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A PrayerReflection on the sacred occasion
of 2009 Baisakhi Celebrations
 GURU
GOBIND SINGH: A DAZZLING SPIRITUAL LIGHT
Kanwal Prakash “KP”
Singh
An Enlightened Soul, Light of the Universe, a Lion:
My mind cannot fully fathom, nor can my words possibly describe,
The rare Light that graced our world that was Guru Gobind Singh;
An embodiment of the purest virtues and uncommon excellence,
Generously manifested in this “Murd Agumurra” by God
Himself
In amazing personification, in awesome magnificence;
A Celestial radiance crowned his Spirit:
An Enlightened Teacher, Emancipator, a Saint-Soldier,
A brilliant scholar and poet, musician and patron of the arts;
His life, autobiography, and passions attesting to a Divine Mission:
“To set in motion a Spiritual and Humanitarian Renaissance;
Delivering humanity from the tyranny of oppression and evils,
Fighting injustice; assuring dignity of all God’s Children.”
Nanak-Guru Gobind legacy, teachings echo a Universal
Spirit:
Seeing diverse cultures and communities of faiths
As God’s beautiful composite Commonwealth;
United at the Source,
Their origin threaded and interfaced into Oneness by the Creator.
He reminded us of God’s unmistaken Commandment:
“Recognize this Oneness, Unity, and Divine Spirit in all beings.”
Sikh faith embraced, defended universal rights and basic freedoms
Centuries before these global concerns and cultural renaissance
Stumbled into global human affairs; welcomed in advanced nations.
Bravest of the Brave, Defender of the Faiths:
A fearless Champion of universal equality and justice,
Precious human rights and cherished freedoms:
Sanctity of Life and liberty, right of self-defense;
Guru Gobind sacrificed his all to uphold the great ideals,
Enshrined and celebrated in The Sikh Holy Scriptures,
Exemplified in martyrdoms of Gurus Arjan and Teg Bahadur
In defense of sacred principles, inalienable rights and freedom;
Guru Gobind completed the Sikh Scriptures:
Entrusted to all humanity the sacred Guru Granth Sahib,
Declaring the Granth, a Living Embodiment of the Ten Gurus,
An Eternal Guru and Spiritual Guide of the Sikhs;
For students and pilgrims of faiths: a reservoir of spiritual wisdom,
Revelations, commandments, divine mystery and Eternal Truth.
At 1699-Anandpur Baisakhi, Guru created The Khalsa:
An Army of the Pure to fulfill God’s Mission;
A disciplined and fearless force that placed ideals above sacrifice;
In a rarest departure of prevailing traditions then, and since,
He erased the distinction between The Master and a true disciple;
Paid glowing tribute, expressing a deep gratitude to his Sikhs:
For mentoring and exalting him by their unbound Grace,
For all the battles won, all his acts of generosity;
In salutation and lasting gratitude, The Guru expressed his pride:
“The Khalsa is my life, my very breath.”
In deep humility, Guru Gobind thanked the Wonderful
Lord:
For the privilege of serving, for sacrifices asked of him and his
Sikhs
In honoring the Almighty’s Command, advancing His Mission.
For each of us, Guru Gobind offers a powerful testimonial trail:
A transforming brilliance to lead us from the temporal to Eternal;
Give a worthy testimony of entrusted gifts, faith-heritage.
Guru Gobind’s sojourn among us was brief:
From his birth in Patna in 1666 to his passing in 1708,
Guru saw much turbulence, darkness, anguish, inhumanity.
Never lost faith as unfolding events tested his very soul;
Thanked the Wonderful Lord for all the trials and triumphs;
Offered a timeless testimony of faith as Love, service of Divine.
Guru’s Light, Spirit since have guided generations
of Sikhs, others;
Today, his life, spiritual radiance light the farthest reaches of
humanity.
Kanwal Prakash Singh
In faith histories, folklore, and legends - recorded, verbally
transferred, or popularized by succeeding generations, we come across
no greater example, nor testimony of humility such as exemplified
by Guru Gobind Singh. Humility has been a cherished virtue in faith
traditions. In Guru Gobind Singh, other nine Sikh Gurus, Sri Guru
Granth Sahib, and countless devout followers of the faiths, we find
the virtue of humility elevated as an exalted Divine marker. Guru
Gobind’s life is an encyclopedia of faith lessons enshrined
and lived as an everlasting testimony for all to witness in faith,
awe, and reverence that such a radiant soul graced our world.
Through his writings, life and testimony, and contemporary scholars,
we get a glimpse of Guru’s mighty mission and his unmatched
excellences. A rare ‘Badshah-Durvesh,’ Divine Messenger
and Enlightened Teacher, Guru Gobind was, and continues to be, a
brilliant guiding star in the Spiritual Galaxy. His universal message
and prayers transcend cultures and generations; the Light reflected
in his amazing hymns of Praise (Jaap Sahib) illumine the entire
universe of faiths.
Guru Gobind jolted the masses of India to reject entrenched customs
and practices that divided and enslaved people. Guru called upon
the people to unite in the common cause of liberating and defending
the honor, sanctity, and heritage of the Motherland from the menacing
designs of foreign occupants, who against all civilized norms, openly
violated what the people of the land held sacred. The Guru challenged
fellow citizens of all faith and all segments of society:
. Right the unpardonable wrongs against the Motherland and her
people
. Stem the blatant assaults on faiths and freedoms
. End the indignities, injustice, and unconscionable religious
persecutions,
The reign of terror, conspired and unleashed upon the law-abiding
subjects
By powerful rulers and their blind ambitions, by the ruthless
religious zealots
. Organize in self-defense; safeguard national dignity, communities,
cultures as a sacred right
Guru Gobind understood the gravity and urgency of the moment and
the need to uplift the crushing burdens and fears that devastated
and demoralized the people, disturbed peace, wounded and frayed
the societal moral order. To address this challenge, Guru Gobind
created the Khalsa as the God’s Army of the Pure of heart
and spirit; always ready to serve, restore the legitimate rights
of the defenseless, and fight against evil that terrorized the innocents.
