Back to Zen

Hello all.

After much deliberation (well, "much" for me since my mind changes a mile a minute), I'm going back to my Zen Buddhism practice. It just suits me better.

I know, this is quite a short-lived blog and my Sikh practice was also quite short also. But for what it's worth, I learned so much from it. Talked to all kinds of great and interesting people and explored a truly wonderful faith.

But in the end, Zen is for me. It's simple, straight-forward yet ancient. And it just vibes with my inner being much better.

So check out my Buddhist blog - Peace in the Beast - and leave a comment if you can.

Namaste.

Standing Out

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Greetings all, hope you're well.

During the past week, a couple of strangers stopped me to ask if I was a Sikh. It felt good to not only be recognized by someone (as is the point of the turban) as a practicing Sikh, but also to see that there are people here in CoMo (Columbia, MO) who know what a Sikh is and looks like.

The first instance was a gentleman at work. At the office I work for, I help staff a table which holds lots of information about our office (The Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Center). This table is set up with a bunch of other tables from various offices on campus during what we call "Summer Welcome", a two-day program for incoming freshmen to get acquainted with the campus and various organizations.

I was "tabling" for this event (as is my current job with the office until the program ends) one day last week when a guy at a table right across from me came up and asked if I were a Sikh. I said yes but I'm very new and still learning. He began talking about how he had met some Sikhs in Vancouver, Canada so he knew how we looked. He asked about some of the basics of the faith and I gladly shared with him. It was pretty cool. He then began talking about how he had heard about all the hate crimes during the post 9/11 days. Of course I told him that's something I considered when deciding to wear a turban. He seemed pretty interested and it was nice to talk about it with a stranger.

Today, during my bus ride home after work, a young Native American woman and I discussed religion and spirituality as well as life as a racial minority in CoMo. It was a great discussion that went on even after we both got off the bus at the same stop.

So it was kinda cool to be recognized and know there are some people out there who are genuinely interested in our way of life and not just going about hating on us, haha.

I get lots of weird, puzzled looks when people see me with a turban, probably the only turban they've ever seen on campus, maybe even in CoMo. But I try to get a pleasant face on so not to seem threatening or standoff-ish. People have generally treated me very well. I haven't had any problems yet.

In other news, I got a couple more pairs of kacheras in the mail, one of which looks like it will fit just fine. So I'll start wearing it tomorrow. That'll be four Ks I'm currently wearing - I still need to get clearance from my supervisor at work to wear the kirpan there. It'll also be a problem wearing the kirpan on the bus, as neither the buses nor the bus station allows any kind of weapon to be carried while riding or waiting for buses. And, of course like I've said before, I can't conceal it. A Sikh is to wear the kirpan visible at all times. So it'll take some time to get clearance to wear it on the bus and at the bus station. I may have to talk to someone in management. If anyone has any advice, please send it my way.

Alright, thanks for reading :-)

Satnam

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

The power of sound and music

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Greetings everyone. Big news week, huh?

So I watched an episode of P.O.V. (Point of View) on my local PBS station that was about why humans love music so much. It discussed possible evolutionary adaptations to sound and music, the science of sound and how it affects us on a psychological and quantum level and a lot of other topics. It was really superb. It basically confirmed my belief in the power of mantra, chanting and sound as connections to the Divine. Check it out when you get the chance - The Music Instinct: Science and Song

Another P.O.V. episode I watched entitled New Muslim Cool about a Puerto Rican young man growing up in the inner-city and converting to Islam. He spends his days organizing prison programs as well as leading discussions and presentations with various at-risk groups. A very good film that shows the difficulty of following a Middle Eastern religion in post-9/11 America.

That should keep you busy for a while, haha. Satnam.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

5Ks and other items arrive in mail today

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

My 5Ks (well, 4Ks since my hair is one of them), nitnem gutka (the book of the five morning prayers) and khanda (the Sikh emblem with a pin to attach to the front of the turban) arrived in the mail today.

Although I'm happy to have my first full set, the quality of the products aren't great. The kacheras had stains on them (and are also not sewed to size, which I don't know how to do), the kirpan looks very used (it has rust stains), and the gutka is romanized Punjabi and Gurmukhi - for some reason I didn't realize that "romanized" doesn't mean English. Ugh. I really need a gutka with English translations because I don't yet speak Punjabi or read Gurmukhi, so it's almost useless to me unless I have the audio tracks to follow, which is not the case when I'm at work or on campus. The gutka also only has one of the morning prayers (Japji) along with Ardas, Rehras and Kirtan Sohila. It's missing the four other morning prayers (Jaap, Anand, Chaupai and Tav Prasad Swaiye).

Come to think of it, it's not really a gutka. The cover says "My Daily Prayers" and the description inside says it's for children who can't read Gurmukhi.

Anyway, the kara looks pretty good though and it fits well and the kanga looks okay.

I ordered the items from SikhLink.net, so heads up if you're thinking about ordering from them (for those of you who care about all this).

