sikhism christianity theory and practice

8/8/2019 Sikhism Christianity Theory and Practice

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www.SikhingTruth.com

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Correcting a Skewed

View of Sikhism by aChristian Fanatic



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1 Contents Page

1 Contents Page.............................................................................................................. 22 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 53 Worship of God in Sikhism ........................................................................................ 6

3.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the worship of God ................................ 63.1.1 Quote 1 all life is sacred........................................................................... 7

3.1.2 Quote 2 devotional worship is the way to God........................................ 74 Oneness of humanity................................................................................................... 7

4.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the oneness of humanity ...................... 75 True pilgrimage........................................................................................................... 9

5.1 SikhingTruth response regarding pilgrimage ............................................... 96 Symbols are useless .................................................................................................. 10

6.1 SikhingTruth response regarding 5Ks ........................................................ 107 Abstinence of alcohol and meat................................................................................ 14

7.1 SikhingTruth response regarding alcohol and meat ................................. 148 Honest living............................................................................................................. 15

8.1 SikhingTruth response regarding honest living ......................................... 159 Ignore trivial matters................................................................................................. 16

9.1 SikhingTruth response regarding trivial matters ...................................... 1610 No religion - just human ....................................................................................... 16

10.1 SikhingTruth response regarding trivial matters ...................................... 1611 Idol worship and the Sikh holy scripture .............................................................. 17

11.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the holy book ....................................... 17

12 Physical violence is permissible only as a last resort ........................................... 1712.1 SikhingTruth response regarding physical violence ................................. 17

13 Sikhism stands for freedom of religion................................................................. 18

13.1 SikhingTruth response regarding freedom of religion ............................. 1813.1.1 Christian example 1 .................................................................................. 18

14 All religions are different paths to God ................................................................ 1914.1 SikhingTruth response regarding different paths to God........................ 19

15 One God One holy book One congregation.................................................... 19

15.1 SikhingTruth response regarding one God one holy book onecongregation ............................................................................................................... 20

16 Helping the poor and needy .................................................................................. 20

16.1 SikhingTruth response regarding helping the poor and needy............... 2017 Simple places of worship...................................................................................... 20

17.1 SikhingTruth response regarading simple places of worship.................. 2118 Importance of humility ......................................................................................... 21

18.1 SikhingTruth response regarding humility ................................................. 2119 Reading of scripture.............................................................................................. 22

19.1 SikhingTruth response regarding scripture reading ................................. 2219.1.1 Cure of Multiple Myeloma through Gods Word (Gurbani) ............. 24

20 Greed Part 1 .......................................................................................................... 25

20.1 SikhingTruth response regarding greed part 1.......................................... 2521 Greed Part 2 .......................................................................................................... 25


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21.1 SikhingTruth response regarding greed part 2.......................................... 2621.1.1 Canadian hospital named after Guru Nanak ..................................... 27

22 Outward appearances do not matter...................................................................... 28

22.1 SikhingTruth response regarding outward appearances ......................... 2823 Life is worth more than bricks and mortar ................................................... 29

23.1 SikhingTruth response regarding life .......................................................... 2924 Blind leading the blind? .................................................................................... 30

24.1 SikhingTruth response regarding blind leading the blind ....................... 3025 Whole life to be lived holy ............................................................................... 30

25.1 SikhingTruth response regarding living Sikhi............................................. 3026 All paths can lead to God ................................................................................. 31

26.1 SikhingTruth response regarding paths to God ......................................... 3127 Sikhism is a paraphrase of Hinduism? ............................................................. 32

27.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Hinduism ............................................... 3228 Teachings to be taught in local languages .................................................... 33

28.1 SikhingTruth response regarding teaching in local languages ......................... 3329 Sikhism is the ultimate truth ........................................................................... 34

29.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Sikhism as the ultimate truth............ 3430 Were all Gurus equally divine .......................................................................... 36

30.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the Gurus .............................................. 3631 Pilgrimage is useless .......................................................................................... 36

31.1 SikhingTruth response regarding pilgrimage ............................................. 3632 Origin of the mantra Waheguru....................................................................... 36

32.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the origin of Waheguru mantra......... 3733 God is fearless .................................................................................................... 37

33.1 SikhingTruth response regarding God is fearless...................................... 3734 Focus and discipline is important is prayer and spiritual practice ........... 38

34.1 SikhingTruth response regarding focus and discipline ............................ 3835 Sikh place of worship is open to one and all ........................................................ 38

35.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Sikh place of worship .......................... 3936 Material things are maya....................................................................................... 39

36.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Maya....................................................... 3937 Righteous living makes one fearless and strong ........................................... 39

37.1 SikhingTruth response regarding fearlessness .......................................... 4038 Sikhism provides an egalitarian power base ................................................. 40

38.1 SikhingTruth response regarding egalitarian power base ....................... 4039 Sikhism can make a useful contribution to world politics .......................... 41

39.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the contribution of Sikhism to worldpolitics ......................................................................................................................... 41

40 Spiritual knowledge should be available to all ............................................. 4140.1 SikhingTruth response regarding spiritual knowledge............................. 42

41 Idol worship is useless ....................................................................................... 4241.1 SikhingTruth response regarding idol worship .......................................... 42

42 Honesty and inner purity is important ........................................................... 4342.1 SikhingTruth response regarding honesty and purity .............................. 43

43 The 5 beloved = Guru ........................................................................................ 43


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43.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Sikhs and their Guru ........................... 4344 Remaining cool and collected is important................................................... 44

44.1 SikhingTruth response regarding coolness................................................. 4445 Be happy and cheerful ...................................................................................... 45

45.1 SikhingTruth response regarding happiness .............................................. 4546 Look on the inside of a person......................................................................... 45

46.1 SikhingTruth response regarding looking on the inside of a person ..... 4647 Conclusions regarding Sikhism ............................................................................ 46


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2 Introduction

The following questions were posted by an Indian Christian who seems to havemisunderstood major elements of the Sikh way of life and its eternal messageto humanity. So we have posted answers to questions posed by our colleague.

Everything in blue are comments or statements from our Christian colleague/sEverything in black is our response

As a summary the answer which forms a major element to all the questionsrelates to the application of the spiritual Sikh way of life by some Sikhs in theirpersonal lives. The fact that the submitter recognizes the high principles andvalues set by the Sikh way of life is truly brilliant! However our Christian friend

simply fails to understand the simple fact that the teachings of Guru Nanak DevJi are not automatically made lower because some members of the Sikhcommunity do not practice the spiritual lifestyle in the way it should bepracticed. Also every faith group will have members which do not follow theteachings of their respective faiths. However, it would be ridiculous to judgethe teachings of a faith by observing the habits of non-practicing members ofthe community.

Sikhism is a modern, practical and rational way of life with many uniqueinsights into the kingdom of God. We examine some of these insights in thisessay.


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3 Worship of God in SikhismStatement by a Christian:Now one of our sikh brother gived comment that Sikhs believes in one Godand they worship Him only. 100 out of 100 Sikhs they have pictures of 10Guru's, Gurudwara's and saint's at their homes, shops, working places and inGurudawara's . Every morning and evening they bow their heads (matha tikna)before that photos and worship them and not only that they teach theirchildren's also how to bow their heads before them. Now 90 out 100 Sikhs goto mandir, mazar's and other places and they worship them. And now if you goto Gurudawara's there you will see a Nishan Sahib. That Nishan sahib's Hight isto high, and it shows you that where Gurudawara is but people bow their

heads before that also. Even if you go to some saints, Sikhs bow their headsbefore them too. Here bowing head means matha tikna in gurmukhi. Thosewho are new in Sikhisim they don't know about this or may be they didn'trealize yet. But slowly slowly they will see one day. Even those who arereligious Christians for example Catholics, worship photos of Jesus, MotherMarry and they have idols of them in Cathlic Churches. Muslims worhip Mazar'sand Hindu's worship Idol's. I am not writting this to offend you or any one else.I am writting it to let you know that stop judging others and start judging yourself. First you have to correct your own house.

3.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the worship of GodSikhs do indeed keep pictures of their Gurus and Saints in Gurdwaras, theirhomes, in necklaces etc but these are simply reminders of the great sacrificesand teaching given by the Sikh masters. This in itself is not a bad thing andindeed anything that reminds us of God and doing good for society is beautiful.Pictures of the Gurus are no less than spiritual tools because they can provideinspiration, strength and encouragement to live a spiritual lifestyle.

