Mohinder Singh
Sikhism, India
  

I feel greatly honoured in being invited to this International Meeting of Prayer for Peace being organised by the Community of Saint� Egidio in this great city of Milan where we earlier met 11 years ago. It is a matter of great satisfaction for those of us promoting inter-faith dialogue that the sapling of peace first planted by His Holiness Pope John Paul II during the first meeting and prayer for Peace at Assisi on 27th October, 1986, has grown into a big fruit bearing tree. I had the privilege of attending most of these annual meetings and notice with satisfaction the growing involvement of youth in the various projects feeding the poor, conflict resolution and inter-faith dialogue. It is good that the movement is spreading to other countries. Apart from different cities of Italy the Community of Sant�Egidio has also organised meetings in Romania, Germany, Israel and Portugal. I sincerely hope and pray one day they will have their meeting in India also because of the old and historic bondage. We have a sizable Christian population in India not because of the British rule but because of the Christian message of peace and goodwill that reached India through Saint Thomas in 56 A.D., much before it travelled to Europe. In the South Indian State of Kerala followers of St. Thomas have considerable presence and have done good work in the field of health services and education. In recent times Mother Teresa and Dr. Graham Stain have greatly endeared themselves to the people of India because of their spirit of service and sacrifice.

At a time when there is growing conflict in the name of religion and an impression is being created as if religion is the source of conflict, the Community of Saint�Egidio has a role to play in evolving a new social order based upon universal responsibility. Being a student of history I would like to draw your kind attention to the two powerful models of progress that we watched in the twentieth century � the Marxian model and the Capitalist model. Not many of us could have imagined that the Marxian model would collapse so soon and a country as powerful as the Soviet Union would disintegrate before the start of the new century.

I distinctly recall these issues being raised during a function in Moscow in 1987 organised by the Ministry of External Affairs of the then Soviet Union to mark thousand years of the establishment oldest Orthodox Church of Byelorussia. After sharing my thoughts about the Sikh society established by Guru Nanak, I compared and pointed out that while in Sikh system we voluntarily share because we believe that food belongs to the Lord and serving is the pleasure and privilege to whom the Lord has provided in plenty. In the Marxian model, resources are shared not voluntarily but under state�s dictate, which is quite different from the concept of voluntary sharing and serving the poor. I also committed the heresy by pointing out that the system, which was not based on justice and social responsibility, had no moral basis. Such remarks in those days of pre-Glasnost Soviet Union created some sort of commotion amongst the gathering. Realising the sensitivity of the situation, I tried to quickly wriggle out without any further elaboration or debate.

Now that those supporting the Capitalist model of society are celebrating the collapse of the Marxian model, I might be committing another heresy by pointing out that the Capitalist model, which is now fast emerging as a world model in a unipolar world would also collapse soon if this is not based upon social responsibility and compassion for fellow beings.

At a time when we notice the growing conflicts amongst the religious communities an impression has come to be created as if religions are the sources of conflict. This impression has gained further currency after the unfortunate events of September 11, 2002, the conflicts amongst the nations in Europe after the collapse of communism and the current attack on the innocent civilians being committed by different terrorist groups especially the Al-Qaeda group of terrorist outfits.

The recent attack on Iraq by the United States and the growing conflict between the Arab nations and the United States and its allies is also being interpreted by some of the scholars as conflict between Christianity and Islam. Scholars like Samuel Huntington see the balance of power among civilisations shifting from West to East. There are others who see the change as protest against the emergence of the unipolar world dominated by the United States� economic and military power as well as cultural patterns. This new trend unfolded itself during the Pre-Parliament retreat in the famous Montserrat Monastery in Manressa from July 3-6, where I joined other religious leaders to reflect upon the theme of the Fourth Parliament of World�s Religions in Barcelona from July 7-13, 2004.

