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Hello everyone,

As the title of the thread suggests, I am currently exploring Sikhi as well as other religious beliefs (including Buddhism and Radha Soami, though I have issues with following a human master). I come from a Christian background, but I would not describe my beliefs as being particularly Christian, as I believe in an all-pervading God who is impersonal, and I believe in systems such as reincarnation and karma. So, I have many questions about Sikhi as I am on my search, and I was hoping that you all might be able to answer some questions for me. None of these questions are meant to challenge your beliefs at all, but merely to express my own doubts and challenges that I face in my search.

1. Buddhism and Sikhism I think are largely similar, but they have a major difference that I find hard to reconcile. Buddhism (at least Theravadan and Zen) teaches that the existence of God can't be answered for sure, and the same can be said for the soul. Instead the Buddha says that we should forget such questions, and instead focus on achieving Nirvana, as these questions impede our spiritual growth. Sikhi (as far as I am aware) states that our ultimate purpose is to merge with God, and reach Sach Khand. The problem is, I can see and understand the reasoning behind both of these positions, and I have a really hard time figuring out what to believe on this issue. How can I resolve this conflict?

2. Scriptures are obviously very important to Sikhs, as the SGGSJ forms the foundation for Sikhi. My question regarding this is, why is reading the Bani repeatedly so important? Is kirtan more beneficial than to practice simran and meditation on the atman inside? I can understand reading it for understanding, and of course reading scriptures at different times in our lives, we will receive different lessons. But is inward meditation not more valuable, provided it is done with a proper spiritual understanding?

3. As I am young and come from the West (I am only 18), I have certain Western values which I find hard to reconcile with both Sikhism and Buddhism, even though I may find the religion very appealing. Specifically, I feel very strongly about gender equality, and that differences between men and women are almost entirely (if not entirely) cultural rather than biological or spiritual in nature. This means that I am a strong advocate of homosexual rights, gay marriage, and transgender rights. I realize that Sikhi has done a lot to stand up for many of these things, but at the same time, I see that homosexuals are not allowed to be married with the Anand Karaj. As a Westerner, this seems to be the same religious dogmatism that I tried to escape when I left Christianity, but maybe I am misunderstanding it.

4. Marriages. As far as I understand, Sikhs do not condone love marriages, and instead practice arranged marriages. What is the harm in a love marriage, or in dating? Again I realize I come from a Western perspective, but I fail to see how these things are harmful to your spirituality. If all of your energy is focused on finding a partner, or on sexual promiscuity, or the like, I can definitely understand it. Also, why can an inter-faith marriage not be done with the Anand Karaj? If a Sikh wants to marry a non-Sikh, isn't that their choice? And if they want to do the marriage the Sikh way, is that not displaying the proper respect to Sikhi? For a long time, I dated a Muslim girl and we planned to be married. Sadly that didn't happen, but I can't imagine missing out on someone who may be the love of my life, because I am limited to only marrying someone of my religion.

5. Again as far as I understand, Guru Nanak Ji shunned religious labels. He stated "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." So therefore, why have his teachings started a religion? This is something I haven't been able to find much discussion about, and I am quite curious about it. Has Sikhism fallen prey to the same dogmatism that he taught against?

6. The SGGSJ was named as the last Guru for the Sikhs. Does this mean there will never be another Guru? What about when we move out of Kal Yug and into the next age, will there be another succession of Gurus?

I'm sorry for the long list of questions. I look forward to hearing your responses. Thank you.

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Having been listening to both Buddhist and Sikh teachers, amongst others, so I think I am a fairly good candidate to answer your questions.


1. Buddhism and Sikhism I think are largely similar, but they have a major difference that I find hard to reconcile. Buddhism (at least Theravadan and Zen) teaches that the existence of God can't be answered for sure, and the same can be said for the soul. Instead the Buddha says that we should forget such questions, and instead focus on achieving Nirvana, as these questions impede our spiritual growth. Sikhi (as far as I am aware) states that our ultimate purpose is to merge with God, and reach Sach Khand. The problem is, I can see and understand the reasoning behind both of these positions, and I have a really hard time figuring out what to believe on this issue. How can I resolve this conflict?

Sach khand is just a different word for Nirvana. In fact, in Guru Granth sahib Nirvana appears way more than Sach khand (which only appears once, compared to Nirvana which appears 100 times). They are the same thing.

I think you are missing Buddha's view. He means to say any question that lead to attachment to an object impedes spiritual growth. If you make Nirvana into another object to seek out then you are impeding your spiritual growth.

Guru Nanak says sach khand/nirvana is that place where God resides. God is a formless entity and nirvana is that state of mind where there are no objects in consciousness. God can be "seen" in a consciousness that is object-free.

They are essentially talking about the same thing.

2. Scriptures are obviously very important to Sikhs, as the SGGSJ forms the foundation for Sikhi. My question regarding this is, why is reading the Bani repeatedly so important? Is kirtan more beneficial than to practice simran and meditation on the atman inside? I can understand reading it for understanding, and of course reading scriptures at different times in our lives, we will receive different lessons. But is inward meditation not more valuable, provided it is done with a proper spiritual understanding?

Bani itself is always trying to redirect you towards doing Simran and Kirtan.

But Bani itself is also composed of Simran and Kirtan. Guru Granth sahib is not a textbook. It is a collection of repeating compositions of Simran and Kirtan.

Anything becomes an inward meditation when the consciousness becomes detached from objects and goes into itself. Try all of the methods you like and go with one that suits you best.

3. As I am young and come from the West (I am only 18), I have certain Western values which I find hard to reconcile with both Sikhism and Buddhism, even though I may find the religion very appealing. Specifically, I feel very strongly about gender equality, and that differences between men and women are almost entirely (if not entirely) cultural rather than biological or spiritual in nature. This means that I am a strong advocate of homosexual rights, gay marriage, and transgender rights. I realize that Sikhi has done a lot to stand up for many of these things, but at the same time, I see that homosexuals are not allowed to be married with the Anand Karaj. As a Westerner, this seems to be the same religious dogmatism that I tried to escape when I left Christianity, but maybe I am misunderstanding it.

None of the religions you mentioned should impede with your values. All Gurus have a message that is universally applicable by all humans.

Although you might want to look up studies done in psychology. The differences men and women are almost, if not entirely, biolgical and psychological. These bio/psychological differences appear as soon as they are born and build up through puberty. You can start with the documentary 'Paradox of Equality' to get a brief glimpse into this research, and then go from there.

Cultural and Spiritual differences arise due to Biological and Psychological differences. Men and women have to pay attention to how they respond to various spiritual teachings and should find the best approach according to their own individual psychology.

4. Marriages. As far as I understand, Sikhs do not condone love marriages, and instead practice arranged marriages. What is the harm in a love marriage, or in dating? Again I realize I come from a Western perspective, but I fail to see how these things are harmful to your spirituality. If all of your energy is focused on finding a partner, or on sexual promiscuity, or the like, I can definitely understand it. Also, why can an inter-faith marriage not be done with the Anand Karaj? If a Sikh wants to marry a non-Sikh, isn't that their choice? And if they want to do the marriage the Sikh way, is that not displaying the proper respect to Sikhi? For a long time, I dated a Muslim girl and we planned to be married. Sadly that didn't happen, but I can't imagine missing out on someone who may be the love of my life, because I am limited to only marrying someone of my religion.

None of the religions you mentioned should impede with love or arranged or interfaith marriage.

However, differences between religions and values can often lead to difficult marriages. I have a friend who is going through this right now. He has different values from his partner and that is making things more complicated than they should be.

5. Again as far as I understand, Guru Nanak Ji shunned religious labels. He stated "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." So therefore, why have his teachings started a religion? This is something I haven't been able to find much discussion about, and I am quite curious about it. Has Sikhism fallen prey to the same dogmatism that he taught against?

Why would he shun religious labels which can lead to attachment and not other labels which can also lead to attachment, labels such as mother, father, or other names even.

