(This message was given by Dr (Mrs.) B.K.Sohi at”Gurmat Camp” held at Singh Sabha Gurudwara Winnipeg Canada on 7/24/91).
I feel honored to meet you as you are going to be the messengers of a great philosophy. A philosophy which took two centuries to mature and is most appropriate for deriving strength to struggle with the problematic situations and withstand against the onslaught of tension of a fast and tough life of the modern era. What is that philosophy?
Once Dr.Radha Krishnan ex-president of India was in Russia. He was asked how would you solve problems of your country with a multi-religious and multi-cultural background? He replied “the way Guru Gobind Sigh did’.
So today my message to you is the great Guru Gobind Singh’s philosophy in a nutshell A philosophy from which noble laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore drew his inspiration. What is that philosophy? Within forty two years of a stormy live Guru Gobind Singh’s literary philosophical and military genius worked wonders and established a philosophy of life war and peace. The proper study and application of which alone can teach our troubled world the art of creating unity in diversity and establishing peace through preparedness and tolerance and building a human society able to understand its past and present through the eternal values of truth freedom and justice.
Guru Gobind Singh (tenth Nanak) was a warrior saint and converted his followers into a nation of “Saint Soldiers”. The fate of future civilizations is not in the hands of mighty man but in the hands of morally and spiritually awakened nations.
God has reflected whole cosmos in the human body and incorporated in it the Divine Spirit. Human beings have to seek within to find it. This requires peaceful meditation in a conducive environment. Such an environment can be maintained by keeping the intruders at bay may be with physical force. Hence both these functions were made a conjoint responsibility of one individual thus laying the foundations of a complete and self-sufficient personality. A personality capable of 1) moral awakening & 2) physically providing a conducive environment for this venture.
Paradoxically enough image of Guru Gobind Singh is projected by some as a segregator for creating a Sect. But he was the one who vehemently emphasized the equality of all human beings irrespective of caste creed nationality color and sex The founder of the Sikh faith Guru Nanak Dev postulated common source of origin of humanity and the universe.
First there was Divine Light
Nature produced the whole human race
From one Light is created the universe
Who is good? Who is bad?
Obviously differences are invented by human beings themselves.
Guru Gobind Singh further clarified this concept in “Akal Ustat” (praise of God) which is a portion of the poem titled “Bachitar Natak” (Wonderful drama) composed by him. A comprehensive account of this “unity concept” is given in the poem mentioned above which mentions the geographical distribution and ethnic names simultaneously highlighting the common bond between them and the same thread running through all to make a garland of different flowers.
A few examples are as followers:
Some are Hindu some Turk
Priest and Mulla consider human race as one.
He is the creator he is the provider and merciful
There is no other secret don’t be mislead by illusions.
One God is every one’s. Only one image one light.
Temple and mosque are for Him
So is Puja and nemaz
Different effects on one human race
Various deities of Hindus
Muslim mode of worship
are influence of different countries
and their mode of living
Thus making it clear that the ultimate aim of humanity and creatures is to communicate with and understand their Creator. Only modes of achieving this are different. He further elucidates the point by giving examples of geographical influences on the urge to communicate with the Creator in the following lines:
Those living in the East the Himalayas think of you
fair complexioned English sing thy praise Yatis yogis and many more perform penance
The Arabs of Arabia recite your name
The French of France believe in You
The Westerners of West recognize You
The Marathas the Maghela worship You ardently
The Telangis also have place of worship.
The Bengalis of Bengal the Ferangis of Ferang.
The Delhiwalas of Delhi obey You
The Rohelas and Maghela warriors the Bundhelas
also differentiate between virtue and sin.
The Gurkhas praise they creation China and
Manchuria bow to thee
The Tibetans too meditate.
Painful experiences spare no human body
All those who meditate on you
attain full glory are blessed with
material comforts and flourish.
Another strong living proof of similarity is the human body itself. Guru Gobind Singh had knowledge of this aspect of creation too. Thus he depicts the structure of this wonder machine the human body in the following stanza:
Similar eyes ears body and power of speech a combination of earth air fire and water. Allah Ishwar Puran and Koran are the same. All human beings are made in one image with one construction.
Sikh scriptures mention existence of 8.4 million “junees”. In other words species of living beings. Human race is one of these species. Science acknowledges this fact. These species are brought into existence and sustained by the Creator and then there is final disposal.
Guru Gobind Singh’s concept of the universe goes further he propounds that not only the living beings but elements and matter also have common source of origin and same abode for the final disposal. This postulate is under study by modem Scientists all over the world. Dr. Raymond Moody Jr and other researchers on NDE”s (Near Death Experience) in America have — proved it by recording statements of NDE’ers (Near Death Experiences)
Guru Gobind Singh gives vivid and lovely description of the “unity concept” (i.e. common origin and end of matter in the universe) in metaphor in the following lines:
The way one spark lights many fires
individual flames leap up separately
then sink back into the original fire.
The way one particle of dust raises a dust
storm
then different particles settle and
merge into the one basic dust.
The way numerous waves arise from a river
waves of the water will be called water only
The same way from the Universal Creator
all elements of creation are generated
emerge from Him and are engulfed by
Him.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 13, 1991
