Sikh History Part 2: Banda Singh Bahadur to Maharaja Ranjit Singh

We will continue the history post we previously started. If you need a refresher visit: https://pgsikhyouth.blogspot.com/2020/07/sikh-history-part-1-guru-jis.html This section goes onto what happens after the Jyoti Jyot of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, all the way up until the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In the next section we will go from the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to present day. Also I should note blogger has some kind of new interface so I apologize if theres any disruptions to previous posts, I'm still trying to also figure out how to fix formatting for new posts. 

Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachhman Das) was an extremely important figure in our history. One day when hunting, he killed a female deer only to realize she had been pregnant. It hurt him so much he became an ascetic and meditated in a hut under the name Madho Das Bairagi. After an encounter with Guru Gobind Singh Ji, he took Amrit and became Banda Singh. Guru Ji sent him on a mission to end the continued persecution, giving him 5 gold-tipped arrows, a drum, Guru Ji’s sword, green bow, and a Nishan Sahib. He was sent with Bhai Baj Singh, Ram Singh, Binod Singh, Kahan Singh, and Fateh Singh as council, and a group of 25 other Sikhs. Guru Ji wrote a Hukamnama which advised Sikhs to join Banda Singh Bahadur on his travels. It took a year to get to Sarhand, during with Guru Ji became Jyoti Jyot. As the Sikhs travelled, they restored justice, destroyed the feudal system so farmers could own their land, distributed langar, and redistributed money from government to the poor. After battle Wazir Khan’s army, Wazir Khan was killed and the Sikhs conquered Sarhand. Banda Singh Bahadur created a Sikh capital at Lohgarh, made an official seal and coin in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and created an independent Sikh Raaj. As this destroyed the oppressive system of the Empire, Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah turned against the Sikhs and set up laws to kill the Sikhs. You may remember from the last section that it was Guru Gobind Singh Ji that helped Bahadur Shah win the throne in the first place, as he promised to be a tolerant ruler. 

In 1706, Zakaraiya Khan (pronounced Yukriya Kha^.) became Governor of Lahore and started enforcing laws against the Sikhs. He ordered rewards for anyone who removed the scalp of a Sikh, hair of a Sikh, or gave information on a Sikh’s location, and punished those who sheltered Sikhs. The Sikhs were forced into the Shivalik Hills, Lakhi Jungle, and Rajputana deserts. Meanwhile Banda Singh got married to Shushil Kaur and had a son, Ajai Singh. Emperor Bahadur Shah died and was preceded by Jahandur Shah then Emperor Farrukhsiyar. In 1715 Banda Singh led his family and a group of Sikhs to village Gurdas Nangal where the Mughal army of 100,000 laid siege. The Sikhs survived 8 months living off tree bark for food. The Mughals offered them to leave unharmed, but broke their promise and killed 300 Sikhs, capturing the remaining 200. Banda Singh put in an iron cage on top of an elephant, and watched as 700 cartloads of slaughtered Sikhs heads and hundreds on spears were brought to Delhi. 740 Sikh prisoners were held from February to June of 1716. As documented by the East India Trading Company, not a single Sikh converted to Islam, even though they were told their lives would be spared if they converted. Their heads were placed around Banda Singh, who remained strong. His wife, Shushil Kaur was placed in the palace as Emperor Farrukh Siyar wanted to marry her. The Queens tried to bribe her to convert. She was told 100 Sikhs were killed daily due to her decision, and her son would be killed, then she was told her husband had already converted. No matter what she stuck to her faith. She was forced to give over four year old Ajai Singh. His heart was thrust into Banda Singh’s mouth, Banda Singh’s eyes were gouged out, hot pincers pulled away his skin, his arms and legs were cut off, and the rest of his body was cut into pieces until he achieved martyrdom. Shushil Kaur heard of his Shaheedi and refusing to marry the emperor, she thrust a dagger into her chest.  

