At SikhNet Stories, our goal is simple but deeply meaningful.
To make Sikhi feel not just something children learn about, but someone they can actually talk to.
Our newest story, The Living Treasure: A Journey to the First Prakash, begins with a question almost every child has asked at some point.
Why is everyone bowing to a book?
It is an honest question. And it deserves an honest answer.
Why We Started There
We did not begin with a history lesson. We began with a moment of genuine curiosity, because that is where most of our children actually are.
Leo, visiting a Gurdwara for the first time, watches people bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and wants to know why. Not out of disrespect. Out of attention. And that question, held with sincerity, leads him somewhere beautiful.
By the end of the story, Leo understands that the Shabad is alive. Not because it breathes, but because it speaks. Because people have been turning to it for hundreds of years, in moments of confusion, grief, and joy, and it has never stopped answering.
That is what we want your child to carry with them long after the screen goes dark.
Can I Be Honest With You for a Moment?
Many of us grew up learning to respect Guru Granth Sahib Ji. To bow before it. To be careful around it.
And all of that is true and right.
But somewhere along the way, many of us were not taught the other part.
That Guru Sahib is not only to be revered. Guru Sahib is to be talked to.
Your child already knows how to talk to a friend. They know how to share what is bothering them, ask for help, and say thank you when something goes right. That same openness is exactly what a relationship with Guru Sahib can look like.
When your child is happy, encourage them to say thank you to Waheguru. When they are sad, tell them they can share that with Guru Sahib. When something feels unfair, they can bring that complaint. When they are confused, they can sit with the Shabad and simply listen.
Because Waheguru answers. Not always in the way we expect. But in one form or another, the answer comes.
We just have to teach our children to look for it.
The Moment That Stopped Us
On August 30, 1604, when the sacred Granth was carried to the Golden Temple, Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji, the one who spent years compiling every word, walked behind it. Baba Buddha Ji carried the sacred volume upon his head. And Guru Sahib followed, waving the Chaur Sahib in devotion.
That night, the entire Sangat, including Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji, slept on the floor while Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji rested on a high bed.
Guru Sahib was not telling us how high the Shabad stands. He was showing us.
If your child ever asks why we bow, why we cover our heads, why we treat Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji the way we do, this is the moment to share with them.
What a Friendship with Guru Sahib Actually Looks Like
We spend a lot of time teaching children about Guru Sahib. The history, the sacrifices, the teachings. And that matters deeply. We should never stop doing that.
But we want to invite you into something a little different today.
What if, alongside the history, we also taught our children to simply talk to Guru Sahib?
Not formally. Not only in the Gurdwara. At home, at the dinner table, at bedtime, in the car on the way to school.
"Tell Guru Sahib about your day."
"Did something go wrong today? Share it with Waheguru."
"Something beautiful happened today. Say thank you."
These small habits, practiced early and practiced often, quietly build something that no classroom can give a child. A personal relationship with the Guru. A sense that they are never alone. A place they can always return to, no matter what life brings.
And here is what we have seen, again and again. When a child grows up feeling that Guru Sahib is their friend, Sikhi does not feel like a religion they belong to. It feels like a home they live in.
That is what we want for your children. And we know that is what you want too.
Reflections for Your Family
Please watch this one together. And after, stay in the moment a little longer.
You might ask your child:
- Leo asked why everyone was bowing to a book. What would you have said to him?
- Do you think the Shabad can actually speak to you? Has that ever happened?
- If you could say anything to Guru Sahib right now, what would it be?
- Can we take a Hukamnama together and talk about what it means for our family today?
And then perhaps the most important question, not for your child, but for yourself.
Have I shown my child that I talk to Guru Sahib too?
Because children do not do what we tell them. They do what they see us do.
If they see you open the Hukamnama in the morning, they will want to know what it says. If they hear you say thank you to Waheguru after a good day, they will start doing the same. If they watch you bring your worries to Guru Sahib instead of carrying them alone, they will learn that that is what you do when life gets heavy.
We are in this together. Every story we make is our way of sitting beside you in this journey of raising children who feel the Guru walking with them every single day.
Now Streaming
The Living Treasure: First Prakash of Guru Granth Sahib JI is now available on SikhNet Stories YouTube and the SikhNet Stories App.
Watch it with your children. Talk about it. And then, talk to Guru Sahib together.
Because the Guru's light never stopped shining. It is simply waiting for your child to find it.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
The SikhNet Stories Team