"ਅੰਤਰਿ ਖੂਹਟਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਭਰਿਆ ਸਬਦੇ ਕਾਢਿ ਪੀਐ ਪਨਿਹਾਰੀ ॥

 ਏ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਭੈਣੇ ਵੇਸ ਕਰਿ

CAN SIKHISM BE THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY ?

"ਅੰਤਰਿ ਖੂਹਟਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਭਰਿਆ ਸਬਦੇ ਕਾਢਿ ਪੀਐ ਪਨਿਹਾਰੀ ॥

(SGGS 570).

( Deep Within us overflow the immortal springs of elixir and the water-carrier maiden satiates her thirst with Cosmic Sound of Shabad " - SGGS 570).

"ਕੀ ਸਾਰਾ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਇਕ ਦਿਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣਾ ਲਏਗਾ ਤੇ ਕੀ ਇੱਕ ਦਿਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਤੇ ਰਾਜ ਕਰਨਗੇ ?

- A question posted by Raghbir Devgan in Siyasat Group)

The mad desire to have any one religion or ideology or way of life dictate the entire humanity is at the root of all the hatred and hostility one finds in this world. This secret wish is what guides Talibanised mindsets

The only thing one is supposed to focus on in true understanding of any religion, including Sikhism, is just enlightening oneself alone - instead of becoming a super spreader of one’s own faith whatever that be

We all bow before scriptures without having the courage and honesty to follow even a single word written in them on any of the ideals they talk about - say humility and a selfless desire and commitment to serve anyone in need without wishing to propagate ones religion or ideas through this act

Serving or helping others as a means to popularising ones religion or ideology is just another version of jehad

I think sikh Guru Sahiban warned us against this selfish wish for seeing everyone resemble us. Gurbani tells even God to disregard one’s religion or religious identity as a yardstick fir judging us.

Jit duaare oobhre titte leho ubhaar

Secondly, what do we mean by religion and religious identity. ?

Gurbani repeatedly warns us confusing external physical appearance with religion and religious identity

The Muslims and the Brahmins in Guru Sahiban times confused religion with external appearance. Sri Guru Granth Sahib repeatedly asks us to disregard external appearance , dress code etc (ਵੇਸਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਮਹਾ ਦੁਖਿਆਰੀ ॥ SGGS 1348 ) and go straight to the inner core and values and deeds ( amal) as the only approach to being religious

“ baahar vast na bhaal “

And Gurbani also lays down the dress code for those who walk the path of religion. The Guru first poses a question to himself "

ਕਵਣੁ ਸੁ ਵੇਸੋ ਹਉ ਕਰੀ ਜਿਤੁ ਵਸਿ ਆਵੈ ਕੰਤੁ ॥ (Which dress should I wear to attract my lord?) And then proceeds to provide the perfect dress code :

ਨਿਵਣੁ ਸੁ ਅਖਰੁ ਖਵਣੁ ਗੁਣੁ ਜਿਹਬਾ ਮਣੀਆ ਮੰਤੁ ॥

ਏ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਭੈਣੇ ਵੇਸ ਕਰਿ ਤਾਂ ਵਸਿ ਆਵੀ ਕੰਤੁ ॥

(Sri Guru Granth Sahib 1384)

( Wear a dress made of (1) Humility in thy expression , (2) the virtue of Magnanimity and Forgiveness and (3) the magic mantra of sweet and endearing speech .

Wear these three robes, O sister, and you will captivate your Husband Lord. "|)

No one can and should find a fault with others on the basis of his external appearance - regardless of the appearance he sports, whether he wears blue or white or black or saffron or green nor on the basis of whether he wears a turban or wears an Arabic cap. Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji himself rejected external appearance as yardstick for religion and said that things like dress code reveal only a cultural identity and not a religious identity. He described external appearance and dress code as a result of social and cultural environment in different places , regions or countries ( ਨਿਆਰੇ ਨਿਆਰੇ ਦੇਸਨ ਕੇ ਭੇਸ ਕੋ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਉ ਹੈ ॥ “ )