In 1720 Bhai Mani Singh Ji became the Jathedar of the Akal Takht. Mani Singh had known and served the Guru Jis from the times of Guru Har Rai Ji. He was one of the 52 famous poets of Guru Ji’s court and wrote the original Ardas. From the lsat post, remember he had escorted Mata Sundri and Mata Sahib to Delhi when the family was separated at Sarsa Nadi. He transcribed the Guru Granth Sahib Ji when Guru Gobind Singh Ji recited Gurbani at Damdama Sahib.  He had 11 brothers and 10 sons that were martyred for the Khalsa Panth! After the death of Bandha Singh Bahadur he resolved the conflict between two groups, the Bandai Khalsa (those who believed Banda Singh as the 11^th Guru) and Tat Khalsa (who believed in Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the Guru). Under the continued oppression of Zakariya Khan the Sikhs continued to live in the forests and participate in Guerilla warfare (small groups use methods to fight larger military) for the next 10 years. Because of this continued struggle with the Sikhs, Zakaraiya Khan offered to make a leader (Nawab- Mughal position similar to a King) from the Sikh community and give a Jagir (land grant) to the Khalsa in 1733. Nawab Kapur Singh led the Sikhs. They divided up into the Buddha Dal (“army of veterans” who looked after Gurdwaras, spread Sikhi, preached) and Taruna Dal (army of 12 000 younger Sikhs who fought under Hari Singh). The Taruna Dal was further divided into five misls (armies) led by each of the 5 Pyare: Baba Deep Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgharia, Hari Singh Dhillon, Bhai Karam Singh, and Bhai Buddh Singh (grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh). The Mughals became concerned seeing this organization. The Mughals asked the Sikhs to pay a tax in order to hold Diwali at Harmandir Sahib. Bhai Mani Singh Ji found out the Mughals were planning on killing the Sikhs at Diwali and cancelled the plans, but the Mughals insisted the taxes needed to be paid. Bhai Mani Singh Ji refused and was thus martyred in 1737, cut joint by joint. The executioner originally cut him at the wrist, and famously Bhai Mani Singh Ji told him to do his job properly and cut the joints of each finger as tasked. When we remember in our Ardas those shaheeds who were “bandh bandh kataye” we are remembering Bhai Mani Singh. (Think of who else is remembered in the Ardas: Bhai Mati Das from the times of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was sawn in two pieces, Ariyan Naal Chariye Gaye; Bhai Taru Singh was scalped, Khoprian Luhayia; and Shahbaz Singh and his father Subeg Singh were crushed on two wheels rotated with iron nails, Charkhariya te chare). 

Persian Invasions

Nadir Shah (ruler of an Iranian empire) invaded from 1738-1739, looting villages, kidnapping Hindu and Muslim girls, and having his army rape women. The Sikhs under the leadership of Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, looted him and spread the wealth to the poor, freeing 2200 women who were going to be sold as slaves. Due to the ideals of izzat some women were not accepted back in their families and became accepted into the Khalsa. One of the important female figures during this time was Bibi Shamsher Kaur. She was from a Brahmin family, and her name was Shamo and her sisters was Ramo. They were kidnapped by Ali Beg, chief of Hissar, so their father went to Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (one of the Panj Pyare, Ramgarhia Misl) for help. They were freed but their father didn’t want them back because he was worried about izzat- what people would think of his daughters being with the Muslims. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia reassured him, but then the villagers were scared Ali Beg would come back to the village for the girls. The girls refused to go back to the village and were raised by Jassa Singh Ramgarhia as his daughters. This speaks to the high thinking of the Sikhs, that they considered these girls their daughters and raised them without concern about what other people would think, or if their “reputations” were an issue. The sisters learned horse-riding, Gurmukhi, swordsmanship, and took Amrit. After Shamsher Kaur was married, she continued to be a warrior. She fought and won a battle at Balata and was gifted 5 villages to preach Sikhi. Shamsher Kaur then saved a young girl who was being forced to marry the chief of a nearby village, and her father. The chief, Mohammed Ali, then begged for forgiveness but later decided to battle Shamsher Kaur and he was killed by her. Her husband was also martyred. The Marathas (a group of castes in India) then came with an army of thousands to take over. Bibi Ji refused to surrender and was bravely martyred with her force of 1000 Sikhs.

   

From 1739-41 Zakariya Khan sent 20,000 men to search for Sikhs and awarded a blanket for a Sikh’s hair, 50 rupees for a scalp and 10 rupees for whereabouts. Sikhs were tortured and beheaded in Lahore, at a site now called Shahidganj. In 1739, four months went by and no Sikhs were seen in Punjab. Bhai Bota Singh and Bhai Garja Singh Ji wanted to do darshan of Taran Taran, and as they were walking in the jungles they were seen by travellers. The travellers commented this was not possible they were Singhs, due to the rules of Zakariya Khan and that the Khalsa wouldn't be hiding. They started a toll at Noordeen dee saraa(n) on the path to Zakariya Khan. They wanted to show the bravery of the Sikhs but the public was gladly paying taxes without any complaint to Zakariya. They wrote a letter to Zakariya, saying he was not ruling properly. He sent 100 soldiers to capture them alive but the Singhs said this was their land and they would fight. They fought bravely, pulling out arrows from their bodies, surviving being run over by horses. It was embarrassing for the soldiers that they were dying off when these two Singhs were still standing. The soldiers fired their guns at once, they continued to fight. Finally lying on the ground, they were told to convert to Islam. Having one working arm and one leg each, they helped each other rise up leaning on each other and fought once again until they were shaheed. The soldiers then cut up the bodies and brought them back, disappointed they were unable to get them alive. 

In 1740, Chaudhry Massa Rangarh brought cartloads of Sikh bodies in order to get rewards from Zakaraiya Khan. He was smoking and drinking inside Harmandir Sahib while watching dancing girls and banned the Sikhs from entering. Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh walk into the Harmandir Sahib carrying coin bags, and were allowed in by the guards. As Massa bent his head to look inside the bags, they beheaded him and quickly left on their horses. They were both crushed on two rotating wheels with iron nails on them (charkhari) in 1744 while meditating.

Zakariya wondered how the Sikhs survived in the Jungles. In 1745, spy Harbhagat Niranjania of Jandiala told him about Bhai Taru Singh “after paying his dues and keeping a little bit for himself, he had been sending the rest to the Khalsa Panth Singhs. His mother and sister who lived with him in his home, they also earned some money doing some odd jobs. Keeping themselves alive on the barest minimum victuals, they covered their frail bodies with coarse clothes. Offering whatever they could save from their earnings, they reposed their faith in none else than the Singhs” (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Academy). Since Bhai Taru Singh was feeding the Sikhs, Zakariya sent the soliders to capture him. His sister was released by some villagers who paid off the guards. He was tortured at Lahore. The Nawab tried to bribe him to convert, but Bhai Taru Singh asked if he would never die if he converted. The angry Zakariya ordered him to be beaten with shoes but Bhai Taru Singh spoke that this punishment would come back to Zakariya. The executioner was sent to cut his hair, but Bhai Taru Singh spoke that the executioners would die before that was possible. In fact his hair was so strong no one was able to cut it, and the barbers went blind. He was scalped alive instead. Zakariya subsequently developed urinary retention and begged for forgiveness, but the Khalsa said the cure would be to beat him with Bhai Taru Singh’s shoes. This cured his problem, but he died of injuries from the shoes. Amazingly Bhai Taru Singh Ji survived without his scalp from June 9-July 1 after the death of Zakaraiya Khan! 

In the same year, Subeg Singh was a man who worked for the government, and had a son named Shahbaz Singh, who studied in a Muslim School. For criticizing the rulers of the time, Shahbaz Singh faced conversion to Islam or death. Zakariya Khan’s son Yahiya Khan became the next governor. As both son and father refused to convert to Islam, they were tortured and martyred by being crushed on wheels. 

At this time the Sikhs were living in forests, deserts, marches, and in the dens of lions and wild animals because of the persecution they faced. Having been pushed out of the cities, the Sikhs continued tactics of guerilla warfare. A jatha of Sikhs, led by S. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and S. Sukkha Singh Marikambo Ji, then ended up near the estate of Jaspat Rai, brother of Lakhpat Rai, Zakariya Khan’s minister. The Sikhs stopped at Gurdwara Rori Sahib. Jaspat Rai then threatened the Sikhs to vacate the Gurdwara and would not allow them time to make langar; the Sikhs attacked and killed Jaspat Rai. In revenge of his brother’s death, Lakhpat Rai wanted to kill the entire population of Sikhs. He gathered the Sikhs working in Lahore in government departments with their families, and killed them on March 10, 1746. It is estimated there were several thousand Sikhs killed on this day. Lakhpat said whoever used the word Guru would have their stomach pierced, he said people had to use the word rori for gur, he threw Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jis in the wells and rivers, filled Sri Darbar Sahib with dust and said 1000 Sikhs were to be killed daily.  

 

The Sikhs, led by S. Jassa Singh Ahluwaalia, and S. Sukkha Singh were attacked. Using guerilla tactics, they were able to cause a huge loss to Lakhpat Rai’s forces. Lakhpat Rai then fired cannon balls, set the jungle on fire, and sent out the infantry. The Sikhs were then caught between the flooded Ravi and Lakhpat Rai’s forces, so they headed towards the hills of Jammu hoping for help from the Hindus, who unfortunately had also tied forces. The infantry Sikhs then decided to climb the sandy hills of the Jammu, while the mounted stayed behind. Though they faced losses, they did make it up while the mounted forces were heavily attacked and had to retreat by crossing the Ravi. In the area of Kathua, 1000 Sikhs were martyred, and 500 were arrested then martyred. The remaining Sikhs made it across, but this terrain was incredibly difficult to live and fight in- it was incredibly swampy, thorny, and with sanded mounds. Lakhpat Rai got the jungle set no fire and thus the shaheeds in this chotta chhamb were all martyred by being set on fire. Fighting continued for two months. The dates of the total Ghallughara are sometime between March and June 1746. The main encounter is said to have happened on May 1, 1746, when 7,000 Sikhs were killed and 3,000 captured then tortured and executed (these skeletons were later found buried at Shaheedganj mosque). This is known as the Chotta Ghallughara (small holocaust, only named small due to the later Vaddha Ghallughara, or large holocaust). It’s estimated in this whole Ghallughara, 40 000 Sikhs were martyred. This Ghallughara resulted in a loss of ¼-1/3 of the Sikh population. This was a time when the Sikh population was already small due to persecution, but the Khalsa continued to expand and developed 25 misls by 1747 and 65 bands by 1748. 

