Kids Corner

Talking Stick

The Talking Stick Colloquium

by RAVINDER SINGH TANEJA

 

 

THE TALKING STICK

The talking stick has been used for centuries by many American Indian tribes as a means of just and impartial hearing. The talking stick was commonly used in council circles to designate who had the right to speak. When matters of great concern came before the council, the leading elder would hold the talking stick and begin the discussion. When he finished what he had to say he would hold out the talking stick, and whoever wished to speak after him would take it. In this manner the stick was passed from one individual to another until all who wished to speak had done so. The stick was then passed back to the leading elder for safe keeping.

Some tribes used a talking feather instead of a talking stick. Other tribes might have a peace pipe, a wampum belt, a sacred shell, or some other object by which they designate the right to speak. Whatever the object, it carries respect for free speech and assures the speaker he has the freedom and power to say what is in his heart without fear of reprisal or humiliation.

Whoever holds the talking stick has within his hands the sacred power of words. Only he can speak while he holds the stick; the other council members must remain silent. The eagle feather tied to the talking stick gives him the courage and wisdom to speak truthfully and wisely. The rabbit fur on the end of the stick reminds him that his words must come from his heart and that they must be soft and warm. The blue stone will remind him that the Great Spirit hears the message of his heart as well as the words he speaks. The shell, iridescent and ever changing, reminds him that all creation changes - the days, the seasons, the years - and people and situations change, too. The four colors of beads - yellow for the sunrise (east), red for the sunset (west), white for the snow (north) and green for the earth (south) - are symbolic of the powers of the universe he has in his hands at the moment to speak what is in his heart. Attached to the stick are strands of hair from the great buffalo. He who speaks may do so with the power and strength of this great animal.

The speaker should not forget that he carries within himself a sacred spark of the Great Spirit, and therefore he is also sacred. If he feels he cannot honor the talking stick with his words, he should refrain from speaking so he will not dishonor himself. When he is again in control of his words, the stick will be returned to him. 

[Dr. Carol Locust]

 

 

THE COLLOQUIUM

Readers are invited to participate in The Talking Stick, a weekly colloquium starting January 4th, 2010.

The Talking Stick is a new experiment on sikhchic.com that aims to facilitate a melding of the minds through dialogue and conversation that is focused on the spiritual message of Sikhi.

We hope to accomplish a two-fold objective: one, to forge an authentic community of seekers (albeit a virtual one, in cyberspace) together embarked on a spiritual quest; and two, in the process, to capture a sense of the sacred in our daily lives - through an idiom that is modern and offers greater meaning and immediacy.

Conventional interpretations of the Sikh message, as conveyed from gurdwara podiums, leave many of us with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction. Relying almost exclusively on traditional forms like hagiography (saakhis) and myths, they are delivered as homilies in home-spun Punjabi, and stamped as authorized versions of the Truth - to which we are expected to submit with unquestioning obedience.

Of course, this is not to suggest that Punjabi, hagiography, sermons and saakhis do not have a place in our collective discourse. Indeed, they do and add to the rich flavor and texture of our culture, not to mention the added nuance of meaning.

Our approach has to take into account and reflect the need of the younger generations of Sikhs - both in Punjab/ India and the diaspora - who are increasingly shaped by Western modes of thinking and a scientific cultural temper that emphasizes dialectic and discussion. We thus need to develop an alternative to the pontificating gurdwara sermon.

For tradition to remain relevant and alive, it must constantly build upon itself to accommodate the constant challenge of new realities. Today, fields like genetics, neuroscience, biotechnology and cosmology are confronting - if not undermining - traditional ways of looking at the world. Our narratives must incorporate these new perspectives.

Guru Nanak's message is universal and timeless. But it will remain alive only if successive generations revisit, review, and reinterpret it through the filters of their own knowledge and experience. Else, the dust and grime of time will soil it, depriving us of its life changing potency and degenerate into an empty ritual. 

That is what makes the Truth ever new. Guru Nanak refers to the Truth as "neet navaan" - forever new.

Using The Talking Stick as a logo for this round table is intended to acknowledge and honour the Native American-Indian custom of using a "Talking Stick" to moderate discussion around a subject of community concern - by encouraging an open, frank and impartial discussion without fear of retribution.

Through The Talking Stick, we also want to remind ourselves of the spirit behind the Sikh tradition of sangat and vichaar.

For Sikhs, to reflect (or do vichaar) on the Word through music, dialogue, discussion and discourse is obligatory practice that is expressed through the institution of sangat. Indeed, that is how the Sikh Gurus themselves taught and spread the message of Sikhi.

It is through interaction that we seek and strive to establish true kinship, which, Guru Arjan reminds us, is the ultimate goal. True Fellowship, he says, is possible only when a melding of the minds occurs, when our ego dissolves and we bond to bring about a larger - and collective - spiritual flowering:

Meeting is not a meeting,

Unless one bonds together

In harmony of Spirit ||3|| GGS:791

We will begin our experiment by exploring Guru Nanak's Japji.

