O
OneLuv1God
Guest
Q: Does it make sense that Sikhs have 10 Gurus whom they worship? Are there 10 Gods? What makes you different than Hindus? Why did the Guru's come one after the other in succession, some even being alive while the other Guru was still alive-waiting to be promoted. The other major religions talk of gaps of approx. 500, 1000, years before God sent another Prophet to correct the people on their innovations and corruption's. The other Prophets did not know of their Prophethood until the Angel Gabriel came to them to give them the good news of it. But for Sikhs the Guru's knew they would be next because they were chosen by the previous Guru on his deathbed as one example.
Also, for a religion so against idol worship, isn't bowing to a BOOK pretty hypocritical?
A: Sikhs believe that Akaal Purakh himself sent his Guru form, Satguru Nanak to save the world. Satguru Nanak was no human.
ang 1406
thoo sathigur chuhu jugee aap aapae purumaesur
You are the True Guru, throughout the four ages; You Yourself are the Transcendent Lord.
sur nur saadhik sidh sikh saevunth dhureh dhur
The angelic beings, seekers, Siddhas and Sikhs have served You, since the very beginning of time.
aadh jugaadh anaadh kulaa dhaaree thrihu loah
You are primal, from the very beginning, and throughout the ages; Your Power supports the three worlds.
Satguru is one with God and there remains no difference between the two. He is like a drop of water in the ocean. There is only ONE GOD, and Satguru remains immersed in him and shows the path to the Sikh and helps on the spiritual journey.
It is false to say Sikhs believe in 10 gods. In fact, Sikhs only believe in One Satguru: Satguru Nanak. The body may have changed, but the light or jyot remained the same. When the Guru felt ready, he transferred the jyot from one body to the next. This is why Guru Nanak and all subsequent Gurus all used the name "Nanak" in their baaNee. Thus Sikhs don't really have "10 prophets". Sikhs have one Satguru, who had ten human forms and today resides in Satguru Granth Sahib.
As for Gabriel informing the prophets, we have already said that the Gurus were far above the angels. BaaNee tells us that angels are finite creatures and seek the dust of Gursikhs. Guru Nanak was informed of his duty by Akaal himself, not by any angel:
ang 150
pourree
Pauree:
ho taatee vaekaar kaarai laaeiaa
I was a minstrel, out of work, when the Lord took me into His service.
raath dhihai kai vaar dhuruhu furumaaeiaa
To sing His Praises day and night, He gave me His Order, right from the start.
taatee suchai mehal khusam bulaaeiaa
My Lord and Master has summoned me, His minstrel, to the True Mansion of His Presence.
suchee sifath saalaah kupurraa paaeiaa
He has dressed me in the robes of His True Praise and Glory.
suchaa anmrith naam bhojun aaeiaa
The Ambrosial Nectar of the True Name has become my food.
gurumuthee khaadhaa raj thin sukh paaeiaa
Those who follow the Guru's Teachings, who eat this food and are satisfied, find peace.
taatee kurae pusaao subudh vujaaeiaa
His minstrel spreads His Glory, singing and vibrating the Word of His Shabad.
naanuk such saalaahi pooraa paaeiaa
O Nanak, praising the True Lord, I have obtained His Perfection. ||27||Sudh||
As for the argument that bowing to Satguru Granth Sahib is idol worship, I would ask, what is idol worship? Bowing to a stone that can teach nothing is idol worship. Satguru jee is not worshipped and respected because of the way they look. An idol is worshipped for no internal characteristic but for it's appearance and maybe for what it represents. When we show our respect for a person by bowing the head or in the past, people took off their hats, was this idol worship? No, because they were saluting the qualities of the person, not his/her physical characteristics. In the same way, a Sikh bows before Satguru jee not because of their appearance, but because Satguru jee possess all divine qualities that are present in Akaal. A Sikh bows to these qualities and shows respect. This is clearly different than the way Hindus bow to idols and Muslims bow to the Kaab'ah; that is truly idol worship. Q: All the Revealed Faiths give a description of the creation of the Earth and Mankind from Adam and Eve. Sikhism offers no account of creation. Did the Gurus not know?
A: The Sikh explanation of creation is much more detailed and true than the story of Adam and Eve etc. Satguru has given the process clearly in Akaalee baanee. Satguru first describes what was before creation: "Arbad, narbad dhundoo kaaraa, dharn na gugana hukum apaaraa" pg 1035. This means for countless ages there was utter darkness (nothingness), no heaven or earth. The will of Akaal reigned everywhere. No day no night, no sun, no moon. Only Akaal stayed in solitary meditation.
