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Sikhism : RELIGION or mass Education
-: Rajbinder Singh Khalsa

             Nowadays a lot have been said and printed about Sikh religion becoming the fifth largest religion of the world. Most of the preachers today are delivering sermons of Sikhism being the different kind of religion than all other religions. Some Sikh schools of thought have printed literature describing ethics of Sikh religion ( ਸਿਖ ਧਰਮ) and how Guroo Nhanhk started Sikh religion. The Sikh code of conduct ( ਸਿੱਖ ਰਹਿਤ ਮਰਯਾਦਾ) issued by SGPC doesn’t says anything about Sikh religion but in definition of a Sikh it says a Sikh is one who don’t believe in any other religion.

             While trying to find the true identity of a Sikh and concept of Sikh religion, a thought struck my mind that why not ask the one and only true teacher of humanity, Sri Guroo Grnth Sahib ji. I was awestruck to find that the words Sikh and Dharma (ਧਰਮ) never appears together in Sri Guroo Grnth Sahib ji. Wherever the word Dharma appears in Gurbani it always means Righteousness (ਫਰਜ).  The correct choice between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and lie is Dharma. This correct choice can be made with true knowledge from true Guroo.

            Usually we make choices based on the knowledge we get from our parents, friends and social life of others. Today, media like TV and Internet (social media) have the larger effect on our minds. The question is that if our parents, friends and media knows everything than what is the need of schools, colleges, teachers and trainers.

            At the age of 10, Guroo Nhanhk refused to wear janeu (cotton thread) and follow the orders of his father. Was he wrong in taking a stand against his own father and useless rituals?  Where does he got the courage to do so? We know he was studying both Indian and western literature in childhood.  He implied the Truth in practicality which he came to know through studying. This took him to higher truths and ultimately to the supreme Truth. We didn’t have the courage to do such things so we end up suffering. Its a fact that if we speak truth and imply it in our lives, our family has to support us sooner or later.

 ਮੰਨੈ ਮਗੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਪੰਥ ॥ ਮੰਨੈ ਧਰਮ ਸੇਤੀ ਸਨਬੰਧੁ ॥ Guroo Nhanhk,pg-3,SGGS.

The one who implies true knowledge in his life, doesn’t get involved in ritualistic worshipping (religion). The one who implies true knowledge in his life, keeps relation with righteousness.

             It was obvious that curiosity aroused to find out how the meaning of the word Dharma changed to religion. Wikipedia says that the word RELIGION got recognition in 17^th century when British started their expansion and created a policy to rule the whole world. The words “Sikhism “, “Buddhism “, “Hinduism “ etc come to existence in 19^th century. It is easy to rule people when they are divided into groups with contradictory views.

ਆਈ ਪੰਥੀ ਸਗਲ ਜਮਾਤੀ ਮਨਿ ਜਿਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ ॥ Guroo Nhanhk, pg-6, SGGS

All humanity is supreme religion. Whoever wins his own mind, wins the world.

               Further studying the Sri Guroo Grnth Sahib ji it becomes obvious that Gurbani is against the concept of religions as religion divide people and create hatred. The word Sikh-Dharma is first mentioned in books of Sikh History which are written in later half 19^th century when British come to power after the felling of the empire of maharaja ranjit Singh. Most of these writers of Sikh history were loyal to British crown except for few writers like G.W.Leitner who wrote the Truth.

ਸਭਿ ਰਸ ਭੋਗਣ ਬਾਦਿ ਹਹਿ ਸਭਿ ਸੀਗਾਰ ਵਿਕਾਰ॥ ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਨ ਭੇਦੀਐ ਕਿਉ ਸੋਹੈ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਿ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਧੁੰਨ ਸੁਹਾਗਣੀ ਜਿਨ ਸਹ ਨਾਲਿ ਪਿਆਰ॥੫॥੧੩॥
Guroo Nanak. Pg-19. SGGS

Indulging in every pleasure is futile. Corrupted are all ways of beautification.

Unless the word has pierced (understood), how can you become dignified in gurdwara.

O Nanak, Praiseworthy is the spouse, who is in love with husband Lord.

ਗੁਰ = teacher, knowledge, education.

ਦੁਆਰਾ = doorway, passage.

Literally the meaning of Gurdwara is passage to Education, doorway to knowledge, teacher's door.

          In the book "History of indigenous education in the Punjab"  written by G.W. Leitner in 1882 C. E., he says that the whole of North India which was then Punjab, including the areas now in Pakistan was the most educated place on Earth at that time. He further says that every mandir, gurdwara and masjid in that area was a education centre of formal Education. This pattern of mass education was started by Guroo Sahiban. Prior to that only children of affluent or powerful families used to get proper education, so that to keep the power to rule  within their family. But Guroo Sahiban changed that with their intellectual thinking.

            The writer says that during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the people who didn't sent their children to school, get punished. But the whole seen changed after East India company acceded to power. They burned down all book libraries, which were present in each and every village of Punjab. The Indian priests helped the British in doing so, as they were most affected by this education system. They had to shut their shop of ritualistic worshipping because common people got educated.

              The writer himself was British yet he wrote against the British apathy. That's why he didn't get much recognition. And today we Sikhs teach our children the history which was written by the hired writers of East India company and the priests.

               So basically what our Guroo Sahiban started was the most advanced mass education system of that time. But ironically the system of the Gurdwaras as we see today is the carbon copy the ritualistic worshipping places which existed prior to Guroo Sahiban.

             Now onus lies with today’s preachers to show the correct path to current generation of Sikh youth which is in accordance with the ethos of Gurbani. From the oldest recorded Gurbani of Baba Sheikh Farid (10^th century) to Guroo Tegbahadur sahib ji (17^th century), all Guroo Sahiban and Bhakt Sahiban have a common agenda in their bani (words of wisdom) of getting the whole humanity educated.