TRANSFORMATIONS (Nick Robson TO Bhai Harkirpa Singh Ji)
Recent events have left me rather lost for words. The true power and impact of these events are beyond comprehension but I feel it's important to try to understand and describe them so that we can build unity and oneness.
As many of you know, I am a 'Sikh'; someone who is trying their best to follow the way of life given by the 10 Sikh Gurus who lived on this Earth between 1469 and 1708.
The Sikh Gurus came to Punjab (North West India) at a time of great darkness and corruption. The caste system at the time created huge inequalities and suffering meaning some people were treated as if their very presence would pollute others. Thus the “untouchables” were forced to live in terrible inhumane conditions and squalor. There was also religious persecution, with people being forced to convert faith or face the death penalty. Many people were following blind rituals and had lost the true teachings of their religion.
The Sikh Gurus were completely revolutionary in their teachings. They came to spread the light of spiritual wisdom to the people of the world and eliminate the darkness of ignorance.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji did not only confine their teachings to India but travelled over 3500 miles on foot to reach as far as Mecca, Baghdad.
The Sikh Gurus rejected the caste system, replacing the previous caste-revealing surnames of Sikh initiates with ‘Singh’ for men and ‘Kaur’ for women, meaning ‘lion’ and ‘Princess’.
They empowered women, not only by giving them top positions of political and spiritual authority but arming them with weapons too and training them in martial arts.
They showed how we can recognise the whole human race as one, regardless of our gender, religious, social and racial differences; with the ninth Guru even sacrificing their own life to save another faith.
They built a whole political system and army based on compassion and righteousness balanced with an unbreakable foundation of pure spiritual practice.
They started a kitchen that now feeds over 6 million people worldwide free of charge every day.
They taught us to earn an honest living and volunteer our time and donate our money selflessly to those in need.
However, beyond the Guru’s ‘worldly’ achievements, they taught people the true meaning of life.
The Gurus taught that the only Eternal Truth is the ੧ Supreme Being/Energy that Creates, Sustains and Destroys. This ੧ Energy expanded into the world and its light permeates everything. It is Infinite Bliss, Pure Love, Without Hate or Fear, Compassionate, All Knowing, Eternal, and Ever-Forgiving. The Guru’s path is one of earning grace and achieving Oneness with the Divine ੧.
The Supreme Being is our real Soulmate. Although we search for happiness in worldly things, deep within, our Soul seeks union with the ੧. The ੧ is inside us and accessible to all of us. When we connect to the one we cry tears of joy, our body tingles and divine bliss floods our minds
Love is the fastest and surest way to get to the Supreme ੧. Once this fire is kindled within us, we feed it with spirituality. Chanting God’s name, singing divine songs written by the Gurus themselves and serving to the Immaculate ੧.
On 14th November 2016, the Gurpurab (birthday) of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (first Sikh Guru), I was blessed with Amrit “Khande di Pahul” (Nectar of Immortality).
This ceremony first happened in 1699 when the 10th Sikh Guru tested their Sikhs to see who would follow their path even if it meant death. The collective of committed Sikhs who passed the test were given the status of Guru Khalsa, the Guru’s own body. All Khalsa (men and women) are ordered to stand out. The turban and uncut hair are part of this distinct appearance. The Khalsa is armed and ever ready to defend others from injustice and oppression. Khalsa members have a daily spiritual discipline of Naam and are forbidden any intoxicants or sex outside of marriage. The Khalsa collective is the Eternal physical embodiment of the Guru and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the Eternal spiritual embodiment.
For those born into a Sikh family, a Hukamnama (random reading) is taken shortly after birth from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (the Sikh 'holy scripture' that we regard as the Eternal spiritual embodiment of the Guru). The first letter of the Shabad (hymn) on that Ang (limb of the Guru) forms the first letter of the name of that child. By allowing our name to be chosen in this way, we can constantly be reminded of the Divine ੧ that we come from and that gives everything to us.
For those not born into a Sikh family (like myself) this ceremony can be performed later. This was done for me at the Amrit Sanchar and I was blessed with the letter H and the two words "Har Kirpa" meaning "the grace of the supreme eternal being" which now forms my Sikh name - Harkirpa.
I hope this post helps to educate readers about Sikhi, which is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented (and I'm only beginning to realise Sikhi's amazing power myself!). Often people don't realise that Sikhi is for more than just Punjabis and I hope my story illustrates otherwise. Sikhs don’t aim to convert others nor impose Sikh law on everyone. Although Guru is the straight path to ੧ realisation, people of other faiths (and none) can be inspired by Guru’s wisdom without converting. Sikhi is the result of the universal teachings of the Guru, applicable to anyone and everyone, regardless of their gender, race, caste, background.
I feel incredibly blessed to have been through such positive transformation, which completely changed my life for the better. Throughout my journey, I've been blessed with the loving support and guidance of a Bhai Jagraj Singh Ji.
When I was introduced to Sikhi by a friend at uni, Bhai Sahib Ji had just started Basics of Sikhi. I remember being completely amazed by Sikhi and also overwhelmed at how much I wanted to learn. Bhai Sahib Ji was doing Japji Sahib Katha at the time and this was such an inspiration to me. Basics of Sikhi has made Sikhi so much more accessible to a non-Panjabi like me. A couple of weeks before I was blessed with Amrit, Bhai Jagraj Singh Ji discussed some Gurbani with me and the way he described it changed everything for me. It gave me the understanding I was looking for, it was as if he knew what my doubts were and instantly dispelled them for me. Like so many, I was deeply saddened by Bhai Sahib Ji’s recent diagnosis but as a Panth we must remain Chardi Kala (in ever rising optimism). Amazingly, Bhai Sahib Ji showed us all how to do this at his Simran Jaap last night, talking with such love and Chardi Kala.
I've still got such a long long way to go and with Guru Ji's Kirpa, I'm striving to improve every day. My Benti to Sadh Sangat is for us to all to support Basics of Sikhi, and our whole Panth as one, more than ever before. May we take the time to reflect on our lives and see what we can do to inspire ourselves and others. Bhai Jagraj Singh Ji and their team have inspired countless people into Sikhi and we have a responsibility to do our best to keep the legacy going.
May we all be blessed to connect to the Eternal ੧ within us all 🙏🏻
ਭੁਲ ਚੁਕ ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨੀ ਜੀ
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖਾਲਸਾਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫਤਹਿ
