PRESS RELEASE
Garden State Sikh Association, Inc. Washington Valley Road Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Press Release For Immediate Release
Sikhs will observe special functions to reflect on the life of Guru Arjan DevJi - The Guru whose 400th Martyrdom Anniversary falls on June 16, 2006
Sikhs all over the world will observe 400th anniversary of their 5th Guru or prophet in June, 2006. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was executed by the Mughal ruler, Jahangir in 1606 in Lahore, Pakistan.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth successor of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, is credited for giving the infant Sikh religion a strong footing. During his Guru period, he constructed the Harmandar Sahib which is popularly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar and compiled the Sikh scriptures Guru Granth Sahib.
Jahangir (1569-1609), according to his own autobiography, ordered the execution of the Guru and gave orders to torture and kill the Sikh Guru. Guru never uttered a word of protest against his own torture and asked his followers to learn the lesson of showing perseverance in the face of great adversity. Sikhs revere the Guru deeply and believe that he gave his life for the cause of bringing humanity close to God and to each other. He is the first Sikh martyr and perhaps the first and the most famous martyr of India who willingly gave his life for the preservation of human values.
Sikhs from all over the world will be observing this anniversary in June but already major plans have been drawn to have events in Lahore, Pakistan, and Amritsar, India. In Gurdwaras across the tri-state region, people are preparing to pay tributes to their revered Guru.
Guru Arjan DevJi completed the monumental task of the compilation of the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib in 1604 and installed it in the Golden Temple. He himself wrote over 2000 hymns in the Sikh Scriptures. His hymns reflect deep spiritual yearning for God and inspiration to create a harmonial society. He also founded several Northern Indian cities and towns. It was during his period that Amritsar became more populous and the most important religious and trade center of Northern India. He also founded many senior centers and virtually handled the major crisis of plague in Lahore and relieved the suffering population in the absence of Government operation. He had gained popularity among the poor and underprivileged sections of both Hindu and Muslim populations.
To strengthen the interfaith bonds further, he had Mian Mir, a highly revered Sufi Muslim saint, lay the foundation stone of the Golden Temple in 1598. This is perhaps the first interfaith move in World's religious history. Guru's popularity and his ability to mobilize masses was noticed by Jahangir who had felt threatened. Akbar, Jahangir's father, had cordial relations with Sikh Gurus. Jahangir had mentioned his intentions to kill Guru Arjan DevJi in his memoirs known as Tuzk-e-Jahangiri.
Sikhs And Sikhism
Sikhs are a people who share a spiritual way of life that comprises a religious tradition, a scripture, a culture, a linguistic script and several social, political and economic institutions. Twenty-six million people worldwide identify themselves as adherents of the Sikh faith, making it the fifth largest world-religion. Sikhism teaches that all human beings have the potential to realize their intrinsic divinity through devoted remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, pursuit of justice and service of creation. The Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and shaped by his nine successors in the sixteenth and seventeenth century in the Punjab, the Sikh homeland in South Asia.
The Sikh Gurus
For the Sikhs, the "Guru" corresponds to a spiritual enlightener who is also a messenger of God. Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469 - 1539) based his spiritual message strictly on divine revelation and spoke forcefully against political tyranny and social injustice. For instance, he abjured ritualistic practices, and also rejected the social apartheid of the Hindu caste system. The nine Gurus who followed him built on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's belief system, and crystallized not just a religion, but a distinct way of life. The last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666 - 1708) determined that no future living Guru was needed. Instead, he bequeathed the supreme authority of the Sikhs to the Guru Granth and the Guru Panth. The Guru Granth is the Sikh scripture, as the spiritual manifestation of the Guru, while the Guru Panth is the collectivity of all initiated Sikhs worldwide, as the physical manifestation of the Guru.
The Sikh Scripture (Sri Guru Granth Sahib)
On September 1, 1604, Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606), the fifth Guru, consecrated the Sikh scripture. As the Word that emanated directly from God, Sri Guru Granth Sahib reveals the ineffable nature of the Divine through profound metaphor and moving poetic expression. Set to a formal system of classical Sikh music, the hymns and verses of the Guru Granth Sahib make little or no mention of dogma or religious law. As a consequence, Sri Guru Granth Sahib is unique and eternal because it does not contain any outdated laws that are inapplicable to present times. In the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus embraced the revelation of non-Sikhs from Semitic and Eastern traditions making the Sikh scripture truly universal.
Order Of The Khalsa (Guru Panth)
On March 30, 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666-1708) the tenth Sikh Guru, ordained the Order of the Khalsa to establish, perpetuate and endow a society dedicated in face of all odds, to practice essential Sikh values-truthfulness, honesty, mutual trust and loyalty, productive labor, communal sharing, integrity of conduct and spirituality. Initiated Sikhs are expected to devote themselves to the service of society. They are famous for defending the oppressed and empowering the downtrodden. All Sikhs initiated into the Order of the Khalsa can be identified by their Articles of Faith.
