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06/06/2002 Archived Entry: "6/6/02 Golden Temple"

Today is the 18th anniversary of "Operation Bluestar:" The invasion of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army on June 6th 1984. It was, for Sikhs, a violation as great as, or greater than the events of 9/11 for the USA. There was, thankfully, no comparison with respect to the number of lives lost. But the profound shock and the overwhelming sense of being profoundly violated was much the same.

The Golden Temple is one of the great holy places on the planet. To sit there, as I have, bathing in its holiness, and look around at the damage, is a profound meditation on what humanity has to deal with. For, on the one hand there is the sanctity of the space, and on the other, is the unfortunate human ability to wallow in and act from a place of anger, hate and profound stupidity.

I have had the blessing to visit the Golden Temple a number of times in recent years. In 1997/1998, I stayed, with my family, at one of the guesthouses (Nanak Nivas) in the Golden Temple complex for seven months, during which time I visited the Golden Temple several times each day. This was a wonderful period. I was able to attune myself to the rhythms of the Temple.

The Golden Temple closes each night, around midnight, while everything is taken up, and the floor is washed with milk and with water. This is not done by janitors, but by community members eager to find a way to be of service. It has become somewhat ritualized, but it is a profound experience. Unfortunately, it is limited to men, which is contrary to the Guru’s teachings, but a part of the way things are in India, being surrounded by the Muslim and Hindu attitudes towards women. Our community has been working to change the situation.

Around two AM, the doors open to the public, and those waiting at the doors, chant while walking down the ramp leading to the Temple, to be greeting by the chanting of those inside. From that point on, the sacred hymns of the Guru are sung all day long. At sunrise, there is another major event. The Siri Guru Granth Sahib (the present manifestation of Guru Nanak) is brought from the Akal Takhat to the Golden Temple, on a Paliki.

At this time, the way between the Akal Takhat and the Golden Temple is lined with people waiting to see, touch, or carry the Paliki. There is a huge horn, which is blown while leading the way. The first time I took part in this experience, there was such a charge of emotion that all the hair on my body stood straight up. For, when I heard the horn blowing, and saw the Paliki with the Guru on it, I said to myself: "Listen O Sikhs, your Guru comes."

What is "the Guru?" The Guru is the way in which God’s wisdom becomes manifest in our minds. What is "God?" God is the Infinite Creator, who is beyond our knowing. We are each given a vision of God according to the light granted to us. However, the total sum of all of our collective visions would only be a small portion of the Infinity, which is the Creator.

"Bathing in the nectar tank* of Ram Das, all one’s sins are washed off.
One becomes immaculate after bathing, so does the perfect Guru bless you.
All are comforted and at peace.
Contemplating the Guru’s Word, all things are saved.
In the society of Saints, one’s dirt is washed off, and the Transcendent Lord becomes one’s friend.
Contemplating the Lord’s Name, one attains to the Primal Being."
Siri Guru Granth Sahib, page 860

*The Golden Temple sits in a "tank;" a pool of water.