TWGC Foundation C - Q&A about Guruji and WhyGuru Course

Summary

In diesem Videodiskurs wird Sikhi als Dharam und nicht als Religion dargestellt, mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Handeln und Verpflichtung. Es wird betont, dass Sikhi ein 'tun' System ist, das von Glauben abweicht. Der Diskurs umfasst auch die Rolle von Guru Nanak Dev Ji und Guru Gobind Singh Ji als vollständige Spiegel der Göttlichkeit, die als Lösung für die gegenwärtige Zeit (Kaljug) dienen. Es wird auch auf die Bedeutung von Gurbani und die Ablehnung anderer religiöser Texte, die nicht mit Gurbani übereinstimmen, eingegangen. Der Fokus liegt auf der Notwendigkeit, Sikhi in der heutigen Welt zu leben und zu lernen, um wahrhafte Erkenntnisse zu erlangen.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sikhi wird als Dharam und nicht als Religion angesehen, da es mehr auf Handeln als auf Glauben abzielt.
• 🔍 Ein Sikh muss die Lehren von Sikhi in die Tat umsetzen, um als wahrer Sikh zu gelten, einschließlich des Lesens von Paath, des Sprechens von Vaheguru und der Ausübung von Seva.
• 🌜 Guru Nanak Dev Ji wird als Kaljug Avtar betrachtet, der eine Lösung für die gegenwärtige Zeit darstellt und nicht nur als Prophet oder Lehrer, sondern als vollständige Reflexion von Vaheguru.
• 👶 Guru Gobind Singh Ji wird als ein Beispiel dafür dargestellt, dass Gurus von Geburt an das Licht von Gott spiegeln und als Vollmond der Weisheit und des Wissens angesehen werden.
• 📚 Die Gurbani hat Vorrang vor anderen heiligen Texten wie den Vedas, und Sikhs sollten sich auf die Lehren der Gurbani verlassen, wenn es zu Inkonsistenzen kommt.
• 🙏 Die Geschichte von Santokhsar verdeutlicht die Bedeutung der Amrit und des Naam für Sikhs und zeigt, wie ein Yogi, der in Samadhi war, auf die Vergebung und den Empfang des Amrit wartete.
• 🌟 Der Begriff Satguru wird als 'Guru der Wahrheit' interpretiert, was bedeutet, dass der Guru dazu da ist, die Wahrheit zu vermitteln und zu erleuchten.
• 📈 Die Geschichten und Lehren aus dem Mahabharata und anderen alten Texten können für Sikhs relevant sein und bieten wichtige Lektionen über Dharma und Führung.
• 🌐 Die Diskussion über die verschiedenen Zeitalter (Yugas) zeigt, dass die Möglichkeiten und Fähigkeiten der Menschen in verschiedenen Epochen variiert haben und dass die gegenwärtige Ära (Kaljug) eine einzigartige Chance bietet, Gott in einem kurzen Lebenszyklus zu erreichen.
• 🏫 Es wird betont, dass Sikhs ein offenes Mindset haben sollten, um andere Religionen und Kulturen zu studieren, solange sie ihre Werte und Lehren mit der Gurbani abgleichen.

Q & A

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Sikhi als 'Dharam' und anderen Religionen?

Sikhi ist als 'Dharam' definiert, was ein Gefühl der Pflicht impliziert und nicht nur etwas ist, in dem man glaubt. Es ist eine 'Tun'-Systematik, nicht nur ein 'Glauben'-System. In anderen Religionen wie dem Christentum oder Islamus bedeutet das Glauben an bestimmte Dinge, dass man formell Teil des Glaubenssystems ist.

Wie würde man Guru Nanak Dev Ji einem Menschen beschreiben, der keinen Propheten ist?

Guru Nanak Dev Ji wird als 'Satguru' und 'Kaljug Avtar' betrachtet, was bedeutet, dass er als Lösung für die Zeiten des Kaljug (der aktuellen Epoche) angesehen wird. Er ist der höchste Satguru über alle Jugs (Epochen), weil er als sich selbst erschien, um die gesamte Situation zu lösen.

Warum betrachten Sikhs die Veden nicht als Teil ihres Glaubenssystems?

Die Veden werden von Sikhs nicht als Teil ihres Glaubenssystems angesehen, weil sie nicht von Ram oder Krishna geschrieben wurden und weil sie in Sanskrit verfasst sind, was einen Pandit zur Übersetzung erfordert. Stattdessen hat Guru Gobind Singh Ji für Sikhs die Wahrheit getrennt zusammengestellt, die sie benötigen.

