What Is The Goal Of Sikhi?

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Is the purpose of Sikhism to inculcate divinity or is the aim merely to become proficient in the doctrine of Sikhism?
Personally I would exchange alot of religious study, for a brief realization of the Infinite. The aim of Sikhism after all is to purify the mind and enlighten one self.
Obtaining religious knowledge and adherence to religious conventions are becoming our preoccupation with hardly any time left to feel the presence of God.
Sikhism has become mostly liturgy with little or no introspection employed .Hardly any of us can look beyond the world of forms.
Sikhism does not exist in isolation; we are the interpreters of our faith. Sikhism is foremost an enterprise for the soul, religion should be like one would a form of art for the self and we should eventually put on the exhibition of truth.
Imagine someone living far from civilization, who was never introduced to any faith, would his enlightenment be possible without the word.
Sometimes the devil is in the detail, what is essential to faith is belief, the exact system matters less than the nature of the approach one adopts.
Maybe we should begin like Sikhism begins with a belief in One God ,Truth and the practice of kindness ,the pure love .
What is the end goal maybe to create universality of the self out of the individuality of being.

 

[Ambarsaria]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Is the purpose of Sikhism to inculcate divinity or is the aim merely to become proficient in the doctrine of Sikhism?
<font size="3">Personally I would exchange a lifetime of religious study, for a brief realization of the Infinite. The aim of Sikhism after all is to purify the mind and enlighten one self.<!--?"urn:

Obtaining religious knowledge and adherence to religious conventions are becoming our preoccupation with hardly any time left to feel the presence of God.
Sikhism has become mostly liturgy with little or no introspection employed .Hardly any of us can look beyond the world of forms.
Sikhism does not exist in isolation; we are the interpreters of our faith. Sikhism is an enterprise for the soul.
We should engage in Sikhism like one would a form of art for the self and we should eventually put on the exhibition of truth.
Imagine someone living far from civilization, who was never introduced to any faith, would his enlightenment be prejudiced by circumstance or is there still hope for him.
Sometimes the devil is in the detail, what is essential to faith is belief, the exact system matters less than the nature of the approach one adopts.
I don’t know where by Lord begins but Sikhism begins with belief and is sustained by kindness, the purest love.
What is the goal, the end, the purpose? To create universality out of individuality.

Sinner Singh ji it is very simple and straightforward and very personal and a self achievement goal and effort where Sangat may or may not help. The Babey(s)/Sant(s), other mis-guiders may only make it a goal un-achieveable through short-cuts, tickets to salvation and mantir/shantar (shame on them). Here below what I discern,

• Understand the one Creator
  • Gurbani Guides
• Understand creation
  • Gurbani Guides
• Live in consonance of the understanding of creator and creation that you developed through above two

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Dear Ambarsaria

A quote I like, shared with you ,not very relevant to lifes big questions but it makes me laughlol

"Thou hast committed—Fornication: but that was in another country,
And besides,the wench is dead."

The Jew of Malta.

 

[prakash.s.bagga]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

The goal of Sikhi is well defined in SGGS as

"SIKHI SIKHIAA GUR VICHARi" ..........Quote from Asaa Di Var

Prakash.S.Bagga

 

[Annie]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

On the one hand, the beliefs and rules are part of what makes Sikhi, Sikhi. Change enough of the details and at some point it becomes a nameless sort of spirituality or mysticism, or another religion entirely.

But on the other hand, correct me if I'm wrong, the Gurus warned us to stay away from superstition and meaningless ritual.

What I have to ask myself is, can one person's superstition and meaningless ritual be someone else's very important part of their faith... and both are equally Sikhs, but with a different approach?

 

[Harry Haller]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

I do not think the goal of sikhi is world domination, I think sikhi is an entirely personal relationship between the mind, body, spirit, and creator. Once these have all merged I would imagine you would find yourself complete, that I think is the goal of sikhi

 

[Harry Haller]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

"What I have to ask myself is, can one person's superstition and meaningless ritual be someone else's very important part of their faith... and both are equally Sikhs, but with a different approach?"

interesting point, I would have to say that the moment a part of your relationship with the creator becomes meaningless ritual and superstitious, then you are not moving forward, you are trapped in a cycle of meaningless ritual which must be broken to enable you to move forward, we must all move forward and not bogged down with untruths and habit

 

[prakash.s.bagga]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Right from the very beginng we are trained under rituals and then we find difficult to accept the message of our GuRU.
Sikhi definitely is far away from superstitions and meaningless rituals.How to be free from this is the grace of GuR only.
Therfore we are always required to deliberate the TRUE WORD GuRU only.

Prakash.S.Bagga

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

I believe the Guru wnats us to rise above Religion ,like Baba Nanak intended and did not say which was better Hindu or Muslim .He did not call it Sikhism, we did that much later.I don't know if he even gave it a name!
Religion should be like Bruce Lee's Kung Fu a style without a style/name.

