Sikhi = 100
Satnam. If 100 is the perfect score, then Sikhi = 100. Let’s see how.
Sikhi is not only about appearance, dress or constant prayer. Holy Baba Nanak said – Sikhi is 3 things, ie, Naam Japna, Kirt Karni and Whand Shakna. That clearly means that Sikhi has 3 equal parts. So if we divide the whole (100) by 3, each part will be 33, and the number 1 left over. In other words:
100 – (33+33+33) = 1God! It is the sum total of the 3 parts that lead us to the 1 God.
The path to the One God is by giving equal energy to all three components, and not just giving 99% to Naam Japna and forgetting about everything else, which is what we see happening with most Sikhs. Until Sikhs get out of the Gurdwaras and serve the world, they will only enjoy 33% favour with God! Everything about them will only be worth 33%, no matter how much they think of themselves, how holy or pious they may appear to others. If you are not giving a part of your honest earnings for the poor, destitute, sick, homeless, and those poor souls in hopeless situations, or giving your energy in the service of the same, the Guru is not impressed with all our wonderful piety. Remember how Guru Gobind Singh Ji refused to accept water from the young man who had never served? Not only are we to support the less fortunate, we are expected to contribute finances (aka money) for the spreading of Sikh Dharma. This we can do by contributing to the various organizations that are already doing this work, example, sikhnet.
Things can begin from the Gurdwara, but make sure you don’t simply end there. Holy Guru Nanak Himself never sat around in any Gurdwara praying and cooking langgar, like what Sikhs today are permanently pre-occupied with. From the first day of His ministry, He walked the world, from village to village, city to city. If that were not so, Guru Sahib would not have taught us to pray – Jagat Jallendha Raakh Leh, Apnee Kirpa Dhaar. Jit Duareh ubereh, tehteh Leho Ubaar.
“O Lord, the world burns in the fire of pain. Bestow your grace upon us, and teach us how to heal the sorrow and the suffering. By any door, by any means, show us how we may the world save”.
So beware. Sikhs today are obsessed with building and re-building Gurdwaras. While one Gurdwara is being renovated, their officials are already explaining to others, what they intend to further build ten years from now.
The world is burning. Humanity is suffering. And we build new marbled Gurdwaras every day. And for those we already built, we are busy sticking gold on the domes. Then we wonder why Sikhi isn’t getting anywhere! Like we are having so much trouble getting out of this ‘Comfort Zone’ of the Gurdwaras. We spend our entire lives hovering around the Gurdwaras looking for what more we can build or what more we can cook!
Actually I am very clear that it is not because we don’t want to progress. We desperately want to. Every Sikh I meet is looking forward to signs of progress. The reason we keep building and building is because we DON’T KNOW ANY BETTER! That’s all we know. Build bigger Gurdwaras, and cook the langgars. And we actually believe that this is the way to grow Sikhi in this world. I mean, how many times have you heard this complaint from Sikhs – “ There is not enough parchaar in our Gurdwara.” The truth is that all the parchaar in the world is of no use. How much can you talk. How many talks are enough. How much are we going to listen. How much do you have to hear…………before WE START DOING? The secret of growing Sikhi is not in the kirtan or the talks and the lectures. IT IS IN THE DOING!
This will be the challenge for ministers of the faith like me, to change the mindsets of the masses. This is the size of the problem we’ll have to tackle. It will not be easy. Only not so long ago, I was witness to a man donating USD 10,000 to a Gurdwara building fund, whilst right next to this collection counter was another run by us to raise money for a Sikh boy to have a liver transplant, and that, even after he had been approached by our team to reconsider. He still chose the building fund!
Remember. The Guru is not concerned about the Gurdwaras with the golden domes that we are busily building all over the world. The Guru only wants to know whether you have a heart of gold.
As this consciousness is rising all over the world, we are starting to see organizations like United Sikhs and Sikhcess coming into the limelight. Join and support them. Get out and work for them. Then we have sikhnet. Contribute your loose change. We all want to benefit from sikhnet. We should also contribute. One thing I learned many years ago is contrary to what many people think, we don’t have to become wealthy millionaires before we can donate. If everyone could just give a few coins, you would surprise yourself how much we can support them. If we all gave a little, they would have heaps more to do what they are doing so brilliantly. We at Sikhs With A Mission are also joining this crusade to serve the world. Get in touch with us and find out how you can be a part of the Mission.
Let’s do build some huge golden temples. Lets do have 10 course langgars at our Gurdwaras, with pizza, samosas, kheers, gulab jamnoos and rasgullahs. But let’s do all that after we have fed the world, after we have clothed the world, after we have healed the world, after we have educated the world. Let’s do that after we have built shelters, schools, hospitals, and homes. This was the dream of our Ten Prophets. (Guru Hargobind Ji even started a hospital for animals!) They could not be around to make all this happen. And now, it is left to us. You.……and me!
Satnam
