Above: Courtesy, Gurumustuk Singh. The Gurus and the sinners: 1st from bottom - Guru Gobind Singh comforts one of the 40 Mukte. 2nd from bottom - Banda Singh Bahadar. 3rd from bottom - Guru Nanak confronts Kauda the Cannibal. Thumbnail - Banda Bairagi.
Columnists
Of Saints & Sinners
by I.J. SINGH
How often have we seen character flaws in people we consider to be icons? And then, aren't we disappointed, even hurt, at the shortfall between expectation and reality?
If we look closely enough, if we know anyone intimately enough, we will likely discover that even those we most admire have feet of clay. And in moments of honesty, we know that all of us fit the description, in spite of our superlative efforts and our impeccable intentions.
T.S. Eliot reminds us:
Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
I couldn't resist thinking along this vein while listening to a teenager trying very hard to read from the Guru Granth. Many of those hearing her were visibly mortified.
Why? Because she couldn't read the Gurmukhi script very fluently, correctly or clearly. She was young and new on the path; also, she had been raised outside Punjab and one could cut her accent with a knife.
A seemingly sensible graybeard had the temerity to suggest that such an error-filled reading was an insult to the Guru. Such novices, he insisted, should not be allowed near the Guru Granth. I suppose her reading the Guru Granth was somewhat like learning to play the violin while performing on the stage - painful to the aspiring musician and the audience, as well.
In view of the unsolicited advice that she shut up, I wondered how she was ever going to improve without the trauma of practice. We are looking for perfection that only comes from experience; no one is born error-free.
It is like the truism that good judgment comes from experience, but experience itself is born of poor judgment.
Often, I see similar reasoning used to tar some who are aspiring to management positions - opportunities for service - in our gurdwaras, when shortcomings in their lifestyle are highlighted in order to diminish them.
The arguments are always couched in language suggesting that political opponents are imperfect Sikhs, and granting them a position or a prominent role in Sikh society would be tantamount to insulting or demeaning the Guru.
When we look at our Sikh friends, we are often quick to judge. This inevitably steps up a perpetual civil war in the community.
Yes, there are expectations of a Sikh; after all, Sikhism, like other religions, demands a code of conduct. It is clearly not enough to merely look like a Sikh, and nimbly sweep aside the requirements of character and deportment.
Yet, it is not easy to sort out the demons that drive us, much less know those that compel our friends and foes.
So, when we select leaders of the community, we often demand only that they look like Sikhs. And many of those whom we anoint are often woefully ignorant or fall short of how a Sikh life is to be lived. And when they do so, they become open to villification and our attacks - all in the name of the Gurus.
I wonder if God or Guru would be so thin-skinned. I wonder if gurdwaras are only for perfect Sikhs.
I am not being hypocritical in suggesting that we welcome with open arms any individual who is clearly and unambiguously on the path of Sikhi, and not seek only those who seem to display perfection in their Sikh lives. And I am certainly not diminishing our desire and the need to have human role models. Just keep in mind that the best of them will have feet of clay.
If gurdwaras are academies for education and character building, then isn't it obvious that those who come to them are on the path of learning, not adept scholars yet. It is like any student who comes to school or college for education. The student is there because he/she wants the education and understands the need for it. If the students already knew everything before they entered the university, the institutions would be unnecessary, and so would the teachers.
I would argue that gurdwaras exist for sinners, for imperfect people like you and I who are willing to try walking the path of Sikhi. Perfect Sikhs - saints - don't require gurdwaras, churches or temples.
The first place we need to show some charity is in gurdwaras when we see some obvious sinners walking in, for these may be their first baby steps at introspection and looking within the self.
Don't be too quick to promote them to role models, but they do not deserve to be rejected and cast out of our hearts and our society. I am reminded of Oscar Wilde who said that "Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future".
No Guru ever turned away a sinner who knocked at his door.
In Guru Granth, Guru Nanak repeatedly identifies himself with the lowly and poor - those that society had rejected.
Before judging and condemning others, let's think of his words, "Hum nahee(n) chungey buraa nahee(n) koyae" (Guru Granth, page 728). Literally, his words translate to "I am not good, no one is evil".
In essence, Guru Nanak is telling us "to not dwell on our own virtues or the sins of others". Or, if you like, keep in mind the lines of Emma Lazarus that adorn the Statue of Liberty welcoming the "tired and the poor..."
So then, what goal do we shoot for?
I would say the best goal is a little better world than the one that we inherited. That should be the star to steer our lives by. Keep in mind that ideals are not to be clutched in the palm of the hand, but are like stars that guide a sailor to his destination.
A partial solution is better than no solution at all.
"Le mieux est l'ennemi", Voltaire warned us. "The perfect is the enemy of the good".
