Boring, Boring!

It's boring being racist. Just imagine not wanting to interact with whole sections of society because you don't like the amount of melanin in their skin; because they don't look, dress, speak, think or eat like you. Borrrrrrrring! In my short and limited life, meeting people of different backgrounds has led to so many valuable things. Insights, thoughts and ideas seep from one human to another. To be racist is to close yourself off, to ignore a world of wonder, in exchange for a blinkered tunnel. Sadly, whilst the rest of us smile and soak ourselves in all the wonderful diversity out there, there's a section of society which does the opposite.

In Britian we have the BNP - The British National Party. They're a bit embarrasing really; like a relative you never want anyone to find out about; you know, because they smell or pick their bogies in front of everyone. One of their policies is to offer voluntary repatriation to all non-Whites. It's excellent fun trying to work out who they would want to kick-out or keep in. David Beckham is an all British poster-boy, admired around the world for his footballing prowess. But would the BNP let him remain in Britian, given he has a Jewish grandparent? You see, that's the problem. What's their definition of white? Are they going to trace-back people's ancestors and verify all those birth certificates?! Their policies aren‘t just prejudiced; they‘re flawed logically. They’re currently trying to get one of their MEP’s into the European Parliament.

It's almost guaranteed that support for the BNP will increase during the credit-crunch. Labour supporters are discussing this issue here. It's worth remembering that there's one major reason as to why Hitler managed to galvanise so much power and influence so quickly. Germany was going through one hell of a recession. You see, for some people it's nice being told that 'those lot are nicking all your jobs and homes while you get nothing'. Ahhhh...the old 'it's someone else's fault' syndrome. Works a treat if you're the kind that likes to look at what others have, instead of pulling up your sleeves and getting on with it.

A little while back I had to buy some Samosae and Sholae (triangle, fatty and fried fings with spicy, curried chick-peas) from a local sweet-shop. We had guests so thought we'd buy-in the catering. While waiting to be served, I chin-wagged with the owner about a pair of white guys who had bought £50 of all things asian and tasty. He told me: "They love the stuff more than we do". And why not? This is just one small benefit of a multi-cultural society - our taste-buds get to go on interesting adventures. I'm a very simple eater but even I end-up cooking things or combining ingredients which hail from all corners of the planet. If only people got on as well as ingredients do in the cooking-pot!

The sweet-shop owner's words got me thinking though: if the BNP did get rid of all us 'Pakis', who would cook their curries - you know, the ones that some of them like to savour whilst swigging their lager...which would have probably been brewed in India or Africa.

For the last few years, I've realised that we should feel sorry for racist people. It’s actually a bit like a mental-illness of sorts, being racist - it's de-habilitating, affects every aspect of a sufferer's life and places limits upon their potential. I mean, do racist people even think about how incoherent their beliefs actually are...

"Do you think it's right that the black puppy should kiss the blonde ferret? Answers on a postcard to: Aren't racists funny, Small-minds-ville, PO Box...." Photo-credit: Foxtongue

On a related note, it's sad what Prince Harry (another one of those British relatives I mentioned earlier) said recently. He’s obviously no BNP member; more a case of someone who put his foot in his mouth I think, but the thing is that his words have been broadcasted all over the world and therefore Britain is yet again portrayed as a place where racist attitudes are present even amongst the most popular and well-known inhabitants. I suppose having Prince Phillip as your grandpa probably doesn’t help much!

Needless to say, The Satguroo has summed-up the totality of race, of colour, of melanin so adequately as to render it completely irrelevant. For a Sikh to even contemplate being racist, prejudiced or to even stereo-type others, is so absolutely contradictory to The Satguroo's Teachings as to be hilarious - in an un-funny way of course! So let's finish with the very straight-forward words of The 10th Mehl (Satguroo's Form), Guroo Gobind Singh Jee:

ਦੇਹਰਾਮਸੀਤਸੋਈਪੂਜਾਔਨਿਵਾਜਓਈਮਾਨਸਸਬੈਏਕਪੈਅਨੇਕਕੋਭਰਮਾਉਹੈ॥
dhaeharaa maseeth soee poojaa a nivaaj ouee maanas sabai eaek pai anaek ko bharamaao hai
The Temple and the Mosque are the same; there is no difference between them. Neither is there any dissimilarity between pooja [Hindu worship] and the namaaz [Muslim daily prayers]. The whole human race is the self-same but due to illusion, they appear different.
Siree Dasam Granth Sahib, Panna (Page) 47 - read the whole shabad

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Sickness & Creativity

A photograph featured within my online portfolio
© Atma Singh 2008


Yes - I've caught a bug. It was only a matter of time. People around me have been falling like flies; it's a buggy time of year you know.

The thing is that I'm not actually that annoyed by it. Well, apart from the fact that I have to listen to my Singhnee (wife) talking to our unborn child, requesting s/he arrive immediately. She's eating tonnes of pineapple and regularly taking warm baths because apparently this speeds-things-up. You really don't want to know the rest.

Anyway, back to my point - why am I not bothered about being sick? Because nowadays it's the only time I get to really indulge my creative-side, which I would never otherwise have the time to indulge. Yes, that old thief time - I've already moaned about it at length here.

With this spare time, the last two days have been mostly spent exploring Flickr and uploading the first few photographs onto my new account. Here it is. Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting lots more on there. It's a way of me sharing my personal work with a wider audience, as well as soon giving potential clients access to portfolios regarding weddings, events and portraits. Anyone who wants a limited edition print can contact me...enough plugging Atma Singh!

I really believe that Sikhs need to express themselves artistically to a much greater extent than they are currently doing so. If I had a rupee for every Sikh who has told me about a creative passion they harbour but never got to explore, I would be a rich man. Well not in England but probably in Punjab, where Rupees are useful. Anyhow, I've spotted a pattern over the last 10 years or so - Sikhs are not making the kind of strides in the creative industries as they are elsewhere. What's the big deal? Well, it all boils down to one thing - exposure.

With very few prominent film-makers, photographers, painters, musicians, writers, graphic designers etc., our very ability to express ourselves is being left by the way-side. We're limited to being a community defined by our 'concerned statements'. We tend to react more than create and direct. Usually, our voice is limited to making statements regarding religious or political issues, in a decidedly non-artistic manner. Is this the sum-total of our being, our ability to communicate and propose?

Sikh Chic is one website which is doing lots to redress this imbalance. Forget whether you like or dislike any of the material - whether you agree or disagree with the editorial or guest-writers; because that's irrelevant. The fact is that this site represents a crucial 'Sikh dialogue', regarding all things artistic and creative. A dialogue which is hardly taking place anywhere else.

Well here's my bit for the creative cause - my Photostream. You can view the captions to the below images there, as well as more of my work. Viva la Sikh Artistic Revolucion!

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh

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The Weight of Words

Bullying isn't always physical...

/ Photo-Credit: Mens Project

Around 3-4 years ago, I walked past a woman near to where my wife and I were lodging at the time. I looked-up at her as we walked past one another, early evening trees crowding the pavement with their shadows. She didn’t see me but I recognised her instantly. 15 years ago, this woman was someone who I bullied at secondary school (high school).

I never used to hit people. The strange thing is that I would often help other pupils who were being bullied. However for some reason I verbally bullied this girl regularly. Me and around five others would call her all sorts of names. We would say she looked like a monster, that she was fat and had a moustache. Lots of other nasty, thought-less things left our little stupid mouths. She would mostly stay quiet. When she did say something or start crying, as she sometimes did, we would simply apply more pressure, making her feel smaller and smaller with our taunts, aiming spears at her wounded self-esteem.

Peer-pressure makes us do such terrible things. For an insecure person, there’s nothing better than making someone else feel even more insecure than yourself amongst a crowd. They become the centre of negative attention - never you. You see, at the heart of a bully is a quivering coward; someone who is either bullied themselves or is unable to take control of their own life. It's a shame I didn't know then what I know now.

