By Gary Hara | Opinion |
Most children of immigrant parents will tell you that much of their life has been trying to figure out who they are. On one hand, you have the values and beliefs of your parents, imported from a place thousands of miles away, and then on the other, you have the culture, beliefs and norms of the society in which you live. Often, these two clash, causing confusion, commotion and a massive questioning of identity.
It’s a never-ending balancing act.
Individuality is a magnificent thing, and as countless philosophers, prophets and wise persons have shared, life is a solo journey. What this means in this case is that there is no right way of dealing with this internal conflict. Each of us has to chose a path, and each of us has to walk that path as best we can. Some of us let the scales of past and present tip to extreme imbalance, while others try their hardest to level them as best they can.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
The words above belong to Marcus Garvey, and since I read them a few years ago, they have become engrained in my head. I think of them often, and in recent weeks, more than I ever have before, for reasons both intimate and also quite public.
My history, my origin and my roots are from Punjab, and by virtue of their genesis, are deeply intwined with the Sikh faith. While I’ve let the scales of identity tip to ridiculous imbalance growing up, I’ve made a concerted effort over the last few years to balance them by reconnecting with the land of my forefathers, and through this journey I’ve rediscovered and fallen in love with the story of my people and our land.
In recent weeks, I’ve been exploring a few different schools of thought. Interestingly, all of them have taken me back to my roots, including one which led me to the words of Guru Arjun the 5th Sikh Guru. The words in question are: “Whatever you ask of your Master, that is what you get.”
Even if one doesn’t believe in God or a higher power, this is a concept that has become quite popular in recent times. In the west, we call it manifestation. Essentially, put what you want out into the Universe and you will get it.
I have come to appreciate that all we need, seek and desire is all around us, we just fail to see it. There are opportunities that make themselves available every day, but in our busyness, distraction and sometimes outright obliviousness, we miss them.
Lately, I’ve been desperately seeking a way to reconnect with my roots. I have felt that the scales balancing where I come from and where I am are precariously tilting one way again, and that feeling gets stronger when I look at my children.
As a parent who has immense appreciation for my heritage, I often fret I am not doing a good enough job passing it on to my son and daughter. In their veins flows the blood of poets, revolutionaries, warriors, saints and soldiers, yet they know very little about it. Although I try to explain this to them as best I can, I often come across as lecturing or preaching, and as we all know, there is no quicker way to lose a child’s attention.
Circling back to that idea of everything we want is there for us and we just don’t see it, I found the opportunity in the most unlikely of places – a hockey game.
NUMBER 13
On October 26, 2024, Arshdeep Bains, a local boy from Surrey, BC, scored his first NHL goal. Arshdeep reached this milestone while wearing jersey number 13, a departure from the number 80 he wore on his back in previous outings.
As we all know, the number 13 is considered unlucky by the west. The fear of the number 13 is so deep that it even has a word to describe it: “triskaidekaphobia”.
Interestingly, for people who adhere to the Sikh faith, the number 13 carries a very special meaning, one that traces back to Guru Nanak, the founder of our faith.
13 is pronounced “therran” in Punjabi. “Therran” also has another meaning – literally translating to “I am yours”.
Before delving into this further, it is also imperative to understand the concept of Oneness in relation to the Sikh faith. For the sake of brevity, let’s just say the foundation of the faith is the fact that all of us, the world, theUniverse itself – we are all connected; every thing and every one is a part of the One.
This Oneness includes God as well – rather than seeking a connection with a God separate from us, God is a PART of us, residing within us and every person and thing that makes up our world.
As legend has it, while he was working as a shopkeeper at a granary, Guru Nanak was responsible for weighing and selling provisions. It is said that when his count reached 13, Guru Nanak became so immersed in meditation on the concept of his connection to One, he kept repeating the number.
13.
13.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Regardless of what the scales showed, he repeated the number, much to the chagrin of onlookers. When his perceived neglect was reported and an audit conducted, everything was miraculously found to be in order, and Guru Nanak was absolved of the allegation against him.
Fast forward to well over 500 years later, to a place thousands of miles from where Guru Nanak was weighing grain. On Oct 27, Arshdeep Bains scores his first goal as a Vancouver Canuck, wearing that special number on his back. And through it all, reminds us of our powerful connection not just to our faith, but to each other.
We belong to the One.
We are a part of it.
It is a part of us.
All is 13.
The Universe, the One, God, – whatever you want to call it – it gives us all we need. There is abundance in front of us always, yet we fail to see it.
Going back to the words of Guru Arjun – What we ask of the Master (who resides within us), we will get.
Despite what we convince ourselves of sometimes, the Universe always gives us the opportunity to balance the scales.
With this in mind, Arshdeep scoring that goal wearing jersey number 13 wasn’t just a coincidence, as he himself put it: “It almost felt like it was meant to be.”
Through his first goal, Arshdeep gave people like me the opportunity not only bask in a moment of pride for someone who shares our roots, he also gave us the chance to have a meaningful discussion with our children on the significance of his jersey number and what it means to our faith, along with how they can incorporate its essence into their lives.
It was a moment to reflect on the beautiful simplicity yet deep intricacy of our faith’s foundation – Oneness and our connection to it.
I take Arshdeep scoring that goal wearing that jersey as a sign…a statement from the Universe:
13.
Therran.
I am yours.
I am you.
Every day, there is an opportunity to balance the scales, and if we pay attention, it will present itself.
Gary Hara is an aspiring author from Canada who aims to share the rich history of Punjab, the land of his forefathers, with the world. He was born and raised in Surrey, Canada
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