Sikhs claim that Guru Granth Sahib is the unique scripture capable of providing peace and harmony to all of humanity. And there is no doubt about it. But Sikhs, who are the custodian of Guru Granth Sahib, have no peace or harmony among themselves. Why?

In spite of ever more recitations of Guru Granth Sahib (through laries of Akhand Paths), many Kirtan Darbars and a flood of Katha Kars, Sikhs have not been able to demonstrate to the rest of the world what they claim. Sikhs have focused more on worshipping Guru Granth Sahib than following it. Sikhs are fundamentally flawed, in certain aspects, in understanding the Sikh philosophy and doctrine as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib and thus have betrayed their own Guru.

Three aspects have been examined. First is the existence of middlemen, the so-called priest class, an institution which was neither created by the Guru nor is appreciated in the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib. This has kept an ordinary Sikh from direct contact with the Guru and has allowed all kinds of meaningless rituals to creep in Sikh worship.

Secondly, the increasing practice of ritualistic routines and ever bigger celebrations has led the Sikhs to believe that the understanding of Gurbani is not that necessary. All one has to do is to participate in these routines for a few days to be known as a good and respectable Sikh. It is the Guru's Hukam (command) to a Sikh, however, to understand Gurbani. Without an understanding of Gurbani one cannot even begin to become a Sikh.

Finally, we must take a deeper look into the meaning of a Guru as opposed to a teacher or a preacher. That is where lies the fundamental flaw in the way Sikhs have failed to recognize the importance of Guru Granth Sahib.

There has always been a gap between what is practiced and what is the doctrinal message of a religion. Most every religion has some form of rituals as part of its practice. Often too much of ritualistic practices can mask or overshadow the real message. As a Sikh, I have been observing that Sikhs, in recent times, have focused more on worshipping Guru Granth Sahib than following it. Perhaps this has been the cause of failure of Sikhs in the last 50 years or so.

Over some time I have carefully examined our religious practices. I have also tried to understand the Sikh philosophy and the Sikh doctrine as it is propounded in Guru Granth Sahib in a critical way. What encouraged me was the thought that the Guru wrote Guru Granth Sahib in the simplest language of the time and has explained any given doctrine or principle in many ways using different words with similar meanings and has repeatedly, but beautifully and refreshingly, explained it over and over again. The Guru did not feel the need of a middleman and hence did not establish any priestly class. All this means is that even an ordinary person with a sincere desire and patience should have no difficulty in understanding Gurbani. Except that one may put on hold or skip the understanding of difficult parts and move on to understand the easier parts first and then can, with the help of a learned person (not necessarily a priest) understand the difficult parts. But emphasis must be on the comprehension of Gurbani and self reading.

gurbwxI dy rtx dI bjwey smJx qy zor idqw jwvy[

Because it is the Guru's command to read and comprehend (bUJx)) Gurbani, the Guru has equated those who do not understand Gurbani to animals

ibnu bUJy psU kI inAweI BRim moih ibAwipE mwieAw ] (SGGS page 1300).

kir ikrpw rwKhu rKvwly ] ibnu bUJy psU Bey byqwly ]6] (SGGS Page 224).

But unfortunately, we do not feel the necessity to understand Gurbani. All we believe, as one writer once put it in Punjabi,

AsIN smJdy hW ik m`Qw tyk ky, pRkrmW krky, pwT pVH-pVHw ky, kIrqn sux-suxw ky, misAw puinAW nUµ srovr iv`c iesnwnw kr-krw ky, AsIN gurU dI imhr dy pwqr bx jWdy hW; qy bs[

But this is nowhere close to what the Guru has really commanded us to do. The Guru puts far more importance to the "real understanding" (bUJx) of Gurbani than on mere ritualistic paaths (mechanical recitation).

pVih guxih qUM bhuqu pukwrih ivxu bUJy qUM fUib muAw ]8] (SGGS Page 435).

jogu n dyis idsMqir BivAY jogu n qIriQ nweIAY ] (SGGS Page 730).

byd pwT sMswr kI kwr ] piV@ piV@ pMifq krih bIcwr ] ibnu bUJy sB hoie KuAwr ] (SGGS Page 791).

