In God We Trust

Preet Mohan Singh Ahluwalia

On 25 June 1962, Engel vs. Vitale decision of the United States Supreme Court “kicked God out of public schools.” By this ruling, state mandated prayer in public schools came to an end. The State Board of Regents, which had jurisdiction over public schools in the State of New York published a “Statement on Moral and Spiritual Training in the Schools” that required public school students to recite the prayer:

Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.

Further the state officials wrote, “We believe that this Statement will be subscribed to by all men and women of good will, and we call upon all of them to aid in giving life to our program.”

Parents of ten students filed a lawsuit in the New York State Court complaining that the prayer was an infringement of their beliefs and religious preferences and also of their children. It was argued that state mandated prayers in public schools were inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing a State religion.

Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled that reciting nondenominational prayers in public schools violated the Establishment Clause:

Because of the prohibition of the First Amendment against the enactment of any law “respecting an establishment of religion,” which is made applicable to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, state officials may not compose an official state prayer and require that it be recited in the public schools of the State at the beginning of each school day - even if the prayer is denominationally neutral and pupils who wish to do so may remain silent or be excused from the room while the prayer is being recited.

Beside atheists, agnostics and Buddhists who do not believe in a personal God or are undecided, other religious communities also subscribe to their own unique definition of God and human relationship with the Divine. Any prayer, which can be construed as promoting a particular religion, is opposed on grounds of its subtle indoctrination of those beliefs.

In October 1999, representatives of the major religions met in Vatican for an interfaith conference. Interestingly, on the final day, a common prayer was ruled out to prevent “theological difficulties.” According to cardinal Arinze, “Prayer depends on what you believe. If we do not believe in the same things, we cannot have the same prayers.”

Whereas state mandated prayer is prohibited the law respects individual beliefs. Each student is free to practice religion of his or her choice.

The essence of a pluralistic society is mutual respect. Differences in religious beliefs are acceptable for the greater good. Reality is quite different. Many religions promote exclusive rights to salvation, which are not guaranteed to the unbeliever, who is condemned to eternal damnation. Religious conflicts are not a thing of the past. Ethnic violence between religious communities was behind massacres in the Balkans and the recent carnage of innocent citizens in the Indian state of Gujrat.

Sikhs accept plurality of religions in the spirit of co-existence. Says Guru Nanak:

Innumerable are the prayer-chants,
Innumerable the forms of devotion.
Innumerable are the forms of worship,
Innumerable the modes of doing penance.
Innumerable are those with vows of silence
In unbroken contemplation.
How may I give an idea of Divine might?
All thou wills is good, thou Formless one!
Immutable, ever perfect art thou. (SGGS: p.3-4)

Sikhism is a monotheistic, revealed and an original religion. Sikh concept of Creator is defined in the mool-mantra. The Creator is described as Formless, Unborn, Wondrous, Infinite, Unfathomable, Unknowable, Indescribable, Ineffable and Immeasurable. A Semitic God that orders the creation into existence does not find acceptance. Neither is there a place for multiple gods and their reincarnation in the form of humans and animals, as in Hinduism. Sikh philosophy does not attribute gender to the Creator.

Mool Mantra in the handwriting of Guru Arjan from Kartarpuri Bir

Sikhism believes in One Creator of the entire cosmos and all beings therein. For a Sikh creation is divine as it emanated from the Creator. The unity between Creator and His creation is the most remarkable feature of the Sikh thought. However, before the creation came into existence, the Creator was by Himself. That is, the Creator is both Transcendent and Immanent.

Mankind is manifestation of the Supreme One. All humans are entitled to equal respect and dignity irrespective of their religion or status in society. Both a believer and an unbeliever are equal.

All are equal partners in Thy commonwealth,
with none treated as alien and outsider. (SGGS: p.97)

Sikhism is a philosophy of Naam, which is the Creator's dynamic Immanence that sustains the manifest world of force and form. Sikh faith promotes Naam-Simran, which is ceaseless remembrance of God, in thought, words and actions, in an effort to transform man into a better being. It is this continuous remembrance that is the root of all ethical and social actions. When a man's heart is spiritually elevated, it spontaneously inclines him to serve others selflessly. This devotion leads him to the realization of a Benevolent and Loving Creator and rids him of all the vices. "Man is blessed with the light of reason and discrimination [between right and wrong]"(SGGS: p.913) "Through virtue is one enlightened."(SGGS: p.931) "Our deeds alone bear witness unto our life."(SGGS: p.1383)

Humanism is the doctrine centered on human interests or values. So is the Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). It speaks of equality -- human and gender -- freedom and justice.

