nogroup singh

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh. I would like to anwser this question as per my research going on for AKJ. I have gone through most of the posts on this forum related to AKJ, and it made me do some research on AKJ to find out what their intentions are? And what really their mission is? I won't come up with any conclusion right now as my research is going on. But I would like to point out one thing here that whenever we ask any question for any org within sikhism, we should research on that org to make ourselves familiar with them. Anyhow, below are the frequently ask questions they have on their own site and they have anwsers for most of the questions. Now how accurate the anwsers are? I'm not here to judge them as my judgement and yours can be differ from each other so that will lead to debate and there are so many debates already going on related to them. Here the FAQs so please go through them before we discuss about their kirtan style so you know their side as well. Here is the link: http://akj.org.uk/faq/default.asp

Not my words but pasting it from sikhnet.com source: CLICK HERE

One Chardi Kala singh "Bikramjit singh" has given the short history of Janam Sakhis and we can easily kill this claim as source which says that Guru Nanak Dev ji was muslim is inaccurate itself. Its so clear that Janam Sakhis should not be taken serious as per Sikhism code and conducts. Here is what he wrote about them. The Bhai Bala Janamsakhi was written by a sect called the Niranjanias. Guru Amardas the third Guru had a disciple called Baba Handal who was a Jat ( farmer caste ), from the village of Jandiala in the Pargana of Batala. Baba Handal used to do voluntary service in the Sikh congregations . Guru Amardas was pleased with Baba Handal and made him the leader of the Sikh congregation of Jandiala. After Baba Handal, his son Bidhi Chand became his successor but he was infatutuated with a Muslim woman and much against the advice of the the local Sikhs he married her. The local Sikhs snapped all contact with Bidhi Chand and only a few of his followers remained with him. Bidhi Chand then got a Janamsakhi written in which he chose to belittle Guru Nanak by making his father Baba Handal as well as Bhagat Kabir greater than Guru Nanak. In one of the stories in this Janamsakhi there is a mention of the prediction made by Guru Nanak about the coming of a Bhagat who would be greater than himself.

All, You have heared about "Hindutva" all the time. If you are friends of them then you will see that they will tell you that they respect your gurus but the truth is clear that their main purpose is to establish Hindu Nation and destroy the democracy of India. im going to get all the questions from their website and let everyone clear them with Gurbani and Sikhism references so we can clear all the misconceptions for our youth. They are not true Hindus as vast majority of hindus oppose them. So, you should not get hostility feelings towards Hindus as these "hindutva people" are extremists. Click the below link to access their forum to see what their mission is? http://pub32.ezboard.com/fhindutatvafrm1

Email from: Amarjit Singh Shaukeen" <ashaukeen@hotmail.com ******************************************************************************** This time it seems some of our Muslim friends have a problem in their understanding of the Sikh religion. Could this be an effort to proselytize Sikh youth. Strangely the people who created this website do not have any contact information. Their identity is unknown. Amarjit had forwarded this email with a special reference to the concluding paragraph which says: "Baba Nanak, in one of his Janam Sakhis he says that he had it revealed to him by God that the religion of Islam is true. It was because of this that he went on pilgrimage to Makka, and adopted all the tenets of Islam. His sacred relics at Dera Baba Nanak bear the clearest testimony to his profession of the Islamic Kalima, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet", and those at Guru Har Sahai in the Ferozepore District, include a copy of the Holy Quran. He also proclaimed that enmity to Islam was enmity to the light that comes from heaven...." The author did not care to provide any specific reference to the Janam Sakhi. If he had done his homework he should have realized that there is a Sakhi wherein a Muslim priests moves the Guru's feet in a direction different from the Kaaba. The holy structure also moves with it. The message of the Sakhi is that God is present everywhere and there is no reason to look into a particular direction/structure in the belief that God is present there only. The Islamic chola with Quranic phrases was presented to Guru Nanak by Muslim Pirs who became his followers during his visit to Baghdad. I can understand Guru Nanak saying that "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet." To the Guru it did not matter what name you gave God, for He was the same for everyone. Innumerable are the prayer-chants; Innumerable the forms of devotion. Innumerable are the forms of worship; Innumerable the modes of doing penace. Innumerable are those with vows of silence in unbroken contemplation. How may I give an idea of Divine might? All thou willst is good, thou Formless one ! Immutable, ever perfect art thou.(Guru Granth Sahib, Jap, M.1. pp.3-4)And, Some utter His name as Rama, others as Khuda; Some serve the Lord of the universe, others Allah; Gracious Lord Almighty, compassionate show Thy Grace. Some bathe at Hindu holy spots, others perform Haj; Some prefer 'puja', others bow their heads in 'namaz'. Some study Vedas, others the Quran; Some wear blue, others white. Some are called Muhammadans, others Hindus Some seek 'bihisht' others 'swarga' Saith Nanak: whoever the Divine Will realizes, The Lord's mystery has understood.(Guru Granth Sahib, Ramkali, M.5.p.885) Obviously our friends did not care to understand Sikh philsosphy. Otherwise they would have never made such a silly remark. Moreover, Isalm has the concept of a wrathful God. God in Sikhism is loving and benevolent. He does not threaten man into submission. Says the Qur'an: "And on whosoever My wrath comes down, He indeed falls down to the depth." In Sikhism, God never punishes man in deep hatred. He is all-loving. This is the reason why Sikhism does not have the concept of infidels. Every man and woman - believer or an aetheist - can be a recepient of God's Grace (nadar). Man does not influence God in this decision, it is entirely God's. To God it does not matter if you believe in Him or you don't. Man will get the realization whenever he wishes to bestow man with that realization. This is Sikh philosophy. God, in Sikhism, looks upon His creation with love. He is a Loving and Forgiving God. "How can You be angry with Your own children? O Lord! For, as You belong to them they belong to You."(Rag Siri MI p.25) Sikhism guarantees, total equality and freedom to women. In Islam a woman is considered inferior to man and her status can never be equal to that of a man. Guru Nanak spoke of woman's equality. How could he consider Islam to be the true path since it denies its women equality and freedom? Says the Guru: from the woman is our birth, in the woman's womb are we shaped; To the woman we are engaged, to the woman we are wedded; The woman is our friend and from woman is the family; Through the woman are the bonds of the world; Why call woman evil who gives birth to the leaders of the World? From the woman is the woman, without woman there is none. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 473) The dignity Sikhism guarantees women, Islam denies her. The problem with semitic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - is their exclusivity and arrogance in their claim to be the only path. All these religions fall short of guaranting man basic equality and dignity. The author is wrong in his suggestion that Sikhism was a movement against Hinduism. Sikhism is an original and revealed religion. Sikhism was a movement against superstition and dogmatism of both Islam and Hinduism. Guru Nanak found both Muslims and Hindus living an immoral life. Says the Guru: To muslims: Make compassion your mosque, Faith your prayer mat, Make honest living your scripture, Let modesty rule your conduct, Let piety be your fasts, Let right conduct be the Ka'aba, Truth your Prophet, Make the Lord's Will your rosary. In such a way become a Muslim. To hindus(in reference to their holy thread): From the cotton of compassion, Spin the thread of contentment, Tying the knot of continence, Give it the twist of virtue, Such a sacred thread O Wiseman, Fabricate for your inner self. Perhaps the author is justifying his claim due to the monotheistic belief of God, also found in Sikhism. Sikhs believe in One God of all the Creation whether you are a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc. For Muslims, people who don't believe in their definition of God - Allah - are infidels and they have Allah's word to fight these infidels and make them into believers. Tolerance, co-existence and respect for human beings is another major difference between Islam and Sikhism. Guru Nanak would never approve of an intolerant philosophy. ******************************************************************************** http://www.geocities.com/pak_history/sikhism.html Sikhism vs Islam and Hinduism 1. Sikhs believe in One and only One God, whereas Hindus worship quite a number of gods, goddesses, and deities. 2. The Hindu Trinity---Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva---is altogether rejected by Sikhs. They also do not believe in Krishna and Rama as reincarnations of God. 3. The worship of any carved statues, images or idols is completely forbidden in Sikhism although it is allowed in Hinduism. 4. The cow is not considered as a sacred animal by Sikhs, hence it is not worshiped at all. 5. The supermacy of the Vedas, Gita and other Hindu scriptures is not recognised or accepted in Sikhism. They have their own holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, compiled by the fifth Guru himself. 6. Sikhism has rejected the caste system, and all men and women are reckoned equal irrespective of their caste, color or creed. 7. Sikh traditions, customs, and ceremonies of death and marriage are completely different from the Hindus. 8. Unlike it is in Hinduism, vegetarianism is not given any special spiritual or moral importance in Sikhism. Meat eating is allowed. "How are you a Brahman and I am a low caste? Is it that I have blood in my veins and you have milk?" (Gauri Kabir p-324) "Why call Shiv God, and why speak of Brahma as God? God is not Ram Chander, Krishan, or Vishnu whom ye suppose to be the lords of the world. Sukhdev, Prasar, and Vyas erred in abandoning the One God and worshipping many gods. Hindus have set up false religions; I in every way believe that there is but One God." (Swaya- XV, Guru Gobind Singh) In Zafarnama which Guru Gobind Singh wrote to Emperor Aurangzeb, he mentioned about hill Rajas, "They worshipped idols, and I was an idol-breaker.." "Five are the Muslim prayers; five their appointed hours, Five their names. These be the true prayers: The first is Truth, the second is lawful earning and the third is to beg the Graces of God for all, The fourth is the right intention in the mind and the fifth is the praise of the Lord." (Guru Nanak, Var Majh) "You are the Creator, O Lord, the Unknowable. You created the Universe of diverse kinds, colours and qualities. You know your own Creation. All this is your Play." (Guru Nanak, Var Majh) "He neither has father, nor mother, nor sons nor brothers." (Guru Nanak, Maru). "Burnt be the mouth that asserts, the Lord takes birth. He is neither born nor dies; neither enters birth nor departs. All pervasive is Nanaks Lord." (Guru Arjan Dev, Raga Bhairon) "The stone he calls his god, in the end, drowns him with itself... Know that a boat of stone carries one not across" (Guru Arjan Dev, Suhi) "The stone neither speaks nor gives anything. Therefore its service is fruitless and its worship is of no avail." (Bhagat Kabir, Bhairo) "They cannot be called satis, who burn themselves with their dead husbands. They can only be called satis, if they bear the shock of separation. They may also be known as satis, who live with character and contentment and always show veneration to their husbands by remembering them." (Guru Amar Das, Var Suhi) It is obvious that Sikhism has more commonality with Islam, and was actually a movement against Hinduism.. Baba Nanak, in one of his Janam Sakhis he says that he had it revealed to him by God that the religion of Islam is true. It was because of this that he went on pilgrimage to Makka, and adopted all the tenets of Islam. His sacred relics at Dera Baba Nanak bear the clearest testimony to his profession of the Islamic Kalima, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet", and those at Guru Har Sahai in the Ferozepore District, include a copy of the Holy Quran. He also proclaimed that enmity to Islam was enmity to the light that comes from heaven. Source: Click here

