My whole life, I was born and raised in an American influenced society with certain values and principles. Towering amongst these principles were equality and freedom. In this festive season, I sit down and ask myself… “What does Vaisakhi mean to me?” have not been ‘raised under a tyrant, nor been forced to conversion of my beliefs. I have ‘not personally witnessed massacre nor humiliation; but what strikes me is many people and nations are subjected to this and live in a domineered society.
A prime example of this was the people under the reign of Aurangzeb, three centuries ago, To wipe out his sins, he forcibly ‘pursued the lower caste Hindus to conversion of castes just to please the Muslims. This religious intolerance caused great displeasure amongst the Hindus all over India. The caste system was a downfall in this society, emerging as a brave warrior and social reformer, Guru Gobind Singh IST himself to the task of creating equal lass out of hopeless confusion and helplessness that reigned supreme at the time.
Guru Ji, with great spiritual radiance, called together a great diwan ‘at Anandpur the day before Vaisakhi. People of all castes and stations gathered together: Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, women and children and men. All anxious eyes were fixed on a pitched tent, with shut doors where Guru JI came out with sword shining in the sun, blood shot eyes and stern countenance. He retold old stories of tyranny, executions and UN bold faith He stated it was not time to choose between life and in subjection or death in sacrifice. Ina thundering tone he pronounced, “is there anyone present here who would offer his head to this sword for a great religious cause? All fell in silence, and the Guru Ji repeated his demand. “Is there anyone who would offer his head on my sword for a great religous cause?” At this time, a stirring was seen within the sangat ‘and the crowds parted to allow the passage of a man walking forward, ‘saying in a low voice, “Oh true King, my head to your sacrifice.” Who was this man? There stood proud Daya Ram, a khatri of Lahore, The Guru Ji took him into the tent and came out with a red, blood dripping sword The crowd was pale and speechless, as a hush fell on the multitude, Many slinked away as they felt their Guru Ji had gone crazy. But the Guru Jt carried out this same process with four other brave souls, who pronounced their faith in the Guru. These men were as follows: Dharam Das, a Jat of Delhi: Mohkam Chand, a washer man of Dwarka; Sahib Chand, a barber of Bidder; and Himat Rai, a cook and water carrier of Jagannath.
In each case the eyes of the master and the disciple sternly met, as the disciple trusted the master with powers of life and death. Such a glance must have passed between Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper, when he old them ‘this bread is my body, this wine is my blood. Eat and drink this in remembrance of me.” Such a glance must have passed between Abraham and his son Isaac, as Abraham lifted the sacrificial dagger to carry out the Lords command in an ultimate test of will and sacrifice. Krishna and Arjun also shared such a glance when the disciple Arjun fearlessly drove the chariot in the battle for righteousness ‘and faith by the urgings of Krishna.
The importance of this event to me is the complete devotion between leader and follower with undivided allegiance and unflinching faith. The teachings of the Sikh Gurus were to be ready to face any danger, undergo the hardships we are faced with in life and endure tortures and tribulations in defense of our faith. These five men proved the west of ‘faith and extreme devotion: an active faith we should all possess in times of adversity
(On the first day of Vaisakhi the young guru assembled his Panj Payare ‘as members of a fighting fraternity which he named the Khalsa, or the Pure. He made his five beloved, who all came from various Hindu castes, drink Amrit out of a common bowl. His wife put path say in the water, which has its own symbolic meaning. Though the water provided determination and bravery, the sugar added the devotion and sweetness ‘needed. Making people drink “Amrit” from a common bowl was to break the orthodox Hindu practice of regarding food and drink touched ‘by a person of a lower caste (untouchable) as polluted. He gave them the new surname “Singh” to be attached to their first name, the bestowing of this name on all men was a step in the same direction. A person’s caste could be found from his surname, with a standard surname the Sikhs could become one family. Sikh women were similarly given the common suffix “Kaur”.
This was a step towards an important value we should all possess; and that is equality. Vaisakhi installed values of active faith for problems this world faces. With active faith, we can fight for the victory of democracy against tyranny, This same faith shown by these five brave ‘men can be used as a precedence as to what we can accomplish when we $et our minds lo it After all, would Lithuania be savoring the flavor of democracy if the people did not pronounce their active faith for their cause? Would the Berlin Wall have been demolished if the people did ‘not express faith for a democratic government? What about Lec Velunza in Poland or Nelson Mandela in South Africa? Or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s faithful fight for freedom and equality? The Guru Jt 701 only shows that we need faith, but also, that we should fight our hardest for our cause. This shows what individuals can do against ‘oppression something Guru Gobind Singh Ji demonstrated 300 years ago.
Nowhere in the history of any religion ls there an example of the master becoming the disciple. Democracy in politics is a recent development much less anywhere in any religion. Here too, the Guru’s contribution to human dignity is invaluable we do not know of Vaisakhi importance as the birth of the Khalsa, but we overlook the factthatitisa spiritual rebirth, and it installs and relates many values 10 our lives. Its universal values of active faith, devotion, equality and ‘tolerance can be set as a presedence for people all over the world. All these values give meaning to my life and help me in many ways.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 27, 1990
