ElizabethGould
Iik Onkaar
I would suggest reading the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, even if only a few sections of it, to give you the best idea of Sikhi.
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Sikhism: Ask your questions
- Thread starter Breathe
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I would suggest reading the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, even if only a few sections of it, to give you the best idea of Sikhi.
Huey09
He who struggles with God
thank you both
ElizabethGould
Iik Onkaar
thank you both
You can, if you wish, read a portion of the SGGS online each day via the Sikhnet page. I'll give you the link: Daily Hukamnama | SikhNet
If you're wanting general info, both Sikhnet (the website I mention above) and also AllAboutSikhs (Welcome to Gateway to Sikhism - Gateway to Sikhism) are both great, as is SikhiWiki (www.sikhiwiki.com) and Real Sikhism (Sikhism: Beliefs and Principles of Sikhism - Sikh Religion). There's also SikhiToTheMax (SikhiToTheMAX - Enabling Gurmat Knowledge) which is a little patchy in content but what is there is great.
Waheguru ji ki khalsa, Waheguru ji ke fateh!
Treks
Well-Known Member
Global Sikh Studies has some really good articles and books for download: Global Sikh Studies.net >> Home Page
You can read the official Sikh Code of Conduct here: Sikh Reht Maryada, The Definition of Sikh, Sikh Conduct & Conventions, Sikh Religion Living, India You can find some information about daily prayers in there, too.
Here's a book about meditation: http://www.esikhs.com/articles/Bandgi_Nama.pdf
One has to be careful talking about "repetition of God's name" and simran because it's not meant to be literal chanting of a word (Waheguru) with your tongue or your mind - that's japa / meditation. Simran and "repetition of God's name" is the process of keeping a constant awareness of the Creator and putting Gurmat into practice through your actions.
You might also like to read some of the stories of the lives of the Gurus. You can download some books by Max Arthur MacAuliffe here: TuhiTu - Sikh Sakhis: Max Arthur Macauliffe - The Sikh Religion in 6 volumes
Don't forget you can read the entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji online at either www.srigranth.org or www.searchgurbani.com
www.gurbani.org is a very good site that organises topics and talks about them with reference to Gurbani, like anger, equality, grace, etc.
Your local library is likely to have some books on Sikhi too.
You can read the official Sikh Code of Conduct here: Sikh Reht Maryada, The Definition of Sikh, Sikh Conduct & Conventions, Sikh Religion Living, India You can find some information about daily prayers in there, too.
Here's a book about meditation: http://www.esikhs.com/articles/Bandgi_Nama.pdf
One has to be careful talking about "repetition of God's name" and simran because it's not meant to be literal chanting of a word (Waheguru) with your tongue or your mind - that's japa / meditation. Simran and "repetition of God's name" is the process of keeping a constant awareness of the Creator and putting Gurmat into practice through your actions.
You might also like to read some of the stories of the lives of the Gurus. You can download some books by Max Arthur MacAuliffe here: TuhiTu - Sikh Sakhis: Max Arthur Macauliffe - The Sikh Religion in 6 volumes
Don't forget you can read the entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji online at either www.srigranth.org or www.searchgurbani.com
www.gurbani.org is a very good site that organises topics and talks about them with reference to Gurbani, like anger, equality, grace, etc.
Your local library is likely to have some books on Sikhi too.
GURSIKH
chardi kla
thanks bhai for being here :bow: , let me add bit to your statement .
Meaning of life: know God, know Self .
chinu
chinu
The meaning of life is just to keep on searching the meaning of life until one gets it.
You know what one gets ?
Answer: No-questioner remains thereafter, and that what is the true meaning of life all about
According to Sikhism it is written in guru granth sahib: "Anant puchavan jo gayee, ayee anant gavayee" - GGS
English meaning: "The one who went to search the meaning of life, returned with end of own-self"
And when there's no own-self/questioner, than who is left back to ask the meaning of life, or any question.
chinu
chinu
Friend De Li,
Before going forward onto the topic, firstly I want you to explain the difference between good and bad deeds. Yes its true that if one will do bad than it will get bad in return, and if one will do good than one will get good in return, But both good and bad deeds are considered as to be responsible to bond one in this world regardless of dwelling in Sachkhand (Heaven).
