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OneLuv1God
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Q: It is not permissible for Sikhs to cut their hair, be it on the face, head or genitalia and elsewhere. This is because you should remain the way God created you? Correct? -Then why do you cut your nails. Why are the Gurus portrayed in pictures with short finely smoothed off nails, like they've just been to Toni & Guy's?
A: We keep kesh because the Guru told us to do so. Nothing more. Kesh are also a marker of Sikh identity that identify to the world who is a Sikh. Sikhs walk the earth announcing proudly their religion while others give no sign of their convictions. In addition, hair and nails are totally different. Having long nails inhibits use of the hand and is dirty with filth being stuck under the nails as well as bacteria. Long hair is quite healthy as it is even a reflection of good health: (when healthy, hair shines, when sick, it loses luster), it is also not an impediment to daily life. In fact, you'll be healthier if you have long hair: no body resources go to replacing the hair that was cut: isn't it a slap on the face when you shave and then a day later, the hair returns? Maybe it was supposed to be there! Nails, if left uncut, will break; Hair never will. Q: If someone is found guilty of first-degree murder, what does Sikhism say about exactly how she should be punished? Sikhism has no system of law or justice. How do you deal with thieves?
A: Sikhism is given a clear system of law. Satguru Gobind Singh in his farsightedness knew that not all crimes are the same and thus no one punishment can be given for them all: does the thief who steals bread due to hunger receive same punishment as one who steals a car due to greed? I think not! Thus Satguru said "khalsaa mero roop hai khaas, khalsay main houn karo nivaas". The Khalsa is my true form, I abide within the Khalsa.
Satguru jee gave power to decide these things to the Khalsa in the form of the Panj piaaray. The Panj piaaray look at each case and then give a case by case decision. Not blanket amputations for all as some religions may prescribe. There are rehit namas and tankha namas dictated by Satguru Gobind Singh that clearly outline what is right and what is wrong. Adultery for your information is a bujjar kurehat or cardinal sin for which a Sikh is thrown out of the Panth and must present him/herself before the Panj Piaaray for re-initiation and corrective measures.
Even beyond the rehit namas and tankha namas, there was the concept of Miri and Piri: temporal and spiritual aspects to Gurmat. Satguru Hargobind Sahib gave us the Sikh parliament of Akaal Takhat. The Sarbat Khalsa is the parliament and the motions passed are called "gurmatas". A system of passing gurmattas is by consulting Satguru Granth Sahib and then voting on each motion. The Five Takhats are the Centres of Sikh power with the main headquarter being Akaal Takhat. The Five Jathehdars are the "cabinet" of the Panth and organise the Panth's movement. The Jathehdar of Akaal Takhat has power as spokesperson of the Panth. Akalee Phoola Singh for example was Jathehdar during Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's time and awarded him the punishment of a fine and a caning due to his adultery with the Muslim girl Moran. Thus it is clear that Sikhism does have a law in Rehit namas and tankha namas along with the rehit which is given during Amrit Sanchaar. The local decisions are taken by Panj Piaaray which can be appealed to the Takhats and final decisions are taken by the Akaal Takhat. The Sikh parliament is Sarbat Khalsa and motions are called Gurmatas. Seems like a system to me. : The Semitic scriptures (Jewish, Christian, Islamic) speak of common events and incidents. Why does Sikhism deny Adam and Eve to be the first man and woman? Why did the Guru's fail to mention a catastrophic flood with encircled the whole earth, and left one family on a ship laden with animals? Christianity, Judaism and Islam all speak extensively about this. It's a bit of a big point to miss.
Why is the father of Monotheism- Abraham. Whom Jews, Christians, Muslims all respect and testify to his monotheism, nowhere to be mentioned in Sikhi?
Or how about the Prophet Jonah who was engulfed whole by a whale, then was released on God's command onto a beach after he prayed inside his belly. All the other faiths talk of this event.
These above are not little things but major events in the history of mankind. Come on, the flooding of the whole earth! A whole City destroyed in one go! Because if the books of these religions are flawed then it would certainly need mentioning in order to clarify doubts. Why would God contradict himself by then sending a totally different religion i.e. Sikhism?
A: This question is based on the premise that the Semitic religions are true and come from God. Sikhism rejects this assumption. On panna 1350, Satguru Granth Sahib tells us "Baed Kataeb kaho mat jhoothay jhootaa jo naa bichaarai" which means, "Call the Vedas and the Semitic scriptures FALSE teachings, false is that person who does not reflect". The shabad then goes on to highlight the hypocrisy of the Mullahs. Sikhi does not accept any other religion as being "true".