The change in tone and tenure of the upcoming Parliament became clear when the organising teams and the core groups committed themselves to work for peace not by giving sermons based upon their respective scriptures but take up concrete action plan to sort out some of the burning issues affecting the whole humanity. After three days� retreat in Montserrat the participants decided that during the Parliament in Barcelona they would focus on four major issues - (i) providing clean drinking water (ii) problems of refugees (iii) reducing the growing debt of poorer nations and (iv) ending communally motivated violence.

Being a student of history I would like to mention that similar situation arose in medieval times of India when conflict became evident between the two major religious traditions Hinduism a d Islam. Since rulers of those times professed Islam and the majority of the populace belonged to well established older religious tradition popularly known as Hinduism, the conflict between the two came to be interpreted as conflict among Hinduism and Islam. However, this was resolved not through war as is being done these days but through the message of loving devotion to God given by the saints of the Hindu Bhakti movement and the Sufi mystics of Islam. Both talked about transcending religious boundaries by emphasising on inner spirituality compared to outer forms of religiousity. It was in this context that Sikhism, youngest of the world religions was born.

The Sikh faith was founded by Guru Nanak (1469 � 1539) who preached monotheism and described the Creator as Ikk (one), without a second. Guru Nanak�s philosophy of God is best described in his composition Japji, the primal creed of Sikh faith. His teachings were strictly monotheistic, without scope for the worship of any deity or human teacher. Contrary to medieval Indian practice of denouncing the world for spiritual elevation, Guru Nanak believed that the world was worth living. �This world is the abode of God and the True One lives therein.� Guru Nanak believed that it was possible to live pure among the impurities of life.

Guru Nanak�s teachings can be summed up in three simple Punjabi words, Naam Japna, Kirt Karni and Wand Chhakna (remembering God, earning one�s livelihood through honest means and sharing fruits of one�s labour with others). To practice his teachings of equality Guru Nanak started the twin institutions of Sangat and Pangat, emphasizing that all assemble in a congregation and while partaking food from the community kitchen should sit in one line without distinction of high and low or rich and poor.

Guru Nanak travelled throughout India and neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka, in a spirit of dialogue with other religious traditions of his time. In this context, Guru Nanak�s encounter with the Siddhas during his visit to Achal (near Batala in Punjab, India) is worth mentioning. Asked as to why they have denounced the world the Siddhas replied that �it was not worth living�. And when confronted as to where did they go for food when they felt hungry, the Siddhas replied �to the same society which they had denounced.� From Bhai Gurdas, a contemporary of Guru Nanak, we learn that after his dialogue with the Guru the Siddhas were so satisfied that they became his admirers. The Guru emphasised that there was no need to denounce the world as this was the �Adobe of the True Lord.� The need was to denounce the lust and live in the world detached the way lotus floats in water.

Sikhism has a unique tradition of tolerance and co-existence dating back to the days of the founder. There is a story that when Guru Nanak visited Multan, the local religious leaders confronted him with a bowl of milk filled to the brim indicating thereby that the land was over filled with numerous religious leaders and that there was no place to accommodate a new creed. We are told that instead of arguing with them, Guru Nanak quietly placed a petal of jasmine in the bowl thereby indicating that the Guru would strive for unison with the existing religious traditions, and his followers would live with other communities the way jasmine floated in the bowl without disturbing the content. At a time when there are growing conflicts among nations and committees Guru Nanak�s example should serve as a timely reminder of the tradition of peaceful co-existence.1

Towards the last phase of his life Guru Nanak founded a city on the banks of river Ravi (now in Pakistan) and called it Kartarpur, i.e. city of God. There he worked on the field and shared his earnings with others. A community of disciples grew up at Kartarpur but it could not be described as any monastic order. On the other hand it was a fellowship of ordinary men and women from different faith traditions engaged in normal occupations of life, earning their livelihood through honest means and sharing the fruit of their labour with others. But what was remarkable about Kartarpur was that this provided a model of living which was to become the basis for the development of Sikh society and Sikh value system in the days to come. Herein the Guru and his followers got up before dawn and after ablutions said their prayers. The spiritual routine being over, the Guru and his followers partook the sacred food from the community kitchen and then attended to the day�s work. In the evening they again assembled at a common place and collectively recited their evening prayer and shared food. Before going to bed they all recited the Kirtan Sohila, songs of acclaim.