I would like to go by your questions and try to explain both sides. First of all, arrange marriages are high in ratio in category of successful marriages than love marriages. I don't believe that if you have love marriage then you can have successful marriage as its known fact that love marriages have more divorces than arrange marriages. Marriage should not be in category of love marriage or arrange marriage but marriage is a name of understanding of each other and also how much respect you and your partner have for you and same goes for your side. I won't call it outdated or silly tradition as Our all Sikh gurus had arrange marriages and if I agree with your statement then im indirectly saying that my GURUs of Sikhism were outdated when world is coming to know that our GURUS have given religion which is 100% scientific and as well as modern. Don't call it dilemma, because if that's the case then you are going against Sikhism. Sikhism marriage should be for lifetime not for time being, so if you are not fully in favour of your marriage, and doing it just because you want to make someone happy then its 100% against Sikhism. Now I go in detail so you can understand how the marriage goes by Sikhism side so you won't find yourself in confusion. I don't want to make this post 1000 words long because I know you will loose the interest to read the whole post. Here is the link for you to understand Sikh marriage. http://www.sikhs.org/wedding/ http://www.cyberway.com.sg/~usma/sikhism_b...html#The%20Sikh It has anwser to your arrange marriage question as well, and I will try to post it here so you can read it. So, if you and your parents are doing it the way it has been mentioned above then it is Sikh marriage otherwise its just a cultural marriage not Sikh. Now I tell you why Love marriage goes against Sikhism most of the time. First of all, I would like to post these lines to give you nutshell intro to sikhism and I knwo you know it but im pasting it here for reason. Mostly, you will see that if you are in love you go against your religion, parents, society. Muslim/sikh marriage? Wrong, because in most of the cases they will ask you to convert so you have to leave your modern and advance religion. So you won't be sikh but converted to Islam. It will show that you couldn't understand Sikhism properly as you accepted to convert when on the other hand All of our GURUS and ancient Sikhs prefered to die rather than converting and leaving Sikhism. If converting yourself was not against Sikhism then everyone would have converted to Christianity, ISLAM, Judaism or kept following Hinduism as their religion. Guru Tegh Bhadhur ji sacrified his life but didn't accept to convert because he knew that he was following a path of truth. Here are the few links for you to read if you get time for convertion. http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/kirpadutt.html http://www.srigurugranthsahib.org/guru-teg...ai-mati-das.htm http://allaboutsikhs.com/martyrs/bhaitaru.htm http://www.sikhpoint.com/religion/SHAHEED%...ANI%20SINGH.ASP ---> Hindu/Sikh marriage Below Gurbani can easily explain why it is against Sikhism. So, if we marry a hindu, then we are going against Sikhism as well because its simple to explain. If you are married to Hindu then you are living in Hindu house, so in that case, you have to follow their rituals, traditions which Guru ji clearly stated are not a part of Sikhism. Sikh/Christian Marriage: Same goes for this marriage as well. Sikh can only marry a Sikh so it should clear all the questions our youth has most of the time. So, if we marry someone even at Gurdwara and think that we didn't do anything against Sikhism then we are 100% wrong. If that was the case then there was no need to have Sikhism or Sikhism way of life but if we want to truely want to be Sikh then we have to learn Sikhism and what it tells us. Most of the time we claim to be born Sikh which is simple to explain, my parents are Sikh and that makes me Sikh as well. We have to change those terms. If my father is engineer then I can't claim to be engineer, and anwser is simple, I don't have that education and as well as degree so samething should go for Sikhism. We should be sikh if we have knowledge of Sikhism and it should not be allowed that every child born in Sikh family should be known as Sikh. Guru Nanak Dev ji didn't choose his own sons as next Guru because they couldn't prove themselves true follower of Sikhism which Guru Nanak dev ji stated, so that was the reason that Guru ji didn't choose them as our Gurus. So, if our Guru ji were not biased then we should not be biased about it as well, that we should start calling our childern Sikhs just because they are taking birth in Sikh families but we need to send them to camps and try to make them true sikhs with full education and degree of Sikhism. I tried my best to explain Sikh marriage and now its all in your hands what you consider good for you. Best of luck for your marriage.

Below link is also useful: http://www.snsm.org.my/library/articles/the_journey.htm also the below post

