Sikhs are not an evangelizing people; unlike Christianity and Buddhism, theirs is not a missionary religion. But the Sikhism presented here is so compelling, we wouldn’t be surprised if it prompted many people to seek this spiritual path.
Author Simran Jeet Singh — a non-profit leader, visiting professor, and compelling religion writer who lives with his family in New York City — presents Sikhism with answers for living a happier life: a life that finds light in darkness, seeks truth in what we feel, and locates a path of connections between people and communities.
“As I watch my fellow Americans watch me, I see faces flash with uncertainty,” writes the self-described turban-wearing author. The fifth largest religion in the world, Sikhism has a smaller presence than that in North America, and so this book will go a long way to educating and orienting us to the beauty and wisdom of Sikh traditions, spiritual practices, and teachings.
The author grew up a Sikh in Texas, and writes about his own experiences, including a boyhood fight in middle school, with poignancy. He also incorporates the real adult life of family and work in what he has to say about religion and spirituality. For example: “If we can learn to see the humanity in ourselves and in one another, we can mitigate so much of the self-inflicted pain we feel daily…. Even my two young daughters understand: Being kind to others makes them happy and makes you happy, too.” This is essential to Sikh spirituality.
Teaching how to see other people’s inner light, is also essential to the Sikh way. As are these lessons of wisdom, each of which fills a chapter: “Love Is Selfless” (31), “Connecting through Meditation” (29), “Enhancing How We Feel” (16), and “Resetting and Rebalancing” (35). People of all spiritual and religious backgrounds, or none, will benefit from this book.