Why both kind of deeds are responsible to bond one in this world ?
Like.. either we are borrowing loan, or we are giving loan, in both the conditions we need to create an account in the bank, Similarly.. both good and deeds are responsible to create account, which is equal to creating an account in this world, or getting bond in this world, or creating account to exist. The only difference is.. good deeds are equal to giving loan, and bad deeds are equal to borrowing loan.
Thus.. as both kinds of deeds are responsible to bond one in this world, rather than dwelling into heaven, both kind of deeds are considered as BAD according to spiritual/religious point of view.
In the beginning we all, or the whole creation was one with God, and at the Moment when we apart from God, that Moment was the first bad-deed according to spiritual point of view which we performed in the beginning and further we keep on increasing the distance between God and US by doing more deeds (Good and bad both)
But before aparting God warned us that this separation will cause suffering, but even than we took the step by ignoring that warning, and from that moment the suffering experienced by any living being is a treatment, rather than punishment, because until one gets re-unite with God the cycle of sufferings and happiness will never get end
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Treks
Well-Known Member
[SIZE=+1]Pavaṇ gurū pāṇī piṯā māṯā ḏẖaraṯ mahaṯ.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Ḏivas rāṯ ḏu▫e ḏā▫ī ḏā▫i▫ā kẖelai sagal jagaṯ.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Cẖang▫ā▫ī▫ā buri▫ā▫ī▫ā vācẖai ḏẖaram haḏūr.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Good deeds and bad deeds-the record is read out in the Presence of the Lord of Dharma.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Karmī āpo āpṇī ke neṛai ke ḏūr.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Jinī nām ḏẖi▫ā▫i▫ā ga▫e maskaṯ gẖāl.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows -[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Nānak ṯe mukẖ ujle keṯī cẖẖutī nāl. ||1||[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Court of the Lord, and many are saved along with them! ||1||[/SIZE]
It is no more complicated than this above. Wah! Shalok of Japji Sahib, Ang 8 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
PS. The "Court of the Lord" is here and now.
[SIZE=+1]Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Ḏivas rāṯ ḏu▫e ḏā▫ī ḏā▫i▫ā kẖelai sagal jagaṯ.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Cẖang▫ā▫ī▫ā buri▫ā▫ī▫ā vācẖai ḏẖaram haḏūr.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Good deeds and bad deeds-the record is read out in the Presence of the Lord of Dharma.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Karmī āpo āpṇī ke neṛai ke ḏūr.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]According to their own actions, some are drawn closer, and some are driven farther away.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Jinī nām ḏẖi▫ā▫i▫ā ga▫e maskaṯ gẖāl.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows -[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Nānak ṯe mukẖ ujle keṯī cẖẖutī nāl. ||1||[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]O Nanak, their faces are radiant in the Court of the Lord, and many are saved along with them! ||1||[/SIZE]
It is no more complicated than this above. Wah! Shalok of Japji Sahib, Ang 8 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
PS. The "Court of the Lord" is here and now.
chinu
chinu
Any book related to God is the book of Sikhism, IMO.
Thus.. one should read whichever book one finds more interesting and easy to read and understand about God
Knight of Albion
Well-Known Member
May I ask, what is the Sikh teaching on treatment of animals? Is there a strand of vegetarianism and compassion to animals as found in South Asian Buddhism and Jainism?
Satnaam
Conquer your mind
Sikhi is highly critical of sacrificing animals in the name of God or any deity.
Bhagat Kabeer writes the following (adressing an Islamic priest who sacrificed an animal in the name of Allah, but this applies to any kind of sacrifice):
You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay. The light of the soul passes into another form. So tell me, what have you killed? And what good are your purifications? Why do you bother to wash your face? And why do you bother to bow your head in the mosque? Your heart is full of hypocrisy; what good are your prayers or your pilgrimage to Mecca? You are impure; you do not understand the Pure Lord. You do not know His Mystery. Says Kabeer, you have missed out on paradise; your mind is set on hell. (1350, Guru Granth Sahib).
