Guest guest Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Dear Vinod, It is a fantastic idea on your part to bring the nuances and niceties of Sikhism.Your desire to portray the same is highly praiseworthy.The descriptions contained in the first instalment is also nicely portrayed as a lot of members including me hv no idea of what sikhism portrays and why they worship a book.I dont know abt others but frankly I hv no idea of the cult.In the same way I also will appreciate other cults like Jainism,Buddhism etc shuld be portrayed so as to enable us to hv a gud idea in due course.A well deserved appreciation of your ideas. Hare Krishna, agraman"PS, Vinod K (GE Energy)" <vinod.ps wrote: !! Sri Rama Jayam !! Dear Group,The holy land of "Bharatham" is unique blend of diversity & spiritual harmony. We have a varied bandwidth of values & thoughts defining our civilization & journey of existence. I have a feeling about our group that we should utilize this "Guruvayur Groups" platform as a Database to share all such good thoughts & practices which will add value to our devotional process. In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing some very good information about "Sikhism" & the great immortal Sikh Gurus, who have added their immeasurable contribution in generating a rich spiritual awakening in India & across continents. ----"Truth is higher than everything, But higher still is truthful living"(Guru Nanak, the 1st Sikh prophet) The Sikh religion exists as a faith of life-affirmation. A Sikh regards the world not as a place of suffering, but as a meaningful creation of God wherein noble, truthful, and selfless actions can bring a person closer to realizing Him. Sikhism preaches universal equality, and therefore, regards all religions and people as equal before the eyes of God. A Sikh is enjoined to rise above ego, live a truthful family life, share earnings with the less fortunate, and, as a human being, work toward progress on the individual and social level.THE BASIC BELIEFS OF SIKHS: The Moola Mantra (literally, the root verse; the first hymn composed by Guru Nanak) sums up the basic belief of the Sikhs. "Sri Guru Granth Sahib" begins with the Moola Mantra. Every Sikh is expected to recite it daily. The English translation is given below:1. Ik Onkaar - There is only one God2. Sat Naam - His Name is Truth3. Karta Purkh - He is the Creator4. Nir Bhau - He is without fear5. Nir Vair - He is without hate6. Akaal Moorat - He is beyond time (Immortal)7. Ajooni - He is beyond birth and death8. Saibhang - He is self-existent"Guru Parsaad" - He is realised by the Guru's grace.The Sikh religion is strictly monotheistic, believing in One Supreme God. Absolute yet All-pervading, the Eternal, the Creator, the Cause of Causes, without enmity, without hate, both Immanent in His creation and beyond it. It is no longer the God of one nation, but the GOD OF GRACE. That being so, He creates man not to punish him for his sins, but for the realization of his true purpose in the cosmos and to merge in from where he issued forth.'O my mind, thou art the embodiment of Light; know* thy Essence''O my mind, the Lord is ever with thee; through the Guru's Word enjoy His Love.''Knowing thy essence thou knowest thy Lord; and knowest thou the mystery of birth and death'.- (Guru Granth, P. 441)The basic postulate of Sikhism is that life is not sinful in its origin, but having emanated from a Pure Source, the True One abides in it. Thus sayeth Nanak:'O my mind, thou art the spark of the Supreme Light; know thy essence.'Not only the whole of Sikh Philosophy, but the whole of Sikh history and character, flows from this very principle.The Sikhs do not recognize the caste system nor do they believe in Idol-worship, rituals, or superstitions. The gods and goddesses are considered as nonentities.This religion consists of practical living, in rendering service to humanity and engendering tolerance and brotherly love towards all. The Sikh Gurus did not advocate retirement from the world in order to attain salvation. It can be achieved by anyone who earns an honest living and leads a normal life.'He alone, 0 Nanak, knoweth the Way, who earneth with the sweat of his brow, and then shareth it with the others'- (Guru Granth, P. 1245)Nanak gave new hope to the down-trodden mankind to join his fraternity as equals. He is a creator of the NEW MAN in the New World supported by a New morality.Riches and personal possessions are not hinderence in living by spiritual ideals. Sikhism does not believe in the maxim, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eyes of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". On the other hand the Sikh dictum is as under:'They, who are attuned to the Lord, by the Guru's Grace, Attain to the Lord in the midst of Maya, (i.e. Wealth or mode of ignorance)- (Guru Granth. P. 921)Sikhism does not accept the ideology of pessimism. It advocates optimism and hope. The maxim, "Resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also", does not find any place in Sikh way of life. On the other hand it enjoins its followers:"When an affair is past every other remedy It is righteous, indeed, to unsheathe the sword."- (Guru Gobind Singh)The message of Sikhism is contained within the sacred writings of the Gurus, forever enshrined in the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib (the writings of Guru Gobind Singh form another compilation). The Guru Granth Sahib consists of the writings of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and ninth Gurus, as well as the writings of several prominent saints who were either contemporaries of, or lived before, the Sikh Gurus. The writings of these non-Sikh mystics correspond to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus; and more importantly, the inclusion of their writings into the Sikh holy scripture indicates the universality of Sikh philosophy. Written in musical measures of Indian classical music called RAGAS, the Guru Granth Sahib literally serves as the ultimate guide of spirituality (the living embodiment of the spirit of the Gurus) and is revered, not worshipped, as such by the Sikhs.CONCEPT OF GOD:According to Sikh religious thought, God is both transcendent and immanent. God is beyond the empirical universe (what can be sensed or measured), but resides in it as well. Since God exists within and beyond existence itself, human beings can aspire toward living and acting in accordance with His will.....To be continued....Hare KrishnaHare RamaOm Namo Narayanaya: India Matrimony: Find your life partner online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 !! Sri Rama Jayam !! The "GURU GRANTH SAHIB" : The Guru Granth Sahib (also known as the Adi Granth) is truely unique among the world's great scriptures. It is considered the Supreme Spiritual Authority and Head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. It is also the only scripture of it's kind which not only contains the works of it's own religious founders but also writings of people from other faiths. The living Guru of the Sikhs, the book is held in great reverence by Sikhs and treated with the utmost respect. Sikhism rejects idol worship, so the Guru Granth Sahib is not worshipped as an idol, but rather emphasis is placed on respect of the book for the writings which appear within. Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of devotional hymns and poetry which proclaims God, lays stress on meditation on the True Guru (God), and lays down moral and ethical rules for development of the soul, spiritual salvation and unity with God. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Authors & Contributors : A - The GURUS 1. Guru Nanak Dev: 974 hymns including slokAs and pauris 2. Guru Angad Dev: 62 slokAs 3. Guru Amar Das: 907 hymns including slokAs and pauris 4. Guru Ram Das: 679 hymns including slokAs and pauris 5. Guru Arjan Dev: 2,218 hymns including slokAs and pauris 6. Guru Tegh Bahadur: 59 hymns and 56 slokAs 7. Guru Gobind Singh: 1 slokA Saints of various faiths (called "Bhagthas") who have added their contributions to this holy text are - Kabirdas, Namdev, Ravidas, Surdas, Ramanand, Beni, Sheikh Farid, Dhanna, Sheikh Bhikan, Trilochan, Jayadev, Paramanand, Pipa, Sadhna & Sain. B - The "Bhatts" like - Kal, Kalsahar, Tal, Jalap, Kirat etc.. C - The "Sikhs" like - Mardana, Satta, Balwant & Sunder. LAYOUT of Guru Granth Sahib : The majority of the language of the Guru Granth Sahib is the Punjabi dialect prevalent at that time, some hymns are also found in Persian, medieval Prakrit Hindi and Marathi, Sanskrit as well as Arabic. All of these hymns are written in the standard Punjabi script known as Gurmukhi, popularized by the Second Master; Guru Angad. The Guru Granth Sahib is exactly 1430 pages in length. Each page contains in bold print 18 or 19 lines dependent on the page size. The hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib have been laid out in a very scientific and well planned manner devised by Guru Arjun Dev. The hymns have been arranged according to the melody (Raga) in which they are meant to be sung. Secondly they are arranged on the nature or the metre of the poems themselves. Next they are arranged by author and finally on the clef or key deemed appropriate to them. The Order of the Guru Granth Sahib: Prayers: i) Japji (Morning); Page 1 to 8 ii) Sodar (Evening); Page 8 to 10 iii) So Purkh (Evening); Page 10 to 12 iv) Sohila (Bed Time); Page 12 to 13 Main Body: i) Musical hymns: Page 14 to 1353 ii) Slokas Sahskriti: Page 1353 to 1360 iii) Gatha: Page 1360 to 1361 iv) Phanhas: Page 1361 to 1363 v) Chaubolas: Page 1363 to 1364 & the concluding portion with shlokas of Gurus, kabir, sheikh Farid etc. .......To be continued...... Hare Krishna Hare Rama guruvayur [guruvayur ]On Behalf Of GANAPATHY RAMANSaturday, May 14, 2005 10:40 AMguruvayur Subject: Re: [Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] The Sikh Philosophy Dear Vinod, It is a fantastic idea on your part to bring the nuances and niceties of Sikhism.Your desire to portray the same is highly praiseworthy.The descriptions contained in the first instalment is also nicely portrayed as a lot of members including me hv no idea of what sikhism portrays and why they worship a book.I dont know abt others but frankly I hv no idea of the cult.In the same way I also will appreciate other cults like Jainism,Buddhism etc shuld be portrayed so as to enable us to hv a gud idea in due course.A well deserved appreciation of your ideas. Hare Krishna, agraman"PS, Vinod K (GE Energy)" <vinod.ps wrote: !! Sri Rama Jayam !! Dear Group,The holy land of "Bharatham" is unique blend of diversity & spiritual harmony. We have a varied bandwidth of values & thoughts defining our civilization & journey of existence. I have a feeling about our group that we should utilize this "Guruvayur Groups" platform as a Database to share all such good thoughts & practices which will add value to our devotional process. In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing some very good information about "Sikhism" & the great immortal Sikh Gurus, who have added their immeasurable contribution in generating a rich spiritual awakening in India & across continents. ----"Truth is higher than everything, But! higher still is truthful living"(Guru Nanak, the 1st Sikh prophet) The Sikh religion exists as a faith of life-affirmation. A Sikh regards the world not as a place of suffering, but as a meaningful creation of God wherein noble, truthful, and selfless actions can bring a person closer to realizing Him. Sikhism preaches universal equality, and therefore, regards all religions and people as equal before the eyes of God. A Sikh is enjoined to rise above ego, live a truthful family life, share earnings with the less fortunate, and, as a human being, work toward progress on the individual and social level.THE BASIC BELIEFS OF SIKHS: The Moola Mantra (literally, the root verse; the first hymn composed by Guru Nanak) sums up the basic belief of the Sikhs. "Sri Guru Granth Sahib" begins with the Moola Mantra. Every Sikh is expected to recite it daily. The English translation is given below:1. Ik Onkaar - There is only one God2. Sat Naam - His Name is Truth3. Ka! rta Purkh - He is the Creator4. Nir Bhau - He is without fear5. Nir Vair - He is without hate6. Akaal Moorat - He is beyond time (Immortal)7. Ajooni - He is beyond birth and death8. Saibhang - He is self-existent"Guru Parsaad" - He is realised by the Guru's grace.The Sikh religion is strictly monotheistic, believing in One Supreme God. Absolute yet All-pervading, the Eternal, the Creator, the Cause of Causes, without enmity, without hate, both Immanent in His creation and beyond it. It is no longer the God of one nation, but the GOD OF GRACE. That being so, He creates man not to punish him for his sins, but for the realization of his true purpose in the cosmos and to merge in from where he issued forth.'O my mind, thou art the embodiment of Light; know* thy Essence''O my mind, the Lord is ever with thee; through the Guru's Word enjoy His Love.''Knowing thy essence thou knowest thy Lord; and knowest thou the mystery of birth and death'.- (Guru G! ranth, P. 441)The basic postulate of Sikhism is that life is not sinful in its origin, but having emanated from a Pure Source, the True One abides in it. Thus sayeth Nanak:'O my mind, thou art the spark of the Supreme Light; know thy essence.'Not only the whole of Sikh Philosophy, but the whole of Sikh history and character, flows from this very principle.The Sikhs do not recognize the caste system nor do they believe in Idol-worship, rituals, or superstitions. The gods and goddesses are considered as nonentities.This religion consists of practical living, in rendering service to humanity and engendering tolerance and brotherly love towards all. The Sikh Gurus did not advocate retirement from the world in order to attain salvation. It can be achieved by anyone who earns an honest living and leads a normal life.'He alone, 0 Nanak, knoweth the Way, who earneth with the sweat of his brow, and then shareth it with the others'- (Guru Granth, P. 1245)Nanak gave ! new hope to the down-trodden mankind to join his fraternity as equals. He is a creator of the NEW MAN in the New World supported by a New morality.Riches and personal possessions are not hinderence in living by spiritual ideals. Sikhism does not believe in the maxim, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eyes of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". On the other hand the Sikh dictum is as under:'They, who are attuned to the Lord, by the Guru's Grace, Attain to the Lord in the midst of Maya, (i.e. Wealth or mode of ignorance)- (Guru Granth. P. 921)Sikhism does not accept the ideology of pessimism. It advocates optimism and hope. The maxim, "Resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also", does not find any place in Sikh way of life. On the other hand it enjoins its followers:"When an affair is past every other remedy It is righteous, indeed, to unsheathe the sword."- (Guru Gobind Singh)! The message of Sikhism is contained within the sacred writings of the Gurus, forever enshrined in the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib (the writings of Guru Gobind Singh form another compilation). The Guru Granth Sahib consists of the writings of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and ninth Gurus, as well as the writings of several prominent saints who were either contemporaries of, or lived before, the Sikh Gurus. The writings of these non-Sikh mystics correspond to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus; and more importantly, the inclusion of their writings into the Sikh holy scripture indicates the universality of Sikh philosophy. Written in musical measures of Indian classical music called RAGAS, the Guru Granth Sahib literally serves as the ultimate guide of spirituality (the living embodiment of the spirit of the Gurus) and is revered, not worshipped, as such by the Sikhs.CONCEPT OF GOD:According to Sikh religious thought, God is both transcendent and immanent. Go! d is beyond the empirical universe (what can be sensed or measured), but resides in it as well. Since God exists within and beyond existence itself, human beings can aspire toward living and acting in accordance with His will.....To be continued....Hare KrishnaHare RamaOm Namo Narayanaya: India Matrimony: Find your life partner online. Om Namo Narayanaya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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