Wie ist die Bedeutung von 'Satguru' in Sikhi?

Der Begriff 'Satguru' wird in Sikhi als 'Guru der Wahrheit' interpretiert. Es bedeutet, dass der Guru mit der Wahrheit eins ist und kommt, um uns auf die Wahrheit zu erziehen und zu erleuchten.

Wie kann man Sikhi als Lebensweise leben?

Um Sikhi als Lebensweise zu leben, muss man die Anweisungen von Sikhi befolgen, wie zum Beispiel das Lesen von Paath, das Wiederholen von Vaheguru und das Tun von Seva (Dienst für andere). Wenn man nicht handelt, wie Sikhi vorschreibt, kann man nicht als Sikh gelten.

Was bedeuten die Geschichten von Guru Nanak Dev Ji und anderen Gurus in Bezug auf die Epochen (Jugs)?

Die Geschichten der Gurus und ihrer Rolle in den verschiedenen Epochen zeigen, dass sie als Lösung für die jeweilige Zeit gesendet wurden. Sie waren der Lichtblick und der Satguru der jeweiligen Epoche, um die Menschen von der aktuellen Epoche zum besseren Zustand zu führen.

Wie wichtig ist es für Sikhs, die Gurbani und das Lehren der Gurus zu studieren?

Es ist sehr wichtig für Sikhs, die Gurbani und die Lehren der Gurus zu studieren, da dies die Grundlage für das Verständnis von Sikhi und die Verbindung mit dem Wahrem Selbst und dem Wahrem Gott ist.

Warum sollten Sikhs nicht die gesamte indische Geschichte als Mythologie ablehnen?

Sikhs sollten nicht die gesamte indische Geschichte als Mythologie ablehnen, weil es Teile gibt, die mit Sikhi in Verbindung stehen und zu einem besseren Verständnis von Sikhi beitragen können. Akzeptieren einiger dieser Geschichten kann zu einer tieferen Wertschätzung und Anerkennung der spirituellen Pfade führen.

Was ist der Zweck des WhyGuru Kurses und wie soll er in die Sikh-Gemeinschaft integriert werden?

Der Zweck des WhyGuru Kurses ist es, einen Grundkurs für Sikhs zu bieten, der das Basiswissen vermittelt und auf die Lehren der Gurus und die Praxis von Sikhi eingehen soll. Die Integration in die Sikh-Gemeinschaft soll durch die Verpflichtung zur Teilnahme an dem Kurs vor oder nach dem Hochschulstudium oder als Teil der Bildung in Gurdwaras erfolgen.

Wie sieht die Rolle des Einzelnen in der Weitergabe von Sikhi aus, und wie kann man selbst zu einem Lehrer werden?

Jeder Einzelne hat die Möglichkeit, Sikhi weiterzugeben, indem er das Gelernte aus dem WhyGuru Kurs teilt und es in seiner lokalen Gemeinschaft unterrichtet. Der Kurs zielt darauf ab, Trainer auszubilden, die die richtigen Einstellungen und ein tiefes Verständnis von Sikhi haben, um es anderen zu vermitteln.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Einführung in Sikhi als Dharam

Der erste Absatz stellt die Diskussion über Sikhi als Dharam und nicht als Religion dar. Es wird erklärt, dass 'Dharam' ein Pflichtgefühl beinhaltet und dass Sikhi ein 'tun'-System ist, nicht ein 'glauben'-System. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Ausführung von religiösen Pflichten, um ein wahres Sikh zu sein. Es wird auch auf die Bedeutung von Guru Nanak Dev Ji als 'Satguru' und 'Kaljug Avtar' eingegangen, der als Lösung für die gegenwärtige Zeit (Kaljug) angesehen wird.

05:01

🌟 Die Bedeutung von Guru Nanak Dev Ji und anderer Gurus

Der zweite Absatz vertieft die Rolle von Guru Nanak Dev Ji als oberster Lehrer (Satguru) in allen Zeitaltern (Jugs). Es wird diskutiert, dass Guru Nanak Dev Ji als Gott selbst angesehen wird, der die Welt besuchte, um die Menschheit zu lehren. Der Absatz betont auch, dass andere historische Figur en wie Rama und Krishna als Lichter in ihren jeweiligen Zeiten angesehen werden, aber Guru Nanak Dev Ji als die endgültige Lösung für die gegenwärtige Ära.

