Friday, February 25, 2011

Guru Gobind Singh is alive

Guru Gobind Singh Ji infused the spirit of both sainthood and soldier in the minds and hearts of his followers to fight oppression in order to restore justice, peace, righteousness (Dharma) and to uplift the down-trodden people in this world.

Is it possible to be a saint and soldier at the same time? Are they not the two extremes of human personality? They seem to be so unless we see a live example. Once we see such an example, we will be even more amazed…

When I read the above blue-highlighted words in SikiWiki about Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, I felt those words are 100% true. Why? What made me say that it is one hundred percent true? Well, it is my personal experience. Although I am a Hindu, I am married to a Sikh and he symbolizes every word of the first paragraph of this article. My husband has a detached attitude towards life, more detached than any sanyasi. That doesn’t mean he is a recluse. He is lively, friendly, but has very simple habits – he lives on the simplest food and clothing. He has been postponing the purchase of a new bike for himself although his bike has become very old and everyday he has to travel 80 km to work and return home.

My husband has immense courage and never hesitates to fight for justice, peace and righteousness. Recently, he saw an auto-driver chasing/bullying a lady driving a car. My husband followed the auto-rickshaw and warned the driver severely. It would have left the auto-driver in such fear that he would never ever indulge in such eve-teasing. This is in spite of my husband having an average build and not knowing any martial art. I am convinced that courage of the mind is more powerful than physical strength.

Uplift of the downtrodden, yes, my husband donates whole-heartedly to almost every person who approaches him for charity. Financial assistance for educating orphan children, medical aid for poor, conducting the marriage of poor girls, providing livelihood for poor women by training them to stitch, and donating them sewing machine – these are some of the causes for which my husband had donated in the last few years. He is not rich, he doesn’t earn much, but he has a big heart.

I started to write an article on Guru Gobind Singh. Instead, I wrote all about my husband. Does it not show the power of Guru Gobind Singh? Both Wikipedia and Sikiwiki say that Guru Gobind Singh ji was born in 1666 at Patna, Bihar and died in 1708 at Nanded, Maharashtra. I disagree. Even 300 years after his death, if he is inspiring his followers to lead a life of purity, simplicity (saintliness), courage (soldier) to fight injustice, and kindness to help the poor and downtrodden, it only means that he did not die in 1708.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji is alive, he is living in every one of us who wish to follow his ideals, inspiring us, motivating us, and guiding us.