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The Guru Granth Sahib is more than just a scripture of the Sikhs; for the Sikhs treat this Granth (holy book) as their living perpetual Guru.

The Divine Hymns which span 1430 Ang and contains holy words elocuted by 6 Gurus, 18 Saints (Hindus & Muslims) and 11 Bhatts who initially followed their spiritual faith according to their caste, creed and religion and later they became enlighetened.

It is important to note that the Name Ram has been incorporated 2533 times, Allah – 46 times and Waheguru only 13 times in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji!

The holy book contains an important message for the whole of humanity. After studying the text of this Granth, many have said that the message within this volume provides a solution to all the ills in the world.

For more comments by outsiders about the [[Sri Guru Granth Sahib], see Worldwide Praise for the Guru Granth Sahib
Below are listed the human qualities promoted and endorsed by the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Read and study these and improve your understanding of the human spirit and the way forward in the world, sometimes referred to as the “ocean of fire”:

The torch for the world

The Sikhs believe that the Guru Granth Sahib provides unique and unequalled guidance and advice for the whole of the human race. It is the torch that will lead humanity out of Kaljug, (the dark era) to a life in peace, tranquillity and spiritual enlightenment for all the nations of the World.

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Guru Granth Sahib transcends creed and caste, cant and convention. It does not belong to the Sikhs alone. It consecrates the sayings of 11 Hindu bhagats and as many bard poets and seven Muslims, along with the teachings of six Sikh gurus. No other religion has included in its holy book the sayings of others, however revered.

Living your life to the highest principles

The SGGS is about living a life of Truth, respect for others; humility; tranquillity, peace, blessings, high moral standards, equality, co-existence, etc. These are qualities which will result in a situation which will take humanity to higher level of living; to a situation where everyone will be proud and humbled at the same time for being part of pure society.

One who follows the teaching of and accept the SGGS as their Guru or Spiritual Guide is called a Sikh. A follower of the teachings of the SGGS is also called a Gurmukh – which literally means “follower of Guru”.

The Dalai Lama said,
We bow to this great Granth, which was compiled 400 years ago. Since then it had been spreading the message of peace and love all over the world. The 21st century is witnessing a revolution in technology and man is improving his skills, but in matters of living and relationships between nations there is a marked degradation. The aim of all religions is to create a good man.

All Peoples of the World are Equal

The Guru Granth Sahib promotes the message of equality of all beings. Discrimination of all types is strictly forbidden. Since Fatherhood of God was the basic Sikh tenet, sisterhood/brotherhood of humans ipso facto became its social corollary. No one was to be reckoned low or high –“Reckon the entire mankind as One” (Akal Ustat, 15.85) was the Guru Gobind Singh’s precept. The Gurus went further than just proclaiming the equality of humans. They established dignity of labour, by making social service (seva) as an important vehicle of spiritual advancement.

“The hands and feet that shun seva are condemnable; actions other than seva are fruitless” (Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XXVII. 10). Begging is taboo for the Sikhs. While bhaktas could live on alms and public charity, not so a Sikh. He is ordained to earn his living by the honest labour of his hands (kirat) and share his earnings with others. It rehearsed in the fifteenth century the ideology of fraternity, equality and liberty. The Gurbani below gives a general idea of the message put forward by the Gurus:

They look upon all with equality, and recognize the Supreme Soul, the Lord, pervading among all.
Those who sing the Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, obtain the supreme status; they are the most exalted and acclaimed people. (2)
(SGGS p446)
The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all.
The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar.
(SGGS p272)

Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the concept of equality by highlighting the fact that we are made of the same flesh, blood and bone and we have the same light of God with us – Soul . Our building bricks are the same:

There is only one breath; all are made of the same clay; the light within all is the same.
The One Light pervades all the many and various beings. This Light intermingles with them, but it is not diluted or obscured.
By Guru’s Grace, I have come to see the One. I am a sacrifice to the True Guru. (3)
(SGGS p96)

Women as Equals

A drastic distinction between the roles of the male and female exists in all the history of modern human societies. Women have grown to accept, not without resentment though, the male-dominated atmosphere of the world. Because people use religious doctrine to define their life styles, religious views in both the East and the West seem to condone, even encourage, the unequal treatment of women.

