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Conversation about this article
1: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), April 16, 2009, 10:37 AM.
So true and beautiful to the Sikh spirit, your article made me smile! I can identify with this story, as a child and now ... Many of us are products of "Christian Convent" education in India, and that system, surprisingly, brought the beauty of Sikhi out in many of us. If the nuns were kind and loving, I acknowledged the Guru's compassion in them; when they were mean and derogatory, I only learnt to stand up for myself and my faith. As a mother now, I have thrown my cub into the den of a "Public School" in the Southern U.S.A. with 2500 kids - not another one of them a Sikh! Hoping he too will acknowledge Sikhi as his predecessors have; loving and embracing all, yet keeping its unique gait.
2: Gursharn Singh Nagi (Delhi, India), April 16, 2009, 1:50 PM.
You are very right ... Nice article. Keep it up!
3: Gurbux Singh (Chatsworth, U.S.A.), April 16, 2009, 1:52 PM.
I too am a product of Catholic Schools and got my good education in Rangoon, Burma. My Sikh parents had faith in me and I never had doubts about my faith. In fact, it reinforced my parents teachings. I might have looked like a convertible to the Christian Brothers/Nuns but I was a Sikh hardtop. GurFateh!
4: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), April 16, 2009, 5:37 PM.
Sher: Your piece awakened a beautiful memory of my grandfather (my knight in shining armour.) For nine months out of the year, I was at a Roman Catholic boarding school. For all intents and purposes, I was a Catholic and a practicing Catholic. When I got home for the winter break, my grandmother was distressed to hear me say Grace before my meal and when I then made the sign of the cross. Plates went flying from the table and she started beating her chest. "Hai, hai, look what has happened. She has become a Christian!" Calmly, my grandfather said, "She is better than your children. She at least remembered God." At night, my grandfather would sit by my side while I said my Hail Mary. I would kiss my rosary and put it under my pillow. Pita ji would then take out his mala and say his prayers, while I drifted off to sleep. I was nine years old. What a soulful memory you awakened! Many thanks.
5: Jeannine Marzella (Scottsdale, U.S.A.), April 17, 2009, 6:23 PM.
Thank you for this beautiful story. I too was raised Roman Catholic, I became a Eucharistic minister and teacher at a young age. I taught my daughter about God with the best teaching I had up to then. Telling her that this was what I knew, that when she grew up she was to follow the path that resonated God in her heart. This beautiful soul is now Sikh. She knew the first time she read the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and felt it come alive in her heart. I am blessed that the Christian teachings taught her heart to know her truth and recognize God's/Gurus' love.
6: Jaswinder Kaur (Germany), April 21, 2009, 3:42 AM.
People who have faith in their own religion are not afraid of sending their children to learn about other religions. I am proud that my parents, my children and I also belong to this category.
7: Andrea Alvarado (Republic of Panama), April 22, 2009, 10:19 PM.
It is refreshing to see the Lion's side of the story. You were truly very brave. I grew up Catholic and it was never easy accepting many things taught by the priests and nuns. However, I am thankful for the Christ was my first teacher. Yet, the beauty of life is that there are many more teachers to come, and am now on my way to find my own spiritual path.
8: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 22, 2014, 8:38 AM.
When the Christians were thrown to the hungry young lion, it didn't touch them because one of the Christians whispered in his ear that it will have to make an after-dinner speech. Seriously, I also studied in a Christian School and every time they asked us to repeat "Our Father who art in heaven," I silently recited the first paurri of Japji Sahib.
9: Baljit Singh Pelia (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.), June 22, 2014, 1:42 PM.
The lion strayed and lost its way, got captured and put in a zoo and circus for display. He was tamed and timid, forgot his perch above, ate what was thrown at it because he forgot to hunt and pave his own destiny. He starting accepting his fate and justifying his misadventure as spirited and accommodating. Other than his resemblance he had nothing that even came close to the characteristics infused over two and half centuries of evolutionary upbringing. One of these lion-cubs was Duleep Singh. We lost a kingdom, the deed completed by the ignominious conversion of him as a child by those professing to be good Christians. Many lions -- having strayed from the path of Sikhi in the 'new' post-Partition Punjab simply could not relate to a free spirited lion of 1984. Rather, they so often towed the line of their captors, being products of a backward thinking that had taken over a truncated Punjab, and questioned his roar of Liberty. Many did not even realize the captive mindset till later that same year when their brothers and sisters were mercilessly slaughtered on the streets of Delhi and around the country.
10: Dya Singh (Melbourne, Australia), June 22, 2014, 8:22 PM.
I do not know what Baljit Singh Pelia is going on about - nothing to do with the context of your great story! I was brought up in a Islamic kindergarten in Malaysia and knew my 'morning 'namaz' before I did my Mool Mantar. My Nana ji, on a visit from India, used to get a great kick from hearing me recite my 'namaz'. I went on to a Christian English school and made a good Joseph in their nativity play one year. All this did not detract me from my Sikhi but I know why I am neither a Muslim nor a Christian! May the lion keep on roaring.
11: N Singh (Canada), June 22, 2014, 10:21 PM.
I was schooled in London, England at a time when religious education was part of the curriculum. England is an Anglican country. At the time my best friends were two Muslim girls whose parents had written a letter to the Head Mistress asking them to be exempt from religious classes. I asked my father to do the same. He refused. His response was that religious studies, even though Christian, could do no harm. God was God and prayer was prayer. Likewise I asked him to get exemption for me so I wouldn't have to wear a skirt to school like my Muslim friends whose parents argued that showing their legs was forbidden in Islam. Again, my father refused. He argued that immodest dress was frowned upon in Sikhi but there was nothing immodest about skirts as part of the school uniform. In fact he even went as far as saying that wearing skirts was acceptable to him. His only objection was that skirts should not be worn at home since a woman's work often involved bending over, picking up and sweeping things; skirts were not practical for that reason. Outside, skirts could be worn provided a woman conducted herself with dignity and elegance. Now, when I see the medieval dress of young men and women I often wonder if 1984 led not only to a loss of life but to a regression in our consciousness. We seem to be going backwards, not forwards.
12: Harpal Singh (Sydney, Australia), June 22, 2014, 11:14 PM.
Sher ji, what a wonderful retrospection it is and may Waheguru keep blessing your soul by having you carve such uplifting pieces of writing, which can be wonderful lessons for all Seekers/Sikhs. My earth, my sky, my air is as misguided of a notion as 'My religion'. Many roads lead to one and the same destination and all roads are equally available to anyone. Yes, there can (and most probably will) be one road that is easier than others and it is most likely the latest built one, as the builder (Waheguru / Allah / God) knows that the users are now ripe to understand/avail what he/she has to offer them this time around to ease their journey to their destination. Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism -- they were all and are religions (roads) for all from time to time, as they came into being, as paths to realizing God, just as Sikhi (the latest path) is for all for the same journey/destination. We own nothing ... 'my religion' is a paradox to the essence of any religion. I can't help but notice that your father didn't only cause you to experience the erasure of the demarcation line, but left this lesson for all of us to learn as well. We own nothing ... Waheguru.
13: Mankanwal Singh (New York City, USA), June 23, 2014, 10:26 AM.
Baljit Singh ji: Well said. Also, this thread so far is full of testimonials of people who have continued to be on the path of Sikhi while receiving an non-Sikh education at school. It would help to hear from others whose experience was different, for whatever reason. A comparative analysis would give us a better picture before making a judgment call.
14: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, USA), June 23, 2014, 1:32 PM.
