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such a one to be liberated.”

One is to recognize God’s

will and, as His instrument, ever engage in carrying out

the same through altruistic deeds. Respect for each other’s

beliefs and views is the bedrock of Sikhism: “None now is

our foe, not a stranger – with all are we in accord.”

holds this fundamental human right of freedom to profess

one’s faith to the extent of defending it even at the cost

of one’s life. The voluntary sacrifice of the ninth Guru,

Guru Tegh Bahadur, in 1675, in protest against the forci-

ble conversions of followers of another religion, Hindus,

by the then Mughal ruler, bears testimony to the earnest

Sikh espousal and vindication of the basic human right

of religious freedom. Subsequently, the tenth Guru, Guru

Gobind Singh’s militant combating of religious persecu-

tion through his creation of the Khalsa commonwealth and

their ultimate sacrifices for righteousness further corrobo-

rate Sikhism’s firm belief in human rights. Sikhism lays

great stress on inculcating virtues, as these go a long way to

create individuals, who are sensitive to the needs of fellow

beings: “Break no heart – know, each being is a priceless

jewel. Each heart is a jewel; evil it is to break any; Shouldst

thou seek to find the Beloved, break no one’s heart.”

Sikhism places as much stress on the justness of the

means as on that of the ends. It advocates earning one’s

livelihood through hard work and honest means, sharing

this with the needy and living in continuous remembrance

of God. This trinity of the fundamental doctrine,

kirat

karna, wand chhakna

and

naam japna,

keeps human beings

from being arrogant and parasites, freeloaders and ascetic

escapists: “Those that eat the bread of their labour and give

away something in charity, saith Nanak, truly recognize

the way.”

Grabbing and acquiring what does not come

through one’s own labour finds widespread condemnation

in Sikh thought: “Saith Nanak: To grab what is another’s

is evil, as pig’s flesh to the Muslim and cow’s flesh to

the Hindu.”

Living a life of uprightness – good moral

conduct – is therefore deeply etched in the Sikh psyche;

so much so that Sikhism puts a premium on truthful living

even more than on truth itself: “Realization of Truth is

higher than all else – higher still is truthful living.”

Rendering selfless service to the deprived and the disad-

vantaged through voluntary assistance in any form makes

truthful living more tangible than mere rhetorical talk

about truth. Bhai Kanhaiya’s free and indiscriminate act of

serving water on the battlefield to Sikh and enemy soldiers

alike, and dressing their wounds on Guru Gobind Singh’s

bidding, is an example. Many premier Sikh institutions and

individual charities provide valuable services to disadvan-

taged sections of society, across the board.

Sikhism, being a comprehensive way of life, is as much

concerned with the physical aspects of human life and its

environment as with the metaphysical and philosophical

aspects of life. It considers both the planet Earth and the

human body as equally sacred abodes of the divine: “This

world is the holy Lord’s chamber; in it is His abode.”

Acts

of pollution and the contamination of both is considered

an act of sacrilege and desecration. The concluding verse of

Guru Nanak’s

Japu

considers air as the guiding breath, the

water as seminal paterfamilias and the Earth as the creative

mother: “Air is the vital force; water the Progenitor; The vast

Earth the mother of all; Day and Night are nurses, fondling

all creation in their lap.”

The Sikh Gurus developed water

bodies, planted mangroves and made Sikh shrines on the

banks of rivers. The Sikh scripture gives a message to keep

away from drugs and intoxicants, and to live in tune with

nature. Sikhs maintain the body in its natural form as gifted

by God – the most eco-friendly way of life.

It is for the holistic value system of Sikhism that leading

historians, scholars, Nobel laureates and thinkers have

recognized and appreciated the universalism and signifi-

cance of the Sikh religion to mankind. To quote Pearl S

Buck: “I have studied the scriptures of the great religions,

but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the

heart and mind as I find in these volumes (Guru Granth

Sahib)... They speak to the person of any religion or of

none. They speak for the human heart and the searching

mind,”

and Arnold Toynbee: “The Adi Granth (Guru

Granth Sahib) is part of mankind’s common spiritual treas-

ure. It is important that it should be brought within the

direct reach of as many people as possible.”

The Sikh

value system is a unique blend of concepts and practices,

which are ideal for creating an environment conducive to

peaceful coexistence among communities and cultures, on

account of the simplicity of its metaphysics, the span of its

vision and the universalism of its approach.

All the quotes of Guru Granth Sahib are taken from its trans-

lation by Gurbachan Singh Talib: Sri Guru Granth Sahib – in

English Translation, Punjabi University, Patiala, (Punjab) 1997.

Image: Pingalwara Charitable Society

Many Sikh institutions and charities provide valuable services to

disadvantaged sections of society, across the board

gree

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