By Lt.Col. Gulcharan Singh
Guru Nanak preached that everyone must work and earn his living by fair and honest means and lovingly share the fruits of his labor with fellow beings. The religion, which Guru Nanak gave mankind, is practical way of life.
Guru Nanak Dey ji traveled in all the directions and visited a number of countries to preach his gospel. Finally, he founded a village call Kartarpur (on the western bank of the Ravi river and settled down there. He discarded the fairy dress, donned clothes of a worldly man and gave a practical form to Nam Japna, Kirt Kara and Wand Chhakna.
The period of early mornings was devoted to Nam Japna i.e. remembering the name of almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all that it contains and thanking him for His benefactions. In the evenings time, time was devoted to the same end. He conducted a simple life as for his residence, he had an ordinary house to live in. He did not go for beautiful mansions for himself or even in the name of God, which he could have had just for asking. He did not create funds, but worked in the fields daily, and whatever was produced from there was used in the GUru’s langara novel way of making the people feel that they were equals, that there was no difference between one human being and another, that there was no high or low among them. Guru Nanak, thus believed in “eating” the fruits of one’s labor which he considered to be the best course. Also, he shared the fruits of his labor with others Guru-da-langar is enough testimony of it.
How far we follow the Guru’s teaching in leading the worldly life today? An ordinary Sikh, perhaps, is nearer to the Gurv’s teachings, but as for the welltodo Sikhs and most of the Sanats, there is a great difference between their words and their deeds. Let us take the case of Nam Japna, this they perhaps do. The next point is Kirt Karna. Here one has to probe into the matter to find ‘out how many of the Sikh saints carry out any labor to earn their living. What do they do for their livelihood? As for me I have yet to come across ant who really believes in, or tries to obtain his livelihood through personal labor. They all live on donations, i.e. they depend upon the earnings of the others. They fleece their devotees and lead them up the garden path they promise the simple, innocent people better life in the next world after their death, if they donated money and articles here, now, in this life. But they never let them live a nice life in this world. They make the life of these people miserable.
Through donations, these saints accumulate huge sums of money, build for themselves beautiful and large mansions, and really live in style. Not only they, but their progeny, their near relatives and friends also have a good time. Their children have sumptuous bank balances and they indulge in unsocial activities, whereas Guru Nanak discarded his sons and choose Lehna as his successor. But these days the Gaddis, like thrones in the past, have become hereditary.
The Sikh way of living advocates that one should earn his living by himself and through fair means. And what is shared out of this (personal earnings) only amounts to wand chhakna, and not the langars run with the help of the others’ earnings only. Bahi Gurdas writes:
“He who earns his living by the sweat of his brow and serves others understand the special significance of Gum’s word.” (Var 28.6)
He further says: “Just as Hindus by tradition shun beef.
The Muslims think it unlawful to take pork and interest on the loans.
A father in law regards a drink of water from his soninlaws’s house as sinful as taking of wine.
Even extreme adversity a sweeper will not eat a hare.
Similarly unlawful is living on offerings in a temple.
They are sugarcoated poison” (Var 32.12)
According to Bhai Desa Singh’s Rehatnama, Guru Gobind Singh, in the code of Discipline had emphasized that
“A Sikh who observes discipline should earn his living by lawful means.”
He should minister to the needs of his household from such earning, and even by mistake should not accept offerings.”
These Sants use Puja money whereas Guru Gobind Singh had admonished against such an action. Bahi Desa Singh further writes:
“Do not look at offerings in a temple.
“The Guru has described it as the worst sin.”
Bahi Nand Lai (Tamjha Nama) writes that Guru Gobind Singh has advised Nand Lal not to “trust him who does not donate one tenth of his income and eats what he earns by “falsehood”. Where do these Sants stand then? How can they offer on tenth of their earning when they don earn anything? How can such persons be trusted? They really are a burden on society.
Guru Nanak traveled during day and night, went through dangerous jungles, over deserts and mountains, he was not afraid of Kaudhas, etc. Wherever possible he traveled on foot; he did not use any of the various means of transport then available, except for his journey to Arabia when he made use of a ship. On the other hand, the sants of today can never think of traveling on foot. Some of them possess imported cars!
