Brief Biography
From Namdhari-World

Taking Avatar on 22^nd Nov. 1920 at Bhaini Sahib District Ludhiana (Punjab) India in the House of the Guru: Sat Guru Pratap Singh ji, and Mata Bhupinder Kaur Ji Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji showed signs of spiritual inclination from His very childhood. He was brought up in a puritan atmosphere from where He absorbed subtle aspects of religious life.

Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji is carrying forward the splendid heritage of Sikh faith in all its purity and sanctity in true sense of the term. KIRAT KARO (Earn thy living with the sweat of your brow) WAND CHAKHO (Share the fruits of your labor with the poor), NAAM JAPO (Meditate on the name of God) the three cardinal principles of faith as propounded by GURU NANAK DEV JI are being practiced by the Namdhari Sikhs with a catholic spirit. The above principles of Sikh philosophy are being vigorously propagated by Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji with a missionary zeal.

Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji learnt classical music at a very early age. Today He is regarded as a distinguished connoisseur of Classical music. Renowned Indian classical musicians like Hari Prasad Chaursia,Ravi Shankar, Pt Shiv-Kumar Sharma, Rajan Sajan Mishra, Amjad Ali Khan, Ala Rakha Khan and several others have commended Sat Guru Jagjit Singh ji’s for His abiding interest and deep knowledge of classical music. Sat Guru Jagjit Singh ji lays great emphasis on singing hymns from the Holy Sri Aad Guru Granth Sahib in the 31 basic classical Ragas (Musical notes) to which our holy scripture was originally rendered into. Sat Guru Jagjit Singh ji Himself is a master player of Dilruba, a stringed instrument.

Besides moral and spiritual enlistment of man, Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji lays great emphasis on physical well being of man. He evinces great interest in games and sports. Sat Guru Ji has done a great deal for inculcating interest of sports in his followers. Sat Guru Ji has sponsored numerous tournaments in athletics, hockey, badminton, and cricket for Namdhari youths who have won one great laurels for the country. Sat Guru Ji is also an illustrious educationist. He has established a change of schools for boys and girls in India and abroad. His contribution for the cause of the literacy in India is peerless.

Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji is an unflinching champion of environmental conservation. Deeply compassionate towards birds and animals. Sat Guru Ji is a strong opponent of cow slaughter and torture of birds and animals.

Sat Guru Ji has ordained His Sikhs to lead simple life, wear immaculately white clothes and white turban in simple horizontal style. He expects His followers to meditate for at least one hour daily and to maintain absolute purity and cleanliness of body and mind. Sat Guru Ji has enjoined His followers to abstain from alcohol and refrain from taking non-vegetarian food, tobacco and drugs etc.

Sat Guru Ji is a great philanthropist. His contribution in social welfare and charitable work is immense. He has set up homes for the aged, the handicapped and the sick at various places in Punjab. His compassion and kindness extends to the poor, the down- trodden and the neglected sections of society.

Sat Guru Ji is a champion of world peace and brotherhood of man kind. He has attended several inter-religious conferences. He is well versed in Vedic and Upanashidic philosophy.

Under the spiritual guidance of Sat Guru Jagjit Singh Ji the Namdhari Sikhs are steering the path of righteous living. Sat Guru Ji is a paragon of virtue and divinity epitomizing all qualities of truthful living which will ultimately lead us all towards the goal of redemption.

Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji's Divine Message.

"The Mind, To Which Neither Water Nor Soap Has Any Access To, Can Only Be Cleansed With Naam (Gurmantra)"
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

Though Guruji's divine teachings are uncountable, one significant blessing that the Great Guru has always showered upon men of all origins that are fortunate enough to obtain His divine audience is His Holiness's message of Peace.

According to Guruji's teachings, peace can only be achieved when peace itself is present inside each and everyone in the society. In other words:
"It all starts at home".

According to the teachings of Satguruji and as recorded within the Holy Sikh Scriptures, the kind of food a person consumes has a direct relationship with the person's thought process. In the same manner that a murderer does not feel any pain or sorrow or even disgust for the death of those he had killed, a person who repeatedly sees and consumes corpses (meat/non-vegetarian food) eventually becomes desensitized to pain and suffering at the other end of the knife. Similarly those who consume intoxicants such as wine, liquor, tobacco etc. can never be at peace or contribute to the creation of a peaceful society since their mind is always taken over by the effect of drugs they take.

To propagate peace, one must therefore be first introduced to Dya - Mercy and then to Rahet - The Tenets of Sikhism.

Dya - Mercy

"No Dharma Gives a Person, The Permission to Destroy another Life"
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

Evidently from Sri Satguruji's Updesh (Discourse), the true essence of the meaning of the word Dharma is undeniably Dya - Mercy. Consequently, Sikhism - the original Faith of India whose characteristics may be traced back thousands of years even prior to the time of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, the first Incarnation of Almighty in the present Yuga (Time), puts much emphasis on preaching Dya.

Even though Dya has many meanings and does not apply only to animals but humans as well, its most direct and observable trait is undoubtedly Vegetarianism where 'Sparing a Life' is the direct outcome. The promotion of Dya via Vegetarianism is therefore given a significant place in Satguruji's divine teachings.