He baptized and transformed his followers into a fearless Brotherhood
to fulfill the mission commanded by God as Guru Gobind himself related
in his autobiography, Bachittar Natak, and faithfully pursued throughout
his life:
. To establish and safeguard Dharma and uproot evil
. Reject all divisions of caste, creed, ethnicity, nationality,
or gender
. Give an honorable testimony to the teachings of Guru Nanak and
his nine successors
. Uphold cherished freedoms: life, liberty, sacred rights, and
human dignity
. Defend Justice, promote peace, extend goodwill towards all God’s
Children
. Lead by example and a true compassion that transcends divisive
barriers created by men
. Reject trespassing differences and indifference that often separate
man from God, each other
. Meditate (Naam-Simran) upon the Name of Almighty God; live and
honor faith lessons
. Serve without distinction; protect, preserve and be better angels
to all Creation
. Bring honor to our humanity and to God who knows and sees all
things
. Keep God always at the center of our lives and submit to His
Will in humility and grace
GURU GOBIND’S LEGACY AND LESSONS FOR OUR TIMES
The world has been sliding ever deeper into darkness: confrontations,
regional conflicts, racial and moral divides. Nations are engaged
in a frantic race to build dangerous and deadly weapons that can
create incredible devastation and have the awesome power to lead
to mutual self-destruction. With exploding populations and human
expectations, we are also witnessing fierce struggles for survival,
unprecedented deterioration and rampage of our environment essential
to sustain life; repeated incidents of unprovoked violence by the
strong against the weak and defenseless; unconscionable assaults
on cultures, faith, ethnic minorities, and sacred rights of others.
We see before us moments of great uncertainty, formidable challenges,
frightening conflicts and nightmares amidst the great advancements,
unimagined abundance, marvels of science and technology, a time
of increasing global interdependence, exchange, and cooperation.
The life and brilliant legacy of the Great Guru offer us some valuable
lessons:
. Unite for causes greater than ourselves and abandon self-serving
narrow interests
. Build a world free of prejudice, violence, and basic wants
. Shape a world anchored in peaceful coexistence and shared responsibility
. Safeguard, preserve, and advance the collective good as a sovereign
universal right
. Envision a world where hopeful initiatives power and launch
unlimited possibilities for all
. Imagine a world where life, liberty, and inalienable human rights
flourish in safety
. Openness of spirit, peaceful pursuits, guide our creative passions
. Trust and thoughtful concern for others are a celebrated way
of life
. Every one is assured and recognizes a fair stake in our advancement
as a human family
The Great Guru Gobind proclaimed and exemplified: that when evil
raises its ugly head or where it persists, devastating human spirit
and causing unjust fear, hardships, death and destruction, then,
taking a moral and courageous stand and ending such tyranny with
appropriate force is an act of righteousness and a just course to
redress the such wrongs and violations.
GURU’S LIFE PERSONIFIES TIMELESS TRUTHS AND LESSONS:
A timely stand in the face of formidable odds, define true human
character. Such courage has assured human survival, led to celebrated
triumphs and advancements in the darkest events in human history;
often dared us to leap across daunting thresholds just on faith,
explore new frontiers, and find new shores in search of bigger dreams.
Our innate and primordial urge to know and understand our universe
has helped us unravel fabled great mysteries, and stirred generations
to trail-blaze to emerging new frontiers and excel in the Holla
Mohallas of our times.
Guru Gobind set down defining and exemplary markers in courage,
sacrifice, and truthful living.
A FRAMEWORK OF FAIRNESS AS A TRUE CAUSE FOR PEACE
As a solemn commitment, we must create an environment and framework
of fairness that dispels fear and ignorance that often threatens
human progress and peace. For worthy outcomes, we must honor that
which anchors our lives, builds trust and understanding about ideas
and ideals different from our own; affirms and delivers equal justice
and opportunities without distinction.
SEEING HUMAN UNIVERSE IN THE LIGHT OF IMMACULATE MANDATES:
We must not let our personal prejudice cloud our judgment, nor intrude
upon our shared sacred space. We must bridge our differences; seek
and promote common good and universal goodwill by our submission
to Divine mandates and honoring faith lessons. We must together
weave a tapestry where every treasured element of our humanity finds
a friendly reception and every sacred panel of our heritage enjoys
a proud and rightful place in the magnificent whole.
MULTIPYING OUR STRENGTHS AND HUMAN PROMISE
We must discover, appreciate, and preserve the Divine threads that
connect us and place us at frequent and unimagined crossroads; multiply
our strengths and blessings by working in solidarity with others
to find answers to critical concerns of our times. We must put our
talents and imagination to the tasks that benefit the entire Creation,
always remembering that above all, all good works are our gifts
to our Humanity. Where such deep concern and spirit of universal
goodwill exist, there also is manifest God’s Light, ancient
wisdoms, and blessings of all venerated Spiritual Mentors, enlightened
souls, righteous braves and trailblazers to guide humanity forward
to a more hopeful promise as a civilization and as a human family.
Kanwal Prakash “KP” Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
April 13, 2009
© 2009 May be reprinted with the Author’s Permission
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