Harinder Singh is the Senior Fellow at the Sikh Research Institute. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University, an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas, and an MPhil from Punjab University in the linguistics of the Guru Granth Sahib.
He co-founded the Sikh Research Institute and the Panjab Digital Library, envisioned the Kaur and Singh Academy, and organized the Free Akal Takht campaign.
He appears on radio and television programs and speaks at universities, parliaments, museums, conferences, and civic institutions. He has authored several books and numerous articles integrating the political and the spiritual. He consults on curriculums, exhibitions, and films and is featured in many documentaries on the Sikhs, the Panjab, and South Asian matters.
His current focus is on developing critical thinking for Sikh institutions via the State of the Panth report series and developing open-source decoding of Guru Granth Sahib in contemporary Panjabi and English for a global audience.
He has served on the National Conference on Community and Justice boards, The Fellowship of Activists to Embrace Humanity, The Nanakshahi Trust, among others. He looks for culturally-specific things to experience and a light roast pour-over coffee to sip during travels, reads and binge-watches to stay in touch with what the world is up to, and listens to sabads, poetry, Hir, jazz, and political rap.
Harinder Singh resides with his family in the United States.
If you want to follow the ideas in the house of Guru Nanak Sahib, then it is Nam; it is identifying with that force, identifying with that One, that produces what? Chardi Kala, which is Rising Power. You rise.
Harinder Singh’s conversation covers a range of themes with Mr. Harvinder Singh Phoolka from Sikh, Panjabi, Indian, and International perspectives.
What has happened is there are cultural influences and personal biases; the larger hegemonic culture plays a role. This is not a product of Sikh ethos when women are either not allowed or are not being empowered to take certain leadership positions.
Nam Simran holds significant importance in Sikhi, extending far beyond mere identification with the Divine. ‘Nam’ goes beyond identification, and ‘Simran’ signifies remembrance.
Join Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur as they discuss the larger context around the latest events in Canada. What is the background needed to make sense of current events? What does this mean for Sikhs globally?
“The question really is in the spirit form: why do we recite them? Because this is how we learn to relate with IkOankar, the one divine Force, the one All-Pervasive and Creative force..."
In this sixth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s utterances on the Creator Ruler, and his guidance of considering IkOankar as the only true Ruler.
In this fifth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s many invocations of divine names and attributes and their contexts in larger Indic systems.
In this fourth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur discuss what it means to attach to the feet of the Supreme Being, the poisons we are collecting, and the remembrance we are being asked to collect instead.
In this third podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore what it means to earn union in comparison to transactional relationships with the divine.
In this second podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore the context of Indic paradigms, rituals, systems, and popular understandings that the Guru addresses in his reframing of renunciation and non-attachment.
Introducing Sabad Hajare Patisahi 10 (Shabad Hazare Patshahi 10), new translations, and commentaries of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's composition. This podcast is an introduction to the series.
I heard as recently as last Sunday at a Baltimore gurduara, that Sikhs don't know how to make their own decisions. True, and false.
Four days ago, my daughter Gani’s teacher at The Preschool Place invited my wife for the mother’s day celebration. Gani “carefree” Kaur was entrusted to us by the Divine to “grow” and “care” over four and half years ago. To Gani’s surprise, her ma (mom), her dadi (paternal grandmother), and pardadi (paternal great grandmother) showed up; her teacher had to arrange for three “diamond” necklaces and few more brownies with ice cream given the pleasant surprise. Gani sang, created, shared, thanked, and enjoyed; three moms loved it too.
In the struggle to solve the crisis facing the Sikhs today, I believe the tide is finally shifting. We are beginning to win the fight, but there is much more work to do and the clock is ticking away.
Did I ever leave Panjab? Growing up in the west, my earliest memory of Panjab is taking a train ride from Jhansi (UP) to Ludhiana (Panjab) during summer breaks to visit my nanke (maternal grandparents). There are also fond memories of trips with my family to mostly Eastern Panjab, and one to Western Panjab in June 1984.
How come you are asleep? Wake up, fool! You think your life in this world is the truth. – Guru Granth Sahib, p. 793 I am disenfranchised. Is it because they are afraid we’ll vote to return to Sarbat Khalsa? Self-governance bestowed by Guru Gobind Singh that will once again represent the values that the rest of South Asia looked up to us for? Sikhs are rising globally, renewing their allegiance to the Guru Granth-Panth.
Guru Teghbahadar Sahib’s life and legacy are unparalleled in the annals of world history. The Guru proclaimed: “Be very clear in your mind; the insightful person is the one who doesn’t fear anyone nor frightens anyone.”
Join Harinder Singh as he discusses Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Medicine For Life.