One of the inspirational people I met during theItaly trip was a Kathaavachik named Bhai Balbir Singh who does a huge amount of sevaa. Conversations on Gurbani with Bhai Sahib were mind blowing and his knowledge of Gurbani was inspiring.
Bhai Sahib was doing vichaar on people who are continuously challenging Gurmat and show little faith in Gurbani. He said, "Some people ask where is it written in Gurbani that meat and sharaab (alcohol) are forbidden?"Bhai Sahib with so much pyaar and humility started doing vichaar of
Bhagat Kabeer Jee's Salok (couplet) on Ang (respected word to refer to
'page') 1377 in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee.
Below is the vichaar of the following Salok:
Literal Translation:
"O Kabeer! Those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no
matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, it all goes to
waste and is of no use. ||233||"(Ang 1377)
Through the Revealed Word of God, Bhagat
Kabeer jee explains to himself to instruct the world about the
prohibitions in religious discipline (kurehits). It is false to believe
that this salok (hymn) only prohibits the consumption of cannabis, fish
and alcohol. One has to look beyond the surface level and dive deeper
into Gurbani. Guru Ji cannot make a vast list of drugs, foods and wines
that one is forbidden to eat or drink. This would be a waste of time
and difficult task to include the continuous new intoxicants or meat
and alcohol products for sale around the world. Instead Guru jee
categorises drugs, meat/flesh/killed animals and wines/alcohol under
three categories which represent all products associated and in the
same category.
Meaning of words:
The category of 'cannabis' or 'bhung'
includes opium, heroine, tobacco, and all drugs whether inhaled, eaten,
smoked or injected through needles. Some people argue that "bhung"
(marijuana) is part of Sikh tradition and argue that it is part of
Nihung Singh Maryada. However, who was given gurgaddi (guruship)? The
answer is only Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee. Rehit-namas (ethical codes of
conduct), Panth Prakaash granth or any other historical granth
(scripture) was not given gurgaddi (guruship). So who do we listen to
and obey first? The answer is Gurbani. People make mistakes, traditions
can get distorted and adopt new things and writers can be misunderstood
but Gurbani is Perfect, Unchanging and the Truth. Therefore, it is
clear "bhung" and all intoxicant drugs are forbidden.
The category of 'fish' includes all killed animals. Gurbani is not saying "Don't eat fish but you can eat a duck."
This category refers to all types of meat whether sea animals (e.g.
cod, haddock, crab, whale etc) or land animals (chicken, goat, cow, pig
etc.) and all allied products like egg, i.e. all meat and flesh. People
argue that one needs meat for strength, but Khalsa ji, the strongest
animal on earth is the elephant. The elephant lives on nuts. In the old
days when the Khalsa lived in the jungles as fugitives then the Khalsa
stayed alive on "sholay" (chick-peas) and berries.
The category of alcohol or wine includes all types of alcohol. This does not mean that someone can argue "I can drink white whine but not drink whisky". Guru
jee means all wines and types of alcohol, whether it is beer, whisky,
rum, brandy, or any type of wine etc. This is irrespective of the brand
name of the alcohol, how it is packaged or whether it is 1% alcohol or
20% alcohol.
Gurbani is not prohibiting drugs, meat
and alcohol to only Sikhs. It is clear that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is
addressing everyone, i.e. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and the
whole world.
Guru Ji is addressing everyone and not
only Sikhs. For Hindus, pilgrimage is bathing at the sixty-eight sacred
places revered across India. For Muslims, pilgrimage is going on Hajj,
i.e. visiting Mecca. For Christians, pilgrimage is visiting Bethlehem
and Jerusalem. For Sikhs, pilgrimage in a physical sense is visiting
Sri Harimandir Sahib (also known as the 'Golden Temple') in Amritsar as
well as other historical Gurdwaras in India and Pakistan, but in a
spiritual sense pilgrimage means travelling from your mind to one's
soul through bathing and immersing oneself in Naam.
Hindus keep fasts on certain days
related to their deities as an act of penance. Muslims observe 'Roza'
or a fast during the month of Ramadan. Christians keep a fast or give
up certain foods during 'Lent' (before Easter). Sikhs observe the
permanent fast of not telling lies, not cheating anyone else or
stealing the wealth of others, i.e. living an honest life.
Hindus perform daily rituals (puja) and
chant devotional prayers as part of their daily routine. Muslims
perform five prayers (namaaz) as part of their daily routine.
Christians say the Lord's prayer as part of their daily routine. Sikhs
recite Nitnem (daily prayers) at Amrit-vela (the early ambrosial
hours), in the evening and before bed. In addition to this Sikhs peform
religious practices of holding Akhand Paatths, doing Langar seva and
reciting Sukhmani Sahib etc.
Again, Guru Ji talks about everyone. There are no exceptions.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Pefect
True Guru, the Complete Truth, the Word of God, the Universal Truth,
instructs us that if anyone (irrespective of faith or background)
consumes drugs or intoxicants, eats any fish or meat, or drinks any
wine or alcohol then all their pilgrimages, fasts and religious
practices and prayers lose their value and become worth nothing. So,
irrespective of how many Akhand Paatths one holds at the Gurdwara, how
many times one pays for Langar seva, or how many Sukhmani Sahib
programmes one holds at their home, they will not reap the the true
benefits. That person becomes worthy of hell and reaps no benefit from
his religious commitments and efforts. If you collect many 'zeros', it
means nothing. However, add '1' to three zeros and you will get 100 or
add '1' to six zeroes and you get 1 million. Similarly, those of us who
do good acts and pray to Waheguru but still follow our mind are
collecting zeros but when we follow the Guru, become the Guru's Sikhs
through Amrit and keep Rehit then it is like adding '1' to all those
zeros collected.
This salok on ang 1377 is crystal clear
that a Sikh is prohibited from eating meat or any flesh. Anyone who
accepts and has full faith in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee as their
Satguru will not doubt Gurbani (the Guru's Word). With one Hukam from
Gurbani a Sikh accepts and obeys. On the other hand, a Manmukh (one who
follows his own mind) would continue to ask for further proof or
evidence and remain unsatisfied and unwilling to submit to the
instructions of Satguru.
In such simple language Bhai Sahib did Kathaa of this
salok. Waheguru. May Waheguru bless such souls to carry on with more
seva. This reminded me of an incident I read about in "Se Kineyha"
from the lifetime of Baba Harnam Singh jee (Rampur Khera wale). Baba
jee came to UK and was invited to a house in Hounslow, West London that
was claimed to be haunted or had negative vibrations. I will share this
story another time.
Dhan Hai Guru, Dhan Hai Teree Sikhee