First Prakash Divas Guru Granth Sahib Ji 2018

This weekend we are celebrating the Anniversary of the first Parkash Divas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji when Guru Arjan Dev Ji installed the Aad Granth at Harmandir Sahib on September 1^st, 1604.

Let us go back to the history of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. From the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, our Guru Jis felt it was important to write down the Gurbani that came to them, and so the shabads were written in  pothis. In katha today, a Veer Ji was talking about how this bani is different than our regular speech. Our daily speech can be called kachi bani because it exists in maya, whereas the Gurbani in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is Dhur Ki Bani, directly from God. Guru Nanak Dev Ji used these words of God to teach people on his udaasi’s (journeys). By the time of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the need for a standard collection of Gurbani was apparent as there were many fakes trying to create their own shabads and incorporate them, including Prithi Chand, Guru Ji’s own brother. At that time Bhai Mohan, son of Guru Amardas Ji, was the one who had the  pothis with the most shabads complied from the Guru Jis, however he was not letting anyone have them as he was angry that Guru Ji had not given him the Guruship. Guru Arjan Dev Ji first sent Bhai Gurdas Ji to collect them, then Baba Buddha Ji however they were unsuccessful, so Guru Ji went himself. Guru Ji sang shabads which won over Bhai Mohan and he gave the pothis. Guru Ji filtered out the added fake shabads and compiled the writings into the Aad Granth, adding writings from Hindu and Muslim Saints of varying classes to break the casteism that was strong at the time. The shabads from the Hindu and Muslim saints showed that we all have One God. Bhai Gurdas Ji was the scribe for the composition of the Aad Granth. I was surprised to learn that the scriptures of other religions were not written directly by those who were “prophets” of those religions but rather followers, and additionally that ours are the only to include writings from different religions- these are very unique points to our religion. Guru Ji additionally left blank pages to be written later. The Aad Granth is written in Gurmukhi script though it incorporates many different languages. It is written in Larivaar, which means it was continuous without spaces between the words. The Aadh Granth was then taken to Harmandir Sahib Ji and installed September 1, 1604 with Baba Buddha Ji as the first Granthi. The first Hukamnama, Santa Ke Karaj Aap Khaloya is on Ang 783/784 of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji: “He Himself hath succoured His saints in their work, He himself hath come to see their task fulfilled. Blessed is the earth, blessed the tank. Blessed is the tank with amrit filled. Amrit overfloweth the tank: He hath had the task completed; Eternal is the Perfect Being, His praises Vedas and Puranas sing. The Creator hath bestowed on me the nine treasures, and all the charisms, No lack do I suffer now. Enjoying His largesse, bliss have I attained, Ever-expanding is the Lord's bounty.” Guru Arjan Ji then said that the Aad Granth is the embodiment of Guru Ji and while he would sleep on the floor, the Aad Granth would be placed on his own bed. 

During the times of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Dhir Mal, grandson of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, took possession of the Aad Granth and refused to give it to Guru Gobind Singh Ji. (Thus, the first volume/Bir of the Aad Granth is still currently in Karatpur). Guru Ji then dictated the entire Gurbani to Bhai Mani Singh Ji and Baba Deep Singh Ji. Guru Ji included the shabads of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji. Thus, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji contains the writings from the first five and the 9^thGuru Ji, 15 Bhagats, and 17 Bhatts. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji was then installed on October 20, 1708 which is called the Gurgaddi Divas of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji contains 1430 Angs (pages) written in raags, which are a musical framework to make melodies, with a specific emotional tone. 

Guru Granth Sahib Ji are more than just holy scriptures or book, this our living Guru Ji, who listens and answers our questions in the form of a Hukamnama. In the katha I attended today, Veer Ji kindly explained that if we simply bow down to Guru Ji but do not follow teachings we are not being respectful, just as if we didn’t follow what our parents said, we wouldn’t be being respectful to them. Real respect is not in show but in your actions. Guru Ji has the power to transform our lives, the key to fulfilling our purpose, answering our questions, helping us solve our problems and pains in this life. Let us not underestimate the treasure of the spiritual knowledge and take advantage by learning, listening, reading, understanding and incorporating the teachings into our lives. I was reading the other day in the Sikh Harvard course I started that the word Granthi should actually be translated as “caretaker” and not “priest” because in Sikhi we do not have a priestly class. Each individual should develop their own relationship with God and Guru Ji, but the Granthis are the caretakers for Guru Ji and are therefore knowledgeable individuals who know Gurbani. It really got me to thinking because I sometimes have translated it as “priest” too, knowing it wasn't the same but not really recognizing the vast difference in what that means because we don't have a "priestly class", but rather can all read from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji which is quite different from the Hindu system at the time which emphasized that only the priestly class could read scriptures and meet God. 