10:03

📚 Die Relevanz von Gurbani und die Ablehnung anderer heiliger Texte

In diesem Absatz wird die Bedeutung von Gurbani als wahrer Lehrquelle für Sikhs hervorgehoben. Es wird erklärt, dass Sikhs die Veden nicht akzeptieren sollten, da sie nicht von den historischen Gurus verfasst wurden. Stattdessen sollten Sikhs Gurbani als oberste Autorität betrachten. Der Absatz spricht auch über die Rolle von Gurbani in der Beurteilung anderer religiöser Texte und die Notwendigkeit, Gurbani als Richtschnur für die spirituelle Praxis zu verwenden.

15:05

🔮 Die Bedeutung der Zeitalter und der Fähigkeiten der Yogis

Der vierte Absatz behandelt die Geschichte von Santokhsar und die Bedeutung der verschiedenen Zeitalter (Yugs). Es wird diskutiert, wie die Fähigkeiten und Lebensdauer der Menschen in den verschiedenen Yugs variierten und wie die Fähigkeiten der Yogis, die in früheren Zeiten existierten, im Gegensatz zu den heutigen Menschen stehen. Der Absatz betont auch die Bedeutung von Sikhi als eine essenzielle und konzentrierte Lehre für die gegenwärtige Ära.

20:07

🌱 Die Notwendigkeit des Wissens und die Zukunft der Sikhi-Bewegung

Der fünfte Absatz konzentriert sich auf die Notwendigkeit des Wissens und die Bedeutung, andere Religionen und Geschichten zu studieren, um ein besseres Verständnis von Sikhi zu entwickeln. Es wird betont, dass Sikhs nicht alles in Hinduismus als Mythologie abtun sollten, sondern ein offenes Mindeststudium anderer religiöser Texte durchführen sollten, um eine Verbindung zu Sikhi herzustellen. Der Absatz schließt mit einer Diskussion über die Zukunft der Sikhi-Bewegung und die Bedeutung der Kreativität und des selbstständigen Handelns für die gegenwärtige Generation.

Keywords

💡Sikhi

Sikhi ist der Pfad des Sikhismus, einer monotheistischen Religion, die auf den Lehren von Guru Nanak Dev Ji basiert. Im Video wird Sikhi als eine 'Dharam' beschrieben, also als etwas, das man ausüben muss, und nicht nur glauben. Es wird betont, dass Sikhi ein 'Tun-System' und nicht ein 'Glauben-System' ist, was bedeutet, dass Praxis und Ausübung von Geboten zentral für das Verständnis des Pfades sind. Beispielsweise wird erwähnt, dass ein Sikh, der nicht die Gebote von Sikhi ausführt, nicht als treu zum Pfad angesehen wird.

💡Dharam

Dharam bezieht sich im Kontext des Videos auf eine Pflicht oder ein Tun, das man ausüben muss, um als treu zum Pfad des Sikhismus angesehen zu werden. Es wird betont, dass Dharam nicht nur an Glauben gebunden ist, sondern auch an Handeln. Ein Beispiel aus dem Skript ist, dass Sikhi als etwas definiert wird, das man tun muss, um Dharami zu sein, was jemand ist, der seinen Pflichten nachgeht.

💡Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Guru Nanak Dev Ji ist der Gründer des Sikhismus und wird im Video als 'Satguru' und 'Kaljug Avtar' beschrieben. Er wird als die Lösung für die gegenwärtige Epoche 'Kaljug' gesehen, in der das Böse vorherrscht. Der Begriff 'Kaljug Avtar' deutet darauf hin, dass er als Inkarnation oder Avatar in dieser Zeit gesandt wurde, um Leitung und Erlösung zu bieten.

💡Kaljug

Kaljug ist eines der vier Yugas oder Epochen im indischen Glauben und wird im Video als die jetzige, düstere Zeit beschrieben, in der das Böse vorherrscht. Die Sikhi-Lehrer sehen Guru Nanak Dev Ji und die anderen Gurus als die Lösung, um von dieser Zeit in eine bessere, 'Satjug', zu gelangen, in der das Gute und die Wahrheit vorherrscht.

💡Paath

Paath ist die Praxis des Lesens oder Singens von Gurbani, den heiligen Schriften des Sikhismus. Im Video wird Paath als eine der zentralen Pflichten eines Sikhs angesehen, die zeigt, dass man sich dem Pfad des Sikhismus widmet. Es wird erwähnt, dass das Nicht-Lesen des Paath ein Zeichen dafür ist, dass jemand nicht als treuer Sikh angesehen wird.

