I read news articles daily about radical Muslim attacks in Iraq as well as Islamic persecution of Christians in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Eritrea, etc. Then I hear somewhat feeble statements - I'm sorry, that's the way it appears to me - that the Koran condemns violence and holy wars, that Islam is a peaceful religion.
As a Christian, I'm often criticized because some Christians are guilty of hypocrisy, mistreatment and atrocities. But rather than becoming defensive, I sincerely agree with critics that the actions they decry are wrong and unjustified and I say I'm ashamed that Christians have acted that way. (To say this does not accept responsibility; it expresses regret.) I express sorrow that they or others have been mistreated and assure them from the Bible that God condemns that behavior, too.
I'm sure peaceful Muslims also want to distance themselves from "holy" violence. So why don't we hear strong statements like these?
"We are grieved and feel shame that these evil, violent acts have been committed in Allah's name. Those who use Islam as an excuse to terrorize and take the innocent lives of others are enemies of Islam, not its friends. Islam teaches us to seek peace with all peoples, regardless of faith or nationality; all true Muslims follow this teaching. Those of us who serve Allah and follow the Koran express sorrow to our fellow American citizens, and to the world, for the evil being committed by false Muslims. We extend our deepest condolences." And to give feet to these words, ... "We are donating $--- from our benevolence fund to the Red Cross in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East to assist victims of violence perpetrated by false Muslims. We cannot offset the magnitude of those atrocities but we desire to bring a measure of healing."
I'm not saying these things to humble or shame you but to give you friendly advice. These are things your fellow Americans need to hear from you - loudly. I would make these statements were I in your position, and have made them in regard to Christian attrocities and bad behavior.
We all face the threat of retribution, but evil only thrives when we yield to its intimidation. So why is the American Muslim community not more vocal in this regard?
Mr. Shakir in his article has provided us the following verses from Koran.
“Islam addresses the people of the world through the revealed Book Quran. (Sura Naas 114 /1to 6). Quran says that the God of Islam is the God of the Universe and not God of Muslims only. (Rub-ul-al’meen) Muhammad the Prophet of Islam is the Blessing for the Universe. (Rehmatul’almin) It forbids compulsion in religion. (Chapter2 / 256) It lays stress on personal accountability as it says no one will be burden on other. (Chapter 2 / 139) It extends invitation to non-Muslims for a dialogue. (Chapter 3 / 64) It says that if God wanted that there be all ‘Momins’ (Muslims) He could do so. (Chapter 10 / 99) Therefore the concept of diversity is found in the teachings of Quran. It further says, “ Your Deen (faith) is for you and my Deen (faith) is for me.” (Chapter 109 / 6) It says, “ Do not abuse the idols of the idolaters.” (Chapter 6 / 109) Muhammad the Prophet is the Messenger to convey the message and is not appointed as the Keeper over others and certainly not an arbiter. (Chapter 6 / 108) The Book says that after conveying message, “leave them alone and turn away from them. (Chapter 32 / 30) The Quran instructs protection of all places of worship. (Chapter 22 / 40)”
I believe this selective representation of Koranic verses is misleading. Koranic verses that throw a different light on the treatment of the disbeliever have been compiled by Ali Sina on the website www.faithfreedom.org. These verses spell doom, hell, and violence against the disbeliever. Some of the quotes are from
Surah 2: The Cow, Surah 3: The Family Of 'Imran, Surah 4: Women, Surah 5: The Table Spread, Surah 6: The Cattle, Surah 7: The Heights, Surah 8: The Spoils of War, Surah 9: Repentance, Quran Surah 10: Jonah, Quran Surah 11: Hud, Surah 13: The Thunder, Surah 14: Abraham, Surah 15: The Rock, Surah 17: The Children of Israel, Surah 18: The Cave, Surah 19: Mary, Surah 20: Ta Ha, Surah 21: The Prophets, Surah 22: The Pilgrimage, Surah 23: The Believers, Surah 24: The Light, Surah 25: The Criterion, Surah 26: The Poets, Surah 27: The Ant, Surah 28: The Narrative, Surah 29: The Spider, Surah 30: The Romans, Surah 31: Luqman, Surah 32: The Prostration, Surah 33: The Clans, Surah 34: Saba, Surah 35: The Angels, Surah 36: Ya Sin, Surah 37: Those Who Set The Ranks, Surah 38: Sad, Surah 39: The Troops, Surah 40: The Believer, Surah 41: Fusilat, Surah 42: The Counsel, Surah 43: Ornaments of God, Surah 44: Smoke, Surah 45: Crouching, Surah 46: The Wind-Curved Sandals, Surah 47: Muhammad, Surah 48: Victory, Surah 49: The Private Apartments, Surah 50: Oaf….and many other quotes.
I happened to read your review of Gandhi: Behind ...
Dear Dr. Baldev Singh ji and other respectable well wishers of the
Guru Khalsa Panth.
Waheguru jee ka Khalsa, Waheguru jee kee Fateh
I happened to read your review of Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity by G. B. Singh. As little as I know, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had fooled South Africans, Christian British rulers, Buddhists, Jains, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Hindu Shudars) and Sikhs including leaders like Bhai Randhir Singh ji (who was, perhaps, following Gandhi when he decided to keep a 40 days fast/satyagrah in
prison), Master Tara Singh, late Baldev Singh, etc. However, Gandhi could not befool Muslims/Jinah (instead of one country they now have two independent Muslim nations: Pakistan and
Bangladesh, whereas Sikhs have become slaves, of ungrateful slaves, since 15 August 1947).
Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, Prime Minister of India, before resuming his official duties first
went to Gandhi's grave/samadh at Rajghat on May 23, 2004 to seek his blessings!
Million thanks for your valuable comments regarding this so-called great saint!
With all the best wishes and Charhdi Kalaa of the Guru Khalsa Panth.
Dear Dr. Baldev Singh ji and other respectable well wishers of the
Guru Khalsa Panth.
Waheguru jee ka Khalsa, Waheguru jee kee Fateh
I read your 19 page rejoinder to a retired Principal Joginder Singh in Chandigarh and IOSS. While going through Sikh magazines/periodicals/tracts/books, it has become my habit to
write comments in the margin for any future reference. In the
Spokesman (July 2002) there is no such comment at pages 34-40 and 43-47 where your and the author Gurbakhsh Singh's articles are printed. However, in case of Principal Joginder Singh's
article in AOSS (Jan-March 2003, pages 34-38), I had noted on page 36 that instead of "Seven Guru's lived by sabad and three gurus practiced.." it should be "Six Gurus and Four
Gurus" respectively, that is, Gurbani of Six Gurus is enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib [Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amardas, Guru
Ramdas, Guru Arjun, Guru Tegh Bahadur] whereas Gurbani of Guru Har Gobind, Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Kishan and Guru Gobind Singh is not in the Guru Granth Sahib. In respect to aapae gur chela, it sould be Piri and Miri (not Miri and Piri) and at page 38, "Sohila" and not Kirtan Sohila.
I fully agree with your views based on Gurbani. Regarding
"Bhagauti in Ardaas", I am of the view that since Ardaas is uttered in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, its wording/terminology must corroborate and be based on the Guru Granth Sahib. In the
Guru Granth Sahib, "Bhagauti" is recorded on pages 71, 88, 274 and 1348
under the Baani of Guru Amardas Sahib and Guru Arjun Sahib. When we read these Gurshabds,”Bhagauti” means: "bhagat, devotee, follower, saint, true disciple, worshipper".
Even though it may have other meanings, Sikhs do not pray to any Durga Devi or sword. Our prayer/Ardaas is to the True Lord/the Almighty God/the Supreme True Entity - Akaal Purkh/Kartaa
Purkh/Waheguru and as such the wording of the Ardaas, as mentioned in the Sikh Reht Maryada, needs proper revision based on Gurbaani in Guru Granth Sahib. Bhagauti does not refer to Akaal Purkh at all.
In regard to another issue: aapae gur chela, you have already explained that this concept
was started by Guru Nanak Sahib when a true devotee, Bhai Lehna, was selected
and appointed as
Guru Angad Sahib in 1539. In fact,
when we go through Gurshabds Aapay Gur Chela recorded on pages 517, 669
and 797 under the
Gurbaani of Guru Amardas Sahib and Guru Ramdas Sahib, it means that the True
Lord Himself is the Guru
and He Himself is a disciple (devotee).
In the end I wish to add that after the “excommunication” of Bhai Gurbakhsh Singh ji (Canada) and Editor Joginder Singh ji (Spokesman) a trend appears to have started whereby dirt is thrown on Sikhs who do not agree with Brahminical doctrine or rituals
followed by the so called Sikh pujaris, Bhais, Ragis, sant-babas, etc.
There also appears to be a competition among people who belong to various organizations and admiriers of certain people and politicians -- the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, BhIndirawale Taksaal, Deras under Sant Samaj, retired Principals, Professors, Editors, so called intellectuals operating from Amritsar and
Chandigarh and followers abroad.
Strangely, whenever any clarification is needed, these same people keep mum! Million thanks for citing valuable references from Guru Granth Sahib for our guidance.
I would appreciate very much if you could kindly throw light on the following points.
According to my understanding up to the last quarter of the nineteenth century Bhagvad Gita was not a separate text, it was a chapter of Mahabharat when a European writer translated it into English and gave it the name Bhagvad Gita.
You have given splendid explanation on the meaning of “Guru” -- life affirming person, enlightner, guide to human society in every aspect of life. But then you talk of a Guru who lived high up in the Himalayas in a dark cave far away from society. Should not a Guru be immersed in society enlightening people and solving their problem! Moreover, when a Guru lives in cave up in the Himalayas, how does he supports himself? Does he make any effort to earn his living or lives on charity?
In nature all livings beings earn their living even the ones whom we call parasites due to our ignorance, as they too serve the ecosystem. It only the “human parasite” who lives at the expense of ignorant and gullible people without making any positive contribution to the environment. Guru Nanak rejected such Gurus / Pirs.
“The one who dwells on God does not go begging for alms. Never bow at the feet of those who call them Gurus / Pirs, but live on charity. Truthful is the one who practices truth, compassion and charity. One who works hard to make an honest living and practices charity finds the righteous path. (Aad Guru Granth Sahib, pp, 468, 953, 1245)”
Swami Saraswati in Guru Purnima tells us that Maharishi Vyas “is heralded as the one who classified and arranged the four Vedas, and as the author of the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.”
This is not accurate. “Vyas” is a catch name applied by Hindus denoting him as the author or compiler of so many of these Hindu scriptures. We know next to nothing about historical Vyas, if there was one. Moreover, Bhagavad Gita as a separate text came into existence in 1785. As far as “18 Puranas” go, I believe Swami Saraswati is talking about maha-puranas which are 18 in number. May I ask then who authored or compiled 18 minor puranas and some other miscellaneous puranas? Once you are familiar with the contents you may ask: How could Vyas (or anyone else) have arranged four Vedas and the voluminous Mahabharata? It is simply not possible.
--GB Singh
Could someone please send me the names of lawyers...
-Mumtaz Yusuf
Dear Sir,
Could someone please send me the names of lawyers who
assisted Prof. Davinder Pal Singh in Germany and India.
We are facing a similar case of extradition. Maybe these same attorneys, who have experience in extradition cases, could help us in the European HR Court.
Thank You.
Mumtaz Yusuf
mumtazyusuf@hotmail.com
What is said in this article abour Sardar Nirmal Singh...
What is said in this article abour Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind can never be
enough to describe a great person, who was born to serve the
Sikh community. After getting to know Nirmal uncle so closely, I hope we
can learn from his biography and live a life of a caring person as he
was all his life. I had known him for the last three years and he had been
always there for everyone. He will be remembered by thousands who knew him and
many more as we will continue to spread his beliefs and morals.
No words can portray the greatness and simplicity of Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind or fill the void created by his untimely death. Tribute To My Brother: Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind takes us close to the kind of person that was Sardar Nirmal singh Thind.
Not only did the writer Sardar Bhupinder Singh lose his brother, but
the entire community, I should say the world, has lost
a great brother, a friend, and a responsible citizen.
Mr.Nirmal Singh Thind was a gentle soul who would willingly go to any
extent to help people without a second thought. He
believed in doing good for others but soon forgot it in utmost humility. He may be described as a perfect holy man and perhaps this is why the Almighty has called him for
some important tasks to be done elsewhere.
We will always miss him while we try to incorporate some of his good
qualities and ideals in our life.
Wishing condolences to the Thind family.
-- Gurpreet Singh
The love and acceptance that it seems you want I....
I read this article because I just met two Sikh men recently who work at
the local 7-11 and I met another Sikh lady when I went to a Sikh temple
for my world religions class. I am a born again Christian and it really
appears as though and I hope this is not offensive to you that what you
are looking for cannot be fulfilled in a church, in a temple or by other
people.
The love and acceptance that it seems you want I truly believe can
only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He loves you
so much and He suffered and died for you. So many people look to religion
to find this sense of acceptance and I can tell you that although
Christians are supposed to be loving and accepting sometimes they even
fail to show it because we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of
God. But the thing that I want so deeply to share with you is that this
love that you are looking for Jesus offers so freely. You don't have do
anything to deserve His love in fact you and I don't deserve His love but
He gives it to us freely. He is the only way to Heaven and there is
nothing that you have to do for it but simply believe that He loves you
and died for you and ask Him to come into your life and to forgive you for
your sins.
I would love to talk to you more about this and this letter is
simply written because I care, I know you may think that is weird, but I
read your whole letter and all it made me think of was all she needs is
this love that Jesus offers so freely. He truly is the only God and He
loves you so much. He knows your every thought and every tear you have
ever cried and He wants a relationship with you. Please e-mail me back.
God bless.
I am glad to read Sukhvir Singh’s article-- Meditation: The Final Freedom. Given the complexity and the wishy-washy nature of the subject, this is not an easy subject to talk about objectively. Sukhvir has pointed out that already there are more than hundred varieties of meditations. I would like to see what Gurbani has to say about the general interpretations of meditations floating in the market, especially concerning the idea of achieving a “blank mind.”
Sukhvir also wrote, “It is no wonder that Gautam Buddha was attacked by Brahmin pandits, Jesus was hanged by Jews, Mansoor was killed by Muslims, Socrates was killed by Greeks etc. Organized religions are not very different from politics, and each strives hard to gain more converts. When an enlightened being leaves the body a dogma is started in his name. His views are reshaped, and his values are given a new meaning to strengthen the organization. Nanak, Buddha, Mahavira, Gobind Singh, Kabir, Muhammad, and Jesus were enlightened beings.”
I am not sure if I would agree with the above statement. There are historical problems with the Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, etc. By all accounts available, historically speaking, we know next to nothing about these personalities. Then there are views in these Scriptures that makes one wonder about “being enlightened.” Also, based upon the Gospel accounts in the New Testament, Jesus was not hanged; rather he was crucified. Why blame the Jews for killing their own fellow Jew?
--GB Singh
I am glad you read the article. I would have....
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Dear G.B. Singh
I am glad you read the article. I would have been more glad had you jumped into meditation rather than viewing it intellectually. Intellectuality is not intelligence. Stop thinking, close your eyes, pray to the existence that I have lost the game, I am tired of my wisdom, my thinking. I am lost, I don’t know what to do, please accept me at your feet...pray and pray.
God is Rahiman, and Bakhshind. Blessing may shower on you. Only thing required is to throw away your intellectuality, and wisdom and be naked at His feet.
You don’t have to depend on any literature/history for your views. Experience it and you can talk on your authority. Most history is partial and distorted view of the facts.
A frog of a well cannot describe the experience of an ocean. But all the effort of a historian for description/history/biography of an enlightened person is just the effort of a frog. It tells more of a frog than the enlightened being.
Now is the time to jump into the open ocean and swim yourself rather than sitting on the bank and thinking.Jump!
With respect,
--Sukhvir Singh
I thank you for a quick response. I hope....
-G.B. Singh, USA
Dear Mr. Sukhvir Singh,
Sat Siri Akal
I thank you for a quick response. I hope I am correct in saying that of
all the meditation varieties, you are recommending this one: "Stop
thinking, close your eyes, pray to the existence that I have lost the
game, I am tired of my wisdom, my thinking. I am lost, I don't know what to do, please accept me at your feet...pray and pray."
I am familiar with this variety and my gut feeling is that you practice
it. Am I correct? If so, explain me, and the readers, how do you
attain or render your brain into "blank mind?" Is that state desirable?
What does Gurbani say about this fantastic endeavor? In fact this was my
question in my earlier correspondence which you didn't touch.
Allow me to repeat again: You wrote in your article, Meditation: The
Final Freedom, the following:
"It is no wonder that Gautam Buddha was attacked by Brahmin pandits,
Jesus was hanged by Jews, Mansoor was killed by Muslims, Socrates was
killed by Greeks etc. Organized religions are not very different from
politics, and each strives hard to gain more converts.... Nanak, Buddha,
Mahavira, Gobind Singh, Kabir, Muhammad, and Jesus were enlightened
beings. They belong to this universe rather than any organization,
religion or region. With each of them collective unconsciousness of
humanity took an upward jump. Each enlightenment is like an explosion
sending positive waves all over the existence."
With all due respect to you, here is a dilemma I have with your variety
of meditation: How did you reach such fantastic conclusions on Buddha,
Muhammad, Jesus, etc? Before you answer this I would urge you to read
all what you have already written.
Sincerely,
--GB Singh
Gurbani is full of songs of no-mind.....
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Dear GB Singh,
Gurbani is full of songs of no-mind. Gurbani continuously hammer the seeker to leave mind outside before going to the Guru.
Jao Tao Prem Khelan Ka Chao,
Sir Dhar Tali Gali meri Aao
Jeevtia mar rahie,Esa jog Kamaiye etc.
Remove your head. Head is mind. Head is your ego. Head is your identity. Head tells you that you are Mr X and you belong to this or that and above all head tells you that you have so much knowledge about things. All this is your mind. Mind is not a physical part in your body, rather it is a chain of thoughts which is going twenty-four hours a day continuously. It is a mess out of your past, not only of this life but goes past lives as well.
