Roundtable
The Glass is Half Full
The Roundtable Open Forum # 34, June 23 - 29
EDITOR
The Rules of the forum are posted here on the right, and need to be followed strictly by all participants.
The following is this week's (June 23 - 29) topic for discussion, which should focus on the questions posed therein:
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
Sardarni Jaswinder Kaur of New York, U.S.A., writes:
"I don't share the doom and gloom over the future of Sikhi that I hear from so many around me.
"True, the world is achanging. Man's concept of religion and religious practice has been going through a sea-change since Charles Darwin ... and now, finally, men and women in every faith have actually started to think ‘outside the box‘ and are trying to break away from age-old superstitions, meaningless rituals and primitive routines that no longer make any sense.
"Sikhi, in comparison to every other faith known to Man, remains modern and current, relevant and meaningful, vibrant and inspiring - even in the face of extreme adversity.
"While others are mired in proselytizing, territorial disputes, internecine warfare ... etc., etc., we remain active in self-examination and self-criticism, introspection and renewal, and a continuing and passionate commitment to human rights and the service of all humanity.
"While others struggle with dwindling church attendances and crumbling churches, our problems are centered around the construction of bigger and newer gurdwaras to accommodate increased attendances ... and the fights around who should be doing seva ...
"Imperfect that all of humans are, we Sikhs aren't doing too badly.
"All we need to do is stand back and look at the sheer glory of the forest!"
POINTS TO PONDER
- Do you agree or disagree?
- What are YOUR thoughts on her perspective?
Conversation about this article
1: H. Singh (Union City, California, U.S.A.), June 23, 2010, 2:34 PM.
I don't think there are any significant threats to the Sikh faith in the West. However, in Punjab, issues like drug problems and unemployment do pose a long term threat.
2: Harman Singh (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.), June 23, 2010, 3:41 PM.
We are a young religion. These are growing pains. We will be alright if we keep exploring the Guru Granth for meaning and inspiration. What we do not want to become is a community of ignorant followers.
3: Gurnam Singh (London, United Kingdom), June 23, 2010, 6:45 PM.
The spirit of Chardi Kalaa is central to being a Sikh! Chardi Kalaa is not for when the going is good, when the sun is shining ... it is for when things are not going your way, when there's no light at the end of the tunnel, when there's no silver lining around the cloud! Be in Chardi Kalaa, and the rest will be taken care by The One. And a clarification: Chardi Kalaa doesn't mean sitting on your hands, or twiddling your thumbs, waiting Hindu-like for the gods to act ... it means that each one of us is meant to, Sikh-like, forge ahead without losing heart, without doubting oneself, without feeling down ... the rest will unfold as it should. I agree whole-hearetedly with Jaswinder ji!
4: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 23, 2010, 8:10 PM.
I don't remember the name but I suspect it was Bhai Raghbir Singh 'Bir' ... when someone lamented to him that Sikhi was in doldrums, he asked the chap to meet him at the entrance of 'Sisganj Gurdwara' at 4 am. When the doubting Thomas arrived for the appointment, Bhai Sahib took him for a walk to the two other houses of worship that stood close by. The mandir was locked and the threshold occupied by footpath sleepers. It was a similar scene at the Jama Masjid. "Let's go back to 'Sisganj' now" - where they found there was a hive of activity, seva was going on full steam with the chant of 'Waheguru, Satnam'. Inside the sanctum, there was no room to sit. "You decide who is in doldrums!" True! To cross the causeway to go into Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar at that very hour, it takes more than an hour ... and more, if you come later, day or night. If you're brave enough to pop over to the imitation mandir the Arya Samajis built in Amritsar, you won't even find a homeless person around at that amrit hour! The glass of Sikhi, I suggest, looks three-quarters full to me ... at all times!
5: Aman (California, U.S.A.), June 24, 2010, 1:30 PM.
It's really nice to read that many think we'll be alright as a religion. I, however, feel that maybe we need to look at reality, not emotions. If we step back and look at things objectively, what do we see? No leadership to guide us. No unity amongst the so-called leaders or amongst the masses. The land of our forefathers is full of drugs, alcohol, and moral corruption. The outward physical representation of our faith is shunned by our own men and women. Many times, we can't assume that Punjabis even speak Punjabi anymore. Yes, there are individuals or pockets of Sikhs across the globe that are true to Sikhi and its values but we need to look at the overall picture. This watering down of religion and eventual loss of religious values is not evident in Sikhism alone but in all religions of the world, new and old. I hate to say this and I pray that I'm wrong, but at this moment in time I see the glass as half-empty.
6: Himmat Singh (Amritsar, Punjab), June 24, 2010, 2:29 PM.
Aman ji: if you see the glass half-empty, you must know then that it is also half-full. This is where our Gurus changed our world by rejecting Hindu passivity and replacing it with the vibrant and creative Chardi Kalaa of Sikhi. So, be the Guru's Sikh and build on the half-full glass and eradicate the emptiness. Unless you are mired in Hindu-like fatalism and want to wait for someone to come and sit down with you and all can sit and cry over the half-emptiness. You have the choice - and the choice you make will determine whether you will be happy or miserable.
7: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 24, 2010, 5:57 PM.
Glass half full or half empty could be funnily looked at. Years ago, someone wrote a scathing article that half the executive committee of the SPGC were fools. The poor author was threatened with a law-suit unless he withdrew his remarks: He did and wrote "Half the executive members of SPGC are not fools". That is your half empty or half full glass of water. If given a lemon, make a sweeten lime juice. Another hilarous story comes to mind from the partition days ... but never mind.
8: Puran Singh (Halebarns, England), June 25, 2010, 5:46 AM.
Sangat Singh veer ji - I love reading your comments and anecdotes. Please regale us with your story of the Partition.
9: Aryeh Leib (Israel), June 25, 2010, 7:59 AM.
To an optimist, the glass is half full. To a pessimist, the glass is half empty. To an engineer ... the glass is twice as big as it needs to be!
10: Sanmeet Kaur (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), June 30, 2010, 9:46 AM.
"Hukme andar sabko bahar hukam na koye ..." Shukar, shukar, shukar ... for everything!
11: Balbir Singh (Grünberg, Germany), July 03, 2010, 6:30 AM.
It is the same glass and remains also the same in size, shape, capacity, material and space. The glass may be half full or half empty for some. For me the glass is always full with a ratio of space and anything. Can you find a person who realizes only half of the glass, ignoring the other half? But there are many living in illusion. That is what is called ignorance. God is complete and the same. Ignorance tries to divide HIM.