Mere Sikhi

Some years ago, I read a book called Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. In it, he endeavored to answer the question, "After all the nonessentials are deleted, what must one believe to be a Christian"? Being a Christian, he was, of course, also trying to convince his readers to join his faith. We are not concerned with that, of course.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29099-mere-sikhi.html

All this controversy about Darshan Singh has gotten me asking myself this very basic question. If we strip all the nonessentials off, what must one believe and/or do to be a Sikh?

I would start with accepting the ten Nanaks and their teachings and Shri Guru Granth Sahib Maharaj ji as our Eternal Guru. Even that leaves me asking questions. What does it mean to accept our ten human Gurus and now Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji?

At first I was going to add "living according to the Sikh Rehat Maryada," but that immediately falls short. There are other Rehat Maryadas, such as the Gurmat Rehat Maryada (Damdami Takhsal), and of course, all of these (I think) are open to revision. Certainly, I would like to see some changes to the SRM, which I use as my blueprint of the Sikh life.

What can we all agree on (if anything) that a person must accept/do in order to have the right to call her/himself a Sikh?

Can we please discuss this?

What is "Mere Sikhi"? What is our faith/religion/way of life when stripped of everything that is not essential?

 
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!

__________________
ਦਾਦਰ ਤੂ ਕਬਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਨਸਿ ਰੇ ॥
dhaadhar thoo kabehi n jaanas rae ||
You frog, you will never understand.


ਭਖਸਿ ਸਿਬਾਲੁ ਬਸਸਿ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਜਲ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨ ਲਖਸਿ ਰੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
bhakhas sibaal basas niramal jal anmrith n lakhas rae ||1|| rehaao ||
You eat the dirt, while you dwell in the immaculate waters. You know nothing of the ambrosial nectar there. ||1||Pause||

Guru Nanak Dev ji Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang 990


WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!

Dear Mai Harinder Kaur Ji,

I hope I am able to see these questions from your perspective.

I am not trying to answer but just sharing what my thoughts are.

For me religion/faith/way of life should guide individuals towards being a true human being. It is impossible for a common individual to define the living of a true human being. Being True Human being is an ongoing process which only comes through practice, practice and only practice.

Being "Mere Sikh" is not easy to achieve too, coz being "mere Sikh" is another name for being true Human being. Now most of us easily know what it takes to be a true Human Being, they also know what reflects being true human being, but problem stays when we ignore that knowledge and continue doing what we like to do according to 'Manmatt-Human Nature'.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

We all know Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is wealth of knowledge, it is "Shabad Guru", and it is in written form, and anything written has to be read. Just like a common kid cant be scholar mere by looking at a a book from far, a Common man cant be a Sikh just by "Matha Tek" in front of SSGS

Sikhi is not a Group activity, Sikhi is an individual activity, it starts from the core of the inner-self, without working on that inner-core and claiming being Sikh is also being ignorant.

Now what are the Sikh practices

1. Practicing to Help the needy
2. Practicing to Stand against injustice
3. Practicing being truly Humble
4. Practicing being logical and transparent
5. Practicing being Aware and alert
6. Practicing being True
7. Practicing being Honest
8. Practicing not to fall in "Blind Faith" rituals
8. and the list goes on and on and on....

The complete list is in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji..

In my view this is mere Sikhi......which expands as we read, understand and practice Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with our every breath of our life.....Everything else is Human Nature...

Please.. share your views too...I would like to know what you know....

Thanks

Dear Rupinder Singh ji,
fficeffice" />
Your view are one of the best, Here I thought this forum was open discussion but what I see it is not. The moderators here are standing on guard with the daggers in their hand. They are ready to lynch you. They will jump on every article whether they have the answer or not. It should be left to the public. They should write how they feel. All I see about 6 moderators taking up the argument. I say argument because they make it argument not a discussion. At the same time they call ghost when Nanak argue with the sidhs.
The discussion about bani and life of the gurus are not allowed. I wonder why? Maybe they do not want to know the truth. You wrote 8 point out of many. Do you see any Sikhs practicing of them? The main one is “blind faith” which Nanak spend all his life trying to teach us not to fall for blind faith.
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji all the gurus end the sloke by the name of Nanak. Yet in Dasam Granth non of the so called Gobind Sing’s bani end with Nanak’s name. Why did he brake away from the tradition? Gobibg Singh read the Granth’s bani he also read hi father’s bani. Yet he never used the name of Nanak, don’t that look strange? What really happened? Did Gobind wrote dasam granth? What 5 banis Gobind read at the timeof creating amrit? Were his banis were written by that time?
As far as the sidh goshat is concern, Is there any record by the sidhs that this argument had happened? Was this question n answer were written before that or was it written after the argument? It looks like Nanak wrote this when he came back after the argument. Was there any one who were writing as the questions n answers were being asked?
There are countless books and videos are made to prove that Jesus never existed. Yet we don’t see Christian attaching the authors. Try asking question about the bani be prepare to hire body guard that for sure you will be lynched.
I have heard in 50 to 70’s in the gurdwaras bhai ji talked against ram krishan and condemn the Hinduism openly. Now when people are asking the questions about the guru and bani one who asked is called traitor. When these so called guardians of Sikhism have no answer they will do any thing to defend their blind faith. This is what is going on in ffice:smarttags" />Punjab now. Some people are asking questions like why gurus had more then one wife? What really happened after Nanak’s death and why the so called gadi was kept in Amardas’s family? The minister of Punjab government and the jathedars are going after the people who are asking this question. Even here when one ask direct question no of the moderators reply.
Keep up the good work to wake up the public.
Seeker3k

seekr3k ji

Yes you are correct. The moderators are on guard. That is what they are for. There are many ways that a forum can descend into verbal chaos, and even laws can be broken. One of the reasons we exist is to enforce forum rules to keep discussions on track and interactions civilized enough so that discussions rather than insults are the words of the day.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

What you have written above is not on the subject of this thread. The topic is "Mere Sikhi" and the thread is not an opportunity for anyone to vent frustrations with moderation. We are more lenient than most Sikh forums, and more disciplined than a site like Topix.

