Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

MITCHELL () (): Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh. This week, Sikhs around the nation, including hundreds of people in McEwen, will be celebrating and honouring the 553rd anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak. In the words of the Guru Nanak biographies:

The Bounteous Lord heard the anguished cries (of humanity), and so, Guru Nanak, He sent to this world of woe.

Tonight I'm pleased to honour and celebrate in this place the one who began the great religion of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev. From what I have read of his early life, it's safe to say that it's not a surprise that he did not follow in his father's footsteps into accounting. I think one early example from the biographies we now have of Guru Nanak is his decision as a young boy to refuse to wear a thread of caste. Nanak refused to wear the thread, arguing that caste should not be used as a means of judging a person. This we of course now see as an idea replicated across the globe: that a person is able to, and should be given the right to, show what and who they are based on their character. But in that time and place, such ideas were radical and progressive.

Although we have many stories of the young Nanak, his main teachings and realisations are said to have begun when he reached the age of 30, in around 1499. Nanak taught that God was beyond religious dogma and external definition. He said he would follow neither the Muslim nor the Hindu religion, but God's path. He taught that 'there is no Muslim, there is no Hindu'—again, a new way of thinking in a world that was rife with political and social conflict between Islam and Hinduism at the time. During his lifetime, Guru Nanak attracted followers from many religious traditions but, despite this renown, he chose to refuse material gifts, believing that spirituality should be given freely and not be dependent on financial payment. It is written that he said:

Even kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.

This idea translates beyond religion into how we view society as a whole. Wealth cannot buy what a full and honest heart provides for free. These teachings also had profound social implications. Nanak denounced the caste system and moved the religious focus from external aids like rituals and priests, bringing that spiritual focus inward.

Guru Nanak always stressed the inner spiritual awakening. As the first guru, Nanak practised and expounded the central tenets of the modern Sikh faith. We know those to be selflessness, sharing with others and giving to others who are less fortunate, but also a selfless attitude and avoiding the pitfalls of egoism, pride and jealousy; earning an honest living, and living without deceit, exploitation or fraud; and Naam Japna—meditating on God's name and repeating the mantra. Nanak said that, through the repetition of God's name, a follower could free himself from selfish tendencies and cultivate happiness.

Like all enduring religions, these themes have abiding importance in the modern world. Sikhism is a religion whose ideas of selfless service, social justice for the benefit of all and honest conduct are the themes which guide thoughts and actions. That is a tenet that we, as people in public service to our communities, can well understand and are so often striving to make central in our work in government.

Despite being one of the youngest amongst the major world religions, Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world. It's no small thing to reach over 25 million people with a message grounded in oneness, love and, so importantly, social justice. Sikhism has been the fastest-growing religion in Australia since 2011. With many Indian Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims living in Australia, our country is becoming stronger and more diverse as we learn the many lessons in how a big melting pot culture can sustain and grow our national identity and character. We know that right now we are at a time and place in history when understanding and respecting each other is more important than ever. Australia is richer because of the communities, cultures and faiths that are part of our great melting pot.

Although there are often loud voices of dissent to this opinion, we know, through the small acts of kindness and fellowship, that there are many Australians who embrace and celebrate the cultural diversity of our nation. So tonight I want to acknowledge Guru Nanak and many good friends, like my great friend Avtar Singh, who just recently celebrated his 50th birthday, because they are celebrating this auspicious occasion on the Sikh calendar.

We know that, in times of need, the Sikhs in our communities are the first ones out there helping those caught up in floods, bushfires and storms, wherever there is an opportunity to help. Many, many times during lockdowns and bushfires, the Sikh community have been the first ones out there volunteering their time, cooking food, delivering meals and helping people who are alone. I think it is so important that we acknowledge that what we're seeing is a group of people who have come to this country and who, through Sikh Volunteers Australia and through the Australian Multicultural Organisation, have added so strongly to the fabric of what we call mateship. They help us, they work with us and we should acknowledge them for that.