Very informative article. Thanks for shedding light on the Devdasi
situation.
What is Indian government doing for them? I guess nothing, maybe they
are encouraging this system. And shouldn't this problem be presented to human rights organization, as I totally feel this is violation of human rights. I feel pain, anger, and frustration after reading this article. We know this is wrong but in the name of religion it is still going on.
Who is the Author of Dasam Granth by Dr. Baldev Singh is a great effort by the author after going through various feference books. I admire his selfless service to the Sikh community abroad.
It is a pity that Guru Granth Sahib is being used for Goluck collections only because hardly there is any Gurbaani Vichaar in the Gurduaras or Darbaar Sahib. Under the brahminical doctrine/Hindutva, SGPC and its goluck employees have been promoting Bachiter Natak. Unfortunately, about 95% so-called Sikhs are led away by propaganda started by anti-Sikh forces.
Let us continue to obey Guru Granth Sahib as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, and discard all other secondary literature. We should also understand that there is no Gurbaani authored in the Name of "Nanak" under Mahla 6, 7, 8 and 10 but having same Divine Light, we revere
them as our Guru Sahibaan.
This is a very depressing but seemingly true depiction of the state of health under the PHSC system. Being a doctor from the same state where once PCMS services ignored poor and rural people, now it seems access to free health has become even worse though imposition of user fee. How can the offenders/culprits/negligent people be held accountable? Let us raise awareness of this issue collectively.
I believe what happened with Punjab and in 1984 was shameful. This article
provides the facts. But the tone of the article is anti-'majority community' atleast till
conclusion. I think this is not right.
I have a lot of Punjabi Hindu friends, I want to say here that atleast
Hindus in Punjab (I can't say about Hindus in other states) identify
themselves with Sikhism. For them, 'Amristar Sahib' is more sacred then
any other place on earth. They don't feel separate from the Sikhs.
And the fact is that what happened was done by high headed and corrupt
congress. Congress was drunk with power. Congress thought it is
invincible. They didn't attack Sikhism, they attacked Punjabi
identity, our mindset. That us unparallel in living history of mankind.
This is a fact which this article is also IMPLICITLY accepting. So,
The culprit is Congress and not 'majority community'.
As it is said in the end of the article, Khalistan will not solve the
problem. Even if we manage to make Khalistan a reality, who will we make
friends with? Pakistanis or the English or the Chinese? Can we forget what
Muslims did to our gurus? Pakistan will attack whenever they find the
right opportunity. Then what- the slavery of Sultans? Ultimately, I think Indian Hindus will be real friends.
I believe, the need of the hour is unity. Whenever Indians have not been
united, they have been ruled by foreign powers. Evidence is slavery and
wars for the last 1000 years.
The solution in my opinion is the spread of panth. All Indians should
learn the greatness of our gurus and our sacrifices. Definately, more and
more people will attach to the panth. One can see the number of hindus going
to gurudwaras for evidence. I believe, our gurus have taught us to fight
the evil and not the person.
I pray that in the end better sense will prevail and not emotions.
Regards,
-Amrinder
Call for Papers for a Special Issue of IOSS....
-Ishwinder Singh, India
Call for Papers for a Special Issue of IOSS Journal “Abstract of Sikh Studies” on the Theme of “Science and Religion” in Sikhism’ Context.
The Institute of Sikh Studies, encouraged by the positive response from some of the leading Diasporian and local Sikh Scientists, invites Papers from leading academics and practitioners in the scientific, technological, religious and, theological fields on the theme of “Science and Religion.” in Sikhism's Context for publication in their quarterly journal “Abstract of Sikh Studies” posted on its website www.sikhinstitute.org and also published in hard copies. The Institute’s objective is to promote discussion between scientific understanding and religious thought. It recognizes that some of the issues at the interface of Religion and Science may be complex but is keen to transcend the simplistic narratives of conflict or harmony and to play its role in setting new standards for sophisticated historical studies of science and religion to meet the demands and needs of younger generation having scientific bent of mind.