As I walked past, I noticed how she seemed sad. Maybe it was her reclusive posture or her soft, almost apologetic steps. I saw her enter a house on the very same road and instantly knew that’s where she must live. Upon arriving home, I spoke to my wife about it. “What do you mean you’re going to visit her and apologise? She might have finally got over it and you’ll bring it all back. Maybe you just want to do it to make yourself feel better. Is it worth causing her even more pain for your own selfish needs?”

She was partly correct – I did want to feel better. I wanted to tell this woman that I was sorry, that the boy who bullied that girl might have come across as someone self-assured but actually, he was just a weak and insecure idiot. But I also wanted this woman to feel better. I wanted her to know that it wasn't her fault - that she had no reason to ever feel that she was in some way inferior because someone like me had said so. To risk hurting her even more just didn’t seem like a risk worth taking so I never did visit her. However without even realising it, she’s made me visit my previous self.

My memories remind me how much pain thoughtless words can cause, how easy it is to oppress someone and make them feel as though they are powerless. Without even trying, she made me realise that every word that leaves my mouth needs to be full of love. I need to make-up for the person I was, for the pain I caused. It’s the least I can do.

Ever-since being inspired by sikhee, I’ve intuitively felt that to walk away while someone else is being bullied is not permissible. There have been several such minor incidents where I’ve stepped-in and defused such situations. For some inexplicable reason, I believe that I would cease to be a sikh if I didn’t do so. Maybe it’s to do with the way The Satguroo, in the The Ninth Form (Guroo Tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee), so gracefully challenged the despotic Mughal Emperor. “If you can force me to discard my beliefs, then they will follow”, were perhaps the words He uttered, as He protected the Hindu Brahmins (priests) from forced-conversion to Islam.

On another level, I think it’s my subconscious mind. The remnants of the pain I caused this woman and probably many others are still there. The Satguroo has perhaps blessed me with a way to indirectly undo what was done. I certainly hope so.

I’ll never really know if I should have visited that woman. One thing’s for sure though – words are such powerful, potent things that we should treat them with the respect and awe we would treat any other kind of dangerous implement; perhaps even more so.

Most physical wounds will heal over time – they often disappear without leaving a scar. But words, they can mould us, change us; twist us up inside. Their effects can leave us feeling things that may never go away. Such is the weight of words, the burden that we carry.

( ( ( :-(>>> Atma Singh

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Homosexuality - Part 2

A khanda against the gay pride flag; an image used by an

online forum for 'lesbian gay, bisexual and transgendered sikhs'

(This is the second of a two part article - Part 1 can be found here)

Homosexuality is not directly dealt with by The Satguroo anywhere within GurbaaNee. The reason being that The Satguroo deals with the root issue - not the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves or fruit. Always remember that The Satguroo addresses the source, not the implications or extensions of a given issue. This is why The Satguroo does not provide us with a great big list of do’s and don’ts. There is no need to shoot the little space-ships if you cancel-out the mother-ship! Deal with the essence and the rest automatically gets taken care of.

Lust (kaam) is an essential urge which drives the world to hunger for the most fleeting of physical pleasures, no matter how badly this pursuit compromises us. It’s one of the five thieves (panj choor) which constantly rob us of our spiritual equipoise. These are the five overarching tendencies which separate us from merger with Vaheguroo, from Enlightenment: lust (kaam), anger (krodh), greed (lobh), attachment (moh) and ego (ahankaar). Interestingly, lust is often described by gursikhs as the most powerful:

ਹੇਕਾਮੰਨਰਕਬਿਸ੍ਰਾਮੰਬਹੁਜੋਨੀਭ੍ਰਮਾਵਣਹ ॥

hae kaama(n) narak bisraama(n) bahu jonee bhramaavaneh

O sexual desire, you lead the mortals to hell; you make them wander in reincarnation through countless species.

ਚਿਤਹਰਣੰਤ੍ਰੈਲੋਕਗੰਮ੍ਹੰਜਪਤਪਸੀਲਬਿਦਾਰਣਹ ॥

chith harana(n) thrai lok ga(n)mya(n) jap thap seel bidhaaraneh

You cheat the consciousness, and pervade the three worlds. You destroy meditation, penance and virtue.