But it is simply untrue that a large percentage of Sikhs bow their heads beforepictures or idols. There will of course be some Sikhs who do bow their headsbefore a picture but even then if they do bow before a picture and at the same

time they have love for the immortal God within their hearts then even theyare still walking the path of truth. The important element about developing arelationship with God is to enshrine love within our hearts. Without love anddevotion you could remove all pictures and idols and still not attain Godconsciousness!

Also, just because there are Sikhs that do not practice Sikhism correctly doesnot lower the status of Sikhism in any way. The principles of Sikhism providethe quickest route to Godhead because it provides the essence of all spiritualtraditions.


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Some quotes from the Guru Granth Sahib regarding idols and love are below:

3.1.1 Quote 1 all life is sacred

You tear off the leaves, O gardener, but in each and every leaf, there is life.That stone idol, for which you tear off those leaves - that stone idol is lifeless.||1||In this, you are mistaken, O gardener. The True Guru is the Living Lord.||1||Pause||Brahma is in the leaves, Vishnu is in the branches, and Shiva is inthe flowers. When you break these three gods, whose service are you

performing? ||2||The sculptor carves the stone and fashions it into an idol,placing his feet upon its chest. If this stone god was true, it would devour thesculptor for this! ||3||(Guru Granth Sahib page 479)

3.1.2 Quote 2 devotional worship is the way to God

I do not pick leaves as offerings, and I do not worship idols. Withoutdevotional worship of the Lord, service is useless. ||2||I worship the TrueGuru; forever and ever, I surrender to Him. By such service, I find peace in theCourt of the Lord. ||3||(Guru Granth Sahib page 1158)

4 Oneness of humanityTheory: a casteless societyPractice: Sikhs have divisions of Jatts, Mazbhi, Bhape, & others. Continualdiscrimination against mazbhi & other lower caste members. Caste pride of

Jatts. There are even different gurudwaras for the different castes

4.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the oneness of humanity

The lives of the Gurus and teachings which they have left humanity are enoughto suggest that the spiritual message of Sikhism is that people of the worldshould consider themselves as one family:

Recogise the human race as one family Guru Gobind Singh

The Gurus also included divine revelation from people of different religions,ethnic groups and castes into the Sikh Holy Scripture to show that truespirituality is a path for one and all.

Caste in Indian society is very much a cancer on society and heavily engrainedwithin the Indian mind and it affects Christian Indians, Muslim Indians, Sikh


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Indians, Buddhist Indians etc. So this is not an issue restricted to Sikh Indians asimplied by our Christian friend.

The Guru Granth Sahib says:Recognize the Lord's Light within all, and do not consider social class orstatus; there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter(Guru Granth Sahib page 349)

You are constant in each and every heart, and in all things. O Dear Lord, youare the One.(Guru Granth Sahib page 11)

From water, He created the three worlds; in each and every heart He hasinfused His Light.

(Guru Granth Sahib page 19)

No one should be proud of his social class and status. He alone is a Brahmin,who knows God. ||1||Do not be proud of your social class and status, youignorant fool! So much sin and corruption comes from this pride.||1||Pause||Everyone says that there are four castes, four social classes.They all emanate from the drop of God's Seed. ||2||(Guru Granth Sahib page 1128)

So caste has nothing to do with Guru Nanak's teachings. Many Sikhs (Indian andand non-Indian Sikhs) do follow the true teachings of Guru Nanak and arecompletely against the caste system and all forms of injustice caused by thiscancer on society.

In addition, it is unfortunately true that some Sikhs have built Gurdwaras on acaste basis, however even these Gurdwaras serve free food (langar) to allregardless of caste, race, social status, sexual orientation, religion etc. Its justthat the management committees of these institutions will contain people froma specific segment of the Indian community.

Sikhs that still follow the caste system break one of the basic principles of theSikh lifestyle which is to recognize and accept all people of the world as onefamily, however as mentioned earlier this in no way lowers the modern outlookof Sikhism because Sikhism rejects all forms of injustice and inequality.

Finally, it is odd that a Christian is finding fault with Indian Sikhs with regardsto caste inequality even though it has nothing to do with the Sikh lifestyle andoverlooking the fact that the Christian religion and the teachings enshrinedwithin the bible have encouraged and been responsible for the following.Please see the "Not so nice teachings of Christianity" article Slavery Murder


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Rape Ritual human sacrifice Sexism

5 True pilgrimageTheory: Sikhs say places of pilgrimage eg: mecca for muslims & ganges river

for hindus are uselessPractice: Sikhs have various places of pilgrimage in India, especially theGolden Temple

5.1 SikhingTruth response regarding pilgrimage

Places of pilgrimage can be great sources of healing and inspiration and there isno doubt that the Golden Temple, Mecca, the Vatican can have a positiveimpact on the spirituality of an individual. However the impact on ourspirituality will vary depending on our focus.

The key driver for our spiritual transformation here is not that we go to a placeof pilgrimage but instead it is our intention to walk the path of truth. So it isthis intention and commitment of the heart and soul which is the truepilgrimage. This is why Sikhism prescribes a daily spiritual practice because inessence a practicing Sikh performs a pilgrimage of the heart and soul everyday.

The Guru Granth Sahib says:

Hearing the Naam, the Name of the Lord, is equal to millions of cleansingbaths. Meditating on it is equal to millions of worship ceremonies. Hearing theWord of the Lord's Bani is equal to giving millions in alms. To know the way,through the Guru, is equal to millions of rewards. ||3|| Within your mind,over and over again, think of Him, and your love of Maya shall depart. TheImperishable Lord is always with you. O my mind, immerse yourself in theLove of the Lord. ||4|| Working for Him, all hunger departs.(Guru Granth Sahib page 238)

Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity - these, bythemselves, bring only an iota of merit.Listening and believing with love andhumility in your mind,cleanse yourself with the Name, at the sacred shrinedeep within.All virtues are Yours, Lord, I have none at all.Without virtue,there is no devotional worship.(Guru Granth Sahib page 4)

The Guru is the Sacred Shrine of Pilgrimage, the Guru is the Wish-fulfillingElysian Tree.The Guru is the Fulfiller of the desires of the mind. The Guru is


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the Giver of the Name of the Lord, by which all the world is saved.The Guru isAll-powerful, the Guru is Formless; the Guru is Lofty, Inaccessible and Infinite.The Praise of the Guru is so sublime-what can any speaker say? ||3||


The sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage are contained in the constantworship of the feet of the Exalted Guru. Cruelty, material attachment, greedand anger are the four rivers of fire. Falling into them, one is burned, ONanak! One is saved only by holding tight to good deeds. ||2||(Guru Granth Sahib page 147)

So it is not sinful to go to a place of pilgrimage or a holy shrine. It is just thatthe Sikh Gurus are highlighting the fact that the true pilgrimage is an internalone.

6 Symbols are uselessTheory: applying tilak on forehead, or ashes on body by hindus, and saffronrobes by buddhists is uselessPractice: sikhs wear the 5 ks (turban, sword etc.)

6.1 SikhingTruth response regarding 5Ks

The rejection of useless symbols in Sikhism started with Guru Nanak Dev Ji

when he refused to wear the sacred Hindu thread. The sacred threadsymbolizes the caste system and it is believed by Hindus that the thread is oneof the strongest weapons in his repertoire, to fight fear and seekenlightenment.

Guru Nanak gave the following statement when he was asked as to why herefused to wear the thread:

Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot andtruth the twist. This is the sacred thread of the soul; if you have it, then goahead and put it on me. It does not break, it cannot be soiled by filth, it

cannot be burnt, or lost. Blessed are those mortal beings, O Nanak, who wearsuch a thread around their necks.(Guru Granth Sahib page 471)

So indeed our Christian colleague is correct in indicating that useless symbolshave no place in Sikhism. However the misunderstanding that has occurred is toassume that the 5Ks are symbols! The truth is that the 5Ks and the turban allhave practical functions in addition to symbolic meaning. So the 5Ks are usefultools (due to their functions) in helping a Sikh to live the truth and providingservice to humanity. The functions of the 5Ks and the turban are as follows:


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Sikh Item Function

Kachera (kneelength whiteunder wear tiedwith a drawstring)

1) Its underwear! Most people wear underwear in the modernworld. But this was not the case historically

2) The knot of the Kachera is the Gurus Knot. It provides thewearer with one last conscious action in the instance thathe/she may be about to commit adultery

Kara (ironwristlet)

1) The Kara is worn on the action hand i.e. left for lefthanded people and vice versa. It acts as a consciousnessactivation tool.

2) A big Kara can be used as a defensive instrument if the needshould arise.

3) Iron on the body is considered good for the aura4) The body is able to absorb iron through the skin. Similar to

copper wristlets used by people with rheumatic aches andpains

Kirpan (smallsword)

1) The Kirpan is kept as a defensive instrument in case the needshould arise to defend oneself or a member of the public

2) The Kirpan is used to bless Parshad

Kangha (smallwooden comb)

1) A small comb wooden comb kept in the hair to comb the hairtwice daily. The comb is made of wood as this provides ahealing touch and is better at preserving hair.

2) The Kangha as it is used also massages the scalp which helpsto relieve stress

Kesh (uncut hair)

1) Ornamental function - Nature has decorated a man with abeard and a moustache to differentiate between a male anda female. A good example from the animal kingdom is a lionwith its majestic mane.

2) Physical function - Just like the skin, the hair helps tosynthesize vitamin D from sunlight and other more subtle


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forms of cosmic energy. It also helps to supply the piturarygland (located in the head) with phosphorous. Phosphorous isan element which is used in meditation by the aforesaidgland. The hair on our body regulates body temperature andour eye lashes, nostril hairs and ear hairs help to keep outdust particles.

3) Psychic function - when our bodies are not required todevote constant energy to re-growing hairs we would dailycut from our face, legs, head, and under arms, etc.(depending on gender) we have greater psychic energyreserves and resources at our disposal.

4) Psychological function - People generally cut their hair tolook good for other people, and although everyone wants tolook sexy and cool, a Sikh is encouraged to impress God andGuru and not bother so much about the opinions of everyoneelse. Keeping hair therefore encourages us to become lessvain and more God orientated.

5) Spiritual function - Sikhs maintain long hair by coiling themup into a knot (joora) at the top of the head above the crownchakra (7th chakra). This helps to focus the creative energyof the body and spirit on the 7th chakra, which is our link todivinity. The channelled energy helps to provide bettermental focus, and brings a meditative mind to everything wedo. By pulling the hairs together at the crown, it alsodecreases the movement of the skull bones, creating anatural cranial adjustment, which increases mentalequilibrium. This holds equally for women and men, givingbalance, strength, and clarity.

Turban

1) Clean Hair - Wearing a turban helps to maintain long hairmore easily by keeping it tied and clean.

2) Cranial Adjustments - The human skull is not solid, butinstead is made up of 26 bones. The alignment of thesebones affects our health and our mental condition.Osteopathic Doctors have developed a science of cranialadjustments, which can be used to treat many general andspecific health problems. This science comes under thecategory of alternative medicine like Acupuncture. Nowwhen a turban is tied properly, it applies various pressures toyour skull. This is obvious, but the effect of this is that itadjusts the bones of the skull and keeps them alignedthroughout the day. It helps to contain and maintain theintegrity of the skull. It essentially provides you with a freecranial adjustment, something which an Osteopathic Doctor


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will charge you for.3) Spiritual Elevation - When we meditate we try and focus our

mind, and consequently we slow our thoughts and produce astillness of the mind. The only problem is that when we stopmeditating our mind slowly starts becoming erratic again andwe slowly loose this stillness and calmness. These goodvibrations escape out of our tenth gate which is located inour head. Wearing a turban helps to keep these goodvibrations in for longer. This is achieved because the turbanputs force on the pressure points of the head which causesthe energy to rise upwards, towards the crown chakra (7thenergy centre) and consequently protects your crown chakra.A good way of thinking of a turban is like a glove. When itscold outside we put gloves on our hands to help keep theheat in. When we wear a turban it helps to keep the goodvibrations in. Of course if you dont meditate then you haveno good vibrations to keep in, someditation is obviously apre-requisite.

4) works as a deed magnifier i.e. if a Sikh does good thingsthose deeds are visible more to other people and converselyif a Sikh performs bad deeds then those actions are againmagnified

The following quotes from the Guru Granth Sahib highlight the importance ofdevotion and the Naam in any spiritual practice, irrelevant of the symbols andrituals performed by an individual. The symbols of various traditions are notnecessarily rejected:

O Nanak, without the True Name, of what use is the frontal mark of theHindus, or their sacred thread? ||1|(Guru Granth Sahib page 467)

Some fast and take vows, and wear malas. Some apply ceremonial tilak marksto their foreheads. I am meek; I meditate on the Lord, Har, Har, Har.||5||Some work spells using the miraculous spiritual powers of the Siddhas.Some wear various religious robes and establish their authority. Some performTantric spells, and chant various mantras. I am meek; I serve the Lord, Har,Har, Har. ||6|| One calls himself a wise Pandit, a religious scholar. One

performs the six rituals to appease Shiva. One maintains the rituals of purelifestyle, and does good deeds. I am meek; I seek the Sanctuary of the Lord,Har, Har, Har. ||7||I have studied the religions and rituals of all the ages.Without the Name, this mind is not awakened. Says Nanak, when I found theSaadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, my thirsty desires were satisfied, andI was totally cooled and soothed. ||8||1||(Guru Granth Sahib page 913)


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You rub your body with sandalwood oil, and place basil leaves on yourforehead. But you hold a knife in the hand of your heart. You look like a thug;

pretending to meditate, you pose like a crane. You try to look like aVaishnaav, but the breath of life escapes through your mouth. ||1||You pray

for hours to God the Beautiful. But your gaze is evil, and your nights arewasted in conflict. ||1||Pause||You perform daily cleansing rituals, wear twoloin-cloths, perform religious rituals and put only milk in your mouth. But inyour heart, you have drawn out the sword. You routinely steal the property ofothers. ||2||You worship the stone idol, and paint ceremonial marks ofGanesha. You remain awake throughout the night, pretending to worship God.You dance, but your consciousness is filled with evil. You are lewd anddepraved - this is such an unrighteous dance! ||3||You sit on a deer-skin, andchant on your mala. You put the sacred mark, the tilak, on your forehead. Youwear the rosary beads of Shiva around your neck, but your heart is filled with

falsehood. You are lewd and depraved - you do not chant God's Name.||4||Whoever does not realize the essence of the soul -all his religious actionsare hollow and false. Says Baynee, as Gurmukh, meditate. Without the TrueGuru, you shall not find the Way. ||5||1||(Guru Granth Sahib page 1351)

So the 5Ks and the turban are there to develop our spirituality and provideservice to humanity where required (such as protection).

7 Abstinence of alcohol and meatTheory: abstinence of alcohol & meatPractice: Sikhs are among the highest consumers of alcohol & meat in India

7.1 SikhingTruth response regarding alcohol and meat

That's their loss. However practicing Sikhs do abstain from alcohol, drugs,tobacco and meat. The actions of non-practicing Sikhs, in no way lowers theteachings of Guru Nanak.

Again, this is odd coming from a Christian because Christianity like Sikhismteaches that the physical body is the Temple of God however it does nothave a bar on any of the aforementioned products.

Also Sikhs would in no way suggest comparing Christianity with Christians whobreak the Ten Commandments such as adultery or sex before marriage. Theactions of non-practicing Christians have no bearing on Christianity and theteachings of Jesus.


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8 Honest livingTheory: honest living

Practice: many sikhs, even religious leaders are corrupt. Some gurudwaraleaders demand money from followers by saying you promised such & such anamount, when they didnt

8.1 SikhingTruth response regarding honest living

Sikhs are only human beings and as with all groups of people there are goodapples and bad apples. However to suggest that bad people are unique toSikhism is ridiculous! Also to suggest that this lowers or invalidates theteachings of Guru Nanak is also ridiculous.

Honest living is one of the beautiful principles of the Sikh lifestyle and it shouldbe followed by all people following a spiritual practice.


There are so many entanglements for the soul. Only as Gurmukh do we findthe Gate of Liberation. Truth is higher than everything; but higher still istruthful living. ||5||(Guru Granth Sahib page 62)

Out of interest we have listed some religious Christian groups which have

been involved with corruption and money scandals:

The Associated Baptist Press - www.abpnews.com on April 3, 2001 reportedthat:

"About half of Baptist organizations contacted by the independent newspaperBaptists Today would not disclose salary information for their top executive.Three Southern Baptist Convention entities said policies allowed them torelease only salary ranges.

Presidents Albert Mohler of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and Kenneth

Hemphill of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, declined to provideany information on compensation. New Orleans Seminary did not returnnumerous phone calls regarding the salary of President Charles Kelley.However, the IRS requires all colleges and universities to report the salaries ofthe top five paid staff members, Brumley explained."

Does this lower the teachings of Jesus?