Through practical demonstration of their teachings, Guru Nanak and successive Gurus laid the foundation for an ideal society with emphasis on interfaith dialogue, religious freedom and responsibility towards fellow beings. The Sikh Gurus not only denounced the caste system but also provided the basis for a casteless society. Inclusion of hymns of the Bhaktas from different castes, initiation into the order of the Khalsa of men from different castes and four corners of the country was a practical demonstration of Sikh concept of equality of human race. Sikh religion accepts validity of all religious traditions which is evident from Guru Amar Das�s hymn:

`This world is going up in flames-
shower it with Your Mercy and save it
Save it, and deliver it, by whatever
method Thou can take.

The ideal society perceived by the Sikh Gurus is called as Halemi Raj (a rule based on compassion) which is thus described by the fifth, Guru Arjan Dev.

The merciful Lord has now given the command,
That no one will domineer over
and give pain to another,
And all will abide in peace
Such O dear is the rule of my compassionate God.

The Halemi Raj as described by the Sikh Guru has three distinct features:

i) The society is established under the command of the Lord Himself,

ii) In such a society no one would cause suffering or injury towards other and

iii) all will live in amity under peaceful conditions.

This concept of Halemi Raj advocated by the Sikh Gurus has features resembling those of modern welfare state. However, what distinguishes such a welfare state from the modern socialist states is the fact that such a society is established not by individual efforts but under the Grace of the Creator. Welfare activities of such a society are not the result of any directives or legislation by the state but result of spiritual transformation. Under such a system there is no scope for exploitation of one human being by another. This concept of an ideal state is further corroborated in the hymns of Bhagat Ravidas wherein he talks of the concept of an ideal city calling it Begumpura � a city without any fear or grief � where human beings could live free from worries, sufferings and tensions. The citizens of such an ideal society would not have anxiety over the payment of tax on goods. Nor do they have the fear of any unjust king. Free from lust and greed, all live in full contentment as children of one Father.

`Griefless� is the name of my Town.
Where abide not either pain or care.
No anguish there of tax on goods,
Neither fear, nor error, nor dread, nor decline.
Oh! how wondrous is my fatherland.
Where there is always Peace and Calm,

Egalitarian order of the society described by the Sikh scripture is evident from the fact that Ravidas, the so-called low caste Chamar, a tanner, discarded by the so-called high class Brahmins, has not only been honoured by the fifth Guru Arjun Dev, by including his hymns in the holy Sikh Scripture, but he is often quoted by the Sikh scholars to describe an ideal Sikh society. In the Vars of two Bards, Sata and Balwand, there is a reference to `Nanakraj� wherein Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the Sikh religion and social order, has established a society based on sound foundations of truth: `Nanak Raj Chalaya, Sach Kot Satani Nivde�. (Nanak established the Lord�s empire and laid a strong foundation of the fortress of Truth).

At the time when the world is experiencing unprecedented challenges as a result of collapse of established orders and people are going away from their traditional model of progress based upon compassion for fellow beings, we would do well to debate if we could offer an alternative model of progress where all the children of God can equally partake His grace irrespective of their race and religious affiliations. Conflicts are caused not by religions but by those using religion to further their economic and political agenda. Learning from the medieval Indian experience of transcending religious boundaries we need to shift the paradigm from religiousity to spirituality. All religions whether in East or in West need self-introspection and reform to meet the growing challenges of modern times. Let me end this on the altruistic note from the daily Sikh prayer:

Nanak Nam Charddi Kala tere Bhane Sarbatt ka Bhala

Thy Name, Thy Glory, be forever triumphant, Nanak, and in Thy Will, may peace and prosperity come to one and all.