| Our Connected Universe:
We are Not Alone In faith: a Sikh view by Karta Purkh Khalsa I am sitting across from my wife, gently holding hands. We are meditating. We are connected in mind, body and spirit. We are surrounded by more than a thousand other people sitting in the same posture. We all are meditating. We are all connected in mind, body and spirit. We share a breath rhythm. We sing the same song. We hold our hands and arms in the same position. Each couple ordered and arranged like circuits in a computer -- meditative energy flowing through us all. It may be easy to feel connected to a group of people, no matter how large or small when sharing such yoga, meditation and prayerful contemplation. But I know that this shared connection is present within us at all times no matter what our frame of mind, the action of our physical body or what words we are voicing. I also know that no matter how separated I feel from my fellow man or woman, the quality of my life and of those around me is determined by how deeply I think about and act upon that sacred connection. We need look no further than the Middle East. The people there were nourished and given birth by the same Mother Earth. The same blood runs through all of their veins. Their culture is a shared one. Their religious beliefs are, if not identical, then certainly inextricably linked. And so what might the solution be? Political, economic and certainly nationalistic ones fail daily on an utterly grand and tragic scale. But recognition by the people there of their personal links, their history and their culture might easily overwhelm all other obstacles. What if each and every Jew and each and every Muslim were to taste of the truths contained in their separate scriptures? What if they were to recognize the overarching blessing of peace promised by their God, as truly real and incontrovertible? This is what I, as a Sikh, believe about my nature and yours. We have been granted life by the same beneficent force that carries this universe on its journey through time and space. Sikhism sprang from the enlightened teachings of Guru Nanak at a time of great conflict between the Hindu and Muslim religions. Forced conversions were common; people who resisted were slaughtered. Guru Nanak stated simply, "There is no Hindu; there is no Muslim; there are only souls worshipping God." He believed that man's only fulfillment in the life we are granted is to realize his/her connection to the One God. In sum, Sikhs know that there is only One God. All religions worship God, in many forms, shapes and names. But there can only be One God. The Sikh scripture, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the only Guru of the Sikhs, states in its very first words (indeed all that follows in some 1,200-plus pages is merely explanation of this truth): Ek Ong Kar -- There is but one Creator. Sat Nam -- God's existence is Truth. Karta Purkh -- All that happens (Creation) is a manifestation of God. Nir Bhao -- Fearless. Nir Ver -- Revengeless. Akhal Moort -- Undying. Ajuni Sai Bhang -- Unborn and self-illuminated. Gur Prasad -- This is known through the Grace of God & Guru. Jap! -- Meditate (Remember and Know these things!) Ad Sach -- God is (was) True before the dawn of Creation. Jugad Sach -- God is True throughout all time and space. Hebi Sach -- God is True even now. Nanak Hosi Bi Sach -- O Nanak, God shall ever be True. If I, as a Sikh, can hold fast to the simple and yet complex truths stated above, I will live my life to its fullest potential. I will see all men and women as my brothers and sisters and, therefore, do no harm to any one or thing. I will know that all of my thoughts, words and deeds have an undeniable effect on those around me. I am not avowing that all people should think as I do, as a Sikh. Our religion firmly declares the sacredness of all religions and indeed of all people. We respect and have love for the teachings and practices of all enlightened masters. As a former Christian, I can truthfully say that I have a deeper understanding and love for the words and actions of Jesus than I ever understood as a young man who called himself a Catholic. I believe I see within the words and practices of all religions the same things I see within my own. Jesus, Guru Nanak, Moses, Mohammed and Buddha all gave us the same wisdom in different languages and from different cultures, but they all spoke of our universal brotherhood. The wisdom bestowed upon us by these God-conscious saints was and is the same for each, couched in different languages, formed from different sociological pressures, displayed in the light of individual histories and practiced according to varied cultural agendas. But in the end, in the final analysis, we all come from the same God. We all worship in the same mind place and we all deeply believe in our sacred and eternal soul as a gift from that God. Our connection to each other is as unbreakable as our connection to our Creator. Unless we all change or are changed by our faith, then we are doomed to continue down this horrific path of constant conflict and pain. Realizing the Oneness absolves us of all obligations and loyalties except to our divinity. In Faith is a monthly column that shares perspectives by members of the Kansas City Interfaith Council. Karta Purkh Khalsa has been a Sikh for more than 25 years. He can be contacted at kpsk_teacher@yahoo.com. Copyright © 2004 Karta Purkh Khalsa |
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Jan 2004 |
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