Forging A New Path

It is easy to live life in a sleep mode. Gurbani tells us that actually most of us will live out our whole lives asleep, and the rare one is a Gurmukh who is awakened to the path of God. I recently read a great article on this topic by IJ Singh called “Whence the Rot Set In.” He travels through our history to describe the current state of the Sikh com. He writes, “Our cultural habits have become largely secular in an attempt for the minority to merge with the mainstream. Think back: What are the early lessons - essential advice - drummed into the head of Indian children and adolescents irrespective of their religious identity? They begin and end with: study hard, get good grades, get a good stable job and marry well. Isn’t that a fair summary of what was drummed into our heads? Where is Sikhi in this truly secular message?…In fact, our relationship to the two languages critical to us changed dramatically. Competence in English defined our proficiency at work in the new world. Skill in Punjabi defined us within our community. We never saw the need to pick up a book on poetry, history or philosophy in English because it would likely not be work-related, and we didn’t pick up a book on philosophy, history or poetry in Punjabi because Punjabi had become increasingly limited to social banter and easy, crass humor. Ergo, the life of the mind became increasingly unexplored in English or Punjabi.” His point about how we have limited the purpose of our lives to studies/job/marriage really emphasizes how we can cruise through life without exploring the mind. I very much resonate with this because by the time I got to university I started to think about what more there was to life beyond studies, or beyond my understanding of “being a good person” which meant to help others. It was only the understanding of the mind’s journey through Sikhi that helped me reconcile that. The emptiness of the veil of doubt and sense of separation cannot otherwise be alleviated no matter how many good grades, how good of a job we have, or how great our marriage is.  

Our ability to think critically is one of the foundations of Sikhi as Guru Nanak Dev Ji travelled teaching people to move out of ritualism, yet it seems that many of the problems in our community nowadays revolve around loss of this critical thinking lens. For example practicing jadhoo toona (black magic), doing a certain number of paaths or going to the Gurdwara on certain days (new moon), and donating certain food items on certain days, etc. IJ Singh writes, “Our focus needs to shift from more and expensive vestments (rumalas) for the Guru Granth, or gold and marble in gurduaras to our own community and its education and understanding, so that we become a more progressive people.” Instead of our actions we should be focused on transforming the mind. Unfortunately we often start to lecture other people, but I think so few times do we look within ourselves to say how am I asleep and how do I awaken myself. We need to take ownership of our own thinking and that will help drive the direction for the community as a whole by getting back to the basics. Satbir Kaur writes “We don’t have time to waste on empty debates and fights. ma(n)dhaa kisai n aakh jhagarra paavanaa || Do not speak ill of others, or get involved in arguments.” By getting caught in arguments, we are dividing ourselves and getting caught in maya. That is not the same as critical thinking and is creating confusion for those who want to advance their Sikhi and the younger generation. Many younger people think that Sikhi is about rules and strictness rather than seeing the way of life and the states of Sehaj and Anand. They also have media working against them selling them alcohol and drug culture in Punjabi music, and ideas of what it means to be a successful and happy young man or woman. Going back to the basics means practicing what Gurbani teaches us and following our real guide the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Before one should focus on any minute detail they should be focusing on truthfulness, compassion, forgiveness, integrity, love, humility, and contentment. Satbir Kaur writes, “don’t just read the Mul Mantar. Become the Mul Mantar.” 

References

http://www.sikhnet.com/news/whence-rot-set

http://www.sikhnet.com/news/wake-my-dear-khalsa