Onset:
Consider the examples of the 18th century Sikhs. Their lives were spent in forests, and their futures promised either a fearsome death on the battlefield or atrocious torture in the Hindu-Islamic combine’s dungeons. Yet like the proverbial phoenix, they arose to crush the tyranny of their religious foes and establish their own reign. Or consider the countless Khalsa revolutionaries imprisoned and mercilessly tortured by Christian fanatics during the colonial era.
What is the commonality? Their unfettered and unassailable faith in Sikhi having recognized the falsity of all other faiths. To uphold the pillars of their individuality, fraternity, and morality they accepted death when circumstances proved unalterable. Their lives should serve as examples for our nihilistic existences today in which we confront the very dissolution of our individual identity, sacrificed at the altar of conformance and Utopian delusions.
Now:
Why did our Khalsa forefathers bother to die so their future generations could live if our Gurus only intended us to be the kitchen-boys of the world? If we were only intended to believe in the falseness of secularized spiritualism and the canard of religious equality (all religions lead to God)? If our existences were only intended to be fragmented by the germs of modernity and its disconsolate agendas rendering us anti-natalists and bereft of Panthic fraternity?
We are forced to ask ourselves today that what was the point of the past if the hellscape of today has no meaning? What was the point of our ancestors warring through the veritable holocaust imposed on them by religious and secularist tyrants if all we have today is nihilism? This existential vacuum-born out of modernity’s maw-has disenfranchised the values of our faith and our heritage. Slowly, ever so slowly, we erode the foundations of our Being everyday.
And what have we forfeited? There is no requisite for the K’s because the secularist interpretation of Gurbani contradicts such exclusivist injunctions. An exclusivist identity is evil because it dismantles the myths of total equality we slavishly adhere to. Statehood is evil and renunciative spiritualism should be prioritized foremost. History is nothing but a grim chronicle of criminality. The individual retains no impact. Man is but the puppet of Marxist materialism and has no will of his own and by default, no responsibility.
But why have we imbibed this despair? What compels us to engrave it in our very psyche and that too by our own hands? Because we believe the modernist abyss to be a fact. That the fantasies it constructs are timeless truths and to oppose them is to oppose life itself because opposition invites judgement, pressure, and hatred. It forces us to risk, to try, to put ourselves in danger of running contrary to the feckless herds easily manipulated by their consumerist overseers.
And thus, modernity and its child nihilism lay the foundations of our ruin, blinding us to the death of the transcendental authority of the Guru Granth and Guru Panth while simultaneously supplanting them with the dishonorable edifices of vacuous enlightenment era reveries, corrosive liberalism, deplorable feminism, and the overall celebration of the beast that is human rather than the honoring of the beast that becomes human.
Melancholia:
For the ancient Greeks, man’s innate spirituality was composed of dual elements. Andreia or courage was infinite and could impel a mortal to the echelons of the Gods. Melancholia, disenchantment, was its infinite antithesis. Andreia moved Jason to brave the oceans and defy the Gods themselves for the golden fleece. Melancholia rendered his counterparts apathetic, convincing them they were nothing and reducing their living existence to that of corpses.
In today’s world, ease has luxuriated us to the degree that outside consumption we have no purpose. We atrophy away having convinced ourselves that there is no purpose higher than expending our resources on whatever makes us feel ‘good’ forgetting that what feels thus is not an intelligent measure of what it might actually turn out to be. Emotionalism has supplanted our cognizance and we have become the sum of what we purchase rather than what we bequeath to posterity.
ਬੁਰਾ ਭਲਾ ਤਿਚਰੁ ਆਖਦਾ ਜਿਚਰੁ ਹੈ ਦੁਹੁ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
“The mortal cries good and bad as long as he is entrapped in doubt.”
-Guru Granth, 757.
Lacking comprehension of Hukam or reality, and fearing to accept it for the truths it reveals we oscillate between what the sheep-like masses cry to be good and bad unwilling to acknowledge that the masses themselves are prone to doubt and not the masters of their own destiny. In our Melancholia, we fail to perceive that sans enlightenment we are but beasts that happen to seem humans rather than humans having relinquished the mental cloak of the beast.
ਨਰੂ ਮਰੈ ਨਰੁ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਪਸੂ ਮਰੈ ਦਸ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
ਅਪਨੇ ਕਰਮ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਮੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਨਉ ॥ ਮੈ ਕਿਆ ਜਾਨਉ ਬਾਬਾ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਹਾਡ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਲਕਰੀ ਕਾ ਤੂਲਾ ॥ ਕੇਸ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਘਾਸ ਕਾ ਪੂਲਾ ॥੨॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਤਬ ਹੀ ਨਰੁ ਜਾਗੈ ॥ ਜਮ ਕਾ ਡੰਡੁ ਮੂੰਡ ਮਹਿ ਲਾਗੈ ॥੩॥੨॥
“What do I know of my acts? What do I learn from their consequences? When the human within (conscience) perishes then an individual becomes obsolete. However, if the beast within perishes than the individual is useful for ten purposes and more. In the end, all our bones will perish like logs in flame. Our hairs will wither away like hay in wind. Kabir askes the reader, will you only awaken then when death knocks at your door?”