ਅਲਪਸੁਖਅਵਿਤਚੰਚਲਊਚਨੀਚਸਮਾਵਣਹ ॥

alap sukh avith cha(n)chal ooch neech samaavaneh

But you give only shallow pleasure, while you make the mortals weak and unsteady; you pervade the high and the low.

Ang 1358

But what of the vast majority of us, heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals who live our lives as single, boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses? Is lust something which we’ve managed to control and normalise through these relationships, these social constructs? Have we somehow assimilated lust into our lives and thereby controlled it or contained it? Can we lead a spiritual life whilst indulging in it or even just actively thinking about it?

The first thing to note is that lust even impacts upon those who do not partake in it – and most probably, to a greater extent. Remember it’s not just an action – it’s a thought-process. Even if we try to actively suppress it, it festers away, merely pushed out of sight...always using it’s down-time to make itself more and more stronger. Even the celibates and the renunciates who walked away from it found it burning in their hearts, like an ember ready to be reignited at the behest of even the slightest breeze.

The second thing to note is that according to The Satguroo’s Teachings, lust can only be overcome when one has merged with The One who is beyond all desires. In order to help us realise this lofty objective, The Satguroo has promoted grishtee-jeevan (a householder’s lifestyle), which revolves around a married heterosexual couple who have children, work for a living and advance spiritually. This enables Sikhs to slowly begin the process of neutralising lust by focussing it upon only one individual, in a stable, controlled and mature set of circumstances. Bhai Gurdaas Jee describes this philosophy thus:

ਏਕਾ ਨਾਰੀ ਜਤੀ ਹੋਇ ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ ਧੀ ਭੈਣ ਵਖਾਣੈ॥

eaekaa naaree jathee hoe par naaree dhee bhain vakhaanai

Having one women as wife he (the Sikh) is a celibate and considers any other's wife his daughter or a sister.

Panna 6 - Bhai Gurdaas Jee’s Vaaraa(n)

What about having partners outside of marriage? Well they introduce instability, they chop and change and come and go. That’s perfect fodder for lust, which will simply envelop us more, thanks to such unstable circumstances - ever heard of 'rebound relationships' where people just sleep with someone to get over breaking-up with someone else? So as far as sexual relationships go, it's clear that for sikhs they should only exist within a marriage.

There have been some very prominent and very spiritual gursikhs who did not marry e.g. Bhai Gurdaas Jee, Sant Attar Singh Jee, Baba Nand Singh Jee etc. The common factor between them is that they were very committed gursikhs who had been blessed with major responsibilities by The Satguroo, and had decided to focus upon a life of intense spiritual practice and selfless service. They represent the exception, not the rule.

Despite effectively being celibate, Baba Nand Singh is reputed to have said that the fruits of naam simran (meditation upon Vaheguroo) achieved by a celibate person in 11 years are achieved by a married person in one day. I think he was trying to explain that by being married, and still focussing upon Vaheguroo, an individual is rewarded greatly and finds it easier to negotiate the pitfalls that lust throws in front of them. It’s as though they take the more difficult option and still succeed.

As such the married person, if they are blessed, will come to realise that the sexual act between a man and woman is simply to produce children, to procreate, and that the illusion of separateness, of ego, of maya (illusion), previously led them to accept lust as love. A person cannot harmonise with Vaheguroo until they discard all the temporary pleasures of lust, delicious foods, the latest fashions etc. The Satguroo makes clear that until these ‘tastes’, these pleasures, are relinquished, the spiritually-saturated taste of Naam and it’s amazing properties (which is a whole other ball-park!) cannot be savoured:

ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿਬਿਨਾਕੈਸੇਬਧੈਸਨੇਹੁ ॥

preeth binaa kaisae badhai sanaehu

Without love, how can one's affection increase?

