Every April, Vaisakhi also frequently spelled Baisakhi is celebrated all over the world as a festival of harvest and
farmers have celebrated this occasion with community gatherings and festivals.
On the
same day 316 years ago, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666-1708
CE) the tenth of the Sikh prophets
established the Khalsa Panth. , the pure supreme Sikh who always takes a stand
against injustices and is firm on his morals and beliefs.
Guru
chose this day as the day to transform Sikhs into saint soldiers, a family
called Khalsa Panth. During this day Guru Gobind Singh came out of a tent
carrying a sword. He challenged any Sikh who was prepared to give his life to
come into the tent. The Guru returned alone with his sword covered in blood. He
then requested another volunteer and repeated the same action four times until
five men disappeared into the tent. The crowd was very concerned until they saw
five men return wearing turbans with the Guru. These five were called Panj
Pyares “Five beloved “. And then they were given the holy nectar “Ambrosia
of God's name” which is composed of sugar and water and is stirred with a
double-edged sword (Khanda) while prayers are recited.
Then these Five Beloved were instructed to
keep the five K's: Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (a small comb), Karra (an iron
bracelet), Kachera (a special short) and Kirpan (a sword). They were given the title of Khalsa, meaning those whose life and spirit belonged only to the One Universal Creator and not to any ruler, tyrant or even a messenger of the Creator. The principle of One Universal Creator, a founding principle of the Sikh Faith, means that all human beings are children of the same One Creator, and are thus all equal, irrespective of their religion, gender, race, color, caste or the like.
Some
people mistake Vaisakhi as the day when Sikhism was formed. Sikhism takes us
back to 1469 -1539 CE when the first God’s Prophet Guru Nanak Dev Ji started
the process of forming Sikh community nearly two centuries earlier. And from
there the community grew substantially under the leadership of his successors
over the next 200 years.
In the Sikh spirit, Vaisakhi celebrates
the integration of the spiritual and temporal worlds, and it provides practical
avenues for bringing these to bear through shared values and practices.
Vaisakhi is fundamentally about community, celebration, and progress, and these
values are at the forefront of the collective consciousness as Sikhs gather
together to mark the occasion.
I am a Sikh, but I believe I am also Christian,
Muslim, Hindu, & Buddhist. The reason I am saying this is because I believe
that all religions at their core send the same messages. Yes, there might be
some differences in our religious practices, but at the end, all religions pray to one, same God. I'm saying
all of this because I hope that one day around the world there will be no more
conflicts or wars or people targeted because of their religion. We are all
equal; we are all under the command of One True God. Let's not judge each other
and target each other because of what religion we are affiliated to. A Khalsa
is not only a Sikh,but it's anyone who takes a stand against injustices and
doesn't let himself or herself be a victim of the dark side of our minds.
"Raaj Karega Khalsa". May the true virtues of the Khalsa govern our
minds and actions!
KARAMDEEP SINGH
Media Professional
Twitter: @kd_randhawa
Emaiil: kdrandhawa25@gmail.com
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