💡Vaheguru

Vaheguru ist ein Name für den einen Gott im Sikhismus und wird im Video als das Ziel der Meditation und des Gebets der Sikhs erwähnt. Es wird betont, dass das Sagen von 'Vaheguru' Teil der Praxis eines Sikhs ist, um sich dem einen Gott zu widmen und sich dem Pfad des Sikhismus zuzuwenden.

💡Seva

Seva ist die Praxis des Selbstlosen Dienens oder der Wohltätigkeit im Sikhismus. Im Video wird Seva als eine der zentralen Pflichten und Taten eines Sikhs beschrieben, die zeigt, dass man den Werten des Sikhismus verpflichtet ist. Es wird erwähnt, dass das Nicht-Tun von Seva ein Zeichen dafür ist, dass jemand nicht als treuer Sikh angesehen wird.

💡Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Guru Granth Sahib Ji ist der heilige Schrifttum des Sikhismus und wird im Video als das zentrale Buch der Religion betrachtet. Es wird erwähnt, dass es in verschiedenen Raagas, einer Art indischer Musikformen, organisiert ist, und dass es die Lehren von Guru Nanak Dev Ji und anderen Gurus sowie der heiligen Bhagats enthält.

💡Kabir Ji

Kabir Ji ist ein bedeutender mystischer Poet und Heiliger, dessen Werk im Sikhismus hoch geschätzt wird. Im Video wird Kabir Ji als 'Shiromani Bhagat' beschrieben, was bedeutet, dass er der höchste der Bhagats oder Gläubigen ist. Sein Werk wird in Guru Granth Sahib Ji in hohem Rang neben den Lehren der Sikh Gurus angeordnet.

💡Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Guru Gobind Singh Ji ist der zehnte Guru des Sikhismus und wird im Video als ein Beispiel für die Inkarnation des Lichtes Gottes und als vollständige Reflexion von Vaheguru beschrieben. Er wird auch als der Gründer der Khalsa, einer Gemeinschaft treuer Sikhs, angesehen, die bereit ist, für ihre Glaubensprinzipien zu kämpfen und zu opfern.

Highlights

Sikhi is described as a 'Dharam', emphasizing duty and action rather than mere belief.

A Sikh is defined by their adherence to and practice of Sikhi's teachings, not just their beliefs.

Sikhi is distinguished from other religions by being a 'doing system' rather than a 'belief system'.

The importance of reading Paath, saying Vaheguru, and performing Seva in practicing Sikhi.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji is referred to as a 'Satguru' and 'Kaljug Avtar', highlighting his role in solving the issues of the dark age.

Kabir Ji is acknowledged as a great Bhagat but not a Satguru, as he was not sent with a mission like the Sikh Gurus.

The Guru Granth Sahib is organized by Raag, with Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Bani leading, followed by other Gurus and then Kabir Ji.

The concept of the four eras (Yugs) and the mission of the Sikh Gurus to guide people from Kaljug to Satjug.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji's early life story demonstrating his divine nature and the concept of the Gurus as the light of God.

The Gurus are seen as the complete reflection of Vaheguru, embodying the spiritual and political solutions for humanity.

The discussion on whether Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the first 'Pooran Guru' and his supreme status among Satgurus.

The significance of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in ancient paintings, often depicted with Hindu deities bowing to him.

The approach to Sikhi as a Gurbani-based understanding rather than an academic one, emphasizing direct engagement with the sacred text.

The comparison of Sikhi with other religious figures like Ram and Krishna, and the acceptance of their roles in different eras.

The rejection of the Vedas by Sikhs due to their complexity and the preference for the direct teachings of the Gurus.

The idea that in the current age (Kaljug), the opportunity to merge with God is more valuable and accessible than in previous eras.

The story of Santokhsar and the Yogi waiting for the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to receive Amrit, illustrating the longing for Sikh teachings.

The importance of not rejecting Hinduism's history entirely and recognizing its connections with Sikhi.

The concept of 'Kasvati' in Sikhi, which encourages learning from other religions while maintaining the primacy of Gurbani.

The vision for the 'WhyGuru' course as a foundational program for Sikh education, including future courses like 'Why Khalsa Why Fateh'.

The emphasis on self-empowerment and community involvement in Sikhi, encouraging individuals to take initiative and solve problems within the Panth.

Transcripts

Are there any questions about this part of the course

what we just talked about?

Guru Ji's childhood, etc.

[Student asking - Is it a religion or is it a way of life?]