-Guru Granth, 870.
To Be Reborn Human:
The Gurus’ discourses in the Guru Granth make it evident that conventional religiosity and even state-worshipping atheism do not lead to the rebirth of the beast as human. Rather, they are figments of the beast’s untamed mind. The depredations of Muhammad, the perversity of the Sanataan deities, the tall tales of the Christ, the scriptures of these figures are unable to form the constitutional morality of what we call civilization irrespective of their adherents’ arguments.
The Khalsa polemic Giani Ditt Singh rightly observed,
“All non-Sikhs irrespective of their creed, whether it be Hindu or Muslim, are all mistaken in their beliefs. They can be said to be on ships doomed to be swept away from the true path to God. Ours is the ship of Vaheguru’s Naam and the one abroad it will be safely ferried across. It is open to all irrespective of their birth as Hindu, Muslim, or Christian but as long as they become Sikh for Sikhism is open to all. Whosoever becomes Sikh by taking the holy elixir (Pahul) is purified.”
-Giani Ditt Singh, ‘Khalsa Akhbar,’ c. 1900.
How is a Sikh, in contrast to others, positioned by his Gurus on the path of truly becoming human?
ਮਾਣਸ ਜਨਮੁ ਦੁਲੰਭੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਚੁਲੰਭੁ ਜੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਭਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
ਚਲੈ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਵਾਰਿ ਵਖਰੁ ਸਚੁ ਲੈ ॥
ਪਤਿ ਪਾਏ ਦਰਬਾਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਭੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਸਚੁ ਸਲਾਹਿ ਸਾਚੇ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਇਆ ॥
ਲਾਲਿ ਰਤਾ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਹਉ ਜੀਵਾ ਗੁਣ ਸਾਰਿ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਤੂ ਵਸੈ ॥
ਤੂੰ ਵਸਹਿ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਹਜੇ ਰਸਿ ਰਸੈ ॥੩॥
ਮੂਰਖ ਮਨ ਸਮਝਾਇ ਆਖਉ ਕੇਤੜਾ ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ਰੰਗਿ ਰੰਗੇਤੜਾ ॥੪॥
ਨਿਤ ਨਿਤ ਰਿਦੈ ਸਮਾਲਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮੁ ਆਪਣਾ ॥
ਜੇ ਚਲਹਿ ਗੁਣ ਨਾਲਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਦੁਖੁ ਸੰਤਾਪਣਾ ॥੫॥
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਣਾ ਨਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਰੰਗੁ ਹੈ ॥
ਮਰਸੀ ਹੋਇ ਵਿਡਾਣਾ ਮਨਿ ਤਨਿ ਭੰਗੁ ਹੈ ॥੬
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਇ ਲਾਹਾ ਘਰਿ ਆਣਿਆ ॥
ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਨਿਰਬਾਣੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਪਛਾਣਿਆ ॥੭॥
ਇਕ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਜੇ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵਸੀ ॥
ਮੈ ਦੀਜੈ ਨਾਮ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਸੀ ॥੮॥੧॥੩॥
“To be human is impossible, but the Gurmukh (the truly enlightened individual) becomes human. Their entire mind and body are remade when they immerse themselves within the divine truth. They tread onwards improving their lives while retailing the truth. In their Maker’s true court, they are honoured due to the injunctive words of the divine truth they adhere to. Their minds and bodies are rendered praiseworthy due to the truth as the truth roots itself in their minds.
It is when the mind is lovingly immersed that it becomes pliable and accepts the true Guru. When one starts living virtuously it is then that you (the Maker) start residing within. And with your presence now firmly established within the mind, it sets itself at ease. But the mind is foolish and must be taught that the entire affair is prolonged. The Gurmukh imbibes your virtues and is forever immersed in your colours.
Forever and ever, the Gurmukh preserves their loyalty to you their beloved. And if one treads forward virtuously then no torment can affect them.The unenlightened beast, the Manmukh, forgets this reality and is mired by doubt and fails to accept the truth. For him, death is alien and thus he ruins his mind and body. Only accrue that which the Guru emphasizes and reap the riches returned. This Gurbani (the SGGS) is immortal and acknowledge its injunctions thus.
Nanak has but one request that if you so will it, then bless all seekers with your Naam to change them for the better and so we will continue to sing of your virtues forever.”
-Guru Granth, 751-752.
Naam is the Khalsa’s, the perfect Sikh’s, weapon in the battle of life. It can only be acquired when one resides according to the Guru Granth and not any other agency.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਮਤਿ ਆਵੈ ਸੋ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਨਾ ॥ ਇਹ ਬਾਣੀ ਜੋ ਜੀਅਹੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਰਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
“Those who refine their intelligence as per the divine truth immerse themselves within the divine truth. The one who lives this Bani invites the Naam to reside within them.”
-Guru Granth, 797.
The Khalsa mystic and anti-colonial veteran Baba Wasakha Singh would advise Khalsa revolutionaries in British jails to follow a five-fold path to imbibe Naam and through it reform their innate bestial selves to humans:
Constantly reciting the Guru Granth to comprehend it and meditating to centralize oneself in order to remember the Guru in each and every living aspect of one’s life.
Seeking the company of enlightened, and wise individuals while remaining attached to the Sikh congregations and solely serving fellow Sikhs foremost and none other while remembering one’s life on this earth is short and too important to be trifled with on mundane purposes.
Refining one’s intelligence and being strategic in one’s daily obligations to ensure the wellbeing of the self and its associates.
Constantly battling the beast within and subduing its desires.
Instructing mankind to surmount the inner beast.
The Battle To Be Human:
To subdue the inner beast is to enrage it. To triumph over it necessitates continued effort throughout one’s life. To die but not concede to this internal tyrant is a hallmark of mighty warriors for the external foe skillfully incites this internal traitor to betray its host. However, the perfect Khalsa negates the beast by weakening it thus ridding himself of his imperfections. Invoking the martial tradition of ancient Punjab, the Guru Granth retains a poignant verse:
ਜਿਸੁ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਸਭਿ ਕਿਲਵਿਖ ਨਾਸਹਿ ਪਿਤਰੀ ਹੋਇ ਉਧਾਰੋ ॥
ਸੋ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸਦ ਹੀ ਜਾਪਹੁ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਰੋ ॥੧॥
ਪੂਤਾ ਮਾਤਾ ਕੀ ਆਸੀਸ ॥
ਨਿਮਖ ਨ ਬਿਸਰਉ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕਉ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਸਦਾ ਭਜਹੁ ਜਗਦੀਸ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕਉ ਹੋਇ ਦਇਆਲਾ ਸੰਤਸੰਗਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥
ਕਾਪੜੁ ਪਤਿ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਰਾਖੀ ਭੋਜਨੁ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਨੀਤਿ ॥੨॥
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਵਹੁ ਸਦਾ ਚਿਰੁ ਜੀਵਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਅਨਦ ਅਨੰਤਾ ॥
“Follow only that One following who all your self-wrought sufferings are effaced and your future generations secured. Constantly follow the all-pervasive Master whose limits no one has ever broached or will broach. This is the blessings of your mother child, that not even for an agony filled instance you forsake your Maker and that you remain forever immersed in the Creator’s presence. May the divine truth be merciful and attach you forever to the presence of the enlightened congregations. May your honour be cloaked by the Maker of whom you stay forever singing. Consume this elixir of immortality and live unfettered forever immersed within the remembrance of your Maker in peace.”
-Guru Granth, 496.
Contrary to assertions that this verse prays for physical protectionism, it figuratively portrays a mother preparing her warrior-child for battle. Within this context, the battle is the battle of life in which the child sets out to subdue its inner beast. The cloaking of honour refers to death, that the Creator protect the child’s and their forefathers’ honour by empowering the child to resist temptation even at the point of death and beyond.
The Human Warrior:
To argue that one is born human is a monumental failure of our modern society. Gurbani elaborates that there is no such thing as a human by birth. Human is a state that so far, the world has failed to properly define. The attributes of a human are encapsulated in their herculean ability to daily restrain their mind from ignoble acts while battling for the success of the truth. The path of virtue produces humans and not birth or birthright.
And if one truly wants to be a human, than one must become a Sikh and implement the injunctions of the Guru Granth in their lives. Thus, the feel good secularistic notion of oneness and humanity by prerogative are nothing but delusions when one comprehends that only enlightenment offered by the Guru produces humans and nothing else. It is when one truly becomes a human that one can set out on the path of immortality.
But to reach this supreme state one must daily subdue their mind; battle for the truth in a politically correct world, and work to ensure its preservation and eventual dominance. The good men are demons and lust for battle to uphold their convictions. Today's modern Sikhs with their secularism are beasts; not human.
A human beast breeding and engaging in similar activities to a beast become human still remains a beast just as the Swan remains the Swan and the Heron a Heron even though both may engage in similar activities in their daily lives. The distinction though subtle, is a necessary one and its necessity is even more pronounced in today’s nihilistic times where the dual Gods of despair and dissolution reign supreme.
ਨਰੂ ਮਰੈ ਨਰੁ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਪਸੂ ਮਰੈ ਦਸ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
Learning is human instinct.
Human acts are driven by instincts, if sex food security, relation, ego are drives behind action than form human has no purpose, but if learning brings compassionate service for others, it is human instinct, the purpose of human life is there.
ਨਰੂ ਮਰੈ ਨਰੁ ਕਾਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਪਸੂ ਮਰੈ ਦਸ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
Learning is human instinct.
Human acts are driven by instincts, if sex food security, relation, ego are drives behind action than form human has no purpose, but if learning brings compassionate service for others, it is human instinct, the purpose of human life is there.