When mind is shaken, you become less and less thoughtless and ego starts to melt. Your center moves towards your heart. It is through heart only that one can realize the beats of God. It is not blank brain. Brain will be there but you will for the first time be its master. It is not a blank but a settled mind, a cool mind and you will be aware of it. This state is referred as Sat Chit Anand. Everything is silent. The soundless sound of Omkar will be audible to you. You will be one with One. You will realize your deathless state and for the first time you will taste Amrit. This is blissful state. Anand will shower upon you. Your songs will become His songs. You will just become a bamboo flute in the hands of God. You and God will not be two. You will become one with One as a drop falls into the ocean.
Nanak, Buddha, Mahavir, Krishna, Jesus are not names of different persons. These are the names of ultimate awareness. These are not the names of different personalities. Personality comes out of mind. Beyond mind all is one.
They are the expressions of it. They are beating with same frequency. They are in resonance. These are the names of the same ultimate silence. There are thousands of people who have reached the same ultimate silence.
There are politicial, geographical, historical reasons that we are mentioning these names more than others. But it does not make any difference. By mentioning name of one enlightened person you are mentioning the names of all enlightened people.
These enlightened people are not confined to some bodies they are evolved. Bodies are born and die.
Minds are accumulated and dispersed. The person who disassociate him/herself from this body and mind is just like being dead while alive. Such person is never born and never dead. You can communicate with Nanak, Buddha, Krishna. Thy are your intrinsic part. Close your eyes and you can smile with them. Close your eyes and be silent.
Lastly mediation is not certain techniques. Everything done with awareness is meditation. Even killing a person with awareness is a meditation and donating to a beggar without awareness is a sin. The person who has been exploded to ultimate silence is living all his life in meditation. He is awakened even when his body is sleeping.
Death of his body is a celebration. You can certainly start meditation with some techniques but it has to expand to 24 hours covering everything including walking, sitting, speaking, and dying.
Below is what you have to do if you are sincerely thirsty of Him. If you have any more query, don’t hesitate to write to me. I love whatever you write:
1. Throw away your name. No more GB Singh from now onwards. Let the people who are habitual of addressing you as GB continue. Don’t care about that. Just laugh at them. They don’t know that you are no more GB Singh. Call yourself by some other name. Change this name every month so that you don’t get associated with any name
2. Disassociate yourself from any religion, country, caste you think you belong to. All these association bring mind in. And moreover these are all unreal and 'made in mind' things. You have to go close to reality. When you will disassociate yourself from all this, you will come to your “aloneness”. Be alone. You are born alone and will die alone. Between these two events don’t lose your aloneness. Through it only, you can be an authentic person and one who is super silent. When you will be super silent, you will know what is IS.
3.Too much possessiveness of wife, parents, children not only spoils you but eventually spoils them also. You aloneness will trigger aloneness in them. Aloneness is freedom and authenticity. Never confuse aloneness with loneliness.
4.Talk with trees, talk with stars, talk with mountains .Be thankful to this existence which is giving so much without for anything in return. Avoid talking with human beings. Every human being is sick. When you talk to anybody, unconsciously they throw your sickness at you. This earth is a mad house and you will never come across a person who is sane. More wise and intellectual a person seems, more insane he/she is. Every human being is putting a mask on their face and man has gone astray. Humanity need some rebels now.
Be a rebel and seek God. When you will get enlightened, whole humanity will be blessed with you.
5.Do some active meditations. Dance and shiver your body. Let the energy rise higher and higher. That day is not far away when it will get evaporated high above your head. Shiver and shiver your body.
6.Throw away all you learnt upto now. All education, beliefs are hIndirance for a real seeker. Just become as you are born today. Smile like a child. God is another name of ultimate innocence.
7. Speak gibberish for some time every day especially before going to bed and coming out of bed. Speak some language you don’t know. Speak Chinese etc. for sometime everyday. This will tire and confuse your mind and help it to die.
8.Close your eyes and imagine yourself 300 hundred years in advance. Imagine that all whom you know are dead. Then imagine that all humanity is no more a part of existence. Just consider existence without people in it. See that the sun still rises, flowers will blossom, and rivers continue to flow. This will remind you of Kartar and Krit as one.
9. Lastly die while alive. You die and God will give you rebirth. Only the life after this rebirth is the real life, Godly life, authentic life. Speak only after you are reborn. Before that be a seeker and don’t do anything else.
You don’t have to go to anybody to seek Him. You are pregnant with God. It is already over-due. Hence all the suffering. Please be still and let this delivery happen. There is no rest before this delivery. Be in a helpless state. Suddenly it happens and will happen to you. It comes out of nowhere and you will not be able to do anything other than singing His songs, weeping in His love, and madly dance like Meera.
Love to you,
Your brother
--Sukhvir
It is a matter of honor that you opened up.....
-G.B. Singh, USA
Dear Mr. Sukhvir Singh,
It is a matter of honor that you opened up in your last letter. Your letter provides me a telescopic roadmap as to where you are coming from, where you have been, where you learned such ideas that you have expressed.
Your quote from Gurbani is familiar to me. However, I never used or interpreted in the way you have described it. I will let another Sikh respond on it. Also, when you say, “Gurbani is full of songs of no-mind” I beg to differ with you.
I hope you wouldn’t mind what I am going to say. The rest of your long letter is what we (those of us who study Hinduism in details) call Upanishadic. Therefore I need not go into responding each paragraph of yours. I have come across few Sikhs who have been engrossed in the Upanishads without recognizing the dangers of such endeavors. I urge you to think about it.
The reason your article Meditation: The Final Freedom caught my attention is because these days I am writing a book to be titled, Yoga: Conquest of the Western Mind. Because meditation is a part of the yoga doctrine, I am more interested in that subject.
Yes I am your brother irrespective of the meditations on your part.
Many thanks for publishing this highly researched article of
tremendous historical importance. In fact I remember when I was in High School our history teacher, while
making a comment on the Mutiny of 1857, said "Had Sikh brothers helped
... Independence would have been achieved much earlier".
I never believed it on that day, but now there is concrete evidence by
eminent historians that it was a selfish attempt rather than a war of
Independence.
I was really shocked when this tragedy happened.....
I was really shocked when this tragedy happened. He was a nice man and a loving mamaji to me. I visited him last summer and he visited us in Toronto in October, 2003. I read this biography and I learned many new things about him. I thank my other older mamaji who lives in Holland for writing this wonderful tribute to Nirmal singh Thind.
Whatever I am saying, I am saying.....
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Editors—We encourage these discussions as long as they stay focused. To say that writing is for cowards is definitely not so. Our knowledge about the world and everything inherent to it has grown because of the written word. Whatever our professions maybe – Software engineer, Doctor, Teacher, etc. – it is only possible through the written word.
Even Sikh Gurus “wrote” the Guru Granth Sahib. That is, Gurbani has come to us as written word. One might ask what was the reason behind it? Couldn’t the Gurus ask people to “experience God” whichever way they liked or preferred? Why write or talk about Waheguru, like they did, if it was of no use? It is true that human knowledge may fall short of understanding “God” or mystic experiences of a believer, but why make it the reason to not share knowledge through the written word.
Dear GB Singh,
Whatever I am saying, I am saying aankhin dekhi.I am not representing
any scriptures nor I ever read scholastic books - Sadhho sehaj samadhi bhali. Neither I talk as a Hindu, nor Muslim, nor a Sikh and nor a Christian. I am simply a human being belonging to all. Thank God, you took away all the pollution from me. Now no “ism” can imprison me. Please don’t judge me. I am not coming from anywhere nor I am going anywhere. I am just here and now. Drink me if you can. Sing with me if you can. Dance with me if you can. Why bother about judging me. I am drunk.
Secondly, never condemn dangerous word. God is adventure. God is for courageous ones only and never and never for cowards. Cowards only talk about God and write books about God and always concerned about safety, defense - Sar Dittia Saain mile,to bhi sasta jaan. Even if you have the option to touch the feet of God after your are slaughtered, consider it is a Grand Sale day. Word dangerous is for worldly souls only. Godly person is just a witnessing awareness. Dangerous/safe, secure/in-secure, happy/sorrow does not make any difference to Him. It is just as it is for Him.
God is not a serious affair nor a scholastic approach. God is
not a knowledge. God is a celebration, a song and a dance. God is for
those who know how to sing and how to dance. Reading and writing books can be a bad habit and it can be just a chewing gum for the mind. It can be a food for the ego. Usually there is a tendency in the scholastic minded people to read and write too much especially in their later life. I have seen a large number of people just collecting stuff from here and there and authoring books. Not even a single word is there own. Soon such books are thrown to the public and polluting their innocent minds. Writing books is just a mind trick to avoid being alone. It is just a trick to keep oneself busy and avoid facing himself/herself. Don’t let the mind cheat you.
Gurbani is for singing not reading, Gurbani is for drinking not
interpreting. One sentence of Gurbani can have indefinite number of
meanings depending on the level of mind of the person reading it. Mind gives its own color, its own meaning to the poetry. Poetry is a beyond mind experience. Whenever a meaning a given to a poem, it just becomes a dead body of the poem. Gurbani is for singing and singing like a drunk.
Lastly don’t burden yourself that I am writing to you
especially. You are representing all the scholars of the world. My words are for all the scholars of the world. These words will speak volumes from the stage of SikhSpectrum to those who have their heart open.
It is a misunderstanding if one gets the impression.....
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Dear Editor
It is a misunderstanding if one gets the impression that writing is for cowards only.
I never said that. Cowards only write and don’t go beyond to experience themselves. And once samadhi happens, then writing becomes like fragrance of a flower. They don’t write but writing happens to them. God writes through them. God sings through them. I did not condemn writing as long as it is not just a habit without real experience.
Thanks
--Sukhvir
The discussion between G.B. Singh and Sukhvir Singh.....
-Preet Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, USA
The discussion between G.B. Singh and Sukhvir Singh raises some very important questions. More specifically:
. The role and scope of meditation in different religions;
. Nature of meditation; and
. Perceived goal(s) of meditation.
Let me state at the onset that I do not practice meditation like that which is recommended in the discussion. To give the author (Sukhvir Singh) benefit of doubt, I will accept as true the possibility of a blissful condition if the method laid down by him is followed in earnest. I can understand and appreciate the state of bliss (referred to by the author as Sat Chit Anand). Rudolph Otto calls a deep religious emotion mysterium tremendum.
Although I seem to understand the intent that Nanak, Buddha, Jesus, etc. are the same names of the One reality, I must point out that this is not what different religions promote. For example, to a Christian there is no salvation outside Jesus who is the chosen Son of God. This is specifically a Christian belief. Similarly Islam promotes the idea of the finality of revelation through Prophet Mohammad by rejecting the need for any other Prophet after Mohammad, or the finality of revelation before him.
In November 1998, a seminar organized in New Delhi to mark Buddha Mahotsav, had Buddhists monks and scholars up in arms against a comment made by former Home Minister of India L.K. Advani when he stated that Buddha derived his teachings from Bhagvad Gita and that he was also an avtaar of Vishnu. Responding to Advani’s allegations, Lobsang Thokmay, a Tibetan scholar at the Tibetan Institute (Sarnath) replied, “Buddhist philosophy is not at all related to Hindu philosophy. Hinduism believes everything is permanent. In Buddhism, we believe everything is impermanent and interdependent." Buddhist monks accused the seminar organizers of "Indianization of Buddhism" (Advani Does A Joshi On Buddha, Nandita Roy. Reproduced in The Sikh Review, March 1999).
Evidently every religion has its own unique metaphysical worldview, which differentiates it from other religions. Religious differences have been, and still are, an important reason for hostility between people and nations, and keeping that in mind one might resolve to overlook these differences in the common good of all people and races. This, however, should not preclude the necessity to educate everyone about the differences in the paths and teach them, slowly but surely, the need to coexist as co-inheritors of this planet. If my neighbor has a different set of beliefs it should not imply that I must hate him or her.
To resolve the issue of religious intolerance, Guru Nanak, in his Japuji accepts different paths of worship while laying greater emphasis, not on any Prophet or saint, but on the Creator as the single source of creation. Says the Guru,
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)
The discussion between Sukhvir Singh and G.B. Singh appeared to focus on Gurbani. It appeared G.B. Singh sought to understand the need for meditation from the viewpoint of Gurbani. What role does meditation play to attain a blissful state of mind? I will discuss it from the Sikh perspective only since that seemed to be the focus of contention.
The state of Sat (being), Chit (consciousness) and Anand (bliss), although desirable is not the ultimate goal for a Sikh. To attain a state of bliss without participation in life is rejected in Sikhism. Sikh Gurus were not ascetics and neither did they give up living to practice meditation. Moreover, to claim that in the state of Sat-Chit-Anand “You will be one with One”, is also not supported by the Gurus. If this were true, where does the concept of nadar (Grace) fit in. To achieve this highest state of bliss, Grace (nadar) is a prerequisite.
With Thy Grace one attains the highest state of bliss.
Thou art the Creator, everything is Thy creation,
What is in the power of jiva. (Asa, M.1. p.423)
It does not matter how much one meditates – chants, sings or dances in circles -- unless you are a recipient of the Divine grace this blissful state will always elude you. To consider our own efforts as sufficient to win the Grace suggests a Creator who can be manipulated by a man or a woman. However, Grace eliminates the possibility of any human manipulation of the Creator. Guru Nanak has suggested that Grace can be earned through our deeds and actions (perhaps meditation is one part of it).
To say that through meditation “You will be one with One”, is not acceptable on another account also. Sikhism rejects the idea of a man or woman “becoming one” with the Creator in an undifferentiated sort of a way. In fact Guru Arjun refused to include a hymn by Bhagat Kanhaa where he says "I am He; O, I am the same". The Guru recognized that this idea is alien to the path of Guru Nanak.
If this is the goal of meditation, as proposed by Sukhvir Singh, then G.B. Singh is correct to point out that Gurbani does not accept it. As pointed out by G.B. Singh this thought is Upanisadic. ‘Thou art That’ (tattvamasi) and ‘I am Brahman’ (aham brahmasmi) are fundamental principles in the Upanishads. To achieve this goal meditation becomes necessary, and it is no wonder that the fourth and final stage of life (fourth ashramas is that of a bhikhsu (an ascetic monk). The famous Upanisadic sage Yajavalkya felt it necessary to leave worldly life for attaining salvation with meditation as a key component of it. All this makes the world an illusion (maya) and Sikhism rejects it.
Every path describes its own way of attaining salvation. Consider the Yogic school of thought. In it the undifferentiated merging of atma and parmatma is emphasized. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not a way to improve our health. This may be an unintentional benefit of yoga exercises, but fundamentally, through yoga, a yogi endeavors to break the bonds between prakriti and purusa a concept promoted by Samkhaya. Attaining a blissful state as a way to salvation is a part of the Vedantic school. The Nyaya school recommends the detachment from sensory organs. All these ideas, as a way to salvation (or blissful state), are rejected in Sikhism.
I would like to comment on “losing one’s mind” which is an important part of Sukhvir’s discussion. Guru Nanak never criticized intellect. He only questioned the “learned religious people” who claimed to know everything about the Creator and creation. It is in this sense that the Guru places limits on human understanding. How powerless a true seeker is, is best described by Guru Nanak himself in Japuji (pauri 33) where he challenges people who claim to have all the answers.
If meditation involves giving up all desires then is it desirable. The thought to give up desire is also a desire. Moreover, how can one give up all desires and serve humanity. Serving people, fighting injustice, spreading goodness through good deeds and actions is also a desire of the mind.
More importantly, is meditation absolutely necessary for getting closer to God (or Creator)? I’m not sure if it is. Some religions may emphasize it and make it necessary. I don’t reject the idea that there are people who have had mystical experiences through meditation. I will believe Sukhvir if he claims to be one of them.
Let us not forget that there are people who have experienced divinity just by dedicating their lives to helping others. An artist may experience divinity through his art; a scientist may experience it through science; a writer through his writings; and an athlete may experience it when he runs. The story of Eric Liddell is a good example. Eric was a devout Christian and an accomplished runner who won the Olympics gold for the British team in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Quoting Liddell: “I believe that God made me for a purpose; He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure. To give it up would be to hold Him in contempt; to win is to honour Him."
Let me end my response by asking the three basic questions that I asked at the very beginning.
What is
. The role and scope of meditation in different religions;
. Nature of meditation; and
. Perceived goal(s) of meditation.
I believe the answers to these questions will help our understanding of the issues involved in this discussion.
Please allow me to comment on Sukhvir Singh’s article.....
-Baldev Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
Please allow me to comment on Sukhvir Singh’s article Meditation: The Final Freedom and his response to GB Singh’s criticism of No-Mind or Sat Chit Anand type meditation.
Meditation like love, peace and spirituality is one the most misunderstood, misspoken and misused word of the English language. Generally, I am not interested in the subject of meditation. Since this article is authored by someone who is a Sikh, I assumed that the article was about what meditation means in Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat). I could not believe my eyes what I saw in the article and in the author’s responses to GB Singh!
For example the author says: “Reading and writing can be a bad habit and can be just chewing gum for the mind.” If that is so then why is he using the medium of writing to propagate his “liberating experience?” There is hardly any statement in the article or the response to GB Singh, which is not contentious, however, I shall restrict myself to few statements to demonstrate unequivocally that there is no place for “No-Mind meditation”, or his approach to life.
He says “No-Mind is a sate of mind where there is emptiness all around and you are pure as if you were born just at that moment and innocent like a child and aware of every thing around you”. This is a self-contradictory statement. First he says that in No-Mind state there is emptiness all around and then he says you are aware of every thing around you! Which one is correct? Moreover, a just born infant’s senses are not as yet developed except the sense of touch for sucking.
Furthermore what does No-Mind state mean? Does it mean the inactive mind or inattentive mind? Inactive mind means coma, or death of consciousness! Gurmat totally rejects this type of meditation. For example when the yogis asked Guru Nanak “Who is your Guru or whose disciple are you?” “Word (Divine knowledge) is the Guru and my mind, which comprehends the Word is the disciple,” replied Guru Nanak (Aad Guru Granth Sahib, p 942-43). It is the attentive mind that comprehends the Word, not the No-Mind state. Similarly, the four stanzas of Japu, 8 to 11 stress the importance of listening to the Word.
Listening to the Word and acceptance of the Word creates love for God, which enlightens the mind removing ignorance (AGGS, p 4).
In ancient times some people in India used to renounce the world in search of “sun or sat chit anand (perfect tranquillity)”state of mind. These people created various ascetic orders that I consider human parasites. In nature all living beings sustain themselves including the ones whom we call parasites, due to our ignorance, as they too serve the ecosystem. But this is not true for the human parasites. They made tall claims to being pious spiritual beings possessing all sorts of supernatural powers. They looked down upon the householders who sustain human society. They exploited the householders by various unsavoury means to live at their expense. Guru Nanak denounced them and their trickery.
I do not believe in the trickery of tantra and mantra to win God’s affection, I imbibe Him in my heart. Meditation on God is the collyrium that pleases Him. The one who understands the Eternal One through the Word has this insight (AGGS, p 766). Never touch the feet of those who claim to be spiritual leaders, but live on charity (AGGS, p 1245).
Meditation, according to Gurmat, means living an active and creative life in harmony with Hukam (Divine Order).
One who works hard to make an honest living and practices charity finds the righteous path (AGGS, p 1245). Truthful is the one who practices truth, compassion and charity (AGGS, p 468). Let your daily actions be the field, sow the seed of Word and water it daily with truth. Work hard like a farmer and grow a crop of firm belief. O ignorant one, then you would understand the meaning of hell and heaven (AGGS, 24). One can be one with God while enjoying worldly pleasures: laughing, playing, eating good food and wearing good clothes. In other words worldly pleasures are compatible with spiritual life (AGGS, p 522).
Gurmat places highest value on a householder life. All Sikh Gurus except one, who died young, were married householders. Nanakian philosophy places God at the centre of family life by calling It father, mother, husband, brother, friend and lover and by depicting It as the bridegroom and humans as brides to emphasise Its love and bond with creation.
In the beginning of his composition of Japu on the opening page of AGGS, Guru Nanak has described God as Sach, meaning Everlasting Universal Truth. Then in the first stanza of Japu on the same page he has enunciated the purpose of human life. How could one become a sachiara (Godlike, truthful), a God-centered being (gurmukh) and how could one get rid of ignorance and falsehood? “By living in harmony with Hukam (Divine Law),” says Nanak (AGGS, p 1).
How could one get rid of ignorance and falsehood? Through knowledge based on Truth. What is needed to understand Hukam? It is true knowledge. So a sachiara is one who understands the Hukam. Who understood the Hukam, Galileo or the Pope? In my opinion it was Galileo who understood the Hukam, which makes him a sachiara.
In his response to GB Singh’s questions Sukhvir said: Gurbani is full of songs of No-Mind. Gurbani continuously hammers the seeker to leave mind outside before going to Guru… It is a mess out of your past, not only of this life but goes past well. And then he goes on to interpret “jao tao prem khelan ka chao. sir dhar tali gali mori aao” as: Remove your head. Head is mind. Head is your ego.
First of all Gurmat rejects the concept of past or future life and all the essentials of Hinduism. Second his interpretation of Gurbani is not what Guru Nanak has emphasized in this couplet. Here Guru Nanak exhorts us to live moral lives with a caution that it requires sacrifices on our part, sometimes even extreme sacrifices. What is a game of love with God? It is righteous conduct - a moral life.
If you want to play the game of love with God then follow my path and be prepared to make supreme sacrifice. Once you step on this path, do not hesitate to offer your head (AGGS, p 1412).
The above proclamation is central to the Sikh Movement - the basis of Miri-Piri (temporal and spiritual sovereignty) - and the development of the noble Khalsa Order. Only a moral person (gurmukh) can be a Mir-Pir i.e. a Khalsa.
Contrary to his assertions “Gurbani is full of songs of No-Mind. Gurbani continuously hammers the seeker to leave mind outside before going to Guru”, Gurmat urges us to use common sense in our daily lives and it lays utmost stress on discerning intellect (bibek budh) - an alert and attentive mind.
First, evaluate a substance, then buy it if convinced. In other words, first evaluate an idea or a philosophy (teachings or religion). If convinced, then accept it (AGGS, p 1410).
The highest achievement is deliberation and discussion of Word (Guru’s teaching) (AGGS, p 904).
Here again you need an active and alert mind for deliberation and discussion.
Use wisdom and reason in the worship of God and practice of charity. One learns by intelligent reading and earns respect by wisdom (AGGS, p 1245).
One who applies discerning intellect can understand the subject in its real perspective. In other words we must use bibek budh in understanding Gurbani (AGGS, p 285).
One who is endowed with discerning intellect (bibek budh) is indeed a wealthy person (AGGS, p1150).
O my Beloved Creator, I am sacrifice toYou. You have made me understand that he who searches for You is enlightened, while the one who wanders aimlessly is wasted away. In other word one who investigates makes progress while one who indulges in idle discussions goes no where (AGGS, p 1255).
Do not live a life of isolation; interact with others. Keep learning from others and teaching others as long as there is breath of life. A Sikh is a learner for life (AGGS, p 661).
Education teaches us that don’t say a bad word to anyone but don’t argue with an ignorant (AGGs, p 473).
Furthermore Sukhbir says: “Gurbani is for singing not for reading. Gurbani is for drinking not for interpreting. One sentence of Gurbani can have indefinite number of meanings depending on the level of mind of the person reading it. Mind gives its own color and meaning to poetry. Poetry is beyond mind experience. Whenever a meaning is given to a poem, it just becomes a dead body of the poem. Gurbani is for singing and singing like a drunk”.
If Gurbani is for singing and singing like a drunk, not for reading or interpreting, then why did the Gurus write it down meticulously with their own hands. Guru Nanak and Guru Angad constructed a beautiful modern script, Gurmukhi, from contemporary crude scripts with specific grammar for writing their and their successors Divine revelations. If Gurbani is just for singing like a drunk, then why did they develop a special script and grammar for it? So that people could understand Gurbani through proper interpretation. Yes, people may have indefinite number of meanings of a sentence of Gurbani depending on their intelligence and knowledge of Gurmat and the grammar of Gurbani, but there is only one correct meaning for the one endowed with discerning intellect (bibek budh). For example, Nanak pronounced as Nanak is spelled in three different ways in Aad Guru Granth Sahib, why? May be Sukhbir Singh should think about it!
--Baldev Singh
I read your beautiful letter of inviting Sikhs.....
-G.B. Singh, USA
Dear Krista,
I read your beautiful letter of inviting Sikhs to join and experience the love of Jesus. Your words are captivating, especially when you wrote, “You don't have do anything to deserve His love in fact you and I don't deserve His love but He gives it to us freely. He is the only way to Heaven and there is nothing that you have to do for it but simply believe that He loves you and died for you and ask Him to come into your life and to forgive you for your sins.”
I am intrigued by the “Heaven” you are talking about. Could you please tell me where it is; what it looks like; who are its residents; and if Jesus lives there at this present time?
I would also imagine that you have read the entire Bible. In that case, it would be nice of you to educate us as to what the Bible really tells us about this “Heaven” that you would have us going there, once we accept Jesus as our savior. Please be specific and provide quotes from the Bible.
Mr. Dhanoa who is a former IAS officer was an advisor to Indira Gandhi on Sikhs and the Punjab. I have noticed that since 1984 he has been blaming Sikhs for the attack on the Golden Temple and what happened to them in its aftermath over the last two decades. He is a vigorous defender of Indira Gandhi and the Congress Party. Mr. Dhanoa’s ire is directed only against the Akalis, although, there is no difference between Punjab politicians, as they are one and the same representing two sides of a counterfeit coin.
Besides, the dominant politicians are interrelated.1 Mr. Dhanoa is a vociferous critic of Bhindranwala, but is silent about his successor, Baba Thakur Singh who still insists that Bhindanwala is well and alive and will appear at the appropriate time! I would like to know the reason of this silence.
When KPS Gill took journalist Khushwant Singh on a tour of Punjab for propaganda, they stopped at the Dera of Baba Thakur Singh. Dhanoa is a very harsh critic of Khalistanis, but he does not utter a word against their leaders like Jagjit Singh Chauhan, Sohan Singh Boparai and others. Again I would like to know why. Is it because it was Indira Gandhi who created the fake Khalistan movement to destroy the vibrant, entrepreneurial and enterprising Sikh community? Is it not a fact that Indian intelligence services recruited criminal and depraved elements within the Sikh community to do the dirty work? Is it not true that it was Jagjit Singh Chauhan who conspired with Lachman Singh Gill at the behest of Congress party to sabotage the Akali ministry headed by Gurnam Singh.2
Both Chauhan and Boparai are physicians. But who recruited whom and the connection between the two remains to be discovered? Both Chauhan and Boparai are living comfortably in India whereas thousands of innocent, ignorant and gullible Sikh youth, who were misled and incited by them got killed. Boparai has been handsomely rewarded for his work- his son, Swaran Singh Boparai, an IAS officer with no academic experience, has been appointed Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University. Swaran Singh Boparai’s father-in-law, the late congressman Swaran Singh, held several high ranking cabinet positions in the central government.
He earned a reputation by leading a Muslim delegation to the Conference of Islamic Countries like Omar Abdullah who was the head of Indian delegation at the Conference on Racism and Casteism held in South Africa a few years ago. Sohan Singh Boparai’s other son was a prominent Khailstani3 in California. His wife used to eulogise the sacrifices made by her father-in-law and their family for Khalistan in the now defunct World Sikh News. The first editor of this weekly newsletter was Professor Manjit Singh Sidhu, kuram (in-law) of KPS Gill. It is well known that Indian government agents sabotaged the World Sikh Conference held in New York, July 31, 1984 to denounce and expose the heinous crime - Operation Bluestar.4
While the stage was occupied by General Bhullar, Professor Manjit Singh Sidhu, Saran Singh- editor of the Sikh Review and former IAS officer and advisor to the Governor of Assam - and others, the floor was manned by unscrupulous people. Others like Professor Pritam Singh of Guru Nanak Dev University were sitting in the audience. It is a mystery how Dr. Gurinder Singh Grewal, a man of few words, suddenly decided to publish a Sikh newsletter?
After the massacre of the Sikhs, the propaganda machine started blaming the victims for the attack and what happened to them in its aftermath over the last two decades. June 3rd being a gurpurab (a religious festival), a large number of pilgrims, nearly 10000, had come to stay in the Golden Temple complex. Many of them appear to have been killed in army action.5 The actual number of Sikhs who were killed in fake encounters, in police custody and in jails is not known yet, as the powers that be, through its machinations, has frustrated and thwarted the efforts of human rights organisations to collect data.6 May be as many as 200,000 Sikhs have been killed in India during the last two decades.7
Here is a point by point response to Dhanoa’s claims.
Dhanoa wrote: “The Sikh community led by Jathedars would be observing 6th of June as the ‘Ghalughara divas’ all over the world. My estimate, after collecting all information that I could as Chief Secretary, Punjab, is that about 1000-1200 persons lost their lives at the hands of Indian military. It is bit intriguing that the Jathedars started observance of the day really from last year when officially Jarnail Singh BhIndiranwale was declared dead and a martyr. It is said that seven to eight thousands Sikhs were killed in what is known as ‘chota ghalughara’ at the hand s of Lakhpat Rai Kapur and the Sikhs lost about thirty thousands lives in February 1762 in what is known as ‘wada ghalughara’ perpetrated by Ahmad Shah Abdali. I am not aware of any observance of these days at the collective community level.”
The exploitation of the blood of innocent Sikhs by Akalis, SGPC and Jathedars (leader, head of one the five seats of religious authority of the Sikhs) or anybody else is despicable and must be denounced. However, Dhanoa’s comparison of the massacre of Sikhs on June 4, 1984 to ‘chota ghalughara (small holocaust)’ and ‘wada ghalughara (big holocaust)’ is unconscionable. Lakhpat Rai was an avowed foe of the Sikhs, who has taken a vow to eliminate the Sikhs from the face of the planet,8 and Ahmad Shah Abdali was a foreign invader.
Moreover, the Sikhs fought against both Lakhpat Rai and Ahmad Shah Abdali. On the other hand the massacre of Sikh men, women, and children (pilgrims) on June 4, 1984 at the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras was carried out by their own government - the world’s so-called largest democracy headed by Indira Gandhi - who in Dhanoa’s words was “sympathetic towards the Sikhs.”
Sikhs do remember not only ‘chota ghalughara’ and ‘wada ghalughara’ but also all others who fought against oppression and injustice and for freedom of conscience and religion throughout Sikh history in their daily prayer- Ardas (Sikh congregational prayer).
Why did the observation of 6th of June as “ghalughara divas” (holocaust day) by the Sikh community worldwide upset Dhanoa so much that he was forced to speak against it. Did the evil deeds - mass murder of innocent Sikhs and the diabolical campaign to cover the heinous crimes against them - that Mr. Dhanoa supports has now come to haunt him?
Second, even the Indian government’s own “White Paper” on Operation Bluestar puts the number of killed at 4712 and arrested at 10000 whereas the Human Rights Group’s figure for the killed is 10000.9
If Indira Gandhi was sympathetic to the Sikhs then why did she9a order the attack on June 4th knowing fully well that on that day Golden Temple and other gurdwaras would be filled with pilgrims- men, women, and children? Couldn’t she order the attack few days earlier or later? Was Mr Dhanoa involved in this decision making process, which was aimed at giving Sikhs a bloody nose so that they would forget their “bol bale” (freedom-consciousness)?
If Indira Gandhi was anxious to resolve the issue peacefully through Harkishan Singh Surjit, Swaran Singh, Raghunandan Lal Bhatia and many other people until 3rd of June then why did she ask General Sunderji to make preparation for an attack on the Golden Temple in January 1984.10 Why had the army built replicas of Golden Temple at Chakrata and Sarasawa to train commandos? 11
Who created the Bhindranwala phenomenon? Giani Zail Singh and Sanjay Gandhi, with the blessing of Indira Gandhi, created Dal Khalsa by recruiting Naxalites (communists).12 Indira Gandhi, Giani Zail Singh and Sanjay Gandhi promoted and projected Bhindranwala as a great spiritual figure and foisted him on the Sikh community.13 He was installed in the Golden Temple complex by the Indian Intelligence services with the connivance of Tohra and Longowal, who were trying to outsmart each other.14 How could Bhindranwala stockpile weapons when devotees who visited the Golden Temple to pay obeisance were searched and even striped by a cordon of police and security forces?15
If Bhindranwala was a dangerous man then why wasn’t he arrested?16 Why did Indira Gandhi order Chief Minster Darbara Singh to release Bhindranwala when he was put behind bars by the Punjab police?17 Why did President Zail Singh and Buta Singh bow at Bhindranwala’s feet in public at the bhog ceremony of Jathedar Santokh Singh? Why did not Indira Gandhi fire them for bowing to him?18 It is well known that Jathedar Santokh Singh was Indira Gandhi’s man. She got rid of him when she found no use for him. He was killed by his security guards from the police department!18
Why did Rajiv Gandhi, on a visit to Chandhigarh on May 5, 1984 call Bhindiranwale “a saintly man without political ambition?”19 Indira Gandhi never criticized Bhindranwala till he was dead.20 Bhindranwala campaigned for Congress-I candidate in Gurdaspur constituency. He delivered a speech before a meeting, which Indira Gandhi also addressed.20 He also campaigned for other Congress-I candidates including Raghunandan Lal Bhatia.21
Why did the government use a large number of troops with tanks and helicopters to capture or kill “a saintly man without political ambition ” and his forty associates?22 Was there no other way? After all it was the government that put the “holy man” in that situation!
Why seventy-four other gurdwaras were also attacked simultaneously when Bhindranwala and his group were encamped in the Golden Temple complex? 23
Why does Baba Thakur Singh, the successor of Bhindarwala, still insists that Bhindranwala is well and alive and will appear at the appropriate time? Was there an understanding between Damdami Taksal and Indira Gandhi that no harm would come to Bhindranwala during Operation Bluestar?
Dhanoa says that he approached the Patna Takhat urging them to distance from Bhindranwala. I believe he was exchanging information with them as they too, like Dhanoa, were working for the same cause - the success of Operation Bluestar!
For whom was Bhai Kanwar Singh working? Why any Sikh in his right mind would have made outrageous statements: they were at war and gurdwaras were their forts? Wasn’t Kanwar Singh providing justification for the attack on Golden Temple and other gurdwaras? What happened to Kanwar Singh? What is he doing nowadays?
Dhanoa says that Sardar Manmohan Singh has been appointed as the Prime Minister of India on being elected by the Congress Parliamentary Party as their leader. But Dhanoa forgot that Sardar Manmohan Singh is also the man, who was sent by the Congress government in 1993 to Vienna, to represent India at the Human Rights Conference where he made the following statements without blinking an eye:
“There are no ethnic people in India. My government recognises no such category. India has only backward sections. India is an open book and there are no violations of human rights in India”. 24
It must be pointed out that Indian political parties, whether it is Congress or BJP or Communist or any other, have no qualms about spilling minority blood to advance there political objectives. And the Akalis, SGPC, Jathedars and the clergy have no remorse exploiting the spilled blood of innocent Sikhs for their own selfish interests.
Moreover, the Akalis, SGPC, Jathedars and the clergy, who hold no bar while slinging mud at each other, have not uttered a word on record against Jagjit Singh Chauhan, Sohan Singh Boparai, Surain Singh Dhanoa etc.? Could it be because people like Dhanoa know too much about the Akalis, SGPC and the clergy. The Jathedar of Akal Takhat and the clergy, who refused to give siropa (robe of honor) to Chief Minster Amrinder Singh because he dyes his beard, had no compunction to give it to Jagjit Singh Chauhan when he went to the Golden Temple (Tribune, Chandigarh).
References
1 Parkash Singh Badal is related to the Kairons, Braras and Ravi Inder Singh. Simranjit Singh Maan
and Captain Arminder Singh are brother-in-laws.
2 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 345.