 

In 1748, Nawab Kapur Singh united the warriors into the Dal Khalsa with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as the leader of 11 misls (70, 000 Sikhs). As background, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia lost his father at age four, and moved to Delhi with his mother to perform Kirtan. Mata Sundri blessed them and after 7 years he returned to Punjab to do kirtan with the Rabab. Nawab Kapur Singh heard him playing in Kartarpur and adopted him.

Ahmad Shah Durrani (Abdali) took over Lahore after the death of Nadir Shah, who was murdered by his own officers and relatives. Ahmad Shah murdered and looted the population, invading 9 times from 1748-65. We will revisit his attacks later on. For the time being, he was defeated by the Mughals and Mir Mannu took over as Governor of Lahore. Adina Beg, Afghan Governor of Punjab, helped Mir Mannu in persecuting the Sikhs. Hundreds of Sikhs including women and children were tortured and executed. Children were cut up and tied around their mother’s necks, as the mothers were forced to grind stone. This is such a gruesome torture, yet there were no cases of women giving up their Sikhi. The women would sing” Mannu is our sickle, We the fodder for him to mow, The more he cuts, the more we grow." One of the important women of this time was Bibi Baghel Kaur. She was originally a Hindu bride that was kidnapped by Mughals on her wedding day, and her husband took Amrit and returned with the Sikhs to save her. She also took Amrit and became a soldier. As she was battling Mir Manu, she was separated from the other Sikhs and set up camp. When soldiers came to forcibly capture and marry them, Bibi Ji cut off a soldier’s arm and escaped with some Kaurs on horseback. After Mir Mannu’s death from falling off a horse in 1753, some of the Kaurs were still being held. Baghel Kaur came back to save them. In 1755 Ahmad Shah Durrani then returned to torture the Sikhs and Baghel Kaur sent her husband and son into the forest, while protected Kaurs from being captured. Eventually she was captured and tortured. She was supposed to be tied to a pillar and whipped but she grabbed a soldier’s sword and started fighting. She was martyred with some other Kaurs, and the next day some Sikhs came to free the remaining women.  

Ahmad Shah Abdali continued to loot, murder and kidnap Hindus and Muslims as slaves. Baba Deep Singh’s jatha attacked and freed the prisoners. Abdali appointed his son Taimur Shah to "finish" the Sikhs. Taimur recruited Jahan Khan, who then invaded Amritsar in 1757, and started demolishing Harmandir Sahib. Baba Deep Singh Ji famously fought to protect Harmandir Sahib. He gathered the Sikhs, and drew a line on the ground, saying whoever crosses would accept death. 5000 Sikhs accepted. Baba Ji said he would be Shaheed in the Parkarma of Harmandir Sahib but his head became separated from his body prior to that. He kept fighting, holding his head, until he reached the Parkarma. Those who understand the power of Waheguru can understand how this was possible. There are thus two Gurdwaras in Amritsar to commemorate Baba Ji. 

Bibi Nirbhai Kaur was also a warrior during the times of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Jahan Khan destroyed Kartarpur and burned Gurdwara Tham Sahib. Bibi Ji’s mother was burned in her house, and she and three other Kaurs were kidnapped. She killed two soldiers but didn’t manage to escape. The commander asked her name, she replied “Death.” He told her to speak nicely and she replied that “Death does not wish to live.” He temporarily left to watch the destruction of Kartarpur but planned on raping the Kaurs. They escaped while he was gone and killed the guard. Nirbhai Kaur then returned with her fiancé to rescue women being raped by the commander, and killed him herself. These women were afraid they would not be accepted by their families as they had been raped, but the Khalsa took them in. They took Amrit and married Singhs. This really spoke to the level of respect given to women by the Khalsa, and that they didn’t have to be defined by what they went through. 

Ahmad Shah returned again and again but the Sikhs kept freeing his prisoners and taking back the money he stole. On Feb 5^th 1762 the Wadda Ghallughara (large Holocaust) took place at Kup Raira. As the Sikhs were moving their families, Ahmad Shah sent armies to attack. Led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Charat Singh Suckerchakia (grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh), the Sikhs tried to protect their elders, women and children while mounting a defense. On this day around 20-50,000 Sikhs were shaheed, with 25-30,000 cited by a Muslim chronicler. All warriors were wounded. This was a big loss to the Sikhs just shortly after the Chotta Ghallughara. 

In April, Ahmad Shah blew up Harmandir Sahib. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia attacked Sirhand, defeating Afghan Governor Zain Khan, and restoring Harmandir Sahib. In October they fought again and Jassa Singh captured a large part of the enemy troops, forcing them to help repair Harmandir Sahib. He released the prisoners, and many of them became Sikhs. In 1764 Abdali tried to destroy Harmandir Sahib, while Bhai Gurbaksh Singh and 30 other Sikhs became shaheed near the Akal Takht. Like Baba Deep Singh, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh also fought with his head on his hand. The Sikhs captured Lahore and made coins. Abdali retreated in 1766 but fought again until he was totally defeated in 1769. He died of a wound caused by a flying piece of brick when he blew up Harmandir Sahib. 

In 1783 after the passing of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, the misls fought among themselves until 1799.  When Afghan Zaman Shah took over Lahore, (Maharaja) Ranjit Singh, recaptures it for the Sikhs and unites the misls. He had only one eye due to having smallpox as a child, but he was still a warrior on the battlefield. He took over leadership of his father’s Misl at age 18. He ruled from 1799-1839, being crowned as Maharaja in 1801. He was a fair ruler to all from Khyber Pass, Sindh, to Kashmir, and Tibet. He ended the Sarbat Khalsa meetings held at Vaisakhi and Diwaali to guide the Khalsa in 1805. The Sikhs were trained in guerilla warefare, so Maharaja Ranjit Singh got an American Colonel to train infantry and cavalry composed of Muslims, Purbias, Afghans, Gurkhas and Sikhs. The death penalty was cancelled, cow slaughter was banned, and everyone was respected. He built many important Gurdwaras including Hazur Sahib and put gold on the Harmandir Sahib. It is said that Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared that whoever made a monument at his death, his family would be ruined and indeed Ranjit Singh created Hazur Sahib and his family was ruined. The important Sikh generals at this time were Hari Singh Nalwa, who won an attack on Afghanistan, and Zorawar Singh who attacked in Kashmir and Tibet with Akaali Phoola Singh (jathedar of the Akal Takht). Akaali Phoola Singh became shaheed in 1823 in a battle with the Afghanis, and in 1837 Hari Singh Nalwa and Fateh Singh Ahluwali also breathe their last. Maharaja Ranjit Singh leaves this world in 1839. 

In the next section we have a lot to cover from 1839 to present day! 

References

“Banda Singh Bahadur: The Rise of Khalsa.” Sikh Missionary.org

https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-youth/youth/sikh-history-questions-and-answers/

“Bandha Singh Bahadur.” Sikh Missionary Society, www.sikhmissionary.org.sg/media-communication/publications/

Basics of Sikhi. “The WhyGuru Course TWGC”, YouTube, YouTube, 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vgz15G1oHI&list=PL5UNLfJ1TsJksushCeFTr20HE7srx_H0B          

“Bhai Bota Singh & Bhai Garja Singh Babaneea Kahaneea ‘The stories of our Ancestors.’” Sikhs2Inspire.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRiYr-oj1Ac

Gogia, Sawan Singh, “The Superb Martyr- Bhai Mani Singh Ji” by Sawan Singh Gogia. 

Sikhnet, https://www.sikhnet.com/news/superb-martyr-bhai-mani-singh-ji

“Main Page.” SikhiWiki, 2005, www.sikhiwiki.org/

Kaur, Dr. Amrit. “Chotta Ghallughara- The Sikh Holocaust of 1746.” SikhStation.net,

2020, https://singhstation.net/2020/05/chhota-ghallughara-the-sikh-holocaust-of-1746/ .

“Name Some Famous Women in Sikh History: Sikh Answers.” Sikh Answers RSS, 2010, www.sikhanswers.com/sikh-history-personalities/name-some-famous-women-in-sikh-history/.

Singha, H.S. The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Hemkunt, 2000, pp. 64–64.

Guerrilla warfare. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare

Museum, National Sikh, et al. “National Sikh Museum, Sikh24 Editors.” Sikh24com, 4 Feb. 2014, www.sikh24.com/2013/12/26/5-courageous-sikh-women/.

Updated June 18/21

Wellness

 

It is vital to learn what keeps us well. As children there’s not a whole lot that is required- the body itself is very resilient to injuries and accidents. We require love, support, and a nurturing learning environment where we can explore the world. Babies spend a lot of their time sleeping and have a close connection to Waheguru as they have not yet learned their complete immersion into maya yet. Compare that to the elderly where a fall from standing can be dangerous, where they require less sleep, the nutrition needed is different, etc. What we need to be well will change over time. Yet it seems a lot of people spend most of their lives not knowing or paying attention to these things. Maybe people take for granted if there’s nothing horribly wrong then it’s fine, and they prefer not to take any preventative steps. Sometimes it’s too late by then. 

