Lest We the Sikhs Go Astray - Book By Gajinder Singh

It is a pleasure to write a foreword for a book that offers so much in so few pages. I owe my acquaintance with Sardar Gajindar Singh to his articles on gurmat, which I admired, and some of which I had the privilege to publish in the Abstracts of Sikh studies during the last couple of years. I have been deeply impressed with his understanding of and commitment to gurmat philosophy. The present volume, Lest We the Sikhs go Astray is a rich collection of eighteen articles covering almost the entire gamut of Sikh doctrines, and I am sure, the thoughts expressed therein will be appreciated by all serious students of Sikhism. The author describes the path to salvation charted by Guru Nanak as gadi rab which he sums up: 

  Guru encourages a Sikh to ever try to improve, and develop his personality to perfection. Once Sikh attains a superior, spiritual and intellectual status adopts truth and truthful living,sweet demeanour,        courtesy and ready to help attitude, shares with others and craves for God's love, he is in sehj state and friend of all and enemy to none. He certainly is the gurmukh, who throws away the yoke of karm and bhog, transmigration, as he accepts that actually the Doer is God Himself. He is causing all events and he is enjoying the Game of Creation, and the Sikh must ever conform to God's Will.

Dealing with the present state of confusion the author laments that we are falling prey to superstition, Karm Kand and Brahminical rites which the Guru condemned in unambiguous terms.

We are seeing the slide down, spellbound. We have no reaction to such widespread maladies since the general cadre of Sikhs is led by un-Sikh masqueraders roaming in the garb of holiness. Our highest theological seats are mute spectators before this metamorphosis which is pulling the community towards the old rut of ancient faiths.

 He goes on to say, 

The glorious path perfected by the Gurus seems to be on the verge of disintegration. None else is to blame for the present state of affairs, but the Sikhs own lack of total faith and non-adherance to the wisdom of the Gurus, which is sought to be replaced by puny intellectuals who can see only as far as their limited experience and vision carry them.

We are indeed going astray. The warning is timely and hope it will be heeded. Sikhs are known for their valour and fighting qualities. The author explains, however, that they do not fight for the sake of fighting only.

A Sikh goes to battle only when it is the need of the hour, without anger, hatred, rancour, excitement, sense of racial superiority. The fact is, Sikhs do not come under the umbrella of the racist league of hereditary chosen people. It is the spiritual and moral change brought into being of their Faith, their Gurus' guidance to make them superior, intelligent beings, without that vicious pride and repugnance of others. They plunge into action like a parent chastening an erring child, like a law-enforcing agency, arbiters to just and balanced corrective action. Herein lies the finer distinction of Valour in its finest avatar, of an enlightened saint-soldier in sharp contrast to the fighting instincts of marauders.

I am sure; the book will be welcomed by all lovers of the Guru's path and read with keen interest for its contents, and their clear articulation in impeccable style and the author's command over English language. I hope the present volume will be followed by many more. I wish him every success in this noble venture.

Dr. Kharak Singh

Of the trilogy authored by GAJINDAR SINGH   

Lest We The Sikhs Go Astray is the first volume on WHAT Sikhism stands for and WHAT it does not. The other two books comprising of the trilogy of the spiritual quest are In the Witches' Cauldron and

The armchair Sikh. The fourth book, A God made to Order deals with the identity, scope and reasoning concerning God, the Creator of all life, who controls and regulates our universe.