Sikhs must cease to think of their faith as “just another good religion” and must begin to think in terms of Sikhism being the only religion of this New Age.
This apt description of Sikhism and the main misunderstanding ‘occupying the minds of the current generation of the Sikhs has been mentioned by Bradshaw. Instead of presenting Sikhism as a religion ‘which justifies human rights and teaches their protection at all costs, it is wrongly preached to be another communal faith. The life histories of the Gurus and Hymns of the Holy Granth emphatically tell us that Sikhism is not a conventional faith. Sikhism is a religion out-lining a way of life (not just a bundle of rituals and dogmatic beliefs) adoptable by every human being. A Silt is required to live as a human being, i. e love and cooperate with all other persons (not just those of his own faith). He is to struggle for restoring the human rights of the people if a ruler, a corrupt official or any other powerful man tries to take these rights away on a political reason. He also challenges the authority of a “prophet” or a religion to take away human rights in the name of God. The Gurus not only preached it and demonstrated it but they practiced it even if it meant offering of their lives for protecting ‘human rights. A conventional faith teaches his followers that their prophet is the only “saviour” who was sent to the earth by God. The prophet is described as “The only Son of God”, “only Messenger of God”, or the “God incarnate”. The followers are told that only those will be saved who have faith in their “Saviour”. Two special “places” have been assumed to exist beyond this earth but no faith has ever described where. One is heaven, where people after death are said to get every comfort and pleasure, they can think of. The second is hell where all sorts of tortures and. punishments are given to the bad souls. Itis like burning them in the fire there. Those who believe in their prophet are said to be assured. of a comfortable place in the Heaven after they leave this world. The prophet is described second only to God and he recommends his believers to be accommodated suitably in the heaven depending upon the depth of their belief, Nonbelievers in the prophet are not allowed to enter heaven but instead are thrown in the hell to be teased and tortured by the devil (satan).
Muslims preach that only true believers in Islam and Prophet Mohammed will go to heaven (Bahisht),
. All nonbelievers (Hindus and other non-Muslims) will go to hell (Dozakh). Similarly Hindus believe and preach that only they are entitled for heaven (Swarag as they call it), while others along with wicked people and low caste persons (untouchables) will be thrown in hell (Nark), Similar belief is held by Christians who say that only true Christians can go to heaven, others (who do not believe in Christ) will go to hell after death.
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, blasted all these wrong beliefs. First, he dented the existence of the two special places called heaven and hell. Secondly, he told that no prophet can help his followers after their death and neither he can protect them from being punished for their bad deeds committed before their death. We, whatever our faith, shall have to reap what we sow. The religiousness of a person depends upon sincerity and honesty observed towards Him and His people and not by the name of the faith in which one believes.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 7, 1986