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Old 10-Mar-2010, 07:05 AM
Tejwant Singh's Avatar Tejwant Singh Tejwant Singh is offline
 
Enrolled: Jun 30th, 2004
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Tejwant Singh is just really nice
Tejwant Singh is just really nice
   
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Re: Questions from non-Sikhis to Sikhis

Quote:
Originally Posted by Narayanjot Kaur View Post
curious seeker ji

I actually must disagree with you -- but we can do that without enmity. In Sikhism, there are many instances where the simple answer is grossly misleading.

Let me give you an example from just a quick scan of some comments on a facebook page.

A quotation from Sri Guru Granth Sahib included the word "isanaan" (pronounced isha-naan)

This literally means "a purifying bath" and in translation that is the ordinary meaning. To some this word suggests that early in the morning, every morning, a Sikh should make it a spiritual practice to take a purifying bath or shower, as a kind of religious ritual. Yet we know from the Sikh Rehat Maryada that ritual practices are not encouraged and in some cases forbidden. Another meaning of isnaan is that we should purify our minds, through simran and prayers called Nitnem. The idea being to achieve a state of inner poise so that we can face the day with equanimity.

Those are two different understandings for a single word - isanaan - and you were asking about word meanings originally.

Now someone is likely to come online and say - Narayanjot Kaur ji you are wrong. A Sikh must take a purifying bath each morning! But then the discussion that ensues will be about the layers of comprehension that are very real. Another person will say - Narayanjot Kaur ji you are wrong. The purifying bath does not come from simran and prayer but through living in the Guru's word through thought and deed.

Then one can go directly to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and find that in context ishanaan rarely refers to taking a "bath." And there is even one example where the word "simran" is used to mean purifying bath.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji :Page :SearchGurbani.com

There is no easy way out. It is possible to go to a web site that gives a very basic understanding of what a word means, and the given meaning can be seriously off -base. I think it is very important to have good educational resources, but clearly one must make the main resource the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Read it each day, struggle with its layer upon layer of meaning, communicate with others about it.
Narayanjot ji,

Guru Fateh.

Thanks for explaining the above in such a nitid manner. No one could have done it better.

Thanks & regards

Tejwant Singh
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