April 3, 2008
Conversation about this article
1: Meeta Kaur (Oakland, California, U.S.A.), April 03, 2008, 5:51 PM.
I really enjoyed this read. We have no idea what alchemy is taking place in the soul of an individual regardless of their outward appearance. I believe spirituality is born inside the human heart. With a compassionate sangat and wise mentors, spirituality grows into a inner lush splendor that is naturally reflected outward. All of us have people on our path that are leading us and following us. There really is no time to judge with so much learning to do. I love your articles. I learn so much.
2: Kundi (London, United Kingdom), April 03, 2008, 7:49 PM.
Immaculate article. I can all too often relate to being disappointed when someone you adore most sins the slightest {or at least we fool ourselves from our perspective that it's a pure sin}. But then I always contemplate that in the end I am perhaps the biggest disappointment to Sikhi, when I myself know that I'm not trying hard enough. What good is it to envisage in the deeper thoughts of Maharaj di Bir when the simplest of the teachings haven't been met. And then there lies the question of who is the real Sikh, the one who only has external symbols, or the one who has them AND focuses his mind on God.
3: Ravinder Singh (Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.), April 03, 2008, 8:53 PM.
This is an excellent article. Highlighting it as a civil war is the best description I've heard. You truly are remarkable in your writing, I.J. Singh ji. I would have to fully agree with your assessment and do hope that ALL of us stop judging each other and realize we are on a path which requires love and compassion.
4: Roma Rajpal (Santa Clara, California, U.S.A.), April 05, 2008, 12:41 AM.
Beautifully written and an extremely meaningful article! It is full of truth and wisdom. On a personal note, to keep giving love to all is my philosophy of life. If someone behaves unfairly or unjustly, it is important to address the issue and, if nothing gets resolved, staying away (if possible) is the best resort. Interestingly, I can't stop the love I feel for others, regardless of the depth of the relationship. It is amazing, this power of love! It is important to realize that even though most people don't mean to harm or hurt others intentionally, the Guru says "Nar achet paap te dar re", which means - "Be afraid of hurting others unintentionally". We are all His creation, we all have His light, and we all have our own unique shortcomings. One has to consciously remember this, accept it, and keep on moving. Having sympathy is better than feeling anger towards difficult people. Relationships are all about chemistry and attraction. "Birds of a feather flock together" will always hold true. Life is too short, and we should not waste it with unhappy moments. Our Guru's meaningful message can't be emphasized enough, that we should focus on other people's positive characteristics, and on our own negative traits. Remembering this is the only way to conquer this "civil war" amongst us. I do strongly believe that the only way to live a happy, content and fulfilling life is to be productive and helpful to the world by giving our all. The first step is to do our best in raising our children who are our future, and then to focus on the betterment and enrichment of our community, ultimately the world we live in. It is very hard to do, and seems like a dream, but one must make an effort and set some goals. Thank you, I.J. Singh, for such an inspiring article! Your articles always remind us to keep walking the right path ... the path of love, the path of acceptance, the path laid down by our Gurus.
5: Bhai Harbans Lal (U.S.A), April 05, 2008, 3:58 PM.
Reading IJ Singh's posting right away brought to mind a verse of Bhai Gurdas, the Sikh theologian of the highest order. He wrote: "The Guru walks thousands of steps to receive a faithful when the seeker takes any step toward the Guru." I personally experienced many times the Guru's generosity of travelling thousands of steps to reward his humble Sikh and I am very grateful. However, it is painful to notice that an understanding of this concept is on a decline, as IJ Singh highlighted before us. How many institutions of ours today welcome those who take the first step? The consequences are alarming and should not be acceptable to any of the well wishers of the Panth. Let us examine: Guru Gobind Singh left us with wide-spread communities of believers impacted by his teachings and those of his predecessors. According to some European travelers at the time of Guru Gobind Singh, 25% of the Indian sub-continent had been impacted spiritually by the Guru's message since the birth of Sikhi. The Indian sub-continent then extended from Afghanistan to Burma and from Ceylon to Tibet with nearly 2 billion population, in today's terms. Today, hardly one percent of that population claims to be Sikh and still less that is acknowledged as Sikh by some of our elite institutions. Who is responsible for this serious decline? Why are a vast numbers of people not counted and are not seen in the local Sikh congregations? Certainly the Sikh principles did not decline in their attractiveness or relevance; neither did a need for them has diminished in today's society; civil society is continuously seeking a faith like Sikhi or Gurmat. What is stifling the dissemination and acceptance of Gurmat is our attitude towards those who take that first step or, conversely, those who take a little slack in their adherence. A step forward by those who are genuinely inquisitive is not welcomed in many of our congregations and any step backward by those born in the tradition becomes a cause of severe rejection. Furthermore, there is a resistance to any likelihood of swelling the number of the faithful; reduction in numbers is considered politically advantageous by those whose leadership may fall in jeopardy when numbers grow. What is happening today is that we are refusing to welcome the new, and are pushing over the cliff those who are unable or unwiling to conform to the self-appointed torch bearers. That is what is daunting our new generations and the inquisitive neighbors, and preventing them from seeking the feet of the Guru for their spiritual longings through Panthic institutions. I am glad that some of our Sikh scholars like IJ Singh and others are bringing these negative attitudes before the community; others may join them in halting the trend. Our congregations should make every effort to prevail over those who are doing harm to the cause of the light of the Guru for a few, narrow, short-term political gains.
