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D&D Religion's "Ask About Sikhism" Thread

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Original post by nosaer




I don't want to keep repeating myself. Im concerned with sikh dogma, not rituals like how long you ought to keep your beard. What is sikh dogma?



If you knew the basics about Sikhism, you would know that a) Sikhs dont do rituals and b) keeping a beard or how long to keep it is not a ritual and has more importance. The funny thing is, Sikhs are used to people like you, you think youre some kind of PHD marker that needs to know the full facts about how and why Sikhism was created. What exactly are you trying to gain from all of your posts? 99.99% of readers seem to thing you are trying to discredit Sikhism.

ARE YOU EVEN RELIGIOUS? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SIKHISM APART FROM VERY LITTLE
Reply 761
Original post by okapobcfc08
If you knew the basics about Sikhism, you would know that a) Sikhs dont do rituals and b) keeping a beard or how long to keep it is not a ritual and has more importance. The funny thing is, Sikhs are used to people like you, you think youre some kind of PHD marker that needs to know the full facts about how and why Sikhism was created. What exactly are you trying to gain from all of your posts? 99.99% of readers seem to thing you are trying to discredit Sikhism.

ARE YOU EVEN RELIGIOUS? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SIKHISM APART FROM VERY LITTLE


If I knew everything about Sikhism I wouldn't be posting on this thread. Derp.
Reply 762
Original post by okapobcfc08
If you knew the basics about Sikhism, you would know that a) Sikhs dont do rituals and b) keeping a beard or how long to keep it is not a ritual and has more importance. The funny thing is, Sikhs are used to people like you, you think youre some kind of PHD marker that needs to know the full facts about how and why Sikhism was created. What exactly are you trying to gain from all of your posts? 99.99% of readers seem to thing you are trying to discredit Sikhism.

ARE YOU EVEN RELIGIOUS? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SIKHISM APART FROM VERY LITTLE


He conveniently ignores my posts....

Anyway, he should pay more attention to what is happening to Islam, how the Sunnis, Shias, Sufis, Amadhiya, Salfafis, Whahibis, and so on segregate themselves and their beliefs and fighting. He need not concern himself weather Dhan Guru Nanak was preaching a Religion or not.
Reply 763
Take the debates elsewhere.
Reply 764
I had some questions which ive asked on a sikh forum but i also thought id ask here to see if views differ

I've been reading about Sikhism on some websites and had a few questions about the things i've read...

1) I've read in Sikhism everybodies soul is a part of God's soul, is that correct? Is this a physical thing, i.e there is Gods soul and we all have a small part of it? So in essence, we all have some "divine" in us?

2) I also read the aim of life is to avoid rebirth/reincarnation and merge back with God. Again, is this a literal and physical merging or does it mean something else?

3) I think i also read that sikhs believe God created the world out of himself or a part of himself? Is that true?
A related question is do you believe God is everywhere and in everything?

4) Do you believe the Gurus received revelation from God? What proof do you have for that, did they do any miracles?

Many thank in advance.
Original post by Rouz

1) I've read in Sikhism everybodies soul is a part of God's soul, is that correct? Is this a physical thing, i.e there is Gods soul and we all have a small part of it? So in essence, we all have some "divine" in us?

We are not part of Waheguru in this body, the merging occurs when our spirituality is at a high enough level:

[INDENT]"One who is not touched by pleasure, pain, greed, emotional attachment and egotistical pride. Nanak says, listen mind: he is the very image of God. One who is beyond praise and slander, and looks upon gold and iron alike. Nanak says, listen mind: know that such a person attains salvation. One who is not affected by pleasure or pain, and looks upon friend and enemy alike. Nanak says, listen mind: know that such a person attains salvation"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1427)[/INDENT]

Oh and God doesn't have a "soul." God is God, and nothing else.

2) I also read the aim of life is to avoid rebirth/reincarnation and merge back with God. Again, is this a literal and physical merging or does it mean something else?

It is a spiritual merging

[INDENT]"One's soul blends with the (Waheguru's) Light, and one becomes totally perfect."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 846)[/INDENT]

3) I think i also read that sikhs believe God created the world out of himself or a part of himself? Is that true?