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9 Ignore trivial mattersTheory: not to bother about trivial matters, but important things in life

Practice: much disagreement about chairs in gurudwaras to the point ofviolence

9.1 SikhingTruth response regarding trivial matters

Absolutely, Sikhs should not bother too much about the trivial matters in lifeand instead our consciousness should be focused whole heartedly on God andGuru.

The directive issued from the Akal Thakat was for Sikhs to go back to basicsand so in this sense it was a great directive. However, small elements within

the Sikh community made an issue out of something for their own politicalagendas. This issue has nothing to do with Sikhism. It is unfortunately Politics.Again all Christian, Muslim and Hindu groups suffer from political agendas.

Christians and Muslims are easily the worst when it comes to politics and theresults are usually disastrous. A great example of Christian politics is NorthernIreland. How many people have died in the name of Christianity in this oneplace alone?

As a side note, the chairs and tables debate was over a few years ago.

10 No religion - just humanTheory: no hindu or muslim, but only humanPractice: Sikhism is now a third option, besides hindu & muslim

10.1 SikhingTruth response regarding trivial matters

Sikhism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word. It is a spiritualpractice and its spiritual technologies and unique insights into the Kingdom ofGod can be used by people of all religions and cultures. This is why the Gurus

had both Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Jain disciples because these individualswere using the eternal principles of the Guru Granth Sahib within their ownrespective religious traditions.

This is why there are many people from many religious traditions who followGuru Nanak Dev Ji and believe in the principles and follow the spiritual lifestyle taught b the Sikh Masters.

Sikhism is something that you as a Christian can use to get better and fullerinsights into the Kingdom of God.


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11 Idol worship and the Sikh holy scriptureTheory: idol worship is forbidden & considered as useless

Practice: obeisance to the holy book, and prayer toward images of gurus

11.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the holy book

Some Sikhs may bow to pictures of the Guru, but they will be in the minority.For the Sikhs that do bow even that is fine so long as they have love for Godand Guru within their hearts.

Finally the Guru Granth Sahib is the word of God. Sikhs bow before the word ofGod for respect because this is the technology that Sikhs use to connect toAnhad Bani or Naam.

The Guru Granth Sahib is not itself an item of worship.

12 Physical violence is permissible only as a last resortTheory: after all efforts have failed, it is righteous to draw the swordPractice: violence is often the first option of settling disputes

12.1 SikhingTruth response regarding physical violence

Indeed Sikhism is a practical religion and the belief in drawing the sword as alast resort (instead of turning the other cheek) ensured the survival of the Sikhcommunity together with the survival of all the other diverse religious andcultural traditions that make India great. If it had not been for the Sikhs andtheir military tradition then the whole of India would be an Islamic republic(created by force).

Now on to the next part of the statement which says violence is often the firstoption of settling disputes. If we look at the percentage of Sikhs in jail ineither India, USA, UK or Canada we find that they number much lessproportionally than the major communities within these countries. So this

comment is simply baseless.

Incidentally it is probably worth noting that the most violent crimes inAmerica, Canada and the UK have been committed by people who wouldprofess the Christian faith. Finally if we just take a quick look at NorthernIreland we find that violent Christians have been killing each other for a fewhundred years in the name of Religion and yet both Catholics and Protestantsfollow the same book!

What does that say about the teachings of Jesus?


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13 Sikhism stands for freedom of religionTheory: Gurus fought for & sacrifices their lives for religious freedom

Practice: persecution of splinter groups eg. Radha soami & nirankaris & againstconverts to Christianity. Hostility towards Hindus at times of unrest

13.1 SikhingTruth response regarding freedom of religion

Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his life to protect the right of Hindus to practice theirreligion freely. So religious freedom is the birth right of every human being andSikhism has played a useful part in helping to maintain that freedom forpeaceful people.

Now it is true that there are a small minority of Sikhs who have an ill will

towards some sects like Radha Soamis. However this is only a minoritycommunity and in no way belittles the great principles of Sikhism and theexamples set by the Sikh Gurus. Also groups like Radha Saomis do a greatservice to humanity by helping to spread the knowledge and principles of GuruGranth Sahib to all corners of the world (albeit under a different brand!).

In addition Christians have for a long time wanted to gain in roads into the Sikhcommunity and covert Sikhs to Christianity and usually any means of conversionare acceptable. Christians have held very few ethics and morals with regards toconverting people to Christianity and tactics have included murder, gettingpeople addicted to intoxicants like alcohol or drugs, lying or just being

disrespectful. Take for example the following nicer example of Christianconversion tactics:

13.1.1 Christian example 1

Christians interrupt Sikh Funeral in the US, seek convertsSan Jose, Feb. 29, 2004The American GI Forum Hall was packed with hundreds of mourners asmembers of the huge Sikh community of the Bay Area gathered for the funeralservice of Hari Singh and Satnam Singh, two of the three people, who werekilled by a gunman in a high-profile attack the previous Sunday. Speaker afterspeaker came up to address the grieved for their lost loved ones and prayed

for their families.

However, members of Indian Christians United (ICU) took this advantage of theSikh community in mourning as an opportunity to convert them. BrotherYounis Masih and two other Punjabi converts walked on top the stage andannounced they would be playing a gospel song. Younis then walked to hisharmonium, one sat down with a tabla, and the third held a Bible.


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17.1 SikhingTruth response regarading simple places of worship

Simplicity is definitely a beautiful thing. But at the same time there is

absolutely no harm in making beautiful places of worship which inspire peopleto praise and worship God. The point is that even when God provides us withwealth, we should always lovingly remain with the spirit and chardee kala ofGod.


O Nanak, meditate forever on the One, who is worthy of meditation. ||1||By His Grace, you wear silks and satins; why abandon Him, to attach yourselfto another? By His Grace, you sleep in a cozy bed; O my mind, sing His Praises,twenty-four hours a day. By His Grace, you are honored by everyone;with your

mouth and with your tongue, chant His Praises.By His Grace, you remain inthe Dharma;O mind, meditate continually on the Supreme Lord God.(Guru Granth Sahib page 269)

As a side note, it is a fact that the largest owner of real estate in the world isChristianity. So this would most definitely apply to Christians!

18 Importance of humilityTheory: practice humilityPractice: very proud, egotistic. During the khalistan movement, it was often

stated that the turban is higher than the hindu cap

18.1 SikhingTruth response regarding humility

Humility is one of the most important elements of spiritual practice. TheHarmander Sahib (Golden Temple) is built lower than the surrounding buildingsto highlight this important quality.

Also the Guru Granth Sahib says:

Listening and believing with love and humility in your mind, cleanse yourselfwith the Name, at the sacred shrine deep within. All virtues are Yours, Lord, Ihave none at all. Without virtue, there is no devotional worship.(Guru Granth Sahib page 4)

In deep humility, I fall at the Feet of the Perfect True Guru. The Guru is theHonor of the dishonored. The Guru, the True Guru, brings approval andapplause. I am never tired of praising the Guru, who unites me with the LordGod. ||2||(Guru Granth Sahib page 41)


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Modesty, humility and intuitive understanding are my mother-in-law andfather-in-law; I have made good deeds my spouse. ||2||Union with the Holy ismy wedding date, and separation from the world is my marriage. Says Nanak,

Truth is the child born of this Union. ||3||3||(Guru Granth Sahib page 152)

We have looked all over the internet to try and find at least one Sikh sourcewhich quotes that the Sikh Turban is higher than the Hindu Cap. However wecould not find any! So we can only assume that this is false propaganda againstthe Sikh community.

However if we even give the benefit of doubt to the above practicestatement and assume that it was indeed true that some Sikhs said the above,then it must be said that those Sikhs made a statement contrary to theprinciples of Sikhism and the teachings of the Gurus.

Again, we dont want to sound like a broken record but just because some Sikhsbreak Sikh principles does not lower the teachings of Sikhism.

19 Reading of scriptureTheory: nanak said that reading books or scriptures will not save youPractice: sikh holy book is read from cover to cover in an assumption that it isa holy thing to do.

19.1 SikhingTruth response regarding scripture reading

This is a great question posed by our Christian friends and shows a greatmisunderstanding. The Guru Granth Sahib says that if we do anything dharmic(spiritual) but at the same time if we dont let go of our pride, our greed, ourcorruption and our duality (i.e. saying one thing and doing another) thenreading scripture will be of no benefit because it cannot penetrate our innerbeing:


After all their reading, the Pandits, the religious scholars, and theastrologers argue and debate. Their intellect and understanding are

perverted; they just don't understand. They are filled with greed andcorruption. Through 8.4 million incarnations they wander lost and confused;through all their wandering and roaming, they are ruined. They act accordingto their pre-ordained destiny, which no one can erase. ||3||It is very difficultto serve the True Guru. Surrender your head; give up your selfishness.Realizing the Shabad, one meets with the Lord, and all one's service isaccepted. By personally experiencing the Personality of the Guru, one's own

personality is uplifted, and one's light merges into the Light.


