A Renowned Pharmacologist, Neuroscientist and Eminent Scholar of Sikhism – Bhai Dr. Harbans Lal
Interviewed by:
Dr. Devinder Pal Singh
Center for Understanding Sikhism,
Mississauga, L5A 1Y7, ON, Canada
Dr. Harbans Lal, born in 1931, at Haripur, the North-West Frontier Province, and named at Punja Sahib Gurdwara both now in Pakistan, is an internationally recognized pharmacologist cum neuroscientist. He is also a profound scholar of Sikhi-sm.
After receiving his B.Sc. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Punjab University, Chandigarh, India, he migrated to the USA in 1956. Therein, he completed his Master’s Degree from the University of Kansas in 1958 and received a Ph.D. degree in Medical Sciences (Pharmacology), from the University of Chicago, in 1962.
Over the years, Dr. Harbans Lal held various teaching and research positions at the University of Kansas, University of Chicago, IIT Research Institute and University of Rhode Island. During 1980-2000, he served at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, as Professor and Chairman, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neurosciences.
In his long career as a pharmacologist/ neuroscientist, he is credited with over 400 research papers, 28 books on medical research, several research reviews and 56 chapters in books on Medical sciences. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the monthly research journal “Drug Development Research” for 14 years.
Dr. Lal served on many national and international advisory boards, including the National Institute of Health, National Institute of Ageing, National Science Foundation, and US Food and Drug Administration. Society of Neuroscience honored him with a Distinguished Neuroscientist Award. The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology elected him as a member and included him among accomplished scientists recognized for making discoveries in medicines in the past 50 years. American Psychological Association honored him with honorary membership for his contribution to psychology research being a non-psychologist. It was done on the recommendation of BF Skinner, the father of Behavioral Psychology. The Scientists of Indian Origin in America elected Dr. Harbans Lal as its President.
In his public life, Dr. Lal promoted interfaith and multicultural understanding. He serves in various leadership capacities in interfaith organizations such as the World Center for Thanksgiving, Interfaith Council of Thanksgiving Square, The Faith Conversation, Alliance for Religious Freedom, and advisor to the American Project on Religion in the News Media. He is the Ambassador of the Parliament of World’s Religions.
Dr. Lal’s contributions are published not only in the Sikh press but in other world-class periodicals such as Dallas Morning News, Tribune, Times of India, Hindustan Times, etc.
For his contributions, Dr. Lal was recognized with the Ambassador of Peace Award by Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace. He was honored with the International Medal of Honor by the Grace Seminary, and the International Ummah Award by the Islamic Association.
Besides serving as a medical educationist at various prestigious educational/medical institutions in the USA for over fifty years, and serving a multitude of public service projects, Dr. Lal has also established himself as a leader of several Sikh institutions and as an eminent writer in the field of Sikh theology.
Harbans Lal was one of the founders of the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) subsequently serving this organization in many roles leading to his being elected as the AISSF President (1954-56). He also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Sikh Students’ Bulletin, a monthly magazine of AISSF. AISSF honored him with the name Bhai Harbans Lal. In 1963, at a Samundri Hall Conference in the Darbar Sahib Sri Amritsar complex, the Shiromani Parbandhak Committee President, Sardar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, honored Dr. Harbans Lal with the ceremonial Siropa and the Sri Sahib (ceremonial sword) as well as the honorific title of Bhai Sahib. Since then Dr. Harbans Lal has been known as Bhai Harbans Lal in the Sikh circles.
Bhai Harbans Lal was the Founding Vice President of the Sarab Hind Sehajdhari Sikh Organization (1949-56). From 1975- 2018, Dr. Lal served as the Founding Vice-President of Sri Nankana Sahib Foundation (President Late Sardar Ganga Singh Dhillon), an organization credited with opening the free access to the Sikh historical places left behind in Pakistan after the partition of India. The Nankana Sahib Foundation is also credited with the establishment of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Since 2016, Dr. Lal is a regular contributor to Sikh thoughts via his blog “Seeking Wisdom”. Through his literary essays, as published in many reputed research journals, magazines, books, and newspapers, he has been able to create an indelible mark of scholarship on the minds of his readers. He has published a book on Guru Nanak’s teachings and several reviews on Sikh themes.
Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal has been honored for his services to the Sikh cause by several Sikh organizations e.g., Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar; Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, New Delhi, The Akal Takht, Takht Hazur Sahib, Takhat Sri Patna Sahib, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Sikh Dharma International, and the Sikh Social and Educational Society, Canada.
In recognition of his contributions to Sikh Studies, he has been awarded, D. Litt. (Honoris causa) degree by Guru Nanak Dev University in 1995. He has also been honored with the Order of Nishan-e-Khalsa, by Anandpur Sahib Foundation, in 1999, for his impressive accomplishments in Sikh scholarship and promoting Sikh-ism. Most recently (2019), he was honored with the Prof. Sahib Singh Memorial Award established by Mian Mir Memorial Trust.
A widely acclaimed pharmacologist/neuroscientist and a noted Sikh theologian, Dr. Harbans Lal, is a founder member of the School of Scientific and Logical Interpretation of Gurbani. He is committed to bringing out the truth of Gurbani, logically, rationally, and scientifically. With his scientific training and devotion to Gurbani, he is eminently qualified to do so. In his works, Dr. Lal portrays intellectually courageous and authentic attempts to interpret Sikh Gurus’ verses logically and scientifically, to create an accurate understanding of the Gurbani. His scientific background and professional life as a scientist have undoubtedly influenced his choice of paradigm and perspective.
A votary of honest living, Dr. Harbans Lal led a life, dedicated to the love of God and selfless service to society. He is a true Karam yogi, who had devoted his whole life to spread the message of education, Gurmat, and service to all. He asserts that Sikh Gurus’ philosophy, their Sikhi ethics, their compositions, and Sri Guru Granth Sahib are the substance that makes for spirituality befitting the 21st century.
His views on various aspects of Gurbani are presented here for the benefit of readers:
Dr. Singh: You are a scientist by training and a teacher cum researcher by profession. How have you become so interested in theology?
My mother told me that my parents received me as a gift from Guru Nanak including my name and they would raise me to serve the causes of Guru Nanak. So she taught me about our gurus and their teachings with the help of two woman-granthis of the gurdwara for women, Istari Satsang Sabha, in Haripur. The same function was taken over by my AISSF family.
Dr. Singh: What is Sikh Philosophy, and what are its sources?
The Sikh philosophy is imbibed in the verses of Gurus’ hymns inscribed in SGGS. The general and fundamental questions about human existence, the purpose of the creation, and human life are well deliberated in SGGS. In a few words, one is in this world as a part of the Divine blueprint to be fulfilled with the wonders of this creation by living our lives accordingly. The Guru provided in the commencing verse of SGSGS the divine attributes that are meant for us to emulate through behaviors and characteristics dictated by the guidelines narrated in the three pillars of life described as Naam, Daan, Isnaan. The Naam is noumenon, i.e. the spiritual experience of reality peculiar to religion and distinct from aesthetic, euphoric, or moral experiences. Daan is sharing God-given bounties of material treasures and intellectual capacities, as well as seeking divine gifts such as Naam, the company of other seekers, fearlessness, and abilities to serve others. Isnaan is noble deeds that cleanse the mind, vision, and body. These principles were meant to combine the practice of Naam to achieve Divine consciousness with a socio-political order of noble deeds and sharing practices of all kinds at all levels. The purpose was to achieve equality and unity of humankind under the Creator as well as the fulfillment of human goals while living in every environment.
Dr. Singh: What makes Sikh Gurus’ philosophy original and unique?
Siddha asked Guru Nanak as to what his dharma was, when was it founded, and for what environment was it suitable? The Guru answered that his dharma was Gur Mat, it was established as soon as humanity came into existence and it was suitable for all times.
Dr. Singh: What is the relevance of Sachiara (as envisioned by Guru Nanak in his Jap composition) in a modern context?