ਜਬਲਗੁਰਸੁਤਬਲਗੁਨਹੀਨੇਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

jab lag ras thab lag nehee naehu 1 rehaao

As long as there is attachment to pleasure, there can be no spiritual love. 1Pause

Ang 328

So where does that leave those brothers and sisters of ours who are homosexual and wish to have a sexual relationship within marriage? Well, with a big problem because such a relationship does not have the potential to lead to a realisation that lust is only non-destructive when it comes to reproduction – their sexual act will always be for physical pleasure. They cannot have an anand kaaraj (become married in the eyes of The Satguroo) because as the laavaa(n) (related verses) make clear the aim of the anand kaaraj is to merge with Vaheguroo and this cannot be achieved by people who enter the institution of marriage knowing that their forthcoming relationship will not ultimately enable them to realise that lust's only useful purpose is procreation.

The laavaa(n) depict the stages that the gursikh spiritualist passes through and culminate by describing the point at which merger with Vaheguroo, their True Husband, occurs. These verses are actually using the male/female metaphor that the institution of marriage affords in order to remind those soul-brides (suhaagan) entering marriage to understand who their real spouse actually is and in doing so, indirectly highlight that this new relationship which will most probably have a sexual component is not the True Union that the soul (atma) actually hungers for. The relationship between two physical bodies will always remain impermanent as opposed to the relationship between the soul-bride and her Eternal Husband (us and Vaheguroo). Here's how the laavaa(n) end:

ਹਰਿਪ੍ਰਭਿਠਾਕੁਰਿਕਾਜੁਰਚਾਇਆਧਨਹਿਰਦੈਨਾਮਿਵਿਗਾਸੀ ॥

har prabh thaakur kaaj rachaaeiaa dhan hiradhai naam vigaasee

The Lord God, my Lord and Master, blends with His bride, and her heart blossoms forth in the Naam.

ਜਨੁਨਾਨਕੁਬੋਲੇਚਉਥੀਲਾਵੈਹਰਿਪਾਇਆਪ੍ਰਭੁਅਵਿਨਾਸੀ ॥੪॥੨॥

jan naanak bolae chouthee laavai har paaeiaa prabh avinaasee 42

Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the fourth round of the marriage ceremony, we have found the Eternal Lord God. 42

Ang 774

Just like the heterosexual who thinks that lust has been mastered through marriage, the homosexual will also miss the truth. However for the heterosexual married person, if they are blessed with Perfect Destiny, there is the potential for lust to be defeated. The pleasure it affords will seem pale and insignificant, it will seem insipid, compared to the True Pleasure that meditation upon Vaheguroo affords.

So let’s go and tell all our misguided brothers and sisters to stop being gay and to marry a member of the opposite sex and progress spiritually via grishtee-jeevan right? Well perhaps it isn’t as simple as that. Many scientists believe that homosexuality is related to one’s genetic disposition and is not a learned behaviour. In other words gays are born that way. So how can someone who feels they cannot stop being gay start to live according to The Satguroo’s teachings?

Every single one of our tendencies and behaviour patterns are related to our previous actions and current actions; our karam. If people are born as homosexuals then this is simply their destiny – their previous actions, whatever they were, have led to this. We are all in the same boat. We have taken birth because the account of our previous actions meant that we were not spiritually-capable of merging into Vaheguroo.

If your homosexuality is something which cannot be changed, and you feel unable to marry a member of the opposite sex, then you would have to remain celibate – easier said than done I know, but the only logical approach. Such a person who masters lust, regardless of their ‘sexual orientation, would surely merge into Vaheguroo, The Desire-less:

ਆਸਾਮਨਸਾਸਗਲਤਿਆਗੈਜਗਤੇਰਹੈਨਿਰਾਸਾ ॥

aasaa manasaa sagal thiaagai jag thae rehai niraasaa

who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;

ਕਾਮੁਕ੍ਰੋਧੁਜਿਹਪਰਸੈਨਾਹਨਿਤਿਹਘਟਿਬ੍ਰਹਮੁਨਿਵਾਸਾ ॥੨॥

kaam krodh jih parasai naahan thih ghatt breham nivaasaa 2

who is not touched by sexual desire or anger - within his heart, Vaheguroo dwells. 2

Ang 633

Sikhee is a Path which points us towards the absolute pinnacle of spiritual realisation so naturally it’s a given that it will not be successfully traversed by many. Those who master lust, the gurmukhs that The Satguroo often talks about, are very rare. Perhaps one amongst thousands or even tens of thousands. And just in case you are wondering, I am certainly not one of them.

