Jaswant Singh (Khoji)

Baboo Jaswant Singh 'Khoji'

Jaswant Singh Khoji (known as Baboo ji ) is founder of Braham Bunga Trust^[1] and Naam Simran congregation camps Dodra.During his service of Indian Army , while posted at Burma , at age 24 , he got baptised at Sri Akal Takhat Sahib Amritsar and started leading life as per principals and concepts of Sikh religion. In army he served at post of clerk and was nicknamed by his friends as' Baboo jee'.After retirement, with some of his old army companions from Burma he started movement of Sikh congregation Camps .He died in 1999.During his life time never advertised about himself or his works, rather in later years of his life detached himself from the very congregations he started so that people may not start worshiping him and lived in solitude restricted to his home with few friends. He was greatly impressed by writings of Prof. Puran Singh and Bhai Vir Singh both Sikh scholars and writers.During his Calgary USA visit in 1981 and subsequently this movement of periodic Sikh congregation for Kirtan and Naam Simran of Almighty was spread over to USA, Canada other countries.

Works

Movement of Sikh periodic congregations

Movement of periodic Sikh Congregations was started at village Dodra in 1960 with some of his army companions of Burma.In beginning fort nightly congregations were done in various villages.These days these 2-day congregations are done in various cities of India specially Punjab state. 4 8-10- day congregation camps in a year are held at villages Dodra and Doraha ^[2][3]

Establishment of Gurdwaras

1. In 1972 he established first Gurdwara in village Dodra on a plot of land donated by his army companion Subedar Kishan Singh.
2. In 1990 he, established bigger hall (200ftx150ft) in new Gurdwara Building in village Dodra.^[4] & established Braham Bunga Trust in 1983.
3. Established Gurdwara in Village Doraha in district Ludhiana in Punjab.

Writings

Books and spiritual writings of Baboo Jaswant Singh Khoji

Based on hymns of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, holy book of Sikhs, he wrote 132 articles in Punjabi on various topics about concepts and principals of Sikhism like Sangat, Haumai,^[5] Sabad, Dooja Bhau, Simran, Dharam ^[6] or Mazahab, Bharam, Bandhan-Chhuttan.^[7] These are available in 13 books and have been published by Braham Bunga Trust.These books have been translated in Hindi and 5 articles are in English.

References

1. "ਨਾਮ ਅਭਿਆਸ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਸੰਗਤ ਦੋਦੜਾ". Retrieved 5 January 2016.
2. "Dodra Congregations of Naam Simran in North America". Retrieved January 8, 2016.
3. "ਦੋ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਸਮਾਗਮ". Retrieved 7 January 2016.
4. https://dhangurunanak.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/dodra-sahib-introduction-jaan-pehchan/
5. ਖੋਜੀ, ਜਸਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ (December 1983). ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਅਨੁਭਵ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਲੇਖ. ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬੁੰਗਾ ਟਰਸਟ , ਦੋਦੜਾ. p. ੯-੨. ਆਪਣੀ ਅੱਡਰੀ ਹਸਤੀ ਦਾ ਅਹਿਸਾਸ, ਮੈਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਦੀ ਪੂਰਤੀ ਤੇ ਵਿਖਾਵੇ ਵਾਲੀ ਬਿਰਤੀ ਯਾ ਚੇਤਨਤਾ (egoistic consciousness) ਨੂੰ ਹੀ 'ਹਉਮੈ' ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ
6. ਖੋਜੀ, ਜਸਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ (September 2008). ਧਰਮ ਯਾ ਮਜ਼ਹਬ. ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬੁੰਗਾ ਟਰਸਟ ਦੋਦੜਾ. p. ੨-੨. ਇਸ ਇਲਾਹੀ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਖਿੱਚ ਦੀ ਰਵਾਨਗੀ ਦੀ ਸਹਿਜ ਚਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ , ਆਪਣੇ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਅਕਾਲ ਪੁਰਖ ਵੱਲ ਖਿਚਿਆ ਜਾਣਾ ਹੀ , ਸਾਰੇ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਇਕੋ-ਇਕ ਸੱਚਾ ਆਤਮਿਕ ਧਰਮ ਹੈ।
7. ਖੋਜੀ, ਜਸਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ (1983). ਸਬਦੁ ਵੀਚਾਰਿ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਲੇਖ. ਬ੍ਰਹਮ-ਬੁੰਗਾ ਟਰੱਸਟ. ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਬੰਧਨ-ਜਦ ,ਮਾਨਵਤਾ (humanity) ਨੂੰ ਵੰਡੀਆ ਪਾ ਕੇ ਸੀਮਤ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਫਿਰਕਿਆਂ ਦੇ , ਆਪੂੰ ਘੜੇ ਅਸੂਲਾਂ ਤੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਾਂਡਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੰਧਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਕੜਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ -ਤਾਂ ਸਰਬ ਸਾਂਝੀ ਇਲਾਹੀ ਮਾਨਵਤਾ ਵਿੱਚ , ਮਜ਼ਹਬੀ ਤਅੱਸਬ , ਈਰਖਾ , ਦਵੈਤ , ਵੈਰ-ਵਿਰੋਧ ਦੀ ਗਿਲਾਨੀ ਆ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