To become Sachiara, in short, is to awaken the eternal truthfulness within so that the human narcissism is replaced, and one seeks divine companionship. For Sachiara, forms, and events (Hukam) reveal the key sources of the truth; the ordinary becomes extraordinary, the “secular” becomes the “sacred”. Therefore, Sikhs constantly conflate, juxtapose, and interpenetrate opposing boundaries – between Hindu pantheism, Islamic monotheism, and Buddhist nothingness.
Dr. Singh: In Oct 2019, you have delivered an invited lecture at McGill University, Quebec, Canada, on the topic ” The Miracle of Sultanpur Lodhi – the Founder of Interfaith Dialogue Worldwide”. Does Sikh Gurus’ philosophy encourage belief in miracles?
I used the term miracle as a metaphor. Nanak went into meditative trans somewhere at the banks of the Vein river in Sultanpur away from the distracting hustle and bustle so that he was left alone to contemplate for 3 days. He emerged as, we may call, Prophet Nanak or Guru Nanak. It is similar to the case of Prince Gautam who meditated under a banyan tree and came out of his trance as Gautam Buddha.
Dr. Singh: Different Sikh scholars emphasize one or the other versions of the Three Pillars of Sikhism e.g. (1) Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, Vand Chhako, (2) Naam, Daan, Isnaan, (3) Deg, Teg, Fateh, etc. Based on Sikh doctrines, what do you think is the most apt version?
Beginning with Guru Nanak, all ten Gurus used the terms, Naam (Mindful Awareness of Divine Presence), Daan (Live Out the Culture of Altruism when Seeking Divine Benevolence), Isnaan (Implement Ethics of Good Deeds that Cleanse both Body and Mind).
Their contemporary Sikh theologians used the Guru given terms. Other terms like Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, Vand Chhako were introduced by Bhai Vir Singh in his novel Bijay Singh and became fashionable thereafter. I dare not outsmart my Guru and use only the Guru given terms, Naam, Daan, Isnaan. Moreover, the other terms do not convey the exact meanings that our Gurus had in mind.
Dr. Singh: Is Sikh Gurus’ Philosophy in conflict or harmony with science? How can Sikh Gurus’ Philosophy help in the cultivation of scientific temper in society?
Our Gurus were fully consistent with science. The more we know about creation with scientific advances, the more we realize the truth in Guru’s teachings and become humble before the Creators.
Dr. Singh: Some scholars emphasize that Sikh philosophy depicts a way of life, not a religion. What is your opinion about it?
Our gurus did not use or accept the term religion or mazhab. Religion is a Judaeo-Christian term and the term mazahb is from Abrahamic traditions. Guru used the term Dharam, in the West Dharma, which is entirely distinct from religion. Dharma is devoid of ritualism and mythology; it is simply a pathway to connect with the Creator while living a happy and healthy life.
Dr. Singh: As per Sikh Gurus’ Philosophy, what is the meaning or purpose of our presence in this Universe?
Our purpose is to appreciate the Divine and Creation under the guidance of the Guru. We can do this through the gift of Dharma.
Dr. Singh: What is the perspective of Sikh Philosophy about the existence of God? Can faith in God be justified?
Under the guidance of the Sikh philosophy, we connect with Ek Ongkar, the icon selected to commence the text of SGGS. The symbol or icon means One Reality manifested in all creation.
Then, we are to perceive the same manifestation within each one of us so that we may emulate some of the divine virtues within us under Guru’s guidance and benevolence. The rest of the SGGS trains us towards that goal.
Dr. Singh: Do scientists believe in God?
Depending on which God? They do not believe in the anthropomorphic God that the clergy class (clerics, pujaris) have invented, with miracles and rituals. But they do believe in the Ek-Ongkar symbolizing One Virtual Reality manifested in all creations. Most scientists dislike the associated mythology and rituals.
Dr. Singh: What is the SGGS’s perspective about spirituality?
