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Essays on Sikh Values

Sikh Missionary Society: Publications: Essays on Sikh Values:

Truth is Ever Constant

Truth is Ever Constant

scu purwxw nw QIAY nwmu n mYlw hoie ] 3-1248-9

sçc purwxw nw QIAY nwmu n mYlw hoey ]

Such purana naa theeae Naam aaa maela ho-ae

The Truth is ever constant. Name of the Lord never gets tarnished!

The Sikhi (Sikh faith) in the time to come

True to this proverb, the Sikh faith is �immortal.� This faith had been in the porcelain from the birth of Guru Nanak in 1469 AD, to the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708 AD, and even after that. It had always  been on the anvil since its inception to the present day (2004). Throughout, the Sikh Gurus - Prophets, kept working on this faith for about 235 years, for its survival. It was born in the hostile period,  bloomed  in the past, is doing  so in the present, and will continue to do  in the future.

Annealing of the Sikh faith was done by seven martyrdoms in the Guru family - Guru Arjun Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur, four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, and of Guru Gobind Singh himself. The mother of Guru Gobind Singh, also belonged to the same category. Besides the Guru family, there were countless Sikhs like Bhai (Brother) Dyala, Bhai Satti Das, Bhai Mati Das, (at the time of Guru Arjun Dev), Bhai Taru Singh, Bhai Mani Singh, and others (after Guru Gobind Singh), as well as the Sikh women and children, who made it imperishable by their sacrifices. To all of them, we offer our gratitude in our �Ardas� (invocation) twice a day.

The world will ever find Sikhi - the Sikh faith, as it is today, or as it had been at its beginning. There is no doubt, it will keep spreading in the world like the fragrance of a flower whereever the Sikhs will go, and they will be going ever farther.

Promotion of the Faith

In places outside the Punjab, and countries other than India, the independence of subsidiary centres of the Sikh faith will expose them more to the local environments which usually will be heterogeneous. Basic edicts will remain unchanged, but the Sikh principles will constantly face the outside challenges. This may in time have a limited influence on the visible topography of the faith - hair etc. It will be hard to protect this aspect from the natural process of making things fit to survive - Darwin�s phenomenon �Survival of the fittest.� Whatever be, there will never be a shortage of devotees. As well, the Gurbani might have to be provided to the coming generations in the local languages rather than only set in the original Gurmukhi script. It will be very hard to protect the faith from environmental effects, and to stop changes: evolution in the faith. It is hard to accept, but the facts cannot be denied.

Realities

Euphoria can be helpful, ignoring the fact may be rewarding, but the reality will be the winner, and it should be our guiding force. In fact, a time may come when we will have to wisely protect the values of Sikhi (the Sikh faith) in the light of the spirit of it. For this, we will have to plan and work to get ready right from now. Otherwise, sudden shock of reality may bewilder us not to act wisely, but to react to the unexpected. The change may not be sudden, but by keeping our eyes closed, it may prove a surprise which may not be easily pocketable.

We need to urgently have the institutions to monitor and modify the cultural, geographical and historical effects on Sikhi (the Sikh Faith), in an organized and scientific way, using modern techniques as well as facilities to keep it fit to survive by developing endurance to the influence of the time and place.

We will have to inculcate harmony in the people to adopt the principles of the Sikh faith for its wellbeing and promotion, because this is the most modern and scientific religion fit to be the faith for the whole world. This simple and energetic faith can deliver peace to the people and remove unrest from the earth.

We may or may not be able to find directions in the Sikh Scriptures or history, to imagine the Sikh faith in the time to come. But to a great extent we can build a picture of it by studying the passage of it through the time since its conception, and by directly or indirectly applying Gurbani and history to it. We will find that the spirit of the Sikh faith had ever been constant, and it will remain so. If this gets effected, then the faith is lost. The ideal thing is development of the faith staying within its parameters. It is practically impossible for the people to lay down limits for this, and only the Guru can provide the guidance.

Whatever be, we should mold ourselves according to the edicts of the faith, and not that we expect the faith to adjust itself to our whims. Putting conditions on the faith is no way. We have to change and not the faith. We should strictly guard the faith.  If any changes against the edicts of the Sikh faith will enter it, then the byproduct may become its unimaginable and unbearable denomination, but it will not be left the original Sikh faith created by the Gurus. If such a a phenomenon will continue indefinitely, it will doom the Sikh faith. But it will never happen! The Sikhs had been facing their massacres from the time the faith was born, and still they are going strong, because they kept sticking fast to their faith.

Those who seriously and strictly practice the faith (erroniously labeled as fanatics), have their great significance and role. They are the people who sincerely protect the faith and its originality, and promote its traditions and precedences. They are life line of the faith, and do not allow meaningless, unwanted, or harmful minor or major changes to enter, and distort its established face. They help to protect and carry the faith forward.

Everyday, the scholars and reseachers keep on announcing their controversial findings. They keep creating alternatives to the dates, figures and facts. They shun to mention intentional or unintentional miracles connected to the Gurus, although many examples of these are there even in Guru Granth Sahib. These people add confusion to the Sikh world, and weaken its roots. To protect the faith from such a havoc, and confusion of the people with contradictory things, the Panth (Sikh world) should control research works and standardize every thingin the Khalsa Panth (the Sikh world).