"Aadar Satkar", "Respect and Reverence" to SGGS

Today morning I briefly heard some interesting points being made by a Kathakar at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib telecast on Chardikalan Channel regarding giving of reverence and respect to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/27297-aadar-satkar-respect-and-reverence-sggs.html

The Kathakar rightly pointed out that when we show respect to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, it is the Gyan in it and not its physical form. Sikhs are mistakenly according respect to its physical form completely forgetting its contents and rightly inviting critisism of replacing one idol worship with another.

Some examples very boldly cited by him:

1. While carrying Guru swarup on our head from one place to another, the person carrying it and those accompanying are always barefoot. Being barefoot was prescribed only under limited circumstances when this was indoors or in a clean area. Wearing footware would mean carrying outside dirt. But when carrying it outdoors, it makes little sense to be barefoot since the outside dirt would stick to the feet and it would be carried along to the destination. So its always advisable to have the footware on and remove it at the destination.
2. During Nagar Kirtans also the Panj Pyaras go barefoot. Again this makes little sense on the cold streets of Canada or blistering hot streets of delhi or Amritsar. The attention of Panj pyaras would be focussed on the discomfort which is not correct.
3. When we say Guru is immortal and diseaseless it is the Gyan in it that is so. Otherwise the physical forms of our gurus were disease prone and always mortal.
4. Some devotees press and massage the Guru Palki because the Guru would be "tired"! This of coarse is ridiculous.

These are some of the thoughts I could catch during the limited time I could view it.

Food for thought especially for Sikhs in India

 
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Harbans Ji..
THANKS Jios...THIS is ALL COMMONSENSE already written down in the Panth Parvanitt Sikh Rehat Maryada of SGPC/Akla takhat first published in 1935 and accepted by the Panth...BUT NOT by the DERAWADEES, Takslaals, AKJ, Nanaksraihs..Gobindgarrhiahs..., rarewallahs...Kacheh wallehs..,Jawadii Walaas, harian welaan walahs and sukkeh kikraan wallahs, kacheh dhegeh wallahs..and Pakkeh Gharreh wallahs..Darian wallehs and tapparrann wallahs..., etc etc etc etc etc..and HENCE all those PAKHAANDS going under satikaar adar of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji etc..etc..

WHY SIKHISM..the Most ULTRA Modern and LOgically scientific religion of the Millineum FAILED to spread ?? Three reasons.
1. Just after it was BORN..it came under the "protection" of the Udasis/Nirmalas/saadhs solidly HINDUISED BRAHMINISED VEDANTICS....as SIKHS fought for their very existence under Mughal Oppression. ALL our Literature, Pothi Sahib, Gurdwaras, Akaal Takhat, harmandir Sahib..etc etc all cme under these people who slowly but surely REPLACED the GYAAN of NANAK with the BRAHMIN VERSION.
2. No sooner then the MAHANTS came along and OCCUPIED all our Gurdwaras..and began to treat them as their own properties to do as they wished...
3. When the MAHANTS were driven OUT..the Good SIKHS lasted only a few Years..2 decades..then came the SGPC GOLUCKDHAREES POLITICIANS...who saw the GOLUCK as their perosnal PARTY FUND..and since BADAL TOOK over two DECADES BACK...Sikhi is on a Roller coaster DOWNWARDS..sinking deepr and deeper into deep PIT of Bhagwakaran/RSS/Brahminwaad...MILES away from GURMATT GYAAN of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297

So from 1469-2009...GOOD SIKHS have been far and few..and thier "control" of Sikh Places/history/loiterature..etc lasted only may be 50 years in TOTAL...hardly 10% !! 90% of the time..our Religion is under the care of PANTH DOKHIS...How coudl it SPREAD ?? It is His WILL that it SURVIVED...so many HOLOCAUSTS...extermination attempts..GENOCIDE....otherwise sikhi was a GONER...:happykaur:BUT since SIKHI is HIS..it always comes out of the FIRE like the PHOENIX BIRD..again and again...and will forever...these types of FOOLS not withstanding...

Sat Sri Akal, I absolutely agree with you.Most of the Sikhs just perform these ritiuals and believe that they have done their duty as a Sikh towards the Gurus and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and go home satisfied that Waheguru would be most pleased with them. But what are our raagies and kirtan jathas doing to enlighten the Sangat and stop all this sacrilege and idol-worship.Absolutely nothing.Because their own selfish interests are best served by keeping the Sangat in ignorance , same as the Brahamins have being doing fir thousands of years.

Exactly Jasbir Kela Ji..

There should be JUST TWO types fo ragis/Kirtaniyas...
1. Born RICH/self satisfied and doing Kirtan for the plaeasure of the Sangat and NOT MONEY.
2. Born POOR..FAKKAR FAKIRS who do Kirtan merely to PLEASE the GURU/SANGAT and DONT accept any Money.

Unfortunately these two types are as RARE as Bird's MILK....the HORDES of Ragis that do kirtan ONLY FOR MONEY..are in Hundreds of thousands.....thier eyes only see "MONEY" and NOTHING ELSE. These MERCENARIES have SUNK our Berraa !! For RS 500 they will do Kirtan at a Mulsim Pirs Grave..at a Gandhi Memorial site..at a RSS function..in a Marriage Palace with shraab beign served..ina Hotel lobby where all sorts of anti maryada activites go on..etc..at the side of a busy highway like common beggars.. NO SHAME AT ALL !!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297

These types of ragis and Granthis will come to EAT Sharadhs..accept bastars, clothes, money, food on BEHALF of the DEAD !! they will give out Bad and Good Hukmanmhs form Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as per money paid..they will do paid ardasses..and say the best things like Guru Ghar da anain sewak...Chardeekalla wallah Gurmukh...about a Patit who smoked, drank liek a fish, beat his wife and children and died while drunk/fighting/road accident...etc..the MORE you PAY..the More Holy, gurmukh, good character, etc you attain..and they will sit beside sarovars to watch bibis bathing...as said in GURBANI about such Pandits/keshadharee brahmins...TRUTH is BITTER..we have to FACE IT...

Harbans ji,

Guru Fateh.

One can put what the Kathavachak said in another way. When we Matha Tek in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our ONLY GURU, it is not out of ritual but it is pledging our commitment that we will follow the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and practice them in our real lives.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297


Yes, we get into too many mechanical rituals like throwing drops of water in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji when it is being carried and other things you have mentioned in your post. Only by studying Gurbani we can get rid ourselves from these self created dogmatic rituals which have nothing to do with the Sikhi marg.


Tejwant Singh

Gurmit Kaur ji
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297

That sounds like pure bliss. I need to find out how to get my own tapes of the elderly ladies doing kirtan. How does a person find that? Is it something that could be done at Gurdwara?

Yes Narayanjot ji, elderly ladies do excellent Kitan just for the joy of it. But I have never seen them doing it in Historic gurudwaras. Rarely maybe in local Singh Sabha Gurudwaras. But it is almost never recorded on tapes.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297

These ladies also teach young children kirtan during their school vacations.

Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur also used to do excellent kirtan. She used to perform in some places before Singh became PM. Now she visits these places only as a dignitary.

harbhansj ji

What this made me wonder -- Could it be possible, would it be possible, to start a gurdwara project at home?

Every locality has a group known as "Istree Satsang" (Ladies Satsang) They do do get together maybe once a week, if possible in a local Gurudwara or at individual homes iby turns.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=27297
But in metropolitan areas in India, home space is a constraint.