Mankanwal Singh ji: since you asked, here is my experience opposite of Sher Singh ji's formative education. I grew up in a committed Sikh family and went to Guru Harkrishan Public School ("GHPS") for all 12 years of my schooling in New Delhi. I believe that to this date GHPS was the best thing that happened to me in being and becoming a Sikh. We had a compulsory graded subject called 'Divinity'. In elementary level, Divinity started with Sikh history and Gurbani memorization. As we progressed to middle and high school levels, we were taught philosophy of Sikhism as well as of other religions, i.e., Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. Then, Punjabi / Gurmukhi was another compulsory subject. The fact that I fluently read Gurbani can be attributed to ten years of academic learning of the Punjabi language. All Gurpurabs were celebrated with Kirtan and Langar programs. Our morning assembly comprised of a Shabad, Hukamnama, Ardaas and then other academic components such as daily news, announcements, a patriotic song or English song of virtue, followed by the national anthem. This summarizes the excellent support system I had in school. This school environment plus the Sikh teachings imparted to us in a positive and loving manner at home by my parents made me appreciate and fall in love with Sikhi. It was clear to me that I could compromise everything but not my Sikh identity. I had Sikh friends in my neighborhood who weren't studying at GHPS and I know their interpretation of Sikhi was different than mine. For them Sikhi had to be maintained due to family pressure and traditions, whereas for me it was something I couldn't do without -- it was a part of me. Each summer vacation our local neighborhood Gurdwara organized Punjabi school for Sikh children. One summer I joined the school because my other Sikh friends were joining it. The teacher after a few days of class appointed me a junior teacher because I already knew that level of Punjabi. However I do believe having this strong Sikh environment has left me more sensitive than other Sikhs. I feel more upset and angry at Sikh jokes which are very normal in Delhi. My other non-GHPS Sikh friends used to ask me often what's there to get so upset about, when a joke on Sikhs made. I still struggle with this one so although not certain, I somewhat believe that the too much Sikh and protective environment has not made me a strong person to bear jokes on my identity. I still suspect my non-Sikh Indian coworkers and get sensitive to their comments. I am not sure if this is because I am in general a sensitive and emotional person or it has to do with the lack of non-Sikh environment I had while growing up.
15: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, USA), June 23, 2014, 1:58 PM.
I apologize for my lengthy comments. However I wanted to add something to my already pretty long narrative on my Sikh upbringing. Although I agree with Sher Singh ji, Sangat Singh ji and others on the benefits of an all encompassing education and the strength and perspectives it provides you on all human beings in general, I will however say that in this day and age where our kids are being raised in the West, isolated from one another and without a Sikh support system for them, I worry if they can handle themselves if we sent them on non-Sikh retreats. Are they confident or firm in their faith and do they have the support system, i.e., parents, grandparents, extended family and friends like we had growing up in India, who can answer the doubts they might develop about their identity when being of other religious retreats. I see no harm in respecting and learning about other religions and then comparing their philosophies with ours but being a father of a 8 year and a 2 year old, I want my children to be strong enough in their Sikh grounding so that they won't think of compromising it without fully appreciating and examining it. Perhaps this is my insecurity speaking but can't say for sure. I think my parents and grandparents did a far better job in inculcating love for Sikhi than I can or do.
16: Mankanwal Singh (New York City, USA), June 23, 2014, 4:01 PM.
Chintan Singh - Thanks for your response. My question was a little different. This being a Sikh forum, most respondents would be Sikh. There's no way for us to gauge how many Sikh kids left the fold due to Christian or Muslim indoctrination during their school years.
17: T. Sher Singh (Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada), June 23, 2014, 4:52 PM.
Mankanwal ji (#16): there IS a way to gauge an answer to your question vis-a-vis the type of school I attended, in the era that I grew up -- outside Punjab. I received my school education over the course of approx 12 years in a 'convent' school system, that is, in an educational system run by Christian missionaries. Of all the instances that I knew of then, or what I know now from those years, in my personal knowledge, I knew of one Muslim student who converted to Christianity, two Hindu boys who did so, and a dozen or so Chinese boys who abandoned their traditional beliefs to convert as well. However, I did not hear of a single Sikh boy who did so. My experience from those years, and since, is that Sikhi roots are strongest in those who grow up in its vastness and openness ... and the weakest in those who become hardened and rigid through the rigor mortis of certainty and literalism.
18: Rup Singh (Canada), June 23, 2014, 9:43 PM.
The more we know about others, it can only be a positive. It will help us appreciate what we have, as long as we are prepared for and open to it.
19: Hardev Singh (Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada), June 24, 2014, 12:47 AM.
My own story takes me to the time spent at an Opus Dei, Catholic college in Nairobi. I remember sneaking in the chapel and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the place. Later, I ended up in Sofia in Communist Bulgaria and got my fill of Marxist thought. My mother had gifted me a Nit-Nem Gutka which remained a constant companion.
20: H. Kaur (Canada), June 24, 2014, 7:16 AM.