No. Waheguru is omnipresent within the creation, but that does not mean that Waheguru is the creation.

This analogy should clear things up: supposing I mix sugar with water; the sugar is now within the water, but this does not mean that the sugar is the water - this would clearly be absurd. This is similar to the nature of Waheguru.

The believe that God is the creation is a Hindu belief, which was forced into Sikhism under the British rule:
"The fanatic and corrupt Hindu Mahants installed idols in the Gurdwaras and introduced Hindu rites and rituals which were denounced and renounced by the Sikh Gurus. In this way the Mahants brought Sikh religion under the evil influence of Hinduism and muddled it greatly."
(The Gallant Defender, Dr. A.R. Darshi, pp. 25)

4) Do you believe the Gurus received revelation from God?

Yes;

[INDENT]"Waaho! Waaho! This is the Bani, the Word, of the Formless Lord. There is no other as great as He is."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 515)

"O GurSikhs, know that the Bani, the Word of the God, is true, absolutely true. The Creator Lord Himself causes the Guru to chant it."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 308)

"Falsehood will come to an end, O Nanak, and Truth will prevail in the end."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 953)

“Waheguru gave me His Hukam (Order) to sing His Praises day and night. Waheguru, my Lord and Master summoned me, His minstrel, to the True Mansion of His Presence. (Waheguru,) the Image of True Praise and Glory, gave me the Siropaao, robe of honour. The spiritual-life giving Name, Amrit Naam, the True Name, which gives eternal spiritual life, has become my sustenance.”
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 150)

"O Lalo! As the Lord’s word comes to me so I deliver it."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 722)

"I myself know not what to say; all I speak is what the Lord commands."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 763) [/INDENT]

What proof do you have for that,

Loads; For example, the expanse of the universe according to Sikhism:

[INDENT]"There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon worlds of His creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 8)

"There are billions of regions and planets. There are billions of moons, suns and stars"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 275)

"Many millions are the fields of creation and galaxies. Many millions are the skies and solar systems... He has expanded His expansion of creation many times. Forever and ever, He is the One, the One Universal Creator."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 276) [/INDENT]

There is a wealth of further material I could go into here, but you get the idea.

I think that these descriptions are truly remarkable, but don't just take my word for it!
"The Guru Granth Sahib of all the world religious scriptures, alone states that there are innumerable worlds and universes other than our own. The previous scriptures were all concerned only with this world and its spiritual counterpart. To imply that they spoke of other worlds as does the Guru Granth Sahib, is to stretch their obvious meanings out of context. The Sikh religion is truly the answer to the problems of the modern man."
(Sikh Review, Rev. H. L. Brawshaw)

did they do any miracles?

Yes, but I think an important distiction needs to be made here. The Gurus could not perform miracles of their own accord, it was Waheguru who was performing the miracles through them:

[INDENT]"That alone is miraculous power, which the Carefree Lord spontaneously bestows."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 650) [/INDENT]

An example of this is still present at Hassan Abdal, Pakistan.
Gurud_12.jpg
This is a boulder that was thrown on Guru Nanak by Wali Kandhari, because he was jealous of the Guru. Guru Nanak stopped the boulder with the palm of his hand alone. It, and a spring of water which Guru Nanak produced, still stand there today, where they are enclosed in the Gurdwara Panja Sahib.
Hi,

I've always wanted to know this. Whenever I go to Sikh peoples houses I see pictures and statues of Hindu Gods. Is this allowed? I thought Sikhs aren't allowed to worship deities?

Thanks to anyone who can answer! :]
Original post by Lakhvir.Singh
Hi,

I've always wanted to know this. Whenever I go to Sikh peoples houses I see pictures and statues of Hindu Gods. Is this allowed? I thought Sikhs aren't allowed to worship deities?

Thanks to anyone who can answer! :]


This is 100% not allowed in Sikhi, such people shouldn't even be allowed to call themselves Sikhs.

