A God Made To Order is the fourth book in a series started by the eminent Sikh writer Gajinder Singh. I had the privilege to review his books for The Sikh Review. The author is well versed in comparative religion and it is amply reflected in all the thirteen essays of this book. The author has brought out the essential features of Sikh religion and its unique contribution to world civilization vis a vis other religions of the East and West. The author deplores the attitude of Sikh and non-Sikh scholars to mis-interpret the message of Sikh Gurus. I congratulate Singh in choosing some unique themes, which are relevant to modern crisis of conscience experienced by the present generation in general, and the Sikh youth in particular.

‘In Search of God’ is the opening essay of the book under review. The author evaluates the belief systems of ancient religions and compares these with the revolutionary and practical philosophy of the Sikh Gurus. On page 13, Singh projects the Sikh viewpoint: “The Sikh Masters wanted man to resist exploitation and any compromise with adversities, for which individual’s character had to be remolded. The first step in this transformation of character was to learn to be humble with purity of love. Guru Nanak emphasized that a person who did not adopt the Truth zealously in practice, could not be a serious devotee”.

In comparison to Sikh ideals, the author refers to the Hindu way of life (p. 17): “In the Hindu scheme of matters, there is praischet (penitence) and opai (remedy) for all irregularities committed; there is washing away of sins at holy pilgrimage centres; there are special yagya havens to placate Gods, so that a person sits comfortably, having done his duty by his religion through financial means, what he was incapable of doing morally.”

In his essay ‘Of Love and Fear’, Singh is critical of the approach adopted by some scholars of Sikhism to interpret Gurbani in relation to Vedic discipline, or presenting it as a synthesis of Hinduism and Islam: “The game of love was the primary concern of the Sikh Masters who kindled the light of human affection in the hearts of ordinary people and turned them into devas.” There is a wonderful essay “The Mind”, in which the author adopts a psycho-analytical approach to blind faith: “Blind faith is the order of the present times as consumerism has induced all to seek quick solutions and returns. The common man has no time and patience to contemplate inwards and analyze matters.” The author asserts that blind faith has no place in Sikh religion and the priestly class is discarded. Sikh Gurus have bequeathed to us the voice of Gurbani as our guide post.

“Sabd-The Word Divine”, is an essay in which the author classifies sabad into two distinct varieties; reflective and revelatory. According to the author, the reflective sabads are related to some particular and specific event and situation and have a lower spiritual value. He classifies Zafarnama, Babar vani, Bhatt vani and some other sabads of Guru Granth Sahib in this category. It is regretted that the author fails to fathom the transcendental realms of sabad and merely floats on the surface. I fear traditional Sikhs will not accept the author’s division of Gurbani into two streams of thought; the mundane and spiritual. On page 52, Singh presents his thesis about this division in specific terms: “The odes and eulogies of the Bhatt vani were also for a specific time and purpose and their import is different from the motivating bani composed by the Gurus.”

The author defines faith and blind faith in the essay, “A Matter of Faith”. According to him: “ Sikhism as a religion denounces blind faith. Sikhism is a religion of Grace. The principle of Grace is a different matter and all the rituals and rites have no place, be it an Akhand Path or Sampad Path or periodic visits to a Gurdwara under vows. There is no merit in such magical formulae. No religion before Guru Nanak insisted on moral values as foremost and preset condition to expect Grace. The celestial song of Guru Nanak was to arouse the masses from their slumber of ignorance and blind beliefs.”

“Á God Made To Order” is the title essay of this book. In Singh’s view, man, the sculptor, creates God by chiseling the rock face. Then the author compares the concept of God in different traditions. He ponders over the sorry state of affairs in the Sikh religion and makes suggestions on how to utilize the Gurdwara premises to promote various social and cultural activities among the Sikhs instead of using it merely for booking of Akhand Paths, which encourage karam kand rituals that are strongly condemned by the Gurus.

The unique contribution of Sikh Gurus is emphasized in the essay, “Facts of the Matter”, in the following words: “Guru Nanak brought about a revolutionary change in people’s understanding and viewpoint of piety and religious purity far ahead of the set customs and traditions prevailing in Hindu and Muslim society. The Sikh Gurus firmly appreciated the freedom of faith and respect of each one’s point of view. They allowed liberty of faith.”

Despite the author’s bold and calculated move to establish Sikh tradition as the most revolutionary and scientific, I find some minor flaws in his presentation. There is a lot of repetition in some of the essays regarding the rejection of rituals by Sikh Gurus. Singh also takes liberty to translate Gurbani in his own style, for example, on page 79, he translates sakta as ‘the materialist’ and makhatu as ‘the unfit person’ (p.159). There are more appropriate terms in Sikh literature for these words. Typographical errors, although present, are rare. We should expect more contributions from Gajinder Singh in the coming years.


Copyright©2006 Hardev Singh Virk. About the author