I think the persons question was quite valid and they did not mean to offend anyone. The replies they received did not really answer their question.
I was born and live in the UK. Me and my friends have found that immigrants from south asian have a huge inferiority complex to the Angrez or Westerner. They see what their people have accomplished after having been enslaved for centuries compared to the west. Not a lot. And they have past this complex onto my generation. We see what goes on in our temples, how our generation is locked out from the community and faith.
Sikhnet is very important as it gives people like me born in the west access to the beauty of our faith. Something our parents could not. I can guess it was not someone of south asian origin could do it.
Apologies if I may have offended anyone. I did not mean to.
JS
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No offense was implied or taken. Neither do we attribute the virtue and victory (Fateh) represented by Sikhnet to be our own. As Sikhs born in the west, generally our parents are not south asian or punjabi. At the same time, it is quite clear to us that we are of humanity and not from our sectarian backgrounds. We are one in Faith with all Sikhs. Thus, there is an intent to dissolve any perpetuation that cultural, religious, genetic or racial backgrounds are fundamental in identifying the nature or quality of any human being. As Guru Nanak said himself, <I don't see muslim, I don't see hindu, I only see humanity>. So, it is good to practice <un-seeing> artificial barriers and definitions as to who people really are. We are only of benefit because Guru has inspired and guided us to be so. It is His grace and His will that it should be so. That is the meaning of the response.
That generous guide and teacher who brought us, as western born humanity, to the feet of the Guru was Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Yogiji. He was born in 1929 in what is now Pakistan, of asian ancestry. His Father's name is Guru Gobind Singh. As Sikhs, he has inspired and challenged us to become 10 times greater than him. So you see, it is not the ancestry (whether asian or western), it is the spiritual attitude (ie., angle of ascent or descent) that will define the eventual altitude. If we focus on our ancestral descent, we will descend to the depths of our karmic past. If we focus on our Dharmic destiny, we shall all ascend to the feet of our Guru ji. What more is there that is worth doing? No one can be talked out of a sense of personal inferiority. Rather, drop it instead and become elevated by Guru's grace. Just know that in your heart you are beautiful and worthy.
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Re: sikhs? (08/18/1999)