As Sikhs, people might ask us the question of why we bow to Guru Ji if we do not do idol worship. One of the greatly articulated answers on sikhiwiki explained that we are bowing not to the physical book, but to the word of God- our Guru Ji, just like people did not worship the bodies of the physical Gurus but the Divine wisdom that allows us to also meet God. They write “Therefore, bowing before the ‘Spoken revealed Word’ of God and submitting to God’s Order is in fact bowing to God.” I think this is a great way of us explaining that to others outside the Sikh community. 

Reflecting now on the Parkash Divas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, may we celebrate by each expanding and applying our knowledge. May we go to the Gurdwara Sahib and share what's going on with our Guru Ji in the form of Ardas and hear the answers in the form of Hukamnama, may we get Gurmat and continue to learn and find our path. I hope you all reflect on your relationship with Guru Ji as I am today. Happy Parkash Divas!

Quiz: 

When was the Aad Granth Ji first installed at Harmandir Sahib?

What was the importance in developing a compilation of the shabads in a standard version?

Who was the first Granthi?

What was the first Hukamnama? 

How many Angs are in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji? 

What is the difference between the Parkash Divas and Gurgaddi Divas?

The writings of which Guru Jis, how many Bhatts, and how many Bhagats are in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji?

References

https://brightoncollege.com/guru-granth-sahib/

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Adi_Granth 

http://www.manninghaminterfaithnetwork.org.au/event/sri-guru-granth-sahib-ji-proclamation-as-eternal-guru-s-2/

https://twitter.com/jagdeep_singh91/status/643278961196142593 

http://khalsaforce.in/september-1-1604-the-first-prakash-purab-of-shri-guru-granth-sahib-ji 

Part 2: Facing Death as a Sikh Healthcare Provider

"Birth and death are subject to the Command of the Lord's Will; through His Will we come and go" (Ang 472)

Healthcare professionals from nurses and doctors to allied healthcare professionals (such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapists, etc.) all deal with death in their jobs. Although this post focuses on healthcare providers, I think many of the points addressed also equally apply to first responders such as police, paramedics, and firefighters. It has been well studied that healthcare professional grieve the deaths of their patients and that facing deaths can have negative outcomes on their health including burnout and more serious consequences for their health, jobs, and other domains of life. We will discuss the things that make grief different as a healthcare professional, coping strategies, and a Sikhi perspective. 

There are several factors that make grief as a healthcare professional different from the general population. These include facing repetitive deaths/traumas, being reminded of one’s own family members, bringing up previous unresolved experiences with loss, responsibility over the person’s life, personal vulnerability factors, and stigma around expressing emotions. In terms of responsibility for life, this is especially true for physicians because their role is essentially perceived as saving someone’s life and this expectation exists not only in medical training but also from the families. Death often brings up feelings of failure or blame, loss of confidence, etc. This is addressed well through Sikhi and we will talk about it below. Personal vulnerability factors means things like having a heavy workload, time pressure, and long hours. Having been awake for almost 30 hours straight repetitively every couple of days, I understand how this significantly impacts our ability to deal with situations how we would normally. The mind simply doesn’t function the same without sleep. Lastly, I think that the stigma around expressing emotions is definitely a big factor as it is seen as unprofessional or a weakness, and medical culture trains healthcare providers not to express emotion. Ultimately this causes a bottling up of natural feelings instead of dealing with them. 

Some of the coping strategies recorded by those who regularly work with the dying like palliative care workers and pediatric oncology nurses include starting with basics like caring for the body (massage, exercise, sleep, eating), mind (meditation, journaling, talking to colleagues/mentors, counselling, time with family, hobbies), and soul (spiritual connection, prayer, music). Personally I have found the support from colleagues- fellow residents and nurses to be one of the most helpful and impactful strategies, especially when it is the middle of the night and you don't have your usual supports around. Other strategies mentioned in the articles were sending cards to the family, attending the funeral, rituals (like praying while washing hands), and sharing memories via memory boards. Many articles mentioned the important of making meaning in order to let go including: the idea "we did everything we could", that it was the end of suffering, comforting the family, and connecting to faith. On a more systems level approach, strategies include: mandatory debriefs after deaths and adverse outcomes, limiting/altering work hours or workload, automatic sick leave, creating a work culture where it is acceptable to express emotion, mentors that practice healthy coping, meditation/tranquility room, and formal education about grief, death and palliative care. These require institutional policies which in my experience, usually are not in place, but if implemented would help to address some of the vulnerability factors we identified above. There was a balance described by Dr. Papadatou, who talked about how healthcare providers have to go into “action mode” in a life and death scenario as the emotions must be put aside in order to effectively do the job and carry out the actions. Then there is also a time for “presence mode” in which the healthcare providers have to reconnect to those emotions to be able to sit with the family and connect to the patient and the experience. These go back and forth and are quite different than the grieving process experienced in the general public. 

