Diwali Di Raat Diwey Ballian... Diwali And Sikhism ??

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH.

ON DIWALI DAY Programmes at the Gurdwara I have often heard Raagis singing this shabad from Bhai gurdass Ji di Vaar -
Diwali kee raat deeweh ballian.. Tareh jaat snaat amber bhalian...Phullan dee bagatt cun chun chalian.. Teerath jati Jaat naein nihalian... Har chaundharee jhaat vasai uchaleon..GURMUKH sukh faldaat SHABAD samalian..
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/1008-diwali-di-raat-diwey-ballian-diwali.html

The Raagis mistakenly just TAKE the FIRST LINE as a sort of Rahao....and sing it repeatedly as if this is an INJUNCTION TO CELEBRATE DIWALI by lighting Lamps... This is a MAJOR MISREPRESENTATION of the TRUE MEANINGS..

Bhai Gurdass Ji is saying: JUST like on Diwali Night people light lamps,..BUT the LIGHT of these Lamps has NO LONG LIFE ( short period),..the light is a short term DIKHAWA only,...The NIGHT SKY is full of Big and small stars....BUT ONLY till DAWN of Day... FLOWERS Bloom....but only until they are plucked by the gardners...they never keep joined to the plant for long...Pilgrims are seen going to the TEERATHS...BUT they DONT stay there...only short visits... The CASTLES formed by Clouds in the SKY are Visisble...but they dont have any substance or solid form... THROUGH the SHABAD of the GURBANI the GURMUKHS realise the "shortlived" time of this WORLD..and thus learns the value of this HUMAN BIRTH and its resultant union with Timeless WAHEGURU.

When we take the SHABAD in its ENTIREITY... we can see that the meaning of the First Line about Diwali is NOT AT ALL about lighting Diwas and Lamps to "celebrate diwali"...IT is just an ALANGKAAR - metaphor to show us how SHORTLIVED such lamps and their lighting is.

DIWALI is a Religious Festival of the Working Classes (Vaish). That is WHY the Lachmee devi - devi of WEALTH is worshipped on this day. The Mannu Laws that DIVIDED the people of India into CASTES..also gave the four castes their own special Festivals.. THe BRAHMIN has VASAKHI ( the best food laden festival as expected for himself)... The Khatree was given DUSHERRAH..the VAISH ( Working class) has diwali, and the SHUDARS were given the Dusty colour throwing free for all Holi.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1008

Sikhs have pulled and shoved diwali into a "SIKH FESTIVAL" by claiming it is in honour of Bandi chhor Diwas of Guru Hargobind. I find it hard to beleive Sikhs would FORGET the torture and horrible martyrdom of GURU ARJUN just a short while ago and start clebrating with deepmala and fireworks the return from exile of Guru Hargobind ji. There is no record of any deepmala and fireworks in a continuous period after Guru Hargobind Ji... the other FOUR GURUS NEVER even Visited Amrtisar.
Bhai mani Singh was martyred by cutting limb from limb for failing to call a meeting of sikhs on Diwali... hardly a reason for Sikhs to "celebrate" with fireworks and deepmala

It is ahistorical fact and true that vasakhi and Diwali time were the time TWO Major Congregations of SIKHS were held yearly...BUT these two congregations were certinly NOT HELD to have FIREWORKS and DEEPMALA. These two WASTEFUL economically destructive ( how much Guru Di Golak is wasted on fireworks and deeps etc cause so many fires etc) customs have absolutley NOTHING to do with Gurmatt/Sikhi/our Principles or Maryada...BUT are a COPYCAT of the Hindu population's fireworks/lamps/agni devta pooja/lachmi pooja etc

Sikhs beleive in Gamm/Khushi come from Waheguru and are His Bhaana... so if we are not sad over the shahedee of Guru arjun Ji, Guru Teg bahadur Ji, Bhai mani Singh Ji.... then we are also not happy over the release of Guru hargobind Ji. GURBANI teaches us to treat both Happiness and sadness equally.

IF we SIKHS take Diwali/Vasakhi to be great time to CONGREGATE and spread GURMATT/do Gurbani Vichaar....its FINE....BUT when this is a time to burn money on lamps/fireworks/give and take mathiayee/giftsd/drink alcohol/gambling etc THEN this is anti gurmatt. I am afraid we have lapsed into the latter.

jarnail singh

 
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We hear with our ears but we listen with our minds.
Hearing the sound of a mantra is one thing - listening to it is another !

Sikhs beleive in Gamm/Khushi come from Waheguru and are His Bhaana... so if we are not sad over the shahedee of Guru arjun Ji, Guru Teg bahadur Ji, Bhai mani Singh Ji.... then we are also not happy over the release of Guru hargobind Ji. GURBANI teaches us to treat both Happiness and sadness equally.

IF we SIKHS take Diwali/Vasakhi to be great time to CONGREGATE and spread GURMATT/do Gurbani Vichaar....its FINE....BUT when this is a time to burn money on lamps/fireworks/give and take mathiayee/giftsd/drink alcohol/gambling etc THEN this is anti gurmatt. I am afraid we have lapsed into the latter.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1008


very rightly said and I belive in the same thing as all ths history facts given by singhji were narrated to me by my father when I was a kid and since then I dont believe in diwali as asikh festival but a special day on which all the people more are open for interactions with others and the same could be used to spread gurmat among sikhs and non sikhs brothers

absolutely right!

i wud like to ask gyani jarnail singh,as to what is his action/view towards 1984 sikh massacre. guru tegh bahadar sahib has visited sri harmander sahib.