3 Ibid., p 452.
4 Singh, B. Deep penetration of Criminals into Sikh Institutions, The Sikh Bulletin, 2002, 4 (5), 12-15; Singh, S. Spokesman, November 2002, p. 14.
5 Jaijee, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 49.
6 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 553- 558.
7 Jaijee, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 103-104.
8 Bhangu, R. S., Prachin Panth Parkash (Punjabi), edited by Bhai Vir Singh, 4th ed., 1962, p 321-322.
9 Jaijee, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 103-104.
9a Ibid., p 50.
10 Ibid., p 43-46.
11 Ibid., p 43.
12 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 364, 370-371; Sinha, S, Singh, J. Sunil, Reddy, G.K.C. Army Action In Punjab: Prelude And Aftermath, 1984, p 28.
13 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 364,., p 364.
14 Jaije, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 33-34, 42.
15 Ibid., p 35-37.
16 Ibid., p 34.
17 Ibid., p 35.
18 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 383.
19 Jaijee, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 40.
20 Sinha, S, Singh, J. Sunil, Reddy, G.K.C. Army Action In Punjab: Prelude And Aftermath, 1984, p 28-
29.
21 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 371.
22 Singh, S. The Sikhs in History, 4th ed., 2001, p 364,., p 364; Jaije, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab
1948-1998, 1999, p 33-34, 42, 56.
23 Jaijee, I. S. Politics of Genocide: Punjab 1984-1998, 1999, p 42.
24 Ibid., p 222.
Thanks for reading the conversation on meditation. I.....
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Dear Friends,
Thanks for reading the conversation on meditation. I have read word by word recently written by Preet Mohan and more by Baldev Singh. I will try to explain and go deep further on some points which can make things more clear. Meditation is not a condemnatory word just because it is an English word and I have no problem replacing the heading of the article with Dhyaan :Final Freedom or Tappasia: The final freedom.
Guru Nanak like all other Masters urged the seeker to go into dhyaan rather than beliefs. Meditaion or Dhyaan is not just sitting with closed eyes and going to the jungles. Meditations are scientific techniques for inner transformation. Meditation is like blood for every religion. Without mediation religion is just a crowd of corpses and with meditation religion is a carnival.
Religion is not an organization rather it is a burning furnace or taksal. Religion is a revolution it is not a ritual. With the passage of time, all religions lose the fire and just become like cold ash. Priests/religious leaders/scholars are responsible for this. They take away the mediation out of the religion. Meditation brings awareness to a person. Meditation turns a goat into the lion. With meditation, a person no longer remains a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a Sikh. He becomes a universal being and authentic person. He becomes a rebel.
Priests/Politicians are not interested in meditative people. They are interested in believers. Belief and blind are synonyms. To be a believer is to be a blind. Only blinds believe in light. A person with eyes doesn’t believe in light. He experiences the light. If he is asked whether he believes in light or not, it will make him laugh. Religion is light. Religion and light are synonyms. We have to treat the eyes of the blind with meditation so that they can see the light. We don’t have to give him the beliefs of light. Priests/scholars/politicians have used the word “Trust” to exploit people asking them to “believe”.Trust and belief are totally different > things.
Trust comes from heart. Belief comes from mind. Belief assumes something to be true without search. Belief spoils the urge to seek. Search starts with doubt. Belief kills it. A believer has no hope to reach anywhere as he just keeps standing blind. A seeker has the hope to reach somewhere. Courage creates seekers and fear creates believers. Journey starts as a seeker. Nanak, Gobind Singh, Buddha, Jesus all started their journey as seekers. It took 36 years of dhyaan, search in the last body of Nanak before he was enlightened. After being fed up with sword, Teg Bahadur sat silently in the basement of his home and started searching for himself. Flowers showered upon him eventually when he found himself. Gobind Singh spent much time on mountains doing Tap, meditations and seeking the ultimate. This soul did not have a desire for any more body. But Teg Bahadur invited this soul for another birth out of compassion.
Although this will need a different topic but Unfortunately has to be mentioned that man-woman love has been distorted by our society under the name of marriage. Non-loving couples are made to live together on social and economical factors. Really loving man-woman couples are butchered/killed in the name of morality if they are not married. Nanak’s statements are misused by ignorant people to glorify marriage and to continue the same old [rotten] society. Nanak appreciated and regarded the authentic love between a man and woman not just husband/wife. Couples who are really loving attract good souls and nagging couples attract bad souls.
Different religion existing in the world today are not the direct creation of enlightened people. People of dominating tendency /believers/political minded people have more hands behind the religions as organizations. All religions have become a gathering of believers. A believer can never experience. When a man experience the inner core of himself, the whole world belongs to him. He is not a stranger anywhere. Everywhere is his home. He becomes a citizen of the world. Everyone is his family. All belong to him and he belongs to all.
Today all religions are killing all the possibility for a human to grow and they cripple the mind of the person so that he can never experience super-consciousness. The reason being that meditation has become a second priority and outer identifications and political games have become the first priority of every religion. There are efforts being made to bring meditation back to the religions. Sufism and Zen are the efforts to bring meditation back into Islam and Buddhism respectively. But these are humble efforts
Aggressiveness of religions can destroy them anytime. Good things are like flowers and can be destroyed easily. Bad things are hard and tough like stones. But flowers have their own glory and life. Stones are dead.
All religions are essentially meditations. Anything done with awareness and with love is meditation. Sitting silently in a Gurdwara tuning with the tunes of Harmonium and songs of Gurbani is meditation. It triggers some silence in you, stops your mind flow and touches your heart. You become inwards and your eyes start closing themselves. You start settling in yourself.
It is unfortunate that all Gurdwaras are polluted with Kathakars and political people. They are destroying the meditative environments there. It should not be a place for them. Gurdwaras are for humanity. There are other meditations already in place in Gurdwaras. When you go to Gurdwara and clean utensils, it kills your ego. Mind experiences less traffic of thoughts/knowledge during this time and some innocence is triggered in you.A lso when you do some other work in a Gurdwara, it bring some bliss to you as it is done without any selfish motive.
Anything done without any selfish motive becomes Krit. Anything done with love without the ego of being a doer becomes a Krit. This is also known as “Work as Worship” technique of meditation. These are only limited meditations being done in Gurdwara indirectly. But these can not be attractive for every type of person. Today man has become more mind oriented rather than heart oriented. Such a man will remain thinking of his worldly affairs even in the tunes of Gurbani music or being present inside a Gurdwara. He will remain untouched will all happening in a Gurdwara.
There are also a number of other meditation techniques which can benefit a large volume of such people. There should be a Meditation Hall along with Langar Hall in every Gurdwara. New techniques from all over the world should be introduced. These new approaches will certainly be challenged by the older generation, priest, scholars and politicians. But this is nothing new. Nanak, Buddha, Jesus etc., all enlightened persons had to meet the same challenge. If they had avoided these challenges we would all be like animals. Humanity needs rebels now. Humanity has been sickened of diabetes by goody-goody people who are just buttering each other’s ego and all type of hypocrisy dominates all aspects of life. Earth need some salt now.
Some words about no mind again. A child when born is innocent, fresh, and living not in mind but at the center of heart. He is not aware of his being yet. It is not his achievement yet. Soon mind will start wandering him away. Society will start its procedure to corrupt him. He will lose his innocence. He may become a politician, a cunning or a clever sort of a person. He has to go through all transformations to come back to his being again.
A Buddha or an awakened person becomes like a child, innocent like a child, smiling like a child but with one difference in that this state cannot be lost. Nobody can spoil it. It is surrounded by awareness. And this awareness is not an alertness of the mind. This is an awareness of the Third Eye. This is an awareness of the soul. This is an awareness of being. The mind will be there but it will remain in the tool box. Its purpose will be utilitarian, but not of a master. No mind is neither an inactive mind nor inattentive mind. It is witnessing an awareness and a light all around. The light of the soul and the light of awakening. It can not be explained. It can only be experienced. It is Gunge Ka Gur.
Now some words about reading vs. singing of Gurbani. Reading is done with the mind and singing is from the heart. Reading excites the mind and singing tunes the heart with One. Religions until now has remained in the hands of scholars/Pandits. Sanskrit was in the hands of scholars. It was interpreted by scholars to trigger fear and guilt feeling in the common man. Religion remained a scholastic affair. Sikh Masters became the persons of people. They touched the heart of man. Scholars remained touching minds of people. Touch of mind is shallow and short lived. Touch of heart is never dying. Sikh Masters were not scholars but rebels and revolutioners. The purpose of an awakened one is to cut off the disciples from past and all types of wisdoms.
Language connects one with the past and old knowldege. God is not knowledge but Knowing and God is not past, God is Present and is an experience of timelessness/distancelessness/deathlessness. Sikh masters introduced the language of heart and for the first time religion became an experience of the heart rather than a scholastic approach as the propaganda done by Pandits and scholars. We have to make sure that our new languages remains heart oriented and should not be polluted by Kathakars/scholars by their interpretations. These should remain a song not Algebra. It is a paradox to interpret the song. Sing it! Why unnecessarily interpret it. If the song is a real song it will do its purpose. It will touch the heart without being noticed by anybody. Why to postmortem an innocent and poor song. Drink it!! It has the capacity to make you drunk! It is just like keeping a bottle of wine in your closet and keep thinking and talking about it. Drink it and Dance!!
Lastly I hope my words will open some new dimension of understanding in people who are courageous enough to say “I DON’T KNOW”. All knowledge is for the people who can say “I DON’T KNOW”. The person who says “I KNOW” remain confined to their narrow boundaries. I am neither a writer nor a author. I am poorer to the poorest. Writing is not my habit either. Writing is a disturbance to me. I enjoy my being and my silence. Writing about things as it is, will be bitter and brings so much disturbances to sleeping souls. I have no intension to touch anybody’s ego and neither do I argue. Everybody has the right to think and live as their own. I am fully available to whoever asks as a seeker. Arguing never enjoys me. I am a pure love. I am naked standing face to face with the present. I have no connection with the past. Some people termed my words as Upanishdic etc., I never read the Upanishads. Don’t attach me to the past. These are my words and at the most you can call it Sukhvirdic but don’t drag me into the past.
Also I am not talking within the boundaries of any religion, dogma, culture or region. All is One connected together as one organic unity. Why can not we talk with our own tongue. Why can not we see things with our own eyes, why cannot we hear with our own ears. God has made every body 100% perfect. We can stand on our own feet. Don’t cling to anything. Nirvana of Nanak, Budha, Krishna can not help anybody unless the person is open and the person is an authentic seeker. Religion is not a dogma, it is an infection. Whatever happened to any enlightened person can trigger something in you if you are silent and keep your heart open. Mind can not take you anywhere. Move and flow with the river. You can swim as swimming is your intrinsic quality. You have just forgotten it. It has to be reminded.
In summary
.What is The role and scope of meditation in different religions?
The role is essentially meditation. But the religions you talk about are no more religions. These have become political and are no longer a place of inner search. The definitions of religions are distorted by ignorant and egoistic people. They are not for people who are authentic seekers.
.Nature of meditation
Meditation consists of everything done with awareness. Do whatever but don’t be a doer. This is meditation. Writing can be a meditation if the writer is not there as a writer but as a witness.
.Perceived goal(s) of meditation
To know the very core of yourself, which is never corn and will never die.
--Sukhvir Singh
I have liked the scholarship that has gone into.....
-S.S. Dhanoa
Editors-- Mr. Dhanoa the editorial staff at SikhSpectrum.com did not write the response; It was from Dr. Baldev Singh as we stated in the forwarded email to you. If it was not clear in our email we apologize for the inconvenience.
We are not in a position to discuss this matter with you and will forward your response to Dr. Baldev Singh. As you have correctly pointed out in your reply, there were, and possibly still are, “invented facts” that surface in the news media in its coverage of the Punjab. We hope that a non-partisan investigation into the events of the last few decades is allowed at the earliest.
Dear Editor,
I have liked the scholarship that has gone into the
chargesheet against me. However, it is typical
chargesheet of the modern day Indian Police on the
basis of invented facts. I did not know Indira Gandhi.
I met her for the first and last time when the Cabinet
Secretary asked me to see her before I joined as Chief
Secretary Punjab. Actually my name was on her 'black
list' for never to be posted under the Central
Government because I had written to Tandon, the joint
secretary in the PMO, complaining against Dhawan and
Arjun Das for interfering in the administration of the
Super Bazar Delhi in the name of Indira Gandhi’s oral
orders. Tandon supported me but the support cost him
his job and it ended my tenure at Delhi despite the
Super Bazar turning profitable for the first
time.
I shall be obliged if the learned editor can provide a
glimpse of information on the basis of which he had
formulated his conjectures. You have a conscience and I
appeal to you to look a bit inwards and decide if
there is any basis other than imagined conjectures for
maligning because soon we shall be called to account
for our deeds. May I request you to publish my response
with whatever comments you like as the last word has
to be with you.
--S.S. Dhanoa
You are welcome to practice and preach.....
-Baldev Singh, USA
Dear Sukhvir Singh,
You are welcome to practice and preach your No-mind meditation but there is no justification for associating with Sikh Gurus and the their teachings. The Nanakian philosophy rejects this type of meditation unequivocally - read my response carefully.
Rational discussion or debate needs rational answers, however, when a question is asked of you, you change the subject and give a long irrelevant answer. And that is what you did with GB Singh, and now you have done the same to the questions raised by Preet Mohan and me. In my response I have quoted Gurbani with references to prove beyond any shadow of doubt that No-mind type meditation has no place in Gurmat. Can you point out any misinterpretation?
In your response, without providing any evidence, you said that people misinterpret Guru Nanak on marriage. Have you read it? I could argue with every sentence of your response, but don’t find any use.
There is Punjabi a proverb: pani wich madani, you can’t get butter by churning water. In my response I pointed that Gurmat lays utmost emphasis on discerning intellect (bibek budh).
You say that meditation is scientific, do you understand the meaning of “scientific”. Scientific means based on evidence, logic, and experimental results.
I think it would be futile to pursue this debate any further without proper answers and evidence.
--Baldev Singh
I wish you had responded to the points raised.....
-Baldev Singh, USA
Dear Mr. Dhanoa,
I wish you had responded to the points raised in my rebuttal to your article Remembering Operation Bluestar to set the record straight. I did provide you with references for what I said. Instead, you have given a curt answer: I did not know Indira Gandhi, I met her only twice, she did not like me and she black listed me.
If that is so why have you been defending her and the Congress Party and blaming Sikhs in your articles in Indian newspapers and on the Sikh-Diaspora Yahoo e-Group.
If you did not know Indira Gandhi why would you think she was sympathetic to the Sikhs, and how do you know she did not want the Akalis to take advantage of their morcha? These are your words, read you article.
If you did not know Indra Gandhi then how did you know her raj-dharma (governing philosophy)? Why are you trying to exonerate Indira Gandhi for the heinous crime she committed and blame others like Sunder ji who simply followed her orders?
You said that your investigation found only 1000-1200 deaths during Operation Bluestar, whereas Indian Government’s own White Paper puts the number at 4712 and unofficial police estimate is 5000. Whom are you trying to protect?
How do you justify your equating chota ghalughara and wada ghalughara with Operation Bluestar? Why should it upset you if Sikhs remember the heinous crime - Operation Bluestar, which started the systematic murder of the Sikhs during the last two decade?
Truth can’t be hidden forever; sometimes it speaks even from the darkest layers of evil instincts. Nanak, ultimately falsehood is defeated and Truth triumphs (AGGS, p 1283).
--Baldev Singh
You and I are standing in different spaces......
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Dear Baldev Singh,
You and I are standing in different spaces. I am dead and you are still holding yourself. I am not a lawyer of any scripture. I am not proving anything. I am just saying whatever I have to say. I am not debating on anything. I will just say whatever I have to say and who are open will listen. Don’t stress too much on ‘No’ of No-mind. It is not a negative thing. It is positive and positive from all sides. It is not losing Mind, it is settling mind (Chit). No-Mind is Budh-Vivek.
Budh-Vivek is not an alert mind rather it is consciousness/awareness when the mind settles. Mind mean chain of thinking, thoughts, desires, and dreams. When all this dust gets washed away, whatever is left is an awarenss, a budh-vivek, a consciousness. Mind means “mun”. That is how the word A-MUN is derived. Man is the ultimate state of being. Whatever I have written until now is to clear the misunderstandings about meditation. Don’t condem them as “No-Mind” type of meditations. Meditation is to add wings to the soul. It is essential part of every religion. It is an effortless effort and a pathless path. It is just to prepare yourself, sow the seed and water it and wait for Him. Mediation is not a doing, it is an undoing. I know there might be lot of misunderstandings already existing about meditation so that was the purpose of discussion to clarify. It is same Dhyaan which Nanak, Kabir and all have recommended.
Without Dhyaan, religions have become fascistic. All your references to Gurbani to discourage Dhyaan are out of shallow and too-quick observation. First be yourself. Find your core which is immortal. Only then sacrifice has any value. Otherwise sacrifice is just suicide. Sacrifice has become an ugly word. It has been used by fascistic people to exploit people. Religion is neither a matter of land matter nor of water.These are geographical issues. Religion is an individual matter. Religion has been misinterpreted by fascistic leaders /politicians to create suicidal groups and killers.
Your interpretation of Jao Tao prem Khelan Ka chao,Sir Dhar tali gali meri Aao means don’t hesitate for ultimate sacrifice is fascistic. It only points that you should not cling to life. Clinging pulls you outside. Religion is an inward journey. Yes, a religious person can sacrifice his life because he knows he is not dying. He finds something in himself which never dies. It no longer remains a sacrifice but a freedom from body and expansion to the beyond. Such wrong interpretations by fascistic people created so much bloodshed in Punjab. Turbaned policemen and the so-called militants did more than Aurangzeb could do. Such wrong interpretations put swords in the hands of the children in Punjab. Villages give a deserted look. Masands have occupied Gurdwaras again in the new faces and new names of Granthis and Jathedars.
Sikh religion is not a fascistic religion. Please keep it humble and advanced. Once it was a live revolution like the wild fire. It engulfed its surroundings and reached each home with the eldest son. But soon it was contained over-possessive and fascistic people. Once it was a place of seeker, now it has become a place of the same old believers. It started dying the day when it was lumped together with Hindu, Muslim, Christian religions. It was never a religion, it was a jump out of the cages of religions, it was a boundary-less revolution.