Guru Sahib was talking about the atma and how it is formless, it is neither this nor that. When he is say there is no hindu, nor muslim, he is saying to recognize the atma within which cannot be labelled. Guru Sahib's message can be summed up to "You are the form of the light (atma) within, recognize your original form."

Guru Sahib recognized the power or labels and names. That is why the name of God becomes the most important name for Guru Sahib. This is a label/name you keep remembering, reciting and meditating on, all day everyday.

"Fallen prey" lol
Dogma has become a negative word but it is very much a part of life. Everyone has their own dogma that they are blind to. It's more important to recognize your own dogma so that it may be transcended.
Dogma provides us with a framework that we can use to transcend things, to transcend the very dogma we are following.

6. The SGGSJ was named as the last Guru for the Sikhs. Does this mean there will never be another Guru? What about when we move out of Kal Yug and into the next age, will there be another succession of Gurus?

The "mainstream" viewpoint is that there is no Guru beyond Guru Granth Sahib.

However it is a lot more complicated than that.

A long time ago in Sikh history, one of Guru Sahib's daughter (after doing a great penance) asked for a boon. She asked that the Guruship stay within the close family from now on. The Guru at the time blessed her with what she asked. From then on the tradition changed to only pass the gurgaddi to a family member.

When it came to Guru Gobind Singh, his whole family had been killed in battle or executed. Thus I would argue he had no choice but to end the official lineage of Gurus.

He officially passed leadership of sikhs to Guru Granth Sahib, however, he also unofficially passed leadership onto Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, who was a great leader and was considered as the next Guru by many sikhs of his time. He opposed and even defeated the Mughal governments in many areas and passed the governing rule to sikhs.

After Baba Banda Singh, Baba Ram Singh also became a great leader and was considered to be Guru by many sikhs. He opposed the British government through non-violent ways and was the initiator of the non-violent movement for which Gandhi later became famous for. His followers be known as Namdharis within Sikhs.

And this trend of Gurus continues within many sikh communities, whom we may not even know about.

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First of all, thank you for the thoughtful response.

Having been listening to both Buddhist and Sikh teachers, amongst others, so I think I am a fairly good candidate to answer your questions.

Sach khand is just a different word for Nirvana. In fact, in Guru Granth sahib Nirvana appears way more than Sach khand (which only appears once, compared to Nirvana which appears 100 times). They are the same thing.

I think you are missing Buddha's view. He means to say any question that lead to attachment to an object impedes spiritual growth. If you make Nirvana into another object to seek out then you are impeding your spiritual growth.

Interesting, I wasn't aware that nirvana is such a common term. I have to admit, my introduction to Sikhi came from listening to the talks of Ishwar Puri Ji, who is a follower of Radha Soami, and he uses terms like Sach Khand much more frequently.

I understand. Wouldn't that also apply to God, the self, or Nirvana as well?

None of the religions you mentioned should impede with your values. All Gurus have a message that is universally applicable by all humans.

Although you might want to look up studies done in psychology. The differences men and women are almost, if not entirely, biolgical and psychological. These bio/psychological differences appear as soon as they are born and build up through puberty. You can start with the documentary 'Paradox of Equality' to get a brief glimpse into this research, and then go from there.

Cultural and Spiritual differences arise due to Biological and Psychological differences. Men and women have to pay attention to how they respond to various spiritual teachings and should find the best approach according to their own individual psychology.

Some Sikhs I have talked to, as well as the Singh on the basicsofsikhi channel, do not support gay marriage within Sikhi (at least with the Anand Karaj/for the Amritdhari). It is in the Rehat Maryada that marriage is between a man and a woman. So, I have seen a number of explanations of this, but I've never really seen one that was very satisfying/consistent.

Funnily enough, I am actually a Psychology student. There are two fundamental issues with the psychological studies that have been done so far - Psychology has, at least historically, been very limited to a western audience. It's starting to expand more now, but there is still a huge lack of cross-cultural studies and studies of non-western cultures. The other fundamental issue is the lack of transgender studies. There are multiple studies which have shown that transgenders have hormone receptors more similar to the opposite sex than their own, and even their brain structures are more similar to the opposite sex, and that's pre-hormone therapy.