Now let’s move on to what Sikhi teaches us as healthcare providers and healers. Our Guru Jis taught us to have utmost compassion for others. Guru Arjan Dev Ji build a place to help people with Leprosy at Taran Taran, Guru Har Rai Ji made a medicinal hospital which helped to cure Dara Shekoh (son of Emperor Jahangir), Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji healed those with smallpox and Guru Amar Das Ji took special care of the elderly. The Guru Jis provided food via langar and water wells to preserve the health of the people. Bhai Kanhaiya Ji gave water and medicine to all regardless of which side they were fighting for. In the presence of poverty, illness and death the Sikhs in our history expressed an endless supply of compassion that we can learn from. Our Guru Jis not only healed the body, they healed people’s suffering by changing their thinking and joining them to God. I talked to a Veer Ji recently on this topic and he shared his spiritual knowledge with me that as a healthcare provider, one of the unique things that we can do for someone as they are dying is to put your dhyan (focus, attention) into doing simran for that person. We do not have to do it out loud, but we can do it in our minds. This is a unique thing that we will be able to do do for our patients, and depending on our own spiritual avastha (state) that can change the outcome of the course of that death (not whether they die, but rather whether they are reincarnated with human life again or become jeevan mukht, etc. after that death). 

Let me share this sakhi about Guru Nanak Dev Ji that teaches us about healing. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was so focused on meditation on God, he would not eat for some days, or speak to anyone. His parents became concerned and called the village doctor, Hardial. He came to feel Guru Ji’s pulse, explaining that he would need this to diagnose the problem (they diagnosed people based on their pulse back then), and Guru Ji pulled his arm away. Guru Ji said "The physician hath been called to prescribe a remedy; he holds my arm to feel my pulse. The simple physician does not know the pain really is in my heart and mind. Physician, go away, take not my curse with you. I am imbued with my Lord; To whom would you administer medicine? Where there is pain, the physician stands by with a store of medicine. My body groans because my soul is crying. Physician give none of your medicines, Physician, go home; few know my malady. The Creator Himself, who has given me this pain, will remove it when it pleases Him to do so.” On Ang 1279 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, this is described: 

“The physician was called in; he touched my arm and felt my pulse. The foolish physician did not know that the pain was in my mind. Second Mehl: O physician, you are competent physician, if you first diagnose the disease. Prescribe such a remedy by which all sorts of illnesses may be cured. Administer that medicine, which will cure the disease, and allow peace to come and dwell in the body. Only when you are rid of your own disease, O Nanak, will you be known as a physician.” 

Then the doctor asked Guru Ji to describe his symptoms. Guru Ji then said, 

“First, there is pang of separation [from the Beloved]; then there is pain of hunger. Again, there is anguish of tyranny and death; then there is affliction of bodily ailments. O ignorant physician, give me no medicine. O ignorant physician, give me no medicine. If there is pain in the heart, there will be continued suffering in the body. Such medicine as you have, brother, cannot remove this pain. Pause. When one indulges in sensual pleasures by forgetting the Lord, then one's body contracts many ailments. The blind mortal receives his punishment. Prescribe no medicine, O ignorant physician! As sandalwood is useful when it spreads its perfume: So man is useful as long as he has breath in his body. When the breath departs, the body crumbles away and becomes useless. No one takes medicine after that. One's body becomes like gold and one's soul is made pure, when one possesses the essence of the divine Name. Thus all pains and diseases shall be dispelled; and one will be saved, Nanak, by the True Name.” (Ang 1256)

The doctor left explaining to his parents that Guru Ji does not need any medicine and is here to heal humankind!  In this sakhi, Guru Ji explains that although the physician thought he was coming to cure Guru Ji, Guru Ji taught the physician that not all is physical and can be cured by physical medicine. There are types of suffering and things beyond the control of modern medicine. The pains of the heart and the mind’s journey to God, the soul’s merging with God are only cured by God, through Naam. On Ang 618, Guru Ji tells us “My physician is the Guru, the Lord of the Universe, He places the medicine of the Naam into my mouth, and cuts away the Noose of death.” 

I personally have faced death after death both inside and outside work, and one day I came to the Gurdwara Sahib upset after a long call shift. Gyani Ji, said to me that this line in Gurbani is written for me: “Kabeer, the physician says that he alone is good and all medicine is under his control. But these things belong to the Lord, He takes them away whenever he wishes.” (Ang 1368). This is further elaborated in the Punjabi translation that the doctor thinks they are knowledgeable because they know how to save lives by curing the body, but the soul is a gift given by God and whenever God wishes, it is taken back. That is out of the physician’s hands. Guru Ji very clearly tells us here that because the body is simply a vessel for the soul, and the soul’s time to return to God is written, that this is under God’s Hukam. 