We lack the courage to accept that the tenth Master did not prescribe appearance or dress code as a symbol of religious or spiritual distinction but for reasons that were peculiar to the material mission of confronting repression of the Mughals that he had assigned to himself. To me, the Sikh appearance is fascinating and most endearing and personally I find that turban adds to the aura of dignity , even handsome grandeur to the wearer. Now, I also associate it with inner grace and sublimity of spiritual values. Still I also believe that Guru Sahiban rejected the idea of any external appearance or dress code as of any consequence in the eyes of Lord. Guru gobind SIngh ji returns to this time and again - perhaps he was conscious that his reference to the external code for the Khalsa can get misunderstood by those who genuinely loved him and were devoted to him. Such was the magnetic charm of Guru's persona that a word from him had acquired the aura of a Word next only to Akal Purakh's .

And more than any other religious thought and ideology, Shri Guru Granth Sahib proclaims a respect for diverse religions and their ways of life.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib can become a spiritual manifesto for a world religion- which doesn’t mean Sikh religion or Islam or Hinduism but Religion that is beyond Sikhism as we define it , and beyond Hinduism as they define it or beyond Islam as Muslims define it etc. it is a religion beyond religions and beyond the need for religious identities. It is a religion in which ritual and religion are separated. It rubbishes both rituals and ritualism of appearance, dress, mode and timing and modes of worship - how to worship, when to worship, which time for which prayer, where, by whom etc. All these considerations are all brushed aside empty formalism.

ਜੇਤੇ ਜਤਨ ਕਰਤ ਤੇ ਡੂਬੇ ਭਵ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਨਹੀ ਤਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥

ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਕਰਤੇ ਬਹੁ ਸੰਜਮ ਅਹੰਬੁਧਿ ਮਨੁ ਜਾਰਿਓ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ SGGS - 335

( Those who practice religious rituals and strict self-discipline - their egotistical pride shall consume their minds. ||1||)

Those who try to do things by their own efforts are drowned in the terrifying world-ocean; they cannot cross over).

All dresses are God's gift and therefore good, all Times are God's Time, therefore holy, all places are God's places and therefore sacred.... Guru Granth Sahib outrightly rejects not only a worship of gods and goddesses ( regardless of whether they exist or not) and rejects also the concept of Teerath and pilgrimage - replacing Teerath or shrine with " mind"

ਨਾਵਨ ਕਉ ਤੀਰਥ ਘਨੇ ਮਨ ਬਉਰਾ ਰੇ ਪੂਜਨ ਕਉ ਬਹੁ ਦੇਵ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਛੂਟਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਮਨ ਬਉਰਾ ਰੇ ਛੂਟਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਸੇਵ ॥ ( SGGS 336

Countless are shrines for pilgrimage and bathing in , O foolish mind, and countless are gods to worship.

But Kabir, I sayeth unto thee that none of these will save you , O foolish mind; only by absorbing thyself into the Cosmic Energy /Lord will you find release from these traps. )

. In Sikhism, the only pilgrimage worth undertaking is a pilgrimage inside oneself and the only Teerath that exists is the Shrine within us.

ਹਰਿ ਮੰਦਰੁ ਏਹੁ ਸਰੀਰੁ ਹੈ ਗਿਆਨਿ ਰਤਨਿ ਪਰਗਟੁ ਹੋਇ ॥:

And

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਹੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਰੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਮਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਮੈਲੁ ਚੁਕਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧

( Its another matter that ritualism and many of these rituals have returned under new names.)

The word Sikh comes from Sishya which means one who is open to new learning from every direction, and not just a single source or faith

Sikhism truly speaking is a call for obliterating religious identities and for rising to a single identity called Love ( Jin Prem keeyo tin hi prabh paayo) humility and the magnanimity to rise above petty differences and forgive the enemy and also the sweetness of heart and speech ( Nivan so akhar, khavan gun, jeebha maniaa mant/ eh tre bhaine ves kar ta vas aave kant “

Eh tre bhaine ves kar