By Kulmeet Singh

An alarm blares at six o’clock on Monday morning. After a quick dup of caffeine rich tea John Doe singh’s day gets going. Between is taking a shower and pulling his 1s On, Singh mutters all of Jap , a prayer that took Guru Nanak a lifetime to compose. Singh is on Toad at 7:30 for his fifty mile drive to work, On the way he listens to gurbaani keeran, but his thoughts are on what he must get ne at work during the day, After slogging through a ten hour day he Starts the trip back home. He tums. On a tape of Rehraas on the way k, but does not have the energy focus on its message. The mundane chores of a householder take Up most of the evening, and after a Little TV, some news and dinner, Singh is ready to turn in Just as he tums the covers of his bed, Singh fealizes that it is his tum to do Sukhasan. In his prayer room he loses the Guru Granth Sahib and fatalistically mumbles the beautiful words of Keertan Sohila, and his day comes to an end. Singh is good person who works hard, lose his prayers, and fulfills his responsibilities to his family, but he has no time for Waheguru or Simran— the true message of Sikhism.

if readers are honest with themselves most will admit (as docs the author of this article) to themselves that in our attitude towards Waheguru we are more like John Singh than like our father, Guru Gobind Singh. We just don’t have the time to listen to Guru Gobind Singh, and therein lies the Bane of the Sikh panth, Seldom do We take time to reflect upon our fives, contemplate our relationship with our Guru and affirm our commitment to the pants. With the grace of the Guru, However: in March of this year that it’s exactly what a group of thirty five sikhs did by participating in an adult gunrmat camp near Chicago. On March 18 and 19, Bhai Gurdarshan Singh from Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in Maryland, Bhai Mohinder Singh from Sikh Religious Society in Chicago, Jasbir Singh from the Lohgarh Retreat in Pennsylvania, Kulmeet Singh Chicago, and Kamal Neil

Singh from Ohio organized a two day retreat that included keertan. Lectures and discussions on Gurmat and interactive workshops designed to motivate introspection.

In an attempt to assemble a serious group of participants, the or ganizers chose to start the camp on a Friday (March 18), and thus require those interested to take a day off from work. People take days Off all the time to have fun, attend Obligatory family functions, or to visit the doctor, The camp organizers felt, therefore, that a day to reflect upon the inner self, which Gunu Nanak calls “the spark of the etemal Light,” to learn more about their faith and (o share some time with their real family, the Guru Panth, would not be too much to ask.

Aside from taking Friday off from work, the campers were asked to be at the camp, which was held at a Holiday Inn in a Chicago suburb, by six in the morning. Both days of the camp started with nitnnem (Jap Jaap and Saveeye), simran, and keertan of a shabad that was chosen as the theme of the camp. The organizers chose the thirty fifth stanza of Anand Sahib as the focus of the camp: Ayh sir-eera may rea is jug mayh aaykai kya tudh kurn kumaayas, Ki karm kumaaya tudh sircera jan thoon jug mayh aaya Jin har tera rachan rachia so har mun na vusaaya Gurparsaadi har man vasiya, poorab likhiya paaya Kahe Nanak, ch sireer parvann hoa, jin satgur so chit laya.

Considering the camp’s objective of getting the adults to take an honest look at themselves, this shabad of the third Nanak was most appropriate. On the first day after nitnem, Bhai Mohinder Singh performed keerian of this shabad, translated it, and then asked the participants to silent lyre reflect on its message. Bhai Gurdarshan Singh then asked each participant to write down his or her life’s top ten priorities. The question that the campers were being forced to ask themselves was what priority do they ascribe to “Jin har tera rachanrachia,” Interestingly the organizers did not ask to scc anyone’s list of priorities. The point of the workshop was introspection, Campers had to be honest to themselves, and determine how important their Guru is to them. Their answer to this question and the priority they ascribed to Waheguru was between them and the Guru, and none of the camp organizers’ business.

Every session during the next two days of the camp was based on the shabad from Anand Sahib, which was collectively performed numerous times during the camp. The sessions on the first day focused on the individual’s relationship with the Guru, which Bhai Gurdarshan Singh outlined in his talk” The Purpose of Life According to Gurbaani.” His insightful lecture was prepared after a close reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib through a Sehaj path he completed before the camp, and it set the stage for the discussions on Gunu and Sikh. Jasbir Singh, conducted an interactive discussion entitled “Sikhism as a Religion,” which was peppered with probing questions, and carefully prepared slides. This session encouraged participants to share their ideas on basic questions like what is religion?’, ‘Who is God?” and ‘What is Waheguru?’ The afternoon discussion, moderated by Bhai Gurdarshan Singh, then focused on the need of a Guru and the definition of Guru in Sikhism. All the lectures and discussions were followed by workshops and sessions of keertan of shabads relevant to the topics discussed. Participants were asked to silently reflect for five minutes on the Keertan and the subject discussed. The workshops were designed to make the camp experience interactive, because true comprehension comes from personal experience A Sikh who discerns some aspect of gurbaani by making 2 personal effort is more likely to in gorporate that aspect of gurmat into his or her life, than if that Sikh receives the same wisdom from someone else. One of the workshops asked the camp participants to work in small groups to answer the questions ‘Why do we need a Guru?’ and ‘Who is our Guru?” Anostensibly simple question elicited diverse answers. Jasbir Singh concluded the workshop by articulating the consensus that a Guru is guide, and since we have many guides in life, like our mother, our school teacher or even our boss, one might argue we have several gums over our lifetime, But to find a guide for our life, the guide who shows us the path to Waheguru, we as Sikhs have to offer our head to the Guru Panth and the Guru Granth, a combination that serves as the ultimate Guru and final guide for the Sikhs.

 While the first day focused on the individual, the second day of the camp addressed issues facing the panth, although the organizers did not want to ignore the political crisis facing the panth, they Chose to avoid the traditional way of dealing with the issue, which normally involves hyperbole and emotionally charged speeches. So the day began not with a discussion on Khalistan or Punjab, but ‘on the state of our children who would eventually inherit tree Sikh state, Jasbir Singh and Kamal Neil Singh presented a disconcerting state of Sikh youth that shook up all the panici pants of the camp. Drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, suicide and depression were only some of the issues facing our youngsters that were presented through actual case studies. As KamalNeil related some actual cases, the horror of some the parents in the camp found expression in quiet sobs. And this was only a discussion of Sikh youth in North America. The camp organizers did not even address the state of Sikh youth in Punjab, which is just as critical.

A recent statistic from Punjab tells of 700 young Sikh boys that have cut their hair in the last few

months in Amritsar alone, The camp organizers, however, had no intention of spreading pessimism and dhendhi kala. So a discussion of what can be done to remedy the situation followed Kamal Nei and Jasbir’s presentation of the grave state of Sikh youth. Jasbir Singh, in a more optimistic presentation that was articulate, insightful, and even funny, proceeded to outline a proactive agenda for reform, though he suggested a variety of ideas, his greatest emphasis was that each adult must take personal responsibility for reform. “Don’t expect someone else to start doing something, and don’t proclaim what should be done. Tell me what will you do,” asked Jasbir Singh. His apprehension that members of the Sikh community like talking about what should happen and prefer criticizing what someone else is doing, as opposed to getting involved themselves was echoed by KamalNeil, Kulmect and Bhai Gurdarshan Singh. As an example of a personal effort that each of the camp participants could make, Kamal Neil suggested that all parents stop gossiping at home about their friends and other members of their local sangat, He pointed out that an all too common phenomenon in the Sikh community is that on Sunday after expressing affection for other members of the sangat during langar, on the way home the typical Sikh parents start ethicizing and mocking the very same members of the sangar. Children notice such hypocrisy, and consequently develop skeptical attitudes towards the Sikh faith, which their parents claim to profess, Aside from suggestions of personal character development, Jasbir Singh also suggested ideas like developing crises hotlines to deal with depression and suicidal tendencies among our youth, establishing a Sikh Heritage Corps (akin to the Peace Corps) and a slew of other ideas that cannot be done justice in this article. ‘The evening session of the second day was dedicated to the Rehat Maryada, the definition of Amrit and Khandedeepahul, In a session that became contentious at times, Kulmeet Singh presented the Panthic Rehat Maryada published by the SGPC and affirmed by the Akal Takht. Some participants felt uncomfortable with some facets of the Rehat because it challenged their own understanding of Sikhism, Kulmeet pointed out that ‘one reason for the unfortunate state of the Sikh community is that individual’s place their own understanding of Sikhism over that of the Guru Khalsa Panth.

