I've been reflecting upon.....
some terminology used in The beautiful Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaaj.... and looking back into my life, to come to a point here, the point of ONEness;..... Guru Ji uses words like Ekas, Adutti, Ek (ONE)....
"Ek Adutti Guru Nanak deva", for example.... and when we look in the History, Guru Nanak Dev Ji maharaaj took His message across the world, without discriminating between tribes and people in general, He was called a "Peeer" by Muslims in Mecca, and was known as "Nanak Lama" when he went to Malasia, with His message of One Universal Creator God, Unity, Humanity, Love, and world peace.
All this ONEness, has so much basis to it, so much meaning, and yet we all are full- bang on ready to discriminate, for no real reason at all.
Two things happened in the last few days that make me reflect back to the 'Unity of all' understanding that I guess I have developed by now:
One > I was talking to a friend about my trip to Kashmir a whole bunch of years ago and how I felt Beauty in peoples' hearts, and not only the land they inhabited. She is Pakistani, and somehow, she mentioned that Kashmir is not in India, it is in Pakistan (needless to say, it has been a war Zone in the last 20-25 years, because both Governments want to take over Kashmir, and Indian Government maintains the region). I was trying to tell her a story of our Hotel waiter at Kashmir, who was literally to tears, as he was talking about how he is well educated and they can possibly not give their kids the same kind of education because of the situation there and because the 'Terrorists' try and destroy Kashmiri youngsters, by putting them into drugs and Jihad, stuff of that nature. At this point, it seemed more important for my friend to know whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim, to get the perspective... and he was a Muslim, but I just had to tell her to keep listening, because he, for now, I said, was a just human being. But here's the point he made, he said India and Pakistan, both want Kashmir, but none want the Kashmiris... and thats the saddest point, because the governments really only want to bomb the people and get the land for its beauty and everything else there is...
I, at my position do not believe in the abilities of either Indian or Pakistani Governments, both are currupt and all they worry about is money....So I have a neutral stance to the situation, but the thing is I am not doing anything for the Kashmiris, even though I know about their situation, and I'd want to do something....but until it is just in vision, and not in action, it is useless........
Second > The other day, I was in a bus, and it was completely full, all seats taken, an 8 months pregnant South Asian Lady also boarded the bus, and had to stand in the bus with many other passengers such as me, none of the younger dudes and girls, sitting in the Priority sitting area, listening to their iPods would get up... It annoyed me to a level that I had to take action, I talked to the lady if she was finding it fine to be standing, she expressed that she was in her 8th month, and that standing up is fine, but when the bus bumps, it scares her.....that bus ride was just about 5 minutes, kinda bumpy for sure, but well... after we both switched to the Sky train and it was full again, this time I felt that it was important for her to get seated, and so I talked to a girl who was just texting and talking on her cell phone to please give the lady her seat. And you know me, When I want something done, I make it happen, she had to get up..... (or else I'd press the security alarm, because it was prioriy seat..., but anyway she was pretty easy to deal with!) Anyway, so before I left I made sure that the lady was comfortably seated and that she was fine, and I wished her a Safe and happy time with the pregnancy and the baby, and walked out at my stop.
Now the ONEness of it all, is not a passive thing, only in thought and theory. I has to be actively be put into action, if We are all ONE, we gotta practice compassion and Love for each other. That is what we'd call seva and action....
I know a friend who is currently volunteering in Rawanda, and researching on Nutrition and Food insecurity status of the country after the Genocide, She is a Sikh with a huge Turban, but even though this is for her research project, I know for a fact that her compassion and love for all will move hearts and bring a change.
I know that I for instance am doing HIV epidemic research, where there is so much potential for bringing about a change, particularly, in the Sub-Saharan Africa, where Generations have been wiped off, leaving behind millions of AIDS orphans, as we call them... who need parents and families, without which they are in horrible conditions... and yet there are numerous, what we call as 'AIDS Grannies' who have a whole bunch of kids that they take care of without being related by blood to most of the orphans, and are superly old themselves, with very few resources.
There are people I know from our community, who went to Haiti when the Earthquake shattered millions of houses and people there.
Here's another story I've herd a few times, before it clicked to me... There is a woman here in Vancouver, who works with the Aboriginal communities in helping them with their Social, economic, ethnic and health needs, in dealing with drug addictions, and things like social/parenting skills (that Residential school kids. back in the day & now-parents never learnt, because of Social & cultural isolation). A while ago, she went to a park on a hot summer day, and this one Aboriginal guy was on the ground, in hypothermia, (maybe even heat stroke) and no one cared even a bit to help him. So there was a water fountain somewhere around, and she quickly took some wet towels and wrapped his head in them, to decrease his body temperature.
It occurs to me that all the others, that noticed were just either ignoring that he was dying in front of them or did not wanna do anything about it and enjoy their day...
What sort of world do we live in, I know for a fact that all humans, in fact all Mammals have natural instincts of caring for everyone they see, and I'd think even a natural tendency to see all as ONE, and realize the ONEness; (we all know the cases of what we as Scientific community call- 'wild children' who were raised by chimps and other animals, and got a lot of love and care by the animal families) but probably because Humans get to choose what to do and what not to so, as opposed to birds and other mammals (who are in Karam Khand, where they all do the same action at the same situation, and even time(for the members of the same tribe), thet their actions are in a sense, Spirituality...) and humans have the ability to think and figure out their own inclinations/ paths, we decide to not take too much action and exhaust ourselves.... but a careful observation of Humans reveal that if one person takes a stem others tend to follow along or participate, if they are not too wrapped up in their Ego....
SO taking a step can do a lot more than we thing.... we can all realize the ONEness, once the first step is taken....
AND, we are not all gonna win Noble peace prizes, but the happiness we get from taking a step is much more satisfying and beautiful than physically getting a Noble prize... And if we actually try and practice compassion, if is very humbling and you soon realize that there is much more needed to be done... I guess by the time you do something substantial, you loose the desire to get recognition, because, you end up starting to 'do it' for your own inner peace and satisfaction (Trishna) than for the others......
Just a bit about Guru Nanak dev ji, in the "Ek adutti Guru Nanak Deva" rationale, someone who is Adutti, is actually free from egotism as well, that person is one with all and one with God, their love and compassion is not attachment to just their families or some groups of people, their love is pure and humble, they in action and vision are ONE.... and that was how lovely Our "Nanak LAma", "Peeer ji", or 'Pita ji Maharaaj' was...and is, and will always be.... ONE with "One Universal Creator God- Akaal Purakh Waheguru"
Love and Light....
May Guru jee bless us all with Seva, Simran, and lots of love for those around us, and those around the globe.... so we realize that we are all ONE, which we are...
Sat Nam!
