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Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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Sikh Sikhi Sikhism
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A Confused Punjabi-Sikh Girl
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<blockquote data-quote="Original" data-source="post: 149555" data-attributes="member: 14400"><p style="text-align: left"><p style="text-align: left"><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Dear Seeker<?"urn:<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" />ffice<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" />ffice" /></span></u></span></p> <p style="text-align: left"></p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Forgive me for the long delay in responding to your concerns, dictates of daily life and preoccupation with other things had the better of me, not to say I didn’t try. I did indeed, several times, but one thing or the other proved increasingly persuasive in resulting otherwise. And now, determined am I to a point where nothing but an onslaught of vigorous and critical analysis of selected disciplines to find plausible explanations to your enquiries seems to be the only ultimatum available.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">I begin therefore with a preliminary inquiry to find at first sight that your concerns are of the genre, which, have engaged the mind and soul of mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Don’t be alarmed or become apprehensive by this because, there are no set criteria or formulae with which readymade solutions can be found. Nor am I in a position to grant you a magic wand to ward off such encroaching predicaments with which you are surrounded. At best perhaps all I can do is tell you the story of the human being and its place in this world from a Sikh perspective.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world in which we live; give little or no thought to the machinery that generates the sunlight which makes life possible or to the molecules that regulate our conscience with which we make everyday choices. Except for children, few of us spend much time wondering why everything is in the way it is. Global emphasis on education is growing by the day because it makes the world a better place, transpires human curiosity, and evokes yearning to learn which in turn gives birth to various academic disciplines. These disciplines, when carefully evaluated and critically analysed of their significance and influence, will yield important results with which you can make an informed choice about your future. The disciplines I have at my disposal with which to furnish plausible explanations is history, sociology, philosophy and a bit of anthropology*. I have deliberately chosen not to respond to your concerns in the manner prescribed by convention, but rather in an unconventional mode so that the affect and the vivacity with which your concerns strike my mind may be preserved and reciprocated. For ease of reference and clarity of subject matter I have divided the entire text under sub-headings.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Religion, Society and Culture</span></u></span></strong></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Throughout history and beyond the dark recesses of men’s earliest cultures, religion has been a vital and pervasive feature of human life. To understand human history and human life it is necessary to understand religion; especially in the contemporary world one must understand other nations’ ideologies and faiths in order to grasp the meaning of life as seen from perspectives often very different from our own.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Religion, a medium by which mankind found fusion of the inner with the outer and in so doing established faiths compatible to a particular social group notwithstanding the rest of creation. Sikhism however, is different. It is not a religion and was never intended to be. It is a philosophy, a way of life capable of coexisting in a complex society. Nanak the first Guru and founder of Sikhism were greatly at loss to find how Islam had forcefully invaded and occupied the sanctity of a civilised nation of the Hindus. He was distressed by those external displays of ritual and worship on the back of religion, which kept humans apart. He himself was a Hindu by birth and condemned the institutions of both Islam and Hinduism in the name of God. His poems and hymns express this thought in a forcible way. He set out to provide some sort of synthesis between the two religions. A man of considerable piety and energy who travelled widely through the subcontinent preaching his new doctrine of reconciliation between the two faiths and stressing the importance of a true monotheism, that is, one god – Ek On Kar.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">No doubt you will appreciate and understand the peculiar feature of our modern day society, which is constantly changing and evolving. We are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end, to which all-human history points, the realisation of the unity of mankind. Not a unity which breaks down the limits and levels of different faiths of the earth, but rather a unity of the diversity found in mankind’s quest for a better life. That is precisely what Baba Nanak set out to achieve. And in my opinion Sikhism reflects that vision albeit in spirit rather than form. Of course, the competing and differing views of socialisation in a complex society do have significant implications on one’s religious life, but not to the extent that one loses freedom of thought and expression and is reduced to a mere vegetative state on account of religion. Far from it, Sikhism promotes and advocates socialisation to the brim, examples of which can be found in all Sikh establishments, namely the Gurdwara’s. This form of social engagement is based on Sikh Society and is different from the type you mention in relation to going out and drinking. For the record, I must point out to you that Baba Nanak came to show us the way to god realisation and not to be drawn into dilemmas concerning drinking and going out to nightclubs. These are social rather than religious concerns.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">What we are as individuals is decided by the particular society in which we live, and by the particular social group to which we belong. This is so because the world around us channels our actions, constraining us on the one hand whilst inviting us on the other to act in particular ways. For example, if I want to leave a room I must do so by the limited number of means available to me, which will be by the door or the windows; if they are locked, I cannot leave. I have a strictly limited choice of action. There are other aspects of my world, which exercise similar constraints over my behaviour, such as, the belief that it is right and normal for one man to marry one woman. In other societies however, it is considered normal for one man to marry many women. Both are rules, which are believed to be right by those following them; however, one is not right and the other not wrong, they are simply different rules found in different societies. Similarly, drinking and going out to nightclubs by girls is considered to be wrong in Sikh society, whereas Western societies considers it to be the norm of a harmonious culture, a process acquired by way of socialisation. Punjabi culture is not so rigid and is susceptible to modern innovations within reasonable parameters. It is rich and flexible to accommodate a number of denominations at once and can still flourish harmoniously. Classic period was pre-partition of 1947 when the Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs all lived together. The big question now is, is it compatible with modern day Christianity? Perhaps not, the right balance needs to be struck to achieve on the one hand a harmonious* society whilst on the other, preserving Sikh ideals. This sort of learned behaviour in any particular society includes those ideas, techniques and habits that are passed on by one generation to another, in a sense, a social heritage. These are virtually a set of solutions to problems that in the course of time, others have met and solved before. Our Guru’s must have had valid reasons for instruction and prescription when laying out ethical principles. Humans are humans because they share with others a common culture, a culture that includes not only the artefacts of its living members but also those members of past generations. This is the heritage awaiting those as yet unborn. We are now living in a homogonous society, that is to say, what you possess today, as a set of moral and social values may not necessarily be around for your children because of social homogenisations. As Indians, we are inherently vegetarian and teetotallers, but because of our social intercourse with those that were accustomed to various pleasures of delight, we were you could say socially engineered to adopt their way of life through socialisation. Where does that leave you? Well, there is nothing wrong in you going out to nightclubs provided the motive from which you are so inclined to do so is morally acceptable and is in conformance with your religious beliefs. Sikhism does not promote and advance this type of culture for various reasons that is not to say, you cannot fully participate in music and dance, of course you can as long as your conscience regulates religious principles diligently. It is not impossible, but could prove to be rather difficult in most circumstances to refrain from a number of social factors prevalent in our modern day society. From a Sociologist’s perspective then, it is unfair to have two sets of rules for one gender, that is, Caucasian and Asian women under the same umbrella in a democratic society. It must indeed leave the one rather disadvantaged over the other when it comes to exercising social equalities and freedoms of choice in an environment that is predominantly liberal in its political organisation. I wish to depart from my present train of thought and venture out to what my learned friend Baljeet of Sikh Philosophy Network had said regarding ‘natural selection and the survival of the fittest’. This was said in relation to ‘what will become of the future of Sikhi’? The only answer that I can draft to that particular remark is based on Charles Darwin’s Principle of natural selection. The idea is that in any sizeable population of self – reproducing organisms, there will be variations in the genetic material and upbringing that different individuals have. These differences will mean that some individuals are better able than others to draw the right conclusions about the world around them and to act accordingly. These individuals will be more likely to survive and reproduce and so their pattern of behaviour and thought will eventually come to dominate. Might I not equally infer this be to be the reasoning behind the setting up of the “Khalsa Panth” by Gobind Rai. However, provided the universe has evolved in a regular way, we might expect that the reasoning abilities which natural selection has given us would be sufficient in determining the eternity of Sikhism. The fact that we live in a Western society will have significant connotations in the way we behave, but not to the extent that we lose our