I found this very interesting. What would you say about repeated aggressions, but not from the individual perpetrator, but rather from the community, which have a similar moral framework. For example,the rise of Hindu nationalism within India and aggression towards Sikhs, especially in 1984 and even today. When it’s community driven aggression, is the path to forgiveness any different?
Also doesn’t the approach rely on either the aggressor giving power willingly, the victim taking power by force or relying on external people/institutions with power? And which is the most effective of the three based on Sikh history?
When it's community driven, it's the same. No distinctions can be made. In terms of power, aggressors rarely give power. That would be repentance. Not many repent.
It is only righteous that the victim obtain power by either force of arms, force of personality or force of morality. In Sikh history, rarely have external people/institutions delivered this power. It has always been Sikhs themselves snatching it from the foe.
Vabhag Singh at Jullunder seems to have erred in the opposite direction, into wrath, of which he himself realized when he retired to the hills afterward.
I'd love to hear an episode from you guys about the kind of Dionysian madness that popped up from time to time during the 18th century, like the ritual before the Battle of Amritsar 1762." Gur simar manaa-ee kaalkaa, khanday kee vaylaa" etc.
The fog of war clouds rationality. Let us recount a personal experience. One of our members is ex-military intelligence and trained in martial arts. Current style he is pursuing is Krav Maga from the Yanilov school. One of the scenarios had him escape from multiple attackers in a hallway only to be finally ambushed by another from the rear outside. The fight naturally went to the ground. The partner in question was an expert BJJ veteran. They struggled and even though he was told to tap out and not go hard, his mind was clouded and he ended up grabbing a fistful of gravel and mashing his partner's face in it. Of course the partner was none too happy but our man managed to get out. Fog of war, clouds minds. But in Vadbhag Singh's case, there was a degree of necessity involved and just like soldiers allow anger to guide them sometimes; so too did Vadbhag Singh allow his wrath to become a compass.
I think it's high time, and I am sure you will agree, that the Sikh Renaissance start accepting monetary pledges from listeners and readers to keep this seva going. This way we all fund the seva that is enlightening us.
I found this very interesting. What would you say about repeated aggressions, but not from the individual perpetrator, but rather from the community, which have a similar moral framework. For example,the rise of Hindu nationalism within India and aggression towards Sikhs, especially in 1984 and even today. When it’s community driven aggression, is the path to forgiveness any different?
Also doesn’t the approach rely on either the aggressor giving power willingly, the victim taking power by force or relying on external people/institutions with power? And which is the most effective of the three based on Sikh history?
When it's community driven, it's the same. No distinctions can be made. In terms of power, aggressors rarely give power. That would be repentance. Not many repent.
It is only righteous that the victim obtain power by either force of arms, force of personality or force of morality. In Sikh history, rarely have external people/institutions delivered this power. It has always been Sikhs themselves snatching it from the foe.
Vabhag Singh at Jullunder seems to have erred in the opposite direction, into wrath, of which he himself realized when he retired to the hills afterward.
I'd love to hear an episode from you guys about the kind of Dionysian madness that popped up from time to time during the 18th century, like the ritual before the Battle of Amritsar 1762." Gur simar manaa-ee kaalkaa, khanday kee vaylaa" etc.
The fog of war clouds rationality. Let us recount a personal experience. One of our members is ex-military intelligence and trained in martial arts. Current style he is pursuing is Krav Maga from the Yanilov school. One of the scenarios had him escape from multiple attackers in a hallway only to be finally ambushed by another from the rear outside. The fight naturally went to the ground. The partner in question was an expert BJJ veteran. They struggled and even though he was told to tap out and not go hard, his mind was clouded and he ended up grabbing a fistful of gravel and mashing his partner's face in it. Of course the partner was none too happy but our man managed to get out. Fog of war, clouds minds. But in Vadbhag Singh's case, there was a degree of necessity involved and just like soldiers allow anger to guide them sometimes; so too did Vadbhag Singh allow his wrath to become a compass.
I think it's high time, and I am sure you will agree, that the Sikh Renaissance start accepting monetary pledges from listeners and readers to keep this seva going. This way we all fund the seva that is enlightening us.
Dear sir, thank you for your kind words. We have turned on the pledge button. You can now donate to us.