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The greedy people serve others, instead of the Lord, although they loudly

announce their reading of scriptures. They are burnt to death by their owncorruption; they are not at home, on either this shore or the one beyond.||3||In attachment to Maya, they have forgotten the Father, the Cherisher ofthe World.(Guru Granth Sahib page 30)

As it pleases You, Lord, please save and protect me. Without You, O myHusband Lord, who else is there for me? ||3||Reading their books over andover again, people continue making mistakes; they are so proud of theirreligious robes. But what is the use of bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage,when the filth of stubborn pride is within the mind?


So this is why the Sikh way of life is so critical to spiritual development becauseevery day a Sikh is required to practice truthful living, humility, control thepassions, work hard and develop a relationship with God. Sikhism is about livingspirituality with an experience of God and not just mere talk and theory.


No one is saved by mere talk and speech, nor by reading loads of books. Thebody does not obtain purity without loving devotion to the Lord. O Nanak,never forget the Naam; the Guru shall unite us with the Creator. ||8||9||(Guru Granth Sahib page 59)

Keeping your fasts, reciting your prayers, and reading the Kalma, the Islamiccreed, shall not take you to paradise. The Temple of Mecca is hidden withinyour mind, if you only knew it. ||2||That should be your prayer, to administer

justice. Let your Kalma be the knowledge of the unknowable Lord. Spread yourprayer mat by conquering your five desires, and you shall recognize the truereligion. ||3||(Guru Granth Sahib page 480)

Subduing ego, practice pure actions. ||7||Chanting, meditation, austereself-discipline and the reading of the Puraanas, says Nanak, are contained insurrender to the Unlimited Lord. ||8||6||(Guru Granth Sahib page 223)

So what state of mind must a devotee develop when receiving Naam (the holyspirit)? The answer is the fourth meditative state of mind. The other 3 arewaking, sleeping with dreams and sleeping without dreams.



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What is the point of reading, studying and debating, if one loses his roots? Inthe fourth state, there is intuitive balance; the Gurmukhs gather it in.

||6||The Naam, the Name of the Formless Lord, is the treasure. Throughintuitive balance, understanding is obtained.(Guru Granth Sahib page 68)

Finally when we listen to scripture especially Gurbani then we are not to listenwith our heads. This is not the Sikh way. Sikhs are encouraged to listen toGurbani with their hearts and it is this form of listening which is holy andbeneficial and connects Sikhs to Naam (the holy spirit).

The Guru Granth Sahib says:Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||9|| Listening-truth, contentment andspiritual wisdom are obtained. Listening- is like taking your cleansing bath atthe sixty-eight places of pilgrimage. Listening-reading and reciting, honor isobtained.(Guru Granth Sahib page 3)

But you gain nothing by reading and studying, O mad-man, if you do not gainthe understanding in your heart. ||2||Allah is hidden in every heart; reflectupon this in your mind. The One Lord is within both Hindu and Muslim; Kabeer

proclaims this out loud. ||3||7||29||(Guru Granth Sahib page 483)

Finally it needs to be mentioned that the Guru Granth Sahib is not a merebook. Bhai Nand Lal Ji explains this experience beautifully:

For a man with I ego, Siri Guru Granth Sahib is only a book. For the truthseeker it is the Sat Guru in another of his forms. For an enlightened soul it isthe living, awake Siri Guru Nanak Sahib himself

The Guru Granth Sahib is the living Guru Nanak himself and this is why Sikhs askfor healing from the Guru Granth Sahib which is called Naam Therapy. Thereare many people that have been healed of incurable diseases and in the truespirit of Sikhism this healing of the body and mind is open to one and all.

19.1.1 Cure of Multiple Myeloma through Gods Word (Gurbani)

The following text is taken from Guru Nanak Healing mission website. Thereare a fll set of medical report for each of the cases.http://www.gurunanakhealing.com/srkan/cancer_cured.htm

The cure of Shri Vasu Bhardwaj is nothing short of a miracle where medicalscience failed to cure the case of Multiple Myeloma in an advanced stage, the

grace of Shri Guru Granth Sahib has completely healed him. This deadly


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disease had afflicted him in the worst form. The parameters for the diseaserevealed it to be in severe form. His repeated examinations confirmed reliefand he is continued to be normal till this review. He is enjoying good health

now without any problem. The reports showed high B-2 Microglobulin,Monoclonalgammopathy and metastasis into the bones. He had his treatment

for nearly two years with downhill course of his health. The doctors hadclearly told him to be prepared for the approaching death. At that state ofhealth when he was unable to support himself, he visited Sri Darbar Sahib[Golden Temple], Amritsar. He listened to Gurbani recitation for 48 hours on astretch. He was fully cured in this time. He could walk of his own and eat fullmeals. He is under regular check up and his repeated examinations confirmed

permanent cure for so many years by now. This is the best example of cure fora person who does not understand much of Gurbani, and still he stands cured.He was cured in 2002 and is under regular check up.

In summary the Guru Granth Sahib is a gift from God and is the living GuruNanak Dev Hi himself. Listening to Gurbani with your heart is one of thequickest ways to attain Naam and complete your spiritual evolution.

20 Greed Part 1Theory: not to be greedy for money or material thingsPractice: Readers of the holy scripture are told to read for only half and hour,but end up reading for many hours, simply because more money ends up in

front of them

20.1 SikhingTruth response regarding greed part 1

The reading of the scripture is performed either by volunteers or by Granthiswho have their needs taken care off by the Gurdwara. The donations which aremade to the Guru Granth Sahib are not given to either the volunteers or theGranthis.

However we personally do feel that people who commit themselves fully inSikhism and work as caretakers of our institutions (e,g. Granthis) should be

paid half descent wages for their service assuming they are correctly qualified.This is unfortunately not the case at the moment.

21 Greed Part 2Theory: not to be greedy for money or material thingsPractice: worshippers bow down and donate spare change, but pray to God tomake them millionaires.


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21.1 SikhingTruth response regarding greed part 2

Most religions suggest that it is somehow bad or a sin to ask God for material

things. Asking for material things is not in itself a bad thing and is notnecessarily the same as greed.


O Lord of the world, this is Your lamp-lit worship service. You are theArranger of the affairs of those humble beings who perform Your devotionalworship service. ||1||Pause||Lentils, flour and ghee - these things, I beg ofYou. My mind shall ever be pleased. Shoes, fine clothes, and grain of sevenkinds - I beg of You. ||1||A milk cow, and a water buffalo, I beg of You, and a

fine Turkestani horse. A good wife to care for my home -Your humble servant

Dhanna begs for these things, Lord. ||2||4||(Guru Granth Sahib page 695)

The bowl of duality and selfishness breaks. He who remains detached amidstthe traps of attachment, Prays Nanak, I am the slave of that one. ||20||1||(Guru Granth Sahib page 840)

So it is fine to ask for millions so long as we keep the love of God within ourhearts and minds, remain detached from the material world and so long as wetry and give back a portion of our blessed wealth back to his creation. Therecommended charitable donation is 10% of ones time and money.

With regards to greed the Guru Granth Sahib says:

This foolish mind is greedy; through greed, it becomes even more attached togreed. The evil-minded shaaktas, the faithless cynics, are not attuned to theShabad; they come and go in reincarnation. One who meets with the Holy TrueGuru finds the Treasure of Excellence. ||1||(Guru Granth Sahib page 21)

The dogs of greed are with me. In the early morning, they continually bark atthe wind. Falsehood is my dagger; through deception, I eat the carcasses of

the dead. I live as a wild hunter, O Creator! ||1||I have not followed goodadvice, nor have I done good deeds. I am deformed and horribly disfigured.Your Name alone, Lord, saves the world. This is my hope; this is my support.||1||Pause||(Guru Granth Sahib page 24)

Whatever is seen, shall pass away. Abandon the intellectualizations of yourmind. ||1||Pause||Like the mad dog running around in all directions, the

greedy person, unaware, consumes everything, edible and non-edible alike.Engrossed in the intoxication of sexual desire and anger, people wanderthrough reincarnation over and over again. ||2||Maya has spread out her net,


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and in it, she has placed the bait. The bird of desire is caught, and cannot findany escape, O my mother. One who does not know the Lord who created him,comes and goes in reincarnation over and over again. ||3||


So attaching ourselves to Naam is the best way towards Godhead and wealth isnot necessarily a hindrance.

