Castes...look What Gurus Taught Us

[proud_to_be_singhni]

Caste is such an issue in our community and especilaly with parents during looking for suitable matches for their children who are of marriaging age...mine are no exception. Its sad to see. When will we live up to our Guru ji's teachings...vaheguroooooo ji.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji did not recognise any distinction between the high and the low castes, the rich and the poor, even the ruler and the subject. He equated the low caste Sudra with the high caste Brahmin, and the subject non-Muslim with the ruling Muslim. Guru nanak Dev Ji wanted social harmony to replace social rivalry and hatred.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji, declared caste a taboo in the order of the Khalsa created by him. Of the panj piare, four belonged to the lowest classes...Dharam Das was Jat, Mohkam Chand was a washerman, Himmat Rai a cook and Sahib Chand a barber. According to Guru Gobind Sngh Ji...Manas Ki Jat Sabe Eke Pahchanbo.

Guru Granth Sahib Ji includes compostions and utterences of highborn brahmins, the esteemed kshatriyas, the lowly Shudras and the Jats.

Kabir Ji declares 'I am a weaver by caste but content in nature and yet I contemplate on the attributes of His holy Name slowly and steadily in docline manner.

Ravidas Ji: Low is my caste, low is my rank and I am low by birth as well. The Divine Lord I have not served, says Ravidas, the cobbler.

The Gurus were aware that justice without social equality is menaingless. Social equality includes respect for the rights of others as well as non-exploitation of others.

vaheguroooo ji

Sikh Phulwari, this months issue..Dec 2005 (writer Bibi Jasbir Kaur)

vahegurujika khalsa vahegurujiki fateh..

Chardikala jeevan...Deep Kaur Khalsa xx

[raja singh]

Fateh Ji!

totally agree penji. we are forgetting such a great principle of sikhi. people nowadays have lost the true essence of sikhi and are following hindu ways . so sad to see what is happening...........

[humble_kaur]

The teachings of Guru Ji emphasized on the importance of Sikhi not recognizing any caste. All people were considered equal irrespective of their nationality or social positions. There is no difference between the rich or poor, man or woman, black or white, because ALL Humans were considered equal. God's light is equally present in all. It is the actions of people rich or poor, good or bad, that we become ignorant on forming this so called caste system.

jwxhu joiq n pUChu jwqI AwgY jwiq n hy ]1] rhwau ]

Recognize the Lord's Light within all, and do not consider social class or status; there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter. ||1||Pause||

They further emphasized the importance of equality by introducing a common area where all were welcome to come and eat, known as langar. Irrespective if you were a Hindu, Muslim, Caucasian, Sikh, all sat down at the same level and ate langar amongst each other. In our Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, many banis are incorporated which were written by sants and bhagats that belonged to "low castes".

nwmw jYdyau kMbIru iqRlocnu Aaujwiq rivdwsu cimAwru cmeIAw ]

Naam Dayv, Jai Dayv, Kabeer, Trilochan and Ravi Daas the low-caste leather-worker,

jo jo imlY swDU jn sMgiq Dnu DMnw jtu sYxu imilAw hir deIAw ]7]

blessed Dhanna and Sain; all those who joined the humble Saadh Sangat, met the Merciful Lord. ||7||

Guru Ji created a casteless society, but many people are so proud that they stick out their chest and boast “I’m a Jat!!!”..”I’m a Rajput!!!”…”I’m Ramgharia!!!”etc. But when a Gurmukh is asked the question should they not say, I’m a Sikh? Until we don’t release this notion from our minds of the so-called caste system, do we have a right to call ourselves a Sikh? Just because a boy or girl is born into a Jat family, are they different from someone born in a Rajput family? By holding on to this caste system, we automatically produce inequality. For centuries this has been engraved in the Sikh Psyche, this caste system. But Guru Ji says a Gurmukh should look beyond this because,

gurmuK vrn Avrn hoie rMg surMg qMbol prcY]

Gurmukhs go beyond the castes, colours and go about in equanimity like the red colour of betel leaf.

When two Gurmukhs are ready for marriage, should they not look at the virtues and gunn in the other rather than what caste they are? I was experiencing the same thing when my parents were looking for a suitable husband for me. The first thing they asked was, “Is he a Jat?”. Then other questions would follow if the answer were yes. Should we follow the old tradition of what our parents believed in and limit our children’s future to find a suitable soul mate for them to carry on a Gresthi Jeevan? No! We should eliminate this caste system, and only attach ourselves to the Truth, Guru Ji’s Teachings. The more we understand Gurbani, the more we can educate our parents from this mindset. The more we attach ourselves to Guru Ji’s teachings, and experience Shabad Guru, the stronger our beliefs will become. Would He not find us a suitable mate when the time comes? Remember, by taking one step towards the Guru, the Guru will take thousands of steps towards you.

God told us to live a humble and honest life. But I have seen these days that so many wars and hatred have broken out because we ignorantly involve caste as the main focal point.

vrnw vrn n BwvnI Kih Kih jln bWs AMgXwrw]

Different sections(castes) of society develop hatred for one another and finish themselves through squabbles as the bamboos, due to their mutual friction, producing fire burn themselves as well as others.

Not only that, but I have seen that there are so many versions, castes of a Sikh. Should we not all be Guru ke Sikh? Gurdwaras are made based on caste system. How can you put Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in a place that only certain castes go to? We become hypocrites. We go to pray to our Guru Ji, but at the same time we go to a Gurdwara of our ‘caste’.

God created light. His omnipotence gave birth to all. If all beings are born from the same light, how can some be good and some bad? One can only be ranked on their actions, their deeds. So don’t be proud of your caste, because this pride becomes the root of all evils. When one takes Amrit, Amrit is drunk from the same bowl, regardless of what ethnicity, class you are. You become one with your brothers and sisters. One argument I use now with my parents is that our first Panj Pyare were not all of the same origin, so how can we go beyond our Guru Ji’s Word?

Bhul Chuk Maaf

[WGJKKWGJKF]

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

I agree penji. N i even contacted amritbani and Sukhsagar radio ages ago that they should remind thier viewers (on marriage matriorial programmes) before they start what Sikhi preached about caste. N i never got no reply from non of them. Unless they never got the email.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that recognise humanity as one caste (i think) so i still dont understand why we still recognise caste.

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH