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 "Dharma" in The Sikh Doctrine The word Dharma or Dharam, is a word with ambiguous meanings. On one hand, Dharma may be interpreted as righteousness or good moral. On the other hand it may also be interpreted merely as a set of rules or one particular rule or religion that must be followed, ethical or not. According to the Sikh Doctrine, however, this fine word is almost always related to good deeds, virtues, righteousness and ethical practices that are in accordance with the teachings of the Satgurus. Anything that is not Dharma, is called Adharma, or simply put, sinful. The following are a few aspects of Dharma in accordance with the Sikh Scriptures:
Truth - an aspect of Dharma
"Boliae Sach
Dharam Jhooth Na Boliae" Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji was once invited to bless a university in Japan which was attended by a majority of Buddhist students. There, in a seminar, the students as a body requested Satguruji to enlighten them regarding the true Dharma. They raised the question that when there are so many religions in the world, which one of them is the true one? Which is the religion (Dharma) acceptable and common to every creed? To the question, Sri Satguru Ji replied that according to the Sikh Doctrine, as recorded in the verse above, following the path of Sach (truthful or truth telling) is the one Dharma common and acceptable to all creeds, since even those who claim not to believe in any Dharma (Religion) at all would also not disagree with the fact that a person should be truth telling. Needless to say the students were overwhelmed with the answer from the great Teacher and their thirst for an answer was rightly quenched by the Satguru. During the blessed time when Satguru Ram Singh was still in India, one of the many good qualities He encouraged His Sikhs to develop was the very Dharma of being honest and truth telling. Following the orders of the tenth Satguru, Guru Gobind Singh, that were reintroduced to the Sikhs by Satguru Ram Singh, the Namdhari Sikhs were well known for their honesty and truthfulness. This, consequently, can be found even in the British-India's Official reports. Bhai Rai Singh, a famous Namdhari GurSikh (Respected Sikh) is also well known for his supreme level of honesty and discipline that single handedly earned him the ticket to become one of Satguru Ram Singh's most trusted disciples and an immortal icon of loyalty and Sikhi.
"Truth Has Such
Qualities That it Never Gets Old. It Remains Unchallenged. Even a
Hundred Lies Cannot Change it."
Mercy - an aspect of Dharma According to the Sikh Scriptures, Dya or Mercy/Kindness, is also regarded as an aspect of Dharma. It is written to the extent that Dharma (Good Moral/True Religion) itself is the very offspring of Dya. In other words, without Dya, there cannot be any Dharma. Sri Satguru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Saturu, had also clearly given His order in the Sri Aad Granth Sahib (The Holy Scripture containing the divine message of six Satgurus and various Bhagats [Saints]), that a person who practices Dya is credited with the equivalent Punn (Virtue) as one who goes through the entire hardship of the pilgrimage of all the sixty-eight sacred pools in India. Transliteration of the verse from the Scripture is as follows:
"Ath Sath Teerath
Sagal Punn Jee Dya Parwaan" Certain religious groups, however, raise the question that the word Dya used by the Guru in the context above may have had a different meaning since it is used in conjunction with the word 'Jee' (Life/Soul). This makes the verse itself somewhat ambiguous and may be interpreted as either:
1) A person is credited with the same virtues as pilgrimming the sixty-eight sacred pools when he practices mercy
by sparing a life. This variation of the verse's understanding is understandable as well as respectable since the Scripture itself is a vast ocean of knowledge and the messages of the Satgurus, though brief in nature, many times have a far deeper meaning which is perhaps only limited by the reader's own intellect. Nevertheless, one cannot deny the fact that both variations of the translation of the same verse preach non-violence and compassion, either towards or by a Jee. As one would discover by reading through the Holy volume of the Sri Aad Granth Sahib, Bhagat Kabeer also strongly speaks out against the butchering of a Jee:
"Jee Badho Su Dharam
Kar Thapouh Adharam Kaho Katt Bhai" As it may be understood from the above mentioned verse, Bhagat Kabeer has raised the million-dollar-question that if those who perform such merciless acts of butchering/destroying a life claim it to be justified as Dharma (Good Moral), then what else is to be called a sin or Adharma?
