520.The Man in Blue – Benti Chaupaí

According to the Sikh Rehat Maryada we should as part of our nitnem daily read Tav Prasád Svayé, Jáp Sahib and Benti Chaupaí. These are texts that are found in the ‘Dasam Granth’.

I think that Tav Prasád Svayé and Jáp Sahib are in tune with the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib, but I feel uneasy about Benti Chaupaí.

In this article I will highlight words or phrases in Benti Chaupaí that I do not understand. I hope that others will help me to come to a better understanding. I would prefer a dialogue about facts over a debate on opinions.

I will restrict myself to the discussion of the 25 verses that are specified in the Sikh Rehat Maryada as being part of the nitnem banis.

Hamré dust sabhai tum ghávho – Destroy all my enemies – 1st line of verse 2
Does dust mean wicked and ghávho stab ? Stab all the wicked ?

Sabh bairan ko áj sanghriyai – Destroy all my enemies today – 2nd line of verse 3
Sanghriyai = companions ? Bairan = alien ?

Chun chun satr hamáré máríhi – Kindly kill all my enemies after singling them out – 4th line of verse 4

The above translations are by Harban Singh Doabia. I am not convinced that he has translated correctly, and I wonder about these ‘enemies’ and the ‘killings’. These verses, whether they are written by Guru Sahib or not, date from the period when the Mughal regime saw the Sikhs as their enemies.

But Gursikhs see God’s presence in all, and have no enemies. Of course when those that see us as their enemies attack us or other communities we have not just the right, but the obligation to protect ourselves and others.

But even then, as the Bhai Ghanaya story illustrates, we keep seeing those ‘enemies’ as our fellow human beings.

Another way to look at these quotes is to consider the enemies as the five ‘thieves’ that steal away our balanced state of mind. Please let us know what you think.

I am not interested in a debate on whether these verses have been written by Guru Gobind Singh or by person or persons unknown.

I want to come to a better understanding of Benti Chaupaí, and want to establish whether it is in tune with the Guru Granth Sahib.

As we all should know it is Guru Gobind Singh who emphasised the key role of the Guru Granth as the eternal Guru of the Sikhs.

To react to this column either use the comments button underneath or send an email to
harjindersingh_amritsar@yahoo.com

519.Man in Blue – The Sikh Identity

I am an Amritdhari Sikh and wear the five Ks and a turban. I do this because the Guru asked me, and because I believe it is a useful part of my spiritual discipline. My turban and beard make me a recognisable Sikh, but that does not mean that I am a Sikh because I look like one.

I am not a Sikh because I took amrit and I am not a Sikh because my parents were Sikhs (they were not). The definition in the Sikh Rehat Maryada is quite clear : the main element of being a Sikh is following the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib and the example set by the Gurus through their Gursikh way of life.

The SGPC is rarely able to do anything that is in line with Guru’s Teachings. But this time they have been caught by their own foolishness. Under pressure of the Badal Dal the union government issued a notification saying that only those who have uncut/unshaven etc hair can vote in the SGPC elections.

The 2011 SGPC elections were held on that basis, but have since been successfully challenged by another un-Sikh outfit : the Sehajdhari Sikh Federation. I do not think that the Supreme Court has ruled on the merits of being Keshdhari or Sehajdhari, but on the grounds that a law should not be changed by a notification.

The Sikh identity is defined by behaving as the Guru taught us. Live in the world, but do not be ruled by it, see God’s presence in all, be ready to serve all, make an honest living, think about God with all you do, recognise that there are people in all traditions who are true Students of the Teacher of Teachers etc, etc.

I know too many ‘Keshdhari’ Sikhs who practice none of the above and a good few moné who do quite well. It is impossible to make a relevant voters list of ‘Sikhs’ based either on the status of their hair or on who their parents were.

Looking the part without living the part is useless. If you call yourself an athlete but do not train and do not have a disciplined way of life you are living a lie.

The Gursikh that we should all try to be, regardless of being amritdhari, keshdhari or mona, is like a spiritual athlete. Some of us might reach to Olympic level, others play in the local league, but all should try to get nearer to God by following Guru’s teachings. Going by the Guru Granth Sahib (our eternal teacher) this way of life is not defined by the length of your hair, the length of your kachhera or by any other outward sign.

Walk in hukam, walk with God, be her/his humble child; if you do not see God in all you will not see God at all; be different and look different, these are the kind of  things a Gursikh should practice.

If you wear all or part of the Sikh uniform but have no Sikh behaviour you are like an empty shell. Sikh or Khalsa behaviour without the uniform does has value. Just like good the Muslims and good Yogis that Guru writes about can attain to God, so can good moné. But being ‘pure from outside and dirty inside’ means that you are a hypocrite, and Guru does not like hypocrites at all !