We conclude finally that there are many Sikhs who give thousands of pounds tocharity. How else have Sikhs built such large temples around the world? Alsothe following is a great example of Sikh generosity and giving:

21.1.1 Canadian hospital named after Guru Nanak

Toronto, March 11, 2005

William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) is paying tribute to the Canadian Sikhcommunity by naming the new hospital's emergency department after thereligion's founder.

"Guru Nanak Emergency Services Department is a name that recognizes thesize, scope and contributions to our society by the Sikh community living andworking in our hospital's catchment area,"said Bryan Held, WOHC Board Chair.

"This is a fitting and lasting tribute to the Canadian Sikh and South Asiancommunity, We look forward to a long and healthy relationship with them."

At the same time, Navjeet Mangat, a WOHC foundation board member, said anaggressive grassroots funding campaign has been launched in the Sikhcommunity this week with the goal of raising $10 million.

So far, $914,000 has been collected in a short amount of time, said Mangat,adding he wouldn't be surprised if the Sikh community surpasses their target.

However, the naming of the emergency department is not a direct result of the

fundraising effort.

"It's a two way street. If the hospital recognizes the importance of thecommunity itself, I think we have to look at that as an opportunity to showour appreciation,"he said.

The idea for the department's name was suggested to the board last April byone of the hospital's doctors, Bajinder Reen. A Sikh sub committee was alsocreated by three of WOHC's hospital foundation board members, includingMangat, to help promote more community participation.


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"It was formed as a working group with an open door policy (that has now)grown to about 10 members,"he said.

"As important a role as government plays in funding health care, being a partof Brampton as citizens (makes) it's necessary for us to do whatever we canwithin our own means to ensure our children, seniors and residents get theservice they need and walk away feeling good about their experience."

So far, the Sikh sub committee has helped generate significant donationsincluding:

$500,000 from Harpreet Sethi, a local contractor who had two of hischildren born at WOHC hospitals;

$250,000 from Guru Nanak Community Services Foundation; $160,000 from the Sikh sub committee members."Brampton is one of the greatest cities in the world and we have to dowhatever we can to make sure all these institutions provide excellence at aworld class level and that's what it's really about,"said Mangat.

According to 2001 Statistics Canada information, the Sikh religion is the thirdlargest in Brampton behind Catholic and Protestant.

Mangat hopes the Sikh community's efforts spark more donation efforts in

Brampton. Under the public private partnership (P3) funding formula beingused to build the new hospital, the community has to raise 30 per cent of thebuilding's total cost of $536 million. (Brampton Gaurdian)

22 Outward appearances do not matterTheory: appearances of outward forms do not matter to GodPractice: to look holy, some Sikhs wear long beards and turbans (the 5 Ks),and look down on others who do not conform to their appearance

22.1 SikhingTruth response regarding outward appearancesSikhism is not about looking holy for anyone else. Practicing Sikhs do wear thefull bana (5Ks and the turban) which we have already talked about earlier inthe essay. All the elements of bana help us to maintain our body temples andlive within the will of God.

The bana of course together with the spiritual lifestyle is not the end withinitself. The end is a complete and wholesome evolution of the soul to SachKhand which is the 5th and final spiritual realm of pure consciousness.


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The most important element of spiritual practice is most definitely inwardtransformation. The Guru Granth Sahib says:

The Gurmukhs meditate on the Naam; they eradicate selfishness and conceitfrom within. They are pure, inwardly and outwardly; they merge into theTruest of the True. O Nanak, blessed is the coming of those who follow theGuru's Teachings and meditate on the Lord. ||4||5||38||(Guru Granth Sahib page 28)

In the midst of children, spouse and relations, some still remain detached;they are pleasing to Your Will.Inwardly and outwardly, they are pure, andthey are absorbed in the True Name. ||3||(Guru Granth Sahib page 139)

If one were to wash his heart inwardly, like the stone idol which is washed onthe outside, his filth would be removed, his soul would be cleansed, and hewould be liberated when he departs. ||2||(Guru Granth Sahib page 489)

Now we have also come across Sikhs who may wear bana and in doing so theythink of themselves as being better than non-bana wearing Sikhs. We feel sorryfor these people because they have confused tools used to help them on theirspiritual evolution with the actual end of the journey.

Once again it must be mentioned that the observation of some Sikhs not livingSikhi does not negate the usefulness of bana or indeed the principles ofSikhism. We have also met many pride infested religious Christians who trulybelieve that there is no salvation except through Christ. In fact this smallminded and bigoted view of spiritual evolution is the foundation ofChristendom! So who are the real bigots?

23Life is worth more than bricks and mortarTheory: humans life is worth more than temples made of bricks & mortarPractice: sikhs take the lives of those who tear down their temples (revenge

on hindus after the golden temple was attacked)

23.1 SikhingTruth response regarding life

There is no doubt that life is more sacred than bricks and mortar. However, thepeople who tore down the Akal Thakat (temporal seat of Sikhism) and whoriddled the Golden Temple with bullets were also responsible for the massacreof 1000s of devotees who were peacefully celebrating a Sikh festival. So thepeople who tore down the sacred Sikh shrine were also responsible for takingthe lives of innocent civilians.


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If Sikhs gave divine justice to these sick minded individuals then we say goodwork! At the same time if there were some misguided Sikhs who took the livesof innocent Hindus then we say shame on you. If you can show us some solidexamples (even one) of the latter then that would be great.

The answer to the above question would also not be complete if we fail to lookat the murderous nature of Christians throughout world history. However wehave saved this for the second half of the essay.

24Blind leading the blind?The original true spirit of Sikhism has been long gone from the sikh

community, and this religion, like many others will continue on its downwardspiral to mere formalism and man-made teachings & structures, which willsave no one. THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

24.1 SikhingTruth response regarding blind leading the blind

The spirit of Sikhism is very much alive amongst practicing Sikhs and is growing!

The Mughals and Afghans predicted the same in the past and tried to wipe outthe Sikhs. The high caste Hindu hill chiefs wished the same but they were alsoproven wrong. Now some newly converted Christians are predicting the same

too.

In fact for the first time Sikhism is finally developing solid traction in manyparts of the western world and across all parts of South America and recentlyAfrica.

Also, according to the following website, Christians form 32% of the worldpopulation and they are on the decline, which we are not surprised about.http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm

25Whole life to be lived holyTheory: whole life to be lived holyPractice: go to gurudwaras on Sunday mornings, then on Sunday night theydrink beer and tell dirty jokes

25.1 SikhingTruth response regarding living Sikhi

Sikhs do not go round bible bashing people. Everyone has the free will to livethe spiritual lifestyle if they want.


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What you are referring to above is cultural Sikhs i.e. Sikhs who do thingsbecause it is routine for them. There is very little spiritual progression for suchpeople because they will go to the Gurdwara, chat with a few mates, eat somelanger and go home!

The above would be like comparing a Christian who goes out on a Fridaynight to get drunk, brings home a couple of women and has a great time.Repeats the same on Saturday and drags himself to a church on Sunday.

The difference between Sikhism and Christianity is that Sikhism actuallyprovides a recommended structure for spiritual growth including waking up atAmrit vela (between 3am and 6am), a shower, bani mediation etc. Whereas for95% of Christians, Christianity is simply going to the church on Sunday!

26All paths can lead to GodTheory: believe that all paths lead to GodPractice: by the claims of some sikhs other holy books are not the word of

god

26.1 SikhingTruth response regarding paths to God

All paths can lead to God so long as key spiritual practices are observed such ashumility, controlling the passions etc. The belief aspects of any given religion

such as a belief in Judgement day, angels etc has no relevance with regards tosalvation because the important aspect is love for the Lord.

Now with regards to the holy scriptures of other religions, Sikhs do believe thatoriginally the word of God had been given such as the bible or the Quaran.However the versions which we have today are not the original word of Godand so they must be rejected because we no longer know what is man-madeand what is the word of God.

As an example of man made words of God we have provided the story ofcreation from Genesis later in the essay and highlighted the many scientific

inaccuracies of this section of the bible. So the question arises if the story ofgenesis has so many errors then can we accept the rest of the bible as beingthe word of God?

The Sikh scripture has only ever had two versions and both of these werecompiled and signed off by the Sikh masters as being the absolute correct wordof God, word for word, letter for letter!