identity. </span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">First and foremost, we are human beings, rational, autonomous individuals, capable of discerning the Moral Law by reasoning carefully, <em>man neva mat uchi</em>. It is the exercise of the will, <em>hukam</em> that enables us to apply it on a day-to-day basis. We must be treated as ends, not means and must never be sacrificed to someone else’s ends because they are ends in themselves. This means that relatively speaking some actions are wrong and some are right in themselves; bearing in mind of course this is to be in part a large extent of learnt behaviour, which we do not inherit but is the direct result of social engineering. Their rightness and wrongness cannot be dependent upon the consequences, but purely on the action itself. In this imperfect world it may be difficult to comply with the Moral Law. Sikhism teaches us that the best way to articulate this type of uniqueness and tackle those challenges lies within ourselves, which we must strive for.</span></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It is difficult to associate some of life’s wonderful activities with the proud civilisations that created “just civil societies”. For the world of good men, which God had created in his own image lived by unshakeable principles; those very principles became the foundation upon which the fabric of social network was woven. Forging the will in the fire of determination, man had stood the test of time in finding a civil society that is just, fair and representational. We know what delicate wonders perished and what sacrifices made by mankind in pursuit of this divine virtue for the want of a just civil society to flourish. Consider yourself fortunate therefore, for these are neither acquired tastes nor choices of birth rights, but borne out karmic rewards of past lives that you are a Sikh girl and that too of a Jatt household. This is a perfect opportunity to flourish to the maximum and fulfil the potential of your nature.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Historical Perspective: Caste System and the Jatts</span></u></span></strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">In the middle of the Second Millennium B.C a group of tribes invaded India from the Northwest and gradually succeeded in establishing their dominance over northern and central parts, almost annihilating the Indus Valley Civilisation. They spoke an Indo-European language of which the developed form is Sanskrit. They referred to themselves as the “Aryans”- literally meaning, Noble Folk. Their earliest literary records are contained in the sacred books of knowledge, known as the Vedas. The Vedas are considered to be the pillars of their religion, Hinduism. </span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">India’s caste system is perhaps the world’s longest surviving social hierarchy encompassing a complex social order of groups of people on the basis of ritual purity, that is, some castes are deemed to be less pure than others. It is hereditary in nature and the law of karmatraditionally justifies the differences in social status, a religious doctrine, which purports that one’s place in life is determined by one’s deeds in a previous life. Dependent upon one’s karmic performance in their previous life and in accordance with the law of dharma, path of righteousness, one is judged and dispensed with just deserts – divine retribution. Liberation from the cycle of birth, growth, decay and death, more commonly referred to as the wheel of eighty-four lakh, is attained through the acceptance of one’s decent and to perform one’s duty within the caste into which one is born. Although, all humans are potentially equal in their divine nature, there is an inborn inequality regarding their spiritual and intellectual evolution, professes Hinduism. And, places lot of emphasis on spiritual qualities and divides society into four castes to preserve the spiritual ideal. The four castes are Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Brahmans are the custodians of spiritual culture, kshatriyas, more commonly known as warriors preserve the social laws; vaishyas engage themselves in agriculture, trade and industry whilst the duties of shudras consist of services. The Vedas compare the four castes with the four important parts of the body of the ‘cosmic person’. The Brahman represents the head, the kshatriyas the arms, the vaishyas the thighs and the shudras the feet. The social ranks and their respective duties ordained by God for humanity were intended to remain permanently fixed. Like the limbs of the body they cannot properly exchange their place or their function. Working in harmony the four castes ensure the equilibrium and the perpetuation of the Hindu social order. Unfortunately for those who survived the onslaught of the Aryan invasion there was no corresponding limb on the body of the cosmic person and as a result they were relegated to the outcastes of the social fabric of Indian society. These casteless orphans, more commonly known as the untouchables remain destitute and vulnerable throughout India. Despite the existence of significant constitutional protections and progressive legislation the reality for many remains unchanged. The real triumph of the caste system lies not in up holing the supremacy of the Brahmin, but in controlling the consciousness of lower castes in accepting their inferior status as part of the natural order of things. </span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">After the great battle of Mahabharata at Kuruksetra, India had entered a new era. There was law and order, religious conformance had reached new heights and commerce was by the abundance. Warriors retreated to their native habitats and engaged themselves with commerce and industry. The King had allotted agricultural land with which they were to complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission, that is, multiply. Entering into marriages with other castes was neither a concession to weakness nor a confession of sin. The householder’s life is the bedrock of society. Any society that ignores the sanctity of marriage ultimately undermines its entire moral foundation. So much so, a new breed of Jatts had emerged as a result of these mix caste marriages within Hindu society. Some commentators put their decent to Lord Shiva whilst a more recent survey, link them to the notorious clan of the ancient Greeks.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Although Sikhism embraced itself with the concept of a casteless society the remnants of a glorious past of the warrior caste remained very much pivotal in shaping modern day society. So please, don’t go blaming the Jatts for certain behavioural improprieties it is intrinsically beyond their temperament. Generations of magnificent cultures with its hardcore values and practices engrained into their biological build can only come to an end with the passage of time. As a matter of course time will obliterate their ancient past to give way to new ideologies, younger generations will spring forth, but for the moment rejoice and witness a living spectacle. Here today gone tomorrow, history will no doubt bear out their true identity and purpose. Rest assure, they are the true solider saints of the Khalsa Panth.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Conclusion</span></u></strong></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Family set ups are equally important because marriages are to be guided rather strongly within very definite channels of class, income, education, racial and religious background. Falling in love is regulated and constrained by very powerful social factors, which in turn determine long-term relationship. For example, how likely is it for the future King of England, Prince Charles to fall in love with a check out girl at Tesco? Very unlikely; doesn’t it make sense then, to have parental approval in most cases rather than abandoning family and social values? Besides, love of this kind is regarded as perishable by our Guru’s, for true love is imperishable, which is,“nam”.</span></u></span></p><p> </p><p><strong><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Finally, I include as a matter of choice should you want to exercise, that you are what you eat and drink, what you watch, read and listen and who you so cite with. Whatever life places before you will be a useful experience which will make you stronger, wiser and more tolerant. The purpose and the meaning of Sikh way of life is to navigate around all social ills and live harmoniously in meditation on the one nam of God, Waheguru.</span></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Original, post: 149555, member: 14400"] [LEFT][LEFT][SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Dear Seeker<?"urn::office:office" />[/FONT][/U][/SIZE][/LEFT] [LEFT][SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE][/LEFT][/LEFT] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Forgive me for the long delay in responding to your concerns, dictates of daily life and preoccupation with other things had the better of me, not to say I didn’t try. I did indeed, several times, but one thing or the other proved increasingly persuasive in resulting otherwise. And now, determined am I to a point where nothing but an onslaught of vigorous and critical analysis of selected disciplines to find plausible explanations to your enquiries seems to be the only ultimatum available.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]I begin therefore with a preliminary inquiry to find at first sight that your concerns are of the genre, which, have engaged the mind and soul of mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Don’t be alarmed or become apprehensive by this because, there are no set criteria or formulae with which readymade solutions can be found. Nor am I in a position to grant you a magic wand to ward off such encroaching predicaments with which you are surrounded. At best perhaps all I can do is tell you the story of the human being and its place in this world from a Sikh perspective.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world in which we live; give little or no thought to the machinery that generates the sunlight which makes life possible or to the molecules that regulate our conscience with which we make everyday choices. Except for children, few of us spend much time wondering why everything is in the way it is. Global emphasis on education is growing by the day because it makes the world a better place, transpires human curiosity, and evokes yearning to learn which in turn gives birth to various academic disciplines. These disciplines, when carefully evaluated and critically analysed of their significance and influence, will yield important results with which you can make an informed choice about your future. The disciplines I have at my disposal with which to furnish plausible explanations is history, sociology, philosophy and a bit of anthropology*. I have deliberately chosen not to respond to your concerns in the manner prescribed by convention, but rather in an unconventional mode so that the affect and the vivacity with which your concerns strike my mind may be preserved and reciprocated. For ease of reference and clarity of subject matter I have divided the entire text under sub-headings.