by SS Kulwant Singh Khalsa, West Midlands, United Kingdom
2023 (First Quarter)
Aasaa, Seventh House, Fifth Mehl:
Meditate continually on the Name of the Lord within your heart. Thus you shall save all your companions and associates. ||1|| My Guru is always with me, near at hand. Meditating, meditating in remembrance on Him, I cherish Him forever. ||1||Pause|| Your actions seem so sweet to me. Nanak begs for the treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||2||42||93||
~ Guru Arjan Dev Ji – Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji – Ang 394
In this Shabad, Guru Arjan, our fifth Guru, teaches us the virtue of accepting God’s ‘will’ (Hukam) as pleasing. In June 1606, the Mughal Emperor of the time ordered that Guru Arjan be tortured and sentenced to death after he had refused to stop spreading the universal message of God, as started by Guru Nanak. During the hottest days of the Indian summer, Guru Arjan was forced to sit on a scalding griddle while boiling hot sand was poured over his body. After enduring five long days of relentless torture, Guru Arjan was taken to the river and ordered to bathe in it. He could have stopped this at any time by giving in, but instead, whatever came was accepted to be the sweet ‘will’ of God – Hukam.
For some, 2020 came with great challenges. Our community was torn apart, with many leaving the path and others feeling lost. Observing the situation with a neutral mind and without going into the various arguments about what was true and false, for me as a Minister of Sikh Dharma, this was the ultimate ‘will’ of God and Guru. We have been taught and given the tools to be able to successfully survive the situation at hand. It was time to put these precious teachings to practicality.
First and foremost, it is the Holy Naam and Gurbani that has helped me and others in my close community through all circumstances. For years we have read translations of our beloved Guru in Akhand Paths. It is those teachings that must be applied in practical terms. Virtues such as love, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance, ‘will’, steadfastness –and many more—have made me stronger in my practice and as a person. Thus I have been able to support others through my seva as a Minister.
Secondly, we have been taught that there is a Kundalini Yoga Kriya and Meditation that can be used as a tool to overcome almost any obstacle. It is important to delve deeply inside ourselves to tap into the awareness which we all possess because, ultimately, we have the answers to everything. It is a matter of using our own personal intuition.
Thirdly, it is important to communicate with and support one another; to give comfort as well as positivity, rather than dwell on the negative (which is so easily done).
It is my personal prayer that Guru Ram Das protects each and every one of us, and blesses us with the eyes to see everyone and everything as a spark from the Infinite Lord. So that we can love each other, accept each other, forgive each other, and know that everything is Hukam.
Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!
Photo Credit: Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SS Kulwant Singh Khalsa was born into an Indian Sikh family and took Amrit at the age of 10. He was ordained as a Sikh Dharma Minister in 2011. Kulwant Singh had the opportunity to be in the presence of Siri Singh Sahib Ji during his tours to the UK and at Solstice in the 1990s. These experiences have inspired and guided his life ever since. He has served in professional childcare and education for almost 20 years and manages a Sikh school for young children. He works extensively in the Sikh community, serving the Guru and Sangat through Kirtan and seva. Kulwant Singh is a loving husband to Jagdip Kaur Khalsa and a grateful father of three girls and one boy. He lives to serve as a son of Guru Nanak through Guru Gobind Singh and is grateful for being able to live as a Sikh in this lifetime.
