*3.4. Inclusivity*

In sociological terms, accessibility can be at the micro, meso, and macro levels. The wider the scope for disseminating one's research, the greater the benefits: sharing new knowledge, gaining feedback, establishing an academic reputation, increasing potential collaboration opportunities, etc. How we write (if writing is the chosen medium) influences who is able to connect and who is excluded. The use of specialized, technical terminology exclusive to particular groups limits accessibility to those outside the circle, thereby restricting the impact of the work and its potential for bringing about change (Walter 2018). Over time, this imbalance risks perpetuating a narrative of them and us, or the learned and unlearned.

The Guru Granth Sahib is written using multiple languages and dialects, with multiple contributors ¯ from a variety of socio-religious backgrounds. This clear subversion worked by flouting the strict rules of exclusion commonly observed through restricting a religious text to a religious group. The raags (musical measures) like the languages and dialects used in the Guru Granth Sahib also cross multiple ¯ social economic lines. The use of classical raag and the Sanskrit language commonly associated with people of high class and caste status is situated alongside folk tunes more popular in the villages, placing both on the same platform, demonstrating marginalized voices of equal value.

Increasing inclusivity by taking into consideration language, history, and culture improves accessibility. Autoethnographers make an intentional and conscious e ffort to make their work more accessible and available further afield from academic circles, utilizing the intellectual, analytical mind and the sensory, emotional aspects of experience to o ffer a relatable output.

In gurbani imagery, metaphors and similes are used to evoke a multisensory response to convey that which cannot be fully captured by words alone ye<sup>t</sup> may give rise to a relational understanding. Metaphors act as a transformer of the raw energy patterns into forms that can be assimilated by consciousness (Woodman 1993, p. 54). For example, gurbani describes the life force Ik Oankar as the sustenance behind all of creation, like the unconditional love of a mother for her child13, or in (Bhai) Gurdas ji's var on the love between Sikh and Guru, like the Chakvi's (Sheldrake, a bird belonging to ¯ the duck family) love for the sun, who feels elated in the presence of sunlight (Chakavee sooraj hayt hai mili honi soukhaalay, Var 2:17). These analogies are relatable because they include nature, well-known folk references and everyday experiences that were familiar to ordinary people of the time.

#### *3.5. Crafting and Telling Sakhis (Stories)*