I do not speak on behalf of other sikhs, let alone The Satguroo. I know that many gursikhs will probably not share my views. But that is fine, because we must all treat our conversation with The Satguroo as something special and unique. What I will say is that there is certainly no need to stone or kill homosexuals, there is no need to hate, avoid or reject them or tell them that Vaheguroo is their enemy. There is no need to keep thinking about their sexual persuasion when we talk, laugh and spend time with them, when we shake their hand or bump into them. A gursikh could never indulge in any such destructive behaviour - quite the opposite in fact:

ਸਭਨਾਮਨਮਾਣਿਕਠਾਹਣੁਮੂਲਿਮਚਾਂਗਵਾ ॥

sabhanaa man maanik thaahan mool machaagavaa

The minds of all are like precious jewels; to harm them is not good at all.

ਜੇਤਉਪਿਰੀਆਦੀਸਿਕਹਿਆਉਨਠਾਹੇਕਹੀਦਾ ॥੧੩੦॥

jae tho pireeaa dhee sik hiaao n thaahae kehee dhaa 130

If you desire your Beloved, then do not break anyone's heart. 130

Ang 1384

So let’s end on this note - the fact that no matter what someone’s sexual persuasion, GurbaaNee does not advocate any kind of judgement, hatred or punishment. We are commanded to love all unconditionally. Neither should we brutishly force our interpretations of GurbaaNee upon others - when requested or sincerely motivated, we should simply assist anyone and everyone to make their own direct connection with The Satguroo, and to find Spiritual Truth themselves.

( ( ( :- ) >>> Atma Singh

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A Day to Box

A day to buy? / Photo Credit: i see modern britain

I never knew knew about the reason behind Boxing Day until I googled it earlier this morning. Ahhh, the beauty of google - it turns even idiots into instant scholars! Previously I thought that Boxing Day must refer to all those boxes of goodies we want to buy cheaply at sales, after standing in queues from 7am in the morning...

Come-on! It's the day for us to fight...erm...over yesterday's presents! / Photo credit: faster panda kill kill

Despite having included the pic immediately above, even a thicko like me realised it couldn’t be anything to do with big guys beating several shades of s*** (yes, I mean stuff!) out of each other. Nonetheless, I was surprised that it’s actually a day that wealthier people would give presents of food and other such minor items to those who were poorer than them. These gifts would be boxed. Although I’m not too sure this happens in the UK very much, it seems it still happens elsewhere. Here are some more details.

The less fortunate get grub in Guyana the day after Santa dropped-in / Photo Credit: caitlinator

It’s really nice that the day after Christmas Day, which I think most people agree is completely commercialised, turns-out to still be very meaningful in some parts of the world…a day that people can stop focussing on what they want or what they receive, and instead focus upon those less fortunate than themselves.

On a lesss serious note, and speaking of someone very less fortunate (lol), my sister-in-law Shan who has to be one of the funniest people I know, couldn’t get a train from Slough to Sheperds Bush this morning – the train service is apparently ‘a joke’ today. The tories haven’t missed the chance to cash-in.

Maybe I’ll send poor Shan a box in the post to let her know I'm thinking of her…I could put some leftovers inside it. We have some Pataaoo(n) de Sabzee (aubergines) from last night I don’t fancy eating any time this century…

( ( ( : -)>>> Atma Singh
everyday sikhee

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Homosexuality

Photo Credit: k763

American protestor letting gays know what she, and it seems God, thinks of them

There I was sitting with a Christian and a homosexual (now that's what I call an opening line!). The Christian seemed as though she wanted to like the homosexual but openly admitted she found it hard to accept him. Her opinion which metamorphosed into an argument and then fizzled away, seemingly due to the fact she didn’t want to offend him, was that we choose our destiny and although God is The Architect of Destiny, it is we who ultimately play the leading part. We either walk the 'blessed route’ before us or we transgress and take an alternative route of our own choice.