Most of us know that food/water, exercise, sleep, rest, sunshine, and breathing keeps our bodies healthy. Each person has a different balance that allows them to function at their absolute best. Maybe certain types of exercise are more appealing to you than others- you prefer being out in nature vs. inside, or you prefer strength vs. flexibility training, short bursts of intense exercise vs. long marathons, sports vs. individual activities. Food is also unique to us, because we have to choose what will keep us the best energetically and the strongest form of ourselves. I’ve found that what keeps me well is being able to cook my own meals- to know what’s going into my food and making sure there’s enough protein. I know it’s a lot of work to meal plan, get the groceries, and do the dishes but the alternative is simply just not a strong, healthy version of me. This again will vary person to person, as I know some people that use a lot of pre-prepared meals/frozen meals, and some that go to the extent of growing their own food. I knew I got serious about it when I bought a kitchen scale and thermometer. Some people might not need as much sleep, some might need specific circumstances to ever be able to comfortably sleep. I think we definitely have to consider our situation- how busy is your job, how time-consuming are these activities, how busy is your home life, how many other people are you responsible for. Someone who is struggling on the poverty line will have a really hard time focusing on higher level wellness tasks. I hope that we don’t leave ourselves behind, because we have to do things that help us keep our bodies at their best. Even for people in professional fields, who wouldn’t struggle financially, there is a workaholic culture that might keep them from spending their free time protecting their wellness. This summer I had no dark circles under my eyes, and a pink color in my cheeks for the first time in years. It was a year’s worth of effort to help myself figure out what keeps me well and make it happen, and then I spent the summer off doing things I enjoy. I knew that after 10 years of student life I would have so much about myself to explore, so much rest needed, so many habits to change. Regular massages helped. Decluttering helped. It was huge progress. For the last month though I started cutting corners and I noticed it almost immediately. We can’t neglect what the body needs and not experience it’s consequences. Remember when it comes to sewa, taking care of this body is a sewa. It is a service of You. I think back to that day I posted about- You are the carrot, You are the one cutting it, You are the one feeding the family. 

 

The soul is actually already one with God. It is not the area that needs work, it is the mind itself so we will skip to that.

The mind is probably the most complicated thing to take care of. It incorporates so many energies- creative, emotional, intellectual, sexual, social, spiritual, etc. We need joy, connection, belonging, and love. We are dealing with memories of the past, thoughts of the present and dreams of the future. It is the mind that creates conflicts, the mind that finds peace. The mind is the one that travelled through 8.4 million lifeforms to finally get mukhti in this lifeform. The entire purpose of our lives revolves around the health of our mind and its journey. In Sikhi we say the mind is made of the man (thought), chit (memory), budh (intellect, reasoning), and ahankar (self-identity). When we live in compassion, contentment, forgiveness, instead of fear, gossip, hatred, anger or ego, then we are walking in the right direction. Then we serve others like Bhai Kanhaiya Ji served others. The mind is at it’s healthiest and best when it completes it’s journey and realizes Waheguru, when it can listen to Naam. This is why simran, paath, kirtan are all ways that keep us well. They remind us of how to get to that path so the mind can be fulfilled, while being creative, expressing emotions, connecting spiritually and socially. Personally when I pluck the strings of my rabab I’m in a different world, it totally vibrates into my inner being. 

 

One of the other things that comes up with the mind is our “basic needs.” There was a great post from “Sikh your Mind” that talked about Maslow’s hierarchy. We talked about how his triangle hierarchy doesn’t match Sikhi in past posts, but it turns out actually his hierarchy was not a triangle where you fulfill one step and then another. It is described here as a sailboat. Check out the picture by Andy Ogden to the right. Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman describes “with holes in your boat you can’t go anywhere. All of your energy and focus is directed toward increasing the stability of the boat. The human needs that comprise the boat are safety, connection, and self-esteem — security needs that, under good conditions, work together toward greater stability…The other needs that comprise the sail — love and purpose — build on the fundamental need to reach higher levels of integration within oneself and to contribute something meaningful to the world. Note that the need for love that is part of growth is different than the need for connection that is part of security. At a higher level of love, we can love people we don’t even feel a great connection to, and can care for those we may have never even met.”  He describes that Maslow’s concept was more of an integration and not about doing one step then another. I really also like how he describes that love is a part of that need for growth, and is about that higher level of self-integration. I feel like that fits in with the idea of our laavan- that we are walking a spiritual path of transcendence with our partner. 

Lastly, I think Covid is a huge factor in wellness, especially given the isolation. We might even not see people at work as we work from home via telephone and video. I personally find even though I go to work and see people, that I miss the touch- hugs, shaking people’s hands, I miss connecting at the Gurdwara and singing shabads with the other girls doing kirtan. We missed the Vaisakhi celebrations and now we will miss the Diwali ones as well. We will not be able to gather for remembering the shaheedis of the Chaar Sahibzaade. It's going to be harder as winter comes because restrictions will get tighter and we won't be able to spend time outside with others in minus 35. The shabad Mitr Pyare Nu really spoke out to me today- Guru Ji expresses his gratitude for God, rather than a sadness for a loss of his family. So during this time, may we remind ourselves that we have our Guru and the Supreme Being who knows all. There is You everywhere, so the feeling of loneliness is probably just a trick of maya to prevent ourselves from the true realization. As we miss our physical sangat- the people we grow with, and learn from, we just have to do our best. This too was written. Do what you can with masking or social distancing or virtually. 