http://www.sikhspectrum.com/022003/death_w.htm SikhSpectrum.com Monthly Issue No.9, February 2003 The Sikh Perspective On Death and Suffering by Wazir Singh Copyright © Professor Wazir Singh, Punjabi University Pleasure and pain are a set of robes that men must keep on wearing. 1 Sikhism is not a philosophy of suffering. Even so, human suffering and death are the two running themes in the Sikh poetic tradition. The poet-philosophers of Guru Granth the holy scripture, and practically all the commentators and interpreters of the Sikh faith, repeatedly stress these twin facts of human life, not for highlighting them, but to encourage men to face them and to conquer them. Apart from the ten spiritual mentors, or Gurus of the Sikh religion, six of whom composed hymns incorporated in the Granth, Sikhism recognizes a galaxy of medieval saints and divines, thirty-six in number and all poets, equal in rank and reverence for their moral and spiritual teachings. The main thrust of the voluminous compositions of these spiritual luminaries, is to awaken in man the urge to transcend his mundane existence, to inculcate in him love for the aesthetic-spiritual realm of life, to persuade him to imbibe virtues that help in the molding of a more humane order. All their teachings is addressed to man, for the well being of man, at the various levels of his existence - material, mental, aesthetic and ethical, social and spiritual. Their vision keeps in focus the regenerate man, transformed from the ordinary, existential plane of living into a qualitatively higher order of being. The essential man of their vision is one endowed with insight into life itself. Guru Nanak, the first of the ten Gurus, depicts the existential man covering four periods or quarters of life, from infancy with its ingrained attachment for parents, through youth with its passions, and middle age with its engrossments, leading to the period of decline and the time to depart. In this situation, man keeps on changing into the apparels of pain and pleasure, suffering and joy, with fear of death constantly lurking deep in his being. Human life may be portrayed in its four periods or ten stages, as found in the compositions of the Gurus and the bhaktas. But that is not the end of the matter. Some of the most forceful utterances, for instance in the hymns of Kabir, are those in which "men are urged to settle their accounts with God before death overtakes them and it is too late." Karine Schomer, illustrating this point with the help of Kabir's couplets, adds: "The theme of urgency in the face of death", is the persistent refrain in Kabir's hymns.2 And, for that matter, in the bani of all the authors of the Guru Granth. Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru and the first compiler of the Guru Granth, chastises man, first of all, to accord welcome to death, giving up all expectations of life; let him be at the service of all, then alone would he countenance God.3 As for the formula of overcoming anguish and suffering in life, the teaching may be summed up in Guru Arjan's proposition: Let my mind bank upon the support of that Lord Contemplating whom joy descends and all suffering vanish. 4 Theme of Suffering In Gurbani It is not without interest to note that suffering in all its dimensions is considered in Gurbani, which in this context includes bhagat-bani as well. Guru Nanak, in Var-Malar refers to the "kind of suffering that results from separation, another kind that is caused by hunger and third type resulting from the unfailing advent of the messenger of death. 5. However, suffering at the organic level constitutes its physical dimension, depicted in terms of disease and pain, frailties and helplessness effected by intemperate living and/or old age, besides the tortures brought about by sadistic acts. The emotive dimension covers anxieties and pangs of separation (birha), and seemingly endless wait for re-union. Both the physical and emotive aspects of suffering have received attention of the poet-philosophers of the Guru Granth. Some perspectives on the intellectual dimension of suffering are also available, where the poetic sensibilities raise a voice of protest against human folly, social inequality and persecution, and even divine indifference. The fourth and fifth dimensions cover existential and spiritual suffering respectively. To be human is to suffer: that is the essence of existential sufferings, in itself incapable, but unlike physical pain or grief in its nature. It need not depend upon apprehension of a tragic situation or awareness of an impending calamity or fear. The uncaused anxiety, of which Heidegger speaks, and the existential anguish, of which Sartre speaks, are forms of suffering synonymous with existence itself. Kierkgaard regards such universal suffering as resulting from dread and the perilous tension between time and eternity. According to him, earthly existence is a mysterious blend of anguish and lovely dreams, of creation and despair. 6 The problem of suffering, in this case, is intimately linked with human bondage. Professor Talib uses the phrase 'metaphysical suffering of sheer existence' - to describe the kind of suffering afflicting man who is born in pain and in pain shall die. 7 The problem of existential suffering was succinctly brought to the fore, perhaps for the first time, by Buddhism, which proclaimed that all is suffering - Sarvam Dukham. But Buddhist philosophy did not make suffering an inalienable feature of human existence. One of its four basic truths was made out to be nirodhasatya (the cessation of suffering), dukhasatya (the truth of human misery) not being the sole or absolute truth. "Nirvana is the end of suffering , the extinction of desire, the destruction of greed, hate, delusion, and of the constituent factors (skandhas) and the volitional forces (samskaras)." 8 According to the general rut of the Indian systems, "the human individual suffers or enjoys by virtue of his participation in the rolling process (i.e. samsara), on account of his sense of identification with it. This is some kind of 'original sin' which he calls his life or living." 9 However, the utilitarian orientation of Buddhism coloured most of the subsequent philosophical systems in India. The various prescriptions were held out in accordance with the terms of diagnosis in each case. If craving (trishna) is the cause of all suffering, then the whole effort should be to root out this evil. If the individuating principle of ego is guilty, then, as in the case of Gurbani, utmost emphasis will have to be placed on the taming of egoism. "The ultimate truth is not realized in placing of one's self in the fore", says Guru Nanak. "The summum bonum comes within reach when the sense of ego is banished." 10 Guru Nanak's oft-quoted line "Nanak dukhiya sabh sansar", is matched in its sweep by Sheikh Farid's saying: I thought I alone suffered, but oh! the whole world is overtaken by grief. From the house-top, each abode is seen equally afire. 11 A major stand in Farid is existential anguish, illustrated in his couplet that speaks of the midwife snipping the umbilical cord at birth: Better, if she would also press a little the throat; one would not have to face the affairs of life and bear its sorrows. 12 In point of fact, the root-metaphor of Farid-bani is "Dukh". The individual, finding himself a solitary, friendless creature in a hostile world, undergoes the experience of anguish to which he is condemned. The spectre of old age haunts him; death holds a siege around him. Poor man! he would be reduced to ashes in the end. 13 But, the Sikh poetic tradition makes reference to the brighter aspect of dukh too. Guru Nanak's phrased "Dukh daru, sukh rog" alludes to a kind of 'pain' that serves as remedy and 'pleasure' that is the malady. In what sense is sukh (happiness) the root of evil, and suffering welcome for the sake of moral health? An answer is provided by Kierkegaard: The suffering which restores man to awareness of sin is also a means to reconciliation, only, however, if one dutifully accepts the suffering and turns it to good purpose. 14 Suffering is not, in all cases, a misfortune or curse. The thorn in flesh may be a blessing if it helps one to turn it into spiritual medicine. That is the creative approach to dukh, analyzed in Professor Talib's perspective on suffering. 15 Granted that suffering is a fundamental factor in the human situation, that it is innate to man, yet the self-inflicted suffering undergone for spiritual purification belongs to another category. Similarly, when man undergoes sorrow that lies in alienation from God, it is not simply on the mundane or profane level that he suffers. His suffering may be productive of moral and spiritual good; as Jesus suffered in the cause of God, and through his suffering was said to redeem mankind from sin and spiritual suffering. 16 The inscrutable mystery by which the Divine apportions dukh and sukh to his creatures, finds eloquent expression in Guru Nanak's Japuji: Countless stand condemned to pain and miseries ever; Such blessing in disguise the Bounteous One may shower. 17 Here, even the torments are treated as the Lord's gifts. Karl Jaspers paradox lends support to the view of man taking the 'risk' of being happy: When a man is unhappy being himself will be easier than when he is happy. 18 Man is made aware of himself by his suffering - that seems to be the moral. And the pangs of separation suffered by the soul, are not extolled by Sheikh Farid without reason: The inscrutable mystery by which the Divine apportions dukh and sukh to his creatures, finds eloquent expression in Guru Nanak's Japuji: The pain of birha is belittled, but, birha, thou art sovereign! A body that never tasteth pangs Treat it like dead ground. 19 The Sikh poetic tradition advises the individual faced with a situation of inevitable suffering, to accept it with a sense of resignation to the Divine Will. The only alternative is to engage oneself in prayer for the alleviation of suffering, not only from one's own life, but from the life of humanity at large: Save this burning world through Thy Grace, O Lord! Lift us to whichever door of salvation Thou decidest 20 A Perspective on Death The death-theme affects the hedonist and voluntary on the one hand the devotee on the other, in different ways according as either understands the fulfillment of life to consist in what he has been seeking. Thus observes Professor Talib in the context of a study of Sheikh Farid's spiritual experience. To those who behold the underlying law of the universe in which all that is created is seen to be in a state of flux and subject to annihilation, such as Farid, "Death is a visible presence, not to be ignored in the course of daily round of life." Says Farid: Life is like a tree growing on the river's bank - how long may it last? How long may the unbaked pitcher retain water? 21 Compassion for man's state is the theme of another of Farid's couplets wherein, Death is figured as the bridegroom who must carry away on the appointed day, his betrothed bride, to leave the parents home like the typical Indian bride. 22 Guru Nanak employs the metaphor of sister and brother for depicting the relation of the body with the soul. At the time of parting, the sister calls out to the brother, but the latter has become a stranger to her. She pines and burns in separation. 23 The elements of inevitability and indeterminacy associated with death, by no means exclusive to Sikh tradition, constitute two major themes of hymns dealing with evanescence of human life, in the Guru Granth. Guru Nanak refers to "death overtaking all, all being subject to separation."24 Guru Arjan's expression - "whoever is born, is sure to die,"25 lends support to modern existentialist contention that an infant at birth is old enough to die. Man, is a being-toward-death. Guru Tegh Bahadur, in his own pathos-filled style, affirms: Whoever comes into being, has to depart; If not today, may be tomorrow. 26 The moment of actual arrival is kept secret, though its inevitability is not. Sheikh Farid talks of the 'eagle' swooping unawares upon the crane, spoiling its fun and frolic. Guru Nanak speaks of the 'net' thrown in to catch the fish; that is how death appears all too suddenly. And one knows not the mode of one's departure, how painful or peaceful will the end be! In his depiction of the existential man, Guru Nanak counts ten stages of life, beginning with the baby's love of mother's milk, followed by the various temptations and affections of life, leading to a decline in physical strength and finally to death that reduces the body to ashes. 27 The truism that no one is completely satiated with the measure of lifetime given to him or her, is expressed in one of his slokas: None seems to depart with the feeling that all his involvements are over." "Slowly and in bits, life is consumed and wasted away; death descends without asking and without giving a chance to complain. 28 Kabir strikes an optimistic note in proclaiming that it is through death alone that the eternals; perfect bliss is attained; that is why he is not afraid of death like the rest of the mortals. 29 However the assertion of Kabir need not be construed in isolation and in the literal sense. Death is welcome, as it comes, but death is no better than life according to the Sikh perspective in general. Human life is a serious affair; it is a valuable gift, a rare opportunity to identify and realize the moral and spiritual objectives. That seems to be Gurbani's main message. It assures man that he is the pinnacle of all creation; it reminds him that he is the embodiment of Divine Light itself. An offbeat dimension of death and, for that matter, of life, is Gurbani's favourite conception of death-in-life. At the mundane level, it would sound queer and deserving of the cowards to say that one is as good as dead while alive; but in Gurbani this expression points to an awakened spirit fully aware of its origin and ultimate destiny. It refers to a person exercising control over his ego, over worldly attachments, over the sense of 'living' or 'being'. A hymn of Guru Amar Das concludes with a paradox that puts the pith of the matter: The true life is attained by one who courts death-in-life, through recognition of the divine Ordinance, by Divine Grace. 30 Kabir is in full agreement with this position since he observes that whereas everyone dies sooner or later, no one really knows how to die. If we knew what it means to die we would not have to die again. The point is elaborated in Guru Nanak's hymn in Ramkali measure: We cannot realize the absolute truth as long as hope and fear bind us down. One who expects not amidst expectations, meets the Truth. That is the way to earn salvation; that is how to die while alive. 31 Nirmal Kumar Jain who applies to such a death the epithet of 'philosophic death' draws a parallel with nirvana in its traditional sense. In Sikhism, it is 'dying out'. "But dying out of what?" he asks, and answers, "of haumai, the ego, the narrow self." For this, one has to shake hands with death. It is not the death of the body; it is death of the psyche, a much difficult thing. 32 Puran Singh in his poetic style describes death as the bride of the brave, Death, apparent death, is embraced by the Khalsa as no lover ever embraced his sweetheart. The Khalsa dies like the dashing waves of the sea, creating in the wake of its death millions more like itself. Citing Szirbi, the great Hungarian man of faith, Puran Singh approvingly remarks: Death is the soul's realm, not of the body. Thou wilt see the soul there, just as thou seest it not here." "Death is a gate all have to pass through. Beyond the gate is another courtyard, an unknown land." "He who is pure, his vision is clear, and he gazeth also with a smile. 33 Viewed in the context of the ideal of service to humanity and the values which make the moral progress of society possible, suffering and death remain no more evils, as Talib puts it. The man of God tastes all sufferings as though these were amrita, the ambrosial drink. He accepts sorrow and suffering, as they come, with perfect equanamity, with a sense of complete resignation to the Will of divine. Inviting reference to Guru Nanak's hymn symbolically addressed to the black buck, Professor Talib echoes the Guru's words: "Delicious are the delusions of the world." 34 Listen thou black buck, Why art thou so absorbed in this orchard? The fruit of poison tastes sweet for few days only; Then will it begin to torment thee Pleasure is unstable like the stormy ocean; Like the flashing lightning. Believe Nanak, though black buck forget not that thy path is the path of death! 35 Conquest of Suffering In the Sikh poetic tradition, the concept of vijog or alienation associated with dukh or suffering, and the concept of sanjog with sukh, i.e. joy and peace. Illustrations to this effect are rampant all over the corpus of the Guru Granth. Suffering or anguish may have multiple causes, but the assumption of individuated soul separated from its Base, pinpoints spiritual alienation as the root-cause of human suffering. Even though Sikhism does not proceed with the diagnosis and cure of the malady of suffering in the fashion of Buddhism, which lends medical flavour to the latter, the Sikh tradition does prescribe the method or marga of Naam-simran as comprehensive remedy for all the ills. The dimension of the sanjog-vijog pair of concepts that also forms the basis of Sikh mysticism, is the dimension of love-relation, which at the profane level is love between the spouses and at the sacred level, love of man for God. Sanjog, in the sense of de-alienation of the soul, is the culmination of the mysticism, which properly speaking is an experience and not a creed. As pointed out by Niharranjan Ray, there are many points of similarity and divergence between Guru Nanak and the totality of the Indian medieval mystic tradition that is protestant and non-conformist. Guru Nanak's mysticism was "limited to the final goal of sahaja experience which at the ultimate analysis was a mystical, ineffable, un-analyzable, inexpressible experience." Basic in this discipline is the conquest of the mind and the final point in the ascent is the 'state of mystic experience' which is the Ultimate Reality itself." 36 However, Sikhism shares with the Indian mystics, in general, its concern for communication and union with the Supreme Being. Reality of the mystic experience is affirmed on the basis of the testimony provided by its religious leaders and revered men of piety. However, it would not be correct to assert that mysticism is of central importance in Sikhism. In the context of Kabir's compositions, Karine Schomer observes: Utterances pointing to the ecstasies of mystical experience are not totally absent", in Kabir's hymns incorporated in the Guru Granth, but they are "strikingly few in comparison with those found in the Kabir Granthavali. The Sikhs are appropriately described by her as: A solid, moral, God-fearing religious community of householders. Theirs is a common-sense religion of inner sincerity and outer morality. 37 Nor can Sikh mysticism be described in terms of rapture, transport or emotional outbursts. At best, it is complete absorption of the individual in contemplation or simran, which, in the words of Puran Singh, is the "true Builder, the slow silent architect of the soul." "Simran is Law of Love. It is the holy manifestation of God in the matrix of matter." 38 The Sikh looks inwards to draw inspiration from his spiritual resources, the experience the joy and ecstasy in the midst of the worldly and domestic chores. Bhai Vir Singh dwells on the idea and experience of joyfulness. The root-metaphor of Farid-bani is dukh. Perhaps the two are the obverse and converse sides of the same coin. Baba Farid flourished four centuries before the advent of Sikhism, and Bhai Vir Singh four centuries after it. The journey of eight hundred years is the journey from the idiom of suffering to the idiom of joy, in the interpretation of Sikh spirituality. The joyful state in Bhai Vir Singh is no different from the blissful spiritual state of communion, which in his poetic diction is termed as wasl or milap - i.e. sanjog, in its mystical dimension. His composition Rana Surat Singh concludes with the symbolic union of Rani Raj Kaur, deeply absorbed in loving devotion and attaining to the state of equipoise and merger (Sahaj-jog/sanjog) equivalent to the status of Gurmukh (the God-oriented one). 39 That is the state of freedom from suffering and anguish, freedom from fear and anxiety, freedom from duality and vijog. Guru Nanak indicates this state of realization and the means to its attainment, in unmistakable terms: One who abandons the sinning self and recognizes the Self. Afflict him neither sorrow, nor alienation, nor anguish. 40 The self to abandon is ego, i.e. the sense of particularity; the Self to realize is Spirit, i.e. the immanent universality. For, "there is no cure for human suffering outside of man, as suffering is an inner ailment of the spirit," says Puran Singh. "All joy is the health of the Spirit....The inward strength comes from the regions of inspiration." 41 Mysticism of spiritual union employs not only the symbols of sorrow-free, anguish-free state of the individual, but also the symbolism of a state that transcends all experience of pain and pleasure, sorrow and peace. This is clearly brought out in Guru Tegh Bahadur's hymns that depict the state of equipoise - where joy and suffering are treated alike, where affection and disaffection, honor and dishonor affect not one's equanimity. Such are the marks of a balance being. 42 One of Guru Arjan's couplets addressed to Sheikh Farid speaks in the same vein: O Farid, treat dukh and sukh alike and cleanse the mind of evils Resigning thyself to Will divine, arrive at His portal. 43 An esoteric element in the sanjog-vijog mysticism is the element of divine concern for the human destiny, known as Grace or blessing. The Sikh poetic tradition makes eloquent references to the principle of divine Grace operating in the human universe. Mystery of the divine Ordinance coupled with the mystery of Grace, belong to the realm that none can claim to penetrate. Here, reason only rationalizes, and faith alone serves and guides. In terms of faith that Gurbani inculcates, Grace of God descends on the elect, picked up by the hidden hand for final communion. The bride may lack winsome qualities, she may not possess merits prized by others, but if she is the recipient of her spouse's love and care, she is the fortunate one. It is she who attains sanjog with her Lord; she is suhagan and she is suchaji. All the others who fail to receive the glance of grace of the spouse, are the luckless ones, waiting for their turn; they suffer in vijog and the epithets of duhagan and kuchaji apply to them. Says Nanak, when the glance Gracious blesses one, all the miseries of vijog vanish. 44 REFERENCES 1 SGGS, p.149 2 Karine Schomer in Sikh Studies, Berkeley 3 SGGS, p.1102 4 Ibid., p.517 5 Ibid., p.1256 6 See Arbaugh, Kierkegaard's Authorship. 7 G.S. Talib, Guru Nanak: His Personality and Vision. 8 L.M. Joshi, Journal of Religious Studies, Patiala. 9 S.K. Chattopadhaya, Quest for Truth. 10 SGGS, p.226 11 Ibid., p.1382 12 Wazir Singh, Philosophy of Sikh Religion. 13 Ibid., p.1380 14 Kierkegaard's Authorship, p.176. 15 G.S. Talib, op. cit., p.232 16 Ibid., p.229 17 SGGS, p.5 18 Karl Jaspus, Philosophy, Vol.2 19 SGGS, p.1379 20 Ibid., p.853 21 SGGS, p.1382 22 G.S. Talib, Perspectives on Sheikh Farid. 23 SGGS, p.935 24 Ibid., p.595 25 Ibid., p.375 26 Ibid., p.1428 27 Ibid., p.137 28 Ibid., p.1412 29 Ibid., p.1365 30 Ibid., p.555 31 Ibid., p.877 32 N.K. Jain, Sikh Religion and Philosophy. 33 Puran Singh, Spirit Of the Sikh. 34 G.S. Talib, Guru Nanak: His Personality and Vision. 35 Ibid., p.439 36 Niharranjan Ray, The Sikh Gurus and the Sikh Society. 37 Karine Schomer, op.cit. pp.84-86 38 Puran Singh, op.cit. p.28 39 Bhai Vir Singh Rachnavali, Vol.I 40 Ibid., p.935 41 Puran Singh, op.cit., p.36 42 Wazir Singh, Falsafa te Sikh Falsafe. 43 Ibid., p.1383 44 Ibid., p.955