Respect - an aspect of Dharma As mercy/kindness is an aspect of Dharma, so is its direct result in the form of respect: The recognition of the presence of God within every living entity. After Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji went into exile in 1872 A.D., the Sant-Khalsa was very heavily persecuted by the British Government. No more than five Sikhs were permitted any access to the Gurdwara (House of Guru/God) at Sri Bhaini Sahib. No kind of congregation of the Namdhari Sikhs was allowed. Many times even prayers were outlawed and those who practiced Sikhism were thrown into jails for the crime of following the path of their Dharma. Simply put, the Namdhari Sikhs' right to life, liberty and happiness had no place in the eyes of the English Government and its supporters. It was during such tormented times that the Sikhs' Dharma (Spirit) was greatly tested, yet they passed their examination with flying colors. Though their presence and physical involvements were restricted and ably controlled by the Government, their Dharma was as free as an eagle. Even though the Sikhs happily withstood the abuse, verbally as well as physically, from the Government, the feeling of despair and their longing for the return of their beloved Satguru had literally ruined their sleep. Such feelings also affected a Namdhari Saint, Sant Jiun Singhji, who became intensely desperate for the sight of the Satguru. In the morning hours, after taking a bath from head to toe as the Sant-Khalsa Dharma (Tradition) dictates, the thought of the Satguru literally intoxicated him and his cry was heard by the Satguru hundreds of miles away in Burma. Upon hearing His beloved Sikh's cry, the Satguru Himself did not bother to control His own desire to meet His Sikh and appeared in person right in front of Sant Jiun Singhji. The Satguru, after consoling His Sikh's grief, then asked His disciple not to force Him to reappear before the designated time. When the Satguru was asked that how else could Sant Jiun Singhji attain the sight of his beloved Satguru, His Holiness replied that Sant Jiun Singhji should view Him, from within the other Singhs. The same message of the previous Satgurus' teaching of God's recognition within each and every person can be found in many places within the Sri Aad Granth Sahib such as:
"Sub Meh Jote Jote Hai Soi" As it may be observed from the verse mentioned above, the divine light of the Creator, or Jote, is said to be present in each and every being. Hence, since God resides in every being, hurting a soul, according to the Scriptures is therefore strongly forbidden: "Kabeer
Jori Kiay Juram Hai Kehta Nau Halal" Here the same Bhagat Kabeer very clearly states that forceful treatment or Jori of a soul is a Juram (Crime) yet it is called by the name of Halal (Arabic word meaning lawful). In this respect, the Sikh doctrine is evidently against the disrespect of any other being's right to peaceful living. Be it man or animal.
Vegetarianism - an aspect of Dharma Vegetarianism has its own place in various
religions. The nation of India, with perhaps the most diverse variety
of Dharmas (Religions) in the world, is considered to be the
very breeding ground of Vegetarianism.
The Indians are said to be totally
vegetarian from time immemorial but under the influence of foreign
invaders, the trend towards the practice of meat-eating was taken up.
It was the Mohammededans who started the cow killing first of all, but
almost every state had banned it, affixing strict penalties for the
killer of the cow, in some states imposing capital punishment too,
until the British landed. In the Namdhari Dharma (Tradition), vegetarianism is one of the most fundamental rules that a person must follow, or else he or she cannot be called a Sant-Khalsa and in many cases will not qualify to receive the sacred Gurmantra. Note: All translations of parts of the Holy Aad Granth Sahib and the Sakhi (Biographical Sketch) of the Satgurus in English, as with any other translation of the Holy verses and Sakhis found on the internet, cannot be thought of as their definite and only meanings since much of the information and the true meaning of certain words cannot be retained after translation. |
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