Gurbani against idol worship:

[INDENT]"The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord; they are going the wrong way. As Naarad instructed them, they are worshipping idols. They are blind and mute, the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them. But when those stones themselves sink, who will carry you across? ||2||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 556)

"Within the home of his own self, he does not even come to see his Lord and Master. And yet, around his neck, he hangs a stone god. ||1|| The faithless cynic wanders around, deluded by doubt. He churns water, and after wasting his life away, he dies. ||1||Pause|| That stone, which he calls his god, that stone pulls him down and drowns him. ||2|| O sinner, you are untrue to your own self; a boat of stone will not carry you across. ||3|| Meeting the Guru, O Nanak, I know my Lord and Master. The Perfect Architect of Destiny is pervading and permeating the water, the land and the sky. ||4||3||9||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 739)

"Their service is useless. Those who fall at the feet of a stone god their work is wasted in vain. ||1|| My Lord and Master speaks forever. God gives His gifts to all living beings. ||1||Pause|| The Divine Lord is within the self, but the spiritually blind one does not know this. Deluded by doubt, he is caught in the noose. The stone does not speak; it does not give anything to anyone. Such religious rituals are useless; such service is fruitless. ||2||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1160)

"You wash your stone gods and worship them. You offer saffron, sandalwood and flowers. Falling at their feet, you try so hard to appease them. Begging, begging from other people, you get things to wear and eat. For your blind deeds, you will be blindly punished."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1240)

"Meeting God, doubt is dispelled. Who else should I worship? I can see no other. ||3|| One stone is lovingly decorated, while another stone is walked upon. If one is a god, then the other must also be a god. Says Naam Dev, I serve the Lord. ||4||1||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 525)

"The performance of countless millions of other devotions is not even equal to one devotion to the Name of God"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1163)

"Those who serve Shiva and Brahma do not find Salvation. The Fearless, Formless Lord is invisible; He reveals Himself only to the Gurmukh. United with God, one does not suffer from sorrow or separation; he becomes stable in the world"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 516).

"I do not pick leaves as offerings and I do not worship idols. All services are useless without devotional worship of the Lord"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1158)

"God does not reside within the statue of Krishna"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 727) [/INDENT]

Now let's hear from the Dasam Granth:

[INDENT]"So what if you worshipped statues, monuments or pictures? Worshipping these, your soul has been tired (meaning you are close to death) but you have not found anything. You donate rice, you burn joss-stick, wick lamps or frankincense, you burn oil lamps and perform many other rituals but that statue does not get you anything because it has no life. You fool! What do you get out of performing these rituals? What can a stone give you? If this stone had life, then it would have been able to give you something. Think this over and start reciting God’s praises, then you will know the right path and you will know that without God, you cannot get away from this cycle of birth and death"

"While worshipping stones some people are bowing before them and some others are withholding idols of stones in their necks. Some people have faith that God is in the south while others consider God is toward the west and they are bowing their heads in those directions. Some people are worshiping idols foolishly while others are adoring the dead. The whole world is busy in such false performances without knowing the secret mystery of God."

"O foolish beast! You do not recognize Him, Whose Glory hath spread over all the three worlds (refering to life in the sea, land and air). You worship the creatures of God, on account of which your future (in the yond) is lost. For self interest you do such sin that even then great sin is ashamed of that. O ignorant, fall at the feet of the Lord. God does not reside in these stones."

"Why do you worship stones? The Lord-God is not within those stones; you may only worship Him, whose adoration destroys clusters of sins; with the remembrance on the Name of the Lord, the ties of all suffering are removed; ever mediate on that Lord because the hollow religious will not bear any fruit."

"The hollow religion became fruitless and O being! You have lost millions of years by worshipping the stones; you will not get power with the worship of stones; the strength and glory will only decrease; In this way, the time was lost uselessly and nothing was achieved and you were not ashamed; O foolish intellect! You have not remembered the Lord and have wasted your life in vain."

"I (Guru Gobind Singh) have killed the hill kings who were bent on mischief. They were stone idol worshippers, I am the breaker of idols and I worship the one Lord."

