Sikhism: Ask your questions

[chinu]

Honestly every Sikh I have come across..Ive genuinly wanted to befriend..they just seem humble and happy... I havent met millions of Sikhs tho..maybe like 10 in my life but not one of them hated me for being Muslim..or it didnt show.

Actually.. according to history sikhs were troubled by some muslim emperors, that's why some sikhs are always reserved with muslims, But i don't think they should do so becuase gurus never taught to take any type of revenge from any muslim.

Infact, during the frequent sallies and skirmishes between the Sikhs and the enemy, Bhai Kanhaiya was often seen carrying a mashak (a sort of pouch made of goat's skin that was used to carry water from one place to another), to serve water to anyone who was thirsty. He took upon the task of quenching the thirst of the wounded soldiers in the battle of anandpur sahib in 1704. He did this sewa with love and affection without any discrimination between the Guru's Sikh soldiers and the Mughal armies' soldiers. His act of compassion stirred up stern criticism amongst his fellow Sikhs, who complained to guru gobind singh Ji, pointing out that Bhai Kanhaiya Ji was serving water to the wounded soldiers from the enemy camp. They were especially annoyed because the mughals had surrounded the city and stopped all their food supplies, and here was Bhai Kanhaiya sharing with them what little water they had. They had tried to stop him many a time, but he would not pay any heed. Guru Gobind Singh summoned Bhai Kanhaiya and explained that he had received a complaint about his actions on the battlefield.
Guruji said, “These brave Sikhs are saying that you go and feed water to the enemy and they recover to fight them again – Is this true?”
Bhai Kanhaiya Ji replied "Yes, my Guru, what they say is true. But Maharaj, I saw no Mughal or Sikh on the battlefield. I only saw human beings. And, ... Guru Ji, .. they all have the same God’s Spirit? – Guru Ji, have you not taught us to treat all God's people as the same?"
The Guru was very pleased with the reply. Bhai Kanhaiya Ji had understood the deep message of gurbani correctly. Guru ji smiled and blessed Bhai Kanhaiya. Guru Ji said, "Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, You are right. You have understood the true message of gurbani". He then continued and told the Sikhs that Bhai Kanhaiya had understood the deeper message of the Gurus' teachings correctly and that they all have to strive to learn lessons from the priceless words of gurbani.
Guru also gave Bhai Kanhaiya Ji medical Balm and said “From now on, You should also put this balm on the wounds of all who need it”'
Then turning to the sangat Guru Ji said, Saadh sangat ji, Bhai Kanhaiya is a God-fearing saintly soul. His impartial and non-biased behaviour towards others has led him to achieve Sehaj-avastha. Let him carry on with his mission. Many more will follow in his footsteps in the years to come and keep the tradition of nishkam sewa alive."

Source

 

[Monotheist 101]

Wow I cant believe I never heard of this before..

If it helps IMO the Mughals were the worst representatives of Islam and I blame them for alot of innovations being brought into Islam due to their care-free attitude towards religion.

I was reading the Akbar-nama which is a biography of sorts..I am ashamed that an Emperor would take part in haram and innovative practices..like magick and saint worship/ Veneration of graves..

 

[GURSIKH]

I'm sure I'm going to sound really shallow and stupid :foot: but the main reasons why I haven't embraced Sikhism are:

Kesh, it makes me a little uncomfortable but my biggest issue is that my husband dislikes body hair. I'm sure he would still love me but I feel a need to be sexy and attractive to him. He's British and thinks it's silly that people can't shave or cut their hair if that's what they want. I realise some people do cut Kesh but it doesn't seem to be seen in a positive light and I feel it's almost a basic thing to do? Am I wrong? I also like to dye my hair but that's very minor, it's no problem.

Language, I feel to really understand Sikh especially the SGGS, you have to learn the language. There's also a bit of a language barrier (although I hear it might be easier on weekends). I just feel as if I'll be a bit left out?

