Observation:
It is a cornerstone of the embryonic Upgrade movement currently afflicting the Panth today to dismiss all of Sikh history as a Pujari concoction. A sagacious historian can easily deduce that this is more or less a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater but tragically the irony is lost on both the Pujaris with their hyper-superstitions and the Upgrades with their inability to conform to Sikh discipline ergo their sweeping generalizations to make practices a tad bit easier for themselves. Both are parasitically leeching off each other and only trading potshots for their daily bread and need for hubris induced fame.
The Pujaris have rendered Sikhi an otherworldly cult; the Upgrades are regressing it into a hyper-woke reformist cult based solely on logic emulating Western scientific atheism. Ludicrously enough both factions lay claim to the epithets of Vakhri Qaum (unique identity) and Gian (divine wisdom) while haphazardly plagiarising from other philosophies.
While it is necessary for each generation to question its roots, sweeping broadline dismissals without antecedents will only handicap the very existence of Sikhi in the near future.
Interpretative:
The Pujaris expound Sikh doctrines housed within the Guru Granth in a monochromatic and otherworldly fashion rendering their potency toothless. The Upgrades, contrastingly, explicate these very same doctrines from the vantage point that over-inflated western skepticism (skepticism without substantial grounds after a certain point. The existence of which hinges on emotion: “I believe this to be wrong because I feel it to be wrong”) is the sole true method of scriptural interpretation. While the distinctions between both are striking, an overarching interrelating pattern permeates both-the inability to impartially analyze existent evidence; form a coherent picture and then interpret the derived result. For us, at The Sikh Renaissance, our belief is that facets of Sikh ideology are conspicuous in the interplay of Sikh history. For Pujaris history is pre-deterministic and Sikh history retains no profound linkage with Sikh doctrine which is allegedly otherworldly. For Upgrades it is a case of cherry-picking the best bits to fit their agenda. The Pujari-Upgrade interpretation of Sikhi, naturally, degrades the Sikh past and obliterates any exemplars of the embodiment of Sikh tenets in its annals naturally allowing them to re-define Sikhi from agenda to agenda; generation to generation for their own ends.
Tradition:
The true Sikhs of the Guru Granth, as evinced by Sikh history, were self-autonomous and never dependent upon state socialism (western politicism emphasized by Upgrades) or religious commercialism (subcontinental religiosity exemplified by Pujaris). They were of a high moral bearing and opposed to reliance on other individuals for their daily keep. It was traditional for Sikh Gurudwaras pre-20th century to turn out individuals after three days who refused to undertake paid or voluntary work to support themselves and solely relied on Gurudwara largesse to survive. This will naturally elicit shrieks of calamity from the current crop of bleeding heart liberalized Sikhs, but the reality as it stands exemplifies the fact that Sikh altruism is one of hand-up’s and not hand-out’s.
ਦਰਵੇਸੀ ਕੋ ਜਾਣਸੀ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਕੋ ਦਰਵੇਸੁ ॥
ਜੇ ਘਰਿ ਘਰਿ ਹੰਢੈ ਮੰਗਦਾ ਧਿਗੁ ਜੀਵਣੁ ਧਿਗੁ ਵੇਸੁ ॥
“The true Dervish is only known by the rare few who observe them among the multitude of self-proclaimed Dervishes. They do not beg from door to door while those who go from door to door begging for sustenance led cursed lives.”
-Guru Granth, 550.
As for the incautious masses who sustain such hypocritical beggars,
ਧਰਮੀ ਧਰਮੁ ਕਰਹਿ ਗਾਵਾਵਹਿ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਮੋਖ ਦੁਆਰੁ ॥
“With the cry of righteousness those seeking to become righteous forfeit all shred of it in their search for their salvation.”
-Guru Granth, 469.
While the Pujaris misinterpret these verses to argue that they apply only to those renunciates who do not have pure hearts (pure hearted beggars) and Upgrades weaponize them to target Pujaris, the verses by themselves are universal and apply to all modes of life.
Why self-autonomy?