Following the discussion on Rehat Bhai Gurdarshan Singh discussed the meaning of Amrit. Many camp participants were confused about the difference between the Amrit that Guru Nanak mentions in his baani and the Amrit that he administered in his tenth form on March 30, 1699. Bhai Gurdarshan Singh suggested that there are two kinds of am it Nam amrit and the amrit administered during the Khande-dee-pahul ceremony. But Nam amrit and the amrit from Khande-dee-pahul are inextricably tied together. Without taking Khandee-dee-pahul a person has not accepted the Guru, and without a Gur one cannot experience Nam. /n this excellent presentation the participants realized that the concept of Nam that fills the pages of the Guru Granth Sahib can be experienced during this lifetime, but only if one submits to the Guru by taking Khandedeepahul to gain admission to the school of Guru Nanak. After taking, Khandedeepahu! the learning begins that involves living one’s life according to the Guru Granth Sahib, and this eventually leads to experiencing Nam amrit. This session concluded with a thought provoking workshop conducted by Jasbir Singh that some participants found very moving. ‘The camp concluded on Sunday, March 19 in the Chicago gurdwara, where a new format for the Sunday diwan was presented by Jasbir Singh and Bhai Gurdarshan Singh, Instead of random shabads being performed, three carefully selected and well-rehearsed shabads were performed. All the shabads related to 4 specific topic Gyan, Each of the three shabads was followed by viyakhya, and a minute of complete silence. The period of silence was well received, as sangat members felt that it gave them time to reflect upon the shabad, Generally we avoid silence, and prefers meson of constant around us, lvis not unusual to see a TV or radio playing even though: no one is listening, In gurdwara also we are used to hearing constant words whether or not we understand them, A few moments of silence was such a change that some people became restless. Even: though they appreciated the Silence, they could not deal with it for too long, and interestingly the longest span of silence was 45, seconds.

After diwan the four organizers then held a two hour session on Punjab. During this session camp participants learned of facts about the Punjab situation that most had never heard before, One of the” participants remarked that he did” not realize that Jarnail Singh” Bhindranwala was a deeply religious and spiritual man, Like most” Sikhs the participants of the camp” too had been victims of Indian government propaganda. During the session on Punjab the organizers of the camp not only related the: Sikh side of the story, but also told, of our failures as a Community’s; ‘The session concluded with the consensus that for Sikhs to achieve independence they must first accept Khandedeepahul and live their lives according to the Guru Granth Sahib.

After the camp the organizers asked for honest feedback. At the end of camp all participants were given an opportunity to speak their mind, All participants found the experience enriching. Most felt that the camp was a little too rigorous in terms of its length, though there were some who have like a longer camp some felt that a location in the woods would have been better. One universal comment was that there should be more such Camps where adults are Compelled to think about their faith and) wrestle with their self (man), the reaction from the organizers about holding more camps was positive,’ but with a significant caveat. Before agreeing to share his experience at the camp, Jasbir Singh had commented, “I am all seminared out. I keep going to seminars where the participants talk big, yet as soon as the seminar overshares rarely ever any action.” So the: Organizers of the Chicago camp felt that subsequent camps will depend on the results of the participants, Fortunately some of the participants of the camp have demonstrated their seriousness. On Baisakhi five individuals who attended the camp embraced the path of the Guns and accepted Khandedeepahul, With the grace of the Guru this group of thirty five Sikhs from Chicago will fill the objective of the Sikh way—Jin Satgur Syo Chit Laya.

For more information about adult gurmat camps, call Kulmeet Singh ‘at 7086321880.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 30, 1994