Once it was a furnace to purify the human being from all the identification of caste/religion/names. Such a person was referred as Khalsa. Once Sikh name was an airport to fly above. Now it has become a Golden Prison like other religions.All religions are dead. Sikh Religion is on its deathbed. Its own survivors and doctors have given it countless doses of poison. They are still standing on its head with long syringes of poison until its last breaths are not finished. We have to shatter these interpreters. They have no inner experience .They are just fascistic, egoistic, politicians and greedy people.
I am saying these words to take away some layers of curtains in front of your eyes. Saying Yes/No to your interpretations will not make any difference as you will remain the same person with the same old glasses of mind. These long words can wake a real authentic man sleeping in you. Don’t reject everything so quickly. Gurbani includes all in it. Directly it is the path of love and indirectly it does not reject even aham brahmasmi. When a drop falls into the ocean, why can’t it say “I am Ocean”.Ocean and drop no longer remains separate as two. Ocean speaks through the drop. God and you are now two, and aham brahmasmi is your birth right. I of “I am Brahmin” is not the same as ‘I’ which says “I am Mr. X”. I of “I am Brahmin” is so infinite that it includes even the stars in it. There is no difference between awakened one and God. “Gur Parmesar me Bhed na Janio”.
I am explaining it as somebody referred about the ego in the statement aham brahmasmi in this discussion. Manssor was killed by priests because of this statement. All awakened ones reach the state of aham brahmasmi in the end of their journey when Grace happens upon them. Most of them don’t declare it as it hurts the ego of the world. But someone still dared to declare it out of compassion so that every one can be aware of their Kingdom.
Meditation/Dhyaan can not harm anybody. It will make you more aware, more authentic and more loving. Meditation/Dhyaan will prepare you more to accept the Grace. Meditation/Dhyaan is the only thing which can give you the fruit of religion otherwise believers will just waste the opportunity of life.
Lastly my words are not for any believer nor for anybody who falls in the category of Hindu/Muslim/Christian/Sikh etc. These words are for only those who can look beyond and be Khalas and are ready to go inwards. I very well know that such audience is rare so I never even attempted to write anything in public before. Somehow this website has written about Khalil Gibran in their last issue which pulled me towards it. Khalil Gibran is the man I love and every word of his is my word. Something happened in that man which everybody desires knowingly or unknowingly. By mentioning Khalil Gibran as the first article in the last issue of SikhSpectrum.com gave me an impression of the type of audience who reads this magazine. We need people who can listen and talk with an open heart and share their own experiences. I think I have said enough in this discussion to clear any misunderstanding about Dhyaan(Meditation). I hope it will trigger thirst in people. I tried my best to be less and less offensive and more and more direct but it was a tough job while writing in public. Anybody with further query can talk/write to me in person only as positive discussion can happen between two people when one is thirsty and another has experiences to share.
In the end I loved whoever participated in this discussion and enjoyed reading their questions and comments. I know I may not be writing in a language they expect but I have no other choice. I am talking of something different. I have all my love and respect whoever read these words. I pray that one day they get thirsty too. All knowledge and achievements can never quench this thirst.
With love,
--Sukhvir
What more can I say? In my......
-Baldev Singh, USA
What more can I say? In my last response I emphasized that rational
discussion requires a rational response. Why churn water and for what purpose?
--Baldev Singh
As the discussion on meditation comes to a closure......
-Preet Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, USA
As the discussion on meditation comes to a closure, I believe it touched some very important issues. I tried to carefully read all that was written and understand the context in which it was written. The reason for disagreement was primarily the quoting of Gurbani to prove the need for meditation or dhyaan, and the consequences of attaining this blissful state.
It appears Sukhvir is wary of religious people because “Religion has been misinterpreted by fascistic leaders /politicians to create suicidal groups and killers”. There is enough evidence to prove Sukhvir’s assertion. One cannot write enough about it.
When we discuss religion it is imperative to talk about the fundamental beliefs of religions and its worldview. The reason why people fight over religion may not be so much to do with religion itself, but our refusal to accept our differences. Every religion has its own metaphysical interpretation and as long as we know the differences and accept it there should not be any reason for hostility. Friction results only with our reluctance to accept these differences in the spirit of co-existence. Forcibly converting people to a particular faith, through overt or covert means, will always leave a bad taste and eventually lead to bitter animosity between people. If we could accept our differences, through meditation or by other means, it will be a step in the right direction.
When we use terminology from other religious traditions we must interpret it the way that religion defines it, otherwise we risk the chance of offending people who practice that faith. Further, if we are using Gurbani to validate our thoughts it is essential to prove that the Sikh worldview (as stated in SGGS) accepts our interpretation.
For example: Is aham brahmasmi as defined in Hinduism accepted by Sikh Gurus. That man and Waheguru are not the same has been repeatedly stressed in the Sikh faith. Sikhism clearly states that for ages Waheguru was in Its unmanifest form before the creation came into existence. Sikhism also clearly makes a distinction between the immanence of Waheguru which is manifest in creation and the transcendence of Waheguru as the Creator - karta purakh. The undifferentiated relationship between us and Waheguru, to which Sukhvir alluded, is not accepted in Sikhism. I will quote Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia where he writes about this difference between the Sikh and Hindu tradition in its interpretation of the human-Creator relationship.
“The nirguna bhakti envisions this relationship as, say, between the finite space bounded in a pot, and the outer infinite space; once the pot is broken, the finite is again indistinguishably one with the infinite - the two remained one substance all the time. For the saguna bhakti, the man God relationship is of the nature of the relationship between the inflowing river and the ocean; the river on getting submerged into the ocean loses its earlier determinate (nam-rup) 'identity' and 'otherness' and becomes indeterminately one with the substance of the latter.
"In the Sikh bhakti, the individual without losing his self-identity, his form, realizes a unity of spirit with God. Guru Amar Das states the ideal as such: 'Two forms united in the oneness of spirit'
"According to Sikhism, man in communion with God realizes his true self, that is, he comes to partake of the humanly realizable attributes of Godhead and as such there remains no question of extinguishing the empirical 'I'; the 'I' identity, rather enlarges itself in and through the collective identity of the holy group (sangat) in a process whereby the latter emerges as a person embodying the unities-in-spirit. The Sikh conception of self-realization in which man becomes a self-conscious spirit, an active subject, has not only spiritual but ethical, social and political dimensions also.”
This makes sense because Sikh Gurus never considered themselves as the human form of God, and none of the Gurus ever said “I am Waheguru”. What we must note is that Sikhism promotes the idea of divinity in creation by virtue of which humans are divine, and have the potential to realize all humanly possible attributes of the Creator – such as love, justice, fearlessness, mercy, compassion, etc. To develop these attributes through self-realization is the goal; Ego (haumai) stands in its way and thus it must be discarded.
However, if one becomes a near perfect human he or she still stays a human and does not become God. In Sikhism the word that describes such a person is Gurmukh (god-conscious). If meditation helps you become a Gurmukh, then it is desirable, and if you can become a Gurmukh without meditation then so be it.
It will take a lot to write about the fundamental issues that were raised in this discussion. As a start it may be a good idea to answer the following questions:
. Definition of Creator (or God) in every religion;
. How creation came into existence?;
. Human-Creator relationship as defined by each religion; and
. What is perceived as the human goal in each religion?
By answering these questions we will get a better understanding of our differences. In a pluralistic society there are many beliefs and religions. If I don't agree with my neighbor's religion it does not mean that I disapprove of him being my neighbor. If I accept him as my neighbor it, also, does not mean that I have to agree with his beliefs. If my neighbor’s beliefs don’t cause me hurt then why should I be hostile toward him? This is the foundation of living in harmony.
If meditation can help you understand this simple fact then I believe it would have served its purpose because you will now be a Gurmukh.
Finally, Sukhvir talks about the Punjab problem, and the role of religion in it. I fail to relate the two. Moreover, if meditation is the answer to all our problems, I would like to know how meditation can resolve the issues that are at the core of the Punjab problem. Please be specific.
Editors-- Dr. Dhillon could you provide details on what you consider inappropriate in Article I of the Rehat Maryada and the reasons why you would like it to be reviewed. Unless you are more specific it does not help the author of the article to address your concerns.
Article I
The definition of a Sikh
Any human being who faithfully believes in
1. One Immortal Being,
2. Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh,
3. The Guru Granth Sahib,
4. The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and
5. The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru,
and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.
If "Apex Body Proposers" are serious about representing all 25 million or
so Sikhs in the world; the first thing the proposed body has to do is to have
discussions about reviewing Sikh Rehat Maryada (SRM) instead of using it
as a requirement (Go back to at least the 1925 definition).
Here's why it needs to be done by them as Sikhs, the seekers of Truth.
If we strictly follow the requirement: Will not "the Maryada in Article
I" leave out over 70-80 or even 90%"? ... they are not Sikhs according to
the sacred maryada?"
And then comes the irony and the often ignored reality check: "However,
these people have built gurdwaras abroad, run and manage these gurdwaras,
arrange seminars on gurbani vichar. Many of them not only recite and
understand gurbani, but have provided free gurbani CD with gurmukhi fonts,
all kind of transliteration and translation, pictures of gurdwaras and
much more. This certainly indicates that they must be considering
themselves nothing but Sikhs."
These are my humbly views for learned scholars, so that we face the
emerging issues? Something serious to think about.
With regards,
Dr Sukhraj Singh Dhillon
I read the comments of Shri Sukhraj Dhillon in response......
-Ishwinder Singh
Dear Sir,
I read the comments of Shri Sukhraj Dhillon in response to the article on Apex Body of Sikhs and your editorial comment in response to his letter. It seems he likes the 1925 definition of a Sikh and not the one in the Sikh Rahit Maryada.
I compared both the definitions and found out that the only difference is that the words "believes in One Immortal Being" and "believes the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru" are absent in the former. Now Dhillon seems to be implying that 70-80% (90%?) do not believe in the above mentioned two things.
I have two questions in this regard:
Does anyone seriously think that the above-stated assertion of Dhillon is correct?
If anyone does not believe in the above-stated two things, can he say that he believes in "The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus"? Will it not be a contradiction of sorts?
My advice to the so-called modern, enlightened, liberal 'Sikh' intelligentsia is that they should first seriously analyze what they are saying, rather than just stating something because they think it is correct.
With kind regards,
-- Ishwinder Singh
I am glad that Sukhraj Singh Dhillon has taken......
-Baldev Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
I am glad that Sukhraj Singh Dhillon has taken the initiative to discuss the definition of a “Sikh” described in the SGPC approved Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of conduct). I am equally glad that you have asked him to point the item he does not agree with.
Dhillon has given the English translation of the Punjabi version by Professor Kulraj Singh. Every time I look at this definition, I marvel at the wisdom and Understanding of Gurmat (Naakian philosophy) of the framers of this definition. It is not the work of learned Sikhs and legal minds but the work of Jathedars (Sikh religious leaders) whose sole purpose was to control the SGPC and the Gurdwaras. Surely there are names of some Sikh scholars associated with the preparation of Rehat Maryada, but that was done to give it acceptability and respectability among the Sikh masses.
Reverend C. F. Andrews, who watched the peaceful agitation of the Sikh for the liberation of Gurdwaras from the clutches of mahants, could not help exclaiming when he saw the peaceful Sikhs with Sat Nam Waheguru on their lips mercilessly beaten and killed, “I see Christ being crucified every day”. The Reverend also advised the Sikhs not to opt for the electoral process for the management of Gurdwaras as politics and morality are incompatible. Sir Sunder Singh Majithia warned that if Sikhs used the election process to elect their religious leaders then there would be a mahant (clergy) in every Sikh home. Principal Niranjan Singh, Master Tara Singh’s younger brother warned the Sikhs that it was easy to get rid of the mahants, but Sikh won't be able to get rid of their replacements.
How very true their predictions turned out to be!
Now let us look at the definition of the Sikh posted by Dhillon.
Any human being who faithfully believes in
(i) One Immortal Being,
(ii) Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh,
(iii) The Guru Granth Sahib,
(iv) The utterances and the teachings of the ten Gurus and
(v) The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion is a Sikh.
This definition is not legally sound and the contradictions in item i-iii strike at the very roots of Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat).
Firstly, “believing faithfully” is not the same as practice. The Punjabi version of “any human being who faithfully” is laughable to say the least.
The five requirements imply that they are different. Does not the very beginning of the opening line of Aad Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS) say “One and Only that is Infinite”. Requirement (ii) implies that that the ten Gurus had different ideologies, whereas there is testimony of the Bhats in AGGS that the Gurus were one and the same in spirit. Isn't Nanakian philosophy (Gurmat) based on unity of thought? Was not Shabad or Bani the Guru (Enlightner), the very moment Guru Nanak uttered it? What are the utterances and teaching of the ten Gurus? Are they not they enshrined in AGGS? Did not Guru Gobind confer Guruship jointly on AGGS and the panth?
Aad Guru Granth Sahib very clearly defines a Sikh and it is within that definition that we have to accommodate Khalsa Sikh, as all Khalsas are Sikhs but not all Sikhs are Khalsa.
Surely, the Panth can make its own definition of a Sikh but that definition has to be consistent with Gurmat as the veto power lies in AGGS, not the Panth.
Editors -- By fasting Dr. Chatterji and her colleagues wanted to highlight the suffering of marginalized and impoverished communities, especially the indigenous people of India, who are being adversely affected by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The focus of the fast was not to seek any perceived health benefits.
Fasting Good For Health
Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "0 Supreme Lord, what is the name of the
Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the extra, leap-year
month. Also, 0 master of all the universes, what is the process for
observing it properly? Kindly narrate all this to me."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, replied, "0
Yudhisthira, this meritorious day is called Parama Ekadasi. It bestows
the great benediction of an enjoyable life and ultimate liberation from
birth and death. The process for observing it is similar to that for
observing the Ekadasi. that occurs during the light part of the month of
Kartika. That is to say, on this Ekadasi one should worship Me, the best
of all living beings, with full love and devotion. In this connection I
will now tell you a wonderful history, just as I heard it from the great
sages in the city of Kampilya.
"Once a very pious brahmana named Sumedha resided in Kampilya with his
wife, Pavitra, who was extremely chaste and devoted to her husband. On
account of having committed some sin in his previous life, Sumedha was
without any money or food grains, and even though he begged many people
for food, he could not obtain any substantial amount. He hardly had
adequate food, clothing, or shelter for himself and his beautiful young
wife, who was of such excellent character that she continued to serve
Sumedha faithfully despite their poverty. When guests would come to
their home, Pavitra would give them her own food, and although she often
went hungry, her beautiful, lotuslike face never faded. This fasting
made her weak, but her affection for Sumedha remained unbreakable.
"Seeing all this, and lamenting his bad luck, Sumedha one day said to
Pavitra, 'My dear wife, 0 most beautiful one, I beg alms from the rich
but receive scarcely a scrap. What am I to do? What possible relief is
there for our plight? Where should I go for relief? 0 most obedient and
loving wife, without enough wealth, household affairs are never
successful.' Therefore please permit me to go abroad and attain some
wealth. If I make such an effort, I shall certainly obtain whatever
fortune I am destined to enjoy. Without making some endeavor a person
cannot satisfy his desires or meet his needs. Thus wise men have said
that enthusiastic endeavor is always auspicious.'
"Upon hearing her husband speak these words, Pavitra joined her palms
and, her eyes brimming with tears, spoke to him with great respect and
affection: 'I think there is no one greater or more learned than you, my
dear. One who, though in misery, is interested in the welfare of others
speaks just as you have. However, the scriptures state that whatever
wealth a person attains in this life is due to his having given charity
in previous lives, and that if one has not given any charity in previous
lives, then even though he may sit atop a mound of gold as big as Mount
Sumeru, he will remain poor. Whatever charity a person gives in the form
of education, money, fertile land, and the like is returned to him in a
future lifetime. We gain what we have given. Indeed, whatever the Lord
of destiny, the creator, has written as one's fortune will certainly
come to pass. No one attains any wealth without having given charity in
his previous life. 0 best of the brdhmanas, since we are now poor, in
our previous lives neither you nor I must have given any charity to
worthy persons. Therefore, 0 gracious husband, you should remain here
with me. Without you I cannot live even for a moment.
"'Bereft of her husband, a woman is not welcomed by her father, mother,
brother, father-in-law, or any other family members. Everyone will say,
"You have lost your husband; you are bad luck!" In this way I shall be
criticized severely. Please, therefore, stay here with me and be
satisfied with whatever wealth we get. Whatever is destined, we shall
obtain in due course of time and enjoy here in perfect happiness.'
"Hearing these plaintive words from his wife, Sumedha decided to remain
in their native village. One day the great sage Kaundinya arrived at
their place, and upon seeing him the brahmana Sumedha and his wife stood
up before him and then offered him their respectful obeisances. With his
head bowed, Sumedha welcomed him: 'We are very fortunate to behold you
here today, 0 wisest of sages. My life has become successful, and I am
much obliged to you.
"Sumedha offered Kaundinya Muni a comfortable seat and highly praised
his austerities and learning. 'Just by having your darsana today,' said
Sumedha, 'I have become very fortunate.' The poor brahmana couple fed
the sage as sumptuously as they could afford to, and afterwards Pavitra
asked the mendicant, '0 most learned one, what process can we follow to
be relieved of our poverty? How can a person who has not given anything
in charity in his previous life get a good family, much wealth, and a
fine education in this life? My husband wants to leave me here and go
abroad to beg alms, but I have earnestly prayed to him to stay here with
me. I humbly told him that if one lacks wealth in the present life, it
is because of not having given sufficient charity in previous lifetimes.
And so he has consented to remain here. It is only due to my great
fortune that you have mercifully come here today. Now we are certain to
see the end of our poverty very soon.
'0 best of the brahmanas, please tell us how we can be free of this
perpetual misery brought on by poverty. 0 merciful one, kindly describe
some means-a place of pilgrimage we may visit, a day of fasting we may
observe, or an austerity we may performby which our ill fortune will end
forever.'