 

What keeps you well? What keeps you healthy during covid?  

 

References  

https://www.facebook.com/sikhyourmind/posts/2714717972144716

https://scottbarrykaufman.com/sailboat-metaphor/?fbclid=IwAR0lB_jL_f2LSGknixKyjP1N46UD6klDdtSKYnEBPHwkO4AwXVBjeR7ufhc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KNWhsm5hbs

Getting Help from the Community

I am going to be doing some Punjabi language healthcare projects and will be looking for some help from people. If you are from PG and interested in helping out please email: pgsikhyouth@gmail.com I’ve been patiently containing my excitement because I’ve had to wait a while to get them going again. These will be similar to the diabetes education events, gang violence, CPR training, etc. and the idea is to touch on medical issues but also psychosocial ones too. I already have a list of topics that we have to start with but we can expand. Organization is always super tricky and now we will have to figure out what to do about covid so the more help the better. 

What I've realized in getting to know Punjabi families is that the Punjabi community has a lot of stigma around certain issues, and parents have a hard time around skills to deal with parenting in western society, As we get an influx of young people coming from India to study, they are having to deal with new health and social issues as well. The idea around holding events is to educate, have a discussion, and to normalize some of these topics. Isolation is problematic. I can't tell you how many times I've heard from a Punjabi person they thought they were all alone and couldn't ask anyone about their issue. Often times they will share their problem with immediate family (although sometimes people feel uncomfortable sharing stuff with their partner), and definitely will not be sharing in extended family or friends and others in the community. It’s hard to reach out. People are afraid of being judged, or being set on the wrong track by someone who has an ill wish towards them or their family. Maybe they think other people won't understand. I have noticed people are reluctant to ask for advice on even the most minor issues sometimes like how their kids can apply to college, because they are afraid they will have someone give them the wrong advice, or even the whole concept of “nazaar.” Maybe their experiences in the past has been that they sought help and no one was willing to help them. I’ve seen a lot of families like that. Sometimes people reach out repetitively, don't get help and then stop trying, and then it's really late by the time they get help and they get told they should have tried earlier. It’s vulnerable and difficult to ask for help in the first place, because others are in a position of being able to hurt you. That hurt could be socially by spreading around things about you, which is something people care a lot about in a tightknit small community- status. We shouldn't be gossiping in Sikhi, and ultimately people can say whatever they want. You know where your heart lies, Waheguru is everywhere and other people who know you won't doubt your integrity. That hurt could come in other forms like giving bad advice (like go to a Baba). Unfortunately because of all these reasons, open spaces of dialogue don’t happen and people often struggle alone with their problems. Especially now during covid, when there is no gathering at the Gurdwaras, opportunities for connection for our parents and grandparents generation is more limited.  

A large portion of my job now is around education and teaching, which is something I love, whether its physical/mental health, social problems, stressors, or sensitive/potentially embarrassing topics. I think this aspect of health education is so important because it empowers people to make decisions for themselves and understand what is influencing their health under the surface. If we have social issues in the community that we aren’t addressing, or don’t know how to approach, it’s important for us to break barriers and talk about those. During the times of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, the Akal Takht was a place to address worldly needs of the Sikhs. While the problems of then and now seem vastly different, they are actually rooted in the same. when it comes down to spirituality, Gurbani teaches that the root of our suffering is our ego and maya/the 5 (kaam, krodh, lob, moh, hankar). We should be applying our integration of Gurbani into our approach to health, into wellness in our community. Instead of just matha tekking when things are tough, we should be figuring out how to apply Guru Ji’s advice to our present situation. Our being is integrated- body, mind, soul (Waheguru), so we should also integrate our understanding of our wellness. 

One of the things that can be beneficial is spaces of dialogue where we bring up a topic that is hard to talk about and talk about it in a general sense, in the third person. As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s been researched that this method seems to work really well for us. We can gather a group and then normalize the fact that a lot of people are dealing with this same issue, taking away their isolation and some of the stigma. It opens up the chance for people to ask questions in a general sense, without having to say its something they are struggling with directly. It gives them an opportunity to also know where to get help. That’s why I have really found these events to be so valuable when we have done them in the past. They make meaningful differences. 

