A creative journey into Sikhi

The arts provide an opportunity to express the mind’s inner longing and life in it’s true form in a visual platform which can be shared. My art work as a student and currently reflect the stages of my own growth both spiritually and evolutionally of thought process throughout life. My art begins with sketches of family and then ends with working with sangat working together to magnify the glory of our living Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This evolution of spiritual growth is personal and reflected in my art.

Family

One of my very first sketch was of my older four sisters when I was 15 years old. I drew this sketch when they all got married and left me alone. They had cared for me and helped to bring me up. We all had a very close and cosy relationship. The picture below of my sisters, is more of a reminder of them being together with me. It was my little creation as a child of the four women who shaped my future in many ways.

Studying the Arts

I loved studying the arts, the beauty of the written word. I moved to sixth form college and met new friends and went to a new school. Amongst the mayhem of college, for me poetry provided an expression of truth that was lacking everywhere. I began my longing and search for truth in poetry. I came across the ‘Jap Ji’ when I read the ‘Jap Ji’ by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I was overwhelmed by it’s beauty, power and simple expressions of containing universal truth.

Thus began my journey into Sikhi. I drew a painting of Guru Nanak Dev Ji when I was 18 years old. The painting was from Shohba Singh’s painting it was for me a pillar of strength and connection with the universal truth. It provided me with the strength to deal with challenges of life. University friendships were easy and simple and still exist in the form of strong bondage that can never be broken.

Life Takes Over

I got married, had a family, worked hard in my career in high profile roles. There came a time when I was working hard, running a family and had no time for myself, years had a gone by and I was nothing more than a machine . I felt the need to connect once more with the universe. I took a break of 4 weeks to learn yoga in New Mexico. I felt all my being had been cleansed. I experienced amazing beauty in the desert, my eyes where opened to the real world. I was not just another clog wheeling the system of contradictory ideologies. I had the opportunity to be separate from this and teach people how to be more relaxed . Never had I been in this position before and I liked myself far more. In New Mexico it was the first time I had experienced doing Jap Ji at Amrit Vela. The first time I saw the beauty of the night time stars, the brilliance array of stars in the clear skies is one of the most beautiful experiences ever. The creator creating the most beautiful scenery in existence. Guru Nank Dev ji in ‘Kirtan Sohila’ cites the entire universe including the stars as working in harmony in the praise of its creator.

‘The sky is the salver; the sun and the moon the lamps; the stars, with their orbs, are the studded pearls’

Coming back I cared for newborn, dying relative and young son and was made redundant. When existing doors close, others open, I began stone carving.

Stone Carving Yoga Poses.

While my son was a toddler I started carving in stone, each strive with the hammer released all my emotions and made me calmer, it was very thearuptic. I hammered and hammered away for years, slowly creating my yoga poses that will last a lifetime.

Volcanic Glass

However, I was to discover the the hammered into nature was not always what nature wanted. Sometime nature is its own beauty. A yoga student wanted me to carve into volcanic glass a relief of a peacock. However, she could not find the stone, eventually she found the stone, it seemed the stone was hiding. The volcanic glass would have need heavy machinery to cut into the glass as volcanic glass is often used to cut other heavy materials including diamonds. I struggled to cut it, but felt the stone looked more beautiful just as it was, with natural erosions carved into it’s being to show it timeless beauty. The dust of the stone had settled into my lungs and made it difficult for me to breathe. My nurse promptly gave me cocktail of drugs which made me worse. I was not hospitalised but did go to the hospital. The whole time I was totally calm and collective and was dismissed almost dismissed as ‘worried well’ patient. Until they did the tests, it took me a while to recover and when I recovered I thrived. I was fitter and healthier than I had ever been in my life.

Gentle Breathing

I wanted to help others as I knew I was not alone, I was one of the lucky ones that had escaped death, I realised 3 people a day die unnecessarily. I escaped purely because I was totally calm and collective throughout the whole process. I setup breathing courses and compiled an audio to help people breath better.

My calmness was due to my increased prayers and voluntary work I was doing. I was involved in setting up a new Sikh complex, I helped primarily in the kitchens and listened to prayers. It was through this simple process and with a sangat the revered the Guru Granth Sahib has our living Guru that I too saw that our living Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib was the supreme light on earth. I felt inspired to carve God’s name in stone.

Creativity with the Sangat

In addition to this I was active with the sangat and worked with ladies to help them flower arrange in temples. I taught many women flower arranging. However, as an art and art as an reflection of reality of my experience. I felt compelled to share that in this world the creator existed in the words of Guru Granth Sahib. The creator as a healing force as an embodiment of light. The words Guru Ka Shabad Rattan He Heera Ji Jaaro’. This means that Gurus words are like jewels and one should wear them like diamonds. One can create an illusion of beauty with make-up and stone diamonds, but the real beauty within you is one you connect with Gurus shabad and allow the diamond within you to shine. After this there is no need ever to wear artificial jewels because there is no comparison. When I took Amrit I was told sternly never to wear jewellery, I was upset because although I never too interested in jewellery I did enjoy looking at it. But I came to the realisation that the jewels of Guru’s shabad are far greater than any diamonds. They shine with beauty bringing constant joy and happiness with them because within them they contain the creator. This is why we treat the Sri Guru

Granth Sahib as a living Guru.

I felt inspired to create and share that experience. With the sangat, a group of ladies devoted to cleaning and cooking in the Gurdwara, we worked together to design brightly and with tiny little diamonds the words ‘Guru Ka Shabad Rattan Ja Heera Ji Jaaro’ onto glass so that the sangat could see the beauty and jewels of Guru’s Shabad. Some of the diamonds were falling apart and with the help of Ilford Building Supplies, I have been able to redo the glass design this time using stain glass paint that shines even more than tiny diamonds. The glass design could not have been undertaken without the support of Ilford Building supplies who brought the materials, with the ladies of the sangat and the men who agreed to put up the glass design. It was a collective effort in joining and recognising the light in Gurbani. If the Gurdwara is my true home then the sangat is my family who have supported me in the evolution of experience to understand simple Sikh concepts as a reality of being.

The actual glass design is very big and above the Guru Granth Sahib. The new glass is still waiting to be installed into the building.

Sikh art in the community.

I was described as a ‘nobody’ by a Sikh art historian. However a ‘nobody’ can still grasp firmly on the hems of a greater force and claim that they have every right to a freedom of expression to create on a visual form the spiritual experience. Now I view the title of ‘nobody’ as a compliment because when you are a nobody you are also everybody and do not have a label. A nobody can absorb all the forces and become everybody and a nobody at the same time. Just as the carving of the soapstone in mediation.

Another Sikh stone carver refused to work with the Sikh community. He described them as having the ‘mentality of football hooligans’. This may be due to the fact that largely the Sikh community came from farming backgrounds and when subsistence living and survival takes priority, art was a distraction to survival, therefore to be avoided. In addition to this creative expression deviate from the norm and creates its own beauty. In a regimental Sikh conservative culture, art is viewed with caution, because it represents deviation and all deviates are usually violently opposed, until they are finally accepted. However, with growing middle classes and the innate need to connect with a higher truth, young professionals are more open and appreciative of art. While doing all the art work and painting I have been 100% self-financed with no support from anyone, other than my partner who pays for my living expenses. I have not sold any of my art work other than the stone peacock. The support needed to continue ends, for me it is my personal journey and the experience priceless. The joy and pleasure in expressing my spirituality in art has been a privilege.

The journey ends

The journey pauses and ends. I seek no more longing for the universal truth, when I find it in the waves of the sea, the waves do not go up in isolation but in harmony with others, and everything that goes up will come down with in harmony with the other waves. My journey has been a lonely one, as many doors shut on my face I dwell further into seeking solace from the creator. Yoga now consists only of connecting with the wind as it brushes past. The journey of seeking ends with the realization that out of all the places my peace is only in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. There is no more seeking, the expression has unfolded and ends in the written words of Gurbani which is the creator of nature and life itself.

~ By Gurmit Kaur
~ Source: Sikhnet.com

Having conducting these awards for 25 years, England selects a student, who along with education also volunteers for social & community programs.

This is the first time in the history of these awards, a Sikh has been given this prestige. Arpan Kaur, an emerging writer, has won seven times ‘The Best Camper’ in the annual camps conducted. Apart from
these, She raises funds for various charities, playing a special role in Ludhiana district of Punjab village. Charan Kanwal Singh, Sekhon’s father celebrates her victory, adding that the whole of Punjab is proud.

~ Source: Facebook.com

Punjab – the bountiful land of five rivers, stretching across from northeast Pakistan to northwest India has been, for more than two millennia, the home to a historic passageway that now extends itself as the Grand Trunk Road. It was also the gateway through which waves of immigrants,travellers, and invaders entered the subcontinent. As a result, a great deal of cultural diversity marks the road.

The greatest journeys are made on the road: biting dust, breathing local life, revving up the engine and hitting the tarmac. For a driving enthusiast, Punjab is an unparalleled destination and Experience Punjab: On The Road is a veritable guide to anyone who want to traverse the various highways and country-roads that carve the region.

Also, the book shares insights and inputs on driving routes throughout the state, dividing the routes into five districts: Amritsar, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. Additionally, there are practical tips for the readers on how to plan your drive through Punjab, getting your car ready and what to pack.

The guidebook not only covers the regular sightseeing attractions that dot the region: palaces and forts, countless gurudwaras, memorials, and museums, the Golden Temple, and the Attari-Wagah Border. It also takes you to the little known villages on the highway, points at the tiny road-side dhabas serving robust local flavours, and features local art and craft, anecdotes, trivia, and farm stays for the discerning traveller.

Experience Punjab: On The Road uses pictorial style of street photography to capture everyday life and that makes the book a collector’s item.

