Rituals in Sikhism

Is Sikh religion free of rituals ? We call hindus to be ritualistic but are we really out of them ? If not than what is so bad in hindu rituals?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/16768-rituals-in-sikhism.html

- Why do we do Rumaala sahib daan, there are lakhs of people who do that, does Guru really need that many poshaks. What is the significance or is it just a ritual ?
- People take sip of water where people bathe at harminder sahib, amritsar. They think it is amrit, is it really? or just a ritual?
- Why do certain paaths done at certain time of the day e.g. japuji in the morning and rehraas sahib in the evening? Why not otherwise ?
- Why do we do krah prasad di deg by donating money and not directly donate the money? What is the significance? You anyway get the deg
- Why do we do ardaas by standing up ? Why can't we do it while sitting down ? It is sometimes pretty painful to stand for that long, isn't it ?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16768
- Why do we get akhand paath done from bhaiji at house ? Is doing normal paath for full day and sleeping at night not good enough (if at all we feel like doing it) ?

There are so many more things to add, but the question is are we then really non ritualistic ? And then are rituals really that bad ?

 
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One can eat all the deg one wants but still face life the same way everyday. Work pressure, household discontentment and responsibilities as parents get the most out of us with little to be satisfied about. It is almost like we drag ourselves around this ritual hoping that it will stop someday. LOL

Unfortunately over time all religion get plagued by rituals.

I will give an example of how rituals come about......the Chauri was waved of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jiji to keep flies off it because the flies would sit in mess and dirt and then sit on the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jiji and make the pages dirty and unreadable.

In the UK we still do the Chauri.....yet there are no flies (or not as many as rural India)............it becomes a ritual.

Begum ji,
Totally lost ! probably cos I am not a parent.

The question that I have is, if they are really rituals then why don't we stop doing it? Or are they not mere rituals but have significance, which Hindu rituals don't have?

No

Infact no organised philosophy can claim to be free of Ritual

Ritual is just part of life and has relatice existance and defination .A thing Ritual to somebody is not so for the other it just depend upon level of understanding of the person

As one progress in life and spirtual path old rituals change to take new ones and by grace of Akal at the end one can be free of it alltogether .


As I understand Ritual is something irrational /unexplanable in light of rationality or scientific mind

So definately it varies based on the level of understanding of individual

So in simple terms I personally dont opppose rituals whether Hindu or Skh unless they tend to be used as tool to exploit others ( as has been case with Hindu religion )

Ritual id quite equivalent to Ignorance and it cant be Opposed but can be dispelled with light of knowledge and this what Sikh should try to do



Thanks

JAtinder Singh

That is quite Bold statement
One should ask Hindu before declaring so . I have experience asking them , well they have answer to some but not to all .But they agree that Rituals have been exploited by Priestly class of hindu to control people for their own benifit But mind you this can happen in Any religipn .

Jatinder Singh

This is what I want to say excellent !

May besomebody non Parentor somebody who does not believ in family life all the stuff the parents are doing might appear to be ritual but still its not ritual for all and has meaning to it

Its the our attachment to things that we do make it ritual and only Grace of God can free us from ritual till then no matter how much we try we will have to live with one ritual or the other


Jatinder Singh

Quote: Its the our attachment to things that we do make it ritual and only Grace of God can free us from ritual till then no matter how much we try we will have to live with one ritual or the other.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16768

Well said Khalsa ji !!

Falling in love is a ritual, for example.......??!
(do I need to give examples?)

OK here is one,

I saw on Animal Planet many male birds decorated their nest with the most colorful design to win the attention of the choosy female bird. Isn't that a ritual ?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16768
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=16768


Second example,
kee-o singaar milan kay taa-ee

more later.