Are There Any Good Sikh "missionary" Colleges?

[Hardas Singh]

Are there any good Sikh "missionary" colleges? I mean colleges for training new Sikh granthis, raagis, and preachers, etc. I could only find a few, and I really have no idea which one is best.

I know three: 1) Sikh Missionary College, 2) Gurmat Gian Missionary College, and 3) Shahid Sikh Missionary College.

Are any of these colleges any good and are they open to all ages? Are there any other ones I did not mention?

 

[spnadmin]

Hardas Singh ji

Only as an FYI. There are 2 Sikh Missionary Colleges: One in Ludhiana and another in Amritsar. Each has a unique perspective. They are very different. Currently I am taking the correspondence course at the Sikh Missionary College in Ludhiana and am extremely satisfied with the materials and learning I have gained so far. However, this school has a pronounced Tat Khalsa orientation which is not to the liking of various groups of Sikhs.

 

[Hardas Singh]

Ok... It's just so confusing with all these various groups when all I want to do is follow Sikhi directly as our Guru ji wished.

How are they different?

I know this question is going to be somewhat biased depending on whose opinion is asked, but which school has the purest most unaltered understanding of Sikhi as intended by our Guru ji?

 

[spnadmin]

Ok... It's just so confusing with all these various groups when all I want to do is follow Sikhi directly as our Guru ji wished.

How are they different?

I know this question is going to be somewhat biased depending on whose opinion is asked, but which school has the purest most unaltered understanding of Sikhi as intended by our Guru ji?

I don't think the question can be answered without starting an argument. As various people make their suggestions you can ask them why they recommended as they did. That way you will get a sense of two things. Do they know what the school takes as its orientation or are they just listing some schools from their excursions on the net? Also, if they are specific enough to suggest that they have specific knowledge, then their answers will tell you what bias they have. Then it is up to you to weigh the pro's and con's.

P/S It would be interesting to put a poll on this thread listing schools. And with the option "None of the above" and a request for comments in the thread if "None of the above" is selected. Let me know. I can help you with it.

 

[dalbirk]

Hardas Singh ji ,
I'm quite a fan of Sikh Missionary College , Ludhiana as everybody here knows . But I may also assure each & everybody that Sikh Missionary College's ideology is as close to Sikhi as can be , may be exactly the way our Gurus wanted it to be . I am not sure why Narayanjot Kaur ji felt they are into TAT KHALSA mould , they are perhaps the only one who are not affiliated to any of the so called groups in whole of Sikh institutions ( in whole world )in addition to SPN I may dare to say it like this from my experience of last 3years & few months . I like you to go through their literature if you wish . That will be a life changing experience for you I may assure you . If you desire for some literature kindly PM your address to me I'll do the needful . I'm based in Ludhiana quite close to SMC's head office . If u require any help regarding admission to Granthi , Kathavachak , Pracharak , Raagi ( Raaga based Kirtan )courses available with free lodging in their regular colleges in India I can arrange for that also .

 

[spnadmin]

dalbirk ji

If I have offended you in any way , please accept my apologies. I use the word Tat Khalsa to mean unadulerated, pure and simple, Sikhism -- with no "affiliations." If that is the wrong word please advise me.

And to repeat I am very happy with my experience so far with SRM Ludhiana. So definitely I would encourage any and all to explore that school.

 

[dalbirk]

Narayanjot Ji , I felt that the use of word TAT KHALSA made the wrong impact though the word in itself is very apt ( correct ) & made the whole discussion go awry . The word was taken literally IMHO as something RADICAL or NARROW/HARDLINE IDEOLOGY which is not the case by any means .

 

[spnadmin]

dalbirk ji

Thank you for your correction and explanation. I am still struggling with the problem of labels. It is true that the discussion can go awry when a narrow meaning is set to any labeling of Sikhi. Part of my problem comes from the experience of this forum and others where the claim "true Sikhism" is given to this and that affiliation (and we need not explore examples as there are so many). The best strategy may be to return to the source each time, Guru Nanak's own words, to describe what is pooran about a point of view. Anyway -- after completing the first quarter at Sikh Missionary College Ludhiana, there have been so many eye-openers, all grounded in the words of our Guru Nanak. So many eye-opening experiences.

Hardas ji - dalbirk is the person who made it possible for me to finally connect with SMC Ludhiana. I am eternally grateful for his kindness in helping me. Do give his offer some thought.