Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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should question the inhumanity of the caste system. Instead, all
religious yearning was sidetracked into esoteric or other otherworldly
fields. One course adopted was to let recluses, Naths Yogis,
mendicants, Sanyasia and the like cut themselves away from the society
and pursue their ideals in isolation without disturbing the caste order.
The second course followed was to divorce religion itself from worldly
life, especially from political life. How strong hold this narrow and
irreligious view-point had on the Indian mind can be seen from the
following excerpt from Rabindra Nath Tagore’s writing; ‘The liberation
which Baba Nanak realized in his heart was not political liberty, but
spiritual freedom. Nanak had called upon his disciples to free
themselves from selfishness, from narrow bigotry, from spiritual
lethargy, Guru Govind organized the Sikhs to suit a special purpose.
He called in the human energy of the Sikhs from all other sides and
made it flow in one particular channel only; they ceased to be full, free
men. He converted the spiritual unity of the Sikhs into a means of
worldly success, ’17 it is really sad how successfully the traditional
approach, under the cover of spiritual freedom and salvation, continues
to make even sensitive minds indulge in he make believe that spiritual
freedom could be divorced from political liberty.
The Sikh view of religion is diametrically opposed to the
traditional one given above. It does not permit of any dichotomy of
life, or of any divorce of the individual from his society. Nor does it
visualize that true religion and ethics can operate unconcerned beside
an unjust social or political order; nor that spiritual freedom can coexist
with religious dictation and political slavery. The Sikh Gurus
take a very comprehensive view of religion. Theirs is a unitary an
integrated view of life. They do not look upon the individual as an
entity detachable from society. As such the religious and spiritual
problems of an individual cannot be divorced from the moral spiritual
predicaments of the society as a whole. Personal salvation (Mukti), or
remaining absorbed in spiritual bliss, is not the Sikh ideal. For the striving
for moral spiritual progress is not an end in itself; it is a preparation to
equip oneself for the better service of humanity. In fact, service of one’s
fellow-beings is indispensable for one’s moral and spiritual growth. The
real love of God is its transformation into love for man. For God