6: Rawel Singh (New York, U.S.A.), April 07, 2008, 9:10 AM.
What an admirable piece by the learned scholar! As I look at it, the whole thing boils down to applying the ideas to oneself in the form of self-examination, as the author has said. Gurbani reminds us of this, e.g. Sheikh Farid says "If you are wise, do not find fault with others; look within your conscience". But this article is also likely to be misunderstood. This is apparent from the comments of those who have read it on Yahoo Groups (Learning Zone) where someone has posted it. In essence, some people are taking the line that if this is the type of behaviour from those who are "practising" Sikhs, then I'd rather not be a Sikh. This is also reflected in the comments of Bhai Hatbans Lal who seems to convey, without saying so, that Sikh Reht Maryada need not be fully followed. This is how I look at the 'slack in adherence' and 'do not conform to the self appointed torch bearers' used by him. This is illogical and only harms the person who is fooling himself with this convoluted rationalization.
7: Rawel Simgh (New York, U.S.A.), April 07, 2008, 9:46 AM.
I am sorry for making a second post immediately. In my eagerness to be brief I did not state that, according to Guru Nanak, "If a learned one makes a mistake, why punish the other - a pious illiterate one?" (Parhiaa hovai gunahgaar ta omi saadh n maareeai - SGGS, p 469). In another hymn, the Guru says that one should receive the virtues, pushing the vices aside: "Jithai jaae bahaaai bhalla kaheeai jhol amrit peejai - SGGS p 766).
8: Satvir Kaur (Boston, U.S.A.), April 07, 2008, 12:31 PM.
I agree with what you said. I don't think its about 'sinners' and 'saints' but it is about leading and guiding. Although, like you said, we always tend to use these labels to diminish or elevate someone.
9: B. Kaur (New Zealand), April 08, 2008, 5:56 AM.
This article totally feels like my own story: when taking my next step towards Sikhi (Amrit initiation) and I was asked whether I knew how to do paatth. Living in a foreign land for three generations, we did not know how to read or write Gurmukhi or speak Punjabi for that matter, but through personal effort, I somehow learnt Gurmukhi, yet not very fluently. I still prefer reading the Roman version. I believe if one has the will to become a Sikh, other things will fall into place by Guru's grace, so am not sure why unusual questions are asked ... but it does discourage me at times when I hear about this so-called perfect people doing things which are unSikh. Thank you, I.J. Singh, for highlighting this issue with the sangat.
10: Prem Singh (London, England), April 08, 2008, 8:52 AM.
I don't think that Sikhism in the form it has taken in the modern day in the West is a religion that easily takes to the idea of individual compassion. I think that Guru Nanak had this at the heart of his philosophy, but Sikhs are more influenced by the feudal, honor - izzat - shame culture of the Punjabi village than they are by a message of magnanimity towards individuals with different lifestyles, belief systems, or social experience beyond a narrowly defined, 'non negotiable' paradigm. On a micro level, I saw little compassion in the Gurdwara for individuals who fell outside the moral judgment of the mass. There was total replication of the honor - izzat - shame mentality that drives most Sikhs of the first generation of migrants. On the other hand, at a macro level, when not faced with individual Sikhs to (metaphorically) lynch for supposedly straying from the social norm, there is immense compassion, as collectively Sikhs are capable of immense charitable effort for those in need and in crisis.
11: Prabhu Singh Khalsa (Española, New Mexico, U.S.A.), April 08, 2008, 5:36 PM.
I like Prem Singh's comments. He's really described the modern trend. I feel like the learning teenager from the article should probably have practiced more on her own before reading in front of the whole sangat. It's considerate for all involved. At the same time, if somebody is struggling through reading the Guru Granth Sahib we should only have compassion for such a person. Seriously! People usually talk of the Buddha when they say "the middle path," however the analogy of the lotus flower given by Guru Nanak clearly gives the same meaning. Making excuses for not honoring the rehat is pathetic. Judging others who don't follow your specific rehat, is insulting. We all know basically what the Guru wants from us, so we should neither judge nor make excuses. I used to hold all Sikhs in high esteem. What I understand to be a GurSikh are the qualities I see in the sangat at home. Just as I.J. Singh mentions, I was both disappointed and hurt (still am) by the actions of some Sikhs. The fanatics and the lazies, they really know how to hurt people.