THE DAILY BANIS (Nitnem Namaa) by Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji From "Furmaan Khalsa: Poems to Live By" -- ------------------------------------- The Yogi speaks effortlessly. .. From the Love and Light of his Heart, And from the depth of his meditative Wisdom. Oh, Sikhs of the Guru! Oh, Khalsa! Listen to my Prayer! The Nitnem is the Command given by the True Guru. If you recite your Banis consciously, You will gain Divine Knowledge. It is by Guru's Grace that I tell you this, And it is by God's Grace that you will be merged with Him. When your Soul feels sad, recite JAPJI in the depth of your Inner Self. When your body feels useless, recite SHADB HAZAARE. When your Dignity is threatened, meditate on JAAP SAHIB. When nothing seems to satisfy you, sing TEV PRASAAD SWAYIA each day. When you feel hopeless, unsuccessful, and worthless, That is the time to sing REHIRAS. When your lower self confronts you, and you seem to have no money, When your affairs all seem to fail, and your mind can find no Peace, That is the time to sing ANAND SAHIB. When you life seems boring, and you feel uninspired, That's when you should sing KIRTAN SOHILA. When the Light of your Soul is dim, and the dark ethers surround you, Then recite the Bhaugati Ardas. If you sing Sukhmani from your heart, You shall be wealthy and exhalted, beyond your wildest dreams. All the Bliss your mind desires, is yours, when you meditate on Gobind, the destroyer of cruelty. The Kingdom of the one who chants the Gurmantra, Wahe Guru, Shall endure for ever and ever. If you chant Sat Nam, all your affairs are arranged, And all your desires are fulfilled. When you sing Sopurkh, the Vision of the Infinite Creator shall come to you. The entire Universe fills the meditation, Of the one who sings the watch of the So Dar. When you sing the praises of Guru Ram Das, God manifests in your Innermost Soul. The Siri Sargam is such a powerful Naad, That hearing it, even the homeless shall find a good home. Hearing and singing the Guru Gayatri, Rishi Dusht Daman will be the Protector of your home. The Paintees Akharee gives the understanding of Yoga. BENTI CHAUPEE liberates the Soul. Whoever listens to, or recites the Bara Maha to others, His home becomes an ocean of Peace and Bliss. By eating lightly of healthy food, One experiences the Bliss of Brahm, and complete Liberation. The Guru's Lungar is the very best food! The entire Universe meditates at the Harimandir. Whosoever recites his Nitnem daily, Is blessed by Akal with Peace and Bliss! source: Click Here

Sikhs are required to regularly read and understand the Gurbani written within the Guru Granth Sahib. Gurbani teaches God's virtues and how they can be revealed to us. The daily recitation of hymns reminds us repeatedly of the pitfalls of egotism, anger, lust, attachment, and greed. The hymns encourage readers to develop good character by constantly reminding that these virtues bring peace. Sikhs accept the word of the Guru as their guide. They regard the Guru Granth Sahib as their living Guru because from Gurbani, they obtain the spiritual guidance they need. source: click here

I think forum like this are more useful than sikhi helpline. The only problem I see with Sikhi helpline that you are asking one person who is sitting behind the phone line. Now he can be right and wrong and you have to judge him if he was right or wrong in giving advice to you. I think if you see problem like this then post them on couple of your community forums and let the different ideas and opinions come and choose the one which you find more convincing. I would prefer forum as you get real time response and then as well as you don't have to worry about "hypocrites" ....

Nice imagination Bhen ji but you forgot that we don't need to be in dreams in order to see GURU JI but we can see him with open eyes. Why am I saying this? Because Guru ji said it by himself : "Khalsa mero roop hai khaas" and "Khalsa meri jaan ki jaan" So, every Khalsa is Guru Gobind singh ji's complextion and still we want to go to sleep and want to see him in our dreams :shock:

Jat ji, Where do you see "peeps" hatin on jattz? I saw your post and I re-checked the whole post, I don't see if anyone is putting down jat. Are you even jat? Or just signed on as jat ID to create drama so others can waste their time replying for the jat history and this site loose the theme? Just by signing on this site as "jatboyz" don't make you jat... So don't start another drama of castes/races on this site, which is trying to unite Sikh youth by showing them truth of Sikhism. If you are jat then be happy with it, I don't think on this whole forum anyone has to do anything if you are proud of being jat.... I think we have to change that riddle " hen came first or egg"? It should be now wanna-be jat came first or brain?. You see the site name and you can see GURU ji's inspirational pictures on the banner, but still see your good language. This is the reason that jat community is getting bashed for no reason because "peeps" like you come to the site like this and post something which is good enough to provoke others. Again, just a drama to give bad name to jats and then blaming others for your own fault. Yes, there is no caste system in Sikhism and we all know that. Guru Nanak Dev ji was Bedi not sodhi. He was from the family which was known to be high-class in Hindu society and also he had no problem about earning money, as he was from the very rich family by himself. He spent his whole life just to spread the name of GOD, and here we have jat ji comparing him and finding fault in someone who had no problem of getting harrassed by High caste people because his family was one of them and as well as rich, but still for the sake of humanity and to spread the word of equality. He left his pleasureful life and spent it for others so he can raise their level. I have given the anwser above, now you decide who you are? Yes, we know they are teenagers but if you're adult then you are not intelligent enough to prove that adults are better.... No, we just want to be civilized the way we are and don't want to be stereotype... Sanjiv Sidhu is the richest Indian? Good for him, and what makes you so proud of him being a rich guy? He worked hard and became one<period> We all are happy that he is happy & rich and it makes us happy that he is rich. But why you had to quote to "jat" to show his identity? Jats are farmers? Right? He is not farmer so he is not jat so he is the smart guy living above from backward rural mentality. But you forgot to mention that who is dying by commiting suicides in Punjab? just because they're not able to pay their debts? You forgot to mention who is protesting against government of Punjab with other farmers because their wheats are going to drain, and nobody is listening to them? You forgot to mention that why jats are more in western countries? Because it was hard for them to survive so they had to leave their own country in order to find jobs in western countries to survive. They are jats as well, so don't forget to mention the other side of same coin. You guys are breaking away jats from sikhism by showing your old backward rural mentality, and then creating dramas by going site to site and provoking others and then sitting behind the computer smokin your bud and saying " Only God can judge me" by Tupac ...... Leave Jats alone, and let them learn the sikhism way so They count themselves as Sikhs more than jats and they can join sikhism brotherhood once again and don't get trapped by hyprocrite comments as yours. Pailiya( farms) wich kadhi waahi( ploughing) nahie kitti jat banen nu sher............... Regards,

I think if we read above quotes then we can easily say that "Anti-Islam in Sikhism" now it tells us that you can mold scriptures to any side. It's all about awareness you have and how you see it. I think people love to create issues by taking the quotes and then molding them as per their agenda. Here is what im talking about... This site is all about Islam.. Below site is full of Islam information: http://www.themodernreligion.com/index2.html Also on the same site you will see that they got quotes to insult Hinduism so people are there to create issues FA and nneed to be rational. www.themodernreligion.com/comparative/hindu/hindu_heretics.html so people are online or offline to get those quotes and create issues like that... Here is one more article to which they can easily name "Islam in Hinduism" .... www.themodernreligion.com/prophet/prophet-hindu.html that sikh article and hindu articles are there to create dramas and issues that's it....

