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.
Harinder Singh is the Co-Founder & Innovation Director at SikhRI. He appears on radio and television programs and speaks at universities, parliaments, museums, conferences, and civic institutions.
Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore what it means to earn union in comparison to transactional relationships with the divine. They also discuss what it means to sing as waves of love and deep knowledge arise from within, in comparison to the...
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.
The date of Guru Nanak Sahib's birth is immaterial. Our focus needs to be on the Infinite Wisdom; that’s Prakash Purab. In Sikhi, it's not about the birth date; it’s about the profound ideas...
In Sikh ideals, preference is not to use the term "God" as it often carries gendered imagery. Instead, we embrace ੴ pronounced as IkOankar, the genderless and transcendent Being. IkOankar is not just gender-neutral; it transcends gender.
"I think it matters because what is our indigenous term? And what is the term which those who were studying us in the last hundred years started calling us? Our native term is Sikhi..."
Listen to Harinder Singh’s reflection on Bhagat Namdev’s evolution from deity worship to seeing Divinity pervading everywhere.
This Sabad by Guru Ramdas Sahib within Rag Sorath encompasses a tapestry of emotions: seriousness, love, separation, longing, and detachment. Traditionally performed, it encapsulates a spectrum of human experiences.
In this Sabad attributed to Bhagat Ravidas, a profound contemplation unfolds. This composition finds its musical foundation in Rag Gujri, an ancient melodic mode reserved for the early hours of the day, evoking a sense of serene awakening.
This composition by Guru Arjan Sahib is in Rag Majh. This rag (musical mode) evolved from the folk music of the Majha area of the Panjab. There is no reference to this rag in Indian music. It is only sung in Panjab and is in the Guru Granth Sahib.
This composition by Guru Arjan Sahib is in Rag Majh. This rag (musical mode) evolved from the folk music of the Majha area of the Panjab. There is no reference to this rag in Indian music. It is only sung in Panjab and is in the Guru Granth Sahib.
This composition by Guru Nanak Sahib is in Rag Siri, an ancient musical mode sung at dusk. Its mood is majestic, reflective, and meditative. The reflection: The Creator is in the creation. Everything is brimming with love, operating in love.
I have a morning ritual: I drop my daughter to her school, turn on NPR (National Public Radio in America), and listen to it for about 7 minutes, return home, to make sure that my son catches his school bus.
The Khalsa Raj – Banda, Battles & Body Politic. The journey of Baba Banda Singh Bahudar from getting hand selected by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to establishing the Empire- told by Harinder Singh
In 1521, Guru Nanak Sahib witnessed the terrible suffering of people at Saidpur (Eminabad), The Panjab. The Guru documents who to question while accepting the Command of the Creative and Pervasive 1Force:
An attempt to locate the Eighth Sovereign in the line of ten founder Gurus in Sikhi. Guru Nanak Sahib’s 1Force-1Ness paradigm continued in Nanak VIII’s political-spiritual realm as depicted in the Sikh writings.
Raj Karega Khalsa – what does this really mean? Why has it been part of so many controversies? In order to answer this, we must know its origin. Who wrote it? When was it written? What’s the context of it?
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