Please return to the topic. Any further digressions will be deleted. Thank you.

"Meri Sikhi": Hmmmmmm I actually had to take time to think for a while. I call myself a Sikh but how am I a Sikh and what does Sikhi mean to me.

Every 1s views of their relationship to God and their religion varies by their knowledge. The Sikhi I follow and will always follow is the one taught by our 10 guru's and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Our Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is a living guru and within it is our Sikhi.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

No one can achieve Sikhi by calling themselves a Sikh. Each one of us have to earn it. Meri Sikhi mera jeevan aa jo assi apne gurus di teaching's nu follow karke earn karde aa.

A Sikh is supposed to learn from all the encounters which one faces in life.
The Guru gives us lessons on everything in life.
For e.g. if you were engrossed in your profession as a goldsmith, the lesson:-

ਜਤੁ ਪਾਹਾਰਾ ਧੀਰਜੁ ਸੁਨਿਆਰੁ ॥ जतु पाहारा धीरजु सुनिआरु ॥ Jaṯ pāhārā ḏẖīraj suni▫ār. Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith.

ਅਹਰਣਿ ਮਤਿ ਵੇਦੁ ਹਥੀਆਰੁ ॥ अहरणि मति वेदु हथीआरु ॥ Ahraṇ maṯ veḏ hathī▫ār. Let understanding be the anvil, and spiritual wisdom the tools.

ਭਉ ਖਲਾ ਅਗਨਿ ਤਪ ਤਾਉ ॥ भउ खला अगनि तप ताउ ॥ Bẖa▫o kẖalā agan ṯap ṯā▫o. With the Fear of God as the bellows, fan the flames of tapa, the body's inner heat.

ਭਾਂਡਾ ਭਾਉ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਤਿਤੁ ਢਾਲਿ ॥ भांडा भाउ अम्रितु तितु ढालि ॥ Bẖāʼndā bẖā▫o amriṯ ṯiṯ dẖāl. In the crucible of love, melt the Nectar of the Name,

ਘੜੀਐ ਸਬਦੁ ਸਚੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ ॥ घड़ीऐ सबदु सची टकसाल ॥ Gẖaṛī▫ai sabaḏ sacẖī taksāl. and mint the True Coin of the Shabad, the Word of God.

ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਮੁ ਤਿਨ ਕਾਰ ॥ जिन कउ नदरि करमु तिन कार ॥ Jin ka▫o naḏar karam ṯin kār. Such is the karma of those upon whom He has cast His Glance of Grace.

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਨਦਰਿ ਨਿਹਾਲ ॥੩੮॥ नानक नदरी नदरि निहाल ॥३८॥ Nānak naḏrī naḏar nihāl. ||38|| O Nanak, the Merciful Lord, by His Grace, uplifts and exalts them. ||38||

Mere Sikhi
When we love someone we call them My Love
Whatever we hold dear to us we add the word ME or Mere to it.

If you strip it down its not my sikhi at all. The person we tend to Love and call MY
is never ours to begin with. Instead we apply our own thoughts and emotions and make him or her ours.

When you strip away all the emotions and all of your implied thoughts.. it comes down to:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

Teri Sikhi, - Because the Sikh way of life was not created by us but was shown to us by the Guru.

so the real question is, how did you apply Guru's Sikhi on yourself? and how will you continue to apply it?

-WizeSikh

wisesikh ji

I love your answer. This is only part of what we are given by our Gurus. One little glimpse into the endless resources that the Great Giver gives to you and to me and to all of us. And of course there is nothing asked by Him, because He already creates everything, everything is under His Hukam, and He is the Giver of All.

Perhaps Mere Sikhi is that effort we make when seek to uncover within ourselves "What is that offering?"

ਆਖਹਿ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦੇਹਿ ਦਾਤਿ ਕਰੇ ਦਾਤਾਰੁ ॥

aakhehi mangehi dhaehi dhaehi dhaath karae dhaathaar ||

People beg and pray, ""Give to us, give to us"", and the Great Giver gives His Gifts.

ਫੇਰਿ ਕਿ ਅਗੈ ਰਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਦਿਸੈ ਦਰਬਾਰੁ ॥

faer k agai rakheeai jith dhisai dharabaar || Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

So what offering can we place before Him, by which we might see the Darbaar of His Court?

P/S by was of moderation, that the word "Mere" in the title is the English word that means the smallest, or the slightest, or the most basic. A few of us have thought "mere" was a punjabi word or that it was an alternative spelling of "miri."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29099

The title asks, What is Sikhi in its simplest and most basic sense? :happykaur: