Khalsa - Guru Gobind Singh Ji 's Vision - VIII

Necessity of Today
Whatever Guru Gobind Singh has said is of great necessity today. He has said that the Khalsa vanquishes the five evils, forsakes criticism, anger, others’ wives, and others’ wealth. We should live by this commandment, and then the Khalsa will be everywhere. It is just possible that the whole world will become Khalsa.

Guru is Always Alive
The Guru is always alive. Guru Ramdas says, “Sat Guru mera sada sada, na avay na ja-ay. Oh abnasi Purakh hai, sab me reha samaye—My Guru always remains. He neither comes nor goes. He is immortal and is pervading in everything.” [GGS 759]

"Guru Gobind Singh always exists. He exists today, he will exist in the future, and he existed in the past as well. His voice and his dharam will always remain lofty; they will never end". 

"Dharam is so very powerful that it may increase but it cannot decrease".

We should become good examples. To the extent that we become good examples, the demand will increase. Demand always follows display of good samples.

Be Yourself
Keep your language; keep your culture. We should not let these things be forgotten.

Adopt other good things also, but not not let go of your own dharam, your culture, your language. 

Keep them strong within your families so that they will not be lost. Do not become so advanced that you forget your language, your culture, your dharam. If these things slip away, it does not take external force to kill a person; he is automatically finished.

At present, what has happened? “Sharm dharam doe chhap khaloe, kurh phare pardhan be lalo.—Modesty and righteousness are both hidden. Oh Lalo, lies have become most powerful.” “Kazian bhaminan ki gal thaki agad parhe shaitan be lalo—Oh Lalo, the power of Muslim kazis and Hindu holy men has decreased and Satan is conducting the marriage ceremonies.” [GGS 722] Satan is now in control everywhere.

Therefore we must follow Guru Gobind Singh. We must not take anything home except our own honest earnings. If we take anything else, we are not even human beings, not to mention Khalsa.

All of us who are sitting here should stop and think: Are we following the commandments or are we just saying so? There is great power in the Hukam of Guru Gobind Singh, and great need for these commandments at present, so that cooling may flow into our societies and our homes. The Khalsa’s family is thus: If anyone has fallen, has become weak, or has lost his voice in society, the Khalsa enters that family to give them courage, to give them love.

There is no one who is not ready to agree to the commandments of Guru Nanak, of Guru Gobind Singh. Everyone has become ready to accept them. But we must become an example of the commandments. Then after seeing us, people will believe in our Father.

Guru Gobind Singh said, “Jab lag khalsa rahe niara, Tab lag tej diya main sara—So long as the Khalsa remains distinct, I give them full glory.” [Sarab Loh] Distinction means telling the truth, having compassion, loving, considering the commandments of Guru Gobind Singh as applicable even today. One should stand upon those commandments twenty-four hours a day.

This is what it means to be distinct. To remain steadfast in truth is very difficult.

--The End.

Khalsa - Guru Gobind Singh Ji 's Vision - VII

Set an Example

We will have to provide good examples, for at present our bad example is spreading in the minds of the people like poison. When we speak of righteousness, people will look at our practical life. When we preach about what Guru Gobind Singh says, people will surely look at our own lives. Not only will they look at that time; they will keep on looking at us. In those places which are the sources of dharam, we especially need to set a good example. We are not to lecture about Khalsa and keep committing the same offences. 

The greater a person’s responsibilities, the more essential it is that he put his house in order, eat only from his own earnings, and bring home only his own earnings. It is illegal for us to bring others’ things to our house. Charity is poison itself. Guru Nanak says, “Hak paraea Nanaka us suar us gae—Oh Nanak, what does not belong to you is like the flesh of a pig for Muslims or of a cow for Hindus.” [GGS 141]

Being Khalsa is to Love Others

What should be increased is love for others, coming together in love. If you become angry in your Gurudwara's, control your anger. Control your anger everywhere, for “Khalsa krod tiagay—Khalsa renounces anger.” 

Guru Gobind Singh has told us to renounce anger, but instead we are overcome by it. Our criticizing of others has also overpowered us. Sometimes we tell lies, sometimes we lose our good character, sometimes we grab the rights of others. We should forsake all these faults.

Once we have done so, then we need not ask what will happen to Sikhism in the future, or what happened in the past. What we have will remain for time immemorial. Over the ages, it will not be destroyed. It will never decrease, in any period, and in some period it will increase.

It Is Time To Act Now

Now it is necessary for us to act. There are so many large gatherings, so many large scale recitations of scripture, long lines of Akhand Paths, but why don’t people change their lives? As Guru Nanak has said, “Likh likh parhaia, teta karhia, parhe sune kiya hoi, jo sahaj no milio soi—What will come of reading and listening if you have not met Him naturally? The more you read, the more you are engulfed.” [GGS 467, 655] 

Therefore, let us all start working to become Khalsa. The power of Khalsa is within us. This power does exist.

Mahan Singh acted upon the teachings and thus became who he was. Daya Singh acted upon the teachings and thus became who he was. Maharaj Guru Gobind Singh spoke of Five Beloved Ones. He did not say, “All have become beloved ones.” Only a person who obeys the commandments, who always keeps the orders in mind, is a beloved one.

Now people are grabbing property illegally, telling lies and losing their morals, and at the same time they are taking Amrit. They are taking amrit, and at the same time they are quarrelling. Where are they quarrelling? At our holy places, the house of our Guru. You must therefore control these things now.

The second issue is what will become of Sikhs in the future? Sikhs will always excel if they continue following the Guru. The commandment of the Guru is very powerful. In the Guru’s hukam there is Light, Light, Light.

I will say firmly that Sikh religion is not a confining circle, not a boundary. It is the enlightened wisdom of the cosmos. So long as the cosmos remains, this enlightened wisdom will remain. But some Sikhs have taken the position that they think no one is special except themselves. Thereafter, there have been conflicts.

Instead, win the minds of the people. Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh won the minds of the people with their enlightened wisdom.

They never said anything which they did not practice. Therefore we should all follow their commandments. The blessing of Guru Gobind Singh is within us. People will believe whatever we say about Guru Gobind Singh. At present we do not believe ourselves; how can others believe?

--To be continued...