From Interstate 80, you can see the large golden dome perched on the roof. Look closer and you’ll see the white arches over the windows of the beige tiled structure. The Sikh Center looks out over commuters and traffic jams from high up in the hills. As I drive by I think about the waves of prayer rolling out of that building and sweeping across this tortured landscape of materialistic struggle. The prayers speak of a faith based on love, in Punjabi (a language of Northern India), "jin prem keyo tin hee prab paeyo" - "Only those who have love, will attain God," (Guru Gobind Singh Ji).
The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, aka Gurdwara Sahib of El Sobrante (Gurdwara is their word for temple) was established May 1979. Sikhism began 500 years ago in India and was founded by Guru Nanak, who preached tolerance in the midst of friction between Islam and Hinduism that arose at the time. Sikhism has grown to become the fifth largest religion in the world. The teachings found at Sikh websites speak of tolerance and equality, and they are attractive to a deeply divided world, http://www.sikhs.org/summary.htm (under the heading “Philosophy and Beliefs.”)
“There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.”
Sadly, many Americans who perceive the turban of the Sikh mistake him unthinkingly for an Arab Muslim. Since the Trade Center attack of September 11, 2001 male Sikhs have been frequently shot at and harassed.
”The teachers of the religion of Jesus should approach other religions with the recognition of the truths which are held in common (many of which come directly or indirectly from Jesus' message) while they refrain from placing so much emphasis on the differences.” (The UB 149:2.5)
Everyone, Sikh and non-Sikh, is welcome to the regular services held every Wednesday and Sunday at Gurdwara Sahib of El Sobrante (3550 Hillcrest Rd., El Sobrante, CA 94803, (510) 223-9987). The center is open to drop in visitors from 5 AM to 9 PM. “Langar” or collective eating, where vegetarian food is served, is given every day free of charge to all visitors. Visitors must cover their hair, be sober and have no drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products in their possession. Together with my friend and fellow Examiner reporter, Jannie Dresser, www.examiner.com/poetry-in-san-francisco/jannie-dresser we visited the El Sobrante temple. As required, we removed our shoes to enter the wide open large worship room. I had picked up a scarf to cover my head from a bin just before the entrance. There are no pews, but there are a few benches at the back of the room. Most of the men and women seat themselves on the carpeted floor. If you go, be sure you can handle sitting in this posture for an hour or more.
“While your religion is a matter of personal experience, it is most important that you should be exposed to the knowledge of a vast number of other religious experiences (the diverse interpretations of other and diverse mortals) to the end that you may prevent your religious life from becoming egocentric -- circumscribed, selfish, and unsocial.” (The UB, 103:1.3, pg. 1130)
Only the goodness of God is real. This is what I imagined was said in the prayers although they were all spoken in Punjabi. Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God. It teaches the full equality of men and women. Women can participate in any religious function or perform any Sikh ceremony or lead the congregation in prayer. I was glad to hear of this teaching though I did not see it happening in practice the evening I visited. But at least the ideal has been established.
“Just as there is fragrance in the flower, and reflection in a mirror, so similarly God lives within us. Search for Him in your heart!” (Adi Granth, the first Sikh scripture)
As I sat meditating, a smell of sweet food cooking arose in the room right behind me. I opened my eyes to look and saw the “cantor” stirring something in a bowl. He motioned to me to dip my hand in the bowl just as the other worshipers were doing when they left the room. It was a sticky brown confection. I was directed by his hand signals to place it in a napkin. After I left the room, I saw a man nearby who appeared to be eating the mixture. “Do I eat this?” I asked. He said yes, and as we relaxed into easy conversation, this brilliant young man eventually answered all my other numerous questions about the center’s practices.
“There must occur an exchange of national and racial literature. Each race must become familiar with the thought of all races; each nation must know the feelings of all nations.” (The Urantia Book [UB], 52:6.4)
I made a new Sikh friend that night. He said helping others follow their path of choice is important in Sikhism and he was happy to meet someone like myself who explored various spiritual paths. We both wished there were more truth seekers in our communities who explored outside their own religious groups. It would be a good beginning toward achieving unity, a spiritual brotherhood, between the different faiths of the world.
“Just as certainly as men share their religious beliefs, they create a religious group of some sort which eventually creates common goals. Someday religionists will get together and actually effect co-operation on the basis of unity of ideals and purposes rather than attempting to do so on the basis of psychological opinions and theological beliefs. Goals rather than creeds should unify religionists. Since true religion is a matter of personal spiritual experience, it is inevitable that each individual religionist must have his own and personal interpretation of the realization of that spiritual experience. Let the term “faith” stand for the individual’s relation to God rather than for the creedal formulation of what some group of mortals have been able to agree upon as a common religious attitude. ” (The UB 99:5.7)
