The Singh family’s Pilgrimage of Purpose – to ‘Recognise the Human Race as One’
Jas Singh, Teacher of RS – Silcoates School
The end of the summer term is one that most people eagerly await. Time for rest and relaxation is usually on the cards – as is the case for my family and me. However, this year was slightly different. As the Silcoates Speech Day drew to a close, my focus swiftly turned to the following day – a journey, starting at midnight, to Heathrow airport for my family and me to catch our flight to ‘incredible’ India.
We have been to India many times before. This time, however, was for the purpose of a pilgrimage. The eight-hour flight was exciting and exhausting at the same time. The endless questions of “are we there yet?” drove my wife insane – I didn’t realise I was being that annoying! Upon arrival at Hyderabad airport, we were met by the fantastic and glorious weather of India’s monsoon season – my shorts and flip-flops were rendered useless; I clearly should have swapped them for a cagoule and wellies!
Nevertheless, the Singh family are known for our resilient and high-spirited (or chardi-kala in Punjabi) nature. We had managed to get this far – a monsoon was not going to stop us now. The journey continued for another five hours before we finally reached our destination (Gurdwara Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded) to fulfil our purpose (an audience with Singh Sahib Baba Kulwant Singh – the Head-Priest/Sikh Pope-like-figure).
Gurdwara Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib (or simply Takhat Sahib) is one of five seats of authority within the Sikh faith. The history of the Gurdwara dates to 1708, when Guru Gobind Singh Ji ordered that the tradition of Gurus in human-form would end, and the eternal Guru would be the words written and authored by the previous Gurus, which had been collated to form Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It was at Takhat Sahib where Guru Gobind Singh Ji developed the faith and gave his final spiritual and practical teachings before departing from the world and leaving behind a legacy that would help and aid mankind for generations to come.
Thousands of pilgrims visit Takhat Sahib each day – all for varying purposes; some were there to pay respects, to give thanks or to pray for something personal. Others were there to find themselves and grow as individuals – giving their lives a sense of purpose. It made me realise that in the classroom, our students are no different. Each individual (teacher or student) has their own personal desires, expectations and outcomes. However, how often do we, as educators, stop to think about what it is that is motivating and driving our students? Setting high expectations is only beneficial if we are aware of what motivates our students in the first instance. Our students are diverse, both in thought and experience, so their needs and motivations are equally as important as our own needs and motivations. For this reason, it is imperative that we begin to understand our students, empathise, and give them a sense of belonging – just like the local Sikhs did for us upon our arrival at Takhat Sahib.
Whenever I speak about my experience, I often say “the one thing that I noticed the most...” before expanding into an anecdote. I only realised this when I was talking to my nine-year- old daughter who turned to me and said, “It can’t be the one thing you noticed most, because you’ve already told us about 500 things that you noticed the most!” She wasn’t wrong. It was impossible to pinpoint one experience that astounded me the most and brought a smile to my face. However, if I was going to attempt to specify one thing, it would be the inclusive nature of the people of Takhat Sahib. No single person is made to feel like they do not belong. Whether you are homeless, a high-flying multi-millionaire or a teacher of Religious Studies with an ambition to lead Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in a school in Wakefield, England – you are welcomed without prejudice. After settling into our room, my family and I sat for congregational evening prayers. Our feeling of being ‘foreigners’ was soon forgotten as we were made to feel at home by the hospitality of the locals and the stewards, who gave up their seats so that we could listen to the history and see the historical relics of the Gurus and other prominent Sikhs that are displayed each evening. If we weren’t feeling special enough, upon completion of the evening service, we were immediately invited to have an audience with Singh Sahib Baba Kulwant Singh.
Our audience with Singh Sahib was incredibly special and humbling at the same time. As we sat together, sharing small talk, I asked him how is it that every single person is made to feel included and that no one leaves with a sense of disappointment. His response was simple: “The Guru instructs us to serve humanity without discrimination. What use is it to look at the clothes of an individual? Today they are wealthy business owners, tomorrow they become bankrupt, but the person is the same. If we ‘recognise the human race as one’, as Guru Gobind Singh Ji instructed, then we serve each person with equality, and no one can leave feeling disappointed.” Singh Sahib is a firm advocate of a broad, multi-faceted education that inspires and keeps students eager to come back for more. He asked about my specific role and the curriculum we teach. I explained my role as a teacher of Religious Studies and how I am looking to develop Equity, Diversity and Inclusion across the school - he was fully supportive of this and gave great advice on how to develop as an individual in order to develop as a professional.
In true allegorical fashion, he aptly turned to my daughter and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” It was at this point I realised, to make a person feel included and accepted we should appreciate them for who they are and not what they are. Seeing each person with the 'single eye of equality' allows us to bring a sense of belonging and purpose to the individual. To change the culture of a school it must have buy-in from all stakeholders, but that can only be achieved if those implementing the culture change believe in the need for change. Seeing Singh Sahib turn to my nine-year-old and talk as though he was hosting a VIP, showed me, first-hand, that practising equality is key to successful leadership.
During our days at Takhat Sahib, we interacted with various volunteers and locals; we were fortunate to also have another couple of one-to-one moments with Singh Sahib. These interactions allowed us into a world we had only read or heard about – never did we think that we would be invited into the private quarters, shown gracious hospitality and treated as though we were the respected leaders. Nevertheless, here we were in the holy city of Nanded, surrounded by and conversing with spiritual leaders, and discussing the ways that we must continue to teach and practice the universal tenets of Sikhi no matter what challenges we face.
The practice of selfless service is paramount to Sikhs across the world. Each Gurdwara celebrates this through the Langar (free food) that is served each day to all regardless of race, religion or belief system. However, no place in Nanded practices selfless service more so than Gurdwara Langar Sahib. The institution was established over 300 years ago by Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself, who instructed his followers to ensure that food was continuously distributed, without discrimination, to all. The Langar that is distributed from this Gurdwara is served 24 hours a day, without fail. During the pandemic’s lockdown period, thousands of Nanded locals were successfully and safely provided for. Current volunteers who are overseeing the facilities do so with utmost humility and, again, the message was the same: to truly practice Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, through selfless service, we must ‘recognise the human race as one.’