Pictures and Statues of Gurus

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

Many Sikh homes may have a picture of Guru Nanak Dev Ji or Guru Gobing Singh Ji hanging on the walls of their homes. Some of us may accept the pictures some of us may not. We can say whoever had made the pictures must have done so with love for Guru. But, it is WRONG when Sikhs pray to the pictures of Guru and bow before the.

Now there is another trend which is going on and that is the Statues of the Gurus. I have seen statues of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji in stores and peoples home as well. Our Guru's rejected the concept of statues and now poeple are making statues of Guru's. The worst thing is that Gursikh Families are buying the statues are worshipping them. What is the difference between Hinduism and Sikhism if Sikh worship a statues and pictures as well? I have attached a picture from home of Gursikh and as you can see with pictures of Gurus there are also Idols.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/36655-pictures-and-statues-of-gurus.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655


Sikhs Guru is Guru Grant Sahib ji. I request all Sikhs to remove pictures or statues of Guru's from your homes and bow to the Guru Grant Sahib ji. The pictures or statues will not lead you to God, Gurbani will. Fill your life with Gurbani and you will not need anything else.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

 
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Pictures of Gurus have been out there since long, but what is more disturbing is that the idols of Guru Sahibans have also surfaced. I remember, a couple of years ago, there was an uproar over the 'Made in China' idols of Guru Nanak Sahib. What an irony, make the idols of those who themselves condemned idol-worship, !!!

Surely a Sikh can have a statue of a Guruji in their home? The main concern is to not worship it, right?

Having said that, I'm sure it's not easy to determine the level of "respect" to show the statue. Where does "respect" end and "worship" begin?

Safer not to have them then, too much temptation, too close to the Hindu camp.

I have a business-card sized picture of Guru Nanak in my wallet. I found it at a market in Melbourne, Australia. I just like to know it's there and to look at it sometimes, makes me think about all the good things Guru Nanak Sahib Ji represents and the legacy which followed.

No. Statues/ Idols are prohibited in Sikhism. It is very easy for people to start worshiping statues or pictures of Guru. And the reason is; our 10 Guru's led us to Sikhism and to Guru Grant Sahib Ji. Even though its declared to Sikhs "Guru Maniyo Grant", it is easy for Sikhs to start worshiping idols or pictures of 10 Gurus because we have love and respect for them in our hearts.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655
But we must follow the Hukam of our Guru's strictly and not have any idols or pictures in our homes. Many Sikhs have started bringing their own opinion into Sikhism and this is where the problem starts. When understand and learning Gurbani, it is important to do so from Guru's point of view. But we add our thinking to it and change it around.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655
Many people say that times has changed since the birth of Khalsa and its ok to let loose and make changes to Sikhi. I disagree with this. Although it may be 2011, Guru Grant Sahib Ji is the same and so is the Hukam of the Guru. What has changed is "us". We have become so engaged in our lives and this world that now we want to make a change to God and make him work according to us.

Worshipping statues and pictures might be more of a problem for Indian Sikhs since the history and culture of India (due to Hinduism) is full of idol worship.

The panth is evolving as humans evolve. We don't stay at the same level of understanding forever. That's why religions have changed over time and why we don't continue to pray to the God of the Hunt (westerners) every day for our food.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655

A great big chunk of Sikh diaspora would have no problem having a picture or made-in-china statue in their homes and not bow to it or pray to it because our understanding (from Gurbani) is that there is no use in doing that. Some Sikhs understand the concept.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655

To have a blanket ban on pictures and statues (note, I'm saying STATUES as a statue is always a statue but becomes an IDOL when it is worshipped, as is my understanding) seems stagnant to me.

I am happy to hear examples from Gurbani of where it is prohibited to even have a picture or statue of a Guru Sahib Ji and I will kick myself in the pants for my manmukh.

However, since Sikhi on the whole appears succeptible at the moment to Hindu ideas, it would be best to continue the "pictures and statues not allowed" line of thought to help those who don't know better.

There are 25 to 30 million Sikhs worldwide. Are the majority of us so brain dead that we cannot distinguish between worshiping a picture/statue, and enjoying the value of well crafted depictions from history. If the answer is Yes. Then one is saying that we are for the most part blank slates... ignorant children... ignoramuses... for whom the mere glimpse of an image is a corrupting influence. If that is the case, by all means bring on the babas and sants so they can wind up that key at the base of our spines that makes our wooden brains and bodies go They will need to tell us how to walk, talk and find our way to the hereafter.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655

If we cannot be trusted to think, then why trust us to be Sikhs?

All this preventive medicine! ... just in case some of us lapse into stupidity everyone else must have their horizons trimmed. Is this Sikhi?

I agree with you, spnadmin ji, however the posts in threads such as this one paint a mental picture of some Sikhs being "reabsorbed" into Hinduism.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655

I am so far removed from this personally and can't imagine worshipping a statue or a picture myself, but I don't want to be insensitive to the tangled history and struggle that appears to be going on in other parts of the world.

The line between 'revering' and 'worshiping' is very blurred and unclear and the common folk may not be able to distinguish it. Though, religions are for the masses, and Sikhism too is a community religion, some rules need to be in place. The pictures of Gurus are not forbidden in Sikhism as they are in Islam (one may not see a single painting of Prophet Muhammad), but idolatry and picture-worship is strictly discouraged, even by the SRM. We must keep distance from revering such pictures, although they may still have merit as pieces of art. So, at least in Gurdwaras such pictures must not be installed, instead, we can have beautiful calligraphies of Gurbani with the Punjabi or English meanings. That may be better appreciated regarding the SRM.

WHERE DO THE FOLLOWING MURALS FIT IN ?

Darbar Sahib ( 2 ):
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36655



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Guru Gobind Singh and Attendants
ca. 19th century, gold plated copper plates, Gurdwara Baba Atal: