Filton College Bristol – Sikhs on campus : The way of the soldier saints

Sikh chaplain Javinder Singh and his ‘victim’

Sikhs on campus is an introduction to and celebration of the Sikh faith. The event was held for the second time at the Filton Campus on Tuesday 24^th April 2012 at 12:25 – 13:10, in the campus’ Studio Theatre.

Sikhs on campus was presented in three parts: ‘Kirtan’, ‘Gatka’ and ‘Langar’.

The presentation, led jointly by Javinder Singh (College Sikh Chaplain) and Harjinder Singh (‘The Man in Blue’), was attended by about 60 students, staff and guests.

The chaplaincy team is particularly grateful to Harjinder, an internationally recognised Sikh scholar and one-time Sikh Chaplain at Heathrow Airport, for travelling from his home in Belgium to be with us for this event.

• Kirtan – devotional music. Listen to the Japji Sahib video and to the Sikhs on Campus 2009 video to gain an appreciation
  Japji Sahib video :
  ttp://www.filton.ac.uk/chaplaincy/ch02/SikhsOnCampus.html 
  Sikhs on Campus 2009 video :
  http://www.filton.ac.uk/chaplaincy/ch02/SikhsOnCampus.html 
• Gatka – swordplay, martial arts and meditation. View the BBC video from the Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara for an insight into its practice and meaning.
  Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara video :
  http://www.filton.ac.uk/chaplaincy/ch02/SikhsOnCampus.html
• Langar – the food provided without charge at every gurdwara to all who seek sustenance, irrespective of religious faith or background. In our case this took the form of a deliciously spicy vegetarian rice dish!

Visitors to the event were able to try on a turban, inspect a display of Sikh religious artefacts, obtain explanatory literature and to familiarise themselves with the 5Ks.

The Man in Blue showing pictures of Singh & Kaur

Further information is available from the College Chaplaincy.

Sikh Women Video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7FYRuQcMyI

Chief-Chaplain Paul Smith

Anything to do with Sikhs almost always includes sharing food

464.The Man in Blue – Japji Sahib

Japji Sahib is the first shabad in the Guru Granth Sahib, and is preceded by a statement on God’s qualities which starts with Ik Ongkár and ends with Gurprasád.

Neither before the title ‘Jap’ nor after it is a rág or mahala 1 (Guru Nanak) indicated, as you would find elsewhere in the Guru Granth Sahib.

The opening slok, Ád sach till Hosí bhí sach followed by (1) is also found in Gauri Sukhmaní, Mahala 5 on page 285 of the Guru Granth Sahib.

After the slok are 38 verses, and Japji Sahib ends with the well known slok ‘pavan gurú paní pita’. This same slok, with some slight differences that do not affect the meaning, is as Slok Mahalá 2 part of Vár Májh on page 146.

Comparing Guru Nanak’s Jap with other long compositions like Anand Sahib and Sukhmaní Sahib one notices that there is no unity of metre, rhyme or length of the verses, or even the length of the lines within the verses.

Looking at the ‘technical’ aspects of the spiritual poetry that we find in the Guru Granth Sahib is almost like looking at the frame around a painting. One of these ornate affairs with gold paint fits a picture of one of the seventeenth century Dutch masters, but would be out of place around a painting by Vincent van Gogh.

Guru chose a rág that fitted the mood of the shabad. The form of the shabad, the number of verses, whether there is a rahao line or not, the rhythm built into the text, all these like the rág are there to strengthen the teachings.

Our number one concern must of course be with the meaning of the words. There are very learned people who can tell us all about the meaning of the more difficult to understand words that we find in the Guru Granth Sahib.

But please before losing yourself in the details, first take a step back and look at the overall ‘picture’. If you look at a picture close up, using a magnifying glass, you might see interesting structures in the paint, but you will not see the painting.

I’ll illustrate this by two examples. First we look at verses 8 till 11 of Japji, all starting with ‘suniai’, followed by verse 12 till 15 that all start with mannai. ‘Listen’ and ‘apply’ are the meanings of these words.

Listen to Nám, listen to the word of God, and apply what you learned in your daily life. Once you understand this you are ready to look at these verses in detail.

Verses 34 till 37 discuss the steps to take to get to God. Guru uses both difficult words and difficult concepts here, but as long as you understand the words Dharm, Gián, Saram, Karam and Sach as the steps on the way you will not get lost.