SAAAY HEE DESH KO DEKH RAHIYO MATT, KOYOO NAA DEKHIYAT PRANPATI KE||
SREE BHAGWAN KEE BHAAYE KIRPA HOON TEY EK RATEE BIN EK RATEE KE||
Guru Gobind Singh jee's baaNee in Sudha Savaiyay clearly state that he himself has looked at every religion (matt) of this world but has found none reaching Vaheguru Pranpatee. In the end he writes that since they lack the real love (ratee) for Vaheguru, they are not worth even a cent (rattee).
Is there any room for argument here? Guru Gobind Singh jee makes it clear to us that none of the religions of the world reach Vaheguru. He writes that only Gurmat reaches him.
Raam Rahim, Puran Koran, Anaek kahai matt, ek naa maniyo||
Simrit shaster bed sabhai, baho bhed kahai, hum ek naa janiyo||
Translation: Raam, Raheem, Puraans and Koran: there are many religions, but I do not accept any of them. Simritis, Shastras, Vedas, all say many different things, but I do not recognise any of them.
Does this not reject every holy book and religion of the world? What more do we have to say?
So, it goes without saying that the different events spoken of in the Semitic scriptures are not acknowledged in Sree Guru Granth Saahib. The Gurus lived in an Islamic environment with total exposure to Islam. They were aware of all these stories, but rejected them as myths. Is it credible that the entire human race began from one "Adam" and women were created from the rib of Adam? How can you create a human out of a rib? Does this make any sense whatsoever?? And Noah's Ark, which was the big boat you speak of. How can all the creatures of the earth fit into ONE boat? The survival of a species is based on its gene pool. Reducing a species to TWO totally destroys its chances of survival by killing of its genetic ability to adapt to new environments. This is scientifically IMPOSSIBLE and ILLOGICAL.
Jonah being swallowed whole by a whale: yes, of course. This is a great event in human history that simply begs to be recorded. Again, this event makes NO sense. It is a fairy tale.
Abraham is of no consequence to Sikhism, because the concept of God in Sikhism is much more profound and deep than that found in the Semitic faiths. Abraham was a human who made mistakes and I believe even cheated on his wife, so why would Sikhs revere him?
The Semitic scriptures are books of fables and myths, which of course are similar as each book was based on the one before it. The myths within these "scriptures" are not believable and many adherents of these religions now freely admit it and take all that is written as moral stories meant to give a lesson. If the Semitic faiths are indeed such great sources of world history, where are the mentions of the dinosaurs!? Surely that would be something that couldn't' be missed! Adam and Eve were the first beings and thus must have lived along with or before Dinosaurs, so why haven't your scriptures made any reference to them?
The Sikh faith is a divinely revealed faith which was given to mankind by Satguru Nanak. It does not match with the three Semitic faiths, simply because Sikhism does not consider them to be revealed by God. Sree Guru Granth Saahib is a scripture which reveals God to the soul. It does not attempt to be a history text book. You present the Semitic scriptures as being great sources of world history and I ask again: then why does it miss such important events like the Ice Age and the existence of dinosaurs? Q: If the Gurus said that all religions lead to the same path, you'll be ok whichever religion you're in. Then why didn't they mention them all in depth in their writings? With Sikhism, if all these past religions were right why don't we believe in Adam as the first man etc. Was there a sudden change of plan when the Guru's came along? Now man was no longer created from Adam?
The argument we are all on a path which leads to God, no matter which we take cannot apply. Not everyone worships one God.
A: It is a TOTALLY FALSE argument that Sikhism believes all paths lead to the same goal and thus all religions are equal: From its very inception, Gurmat has been declared a unique and distinct path. Bhai Gurdas writes: "the Guru has created the mighty Gurmukh panth. This panth keeps itself away from the boundaries of the Vedas and the Semitic scriptures..." (Bhai Gurdas, 23.19)
SGGS over and over stresses the importance of "Gurmat Naam". Without Gurmat Naam no one can find Akaal or reach sachkhand. Gurmat naam is only available in the house of Guru Nanak: "Nanak kai ghar keval, naam" . Keval means "only".
Without naam, no one can find God. GurbaaNee is clear about this fact:
Nanak naam binaa ko mukath n hoee
Translation:O Nanak, without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, no one is liberated
Where is this naam to be found? From the Guru.
bin gur naam n paaeiaa jaae
Translation:Without the Guru, the Naam cannot be obtained.
Satguru Nanak is the only true Guru who has preached naam, and given gurmat-naam.
As for other acts of "religion", this is what Guru Nanak says:
theeruthh thup dhaeiaa dhuth dhaan ||
Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity
jae ko paavai thil kaa maan ||
these, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.
suniaa mu(n)niaa man keethaa bhaao ||
Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind,
a(n)thurugath theerathh mal naao ||
cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within.......
So, unless someone receives Gurmat Naam from Guru Nanak, there is no liberation. They will be rewarded for their good karma, but not liberated. They don't want liberation! Christians are content with heaven, and they will receive it. But then they will enter the cycle of births and deaths again, hopefully in a life which will bring them closer to liberation. Gurmat Panth's respect of all religions goes as far as saying that they are not sent to eternal hell, they will get what they work for. Like Harmandir Saahib: God is open and available to all directions and all people of the world, but the path to God is ONE: Gurmat.
About other faiths:
eik jainee oujhurr paae dhhuruhu khuaaeiaa ||
Some are Jains, wasting their time in the wilderness; by their pre-ordained destiny, they are ruined. panna 1285
hi(n)dhoo a(n)nhaa thurukoo kaanaa ||
The Hindu is blind; the Muslim has only one eye. panna 875
In many other places it is made clear that Gurmat, the way of the Giani, who meditates on Gurmat Naam is the only path to Akaal. Others will get their heaven etc. but not find Akaal.
All faiths will get what they work towards. Only Gurmat has a concept such as Sach Khand and God-Realisation in such a clear way. Thus, Gurmat is the only path to Sach Khand and merger with Akaal.
Who else is the true Guru of status of Guru Nanak? Mohammad? Jesus? Krishna? Rama? There is none. These prophets don't come close to even the Sikhs of Guru Nanak, let alone Guru Nanak himself. GurbaaNee leaves no doubt: "Sabh tay Vadaa Satgur Nanak, Jin kal raakhee mayree" meaning Satuguru Nanak is THE GREATEST who has protected my honour in this age of darkness (Kaljug).
A: Sikhism is given a clear system of law. Satguru Gobind Singh in his farsightedness knew that not all crimes are the same and thus no one punishment can be given for them all: does the thief who steals bread due to hunger receive same punishment as one who steals a car due to greed? I think not! Thus Satguru said "khalsaa mero roop hai khaas, khalsay main houn karo nivaas". The Khalsa is my true form, I abide within the Khalsa.
Even beyond the rehit namas and tankha namas, there was the concept of Miri and Piri: temporal and spiritual aspects to Gurmat. Satguru Hargobind Sahib gave us the Sikh parliament of Akaal Takhat. The Sarbat Khalsa is the parliament and the motions passed are called "gurmatas". A system of passing gurmattas is by consulting Satguru Granth Sahib and then voting on each motion. The Five Takhats are the Centres of Sikh power with the main headquarter being Akaal Takhat. The Five Jathehdars are the "cabinet" of the Panth and organise the Panth's movement. The Jathehdar of Akaal Takhat has power as spokesperson of the Panth. Akalee Phoola Singh for example was Jathehdar during Maharaja Ranjeet Singh's time and awarded him the punishment of a fine and a caning due to his adultery with the Muslim girl Moran. Thus it is clear that Sikhism does have a law in Rehit namas and tankha namas along with the rehit which is given during Amrit Sanchaar. The local decisions are taken by Panj Piaaray which can be appealed to the Takhats and final decisions are taken by the Akaal Takhat. The Sikh parliament is Sarbat Khalsa and motions are called Gurmatas. Seems like a system to me. : The Semitic scriptures (Jewish, Christian, Islamic) speak of common events and incidents. Why does Sikhism deny Adam and Eve to be the first man and woman? Why did the Guru's fail to mention a catastrophic flood with encircled the whole earth, and left one family on a ship laden with animals? Christianity, Judaism and Islam all speak extensively about this. It's a bit of a big point to miss.
Why is the father of Monotheism- Abraham. Whom Jews, Christians, Muslims all respect and testify to his monotheism, nowhere to be mentioned in Sikhi?
Or how about the Prophet Jonah who was engulfed whole by a whale, then was released on God's command onto a beach after he prayed inside his belly. All the other faiths talk of this event.
These above are not little things but major events in the history of mankind. Come on, the flooding of the whole earth! A whole City destroyed in one go! Because if the books of these religions are flawed then it would certainly need mentioning in order to clarify doubts. Why would God contradict himself by then sending a totally different religion i.e. Sikhism?
SAAAY HEE DESH KO DEKH RAHIYO MATT, KOYOO NAA DEKHIYAT PRANPATI KE||
SREE BHAGWAN KEE BHAAYE KIRPA HOON TEY EK RATEE BIN EK RATEE KE||
Guru Gobind Singh jee's baaNee in Sudha Savaiyay clearly state that he himself has looked at every religion (matt) of this world but has found none reaching Vaheguru Pranpatee. In the end he writes that since they lack the real love (ratee) for Vaheguru, they are not worth even a cent (rattee).
Is there any room for argument here? Guru Gobind Singh jee makes it clear to us that none of the religions of the world reach Vaheguru. He writes that only Gurmat reaches him.
Raam Rahim, Puran Koran, Anaek kahai matt, ek naa maniyo||
Simrit shaster bed sabhai, baho bhed kahai, hum ek naa janiyo||
Translation: Raam, Raheem, Puraans and Koran: there are many religions, but I do not accept any of them. Simritis, Shastras, Vedas, all say many different things, but I do not recognise any of them.
Does this not reject every holy book and religion of the world? What more do we have to say?
So, it goes without saying that the different events spoken of in the Semitic scriptures are not acknowledged in Sree Guru Granth Saahib. The Gurus lived in an Islamic environment with total exposure to Islam. They were aware of all these stories, but rejected them as myths. Is it credible that the entire human race began from one "Adam" and women were created from the rib of Adam? How can you create a human out of a rib? Does this make any sense whatsoever?? And Noah's Ark, which was the big boat you speak of. How can all the creatures of the earth fit into ONE boat? The survival of a species is based on its gene pool. Reducing a species to TWO totally destroys its chances of survival by killing of its genetic ability to adapt to new environments. This is scientifically IMPOSSIBLE and ILLOGICAL.
Jonah being swallowed whole by a whale: yes, of course. This is a great event in human history that simply begs to be recorded. Again, this event makes NO sense. It is a fairy tale.
Abraham is of no consequence to Sikhism, because the concept of God in Sikhism is much more profound and deep than that found in the Semitic faiths. Abraham was a human who made mistakes and I believe even cheated on his wife, so why would Sikhs revere him?
The Sikh faith is a divinely revealed faith which was given to mankind by Satguru Nanak. It does not match with the three Semitic faiths, simply because Sikhism does not consider them to be revealed by God. Sree Guru Granth Saahib is a scripture which reveals God to the soul. It does not attempt to be a history text book. You present the Semitic scriptures as being great sources of world history and I ask again: then why does it miss such important events like the Ice Age and the existence of dinosaurs? Q: If the Gurus said that all religions lead to the same path, you'll be ok whichever religion you're in. Then why didn't they mention them all in depth in their writings? With Sikhism, if all these past religions were right why don't we believe in Adam as the first man etc. Was there a sudden change of plan when the Guru's came along? Now man was no longer created from Adam?
The argument we are all on a path which leads to God, no matter which we take cannot apply. Not everyone worships one God.
SGGS over and over stresses the importance of "Gurmat Naam". Without Gurmat Naam no one can find Akaal or reach sachkhand. Gurmat naam is only available in the house of Guru Nanak: "Nanak kai ghar keval, naam" . Keval means "only".
Without naam, no one can find God. GurbaaNee is clear about this fact:
Nanak naam binaa ko mukath n hoee
Translation:O Nanak, without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, no one is liberated
Where is this naam to be found? From the Guru.
bin gur naam n paaeiaa jaae
Translation:Without the Guru, the Naam cannot be obtained.
Satguru Nanak is the only true Guru who has preached naam, and given gurmat-naam.
As for other acts of "religion", this is what Guru Nanak says:
theeruthh thup dhaeiaa dhuth dhaan ||
Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity
jae ko paavai thil kaa maan ||
these, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.
suniaa mu(n)niaa man keethaa bhaao ||
Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind,
a(n)thurugath theerathh mal naao ||
cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within.......
So, unless someone receives Gurmat Naam from Guru Nanak, there is no liberation. They will be rewarded for their good karma, but not liberated. They don't want liberation! Christians are content with heaven, and they will receive it. But then they will enter the cycle of births and deaths again, hopefully in a life which will bring them closer to liberation. Gurmat Panth's respect of all religions goes as far as saying that they are not sent to eternal hell, they will get what they work for. Like Harmandir Saahib: God is open and available to all directions and all people of the world, but the path to God is ONE: Gurmat.
About other faiths:
eik jainee oujhurr paae dhhuruhu khuaaeiaa ||
Some are Jains, wasting their time in the wilderness; by their pre-ordained destiny, they are ruined. panna 1285
hi(n)dhoo a(n)nhaa thurukoo kaanaa ||
The Hindu is blind; the Muslim has only one eye. panna 875
In many other places it is made clear that Gurmat, the way of the Giani, who meditates on Gurmat Naam is the only path to Akaal. Others will get their heaven etc. but not find Akaal.
All faiths will get what they work towards. Only Gurmat has a concept such as Sach Khand and God-Realisation in such a clear way. Thus, Gurmat is the only path to Sach Khand and merger with Akaal.
Who else is the true Guru of status of Guru Nanak? Mohammad? Jesus? Krishna? Rama? There is none. These prophets don't come close to even the Sikhs of Guru Nanak, let alone Guru Nanak himself. GurbaaNee leaves no doubt: "Sabh tay Vadaa Satgur Nanak, Jin kal raakhee mayree" meaning Satuguru Nanak is THE GREATEST who has protected my honour in this age of darkness (Kaljug).