Then guru jee says "keetaa pasaao eko kavao". With his one word, the universe was created. Then what was the process? On panna 1037-38 Satguru describes that the elements of air and water were evolved along with everything else in the universe. On panna 19, Satguru says "sache te pavanaa bhaiyaa pavne te jal hoi. jal tay tribhavan saajiyaa, ghat ghat jot samoi" from the true on, air (gases) were created and from them was created water. From water arose the three worlds (metaphor or common term for the universe and all within) with his divine light within all bodies.
Satguru continues and says, "kai baar pasario paasaar, sadaa sadaa ik ekankaar" many times has creation been created (the universe been created) only Akaal is forever. This clearly shows that satguru has told us that the universe has been created, destroyed and recreated many times: we are just in one cycle of this creation. And even commenting on other parts of the universe we can't see, Satguru says "kaytay pavan panee baisantar" countless are the airs (atmospheres), waters and fires.
Thus it has been shown Satguru has given Sikhs an understanding of Gurmat that is very scientific and matches the views of contemporary scientists. Very unlike humanity being created out of mud and a human rib. Q: Does Satan exist or is he made up? The 3 other faiths testify to his existence and tell the story of how he was rejected. Where is Satan now?
A: Sikhism regards the existence of a parallel and evil power to Akaal as being blasphemous. Akaal Purakh is all powerful and all pervading. There can be no power opposed to his. All are his creations are under his will. Does it make sense that a being such as Satan could exist to oppose God? Sikhism does not believe that human are deceived by Satan. Human are deceived by Maya i.e. the creation of Akaal, when they take it to be true and forget who has created it. When the human is entangled in the net of Maya, he falls in love with falsehood and material creations, and forgets the source of all love and happiness, Akaal. So Sikhism does indeed reject the existence of some parallel power, "Satan", which opposes God. Q: Hindu's burn their dead. Jews bury, Christians bury, Muslims bury,... OOP's oh no Hinduism was right again, burn them for Sikhs. The tradition of burying was started by the son of Adam.
A: Sikhs, by convention, cremate bodies. It is not a divine rule though. We don't care about the body, we know the atmaa (soul) has left and all that is left is dirt. We don't care about the body. Sometimes it is even buried at sea. Why? Because the body is nothing without a soul. Sikhs are not bound by beliefs that the body will be resurrected on some Day of Judgement. How will the body, now decayed and turned to soil ever rise again? And so Sikhs also do not jam precious land by filling it with dead bodies and then declaring it "sacred". Q: This idea of reincarnation is rejected from the 3 major religions. Once again was Hinduism right? Then the 3 faiths God sent after it were contradicting it, then Sikhism came and said no oops! Yep Hinduism was right, reincarnation is right. More so, it was eliminated in the Books of God 3 times in succession! All the scriptures tell of the Day of Judgment and the after-life. Why have Sikhs just copied the Hindus?
A: The Sikh concept of the after-life is much more descriptive than any other faith. Here is a fundamental question that no other faith can answer, including Islam. If a baby is born and screams one scream and then dies, what will happen to its soul? What was the purpose of its existence? If we believe in one coming and one going, then the birth of this baby makes no sense. It had no life to live and could not do anything and so will it go to Heaven or somewhere else? And why did God give this creature such a short life in which it could do nothing? No answer can be given to this question by Islam.
On the other hand, Sikhism believes that everything is a result of karma. The child's karma called for it to only live for that long and it will now be re-born again after having lived that karma it had created. A human can only exit the web of karma by meditating on Gurmat Naam and immersing the self into Akaal.
According to Sikhism, when a Human dies, jam doot or minions of death come and take the soul to the court of Dharam Rai. This is a very painful journey in which the soul of the manmukh (one without the Satguru) encounters much pain and hardship. Once in the court of Dharam Rai, his account of deeds is read to him and he cannot deny anything. He cries that he did not take advantage of human life and become one with Akaal. He is then given his sentence. This can be a certain amount of time in heaven or hell to receive the fruits of his deeds and then after that time, he is sent back into the cycle of births and deaths. Heaven and Hell are not permanent places. They are not where a Sikh wishes to go. They are simply transitory places where one receives either pleasure or pain.