Main features of the book are:

• Colourful pictures bring alive the essence of the vibrant state. Photo feature on the Golden Temple etc.
• Front Section has detailed information on what to pack, choosing a vehicle, preparing for all eventuality and tips on making a driving trip an enjoyable experience.
• Each drive features a distance/time chart as well as detailed directions to stay on track. It also gives locations of petrol pumps along the route.
• Special Features: The book details some better known and lesser known local festivals and other activities to engage a family including art and craft, music and culture, the distinct cuisine etc.
• There are detailed listings for where to stay and eat all along the route including home stays and farm stays.

~ Source: Times of India

Fremont, CA – Two years ago, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB1964, or the California Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA), into law. AB1964 prohibits religion-based segregation in the workplace and strengthens the legal standard for religious accommodations in favor of employees and job applicants. AB1964, which went into effect in January 2013, provides workers in California the nation’s strongest protections against religious discrimination.

The passage of this bill was a historic win for the civil rights community, and represents one of the most far-reaching victories in the Sikh Coalition’s history.

To celebrate AB1964, the Sikh Coalition is proud to bring you the first of four stories of community members who benefited from the new law. Today, we share the story of Deputy Sheriff Harinder Kaur Khalsa of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in Alameda County, California.

Meet Deputy Sheriff Harinder Kaur Khalsa
Deputy Sheriff Khalsa is the longest-serving turbaned Sikh American in a uniformed law enforcement position in the United States.

Harinder Kaur Khalsa, a former social worker, joined the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in 2004. In 2005, she graduated from the police academy and was hired as a Deputy Sheriff. Deputy Sheriff Khalsa enjoys working with people, using her Punjabi language skills at her job, and de-escalating potentially dangerous situations.

In 2009, Deputy Sheriff Khalsa took Amrit (the Sikh religious initiation) and began wearing a turban. ACSO told her that she could not wear her turban while in uniform. The agency gave her only one option — a non-uniformed desk assignment; in other words, she could not wear her turban while wearing her Deputy Sheriff uniform. At the time, state law in California was not strong enough to protect Deputy Sheriff Khalsa.

She chose to stay with ACSO and wear her turban in a dead-end assignment that segregated her from the public. Three years later, AB1964 became law. The bill strengthened California’s laws against workplace discrimination and explicitly outlawed segregation on the basis of religious dress.

In January 2013, ACSO complied with the requirements of AB1964 and finally allowed Deputy Sheriff Khalsa to wear her turban with her Deputy Sheriff uniform, and made all uniformed assignments available to her.

~ Source: sikhcoalition.org

Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights campaigner, have jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize.

At the age of just 17, Malala is the youngest ever recipient of the prize.

The teenager was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education. She now lives in Birmingham in the UK.

Malala said she was “honoured” to receive the award, saying it made her feel “more powerful and courageous”.

She revealed she found out the news after being called out of her chemistry class at her school in Birmingham.

“I’m really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India,” she said at a news conference, before joking that she couldn’t pronounce Mr Satyarthi’s surname.

The Nobel committee praised the pair’s “struggle against the suppression of children and young people”.

Mr Satyarthi has maintained the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and headed various forms of peaceful protests, “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain,” the committee said at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The 60-year-old founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or the Save the Childhood Movement, which campaigns for child rights and an end to human trafficking.

Reacting to the news, Mr Satyarthi told the BBC: “It’s a great honour for all the Indians, it’s an honour for all those children who have been still living in slavery despite of all the advancement in technology, market and economy.

“And I dedicate this award to all those children in the world.”

‘Heroic struggle’

Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, paid tribute to Malala’s achievements.

“Despite her youth, Malala Yousafzai, has already fought for several years for the right of girls to education and has shown by example that children and young people too can contribute to improving their own situations,” he said.

“This she has done under the most dangerous circumstances. Through her heroic struggle she has become a leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education.”

The committee said it was important that a Muslim and a Hindu, a Pakistani and an Indian, had joined in what it called a common struggle for education and against extremism.

The view from Birmingham: Phil Mackie, BBC News

When she opened the Library of Birmingham last year, Malala Yousafzai charmed the crowd by referring to them as “fellow Brummies”. It was a deft touch from a teenager who many believe is destined for a life in politics either here or in her native Pakistan.

She arrived in the city in horrific circumstances after surviving an assassination attempt and was treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

The expertise gained by medics who are used to patching up wounded troops from conflict zones, meant it was the best place for her treatment.

She remains an outpatient, and today the hospital trust praised her for her “remarkable recovery and fight to lead a full life as a vibrant and spirited teenager”.

This year’s prize is likely to be seen as an uncontroversial choice from a Norwegian Nobel committee which has not shied away from controversy in recent years, says the BBC’s Lars Bevanger in Oslo.

Norway’s relations with China are still suffering after a Chinese dissident won the peace prize in 2010, our correspondent adds.

Malala and Mr Satyarthi will now be invited to attend an award ceremony in Oslo in December to receive a medal and $1.4m (£860,000) pounds in prize money.

‘Pride of Pakistan’

Malala first came to attention in 2009 after she wrote an anonymous diary for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan.

She was shot when gunmen boarded her school bus in the Swat Valley.

She has since recovered from the attack and has remained in the public eye, publishing an autobiography and addressing the UN General Assembly.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Malala Yousafzai, calling her the “pride” of his country.

“Her achievement is unparalleled and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should take the lead from her struggle and commitment,” he said in a statement.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined thousands of Twitter users praising the pair, saying the entire nation was proud of Mr Satyarthi’s “momentous achievement”.

He also congratulated Malala for her “journey of immense grit and courage”.

Malala was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2013, and awarded the EU’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize that year.

She had been hotly tipped to win last year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Her win in 2014 takes the number of women awarded the prize to 16 out of 95.

This year’s record number of 278 Nobel Peace Prize nominees included Pope Francis and Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, although the full list was kept a secret.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta had also been tipped as favourites for the award.

~ Source: http://www.bbc.com/

Fremont, CA – In the second of our four-part series, we bring you the story of Amandeep Singh, a young man who was pivotal inenacting AB1964, or California’s Workplace Religious Freedom Act. In 2012, Police Cadet Amandeep Singh – a resident of Yuba City, CA – testified before the Committee on Labor and Employment at the California State Assembly about his experiences as a Sikh trying to join law enforcement. Cadet Singh had tried joining a police agency for seven years but was not allowed to do so because of his Sikh articles of faith (specifically, his turban and unshorn beard).

Cadet Singh’s compelling testimony was critical in helping to pass AB1964, a law that provides workers in California with the nation’s strongest protections against religious discrimination.

It was only after the passage of AB1964 that Cadet Singh’s desire to start a law enforcement career became a reality. Cadet Singh is currently enrolled at the Yuba College Police Academy and hopes to work as a uniformed police officer when he graduates.

We wish Cadet Singh the best of luck and thank him for all his efforts in helping to enact the very law that protects him today.

– Source: http://sikhcoalition.org/

Kanwal Prakash Singh was among 12 volunteers who were honored by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard with Community Service Awards at the 22nd annual award function at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center on September 22, 2014. Over the past 47 years, KP has greatly contributed to the international landscape, vision, and spirit of Indianapolis and Indiana through his sense of history, artwork, cultural literacy, journalism, and civic engagement.

Before presenting the Award to KP Singh, the official introduction read as “Since his arrival in Indiana 46 years ago, KP Singh has emphasized the importance of learning about other cultures and faiths so that we can become better neighbors and citizens. KP has greatly contributed to the international landscape, vision, and spirit of Indianapolis and Indiana through his sense of history, artwork, cultural literacy, journalism, and civic engagement. In 1972, KP joined a group of enlightened citizens as a co-founder of the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI).

ICI showcases the talents of distinct cultural groups making Indianapolis their home and honors outstanding citizens that symbolize and promote Indiana’s international outreach. KP’s business, KP Singh Designs, reflects his passion and advocacy for preservation of Indiana’s historic architecture through his ink drawings. He also writes about cultural diversity, interfaith issues, community events for numerous online and print publications. KP is truly a citizen of the world, and we are proud that he calls Indianapolis home. Let’s show our appreciation for Mr. Kanwal Prakash Singh.”

KP Singh was nominated for the Mayor’s Community Service Award by Rupal Thanawala, President, Asian American Alliance.

KP received a Bachelor of Arts from Punjab University in 1958 and Bachelor of Architecture (Honors) and Master of Technology (Town and Country Planning) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India in 1963. KP received a Master of City Planning (1966) and is winner of the Daverman Merit Award in Architecture from the University of Michigan. KP is the recipient of Sagamore of the Wabash from the State of Indiana (1994); International Citizen of the Year (1995) and other honors. In April 2014, KP was honored with the prestigious FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Others who were honored with the Mayor Greg Ballard’s Community Service Awards on Monday were Marcia Hoffbauer, Steve Adams, James Jackson, Cindy Maude, Fred and Carina McDowell, Tom Sturm, James E Waters, Andrea S Weiner and Sabrina Young.

– SikhNet.com

Gopeshwar: The sacred portals of Hemkund Sahib – a famous Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas – will be closed Friday for six months due to the onset of winter during which the area remains snowbound and inaccessible.

Preparations for the ceremonial closure of the doors of the revered shrine have been given finishing touches even as hordes of Sikh pilgrims are arriving at Govindghat and Ghanghariya, the two major halts on way to the temple, to participate in the last prayers of the season, Manager of the Gurudwara said.

After offering final prayers for the season the doors of the shrine situated at 16000 ft above sea level will be closed for six months at forenoon tomorrow, he said.

Immediately after the closure of the temple, the Sikh pilgrims will begin retreating to Govinddham.

Areas around Hemkund Sahib have been receiving light snowfall for the past few days but pilgrims are braving the cold to arrive at the shrine in large numbers.

The number of visitors at the shrine have already touched the 1.8 lakh mark this season, he said.

Though the trek route was heavily damaged in last year’s calamity, Hemkund Sahib received more pilgrims this season than the famous Char Dham including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, he said.

Hemkund sahib is situated at a height of 16000 ft near the famous Badrinath temple in the border district of Chamoli.

A distance of 22 km is traversed from Govindghat to reach Hemkund Sahib.

– PTI

Guru Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ) (Friday October 9 1534 – Saturday 16 September 1581) was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on Monday 16 September 1574 following in the footsteps of Guru Amar Das ji. The Guru’s original name was Bhai Jetha. His wife was Bibi Bhani, the younger daughter of Guru Amar Das. They had three sons: Prithi Chand, Mahadev and Guru Arjan.

As a Guru, one of his main contributions to Sikhi was organizing the structure of Sikh society. Additionally, he was the author of Laava, the four hymns of the Sikh Marriage Rites. He was planner and creator of the township of Ramdaspur which became the Sikh holy city of Amritsar. Before Guru Ji died, he nominated his youngest son as the next Guru of the Sikhs – Guru Arjan Dev.

Brief Information

• Birth Place: Chuna Mandi, Lahore, Punjab (Present day Pakistan)
• Father: Haridas Ji
• Mother: Mata Daya ji (also known as Anoop Davi)
• Wife: Mata Bhani Ji
• Daughters: None
• Sons: Baba Prithi Chand ji, Baba Mahadev Ji, Guru Arjan Dev Ji
• Became Guru at age 40 years and had life span of 47 years.
• Gurbani: The Guru contributed a total of 688 Shabads/hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
• The fourth Sikh Guru contributed the following to the people of the world:
• Author of Laava, the hymns of the Marriage Rites
• Designed the Golden Temple
• Planned & created the township of Ramdaspur (later Amritsar)
• Organization Structure of Sikh Society

Early Life

Very little is known about the early years of Bhai Jetha who later became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. Jetha ji was born at Chuna Mandi Bazaar, Lahore at the site of the present shrine on 24 September 1534 where he spent the first seven years of his life. Soon after birth, he was given the name Jetha, meaning the first born.

Jetha’s simple and God-fearing parents, Hari Das and Anup Devi of Lahore were delighted at this precious gift from Waheguru. As he was growing up and in his teens, he could always be found in the company of religious men. When he was of 7 Years his father died so her maternal grandmother took him to Basarke, near Amritsar. Jetha continued to become a handsome young man.

Company of Guru Amar Das

One day Jetha came across a party of Sikhs who were on their way to Goindwal to pay homage to Guru Amar Das. Jetha decided to join them and also travel to Goindwal. Upon their arrival and meeting, Guru Amar Das at once noticed the young Jetha with his pleasant manner and sense of devotion. While his fellow travelers returned to Lahore, Jetha decided to stay and become a disciple of Guru Amar Das.

Bhai Jehta worked hard in Goindwal in the various construction projects that were taking place. Guru Amar Das was very impressed with the Sewa performed by Bhai Jetha and susequently a marriage was arranged between Bibi Bhani, his daughter Bibi Bhani and his dedicated devotee, Bhai Jehta.

The marriage took place on 18 February 1554. After their marriage, the couple remained in Goindval which was an upcoming Sikh town and carried out voluntary service (Sewa) in the construction of the Baoli Sahib (sacred well), serving the Guru and the congregation (Sangat).

Sewa of Guru Amar Dass

Jetha became a trusted disciple of Guru Amar Das ji. He undertook many sewas and also successfully represented Guru Amar Das ji before the Mughal royal court to defend charges by some jealous Hindus who had taken exception to some of the wording of the Sikh teachings, saying that Sikhism maligned both the Hindu and the Muslim religions. The following is a translation of what Jetha said in the Court of Akbar:

“Birth and caste are of no avail before God. It is ones deeds which make or unmake a man. To exploit ignorant people with superstitions and to call it religion is a sacrilege against God and man. To worship the infinite, formless and absolute God in the form of a totem, an image or an insignificant time-bound object of nature; to lead people to beleive that they can wash away their sins, not through compassion and self-surrender, but through ablutions; to insist upon special diets-what to eat and what not to eat; to say that a certain language and dress allows accesss to God and to condemn masses of human beings, men, women and children, to the status of sub-humans, who are not even allowed to learn to read the scriptures that they are told rule their lives; never allowed to enter a house of worship; who are allowed to do only the lowest degrading work, is to tear man apart from man. This is not religion nor is it religion to deny the world by becoming an ascetic, for it is in the world alone that man can find his spiritual possibilities.”

Impressed by the tenets of Sikhism as explained by Bhai Jetha Emperor Akbar dismissed all of the charges.

Construction of Ramdaspur

Eventually Bhai Jetha was ordained as Guru Amar Das’s successor and named Guru Ram Das ji. (Ram Das means servant of God). Guru Ram Das ji now eagerly continued the building of the city of Ramdaspur (the abode of Ram Das) by the digging of the second sacred pool as he had been instructed by Guru Amar Das ji. Pilgrims came in ever growing numbers to hear the Guru and to help in the excavation work of the tank. The holy tank would be called Amritsar meaning pool of nectar. Today the city of Ramdaspur, which now is the holiest center of Sikhism has come to be know as Amritsar. Guru Ram Das ji urged his Sikhs that one could fulfill one’s life not merely by quiet meditation, but by actively participating in the joys and sorrows of others. This is how one could also rid oneself of the prime malady – Ego, and end their spiritual loneliness.

