麻豆社

Good morning.

As we emerge from the moving D-Day commemorations recalling the brave sacrifices of so many in the name of freedom, Sikhs will be remembering a sacrifice made over 400 years ago. Monday is the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the 5th Sikh Guru. He was a pivotal figure, constructing the Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple in Amritsar, and compiling the first edition of the Sikh scriptures.

The Guru was extremely popular across Punjab, attracting the devotion of Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike. All were treated equally by the Guru, and even the great Mughal Emperor Akbar had to join in the simple and humble meal provided to all worshipers in the langar kitchen before being able to have an audience with the Guru. The image of one of the richest people to have ever lived sat on the floor and dining with homeless and vulnerable people as equals would go viral if it happened today.

However, the Guru鈥檚 egalitarian approach towards humanity also attracted many enemies, and when Akbar鈥檚 son Jahangir became emperor, the Guru was seen as a political threat who needed to be brought into the fold of the Mughal鈥檚 own faith. The Guru was eventually taken into custody, and when he refused to convert, he was tortured to death.

The martyrdom was gruesome, and yet the Guru鈥檚 own response spoke volumes. He uttered the words 鈥淵our will is sweet to me鈥�, seeing this as part of the Almighty鈥檚 divine command. He gave his own life to remain true to his beliefs, and the Guru鈥檚 sacrifice continues to inspire Sikhs to this day.
The concept of Chardi Kala or remaining in 鈥榚lated spirits鈥� even during the darkest of times underpins the commemorations of the martyrdom. Sikhs will set up stalls outside gurdwaras and elsewhere to hand out cold soft drinks to passersby. We remember the painful thirst suffered by the Guru during his torture by making sure that no-one goes thirsty.

I鈥檓 sure many of us have felt helpless at times when we see suffering around the world. Every day brings new horrors to our attention, and images which would previously have been censored are now shared on social media in their rawest form, unedited, unsanitised. It can be uncomfortable or even harrowing. But how we respond really matters, however insignificant our actions may seem.

One of my husband鈥檚 favourite bands is Frightened Rabbit, and a song quote on his office wall reads 鈥淲hile I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to Earth鈥�. Those words resonate with me. Like cold soft drinks on a hot summer鈥檚 day, what may seem like a small act of kindness to others in response to a tragedy can have a lasting positive impact with consequences which reach further than we could ever imagine.

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