517.The Man in Blue – Sikhí VI

If you go back to my previous column you will notice that I have not given any specific reasons for having uncut hair, steel bangle, cotton boxer short or wooden comb. This is because authors of books about Sikhí all give different reasons for wearing these 4 Ks, which do not seem to be based on authentic pronouncements of Guru. The Kirpan of course stands for the fight against injustice.

To me the main reason for wearing my 5 Ks is because Guru asked me to offer my head and wear the 5 Ks and the turban. I also see the value of being a visible Sikh. It reminds me that I have committed myself to Guru’s path, and is a signal to others that here goes a Sikh who promised to serve all.

Many religious traditions have rules about not cutting or shaving all body hair, part of the body hair and also of course about having bold heads or shaving part of the head. To me all these have in common that they are signs of commitment.

Rings or bangles are often symbols of unity, unity within marriage, within a group, with God or with God and all humanity.

Guru’s fighters often wore a number of heavy steel bangles from their elbow to their hand to protect the sword arm.

Cotton boxer shorts are very comfortable when worn underneath a traditional long wide shirt (chola), underneath an Indian style pijama or any wide type of trousers. Cotton clothes keep you warm in winter and cool in summer and absorb perspiration, which avoids prickly heat (rash) during the monsoon time.

The wooden comb is useful to comb your hair and pulls out less of it than modern western combs. If you tie you hair in a topknot, as many Sikhs do, you can stick the comb in your topknot, which helps to stabilise it.

The outer five Ks and the turban should go together with a Sikh way of life. The way of life is often associated with the five qualities. They are: Sat (Truth), Santokh (Contentment), Diá (Compassion), Nimratáh (Humility) and Piár (Love).

God is Truth, and Her/His followers should strive to live in Truth. We should be ‘content’, we should accept what is given to us and not constantly look for more, more, more. We should have compassion and care for the poor, the discriminated, the ill etc and we should also be willing to forgive those that have hurt us.

Humility is very important for a Sikh, and even more for an amritdhari (initiated) Sikh. It is so easy to become proud of the fact that you wear the 5 Ks and have given up habits that most people take for granted. Pride leads to ego and where there is ME there God is not !

Just like God is Truth, God is also Love, real Love, unconditional Love. We who claim to be God’s followers should try and nurture this Love, also when those we try to truly Love do not respond with even ordinary human love.

If you thought walking in God’s will would be easy I have to disappoint you, God puts many challenges on our way, but also gives us the strength to overcome them.

515.The Man in Blue – Sikhi IV

Kám (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment) , Ahankár (ego). These are the five vices or the five ‘thieves’ of the South Asian spiritual traditions. These vices are all based on natural inclinations.

My understanding is that we should not suppress these, but that we should recognise them and give them a positive direction.

The vices should not rule us, we should rule the vices.

Kám (lust). Sikhs are to live a natural life and having a sexual relationship with husband/wife is part of such a life. But a relation that is only based on sexual attraction will not last. A sexual relationship should be embedded in the mutual respect and true love between wife and husband. We often use the word love when we mean sexual attraction !

Krodh (anger). Anger damages you more than it does those you are angry with. Anger turns against you. But when a Sikh sees injustice she/he should feel anger and use the energy of the anger to take action against the injustice.

Lobh (greed). Greed is like human needs that get out hand. We need food, we need clothes, we need housing and we need a life partner. But we should not eat huge rich meals all the time, we should wear practical, modest clothing, no need to pay over the top for ‘branded’ stuff or for products of the Paris fashion houses, and one life partner is more than enough for us.

Moh (attachment). I think this is a key teaching of the Dharmic religions. To fully understand this we have to start from the notion that both being too wealthy and being too poor leads to an obsession with ‘maya’, with worldly goods.

I think the right way is the middle way. Have enough for a comfortable life. Be not attached to your worldly goods or to your family and friends. You cannot take these with you to your next life or to the All-Soul when you merge with our Mother/Father.

We should also be able to live on when relatives or friends die or when we have to spend less because of the economic malaise that has been with us since the 2008 banking crisis hit us.

I live a simple life and even with that I have to be careful because I should not be attached to my simple life or to my blue chola and big kacchera.

Ahankár (ego). Ego and pride are close companions. I am Harjinder Singh, I am a product of the culture and family I come from. I have good qualities but also not such good ones. Learning to understand myself and accepting both my good and bad qualities was part of my spiritual path.

But being egoistic, only living for me, me, me is not spiritual. Feeling satisfaction when you achieve something is fine, as long as you realise that we cannot achieve anything without God’s blessings. Where there is ME, God is not !