One of the new entries into the Sikh fold at this time was Bhai Gurdas Bhalla, the son of the younger brother of Guru Amar Das ji. Bhai Gurdas ji was a superb poet and scholar of comparative religion who would later go on to become the scribe of the first edition of the Guru Granth Sahib ji. Guru Amar Das ji was impressed with Bhai Gurdas’s existing knowledge of Hindi and Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures. Following the tradition of sending out Masands across the country Guru Amar Das ji deputed Bhai Gurdas to Agra to spread the gospel of Sikhism.

Bani of Guru Ram Das

There are 688 Hymns of Guru Ram Dass included in Guru Granth Sahib which have various teachings for sikhs. Guru Sahib’s Bani is also part of Rehras Sahib and Kirtan Sohila which are daily prayers of Sikhs. Page 305 of the Guru Granth Guru Sahib decries the morning activity of one who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru (God):

One who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru shall get up early morning and meditate on the Lord’s Name. Bathe daily in the ambrosial pool and following the Guru’s instructions, chant Har, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased.

Guru Sahib on Sadhu People and Pilgrimage Bath

ਮਲਾਰ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ | ਗੰਗਾ ਜਮ|ਨਾ ਗੋਦਾਵਰੀ ਸਰਸ|ਤੀ ਤੇ ਕਰਹਿ ਉਦਮ|ਧੂਰਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਕੀ ਤਾਈ |ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਮੈਲ|ਭਰੇ ਪਰੇ ਹਮਰੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਹਮਰੀ ਮੈਲ| ਸਾਧੂ ਕੀ ਧੂਰਿ ਗਵਾਈ |੧|
Malaar, Fourth Mehl: The Ganges, the Jamunaa, the Godaavari and the Saraswati – these rivers strive for the dust of the feet of the Holy. Overflowing with their filthy sins, the mortals take cleansing baths in them; the rivers’ pollution is washed away by the dust of the feet of the Holy. ||1||

ਤੀਰਥਿ ਅਠਸਠਿ ਮਜਨ੝ ਨਾਈ ॥ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਕੀ ਧੂਰਿ ਪਰੀ ਉਡਿ ਨੇਤ੝ਰੀ ਸਭ ਦ੝ਰਮਤਿ ਮੈਲ੝ ਗਵਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Instead of bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage, take your cleansing bath in the Name. When the dust of the feet of the Sat Sangat rises up into the eyes, all filthy evil-mindedness is removed. ||1||Pause||

ਜਾਹਰਨਵੀ ਤਪੈ ਭਾਗੀਰਥਿ ਆਣੀ ਕੇਦਾਰ੝ ਥਾਪਿਓ ਮਹਸਾਈ ॥ ਕਾਂਸੀ ਕ੝ਰਿਸਨ੝ ਚਰਾਵਤ ਗਾਊ ਮਿਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਸੋਭਾ ਪਾਈ ॥੨॥
Bhaageerat’h the penitent brought the Ganges down, and Shiva established Kaydaar. Krishna grazed cows in Kaashi; through the humble servant of the Lord, these places became famous. ||2||

ਜਿਤਨੇ ਤੀਰਥ ਦੇਵੀ ਥਾਪੇ ਸਭਿ ਤਿਤਨੇ ਲੋਚਹਿ ਧੂਰਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਕੀ ਤਾਈ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਸੰਤ੝ ਮਿਲੈ ਗ੝ਰ ਸਾਧੂ ਲੈ ਤਿਸ ਕੀ ਧੂਰਿ ਮ੝ਖਿ ਲਾਈ ॥੩॥
And all the sacred shrines of pilgrimage established by the gods, long for the dust of the feet of the Holy. Meeting with the Lord’s Saint, the Holy Guru, I apply the dust of His feet to my face. ||3||

ਜਿਤਨੀ ਸ੝ਰਿਸਟਿ ਤ੝ਮਰੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਸ੝ਆਮੀ ਸਭ ਤਿਤਨੀ ਲੋਚੈ ਧੂਰਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਕੀ ਤਾਈ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਲਾਟਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਜਿਸ੝ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤਿਸ੝ ਸਾਧੂ ਧੂਰਿ ਦੇ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਰਿ ਲੰਘਾਈ ॥੪॥੨॥
And all the creatures of Your Universe, O my Lord and Master, long for the dust of the feet of the Holy. O Nanak, one who has such destiny inscribed on his forehead, is blessed with the dust of the feet of the Holy; the Lord carries him across. ||4||2||

Anand Karaj

The standard Sikh marriage ceremony known as the Anand Karaj is centered around of , a four stanza hymn composed by Guru Ram Das ji. During the marriage ceremony the couple circumscribe the Guru Granth Sahib ji as each stanza of the Lawan is read. The first round is the Divine consent for commencing the householders life through marriage. The second round states that the union of the couple has been brought about by God. In the third round the couple is described as the most fortunate as they have sung the praises of the Lord in the company of saints. In the fourth round the feeling of the couple that they have obtained their hearts’ desire and are being congratulated is described.