Guru Nanak wherever he went he stayed in the open or with the poor elements of society, and often slept on the ground. On the other hand, the sants of today, who pretend to follow Guru Nanak, visit only the rich who can make their stay comfortable place cars at their disposal and donate large sum of money. They don beautiful clothes, flowing chugs made out of modern expensive linen. Their visits are mostly restricted to cities. It must be an odds ant who visits the Sikhs living in villages, or the poor Sikhs who need their services more. To digress here, even our Kathakars and Kirtanias restrict their movements to cities and the rich, they also avoid rural areas. Money is such an attraction.
Many sants feel pleasure in getting huge Gurdwaras constructed. Construction of Gurdwaras is no social service. On the other hand, many antisocial activities take place at these place. Gurdwaras are not more the abodes of Guru; these have become the property of this/that person or organization; and Sikhs fight to take Control of these abodes of Guru, for Seval! In reality they want to fulfill their personal ego and play with the huge sums coming there as offerings. I have yet to see these sevadars offering their services to a financially poor Gurdwara! These sants forget that their real job is to Spread Sikhism, to keep Sikhs on the correct path. But, unfortunately their attention is hardly diverted in this direction, Opposed to this, they lead the Sikhs on wrong paths and create superstitions in their minds, [remember over hearing a sant talking to his devotees, one day about the Sharadh ceremony in respect of his predecessor. Perhaps he had forgotten what Guru Nanak preached at Hardwar and at Gaya. There was another Sant who advised one of his devotees, who had arranged the mar riage of his two daughters on the same day, against the performance of their Anand Karaj ceremony at the same place.
The devotees followed the advice and during the Process one of the marriage parties (barat) lost all the jewelry they had brought for the bride and handed to the girl’s parents. I wonder why this sant could not foresee this and caution his devotees to be care full I don’t think such Sants advise their devotees against Pathnam ian (usurping of the things kept under their safe custody), because they themselves are prone to these maladies. Such Sants create superstitions in the minds of their devotees. They are incapable of giving correct lead as they are like “andhaagoo” (blind leader). Yet the people, even the so called “parha likhas” (educated ones) flock to these Sants, and still proclaim they have faith in Guru Granth Sahib. Travel in two boats is dangerous.
Most of the Sants and Sadhus today are bogus; they live an unsocial life; have no love for humanity the creation of God in whose name they pretend to do everything. They do not like to sit in the Pangat and eat, they are served specially prepared meals in a special atmosphere, Feeding of deers and other animals when’ humans are dying of starvation does not speak of their love for humanity. Guru Nanak during his visit to the mountains had told such people (the Yogis) that they were of no use to the society.
The Saints of today are mostly illiterate or uneducated according to the ancient prejudice that holiness accords ill with worldly learning and scholastic education. As a consequence, this class of sants among Sikhs is more conspicuous fraud and chicanery than piety and capacity to guide individuals and direct the society towards ethical goals. They even indulge in politics. How can santship and politics go hand in hand. But masses being ignorant become targets of these people who have their respective spheres of influence duly demarcated, by consensus.
I am not trying to belittle the institution of sainthood. My aim is only to caution the innocent people against the imposters, who are not real sants but, who , under the garb of a sant indulge in nefarious activities bootlegging, smuggling, rape, control gambling dens. By putting on the dress of a sant one does not become a sant. Bhagat Kabir, in Rag Asa Says: “Gaj Sadhe Tai Tai Dhotian Tehre paon Tag, Gali Jinan Japmalian Lote Hath Nibag, Oe Har ke Sant Na Akhiai Banaras ke Thug”. (Those who use long dhotis, wear threethreaded Janeu, have malas around their necks and bright lotasin hand, are not God’s sants but are thugs of Banaras).
Then who is a real Sant? Bhai Kahan Singh has defined a Sant who has reached perfection (Mahan Kosh). Bhagat Ravi Dass states that a true Sant is a person who does not get himself entangled with worldly objects, does not care for pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, takes delight in obtaining shelter in His name. And a person who gives up pride, is without hate, cares more for the comforts of others, and is soft spoken, be called a Sadhu. A true Sadhu always utters His name and sacrifices his all for the sake of Name.”
I have a great regard for a true and genuine Sant, as in his company one’s countenance is brightened (sakh ke sang mukh ujal hot). But the company of such a sant is obtained through good luck only. (sant ka sang wadb hagi pai.).
Article extracted from this publication >> November 17, 1989
