Table Of Contents For 'Sikh Model Of Education For Complete Living' Book By Meharban Singh

The year 1992, 7th day of August, around 1:30 p.m. when I was taking my last class, Harbans, the 12th class student came across the classroom, And in a low profile said, "Sir....Sir." Taking of my eyes from the class, when I looked at the door, he was waiting eagerly." Come in ...." I said. As he was sweating profusely, he just signaled, as saying....  "Please come out." I came out into varandah with the book in my hand.. He atonce burst out..."Sir....Sir...Kulwinder has gone mad, he wants to kill himself...Sir....Please.....stop him, because you can ! He wouldn't say no to you." I asked,"What's the matter ?" He replied something and, ultimately, I  agreed to accompany him as Kulwinder was at his residence.

As the last bell rang, the voices around me aroused extensively, but couldn't bother my ears because I was still thinking about Kulwinder's problem. Earlier he had discussed many times his problem with me. His problem originated with the death of his father. It was a cumbersome job for him to continue his studies. His elder brother, who looked after the ancestral dairy work, wanted an escape from the burden of his brother's educational expenditure that occurred every month. But Kulwinder wanted to continue his studies. A person, was needed to provide for his studies.

I came down from my classroom, accompanied Harbans and after reaching Kulwinder's residence, I had a long discussion with him and, at last, I advised him passionately. He poured lots of tears into my lap. I couldn't do much for him as my own financial position was not favourable at that time. I only mendaciously consoled him. "What will you do after studies ? Your milk business is absolutely fine. You should join your brother and expand the dairy work to the higher level." He agreed after a while and then dropped himself from 12th class. And now he must be grazing the cattle.

I can only thank the Almighty that Kulwinder didn't take any harsh step as was taken by Hardev Singh s/o Shinderpal Shinda of village Mehla Kalan, Bagha Purana (Faridkot), who hanged himself to death on july 11th , 2003 because he could not deposit the said fee amount for the 12 th class at Faridkot College.

Many such cases had come across during my 12 years service at Sri Guru Ram Das Khalsa Sr. Sec. School Amritsar, because I had an experience of such institutions where normally students come from lower class or the lower middle class families. Their poor financial position is the utmost fault. 8th, 10th, or 12th is their highest academic target. And some even couldn't enter the premises of any school. This is their destiny.

This lead me to take up this research work.

This book has much to offer the readers. It comprises a set of chapters based on The Life Sketch of Guru Nanak, Sikh Model of Education based on the Educational Philosophy of Guru Nanak and its implications, Guru-Chela Relationship as propounded by Guru Nanak. And last but not the least is final chapter establishing the Role of Sikh Gurdwaras in the field of education. It covers broad spectrum in the present context and it has also seized the space to provide review and suggest directions for further research.

The present work is confined to the Bani (Sacred Hymn) available in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib only. Kachchi Bani or anything of doubtful authenticity is not considered as proper evidence. This study is based on both primary and secondary sources. The primary source is the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, standard 1430 pages, published by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Sri Guru Granth Sahi is a voluminous scripture, written in Gurmukhi script. With the terminology of different languages and many dialects of these, the hymns in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib are poetical and devotional. There are thirty six contributors whose hymns have been included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Out of these six are the six Gurus out of ten; the first five and the ninth Masters. Remaining compositions belong to almost all the medieval Hindu and Muslim saints, belonging to various parts of India. Their hymns are arranged in order of Ragas and not in order of the authors or thought-contents.

Indepth reading of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib was made through and the particular hymns were collected which were in line with this research study. In this process, Shabdarth of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Translation; published by Shiromani Gurdwara  Parbandhak Committee Amritsar in four volumes) and English translation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahi by Gurbachan Singh Talib and Manmohan Singh Advocate were of tremendous help in proper understanding of Gurbani especially Guru Nanak's Bani

Popular Puratan Janam Sakhi and Janam Sakhi Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji written by Meharban Sodhi, research articles, books, Ph.D. thesis etc., standard translations and commentaries on the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, are the secondary sources of the present study. It is generally advised that one should not depend wholly upon the secondary sources but sometimes one has to utilize these sources under unavoidable circumstances. Whenever and wherever the use of such sources has been made, its original source has properly been quoted.

It is not a formality, rather a heartfelt conviction which gives me considerable pleasure to express my sincere gratitude to those who sustained me with their inspiration, encouragement and benevolence during the long and hard course of research and then in writting this book.

First and foremost, I thank the Supreme Being for showering His Blessings on me. He is my Light and my Saviour.

It gives me great delight to keep on record my deepest obeisance to my teachers, Dr.Jaswinder Singh Dhillon - Principal Khalsa College of Education, Amritsar; Dr. Surinderpal Kaur Dhillon - Principal Khalsa College of Education Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar; Dr. Joginder Singh - former Head History Deptt. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Dr. T.S. Sodhi - former Head, Deptt. of Education, Punjabi University Patiala; Prof. Mohan Singh   - former Head Deptt. of English - Khalsa College Amritsar; Dr.H.S.Birdi - Principal Sai College of Education, Jadla Nawashehar; and my Principals - Late S. Balbir Singh Aulakh former Principal Sri Guru Ram Das Khalsa Sr. Sec. School, Amritsar; S. Hardev Singh Dhillon - Principal Sri Guru Ram Das Khalsa Sr. Sec. School Amritsar, and my student - Sh. Surinderpal Mand - Lecturer, Deptt. of Punjabi, Doaba College, Jalandhar.  I express my everlasting gratitude to them for making the impossible very much possible for me; completion of this modest attempt, inspite of my sheer incompetency and many limitation.

Words are insufficient to portray the immense and unrepayable debt of obligations I owe to my father Prof. Parkash Singh -  formerly Principal of Bhai Vir Singh Gurmat Vidyala, Amritsar; former Principal of Shaheed Sikh Missionary College (SGPC), Amritsar, Former Head - Sikh History Rsearch Department and Head-Divinity Department Khalsa College, Amritsar; former Information Officer, Sri Darbar Sahib, SGPC, Amritsar; former Professor Khalsa College, Mumbai for his once stimulating support and guidance in countless ways, through out his life. To him I owe all my achievements.

This is an ideal time to express my heartfelt thanks to my wife Ravinder Kaur, whose support and inspiration always stood by me during this enterprize.

Thanks to all my revered teachers, friends, colleagues and well wishers who helped me in one way or the other in the course of this study.

A very special thanks to Gursagar Singh, a very gentle elder brother always helpful and inspiring with love and care.

Meharban Singh