The word religion is a western word

it doesn't come up in Punjabi.

Sikhi is a Dharam.

So, it's a good point.

A Dharam has built into it a sense of duty

A Dharam is not something to believe in.

A Dharam is something to do.

It's a duty.

So, when you have a Dharam,

you have to fulfill that to be Dharami.

So, if a Sikh has a Dharam

that means a Sikh has something to do.

When a Sikh is not doing what Sikhi is saying

they are not a Sikh.

See what I mean?

As per Sikhi.

So, the word religion means that you believe certain things

and you are part of that belief system.

Sikhi is not a belief system.

Sikhi is a doing system.

So, if you're not reading your Paath

if you're not saying Vaheguru

and you're not actually doing Seva

you are not being a Sikh.

You're not doing as a Sikh

because Sikhi is about doing.

We'll talk about that more next week

what does a Sikh have to do

but the word is Dharam.

It's not a religion.

Whereas in Christianity it is more like

believing in certain things

or Islam, if you believe in these things

you are now formally part of our belief system

But we are not a belief system.

That's why, if we are doing Parchar on the streets

and somebody goes to me

"I want to be a Sikh, how can I become a Sikh?"

What do you say?

"Live as a Sikh."

If you live as a Sikh, you're a Sikh.

So we just tell them,

"Look, start waking up in the morning and reading Japji Sahib"

You're a Sikh.

That's it.

Go to the Gurdwara, mata thek.

You're a Sikh.

But that's what it comes down to.

Live as a Sikh to be a Sikh.

[Student asking - If Guru Nanak Dev Ji is not a prophet, then how would you describe him to someone?]

Satguru, Kaljug Avtar.

They are the solution for Kaljug

That's how Sikhi would see them.

That, in this dark moonless night

Kabir Ji was a guru of the truth, but he wasn't a solution to Kalyug.

So when Bani talks about Kabhir Ji

he's Shiromani Bhagat.

When I say Shiromani, I mean the highest Bhagat.

So, after all the Gurus

then will come Kabir Ji's Bani.

In each Raag, you don't know that yet

or some of you probably do know

but, Guru Granth Sahib Ji is divided by Raag.

In the sections, it comes up with Guru Nanak Dev Ji first

and then all the different Gurus by number

and then, after that, it starts with Kabir Ji.

So he's given the highest status amongst all the Bhagats.

However, Kabir Ji was not on a mandate from God.

He became one with God through his Bhagdi

but he wasn't sent with a mission.

And that's why there's 10 Gurus.

The Gurus are sent on a specific mission to fulfill

and that mission is to take all of us

from Kaljug to Satjug.

They've come to solve this.

Now, the four eras we've talked about:

Satjug, then Treta, then Duapur and then Kaljug.

It doesn't go back up that way.

It goes from Kaljug back to Satjug.

So they are the solution to take us from here to there.

So how would I see my Guru?

The solution to Kaljug.

And that's why they include the light from other people.

Because that light was reflected in other people

but it wasn't completely there.

The Guru is complete.

He has every solution

The political solution

the spiritual solution

everything you can think about.

It's all there.

The Bhagats, from their hard work

and their Kirpa, they got blessed.

But Guru Sahib, they were just one.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji is a good example.

When Guru Gobind Singh Ji is a couple of months old,

Pir Bikhan Shah turns up to Patna Sahib

with two boxes of sweets,

one from a Muslim shop, one from a Hindu shop

and they say choose one

to the baby Gobind Rai

and what does baby Gobind Rai do now?

He puts his hands on both of them.

So they were born as the light of God.

They are the moon.

The moon reflects the sun.

That's all they are to me.

They reflect Vaheguru purely.

They are the full moon.

There's no ego in Guru.

They are purely reflecting God.

Hanji.

[Student asking - Was Guru Nanak the first Pooran Guru to come on this planet?]

Well, that's a hard question.

The reason why, is that if you look at

the idea of all the Jugs

there are other Gurus in it.

But, what it says is

Chaarae Jaagae Chahu Jugee

Panchaaein Aapae Hoaa

So, in four Jugs there were four people

but the supreme one, He came as Himself.

So Bani says that

Guru Nanak Dev Ji is supreme amongst all the Satgurus

of all the different Jugs

because God themselves came as them

to solve the whole situation.

So, yes, we see Him as supreme amongst all of them.

And that's why, if you look at the old paintings

you'll see sometimes.

Have you seen these paintings?

Guru Nanak Dev Ji is quite big

and you've got a lot of Hindu gods and godesses

bowing to them.