427.Man in Blue – Japji, Rahras and Sohila

Writing last week’s article about the five ‘khands’, the five stages on the way to God, was a real challenge. The subject seems straightforward to me, but I have been on the Sikhí path since 1996 and daily think about these things. What is simple to me now might be complicated to the readers.

This week’s article is inspired by the index of the Guru Granth Sahib as found on the ‘Sikhitothemax’ download version. The first folder is called ‘Beginning’ and is followed by 31 folders, one for each rág in which most shabads are arranged.

The first shabad in the ‘Beginning’ folder is Japji Sahib. Japji Sahib is a beautiful spiritual poem, meant for reciting, not for singing. The second and third entries are Rahras and Sohila, both compilations of shabads in different rágs. These are usually recited but can also be sung.

Each shabad in Rahras and Sohila appears twice in the Guru Granth Sahib, once in these compilations and once under their respective rágs.

Why did Guru Arjan separate these out ? Japji Sahib is a very special composition by first Guru, Guru Nanak, and discusses many of the basic teachings of Sikhí. It fully deserves its position as the first spiritual poem of the Guru Granth.

I think that by publishing Japji Sahib, Rahras and Sohila on the first 13 pages, Guru Arjan, who compiled the first version of the Guru Granth (the Ádi Granth), instructed the Sikhs to recite these every day.

I have of course no authority to change the Rahit Maryada. According to the 1945 Sikh Rahit Maryada we have to read Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib and the ten Svaye starting with ‘Srávag Sudh’ in the morning. In the evening we should read an extended Rahras and then before going to bed an unchanged Sohila.

Mostly this leads to speed reading, or listening to recorded versions while doing other things. Reading Japji Sahib with full attention should at least take half an hour. Follow that by some simran and you have a very nice opening of your day. Similarly for Rahras, a beautiful collection of shabads, very well balanced and full of important teachings.

Most Sikhs, encouraged by Taksal and AKJ, want to read more, not less. But what is often practised is either speed reading or listening to a recording via iPod or computer. Listening to recordings is not bad, but after having listened to Japji Sahib or Jaap Sahib our minds have problems concentrating on more input. Does not Guru prefer quality over quantity ?

Any suggestions from Sangat ?

426.Man in Blue – Dharm, Gian, Saram, Karam and Sach Khand

Dharm = Righteousness  Gián = Knowledge  Saram = Humility
Karam = Actions  Sach = Truth  Khand = Realm

Many people think that pauri 34, 35, 36 and 37 are the most difficult part of the Jap-Ji Sahib, the opening poem of the Guru Granth Sahib.

These pauris (= ladder) describe the five steps, the five stages on the way to unite with God in the ‘Sach Khand’, the Truth Realm. Sikhí is a mystic tradition; all Sikhs are the brides longing for unity with the God-Groom.

The five steps to this unity are described by Guru Nanak using images that were probably clear in his days, but are not so easily understood by his 21^st century followers. On the other hand the idea of a ‘righteous’ life,  humility, knowledge with understanding, a record of good deeds and being the embodiment of truth as steps towards God is really quite simple.

The Dharmic way that the Guru teaches is the way of righteousness.

Through meditation, through thinking about God, bad thoughts and deeds are replaced by good ones. Meditating should not be a selfish exercise, it is useless if you ignore the needs of your fellow creatures.

This first step on the ladder to God will lead you to the other four steps. Good thoughts and actions must combine with humility (saram). Living a life of service to others will get you nearer to God, who will give you gián, knowledge with understanding, using all your faculties, not just the brain.

By doing positively good things your record (karam) will start improving. Sikhí teaches that you cannot ‘force’ your way to God by doing good deeds. You cannot force God, all happens by God’s kirpa (grace). But showing that you are changing, that you have given up on ‘me, me’ must help.

The final step is when the self gets dissolved and the atma (soul) merges with the Paramatma (All-Soul). God is Truth, when the soul enters the Sach Khand, the realm of truth, the soul becomes part of the All-True.

What you have to do to start on the path to God is change your behaviour. Become more honest, more caring, less selfish. Realise that all the ‘stuff’ (like the nice laptop I am writing this on) you own is only temporal, you cannot take it with you to the next life or to the sach khand.

As soon as you get closer to God you will become happier and more balanced. You will experience the True One, who is with us all the time.

You lose the self by realising God. By realising that all comes from God you lose your pride and you will just use your talents to help others and sing God’s qualities instead of your own. I am on that way, with still a lot to do !