I do not know what spirituality is although I do hear about it. It is something the intellectuals follow instead of any organized religion. The spiritualists believe in harmonizing with the Universe and Nature as being spiritual. They do not get solace by going to places of worship but seek happiness from within. They, rather, align with their “spirit” for eternal bliss. Some spiritualists that I know do have their living guru. One friend told me his belief this way. He wrote, “If you want to know Him, you have to experience Him vividly. You can never find Him by repeating His name mindlessly. The singing of hymns would not enhance you spiritually.” The example he gave me was really convincing. If you are hungry, you will have to eat food…just uttering the names of different dishes or their recipes would not satisfy your hunger !!!
I can not have any qualm with it except I get my spiritual guidance from Gurbani.
Dr. Singh: What is the perspective of Sikh Philosophy about society?
Guru talks about humanity and Gurmukh panth. I have not studied as to where society fits in. I am not able to explain in a few words. It needs a chapter.
Dr. Singh: Do Sikh doctrines drive towards the sustainability of living beings on the earth?
The Divine Creation will live or die according to Hukam, the blueprint that the Creator has implemented for the creation. The God-given treasures will never run out.
Dr. Singh: Based on Sikh Philosophy, what can be done to stop humans fighting each other for race, religion, caste, color, or creed?
To stop those fighting among groups, eliminate or discourage the culture of mera and tera, meaning mine and yours, us, and them. All of us carry the same Jot or the flame of life.
Dr. Singh: Can rational inquiry and Gurbani convictions co-exist?
Gurbani is all rational. At any one moment, we may not understand the real meaning of a verse and it may seem irrational. In this case, we must continue to pray and seek SABD DEEDAR, to mean the guidance in the understanding of the true meaning and significance of the verse. Most verses are in metaphors and must be realized as such.
Dr. Singh: What is the perspective of Sri Guru Granth Sahib on life, soul, death, and reincarnation; Karam and nadir?
All of us who are born will die. That is the end. The body will become ashes and merge into the elements. The egoistic mental entities will end forever. When we are living, our mind goes through numerous lives and reincarnations. A Sikh seeks an end to these reincarnations of the human mind that we call M^N.
Dr. Singh: Do Sikhs believe in an afterlife? Do they believe in Heaven / Hell, salvation?
No. Sikhi does not believe in heavens, hell, salvation in the afterlife, etc. These terms in Gurbani are used as metaphors to explain the experiences as well as the rewards and punishments in this life.
Dr. Singh: What are the barriers to the logical and rational interpretation of Gurbani?
Religious information concocted by ill-trained clerics, pujaris, who are hired or paid otherwise to impart religious education most of the time. Most of them promote barriers to a real understanding of Gurbani. They discourage intellectual contemplation of Gurbani in favor of merely listening to it verbatim in popular tunes.
Dr. Singh: You have been the founder president of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies since its inception. Can you elaborate on some of the outstanding contributions of the Academy?
The Academy participated in several collaboration projects with others over the years. Presently, it is engaged in bringing out the Urdu translation of the Guru Granth to benefit nearly 400 million Urdu-speaking people in the world. As always, the Urdu translation project too is multidimensional and is supported by many organizations and many individuals in its various dimensions. We urgently need some Urdu scholars of Gurmat to help in the project.
Dr. Singh: Recently you have published your book titled: “Guru Nanak’s Religious Pluralism and Sri Guru Granth Sahib”. In this book, you have emphasized that the Sikh religion, as envisioned by Guru Nanak, is pluralistic, inclusive, and contemporary. Can you share a few salient features of your thesis?
The message of the nearly 300 pages book is that our Guru’s teachings are universal and are etched in stone in the hymns of the Guru Granth. They form the basis of Guru’s message that is for the whole of humanity irrespective of any linguistic, historic, or cultural differences among societies. No history should be allowed to rule over the Guru’s message. Similarly, no culture should come in the way of Sikhi practices. The best ways to connect with the Guru’s teachings are illustrated in Gurbani. My book describes how best to connect to the message of Gurbani.
Dr. Singh: Prof. Hardev Singh Virk, a noted Sikh scholar, during one of his lectures at San Jose Gurudwara, USA, in 2018 argued that “Sikhism fails to impact at the global level.” Would you like to share your opinion about this statement?