However, I don't want to turn this into a debate on Psychology. It's a totally different topic and not of much concern right now. I will take a look at the documentary you recommended, and perhaps it will give some information I am not aware of.

None of the religions you mentioned should impede with love or arranged or interfaith marriage.

However, differences between religions and values can often lead to difficult marriages. I have a friend who is going through this right now. He has different values from his partner and that is making things more complicated than they should be.

So Sikhi accepts love marriages, but they are not encouraged? Am I understanding that correctly? And interfaith marriages are also acceptable, but not encouraged and cannot be done with Anand Karaj? I am still confused about this, so if you could clear it up for me I would appreciate it.

I can definitely understand that. When I was with my Muslim girlfriend, even though she was actually agnostic, I ran into a number of value conflicts with both her and her family.

Why would he shun religious labels which can lead to attachment and not other labels which can also lead to attachment, labels such as mother, father, or other names even.

Guru Sahib was talking about the atma and how it is formless, it is neither this nor that. When he is say there is no hindu, nor muslim, he is saying to recognize the atma within which cannot be labelled. Guru Sahib's message can be summed up to "You are the form of the light (atma) within, recognize your original form."

Guru Sahib recognized the power or labels and names. That is why the name of God becomes the most important name for Guru Sahib. This is a label/name you keep remembering, reciting and meditating on, all day everyday.

"Fallen prey" lol
Dogma has become a negative word but it is very much a part of life. Everyone has their own dogma that they are blind to. It's more important to recognize your own dogma so that it may be transcended.
Dogma provides us with a framework that we can use to transcend things, to transcend the very dogma we are following.

That's a good point.

So Sikhi itself, as a label, is powerful. Does such a label lead to unnecessary attachment, or is some attachment beneficial (such as the attachment to merging with God)?

I think we are defining dogma differently. I am using dogma in the sense of being told what to do, and not being able to question it. Is Sikhi questionable? Can things, and beliefs, be challenged?

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First of all, thank you for the thoughtful response.

Interesting, I wasn't aware that nirvana is such a common term. I have to admit, my introduction to Sikhi came from listening to the talks of Ishwar Puri Ji, who is a follower of Radha Soami, and he uses terms like Sach Khand much more frequently.

I understand. Wouldn't that also apply to God, the self, or Nirvana as well?

Wouldn't what apply?

However, I don't want to turn this into a debate on Psychology. It's a totally different topic and not of much concern right now. I will take a look at the documentary you recommended, and perhaps it will give some information I am not aware of.

Ok I think the homosexual issue is in the same category. It's a big discussion I think.

So Sikhi accepts love marriages, but they are not encouraged? Am I understanding that correctly? And interfaith marriages are also acceptable, but not encouraged and cannot be done with Anand Karaj? I am still confused about this, so if you could clear it up for me I would appreciate it.

I can definitely understand that. When I was with my Muslim girlfriend, even though she was actually agnostic, I ran into a number of value conflicts with both her and her family.

As for arranged marriage or love marriage, they are both acceptable.

The problem with marriages comes from differences in values, beliefs and such. And lack of family cohesion because those differences are even more pronounced when it comes to members of close family of the couple. Remember marriage is not just between two people but also two families.

That's a good point.

So Sikhi itself, as a label, is powerful. Does such a label lead to unnecessary attachment, or is some attachment beneficial (such as the attachment to merging with God)?

Why either or? Both

Every label can lead to attachment but labels also guide us and are necessary for building a framework. We want to attach ourselves to good labels that will benefit us. This is why Guru sahibs say to become attached to God's label.

However ultimately, one has to experience a completely detached consciousness. That's where God resides ie nirvana.

I think we are defining dogma differently. I am using dogma in the sense of being told what to do, and not being able to question it. Is Sikhi questionable? Can things, and beliefs, be challenged?