"They who think that Shiva is God, they are unaware of the Supreme Primal Lord" [/INDENT]


Historical texts written by non-Sikhs also declare that Sikhs were not idol worshippers. For example, the Dabistan-i-Mazahib, written by a Muslim Mullah called Mohsin Fani Kashmiri, states that:

[INDENT]"Followers of Guru Nanak (Sikhs) do not have faith in idols and temples of idols. The Sikhs are not idol worshippers. The greatest proof of that is that none of the Gurus raised any temple where an idol was installed."[/INDENT]

(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by SaintSoldier
This is 100% not allowed in Sikhi, such people shouldn't even be allowed to call themselves Sikhs.

Gurbani against idol worship:

[INDENT]"The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord; they are going the wrong way. As Naarad instructed them, they are worshipping idols. They are blind and mute, the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools pick up stones and worship them. But when those stones themselves sink, who will carry you across? ||2||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 556)

"Within the home of his own self, he does not even come to see his Lord and Master. And yet, around his neck, he hangs a stone god. ||1|| The faithless cynic wanders around, deluded by doubt. He churns water, and after wasting his life away, he dies. ||1||Pause|| That stone, which he calls his god, that stone pulls him down and drowns him. ||2|| O sinner, you are untrue to your own self; a boat of stone will not carry you across. ||3|| Meeting the Guru, O Nanak, I know my Lord and Master. The Perfect Architect of Destiny is pervading and permeating the water, the land and the sky. ||4||3||9||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 739)

"Their service is useless. Those who fall at the feet of a stone god their work is wasted in vain. ||1|| My Lord and Master speaks forever. God gives His gifts to all living beings. ||1||Pause|| The Divine Lord is within the self, but the spiritually blind one does not know this. Deluded by doubt, he is caught in the noose. The stone does not speak; it does not give anything to anyone. Such religious rituals are useless; such service is fruitless. ||2||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1160)

"You wash your stone gods and worship them. You offer saffron, sandalwood and flowers. Falling at their feet, you try so hard to appease them. Begging, begging from other people, you get things to wear and eat. For your blind deeds, you will be blindly punished."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1240)

"Meeting God, doubt is dispelled. Who else should I worship? I can see no other. ||3|| One stone is lovingly decorated, while another stone is walked upon. If one is a god, then the other must also be a god. Says Naam Dev, I serve the Lord. ||4||1||"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 525)

"The performance of countless millions of other devotions is not even equal to one devotion to the Name of God"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1163)

"Those who serve Shiva and Brahma do not find Salvation. The Fearless, Formless Lord is invisible; He reveals Himself only to the Gurmukh. United with God, one does not suffer from sorrow or separation; he becomes stable in the world"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 516).

"I do not pick leaves as offerings and I do not worship idols. All services are useless without devotional worship of the Lord"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1158)

"God does not reside within the statue of Krishna"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 727) [/INDENT]

Now let's hear from the Dasam Granth:

[INDENT]"So what if you worshipped statues, monuments or pictures? Worshipping these, your soul has been tired (meaning you are close to death) but you have not found anything. You donate rice, you burn joss-stick, wick lamps or frankincense, you burn oil lamps and perform many other rituals but that statue does not get you anything because it has no life. You fool! What do you get out of performing these rituals? What can a stone give you? If this stone had life, then it would have been able to give you something. Think this over and start reciting God’s praises, then you will know the right path and you will know that without God, you cannot get away from this cycle of birth and death"

"While worshipping stones some people are bowing before them and some others are withholding idols of stones in their necks. Some people have faith that God is in the south while others consider God is toward the west and they are bowing their heads in those directions. Some people are worshiping idols foolishly while others are adoring the dead. The whole world is busy in such false performances without knowing the secret mystery of God."

"O foolish beast! You do not recognize Him, Whose Glory hath spread over all the three worlds (refering to life in the sea, land and air). You worship the creatures of God, on account of which your future (in the yond) is lost. For self interest you do such sin that even then great sin is ashamed of that. O ignorant, fall at the feet of the Lord. God does not reside in these stones."

"Why do you worship stones? The Lord-God is not within those stones; you may only worship Him, whose adoration destroys clusters of sins; with the remembrance on the Name of the Lord, the ties of all suffering are removed; ever mediate on that Lord because the hollow religious will not bear any fruit."

"The hollow religion became fruitless and O being! You have lost millions of years by worshipping the stones; you will not get power with the worship of stones; the strength and glory will only decrease; In this way, the time was lost uselessly and nothing was achieved and you were not ashamed; O foolish intellect! You have not remembered the Lord and have wasted your life in vain."

"I (Guru Gobind Singh) have killed the hill kings who were bent on mischief. They were stone idol worshippers, I am the breaker of idols and I worship the one Lord."

"They who think that Shiva is God, they are unaware of the Supreme Primal Lord" [/INDENT]


Historical texts written by non-Sikhs also declare that Sikhs were not idol worshippers. For example, the Dabistan-i-Mazahib, written by a Muslim Mullah called Mohsin Fani Kashmiri, states that:

[INDENT]"Followers of Guru Nanak (Sikhs) do not have faith in idols and temples of idols. The Sikhs are not idol worshippers. The greatest proof of that is that none of the Gurus raised any temple where an idol was installed."[/INDENT]




Thank you for the really detailed response Saint. May I ask why so many Sikh people do it?
Original post by Lakhvir.Singh
Thank you for the really detailed response Saint

I ain't know saint lol, but thanks anyway :smile:

May I ask why so many Sikh people do it?

In my experience it's not common at all, I have never seen a Sikh in the UK with Hindu idols in his/her house, but I don't know what things are like where you are....

It's due to Hindu extremist groups such as RSS and Shiv Sena who are trying to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism.

Also Indian politicians like Gandhi and Nehru wanted Sikhs to become Hindus.

The Indian Constitution still does not recognise Sikhism as a separate religion, and as a result we have no rights over there.

During the time of the British Raj, Hindu Brahmins (priests) were put in charge of Gurdwaras because all of the Sikhs were too busy fighting for the British in the British Indian Army. They intoduced these practices. But in general I'd say the Sikhs have recovered well, and have found what real Sikhism is in the Guru Granth Sahib. Some people (non-Sikhs) believe that the British deliberately did that to dismantle Sikhism:

[INDENT]"When the British conquered and annexed Punjab in 1849 they were aware of the power and glory of the Sikhs. They also knew that Sikh power emerges from the Gurdwaras. Therefore they conceived a sinister plan to scuttle Sikhism by taking control of these institutions of religious power through their agents. In pursuit of their aim they installed Hindu Mahants as managers of important Gurdwaras. For instance, Mahant Narain Das and Mahant Sadhu Ram both anti-Sikh elements, were respectively made in charge of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Harimandir Sahib. The fanatic and corrupt Hindu Mahants installed idols in the Gurdwaras and introduced Hindu rites and rituals which were denounced and renounced by the Sikh Gurus. In this way the Mahants brought Sikh religion under the evil influence of Hinduism and muddled it greatly."
(The Gallant Defender, Dr. A.R. Darshi, 25)[/INDENT]

We've still got the Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, and all the Sakhis to tell us right from wrong - it's just some people don't want to listen to the Sach Di Avaaj (Voice of Truth) anymore.

[INDENT]"Falsehood will come to an end, O Nanak, and Truth will prevail in the end."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 953)[/INDENT]
Original post by SaintSoldier
I ain't know saint lol, but thanks anyway :smile:


In my experience it's not common at all, I have never seen a Sikh in the UK with Hindu idols in his/her house, but I don't know what things are like where you are....

It's due to Hindu extremist groups such as RSS and Shiv Sena who are trying to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism.

Also Indian politicians like Gandhi and Nehru wanted Sikhs to become Hindus.

The Indian Constitution still does not recognise Sikhism as a separate religion, and as a result we have no rights over there.