Just for illustration, some of the popular themes like cosmology and Bioethics along with some of the following popular sub-themes, in addition to others, may be considered.
i. Scientific naturalism and theism as alternative worldviews
ii. The role of teleology in evolutionary biology today
iii. Relationships between religion and the social sciences
iv. How Did the Universe Begin?
v. Is Science the Only Sure Path to Truth?
vi. Genetics - Technology and Theology
The timeframe for the submission of Papers through E-mail to pritamioss@gmail.com is:
a. Indication of desire to participate in this venture of IOSS by 15 April, 09
b. Submission of Abstract by 15th June, 09
c. Final Paper by 15th July, 09.
Active cooperation of the Sikh scholars is earnestly sought for this Gurmat Seva.
A student in my Introduction to Islam class had emailed me a document
describing the Sikh religion obtained from your website. I read this in
the document - page 35 - on the concept of God in the Sikh religion
"Christian God is approachable only through His only Son, Jesus Christ,
whereas the Muslim God, Allah, is accessible only through Mohammed who
is Allah's last and final Prophet in a long line of Prophets. And
Muslims claim that theirs is the only true prophetic religion". This
info is of course not correct in your document in how Islam is portrayed
The religion of Islam teaches that Allah is accessible ONLY DIRECTLY and
not through Mohamed (peace be upon him). Muslims don't worship the
prophet and they accept him as a messenger of God but we pray directly
to the universal God whose name is Allah - glory be to Him for there is
none other than Him. In fact one of the verses in the Quran as revealed
when a man asked the Prophet if Allah is close and requires him to shout
so Allah can hear him or can he just whisper and Allah will hear him.
Allah then revealed the verse that says "When my servants ask you about
me - tell them that I am indeed close. I hear/respond to the prayers of
every supplicant if they PRAY TO ME...."
Hope this clarifies what is in your document and that you will contact
the original author to correct this misconception.
Thank you.
Dr. Awadh A. Binhazim
President, Olive Tree Education
www.olivetreeeducation.org
S. Jarnail Singh in his exposition of the fourth Pauri
of Jap Ji Sahib has stated that ‘Amrrit Vayla’ mentioned therein does not
mean the early morning hours as commonly interpreted. He interprets it as the ‘time
of human birth’ and has offered Gurbani references in support of his views.
I submit that the references given by him say that it
is only the human birth in which the soul can hope to unite with the Creator
and not the way he has said. One of the oft-quoted verses he has given says
just that:
You
got this life as a blessing, this is the time to realize God. [p.12]
Another verse quoted by him is:
If we ask what time is the best
to worship God then when shall we remember God? We should worship
God all the time.
If you
forget God even for a moment, then it is a big loss. [p.35]
This
verse says that there is no time we should not be remembering God. His
translation has left out the underlined portion given above (probably a
typographical error). There can be no dispute with this. But he has given this
to prove that the morning hours are not important.
It may
be seen that the above verse is for man to conduct himself in God-consciousness
all the time. This is what was said in the third Pauri which talked of ‘Gaavai’ meaning singing praises. On the other
hand the fourth Pauri takes us further from just remembrance to ‘Veechaar’ i.e.
contemplation. This cannot be done all the time. Undisturbed concentration is
needed for this. This is exactly what Guru Nanak says:
Only those people
utilize their time successfully who single-mindedly concentrate on God’s
virtues in early morning.
After that the mind is subject to many temptations and thoughts scatter (M: 1,
SGGS, p 145).
The fifth Guru says:
Do Jaap
in early morning; remember God day and night. 5 255
So
Gurbani specifically mentions early morning for contemplation.
Rawel Singh, in his response to Jarnail Singh (http://www.sikhspectrum.com/012009/jap5.pdf), is indulging in literal translation of Gurbani and then he is misinterpreting it too. Rawel Singh sites two quotes from Guru Granth Sahib. Please allow me to give you two links so that readers are able to read for themselves the explanation by Prof. Sahib Singh:
The first shabad is at:
http://www.gurugranthdarpan.com/darpan2/0145.html
The shabad on this page discusses different phases of the day with the understanding that one wakes up in the morning. Therefore, emphasis is on waking up and work life during the different phases of the day and not on early morning.
The second shabad is at:
http://www.gurugranthdarpan.com/darpan2/0255.html
This shabad discusses morning time in the context of day-night and again with an emphasis on waking up.
Overall, the central meaning of these two shabads, as understood from Prof Sahib Singh's work, is on waking up implicitly by shunning lethargy and other excuses.
I wonder what Rawel Singh thinks early morning time would do for all those people who come back home after working a night-shift?
I am pleased that Dr. Awadh A. Binhazim, professor of Islamic Studies has commented on my article “Nanakian Philosophy: Path of Enlightenment, SikhSpectrum.com, October 2008”. I appreciate his comments very much.
My observation about Islam is based on the history of Indian subcontinent under Muslim rule from 8 to 18 century C. E. If Allah is accessible only directly to anyone then why were there forced conversion of Hindus to Islam. Jizya (poll tax on non-Muslims) was imposed on Hindus and other non-Muslims. Two Sikh Gurus who were executed by Mughal rulers were given the choice of conversion to Islam or death.
I am thankful to Professor Binhazim for pointing out that my observation is not supported by the Holy Quran. Furthermore, I would like Professor Binhszim to provide quotes from the holy Quran and Hadith in support of his statement: “In fact one of the verses in the Quran as revealed when a man asked the Prophet if Allah is close and requires him to shout so Allah can hear him or can he just whisper and Allah will hear him. Allah then revealed the verse that says "When my servants ask you about me - tell them that I am indeed close. I hear/respond to the prayers of every supplicant if they PRAY TO ME...."
Regards,
Baldev Singh
At first, please allow me to....
-Sher Khan, USA
Dear Dr. Binhazim,
At first, please allow me to say a few words about myself. I am not a Sikh, nor do I subscribe to any religion. However, I am familiar with Islam for I was born as a Muslim, and spent most of my life as one of them.
One of my Sikh friends forwarded your objection to an article that mentioned, “…the Muslim God, Allah, is accessible only through Mohammed…”.
I failed to see any discrepancy here. Allah does not have physical existence, and Muslims as well as non-Muslims do not have the opportunity to meet Allah. It is Mohammed who introduced Allah to the public. However, it is plausible to accept Mohammed’s existence as a historical figure, but his claim of Allah is an unacceptable premise to non-Muslims.
Is it not true that the salvo of Quranic verses stopped as soon as Mohammed died? The truth is that without Mohammed, Quran does not exist, nor does Allah. An appropriate analogy would be - a puppet won’t talk if the puppet master dies.
Furthermore, Christians believe Jesus is the son of god, and Hindus find symbolic gods among animals. Now, will a Muslim consider such beliefs as true? Obviously, Muslims will reject other religions’ way of thinking.
Likewise, it is hard for a non-Muslim to acknowledge the existence of Allah. They see Mohammed as the representative of Islam, and his claim of Allah is no more than an elusive thought.
Although, unlike Christians, Muslims do not consider Mohammed as a god, but he was the only person through whom Allah was accessed, and on the Day of Judgment, Mohammed will lead his believers. Muslims do not worship Mohammed, but they must follow the examples of their prophet.
Quran says,
33.21: “Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.”
7.157 “Those who follow the messenger, ... So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper."
033.006 “The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves”
Therefore, for all Muslims, following the examples of the prophet is the right way to please Allah. On the other hand, non-Muslims have the right to perceive Mohammed as the savior of Muslims and his claim of receiving Quran from Allah is nothing but an irrational assertion.
I have come to know about this site vide an ASIA-TIMES article. I am
quite impressed by frankness of both persons (MD Shehzad & The General).
Now after four and half years how re-sounding are the comments made by
the Mujahid?
Gurtej Singh has stated....
-Rawel Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
Gurtej Singh has stated "Rawel Singh, in his response to Jarnail Singh (http://www.sikhspectrum.com/012009/jap5.pdf), is indulging in literal
translation of Gurbani and then he is misinterpreting it too". However he does not say how I have misinterpreted Gurbani. I request him to state that.
He has also mentioned two references from Guru Granth Darpan by Prof. Sahib Singh. Here again he does not say what he is trying to convey. He may kindly do that for a meaningful discussion.
