Interview with Heera Singh

Congratulations on being selected the youth of the month for August 2005. please tell us something about yourself, your schooling, your interests and your hobbies.

Hmmm… there’s not much to say about me, I have a pretty boring life.. hehe… I’m currently studying Finance in Brampton, but I grew up all my life in Toronto (Scarborough – what what! Hahaha). I enjoy anything that has to do with sports, mainly basketball, football, soccer and hockey. Out of everything, I think I enjoy keertan and tabla the most; my mom can vouch for that, since there’s non-stop ruckus in my room all day hehehe… my favorite thing to do is go to sangat… I try to go wherever and whenever I can…

How did you first come into Sikhi? What influenced you? What interested you? What was your starting point, if you had one?

Hmmmm… well… I was by no means born into a Sikh family... growing up, my family was all into the ‘punjabi culture’ lifestyle… i.e. meat, alcohol, bhangra, parties every week etc… we were introduced to sangat, through Guru Jee’s Kirpa, when I was about 10. At that point I still had cut hair, but was ‘forced’ to keep it when we started going to sangat. I would say one of the first things that drew me into sangat was the style of keertan and most of all TABLA… hehehe.. However, during my early teens I began the wrong path (“thug life”). Where we grew up, that was one of the only lifestyles we knew… I didn’t actually get IN TO Sikhi until a few years ago.. One day I jus looked at my life and asked myself what I wanted from it… all my friends were druggies/alcoholics… many of them in jail, and probably all of them in gangs… I didn’t want that future for me (which, isn’t really much of a future).. I can write a whole essay on this, but basically, through the love and help of my fellow Gursikhs (you know who you are hehe) … they helped me to understand Sikhi and Gurbaani, and also the importance of Seva, Sangat, Simran… We all know GOD works in wondrous ways, and the way he saved me was by sending me some of HIS Gursikhs to put me on HIS path. I don’t know where I’d be today without these Gursikhs… 2 of them mainly, through the years that I’ve known them (about 11), especially in the last few, have been there for my ups and downs, and have been the biggest influence and inspiration for me. I think its because we all grew up together, and we could relate so much with each other, that made them have such an affect on me… from them, and others, I received non-stop love and inspiration…

We discovered that you love doing keertan, what do you get out of doing keertan, or going to sangat?
 
Ohhh… man… this is a tuffy… I absolutely LOVE doing keertan… its kinda funny actually, I never really LEARNED how to do keertan, I jus picked up the vajaa one day and started playing… hahaha… honestly, I can’t explain the feeling of doing keertan… I see myself SO fortunate to be able to do this seva for Guru Jee… when doing keertan, it’s a sort of ‘connection’ you get with the Akaal Purakh… being able to sing Guru’s Bani, its so uplifting to the soul… I’s one’a them things u gotta experience for urself… words can’t even express the feeling of doing keertan… sometimes tears come to the eye, because u can see how beautiful Guru’s Bani is… Sangat has been the one thing that has ‘saved’ me… If we didn’t start coming to sangat, I dunno which ditch I’d be lying in rite now… I dunno what I did to deserve the seva of keertan, or even sangat, but I’m SO SO SO grateful for it… sangat and keertan are basically my life… I can’t imagine my life w/out them… these are things I try to cherish every single day of my life… and things that I do not take for granted… sangat, especially, is something many of take for granted… its something that we should attend at EVERY opportunity we get… no matter which ‘jattha’ is holding it or who’s house its at.. that doesn’t matter… we’re all reciting the SAME name and the SAME bani!!! Vaheguruuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!
“Bin Bhagaa, SatSang Na Labai, Bin Sangat Mail, Bhareejai Jeeo”

Many people have different experiences of how they came into Sikhi. Which way do you think is the best way to influence and encourage youth to learn more about their faith?

I think what we’re seeing these dayz is really the way to go. We have camps, conferences, gatka training/competitions (and the like), and most importantly keertan darbars/sangat. Many youth, to begin with, fall in love with keertan and the singing of Gurbani, and that’s what inspires them to come into Sikhi. And with these camps teaching the principles and history of Sikhi, as well as Gurbani, the youth get that extra push to join the path and eventually, give their head to Guru Sahib! Youth nowadays have a lot going on in their lives, they need a reason to ‘give up’ their current lifestyles and pursue Sikhi. I don’t doubt that by learning about their history, their heritage, and all the sacrifices given by their Gurus and fellow Gursikhs, that they will be inspired to learn more about Sikhi and Guru’s Bani…

Who or what has been your main source of inspiration, past and present?

