Naginder Sehmi | Dr Richard Helmer Review

Naginder Sehmi, the author of Travelling Light, Legends of an Indian Fakir, had their book reviewed by Dr Richard Helmer!

See the review below:

Some thoughts when reading “Travelling light – Legends of an Indian Fakir”  

The author Naginder Sehmi has widely collected, carefully selected and “retold” a series of short stories about a famous historic figure of the Punjab: Baba Nanak. His way of telling these stories is directed to children and adolescents searching for role models to guide their moral and spiritual development. These 47 legendary tales are, like pearls on a string, taking the reader by the hand through the entire life of the protagonist Nanak.

As the authors Alain de Botton and Yuval Harari, although both declared atheists, are highly valuing the convincing power of legends in the formation of religions and social coherence of their followers, the role of Nanak as a spiritually leading torch in the often-dark times of religious controversies has to be considered as unique and exemplary. His origin at a crossroad of three major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) provides for an ideal starting point for telling the events and lessons learned or lessons given during his travels which span across a multitude of great Asian peoples and their beliefs.

Contrary to initiators of leading world religions (Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha) Nanak himself is not a founder of any religion but rather a prophet and reconciliatory bridgebuilder by drawing them towards the human essentials. And these, all human beings can share whatever their culturally-bound beliefs are. The 20th-century movement of World Ethics has taken up the very same approach towards bringing all religions back together to their commonly shared human denominators.

The legends themselves have in part a resemblance to those dedicated to other religious leaders. Extraordinary events at their birth, being extraordinary scholars at childhood, healing sick people and wounded animals, performing miracles, etc. Several of the Nanak legends find their equivalent even in the New Testament and in the stories about the life of Buddha. Credit has to be given to the author that he distinguishes in his Endnotes between the legendary story and the more likely reality of the events and deeds described. And the fictitious character of the miracles is clearly indicated in the forward.

The characters of Nanak’s travel companions provide also for humor and color, showing a varied spectrum of human behaviour in easy and difficult travel situations. This makes the book captivating and entertaining reading for the youngsters providing for an elegant introduction of ethical teachings without being moralistic or dull. The line drawings are clear and illustrate the situation described in each legend. The front cover demonstrates how colouring would bring the message to even more life, and by doing so draws the young reader deeper into the story.

This collection of legends provides ideal material for parents and grandparents and educators to read out to the very young, and for the youngsters to read themselves.

Geneva, January 2021

Richard Helmer

You can purchase a copy of the book here!