Reflection of the week - Sunday 14th July 2024

Agochar (Seeing the Unseen): At the confluence of the seen and unseen waters, Guru Nanak, the discerning motivator, inspires to connect with the invisible flow within. "Allegory - A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels", a 24-episode docuseries, sequentially explores Guru Nanak's life events to unfurl the deep imports of his messages. This docuseries is filmed at over 150 multifaith sites in 9 countries. 

Notes courtesy Otter AI:
The conversation delved into Guru Nanak's life, teachings, and impact, exploring his philosophy and how it has been interpreted and accepted by different faith groups. Speakers also discussed Guru Nanak's spiritual journey, including his visit to Nizamabad and Allahabad and the significance of the Gagra River. Additionally, they shared insights on the path to spiritual growth and self-discovery, emphasizing the importance of being a learner at every moment.

Bhagat Kabir's philosophy of questioning societal norms can be applied to modern issues in several ways:

1. Challenge rigid thinking: Like Kabir challenged superstitions, we can question outdated beliefs and practices that no longer serve society.

2. Promote inclusivity: Kabir's message transcended caste and religious boundaries. We can apply this to fight discrimination and promote equality.

3. Simplify life: Kabir advocated for simple living. In modern society, we can question consumerism and materialism.

4. Seek inner wisdom: Kabir emphasized looking within for truth. We can encourage critical thinking and self-reflection instead of blindly following societal expectations.

5. Use creative expression: Kabir's poetic style made complex ideas accessible. We can creatively use art, music, and literature to address social issues.

6. Embrace diversity: Kabir's teachings were adopted by various communities. We can celebrate diversity and promote cultural understanding.

7. Question authority: Kabir challenged religious orthodoxy. We can encourage questioning of power structures and promote accountability.

8. Focus on essence over form: Kabir emphasized spirituality over rituals. We can prioritize core values and principles over superficial practices in various aspects of life.

By applying these principles, we can address modern issues like social inequality, environmental concerns, and political polarization with a fresh, critical perspective.

Some key takeaways from Guru Nanak's teachings about achieving spiritual growth include:

• Focus on inner transformation: Guru Nanak emphasised orienting oneself internally rather than relying on external rituals or formalities.
• Practice equipoise: Tranquility can be achieved by maintaining a balanced mind in all situations.
• Overcome inner obstacles: Guru Nanak taught that shackles of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego are barriers to attaining peace of mind and experiencing bliss.
• Live simply: Guru Nanak emphasized the importance of simple living and evolving through proper actions.
• Cultivate noble intentions: Our intentions shape our destiny, with noble intentions leading to peace and lowly intentions to distress.
• Seek experiential wisdom: Guru Nanak valued direct spiritual experience over blind adherence to religious customs or self-affliction.
• Recognize the divine within: He taught that God is within us, and we should look inward to connect with the divine.
• Embrace oneness: Guru Nanak promoted the unity and oneness of all creation, transcending religious and social boundaries.
• Be a lifelong learner: He encouraged maintaining a mindset of continuous learning and growth throughout life.
• Practice remembrance: Regular meditation and remembrance of the divine facilitates the union of the mind with consciousness.
• In the second part of the session, we touched upon trees' remarkable intelligence and adaptability, highlighting their unique sensory perception and ability to respond to changing seasons.

- From Guru Nanak Docuseries- 

1. What was your takeaway from the session today? 

2. What did you learn from the episode, and does it relate to you in any way?

3. Rules and norms

4. Kabir and Guru Nanak. Are there any dohas that are close to your heart?

5. Rationality and common sense in the society

6. Where is this oneness lost today? 

-From Hidden Life Of Trees-     

1. Why do we read about trees in the first place?   

2. Did the story connect with you today, and why?     

3. What learnings can we take away from the story today?   

4. Which part is known as the brain of the tree?

5. How do forests grow and connect with external factors?

 These are some suggestions you can choose from. Looking forward to seeing your wonderful and thoughtful reflections! You can email your reflections to - nk@learningforward.org.in. For any assistance, please feel to WhatsApp or Telegram us at +919811133900 (no phone calls)

Action Item

1. Schedule the next screening date in August. Rishona will follow up with Amardeep.
2. Participants should research Kabir's teachings, especially his Dohas.
3. Read the assigned chapter from "The Hidden Life of Trees" and discuss.
4. Publish a blog post reflecting on the discussion points from the episode.
5. Share the reflection blog post on various online platforms once published.

The Lost Heritage - Amardeep Singh

Learning Forward with Amardeep Singh is the co-founder of Lost Heritage Productions and the Oneness In Diversity Research Foundation.

‘Lost Heritage Productions’ is a Singapore-based visual media production house led by a Singapore-based couple, Amardeep Singh and Vininder Kaur. It is focused on research and documentation of forgotten legacies.

Born in Gorakhpur, Amardeep Singh attended The Doon School. He studied Electronics Engineering at the Manipal Institute of Technology and Masters in Business Administration at the University of Chicago, USA. He now lives in Singapore. Having worked in the Financial Services sector for 25 years, he has led the Asia Pacific Region at American Express for Revenue Management of the Credit Card business.

Since 2014, he has dedicated himself to visual ethnographic research. He has authored two books, ‘Lost Heritage, The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan’ and ‘The Quest Continues: Lost Heritage, The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan’. He has also made a few documentary films on the remnants of the Sikh legacy remnants in Pakistan.

Amardeep has led a cross-border team to create a 24-episode docuseries, “Allegory, A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels, " available on www.TheGuruNanak.com.

Guru Nanak glided across distant lands for over two decades on a selfless pursuit. He engaged in philosophical and social dialogue to relate with people of diverse cultures and belief systems. Through words and music, he gracefully imparted experiential insights, fearlessly challenged the binary constructs of society, and relentlessly opposed gender, religious, racial and class inequalities.

The work put forth by Mr Amardeep and his team is truly inspirational. Guided by Guru Nanak’s philosophy and inspired by historical texts, “Allegory, A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels", a 24-episode docuseries, sequentially presents the life events of Guru Nanak.

Tune into this beautiful conversation where Anvesha is conversing with our guest, Mr. Amardeep Singh. Listen to this meaningful and engaging discussion where Mr Amardeep explains the purpose behind his endeavours, dwells upon the beauty of taking up such journeys and contemplates the effect of this magic upon the followers of Guru Nanak. Trace along with us as we travel the same path, turning the stones unturned.

Thank you, Anvesha and Saikiran from Gyanshree School at Noida, India.