I think the other piece that is really important to address is that we have to stop pretending everything is perfect. I used to watch the show “Keeping Up Appearances” when I was little. It was about a lady named Hyacinth Bucket and she would introduce herself as “Hyacinth Bouquet”, putting on lavish external shows to pretend that she was rich. That reminds me a lot of our community, and the emphasis on social status. In western culture it is the idea of Keeping Up with the Jones’. I think it presents differently for our community as a visible minority community. I remember reading years ago, that because your actions might affect how the community at large is seen, the pressure of being an ideal/model cultural community comes into play. Let’s say a Sikh person doing something wrong, that will affect everyone in the Sikh community and how we are seen. Unfortunately people won’t see them as an individual, but rather that this represents the Sikh community. We have worked really hard in Canada to be recognized as a community that are hard workers, and loyal and dedicated. That’s who we are naturally, but it took years for people to establish that when they came from India 40-50 yrs ago or prior. Especially in a small town like ours I think that is manifesting as not wanting others to know your business. Maybe your kid is stealing, or spent time in jail, or selling drugs, in a gang, failed out of school- instead of getting help, sometimes the priority seems to be hiding the problem so others don’t know. The bigger worry is the social situation rather than the situation itself. Sometimes we don’t know who to trust, but actually if we were able to talk about it might become obvious we aren’t the only ones struggling with these problems. We just don’t want to expose ourselves. Let’s say I tell you X, Y, Z is going on with me, and I had a really hard time sharing that. It was something that I just don’t tell people because it’s hard for me to share. Then you go and tell others or use it against me and just make it so that I become weary of seeking help or confiding in others. Yet if I was able to talk to you, and you also mentioned you are going through some stuff, there is mutual trust and benefit that we can both share and support each other through our situations. There is a shared vulnerability, even if the situation is completely different. In fact I will probably learn a lot by listening to your situation about how to prevent things in my life or manage things in my life. I think we need to practice that more in our community, to learn to lean on one another. The community is a system, we need to all play our part in making sure that we do really try out best to help those that open up and ask for help. The point of this joon was never to have the perfect everything and then just die. We should stop making it that- stop making it about our image and status and everything else. If we aren’t honest with ourselves especially, we cant get to a space of actually getting advice from Guru Ji, and living in Anand because we are hiding from our own problems. Hiding from each other’s problems, or problems in the community doesn’t work either.

Sikhi is so vast and interesting and we could be applying all these concepts to so many different issues, and learning on so many different levels. I think we are missing out on those deep conversations. We are missing out on true connections where we actually engage in conversations about how to overcome societal problems, and personal problems. As someone used to seeing growth, learning, and positivity out of each situation and using it to deepen my Sikhi, i have been having a hard time accepting Hukam lately. How many times have you woken up joyous to be alive in the morning, appreciative of your breath and then all of a sudden feel like there's something wrong? A minute later you realize, yes in fact, something upsetting did happen. It hits like a shock and it's hard to let it sink in after you had those joyous, exciting, carefree seconds initially. Maybe you had that with covid- walking down the street, enjoying the sun, and then suddenly see someone in a mask and realize there's a pandemic- people are dying. There is a big role for chardi kala, positivity/optimism, but that doesn’t mean hiding or ignoring problems, and covering them up as if everything is fine. This is especially true for ignoring societal and community problems. Address the issue and then keep the spirits up by actually applying skills. That awful feeling tells you there is work to be done on this issue, feelings to be resolved. I understand the need for privacy. We won't be blabbing around town about our whole life, but we also can't be stuck in isolation either. The very characteristic of our Sikh community is that we do help each other, that I can go to any Sikh and expect that they will act in the highest manner of confidentiality, and of helping you get through. I think we need to be responsible and all uphold our part in that. Systems don't fail because of one person. They fail because of a number of mechanisms. We have to ensure that our community also doesn't fail others, or ourselves by isolating ourselves. 

Elders

My grandparents have been married for 70 years. Those were the days couple didn’t know each other, they just got married young and would figure out the rest later. Indeed over that many years you get to intricately know your partner. They have been lucky to grow old together. They have had commitment to each other and even after so many years, they are deeply in love. He is very much still a romantic, doing whatever he can for her including doing paath. Their journeys are so deeply interconnected, spiritually, physically and they make each other strong. 

It’s not the things that we consider here in the western world to be important- anniversaries, selfies, gifts, shows of affection…they simply show up for each other and that’s what matters. I learned from them that our partners don’t have to be perfect. In fact, we aren’t perfect so it’s unrealistic to expect another person to be, but letting go of ego matters. Having determination matters. They’ve been through so much more in their lives than I could imagine. I’m trying to imagine the partition in 47, imagine moving to Canada and living out in the middle of nowhere in winter. Neither of their health is what it used to be but their efforts have been mutual to support each other through their hardships. 

I think as a kid this was all taken for granted, grandparents are grandparents right? I am actually realizing in the modern day how special that is, how important it is to recognize how two people can stick it out for 70 years and still be madly in love. How their spiritual journey has been interconnected. How they are committed to each other in their hardships and even though its hard they are able to make it through. Do we really see and appreciate and take in the older generation? Unfortunately they are often out of view of society, which tends to emphasize youth. The older generation had such an important role in the extended family in Punjab, and an important role in the running of the village as well. There was emphasis on the value for that wisdom. I think we've taken over the western view and lost that. What are we doing to support them through covid times? If you are lucky enough to know elders from your community think about how to support them in small ways.