Similarly, surgeon Dr Atul Gawande describes that the process of dying has not always been our “responsibility” as a medical professional because people used to die in their homes. He states, “Modern scientific capability has profoundly altered the course of human life. People live longer and better than at any other time in history. But scientific advances have turned the processes of aging and dying into medical experiences, matters to be managed by health care professionals… As recently as 1945, most deaths occurred in the home. By the 1980s, just 17 percent did… Across not just the United States but also the entire industrialized world, the experience of advanced aging and death has shifted to hospitals and nursing homes…This experiment of making mortality a medical experience is just decades old.” This helps to explain that people are in fact coming in with more complex issues, with more advanced disease, and in the process of dying at which point normally previously they would have been home, but the process has simply now been moved to hospitals where healthcare professionals are now part of that process. 

The sewa of caring for those who are sick obviously has a powerful role in our religion and was demonstrated by our Guru Jis, however it is important for us to understand our limitations and let go of what is not in our hands. We need to create a boundary where we are not attached to the outcome as suggested by the anonymous physician from “Hearts in Healthcare.” The perception that death is our failure is wrong because as Dr Atul Gawande writes, “death, of course, is not a failure.” Just like I described in part 1 of this post, it is important for us to be prepared and remember that dying of this is written by God and the soul continues to travel its journey. I think the concepts we have can be difficult to grasp if we just use our manmat (own thinking). They require us to connect deeply to God through Gurbani, because clearly Guru Ji has given us guidance as healthcare professionals on how to do our job without getting burned out and continually delivering it with love and compassion. 

References 

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Heals_the_Physician

https://www.sikhs.org/guru3.htm

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Ji%27s_Sickness

https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/guru-sakhis/guru-storiesguru-angad-dev-jis-healing-touch

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurus/guru_nanak_doctor.html

https://ideas.ted.com/death-and-the-missing-piece-of-medical-school/ Dr. Atul Gawande's piece 

https://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2014/03/20/bmjspcare-2012-000326

http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/pdf/10.2190/TV6M-8YNA-5DYW-3C1E

Papadatou, D. (2000). A Proposed Model of Health Professionals' Grieving Process. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 41(1), pp.59-77.

Houck, D. (2014). Helping Nurses Cope With Grief and Compassion Fatigue. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 18(4), pp.454-458.

 Rosenstein, A. (2017). “Addressing Physician Stress and Burnout: Impact, Implications, and What We Need to Do”. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry, 7(4).

Jones, S. (2005). A self-care plan for hospice workers. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 22(2), pp.125-128.

http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/pdf/10.1177/104990910502200208

Zheng, R., Lee, S. and Bloomer, M. (2017). How nurses cope with patient death: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(1-2), pp.e39-e49.

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/epdf/10.1111/jocn.13975

Heiner, J. and Trabulsy, M. (2011). Coping With the Death of a Patient in the Emergency Department. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 58(3), pp.295-298.

https://ac-els-cdn-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/S0196064410019323/1-s2.0-S0196064410019323-main.pdf?_tid=b4dc421a-8dca-4aa3-9171-79581006be5b&acdnat=1534983591_273ec0a5f59b277f0b59b33902d7147d

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3366454/

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7aed/98815ef1bf687ef0941c06b8f6071dc0e5f6.pdf

https://heartsinhealthcare.com/when-will-doctors-be-allowed-to-grieve/

https://www.vitas.com/partners/making-the-rounds/2017/february/01/how-to-cope-when-your-patient-dies

https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-017-0945-9

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041038/

https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/01/doctors-grieve-lesson-not-learn-medical-school.html

https://www.healthcareglobal.com/hospitals/helping-healthcare-professionals-cope-patient-death

http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2014/july/5-tips-to-prevent-or-mitigate-physician-burnout

http://www.ahaphysicianforum.org/webinar/2017/Preventing-Physician-Burnout/files/PLF_Webinar_Physician_Burnout.pdf

https://today.mims.com/doctors--coping-with-patient-death

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/when-doctors-grieve.html

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/877424#vp_2

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4453302/

http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/pdf/10.2190/950H-U076-T5JB-X6HN

https://www.americannursetoday.com/finding-meaning-patients-death/

https://www.travelnursesource.com/notes/coping-with-the-loss-of-a-patient

Dealing with Death: Part 1

Death and grieving are topics that we generally avoid talking about. I have been slowly working on this post for the last two months in between work. Having been faced directly with death after death, I have started to reflect and explore more around these topics. I don’t think I ever developed a framework to deal with death due to my limited spiritual knowledge in the past, so my goal for this post was to understand death and grieving from a Sikhi perspective. 

Inevitably we will all deal with death and will need to comfort those around us who are dealing with it. Satpal VeerJi from ‘Nanak Naam’ did an impactful episode on the Sikh Channel about grief (link in references below). He explained that our expectations shape our grieving process because in one version we say, “they lived a long life,” in another we say “it wasn’t their time.”  When we say someone died too soon, he explains that we are saying that we were not prepared for their death. Because western culture trains us to avoid the topic of death, teaches us that death is sad, and that death comes with old age, so we have conditioned ourselves to think these things as normal. On the other hand, Gurbani shows us on a daily basis how to mentally prepare for our own death and the death of others by normalizing the topic of death into our daily thinking, then by teaching us how to accept God’s will. Thus, we directly challenge the western culture that avoids the topic of death by facing it head on each day in our 5 Banis. In fact, Kirtan Sohila, which is read at death, is also read by us each night in preparation. It is our resistance to Hukam (God’s will), and our thinking that things shouldn’t have happened as they did that propagates both grief and suffering. He explained that while psychology nowadays teaches the stages of grief as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance, Guru Ji teaches us to accept first. He says when we say time is a healer, we are actually saying acceptance is the healer because over time we develop acceptance of what happened. Bhagat Kabeer Ji further elaborates the acceptance of death: “That death which terrifies the entire world- the nature of that death has been revealed to me, through the Word of the Guru's Shabad. Now, how shall I die? My mind has already accepted death. Those who do not know the Lord, die over and over again, and then depart. Pause. Everyone says, ‘I will die, I will die.’ But he alone becomes immortal, who dies with intuitive understanding. Says Kabeer, my mind is filled with bliss; My doubts have been eliminated, and I am in ecstasy” (Ang 327). Thus, preparing ourselves by reading and understanding Gurbani is a healthier way of dealing with death than avoidance and pretending that it won’t happen, but having to deal with it when it inevitably does. Acceptance of Hukam means to accept that the age of the body is not what determines when someone dies, but rather the soul’s journey, and how many breaths they were given in this life. 

Sikhi teaches us that death of the body is merely the merging of the 5 elements of the body back into the 5 elements. The soul continues its journey by either merging back into God or if our accounts are not paid, we continue the cycle of reincarnation. The merging of the elements is described here: “The Wind Merges into the Wind. The light blends into the light. The Dust becomes one with the dust. What support is there for the one who is lamenting? Who has died? O, who has died? O God-realized beings, meet together and consider this. What a wondrous thing has happened! Mortal beings are bound by the bonds of doubt and attachment. When life becomes a dream, the blind man babbles and grieves in vain. Nothing comes, and nothing goes; this play is all set in motion by the Lord, the Sovereign King. I shall not die; I shall live forever and ever. I have become immortal; I am eternal and imperishable” (Ang 885). Guru Ji explains that the body was merely the vessel by which the journey is travelled, and the soul lives on: “The soul does not die, and it cannot be killed; God creates and watches over all. Through the Word of the Shabad, His Will is manifest” (Ang 1026) and “The one who is pervading everywhere does not die. Says Nanak, the Guru has revealed God to me, and now I see that there is no such thing as birth or death” (Ang 152). In Kirtan Sohila, it is explained that the day of death is actually a joyous day as it is the wedding of the soul to God: “The day of my wedding is pre-ordained. Come, gather together and pour the oil over the threshold.My friends, give me your blessings, that I may merge with my Lord and Master. Unto each and every home, into each and every heart, this summons is sent out; the call comes each and every day.Remember in meditation the One who summons us; O Nanak, that day is drawing near!” (Ang 12). Thus, death can be the joyous day that ends the separation from God, when one has spent the effort to travel that journey to being Jeevan mukht during this lifetime. 

The topic of death also brings up the topic of suffering and depression, both of which are addressed by Gurbani. Sometimes people enter into depression when faced with the death of a loved one. An article called “Does the Guru Granth Sahib Describe Depression” as well as “Sikhism, Spirituality and Psychiatry” both describe the concept of suffering. In Sikhi, “dukh” encompasses physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental suffering and thus includes the concept of depression. Well before modern times, it was recognized by Guru Ji that suffering happens even when there is no physical cause like poverty or disease, because the mind is separated from God. Thus, even kings have suffering, and there was no stigmatizing concept that just because someone “has it all” they cannot be depressed or suffering. Also interestingly, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji described symptoms of depression as we define them in medicine today (low mood, loss of interest in usual activity, sleep and appetite disturbance etc). The articles explain that the manmukh is predisposed to depression because they are lost in maya having been separated from God, while the Gurmukh has Naam and lives in a state of Chardi Kala by accepting God’s Will. Guru Ji is described as a “therapist in the life of the dukhi, showing him the way to moksha or relieving him of dukh.” It is Guru Ji who can help us through this depression by helping us become Gurmukh, and thus Gurbani helps us deal with the topics of depression and suffering. 

