They were sitting and talking casually when the conversation drifted towards the advancements made by science in the field of robotics. The conversation started as follows:
Singh 1: robots are already being used in some industries to perform tasks that humans used to do. If it continues like this, then robots will replace the humans in many factories. A lot of jobs are going to be lost.
Singh 2: Don't worry about jobs; they will just shift to different sectors. When the computers first came out, everyone was freaking out and many analysts were predicting that clerical staff would no longer be required in companies and there would be massive unemployment but as you can see, the computer industry itself has become one of the biggest employers of all. Jobs have just shifted from one sector to another one.
Singh 1: I hope you are correct. Robots are being used by police to do dangerous jobs like defusing bombs and dealing with toxic waste.
Singh 3: They are designing robots that look exactly like us (humans) and it will be very difficult to tell them apart from us. They even seem to have a brain of their own. Such robots will be used extensively in the future for domestic help like cleaning, washing dishes etc. It will make life quite easy for us.
Singh 4: They are even saying that in the future you will not feel the need to have human friends. Very smart robots are being designed who will not only do all the household chores but will also give company to their owners.
Singh 2: It's okay to the point of friendship but I hope they don't come up with robots who can be your spouse as well. This will be a turning point in humanity. (Everyone laughed out loud).
Singh 1: If robots are going to be so advanced, then perhaps we can request them to create some Sikh robots, who can keep Rehit and this way do Seva at Gurdwara Sahibaans. We can let them take care of the Seva part at Gurdwara Sahibaan and we can focus on Naam and Gurbani.
Singh 4: Are you crazy Singh 1? How can they create Rehitvaan robots and what do you mean by Rehitvaan robot?
Singh 1: Robots don't eat meat or smoke tobacco; nor they have illicit relationships and cutting hair is out of question. We can have them wear Punj Kakaars and do Nitnem as well. They will be more Rehitvaan than the most Rehitvaan Singhs.
Singh 3: (after laughing loudly), We can have the robots do massive Paath all day.
Singh 4: But we still can't eat from them because how will you make them Amritdhaari? To become Amritdhaari, the robots will have to go to Punj Pyare and there is no way the Punj Pyare would accept them as candidates for Amrit.
Singh 1: I am thinking that if these so called Sikh robots can do our household chores, they can also do Paath for us.
Singh 2: We already have machines do Paath and Kirtan that we listen to. What else are tape-recorders, cd-players, and mp players? So if a robot doing domestic help can also recite Paath that we can listen to, it would be great.
Singh 1: Many times our relatives and friends do Paath and Ardaas for our Chardi Kala. What if, we buy a so called Sikh looking Robot, whose only duty would be to do Paath for our Chardi Kala all day? Would such Paath be acceptable?
Singh 2: The next thing you are going to come up with is the Robot doing Ishnaan, Amritvela, Naam Abhyaas and Nitnem on your behalf while you can do Mauj (enjoy).
Singh 1: Haha! Most of our Panth is already doing this. The only difference is that it's not the robots who do Paath for them but humans. Big Akhand Paath Samagams are organized and a lot Seva of Sangat is done through Langar but seldom we see that the family members listen to Paath or otherwise do Paath Seva . Raagis and Paathis do Paath while family members spend the two days in chit-chatting, socializing and enjoying the family get-together. So what difference would it make if a robot did Nitnem and other Sikhi duties for them?
Hearing this, everyone started thinking. There was long silence after this. It's time to think of where we are headed. Today a whole priest class has been created. The common Sikh does not even know how to do an Ardaas, let alone doing Kirtan or Paath Raul for Siri Akhand Paath Sahib. I won't be surprised if one day, robots take over professional Raagis for these spiritual services. In many ways, most of the priest class is very much like robots because they are just as mechanical (devoid of Prema Bhagti) as a robot would be.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