Sharing of Sikhism>>>

Amritsar rules!!! This is a city in the great state of Punjab, known for its Sikh population, and implicitly, so much of the blood that they shed in fighting for basic humanity. My impression of them--I'm speaking very generally, but 95% pertain to this generality--from the beginning was of good standing. It got to the point (and remains my method) that if I need a rickshaw driver or to buy something, I always look for the Sikh and his prominent turban; they're the most honest, the most direct, and the least deceitful; and I thought this was non-existent in India.


me & my homies...bummer I shaved!

I came to visit Amritsar mainly for the Golden Temple, which is their holiest shrine; one to which many make pilgrimages yearly. I opted not to stay in a guesthouse but rather stay in the gurudwara (literally door, though more like shelter), which houses people for free. The temple also has a dining hall which also offers food for free...and get this--24 hours, it's available! The temple itself has 4 doors from the 4 cardinal directions symbolizing that it is open to all faiths and to all castes. These are the very basic hospitalities that are well respected and appreciated, seen on the surface; but moreover, the welcoming Sikh is everpresent, exuding an uncommon characteristic of genuine giving.




I met about 8--though surely more were hiding behind this army of turban-heads--on the train from Haridwar to Amritsar. They sat down and instead of drilling me with the usual interrogation, they asked politely, a few questions and followed my answers with related anecdotes. We laughed heartily thru the morning and I got to know, although very superficially and briefly, their disposition on religion/life. These people and their ideas continue to garner my respect and admiration...yes, a prized commodity for all!

In the dining hall it's such a great feeling to sit down with people from everywhere...all of us on the floor, all of us eating the same thing, and all of us able to feel completely equal. This is the big difference with India's other religions and Sikhism; the Sikhs really strive and promote full equality. They tolerate all relgions and welcome with alacrity, people of other faiths to their temple because they feel that the God of Islam, of Christianity, of Hindu, etc. is the God of all...just that we all see him differently. Here's the biggest eye-opener for those extreme religiousmen...They think Islam is good...Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism...they're all great ways to celebrate Wahiguru (Lord) and they want people to engage in these religions. However, the brilliance in their mentality is exhibited when they proclaim that religion (in any form) is good...it's the people that make it bad. Furthermore, they feel women should be treated just as men are and that people from all castes should receive equal treatment. This last fact is what truly sets the other religions and ways of thinking in all other Indian religions world apart from Sikhism...women have continually taken a back seat to men throughout history, as have lower castes.



The face of tolerance

I'm not plugging this religion or anything--come on, look at that face--but it was so refreshing to sit down with these chaps and just chat over the many ways of the world. I met up with them at 11pm that same day/nt. and they spoke of some of the history and reasons for this and that of their dress while we walked around the amrit sarovar (pool of nectar). Finally, the leader, the most noble...dare I say the wiser of the crew (and I believe him to have been the other's guru, though he claimed emphatically that they were his teachers) went into the actual Golden Temple to clean it. He instructed me that if I wished, I could do sewa (basically a voluntary "giving back" to God/service/people that entails cleaning things and just making the system work more smoothly--without sewa, this "free" accomodation/food/drink would not be possible) while he was inside. He would then come out in a couple hours and we'd drink milk with nectar juice together. I chose to take part in sewa, carrying buckets full of water, giving them to a guy who gave them to another who flung the water across the marble floors and handed it back to the guy, to the other, to me. I did this with another guy I met and who was part of the posse on the train until about 2am. We sat while the doors were about to be opened and all the people chanting outside. Finally, the doors opened and people flooded in as the Guru Granth Sahib(their holy book) was opened and verses being sung to the rhythmical playing of instruments from 2:30am to about 10:30pm--all day that's to say. Only for this 3 hours period while the temple is being cleaned, is the actual main room closed. The walkway around the holy pool is always open and always full of people either walking or sleeping to the sound of this pulsating music.


sun spills across this scene...then sets

I stayed up until the sun followed me and spoke with one of the Sikhs who explained so many things offering insight and inspiration. Finally, I saw some of the people staying in my gurudwara come out to see the sun spray it's ray upon the dome of the temple and we all reveled in its charm and symbolism.

One day I decided to be sucked into this ridiculous border dual between Pakistan and India. It was exactly that and really merits no comments here...there are a few photos of the theatrical guards; though I had crap seats. The funniest part of it all was hearing these guys who go to this "closing of the border" EVERY day and their defiant and staunch proclamation (in strict Indian accent), "I HATE Pakistan!!!"

When I return--I guess I've already decided I'll be back to India--I definately want to spend more time in Punjab...these people are of the first class, through and through!

Tunes: Listening to the most recent of The Arcade Fire's great sound, Neon Bible, loving the calm panic (oxymoron) in his voice with simple but sticky guitar and percussion riffs. For those who've heard the title song...what's the Neon Bible to you?

Pages: Finished that rich, profound, multi-dimensionally gripping book that I've raved about on several posts, "Midnight's Children" by S. Rushdie. Then, after being recommended, I picked up a book of a conversation between J. Krishnamurti and David Bohm, titled "The Future of Humanity". JK is famous around here and has a philosophy that thought is, by its nature, divisive and has been causing most of the destruction, harm, etc. throughout history. For me, it's necessary and appreciated that D. Bohm is conversing with him, becuz he guides the ideas along more logical lines whereas JK often jumps steps in logic when concluding things. I also like to see a scientist engaging in something more spiritual and in general, being more open minded.

Pholder: Yep...another one, the second of my soon to be strung-out sequence of India's photos in Picasa. Grab a look here.

The Source, in Short...

Between Rishikesh and Amritsar I managed to do a bitty trek to the Source of the Ganges. It was a good time and the cold was sooooo welcomed by my body. The views were sickly stunning and I managed to get upon a glacier that took my breath away at over 4500m.




The hole beneath that massive ice is where
Ganga begins


I caught--and still have a bug, call it Giardia--in Rishikesh I think and it's one of those nasty recurring things; though not too serious...just shitty.

It was difficult to leave Rishikesh where I'd established a sort of home with neighbors: the morning yoga followed by a dip in the ganga which really does yield some profound feeling; the mueslix, fruit, and curd prepared by myself, the mango lassi, the great chats about everything from marriage to castes in Indian tradition with the owners, the hammock swinging reads that had me constantly reflecting...it was all great. However, I desired strongly to get up to Amritsar and later Dharamsala...thus, end of one thing is the beginning of another...get goin'.



The party continues to fill my cup so I can't offer anything except a few photos here and a few more in the folder here.