The kirpan is really small - only 3 inches. It's also quite dull - the tip is just slightly sharp. So it's not a very reliable weapon. I'll carry the small kirpan on campus and purchase a longer one to carry in public. I hope to get one somewhere around 7-9 inches, as well as the large sword seen in various Sikh ceremonies, such as the one shown below wielded by an Espanola, New Mexico Sikh during the Vaisakhi Day 2009 celebration (the celebration of the anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa order).




I don't yet have a gatra (shoulder strap) to carry the kirpan, so I'll probably just tie it to my waist belt using extra turban material. The campus police officer I spoke with suggested I carry it in plain sight, so I'll have to find a way to tie the kirpan to my body above my shirt without looking too weird, haha.

So I can't wear kachera yet. A friend is having another friend sew a pair for me and then she'll ship it to me. Hopefully they come sooner than later so I can complete my 5K set. Until then, I'm wearing kirpan, kanga, kara and kesh.

As always, any comments or advice are greatly appreciated.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

The significance of the number 40

This video by Guru Singh made a lot of sense to me. I never considered the significance of the number 40 in spirituality until watching his explanation. Very good information. I think I'll start a serious 40-day sadhana very soon once I get some advice on what and how to do it.

Response to Anonymous Commentator on carrying the kirpan

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

This is a response to the anonymous comment on my blog post about carrying the kirpan on campus.

I said I would humbly accept the accusation of hypocrite, and I will stay true to my word. But I do want to clarify some things.

I never said someone "can't" carry a firearm. I said I'm opposed to carrying firearms on campus because of the potential disaster when alcohol is involved. Yes, the same potential holds true for kirpans as well. But keep in mind that knives and daggers are already allowed on campus, as long as they're not concealed and not unnecessarily long. So if a woman is rightfully concerned about her safety, I encourage her to carry a knife. It really could save your life or well-being. I'm all for it.

As a matter of fact, I'm all for people carrying some type of non-lethal protection agent, such as a knife, mace or pepper spray. I don't like guns because of the vastly increased potential of death. But daggers, kirpans and knives are cool with me. Like my parents say: criminals are going to carry firearms whether they are illegal or not. The laws won't change that. It's better that good folk like us are able to protect ourselves, at least until humanity gets out of the dark ages.

I really don't like weapons at all. I think the widespread production and distribution of weapons in the world is a leading cause of violence and unrest. If I had it my way, there would be no weapons in the world. But I'm a realist and I'm all for personal freedom. With greater education, awareness, community building and tolerance in the world, the use of weapons will decrease over time. But we have a long way to get there.

Sikhism is by far the most progressive religion in the world. In our scriptures the equality of men and women is explicitly stated. I won't go into detail here, but I will say that the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (our living guru and holy book) is the only holy book in the world to explicitly state the equality of the sexes as well as all people. It's not a derived interpretation - it's explicitly stated countless times. For more info on this, please see my post entitled "FAQs about Sikhism" and read question nine.

I'm not sure why you did this, but something I noticed: you began saying that I oppose a woman carrying a gun but support myself carrying a kirpan. But I never stated it this way and I don't believe that at all. I stated I'm against ANYONE carrying a gun on campus, not just women. For crying out loud, I'm a radical feminist and social justice activist. I work to end violence against women as a livelihood. It's my life's work. If I actually did support people carrying guns on campus, women would be first on my list. Please read my post again for further clarification.

I know all too well the dangers women face in this society, considering I work in a violence prevention center and have had extensive training in feminist and social justice theory.

The Sikh I mentioned who was killed while wearing his turban after 9/11 was not a friend of mine. I did not know him. I said that I knew of a Sikh who was killed from an attack. But I've never met him. I don't feel a lot of anger - I didn't even know the guy. Any anger I feel is for the general plight of humankind, not for that one specific Sikh. I would appreciate it if you did not assume random things about me.

Again, I don't oppose you being armed. I am for the arming of all people - with anything less than a gun. I just don't like guns. Too much potential for widespread instantaneous deaths, not to mention when kids get a hold of them or someone forgets to turn on the safety. But with knives, a lot more force and will has to be taken to inflict any damage at all. It's a much safer alternative for protection.

Yes, I have been through counseling just like a lot of people. I think counseling is a good idea for any and everyone, not just for those who are unstable. I feel anyone considering carrying a weapon should undergo psychological and counseling sessions to determine their true state of mind. And now that I think about it, I would like to undergo some safety and usage training before carrying the kirpan anyway. Thanks for that reminder.

I never claimed to need self-defense. I didn't say that anywhere in my blog. My idea is that EVERYONE needs self-defense in this world, because there are people who will attack you regardless of how aware you are. And of course women need the most protection in this patriarchal, misogynistic society. Again, please carry a knife if you feel you need the protection against possible attack. I'm all for it. I promise I am.

