Indarjit Singh
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Indarjit Singh |
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As we peep out from our collective hangover of 2008, and take our first glance at the year ahead, it seems that 2009 may not be any better. Many start the year without work, and the threat of redundancy hangs over others.
Sales in shops have an air of desperation, and, looking beyond our personal problems, we see appalling suffering in Gaza following Israeli retaliation for daily rocket attacks. And in many parts of Africa, famine and disease continue to take their toll in both man made and natural disasters. We start the year then with a distinct sense of unease about what might be in store for us and how we should react to new challenges.
For Sikhs the beginning of the New Year coincides with the birthday of our 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh which we celebrate this week. In our celebrations we remember the courage of the Guru who devoted his life working for religious tolerance and a fairer society in difficult and dangerous times.
It was a stance that was bitterly opposed by those who believed in the concept of caste, or superior status for some at the expense of others. Sikh teachings on freedom of worship, also drew the anger of the powerful Mughal rulers bent on a policy of forced conversion in Kashmir and other parts of India.. In the inevitable clash with authority, the Guru's two elder sons were killed in battle and the younger two were captured and killed.
Despite these personal setbacks, the Guru never wavered in his attitude to other faiths, insisting even in battle, Sikhs should look to the needs of the enemy wounded. The Guru also taught that whatever the setbacks, Sikhs should always maintain a positive mindset, a teaching encapsulated in the words 'chardi kala', optimism in all circumstances.
The Guru also reminded us that over- focussing on the trappings of material wealth, can skew our values and divert us from real priorities. In a famous hymn composed when he was driven into the jungle wilderness, weary and hungry, he composed some memorable lines of how palaces, luxury clothes and other trappings of wealth can be an impediment to true contentment if we don't live true to our principles and values.
It's a powerful teaching that, with a little 'chardi kala', can help us understand and negotiate the many challenges that we all face in the year ahead.