If you look, you will Find What You Sikh: The IN5 Experience

BY SIMONE SMITH

“Truth is the highest of all virtues, but higher still is truthful living!”

As of late, I have been given the opportunity to enter the world of different cultures throughout the city of Toronto, and this has proven to be yet another benefit of doing what you love. Social Media (Instagram) allowed Jagdeep Singh and I to cross paths. It was interesting because my first thought was, huh! What is this all about? It has become part of my work to filter through requests, focus on the ones that will benefit the community, and then choose with purpose in mind. For some reason, this connection felt right, and when we were able to connect in person, I was unsure of how to act; he was well dressed, very dignified, articulate and purposed. I knew right away that this was going to be an interesting experience.

My takeaway from that very first experience was that just the word religion can be such a BARRIER! In my one conversation, I was reminded that other than cultural ideologies, many of the principles of living a righteous life are the same. That is why when Trish and I were given an opportunity to learn more, we jumped at it. Well, Trish jumped at it when I told her I was going; she had overheard the conversation, and was like, “I’m coming!” Life at the office is an abundance of opportunities.

When I arrived, I was instantly blown away by the size of the complex. Jagdeep had invited us to experience a never-before, enchanting and enlightening journey into the beliefs, and history of Sikhi. The IN5 Experium (The Golden Temple), is located at the Bramalea City Centre and opened its doors on April 16^th. The doors will remain open until June 15^th, 2019, and if you are one of my enlightened readers, this is definitely something to take in. Members of the Sikhi community have found a way to educate the greater community about their spiritual beliefs; it is like being invited into someone’s world, so this must be done with respect, and entered into without judgment.

To start this tour, you have to download an app (remember to bring your earphones) that interactively takes you through a fusion of high-end multimedia technology and in-depth research about the Sikhi history, philosophy and way of life. The tour was touch screen operated (smart walls), which is something that I have never experienced before; closer to the end of the tour, we were actually able to enter the Golden Temple. As women, we respectfully covered our heads and removed our shoes. We walked in and I was amazed, at how realistic the temple looked; they even had motion sensor fish that would move towards you when you walked around the temple. It was truly an unbelievable experience.

“Pray, Work, Give.”

What was the takeaway from this experience, and how can we continuously live better lives? One takeaway is that we as humans can all learn something from each other, regardless of culture or religion. The greatest thing about learning from people outside of your comfort zone is that you find you have more in common then you thought. There is a recognition that God (regardless of what you want to call the higher power), is inside every person, no matter how wicked they appear, and so everyone is capable of change if given the understanding and support that they need. It is about focusing on the relationship with God, and being an active member of your community. It is about combining action and belief, which includes living an authentic life and putting thought to purpose.

There is so much to be learned, and I promise you Toronto, until you are ready to step outside your comfort zones, I will do it for you and share what I learn with you. No worries; you will step out of your zone when you are ready.