I don't know what that means. Isn't everything questionable?

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Wouldn't what apply?

Asking questions about God and Nirvana leading to attachment.

Ok I think the homosexual issue is in the same category. It's a big discussion I think.

True, but we can still discuss how the issue is treated within Sikhi.

Why either or? Both

Every label can lead to attachment but labels also guide us and are necessary for building a framework. We want to attach ourselves to good labels that will benefit us. This is why Guru sahibs say to become attached to God's label.

However ultimately, one has to experience a completely detached consciousness. That's where God resides ie nirvana.

So are you saying that the label benefits us on our spiritual path, but to ultimately reach the state of Nirvana we have to completely detach ourselves even from those labels?

I don't know what that means. Isn't everything questionable?

Let me rephrase that. I mean, is questioning tolerated? So, for example, in my hometown there are a lot of fundamentalist Christians. Many of them believe that the Bible is the perfect Word of God, and is unquestionable. They do not tolerate any doubt, investigation, or skepticism. To even question that a verse or teaching is directly from God is un-Christian in their eyes. Whatever the Bible, or your preacher, tells you to do, you HAVE to do if you are a good Christian and you have no choice. This is what I mean by dogma.

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Bro what is your country of origin ?

You lay too much stress on same sex marriage .Can this be the only yardstick for liberalism ?

Love marriage is accepted largely...there are few of them who are strongly clinging to the clan identities ...things are changing .

The western society is an amalgamated society and therefore is not based on principles that rigidly ..and there is a constant adding of more diverse cultures..even from the remotest corners of the world. Therefore it wont be the same as a society which is already established and has had a foundation centuries old .

Hello everyone,

As the title of the thread suggests, I am currently exploring Sikhi as well as other religious beliefs (including Buddhism and Radha Soami, though I have issues with following a human master). I come from a Christian background, but I would not describe my beliefs as being particularly Christian, as I believe in an all-pervading God who is impersonal, and I believe in systems such as reincarnation and karma. So, I have many questions about Sikhi as I am on my search, and I was hoping that you all might be able to answer some questions for me. None of these questions are meant to challenge your beliefs at all, but merely to express my own doubts and challenges that I face in my search.

1. Buddhism and Sikhism I think are largely similar, but they have a major difference that I find hard to reconcile. Buddhism (at least Theravadan and Zen) teaches that the existence of God can't be answered for sure, and the same can be said for the soul. Instead the Buddha says that we should forget such questions, and instead focus on achieving Nirvana, as these questions impede our spiritual growth. Sikhi (as far as I am aware) states that our ultimate purpose is to merge with God, and reach Sach Khand. The problem is, I can see and understand the reasoning behind both of these positions, and I have a really hard time figuring out what to believe on this issue. How can I resolve this conflict?

2. Scriptures are obviously very important to Sikhs, as the SGGSJ forms the foundation for Sikhi. My question regarding this is, why is reading the Bani repeatedly so important? Is kirtan more beneficial than to practice simran and meditation on the atman inside? I can understand reading it for understanding, and of course reading scriptures at different times in our lives, we will receive different lessons. But is inward meditation not more valuable, provided it is done with a proper spiritual understanding?

3. As I am young and come from the West (I am only 18), I have certain Western values which I find hard to reconcile with both Sikhism and Buddhism, even though I may find the religion very appealing. Specifically, I feel very strongly about gender equality, and that differences between men and women are almost entirely (if not entirely) cultural rather than biological or spiritual in nature. This means that I am a strong advocate of homosexual rights, gay marriage, and transgender rights. I realize that Sikhi has done a lot to stand up for many of these things, but at the same time, I see that homosexuals are not allowed to be married with the Anand Karaj. As a Westerner, this seems to be the same religious dogmatism that I tried to escape when I left Christianity, but maybe I am misunderstanding it.

4. Marriages. As far as I understand, Sikhs do not condone love marriages, and instead practice arranged marriages. What is the harm in a love marriage, or in dating? Again I realize I come from a Western perspective, but I fail to see how these things are harmful to your spirituality. If all of your energy is focused on finding a partner, or on sexual promiscuity, or the like, I can definitely understand it. Also, why can an inter-faith marriage not be done with the Anand Karaj? If a Sikh wants to marry a non-Sikh, isn't that their choice? And if they want to do the marriage the Sikh way, is that not displaying the proper respect to Sikhi? For a long time, I dated a Muslim girl and we planned to be married. Sadly that didn't happen, but I can't imagine missing out on someone who may be the love of my life, because I am limited to only marrying someone of my religion.

5. Again as far as I understand, Guru Nanak Ji shunned religious labels. He stated "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." So therefore, why have his teachings started a religion? This is something I haven't been able to find much discussion about, and I am quite curious about it. Has Sikhism fallen prey to the same dogmatism that he taught against?

6. The SGGSJ was named as the last Guru for the Sikhs. Does this mean there will never be another Guru? What about when we move out of Kal Yug and into the next age, will there be another succession of Gurus?

I'm sorry for the long list of questions. I look forward to hearing your responses. Thank you.

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Bro what is your country of origin ?

You lay too much stress on same sex marriage .Can this be the only yardstick for liberalism ?

Love marriage is accepted largely...there are few of them who are strongly clinging to the clan identities ...things are changing .

The western society is an amalgamated society and therefore is not based on principles that rigidly ..and there is a constant adding of more diverse cultures..even from the remotest corners of the world. Therefore it wont be the same as a society which is already established and has had a foundation centuries old .

I'm from the USA but I live in Europe.

I am laying a lot of stress on it because it is very important to me. I would not be able to accept a religion which teaches that homosexuality is somehow wrong. So, is it the only yardstick, no, not at all. Is it a crucial one for me? Yes it is.

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As the title of the thread suggests, I am currently exploring Sikhi as well as other religious beliefs (including Buddhism and Radha Soami, though I have issues with following a human master). I come from a Christian background, but I would not describe my beliefs as being particularly Christian, as I believe in an all-pervading God who is impersonal, and I believe in systems such as reincarnation and karma. So, I have many questions about Sikhi as I am on my search, and I was hoping that you all might be able to answer some questions for me. None of these questions are meant to challenge your beliefs at all, but merely to express my own doubts and challenges that I face in my search

.
You came to right place regarding your concerns following human master.
-Sikhi is one unique dharma where it challenges one particular point of view or mindset of mandatory needed of human master. It does not totally reject the concept being in society of teachers to learn as it talks about benefits sant parsad, sadh sangat- soceity of saints- masters all to encourage one go to introvert as overall ultimately-Satguru is within all of us- it challenges conventional prevalent view based on dogmatic cultural/conceptual notions that one must need physical human master.
What sikhi provides is beyond human master which is direct link with God/ Satguru (nirgun roop) which is in shabad form within/inner shabad gyan- satguru (true consciousness) within in all of us via manifested form of Satguru guidance ( Sargun roop-Visible form of God-Sri guru granth sahib ji)-
It's direct link between seeker and within seeker pure God's divine alive functioning light-knowledge-Satguru- inner guiding force.
In order to access or abide within within all of us that pure God's divine alive functioning light-knowledge- Satguru (nirgun roop) inner bani-naam- inner guiding force...sikhs read manifested form satguru- sri guru granth sahib (visible Sargun roop of Guru) to break one's egoic conditioning- go introvert and explore divine within, and with Gurparsad (grace of true guru manifested/unmanifested within) merges in absolute truth.
1. Buddhism and Sikhism I think are largely similar, but they have a major difference that I find hard to reconcile. Buddhism (at least Theravadan and Zen) teaches that the existence of God can't be answered for sure, and the same can be said for the soul. Instead the Buddha says that we should forget such questions, and instead focus on achieving Nirvana, as these questions impede our spiritual growth. Sikhi (as far as I am aware) states that our ultimate purpose is to merge with God, and reach Sach Khand. The problem is, I can see and understand the reasoning behind both of these positions, and I have a really hard time figuring out what to believe on this issue. How can I resolve this conflict?