In the 15th century, Guru Nanak established Sikhism, the first religion to advocate emphatically the equality of all people, especially women. In a continent characterized by severe degradation of women, this bold declaration, along with others, determined to erase the impurities of the Indian society. However, prejudices and injustices based on gender linger even today. (by Valerie Kaur)

SGGS Page 473 Shabad 1748 
“From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman. That mouth which praises the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful. O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the True Lord. (2)”
SGGS Page 604 Shabad 2292 
” The Beloved Himself enjoys every heart; He is contained within every woman and man.
O Nanak, the Beloved is pervading everywhere, but He is hidden; through the Guru, He is revealed. (4,2)”
SGGS Page 223 Shabad 706 
“In the earth and in the sky, I do not see any second. Among all the women and the men, His Light is shining. (3)”

One God for All

Sikhism is strictly monotheistic in its belief. This means that God is believed to be the one and sole Reality in the cosmos, and no god or goddess or power like Satan or Ahirman or any other has reality such as God’s. God alone is worthy of worship, and the highest end of existence, that is mukti or liberation can come through Devotion to God alone. All other worship is false and a waste of the precious gift of this human life. Besides its monotheism, Sikhism also emphasizes another philosophical idea, which is known as monism. Monism is the belief that all that our senses comprehend is only a “vision” or illusion (Maya); ONLY God is the sole “Continuing Reality”. Forms being subject to Time, shall pass away. God’s “Reality” alone is eternal and abiding. Hence behind the shows of things, the spiritual vision is always aware of the “reality of God”. According to this philosophy, the differences created by man’s limited thinking which result in selfishness, egoism and hate are meaningless. Since nothing exists except God; the man of God sees in all beings the reality of God. Some text from the holy Guru Granth Sahib will illustrate this point:

The SGGS tells us that there is only one God and no other:

There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other at all.
Soul and body all belong to Him; whatever pleases His Will comes to pass.
Through the Perfect Guru, one becomes perfect; O Nanak, meditate on the True One. (4,9,79)
(SGGS p45)

Further, it informs us the this One God is merciful, infinite and is everywhere:

God is merciful and infinite. The One and Only is all-pervading.
He Himself is all-in-all. Who else can we speak of? God Himself grants His gifts, and He Himself receives them.
Coming and going are all by the Hukam of Your Will; Your place is steady and unchanging.
Nanak begs for this gift; by Your Grace, Lord, please grant me Your Name. (20,1)
(SGGS p710)

Speak and Live Truthfully

Human beings must be truthful, whether one is Hindu or Muslim or of any other religion. Self-recognition is very important for truthful living. Body impured by falsehood cannot be purified by taking a bath in holy rivers or by visiting holy places. Purity of mind is essential. Impurity of mind leads to many other vices such as anger, lust, attachment, ego, and greed.

If mind is not free from evils then cleansing of the body even million times is useless. Restless mind is unable to get in touch with God’s love. Continuous practice of austerities and penance do not help in acquiring truthful life. One has to earn his living by honest means. Guru Nanak Dev Ji explains in Japji Sahib how to become truthful and how to break the wall of falsehood:

So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away?
O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1|| (sggs Page 1)
The following Shabads reinforce this important message of SGGS:

They see the Truth, and they speak the Truth; their bodies and minds are True.
(SGGS p69)

The One Lord is in his heart. True are his actions; true are his ways. True is his heart;
Truth is what he speaks with his mouth. True is his vision; true is his form. He distributes Truth and he spreads Truth.
One who recognizes the Supreme Lord God as True – O Nanak, that humble being is absorbed into the True One. (8,15)
(SGGS p283)

The true devotees look beautiful in the Darbaar of the Lord`s Court. They speak Truth, and only Truth.
Deep within the nucleus of their heart, is the True Word of the Lord`s Bani. Through the Truth, they understand themselves.
They understand themselves, and so know the True Lord, through their true intuition.
True is the Shabad, and True is its Glory; peace comes only from Truth.
Imbued with Truth, the devotees love the One Lord; they do not love any other.
O Nanak, he alone obtains the True Lord, who has such pre-ordained destiny written upon his forehead. (4,2,3)
(SGGS p769)

In Truth I sit and stand; I eat and speak the Truth.
With Truth in my consciousness, I gather the wealth of Truth, and drink in the sublime essence of Truth.
In the home of Truth, the True Lord protects me; I speak the Words of the Guru`s Teachings with love. (5)
(SGGS p1011)

True is the speech of the Gurmukh; true are the eyes of the Gurmukh. The Gurmukh practices and lives the Truth.
He speaks the Truth forever, day and night, and inspires others to speak the Truth.
(SGGS p1058)
True are the faces and true are the beards, of those who speak the Truth and live the Truth.
The True Word of the Shabad abides in their minds; they are absorbed in the True Guru.
True is their capital, and true is their wealth; they are blessed with the ultimate status.
They hear the Truth, they believe in the Truth; they act and work in the Truth.
They are given a place in the Court of the True Lord; they are absorbed in the True Lord.
O Nanak, without the True Guru, the True Lord is not found. The self-willed manmukhs leave, wandering around lost. (53)
(SGGS p1419)

Control the Five Vices

The SGGS tells us to control our animal instincts of Pride/Ego, Anger/Temper, Greed/Urges, Attachment/Dependency and Lust/Addiction (PAGAL)

SGGS Page 1388 Shabad 5352 
“All virtues are obtained, all fruits and rewards, and the desires of the mind; my hopes have been totally fulfilled.
The Medicine, the Mantra, the Magic Charm, will cure all illnesses and totally take away all pain. Lust, anger, egotism, jealousy and desire are eliminated by chanting the Name of the Lord.”
SGGS Page 81 Shabad 199 
“Taking them by the hand, the Lord has blessed them with His Praises. They no longer have to wander in reincarnation, and they never have to die.
Through the Kind and Compassionate True Guru, I have met the Lord; I have conquered sexual desire, anger and greed. Our Indescribable Lord and Master cannot be described. Nanak is devoted, forever a sacrifice to Him. (5,1,3)”
SGGS Page 1395 Shabad 5390 
“In truth, the True Lord is recognized and realized, when one is lovingly attuned to Him, with one-pointed consciousness.
Lust and anger are brought under control, when the breath does not fly around, wandering restlessly. Dwelling in the land of the Formless Lord, realizing the Hukam of His Command, His contemplative wisdom is attained.”

Live in God’s Hukam

A Sikh or person of God should live and accept the command of God easily and without too much emotional distress. Live in contentment and in Chardikala (positive attitude)

SGGS Page 209 Shabad 657
“Renounce the intellectual cleverness of your mind, O humble servants of the Lord; understanding the Hukam of His Command, peace is found.
Whatever God does, accept that with pleasure; in comfort and in suffering, meditate on Him. (1)”
SGGS Page 253 Shabad 792 
“Shalok:
He wanders around in the four quarters and in the ten directions, according to the dictates of his karma. Pleasure and pain, liberation and reincarnation, O Nanak, come according to one’s pre-ordained destiny. (1)”

Practise Humility, Kindness, Compassion, Love, etc

The necessity of controlling the mind and subduing one’s egoity is repeatedly taught in the Sikh religion. All the virtues such as Truth (Sat), contentment (santokh), Love (Pyar), Compassion/Mercy (daya), Service (seva), Charity (dana), forgiveness (ksama), humility (nimrata), patience (dheerjh), non-attachment (vairagya) and renunciation (taiga), are fundamental constituents of the Sikh religion and ethics. On the other hand, all the major vices or evils that overpower human beings and ruin their religious life, such as anger (krodh), egoism (ahankara), avarice (lobh), lust (kama). Infatuation (moha), sinful acts (papa), pride (man), doubt (duvidha), ownership (mamata), hatred (vair), and hostility (virodh) are condemned. Man is exhorted to eradicate them but certainly not through ascetic self- mortification. Sahaj is attained through tension-free, ethical living, grounded in spirituality.

The fruit of humility is intuitive peace and pleasure. My True Guru has given me this gift. ((1)(Pause))
(SGGS p235)
The God-conscious being shall never perish. The God-conscious being is steeped in humility.
(SGGS p273)
First, is the Lord`s Praise; second, contentment; third, humility, and fourth, giving to charities. Fifth is to hold one`s desires in restraint. These are the five most sublime daily prayers.
(SGGS p1084)
Lacking truth and humility, they shall not be appreciated in the world hereafter.
(SGGS p1245)
Humility is the word, forgiveness is the virtue, and sweet speech is the magic mantra.
Wear these three robes, O sister, and you will captivate your Husband Lord. ((127))
(SGGS p1384)
The armor of self-restraint, truth, contentment and humility can never be pierced.
(SGGS p1397)
He chants and meditates, and practices austerity and good deeds. He keeps to the Dharma, with faith, humility and contentment.
(SGGS p1411)
And if you do not practise humility, truth, abstinence or self-discipline then what is in store for you:
You do not practice truth, abstinence, self-discipline or humility; the ghost within your skeleton has turned to dry wood…..
When the Messenger of Death grabs you by your hair, you will be punished. You are unconscious, and have fallen into Death`s mouth. ((3))
(SGGS p906)

~ Source: Sikhiwiki.com

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Wearing helmets for women riding pillion on a two-wheeler is now mandatory in the national Capital, though Sikh women have been exempted, with the Government amending the rule 115 of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993.

“Wearing helmets is now mandatory for women pillion riders in Delhi. However, Sikh women have been keept out of its ambit on religious grounds,” said a top transport department official. Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had also given the go ahead to this proposal making helmets mandatory for all women pillion riders, except Sikh women.

According to transport department, In Delhi alone, a total number of 576 two wheeler riders lost their lives during 2012. The main risk factor for motorized 2 wheeler users is the non-use of helmets and head injuries are the major cause of death, injury and disability among them. Many of these head injuries could have been prevented or their severity reduced through the use of helmets.

“As per the directions of LG, wearing helmets will not be mandatory for Sikh women riding pillion on two-wheelers. Delhi Government has amendended the rule 115 of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993,” the official said.