Articles Of Faith
Sikhs wear an external uniform to unify and bind them to the beliefs of the religion and to remind them of their commitment to the Gurus at all times. Unlike some other faiths where only the clergy are in uniform, all Sikhs are enjoined to wear the uniform of their beliefs. Initiated Sikhs wear the uniform which includes long, uncut hair, which are covered with a distinctive turban or a scarf. They also wear the Kirpan suspended near their waist with a strap, the Kanga tucked neatly in their hair, the Kachhera much like under-shorts and the Kara around their wrist like a bracelet. All of these articles of faith have deep spiritual meaning. What they represent cannot be adequately translated into words because of their profound symbolic and metaphysical significance. Sikhs wear these articles of faith to honor the Sikh Gurus while being ambassadors for their faith.
Sikh Ethics And Self-Realization
Sikhism stresses that without strict ethical purity of conduct, there is no possibility of spiritual progress towards communion with God.
According to the Sikh scripture, "The seed of the enlightenment cannot grow except in the field of ethical conduct, constantly irrigated by the waters of truth. Religion must always be characterized by ethical deeds, honest living, sincerity of heart, and a fearless passion for truth." "Nanak makes this public declaration, let all ponder over it: Truthful living is the only true foundation of human life on earth."
The supreme objective of every Sikh is to seek self-realization which comes with the aid of Divine Grace. The opening page of the Sikh scripture asks and answers: "How shall a human being demolish the wall of falsehood that separates him or her from the Divine? By being in tune with the Will. And how shall we know the Will? It is embedded in the very core of human personality." Thus, Sikhism holds that all humans are capable of achieving union with God while still alive, by realizing the Divine within.
Sikh Worldview
Sikh philosophy envisages a future where the rich heritages of all nations, civilizations, peoples, and religions will be respected and lead to the formation of one human family. Sikhism favors a plural, free, open and progressive society that is God-oriented and non-aggressive, but firm and ever ready to combat against the rise and growth of oppression. Sikh history has seen titanic struggles against persecution by members of dominant religious groups in South Asia. Periods of Sikh rule in South Asia, however, were characterized by tolerance towards all. Sikhs demonstrated that organized and cooperative efforts between societies are necessary for a state of coexistence and peace between different civilizations.
Gurdwara
The Gurdwara is the Sikh house of worship and learning. Historically, it has served as a focal point for Sikh communities. It is a community center, an educational hub, a site to engage in political activism and a place which provides refuge to the homeless, the helpless and the destitute. All Gurdwaras across the globe support the Sikh institution called langar, which is a free community kitchen open to all. Many large Gurdwaras such as the Darbar Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, Punjab, serve food to visitors around the clock. It is often said that Amritsar is, perhaps, the only city in the world where no one sleeps hungry at night because of the Sikh institution of langar. Visitors, irrespective of their religion can expect shelter, comfort and food at all Gurdwaras.
Services in a Gurdwara consist of singing from the Sikh scripture as well as exposition of Sikh history and tradition. Since Sikhism rejects the validity of an ordained priestly class, any woman or man from the congregation may lead religious services. Often, large Gurdwaras employ religious leaders called granthis (literally, "one who reads from the scripture").
Core Theological Beliefs
* A monotheistic faith, Sikhism recognizes a common Creator as the only God who sustains all people of all faiths.
* Everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. No differentiation in status or privileges is made between men and women, who may occupy the highest seats of authority in all spheres of society.
* Sikhism seeks to eradicate all earthly distinctions, including caste, class, race and ethnicity.
* Moral qualities and the practice of virtue in everyday life are vital steps towards spiritual development. Qualities like honesty, compassion, generosity, philanthropy, patience, humility, etc. can be built up by effort and perseverance, provided one is endowed with divine grace.
* Sikhism does not considers any place more sacred than any other place. Sikhism regards no day or time more auspicious than another. Only the place and time when God is remembered are sacred.
* Sikhism empowers all individuals by rejecting the need for a priestly class. With God's grace, all human beings are capable of cultivating their religious intuition and realizing God without any intermediaries.
* Everyone must make a contribution to the social welfare as a sacred duty. The gulf between the more fortunate and the less fortunate has to be bridged. All Sikhs are mandated to donate ten percent of their income and time towards any humanitarian cause.
* Sikhism denounces polytheism, idolatry, superstitions and blind rituals.
* Sikhism emphasizes living in the present, and does not focus on life after death. As the Sikh scripture encourages all human beings to realize the Divine spark within them, its metaphors mention prevailing beliefs in reincarnation, and heaven and hell. This human life is our only opportunity to realize the Divine.
* Sikhism holds that politics and religion are inseparable. Sikhism, however, rejects the validity of a theocratic State. All Sikh states in the past have been based on secular, non-theocratic laws.
This information is adapted from the writings of Harpreet Singh, a graduate student pursuing his PhD at the Harvard Divinity School, and from the following website:http://sikhcouncilusa.org/
Submitted by: Ms. Geeta Ahluwalia Telephone Number: 973-222-5586 geetahl@hotmail.com