Like Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji, Who has always set Himself as an example for the Sikhs, not only preaches but also practices Dya via Vegetarianism. Sri Guruji has participated in countless vegetarianism conferences around the world. At Sri Bhaini Sahib, the holy city and 'Parkash Asthan' (Place of Avatar) of Sri Satguruji, a 'Sada-Vart Langar' (Continuous Free Kitchen) is still served as it was during the time when Satguru Ram Singh Ji were in India. The important thing to notice in this great act of mercy by providing food to everyone with no concern given to the recipient's race, caste or religion is the fact that the food served in the free kitchen is always Namdhari Veg. No matter at what hour of the day a person arrives at the Guru's doorsteps, Vegetarian food is always ready for serving.

"The People of Our Nation have (Unfortunately) Learnt The Slaughtering of Cows From The British, Yet No Consideration is Given to How They (The English) have Devised Methods of Raising And Caring For The Cow ..... No Consideration is Given to How (Well) These People Treat The Old And The Infirm in Their Country."
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

For the Great humanitarian Satguru, the protection and caring for the old and the infirm are given great priorities. Guru Maharaj has donated literally millions and millions of Rupees for the construction and maintenance of hospitals and sanctuaries for the old and disease-plagued unfortunate beings, with no thought given to the person's caste, religion, or social status. It seems that while everyone is busy thinking of themselves and doing things by putting their own interest prior to others', the Great Guru, Who views everyone as His Own, could care less about the worldly fame and fortunes that His Holiness regards as mere illusions and continue blessing His Sikhs as well as all the beings, man or animal, with His much treasured kindness and Dya.

Rahet - The Tenets of Sikhism

"By Sacrificing What Belongs to One's Self and Protecting What Belongs to Others, There Can Never Be Any Bickering."
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

Since the birth of Sikhism, Rahet (Rules/Tenets), played an important role in governing the Sikhs' behavior. As time changed, so did the Rahet which evolved in accordance with Satguruji's orders that ordained the Sikhs' way of life.

Like Sri Satguru Gobind Singh Ji, Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji also strongly reinforces the strict Rahet of Sikhism. Especially that of a Khalsa (Purified/Baptized Being).

"The People of Our Nation, After Entering This Country (England) For Only a Few Years, Have Easily Given Up Their Dress Code. But No Thought Has Been Given to The Fact That They (The English) Remained in Our Country for Four Hundred Years, Yet None of Them Gave Up Their Attires For Ours."
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

Sri Guruji Himself, through His Great example, teaches His Sikhs the true Rahet of a Namdhari - the firm believer in the Gurus and Their Gurbani (Messages recorded in Scriptures). Apart from the daily Prayers that begin several hours before the break of dawn and the endless recitation of the Holy Gurmantra (Mantra given by Guru Nanak Dev Ji), Guruji has blessed His Sikhs with an unaccountable wealth of the Sikh Rahet that covers a person's life literally from birth to death.

According to the Great Guru, selflessness is regarded as the key towards achieving salvation. When a person gets rid of his ego and pride, and directs his attention towards the Almighty God by doing Naam-Simran (Recitation of the Gurmantra), all the pain and sufferings in the world are left far behind. In the same manner that a person in an airplane that has flown above a specific height does not hear what those on the ground have to say, one who becomes one with the Gurmantra, i.e. one with God, attains liberation.

As it is recorded within the Holy Sikh Scriptures that violating a being's basic rights towards living peacefully is considered to be one of the worst crimes a person can commit and since "Selflessness" means thinking of others first and putting the needs and necessities of others prior to one's self's, Vegetarianism is definitely one of the better ways to illustrate this concept and remain well within the strict Rahet of the Great Gurus.

"The Fights And Bickering Are Not Between Humans, But Their Different Beliefs"
-Extracted translation from Guruji's recorded discourse

Satguruji believes in the axiom that all creatures are created by the same God and He attracts and awes everybody with His effulgence. His good health is due to regular exercises. His Holiness rises at 3.00am and takes a bath with only natural water and, after reading Gurbanee (hymns from the Granth Sahib) He meditates on the Holy Name of God till day break.

During the day His Holiness goes through the correspondence which He receives from His followers living in all corners of the world. His work is heavy and varied, involving tours of those places where the people, including His followers, wait most eagerly for His Darshan (Holy Presence).

Universal peace is the chief aim of His divine Grace. His advice is keenly appreciated by the United Nations, the Peace International, the International Confederation of Religions, the International Vegetarian Union etc. It is His Holiness's sentiment that nobody be killed or molested. He discursively commands in this regard that after sampling human blood once, the wild beast craves only for more. Similarly, when a man considers it too easy to butcher the animal kingdom, his unlimited desires overcome him. Consequently, one day he becomes a murderer or wishes to dominate the world hence war manners are adopted by him. If all the human race adopts the golden rule of non-violence and if all the fatal weapons are abolished, then world peace may be a reality within a short period.

 Satguruji sermonizes, inter alias, to respect all the creeds. It is His notion that people from the various religions should terminate profanation of loathsome criticism. His Holiness wishes all religious people to love each other heartily. Only in this way can we help establish peace on our planet.

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Source: Sikhism and Vegetarianism By Amarjeet-Singh Bhamra, and Jaswinder-Singh Bhamra
NOTE: This article has been edited.