There is secret indication what buddha is saying, its statement to avoid people making mountains of conceptual philosophies/ideas about truth which impedes one own spirituality as opposed to living the truth and experience it for yourself as this is sad reality of humanity.
Most people reside in comfort of conceptual ideas about the truth-egoistic mind conditioning as false sense of security instead of taking truth inside and let the truth does its work.
There are similarities- absolute truth, grace always happening we need to study more deeper to get list of similarities- If you want to learn about nirvana read buddhist heart sutra which tries to explain ultimate non dual reality/realization,- Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha. It talks about absolute reality- emptiness is form, form is emptiness always being always becoming can be experienced by buddha nature (pure awareness enlightened being).
However since there are many interpretations of it via many school of thoughts, its not very clear as one can easily confuse or caught up empty awakeness/pure awareness as void-half transcendental awakening etc etc.
Absolute reality/truth is defined in Sikh Mool mantra(Root Mantra) is very clear and pristine:
Ik Oankar - One universal Eternal Absolute unchanged Awareness Being-Light-Knowledge- God- all in one, one in all- meditating on itself in stillness, expressing itself in its movement - creating, preserving and changing creation spontaneously effortlessly.
Which is
Satnam- Eternal Truth Pure Existence
Kartapurkh- Creative consciousness
Nirbhauo- No fear- fearless as there is only one in all, all in one- fear from what? There is NO other. Ikoankar is all, all is ikoankar
Nirvair- No enemy of anyone- since its only one in all, all in one, there is no enemy.
Akaal Moorat- Timeless Being which is one being in all, all in one- One-JOT-Light-pure knowledge form.
Ajooni- Unborn non dual pure awareness being all in one, one in all.
Gurparsad- Pure consciousness/awareness bliss is realized by grace of true Guru-Satguru-sargun-manifested Guru in form of sri guru granth sahib/ invisible alive SatGuru within all- bestowed grace.
2. Scriptures are obviously very important to Sikhs, as the SGGSJ forms the foundation for Sikhi. My question regarding this is, why is reading the Bani repeatedly so important? Is kirtan more beneficial than to practice simran and meditation on the atman inside? I can understand reading it for understanding, and of course reading scriptures at different times in our lives, we will receive different lessons. But is inward meditation not more valuable, provided it is done with a proper spiritual understanding?

For every sikh, reading gurbani, contemplating on it, practising is quite important because gurbani breaks sikh-seeker egoistic conditioning, pre conceived notions/ideology/mindset if seeker allows- ALIVE GURBANI (ALIVE DIVINE BEING KNOWLEDGE) to take center stage of being let truth gurbani do its work, most of times its egoic conditioning pretends they are reading gurbani (ocean of bliss) however they are anyalizing ocean of gurbani from off shore rather being in it.
For example there is a famous story in our history where gurbani is used as medicine as analogy to show dogmatic notion for patient- where one groups of sikhs are shown doing gargles of medicine instead of taking it all in and other group is shown taking it all in one having full affect of gurbani.
In Sikh dharma, reading-Contemplation, kirtan, meditation are not in clash courses with each other they all can be incorporated whatever one is drawn too. They all can provided great divine insight, naam awakening inside as naam which is integral focus in sikh dharma where interpretation of naam can be grasped at many different levels depending on the spiritual maturity of the aspirant.
5. Again as far as I understand, Guru Nanak Ji shunned religious labels. He stated "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." So therefore, why have his teachings started a religion? This is something I haven't been able to find much discussion about, and I am quite curious about it. Has Sikhism fallen prey to the same dogmatism that he taught against?

Not Sikhism but on many levels more than handful areas of sikh community definitely has fallen prey because of Victorian abhramic notions.

6. The SGGSJ was named as the last Guru for the Sikhs. Does this mean there will never be another Guru? What about when we move out of Kal Yug and into the next age, will there be another succession of Gurus?

