Sikhism is not the same as Hinduism, Islam or Christianity etc

I apologize for my short-comings because I need to defend my faith
and sometimes cannot see from a neutral point of view.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/22466-sikhism-not-same-hinduism-islam-christianity.html
Good hearted namjap ji
Is it an apology for defending your faith or you feel guilty for doing nothing ? My respected and spiritual Sister feels guilty due to her big and passionate heart.I was just passing by and saying Hello to a progressed soul.
*

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

__________________

Har Bisrat Sda Khuari - Mehla 5

Regards,
G. Singh

Let SPN become a 125,000 member community

PK70 Ji,

Quote:

My respected and spiritual Sister feels....

Our respected sister, Harjas Kaur Khalsa has good intentions and she did us a favour by teaching us how to defend our faith - as earlier she was the only one doing it without any support from fellow Sikhs. Now, to educate us and transforming us from a sparrow attitude to an eagle attitude, she's playing the opposite role. She's really a teacher, learn from her heavy blows. She wants to raise our spirits high and mighty, the way it should be. She's concerned that Sikhism of the Sikhs and Sikhism of the Gurus does not connect anymore.

Sat Nam, everyone.
It is most interesting to see how discussions evolve.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
Hinduim is a broad and vast religion. It appeals to some, and not to others. The same could be said for nearly every system of relating to the Divine.
Each of us is an individual expression of the Divine.
Hopefully each of us may find what Path to the Divine works for us.
One of the things about Sikhism which I have found very appealing is that in Sikhism, no disrespect is ever intended towards any other faith.
It can be easy to get very enthusiastic about defending one's faith, and so, with that in mind, let us also be mindful to not attack other's.
However, any attempts at conversion are frowned upon in Sikhism.
Also, one must be very careful in the use of language and semantics, for if not, it can be viewed that a defense of one's faith is an attack upon another's way of faith.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
When posting, please consider your use of language most carefully.
Cool heads, warm hearts.
Wahe Guru

ਕਬੀਰ ਰਾਮ ਕਹਨ ਮਹਿ ਭੇਦੁ ਹੈ ਤਾ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਬਿਚਾਰੁ ॥
कबीर राम कहन महि भेदु है ता महि एकु बिचारु ॥
Kabīr rām kahan mėh bẖeḏ hai ṯā mėh ek bicẖār.
Kabeer, it does make a difference, how you chant the Lord's Name, 'Raam'. This is something to consider.

ਸੋਈ ਰਾਮੁ ਸਭੈ ਕਹਹਿ ਸੋਈ ਕਉਤਕਹਾਰ ॥੧੯੦॥
सोई रामु सभै कहहि सोई कउतकहार ॥१९०॥
So▫ī rām sabẖai kahėh so▫ī ka▫uṯakhār. ||190||
Everyone uses the same word for the son of Dasrath and the Wondrous Lord. ||190||

ਕਬੀਰ ਰਾਮੈ ਰਾਮ ਕਹੁ ਕਹਿਬੇ ਮਾਹਿ ਬਿਬੇਕ ॥
कबीर रामै राम कहु कहिबे माहि बिबेक ॥
Kabīr rāmai rām kaho kahibe māhi bibek.
Kabeer, use the word 'Raam', only to speak of the All-pervading Lord. You must make that distinction.

ਏਕੁ ਅਨੇਕਹਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਗਇਆ ਏਕ ਸਮਾਨਾ ਏਕ ॥੧੯੧॥
एकु अनेकहि मिलि गइआ एक समाना एक ॥१९१॥
Ėk anekėh mil ga▫i▫ā ek samānā ek. ||191||
One 'Raam' is pervading everywhere, while the other is contained only in himself. ||191||
(Ang 1374)

I am not as good on religion discussion as some of the members but from all the replies and counter replies I have read I have to say that Guru Nanak used the language that was prevalent at that time. And I don't think its logically right to invent new language to spread the word. Guru used language as bowl to serve naam. Personally i think guru used all the examples of the faiths and religions present at that time to guide sikhs towards Akal purkh. I do not know how anybody can convey their message without quoting whats happening around them.

Regarding Sikhism as separate religion. I don't know how anybody define religion...how would we define hinduism....I guess just compare what fundamental differences are.
To separate Hinduism we have to define it.......what is hinduism....? Do hindus believe in one god...? Personally I don't think so? If they do then why do they pray all those avataars and demi gods? do sikhs pray avataras and demi gods....NO
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
Harjas Kaur Khalsa mentioned guru's were avataars...thats incarnation..so do we all humans are.... according to Sikhism. But do we pray avataars....NO
Harjas ji recognized sikhs as a sect....I would like to ask when does a sect become religion....? When sect has fundamentally unique philosphy....I think sikhism have that philosophy that anybody can attain highest being....AKal purkh by naam simran....thats the biggest difference sikhism have from other religions.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466

Or its number of people or population?
or people having different cultural and ritual values..? I think we have that too.
I don't see sikhs rituals as same as hindu religion?