511.The Man in Blue – I am a Sikh

The ‘I’ mentioned underneath is not Harjinder Singh – man in blue. The ‘I’ represents Guru’s teachings, which I am trying to follow in my daily life.

I am human, I make mistakes, but in spite of my foolishness I receive many blessings.

I am not a gora (white) Sikh or a kala (black) Sikh
-    I am a Sikh

I am not a mazbi Sikh, a jat Sikh or a ramgharia Sikh
-    I am a Sikh

I am not a doaba Sikh or a malwa Sikh
-    I am a Sikh

I am not an AKJ Sikh or a Taksali Sikh
-    I am a Sikh

My Guru is the Guru Granth Sahib, not the Námdhari satguru, not the yogi who called himself the leader of the Sikhs in the western hemisphere, not the Soho Road (Birmingham) spiritual leader of the Sikhs in the UK, nor any other self-appointed holy man, pardhan or jathedar
-    I am a Sikh

I try to see God in all, regardless of race, faith, nationality or caste/social class
-    I am a Sikh

I am an initiated (amritdhari) Sikh, but I do not look down on those who are not
-    I am a Sikh

I wear a turban and keep the 5 Ks, but I do not look down on those who do not
-    I am a Sikh

I do not drink alcohol, do not smoke tobacco, do not use recreational drugs
-    I am a Sikh

I do not eat meat, fish, poultry or eggs, but do not condemn those who do
-    I am a Sikh

I wear ‘bana’, traditional clothes associated with Guru Gobind Singh’s Khalsa, but I know that I will be judged on my behaviour, not on my clothes
-    I am a Sikh

I do not cut my hair or shave, I wear a kirpan, kachhera, kara and kangha, but do not think that those who do not are bad people
-    I am a Sikh

Sikhí in one Picture

I think I found this image on Sikhnet. It sums up most of what you will find in this Section on Sikhí, plus the 5 ‘thiefs’ the five qualities that steal your spiritual balance : Lust, Anger,  Attachment, Greed and Ego.

Inside the circle are positive qualities :  Love, Humility, Compassion, Contentment, Truth

Underneath that the ‘pillars’ of a good, positive life style :  Kirt Karo (honest work), Nám Japo (meditate, think about God), Vand Shako (share with others)

Read the articles below to get a good understanding of Sikhí

Sikhí is :

A spiritual way of life

Many Sikhs do not like to talk about the Sikh religion, because we are not like the three well known religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Sikhí has a number of core principles, but it does not have a comprehensive system of doctrines. The emphasis is much more on our way of life. In the Sikh principles article we try to explain the core principles of Sikhí, and even that goes quickly from ‘what to believe’ to ‘what to do’. Most Sikhs believe that the soul travels through various existences and when it reaches the human stage it will strive to be reunited with God. But in whatever way you look on these matters, if you do not seriously try to live a ‘Godly’ life, it is all rather irrelevant. 

A religion

Sikhí is a religion, but the emphasis is on the way of life, and not on doctrines.

An ethnic group or a nation

Sikhs, regardless whether they are of Panjabi background or not, have been recognised by the UK Law Lords as a separate ethnic group. Many Sikhs consider themselves to be a nation. But the Sikh Nation, or the Sikh Ethnic Group is part of the one Humanity, as we are all God’s children, regardless of our religion, ethnicity or nationality. And regardless of our ethnicity or nationality, according to Guru’s teachings Sikhs should make a contribution to the countries they live in. They should be loyal but critical citizens of their countries of residence.

The 5 Ks, pictorial

Kesh – Uncut hair
Kangha – Wooden Comb

Kara – Steel Bracelet

Kara – Steel Bracelet
Kirpan – Small Sword
Kachhera – Cotton ‘Boxershort’

Khalsa woman
Pag ~ Pagri ~ Dastar = Turban
Kirpan  - Small Sword

The Khalsa and the 5 Ks

Vaisakhi 1699

In 1699 Guru Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, called his Sikhs together in Anandpur Sahib in the north of Panjab. He stood before the meeting, holding a sword, and asked for people to come forward who were willing to give their head.

The first five who did so are called the Panj Piaré, the five beloved ones. They were the first members of the Khalsa, the order of initiated Sikhs, those who are totally committed to the Sikh way of life, to doing God’s work. They then in their turn initiated Guru Gobind Rai into the Khalsa, and many others followed. From then on all Khalsa men were known as Singh (=Lion) and Khalsa women as Kaur (=Prince). Thus Guru Gobind Rai became Guru Gobind Singh.

