How I See Sikhi: A Non-conformist's Religion Gunita Kaur Singh
Being a nonconformist builds character, but only when it is exercised within a certain framework of values. A prime example of this lifestyle is embodied within the Sikh religion.
Sikhism is very progressive for it allows the practicer freedom from dogmatism, hence distinguishing it from other religions. However, it is encouraged to use said freedom for the purpose of enhancing a Sikh's devotion to God and truthful living.
Guru Nanak was a definite nonconformist during his time because he spoke out against the subjugation of women to men, the anthropocentric concept of God, and the prominence of ritualism. The release from these binding ideals gives a Sikh the freedom to live her life as she wishes; even in simply viewing God as the universe itself, a Sikh must still appreciate and value God, but she has the ability to do so in the manner which is most personal and ideal for her mindset. This is the best example to depict nonconformity within a values framework.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29045-how-i-see-sikhi-non-conformists.html
Alan Keightley had said, "Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to."
Nanak realized this because a central idea which he would teach seekers of his knowledge was that we belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. This notion helps to emancipate individuals from the confinement of bodies, and transcend into spirit form. It also tells us that we never have to be marginalized to institutions or authoritarians.
This idea is so original because when other religions focused on physical rituals, Sikhism has always said that it is your internal commitments that count.
However, within this freedom, a Sikh still must not defy the principles of honesty, sharing and meditation.
Henry David Thoreau is renowned for posing the question, "What is a course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected ... compared with the discipline of always looking at what is to be seen? Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer?"
The Ten Gurus would definitely respect the posing of this question because it advocates going against the grain and not accepting things at facevalue. When Guru Nanak rejected the practice of rituals, it wasn't because he deemed them tedious; it was because he came to the conclusion that they served no purpose; such acts cannot truly be indicative of someone's devotion to God.
When Thoreau asks us to be "seers," he is asking us to look beyond what we are told and think for ourselves. Nanak did just that.
Society has always had a way of detaching individuals from their true selves as we become more exposed to the mindsets of others. Our ideas become corrupt due to our affiliation with society as a whole. The act of resigning is a nonconformist idea, for you're withdrawing yourself from generally accepted and mechanistic lifestyles.
For example, the 'Indie' film genre named as such, for it is independent of the more popular studio culture. When people in society deviate in a similar manner, they generally reject things such as materialism and certain impure social elements. Often times, people choose to go into seclusion, in which they reject convenient amenities like modern shelter.
Guru Angad sat in a room locked from outside near Khadur, Punjab, and meditated on God's Name without any distraction or interruption. This is significant because he made a choice to distance himself from society, but in doing so, decided to use it as a chance to enhance his personal values.
This instance reflects another quote of Thoreau, which is: "There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of Nature, and has his senses still ... I have never felt lonesome, or in the least oppressed by a sense of solitude ..." Thoreau's most prevalently reiterated point is the value of leading a life of simplicity. He has tremendous faith in the notion that an individual who leads a simple life will be the one to garner the most contentment.
The Gurus also embraced this.
"The millions are awake enough for physical labour; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion ... To be awake is to be alive. I have never met a man who was quite awake." This is one of Thoreau's most profound assertions.
It is comparable to Guru Ram Das Ji's instructions in the Guru Granth Sahib: "One who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru shall get up early morning and meditate on the Lord's Name ... Meditating on God, all misdeeds, sins and pains shall go away."
Guru Ram Das is best known for implementing structure into Sikhism. So, in order to be truly awake, these patterns of meditation and refinement need to be practiced.
In Christianity, a mere "confessional" will eradicate your sins, but Ram Das knew that discipline is a key component to attaining salvation. While Sikhism gives tremendous amounts of freedom, discipline is still principal.
Because "the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hinderances to the elevation of mankind," as proclaimed by Thoreau, proactive individuals must be able to make a conscious effort in choosing what to acquaint themselves with and where their priorities should lie if they are to reject conventional lifestyles. The Gurus were able to do this because they exercised a thoughtful dedication toward both the realization of truth, and truthful living, which Nanak said were the key ingredients to enlightenment.
Punk philosophy is concerned with the value of the individual, and how modern society places unfair and ludicrous restraints on them. Being a nonconformist in the Punk sense entails deeming these absurd restraints negligible: respecting the respectable standards, tolerating the tolerable ones, and breaking the unfair ones.
Guru Nanak said in 1499 that "it is a woman who keeps the race going" and that we should not "consider woman cursed and condemned, when from woman are born leaders and rulers." He saw the subjugation of women to be unjust, and subsequently made an effort to reform women's place in society.
Guru Amar Das also condemned the wearing of the veil and female infanticide. He spoke against the custom of sati, and permitted the remarrying of widows. Out of 146 missionaries chosen, the Guru appointed 52 women to spread the message of Sikhism, and out of 22 Manjis established by the Guru for the preaching of Sikhism, four were women.
This progressiveness is a very Punk idea because it revolves around equality and
also pushing the social norm.
When Guru Gobind Singh ordained the Panj Piare into existence, he proclaimed the value of the "5 K's." However, a good Sikh is not limited to the observance of the Five Kakaars in order to be moral. Values such as saintliness, cleanliness, devotion to God, modesty, and readiness to defend the weak and the defenceless, embody the core upon which the Khalsa was formed. They manifest the moral code which makes Sikhism so beautiful and unique.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29045
Guru Gobind Singh also said that "Physical prowess will be as sacred to you as spiritual sensitivity." Not every Sikh may agree with this ideal, but if they understand and respect the underlying notion that designates the importance of being both a saint and a soldier,
that is what matters!
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Gunita Kaur Singh, 17, lives and goes to school in California, U.S.A.]
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