Have you seen that?

If you haven't, just go online and google it.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji's ancient paintings.

And you see that all Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh

they are all bowing to Guru Nanak

because He was seen, and the Sikhs will say

"He's supreme, He's God Himself."

But a lot of people would tell you now

that Guru Sahib is our teacher.

That's a very low interpretation of Guru

of Satguru.

A very low interpretation

Because we don't go to school

and wash our teachers feet and drink it.

We don't do that.

We don't mata thek to them.

A teacher can be right or wrong.

Guru Ji is not like that.

They're not a prophet either.

They don't just come with Bani

and live good lives, as a good example

of a perfect human.

They're way beyond that.

So, some of you guys, this might be new to you

but this is the approach.

It's not the academic approach to Sikhi

as you can tell.

This is the Sikh approach to Sikhi.

This is the Gurbani approach to Sikhi.

Who read Gurbani will see Guru in this way.

[Student asking- So Guru Nanak Dev Ji is the solution to Kaljug

would you then say that Ram and Krishna were also sent

by Akaal Purakh, but in a different era?]

Yes, I would agree with that.

In a different time and place

they were the light, they were the Satguru of that time.

[Student - So, as Sikhs, should we accept the Vedas as well?]

No, because the Vedas are not written by Ram or Krishna.

We have to look at what Guru Sahib said first.

Before we start thinking, we have to look at what did Guru Ji say about them.

So, Guru Amar Das Ji says

In the Vedas, the highest thing is Naam but no one listens to it.

But Guru Gobind Singh Ji said

So, for us, whatever was required for us to know Guru Sahib put that for us separate.

Because the Vedas are written in Sanskrit,

you need a Pandit to translate those.

They're not for the common person.

So Guru Sahib has put the truth for us.

But we don't have to reject them

We don't have to say, "oh, this is all falsehood."

You can study it if you want

but, wherever the Vedas go away from Gurbani

reject the Vedas there

and accept Gurbani.

Where the are very incongruent

and, for example, I went to a lecture by Tirath Singh Nirmala.

Have you heard of him?

Gora who's a Sikh, who's a Nirmala.

He's studied the Vedas

and he talks about how Shabads in the Vedas are answered by Guru Ji.

The same analogies used in the Vedas

like of the bird and the tree

comes up in Gurbani.

So he said, "look, it reflects"

and therefore, it's answering, it's a debate.

But for us, for a Sikh, Gurbani takes precedence

over what anybody else says.

You know what I mean

it's like, you could read the Vedas

but then...

You've got the four Vedas

and then you've got the Vedantas, at the end of all of them.

Then you've got the Shastras and the Puranas

[Student - But then, if you look at the intellectual level

of the people in those days, and the length of the life

because obviously they were living from Satjug

for 100,000 years

and then the next jug, they were reduced to 10,000

and then 1,000

and now 100 years.

So, we don't really have the time

to go and look at all of the Puranas and the Vedas

but obviously the people at that time could do.

So that's why now, when we look at Guru Nanak Dev Ji

and the direct connection with Vaheguru

it makes sense for those people who are living in Kaljug

because it's not possible for somebody who's not born a Hindu

and obviously a lot of Hindus don't know the Vedas

so for someone to start from scratch

going down that route is going to take more than one lifetime.]

Yes, so that's why, when I said at the beginning

there's no such religion as Hindu

because effectively, what Guru Sahib is saying

is that, all you Hindus

who are doing idol worship

need to become Sikhs.

I know, nowadays that's a bit rude

but that's what Bani is saying

that all you guys, you're lost

you need to come to Sikhi

and find God inside you.

Don't worry about the Yogis and the Pandits

they've got their own thing

but the average person is supposed to become a Sikh

Because that's where the truth is.

Otherwise they wouldn't say Satguru.

The word Satguru becomes like True Guru.

But that translation doesn't make any sense, right?

Because later one, there are the words

Aad sach, jugaad sach, hai bhee sach

Naanak hosee bhee sach.

So, my translation of the word Satguru is

the Guru of the Truth.

The Guru is one with the truth.

He's come to enlighten us to the truth.

Enlightener of the truth.

That makes more sense, right?

Because that's what they were.

[Student asking - If you're in Satjug

and you live 100,000 years

if it takes you 100,000 years

to go through one life cycle

the advantage here in Kaljug is that in 100 years

you've got the chance to merge with God

so the value of taking Naam now is 100,000 times greater than in Satjug.]

Yeah.