Gurbani does not take into account the cases of people working on night shifts. I suppose Amrit Vayla for them would be when they wake up. However what is under discussion is whether Amrit Vayla mentioned in the fourth Pauri of Japji means morning hours or not.
Regards,
Rawel Singh
Towards the end of his first....
-Gurtej Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
Towards the end of his first email Rawel Singh stated "[s]o Gurbani specifically mentions early morning for contemplation". To counter his point I cited explanation by Prof. Sahib Singh for two of his quotes.
Now he is trying to divert from this point by claiming that discussion is actually if fourth pauree Amrit Vayla is morning hours. The simple answer to this is no as elucidated by Jarnail Singh (unfortunately I cannot cite the specific page number as the PDF has none). So, what is the point?
In his second email, Rawel Singh says "Gurbani does not take into account the cases of people working on night shifts". By saying so, Rawel Singh appears to ignore the universal meaning of Gurbani.
Regards,
Gurtej Singh
Gurtej Singh in his last....
-Rawel Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
Gurtej Singh in his last post has stated
"Now he is trying to divert from this point by claiming that discussion is actually if fourth Pauree Amrit Vayla is morning hours".
Yes it indeed is about the fourth Pauri and that is what the post of Jarnail Singh is about on which I commented. He had earlier said that I misinterpreted Gurbani but did not say how.
Despite my request to him to say what he wishes to convey by referring to Guru Granth Darpan he has not done so. He has again just mentioned the two pages from it. I recommend to him to read those again and he will find Prof Sahib Singh clearly mentioning Simran in early morning hours, not just waking up which Gurtej Singh wants to believe. My translation in English does not differ from it. If Gurtej Singh feels it does he should say how.
Gurtej Singh further says ""Gurbani does not take into account the cases of people working on night shifts". By saying so, Rawel Singh appears to ignore the universal meaning of Gurbani".
I cannot claim that I know all that Gurbani says. I will be grateful to be educated on this with Gurbani references.
Regards,
Rawel Singh
After the Army assault on....
-Baldev Singh, USA
Dear Editor,
After the Army assault on Darbar Sahib in June 1984, I cried for four days.
My wife asked me do some thing to relieve my pain. So I accompanied some
Sikhs to demonstrate at the United Nations in New York.
Recently, while lying in bed in a hospital, Amrita's closing comment from
an article she wrote as a young girl flashed before my eyes: Sikhs will
always face persecution because Sikhi is Truth.
Her teacher commented on her article and asked whether then President of
India, Giani Zail Singh is a Sikh or not? I asked Amrita to write that
Giani Zail Singh is a Judean rat. When she took her paper back to the
teacher, he was awestruck and asked Amrita the meaning of Judean rat and
she said she would ask her dad. When I came back from work, Amrita asked
me the question and I replied that Judean rats were Jews who helped Hitler
in the extermination of Jews.
Perplexed, she asked me if it meant that Sikhs also helped Indira Gandhi in
the extermination of Sikhs. I replied, " All shades of Sikh politicians,
especially Jats ".
While in the hospital, my thoughts turned to Amrita's
statement: Sikhs will always persecution because Sikhi is Truth.
In 1984 I thought that Amrita meant Sikh community, but she actually
meant people who preached Truth and not necessarily Sikhs who had suffered
so much. It dawned upon me that Amrita was not taking about a particular
community, instead, she was talking about people who understood scientific
truth and stood for it even if it required sacrificing their lives. My
thoughts turned to Copernicus, Galileo and other rational thinkers. Even in
the United States, the most technically advanced country in the world,
there is strong opposition to the teaching of Evolution in schools.
All this has reinforced my belief that there is a constant struggle between
truth and ignorance. The world is dominated by ignorant people who oppose
truth . As long as there is dominance of ignorance, truth will be resisted.
This struggle will end when human society becomes enlightened.
So I am compelled to say that Guru Nanak was not a religious leader, rather
he was a foremost rational thinker, and Guru Granth Sahib is not a
religious book, instead, as the title suggest it the destroyer of
ignorance. Therefore, in that respect, Guru Granth Sahib, in my humble
opinion, is a scientific Treatise.
Very informative article....