Hollow Rituals Are Useless
Service to people is service to God.
Hollow rituals are valued not.
Guru Nanak Dev ji, while on his eastward journey, reached Hardwar. Hardwar is on the banks of the river Ganges, and is one of the major centers for Hindu pilgrimage. People gathered there in large numbers to bathe in the holy river. Guru Nanak Dev ji observed many people throwing water towards the sun in the east. Satguru had already heard about this meaningless ritual therefore, thought it the right place and the proper time to give correct guidance that those kinds of mindless hollow rituals have no value.
Guru Nanak Dev ji entered the river for purposes of bathing as other common pilgrims were doing. Instead of throwing water to the east, Satguru, however, started throwing water in the opposite direction towards the west. Taking Satguru as a naive visitor, the nearby Hindu bathers told him that he was not performing the rituals correctly. They advised him to throw water to the east. Guru Nanak Dev di continued throwing water towards the west, pretending that Satguru was very much absorbed in the 'holy' act and had not heard anything. Soon, many people gathered there to tell him that the proper method of performing the ritual was to throw water in the other direction. Satguru water thrown to the west was of no use to him or to his dead ancestors.
Seeing a lot of people gathered around, Guru Nanak Dev ji stopped throwing water, looked towards them, and asked, "What is the matter? What is wrong with my throwing water?"
Many people spoke in one voice. "The water is to be thrown towards the rising sun so that it reaches your dead ancestors." Guru Nanak Dev ji replied that the crops in his village were dying of drought. The village was towards the west. He wanted to irrigate those crops. After hearing this reply, the people started laughing. One of them questioned Guru Nanak Dev ji as to how the water thrown by Satguru could reach hundreds of miles away.
Guru Nanak Dev ji asked, "If the water thrown by me cannot reach a few hundred miles away on this very earth, how can water thrown by you to your dead ancestors reach them in heaven?" The people became silent and started thinking over the reply given by Satguru. They had no logical argument to challenge his statement.
Guru Nanak Dev ji came out of the river and the crowd followed him. Satguru calmly told them the truth, explained that hollow rituals do not have any religious value. We should love, respect and take care of others while they are alive. After people die, they do not need anything from us and neither can we send them anything after they have left this world.
Help your friends and family when they are alive. Hollow, mindless rituals after their death have no value to them at all.
Source: Hollow Rituals Are Useless | Sikhism - Sikh Religion
Service to people is service to God.
Hollow rituals are valued not.
Guru Nanak Dev ji, while on his eastward journey, reached Hardwar. Hardwar is on the banks of the river Ganges, and is one of the major centers for Hindu pilgrimage. People gathered there in large numbers to bathe in the holy river. Guru Nanak Dev ji observed many people throwing water towards the sun in the east. Satguru had already heard about this meaningless ritual therefore, thought it the right place and the proper time to give correct guidance that those kinds of mindless hollow rituals have no value.
Guru Nanak Dev ji entered the river for purposes of bathing as other common pilgrims were doing. Instead of throwing water to the east, Satguru, however, started throwing water in the opposite direction towards the west. Taking Satguru as a naive visitor, the nearby Hindu bathers told him that he was not performing the rituals correctly. They advised him to throw water to the east. Guru Nanak Dev di continued throwing water towards the west, pretending that Satguru was very much absorbed in the 'holy' act and had not heard anything. Soon, many people gathered there to tell him that the proper method of performing the ritual was to throw water in the other direction. Satguru water thrown to the west was of no use to him or to his dead ancestors.
Seeing a lot of people gathered around, Guru Nanak Dev ji stopped throwing water, looked towards them, and asked, "What is the matter? What is wrong with my throwing water?"
Many people spoke in one voice. "The water is to be thrown towards the rising sun so that it reaches your dead ancestors." Guru Nanak Dev ji replied that the crops in his village were dying of drought. The village was towards the west. He wanted to irrigate those crops. After hearing this reply, the people started laughing. One of them questioned Guru Nanak Dev ji as to how the water thrown by Satguru could reach hundreds of miles away.
Guru Nanak Dev ji asked, "If the water thrown by me cannot reach a few hundred miles away on this very earth, how can water thrown by you to your dead ancestors reach them in heaven?" The people became silent and started thinking over the reply given by Satguru. They had no logical argument to challenge his statement.
Guru Nanak Dev ji came out of the river and the crowd followed him. Satguru calmly told them the truth, explained that hollow rituals do not have any religious value. We should love, respect and take care of others while they are alive. After people die, they do not need anything from us and neither can we send them anything after they have left this world.
Help your friends and family when they are alive. Hollow, mindless rituals after their death have no value to them at all.
Source: Hollow Rituals Are Useless | Sikhism - Sikh Religion