In 1998, the Delhi government had made wearing helmets mandatory for all pillion riders, but following objections from the people belonging to Sikh community, it had to amend the Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules, 1993 in June 1999 and made it optional for women.

After getting recommendations from the traffic police, Delhi Commission of Women and NGOs working for road safety, Transport department decided to make helmets mandatory for women pillion riders. On May 2 this year, transport department had invited suggestions from the general public on this issue after getting goahead from L-G.

During suggestions, some Muslim groups also demanded the same relief for burqa-clad women riding pillion in the capital.

~ Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/

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Guru Gobind Singh Circle Canada held another Gurmat Crash course in the city of Brampton at Dixie Gurdwara Sahib on August 22, 23 & 24, 2014. This was another jam-packed session after the Kitchener and Guelph this year. Children were excited to learn and participate. Spellbound number of kids participated and showed up all the three days.

This crash course was conducted on the “Sikh Bhagats Part-2”. It was great to see fully prepared Sevadaars with seating schedule, gifts, badges, ballots, presentations, sound system, langar, study material and much more. It was a three day format with the exams of which the winner will be awarded with MacBook Air and more great prizes. It was mesmerizing to see the way around 464 children of all age groups plus 295 parents sitting quietly and learning Sikhism. It was the way it was presented full of activities, practical teaching, games, gifts and multimedia that made kids so attentive.

GGSSC would like thank all the participants’ parents, children, sevadaars and Gurdwara management for making this Camp successful.

Click Here to view all photos.

~ By Binder Mandur
~ Source: Sikhnet.com

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His accent was strange, the turban even more so.

But when Harnam Singh Hari walked up to a pile of cement bags and hoisted a pair of the heavy sacks at once, that was all the introduction he needed — he got the job.

With most workers at the cement plant struggling to load just a single bag, the young Punjabi’s prodigious strength and a willingness to work made his unfamiliar dress and accent a moot point.

Hari had found his home — and Alberta in the year 1909 had found its first Sikh citizen.

“He was the first in Calgary, and likely the first in Alberta,” said Mona Hari Bartsoff, a great granddaughter of the pioneer.

This weekend, Singh Hari is finally getting some recognition for a daring rags-to-riches story even more daunting than most, with the dedication of a city park in his name.

Located in the southwest community of Kingsland, Singh Hari Park is on the very land the strapping ex-soldier eventually farmed, a 400-acre spread stretching from what is now Chinook Centre to Heritage Dr., between Macleod Tr. and Elbow Dr.

When he sold the hog operation to developers in 1956, Singh Hari was among Calgary’s richest citizens — a far cry from the penniless stowaway thrown off the train at Exshaw, where a cement plant had recently opened.

Just getting to that Alberta mountain town was a dream come true for Singh Hari, who’d heard glowing tales of Canada while serving with the British Army in Burma.

Married at 23 and with a young son in India, Singh Hari was convinced Canada was the place to build his family’s future — and though he faced an uphill struggle as a non-European immigrant, he was determined to follow his dream of farming.

Despite knowing he ultimately risked rejection at the Canadian border, Singh Hari left his family in India, first for Hong Kong and then a ship to San Francisco, where he managed to argue his way into America on the basis of past military service.

From there, he talked his way over the border into Vancouver (and likely paid, there being a large fee for non-whites at the time) where he worked a time for a menial wage at a sawmill before sneaking aboard the train to Alberta.

After his stint in Exshaw, Singh Hari landed a job tending the stables at Calgary’s Eau Claire sawmill, and with those small wages managed to buy a single pig, which he fed for free.

“Because he was so ingenious and made friends easily he was able to feed that one pig with food scraps from the CPR dining cars,” said Bartsoff.

Like John Ware before him, Singh Hari found the young city called Calgary didn’t really judge men on their skin colour or manner of dress — just their work ethic and dealings with others.

Some said he might have an easier time without the turban, but no one much bothered when he kept it.

“He never had problems,” said Bartsoff.

With his son Ojager joining him in 1919 (his wife didn’t follow until 1932, after more than 20 years separation), Singh Hari gradually built the hog-farming empire that would earn him the nickname “The Indian Emperor” among his Calgary peers.

It was a lucrative business, with contracts to supply meat during the wars — but Singh Hari was generous, and is also remembered for giving free ham to poor families in Calgary.

As the city expanded, the family moved south, and direct decedents of Calgary’s first Sikh citizens are still farming near High River.

For his family, the little park named for Harnam Singh Hari is a proud moment — a symbol of a dream fulfilled.

“We are really moved when you think of the courage it would take to leave his homeland, and come here with nothing,” said Bartsoff.

“He followed his dream and very few people manage to do that — he followed his love of farming.”

~ Source: www.calgarysun.com

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