I agree that Sikhi-sm to date has failed to impact any society outside the Punjabi ethnic populations in every continent. I do not know the reason, but my working hypothesis is that it is because our clergy class that manages our religion has evolved rigid rituals in our practices so that our dissemination of Guru’s message is walled within our religious institutions run by Punjabi ethnic groups. As Sardar Kapoor Singh had described, our present language of dissemination is “gibberish” to our youth and people outside of the Punjabi ethnicity. Our religious practices have been made subservient to our cultural practices that insistently exclude and discourage others.
Dr. Singh: Your book “Guru Nanak’s Religious Pluralism and Sri Guru Granth Sahib” points out many of the issues confronting our diverse and pluralistic world, particularly the world that emerged after 9/11. Can you share a few of these issues, specifically impacting the Sikhs?
In the past century, we began to live in various neighborhoods within a global village. Suddenly we are faced with the responsibility of explaining the Sikhi theology to our new neighbors. We are certainly not prepared for that. That is the main issue.
Dr. Singh: Since 2016, you are writing a blog “Seeking Wisdom”. Can you elaborate, how and why you came up with this idea?
Because of my advancing age, I was advised to undertake a new project that may exercise my brain to slow down in its degeneration. After discussing with my family and my colleagues, I initiated writing for the new blog. I define a Sikh as a person who is a seeker of the Divine Wisdom through Guru’s hymns. So, I named my blog as “Seeking Wisdom” and pen down my thoughts in my spare time. Thus, I share with other wisdom seekers what I learn from Gurbani.
Dr. Singh: What is the Sikh Gurus’ perspective on religious/spiritual experience as reported by various religious devotees/scientists? Can you share any of your unique religious/spiritual experiences?
No, I do not have any spiritual experience except that I often see and interact with Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh in my dreams.
Dr. Singh: Karl Marx, the German philosopher, and economist, once said that “Religion is the opium of the people.” Is Sikh Philosophy a new variety of this opium?
As I said before, Sikhi-sm is not a religion as the religion is defined by the Judaeo-Christian traditions. So, it may not have the same ill effects on society as experienced under Abrahamic religions. No, Sikhi-sm it is not the opium of the people.
Dr. Singh: Is Sikhism universal? If so, why has it not been so accepted yet?
What is universal? Universal is that which applies everywhere, to whole humankind, and in all civil societies regardless of culture, race, gender, religion, nationality, or any other distinguishing feature. Further, universal can be relevant only in the world of diversity.
Let us apply the dynamics of universality to Sikhi to establish that they are universal. To start with, the Sikhi dynamics are universal because the founder of the Sikhi claimed them to be so. When we go deep into Guru’s teachings, we find a dynamic relationship between Sikh identity, the Sikh community, and the grace-awakened values that our Gurus prescribed in our scripture. It is the need of the hour that they are articulated in the language that the new civilizations can grasp. Where their universality is not apparent, we must actively explore ways of universalizing Guru’s message.
Guru Nanak used the metaphor of the ocean waters that through the routes of cloud formations give birth to glaciers, lakes, and rains. They, in turn, go on to form rivers and rivulets. These rivulets then flow through mountains and lands to irrigate vast territories on all continents before they return to the oceans again.
Our clergy, exegetists, and even scholars stress loudly and with authority as well as with pride that our Gurus gave us a universal religion. However, our clergy and exegetists never elucidate what they mean from the Sikhi teachings being universal. As a matter of fact, in the name of their universal religion, they religiously promote rituals, definitions, and religiosities which are out and out anything but universal.
Sikhi would never formally align Guru Wisdom with one ethnicity, one society, one culture, one denomination, one political party, or one geographical area. Guru will also not allow someone to use a Sikhi rivulet to ignore laws of civil societies, of sciences, or colors and diversities within the same community. As far as we know, that was the intent of Guru Nanak.
There is another point to ponder. A rivulet is a minority if you look at one at a time, but it is the majority if you look at it “connected to the source along with others and its ending into the ocean with all others.”
Then you are part of a vast majority. This way the Wisdom Seekers or the Sikhs encounter the coming waves of global uncertainty with confidence and optimism.
