The Sikh is essentially
a disciple. His religion, therefore, is best understood
when we regard it as a life, a discipline and
not a history or philosophy, Most learners of
Sikhism take the events of Sikh history incoherently,
and begin to make invidious distinctions about
the conduct of different Gurus. Some they regard
as "peaceful", others as worldly and contentious.
They are equally disappointed when they study
the Holy Granth as a book of philosophy.
These doubts and difficulties will be removed,
if we carefully study the whole range of Sikh
history as revealing the gradual making and development
of a nation in the hands of its ten successive
leaders. It is the crystallization of a nation's
spirit, and is to be realized as a unity, and
not read as a blue-pencilled notebook.
The genius of the Sikh Gurus had a greater and
noble task before it. A whole nation was on the
anvil and all the teaching and action was designed
to contribute to the making of its character. |
