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Summary of Question:	Hindus & Sikhs
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Friday, 11/19/1999 1:29 PM MST

Namaste,,is it true that Hindu families used to nominate the eldest son as a Sikh??
Being a Hindu I have been taught that Hindus and Sikhs are and will always be brothers and sisters is this true??
If your answer to these are yes .. Please tell my why the majority of Sikhs try so hard to differentiate themselves from the Hindus, and Guru Govind ( Khalsa ) initiation is not an excuse to different because Khalsa identity has taken components from Hindus such as saffron colours, turban, kara, long hair. Lastly why isn’t all the truth told as many of my Sikh friends do not know that Guru Govind ji was inspired by heroic actions by the likes of Krishna and Arjun (many Hindu stories) and the Khalsa was not just produced for Sikhs because in many pictures of Khalsa initiation it shows the crowd as being distinctly Sikhs but how can this be when the Khalsa uniform wasn’t even decided on , so many of the crowd would of had just long hair and look like Hindus which I feel many were.
P.S. Is it wrong for me to believe that Sikhs to me are my brothers and sisters?
And the Khalsa are a form of protection for us Hindus?? And will the Khalsa always protect the Hindus for life( a question for any Sikhs)??
I just want people to know and remember what Guru said "always treat Hindus as brothers even if they strike you down and hurt you just retire like the great lion does but never do any thing to hurt the Hindu as they are they are our first god"
If I have said anything which offends anyone I am very sorry it is probably due to my lack of knowledge and if I am wrong can some one please correct me and give me your views on this and I hope you can answer the questions I proposed.
Thank you namascar

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REPLY
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Is it true that Hindu families used to nominate the eldest son as a Sikh?
In some areas of Northern India Hindu families have followed a tradition of raising one son as a Sikh.

Being a Hindu I have been taught that Hindus and Sikhs are and will always be brothers and sisters is this true?
Absolutely. Guru Nanak said it best, "There is no Hindu. There is no Mussalman." For that matter, there is no Sikh, there is no Christian, there is no Jew. We are all part of the same infinite creation. We are all brothers and sisters.

Sikhs differentiate themselves from Hindus because the Sikh path to realization of the Infinite is a distinct path from the Hindu path. The goal is the same, but there is no question that we follow different paths. If you find that there are many similarities between Sikhism and Hinduism, that's great. When I study religions, I personally look for the common beauties of each path. However, following a single path with discipline and devotion is difficult enough, so why try and mix and match? Guru Gobind Singh laid down for us a complete path, so I find no need to search out extra practices from other paths.

The Khalsa was created for anyone and everyone. Anyone who wishes to be a Sikh of the Guru, to live the life of Khalsa, may join. But Guru Gobind Singh laid down a definite path for the Khalsa, and that is the path one must follow if they wish to be Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh may have been inspired by many sources. Sikhism is not exclusive and does not propagate the notion that we alone know the truth. That is why the Siri Guru Granth Sahib includes the writings of other God-intoxicated poets, including Hindus and Muslims.

The Khalsa is not a form of protection for the Hindus, although I pray that the Khalsa may always remain strong to defend all people from oppression.
"Always treat Hindus as brothers even if they strike you down and hurt you just retire like the great lion does but never do any thing to hurt the Hindu as they are they are our first god"
I do not believe that this was ever said by any of the Sikh Gurus. The Khalsa will defend itself and others against oppression regardless of the religion or race of the oppressors. The Hindus are most definitely not "our first god." There is only one True, Immortal Essence of Reality - the Hindu is contained in God and God is contained in the Hindu, just as everything is contained in God and God is contained in everything.

Humbly,
Mangala Sadhu Sangeet Singh Khalsa