I love everything about Sikhism, I don't know how to tackle these issues that I have.

sat sri akaal illykitty ji

i can understand your issue and can correlate it with an "elective course" that was offered to us during graduation ,on very first day proffesor came with a very advance book and very complex equations , in next class no one attended and ultimately course was rolled back .

i mean to say sequence is important ,to begin with one need to develop an association with Gurbani ,Guru Granth Sahib ji our Guru .one need to realise the importance of Sewa ,Simran, Sangat ,Kirtan and its gradual process . then if someone feel urge from within to join Khalsa(Gurus Army) with full 5Ks then its Great but even otherwise is also fine there is no compulsion.

you will find Sehajdhari Sikhs ,Keshdhari Sikhs ,Amritdhari Sikhs inside Gurudwaras .


you can read very interesting related recent article by Harbans lal ji very respected Sehajdhari Sikh here

sikhchic.com | The Art and Culture of the Diaspora | Am I a Sikh? How Much?


sri waheguru ji ki fateh .

 

[Huey09]

Odion I have a question. Why do Sikhs never cut their hair and also are there sects of Sikhs who do cut their hair? Sorry if its an obvious question

 

[Breathe]

Odion I have a question. Why do Sikhs never cut their hair

Accepting the Will of God (Hukam) and finding beauty in the natural order; the body is a beautiful thing, not something that we need to alter.

and also are there sects of Sikhs who do cut their hair? Sorry if its an obvious question

No sect; but many Sikhs are "Sahajdhari", or "Slow adopters". They are a good portion of Sikhs.

Only a Sikh who is baptized as a Khālsā Sikh (Amritdhār&#299 is prohibited from cutting his or her hair as they have taken a vow to not cut their hair. Becoming an Amritdhārī is something that every Sikh should strive for, but not all can do. That's accepted. Westerners make a bigger scene out of kesh than most Panjabi Sikhs.

 

[Huey09]

Accepting the Will of God (Hukam) and finding beauty in the natural order; the body is a beautiful thing, not something that we need to alter.

So does this also apply to things like cosmetics, piercings and tattoos?

No sect; but many Sikhs are "Sahajdhari", or "Slow adopters". They are a good portion of Sikhs.

Only a Sikh who is baptized as a Khālsā Sikh (Amritdhār&#299 is prohibited from cutting his or her hair as they have taken a vow to not cut their hair. Becoming an Amritdhārī is something that every Sikh should strive for, but not all can do. That's accepted. Westerners make a bigger scene out of kesh than most Panjabi Sikhs.

So there are Sikhs who go their whole lives without becoming Amritdhārī? Also I'm starting to think that Sahajdharis are really under represented. Because all I used to think of when I heard the word Sikh are "the guys with the turbans"

 

[Breathe]

So does this also apply to things like cosmetics, piercings and tattoos?

Varies from liberal to conservative. I've seen plenty of Sikhs with all of them, and short hair; and some with long hair and tattoos, piercings, etc.

So there are Sikhs who go their whole lives without becoming Amritdhārī?

Yep.

Also I'm starting to think that Sahajdharis are really under represented.

Not in any gurdwārās.

Because all I used to think of when I heard the word Sikh are "the guys with the turbans"

That's the ideal, that's why.

 

[Huey09]

Now I'm gonna have to do more research on Sikhism because it fascinates me. Curse you Odion!! And your ability to inspire my curiosity! lol

 

[Treks]

Keeping kesh for an Amritdhari is also about obeying Guru Gobind Singh's instruction not to cut it, it helps anchor the turban on your head, and is part of the 'uniform' of an initiated Sikh.

When it comes to saying we're following hukam by keeping our hair, some will argue that we should also be keeping our nails and not cutting them, which is of course rather rediculous.

There was a tradition in Punjab for Sikhs to have Ik Onkar (first word in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji - Sikh scripture) tattooed on their hand, but in Punjab currently they're talking about anyone who gets Gurbani (Sikh words) tattooed on their body will be committing a crime. But there are plenty of Sikhs already with Sikh-related tattoos.

Ear piercing is forbidden to armitdhari Sikhs, you can't be initiated with your piercings in and shouldn't put them back in afterwards). I believe this is to help differentiate Sikhs from other religions who do pierce their ears. Essentially all these little things combined add up to a distinct and unique Sikh identity.

But there are Sikhs all the way across the spectrum of humanity, all at different levels of learning and living. As Odion said, there is an ideal to strive for, but not everyone is cut out for it.

A really good resource, Huey ji, is this Introduction to Nanakian Philosophy by the late Dr Baldev Singh, available in the January-February 2009 edition of The Sikh Bulletin. http://sikhbulletin.com/Bulletins/SikhBulletinJanFeb2009.pdf

It provides deep Gurbani-based insights and most importantly historical and philosophical context for elements of Sikhi. Enjoy.

 

[chinu]

Odion I have a question. Why do Sikhs never cut their hair and also are there sects of Sikhs who do cut their hair? Sorry if its an obvious question

IMO,
During the ancient times, or during the time of tenth Guru the majority of man's do not use to cut their hairs because that was the common tradition among the people of that time, but some man's of that time started cutting their hairs in order to attract woman's which was against the rules of gurbani, Gurbani says that one should control lust, whereas cutting hairs and attracting woman became the reason to boost up lust. Thus.. keeping this thing in mind tenth guru passed on the order to keep hairs in order to be a true Sikh.

But now days mostly people use to cut their hairs and the common tradition among the people is very different from of that time. Thus, cutting hairs cannot be considered the reason of boosting up lust now days because majority of people cut their hairs now days.

Well, the main motive behind "keeping of hairs" was to make people to accept the simplicity or a simple life which is away from the whims of lust in order to follow gurbani, But now days people have loosed the real teaching of gurbani and have searched the new ways of being looking attractive, some people tie colourful ribbons on their turbans, Some wear heavy gold chains with religious signs etc.. whereas as gurbani says us to follow simplicity.

Anyways..

 

[Monotheist 101]

is Sikhism a fusion of Islam and Hinduism?

 

[chinu]

is Sikhism a fusion of Islam and Hinduism?

IMO, ancient Sikhism (Sikhism which was during the times all ten gurus) was the extraction of pure devotion from Islam and Hinduism, like butter from milk. But not today's Sikhism

 

[GURSIKH]

is Sikhism a fusion of Islam and Hinduism?

Aslaam bhai ,
is Islam fusion of Christianity n Judaism ?

 

[Monotheist 101]

Aslaam bhai ,
is Islam fusion of Christianity n Judaism ?

Not a fusion but a continuation.

I didnt mean it as a joke..your concept of the Oneness of God is very similar to Islam.

 

[Monotheist 101]

IMO, ancient Sikhism (Sikhism which was during the times all ten gurus) was the extraction of pure devotion from Islam and Hinduism, like butter from milk. But not today's Sikhism

Has the current version of Sikhism changed compared to time of the gurus..if so, how?

 

[Treks]

Sikhism presents the idea of One Universal Creative Principle (Ik Onkar) which contains creation and extends beyond it. Sikhi rejects rituals, superstitions, personalities of God and discrimination. Humans are are so small and insignificant dust particles in the unfathomable ocean of creation. Sikhi is also very concerned with human rights and equality.

Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, raised as a Hindu surrounded by Muslims, basically (I believe) looked around at 1) the two religions at the time 2) their rituals, superstitions, rules, complications all in the name of God, 3) the conduct of their people and stated that essentially we're all just people and we should stop building up complexity in the practice of religion, stop being hypocrites, stop discriminating, stop engaging in useless rituals.

In Sikhi it's said that if you're a Hindu, be a good Hindu and if you're a Muslim, be a good Muslim. Don't be a hypocrite and don't waste your time on outer show and rituals for nothing.

Guru Nanak engaged with prominent Hindus and Muslims of his time (his best friend was a Muslim who travelled all around with him playing the rebek while Guruji sang hymns), and read the poetry of saints gone by, looking for those people who had realised the reality of Ik Onkar (One Universal Creative Principle) and taught about it, like Baba Farid and Saint Kabir.

So, in answer to your first question, no, Sikhi is not a fusion of Islam and Hinduism, although people of either faith (any faith) have the potential to reach those pure levels of devotion and awareness to perceive the One and only the One beyond the trapping of religion.

Until Guru Arjan was killed by a Moghul emperor, Sikhi as I understand kept growing on the same almost secular lines, of pure bhagti (devotion) with minimal trappings. However, once Guru Arjan was killed, his son Guru Hargobind had had enough of the persecution and raised an army, introducing the militant aspect of Sikhi.

Finally we get to Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, and it was all out war with the Moghuls. Guru Gobind Singh Ji codified the army started by Guru Hargobind with the introduction of the initiation ceremony for the Khalsa, making the carrying of arms compulsory for those initiated Sikhs, and really establishing Sikhi as a religion.

So this is how things changed during the time of the Gurus themselves. The devotional bhagti essesnce of Sikhi didn't change, Guru Granth Sahib Ji (our scripture) was finished by Guru Arjan (5th Guru) and Guru Gobind Singh added a few of Guru Tegh Bahadur's hymns to it and it was finished, and remains unchanged through to today.

From Guru Gobind Singh Ji's time, however, as the war with the Moghuls continued, and Sikhs ruled Panjab for a while, then there was war with the British, and then partition cutting Punjab striaght up the middle - Sikhs barely had time to regroup and settle their religion after the Tenth Master's passing. I personally believe that's part of the reason why there are so many different Sikh groups and traditions today. There was never time for a proper regroup.

Until circa 1945. The central Sikh authority brough together scholars and prominent Sikhs of the day, from all across the Sikh community, and attempted to nut out with them what exactly Sikhi should look like, to try and standardise it. Many opinions were presented, compromises had to be made on both sides, some people walked out in a huff, some persevered on, and now we have the fruit of their effort (it isn't perfect but they gave it a darn good shot) which is the Sikh Rehat Maryada: Sikh Reht Maryada, The Definition of Sikh, Sikh Conduct & Conventions, Sikh Religion Living, India which is basically a middle road, a mainstream, for Sikhi. There are more liberal and more conservative groups on either side of this mainstream.

This is what I understand so far and I'm sure some of the more learned members here can correct my mistakes for which I apologise.

I hope it sort of answers your question.

 

[Poeticus]

However, once Guru Arjan was killed, his son Guru Hargobind had had enough of the persecution and raised an army, introducing the militant aspect of Sikhi.

Finally we get to Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru, and it was all out war with the Moghuls.

Namaste,

As it should have been....

...if anyone wants to read the genocide the Sikhs went through, don't read Indian sources, because they are secular (thanks to treasonous Sonia Gandhi) .....

....read Muslim sources, which provide graphic, almost perverse details (examples: Nadir Shah, Aurangzeb)...

No wonder that when the Khālsā became a formidable force in Northern South Asia, Shrī Hari Nalwā went ape****....

"Yusufzai women would say "Raghe Hari Singh" ("Hari Singh is coming") to frighten their children into obedience." (Caroe (1958), p. 313; Allen (2000), p. 30)

....sorry, but I had to bring that up.....no Sikh story is complete without mentioned Shrī Hari Nalwā-ji, IMHO...

M.V.

 

[Monotheist 101]

So the main change throughout has been a shift to a more violent approach to dealing with oppressors..

Wasnt Sonia Gandhi assassinated by a Sikh? What did she do to them? Was it worse than the Mughals?

 

[Poeticus]

What did she do to them? Was it worse than the Mughals?

Namaste,

Not Sonia, but Indira.

Was it worse than the Mughals? Definitely not.....the Mughals and other Muslim invaders were far exceedingly worse.

Indira didn't order the killing of young Sikh infants, snatching them from the breasts of their Sikh mothers and hacking them into pieces, nor the following:

Sikh holocaust of 1762 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read this --> Mehdiana Sahib - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mass Sikh executions after the invasion of Nader Shah

Muslims boiling a sikh alive (representation of a true occurrence)

Nadir giving money to Muslims after they cut off heads of Sikhs

The. List. Goes. On. And. On. And. On. And. On.

The Muslims have yet to apologize.

M.V.

 

[Monotheist 101]

Now I understand why Sikhs are hating on Islam.. If it helps I find these acts repulsive and barbaric and wouldn't vote for the leaders if i had a choice

Why were the Sikhs singled out and targeted? Was it something political as well?