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [B][SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Religion, Society and Culture[/FONT][/U][/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Throughout history and beyond the dark recesses of men’s earliest cultures, religion has been a vital and pervasive feature of human life. To understand human history and human life it is necessary to understand religion; especially in the contemporary world one must understand other nations’ ideologies and faiths in order to grasp the meaning of life as seen from perspectives often very different from our own.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Religion, a medium by which mankind found fusion of the inner with the outer and in so doing established faiths compatible to a particular social group notwithstanding the rest of creation. Sikhism however, is different. It is not a religion and was never intended to be. It is a philosophy, a way of life capable of coexisting in a complex society. Nanak the first Guru and founder of Sikhism were greatly at loss to find how Islam had forcefully invaded and occupied the sanctity of a civilised nation of the Hindus. He was distressed by those external displays of ritual and worship on the back of religion, which kept humans apart. He himself was a Hindu by birth and condemned the institutions of both Islam and Hinduism in the name of God. His poems and hymns express this thought in a forcible way. He set out to provide some sort of synthesis between the two religions. A man of considerable piety and energy who travelled widely through the subcontinent preaching his new doctrine of reconciliation between the two faiths and stressing the importance of a true monotheism, that is, one god – Ek On Kar.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]No doubt you will appreciate and understand the peculiar feature of our modern day society, which is constantly changing and evolving. We are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end, to which all-human history points, the realisation of the unity of mankind. Not a unity which breaks down the limits and levels of different faiths of the earth, but rather a unity of the diversity found in mankind’s quest for a better life. That is precisely what Baba Nanak set out to achieve. And in my opinion Sikhism reflects that vision albeit in spirit rather than form. Of course, the competing and differing views of socialisation in a complex society do have significant implications on one’s religious life, but not to the extent that one loses freedom of thought and expression and is reduced to a mere vegetative state on account of religion. Far from it, Sikhism promotes and advocates socialisation to the brim, examples of which can be found in all Sikh establishments, namely the Gurdwara’s. This form of social engagement is based on Sikh Society and is different from the type you mention in relation to going out and drinking. For the record, I must point out to you that Baba Nanak came to show us the way to god realisation and not to be drawn into dilemmas concerning drinking and going out to nightclubs. These are social rather than religious concerns.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]What we are as individuals is decided by the particular society in which we live, and by the particular social group to which we belong. This is so because the world around us channels our actions, constraining us on the one hand whilst inviting us on the other to act in particular ways. For example, if I want to leave a room I must do so by the limited number of means available to me, which will be by the door or the windows; if they are locked, I cannot leave. I have a strictly limited choice of action. There are other aspects of my world, which exercise similar constraints over my behaviour, such as, the belief that it is right and normal for one man to marry one woman. In other societies however, it is considered normal for one man to marry many women. Both are rules, which are believed to be right by those following them; however, one is not right and the other not wrong, they are simply different rules found in different societies. Similarly, drinking and going out to nightclubs by girls is considered to be wrong in Sikh society, whereas Western societies considers it to be the norm of a harmonious culture, a process acquired by way of socialisation. Punjabi culture is not so rigid and is susceptible to modern innovations within reasonable parameters. It is rich and flexible to accommodate a number of denominations at once and can still flourish harmoniously. Classic period was pre-partition of 1947 when the Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs all lived together. The big question now is, is it compatible with modern day Christianity? Perhaps not, the right balance needs to be struck to achieve on the one hand a harmonious* society whilst on the other, preserving Sikh ideals. This sort of learned behaviour in any particular society includes those ideas, techniques and habits that are passed on by one generation to another, in a sense, a social heritage. These are virtually a set of solutions to problems that in the course of time, others have met and solved before. Our Guru’s must have had valid reasons for instruction and prescription when laying out ethical principles. Humans are humans because they share with others a common culture, a culture that includes not only the artefacts of its living members but also those members of past generations. This is the heritage awaiting those as yet unborn. We are now living in a homogonous society, that is to say, what you possess today, as a set of moral and social values may not necessarily be around for your children because of social homogenisations. As Indians, we are inherently