This brings us to one of the most significant aspects of Guru Granth Sahib, and that is where lies the fundamental flaw on the part of many of us Sikhs. There are two parts to Gurbani's understanding; one is the literal meaning and the other one is the profound meaning.

gurbwxI nUµ smJx qy bUJx iv`c bhuq Prk hY[

The Guru has used the word "bUJx" over and over, again and again, to emphasize its importance. Because the Guru is not just an instructor but a guide far beyond that.

gurU kyvl isiKAw dwqw hI nhI ieh ies qoN vIN Agy hY, pry qoN pry[

There are teachers, preachers, reformers and guides in the world to give guidance or knowledge to us. But the Guru's level is much higher than any one of them. True learning is not merely knowing, but being. It is only the Guru who is capable of converting knowledge into 'being'. For example, one may embark upon doing good by reading a good book which tells that in so doing one gets recognition in the world, and it is a good thing to do that. And one does it for years. Since most of such actions are for individual glory or are often ego motivated, one may find at the end a strange kind of emptiness because one was not really enjoying it, and it was burdensome to carry out the good to feed the ego.

But the Guru the claims goodness can only be delivered if you are connected to the very source of goodness. Then it is a spontaneity. One blooms and there is an outflow of good. It is only the Guru who is capable of connecting one to that source.

jnm mrx duhhU mih nwhI jn praupkwrI Awey ] jIA dwnu dy BgqI lwiein hir isau lYin imlwey ]2] (SGGS page 749).

I wish to repeat that, it is only the Guru Granth Sahib, being the Guru, who has the power to convert your knowledge into the being. Therefore, in utter reverence and with complete surrender, sit with Guru Granth Sahib and request the Guru to bless you with "jIAdwn" (i.e. with being). Hence, it is important to sit oneself with the Guru and humbly seek blessings for real understanding. It is only through such direct relationship that understanding (bUJx) will be achieved. Therefore, a Sikh must do recitation of Guru Granth Sahib him/herself. Even if one does only one Shabad or one page at a time, it must be done by oneself. You will find that as time progresses, the same line may touch you more deeply and the inspiration grows to follow the Guru's teaching.

Do not separate yourself from your Guru by putting people in the middle. Otherwise, no matter how much worship, discourses or lectures a Sikh may do on Guru Granth Sahib, a Sikh may be betraying the Guru's command.

A bit about Gurbani and Naam. In Guru Granth Sahib, the relationship between Gurbani and Naam is given as follows:

gurbwxI vrqI jg AMqir iesu bwxI qy hir nwmu pwiedw ]3] (SGGS page 1066).

Meaning thereby that without an understanding of Gurbani, one cannot achieve Naam. Clearly the meaning of Naam is not the same as had been understood till then for thousands of years. The entire Guru Granth Sahib is the manifestation of Naam. Gurbani infuses in a Sikh the recognition of that most exalted love of which one's soul is a part.

mn qUM joiq srUpu hY Awpxw mUlu pCwxu ] (SGGS page 441).

And then in aching remembrance (ismrn) a Sikh is in constant touch. So mere mechanical repetition without love for God and without the understanding of Gurbani is not what Guru intended.

Finally, how Sikhs treat each other and the rest of the world is just the opposite of what Guru Granth Sahib has put forward as a central message. Guru has repeatedly emphasized that it is all but one who manifests in everybody and everything.

qUM Gt Gt AMqir srb inrMqir jI hir eyko purKu smwxw ] (SGGS page 11).

Further that it is only by completely dissolving one's ego that one can truly understand that One and can be with the One.

jIvq mrY buJY pRBu soie ] (SGGS page 741).

However, the use of different uniforms with different styles of turbans by a given group of Sikhs following a given Sikh religious leader may point to a display of ego. With as many of such groups, there can be as many of different opinions and the potential for as many of conflicts is always there. Hence, no unity among Sikhs. But if we follow only Guru Granth Sahib, then there can only be one opinion and no room for conflict. Therefore, unity would naturally emerge among Sikhs.

In summary, instead of spending too much energy on worships, celebrations and wasteful rituals, a Sikh must find time to sit with the Guru, Guru Granth Sahib to read and to seek blessings for a true understanding of Gurbani.

Note: Dr. Sukhmander Singh is a professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University, California, USA. He is also a visiting faculty at Cambridge University, UK. Dr. Singh earned his Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. He is an active Sikh, both in politics and religion. He was the first president of 'The Sikh Council of North American' and also the first president of 'North America Akali Dal'. He has organized and participated in conferences and meetings related to Sikh affairs and Sikh studies.