Kanwal Prakash Singh
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INDIANAPOLIS, OCTOBER 8, 2013: Indy’s Inaugural Festival of
Faiths organized by the Center for Interfaith Cooperation at the
Indiana War Memorial-Veterans Plaza promises an excellent opportunity to
learn, share, and celebrate our rich religious diversity with sacred music,
songs and dance, traditional food, youth activities, exhibits and workshops.
Indy’s Inaugural Festival of
Faiths is literally hands-across-faiths-and- spiritual traditions-of-our-
neighbors - a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the spiritual fabric of
Indiana. The Sikh Satsang of
Indianapolis is a sponsor of the Festival of Faiths and Sikh community in central
Indiana will participate with a display, processional of faith leaders, sacred
arts, discussion forums and prayer; and offer the Sikh perspective on
interfaith engagement and celebrations.
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FAITH AS A UNIVERSAL PILGRIMAGE
OF SPIRIT
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Sikhs daily recite in Jaap Sahib:
God as One and All-Knowing, “…the Fountainhead of all spiritual knowledge and
languages…” Major faiths resonate with
familiar precepts and lessons. We pray
to God in multiple languages, myriad ways, in richly-embellished settings:
silent meditation in Nature’s synagogues (Himalayan Valley of Flowers); sacred
chants in Tibetan monasteries; symphonic music and Mass in cathedrals of great
opulence and splendor (St. Peter’s, Rome); Shabads (sacred hymns) in classical
Ragas at the hallowed Sikh shrines.
Interfaith celebrations offer a
visual and spiritual feast: an amazing tapestry of cultural richness that
enlarge our understanding by providing opportunities to interface with unique
traditional arts, introducing us to sacred heritage and spiritual spectrums
different from our own. Interfaith
experiences are a multifaceted blessing.
They reveal inspiring, reassuring, and unifying lessons. Sikhs see learning as a liberating and
transforming pilgrimage: bridging barriers, dispelling unfounded myths, and honoring
universal-faith-mandates: loving, sharing, and serving.
Much like science, medicine, and
the arts, man’s rich faith heritage is a fascinating field of spiritual
illumination, discovery, and celebration.
SIKH FAITH LEGACYAND INTERFAITH
TRADITION
Interfaith events are a classroom
of culture and spirit of faiths: Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhs
enshrines the sacred writings of Sikh Gurus, and 30 venerated Sikhs, Bhutts (seekers
of Truth), Hindu Bhagats (celebrated saints) from various castes and spiritual
traditions, and Muslim Saints, in multiple languages and regional dialects. The Sikh Scripture offers a living testament
to the unity and sanctity of faiths and the Sacred Word. The Sikh Founder, Guru Nanak, widely travelled
(1499-1525) to centers of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, and other faiths - from
Punjab to Mecca, Baghdad to Tibet, Egypt to Dhaka, Hardwar to Sri Lanka.
Nanak shared his revealed message:
“One Immaculate God…Eternal Truth…Self-Existent, Self-Illuminated…Father and
Mother of all Creation…Every living being as a repository of Divine Light…No
one is outside the circle of God’s Love and Benevolence…Equality, justice, and
sanctity of all Creation and the Creator…Truth is Higher, higher still is
truthful living.” Nanak had extensive dialogues
with faith leaders during his travels into lands and places far away from his
birthplace of Nankana Sahib near Lahore (now in Pakistan).
SPIRIT AND PROMISE OF INTERFAITH
ENGAGEMENT
Interfaith relationships are anchored
in mutual respect, dignity, and trust: seeing each other not as adversaries or
strangers but as people gathered to discover shared foundation and strengths; to
dispel unfounded and hurtful stereotyping and divisive attitudes or issues; and
to thoughtfully right unfortunate misconceptions about entire faith communities
in our midst.
“O Mortal, Recognize all humanity
as One Brotherhood, One Race.” Continued
violation of this Sikh commandment based on gender, ethnicity, or
faith-mandated-articles are a moral outrage.
Once we triumph over differences,
faiths are a natural humanitarian and moral intersection, rightly positioned to
promote an all-embracing spirit and make greater contributions to the critical
challenges of our times: homelessness, hunger, poverty, environment, illiteracy,
disease, unprovoked violence, human trafficking, and unconscionable crimes
against humanity. The renewed interest
and introductions of interfaith cooperation and faith-based initiatives at the city,
state, and national level is a promising advancement to harnessing the
resources, goodwill, and experiences of faiths to address urgent human needs.
For the greatest good: we must
avoid treading into areas where we may differ on principle or sacred precepts
and that lead to tensions and breakdowns. We must learn from and about each other; magnify
unifying ideals, search for common ground; engage in a civil discourse and
remember our promise to God, country, family, and humanity; “life, liberty, and
pursuit of happiness” of our own and others.
Refrain from indulging in unproductive self-righteousness; discover
where our common interest and responsibilities converge and together explore
answers to some of the pressing challenges around us.
Festival of Faiths is about
discovering, not just about man’s many spiritual paths, but about entering into
faith with our common faith lessons and making a difference across our
spiritual thresholds, as an act of living our faith and testament to our being
One God’s Family.
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