There are 5 Khands or realms: the first is Dharam Khand in which all souls must appear to receive their account in the court of Dharam Rai. The next realm is Giaan Khand in which reside countless gods and goddesses and angels and also beings like Buddha and other prophets. After this realm is Sharam Khand. Sharam Khand is now a level that cannot be understood by the human mind. In it, the mind and intellect are re-shaped to see and understand new realities.
All the above mentioned places: heaven, hell, Dharam Khand, Gian Khand, Sharam Khand are all transitory and will finish when Akaal finishes creation. Beyond these are "true" realms. These are Karam Khand and Sach Khand. Karam Khand is for true devotees of Akaal who have meditated on him and Sach Khand is where Gursikhs go who have meditated on Gurmat Naam and become one with God. Here they are forever immersed in bliss and unity with God and forever sing his praises.
Clearly then, this system is different than any other faith. It is not "borrowed"
Also, for a religion so against idol worship, isn't bowing to a BOOK pretty hypocritical?
ang 1406
thoo sathigur chuhu jugee aap aapae purumaesur
You are the True Guru, throughout the four ages; You Yourself are the Transcendent Lord.
sur nur saadhik sidh sikh saevunth dhureh dhur
The angelic beings, seekers, Siddhas and Sikhs have served You, since the very beginning of time.
aadh jugaadh anaadh kulaa dhaaree thrihu loah
You are primal, from the very beginning, and throughout the ages; Your Power supports the three worlds.
Satguru is one with God and there remains no difference between the two. He is like a drop of water in the ocean. There is only ONE GOD, and Satguru remains immersed in him and shows the path to the Sikh and helps on the spiritual journey.
It is false to say Sikhs believe in 10 gods. In fact, Sikhs only believe in One Satguru: Satguru Nanak. The body may have changed, but the light or jyot remained the same. When the Guru felt ready, he transferred the jyot from one body to the next. This is why Guru Nanak and all subsequent Gurus all used the name "Nanak" in their baaNee. Thus Sikhs don't really have "10 prophets". Sikhs have one Satguru, who had ten human forms and today resides in Satguru Granth Sahib.
As for Gabriel informing the prophets, we have already said that the Gurus were far above the angels. BaaNee tells us that angels are finite creatures and seek the dust of Gursikhs. Guru Nanak was informed of his duty by Akaal himself, not by any angel:
ang 150
pourree
Pauree:
ho taatee vaekaar kaarai laaeiaa
I was a minstrel, out of work, when the Lord took me into His service.
raath dhihai kai vaar dhuruhu furumaaeiaa
To sing His Praises day and night, He gave me His Order, right from the start.
taatee suchai mehal khusam bulaaeiaa
My Lord and Master has summoned me, His minstrel, to the True Mansion of His Presence.
suchee sifath saalaah kupurraa paaeiaa
He has dressed me in the robes of His True Praise and Glory.
suchaa anmrith naam bhojun aaeiaa
The Ambrosial Nectar of the True Name has become my food.
gurumuthee khaadhaa raj thin sukh paaeiaa
Those who follow the Guru's Teachings, who eat this food and are satisfied, find peace.
taatee kurae pusaao subudh vujaaeiaa
His minstrel spreads His Glory, singing and vibrating the Word of His Shabad.
naanuk such saalaahi pooraa paaeiaa
O Nanak, praising the True Lord, I have obtained His Perfection. ||27||Sudh||
As for the argument that bowing to Satguru Granth Sahib is idol worship, I would ask, what is idol worship? Bowing to a stone that can teach nothing is idol worship. Satguru jee is not worshipped and respected because of the way they look. An idol is worshipped for no internal characteristic but for it's appearance and maybe for what it represents. When we show our respect for a person by bowing the head or in the past, people took off their hats, was this idol worship? No, because they were saluting the qualities of the person, not his/her physical characteristics. In the same way, a Sikh bows before Satguru jee not because of their appearance, but because Satguru jee possess all divine qualities that are present in Akaal. A Sikh bows to these qualities and shows respect. This is clearly different than the way Hindus bow to idols and Muslims bow to the Kaab'ah; that is truly idol worship. Q: All the Revealed Faiths give a description of the creation of the Earth and Mankind from Adam and Eve. Sikhism offers no account of creation. Did the Gurus not know?
