times feature so deeply connected to god there was no room

The 5th Guru of the SikhReligion Arjan Dev Jee

Written with guidance by members of the Gurdwara

Special to the TimesA Martyr lays down their life for a cause.Their community honors their Godly

actions and nobility for the rest of time. In the land of India there is a word which

in translation means “Teacher.”When such a “Teacher” casts a special

light in creating a better world by impartingdeep wisdom, they are referred to as“Gurus.”

400 years ago there was a man whosewords continue to live on today. His nameis Arjan Dev Jee. He was the fifth Guru ofSikhism. Sunday, June 17, Sikhs fromacross the world honor this Guru. His lifeparallels other Holy persons in centuries past.

As his fame and notoriety grew, an equalmeasure of hatred entered the heart of anew emperor towards him and the accept-ance of the Sikh religion. But why?

The growing number of converts toSikhism concerned other religious leaders.A plot was hatched to end his life so thatthe Holy book would be corrupted alongwith the foundation of Sikhism. Perhaps itwas thought that if a revered leader couldbe removed quickly then perhaps the reli-gion would wither.

Arjan Dev Jee bestowed bright ideas ofthought combined with humbleness whichallowed him to be extremely approachable

by the masses. People of differentreligious beliefs in India began tochange direction and embraceSikhism leaving some or all oftheir previous views of religionbehind. With converts growingand devoting 10% of their incometo the cause, rulers becamealarmed and wasted no time inworking to stop Sikhism.

Mukh Granthi (Priest) of theSan Jose, Gurdwara, MohinderSingh Bajwa explained that therewas a light about him and it waspassed forward from each Guruto the next. Bajwa said, “He wasso deeply connected to God, there

was no room for hate.” Being looked upon as a Saint, without

warning, Arjan Dev Jee was arrested andtortured for days. He was forced to sit on ahot surface with fire below. Scorching sandwas poured over his head. All attempts inthe torture were put in place for the pur-pose of convincing him to add texts to theHoly Book as directed by the ruler. TheGranth is written with words that camefrom God. In the text there are no short sen-tences to protect the flowing meaning of thesentiment of the lines. By not having shortsentences it is very hard for an outsidesource to add to the Granth. Arjan Dev Jeeconsidered the words not his because theycame from God. Whatever was written hewas getting directly from the Creator so hedidn’t want any ruler of the day to force himto change any of the words and meaning.

Sikhism is pureWhy did Arjan Dev Jee have to be tor-

tured to death. Perhaps because Sikhismno longer embraced the Caste System. Anew way of viewing God’s word was beingdeveloped. All men and women werelooked upon as being equal no matter whatcolor or background. The Guru GranthSahib Ji is one of the world’s greatest scrip-tures. It is today considered the SupremeSpiritual Authority and Head of the Sikhreligion, rather than any living person. Itcontains the works of religious foundersand also writings of people from otherfaiths. Sikhs reject idol worship so theirHoly book is not worshiped as an idol but

instead emphasizes the respect ofthe book for the writings. It is theonly Holy book fully written bythe ten messengers of God whilethey were still alive, unalteredand pure.

Why evil rears its ugly head isa mystery. Today both men andwomen under the five K’s of theKhalsa are “Soldier Saints” andstand up to all things evil in thisworld. With the teachings of theKhalsa both mental and physicalstrength are harnessed to careand protect everyone in theworld. This is why Sikhs areknown as “The Protectors.” Thisquote from Winston Churchill aligns withthe view of the the Khalsa (I added theword women). “We sleep safely at nightbecause rough (tough) men (and women)stand ready to visit violence on those whowould harm us.”

It is believed at the last moments of hisphysical presence on Earth when his inno-cence and pure human body were comingto a close, the illustrator, illustrious poet,practical philosopher and celebrated Saintrepeated the four syllable words of Waa heGuroo, Waa he Guroo, Waa he Guroo.Waheguru means Guru is great, it is prais-ing Guru. It is believed by repeatingWaheguru, God is ever present in the mindof the person.

Keeping Holy words aliveToday, as was in the past, the precious

treasure of words, sentences, and hymnscontained in the Granth (Holy Book) are nottarnished, distorted nor altered. As timewent by after the martyrdom of Arjan DevJee, the future five Gurus would add to theGranth holy words of wisdom bestowed tothem from up above. Then something hap-pened that would solidify the depth andunderstanding of the Sikh religion(Sikhism) for eternity. The tenth Guru stat-ed there would be no more people to begiven the title of Guru but instead the guid-ing light of Sikhism would now and foreverbecome the Granth (Guru Granth Sahib Ji-Holy book) for all to learn from.

Arjan Dev Jee protected the Granth. Hegave his life for his deep religious beliefs.

In the course of torture he did not displayfear nor give in to compromise in attemptsto alter the words. The worldly desires ofthe new emperor who chose to torture himfailed and the name of that ruler is nowlong forgotten with the dust of the ages.

As a rock of strength, Arjan Dev Jee’swords resonate today in the daily sunghymns (many written in his hand). Theradiant light from up above glitters in thehearts and souls of those who have the deepthirst to quench the understanding of life.

Today, all are welcomed to visit the SanJose Gurdwara (largest and some say, themost beautiful in the U.S.A.). As you enterthe kitchen food serving area (langar) wherecomplementary food is served to all 365days of the year, there is a light that reflectsoff the spacious saffron colored walls. Thisluminescence reminds many of the GoldenTemple in India which Arjan Dev Jee builtwith followers. The warm sunshine (light)allows all to release any pain inside them-selves and to be closer with the illumina-tion of the Creator.

Writer’s Note: The San Jose Gurdwarawelcomes you to visit. It is located at thevery top of Quimby road as one drives up tothe hillside. There is a langar (kitchen)which feeds all and a welcoming children’splayground for everyone. The Sikhs of theGurdwara reach out to help the less fortu-nate in our world. Donations are gladlyaccepted. For more information go to ourwebsite: www.sanjosegurdwara.org

Times Feature

So deeply connected to God there was no room for hate

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