The received wisdom on the Japji is that Guru Arjan placed it at the very beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib for a reason. The Japji is believed to contain the essence of Guru Nanak's teaching. The rest of the Guru Granth then becomes an elaboration and amplification of the Japji.

The Japji also happens to be the most familiar text from Gurbani, being the morning liturgy that most - if not all - Sikhs have learnt to recite.

Translating from one language to another is difficult, especially when it involves poetry and scripture. Here again, despite Robert Frost's admonition that Poetry is what gets lost in translation, an attempt at yet another translation into English has been made.

One could have simply picked one of the many English translations of the Japji that are in print - some of them good. Be that as it may, no translation is really complete or final. In the spirit of building a fresh perspective, I chose to offer my rendering in colloquial English and western idiom.

The text of the Japji also contains dense philosophical concepts that are packed in even harder language and stamped with Guru Nanak's divine poetry. The task of trying to decipher Guru Nanak is fraught with danger and has been undertaken in the spirit of utmost humility, mindful of my limitations.

In this effort, I have invoked the great Guru's guidance and blessing and remain optimistic that He will not mind us tinkering around with His God-inspired Bani.


The Process

On Monday every week - starting January 4 -  a verse, or a combination of verses that share a common theme, will be presented on sikhchic.com, accompanied by a narrative. The supplementary text will serve as a place holder or receptacle over which readers will be invited to build an exchange of ideas through their own interpretations, comments, questions, ruminations, meditations, etc. This will enhance and enrich the narrative.

The dialogue around each verse - or theme - will conclude on Sunday of that week. And a new round will begin on the following (Monday) morning.

Guidelines for Engagement

We will approach this dialogue from a Sikh perspective. It will help us to not assume any knowledge but keep an open mind.

1      As participants, we will be frank and honest but not disrespectful or antagonistic.

 2     We are to be as brief as possible in our responses, and avoid long-winded sentences.

3      We are to try and stick to a simple and straightforward, everyday mode of conversation.

 

 

rtaneja@insight.rr.com

December 31, 2009

Conversation about this article

1: Ravinder Singh Khalsa (Sydney, Australia), December 31, 2009, 2:25 AM.

Wonderful! I can't wait ...

2: Atika Khurana (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.), December 31, 2009, 8:23 PM.

I would like to share this, especially with those of you who do not know S. Ravinder Singh Taneja, for you would come to realize in due course of time, of how fortunate we are to have him as the convener of this forum. I have known Ravinder Uncle for the past 3 years, primarily through our weekly Gurbani Vichaar sessions held at the local gurdwara in Columbus, Ohio. During these sessions, he has made his presence known as a polymath, who is deeply in love with gurbani and dedicated to living a holistic life, in accordance with the Rehat Maryada. On behalf of members of the Gurbani Vichaar group (of Columbus), I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ravinder Uncle for sharing with us his vast repertoire of knowledge about Sikhi (and other religions) which, coupled with his eclectic array of practical examples, has helped us gain a better understanding of gurbani. His involvement has not only invigorated our Gurbaani Vichaar sessions, but his skill in instantiating the true message of gurbani has helped many sangat members, like myself, to develop a personal relationship with gurbani. Many plaudits are due to Ravinder Uncle for taking on this much-needed project of engaging a much larger audience on this virtual platform of sikhchic.com. He is no doubt the most befitting person to take on this enterprise, especially given his unique ability to relate to older and younger generations alike. I wish him all the luck and hope that through this exchange we would be able to create an open and friendly context, where, as sangat members, we can help each other connect to the true and eternal message of Sikhi.

3: Joginder Singh Sethi (Mumbai, India), January 02, 2010, 3:14 AM.

I look forward to joining the conversation after reading the exposition of gurbani on 4 Jauary, 2010.

4: Harbans Lal (Arlington , Texas, U.S.A.), January 07, 2010, 4:02 PM.

Ravinder ji has taken upon himself a task so dear not only to many of us but also to our Guru who in the form of His Wisdom inspired us to undertake our journey on the path of Sikhi; who promised a message for the world bound only by sunrise and sunset. Any effort such as this will take us to the new century where our conventional institutions of Baani and Sangat may expand to new formats and move towards a new horizon. The new formats are called for to cope with the expanse of this vast world in which we now live and the new technology that the new society is inventing in order to cope with the distances, languages and cultures which may separate us. May the Guru bless all those who will sincerely participate! Bhai Gurdas assured us that our Guru would travel a thousand steps to receive us should we take our first step. I am looking forward to this cyber sangat around the universal gurbani.

5: Nirmal Singh Nilvi (Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.), January 11, 2010, 12:01 AM.

It is good to see such efforts being undertaken. It should provide us ample opportunity to express and share our individual perspective on the possible meaning and interpretation of the message in each line and the relevance/ connection with the overall thought contained in the complete shabad. The choice of Japji to initiate the proposed vichaar sessions is good. I trust, at the end of a complete vichaar, there is a plan to make the entire vichaar available to the larger Sikh sangat so that it can benefit from this collective discussion. I am not only looking forward to participate but also hoping that the effort will prove beneficial in improving the quality of translation of Guru Nanak's thought in the shabads from Gurmukhi to English.

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