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Opinion Suggestions to learn about Sikh, Sikhi Sikhism

Simranjit

Writer
SPNer
Oct 13, 2017
85
45
49
Barcelona
Hi,

at the moment I'm studying gurmukhi while reading the SGGSJ in English, page by page. A tiny bit almost every day. With time I would like to learn Panjabi and to be able to read the SGGSJ in the original text. I hope I have the time and energies to learn it.

I'm also trying to get an understanding of the SGGS (estructure, interpretations of the meaning...) and Sikhi from articles and videos. I have no punjabi or sikh background. I'm from Spain and although I'm a bit in touch with indian sikhs living in Barcelona, and I even got friends with one of them, for now I don't know anyone that has personally studied the SGGS in depth enough to help me with this. Provably someone at the local gurudwara might help me, but I'm a bit shy to ask.

I see that there are tons of info (articles, videos etc) about sikhi available in the internet, but I have the feeling that many of them can be misleading and I fear losing the track choosing the wrong references. I understand that all the info I need is in the SGGS itself. But for now, I cannot access it but in English, which, I'm afraid that can be misleading too. (I'm reading it anyway, hoping I can grasp some of the true menaing anyway).

I would be very grateful if some of you could give me good references for articles, videos or books.

I found a video here from Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon explaining the Japji Bani. I have watched some of it and it seems to me a good source. Would you agree? Would you recommend me his videos and writings?
I'm learning Gurmukhi from the "Basics of Sikhi" videos. They are very well structured and nicely explained. They have many videos about Sikhi and although they are nice to watch I think that they are provably not the kind of approach I'm looking for. What do you think?


Love,

Simranijt
 

Logical Sikh

Writer
SPNer
Sep 22, 2018
277
66
26
My Opinions,

About Dr. Karninder Singh's Videos - I think he is one of the very few English speakers who talks about the real undiluted sikhi. i also watch Dr.Saab's Videos and they are very informative. So yes, i guess anyone here would very much recommend watching his videos.

About Basics Of Sikhi, I think the Only Reason Basics of Sikhi Got its Fame at the first place was because of Jagraj Singh ( Founder of the Channel ). He was a guy well worth listening to. He was Oxford Graduate and really did use his Mind while Reading Gurbani and explaining it. Rest of the Speakers on the Channels are Ehhhh. I UnSubscribed to the Channel After the Demise Of Jagraj Singh because Now that channel has become just like any other Channel.
And the Gurmukhi learning course is also explained and instructed by Jagraj Singh so that course is Good.

About Online Articles And other queries, I think This Place (SPN) is the Best thing Closest to sikh Forums that you can find on the internet. I've been into many other Forums But they're not really worth it. If you have any queries regarding any Concepts You can always use the SEARCH BAR on the Top Right of this Forum. I've tried and i've seen that This forum has answered all my queries i ever had by some Well Enlightened People who were Active on this Forum A While ago.
Just always use the Search Bar, Cuz there are Many Treasures there in the older Threads of this Forum.
Happy Journey.
 
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Simranjit

Writer
SPNer
Oct 13, 2017
85
45
49
Barcelona
Thanks so, so much for the info and the advice!

For now I watched Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon's video about the Japji Bani. I found it most interesting and I will watch more of his videos for sure. Although sadly I'm missing a lot because I lack lots of the background knowledge needed to fully understand the video and also he, at times, speaks in another language which is not English (Panjabi?). I also had a quite hard time with his accent (I'm not an English native speaker...) but I guess I will get used to it as I watch more videos.

I'm very curious about quite a few things. He talks about translations of the Japji Bani into Panjabi. I know that some of the SGGS is written in other languages than Panjabi, but the Japji Bani is written in Panjabi, right? So, why would anyone translate it into...Panjabi? Maybe to a more modern form of Panjabi? Maybe into a "interpreted" version to "help to understand the underlying meaning "? Aren't sikhs meant to read the SGGS in the original form and to understand it by themselves?
Are most modern Panjabi native speakers able to understand the SGGS as originally written? And, do most of them actually read it? Most catholics in Europe never read the Bible, so I'm wondering if it is the same with Sikhs and the SGGS...Lots of questions... sorry :)

My questions come from a genuine desire to learn, form a huge lack of knowledge and provably, even worst, from a misunderstanding of many things I though I already learnt. If any of you think I'm misunderstanding anything, please, correct me.



Thanks a lot!
 

Logical Sikh

Writer
SPNer
Sep 22, 2018
277
66
26
Punjabi itself also evolved with time like any other language. There are a lot of differences between the 16th century Punjabi and the present-day version. Punjabi also has different dialects such as, Majhi, Malwi, Potohari, Doabi, Jhangvi, Multani (Different regions in or near Punjab)

- So yes, SGGS ji is written in Panjabi but modern Day punjabi has evolved ALOT.

- No Most Sikhs, even in panjab, do not read.( Understand) SGGS just like Christians in Europe.

- They Only read it as a Ritual and not for rhe purpose of understanding or implementing its teachings.

Do Every Sikh understand Gurbani by just reading it ?

From my experience, YES , most Sikhs DOES have an idea about what is written in the verse, or what topic is the particular Verse about.

But I do have an opinion that SGGS ji is more like Shakespeare's Poetry, While everybody know the translation of Shakespeare's poems, But not everybody knows what he is trying to say.

So thats is why People like Dr. karminder singh are trying to translate it to modern day punjabi.

Hope that answers your questions :)
 

Logical Sikh

Writer
SPNer
Sep 22, 2018
277
66
26
Yes, you did. Thanks a lot :)

Regarding the dialects, are they interinteligible? If I'm to learn Panjabi, what dialect would you recommend?
Are they Interintelligible ?

Yes, there is not much difference.
I think for learning Gurmukhi/Punjabi, Basics of sikhi's playlist is a way to go....
I haven't seen any videos from the playlist but i've seen people commenting on their other videos about how that Gurmukhi Learning course helped them in understanding bani from its original Form.....
 

Sikhilove1

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2019
153
49
Hi,

at the moment I'm studying gurmukhi while reading the SGGSJ in English, page by page. A tiny bit almost every day. With time I would like to learn Panjabi and to be able to read the SGGSJ in the original text. I hope I have the time and energies to learn it.

I'm also trying to get an understanding of the SGGS (estructure, interpretations of the meaning...) and Sikhi from articles and videos. I have no punjabi or sikh background. I'm from Spain and although I'm a bit in touch with indian sikhs living in Barcelona, and I even got friends with one of them, for now I don't know anyone that has personally studied the SGGS in depth enough to help me with this. Provably someone at the local gurudwara might help me, but I'm a bit shy to ask.

I see that there are tons of info (articles, videos etc) about sikhi available in the internet, but I have the feeling that many of them can be misleading and I fear losing the track choosing the wrong references. I understand that all the info I need is in the SGGS itself. But for now, I cannot access it but in English, which, I'm afraid that can be misleading too. (I'm reading it anyway, hoping I can grasp some of the true menaing anyway).

I would be very grateful if some of you could give me good references for articles, videos or books.

I found a video here from Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon explaining the Japji Bani. I have watched some of it and it seems to me a good source. Would you agree? Would you recommend me his videos and writings?
I'm learning Gurmukhi from the "Basics of Sikhi" videos. They are very well structured and nicely explained. They have many videos about Sikhi and although they are nice to watch I think that they are provably not the kind of approach I'm looking for. What do you think?


Love,

Simranijt

You can read Guru Granth Sahib Ji online.. it has English translations which are good.

Start off with a few pages and apply what you learn there to your life, in practice.

Practice fearlessness, becoming all loving, seeing everyone, everything everywhere as Him, as Truth.

You will begin to see the Truth about the world around you, learn to live without the 5 vices of lust anger greed attachment, ego etc, don’t be lazy and be a good soul. Do good for your self, have no enmity for others, and believe and trust in Truth, it is who you really are.
 

sukhsingh

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2012
748
218
48
UK
Hi,

at the moment I'm studying gurmukhi while reading the SGGSJ in English, page by page. A tiny bit almost every day. With time I would like to learn Panjabi and to be able to read the SGGSJ in the original text. I hope I have the time and energies to learn it.

I'm also trying to get an understanding of the SGGS (estructure, interpretations of the meaning...) and Sikhi from articles and videos. I have no punjabi or sikh background. I'm from Spain and although I'm a bit in touch with indian sikhs living in Barcelona, and I even got friends with one of them, for now I don't know anyone that has personally studied the SGGS in depth enough to help me with this. Provably someone at the local gurudwara might help me, but I'm a bit shy to ask.

I see that there are tons of info (articles, videos etc) about sikhi available in the internet, but I have the feeling that many of them can be misleading and I fear losing the track choosing the wrong references. I understand that all the info I need is in the SGGS itself. But for now, I cannot access it but in English, which, I'm afraid that can be misleading too. (I'm reading it anyway, hoping I can grasp some of the true menaing anyway).

I would be very grateful if some of you could give me good references for articles, videos or books.

I found a video here from Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon explaining the Japji Bani. I have watched some of it and it seems to me a good source. Would you agree? Would you recommend me his videos and writings?
I'm learning Gurmukhi from the "Basics of Sikhi" videos. They are very well structured and nicely explained. They have many videos about Sikhi and although they are nice to watch I think that they are provably not the kind of approach I'm looking for. What do you think?


Love,

Simranijt
Personality I would say don't take any one resource as a single reference or definitive guide . Gurbani has layers and layers of meaning. It is a ocean of knowledge.

I personally have a problem with the absolutism of basics of Sikhi,

Whenever you see people putting sikhi in a box you should employ critical thinking

If you find a contradiction, quest some more
 

Sikhilove1

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2019
153
49
Personality I would say don't take any one resource as a single reference or definitive guide . Gurbani has layers and layers of meaning. It is a ocean of knowledge.

I personally have a problem with the absolutism of basics of Sikhi,

Whenever you see people putting sikhi in a box you should employ critical thinking

If you find a contradiction, quest some more

The Truth existed and was practiced before the Gurus times. Of course there’s more than one source of knowledge, let alone the knowledge that we have in our own hearts.

We Are the Truth and the answers all lie within us. We just need to become/ realise it.

The quote that we are more powerful than we realise is really an understatement.

Other sources can without a doubt be found.
 
Last edited:

sukhsingh

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2012
748
218
48
UK
The Truth existed and was practiced before the Gurus times. Of course there’s more than one source of knowledge, let alone the knowledge that we have in our own hearts.

We Are the Truth and the answers all lie within us. We just need to become/ realise it.

The quote that we are more powerful than we realise is really an understatement.

Other sources can without a doubt be found.
Do you know that or believe it?
 

sukhsingh

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2012
748
218
48
UK
The Truth existed and was practiced before the Gurus times. Of course there’s more than one source of knowledge, let alone the knowledge that we have in our own hearts.

We Are the Truth and the answers all lie within us. We just need to become/ realise it.

The quote that we are more powerful than we realise is really an understatement.

Other sources can without a doubt be found.
Honest question
 

Sikhilove1

Writer
SPNer
Aug 13, 2019
153
49
Do you know that or believe it?

Know it. I am by all means not a saint, but I have experienced this countless times in life. Look within. That’s why Nanak tells us to look within.

And also without. In reality there’s nothing out there, everyone you see everything u see is a Bahana, a false image. Maya is a great teacher though and we’re here to learn, even masters can learn here on earth. So we accept life and live it, learning on the way. Truthful living.
 

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