Within his Asa Di Vaar Guru Nanak emphasizes,
ਆਪਣ ਹਥੀ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਕਾਜੁ ਸਵਾਰੀਐ ॥੨੦॥
“Resolve your own affairs with your own hands.”
-Guru Granth, 474.
This line forms a crucial nucleus of a short verse which describes how the Divine Creator is self-autonomous and self-dependent and humankind should imbibe this virtue. It is followed by an interpolative conclusion drawn by Guru Angad which augments Guru Nanak’s original premise:
ਏਹ ਕਿਨੇਹੀ ਆਸਕੀ ਦੂਜੈ ਲਗੈ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਆਸਕੁ ਕਾਂਢੀਐ ਸਦ ਹੀ ਰਹੈ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
“What sort of love is that which renders one dependent on another? Nanak, true love is that which immerses one in oneself.”
-Guru Granth, 474.
Self-autonomy being a divine virtue, it is duly emphasized that the Khalsa-the quintessential Sikh-is never reliant upon any other individual or institute for their sustenance or otherwise. Rather, they realize the human component behind men and movements and work to liberate humanity from bondage of all forms. The foremost Sikh scholar in the 20th century S. Kapur Singh would note that while governmental dependence seems a just and noble cause in modern times with socialism being a foremost example, in reality such concepts are based on power-hungry populism with the masses made slaves of whoever efficiently fulfills their desires in lieu of their needs. It is better than to follow the adage of teaching a man to fish rather than giving the man a fish to eat everyday.
World:
There are two disparate theories behind how the Asa Di Vaar originated. The first holds that Guru Nanak met the 12th Farid in modern-day Pakistan who he engaged in a lengthy debate on the meaning of life and how to obtain it. Another holds that the Guru meditated upon the various forms of slavery and then rendered the composition. Whichever theory one selects to believe, the composition undeniably is a credal statement of the Khalsa. The Vaar genre was used by contemporary balladeers to glorify heroes and their heroics. Within Asa Di Vaar the true hero is the Sikh who is self-reliant and a tangible representation of their Creator’s virtues. A Vaar necessarily required two conflicting forces, one of evil and ignorance and the other of enlightenment and virtue. In Guru Nanak’s Vaar the former consists of ਦੁਯੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ (secondary Creation) which is the phenomenal world preceded by ਰਚਿਓ ਨਾਉ (installed wisdom).
ਆਪੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਆਪੁ ਸਾਜਿਓ ਆਪੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਰਚਿਓ ਨਾਉ ॥
ਦੁਯੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਸਾਜੀਐ ਕਰਿ ਆਸਣੁ ਡਿਠੋ ਚਾਉ ॥
“Having decided upon your own intent you installed your own divine wisdom. Secondly you established this Creation and with joy reside within it.”
-Guru Granth, 463.
The first creation is wisdom which has been installed within both the intangible and tangible cosmos followed by the secondary creation with which we interact phenomenally. Within this secondary aspect resides the Creator through the medium of ਕੁਦਰਤਿ or nature which we daily interact with and by nature it is not meant a paradisical Utopia resplendent with carefree nudists but rather the empirical and non-empirical vicissitudes of existence which develop humans mentally and otherwise. In this context ਰਚਿਓ ਨਾਉ emerges as spiritual enlightenment which when lived allows one to reject the lure of obsession with the phenomenal. A life lived to the contrary is nothing more than a dishonorable existence.
ਜੇ ਜੀਵੈ ਪਤਿ ਲਥੀ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਸਭੁ ਹਰਾਮੁ ਜੇਤਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਰਾਜਿ ਰੰਗੁ ਮਾਲਿ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਰੰਗਿ ਰਤਾ ਨਚੈ ਨੰਗੁ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਠਗਿਆ ਮੁਠਾ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਪਤਿ ਗਇਆ ਗਵਾਇ ॥੧॥
“If you live solely for living’s sake than you forfeit all honor. Whatever you do you do in sin. Immersed in the colors of wealth and power you cavort shamelessly like a nude beggar. Nanak affirms that there are many like you who ultimately defraud themselves. Bereft of divine wisdom, you lose more than you gain.”