Guru Ram Das Sahib composed a beautiful bani called Laavan about the meaning of marriage to a Sikh couple – Effectively, the Guru defines a Sikh marriage in these 2 lines: “They are not said to be husband and wife who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies.”

Guru Sahib on Jogis

ਹਥਿ ਕਰਿ ਤੰਤ੝ ਵਜਾਵੈ ਜੋਗੀ ਥੋਥਰ ਵਾਜੈ ਬੇਨ ॥ ਗ੝ਰਮਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਗ੝ਣ ਬੋਲਹ੝ ਜੋਗੀ ਇਹ੝ ਮਨੂਆ ਹਰਿ ਰੰਗਿ ਭੇਨ ॥੧॥
You may pluck the strings with your hand, O Yogi, but your playing of the harp is in vain. Under Guru’s Instruction, chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord, O Yogi, and this mind of yours shall be imbued with the Lord’s Love. ||1||

ਜੋਗੀ ਹਰਿ ਦੇਹ੝ ਮਤੀ ਉਪਦੇਸ੝ ॥ ਜ੝ਗ੝ ਜ੝ਗ੝ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਝਕੋ ਵਰਤੈ ਤਿਸ੝ ਆਗੈ ਹਮ ਆਦੇਸ੝ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
O Yogi, give your intellect the Teachings of the Lord. The Lord, the One Lord, is pervading throughout all the ages; I humbly bow down to Him. ||1||Pause||

ਗਾਵਹਿ ਰਾਗ ਭਾਤਿ ਬਹ੝ ਬੋਲਹਿ ਇਹ੝ ਮਨੂਆ ਖੇਲੈ ਖੇਲ ॥ ਜੋਵਹਿ ਕੂਪ ਸਿੰਚਨ ਕਉ ਬਸ੝ਧਾ ਉਠਿ ਬੈਲ ਗਝ ਚਰਿ ਬੇਲ ॥੨॥
You sing in so many Ragas and harmonies, and you talk so much, but this mind of yours is only playing a game. You work the well and irrigate the fields, but the oxen have already left to graze in the jungle. ||2||

ਕਾਇਆ ਨਗਰ ਮਹਿ ਕਰਮ ਹਰਿ ਬੋਵਹ੝ ਹਰਿ ਜਾਮੈ ਹਰਿਆ ਖੇਤ੝ ॥ ਮਨੂਆ ਅਸਥਿਰ੝ ਬੈਲ੝ ਮਨ੝ ਜੋਵਹ੝ ਹਰਿ ਸਿੰਚਹ੝ ਗ੝ਰਮਤਿ ਜੇਤ੝ ॥੩॥
In the field of the body, plant the Lord’s Name, and the Lord will sprout there, like a lush green field. O mortal, hook up your unstable mind like an ox, and irrigate your fields with the Lord’s Name, through the Guru’s Teachings. ||3||

ਜੋਗੀ ਜੰਗਮ ਸ੝ਰਿਸਟਿ ਸਭ ਤ੝ਮਰੀ ਜੋ ਦੇਹ੝ ਮਤੀ ਤਿਤ੝ ਚੇਲ ॥ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੇ ਪ੝ਰਭ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਲਾਵਹ੝ ਮਨੂਆ ਪੇਲ ॥੪॥੯॥੬੧॥
The Yogis, the wandering Jangams, and all the world is Yours, O Lord. According to the wisdom which You give them, so do they follow their ways. O Lord God of servant Nanak, O Inner-knower, Searcher of hearts, please link my mind to You. ||4||9||61||

Guru Ram Dass on Benifits of Reciting God’s Name
ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ॥ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲੀਝ ਹਰਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਗ੝ਣ ਗਾਇ ॥ ਗਿਆਨ ਰਤਨ੝ ਬਲਿਆ ਘਟਿ ਚਾਨਣ੝ ਅਗਿਆਨ੝ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Aasaa, Fourth Mehl: Join the Sat Sangat, the Lord’s True Congregation; joining the Company of the Holy, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. With the sparkling jewel of spiritual wisdom, the heart is illumined, and ignorance is dispelled. ||1||

ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਨਾਚਹ੝ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਇ ॥ ਝਸੇ ਸੰਤ ਮਿਲਹਿ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ਹਮ ਜਨ ਕੇ ਧੋਵਹ ਪਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
O humble servant of the Lord, let your dancing be meditation on the Lord, Har, Har. If only I cold meet such Saints, O my Siblings of Destiny; I would wash the feet of such servants. ||1||Pause||

ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ੝ ਜਪਹ੝ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਅਨਦਿਨ੝ ਹਰਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥ ਜੋ ਇਛਹ੝ ਸੋਈ ਫਲ੝ ਪਾਵਹ੝ ਫਿਰਿ ਭੂਖ ਨ ਲਾਗੈ ਆਇ ॥੨॥
Meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, O my mind; night and day, center your consciousness on the Lord. You shall have the fruits of your desires, and you shall never feel hunger again. ||2||
ਆਪੇ ਹਰਿ ਅਪਰੰਪਰ੝ ਕਰਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਬੋਲਿ ਬ੝ਲਾਇ ॥ ਸੇਈ ਸੰਤ ਭਲੇ ਤ੝ਧ੝ ਭਾਵਹਿ ਜਿਨ੝ਹ੝ਹ ਕੀ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਥਾਇ ॥੩॥
The Infinite Lord Himself is the Creator; the Lord Himself speaks, and causes us to speak. The Saints are good, who are pleasing to Your Will; their honor is approved by You. ||3||

ਨਾਨਕ੝ ਆਖਿ ਨ ਰਾਜੈ ਹਰਿ ਗ੝ਣ ਜਿਉ ਆਖੈ ਤਿਉ ਸ੝ਖ੝ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਭਗਤਿ ਭੰਡਾਰ ਦੀਝ ਹਰਿ ਅਪ੝ਨੇ ਗ੝ਣ ਗਾਹਕ੝ ਵਣਜਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਇ ॥੪॥੧੧॥੬੩॥
Nanak is not satisfied by chanting the Lord’s Glorious Praises; the more he chants them, the more he is at peace. The Lord Himself has bestowed the treasure of devotional love; His customers purchase virtues, and carry them home. ||4||11||63||

Meeting with Sri Chand

When the aged son of Guru Nanak Dev ji, Baba Sri Chand, who had chosen to become an ascetic (Baba Sri Chand was the founder the ‘Udasis’ sect), came to visit Guru Ram Das ji he asked him why he kept such a long beard? Guru Ram Das ji replied; “To wipe the dust off the feet of holy men like yourself” and then he proceeded to perform this supreme act of humility. Seeing this Sri Chand held his hand and embraced Guru Ram Das ji saying; “It’s enough. This is the kind of character by which you have deprived me of my ancestral heritage. Now, what more is left with me that I could offer you for your piety and goodness of heart?” (Outraged that his father Guru Nanak had chosen to pass the Guruship to Guru Angad Sri Chand had attempted to install himself as the second Guru of the Sikhs and had hoped to alter the direction of Sikhi that Guru Nanak had chartered.)

Prithi Chand’s deception

Guru Ram Das’s first cousin Sahari Mal came to invite the Guru to visit Lahore in connection with the marriage of his son. The Guru being much too busy with his work promised to send one of his sons instead. Guru Ram Das ji asked his eldest son Prithi Chand to attend on his behalf, but he refused. Prithi Chand found a reason to avoid the trip, perhaps, he feared that his father would, in his absence, install his youngest brother, Arjan Dev as the next Guru. Prithi was sure that Arjan was the favorite son of his father. Next the Guru asked his next eldest son Mahadev to attend the wedding, but Mahadev was a recluse and excused himself on the ground that he was not interested in the affairs of the world. The Guru therefore asked his youngest son Arjan Dev to attend, which he agreed to do with such grace and humility, that Guru Ram Das ji was very pleased.

Guru Arjun Dev Letters

Arjan Dev proceeded to Lahore where, his father had asked him to remain until called for and to take charge of the needs and education of the Sikhs in Lahore, his father’s ancestral home. Two years later, feeling intensely homesick, Arjan Dev composed a poem of love and devotion and sent it to Guru Ram Das ji. This poem along with another one, sent a few month’s later were intercepted by his elder brother Prithi Chand who made sure his father never received them. Finally Arjan wrote a third poem marking it with the number 3 and gave strict instructions to the messenger to give it to the Guru personally.

My mind longs for the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan.
It cries out like the thirsty song-bird.
My thirst is not quenched, and I can find no peace, without the
Blessed Vision of the Beloved Saint. ||1||
I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice,
To the Blessed Vision of the Beloved Saint Guru.
(SGGS, Raag Maajh, Pannaa 96)

Receiving this poem, Guru Ram Das ji seeing the number 3 sensed that there must have been two earlier letters. Aware of the jealousy of his eldest son he confronted Prithi Chand, asking him if he knew anything about previous letters. At first, Prithi Chand denied everything, but seeing the insistence of the Guru and the consequences of his refusal to obey him, he finally confessed his treachery and produced the two earlier letters. (Another story often told has the Guru sending someone to Prithi Chand’s quarters who finds the letters in Prithi’s clothing.) When Guru Ram Das ji read them, he was moved to tears by the humility and sincerity of his son Arjan’s compositions.

Gaddi to Guru Arjun Dev & Death

Guru Ram Das ji immediately sent for Baba Buddha to journey to Lahore and to bring back his son Arjan Dev with full honours. On his return the Guru declared him his successor. Prithi Chand’s deception had resulted in bringing about his fears, he never accepted his father’s choice and continued to misbehave and abuse Guru Arjan Dev ji. Eventually Guru Ram Das ji had to publicly condemn his son Prithi Chand for his actions.

Shortly thereafter Guru Ram Das left his physical form on September 16, 1581.

~ Source: Sikhiwki.org