That article just takes few quotes from Guru Granth sahib ji and showing that Islam is preached in Guru Granth sahib ji. To be honest I didn't get the true meaning of that article so I may be wrong in providing my feedback here. im posting quotes from guru granth sahib ji as well to show you the difference. You will come across so many articles like that as people got so much time online to point out something which can create issues and misguide the majority. I'm posting quotes as well now tell me what would you think after reading them. Sikhism does not believe that any Holy Book takes precedence over all others or any religions prophet is the final messenger of God. "Say not that the Vedas and Muslim books are false. False is he, who reflects not on them." (Bhagat Kabir, Parbhati, pg. 1350) "The followers of the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran, standing at Your Door, meditate on You. Uncounted are those who fall at Your Door." (Guru Arjan Dev, pg. 518) "And many have been orthodox amongst the Muslims, and men of miracles, and Ashvini Kumaras, and the part-incarnations of Vishnu, all O all went the way of death. And many were the prophets and spiritual guides, yea, countless were they: they sprang from the dust and to dust they returned." (Guru Gobind Singh, Akal Ustati) Purpose of the Holy Book "Thus We have revealed the Koran in the Arabic tongue and proclaimed in it warnings and threats so that they may take heed and guard themselves against evil." (20:114 Quran) "Upon this Plate, three things have been placed: Truth, Contentment and Contemplation. The Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam, the Name of our Lord and Master, has been placed upon it as well; it is the Support of all. One who eats it and enjoys it shall be saved. This thing can never be forsaken; keep this always and forever in your mind. The dark world-ocean is crossed over, by grasping the Feet of the Lord; O Nanak, it is all the extension of God." (Guru Arjan Dev, Mundavanee, pg. 1429) Sikhism believes that people of different religions are equally capable of achieving salvation while still following their own religion. "Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers." (5:49, Quran) "Mohammed is Allah's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another." (48:29, Quran) "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and pay the alms-tax, let them go their way. Allah is forgiving and merciful." (9:4, Quran) "There is a garden, in which so many plants have grown. They bear the Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam as their fruit. Consider this, O wise one, by which you may attain the state of Nirvaanaa. All around this garden are pools of poison, but within it is the Ambrosial Nectar, O Siblings of Destiny. There is only one gardener who tends it. He takes care of every leaf and branch. He brings all sorts of plants and plants them there. They all bear fruit - none is without fruit." (Guru Arjan Dev, Asa, pg. 385) "The temple or the mosque are the same, the Hindu worship or the Musalman prayer are the same; all men are the same; it is through error they appear different. Deities, demons, Yakshas, heavenly singers, Musalmans and Hindus adopt the customary dress of their different countries. All men have the same eyes, the same ears, the same body, the same build, a compound of earth, air, fire, and water. Allah and Abhekh are the same, the Purans and the Quran are the same; they are all alike; it is the one God who created all. The Hindu God and the Muhammadan God are the same; let no man even by mistake suppose there is a difference." (Guru Gobind Singh, Akal Ustat, pg. 275) Sri Guru Granth Sahib places greater emphasis on love of God as the main motivation for man rather than fear of God. "Truly, none will take heed but the wise: those who keep faith with Allah and do not break their pledge; who join together what He has bidden to be united; who fear their Lord and dread the terrors of Judgement-day; who for the sake of Allah endure with fortitude..." (13:18, Quran) "Allah's reward is great. Therefore fear Him with all your hearts and be attentive, obedient, and charitable. That will be best for you." (64:13, Quran) "Within my heart, I sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and celebrate the Word of the Lord's Shabad. The Lord Himself is pervading and permeating the world; so fall in love with Him!" (Guru Nanak Dev, pg. 790) "Remembering Him in meditation, one abides in peace; one becomes happy, and suffering is ended. Celebrate, make merry, and sing God's Glories. Forever and ever, surrender to the True Guru." (Guru Arjan Dev, Asa, pg. 386) Sikhism does not believe in the idea of Gods name being only those authorized in a religious tradition or Holy Book. "Many are Thy Names and infinite Thine forms and it cannot be told how many merits Thou hast." (Guru Nanak, Asa, pg. 358) Non-Sikhs are allowed to visit and enter the most sacred shrine of the religion, The Golden Temple. "Believers, know that the idolaters are unclean. Let them not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year is ended" (9:26, Quran) "Blessed is the place, and blessed are those who dwell there, where God's Name is meditated upon. The sermons and songs of God's praises are sung there and there is nothing but peace, poise and tranquillity." (Guru Arjan Dev, Raga Bilaval, pg. 816) "If the Lord Allah lives only in the mosque, then to whom does the rest of the world belong? …The God of the Hindus lives in the southern lands, and the God of the Muslims lives in the west. So search in your heart - look deep into your heart of hearts; this is the home and the place where God lives." (Bhagat Kabir, pg. 1349) Attitude towards women. Sikh women are allowed to lead congregations of men at the temple or administer all religious ceremonies involving either men or women. "Man have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because Allah has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them." (4:34, Quran) "We are born of woman, we are conceived in the womb of woman, we are engaged and married to woman. We make friendship with woman and the lineage continued because of woman. When one woman dies, we take another one, we are bound with the world through woman. Why should we talk ill of her, who gives birth to kings? The woman is born from woman; there is none without her. Only the One True Lord is without woman" (Guru Nanak Dev, Var Asa, pg. 473) Sikhism does not believe in women wearing veils. "Stay, stay, O daughter-in-law - do not cover your face with a veil. In the end, this shall not bring you even half a shell." (Bhagat Kabir, Asa, pg. 484) Sikhism does not believe in fasting or pilgrimages. "The mind is not softened by fasting or austerities. Nothing else is equal to worship of the Lord's Name." (Guru Nanak Dev, Ramkali, pg. 905) "The pilgrimage to shrines, fasting, cleanliness and self-mortification are not of any avail, nor are the rituals, religious ceremonies and hollow adoration's. Deliverance, O! Nanak! is in the devotional service of God. Through duality the mortal is engrossed in worldliness. (Guru Nanak, Sri Rag, pg. 75) Sikhism rejects the killing of any animal evoking a prayer or by slow death. Muslim Halal meat is forbidden for Sikhs. "Yet holding the knife, the world they butcher. Wearing blue the rulers approval they seek; With money derived from mlechhas the Puranas they worship. Goats slaughtered over the unapproved Muslims texts they eat." (Guru Nanak, Raga Asa, pg. 472) Sikhism rejects the idea of circumcision. "Because of the love of woman, circumcision is done; I don't believe in it, O Siblings of Destiny. If God wished me to be a Muslim, it would be cut off by itself. If circumcision makes one a Muslim, then what about a woman?" (Bhagat Kabir, Asa, pg. 477) source: http://www.sikhs.org/relig_m.htm

I just want to see views of sikhs on this article. http://www.guidedones.com/metapage/non_muslims/prophsikh.htm

Check out the google search on it... Sites mentioned from individuals here can be biased so go for the majority idea... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=...ration+in+india

Sikhism does not have priests, which were abolished by Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru felt that they had become corrupt and full of ego. Sikhs only have custodians of the Guru Granth Sahib (granthi), and any Sikh is free to read the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) or in their home. This is our fault that we are lazy and finding alternative ways to perform our religious duties... We should not blame granthis but ourselves. This is unacceptable to perform any ardas remotly while sitting home. This is not Sikhism but commercial way of performing sikh duties...

DamDami Taksal was created from the incidence, which occurred when the tenth master, Guru Gobind Singh was at Takht Sri Anandpur Sahib. At that time, a beloved priest was reciting the Panj Granth with sincerity. Whilst reciting the gurbani he made one continuous mistake in the Dachanee Onkar path. This was noticed by Bhai Daya Singh Ji, and other Sikh followers, who then approached the tenth master saying 'Oh great one, bestow your blessings upon your followers and teach us the way to read and understand the Gurbani without which we do not stand corrected.' When ever the beloved followers put a request forward to the Guru Ji he would never disregard the congregations wishes. Once free from the battles, proceeding after his sacrificed sons (4 Shahejade), who gave there lives away for there religion, Guru Ji went on to Talwandi and asked of the Singhs to 'go to Kartarpur Sahib to see Theer Mal. When the fifth master, Guru Arjan Dev Ji was reciting the gurbani, he left a space for where the Ninth Guru was to complete it. Whilst getting the Guru Granth Sahib Ji complete the translations shall be explained.' source: http://compufield.com/harjinder/history.html

