Star Wars spin-off books there was a crystal or other manifestation of the Light
side. The other difference is that there are no female Jedi knights whereas women all
equal members of the Order of the Khalsa, and finally, the Khalsa is married with children
as part of the sehaj, the spontaneous balance and dynamic harmony with Life. The Jedi
knights do not appear to be married but, in fact, Anekin who is destined to bring balance
to the Force, did marry and have children - in other words, Star Wars might well bring out
these three missing dimensions from the Khalsa Inspiration. Does this mean that George
Lucas is a Sikh? No and yes. No, if we think of a Sikh as an identity, a tribal claim.
Yes, if we think of Sikh as an Inspiration. Gurbani refers to people like Prahlad, and
includes writings from people like Farid and Kabir who do not know the word Sikh or refer
to Sikh and Khalsa as universal categories. When Guru Nanak said that "there is no
Hindu, no Muslim" he was talking about the end of tribalism. Spirituality is about
universal and non-exclusive categories, but with an Inspired and definite discipline. Such
is the Khalsa. In the same way, Professor Puran Singh wrote about "Walt Whitman and
the Sikh Inspiration" we can talk about George Lucas and the Khalsa Inspiration.
Kanwar Ranvir Singh
Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm ltd.
|
contents |
 An
Ode to Guru Gobind |
Essentially, history never lies.
The true and brave forever live,
it is evil that always dies.Let us celebrate this day with zest
you pure of heart who God has Blest;
remember the lives of those who gave
their life that they could others save.
It takes true courage to be a friend
of helpless folk when odds are high;
to stand your ground until the end
and never from your enemy shy.
Explore the annals of peace and war
to search for lives pure, true and brave,
few men and women will hold your awe,
'gainst tyrants who did justice crave;
Who taught the world to stand and fight,
compassion, courage, right is might;
to love a life that's pure and true,
with saintliness did use imbue.
To always emulate the oak;
and defy the tyrannous yoke.
in raging storm take deeper root;
only thus can you reap the fruit. |
This oak in India is the Sikh
who stemmed the tide of evil rule;
a lion who rose from the meek
when he had sipped the nectar's pool.Grant us all this boon O Lord
of good deeds may we be assured;
with courage true and firm resolve
let us continue to evolve.
Three hundred years of this pure spirit
foretell even greater purity
of mind, of deed, of prayer, and it
this way brings sovereignty?
Begun three hundred years ago
the Khalsa spirit shall only soar
if purity of mind and deed
is practiced as it is decreed.
Enshrine forever in your hearts
the glory, greatness, and the arts
that Gobind the lion heart did bring.
Let us ever his praises sing!
In valour true, a pious saint,
a poet such as few can be.
Never let his spirit taint,
fused in the Sikh Fraternity! |
|
Major Hari-Simran Singh (Sandhu) |
contents
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