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However just because Christians may not have the authentic word of God doesnot deny them or the communities from the Kingdom of God. Anyone with lovefor God has access to God consciousness.

27Sikhism is a paraphrase of Hinduism?Theory: Sikh philosophy is a paraphrase of HinduismPractice: Sikhs continue to deny their Hindu foundations to the point ofseparatism

27.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Hinduism

If Sikhism is a paraphrase of Hinduism then it must also be stated that

Christianity is just a paraphrase of Judaism because the family of Jesus wasJewish.

Sikhism is a uniquely revealed religion which was indeed prophesied withinsome Hindu scriptures.

In the Hindu epic the Rig Veda(i) In Mandala 7, Ush 5, Mantra 5 and Chapter 6"when in the world the sinful ways will be on the rise and noble behavior willvanish, as the disappearance of the moon when on its wane on the darkestnight, there will appear Vishnu as a prominent Prophet from the Keshatra Clan

and will manifest in consecutive form through 10 Prophets to bring back theways of virtue to the ailing world."

(ii) In the same Vedas, in another part even in the name NANAK and the clan hebelongs to is recorded thus"For the preaching of religious ways and the earning of good karma, there willmanifest Guru NANAK from the clan of the Veithees"

In the Bhavekhath Purana which means "future foretelling". There arenumerous places in this famous Hindu epic where the advent of Guru NANAK isdirectly alluded to

"The Guru of the prophets, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv ji is God almighty himself.This very Creator will manifest itself as a human, in the form of one whosename will be NANAK

However, Sikhism is the newest message for humanity and with this it isimportant that it is simply not lost or confused as being a part of somethingelse e.g. Hinduism or Islam.

Sikhism provides unique insights into the Kingdom of God and some uniqueesoteric tools for personal development. This is primarily why Sikhs have


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chosen to consider Hinduism as a brother Dharma. Some of the unique aspectsof Sikhism include: Oneness of God (known by different names such as Allah, Jehovah, Ram etc) Complete gender equality between men and women Unity of humanity Unity of all revealed religions Importance of service to humanity such as feeding the hugry (langar) etc.

28Teachings to be taught in local languagesTheory: teachings are to be taught in the local languages not some deadlanguages like SanskritPractice old Punjabi is used in gurudwaras. Many younger Punjabis as well as

local non-punjabis (usually English speaking) cannot understand what is taught

28.1 SikhingTruth response regarding teaching in locallanguages

I think what the author means here is that the Guru Granth Sahib is read in itsoriginal language as opposed to people from the stage speaking in old Punjabi!

The Guru Granth Sahib has been written in Naad which means that simplylistening to Gurbani with an open heart has the power to heal incurablediseases and connect us with Naam (holy spirit). But this only works when it isread in its original form. This Naad is lost if a translation of the Guru GranthSahib is read.

Nevertheless in countries outside of India, you will now find translations of theGuru Granth Sahib being displayed in English as the Gurmkhi version is read andSpanish versions of the Guru Granth Sahib are increasingly being used by thesteadily growing South American Sikh communities. There are also anincreasing number of programs for youth in English

SikhitotheMax is an electronic tool which is currently being used in big

Gurdwaras around the western world to display Gurbani in English. There isalso www.sikher.com which aims to provide translations and transliterations in10 different world languages.

You can also obtain Nitnem (daily prayers of the Sikhs) in a number of Indianlanguages including Sindhi, Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese, Bengali and Urdu fromthe following Sindhi Sikh group.http://www.prantik.com/chellarampublications/publications.htm


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29Sikhism is the ultimate truthTheory: Sikhs claim Sikhism to be the ultimate truth

Practice: Sikhs cannot answer adequately as to who had the truth beforeNanak. It seems as if God was only interested in our spiritual welfare after the1600s and then only in Punjab/northern India. What was going on forthousands of years before Nanaks time where was Wahiguru? Asleep?

29.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Sikhism as the ultimatetruth

Sikhism contains all the important spiritual keys and should be considered asthe essence of all spiritual traditions and religions.


The essence of all religion is the Lord's Name alone. It abides in the minds ofthe devotees of God. Millions of sins are erased, in the Company of the Holy.By the Grace of the Saint, one escapes the Messenger of Death.(Guru Granth Sahib page 296)

So many forms of religion have been described; the whole world is practicingthem. What actions will bring emancipation, and total perfection? ||2||Onemay distinguish between good and evil actions, and listen to the Vedas and thePuraanas, but doubt still persists. Skepticism continually dwells in the heart,so who can eradicate egotistical pride? ||3||Outwardly, he washes withwater, but deep within, his heart is tarnished by all sorts of vices. So how canhe become pure? His method of purification is like that of an elephant,covering himself with dust right after his bath! ||4||With the rising of thesun, the night is brought to its end; the whole world knows this. It is believedthat with the touch of the Philosopher's Stone, copper is immediatelytransformed into gold. ||5||When one meets the Supreme Philosopher'sStone, the Guru, if such pre-ordained destiny is written on one's forehead,then the soul blends with the Supreme Soul, and the stubborn doors areopened wide. ||6||(Guru Granth Sahib page 346)

When the five virtues were reconciled, and the five passions were estranged,I enshrined the five within myself, and cast out the other five. ||1||In thisway, the village of my body became inhabited, O my Siblings of Destiny. Vicedeparted, and the Guru's spiritual wisdom was implanted within me.||1||Pause||The fence of true Dharmic religion has been built around it. Thespiritual wisdom and reflective meditation of the Guru has become its strong

gate. ||2||So plant the seed of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, O friends, OSiblings of Destiny.(Guru Granth Sahib page 430)


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Now with regards to who had the truth before Nanak, Sikhs believe that therehave been many prophets including Jesus, Buddah, Krishna, Ram, Mohammadetc. However with time the essence of Dharma has been lost and so GuruNanak Dev Ji came in Kalyug to save humanity. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is theProphet for the CURRENT AGE and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji are the MOSTRELEVANT for the current age.

This is what the Guru Granth Sahib says regarding other prophets:

The Pandits, the religious scholars who recite the Vedas, with the supremesages of all the ages, sing.(Guru Granth Sahib page 6)

The four castes and the six Shaastras sing His Glorious Praises; Brahma andthe others contemplate His Virtues. The thousand-tongued serpent king singsHis Praises with delight, remaining lovingly attached to Him. Shiva, detachedand beyond desire, sings the Glorious Praises of Guru Nanak, who knows theLord's endless meditation. KAL the poet sings the Sublime Praises of GuruNanak, who enjoys mastery of Raja Yoga. ||5||He mastered Raja Yoga, andenjoys sovereignty over both worlds; the Lord, beyond hate and revenge, isenshrined within His Heart. The whole world is saved, and carried across,chanting the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Sanak and Janak and the others singHis Praises, age after age. Blessed, blessed, blessed and fruitful is the sublimebirth of the Guru into the world. Even in the nether regions, His Victory iscelebrated; so says KAL the poet. You are blessed with the Nectar of the Lord'sName, O Guru Nanak; You have mastered Raja Yoga, and enjoy sovereigntyover both worlds. ||6||In the Golden Age of Sat Yuga, You were pleased todeceive Baal the king, in the form of a dwarf.In the Silver Age of TraytaaYuga, You were called Raam of the Raghu dynasty. In the Brass Age of DwaapurYuga, You were Krishna; You killed Mur the demon and saved Kans. Youblessed Ugrasain with a kingdom, and You blessed Your humble devotees with

fearlessness. In the Iron Age, the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, You are known andaccepted as Guru Nanak, Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das. The sovereign ruleof the Great Guru is unchanging and permanent, according the Command ofthe Primal Lord God. ||7||His Glorious Praises are sung by the devotees RaviDaas, Jai Dayv and Trilochan. The devotees Naam Dayv and Kabeer praise Himcontinually, knowing Him to be even-eyed. The devotee Baynee sings HisPraises; He intuitively enjoys the ecstasy of the soul. He is the Master of Yogaand meditation, and the spiritual wisdom of the Guru; He knows none otherexcept God. Sukh Dayv and Preekhyat sing His Praises, and Gautam the rishisings His Praise. Says KAL the poet, the ever-fresh praises of Guru Nanak arespread throughout the world. ||8||(Guru Granth Sahib page 1390)


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So the truth has been revealed many times but it was not recorded by theProphets themselves and so over time the truth has been mixed with falsehood.However Sikhism is unique in this respect because the Guru Granth Sahib Ji waswritten and approved by the masters themselves.