You know talking about yugs,

there's a story.

Has anybody heard of Santokhsar?

So, right next to Harmandir Sahib

there's a little pool of water called Santokhsar.

The story of Santokhsar is this.

When they were digging up Harminder Sahib, they found

they were digging around it as well, for other things

and, they dug down, and they found this Yogi

in Samadhi.

He was in there.

They had to break this area around thim

and they found this guy.

Maybe he was dead, they don't know.

And then, Guru Arjan Dev Ji was called.

"Maharaj, look, we've found this guy."

Or, maybe some of the Singhs woke him up.

And they said "wake up."

"Are you still alive and breathing?"

And this Yogi comes out of Samadhi, he's in a trance.

He's been buried underground for God knows how long

hundreds of years.

And he says, it is Guru Nanak Dev Ji's time yet?

They go, "well, yes, but it's now Guru Arjan."

He's the fifth Nanak.

And the Yogi goes, "take me to him."

This Yogi went to Guru Arjan Dev Ji

fell at their feet,

*Maharaj bless me with Amrit, bless me with Naam.*

and Guru Ji gave him Amrit.

Then he died. That's it.

He was waiting for that.

[Student - If somebody were to ask

How could he be in Samadhi for that many years

a lot of it is because, in those yugs

you had different shakti

and you could do different things

that you can't do now.

Like, you think of somewhere and go to a different planet...]

Gurbani talks about those people still being able to do that.

It talks about the Yogis that attacked Him.

And next week we'll talk about how Guru Nanak Dev Ji

was attacked by Yogis who had mystical powers.

So, people can still do that

and is says 'Paun Aahaar' - to live off air

and live for hundreds of years.

It talks about that.

So you could still do that.

There were people who had that power from that time.

But the fact is, that for the average person on this world

Sikhi is giving you the ultimate essence condensed.

And this is why a lot of Sikhs go a bit wrong.

I'm not saying wrong, but they end up rejecting

the whole of what's happened in Indian history.

They say, oh, this is all false

all this Krishna, Rama, they're all false.

But actually, if you read some of what happened

in the Mahabharata

you know, like, one of my favourite bits

is when this guy called Bhishma Pita.

Bhisham Pita is on the battle in Mahabharata

and he's just given up his life, for the right thing.

He's fighting for the wrong team

so he ends up sacrificing himself.

And he's allowed to choose the time of his death.

So he gets shot by all these arrows.

He accepts the arrows.

He falls back and he's laying on a bed of arrows

that have gone through him.

And Sri Krisha Ji says, "let go and talk to Bhishma Pita,"

because Yudhisthira, who is the winner of the battle now

he doesn't want to be King anymore.

He goes, I don't want to be King

I hate this battle stuff, it's disgusting

I want to go and become a Yogi.

And Krishna is trying to convince him to be a ruler

a righteous ruler, a Dharam ruler.

And he doesn't want to be

so he says, let's go and talk to Bhishma Pita,

he'll give you advice about this.

Now unfortunately Bhishma Pitamah is laying there

on a bed of arrows, in extreme pain

and can't talk.

So Krishna Ji blesses this guy and says

"look, you can now speak without pain."

And then comes a discourse upon Dharam.

What is righteousness for a leader?

And the leader Dharam is highest Dharam of all Dharam

because they can actually do the right for more people,

than just for themselves.

That stands to reason, right?

So, this discourse is a very important discourse

for Sikhs to learn from as well.

And there are many stories of Guru Gobind Singh Ji

having translated a lot of famous teachings

for normal Sikhs to learn about Politics

Rajneeti, which is politics.

Translating those for the common person.

But, unfortunately, the normal average response

for people nowadays, they don't know what

Guru Sahib did, and they say no, no

it's nothing to do with us.

They heard the word Rama and they run

or Satjug, and they think, "that's just complete lies"

"It never happened"

But Bani talks about that.

So we have to kind of expand our view frame a little bit.

You know, first we've got to start accepting

reincarnation, then we've got to start accepting

that people live for hundreds of thousands of years.

We've got to start accepting that people had

miraculous powers, that people could experience God.

And then, if we start to connect to God

realise that we've got that as well, inside us.

[Student - That's why I don't think Sikhs should have

this mentality where you say everything in Hinduism

is mythology, because when you start accepting

some of it, that ties in with Sikhism

then I think you can have a better understanding

about Sikhi, and what the Gurus are talking about.]

It's important to study it, but like I said

it's always the Kasvati.