I told them that my belief is that ultimately everything is according to Hukam (Divine Will / Cosmic Order) - that ultimately we are unable to decide who is good and who is bad because The One Light resides in all. But am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No.

He was trying to encourage her to overlook this aspect of his personality given that it troubled her, and to realise that his sexuality does not totally define him as a human-being. He explained that there are parts of one another, be it views, attitudes or lifestyle, that we all find hard to accept. I agreed with him. Am I saying homosexuality should be promoted amongst Sikhs? No. So what am I saying? Well, let’s let the threads of this post unravel some more…

The subject of homosexuality comes-up very often when one talks of religion or spirituality; usually it is seen as beyond the pale; something to be despised and hated. Even in these politically-correct times, many religious leaders brazenly speak their minds regarding the subject, thereby illustrating how an anti-homosexual standpoint is readily accepted by much of the population.

Earlier today, the Pope attracted the anger of the gay community after he described homosexuality as being equivalent in terms of gravity to the fate facing our environment. Gays haven't just started to become a problem that needs sorting - The Old Testament which guides Jews and Christians talks of homosexuals being killed by God and a whole village being destroyed due to the ‘abnormal behaviour’ of its gay inhabitants.

The Pope alluded to this proposition, that homosexuality is an act against nature, when suggesting that humanity should take its cues from nature. The problem is that it doesn’t seem Mother Nature can be relied upon to support The Pope. Elephants, flamingos and salmon are just some of the animals that have been known to exhibit homosexual behaviour. Are we going to argue that nature is unnatural?

Various Islamic sources demand that Muslims should kill homosexuals. P.s. If you’re gay and live in Iran, I think it’s best you move-out very soon. Even if you live in a predominately Christian or Jewish area, be careful – some of them may believe that you should be put to death as per Old Testament Law.

It is astonishing how directly homosexuality has been addressed by the major religions and the manner in which the appropriate punishment has been declared - no political-correctness here!

So what does GurbaaNee, The Satguroo, teach us regarding homosexuality?

(This is the first of a two part article - Part 2 can be found here)
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Beyond Judgement

It was the Christmas party at work the other day. I prefer not to be around when people are eating meat or drinking alcohol so like I do every year, I told my manager that I would join everyone after they had eaten. She's a very understanding person and didn't have any problems with this, but one thing I have noticed over the years is that some people think that if you don't want to join them when they are doing certain things, then you're basically judging them.

Here's another example. When there is an Anand Kaaraj (Sikh Wedding) at a Gurduaara Sahib (Sikh place of worship) and the couple aren't Amritdharee (initiated Sikhs), people have got really funny about me not wanting to attend. I've tried many times to explain, in a loving manner, how I can't imagine Guroo Gobind Singh Jee presiding over a marriage between two people who don't keep His Rehit (code of conduct), and how I feel the same way about Guroo Granth Sahib Jee. For me, just because The Satguroo is no longer embedded within a human form does not mean that I should disable my sense of judgement and assume anything goes.

No matter how hard you try though people get offended because by virtue of the very fact that you have decided not to take part means that you have judged them. I am sure that some people think they are better than others due to their beliefs or lifestyle but Gursikhs however perceive themselves as the lowest of the low. How do they manage to do this despite the fact that GurbaaNee often distinguishes between those who follow the Satguroo's Teachings and those who do not?

When GurbaaNee talks about Manmukhs (egoists) the Gursikh truly feels that The Satguroo is addressing them. Due to this unflinching self-perception, a profound sense of genuine humility wells-up within the Gursikh. This protects them and allows them to advance spiritually. As far as they are concerned, they are the biggest Manmukh. No matter how much they are praised or respected, or whatever spiritual experiences they are blessed with, they perceive themselves as dirt. This is The Satguroo's great blessing.

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Atma Singh
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