Although I have experienced death, I have actually never been to a Sikh funeral so I did some reading. The funeral is called Antim Sanskar (final ceremony). Sikh Sewak (Chaplaincy) describes “In Sikhism a funeral ceremony is called ‘Antam Sanskaar,’ or celebration of the completion of life. Rather than lamenting the passing of an individual, Sikhism teaches resignation to the will of the creator, emphasizing that death is a natural process, and an opportunity for reunion of the soul withits maker.” At the Antim Sanskar, Kirtan Sohila is read, Ardas is performed, the body is cremated, and the ashes are immersed in a body of water. Then a paath is held, and the Antim Ardas is performed at the bhog. My parents told me traditionally there used to be a 10 day paath (reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib Ji), however sometimes if it was an elder it would be a 2 day Akhand Paath and ladoos would be handed out to celebrate the joy that someone had made it to old age. The purpose of this paath was described well by Bhai Jasbir Singh on the Harpreet Show- it is not for the person who has died, but for giving the family solace and understanding. The family themselves should try their best to do the paath themselves so it can be a process of healing, even if it takes a year for them to finish, but if they can’t do it themselves they can sit and understand. I think perhaps we have turned the paath into a ritual these days, but actually it is an important transformative process to heal grief. Similarly, some people ritualistically hold paaths in the memory of their dead relatives every year and make donations, etc. This reminds me of the Sakhi of the Hindus offering water to the sun to reach their ancestors, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji explaining how this is not possible! It does not make sense as the paath that is even held at the death itself is not for the person who died, so why would we hold one each year “for” them. We are judged based on our own actions during this life. Gurbani teaches us to focus on the present instead of what happens after death, because our real heaven can be achieved in this life as Sach Khand exists here, when our minds are awakened through sangat, simran, and the praises of God, while “hell” also exists here as people live in fear, anxiety, and misery. These concepts are quite different than other religions. 

The Punjabi tradition of avsos involves going to that family’s house to give them condolences so they are not alone in their time of grief. In one of the videos I saw, a Gyani Ji said sometimes we make it worse by reinforcing ideas like “they died too soon” rather than supporting the family by encouraging them to connect to God, do Naam Simran, find meaning in Gurbani, and accept God’s will. We should be mindful of this. The Bani Ramkali Sadh (call of death) is read at the funeral for consolation. It was written by Sunder Das, grandson of Guru Amar Das Ji, when it was time for Guru Ji to leave their body and merge with God (link to full Bani is below and starts on Ang 923). This Bani talks about the Guru Ji accepting God’s will that it was his time to merge with God. Guru Ji tells his family that they should not get caught up in rituals or crying, but rather sing the praises of God because the time of everyone is limited: “Finally, the True Guru said, ‘When I am gone, sing Kirtan in Praise of the Lord, in Nirvaanaa.” Thus, death should fuel us towards our purpose in life, and when we go to someone’s house for avsos we should also remind them of this Bani and to go to Guru Ji for finding peace in their journey. 

I have realized that perhaps growing up in western culture has swayed my mind to thinking that the topic of death should be avoided, leaving me unprepared and subconsciously afraid of losing people around me. This is why the concept of death is important for us to discuss and think about in our homes. When we understand the soul journey, it gives us a greater understanding of our purpose and acceptance of God’s will at the time of the death of this body. The daily preparation of death through paath was a new concept for me but made me realize how much stronger it makes us. When we think about the stories that Mata Gujri Ji told the Sahibzaade to keep them strong, they were stories of martyrdom. Maybe we should be telling similar stories to our own children to make them strong, and teach that death can be a celebration when the soul merges back to God and completes its journey. Stay tuned for the second part of this post where I will explore topics more specifically related to how we face death as Sikh healthcare professionals and first responders.

“Like droplets of water in an ocean wave and the ripples of a stream, I am immersed in the divine. Meeting with the supreme soul, my soul shall become unbiased and pure like air. Why should I come into the world again? Coming and going is ordained by divine decree; accordingly I am merged with the divine. When the issue of five elements perishes my wanderings cease. Forsaking various philosophies I see all impartially by meditating on the Name only. Whatever I’m attached to and become involved with influences the deeds I do. When the revered Lord is merciful then I merge with the Guru’s word. While yet living die, and in dying to this life be born anew, never to be born again. Says Kabir, whoever is absorbed in meditation of the name remains lovingly affixed in the Absolute Lord” (Ang 1103).

References: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQuVPes46jA** SIKH Channel Nanak Naam Interview (recommended)

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0&Param=923 Ramkali Sadh Ang 923

Turning to Waheguru Religious and Cultural Coping Mechanisms of Bereaved Sikhs

Ahluwalia, M and Mohabir, R OMEGA Journal of Death and Dying 2017

https://manpreet159.wordpress.com/sikhism/kirtan-sohila-english-translation/

https://simranjsingh.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/sikh-ways-of-grieving/

https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-ceremonies/funeral-ceremonies-antam-sanskar

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Antam_Sanskar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnJ7VH1_o5I How do we deal with Death?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_U7StxjZZ8 Healing Grief Sikhnet 

http://www.sikhanswers.com/worship-ceremonies-institutions/death-ceremony-among-the-sikhs/

http://thefuneralsource.org/trad0206.html

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikh_Funeral

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705682/Does Guru Granth Sahib describe depression? 