30Were all Gurus equally divineTheory: all gurus were equally holy/divinePractice: the last nine gurus, as well as the other mystics writings providenothing new to add to Nanaks teachings

30.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the Gurus

This is an odd connection between the theory and practice?! The same divine

light has been flowing through all the Gurus so we would not expect themessage to be different. However the lives of the Gurus have also providedunique examples of learning in addition to the wonderful Gurbani which theyhave given us.

This odd point does not nullify the relevance of Sikhism as the religion for thecurrent age.

31Pilgrimage is uselessTheory: pilgrimages are uselessPractice: a book on Sikhism written by sikhs stated that sikhs are to visit atleast 5 takhts in their lifetime (book what is Sikhism, by B.P Kaur)

31.1 SikhingTruth response regarding pilgrimage

We have already touched on pilgrimage earlier in part 5. There are a number ofSikh scholars who write about Sikhism but who never consult the authenticteachings of the Guru enshrined within Guru Granth Sahib. We can justconclude by saying that visiting Harmander Sahib or any of the Thakats(Gurdwaras with historical significance) is purely an optional choice left toevery Sikh.

32Origin of the mantra WaheguruTheory: Origins of the word Wahiguru. V= Vishnu H= Hari G= Gobind R=ram.VaHiGuRu the consonants are the first letters of the hindu gods vowelsadded in between.Practice: Denigration of Hindu gods


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32.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the origin of Wahegurumantra

The above derivation of the Waheguru Mantra is taken from Bhai Gurdas Vaars.The full text is as follows:

In Satyug, Visnu in the form of Vasudev is said to have incarnated and V OfVahiguru reminds of Visnu. The true Guru of dvapar is said to be Harikrsna andH of Vahiguru reminds of Hari. In the the treta was Ram and R of Vahigurutells that rembering Ram will produce joy and happiness. In kalijug, Gobind isin the form of Nanak and G of Vahiguru gets Govind recited. The recitationso f all the four ages subsume in Panchayan i.e. in the soul of the common man.When joining four letters Vahiguru is remembered, The jiv merges again in itsorigin.

Bhai Gurdas Vaar 1

Sikhs believe that the entire creation is an extension of God in some form andcreation in all its many forms should be respected.


You are constant in each and every heart, and in all things. O Dear Lord, youare the One.(Guru Granth Sahib page 11)

From water, He created the three worlds; in each and every heart He hasinfused His Light.(Guru Granth Sahib page 19)

If there are Sikhs that disrespect any incarnations of God then that is their badKarma. But again this is not something that lowers the teachings of Guru NanakDev Ji.

Finally, most Sikhs would definitely recommend no idol worship, which is themost common way that our Hindu brothers and sisters worship God.

33God is fearlessTheory: have a fearless GodPractice: fear of being swamped by the hinduising of Punjab

33.1 SikhingTruth response regarding God is fearless

God is known by many names including Jehovah, Raam, Allah, Waheguru. Thisis described as the unity of God i.e. that God is one but known by any names.


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This is the first point I would like to highlight because Christians have theridiculous idea that your God is different to my God.

God has existed before religions, before the Earth etc. God introduced Sikhismto planet Earth and if he wants to take it away he can and the same applies toChristianity.

Sikhs do have a duty to enlighten the world regarding the unique insights intothe Kingdom of God and so they have tried their best to keep the originalteachings in their original form. There are Hindus in India who are trying tobring Sikhs into the Hindu fold so it is important to be vigilant regarding subtleconversion tactics used by mischievous people. This of course also applies tosome Indian Christians who try and make ridiculous and unfounded statementsregarding Sikhism.

34Focus and discipline is important is prayer andspiritual practice

Theory: Guru Nanak refused to bow down at Muslim worship & even laughed asthe imam (Islamic prayer leader) was thinking about his horses newborn foal therefore his prayer was unacceptablePractice: I have hear during prayer time at gurudwara, some Sikh womenasking each other about how to cook eggs or chicken, and others (men) talkof politics, young men also eyeing out young girls.

34.1 SikhingTruth response regarding focus and discipline

This scenario occurs with all communities. You can take as much or as little outof life as you choose. You have the free will to try and lead a Dharmic life ornot. The story of Guru Nanak which you have provided is absolutely applicableto any Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus in their respective places ofworship.

Again I must congratulate you so far for highlighting the great teachings ofGuru Nanak Dev Ji!

35 Sikh place of worship is open to one and allTheory: acceptance of all to Gurdwara regardless of racial or religiousbackground Practice: So many times I have seen many people turned off due tothe rude responses by some sikhs mainly village type old women whoindicated that the white person or Muslim person shouldnt be there. Thesenewcomers never come back.


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35.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Sikh place of worship

We have seen this with some of the uneducated older generation too. It is

simply un-Sikh to not accept one and all within Sikh places of worship. Theyounger generation of Sikhs that practice Sikhism have a much betterappreciation of the principles of Sikhism and indeed we believe that this will bean excellent catalyst for the propagation of Sikhism around the world.

Incidentally I have been to churches where I have not felt welcome in theslightest and have even been laughed at because they had never seen a brownperson wearing a turban. I have also been told that I will burn in hell if I do notbecome a Christian. Although this later observation is not a cultural quirk i.e.people not practicing Christianity correctly, it is in fact the foundation stone ofChristianity.

36 Material things are mayaTheory: material things are maya (another thought of hindu origin)Practice: eagerness to rapidly accumulate wealth. Lottery tickets, cheating,misuse of gurudwara funds. Jatts viciously fighting over land

36.1 SikhingTruth response regarding Maya

Maya is a common term used within all the Indian Dharmas including Hinduism,Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. It is incorrect to suggest that it is solely Hinduin nature because it is just a characteristic of truth and as Sikhism expoundstruth it is used within Sikh philosophy to describe an aspect of truth.

In Sikhism, there is absolutely no objections to accumulating wealth. Theimportant thing to remember is to do it truthfully and to always remaindetached from Maya and attached to Naam.

To suggest that Sikhs as a whole are money minded, cheating, land fightingpeople is a shocking lie! Did Jesus teach you to make up stories and spread lies?If he didnt then dont do it!

37Righteous living makes one fearless and strongTheory: righteous living to make one fearless and strongPractice: having a form of godliness, but proving its power useless


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37.1 SikhingTruth response regarding fearlessness

Ahh yes, the beauty of righteous living is that everything we do in life becomes

blessed. The godliness that arises within a Gurmukh with the power of Naam istruly amazing!

The Guru Granth Sahib says:She is the most beautiful among women; upon her forehead she wears the

Jewel of the Lord's Love. Her glory and her wisdom are magnificent; her lovefor the Infinite Lord is True. Other than her Beloved Lord, she knows no man.She enshrines love for the True Guru. ||6||(Guru Granth Sahib page 54)

Meeting with the True Guru, they receive the fruits of their destiny,and

egotism is driven out from within.The pain of evil-mindedness is eliminated;good fortune comes and shines radiantly from their foreheads. ||11||(Guru Granth Sahib page 72)

The above quotes from Gurbani refer to the halo which is depicted around theheads of all saints and prophets of all time. This same halo surrounds the headsof those Gurmukhs who become one with Naam.

An excellent example of Sikh godliness is the Seva at the Harmander Sahib(Golden Temple) which alone feeds 35,000 people per day (4,000,000 perannum). How many other communities dedicate themselves to non-judgmental

service of humanity in this way?

38Sikhism provides an egalitarian power baseTheory: egalitarian in its power basePractice: self appointed judges at the akhal takht who summon renegades totheir holy presence to answer a spiritual error

38.1 SikhingTruth response regarding egalitarian power base

There is no doubt that Sikhism was founded on an egalitarian power base. Wealso think that the current set-up with self appointed judges is anti Sikh. Thesooner this gets dissolved the better. But again once again you have simplyhighlighted an eternal truth taught by Sikhism that Christianity with its massivelevel of priestly hierarchy could never compete with!


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39Sikhism can make a useful contribution to worldpolitics

Theory: the book globalisation & khalsa & asia in the 21st century bothwritten by Dr Sawraj Singh, state that the khalsa path or principles of Sikhismcould solve the political problems of the world through mutual respectPractice: first show that this works in Punjab & in local western gurdwaras where they argue over the issue of chairs

39.1 SikhingTruth response regarding the contribution ofSikhism to world politics

The principles of Sikhism can indeed be very useful in promoting world peace.

In 2004 at the World Parliament of Religions, the biggest Interfaith event in theworld the Sikh community setup a

sikhism christianity theory and practice

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