"Hearing this sincere supplication from that patient lady, the great
sage Kaundinya reflected silently for a moment and then said, 'There is
a fast day very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari.
Fasting on this day nullifies all kinds of sins and removes all miseries
caused by poverty. This fast day, which occurs during the dark part of
the extra, leap-year month, is known as Parama Ekadasi. It is the
topmost day of Lord Visnu. This extra-month, dark-fortnight Ekadasi
bestows all the necessities of life, such as money and food grains, and
at last gives liberation. When the evening of this day comes, one should
begin singing the glories of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy, and one
should continue through the entire night.
"'This holy fast was once observed faithfully by Lord Kuvera. When Lord
Siva saw how strictly he had fasted, Siva became very pleased and made
Kuvera the treasurer of heaven. Also, King Hariscandra fasted on this
Ekadasi after his dear wife and son had been sold, and the king was able
to get them back. Thereafter he ruled his kingdom with no further
impediments. Therefore, 0 broad-eyed lady, you also should observe the
sacred fast of Parama Ekadasi, following all the appropriate rules and
regulations and remaining awake all night."'
Lord Krsna continued, "0 Yudhisthira, son of Pandu, in this way
Kaundinya Muni mercifully and affectionately instructed Pavitra about
the Parama Ekadasi fast. Then he said to Sumedha, 'On Dvadasi, the day
after Ekadasi, you should vow to observe Pancaratrika fasting according
to all the rules and regulations. After taking a bath early in the
morning, you and your good wife, along with both your parents and hers,
should fast for five days according to your ability. Then you will all
become eligible to return home, to the abode of Lord Visnu.
" 'A person who simply makes use of only one seat during these five days
goes to the heavenly planets. Whoever feeds qualified brahmanas nicely
on these five days has in effect fed all the demigods, all human beings,
and even all the demons. Whoever donates a pot of drinking water to a
twice-born brahmana during this five-day fasting period will gain merit
equal to that gained by donating the entire planet earth in charity.
Anyone who gives a learned person a pot filled with sesame seeds resides
in heaven for as many years as there are seeds in the pot. One who
donates a pot filled with golden ghee will surely go to the abode of the
sun-god after fully enjoying the pleasures of this earthly planet.
Whoever remains celibate during these five days will attain celestial
happiness and enjoy with the maidens of Indraloka. Therefore both of
you-Sumedha and Pavitra-should fast during these five days of
Pancaratrika in order to be rewarded with ample grains and wealth for
the rest of your lives on this planet. The spiritual world will be your
abode thereafter.'
"Hearing this sublime advice, the brahmana couple, Sumedha and Pavitra,
properly observed Parama Ekadasi and the fast of Pancaratrika, and very
soon thereafter they beheld a handsome prince approaching them from the
royal palace. On the orders of Lord Brahma, the prince gave them a
beautiful, exquisitely furnished house and invited them to live in it.
Praising their austerity and patience, he also gave them an entire
village for their livelihood. Then he returned to the palace. Thus
Sumedha and his wife enjoyed all kinds of facilities in this world and
at last went to the abode of Visnu.
"Anyone who observes a fast on Parama Ekadasi and also the fast of
Pancaratrika is freed from all his sins, and after enjoying life here he
returns to Visnuloka, as did the brahmana Sumedha and his faithful wife,
Pavitra. It is impossible, 0 Yudhisthira, to calculate the extent of the
merit one obtains by fasting on Parama Ekadasi, for such an observance
is equal to bathing in places of pilgrimage such as Puskara Lake and the
Ganges River, giving cows in charity, and performing all sorts of other
religious activities. One who fasts on this day has also completed the
offerings of oblations to his forefathers in Gaya. He has, in effect,
fasted on all other auspicious days.
"As in the social order the brahmana is considered the best, as among
four-legged creatures the cow is best, and as among demigods Lord Indra
is the best, so among all months the extra month of leap-year is the
best. The Pancaratrika fast-the fast of five days in the extra,
leap-year month--is said to remove all kinds of abominable sins. But the
Pancaratrika fast, together with the fasts on Parama and Padmini Ekadasi
destroys all a person's sins. If a person is unable to fast on all these
days, he should observe the fasts during the extra month according to
his ability. A person who, having received a human birth, does not take
a proper bath during this extra month and then observe these Ekadasis,
which are very dear to Lord Hari, commits suicide and suffers in the
cycle of 8,400,000 species. The rare human birth is meant for
accumulating merit and at last achieving liberation. Therefore one
should by all means observe fasting on this auspicious Parama Ekadasi
Lord Sri Krsna concluded, "0 sinless Yudhisthira, as you have requested,
I have described to you the wonderful merit one can attain by fasting on
the Ekadasi named Parama, which occurs during the dark part of the
extra, leap-year month. You should observe this fast if at all possible."
King Yudhisthira did exactly as Lord Krsna had instructed, and so did
all his brothers and their wife, Draupadi. After enjoying pleasures
rarely achieved in the material world, they returned home, back to
Godhead. Whoever, after taking a proper bath, observes a fast on these
two extra-month Ekadasis will go to heaven and finally attain to the
abode of Sri Vishnu, and as he travels there he will be praised and
prayed to by all the demigods.
The problem of Punjab river waters has been made...
-Mewa Singh, USA
Punjab River Waters:
Unlawful and unjust distributions
The problem of Punjab river waters has been made complicated by its distribution to other non-riparian states in the last few decades. These states had no legal or valid claim to these waters, which are to be exclusively used for Punjab lands in accordance with riparian law. The state of Punjab and its legislature has got the exclusive jurisdiction over Punjab river waters under the provisions of constitution of India. Punjab has no surplus river waters to spare and these do not meet the needs of Punjab lands even. The total flow of all the three river waters of Punjab is 32.5 maf,while the need for Punjab lands is 52.5 maf. The distribution of Punjab river waters to other states left the river waters for only twenty five per cent of Punjab lands. The remaining seventy five per cent are irrigated by tube wells.
There are about a million tube wells in the state. It has resulted in the over exploitation of the under ground water, lowering its level too much. If this process continues at such a speed then it may become impossible to pump out the under ground water in the near future. Even now the centrifugal pumps have become unworkable which are being replaced to submersible at a very high cost, which the farmers can not afford. Experts point out that the water at further lower table may be saline and containing. such chemical mixtures as to not fit for agriculture. It would cause the serious problem even for the availability of drinking water in Punjab. Bulk of Punjab lands would become semi deserts, unfit for agriculture. It is the time now to allow Punjab river waters to be exclusively used for Punjab lands. So that the people of Punjab may be able to improve their ruining economy.
It can never be in the national interest to make the Punjab lands to be deserts and to ruin the economy of the brave people of Punjab. No doubt the lands of other states need the waters for irrigation but it should not be at such a high cost of Punjab and particularly when they have no legal claim to it. The govt. of India, with the vast resources at its command should tap the other resources in that regard, just as canalizing the ghagar river waters and of Yamuna river etc, to which these states may have the valid claim .The distribution of Punjab river waters to these states is unlawful, unjust and unconstitutional.
Constitution of India separates the powers of union and states, as India is union of states as defined in article 1 of the constitution. Schedule seventh of the constitution contains the state list and the subject of river waters is included in it at entry 17.Article 246 of the constitution lays down that the states have the exclusive jurisdiction over the subjects enumerated in the state list, while union has the exclusive jurisdiction over the subjects of the union list. Punjab river waters are thus under the control of Punjab state and its legislature exclusively. Govt. of India and Parliament having no jurisdiction over it. The distribution of Punjab river waters by the Prime Minister Indra Gandhi obviously violates these constitutional provisions and as such unconstitutional and void, having no binding effect.
Similar is the fate of sections 78 to 80 of Punjab reorganization act 1966 and section 14 of inter state river waters disputes act 1956 being unconstitutional as these violate these constitutional provisions, Parliament having no jurisdiction over Punjab river waters, being the subject of state list. These unconstitutional provisions cannot confer any legal powers on Govt.of India to intervene in Punjab river waters. The Iradi tribunal set up under section 14 of inter state rivers water disputes act automatically becomes illegal when this section is unconstitutional. This act can have no application to Punjab river waters, being not interse rivers as these flow in the Punjab territories and not in any other state to which
these waters have been distributed.
Punjab has the exclusive right to Punjab river waters on the basis of riparian law. The other states to which these waters have been distributed are non-riparian, havingh no valid claim to it. The riparian law is based upon justice and equity, having international acceptance. It has been approved by United Nations. In India it has been followed in all other states and Punjab has been made the only exception. On the reorganization of Madras state its areas were allocated to Tamilnadu, Andhrapardes and Karnataka. The rivers of that state, Krishna, Godawari,and Mahanadi did not flow in Tamilnadu state and so it was not given the waters of those rivers that it ceased to be the riparian state.
The case of Haryana is similar to it as it ceased to be riparian state as Punjab rivers do not flow in its territories and so not entitled to waters of these rivers. Rajisthan state made an application in the tribunal to claim waters of Narbada river, which had been set up in the dispute between Maharashtra and other riparian states, which was rejected that it was not riparian state and is not entitled to the waters of that river. Rajisthan is a non riparian state for Punjab rivers and thus not entitled to the waters of these rivers.Similarly J&K and Delhi are not riparian states for Punjab rivers and as such not entitled to waters of these rivers. Thus none of these states has any right to Punjab river waters.
There is no lawful agreement for the distribution of Punjab river waters to other states The essential ingredients of an agreement are, consideration of agreement, free consent of parties, competency of the parties to enter in to agreement. In the so-called agreements to distribute Punjab river waters none of these ingredients are present. No consideration, no free consent and no competency of the parties for the agreement. The provisions of Indian contract act specifically lay down that the agreement or contract which is without consideration or without free consent as the consent having been taken under undue influence or the parties being not competent to enter in to agreement is null and void and of no binding effect. In the case of agreements by states there are also further requirements as laid down in Article 299 of constitution of India, that it must be in accordance with the procedure prescribed therein and in the name of the Governors of the states. None of these constitutional procedures have been followed in these so-called agreements. In fact these cannot be called as agreements, what to say of lawful agreements.
The 1955 distribution of Punjab river waters was made by recording in the proceeding of the meeting of deputy secretaries, held in the irrigation department at Dehli, that Punjab can spare 8 Maf waters for Rajisthan, but Punjab needs will be met first and this arrangement will be reviewed from time to time. Deputy secretaries are not even heads of the departments and had no powers to take such a decision. No decision by the Govt., no consideration, no free consent, no competency. It is on the face of it null and void.
The 1976 distribution of Punjab river waters, was award of Prime minister Indra Gandhi vide which Rajisthan was allocated 8.6 maf, Haryana 3.5 maf, Delhi 0.2 maf and Punjab 3.5 maf out of 15.8 maf which was declared as surplus, though there was no surplus water and this entire water was much less than the needs of Punjab. The Prime minister had no power and jurisdiction to distribute Punjab river waters. Thus no consideration, no free consent and no competency. It was null and void. Punjab Govt.challenged it in Supreme court to be illegal and void, but Indra Gandhi Prime minister got the case withdrawn from Punjab Chief minister Darbara Singh under the political pressure to withdraw the case or resign, who preferred to retain his post.
The 1981 distribution of Punjab river waters was also made by Indra Gandhi Prime minister with the imaginary increase of surplus waters to 17.17 maf.The allocations of Rajisthan, Haryana and Delhi remained the same, but of Punjab was increased to 4.2 maf, while J&K was added in the list with allocation of 0.65 maf waters. This time it was got signed from the Chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajisthan.The same strategy to get the signatures of Chief minister Punjab,Darbara Singh to sign or resign. There is evidence of witnesses in this regard and press statement of Darbara Singh himself. This so called agreement is also null and void. No consideration, no free consent, no competency for agreement and no compliance of Article 299 of the constitution, no decision of the council of ministers, no approval of state legislature.
The chief minister has no authority to give any state property without consideration. The state Govt.also cannot do it, as it is a mere custodian to manage it for the benefit of the people of the state. The river waters are the most valuable state property and the chief minister or the state Govt.and even the state legislature can have no powers to give it without consideration These institutions are elected by the people of the state for the best management of its affairs in the best interests of the state and its people. And they are duty bound to discharge their duties bonafide for the benefits of the people of the state If they waste any state property or give it to any one without consideration for their vested interests, might be to retain political power or to get monetary gains or for any other reason whatsoever it would be null and void.
The construction of SYL canal was also a part of this so-called agreement. It can never be for any benefit of the state and of the people of the state. Can it ever be in the interest of state and its people to waist thousands and thousands of acres of lands belonging to thousands of land owners to construct a canal to take Punjab river waters to Haryana without any consideration and make the remaining Punjab land semi deserts and unfit for agriculture. No land for such a purpose could even be acquired under the land acquisition act, being not the public purpose and rather being anti public purpose.
Punjab state and its people were not allowed to get the judicial verdict in these unlawful and unjust distributions of Punjab river waters. The case filed in the Supreme Court by Punjab state was got withdrawn by Indra Gandhi by putting undue pressure on the congress chief minister Darbara Singh. The cases filed in Punjab High court against 1981distribution were fixed for hearing by chief justice S S Sandhawalia for Nov,15.1983, by the Bench presided over by him, but he was transferred a day earlier to Patna High court. Those cases were transferred to Supreme court on Nov.18, 1983 on the oral request of the Attorney General, which have not been fixed for hearing as yet in the last over two decades. Supreme court rather, on the application of Haryana state directed Govt.of India on june, 4,2004 to get the s y l canal constructed through its agency as Punjab Govt.had not constructed it as per the agreement.Govt.of India authorized central public works dept; to construct the canal.
Punjab legislature in a special session on July, 12,2004 enacted, Punjab termination of agreements act 2004. For terminating the 1981 agreement and all other agreements relating to Punjab river waters unanimously. It exhibited its unity in the matter of Punjab river waters that these waters must be exclusively for Punjab, as it can no longer afford to give it to any other state. Punjab legislature has the jurisdiction to enact such law, the river waters being under its exclusive powers being the subject of state list. It is perfectly legal and constitutional. However Govt, of India made a Presidential reference to Supreme court to seek its advice as to whether it is constitutional and its effect on Supreme court directions on SYL canal e t c. Supreme court will now give its judicial verdict as to it
Ultimately this problem has to be solved by Govt.of India, who created and complicated it. Courage, honesty and the farsighted vision of statesman are needed. Two very sensitive issues are involved in it, which should never be over loocked. One is the basic feature of the constitution as to the division of powers between union and states as enumerated in the Union and state lists. Govt. of India should no longer intervene in state list to maintain the cordial relations with states and neither oblige one state at the cost of the other nor transgress over the lawful rights of a state and its people. It had been so done in case of Punjab river waters, which needs to be undone.
The other is that there should be no communal tinge or feeling to a problem. Sikhs feel and openly express that perhaps Punjab river waters have been distributed to other states to which they had no claim, to ruin their economy and to oblige them at their cost. The cause of this feeling is the continuous conflict between the Sikhs and Govt. of India just after the independence, refusing to implement the,,,pre independence agreements, refusing the reorganization of Punjab on linguistic basis, making the capital of Punjab Chandigarh as union territory at the time of reorganization, taking the Punjab Dams, power houses, river headwork’s. out of its control, besides the Sikh agitations against emergency imposed by Indra Gandhi and for Sikh and Punjab rights .Sikhs are the worst victims of Punjab river waters distribution to other states as mainly they are the owners of the Punjab lands and dependant on agriculture, whose lands are likely to become semi deserts and un fit for agriculture resulting in the ruin of their economy. These sensitive issues if not resolved with honesty of purpose may cause serious problems as to peace, unity and integrity of the country,
It must be ensured that river waters do not create conflicts between one state and the other and states and the union. This aim can only be achieved by honoring the constitutional dictums, legal norms, justice and lawful rights, which are favorably to Punjab stand that Punjab river waters are exclusively for Punjab lands and can no longer be spared for any other state.
-- Mewa Singh (retd. Judge)
USA
When recitation of Gurbani cured me of deadly cancer...
-Vasu Bhardwaj, India
Editors -- A reader of SikhSpectrum.com sent us this inspiring story.
Gurbani Cured My Cancer
When recitation of Gurbani cured me of deadly cancer, I experienced God.
If God is with me, who can be against me?
Not even the deadliest disease of cancer can take my life away and that is
exactly the divinely inspiring message of the truly miraculous story of my
victorious battle against bone
cancer which was medically diagnosed to be multiple myloma.
It was the continuous recitation of Gurbani that not only cured me of bone
cancer that had already destroyed most of my bones in my skeleton, but also
shattered my will to live. The blessings of Guru Granth Sahib not only
triggered and accelerated the processes of complete and total cure in my
body, but the Guru also enabled me to experience God. This also inspired me
to pursue Nam therapy to totally and permanently get rid of otherwise fatal
bone cancer.
Can Shabad-Kirtan and faithful recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib save me
from fatal clutches of cancer?
Can such a miracle happen?
These were the posers that repeatedly crossed my mind and also dominated my
dreams. Initially, I dismissed such ideas and being a science researcher
with American educational background, I did not even believe in the
existence of god. I have always been taught by my American scientists,
teachers and professors that our life and the universe are governed by the
irrefutable and irreversible laws of science and that God was nothing but a
'concept' or an illusion invented by timid and non-scientific minds. Hence,
I have never been to any place of worship and also never prayed. But not
anymore.
It was April 27th 2002 when three different teams of oncologists and
hematologists from Mumbai, Surat and Ahmedabad presented me with the
unanimous medical investigation reports based on their repeatedly unanimous
findings, they passed their judgment with one voice that my life is going to
end in a few days as the deadly cancer called multiple myloma has ruined
most of my bones that are functionally vital for my survival. On April 29th, I had completed three and half years of painful life as a terminally
bed-ridden cancer patient. I was slowly dying of cancer.