-Guru Granth, 142.
The phenomenal world becomes a distraction to the cultivation of virtue and establishing oneself as an equal stakeholder in Creation next to its Maker. But it is the phenomenal world which is the true arena of spirituality. It is the house of both vice and virtue. Which course will the seeker take? The Creator watches unfolding events with interest as the Khalsa battles to become like its Maker. It rejects reliance upon the phenomenal world to cultivate a spirit of self-reliance ultimately imbibing Guru Nanak’s maxim:
ਦਦੈ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੇਊ ਕਿਸੈ ਦੋਸੁ ਕਰੰਮਾ ਆਪਣਿਆ ॥
ਜੋ ਮੈ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਪਾਇਆ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੀਜੈ ਅਵਰ ਜਨਾ ॥੨੧॥
“Do not blame others for the fruits of your deeds. Blame your own endeavors. Whatever you do, so you reap do not blame another.”
-Guru Granth, 432.
Idiocy:
The Pujari makes us dependent on him for nothing more than increasing the weight of his purse. The Upgrades push for us to become dependent on them to increase their bid for power over the hearts and minds of the masses. Governments discourage private attempts at alleviating poverty fearing that the loss of dependence will result in a loss of electoral magnetism. If anything, only the Satguru-the truth-treats us as an equal if we live by it. Commonsense dictates that help is a short-lived necessity which if left unchecked mutates into a Quid pro quo relation with the recipient being the weaker party. The question here is that when self-autonomy is sold-off in the name of aid, assistance and support then what does one not forfeit? Dignity, development, honor and progression-all these are rendered nugatory by prolonged reliance. Such are the fruits of relying upon others. As Guru Angad forewarns,
ਏਹ ਕਿਨੇਹੀ ਦਾਤਿ ਆਪਸ ਤੇ ਜੋ ਪਾਈਐ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾ ਕਰਮਾਤਿ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਤੁਠੈ ਜੋ ਮਿਲੈ ॥੧॥
“That is not a gift which we ask or beg for. The true miracle is receiving that which the Maker bestows on us in grace.”
-Guru Granth, 474-475.
Our Heritage:
In the past, our Khalsa forefathers relied solely upon themselves and divine grace for their success. They welded mighty polities; curbed many a foreign aggression and refused to enslave their hearts and minds for any aid. Their spirit of liberty was such that mighty Emperors failed to vanquish them. Banda Singh was offered viceroyalty by Farrukshiyar; an offer he kicked to the curb. Kapur Singh refused to be Nawab for the duration of his life. Giani Ditt Singh refused to kowtow to the Sanataan Singh-Sabha despite suffering illness and immense poverty. The Ghadarite Sikhs refused to join the British like the Sanataan and royalists factions. These refusals originated from a strong sense of self-reliance; that depending upon another beyond a certain point is a transgression against Providence itself. And if one gives into one’s base mind and allows oneself to be enslaved by another? Bhagat Kabir predicts,
ਮਰਕਟ ਮੁਸਟੀ ਅਨਾਜ ਕੀ ਮਨ ਬਉਰਾ ਰੇ ਲੀਨੀ ਹਾਥੁ ਪਸਾਰਿ ॥
ਛੂਟਨ ਕੋ ਸਹਸਾ ਪਰਿਆ ਮਨ ਬਉਰਾ ਰੇ ਨਾਚਿਓ ਘਰ ਘਰ ਬਾਰਿ ॥੨॥
“The monkey pushes his hand within the vessel filled with sweet corn. Trapped thus it is now forced to dance from door to door on another’s whims. Its greed becomes its undoing.”
-Guru Granth, 336.
While for Kabir slavery of the mind was the greatest slavery, for Guru Nanak all forms of slavery were equally insidious. And nor was slavery solely a mental conception as Kabir believed. Rather, as the Guru makes clear, the weak-minded are rendered slaves but the strong-willed escape its clutches. The greatest way to escape slavery of any form is not by social renunciation as Kabir believed but rather by self-discipline while residing within the social paradigm as emphasized by the progenitor Guru within his Asa Di Vaar.