12: Ravinder Singh (Westerville, Ohio, U.S.A.), April 09, 2008, 9:22 PM.
I can relate to the young girl's experience. In my case, the gurdwara granthi had me pulled off the rotation at an Akhand Paatth with a "Ayno thalle laho!" Like the young girl, I was a bit of a novice, but eager. I hope she will persist and not be discouraged. I wasn't. We are, as Guru Nanak reminds us, "Galeen asih changiyan ... aachari buriyan". Dr I.J. Singh is - as always - provocative and spot on.
13: Rawel Singh (New York, U.S.A.), April 12, 2008, 9:20 AM.
Some of the comments given above do not seem justified. For example, where do we experience the type of thing Prem Singh has said about individual treatment in gurdwaras? The problem can arise only if the person concerned brings himself or herself into limelight and others react. Otherwise, whosoever goes to the gurdwara is one in the sangat. The sangat is meant for experiencing bliss in the company of many by listening. The young girl who was reading broken gurbani could not have contributed to this. She should be encouraged, yes, but she must make efforts to learn to read gurbani properly before she reads to the sangat. There is another aspect that seems to be criticized about the Sikh Reht Maryada. This relates to who should read the Hukamnama to the Sangat. What is laid down is that it should be done by a Sikh. Why? It may be appreciated that whosoever goes on the pedestal is looked at as a role model and the criticism of those who do not live upto the expectations is really the theme of the article we are discussing. Now, if this person has not been convinced that he or she should be a Sikh, then it is justified to question his or her reading or singing to the Sangat. There is no restriction for him or her to do it even in the gurdwara outside the divan hours. I seek forgiveness for saying that this sort of thing is said by people who are not prepared to conform to the Reht Maryada, which is the command of the Guru ... and compiled by respected community Elders. [Editor: But here lies the problem - who will judge whether a certain person fulfills the criteria, or whether a person is a true role model? And who formulates these criteria? What are these criteria? Who applies them? There is merit to what I.J. Singh says: gurdwaras are for "sinners", not for saints, who have moved on and don't need them. Once we start judging others in areas that do not warrant such an exercise, I fear that none of will meet the criteria. Remember, the Gurus themselves, in their humility, claimed they did not meet the criteria. So, please, let's think this one out a bit more and meditate on it ...]
14: Rawel Singh (New York, USA), April 12, 2008, 2:26 PM.
The Editor has talked about who is to decide what is right and what are the criteria for it. I entirely agree with the spirit of this. This judgment is at two levels; of those who preach and vice versa. I had therefore quoted Gurbani in my earlier comment to say that we should take the teaching and forget about the fault of the speaker. Regarding the reverse criticism, it has to be based on what Gurbani and Reht Maryada say. I however ask one question: as it stands now, what is that one can take from the article and discussion on it? Can we draw any benefit from this except to say things are bad? I have a suggestion. By all means, find faults with the practices; expose them if you will, but please say what to do about it. I recommend we take guidance from Gurbani. It would be noticed that in all Shabads where shortcomings are pointed out, solutions are also give. The Pauris of the sixth and thirteenth Ashpadees of Sukhmani Sahib are good examples of this. Each stanza of each Pauri first points out shotcomings and then gives the solution in the last lines.
15: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), April 12, 2008, 4:56 PM.
The discussion, though welcome, seems to be moving away from the very simple focus I had intended. The purpose is not at all an evaluation of the rehat maryada or its place, nor is the purpose to diminish our practices or traditions or teachings. The purpose is not to focus on the example of a young girl who was trying to read the Guru Granth. In essence, what I was trying to say is that 1) we need to transform our gurdwaras into academies (universities) for a different kind of essential learning, and 2) to keep in mind the words of Guru Nanak that I cited that tell us to focus less on our own virtues or the sins of others. Sheikh Farid speaks similarly, when he says "Jey too(n) akal lateef, kaley likh na(n) lekh...", as pointed out by S. Rawel Singh. We can all point to instances where gurdwaras and granthis did not function as they should; that's failure that we need to continually monitor and possibly correct. But debating those instances will get us away from the topic, and I am not sure that would help as much.
16: Rawel Singh (New York, U.S.A.), April 13, 2008, 8:24 AM.
I appreciate Dr. I.J. Singh's remarks. I wish to apologize for an error in my last post. With reference to the pauris from Sukhmani Sahib, 'sixth' should be read as 'fourth'.