The bony structures
of my right ear had been eaten away by bone cancer that gave me total
deafness in my right ear. Repeated audio graphs done by several E.N.T.
surgeons proved beyond doubt that the decibel loss was irreversible and so
immense that Dr. A.B.R. Desai in Mumbai, who is reputed to be the final
authority on E.N.T. ailments, told me that there was something very
tragically wrong with the bones in my right year and after trying several
treatments, Dr. Desai told me that he has no medicine for my ailment and
that I will never be able to hear with my right ear.
The reputed E.N.T.
surgeon Dr. Farida Wadia of civil hospital was of the opinion that if the
loss of hearing in the right year was not due to nerve deafness and was
really a symptomatic manifestation of some un-diagnosed ailment then the
hearing will return after that un-diagnosed ailment is cured. Is she blessed
with 6th, 7th and 8th sense? I guess say so because that is exactly how the
events ran their course.
Dr. Farida Wadia was also using her imagination like telescope in time and
exactly predicting things which were yet to come. Later, it was Dr. Kiran
Shah, the senior most reputed oncologist hematologist in Surat who himself
performed bone marrow analysis and gave me the shocking news that I am not
only suffering from bone cancer called multiple myloma but the cancer has
already destroyed much my vital bones. As per his advise, electrophoresis of
the blood and MRI - [ magnetic resonance imaging ] - of brain and skull as
well as Citi Scan were also done at Mahavir General Hospital which confirmed
beyond doubt that I am slowly but surely dying of bone cancer. I had been
loosing appetite and had developed dislike for food [anorexia nervosa] in
between, I had also suffered from tumor on the right side of my head which
gave me excruciating headache and giddiness. I lost orientation and would
fall after walking for 30 seconds.
As soon as cancer was diagnosed, I was
immediately admitted to government civil hospital and six chemotherapy
sessions were administered – one every 28th day. This further destroyed my
appetite and all the hair on my head and body were gone. I suffered these
agonies for more than three and half years when on April 27th 2002, three
teams of doctors and oncologists advised me that I should prepare my will as
I had only a few days left.
Now, this was the phase when the divine miracle began to take shape. It was
Sardar Kesar Singh, the owner of reputed " Kwality Group of Hotels and
Restaurants" in Surat and his son Sardar Manjeet Singh, who suggested to me
that I should undertake a pilgrimage to the holy Golden Temple at Amritsar
and offer Akhand Paath and Ardaas with complete faith and total devotion and
pray before Sri Guru Granth Sahib to cure me of my cancer and bless me with
good vibrant health and long life to remain in his service. I initially,
took this suggestion very lightly and argued back that I do not understand
Punjabi or Gurmukhi and would therefore, not follow any word of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib and whatever brief knowledge of Sikhism and Sri Guru Granth
Sahib I acquired was in April of 1999, when I wrote six researched articles
on the 300 years of Khalsa celebrations published in the Indian press.
But,
Sardar Kesar Singh, who is also the president of Gurdwara at Udhana-Surat,
convinced me that Sri Guru Granth Sahib's blessings are not restricted to
those who speak or understand Punjabi or Gurmukhi. It is the faith and
sincere devotion to the Guru which makes you worthy of his blessings.
I found Sardar Kesar Singh's advice very much inspiring. Moreover, my
sister-in-law Miss Kunti, a staunch devotee of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and a
faithful follower of principles of Sikhism since her childhood, was equally
instrumental in motivating me to undertake this pilgrimage. She taught me
the basic philosophy of Sikhism and brought me a copy of Sri Guru Granth
Sahib in English. My mother-in-law Ms.Shanti Hotchand Khatri, have a
separate room at their bungalows at Baroda where they offer prayers, Ardaas
and listen to Shabad Kirtans every early morning. Their persuasion proved to
be decisive.
So we left by Golden Temple Mail express train which departed from Surat at
around 1-15 a.m. on April 29th 2002.
We were received by the staff of Golden
Temple and particularly Sardar Diljeet Singh Bedi who is in charge of
liaisons with press and the public. Myself being a leading journalist,
foreign-educated researcher and U.S.A. trained science writer, was given a
VIP treatment and given accommodation in room no. 16 of Sri Arjan Dev Niwas.
Since I had only a few days to live according to my doctors, they quickly
made preparations for Akhand Paath and Ardaas after I paid Rs 2100 as fees.
My wife Kanta, my daughter Halley and my brother-in-law's daughter Puja also
sat with me.
I was permitted to photograph and tape-record the entire Akhand
Paath as well as Shabad Kirtans which I wanted to keep listening till I was
to breath my last on my death - bed.
But I was never to be lying on my death-bed because the moment the Granthi
started reciting the Akhand Paath, I began to feel streams of energy
entering and flowing through my body. It rose majestically from the pages of
Shri Guru Granth Sahib like a serene cool flame of light entering my body
through my fingers.
The excruciating pain which I had suffered while
struggling to reach the Golden Temple also disappeared. After 48 hours, I
got up on my own two feet and began to feel and enjoy such vibrant health
that I almost ran with joy towards Sri Arjan Dev Niwas and quickly climbed
the stairs to my room no. 16. My appetite returned. I first took bath and
then visited Jaliyanwala Bagh and then went to the 'Hotel Cityheart' and for
the first time in three and half years I enjoyed a variety of Punjabi and
Chinese foods which I had missed like deserts miss the rains.
We returned to Surat on 18th May 2002 and on 25th May again bone marrow
analysis and electrophoresis tests were done on my body. No cancer was
detected. Hence, to obtain second medical opinion, the samples were sent to
Mumbai and Ahmedabad and medical doctors there also confirmed that the bone
cancer is gone.
My oncologist at Ahemedabad Dr. Pankaj Shah was preparing
for stem cells transplant on me which was to have cost me Rs. 900,000.
The entire medical world was taken by surprise. All doctors agreed that
this is, indeed, a miracle because there is no medicine in Allopathy that
can cure deadly cancer within 48 hours and effect a 180 degree change.
The
latest electrophoresis: serum protein test done is dated April 7th 2003 at
Abha Clinical Laboratory. The doctors have signed this medical test report
with comments: "no myeloma band."
I have preserved all the medical reports and x-rays done before and after
the Akhand Paath and Ardaas at Golden Temple and they all tell the true
story of my miraculous cure. Ever since this miracle, I am not only
experiencing Guru's vibrations within me but also feel God's spiritual
energy within me, which inspires me and guides me in thought and deed, and
vibrate in unison with him. I am joyfully back to "cheers and gears of
life", soulfully sharing my God-Given spiritual energy with those who love
and faithfully listens to Guru Granth Sahib and enrich their mind, body and
soul with divinely vibrant health.
Now, I am enjoying the life of guru-inspired faith and taking Sri Guru
Granth Sahib and God as my constant companion. It is the miracle and the
divine magnetic spell of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which I also realized
through Nam therapy that has not only blessed me with healthy life but
considering my greatly vibrant health, spiritual strength and new youthful
looks and glamorous shining black hair, the same oncologists tell me that I
am totally free of all kinds of diseases. I myself feel so close to the Guru
that something tells me that I will live for 125 years and remain in Guru's
service and bring true love, happiness and inspiration to all my friends.
My life has taken a spiritual turn. I get sound sleep without any sleeping
pills.
Since 25th April 2002, I am no longer on any medicine. I read Nitnem
and get sound sleep and get up early to read Paath and enjoy Shabad Kirtan
on Punjabi TV channel. Guru's teachings have gone a long way in dispelling
the darkness of ignorance. Guru has not only changed my destiny but made me
a devotee with the faith that is not blind but enlightened.
So often, I see and meet Gurus in my dreams and they taught me a new healthy
life-style to give happiness to others. I am never angry. I have no bad
habits and always remain jovial. Now, my motto is: ' people enjoy the
happiness they feel. but I enjoy the happiness I give. Guru's one of the
teachings says : "Kirat Karani and Wand Chhakana." - meaning: earn the
fruits of your hard work ‘Naam Japana’; and share your fruits with others
with love. I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in
love even when not feeling it. I believe in God even when he is silent.
There is one God. God is truth. He is the creator of the universe and all
beings. He is without fear and without hatred. He is the eternal being and
the divine soul, birth less, self enlightened. He is enemy to none. Through
grace of the Satguru he is met. Diseases and sins are destroyed by hearing
the name of God says Guru Nanak. The Name, revealed to me by Guru's advice,
is the breath of my life and the praise of the lord is my life's vocation. "
Truth is great but greater than truth is truthful living." says Sri Guru
Granth Sahib. The Khalsa belongs to [the wondrous guru] God; all victory
of is the victory of [the Wondrous guru ] Wahe Gurujika Khalsa- Wahe Guruji ki Fateh.
The article Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity written by Shri Baldev Singh is very interesting, and the contents of the same must be true . For example, I have understood that the Father of Indian Nation has justified the existence of the Indian Caste System. According to Mahatama Gandhiji, as he is well known, the caste system in India is nothing but simply based on the division of labor and also based on the differences in skin color of the people in India and all.
I very much enjoyed the article on the Chinese Coolies exerpted from
Henry K. Norton's The Story of California from Earliest Days to the
Present. Would you have the page references, by any chance, from the
article you cited?
Mr. G.B.Singh, “Truth will remain the truth." I salute you for bringing
such information to the world. Why call him a "Mahatma"? For sleeping nude with young women, calling Dalits as "Harijans." Why has India not given him the Bharat
Ratna? Gandhi is a symbol of the caste system in India. I hope more people
will read this book and make-up their mind about Mr. M.K. Gandhi.
I thank SikhSpectrum.com for publishing this article.
Keep the spirit of good quality, always.
Indeed, Canada is one of the most tolerant and accepting nations. For Sikhs it is a matter of pride that two Sikh-Canadian men are now members of the Canadian Parliament, and they have the freedom to represent not only Sikhs but also other Canadians without compromising with an integral part of our religious identity – the turban.
The 1990 ruling by the then Solicitor General Pierre Cadieux allowing Sikhs to wear a turban, and later the Supreme Court of Canada dismissing an appeal in 1996 by three former RCMP officers, only reinforces Canada’s commitment to respect all religious communities. Sikhs believe that the struggle to uphold our religious identity occurs mostly due to ignorance people have about our beliefs and us.
Not only Canada but also the UK, USA, and other countries now understand the absolute need for a Sikh to wear a turban and be accepted as such. Sikhs don’t ask for special concessions but only our right to freely practice our religion, as we become proud citizens of the countries we live in.
Most recently (July 2004) Amric Singh Rathour and Jasjit Singh Jaggi won the right to serve New York Police Department (NYPD). Earlier both had been told that they could not serve NYPD wearing a turban and a beard.
We appreciate your feedback.
Editors
It is truly a pleasure to be able to accept into Canada people from all
around the world. In particular, the Sikh community has shown it's self to be a welcome and important element in our great country. It is great that all our citizens are safe to practice their beliefs without any
persecution etc. All this being said, I still feel that it was unfair for Mr Dhillon to struggle so hard to be allowed to wear his turban.
Not that I'm such a fan of that 2ft tall hairy hat the RCMP wears but it is tradition and for god sake shouldn't they all match? I think it's great if Sikhs want to join the RCMP but picture it in your head...you've got lets say 100 RCMP officers in full gear standing on attention and let say there are 10 (or even worse just 1)Sikhs in there wearing there turbans doesn't that just look out of place. Now you can attempt to make every RCMP officer wear a turban, at least everyone would match. Although stylistically speaking that might be an improvement it is unlikely.
But seriously there was a violation of long standing tradition. Mr Dhillon was welcome to join the RCMP. That is what makes this country
great; anyone can do whatever they want. Mr Dhillon wants to help protect this country as a police officer and I believe he has all the love in the world for Canada but shouldn't he have accepted to wear the traditional get up?
I read about the Sikhs taking away Gurudwaras from...
I am Dinesh. I read about the Sikhs taking away Gurudwaras from
the masands. I just want you to be informed that those masands were the doha
masands and not the mehata masands that originated from Persia. You have to explain properly who these masands are and where they came from. If
that wasn't the fact why would the last guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh jee
give his blessings to Bhai Dhanraj Saahib (masand) saying that " bhai
dhana, dhanya tum, dhanya tumhara vansha, humne to sansaar mein thaapi
aapni ansh". If you want more information I could send you some more
fact files. Thats all for now and thanking you in anticipation.
Thank you for your comments, as you offered: "if you want more information I could send you some more
fact files"; I will be happy to receive that information. I would be further obliged if you could please send me information on
Sikhs in Guyana, South America, and if you may, also about MASAND in your name.
Thank you.
With best regards,
-- Harbans Singh Noor
This article has renewed my purpose of pursuing...
This article has renewed my purpose of pursuing a project on "The Nautch Girls of Kolkata - A Study." I would be grateful if I could directly communicate with Ms Fouzia Saeed (through e-mail, phone) so as to procure her invaluable guidance in conducting my project.
It would indeed be encouraging if I could get further information through any primary or secondary sources. I would like to thank you for all the help.
-- Dr. Bipasha Roy
bipasha_roy5@rediffmail.com
It was a very sad day in the history of India. Let...
It was a very sad day in the history of India. Let us express our feelings towards the sufferers of the tragedy, and share with all the feelings of millions and about the difference it has made in our lives, individually and collectively.
Excellent article on meditation. In the famous Time magazine the importance meditation and yoga, an ancient Indian system, is high-lighted that the ancient mind and spirit-enhancing art is becoming increasingly popular and gaining medical legitimacy. It is multi billion dollar business in US. In many Universities it is
accepted as subject and included in the syllabus.
In the latest famous book Inspire! What Great Leaders Do written by Mr. Lance Secretan recently published by John Wiley and Sons, the benefit of meditation is elaborately described for good corporate governance. By practicing transcendental meditation, or TM, many people got relief from back pain, neck pain, and depression. The mind calms and quiets. The thoughts you have during meditation become clearer and more focused. Anger, anxiety and worries give way to a peace.
In the world exorbitant medical expenses one can definitely make use of
meditation. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi and Sri Ravi Sankar are popularizing this. The Iyengar Yoga institute in USA is famous. In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna has inspired Arjuna to rise from his depression by preaching Gita in the battlefield and to rise from the depression to do his duties.
In this book we can see, being hidden by the cosmic overview of any
institution beset with myriad problems, not the least of which is its
lack of moral probity, there is a groundswell of educated people seeking answers to deeply personal but universally asked questions.
Executives are taking lessons in yoga, meditation and learning how to deal with human resource equations in an enlightened manner. Individuals from every walk of life can get ideas of how to be better people, more balanced and less stressed out. Medical studies continue to show regular meditation working magic in reducing blood pressure and stress-related illnesses, including heart disease. Brain images show that regular meditation helps calm the most active sensory-assaulted parts of the brain.
The ancient Hindu sage Patanjali who had mastered the secrets of the human mind has written a book Yogasutra. In this book we can see how super powers can be achieved by meditation. It has both cosmic relevance and cosmic resonance. In spite of its universal appeal, for most people total control of mind remains an elusive goal and daunting task. From time immemorial, there have been many attempts throughout the world to unlock the mysteries of the mind and to achieve total control over it through a variety of techniques. One of the most powerful of these techniques is meditation.
Many spiritual leaders, sages, saints, and holy people such as Sri. Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, Madam Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda have practiced this. It is said that in the unknown period of Lord Jesus Christ, he was under meditation.
While the ancient Hindu sages were busy in mastering...
Response to Mr. Bhattathiri's comments on meditation
While the ancient Hindu sages were busy in mastering the secrets of their minds in pursuit of supernatural powers, their contemporaries in other countries were using their minds for the betterment of human society! There is no evidence that their supernatural powers or meditation techniques did any good to the people of the Indian subcontinent. All one has to do is look at Indian history.
Even today India remains one of poorest countries economically, politically, socially, and spiritually. All Mr. Bhattathiri has to do is to look at the United Nations Human Development Index or World Health Organization’s commentary on the health of Indian people or the performance of Indian athletes in Olympics since 1947.
Maybe it was through meditation that Swami Vivekananada found out that it is the “Aryan blood” that is responsible for civilization of human society. I wonder wherefrom Swami Vivekananda, who was neither a Brahmin nor a Kashatrya got the Aryan blood in him as he was Bengali Kashtha, a man with dark complexion.
There is something in caste, so far as it means blood: such a thing as heredity there is, certainly. Now try to [understand]—why do you not mix blood with the Negroes, the American Indians? Nature will not allow you. Nature does not allow you to mix your blood with them. There is unconscious working that saves the race. That was the Aryan’s caste…. The Hindus believe—that is a peculiar belief, I think; and I do not know, I have nothing to say to the contrary, I have not found anything to the contrary—they believe there was only one civilized race: the Aryan. Until he gives the blood, no other race can be civilized.
From a speech delivered by Swami Vivekananada on February 2, 1900, in Pasadena, California. Singh, G. B. Gandhi: Behind the Mask of Divinity, 2004 p 239-240.
“The ancient Hindu sage Patanjali who had mastered the secrets of the human mind has written a book Yogasutra. In this book we can see how super powers can be achieved by meditation…. In spite of its universal appeal, for most people total control of mind remains an elusive goal and daunting task. From time immemorial, there have been many attempts throughout the world to unlock the mysteries of the mind and to achieve total control over it through a variety of techniques…Sri. Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, Madam Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda have practiced this. It is said that in the unknown period of Lord Jesus Christ, he was under meditation.”
I have read Yogasutra many times, and I believe this book is incomplete and dangerous. Do you believe in those super powers? Why would you call Patanjali a “Hindu sage?” Patanjali, if he existed, never knew of himself as a Hindu. I would suggest that you pay attention to some of the latest works being done on Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. It is not very encouraging. As far as Buddha is concerned, I am reading and investigating his life.. How do you know Jesus was under meditation?
If you don’t mind, can you tell us what yoga scriptures you have read and from there what have you learned about meditation? Please be specific, from these yoga scriptures.
Below are comments on the feedback from M.P. Bhattathiri
Dear Friend
I am responding to you as you have appreciated something without knowing it first hand.
I see your comments on meditation as a condemnation of the word meditation although with good intentions. When you do something bad with good intention, it becomes worse. I had to respond to you so as not to harm our understanding of meditation.