Giani Ji

Over here I slightly differ with you. Can we simply sit and accept by saying this is His bhaana when hundreds of innocents girls were raped in 1984 and thousands were burnt alive. Then what is the purpose of khandai ki pahul. We are a martial and living kaum and not dead qaum. All legal remedies fail. What will we answer to our coming generation. Don't we have right to feel sorry at our incomptency. Gurabni clealry tells us, 'jin jivandia pat nahi moaiya mandi soey - those who have no honor while alive will have an evil reputation after they die.
Best regards
Mohinder Singh Sahni

Diwali is the most polluting festival I fully agree that there should be an awareness drive against crackers and diyas.

Guru Piayare Jios,
Gurfateh .

Massacres happened twice before 1984 - Wadda Ghallooghara, Chhota Ghallughara. In these practically the Entire Sikh kaum was involved and it was a concerted effort to wipe out men, women and children. The Third ghallooghara was in Harmandar Sahib 1984 and the Fourth was in Oct/Nov 1984 all over NORTH INDIA.(South India remained aloof in this latest anti-sikh pogrom).

Guru nanak ji Sahib witnessed one of the biggest Massacres when Babars Mughals attacked the Lodhi Sultanate. What Guru Ji saw is in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Over there one of His verses..TEIN KEE DARD NA AIYAH..has been traditionally interpreted as Guru nanak Ji.."gently admonishing..remonstrating..complaining..whatever word to equate DARD...to Akal Purakh..BUT I diasgree with this traditional interpretation because to me this runs agaisnt the grain of Gurmatt..Which is HUKM RAZAEE CHALLNNA. I go with the interpretation that this Shabad is addressed to the PUNJABI PEOPLE..the Punjabi Society..the Punjabi Authorites..etc and not to the Creator. The Creator is Mitth Bollrra Ji Har sajjan Mera..Mein hambhal thakee ji..kadeh na bolleh Kaurra..my Creator is always Loving and no matter what i did He never said a hard word..bitter word...is Gurmatt speciifc quality of Akal Purakh. He would NEVER set out to "punish" a people ( among whom surely there were many many totally innocent people..children..infants..Fakirs and GURU NANAK J himself..and support a wild terrifying army of slaughterers....) THIS terrible Tragedy came upon the Punjabis because they had failed to follow the Path of righteousness...
So to me its Gurmatt that everything happens in His HUKM..and we must accept it all..happiness..sdaness..death..birth..wedding..di vorce..
In this regard I will quote a "sakhi" from Guritihass....a person wishing to learn such a "lesson" in ACCEPTING HUKM..came to Guru Arjun Ji. He was sent to the house of a person. This man arrived at the house and saw that a wedding preparation was going on. The entire hosue was decorated..and all that..all sides song and dance...halwais making sweets etc..and he found the Master of the House Guru jis Sikh, weaving a cloth known as Kaffan. Upon asking why he replied that my son will die one day after the wedding.
Then WHY not STOP the wedding..why all this festiviites..etc ? THOSE are also in HIS HUKM was the reply. True enough the wedding took palce..all were happy and all that...and on return tot he house the enxt day..the new Groom fell dead. Everyone who was happya nd singing just a moment ago..began to wail...BUT Guru Jis SIKH..quietly went in and brought out the Kaffan which he had made ready. THIS is a LESSON in HUKM. EVEN IF we "KNOW" in advance that we will die ( we do know but choose to IGNORE it) then can we ESCAPE DEATH ?? Can we escape suffering..can we escape sickness..THIS is NOT to say we just sit down and hope for the best..NO. GOD gives FOOD to each BIRD..BUT He doesnt throw it into its NEST. WE do all we can..BUT still its HIS HUKM which we MUST accept. In Sukhmani sahib Guru Ji tells us..He gave you TEN GIFTS..he takes away just ONE..and you WAIL to high heaven..O Moorakh..what can you do IF he takes away ALL TEN ??.....??????? HE is the MASTER. Period.

2. YES Guru Teg bahdur ji did visit Harmandar sahib..BUT the Pujarees ( Sodhis ) LOCKED him OUT. He sat on a place just to the RIGHT of Akal Takhat and then went away. No one celebrated His coming...with or without deepmala !!

Sahni Ji, Gurfateh.

Gurmatt doesnt say be fatalistic and accept and do nothing.
AS I said before..God provides food for each bird..but He doesnt send it by courier to its nest...the bird got to do some work also..BUT WHEN ITS DAANNA is FINISHED...no one can do anything. Daana Pannee mukk gaya. Period.
We fall sick..we go look for the best possible medical care..get oursleves admitted to the best hospitals..best surgeons...BUT WHEN the Last BREATH is taken..we ACCEPT the BHANNA. His HUKM. we can cry as loudly as we want..but His HUKM is ATALL.

The SIKHS fought bravely..in 1984....final result was in His HUKM.
The Sikhs of DELHI should have kept Swords..as ordained by Guru Ji, learnt Gatka...kept themsleves Fit..etc etc and been well prepared...BUT many would still die..its His HUKM. Guru Jis Chaar Sahibzadeh, hundreds of Sikhs..also died..and see what Guru ji writes in his Zaafrnama. Alwasy HIS ATALL HUKM PREVAILS..we do our BEST...but in the end its his will.
Best regards
jarnail singh

Giani Jarnail singh ji, Guru fateh.

I fully agree with u that sikhs should have learnt Gatka,kept swords.Question is that should have,why people scholers like u are not trying till now that gataka marshal art made neccessary in all schools or cities/villiages have centre for such arts,when guru wants,he provides food to insects even in stones.it is for our mentors or leading organisations of sikhs to chalk out the strategies to over come the difficulties that our generation is going to face.

so in order to live with honor, the only answer is saint and sipahi khandai ki pahul and once we do our duties honestly and live accordingly, the result is His will, where we shouldn't protest and accept graciouly.
Mohinder Singh Sahni