The obvious answer would be my Guru… Guru Jee has given me everything… and I can’t thank him enuff, I wouldn’t know where to begin… but, like I said, God works in many ways, and what I think HE sent to inspire me was HIS Gursikhs… I think the main source of inspiration both in the past and the present is (and probably always will be) the presence of Gursikhs around me… I’m constantly learning new things about Sikhi and Guru Jee by the sangat HE has sent… I know when I have any questions about Sikhi or even life in general, I can turn to them… Guru Jee has blessed me by giving me the darshan of all these Chardi Kalaa Gursikhs… who knows, maybe Daas might one day be able to be called a Gursikh too …. But, I would have to say those who are just starting to join the path of Sikhi also inspire me as well… I love to see youth who are beginning to learn about Guru Jee, and who have decided to devote their life to HIM… it’s really amazing… so much excitement, so much sharda, so much pyaar!! Dhan Guru, Dhan Guru Pyaray!!! Dhan Vaheguru!!!

How do you think we can get more youth to be involved into Sikhi?

I think we need to continue doing what we’re doing, such as holding camps and keertan darbars… I feel they are what inspires youth the most to get involved into Sikhi… in addition we should influence all youth (amritdhari or non-amritdhari) to take part in these events and do seva… us youth should work together to spread Guru Jee’s words and also welcome those new to Sikhi with open arms… we have to remember that there was also a point where we were not into Sikhi or not amritdhari… I think the key in all this is to show everybody LOVE… Sree Guru Nanak Dev Jee started to spread the message of love over 600 years ago and what we need to do is continue that message to everybody, especially those who are just coming into Sikhi…

What do you think has to be done for the Sikh faith to grow into different parts of the world?

I would say one of the most important things for Sikhi to grow, is that there should be complete panthic ekta… nowadays we see too much ruckus for no reason… there is such confusion, especially in the youth, as to ‘which jatha to follow’ or ‘which maryada is the right one’… it seems we are straying away from our roots as a Quam… we should think back to the days of Guru Gobind Singh Jee, where all the Sikhs, no matter which samparda they were with, stuck together and had an infinite amount of love and respect for each other.. I think if all the jatthas/sampardas worked together to do parchar, then the situation in the Khalsa Panth would be so much better and stronger… the old saying goes ‘we are greater then the sum of our parts’ … We shouldn’t be under the thought process that ‘I am a part of this jattha’, instead, we should all say ‘I am a Sikh’… together, we can achieve anything…

Any last thoughts?

I just want to finish off by saying, that I don’t deserve this recognition… there are many real Gursikhs who would be able to inspire the youth more then myself…. However, I am truly grateful to be given this seva… All is with Maharaj Sree Guru Granth Sahib Jee’s kirpa…

My last request would be for the Khalsa Panth to STICK TOGETHER!!! Don't waste your lives... please do NOT let small petty things get in the way of your Sikhi... do not let small things cause ruckus between jatthas.... we are all Guru's Sikhs... we need to unite as one panth.... we need to stick together, and do seva, simran, and sangat... as per a lot of our experiences lately.... u don't know what u got until its gone...

We spend too much time bickering back and forth about who's jattha is better or who's is wrong blah blah blah... and for what?.. how's this helping our sikhi?... how's this bringing us closer to God?.. how's this helping the panth?... we need to all WAKE up... realize that we are all ONE family... all have one father... we are all brothers and sisters... I can't STRESS how IMPORTANT it is for us rite now to work towards ekta... times are bad, and they're only gonna get worse... there will be a time when all we will have is eachother.. and we will have to stick together and fight the battle!!!... so lets start now... we need to take a hint.. we know we aren't gonna live for ever... there's no secret as to why so many Gurmukhs, Mahapurakhs, Sants, Brahmgyanee's are going back to Guru Jee... its not just a coincidence ... there's so much more I can write... I honestly don't know how to put it all in words... all I ask is to not take these words lightly.... make use of every opportunity you have to go to sangat, to do seva, to do simran, or paath etc...

 “UNITED WE STAND… DIVIDED WE FALL”
 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer the above questions,
and we hope you can continue to carry the torch of Sikhi and inspire others alike.