Gaining super powers with meditation is an ugly affair created by egoistic, greedy and the so called holy-people. If you are to gain super powers than what is the difference between a seeker and Hitler. A seeker has only one intention, that is to seek “Who am I”. He is ready to lose all that he has; he is ready to die. He is ready to throw all ambition to seek it. Once you know yourself, you experience bliss. Ambition is the only enemy of a seeker. Ambition of super power or control of mind are ugly. The more you control mind, the more strong it becomes. With meditation, you don’t gain any super power but a presence which has its own krishma (splendour); a silence which has its own music.
Also relief from back pain etc can be a by-product of minor importance but never a purpose. Meditation is for a far higher cause. Mediation is a jump beyond mind and body.
The people you referred for popularizing meditation are just pure businessmen. They are not Masters. At the maximum you can get relief from back pain with their meditations not enlightenment. They have misinterpreted meditation to suit their business. Meditation is just a device in the hand of a Guru. And Guru is not a person but a nobody. Guru is nameless. If you have to talk to the Guru, you have to be silent. If you have to see the Guru, you have to close your eyes. If you have to hug the Guru, you have to be a nobody. The Guru is never born and never dies. The Guru is beyond body and mind. When you get rid of all that influences you (including your gods), that is the first time you recognize the Guru. Anything done in the presence of the Guru becomes meditation automatically without you even knowing bout it. You don’t have to look for any person for meditation. Just sit in a room and watch your body and without judging good or bad, watch your mind, and thoughts.
Slowly your thoughts will start to disappear. Silence start descending. You can sometime dance and make it meditation. You can whirl and make it meditation. You can make anything a meditation if it has awareness going in parallel. Passive or active actions can also be turned into meditation very easily if you know the art of meditating. Fighting in the battlefield, archery in the presence of the guru were one of the most intense meditations in past. Such meditations have lost their relevance in the present time. New meditations are available for modern man now.
We only need to clarify the purpose of meditation and beware of people who are making meditation a fearful and dangerous word and are attaching the intentions of super power etc. to it. With meditation (if you really know what meditation is) you will become a humble person, but you will look extraordinary in this world.
Moreover meditation is just a devise. Remember it is not the destination but an exit. You have to go beyond it. Don’t cling to it. When you cling to it, then it becomes ugly. That is what happened to old sanyasis and sadhus. These people never understood meditation. Never cling to anything even an organized religion. Remember in the end everything should be left behind as used ammunition, and you have to fly to the point of no-return. You have to go beyond body, mind, and time to the world of ultimate silence and consciousness.
Also you mentioned increasing popularity of meditation in the West. Unfortunately this fame is cheap and body-centered. The Western world has no taste of beyond-body yet. Sensationalism and body centric has to be the necessary qualities for anything to be popular here. Definition and purpose of meditation has been downgraded to fit into the western mind rather than working the other way around. Gurjieff, Osho and Krishnamurthy are the only people who made a positive change in the West. But it may take some more time before the message and energy of those persons gets sunk into the Western collective consciousness. Things will become far easy after that.
Also we have to avoid giving a religious color to the meditation. Meditation does not belong to any religion or geography the same way as science does not belong to any country and geography. Meditation is the only way for the future. The spread of meditation is the death of all the organized religions. That is why all so called religious people never encourage meditation as it will make a person free. These so called religious people will always be jealous of a meditative person. Also the spread of meditation is the birth of religiousness (Not religions! but religiousness as a quality). All religions are already dead. They are all dry and have lost the juice of religiousness. Future belongs to Christs, Budhas, Mahaviras, Krishnas, Mansoors, and Nanaks and not to religions. The future world is a world of lions only. The new man is coming. Beats of the nagara are getting louder and louder. The new people are moving further singing and dancing, and the older people including pundits, scholars, priests, budhijivis and educationists are hesitating to move further. They can only give references from their scriptures with page numbers. But who cares. Victory will be of new people. Scholars and priests have no taste of religiousness. They are just parrots memorizing scriptures and giving reference upto the page number in the scripture.
With meditation, religion will become an individual affair. Everybody has to see the truth and taste it with their own tongue. Nothing else can give you contentment otherwise. Without experiencing truth yourself, life is a waste. No religion or faith is worth anything until you seek. Those who seek will find. Without seeking, don’t say “I am religious”. Knowledge of all scriptures is fruitless until you seek and taste.
After reading your article I only wanted to say that the benefits of meditation which was being practiced by all saints of India is now popular in the West. This is mainly to control the mind, and for concentration to achieve the supreme knowledge. What is said in Bhgavad Gita is
"Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna "
To motivate him to do his duties Gita is preached to him, and to my little knowledge I may say that we all are Arjunas. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides “all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level”. Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. I do meditation and I enjoy its benefits. From personal experience I can say that if one meditates everyday he can reduce spending money on expensive medical treatment.
Medical studies continue to show regular meditation works magic in reducing blood pressure and stress-related illnesses including heart disease. Brain images show that regular meditation helps calm the most active sensory-assaulted parts of the brain.
Some studies show it may even help students achieve better grades. Because of such benefits, meditation is being used more regularly in schools, in offices, hospitals, even in prisons. At least one study has shown that prisoners who meditate, once released, return to prison less frequently.
One of the ways to control physiological reactions to psychological stimuli is meditation, Yoga, Zen Buddhism etc. The scientists take Transcendental Meditation (TM) as the uniform technique, and base their observations on the study of the subjects engaged in this form of meditation. In summing up the results the scientists have come to conclusion that the effect of meditation is a "wakeful, hypo-metabolic state".
I really appreciate your article and request you to write more such articles.
Your latest letter is interesting. Compared with your earlier letters in response to your article on meditation, this one, like others, is not clear. Perhaps there is something you are trying to say which has a real meaning to you but somehow it is not coming across to me. Could there be another word you can use instead of meditation and then give it another try?
In this letter, you mentioned three more personalities dealing with meditation, “Gurjieff, Osho and Krishnamurthy are the only people who made a positive change in the West.”
Let me comment on Osho. You may not be aware of his horrendous activities when he lived in USA. In one of your earlier letters on the subject, you wrote: “Lastly mediation is not certain techniques. Everything done with awareness is meditation. Even killing a person with awareness is a meditation ….”
As far as I know, “killing a person with awareness is a meditation” was an idea promoted by Osho. Am I correct? Do you still believe in such an outlandish doctrine of murder and calling it meditation? As your brother, I would advice you to keep a safe distance from these three named people.
Thank you for sharing more insights into the “science of meditation.” I have noticed a strange phenomenon in your letters. You seem to introduce us new personalities while not accounting for the individuals you introduced to us in your previous letters. Why?
I know the Maharishi you are talking about. All I can tell you is that his “science” is really a pseudoscience. A number of independent scientists have already looked into the work and found him not creditable. I also understand our IRS is looking for the Maharishi--the giggling guru—for income tax evasions. Perhaps you are not aware that, this fellow is a shrewd business and much of the “science” he concocts is devoted to expand his business ventures. Just count his money—already crossed the 2 billion dollar mark.
You can give any new name to it. It will be great idea to change the name meditation to something else. The word meditation was a great name and a sister word of the word 'medication'. Medication treats body and meditation treats the soul. Now the name has been polluted to such an extent that all type of nonsense is identified with it. I will suggest awarenessning, awakeningnation, undoingnation, or something new. We have to totally disassociate meditation from the old name especially the Hindu scriptures or an Indian name.
People are too quickly drag the name of Patanjali, Krishna, Arjuna etc. to contain meditation into their own fold. These names have to be humbly taken out from this context for the sake of meditation as much nonsense is being preached by people under these names. Hindu or Indian names have nothing much to do with meditation. Attaching meditation with any country and religion is the effort of only fundamentalists. Meditation belongs to the world and is a dynamic subject like science. In the future it is going to be explored to an unbelievable extent
“Even killing with awareness can be a meditation” does not preach killing. If observed positively, it is appreciation of “awareness” and not “killing”. It only highlights the importance of awareness or witnessing. Awareness is such a fire that it can give the taste of the divine even in the ugliest looking acts .When the arrow of Guru pierce the body of a sleeping soul, it is not murder because there is no doer but only a timeless awareness. But I am not appreciating killing here but awareness. So peoplel don’t misunderstand this statement. We are doing everything in sleep.We are sleeping not at night only but also during the day.With the light of awareness, you will be unable to do anything harmful to yourself as well as to others. You will be awake even when your body is sleeping. Meditation is the key of awareness.
Lastly, about “Gurjieff, Osho or Krishnamurthy’, and keeping a safe distance from these three named people. Politicians and priests always have the conspiracy to spread rumors about anybody who has the capacity to awaken people. All newspapers and world courts are in direct or indirect control of these politicians and priests. Moreover because words of awakened people of modern time like “Gurjieff, Osho or Krishnamurthy’ are like fire and so direct that there is a good chance that these will be misunderstood in their own times. It takes on the average of 100 years after leaving the body before the real spirit of the words of a awakened person reaches the common man. All awakened persons are stoned, abused, muderered, and poisoned in their times but later worshipped by the same people. Rumors of muder, sex etc. are attached to these names to spread fear among people. Talking and understanding about sex has become very important today and cannot be avoided. Otherwise out of misunderstanding about sex, all types of mental sicknesses, rape and murder are already increasing.
Awakened people talk about all these problems without any hesitation and so are misunderstood intentionally and unintentionally. Never get any idea of an awakened person from newspapers and courts. Don’t get any idea from rumors or yellow journalists. That is why awakened people are missed by so many people in their own time. Read them first hand with humility, love and with a real urge to seek. It is very easy to misunderstand those words because truth can never be said or worded.
Words are only indicators from this world to another world. Don’t cling to the words. Words only point to the Moon. Moon is the real thing to see and not fingers. Words themselves are impotent if read without love and with a real urge to seek. Mind can never understand truth. Mind is just another name of churning. It does not only churn water, it churns butter too. Without churning the mind dies. Truth can not be communicated with words. Truth can be communicated in silence only. Words are just devices to create this silence. Words are merely an excuses to create this silence.
If words are read with just the mind and without a heart, they will remain unclear otherwise the same words become a mantra. I agree that If you have to save yourself, beware of “Gurjieff,Osho or Krishnamurthy”. But how long we will be saving ourselves. Death is already on the way and coming closer and closer every moment. It is time now that we should ourselves walk towards the unknown without too much worrying to save ourselves. It is good to walk ourselves towards death and greet it. Only by doing so can we go beyond death. Running away from death will be self deceiving.
The awakened persons can never be understood with the mind. Mind is conditioned and divided between good and bad and through this mirror it tries to evaluate even the Master. You can only recognize the awakened person. But for that you yourself have to rise above. Moon can not be seen while you are closed in your house. You have to come out to see the moon.
Thank you for suggesting some new names for meditation. Please keep thinking on this matter and I will do likewise.
I am still unclear as to what you mean by meditation, your version of it? Sometimes it takes more time and effort to describe a different phenomenon in English. I hope your version of meditation is nowhere similar to that of Osho.
As far as Osho goes, I am not just referring to his exotic sex. I am
referring to his extensive criminal history, a long rap sheet. Please
contact the Office of the Attorney General, State of Oregon to see the
criminal charge sheet (twelve page summary) to which Mohan Chander (Osho, or Bhagwan Rajneesh) signed and pleaded guilty. His criminal activities included waging a biological warfare against his neighbors adjoining the Big Muddy Ranch as well as planning for murders. Of course those planning of murders included his ideas of meditation.
To understand the Bhagwan, you need a good understanding of Hindu and
Buddhist scriptures on yoga and tantra. Have you read anyone of these? Mohan's version of meditation is directly derived from these scriptures. Murder as well as planning of it falls within the realm of his meditation.
So much for meditation! Again I urge you as my younger brother; it is time to critically examine your sources of information. It is your responsibility to keep these people (like Osho) away from you and also protect yourself from spiritual frauds of various kinds.
Editors- G.B. Singh and Sukhvir Singh have been asked to send us their closing arguments on the topic of Meditation, which has been a point of discussion for the past few weeks. We have received G.B. Singh’s final response on this topic. The most recent letter from Sukhvir Singh was forwarded to G.B. Singh, and a request was made to them to submit their closing arguments.
Dear Mr. Sukhvir Singh,
1. Your “positive growth” is through the letters--in the sense you are opening up as compared to your original article on meditation. Your latest long letter has provided me another fresh look inside your brain. I commend you. From reading your original article on meditation, hardly anyone would have believed that you are a product of neo-modern Hinduism.
2. In your write up, before you tackled Osho, your description of meditation is remarkably similar to that propounded by Mahesh Verma (Maharishi, the TM guy). Have you been his student also? Or Osho propaganda machine took on another transformation to look “good.”
3. I read carefully your description of Osho and the criminal troubles that surrounded him. You talk as if you are Osho apologetic. Your arguments are not convincing. Some of your sentences are bizarre and others beyond the pale of any sense. Why is this so? Have you considered the possibility that you have been brainwashed by these prophets of neo-modern Hinduism and their follower master-meditators? If you have not, this is the right time.
4. I understand this is our last conversation on meditation on Sikhspectrum.com. I hope you will take this opportunity to continue the private dialogue with me through my email: GB7495@hotmail.com. Remember I have no ill will against you and I only wish good for you: I urge you to get away from neo-modern Hinduism.
Sincerely,
-- GB Singh
Meditation (Closing Arguments)...
-Sukhvir Singh, USA
Editors- The letter was not published because of its length – it was 4,504 words long and took 8 pages of MSWord document. Anyone interested in getting a copy of the letter can send us an email at webmaster@sikhspectrum.com or contact Sukhvir Singh. We appreciate your participation, but sincerely request to keep the letter-to-editor as short as possible. We understand that sometimes it can get long, but hope that it does not get longer than necessary. The letter was forwarded to G.B. Singh since it was addressed to him.
Dear GB Singh
Although the full comprehensive letter sent as my last response (which was not published for size and other reasons and can be requested directly from editor or me) will be a missing ring in the chain of this discussion but I will try to wrap up with the following:
1. Terming my words sometime Upanishdic and now Neo-Hinduism is not only baseless but is a wrong habit too. Truth is more than billion of years old. than before the names Upanishad or Hinduism came into the world. Truth is not a monopoly of Upanishads or Neo-Hinduism or somebody else. See me directly with clean and unprejudiced eyes without bringing any of these names in between. When truth is One, essential words for its expression will remain the same. But don’t misuse this helplessness to connect somebody with Hinduism or Upanishads. Everybody is an individual and should be looked upon as an individual and not an independent being.
2. I can not be a student of anybody for spiritual journey. To be a scholar or a Pundit, one needs to be a student of somebody. To “know”, one has to run away from all the schools and masters and be alone.
3. Also you mentioned about brainwashing. This statement is used as a devise to insult anybody when we lose all the arguments. There are a lot of disciples in the past who offered their head to the Master. Would you call them “brainwashed”? If not, why would you call anybody else brainwashed. I am not even offering my head for somebody. Why this injustice then?
4. I tried to write fully comprehensively so that reader from any background can grasp it without misunderstanding any of my statements. You also mentioned that “your arguments are not convincing”. I am sorry but nothing can be convincing until you allow yourself to be convinced. It becomes more difficult to convince when somebody is saying something directly without giving the reference from any scripture. I am not a prisoner of any scripture now. Also I am not apologetic for anybody. I am not a prisoner of any belief and rumor.
5. I have no personal reason to contact you until you have some question or doubt and are ready to know with humbleness and unprejudiced attitude, and without bringing any scripture or “ism” in between. My only purpose to write was to answer any question or clarify any doubt which might have been created in the mind of a general reader through these letters or discussions.
Editors- Multiculturalism as commonly understood implies respecting all people no matter how diverse their beliefs might be. Canada is a multicultural society as evidenced by the decisions of Canadian courts in this particular case where the individual’s basic right to freely choose and practice a religion was violated.
The Preamble to Canadian Multiculturalism Act clearly states,
WHEREAS the Constitution of Canada provides that every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination and that everyone has the freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association and guarantees those rights and freedoms equally to male and female persons;
Furthermore, under the section Federal Institutions it is clearly stated:
(2) It is further declared to be the policy of the Government of Canada that all federal institutions shall
(a) ensure that Canadians of all origins have an equal opportunity to obtain employment and advancement in those institutions;
(b) promote policies, programs and practices that enhance the ability of individuals and communities of all origins to contribute to the continuing evolution of Canada;
(c) promote policies, programs and practices that enhance the understanding of and respect for the diversity of the members of Canadian society;
As regards your assertion on Sikhs serving in the military, we would like to inform you that Sikhs have a distinguished military record. Some articles have been previously published on SikhSpectrum.com, which testify to the Sikh bravery in the battlefield. When called to serve freedom and liberty, Sikhs were in the forefront without compromising with their religious beliefs.
From the battlefields in Europe to those in South Asia, Sikh soldiers have been decorated with many gallantry awards. A few links to Sikh bravery in Europe are provided below. The Sikh Regiment is the highest distinguished regiment of the Indian army with 73 battle honors and 38 theatre honors. It was decorated the highest Battalion of Commonwealth with Naik Nand Singh awarded both the Victoria Cross and Mahavir Chakra.
In post independent India the Sikh Regiment has won two Param Vir Chakras, two Ashok Chakras, two Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 14 Mahavir Chakras, 5 Kirti Chakras, one Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 10 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 64 Vir Chakras, 22 Shaurya Chakras, 104 Sena Medals and 31 Vishisht Seva Medals in a total of 1596 gallantry awards (Hidden Agenda, Vishavjit Singh, SikhSpectrum.com January 2003).
Regarding the article about the RCMP Officer with the turban:
A religious symbol has no place being promoted ahead of normal dress
regulations,
During basic training, all should be treated the same. Changing to suit
someone's religion is bad for morale (all men have a shaved head).
I spent 12 years in the military. I know that we had to wear a steel
helmet in the grenade bay and on the ranges. A turban does not stop
shrapnel.
Men had to be clean-shaven for gas drills. One cannot have a good seal on
a gas mask with a beard.
I fail to see how having a turban and a beard is promoting
multiculturalism when it violates basic safety regulations.
I read news articles daily about radical Muslim attacks...