May 28 1972: Arriving in Amritsar with Keith, Miriam and Hellmut

Taken From All About My Hat The Hippy Trail 1972 ISBN ‎ 978-0993210716

It was May 28 1972.

At the temple, they were met by a friendly Sikh in a turban, who showed them to the shared room, “Boys and girls separate,” he said. “You must smoke only outside the rooms. You are very welcome here and please come to big dining room for food, it is given by us to travellers. Maybe tomorrow if you want, go to see Temple?”

 

Inside the room were four beds. It did not look like any were being used.

Keith read from his guide book:

“Amritsar is a city in north-western part in India. It is the spiritual centre for the Sikh religion and the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district in the state of Punjab.

“It is home to the Harmandir Sahib commonly known as the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural centre for the Sikh religion.

“The main commercial activities include tourism, carpets and fabrics, farm produce, handicrafts, service trades, and light engineering. The city is known for its rich cuisine and culture, and for the tragic incident of Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 under British Rule.

“Amritsar is one of the largest cities of the Punjab state in India.

“The city lies on the main Grand Trunk Road from Delhi to Amritsar connecting to Lahore in Pakistan.

“For transportation within Amritsar city, rickshaws, motorised rickshaws, taxis and buses are easily available. It is better to hire cycle rickshaw in Amritsar than hiring taxi or motor rickshaw as cycle-rickshaw pullers are comparatively sober and honest. 

 

“The Gurdwara is surrounded by a large lake or holy tank, known as the Sarovar, which consists of Amrit, holy water or immortal nectar and is fed by the Ravi River. 

 

“Inside the Gurdwara complex there are many shrines to past Sikh Gurus, saints and martyrs. “There are three holy trees, each signifying a historical event or Sikh saint. Inside the Gurdwara there are many memorial plaques that commemorate past Sikh historical events, saints, martyrs and includes commemorative inscriptions of all the Sikh soldiers who died fighting in the World Wars.

“In keeping with the rule observed at all Sikh Gurdwaras worldwide, the Harmandir Sahib is open to all persons regardless of their religion, colour, creed, or sex. The only restrictions on the Harmandir Sahib's visitors concern their behaviour when entering and while visiting:

“Maintaining the purity of the sacred space and of one's body while in it.

“Upon entering the premises, removing one's shoes (leaving them off for the duration of one's visit) and washing one's feet in the small pool of water provided;

“Not drinking alcohol, eating meat, or smoking cigarettes or other drugs while in the shrine.

“Dressing appropriately: Wearing a head covering is a sign of respect. The Gurdwara provides head scarves for visitors who have not brought a suitable covering;

“Not wearing shoes.

“The Harimandir Sahib runs one of the largest free kitchens in the world, serving 100,000 people on average daily. The meal consists of flat bread called chapatti and lentil soup called Dahl."

“I reckon we'll check that out tomorrow, man,” said Keith. “We have to work out ways to get to New Delhi. I's nearly three hundred miles – I am thinking about jumping a train.”

“Yes, what does it say about Sikhism?” said Al.

Keith read aloud again:

“Sikhs is a monotheistic,panentheistic religion founded during the fifteenth century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent by Guru Nanak and developed through the teachings of ten successive Sikh Gurus, the eleventh and last Guru being the holy scripture Guru Granth Sahib: a collection of the Sikh Gurus' writings as well as poets of other religions, that was first compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru. It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, with approximately thirty million adherents. Punjab, India, is the only state in the world with a majority Sikh population.

“Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs which means students or disciples.

“The central teaching in Sikhism is the belief in the concept of the oneness of God. Sikhism considers spiritual life and secular life to be intertwined. Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru established the system of the Langar or communal kitchen) in order to demonstrate the need to share and have equality between all people. Sikhs also believe that all religious traditions are equally valid and capable of enlightening their followers. In addition to sharing with others Guru Nanak inspired people to earn an honest living without exploitation and also the need for remembrance of the divine name. Guru Nanak described living an active, creative, and practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity as being higher than a purely contemplative life. Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, established the political/temporal and spiritual realms to be mutually coexistent.

“There is one primary source of scripture for the Sikhs: the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib may be referred to as the The First Volume—and the two terms are often used synonymously.

“Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Guru Granth Sahib, especially the Japu, literally chant, hymns is recommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara, meaning the doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara. There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race.

“Meditation is unfruitful without service and action. Sikhs are taught that selfless service and charitable work enables the devotee to kill the ego. Service in Sikhism takes three forms: "Tan"—physical service; Man—mental service such as studying to help others; and Dhan—material service. Guru Nanak stressed that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all human beings. They are encouraged to have an optimistic, resilient, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others.

“Sikhism regards Justice and Restorative Justice and divine justice as trumping any subjective codes of moral order. It is one of the duties of the Khalsa to fight oppression of any kind.

“Guru Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell but on a spiritual union with the Akal which results in salvation or Jivanmukta, the liberation of a devotee in the current life before the liberation in the afterlife.

"Guru Gobind Singh makes it clear that human birth is obtained with great fortune, therefore one needs to be able to make the most of this life.

"In Sikhism, karma is modified by the concept of God's grace. Guru Nanak states The body takes birth because of karma, but salvation is attained through grace. To get closer to God: Sikhs avoid the evils of Maya, keep the everlasting truth in mind, practice Shabad Kirtan, meditate on Naam, and serve humanity. Sikhs believe that being in the company of the Satsang or Sadh Sangat is one of the key ways to achieve liberation from the cycles of reincarnation.”