 

[Annie]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Religion should be like Bruce Lee's Kung Fu a style without a style.

Haha, that's so awesome! I love it!

As we were saying yesterday (in those posts that somehow vanished), some people don't have the level of understanding yet to see it that way. Those are the people who bicker over the small details. While they probably mean well, they might be misinterpreting and twisting the words of the Gurus.

It occurs to me, though, how can we really know what truth is? It must come from the Gurus' teachings, but not everyone gets the same thing out of reading them. Maybe truth is subjective and changes from one person to the next.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

The server messed up or didn't like my first draft so I had another go at putting some feelings into words ,not as easy as it looks!I don't really like to argue details ,as I believe all true faiths have truth in common ,along with a plethora of religious conventions.:happysingh:

 

[Annie]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Yes, I think all major faiths have a similar basis. They have their good points and also things I don't agree with. Each one though has something special to offer. The Sikh Gurus, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and others may have each perceived a little bit of the divine that the others did not. That's why I try to learn about them all.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Dear Annie

All true faiths have truth in common and those Giants of Religion you mentioned did not just perceive divinity ,they were divine!

 

[prakash.s.bagga]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

The Truth is only and only one as should be clear from the very start of Baani JAPu in SGGS
"AADi SACHu JUGAADi SACHu HAE BHI SACHu NANAK HOSEE BHi SACHu"

The problem is wth our own way of understanding of GuRUs teachings . Our approach is not one and common in understanding of Gurbaani messages.That is why we always feel confused in realising the TRUTH as revealed in Gurbaani.
The TRUTH is always ONE only and that ONE TRUTH is being indicated as SABADu in Gurbaani.We should try to understand this SABAdu of Gurbaani to get to know tHE ONE TRUTH.

Prakash.S.Bagga

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

This member put it really well on a old thread ,
(hope it is allowed to copy and paste it)

Guru Nanak's sentiments never actually promoted religion, nor did he promote any other form of institutionalised belief system. Rather, he spent most of his time pointing out the common goods in existing religions, and condemning what he perceived to be their individual deficits.


I don't think that Sikkhism is a 'religion', though I believe that Khalsaism is.

The reason for this is very simple: the Guru Granth Sahib promotes equality, secularism, non-discrminatory, non-divisional views on living with a God who is featureless, formless and timeless. It rejects the notion of rituals and routines, and it discards the importance of wearing particular clothes over the content of one's character. Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Dassam Granth, on the other hand, teaches that a Khalsa is above all and that a Khalsa should not consort with non-Khalsas. It teaches of a God who is wrathful and vengeful, and places importance on certain rituals (e.g. taking amrit) and codes of practice and dress (e.g. the Five K's, etc).

Weighing up the two sets of information, it would seem to me that the way of the Khalsa measures up to all the distinguishable requisites of a religion, whereas Sikkhism is almost entirely independent of that.

The Khalsa, it seems, was forged very deliberately into a warrior cult or religion in order to protect those universal, non-institutional teachings of the Granth and to enforce its principles. A 'necessary evil', one might say.

Of course, given the amount of time and the proximity with which Sikkhism and its warrior Khalsa cult have lived side-by-side has meant that many Khalsaist influences have trickled down and eventually set upon the now-accepted image of Sikkhism. But, in my view, the two are always going to be essentially separate, though historically linked.

 

[prakash.s.bagga]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Sinner Singh Ji,
You have really pasted a nice message.That is how we should understand Sikh philosophy as a whole.There should not be any superimpostion of these two aspects of Sikh philosophy.
But unfortunately our political compulsions are such that it seems very difficult to do so.
Appreciating your message

Prakash.S.Bagga

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Bagga Ji

The thanks should really go to max314

 

[prakash.s.bagga]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Undoubtedly max 314 desrves many many thaks for his excellent message.
I have noted his message in my personal notes for others in my group in India.

Prakash.s bagga

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Re: What Is The Goal of Sikhi

Thank you Bagga Ji for the kind words and I just hope the group understand it.0

 

[Annie]

The TRUTH is always ONE only and that ONE TRUTH is being indicated as SABADu in Gurbaani. We should try to understand this SABAdu of Gurbaani to get to know tHE ONE TRUTH.

Certainly I agree that we should try to understand, but understanding is easier said than done. There are a great many people in this world who are convinced they understand the truth, but in reality will be VERY surprised when they die. There is what passes for truth in our limited human understanding, and then there is the great objective TRUTH that, as someone said in another thread, makes quantum physics look like child's play. Even while giving their best effort and years of study, ten scientists (or theologians) may give ten different answers to a question. Still, we try to understand because it is so much better than not trying.

I don't think that Sikkhism is a 'religion', though I believe that Khalsaism is...

Thank you for this quote, Sinner Singh ji. It explains a lot.