During the time of the British Raj, Hindu Brahmins (priests) were put in charge of Gurdwaras because all of the Sikhs were too busy fighting for the British in the British Indian Army. They intoduced these practices. But in general I'd say the Sikhs have recovered well, and have found what real Sikhism is in the Guru Granth Sahib. Some people (non-Sikhs) believe that the British deliberately did that to dismantle Sikhism:

[INDENT]"When the British conquered and annexed Punjab in 1849 they were aware of the power and glory of the Sikhs. They also knew that Sikh power emerges from the Gurdwaras. Therefore they conceived a sinister plan to scuttle Sikhism by taking control of these institutions of religious power through their agents. In pursuit of their aim they installed Hindu Mahants as managers of important Gurdwaras. For instance, Mahant Narain Das and Mahant Sadhu Ram both anti-Sikh elements, were respectively made in charge of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Harimandir Sahib. The fanatic and corrupt Hindu Mahants installed idols in the Gurdwaras and introduced Hindu rites and rituals which were denounced and renounced by the Sikh Gurus. In this way the Mahants brought Sikh religion under the evil influence of Hinduism and muddled it greatly."
(The Gallant Defender, Dr. A.R. Darshi, 25)[/INDENT]

We've still got the Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, and all the Sakhis to tell us right from wrong - it's just some people don't want to listen to the Sach Di Avaaj (Voice of Truth) anymore.

[INDENT]"Falsehood will come to an end, O Nanak, and Truth will prevail in the end."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 953)[/INDENT]



I was just calling you the first part of your username :tongue:

It's more common when we go to Sikh houses(but they're not proper Sikhs - haircutted and stuff)

Thanks for the answer again :smile:
Original post by SaintSoldier
I ain't know saint lol, but thanks anyway :smile:


In my experience it's not common at all, I have never seen a Sikh in the UK with Hindu idols in his/her house, but I don't know what things are like where you are....

It's due to Hindu extremist groups such as RSS and Shiv Sena who are trying to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism.

Also Indian politicians like Gandhi and Nehru wanted Sikhs to become Hindus.

The Indian Constitution still does not recognise Sikhism as a separate religion, and as a result we have no rights over there.

During the time of the British Raj, Hindu Brahmins (priests) were put in charge of Gurdwaras because all of the Sikhs were too busy fighting for the British in the British Indian Army. They intoduced these practices. But in general I'd say the Sikhs have recovered well, and have found what real Sikhism is in the Guru Granth Sahib. Some people (non-Sikhs) believe that the British deliberately did that to dismantle Sikhism:

[INDENT]"When the British conquered and annexed Punjab in 1849 they were aware of the power and glory of the Sikhs. They also knew that Sikh power emerges from the Gurdwaras. Therefore they conceived a sinister plan to scuttle Sikhism by taking control of these institutions of religious power through their agents. In pursuit of their aim they installed Hindu Mahants as managers of important Gurdwaras. For instance, Mahant Narain Das and Mahant Sadhu Ram both anti-Sikh elements, were respectively made in charge of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Harimandir Sahib. The fanatic and corrupt Hindu Mahants installed idols in the Gurdwaras and introduced Hindu rites and rituals which were denounced and renounced by the Sikh Gurus. In this way the Mahants brought Sikh religion under the evil influence of Hinduism and muddled it greatly."
(The Gallant Defender, Dr. A.R. Darshi, 25)[/INDENT]

We've still got the Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, and all the Sakhis to tell us right from wrong - it's just some people don't want to listen to the Sach Di Avaaj (Voice of Truth) anymore.

[INDENT]"Falsehood will come to an end, O Nanak, and Truth will prevail in the end."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 953)[/INDENT]



I've seen it alot, particularly amongst those who call themselves half Sikhs/half Hindus; Which is of course impossible but whatever, they can do what they want, it's all up to Waheguru Ji in the end, right? :smile:


Got a question by the way:

Why do even '100% Sikhs by birth' wear that Rakhi thing? Isn't it ritualistic and therefore banned by Sikhi? Or do I have it wrong?
(edited 11 years ago)
http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/2012/honour-crimes/
Is the reason around 4% of young Sikhs believe in honour killings religious or cultural?
Reply 773
Original post by Lakhvir.Singh
Thank you for the really detailed response Saint. May I ask why so many Sikh people do it?

"many"..?

