Agree to Differ

[

] 97

The universal message of Sikhism to mankind

Kulwant Singh and Inderjit Singh, Members, and Birendra Kaur, President, Institute of Sikh Studies

one is a Hindu and none a Muslim” were the

first words pronounced by Guru Nanak (1469-

1539 AD), the founder prophet of Sikhism,

when he reappeared after having been absent for three

days. Hindus and Muslims, the two prominent religious

communities of his times and region, were at logger-

heads; hatred, intolerance and injustice were rampant

and forcible conversions were the order of the day.

Thus, he conveyed emphatically that foremost of all we

are human beings, over and above any classification.

He clearly desired to create individuals who rise above

denominations: “We neither are Hindus nor Musalmans:

Our body and life is Allah-Rama’s.”

Sikhism, in its entirety, is the sum of the mystical, revela-

tory and cumulative experience of Guru Nanak and his

successor nine Sikh Gurus (1469-1708). It provides a

purely spiritual message for peaceful coexistence and inte-

gration to the whole of mankind. Sikhism believes in the

complete non-duality of God, who is the prime cosmic

energy at once transcendent and immanent in its created

visible and invisible universe. It exists, creates, sustains

and, at times, destroys its creation according to its own

will, which remains inscrutable and beyond human reck-

oning. The quantification of its extent and the nature of its

creation are beyond human comprehension. However, the

magnitude of its immensity can be realized through mysti-

cal experience of some of the attributes of its persona – the

single, monistic nature of its all-pervading, all-control-

ling power; its abiding eternal presence and its existence

beyond the limits of time, space and vacuity; its progeni-

tive energy; its inherently instinctive inclination of being

free from fear and malice; its timeless, eternal existence; its

mysterious self-created being and becoming and, above all,

its all-embracing compassion, love and bounteous disposi-

tion. Sikhism’s resultant theology, philosophy, ideology,

history, societal practices, conventions and way of life are a

corollary of these essential, seminal postulates enumerated

in the very first verse,

mool mantar,

of Guru Nanak’s

Japu

– a preamble to the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib,

the eternal Guru.

The firm belief of Sikhism in the monotheistic identity

of Godhead and its malice-free, indiscriminate compas-

sion and love for all created species, gives a message of the

equality of human beings irrespective of their racial, ethnic,

territorial, religious, cultural and civilizational affiliations:

“Since from one Light is the whole world created – who is

noble, who inferior?”

It preaches the fatherhood/mother-

hood of God – “Thou art my father and mother, conferring

joy on my life and breath”

– from which follows brother-

hood of man: “Of one father are we all children; Thou my

Preceptor.”

Sikhism does not recognize any social hier-

archical order, and respect for dignity of every individual

is inbuilt in the Sikh metaphysics and way of life. Stress

on the equality of women is unparalleled. It was Guru

Nanak who challenged the age-old biases against women

and demolished these with logic: “Why revile her of whom

are born great ones of the earth?”

He advocated equality

of women with vehemence, unknown before him or even

now. Courtesy of the concepts and practices of women’s

empowerment introduced by the Gurus, Sikh women have

performed significant roles of service, valour and leader-

ship throughout Sikh history.

The Sikh Gurus preached their message through their

precept and example, words and deeds and their verses in

Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak, along with his two disci-

ples – Bala, a Hindu, and Mardana, a Muslim – travelled

across the length and breadth of India and a few neigh-

bouring countries and held discussions with the leaders of

religious faiths, also acquainting them with his own mysti-

cal realization of the monotheistic presence of God and His

abiding love for all creatures. The third Sikh Guru, Guru

Amardas, initiated the tradition of partaking food together

by all, irrespective of social status, caste, class or religious

denomination. This practice

(langar)

continues to serve

humanity throughout the world in Sikh places of worship,

gurdwara,

to this day and inspires, through its generous,

charitable act of free distribution of food, to serve the victims

of natural calamities and disasters. Serving the needy is

considered an expression of one’s love for God: “Lord! Thy

grace falls on the land where the poor are cherished.”

The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, got the foundation

stone of the historic Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple at

Amritsar, laid by a Sufi saint, Hazrat Mian Mir. In its

architectural design, he kept four doors opening in four

directions, symbolizing access to all to the

gurdwara

and

further endorsing the pluralistic outlook of Sikhism’s

message and appeal. There is not a trace of any commu-

nal, religious or sectarian bias or exclusiveness about the

Sikh faith either in the stance of Sikh Gurus as the sole

intermediaries between man and God, or in the worship of

Sikh Gurus as cult figures leading to the ultimate emanci-

pation of human beings. In fact, the Guru identifies himself

with the lowliest of the lowly: “The lowest among the low-

caste; those still lower and condemned – Nanak is by their

side; He envies not the great of the world.”

In addition,

gree

iffer