My Experience on Deh-Dhari Gurus
Surinder Singh
Naamdhari (Kukey) book on saying that the Guru Granth
Sahib is not the guru, I have this small personal
experience to add:
In the last year or two I used to regularly go the
Gurudwara in San Jose. There was a gentlemen who used
to do a lot of seva and became friendly. He invited me
to a "sat-sang" at his house. I asked how was that
different from Sikh path; he said it is the same, "it
is like taking I-680 versus I-101 to San Francisco."
That convinced me. I started going to the sat-sang at
his house. They used to listen to tape recorded
discourses by a Guru Called Thakkur Singh. The tapes
were spiritual and were sort of not bad. Baba Thakkur
Singh is in Chandigarh and he wears a Turban and uncut
hair. That was enough to confuse me (and others) that
he was a Sikh. In the sat-sang there were many "sikhs"
and hindus. Two things seemed strange. They would
expect me to leave the kirtan and bhog at the
gurudwara proper to go to this sat-sang. I did't like
that. They then started asking me to take Naam
(diksha) from their guru. That really got me alarmed.
I have decided a little while ago that the Khalsa
Amrit (Khande di pahul) is the path for me, so there
is no question of me entertaining any idea of Naam
from any other guru, however advanced. Then one day I
found that they started criticizing the path of
Sikhism and Guru Granth sahib and calling it
inadequate. That was it. I, and a friend of mine,
stopped going there.
That has taught me a lot about the mechanics of the
deh-dhari (Human) Gurus. Let me be clear that I don't
look down upon the tradition of Guru-Shishya that
exists in the whole of India. They don't need to be in
the Sikh (with a capital "S") tradition for
enlightenment. We all know the Guru-Shishya traditions
of Baba Kabir, Baba Namdev, Baba Ramanand, were great.
But what these people are doing is different. They are
scouting the gurudwaras to convert the Sikhs to their
Guru. Their own gurus keep kesh (unshorn hair) and
turbans and recite SIkh Baani--in short, give an
appearance of Sikhism. This confuses us. Then slowly
they indoctrinate and bad-mouth Sikhism. They ridicule
the fact that the Guru for us now is Sri Guru Granth
sahib ji. They also promise an easy path to liberation
(no need to keep hair and rehit and daily baanis). No
spiritual person, let alone a Sat Guru, will bad-mouth
and hurt others relegious sentiments. This is a litmus
test of their traditions. Also, they are by and large,
unable to get Hindus to their fold. The expansion is
at the expense of Sikhism. Interestingly, 90% of baani
they use if the Sikh baani.
But in all fairness, it is we who are to blame too. We
have to do our relegious duties (Baani & Naam Simran)
and be awake to spirituality. Then we cannot be fooled
easily. We also should realize that Kesh (hair) is not
any automatic ticket to spirituality and proof of
Sikhism: not everyone who keeps kesh/turban is Sikh;
someone with cut hair could be striving to be a
amrit-shari and hence should not be rejected
automatically or treated as second-class citizens of
the gurudwara.
Thanks.
Surider Singh
PS: I have also heard that Naamdharis and Radhasoamis
(Beas) practice untouchability. (Our driver in India
told us this as he has driven people of these sects to
their centers.) That to me is proof enough that *I*
will not be visiting either of these sects.
PPS: Since they are not Sikhs due to their not
beleiving in Sri Guru Granth Sahib as Guru, they
should at least refrain from hurting Sikh feelings.
=====
Surinder P. Singh
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Madhusudan Singh
Your experience is really an eye-opener. Thanks for sharing it with all
of us. Have you posted it at other Sikh fora like sikhnet, etc ?
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
Madhusudan Singh.