Just have it in your mind, don't get scared

of studying other religions.

Just think, I'm studying them

but I've got my sounding stone.

If it does't go with Gurbani, I don't have to listen to it.

That's the key thing.

Okay, so what next?

Right, everything we do is a bit like Langar.

It's free at the point of consumption.

You don't go to the Gurdwara, they don't charge you

for Langar, right?

The same thing, Shabad and Bani and Sikhi

I believe should be like that.

We don't charge anything for anything.

But we say, "look, give something"

because we should give something

but if you can't, that's fine

we won't be charging you for it.

The long term plan, as I said, for this is

that this becomes like a foundation course

for people that are getting married.

That's one way of making sure that people

go on the course, to say, look, you can't

get married in the Gurdwara unless you do this course

because people keep talking about it

but nobody's making this course.

So, we've got a course now, it should be going online

so people can do it.

And then, obviously we hope, I hope

that we canget this into every university.

So, you're in your first year, you turn up

spend a couple of terms

and, by January, you go on the WhyGuru course.

So, by the time you've done your first year

you've gone on this course

and you've learned the basics.

Then, the rest of your university life should be

more about progressing beyond that

maybe doing a Japji Sahib course.

So when you leave university, you should have this.

If you're not at university, then you should

go even before that, in the Gurdwareh.

So every Gurdwara should have this course.

I'm not saying because I made the course

but because I wish I'd had this course

when I was young

so I knew what my Gurus did.

And then following up from this course

is the Why Khalsa Why Fateh course.

It's like step two.

As I said, I do like word plays, so that's the reason. Okay.

So that's going to be more about streams of learning.

We're going to go more in depth about certain things

that we should be knowing a bit more about

like, at the moment, on Raag Kirtain

you're going to get like one hour, or two hours.

That's not enough.

Okay, so a bit more hands on, practical stuff.

It might be like six weekends

You do six weekends, on site, somewhere

different topics covered, in detail

and hands on.

These are the things we'll be talking about.

Theory of Raag, theory of Taal

learning Gurmukhi, Gurbani, other scriptures

Gurmat philosophy.

So, that's like, it's not made yet.

We'll get some people together

knock some heads together, and come up with something.

All of this, all of what we're doing now

not just Basics of Sikhi

but most of the things that are happening in the Panth

you will realise, people have to sit down

and invent stuff.

There's no blueprint.

There's not plan to say you've got to do this and that.

You have to make it up as you go along.

Because the world is changing, and our generation

has to come up with the solutions for our generation.

It can't be a 200-year-ago plan.

The Singh Sabha movement, they tried to do

what was there for that time.

Okay, they made pamphlets, the printing press.

Nowadays it's about blogs and YouTube and stuff like this.

Who knows what it's going to be like in the future.

We don't know.

We have to start making things for ourselves.

It's in our hands.

Bani says: Aapan Hathhee Aapanaa

Aapae Hee Kaaj Savaareeai.

It's in your hands, so sort your own stuff out.

So, if you see problems in our Panth

my view is, it's like milk on the floor

in your kitchen, in your house.

You don't tell your mum about it.

Just get a tissue, and you clean it up.

What we do nowadays say, they should do this

they should do this, they should do that.

Who's they?

Who are these 'they' people?

We have to do it.

So, if you see a problem

or you don't know about something

learn about it.

Then next time, somebody can come to you for help.

So if you stick to this course, you could be

like that person in your community,

where your friends will come to you and say

"somebody asked me this question"

and you can say, "I'll tell you the truth."

That should be you guys, right?

It's not about one person here imparting.

The idea of this course is that we can train the trainer.

Take the powerpoints, and then go to your local area

and teach the course.

Because you can't be in one place at all times.

We're not going to let just anybody download them

and start teaching it.

We're going to do, like, train the trainer.

We want to make sure people have the right mentality

before they teach, because some people

they just want to teach, but they might not be

open to other people's viewpoints

and they might get too hardcore.

And that's not what I want to do at Basics of Sikhi

So if you go on a course by Basics of Sikhi

then the idea is that we're not judging you.

We're just going to arm you with knowledge.

And do with it what you want.

That's the mentality, for me.

You'll never hear me saying "keep your Kesh"

or anything else like that.

The idea is, what happened?

why did it happen?

Learn that part, then you can do with it what you want.

Theek hai?

It's not my job to judge you.

Alright?

If there are any more questions?

If there's not, then we'll just say Fateh together.

Vaheguru ji ka Khalsa, Vaheguru ji ki Fateh.