Re: The Sikhs
Ajit Singh <ajit@ajitsingh.ca>
to Sraonhs, bcc: me
Sardar Harbans Singh Sraon Ji,
Thank you for sending the brief introductory write up on SIKHS. Its nice article, except one word "Baptism" to describe Amrit Administration.. When we do not have equivalent words to translate a Punjabi word into English, then we can either resort to using Original Punjabi Words and describe further what it means, as you have done with several other Punjabi terms in this article. However, I would hesitate to translate Amrit Sanchar as "Baptism" because large differences between these terms. Baptism is a Catholic practise whereby an infant child id usually baptized by the priest by putting holy water on the child's head to purify the child. The belief there is that a newly born child is impure and needs to be purified at young age and later one can go through Confirmation ceremony.
  The Sikh belief is that a newly born child is always pure in infancy. That child as he grow older and capable of understanding Gurbani then he needs to go through CONFIRMATION which is Amrit Administration that a person go through a promise to follow the discipline enjoined upon by the Guru. Here it becomes necessary to explain "AMRIT" which is simply the Sabd (Word) Guru or Gurbani or Guru's instructions (This point is repeatedly and amply reflected in the Gurbani itself.
I have quite different view on many of the terms that many of us use to describe certain Punjabi words. Quite often we use word "Temple or Sikh Temple to describe a Gurdwara. The connotation of the word "Temple" is Statue Worship in my mind. Back in 1984 we started using the word "Gurdwara with many of our members of Parliament and other non-Sikhs. Today majority of them know what a Gurdwara is. We at WSO also lobbied successfully to change the name of Cetus Street to Gurdwara Road on which the Ottawa Sikh Society Gurdwara was situated. Similarly in 1999 WSO Canada wrote letters to all the Municipalities across Canada to declare 14th April as Khalsa Day. Majority of the Municipalities of Cities and Townships across Canada agreed to our request to declared 14 April as Khalsa Day and issued beautiful colorful Certificates of Declarations that we are keeping with us. This was an attempt to introduce non-Sikh population to to Sikh Values that were also Canadian Values.
Many of our Sikh brothers and Sisters are not completely aware what is meant "Satgur Kai Charan Dhoai Dhoai Peevan..." We would constantly recite the Sabd but do not realize that Guru Sabd or Gurbani is Really the Charan or feet of Guru. For any one to travel from one place to final destination in life one has to take active steps to proceed. The  Sabd Guru or Gurbani are the feet of the Guru Sahib that can guide one to reach the Eternal Supreme one. To wash those feet simply means that if one recite and reflect upon the Sabd Guru to adapt one's life in accordance with Sabd that amounts to "Dhoai Dhoai Peevan" Likewise, when we talk about Charan Dhoor or dust simply indicate is to follow in the footsteps of the Guru Sabd. When someone walk and create vacuum behind back and the "Dhoor" or dust follow closely behind  Therefore, Charan Dhoor simply mean to follow in the footsteps of the Guru Sahib. There are lot of terms that needs to be understood in proper perspectives. The idea of Rosary or Mala is not specific to Sikh Religion, but some Sikhs keep on decorating fake photos of Gurus with Mala around their necks. Many of us have drifted away from the Gurbani Teachings.
Sikhs also know that as per Gurbani Teachings there is no specific place in the Space or Nether world that can be designated as Narak,Surag,Dozak, Bahishat, Hell or Paradise as believed by many people. Gurbani advise us that I feel myself in Hell or pain when I forget the Eternal Lord, Contrarily I feel myself in Anand or Paradise when I remember The Eternal Lord. It is in fact the state of one's mind not a certain place.
There are a number of miracles that we attribute to the fair name of guru Sahib, when its only One Supreme Being who is capable of miraculous powers, and our Guru Sahib never tried to invoke miracles to drive their point to the opposing persons. Like Guru Nanak Ji's turning the Mecca in other directions which appears to be not in accordance with Guru Sahib's teachings. When Guru Sahib was resting with his feet towards mecca, the Kazi got enraged and called Guru Sahib "Kafir" and questioned his act of lying down with his feet toward Mecca. Guru Sahib were very Calm and requested enraged Kazi very humbly  requesting him to please turn my feet in the direction in which Allah or Khuda is not there ! The response stunned the Kazi making him think that Khuda is in all direction. Therefore,from Guru Sahib did not turn the Mecca but turned to thinking (Head) of the Kazi in the Truthful Direction. This response will not establish the superiority of one religious thought over an other religion, as many Muslims feel when they think of turning the Mecca ! We know our Guru Sahib guided us to respect all people because Waheguru abides in each and every one. I keep on going on and on many of our misconceptions And there are many many Gursiks who know about the distortions in Sikh History by the Greedy and ignorant Derawalas who have only one rhetoric doing "NINDIA" (Slandering) of people who are trying to understand Gurbani in its Real perspective.Rather than going on and on, I would just stop here.

Ajit Singh.