vegetarian and teetotallers, but because of our social intercourse with those that were accustomed to various pleasures of delight, we were you could say socially engineered to adopt their way of life through socialisation. Where does that leave you? Well, there is nothing wrong in you going out to nightclubs provided the motive from which you are so inclined to do so is morally acceptable and is in conformance with your religious beliefs. Sikhism does not promote and advance this type of culture for various reasons that is not to say, you cannot fully participate in music and dance, of course you can as long as your conscience regulates religious principles diligently. It is not impossible, but could prove to be rather difficult in most circumstances to refrain from a number of social factors prevalent in our modern day society. From a Sociologist’s perspective then, it is unfair to have two sets of rules for one gender, that is, Caucasian and Asian women under the same umbrella in a democratic society. It must indeed leave the one rather disadvantaged over the other when it comes to exercising social equalities and freedoms of choice in an environment that is predominantly liberal in its political organisation. I wish to depart from my present train of thought and venture out to what my learned friend Baljeet of Sikh Philosophy Network had said regarding ‘natural selection and the survival of the fittest’. This was said in relation to ‘what will become of the future of Sikhi’? The only answer that I can draft to that particular remark is based on Charles Darwin’s Principle of natural selection. The idea is that in any sizeable population of self – reproducing organisms, there will be variations in the genetic material and upbringing that different individuals have. These differences will mean that some individuals are better able than others to draw the right conclusions about the world around them and to act accordingly. These individuals will be more likely to survive and reproduce and so their pattern of behaviour and thought will eventually come to dominate. Might I not equally infer this be to be the reasoning behind the setting up of the “Khalsa Panth” by Gobind Rai. However, provided the universe has evolved in a regular way, we might expect that the reasoning abilities which natural selection has given us would be sufficient in determining the eternity of Sikhism. The fact that we live in a Western society will have significant connotations in the way we behave, but not to the extent that we lose our identity. [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]First and foremost, we are human beings, rational, autonomous individuals, capable of discerning the Moral Law by reasoning carefully, [I]man neva mat uchi[/I]. It is the exercise of the will, [I]hukam[/I] that enables us to apply it on a day-to-day basis. We must be treated as ends, not means and must never be sacrificed to someone else’s ends because they are ends in themselves. This means that relatively speaking some actions are wrong and some are right in themselves; bearing in mind of course this is to be in part a large extent of learnt behaviour, which we do not inherit but is the direct result of social engineering. Their rightness and wrongness cannot be dependent upon the consequences, but purely on the action itself. In this imperfect world it may be difficult to comply with the Moral Law. Sikhism teaches us that the best way to articulate this type of uniqueness and tackle those challenges lies within ourselves, which we must strive for.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]It is difficult to associate some of life’s wonderful activities with the proud civilisations that created “just civil societies”. For the world of good men, which God had created in his own image lived by unshakeable principles; those very principles became the foundation upon which the fabric of social network was woven. Forging the will in the fire of determination, man had stood the test of time in finding a civil society that is just, fair and representational. We know what delicate wonders perished and what sacrifices made by mankind in pursuit of this divine virtue for the want of a just civil society to flourish. Consider yourself fortunate therefore, for these are neither acquired tastes nor choices of birth rights, but borne out karmic rewards of past lives that you are a Sikh girl and that too of a Jatt household. This is a perfect opportunity to flourish to the maximum and fulfil the potential of your nature.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [B][SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Historical Perspective: Caste System and the Jatts[/FONT][/U][/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]In the middle of the Second Millennium B.C a group of tribes invaded India from the Northwest and gradually succeeded in establishing their dominance over northern and central parts, almost annihilating the Indus Valley Civilisation. They spoke an Indo-European language of which the developed form is Sanskrit. They referred to themselves as the “Aryans”- literally meaning, Noble Folk. Their earliest literary records are contained in the sacred books of knowledge, known as the Vedas. The Vedas are considered to be the pillars of their religion, Hinduism. [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]India’s caste system is perhaps the world’s longest surviving social hierarchy encompassing a complex social order of groups of people on the basis of ritual purity, that is, some castes are deemed to be less pure than others. It is hereditary in nature and the law of karmatraditionally justifies the differences in social status, a religious doctrine, which