Day of religions: The Divine - My eternal mother and father
Sikhs raised in Germany recited spiritual wisdom and introduced Sikhi at the religious day in Frankfurt, Germany. Mamta Kaur moderated the presentation and provided insights into Sikhi. Photo: SikhiCouncil
Welcome remarks for the day of religions
Dear visitors, members of the Council of Religions in Frankfurt, welcome to Religious Day! We are delighted to have you here. Today, we have gathered to show that we, the religious communities in Frankfurt, including the youth, stand together for solidarity, peace, unity, and the protection of nature.
We are pleased to introduce you to our way of life, Sikhi, starting with an intuitive connection to divnity. We will begin with a traditional form of singing, a significant tradition where texts from the wisdom of Sikhi is recited along with musical instruments, usually the harmonium and tabla. We call the written form of the wisdom Gurbani. The wisdom was revealed to over 30 Enlightened Ones between the 15th and 17th centuries. Recitations allow us to internalize wisdom intuitively and maintain our connection with the Divine. They also help strengthen virtues like creativity, courage, devotion, compassion, and communal welfare, enabling us to navigate our daily challanges.
Let us first introduce the meaning of the two upcoming recitations so that everyone can get an idea of the key message.
An Infinite Creative Source
First, we will sing the opening verse of Guru Granth Sahib, the central scriptures of Sikhi. Gurpreet Singh will recite it:
ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ GGS, 1, M.1
One Infinite Creative Source
True Name
Creator Being
Without Fear
Without Enmity
Of Timeless Form
Beyond Incarnation
Self-allienated
(Healed) By the grace of spiritual wisdom.
My Eternal Mother and Father
Next comes the recitation of Har Ji Mata Har Ji Pita, performed by Gurtej Kaur and Surkhabjit Singh and other youngsters.
ਹਰਿ ਜੀ ਮਾਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਜੀ ਪਿਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਲਕ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਜੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਸਾਰ ਕਰੇ ਹਮ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਬਾਲਕ ॥ ਸਹਜੇ ਸਹਜਿ ਖਿਲਾਇਦਾ ਨਹੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਆਲਕ ॥ ਅਉਗਣੁ ਕੋ ਨ ਚਿਤਾਰਦਾ ਗਲ ਸੇਤੀ ਲਾਇਕ ॥ ਮੁਹਿ ਮੰਗਾਂ ਸੋਈ ਦੇਵਦਾ ਹਰਿ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਖਦਾਇਕ ॥ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਰਾਸਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਨੁ ਸਉਪਿਓਨੁ ਇਸੁ ਸਉਦੇ ਲਾਇਕ ॥ ਸਾਝੀ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਲਿ ਬਹਾਲਿਆ ਸਰਬ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਇਕ ॥ ਮੈ ਨਾਲਹੁ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਵਿਛੁੜੈ ਹਰਿ ਪਿਤਾ ਸਭਨਾ ਗਲਾ ਲਾਇਕ ॥੨੧॥ GGS, 1101, M.5
These verses speak of the deep and unconditional love of the Divine for us, its creations. They describe what happens when we distance ourselves from this source of love and life, our spiritual mother and father. Just as parents provide guidance to their child when it spends its first night away from home, the Divine offers spiritual wisdom to guide us on our journey here in the diaspora of material life. We are provided with everything we need for this long journey, where we pass through various life forms as guests: plants, animals, and humans. We unconditionally receive clean air, water, fruits, and materials to create healthy food and shelters. Ideally, in this world, both mother and father lovingly care for their children. Both parents bring their unique abilities and experiences, complementing each other. The Divine, Har Ji, unites male and female energies, not only providing all the necessities of life but also caring for us at spiritual level. We receive spiritual wisdom as nourishment. This helps us nurture our hearts and navigate the challenging journey from this diaspora of ephemerality back to our true spiritual homeland. We call this nourishment Nam, Gian, or Langar. Ultimately, it is up to us how we utilize everything provided to us as children of creation. We are all children, even adults. We are all here as guests, learning how to heal and become whole again. That is s why we call ourselves students, Sikhs. When we heal fully, we become one again. Our soul's drop merges into the vast ocean of life, the eternal light, the Wonderful Enlightener, the one true Wahe Guru. So, let us master this life as ONE family, with love, unity, and respect for nature, right here where we currently live.
Let us now collectively experience the beauty and depth of timeless spiritual wisdom and open our hearts as we immerse ourselves in divine sounds and words.
Thank you all, and may you have an inspiring time!
We conclude with the traditional greeting:
Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!
The Pure Ones originate from the Wonderful Enlightener. Your Divine Will prevails.
Divine parenting and how we can nurture our relationship with our childen
An in-depth wisdom-oriented explanation of the verses Har Ji Mata Har Ji Pita in Gurmukhi and English you can find here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6k4IPQrMb0.
