Dear all,
I am new to Sikhism.
In order to learn and understand Sikhism, would I have to first understand the prevalent religious beliefs of Hinduism and Islam in India at the time of Guru Nanak before I continue learning Sikhism.
Please kindly advise me.
Dear all,
I am new to Sikhism.
In order to learn and understand Sikhism, would I have to first understand the prevalent religious beliefs of Hinduism and Islam in India at the time of Guru Nanak before I continue learning Sikhism.
Please kindly advise me.
Dear all,
I am new to Sikhism.
In order to learn and understand Sikhism, would I have to first understand the prevalent religious beliefs of Hinduism and Islam in India at the time of Guru Nanak before I continue learning Sikhism.
Please kindly advise me.
Thank you all for your kind replies.
I only have a brief understanding of Hinduism & Islam and will try to pick up as much as I go along.
I am inquiring because I am looking for a spiritual path to follow.
I have read the books, The Wisdom of Sikhism and Knowing Guru Nanak.
I agreed with the beliefs of Sikhism and would like to find out more about Sikhism.
Welcome. You will learn and discover for yourself. My best advice is to begin by reading the "Japji Sahib", which is the first teaching from Guru Nanak Sahib. It contains 38 pauri's (stanza's) and a Salok at the ending. It gives the message of Sikhi in a nutshell. Sikhs read the Japji every morning upon arising. It contains beautiful gems of spiritual wisdom.
You can find multiple sources, I have copied three below which you can access online. They contain English translations. It is worthwhile to reference different sources for the English translations because the translations can never be 100% accurate.
PAGE 1 - Gurmukhi to English Translation and Phonetic Transliteration of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
Sri Granth: Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji -: Ang : 1 -:ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ :- SearchGurbani.com
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Japji Sahib sounds like the logical place to start, but perhaps it's actually more or a compass along the way, something that blossoms over time with understanding. For a seeker in the very beginning, it's cryptic poetry is more like a flower bud.
Sure, read Japji Sahib, it's good to tick that box. But don't stop there. Keep reading, page after page of Gurbani. The more pages you read, the more things become clear. And next time you come back to reading Japji Sahib, little things it says will start to fall into place.
Please note that I stated "begin by reading Japji Sahib". I never advised to only read Japji Sahib and to stop there.
Quite disheartening that you view reading Japji Sahib as just another "checkbox to tick". Or that you misunderstand what I wrote so blatantly as to make such a statement.
[AoG]