Above: detail from photo by Raghu Rai
Our Heroes
The Mother in Sikhi
by RANBIR SINGH SANDHU
Mother's Day, which started as a meeting of grieving mothers of the American Civil War, has now become a celebration of the role of mothers in our society. We are used to being taken care of and nurtured by our mothers from our birth. So we sometimes take our mothers, our selfless caregivers, for granted. Mother's Day is an occasion to recognize our debt to them and to show our gratitude and appreciation.
Mother's Day is not a religious occasion and there is no specific "Mother's Day" in the Sikh faith.
Every day should be filled with love and respect for the mother. However, Sikh-Americans have joined enthusiastically in this annual reaffirmation of the important role of mothers in our lives.
Even though Mother's Day is a new idea, mothers occupy a very special position in the Sikh faith.
In Sikh scripture, God is often addressed as a parent, mostly as mother and father - the two parents being equally important. For example: "You are the mother and the father; we are Your children. In Your mercy we find profound happiness."
Similarly: "God is my mother, God is my father; God nurtures me. God takes care of me; I am the child of God. Patiently, He feeds me; He never fails. He does not remind me of my faults; He hugs me close in His embrace."
The Guru is also referred to as a parent. For example: "My dear, most beloved, the True Guru, is my protector. We are helpless children, O God, have mercy upon us. My mother, my father, is the perfect True Guru. Upon meeting my Guru, my soul blossoms as a lotus flower upon being in water."
The love between a devotee and God is described as the bond between a child and its mother. "Just like the love between a child and its mother, my mind is attuned to God."
A mother's qualities are described in many ways. Mothers are kind and merciful and constantly provide for their children. No matter how busy a mother is, her mind is constantly on her children and their well-being. Her caring role is highlighted in this prayer: "O God, care for me just as a mother brings up her son" and "God provides for all His creatures just like a mother cares for her son. The Master, the destroyer of all troubles, the ocean of joy, provides for everyone."
A mother is forgiving.
A verse in Guru Granth Sahib reads: "A mother does not keep note of the transgressions of her son. O God, I am Your son. Why don't You destroy my sins?"
A mother is also a spiritual guide.
A verse in Guru Granth Sahib includes: "Always remember the boundless, limitless God, remembering whom all our sins are destroyed. My son, this is a mother's prayer for you. May you always remember God and never, even for a moment, forget Him."
Emphasizing the importance of women and mothers to all life, Guru Granth Sahib teaches: "From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only God is beyond a woman."
It was women who gave birth to the prophets, the Gurus, and devotees of God of all faiths.
Today, and indeed every day, let us all show our gratitude and celebrate our mothers who have given us so much and have worked so selflessly to make us what we are.
Happy Mother's Day!
Dr. Ranbir Singh Sandhu is Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University.
[Courtesy: Huffington Post]
May 8, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Mohan Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), May 09, 2011, 11:26 AM.
For me, every day is Mother's day, Father's day and Family Day. As per gurbani, the Mother is the representative of God on earth as she has to complete the task of creation initiated by Him. My mother kept me in her womb for 9 months while she took every care for my healthy development, as assigned by God. Then, while growing-up in her lap, the first word I uttered was 'Ma', and the same is true for each human being. 'Ma' appears to be common to most languages.
2: Pashaura Singh (Riverside, California, USA), May 09, 2011, 9:24 PM.
I appreciate Dr. Ranbir Singh Sandhu's effort to bring forth the Sikh perspective on Mother's Day. It is essential that we relate Sikhi to these special days being celebrated in North America.
3: Brijinder Khurana (Delhi, India), May 10, 2011, 2:44 AM.
Dr. Ranbir Singh ji, I totally agree with you. For us, every day is Mother's Day because she is the one who has been sent for us by God. After God, if anyone is worth respecting, it is our parents and especially our mother, who creates us with her love and affection, even in her womb and then, after our birth, all our lives.