Kabeer, they oppress living beings and kill them, and call it Halaal (justified in Allahs eyes). When the Lord calls for their account, what will their condition be? (199, Guru Granth Sahib)
Respecting all creatures is also a part of Sikhi:
Do not cause any being to suffer, and you shall go to your true home with honor. Guru Arjan Dev (322, Guru Granth Sahib).
Wheter to be vegetarian or not is a highly debated topic, there are a few views:
a) Strictly vegetarian - meat is never allowed. (very much practised by several schools of thought)
b) Vegetarian but meat is allowed in life-death situations (such as seen earlier in history during periods where Sikh forts were under siege for months or the Sikhs were waging guerilla warfare against the opressive regime and living in Jungles).
c) Non-veg but you can't eat beef (Vaishnav influence on Sikhi)
d) Non-veg but no to Halaal, Kosher and other food sacrificed in name of God. (the official regulation from Akaal Takth - temporal seat of Sikhs)
e) All non-veg is allowed.
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Treks
Well-Known Member
MV ji there is absolutely nothing in Sikhi about abstaining from beef. Why would it?
Additionally langar in most Gurdwaras is entirely vegetarian to allow the greatest number of people to eat it (whether they are vegetarian or must have halal meat etc, everyone can eat langar because it's vegetarian). It's more about inclusion and less about what the Sikh should eat or not.
Some Sikhs advocate eating only 'jhatka' meat, which is meat from an animal that has been slaughtered with one blow, most often by having it's head chopped off. There are Sikh groups in India that practice it, you can find Youtube clips of it by searching for hazoor goat slaughter.
Additionally langar in most Gurdwaras is entirely vegetarian to allow the greatest number of people to eat it (whether they are vegetarian or must have halal meat etc, everyone can eat langar because it's vegetarian). It's more about inclusion and less about what the Sikh should eat or not.
Some Sikhs advocate eating only 'jhatka' meat, which is meat from an animal that has been slaughtered with one blow, most often by having it's head chopped off. There are Sikh groups in India that practice it, you can find Youtube clips of it by searching for hazoor goat slaughter.
Treks
Well-Known Member
Regarding books for Sikhs, I usually recommend Dr Baldev Singh's article and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji itself; although it can be hard to understand the subtleties, and the English can give a bum steer on some matters, it's still an inspiration and some passages can really hit home for newcomers.
The very first book I read about Sikhi was Sikhism by Hew McLeod. I can't remember the content of it now except for his English translations of Japji etc which are amongst some of the finest translations I've come across, despite what some say about any alterior motive he may have had.
The very first book I read about Sikhi was Sikhism by Hew McLeod. I can't remember the content of it now except for his English translations of Japji etc which are amongst some of the finest translations I've come across, despite what some say about any alterior motive he may have had.
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Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
I was just asking, nothing too serious. My Sikh brothers and sisters can eat whatever they like. I hope I was't giving you the impression of otherwise.
I have encountered a few Sikhs that will eat everything but not cow meat. I have yet to encounter a Sikh that eats cow meat, though. No big deal to me if they did. One time, me and a Sikh friend of mine at college made the best Lamb Roganjosh of all time. We are carnivores! Roar!!!
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Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
I am glad we cleared that up; I would hate for their to be a misunderstanding between my Sikh brothers and sisters and me.
I feel you. I would eat anything too, but not the female cow. I would die from shock. My heart would fail. My tongue would fall off. The Shri Gods would strike me down. My mother would sense it with her sixth sense and shoot an arrow in my direction. And, all that other jazz.
Huey09
He who struggles with God
I know this might seem obvious but I like a lot of what I'm reading in Sikhism. I just don't know If I can keep the 5Ks I like to have stubble but not a full beard(Since my facial hair still grows uneven) and while I don't cut my hair I like having it out. So I guess I can't be Sikh huh?
I like to have stubble but not a full beard(Since my facial hair still grows uneven) and while I don't cut my hair I like having it out. So I guess I can't be Sikh huh?