purports that one’s place in life is determined by one’s deeds in a previous life. Dependent upon one’s karmic performance in their previous life and in accordance with the law of dharma, path of righteousness, one is judged and dispensed with just deserts – divine retribution. Liberation from the cycle of birth, growth, decay and death, more commonly referred to as the wheel of eighty-four lakh, is attained through the acceptance of one’s decent and to perform one’s duty within the caste into which one is born. Although, all humans are potentially equal in their divine nature, there is an inborn inequality regarding their spiritual and intellectual evolution, professes Hinduism. And, places lot of emphasis on spiritual qualities and divides society into four castes to preserve the spiritual ideal. The four castes are Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Brahmans are the custodians of spiritual culture, kshatriyas, more commonly known as warriors preserve the social laws; vaishyas engage themselves in agriculture, trade and industry whilst the duties of shudras consist of services. The Vedas compare the four castes with the four important parts of the body of the ‘cosmic person’. The Brahman represents the head, the kshatriyas the arms, the vaishyas the thighs and the shudras the feet. The social ranks and their respective duties ordained by God for humanity were intended to remain permanently fixed. Like the limbs of the body they cannot properly exchange their place or their function. Working in harmony the four castes ensure the equilibrium and the perpetuation of the Hindu social order. Unfortunately for those who survived the onslaught of the Aryan invasion there was no corresponding limb on the body of the cosmic person and as a result they were relegated to the outcastes of the social fabric of Indian society. These casteless orphans, more commonly known as the untouchables remain destitute and vulnerable throughout India. Despite the existence of significant constitutional protections and progressive legislation the reality for many remains unchanged. The real triumph of the caste system lies not in up holing the supremacy of the Brahmin, but in controlling the consciousness of lower castes in accepting their inferior status as part of the natural order of things. [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]After the great battle of Mahabharata at Kuruksetra, India had entered a new era. There was law and order, religious conformance had reached new heights and commerce was by the abundance. Warriors retreated to their native habitats and engaged themselves with commerce and industry. The King had allotted agricultural land with which they were to complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission, that is, multiply. Entering into marriages with other castes was neither a concession to weakness nor a confession of sin. The householder’s life is the bedrock of society. Any society that ignores the sanctity of marriage ultimately undermines its entire moral foundation. So much so, a new breed of Jatts had emerged as a result of these mix caste marriages within Hindu society. Some commentators put their decent to Lord Shiva whilst a more recent survey, link them to the notorious clan of the ancient Greeks.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Although Sikhism embraced itself with the concept of a casteless society the remnants of a glorious past of the warrior caste remained very much pivotal in shaping modern day society. So please, don’t go blaming the Jatts for certain behavioural improprieties it is intrinsically beyond their temperament. Generations of magnificent cultures with its hardcore values and practices engrained into their biological build can only come to an end with the passage of time. As a matter of course time will obliterate their ancient past to give way to new ideologies, younger generations will spring forth, but for the moment rejoice and witness a living spectacle. Here today gone tomorrow, history will no doubt bear out their true identity and purpose. Rest assure, they are the true solider saints of the Khalsa Panth.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][B][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Conclusion[/FONT][/U][/B][/SIZE] [B][SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/U][/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=3][U][FONT=Times New Roman]Family set ups are equally important because marriages are to be guided rather strongly within very definite channels of class, income, education, racial and religious background. Falling in love is regulated and constrained by very powerful social factors, which in turn determine long-term relationship. For example, how likely is it for the future King of England, Prince Charles to fall in love with a check out girl at Tesco? Very unlikely; doesn’t it make sense then, to have parental approval in most cases rather than abandoning family and social values? Besides, love of this kind is regarded as perishable by our Guru’s, for true love is imperishable, which is,“nam”.[/FONT][/U][/SIZE] [U][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] [/FONT][/SIZE][/U] [B][FONT=Times New Roman]Finally, I include as a matter of choice should you want to exercise, that you are what you eat and drink, what you watch, read and listen and who you so cite with. Whatever life places before you will be a useful experience which will make you stronger, wiser and more tolerant. The purpose and the meaning of Sikh way of life is to navigate around all social ills and live harmoniously in meditation on the one nam of God, Waheguru.[/FONT][/B] [/QUOTE]
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