Contrary to your statement, 1 in 12 men will be sexually assaulted by another male in their lifetime. So no, me being male doesn't automatically mean I won't be sexually assaulted. Of course, women are far more likely to be assaulted, but there are hundreds of thousands of male rape victims amongst us. Please do not minimize their experience. And just so you know, I was forced to do things sexually at a young age that still haunts me to this day. It has affected my behavior, decision-making skills and other areas of my life. So there, now you know not to make such a brash assumption next time.

I would say women are more likely to be assaulted by a male they know than someone for their religion. But again, it doesn't mean that people don't get assaulted. If you had read my other blog posts, you would get a feel for how widespread the assault on Sikhs and Muslims are in this society. Please do not minimize other experiences just because you're worried about your own.

I would also like to add this: keep in mind that 85% of all sexual assault survivors were attacked by someone they know - someone they are acquainted with. You are unlikely to feel you need a weapon when you're alone or at a party with a good friend of yours, or a family member or a co-worker. And yet, these are the people who are FAR more likely to attack you. That's why mace, pepper spray, guns and knives are actually not reliable protection against sexual assault - you aren't thinking about arming yourself when alone with your best guy friend, or your boyfriend. These types of weapons are more effective when dealing with attacks from strangers in public. Please think about this.

I have had extensive rape/sexual assault/intimate partner violence training here on campus. I've designed programs, given presentations, gone to conferences and read countless books and articles on the subject. I'm even in the process of designing an entirely new program for our campus to help bring the number of assaults down. So please trust me when I say that I know what I'm talking about.

The truth is that the people who are most likely to carry a kirpan are Sikhs. And Sikhs have already been trained to pursue social justice and equality as part of their religion (again, not a derived or interpreted statement, but explicitly stated in our Guru Granth Sahib). A Sikh is unlikely, when compared to non-Sikhs, to use the kirpan as an offensive weapon, or to attack women. Yes, there are bad apples in every orchard, but these bad apples don't reflect on the orchard, but rather on the state of humanity in general. I do understand that being a Sikh male doesn't automatically mean they won't attack someone (on the contrary, you'd be surprised by how many so-called "religious" men are doing some pretty awful things). But generally speaking, they are following a faith that explicitly preaches peace, social justice and equality.

If after reading this you still think I'm a hypocrite, then I guess there's no changing your mind. But at least I tried. Thanks again for your comment.

Carrying the Kirpan on Campus

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh

Yesterday while at work I was passing a campus police officer on a flight of stairs and decided to ask him about carrying the kirpan on campus. He gladly answered my question and actually seemed to be familiar with the kirpan, which surprised me (a lesson for my own judgmental habit). He explained that it should be okay as long as it's no longer than 3 inches (he said it shouldn't be longer than the blade he carries on his utility belt, which is about 3 inches. I can understand why a cop wouldn't want people carrying better weapons than they do :-). He also suggested I not conceal it - I should carry it in plain view. I should also take the time to explain to interested persons what it is and why I carry it, just to dispel any suspicion. And of course he suggested I not play with it or brandish it on campus. He added that campus police won't try to infringe on my beliefs or anything, they just want to keep the campus safe.

I understand the hesitation about letting just anyone carry a weapon on campus. Believe or not, our state legislature actually passed a bill allowing the concealed carry of firearms on campus amongst students, faculty and staff. I vehemently oppose this bill (and still do) because of the severe potential consequences when alcohol and guns are mixed, especially in Greek houses. We've also had a rash of hate crimes for the past four or five years - imagine how much worse those could be if students were carrying guns!

But yes, the question begs to be asked: what do I think of my own desire to keep 5Ks and thus carry a 3-inch blade on campus in plain view? How do I justify this action but oppose other kinds of weapons?

I don't really have an answer for that. But I will say this: I will gladly explain the purpose and history of the kirpan to anyone who inquires. I'll probably be accused of hypocrisy and I'll humbly accept that accusation until I come up with a good response. If anyone has a good response for me to share, please feel free to send it my way.

For the sake of understanding, however, people should know that the kirpan is only to be used by a Sikh as a very last resort, when all other peaceful options have been used and a life is at stake. But contrary to popular opinion, the kirpan is NOT symbolic - it is indeed a weapon, although a Sikh could go their whole life without ever using it. And any Sikh will tell you this. It's the same as when police officers say they've never fired their gun. Numerous Sikhs have been attacked here in the States following 9/11 because of a) they were mistaken for Muslims, and b) the attackers think it's okay to attack a Muslim, or anyone for that matter. I actually know of one Sikh who was killed from one of these attacks.

And yet, you still are hard-pressed to find a Sikh who has actually used their kirpan in self-defense (let alone as an offensive weapon).

Again, if anyone has some good explanation for me to use on why it's acceptable to carry a kirpan on campus but not a firearm, please send it my way. In the meantime, my kirpan is on its way in the mail and I'll start carrying pretty soon.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru ji ki Fateh