I don't know what Harjas ji trying to say here, are hindu religion fundamentally is different than what majority of hindu's practising?

SSA,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
There is no doubt that sikhism is totally dyfferant than other religions. Our First gurus were born in hinduism but after realising that hinduism is not the Attal Dharma they have established the independent sikh religion. But still gurus taught us to be low to earth ( in behaiviour) that they have written " ham nahi change bura nahi koi" hence we shouls respect all. But the fact will always prevail that we are not branch of any other religion.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
Roopsidhu

A fascinating debate!

I guess it would depend on what level of detail you would want to look at the different religions. In so far as there is one divine creative power and one source, there should be scope for some similarities between them, and I would respectfully suggest that is not a bad thing or insulting thing at all

Some consideration should also be given to the chronology of different religions. Sikhism benefits from being established more recently than older faiths. So it's very practical in its teachings. Older religions came about at a time when mankind had less knowledge about astronomy and aspects of nature like why it rains etc. So you have various gods and goddesses to explain different aspects of nature (although as an aside, there is an interpretation that all these demi gods are just manifestations (or like limbs) of one supreme God so ultimately still monotheistic and not polytheistic)
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466

My belief is that different teachers came at different times throughout mankind's history and tailored their teachings to suit the knowledge levels and understanding of their followers at that specific time

These surface features often obscure the spiritual jewels underneath. For example, I don't need to accept the Biblical version of the creation to appreciate other spiritual teachings within the Bible...... e.g "As ye sow so shall ye reap" is as good a summary of the laws of Karma as you will get in eastern religions

There are a number of spiritual realms on the way to Sach Khand. It is entirely feasible that followers of these different faiths can make progress within these realms

It's down to what works for you

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji works for me because it is practical and not full of ritual and ceremony.
So I'm happy!
And I am happy for others on different paths if their spiritual needs are being met on those paths!!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466

Happy Happy Happy!!

Guru Nanak followed truth only, all other paths had some degree of truth to them so the followers of hinduism, islam,sufism may find some similarities with the sikhism, recently I came across a budhist site and they beleive Guru Nanak was a Budha disciple and later on became a world reknown Guru, , so everyone is trying to establish a connection with Guru Nanak Dev jee, Guru Nanak was knower of all the paths, whenever he came across any hindu, budhist, Mohammaden, sufi on their respective spiritual path and Guru Nanak found out the hurdles on the path Guru just fixed the problem and let them continue their spiritual journey on their respective paths instead of changing their path altogather, so whatever is true is true for every religion, Guru Nanak just offered us more refined view of concept of one God, Guru Nanak solved the issue for us as islamics beleive creation is separate from creater but Guru Nanak beleived..
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466
"jeu suraj kiran raviya sarab thai, sabh ghat ghat raam ravijai"Kalyaan mahla4,p.1326
means the way sun is present every where through its rays same way God is present in every atom of this universe,sun can not get into deep crevices but God pervades everything visible invisible.So Guru Nanak refined the concept of one God and how it pervades everything.
Other faiths are also right to some degree, they also got streaks of truth to them but sikhi way is perfect, Guru nanak also rejected the useless stuff present in the faiths of that time, murtee puja in hindus, rituals of hajj/makka and fast in islam, so whatever was useless Guru Nanak openly condemned that. I beleive sikhism is more refined than any other faiths

If you look at ALL religion, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and many more, they all teach the same concepts and the same links can be made. Why? Because the truth is what it is.

There are many paths too enlightenment. Sikhism is one way. As is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and others.

Humans are naturally tribalistic and as soon as you put a lable on something, that is when the taking of sides occurs: "may religion is better because.... or that faith is defective because..." Arguments like this are simply manifestations of ego.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466

God has no form. The universal creator which we are unable to fully comprehend has no sex, no race and no religion!

Read the Bible. If you search you will see that that concepts like karma, reincarnation, eternal life, forgiveness etc are taught.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22466

Read Islam and you will find that it is no different. Mankind has unfortunately manipulated religion to suit its own ends.

Read the Hindu and Sikh texts and all the above are contained within it.

We all believe that God manifests itself in different ways. Are not the Hindu God's simply symbolic ways of describing these manifestations?