Kalra G, Bhui K, Bhugra D. Sikhism, spirituality and psychiatry. Asian J Psychiatry. 2012

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/concept-death-gurbani

Sikh Perspectives On Health And Suffering: A Focus On Sikh Theodicy Pashaura Singh

http://www.sikhchaplaincy.org.uk/~sikhchap/images/publications/guidance_note_on_issues_surrounding_death_in_a_sikh_family.pdf Guidance note on issues surrounding death in a Sikh family Sikh Sewak UK Sikh healthcare chaplaincy group

http://www.sikhnet.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9490

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnLQKfoAp0Antim Sanskar Jasbir Singh 

https://www.thoughtco.com/antam-sanskaar-the-sikh-funeral-ceremony-2993465

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lq-WwIv4cw Reincarnation Harpreet Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od-l5naIHwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zteBgrDYK-g Concept of Life and Death (18 parts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdCuwkQ1xac Pain and Sorrow Nanak Naam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObjJafH2JtA Basics of Sikhi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KVC2Xj5u7c What will happen to me after death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p5qvMx53F0 What happens after you die Sikhnet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sik3dbKADVg&list=PLcfWqGbTrBFop_QPgJ8laS_tl122_uypr&index=7Death and Grief Akaal TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buEy6VVn0-s What to learn from Death? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPbczO2tbfs How to deal with Suffering Nanak Naam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRnotkGF4vQ  Heaven and Hell Harpreet Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNwY1ch4fNc Nanak Naam What is heaven  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCeFUNj6VJA Sin, Guilt, Heaven and Hell Sikhnet 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGITS7sOuLU&t=0s&index=19&list=WL  Concept of Death Sawan Singh

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sikh/comments/3pv15d/anyone_coped_with_death_of_loved_ones_through/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGk_Efr8Wkk Birth, Aging, Sickness and Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF-TT5oF4_E&list=PLcfWqGbTrBFop_QPgJ8laS_tl122_uypr&index=9Why do bad things happen in life? Nanak Naam

http://www.gurmat.info/sms/smssikhism/ceremonies/death/

http://www.sikhfoundation.org/people-events/how-my-life-steered-me-to-the-path-of-medicine/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlie4gP2eM Maran To Bad Insaan Kithe Janda Hai 

Harvard Course about Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

I'm hoping to post soon, but in the meantime I thought I would share this great course being offered online. It is free (just have to click audit which means you get the full course but don't need a certificate) and is called "Sikhism Through Its Scriptures." It is being offered by Harvard. Here is the link for the information and then it has the link for the course registration on it as well.

http://www.sikhnet.com/news/harvard-offers-new-course-sikhism-through-its-scriptures

Banda Singh Bahadur

This weekend we remembered the Shaheedi of Banda Singh Bahadur. When we remember the shaheedi we should of course remember his whole life and the impact on us today. Here is the history. 

Banda Singh Bahadur was originally born with the name Lachman Dev on October 16, 1670. He was born into a Rajput family. One day, while hunting he shot a deer and realized afterwards that she had been pregnant. He became very sad and became an ascetic. He was then known as Madho Das. He travelled extensively with Sadhus and settled in a hut near Nanded. In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh Ji was travelling and came upon Madho Das’ hut in his absence. Guru Ji asked the Sikhs to prepare langar as they had been hungry from many days. Madho Das returned to find this and became angry, trying to use his magical powers against Guru Ji. After they did not work, Guru Ji asked who he was, and defeated Madho Das replied “I am your banda.” Banda means slave. He then joined the Khalsa and became Gurbaksh Singh, also known as Banda Singh Bahadur. 

Guru Ji sent him on a special mission. Some people incorrectly call this as a revenge mission but Sikhism is not about revenge (In fact Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji saves Jahangir after he tortures his father Guru Arjan Dev Ji). Rather, he went to end continued persecution. Sawan Singh Gogia explains “The mission of Banda Singh has been generally misunderstood by historians who think that he was commissioned by Guru Gobind Singh to avenge the murder of his sons. Had it been so, his work should have been over after the defeat and death of Wazir Khan. In fact, the Guru entrusted to him the noble task of continuing war against the tyranny of cruel rulers and oppressors” (Sikhnet). Guru Ji gave him political and military powers and gifted 5 gold tipped arrows and drum as symbols of this authority. He was also given Guru Ji’s sword, green bow, and a Nishan Sahib. He was sent with 5 Singhs, Baj Singh, Ram Singh, Binod Singh, Kahan Singh, and Fateh Singh as council. There was another 25 Singhs who also went. A handwritten Hukamnama told the Sikhs to join Banda Singh Bahadur wherever he travelled to. During the year-long journey to Sirhand, where Wazir Khan was living, Guru Ji became Jyoti Jot (merged with the Eternal Light). More Sikhs joined Banda Singh as he travelled and fought oppressors. They conquered a lot of area. Money that was acquired from government treasuries was redistributed to the poor. The old Zamindari system (feudal system) was destroyed so that farmers could own their own land. He appointed his own police officers. Thieves were now scared and order and justice was restored.

 

He then created a headquarters in 1710 at Mukhlispur (changed to Lohgarh), the capital of the first Sikh state. The battle of Chappar Chiri then occurred just outside Sirhand a few months later. While his largely untrained followers had no elephants, few horses, and fought with spears, swords, and arrows, Wazir Khan had a fully trained army with artillery, horses, and elephants. Wazir Khan was killed in that battle, and Sirhand was conquered. Baj Singh was appointed Governor and the other four Singhs in the council that accompanied him were also put in charge of other duties. Bandha Singh went back to Lohgarh. Bandha Singh made an official seal and coin in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji. His rule was fair and a Muslim reported to Emperor Bahadur Shah that Banda Singh does not oppress muslims- he gives them a daily wage, looks after them, allows them to do their own religious prayers. Since this destroyed the oppressive system set up under the Mughals, the emperor turned against the Sikhs, setting up laws against the Sikhs and orders for the Sikhs to be killed. The large number of Mughal forces pushed the Sikhs back into the hilly areas. Here Banda Singh got married in 1711 to Shushil Kaur and settled for a few years, having a son Ajai Singh in 1712. Bibi Ji continued the langar. In the meantime, Emperor Bahadur Shah died in 1712, proceeded by Jahandar Shah and then Farrukhsiyar in 1713. 

In 1715, Banda Singh tried again to fight against the Mughal forces but Emperor Farrukhsiyar sends 20,000 forces against the Sikhs. Banda Singh’s Hukamnama issued to the Sikhs at the time can be found in the references. It encourages the Sikhs to follow the rules of the Khalsa. A group of Sikhs led by Bandha Singh made their way to a village Gurdas Nangal which was sieged. There was a force of 100,000 Mughal troops and yet the Sikhs survived 8 months of siege living off of tree bark for food. Even Muslim writers who witnessed what happened at the time spoke highly of the courage of the Sikhs in facing these conditions. Bandha Singh's own wife and child were with him through this. At that time, Binod Singh wanted to evacuate, but Bandha Singh did not and so Binod Singh was allowed to leave with a group of Sikhs. The Mughals offered the Sikhs could leave unharmed but once the gate opened, they speared 300 Sikhs, and the only 200 remaining were arrested. Banda Singh was chained and put in an iron cage on top of an elephant, with special guards. On the way to Delhi, more Sikhs were confined and many were martyred. 700 cartloads of slaughtered heads and hundreds on spears were brought to Delhi. Banda Singh was dressed up in a gold turban with a bright shirt, and other Sikhs were chained on the back of camels with faces blackened and sheepskin put on their heads. Despite the attempts at humiliation they remained in Chardi Kala as written by those witnessed this time. There were now 740 prisoners who were confined for just over 3 months from the end of February to the beginning of June of 1716. 

On June 9, the Sikhs were offered their lives to be spared if they converted to Islam. As documented by the English ambassadors of the East India Trading Company, not a single of the 740 Sikhs converted and all chose death. They were martyred and their heads placed around Bandha Singh. The executioner killed his 4 year old Ajai Singh with a knife down his body, and thrust his heart into Banda Singh’s mouth. His eyes were gouged out, hot pincers pulled away his flesh, arms and legs cut off, and the rest of his body cut to pieces. Through the torture until his martyrdom, Bandha Singh Ji remained calm. As Gyani Ji said in katha today, those who have Naam do not feel physical pain.

Meanwhile Bibi Ji was separated from the prisoners as the emperor wanted to marry her. The other queens tried to get her to embrace Islam and attempted to bribe her with jewels and promises of a comfortable life. When that didn’t work, she was told that 100 Sikhs were murdered daily due to her refusal. She stuck to her faith. She stated, “Time of our death is fixed and none but God can prolong our life. My religion is dearer to me then my or my son’s life” (sikhiwiki). 

We have so much to learn from the life of Banda Singh Bahadur. He restored justice and fairness under Sikh rule and did not give in despite being tortured. I hope he inspires each of us to stand up for what is right and just, and to carry the values of the Khalsa.

References

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Banda_Singh_Bahadur
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrukhsiyar

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/achievements-baba-banda-singh-bahadur

https://www.google.com/search?q=banda+bahadur+coin&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjKjaruw__bAhV8ITQIHQFRA5AQ_AUICigB&biw=965&bih=661#imgrc=d_uw-CB7Y3aFDM:

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Bibi_Shushil_Kaur 

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/banda.html