I'm yet to walk into a Sikh persons house that posses such things.
Original post by Use Err Name
I've seen it alot, particularly amongst those who call themselves half Sikhs/half Hindus; Which is of course impossible but whatever, they can do what they want, it's all up to Waheguru Ji in the end, right? :smile:

It is, but Waheguru has already told us that idol worship is wrong, so why would you do something that you know is wrong?

Why do even '100% Sikhs by birth' wear that Rakhi thing? Isn't it ritualistic and therefore banned by Sikhi? Or do I have it wrong?


Now this is something I have seen going on in the Sikh community, and it too is 100% forbidden for us to take part in:


Original post by AkaJetson
http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/2012/honour-crimes/
Is the reason around 4% of young Sikhs believe in honour killings religious or cultural?


Cultural

Most of these honour killings are down to inter-caste marriages, but caste distinction was something outlawed by the Gurus so it shouldn't be an issue at all.

"Recognize the Lord's Light within all, and do not consider social class or status; there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter ॥1॥Pause॥"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 349)

"The four castes - the Kh'shaatriyas, Brahmins, Soodras and Vaishyas - are equal"
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 747)

"Whether he is a Brahmin, a Vaishya, a Soodra, or a Kh'shaatriya;
whether he is a poet, an outcaste, or a filthy-minded person, he becomes pure,
by meditating on the Lord God. He saves himself"

(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 858)

The Panj Piarey, the first five Khalsa Sikhs, were all from different castes, thus demonstrating that Guru Gobind Singh was not interested in caste.

amrit1small.jpg

Guru Gobind Singh famously said:
"Recognize the whole of human race as one"
(Dasam Granth, Pp 51)

The institute of langar (free kitchen), which is a mandatory service that ever Gurdwara in the world has to provide, helps to break down caste barriers. Sitting in Pangat (eating with others) gets different sections of the community talking to each other.

gurud5.jpg

Everyone in the Gurdwara sits on the floor, to show equality and absence of caste.

When people take Amrit and become initiated into Sikhism, they all drink from the same Sarbloh Bata (iron bowl) to demonstrate equality and brotherhood.

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....And there are hundreds of other examples I could talk about that show that caste has no place in Sikhism.

In Sikhism, marriage is all about the happiness of the couple, and not about the social standing of the two families:

"They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies."
(Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 788)

An unhappy or forced marriage would clearly be in violation of the above quote.

If you look at the Sakhis, you will see that the Gurus never pressed their children to marry a certain person, but instead allowed the children themselves to decide on a suitable partner.

For example, the Sakhis narrate that Guru Amar Das (the 3rd Guru) asked his daughter, Bibi Bhani, who she wanted to marry. She said Bhai Jetha, one of the eminent Sikhs, and so the wedding was arranged. (There is a lesson about the way she said it, which teaches you to not judge people by their looks, but that's a different issue - ask if you want to know though).

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(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 775
Original post by SaintSoldier
...


Serious question:

Is it true that Sikhs are not allowed (according to their religion) to trim ANY hair growing on their body (including pubic hair)? I thought it was true but then someone led me to think that perhaps the opposite is true.

Yes I know most Sikhs probably do trim, however, I am just curious if their religion commands them to refrain from trimming. And if yes, isn't that unhygienic?

Also, do Sikhs believe in heaven/hell and judgement day? If yes, what will happen to non-Sikhs in the after life.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by GPODT
Serious question:

Is it true that Sikhs are not allowed (according to their religion) to trim ANY hair growing on their body (including pubic hair)? I thought it was true but then someone led me to think that perhaps the opposite is true.

Yes I know most Sikhs probably do trim, however, I am just curious if their religion commands them to refrain from trimming. And if yes, isn't that unhygienic?

Also, do Sikhs believe in heaven/hell and judgement day? If yes, what will happen to non-Sikhs in the after life.


I'm not a Sikh, however this particular "Ask a.." can be very slow moving, if noone has responded in a day or so, ill jump in with some verified sources and answer for you.