Q1. What is religion? From times immemorial, man has felt the need of some power of deity to liberate him from his toils and to protect him from dangers. Further, he seeks to obtain peace and hope through contact with a superior power which is called Divinity. Society and religion go together. Religion has occupied an important place in the history of civilization and philosophy. It gives a meaning and purpose to human life and satisfies man's longing for peace and salvation. Some form of religion existed in primitive societies. They believed in spirits, magic and images of gods and offered sacrifices to them. The basic forms of relgious expression are sacrifice, prayer and ritual. Religion has been defined as "the relationship between man and the super- human power he believes in and depends upon". According to Jakob Burchardt, "Religions are the expression of the eternal and indestructible metaphysical cravings of human nature." It includes a rule of conduct or principle of individual life on which one's peace of mind depends. Religions offer different paths to salvation. The goal of religion is getting in tune with the infinite. Moreover, the philosophy of religion is neither ceremony nor ritual nor going to the temple, but an inner experience which finds God everywhere. Relgion consists of a number of beiefs relating to a reality which connot be demonstrated by proof, but which is an inexorable certainty to the believer. This reality induces him to adopt certain modes of action and behaviour. When Guru Arjan(fifth Sikh Guru) was asked as to which is the best religion in the world, he answered: "The best religion in the world is the one which stresses the power of prayer and the performance of noble deeds." Holy living or altruistic action is the practical side of religion. Q2. What is the science of religion? Some people think that religion is contrary to science because religion insists on faith, while science stresses reasoning and proof. But there is something like the science of religion. It includes two things: a general history of religions and the developments of a particular faith. While the science of comparative religion seeks to assess the varieties of religious experiences and a systematic analysis of their development, the history of a particular religion reveals the special features and deeper issues of an individual faith. It studies in depth the change in the forms and expression of a particular religion, the psychological development of particular communities in the matter of dogma and ritual. Connected with the science of religion are the sociological studies of the influence of social forms on the development of religion and psychology of religion which determine the palce of religion in human life. Theology must be distinguished from the science of religion. While the first is the pursuit of knowledge in the interests of a creed, the latter is a factual study of religious experience. Theology is based on the church, on the dogma. The religious scientist is objective and dispassionate. Religious science in its braodest sense is a history of ideas and therefore, has to find general answers to the common problems of life. One of the important ideas is holiness: what is holy as opposed to profane? Holiness creates reverential awe: The fear of God. An understanding of the basic concepts of religion has to be linked up with the practical demands of active and purposeful living. Metaphysics and the supernatural are beyond the realm of evidence. Their appreciation will largely depend on the widening of the frontiers of human knowledge and experience. The inter-relationship between science and religion has been summed up by Prof. A. Toynbee as under: "Science must be based on religion and religion must include scientific rationality. I think that the words of Albert Einstein. 'Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind', are of even greater importance now than when he uttered them". Q3. What is the place of religion in the modern age? Throughout the ages man has believed in some sort of religion. It is thought that without religion he cannot comprehend the real purpose of his existence. In fact, religion has had a definite place in society and will continue to play a vital part in this age of science. While science and technology might assist man in improving his physical conditions, surroundings and economic standards, religion and ethics help to develop his personality and inner self. Man may live in comfort and prosperity and yet have no peace of mind. Even in a highly affluent society like that of the United States of America, it is realised that wealth and power are not everything. Spiritual progress is intrinsic and shows itself in inner satisfaction and sense of fulfilment. Moreover, modern society dominated by technology cannot be regarded as an ideal society. It suffers from great strains and a sense of frustration and futility. Science has now given the man the power to destroy his own civilization and the human race. It is religion alone that can save society from such a catastrophe and check the erosion of human values. It reinforces basic ethical values and discourages racial prejudice, economic exploitation and social injustice. Religion like science is devoted to the service of man. Religion corrects the lopsidedness of science, because without moral and spiritual foundations, science can bring ruination to mankind. Religion and ethics humanise the scientist and make him realize his social responsibility. It shifts the emphasis in science and industry from exploitation and power to social uplift, peace and co-operation. Man must be the master and not the slave of machines. Great scientists themselves realize the limitations of science. They look to religion to remedy the social evils. According to Dr. Julian Huxley: "Religion of some sort is probably a necessity." One need not accept the dogmas of religion, but one must appreciate its search for Truth and its endeavour for the uplift of the masses. Prof. A.N. Whitehead says in this connection. "The future of civilization depends on the degree to which we can balance the forces of Science and Religion." Q4. Can I be happy without religion? Much depends on one's idea of happiness. True happiness is a state of mind in which man finds transquility and contentment. The external happiness conferred by material possessions and worldly activities is ephemeral and superficial. In Communist countries people may appear to be satisfied and contented as their material conditions improve, but can they really be said to have achieved true happiness and real peace of mind? Perhaps one of the reasons for the present day decline in morals is the neglect of religion. Without high ethical standards, which are the foundations of all religions no organized and disciplined life is possible. Promiscuity and sexual aberrations are no doubt due to ignorance and a neglect of the fundamental principles of ethics. In a secular state, it is the duty of parents and voluntary organizations to impart to children a knowledge of moral and spiritual values and ennoble them. If a man who is under a strong temptation thinks that moral rules are man-made, he may easily violate them. He will hesitate more to disobey them, if he believes that they are God made and have been revealed to him through a Divine Teacher or the Guru. Even men of piety and great devotion are apt to fall a prey to temptation. There are such notable examples as Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Joga Singh. If religion is not sincerely practised, it has little effect on our private lives or that of the community. An interest in religion makes people seek the company of holy men, which can give them the solace and happiness they really need. Some people make a show of being religious. This does not serve any useful purpose. What is needed is a positive attitude, to seek the company and assistance of those persons who are truly devoted to religion. Some people think that religion is an irrelvance, a matter of no consequence, and that they lose nothing if they exclude religion from their lives. They believe in the motto: 'Eat, drink, and be merry'. But does this give an edge or meaning to life? Life has a purpose. Religion makes a man conscious of his spiritual heritage and goal. Q5. Is fear the basis of all religions? In ancient times, it is true that the fear of the unknown, the anger of gods and goddesses and the concept of divine punishment compelled people to believe in some sort of religion. They began to worship the forces of nature. In the Middle Ages, the Christian Church set up the Inquisition to punish the wrongs against the church. As man's knowledge increased, this fear was replaced by a conviction that behind the universe was a Creator, who was just and merciful and not revengeful or mischievous. Fear is not always a bad thing. Fear of police and of imprisionment makes many people abide by the law. The fear of veneral diseases keeps many persons away from sexual over-indulgence. The fear of sickness has turned men's minds to research and the discovery of remedies for many chronic diseases and violent epidemics. According to the new science of psychiatry, fear of any kind, particularly in the case of children, undermines their personalities. Instead of telling people about penalties for moral wrong doing they should appeal to their higher sense and considerations of the social good. It is in the interest of religion itself to discourage such fear and to strenghten the individual's moral values and social conscience. The moral code ought to be a part of daily life and any breach should be regarded as an injury to society, and against the best interests of the community. Sikhism does not encourage fear. It does not believe in a system of punishment or the inducement of rewards. In place of fear, it advocates personal courage. It believes optimistically in the ultimate victory of the moral order. Sikhism preaches that we should neither cause fright to anyone or be afraid of anyone. This healthy spirit has been responsible for the Sikh's willingness to offer his life for his faith. True heroism, requires a lack of fear and a lack of hatred. The Sikh believes in the cause he serves, without any idea of reward or punishment. In Sikhism, the awe of God turns into love. Just as a faithful wife is careful and cautious not to cause any annoyance to her husband but rather minister to his comforts. In the same way, the true devotee is prepared to offer his all to please God and to serve His Creation. Q6. What are the characteristics of the Sikh religion? Sikhism is a monotheistic faith. It recognizes God as the only One. He who is not subject to time or space. He who is the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer of the Universe. Moreover in Sikhism, ethics and religion go together. The inculcation of moral qualities and the practice of virtue in everyday life is a vital step towards spiritual development. Qualities like honesty, compassion, generosity, patience, humility etc. can be built up only by effort and perseverence. The lives of the Gurus show how they lived their lives according to their code of ethics. Sikhism does not believe in Avtarvada, that God takes a human form. It does not attach any value to gods and goddessses and other deities. The Sikh religion rejects all rituals and routine practices like fasting and pilgrimage, omens and austerities. The goal of human life to merge with God is accomplished by following the teachings of the Guru, by meditation on the holy Name and performance of acts of service and charity. Sikhism emphasises Bhakti Marg or the path of devotion. It does, however, recognizes the limited value of Gian Marg(Path of Knowledge) and Karam Marag(Path of Action). It also lays stress on the need for earning God's Grace in order to reach the spiritual goal. Sikhism is a modern, logical, and practical religion. It believes that normal family-life(Grasth) is no barrier to salvation. That it is possible to live detached in the midst of worldly ills and temptations. A devotee must live in the world and yet keep his head above the usual tensions and turmoils. He must be a soldier, scholar and saint for God. The Gurus believed that this life has a purpose and a goal. It offers an opportunity for self and God realization. Moreoever man is responsible for his own actions. He cannot claim immunity from the results of his actions. He must therefore be very vigilant in what he does. Finally, the Sikh Scripture (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) is the perpetual Guru. This is the only religion which has given the Holy Book the status of a religious preceptor. There is no place for a livign human Guru(Dehdhari) in Sikh religion. Q7. What is the need and justification of the Sikh religion? The advent of Guru Nanek in 1469 came at a time of socio-political necessity. India had fallen on evil days. There was no security of life and property. Guru Nanek rang the alarm-bell and saved masses from fake religions. Religion then was either by form of ritual or hypocrisy. He released people from the rut of formalism and the parrot-like repetition of scriputures. Guru Nanek challenged the division of men into classes, castes and communities. For him, all men were equally worthy of respect. Guru Nanek stressed the uniqueness of each individual and wanted him to progress through a process of self-discipline. The discipline was three-fold: physical, moral and spiritual. The physical discipline included acts of service and charity, while leading a householder's life; the moral discipline included righteous living and rising above selfish desires; the spiritual discipline included the belief in only the One Supreme Being, (the Timeless Almighty) and the exclusion of the Pantheon of gods and goddesses, in whom they had formerly believed. The Gurus brought a course of discipline to their Sikhs that lasted for a period of nearly 230 years till the creation of the Khalsa SIKH, the ideal man of Tenth Guru. Guru Nanek opposed political tyranny and subjungation. He raised his voice against Babar's invasion and the tyrannical deeds perpetrated by his army in India. However, the imprisonment of Guru Nanek and the wonderful way in which he conducted himself and performed the tasks assigned to him in the camp awakened the soul of the the Mughal invader. The Guru emphasised the dignity of the individual and his right to oppose injustice and oppression. His main task, however, was to turn men's minds to God. Guru Nanek opposed mere ceremony and ritualism as dead wood. True religion is purposeful and extals conscientious living, and not the tread-mill of ritual. Other than for Guru Nanek, the lamp of spiritualism would have been extinghuished in Asia. Q8. What are the distinctive features of Sikhism? Each prophet gives some light and message to the world. Guru Nanek, the Founder of Sikhism, and his nine successors made a distinct contribution to religion and religious thought. Sikhism may be distinguished from other religions from three stand-points: philosophy, community or institution and physical appearance. >From the philosophical stand-point, the contribution of Sikhism may be called Nam Marg. Guru Nanek emphasized the need for man's devotion to the Timeless Almighty. He illustrates the attributes of God in his Mul-Muntra. He asks man to dedicate himself, day and night to the remembrance of God and His Name. The Guru also gave to his followers the form of a community with certain institutions such as Deg, Teg, and Fateh. By Deg is meant the system of community kitchen (Langar) maintained by contributions of the Sikhs. Everyone is to donate one-tenth (Daswand) of his income. Teg, is the sword or Bhagwati represents power, which was necessary to preserve freedom of religious worship and to end tryranny. For this reason, Guru Gobind Singh gave to God among other names, the name of Sarabloh(All steel). The Sikh believes in God's victory(fateh). His salutaion is Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh: the victory is God's and the Khalsa is God's. The Sikh always believes in Chardi Kala, (progress and optimism) in the reform and improvement of society, as a continous process. Sikhism also believes in discipline. Guru Gobind Singh gave the Sikh a new apearance and administered him the Baptism of the Sword. He infused in him a spirit of fearlessness and a belief in his own invincibility and told him to maintian the five symbols*, each beginned with the letter K. (*symbols are: Hair (Kesh), Sword (Kirpan), Underwear (Katcha), Comb (Kanga), Bracelet (Kara).) Another tenet of Sikhism is humility (Garibi). The Gurus asked their followers to regard themselves servants of the Congregation (Sangat). The tenth Guru, after administering his new baptism to the five chosen ones, asked them on bent knees and with folded hands, to administer baptism (Amrit) to him. In the entire human history, there is no other case of a Guru kneeling before his followers. Q9. Is Sikhism suited to the conditions of modern society? The principle of "the survival of the fittest", is applicable as mush to religions as to communities or people. Those faiths which cannot meet the challenge of their time or the new conditions in society are likely to suffer eclipse. Sikhism however is suited to the needs of modern life. It believes in the individual and his right to develop his personality to the maximum extent possible. According to Guru Nanak, every man has power or merit; he is a part of the divine. He is not a useless weakling, a mere product of the chain-reaction of Karma. The Sikh is essentially a man of action, with an overwhelming sense of self-reliance. He should invoke the Guru's Blessing at every step in his life and ask for His Divine Favour or Grace. Sikhism is both modern and rational. It does not foster blind faith. Guru Nanak exposed the futility of meaningless ritual and formalism. He questioned the superstitious practices of his time and he brought about a revolution in the thinking of his people. Sikhism rejects all distinctions of caste and creed. It stands for the 'Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man'. It believes in a casteless, egalitarian society which guarantees equal rights to women. At a time when woman was regarded inferior to man, Guru Nanek placed woman on a high pedestal: "Why call her inferior, who gives birth to kings?" An important aspect of modern society is the belief in democracy. The welfare of man is best secured by his elected representatives. This principle is the guiding rule of the Khalsa, which entrusts all decisions to elected Five Sikhs. Sikhism also believes in the concept of a socialistic pattern society. Man's responsibility to society lies in taking his contribution to social welfare as a sacred duty. The gulf between the more fortunate and the less fortunate has to be bridge. The Guru instituted the Temple of Bread (Langar) to break the caste system. This is a good example of true democracy in daily life. Sikhism is thus distinct from other religions and has something new to offer to man. Q10. Is Sikhism a faith of hope and optimism? Yes, the Gurus prescribed the sovereign remedy of "The Name" as the panacea for all mortal ills. While some religions condemn men as miserable sinners destined to damnation and the unending fire of hell, Sikhism believes that there is hope even for the worst man. Koda the cannibal, and Sajjan the thug, were reclaimed to good life by Guru Nanak with the gift of Nam. All is never lost. If man realizes his mistakes and shifts the centre of his life from the lower self to the higher self, he can attain to the highest goal. But this change comes through an understanding of the Guru's word(bani) and God's Grace. In moments of crises, even the most pious and virtuous of men may succumb to tempation. Undoubtedly, evil and sorrow test the mettle of man, but his true support through all his trial is his faith in God and prayers for His Grace. Sikhism is a practical religion. It shows mankind how to live a worthy and useful life in the world. It teaches him how to face and overcome evil through selfless service, devotion to duty. man can work his way to self-realization. If he trusts in God, feels that he is with Him, and that He will guide him to his goal. When a sikh has to face trial and torture when everything seems lost, he prays for Divine guidance from his scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, and bears all difficulities with faith and fortitude. Gurbani(The Guru's word or Holy Spirit) affords him true solace and enables him to accept the Divine will(hukam) patiently. He prays