So often, when we’re introducing ourselves, we start with our name, and probably where we live. Maybe we say something about our job or our hobbies. Up until a few years ago, that’s how I would’ve started this message. After all, I thought that those were the traits that defined me. But then, at some point - and I don’t know exactly when - I realized that none of those really touch on what matters most: my true identity.
My name is Dylan Hayre. I am a Punjabi Sikh. And I am a grateful user and proud supporter of Sikhnet. I’m introducing myself like this because, with the help of Sikhnet, I’ve come to learn how the Sikh values that ground me shape, and have probably always shaped, my true identity.
My journey with Sikhnet started when I was in a moment of intense, personal struggle. I wanted to better understand who I was and who I wanted to be, and why. I definitely knew what I enjoyed doing and how to do those things. But that wasn’t enough. Sikhnet was a vital companion as I began shifting my focus from the “what” and “how” of my life to the “who” and “why”.
Thanks to Sikhnet’s many resources, such as webinars on grief and meditation, video stories, and the Daily Hukamnama and translations, I could better understand the core values of Sikhism, how those values were a part of my life, and how I could focus on them even more. My parents, who were born in Punjab and raised in England, were never religious. But their parents maintained a profound Sikh spirituality that they passed onto their children and, over time, to me. And it was discovering and using Sikhnet that helped me fully immerse myself in these Sikh traditions and ideas, and helped me realize how I could apply them to my everyday life.
I know I’m not alone in this. I know there are many, many people who are questioning their own “what” and “how,” and who may be trying to define their “who” and their “why”. Whether it’s the pandemic, economic unfairness, wars, or another social issue that exists and is made worse by those crises, millions of people are at a critical moment. Many of us are reflecting more on who we are, and why, and on the values that define us and our identity.
Sikhnet can be a powerful guide for this journey of discovery and growth. Sikhnet can help so many people the way it helped me - by easily bringing a vibrant and rich tradition into my life every single day. But that can only happen if we collectively continue to support this community. Our community. We must continue sustaining this resource that has helped sustain me and countless others.
I ask you to join me in supporting Sikhnet with a donation in any amount. Together, we can ensure that all people have access to this incredible, bountiful spiritual home.