Then guru jee says "keetaa pasaao eko kavao". With his one word, the universe was created. Then what was the process? On panna 1037-38 Satguru describes that the elements of air and water were evolved along with everything else in the universe. On panna 19, Satguru says "sache te pavanaa bhaiyaa pavne te jal hoi. jal tay tribhavan saajiyaa, ghat ghat jot samoi" from the true on, air (gases) were created and from them was created water. From water arose the three worlds (metaphor or common term for the universe and all within) with his divine light within all bodies.
Satguru continues and says, "kai baar pasario paasaar, sadaa sadaa ik ekankaar" many times has creation been created (the universe been created) only Akaal is forever. This clearly shows that satguru has told us that the universe has been created, destroyed and recreated many times: we are just in one cycle of this creation. And even commenting on other parts of the universe we can't see, Satguru says "kaytay pavan panee baisantar" countless are the airs (atmospheres), waters and fires.
Thus it has been shown Satguru has given Sikhs an understanding of Gurmat that is very scientific and matches the views of contemporary scientists. Very unlike humanity being created out of mud and a human rib. Q: Does Satan exist or is he made up? The 3 other faiths testify to his existence and tell the story of how he was rejected. Where is Satan now?
A: Sikhism regards the existence of a parallel and evil power to Akaal as being blasphemous. Akaal Purakh is all powerful and all pervading. There can be no power opposed to his. All are his creations are under his will. Does it make sense that a being such as Satan could exist to oppose God? Sikhism does not believe that human are deceived by Satan. Human are deceived by Maya i.e. the creation of Akaal, when they take it to be true and forget who has created it. When the human is entangled in the net of Maya, he falls in love with falsehood and material creations, and forgets the source of all love and happiness, Akaal. So Sikhism does indeed reject the existence of some parallel power, "Satan", which opposes God. Q: Hindu's burn their dead. Jews bury, Christians bury, Muslims bury,... OOP's oh no Hinduism was right again, burn them for Sikhs. The tradition of burying was started by the son of Adam.
A: Sikhs, by convention, cremate bodies. It is not a divine rule though. We don't care about the body, we know the atmaa (soul) has left and all that is left is dirt. We don't care about the body. Sometimes it is even buried at sea. Why? Because the body is nothing without a soul. Sikhs are not bound by beliefs that the body will be resurrected on some Day of Judgement. How will the body, now decayed and turned to soil ever rise again? And so Sikhs also do not jam precious land by filling it with dead bodies and then declaring it "sacred". Q: This idea of reincarnation is rejected from the 3 major religions. Once again was Hinduism right? Then the 3 faiths God sent after it were contradicting it, then Sikhism came and said no oops! Yep Hinduism was right, reincarnation is right. More so, it was eliminated in the Books of God 3 times in succession! All the scriptures tell of the Day of Judgment and the after-life. Why have Sikhs just copied the Hindus?
On the other hand, Sikhism believes that everything is a result of karma. The child's karma called for it to only live for that long and it will now be re-born again after having lived that karma it had created. A human can only exit the web of karma by meditating on Gurmat Naam and immersing the self into Akaal.
According to Sikhism, when a Human dies, jam doot or minions of death come and take the soul to the court of Dharam Rai. This is a very painful journey in which the soul of the manmukh (one without the Satguru) encounters much pain and hardship. Once in the court of Dharam Rai, his account of deeds is read to him and he cannot deny anything. He cries that he did not take advantage of human life and become one with Akaal. He is then given his sentence. This can be a certain amount of time in heaven or hell to receive the fruits of his deeds and then after that time, he is sent back into the cycle of births and deaths. Heaven and Hell are not permanent places. They are not where a Sikh wishes to go. They are simply transitory places where one receives either pleasure or pain.
There are 5 Khands or realms: the first is Dharam Khand in which all souls must appear to receive their account in the court of Dharam Rai. The next realm is Giaan Khand in which reside countless gods and goddesses and angels and also beings like Buddha and other prophets. After this realm is Sharam Khand. Sharam Khand is now a level that cannot be understood by the human mind. In it, the mind and intellect are re-shaped to see and understand new realities.
All the above mentioned places: heaven, hell, Dharam Khand, Gian Khand, Sharam Khand are all transitory and will finish when Akaal finishes creation. Beyond these are "true" realms. These are Karam Khand and Sach Khand. Karam Khand is for true devotees of Akaal who have meditated on him and Sach Khand is where Gursikhs go who have meditated on Gurmat Naam and become one with God. Here they are forever immersed in bliss and unity with God and forever sing his praises.
Clearly then, this system is different than any other faith. It is not "borrowed"