in a spirit of dedication and not with the expectation of reward. A true Sikh never despairs even in the most adverse circumstances. He feels that he is in the company of the Guru, this gives him strength and he can then face every crisis with courage and an unshakable faith in God and the Guru. Sikhism is suited to the challenges of the modern age. Mr. Bunker, exambassador of USA to India, and a Christian, once said: "The Cardinal principles of Sikhism are very much akin to my own religion. It is a religion for our time." As pointed out by Dr. Arnold Toynbee, "In the coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its scripture the Adi Granth, will have something of special value to say to the rest of the world." Q11. How does a Sikh reconcile himself to the secular ideal? Sikhism recommends an active life, the life of a house-holder(Grahst), life in society(not in isolation), where every individual makes his contribution to the development of society. There is no place for ascetisicm in Sikhism. Every Sikh must work for his living, and not be a burden on society. Sikhism lays emphasis on the right type of living-Dharam di kirt(the labour of Dharam=Righteousness. This refers to honest living and Dignity of labour.). Wordly duties may be performed side by side with the search of "The Truth". A Sikh must set an example to others; he should become a better farmer, a better businessman and a better public servant. He is not to shun material gain or the comforts of life. "Salvation is not incompatible with laughing, eating, playing and dressing well". (A.G. p 522)* *A.G. means Adi Granth, the Sikh Scripture. The page number refer to the punjabi edition of 1430 pages. Sikhism lays emphasis on man's social obligations. Man is a part of society and has to work for its uplift. That is why social reform is a strong point in the Guru's teaching. The Gurus rejected the caste system, untouchability, taboos against women, good and bad omens and the worshiping of graves, idols and mausoleums. Sikhism believes in the equality of man which is practically demostrated through the institution of Langar(the Temple of Bread) where all dine together in single line. Inter-caste marriages and mixing on equal terms with person of diverse faiths and nationalities is the norm. As stated by Dr. Gokul Chand Narang: "The appearing of Guru Nanak was a great step towards arousing consciousness of a common nationality." Sikhism lays stress on one's duties as a citizen rendering service to the community as a whole. The sword is meant for protecting not merely the citizen but also all victims of tyranny. Guru Teg Bahadur's sacrifice for preserving Hinduism from Aurangzeb's fanatical crusade is yet another aspect of the right of freedom of religion, which is so necessary in a secular state. Secularism requires an equality of all religions, without special favour to the religion of the majority or any designated as State faith Religion. Thus, a belief in Sikhism is not incompatible with the ideals of a secular democracy. Q12. What is the contribution of Sikhism to the uplift of women? When Guru Nanak appeared on the Indian scene, the place assigned to woman was low and unenviable. The typranny of caste had left its marks on Hindu women. They had resigned themselves to their miserable lot. A widow had to burn herself on her husband's funeral pyre to become a Sati(the ancient Hindu custom rejected by the Gurus). The position of Muslim women was also far from satisfactory. A Muslim could lawfully marry four women. Who were regarded chiefly as objects of sexual gratification. Women were kept within Purdah(veil) and their education and movements were restricted. The Sikh Gurus gave women equal status. They gained social equality and religious freedom. The false notion that they were inherently evil and unclean was removed. Sikhism conferred religious rights on women. Some Hindu scriptures had allowed an inferior position to women, and affirmed that they were unworthy of performing religious worship. A woman was regarded as temptation-incarnate. The lot of a widow was deplorable. The Gurus exposed the folly of such notions. They rehabilitated women in Indian society. Religious gatherings and kirtan were thrown open to women; they could participate fully in religious ceremonies and received the baptism(Amrit) on equal terms with men. Guru Amar Das deputed some women for missionary work. Guru Hargobind called woman 'the conscience of man'. In religious gatherings, men and women sang and preached without any distinction. Guru Amar das condemned the practice of female infacticide and Sati. He advocated widow remarriage. Guru Teg Bahadur blessed the women of Amritsar and said that by their devotion they had made themselves "acceptable to God". Sikh history furnishes names of many women who inspired men to heroic deeds. The "forty immortals" were put to shame by their women folk on their betrayal of the Tenth Guru, and thus goaded to action they welcomed martyrdom and earned pardon of the Guru. They were returned to the Guru faith by a woman. In the Indo-Pak conflict(1971), Sikh women on the border formed the second line of defence and gave valuable assistance to our fighting forces. Q13. How has martyrdom helped Sikhism? No nation, sect or community can survive and prosper unless it has a band of persons who are prepared to die, to uphold its faith, integrity, unity, its tradition and way of life. That is what the history of the world demonstrates clearly. The essential condition for entry into the Sikh fold is self- surrender and devotion to the Guru and God. Readiness for the supreme sacrifice, or of offering one's head on the palm of one's hand to the Guru is an essential condition laid down by the Gurus for becoming a Khalsa Sikh. Seeking death, not for personal glory, winning reward or going to heaven, but for the purpose of protecting the weak and the oppressed is what made the Khalsa brave and invincible. This has become a traditional reputation of the Khalsa. Right from the times of the Gurus till the last Indi-Pakistan conflict (1971), the Sikhs have demonstrated that death in the service of truth, justice and country, is part of their character and their glorious tradition. They do not seek martydom, they attain it. Dying is the privilege of heroes. It should, however, be for an approved or noble cause. Sikh history furnishes outstanding examples of Guru Arjan, Guru Teg Bahadur, sons of Guru Gobind Singh and countless other Sikh men and women, who laid down their lives to uphold the cause of the religious freedom and the uproot of tyranny. Undoubtedly, in a world of evil and sin, men of God must be prepared to suffer for the cause of righteousness and truth. According to Guru Gobind Singh, the true hero is one who fights to uphold "The Truth". He then does not run away from the battlefield. Martyrs face the gallows with a smile. The greatest tortures hold no terror for them. They look at the executioner with equanimity because they believe in the justness of their cause. A true martyr regards himself as God's instrument. Sri Guru Teg Bahadur's martydom ws unique. He sacrificed himself not to save any of his own followers but to save Hindu Dharm. Sikh History is replete with the glorious deeds and the heroic sacrifices of the Sikhs who suffered for upholding decency, truth, justice and moral values. Q14. Does Sikhism insist on faith? When we repose our trust in someone it means that, we have faith in him. For instance, when we send a child to school, it is on account of our faith in the value of education. In the matter of love, one has to put faith in the beloved. So faith is not peculiar to religion; it is found in almost every activity of life. Sikhism insists on this kind of basic faith. Just as you cannot learn to swim unless you get into water, in the same way you can never know spirituality unless you believe in God. Sikhism enjoins faith in the Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. Sikhism emphasizes the need of the Guru for spiritual training. Fortunately, the Guru Granth Sahib is with us for such guidance. Many seek the solution of their spiritual and temporal problems in the Granth and seek light from Gurbani. We thus repose our faith in the Guru, discover the great truths enshrined in his message as our wisdom, acting in the light of Gurbani, tells us. Sikhism enjoins us to love God. We cannot love God if we love ourselves. Ego is at the root of all evil and our sufferings. If we concentrate our minds on God and sing His praises, we subordinate and even drive ego out of our minds we can then acquire those great qualities and virtues, which we associate with God. Sikhism believes in universal goodness. The Sikh seeks the God's Grace, not only for himself but also for the whole world for he believes in the good of all mankind (Sarbat da bhala). This sense of fellowship makes him feel at home everywhere and to look on all as friends: "No one is my enemy or a stranger", Guru Nanak wrote. He thus acquires an optimistic outlook on life. The need for a Faith is recognized even by the greatest scientists. Indeed, reason alone cannot fathom the mysteries of existence and the Universe. Guru Nanak says: "The intellect cannot grasp what is beyond the bounds of the intellect. Rise above the limited human awareness and you will know of God and His works." Atomic energy and nuclear power have further strengthened the scientists' belief in the unlimited powers of Nature and Providence. Albert Einstein writes in this connection: "Man does not understand the vast of veiled Universe into which he has been for the reason that he does not understand himself. He comprehends but little of his organic processes and even less of his unique capacity to perceive the world around him, to reason and to dream." Q15. What is the role of Reason in Sikhism? Reason and Faith are complementary. They operate in different spheres, though each is sovereign in its own field. Reason has certain limits. Faith is necessary in certain basic things, as for example, the existance of God, or the need of the Guru's assistance. Reason operates in specified fields, as for example, when a man shall pray and what actions he may take. Religion does not exclude the operation of the intellect, though it certainly acts as a limiting factor. Guru Nanak challenged the superstitious practices and rituals of his age. He questioned the value of offering food and water to one's dead ancestors or the idea that child-birth causes impurity, or that eatable things should be cooked within an encircled space, made sacred by plastering it with cow-dung. He employed the touchstone of reason to test their truth and proved them false. He appealed to men to accept reason as their guide in all such matters. However, spiritual realization is beyond the ken of reason. On the other hand, great scientists of the world have accepted the higher truths revealed by religion. Man is an imperfect creature and his faculties and powers are limited. Albert Einstein observes: "Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose". Man is unable to comprehend the ultimate reality unaided. He needs the assistance of a religious leader or Guru whose divine knowledge and wisdom can guide him to his spiritual goal. Science continues to make new discoveries and inventions which, sometimes reject the theories of previous scientist. Could man 30 years ago consider it feasible to orbit through space or land on the moon? What may be regarded as a miracle at one time may become a fact later. The theory of karam is based on reason, the logic of cause and effect. This means that in order to ensure a good and bright future, man should perform good actions. How can man expect good out of evil actions? Perhaps it would be best to have a recourse to reason when insensibility or blind faith proves of no avail. But where reason is obiviously not applicable, we must rely on faith. This is particularly true of spiritual matters. Q16. What is the place of morality in Sikh religion? It is argued that one can be moral without a belief in religion. There are many people in various parts of the world, generally in Communist countries, who may not believe in God and yet are good citizens, kind and useful members of the society. All the same it is generally recognized that religion is a great aid to morality. Man is subject to temptation. Though he is is born with certain good potentialities, the temptation to evil is so strong that without some moral background and religious convictions, he may easily sccumb to it. In such moments of difficulty, when he is likely to be overcome by evil, the Guru, or true spiritual leader will give him the guidance and courage to resist it. Ethics and morality are the basis of Sikhism. Evolution of the spirit is not possible without righteous conduct and adherance to social morality. Guru Nanak emphasizes this point: "Greater than Truth is Truthful living." (A.G. p62) The Sikh follows personal ethics like telling the truth, gentle speech, fair play, service, humility and tolerance. Morality cannot be an end in itself. It is an aid to the evolution of spiritual life. Sin is a definite obstacle on the path of Divinity. Immorality is something of which one is ashamed or which one practises in secret. The morality of Sikhism is based on the Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. Service for God is the service of His Creation. Acts of love and charity, even self-sacrifice, are not spiritual deeds in the strict sense of the term, but they do help to prepare the ground for the elimination of egoism. They show a love for humanity and a love of God. Sikhism believes that this is a just and moral world. Though some bad people may seem to thrive, sooner or later, they will have their punishment. God is a strict judge and He treats people according to their deserts. Guru Nanak says: "According to their actions, some get near to God and some distant." (A.G. p8) But like any good judge, God is charitable too and tempers mercy with justice. Q17. What is the place of sword in Sikhism? No faith can survive unless it can defend itself. Sikhism was born in a hostile atmosphere and had to face a lot of persecution. In addition to giving Sikhs lessons in the art of daily living, the Gurus gave Sikhs power to uphold their beliefs. For this reason Guru Hargobind donned two swords: one of spiritual leadership and the other of temporal power. He was the first Guru to throw a challenge to the Mughal power and to wage a war against the cruel and corrupt administration. His disciplined soldiers were successful against the Mughal armies in three battles. Guru Hargobind popularized the cult of the sword for purposes of defence and justice. In a similiar situation, after the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh took up arms against Emperor Aurangzeb. He justified the use of force as the only means of survival. He wrote in Zafarnama: "When affairs are past other remedies, It is justifiable to unsheath the sword." Where goodness and sacrifice cannot avail, violance has to be met by violance. Undoubtedly, in certain circumstances there are exceptions to the practive of non-violance. The carrying of the sword or kirpan may perhaps be questioned in the atomic age. In the present world it continues to be a symbol of power, as it has been in the past. On ceremonial occasions, practically all armies in the world wear it. Its carrying reminds one of belief in one's own self and therefore it creates self-confidence. Even Gandhiji justified the use of violance for a high purpose. The Sikh sword is a symbol of self-respect, prestige and independence. Guru Gobind Singh hailed it as the Saviour and Protector of saints and the oppressed. Infact he even referred to God as 'sarbloh'(All steel). The sword is one of the compulsory symbols of the Khalsa. The Khalsa is ever ready in his uniform to protect the weak and suffer for a just cause. Guru Gobind Singh demonstrated in a practical way that the sword can be reconciled with spirituality. Goodness without the means to sustain and activate it will fail to survive. Therefore, it is right to say that the sword holds a very important place in the history and philosphy of the Sikhs. Q18. Should we teach our religion to our children? Some people, purely for psychological reasons, would not like to acquint their children with any religion. They think that the child must grow up and then form his own ideas and select his own religion. They would give no religious instruction or moral training. This is not the right attitude, for then children in their formative years are denied the vital direction they need or like wild plants, their growth will be arbitrary and undisciplined. As children, they must ask questions and if they are not satisfied or receive vague replies they feel that something is wanting. They thus grow up in a spiritual limbo. The idea that when they grow up they will select a suitable moral code or spiritual guide does not work. Neither they will have the time, desire or opportunity, to do any thinking or searching for themselves. Undoubtedly, children have a right to the best their parents possess in all phases of life, including religion. If the parents are Sikhs, they must make the effort to bring the truths of Sikhism and the noble ideals of the Gurus to the notice of their children. In the Rahat Nama of Bhai Desa Singh, Guru Gobind Singh called upon the Sikhs to bring up their children in the Sikh Faith and give them Sikh baptism. To deprive children of religious instruction is to deny them the assistance that the teachings of the Gurus can give them. This will also mean that the vacuum in the child's mind will remain unfilled and he will continue to live in a state of uncertainty and moral ignorance. It is better to provide him with some moral ideas rather than none. Let us make a more positive approach to the problem. It is not enough to encourage the social instincts of children. This may help in a limited way to make them realize that social instincts should have preference over selfish ones but the temptations in life are so sudden and strong that mere sense of social responsibility will not avail. A strong moral foundation is necessary to withstand the onslaught of evil ideas or bad company. It is meaningful and rewarding to tell children of the benefits of the moral support of the Gurus and the assistance they will receive if they follow the Sikh ethical code. Q19. What is the role of religion in human life with special reference to Sikhism? The goal of human life according to some is the attainment of perfection, and according to others, it is the acquisition of happiness. Pleasure-seeking and fleeting joys should not be mistaken for happiness. Religion is the key to real happiness because it produces harmony by an integrated development of human personality and control of impulses, desires and thoughts. There can be no rigid approach for a human being as the problems of each individual are peculiar. Religion has to be flexible to suit the need of individual development. Religion is the realization of a "Divine presence" within oneself while leading a normal life. If divinity, progress and truth are not realized in human existence then the very purpose of man's life is defeated. True religion implies a search for the Truth and flexibility, in the individual approach to spiritual matters. Myths, forms and systems have fossilised religion and destroyed 'The Truth' and vitality in it. Guru Nanak felt that spiritual development should not be crushed by outward symbols and forms. To bind the soul to the wheels of a socio-religious machinery is a type of spiritual slavery. Freedom of the soul is vital for its adjustments to the needs of life and the complexity of social organization. Constant adaptation is necessary for the achievement of harmony, between the individual and the Supreme Being. Man's nature is extremely complex and it is suicidal to chain it to a rigid groove or pattern. Guru Nanak discarded all the prevalent superstations of traditional forms of worship and symbols. He pointed out the absurdity of idolatry, hypocrisy, caste exclusiveness and pilgrimage. He challenged the use of intoxicants and narcotics, and the practice of Sati and infacticide. At the same time, he advocated the maintenance of ethical values in daily life: justice, truth, honesty, humility, fearlessness and gratitude. These qualities make a man a true citizen of the world. The universality of Guru Nanak's teachings makes an individual approach possible. Guru Amar Das says: "God! Save by Your Grace this world which is in flames. Save it by whatever way it can be saved." (A.G. p853)