Unlike eastern religions, notably Hinduism, Sikh faith rejects the notion of an illusory world. The world is real and it is a place for righteous activities. Sikhism rejects asceticism. It is a philosophy that is world affirming. "True are Thy worlds and Thy universes; True are the forms Thou createst. True are the deeds." (SGGS 463)

To describe the Creator, Guru Nanak calls Him, Nirankar -- one without a form. According to Sikh thought, creation came from within the Creator. Before creation the Creator was by Himself. "[from] nothingness the Formless one assumes a form, the Attribute free becomes full of attributes."(SGGS: p.940) Says Guru Nanak:

From the [formless] External-being the air(gas) evolved,
And from gas came the water. From
the water were created three worlds and
In every heart He infused His Light.(SGGS p.19)

The shunya of Guru Nanak is not the same as the Buddhistic shunyata nor the absolute nothingness, the ex-nihilo, of other schools. Guru Nanak's nothingness refers to the absence of creation and not the absence of Creator and His potencies. The universe originated from within the Creator. It is His manifestation. A single source as the origin of Cosmic laws.

Countless stars, suns, moons and heavenly bodies are being created. They are destroyed after completing their life-span, and the universe continues to create more. All of creation and destruction happens according to the Divine Will (Hukam). Hukam is the Cosmic Law and it came into existence at the moment of creation. All Laws that are required for the functioning of the universe have been provided for, once and for all, at the time of creation.(SGGS: p.7)

There is no limit to creation. Numberless are the moons the suns, numberless universes and numberless countries.(Japuji:35) Countless are the men of Divine knowledge and countless the servants of God. O' Nanak! there is no limit to His bounds.(Japuji:35) There are universes upon universes and creations over creations.(Japuji:37) There are more worlds beyond this earth, more and more.(Japuji:16)

As great is thy creation, so great is Thine celebrity.(Japuji:19) There are nether worlds beyond the nether worlds and countless skies over skies.(Japuji:22) The scriptures say one thing: searching for God's limits and bounds, (without success) people have grown weary.(Japuji:22) If there be any account of His creation, then man would finish[die] while writing.(Japuji:22) The limit of His created creation is not discerned.(Japuji:23) His limits are not found.(Japuji:23) He, who created the creation is and shall also be. He shall not depart when the creation shall depart (disappear).(Japuji:27)

Sikhs believe that human race is one; there is no scope for discrimination and intolerance. People worship the Creator in different ways and remember Him by different names. The Creator nonetheless is the same. Bhai Kanhya was produced before Guru Gobind Singh with a complaint that he was quenching thirst of wounded enemy soldiers by giving them water. In his defense Bhai Kanhya informed his accusers that by following the non-discriminatory teachings of his Gurus it was impossible for him to differentiate between people when it came to serving them. Referring to the Hindu-Muslim religious conflict, the tenth Prophet said:

Recognize all mankind, whether Hindus or Muslims, as one
The same Lord is the Creator and nourisher of all,
Recognize no distinction among them:
The temple and the mosque, the Hindu and the Muslim prayer,
Men are all one! (Akal Ustat)

Sikh path is not a way to individual salvation. It is a path for the collective good of huamanity. Love for all, social service and other altruistic deeds are essential characteristics of Sikhism. Sikh prayer ends with a supplication:

“May Your Grace bless all of mankind.”

Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) is truly catholic for it also includes hymns of non-Sikh saints. Sikhism accepts and embraces all of humanity. Different religions are various stages in the spiritual evolution of mankind. Guru Nanak accepted religious diversity in the spirit of brotherhood. Sikhism does not believe in forced conversions. Sikhs don't actively proselytize. People willing to follow the path, of their own will, are welcome. There is no chosen community. All humans are equal.

Different revelations are accepted in the spirit of brotherhood. Says Guru Nanak:

Numerous are the seasons emanating from the one Sun,
Numerous are the guises in which the Creator appears.

Golden Temple, the most prominent Sikh shrine, had its foundation stone laid by a Muslim saint Mian Mir who was invited by Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru. Later Guru Arjan was tortured and martyred by the Muslim emperor. The sixth Guru, Hargobind continued the Sikh tradition of religious pluralism when he got a mosque, Guru-ki-maseet, built for the Muslim population. This mosque stands till today in the town of Hargobindpuri in Punjab (India).

Guru Tegh Bahadur voluntarily gave up his life to protect Hindu Brahmins of Kashmir who were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Referring to his sacrifice Pearl S. Buck wrote:

Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his life to save another religion. Is it not a great thing?