Guru and Waheguru are same. There is only Guru/God. There won't be any other. Ultimate Guru is inner One God/ Guru within all of us as all pervading God, thats what Sri guru granth sahib ji is manifested personal Guru visible form is referring to (Sargun personal manifested guru is referring to its impersonal nirgun form). There is no duality as such- SGGS is personified manifested Guru form of non manifested non confined non dual Shabad Guru/Satguru-true consciousness/awareness within all of us which is alive never born and dies-Vaho Vaho Bani Nirankar Hai ||. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
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I'm from the USA but I live in Europe.

I am laying a lot of stress on it because it is very important to me. I would not be able to accept a religion which teaches that homosexuality is somehow wrong. So, is it the only yardstick, no, not at all. Is it a crucial one for me? Yes it is.

There is no place for gay marriages in Sikhism. One of the most important functions of marriage is to procreate. You tell me brother, how will two males procreate naturally?

Having said the above, there is no discrimination against gay people in Sikhism. The doors of the king (LORD GURU NANAK DEV) are open to all.

Take care.

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In fact there wont be place for gay marriages in any religion, if you go against the society and establish your setup then it is absolutely different like there are gay churches which might be just a meeting point for gays rather than anything religious.

I feel it is better to keep both the concepts in different corners..

Ask yourself ...is homosexual activity as normal as heterosexual ? tomorrow pedophiles would ask for their 'rights' then Zoonoses would follow.. ...the list is never ending. .

Sikhi is about connecting to the Supreme Power directly...when you follow Sikhi...without the dogmas which people create on their own..you will feel the longing for being One with Him the Akaal Purakh..The Timeless Lord...The Bani suggests you get connected and a flow inside you will always want to keep connecting.

Try this ...reciting EK Oanhnnkaaar...and just breathe in and out ...relax your nerves ...ask your self who are you ...are you this body ? are you this soul? when you close your eyes ..visualize a vast light coming from the clouds....try to meditate...you will get all the answers from Inside ...HE resides in you ..He is Right Inside You ..He is Akaaal...The All Pervading ..

There is no place for gay marriages in Sikhism. One of the most important functions of marriage is to procreate. You tell me brother, how will two males procreate naturally?

Having said the above, there is no discrimination against gay people in Sikhism. The doors of the king (LORD GURU NANAK DEV) are open to all.

Take care.

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Asking questions about God and Nirvana leading to attachment.

Any object, concept, thought, feeling can lead to attachment.

So are you saying that the label benefits us on our spiritual path, but to ultimately reach the state of Nirvana we have to completely detach ourselves even from those labels?

Yes and no.

In order to get a taste of pure consciousness/nirvana/god, yes, in that moment complete detachment is necessary.

However, in your everyday life, labels are ok. You don't have to detach yourself from the labels. The labels are useful in providing a framework. However you do have to try to see what the labels are referring to.

There is a difference between -

"I believe in strawberry and its sweet and sour taste"

VS

"I have tasted strawberries and their sweet and sour taste"

The first guys is limited to the label of strawberry. The second guy has experienced the label and has first hand knowledge of it. Replace Strawberry for God or Nirvana, and you should aim to taste those experiences.

True, but we can still discuss how the issue is treated within Sikhi.

Let me rephrase that. I mean, is questioning tolerated? So, for example, in my hometown there are a lot of fundamentalist Christians. Many of them believe that the Bible is the perfect Word of God, and is unquestionable. They do not tolerate any doubt, investigation, or skepticism. To even question that a verse or teaching is directly from God is un-Christian in their eyes. Whatever the Bible, or your preacher, tells you to do, you HAVE to do if you are a good Christian and you have no choice. This is what I mean by dogma.

It depends on the people really. Like you said, there were people in your hometown that did that. I have met practicing Christians who didn't do those things.

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Hello everyone who has responded; thank you very much for the responses. Unfortunately I have been involved in quite a long argument on another forum regarding this topic, and I simply don't have the energy or the time to debate anymore. Thank you once again.
Edited by HFTarasque
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