Source: http://www.likhari.org/bindra5.htm After my research I came to know that we should not rely on "Janam Sakhis" as they are not history source but fairy tales. Why am I saying this? See below. All these Janam Sakhis are synonymous on one point that Guru Nanak was born in the month of Baisakh. Before these Janam Sakhis became to be known Bhai Bala's Janam Sakhi, as mentioned above, had overwhelmed the Sikh mind and thought. People were relying on its contents with full faith and confidence. Its authors and innovators tried to show that it was written during the lifetime of Shri Guru Angad Dev. But its substance does not confirm to the teachings of Guru Nanak. Its language is far more modern than the one prevalent at the time, it is alleged to be written. Historically there are irrefutable flaws in its conceptual themes and the anecdotes. According to official records, the name Eminabad was given to the town of Sayadpur, in the reign of Akbar. At the time of Guru Nanak's visit, it was known as Sayedpur. Even Emperor Babar mentioned this name in his Tuzk-e-Babri. The Wilayat Wali text refers to the town as Sayedpur but in Bhai Bala's version it is specified as Eminabad. Bhai Bala's account refers to Bhai Lalo as a `tarkhan', but at the time of Guru Nanak, people from the clan, such as Bhai Lalo's, were known as `Bahdysut' and that is how Bhai Lalo is referred in the Wilayat edition. As compared with Bahdysut, comparatively, Tarkhan is a modern term that is prevalent even today.