I think a lot of it has to do with good parenting too. If parents are good role models to their kids, they usually follow what is taught, including a love for Sikhi. I know people who rebelled against their religious identities (more Christians than Sikhs, actually) due to issues with parents or issues with religious authorities. For instance, a senior citizen I know to this day does not like nuns nor practices religion of any type because she was given the strap by some nuns for speaking Dutch a few days after she moved to Canada at her Catholic school. She also watched others getting the same treatment for not speaking English when they couldn't due to not knowing it. Now I am sure not every school had nuns like that, and probably not all at her school were like that. But these unjust nuns formed her experience, and she still gets passionate about the unfairness of it over 50 years later.
21: Jamel Kaur (Melbourne, Australia), June 26, 2014, 12:09 AM.
I joined Christian Fellowship at High school because my friend went, not to mention the free tomato soup. It didn't take long for me to be part of all the discussions. The funniest was when the Chaplain called my mum and Dad (Jessie Kaur & Dya Singh) to ask if I can be one of the Youth Representatives and Student Leaders of Christian Fellowship. I'd call myself a product of interfaith. Mum and Dad started the Multifaith Association of South Australia over 25 years ago. To stop my sisters and I from playing cards, mum made me take the minutes. Every month the rabbi, priests, indigenous representatives and religious leaders talked about a different topic, giving me a sound understanding in many areas of many religions. I thank Mum and Dad for giving me this education. For making me the woman I am today. I pray I can give my kids the same grounding in the study and understanding of many religions. Making them as proud of being a Sikh as I am. With Waheguru's Grace!
22: Kulvinder JIt Kaur (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), June 28, 2014, 7:22 AM.
I jokingly tell my Christian friends that "I am a Christian by association" as I too, like many other commentators, am a product of a convent boarding school. I doubt that it even remotely entered my father's mind that a Christian environment would adversely effect my Sikhi. We were not an overly religious family to begin with but we always knew what our religious roots were. I learned about the Sikh religion / practices more through osmosis. My years at the convent boarding school were filled with collecting 'holy pictures', saying the 'Lord's Prayer' and Grace before meals, attending Sunday mass (not mandatory for non-Christians but entirely by own choice) and even Novenas on Thursday evenings, reciting Hail Marys for an hour. I went for the spiritual experience as I enjoyed the atmosphere, the incense and beautiful singing of the choir boys. It has not made a dent in my Sikh beliefs and if at all, I have gained from my Christian experience.
23: Sirini (Melbourne, Australia), July 02, 2014, 8:37 AM.
Thank you for the beautiful article. I grew up in Sri Lanka, born to a Buddhist family. I was schooled from montessori to year 12 in an Anglican School. By the time I started school, there was a Principal who was futuristic in her thinking. She introduced separate prayer / worship areas for all belief systems - this made us have two worship areas for Buddhists as 75% of the students were Buddhist. The main hall was for the Christian children, Muslim children had there prayer room and the Hindu children had their prayer room. I grew up with all these children and had friends from all these backgrounds. I grew up richer for it and it never was an issue for us. It was not even something that was discussed. We were kids enjoying each other for who we were. I became a better Buddhist for it as Lord Buddha has said if one disrespects another religion / or looks down on another for their beliefs, then that person does not follow my teachings ... [meaning that person is not a Buddhist]. I saw how much I benefited from this process and I send my children to an Anglican School and I have chosen for them to be exposed to other faiths, including Christianity at school, from their first day at school for this reason. I believe that we live with people and people have many belief systems and that diversity is what makes this world such a beautiful place ...
24: Mary Anderson (Melbourne, Australia), July 08, 2014, 9:59 PM.
A lovely story. I laughed out loud a couple of times but I was laughing with the writer, not at him/her. I was raised Catholic and am now a Church of Scientology minister. I attended a state school where the Catholic kids had to go and walk in the grounds when the Protestant minister came to give religious instruction, so there was religious discrimination between Christians, let alone Christians and lions.
25: Chaetan Saheb (Bangkok, Thailand), July 30, 2014, 3:42 AM.
An important yet simple lesson for all of us feeling insecure and pushing our belief systems. Which Irish Christian Brother School was it that you attended? I myself went through a very similar experience in an Irish Christian Brother School where I was there 9 years myself. I am curious to know (as we could find some link).