Always best to hear it from an Adherant though, so ill wait up.
Just out of curiosity can punjabi speakers Sikhs understand the Adi Granth?
Original post by GPODT
Serious question:

Is it true that Sikhs are not allowed (according to their religion) to trim ANY hair growing on their body (including pubic hair)? I thought it was true but then someone led me to think that perhaps the opposite is true.

Yes I know most Sikhs probably do trim, however, I am just curious if their religion commands them to refrain from trimming. And if yes, isn't that unhygienic?

Also, do Sikhs believe in heaven/hell and judgement day? If yes, what will happen to non-Sikhs in the after life.


Yep. You are right to say that Sikhs are not allowed to cut any hair on any part of their body. Again, you're right to say that most still do trim anyway, even many who might have uncut hair on their head (unfortunately I am guilty of this).

In terms of hygiene, obviously if you don't wash yourself often, uncut pubic hair and the like would only make it worse. However, as symbolized by one of the 5k's (Kanga - meaning wooden comb), staying clean is very, very important in Sikhism. Any Sikh who does leave all of their hair uncut will often be very strong adherents to the faith and so will follow the principle of cleanliness anyway.

In terms of heaven/hell/judgement day, Sikhs do not believe in these theories. The majority of Sikhs would believe in reincarnation. Not to the extent that Hindu's might however (Sikhs believe that a bad person will simply be reborn into the world continuously until they lead a good life. Sikhs do not believe that one might be reborn as, for example, an ant if they have lived a bad life).

Lastly, in terms of the Sikh view of what happens to non-Sikhs after death, it is not like how other religions might say that they go to hell/are looked down upon by God for following another religion. Instead, Sikhism teaches that all religions are simply different paths to the same goal and so a Christian, for example, as long as they lead a good life (charitable, honest etc.), will end up in the same position as a good Sikh. Many Sikhs would extend this principle to atheists as well - as long as you do what's right, who's to judge what God will do to you after death/what will happen to you after death?

Bear in mind that while I am a Sikh, I'm by no means a scholar of the religion, however I should think that my points would be agreeable to most Sikhs.
Reply 779
Original post by Use Err Name
Yep. You are right to say that Sikhs are not allowed to cut any hair on any part of their body. Again, you're right to say that most still do trim anyway, even many who might have uncut hair on their head (unfortunately I am guilty of this).

In terms of hygiene, obviously if you don't wash yourself often, uncut pubic hair and the like would only make it worse. However, as symbolized by one of the 5k's (Kanga - meaning wooden comb), staying clean is very, very important in Sikhism. Any Sikh who does leave all of their hair uncut will often be very strong adherents to the faith and so will follow the principle of cleanliness anyway.

In terms of heaven/hell/judgement day, Sikhs do not believe in these theories. The majority of Sikhs would believe in reincarnation. Not to the extent that Hindu's might however (Sikhs believe that a bad person will simply be reborn into the world continuously until they lead a good life. Sikhs do not believe that one might be reborn as, for example, an ant if they have lived a bad life).

Lastly, in terms of the Sikh view of what happens to non-Sikhs after death, it is not like how other religions might say that they go to hell/are looked down upon by God for following another religion. Instead, Sikhism teaches that all religions are simply different paths to the same goal and so a Christian, for example, as long as they lead a good life (charitable, honest etc.), will end up in the same position as a good Sikh. Many Sikhs would extend this principle to atheists as well - as long as you do what's right, who's to judge what God will do to you after death/what will happen to you after death?

Bear in mind that while I am a Sikh, I'm by no means a scholar of the religion, however I should think that my points would be agreeable to most Sikhs.


Thanks for the reply. If Sikhs do not believe in judgement day, what happens to a GOOD person after they die? Do they ALSO re-incarnate?

Also, when talking about Christians you said ''as long as they lead a good life'', who determines what good is? Of course, charity is universally agreed to be an act of good but what about other acts that are deemed as good by one religion and bad by another? For example, some Muslims believe you can use violence to defend Islam from attack, would this make them ''evil''? Or Atheists that MOCK God but do not hurt a fly, are they evil?

Lastly, do Sikhs believe in one God with no partners like Islam or do they believe God has different forms like Hindus do?

Thanks a lot once more.

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