This took place under the rule of one of the more intolerant Mughal Emperors, who then ruled most of the north of India. Being a Khalsa involved physical fighting against the oppressors, to achieve freedom of worship for all.

Guru did stipulate that the sword was only to be used as a last resort, after all other means had failed. Guru wanted his Khalsa to be Sant-Sipahi (Saint-Soldier), who would not fight for material gain or out of anger, but who would defend the defenceless and fight against injustice.

As visible signs of their commitment the members of the Khalsa were to wear five outward signs, the so called Five Ks, and this practice is followed to this day.

Do realise that initiated Sikhs or Khalsas are only a relatively small group within the wider Sikh community or Panth. Many people of Sikh background wear a Kara, and more committed ones also keep uncut hair and wear a turban. It is unlikely that Sikhs who are not initiated wear a Kachhera, while only initiated Sikhs will wear the Kirpan.

The 5 Ks 

The 5 Ks are :

• Kesh (uncut hair, no cutting, trimming or shaving)
• Kara (a steel bracelet)
• Kangha (a wooden comb)
• Kacchera (cotton boxer short)
• Kirpan (small steel sword)
  The kirpan stands for this fight against injustice referred to above  

The Five Ks symbolise dedication to a life of devotion and submission to the Guru. For an initiated Sikh or Khalsa the fact that the Guru has asked the Sikhs to wear the Five Ks is sufficient reason and no more needs be said.

The Khalsa cannot be anonymous. Her/His religion is known to all. She/He stands out among people, and any unseemly behaviour on her/his part would be noted as unbecoming of a follower of the Gurus.

Anybody seeing somebody wearing the Khalsa uniform (the Five Ks) should know that they can go to her/him for help. Regardless whether they wear western or Panjabi style clothes, they are visible Sikhs. Unfortunately many Sikh ladies, even initiated ones, choose not to wear a turban, and are therefore not easily recognisable as Sikhs.

Principles of Sikhism

A short definition of a Sikh is somebody who follows the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, as found in the Guru Granth Sahib. Underneath I will try and sum up the most important aspects of these teachings. 

One God & One Humanity

There is only One God, there is no Sikh God, Christian God or Muslim God, there is only One God. God is the Creator, the Nurturer, the Destroyer, all the qualities of the various Hindu gods are united in the One God.

All humans, regardless of their gender, caste, ethnicity, faith, nationality are members of the same human race. Guru says that all can find the way to God, Guru only recognises the high caste of being near God and the low caste of being away from God.

Simran & Seva

Simran = Meditation, which means think about God, keep God in your mind. You can do simran by repeating a special word (Vahiguru), or by reading, singing the hymns from Guru Granth Sahib. All this should lead to a state where God is always with you (whether you are sitting or standing, awake or sleeping), a state where you see Her/His presence in all and everything.

Seva = Selfless Service. A lot of Sikhs do voluntary service in the Gurdwara, like cooking or serving the free food supplied there, or keeping the Gurdwara clean. In big Gurdwaras the reading and singing from Guru Granth Sahib is mostly done by ‘professionals’ but in smaller ones the sangat (congregation) performs part of or all of this seva.

We should also do seva outside the Gurdwara, help your elderly neighbour or the single parent family, the homeless, or people outside the UK who are victims of famines, natural disasters, wars etc. I came across a good example of Sikh seva at a Gurdwara in Himachal Pradesh, where a local Hindu man who had lost his arm in an accident was employed as watchman. Instead of giving him a handout, they enabled him to make an honest living.

Honest Work

Guru Granth Sahib does teach us that we should not be so-called ‘holy beggars’. We are to live in society and make a living by doing honest work. A Sikh in business is fine, but it should be honest business, giving the customers a good deal, and the Sikh businessman should share any surplus monies with those that are in need, which brings us back to seva.

What is our aim in life

We believe that the soul originates from God, and after travelling through various existences, wants to return to God. It is only as a human that you can achieve this ‘liberation’ from the cycle of birth and death.

It is by God’s grace only that this liberation will be achieved.

Love

We should open ourselves to the love that God showers upon us, always, without limit and without conditions. We should develop our love for God, so that the ‘soul-bride’ will be able to merge in the ‘God-Groom’  

Caste	Hereditary social group within Indian society
Gurdwara	Guru’s Door = Sikh place of worship
Guru	‘Bringer of Light into Darkness’ = Teacher
Guru Granth Sahib	Teacher Book Respected = Sikh holy book
Nám	Name = Key concept for Sikhs : Godly Essence, present in all and everything
Sádh Sangat	True Congregation
Sangat	Congregation
Seva	Selfless service
Sikh	Pupil, student = follower of Sikh way of life / religion
Vahiguru	Wonderful Teacher = God