Re: Has Sikhism Ended in Mohali????
Is Sikhism extinct or headed for exctinction , firmly no.
Are less Sikhs wearing turban and keeping hair, then yes.
Who do I blame....I blame Sant Mat groups and Vaisnavite (eg AKJ, GNSSJ etc) groups who have tried to mould Sikhi into a very very strict mould with no flexibilty and rooom for diversity.
Randip ji,
Here is how confusing the question of the thread (it is asked in many different ways) is for people like me, converts, and for young people who are born into Sikhism.
Imaginary sequence of YouTube discussions about Sikhism.
Video 1 - Sikhism is defined as a universal religion. Sikhs believe in one god and Sri Guru Granth Sahib is their sacred scripture. They have no Gurus after Guruji. A Sikh is a learner for whom simran, dhyanna of the Guru, and seva to the Guru and humanity are essential. In Sikhism there is no acceptance of discrimination based on race, caste, or gender.
Video 2 - Sikhs are defined. You are not truly a Sikh if you do not keep kesh, tie dastar, etc.
Video 3 - At the gurdwara of aad0002. About 50 percent of the sangat keep kesh and tie dastar. The man who operates the langar does not keep kesh. The young men who serve at langar -- maybe half of them keep kesh and tie dastar, and the others do not. The service is in Punjabi, but all the prayers and kirtan are projected in Gurmukhi and English. Nobody seems to care if some of the women polish their toe nails. Whenever the secretary announces he needs volunteers for a parade or a special event, a large group shows up after the service for the organization meeting.
Video 4 - At the gurdwara of an Internet friend of aad0002 in another country (not to be mentioned to protect the privacy of the friend). The friend does not keep kesh but devotes many hours a week to gurdwara seva. Somteimes, amridthari women take every opportunity to point out that the friend is not amridthari. When the young children also point this out publicly, their mothers do not chide the children for rudeness.
Video 5 - A gurdwara in another part of the US is taken over by a fanatical wing of Sikhism. The gurdwara used to be very inclusive and the sangat non-judgemental just like the gurdwara of aad0002. The sangat is torn apart and there are lawsuits. aad0002 hopes and prays this does not happen at her gurdwara.
Conclusion: Sikhism cannot die out. But converts and young people alike are extremely confused. Who is a Sikh? What is Sikhism? What happened to the message of Guru Nanak Dev ji?
