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Summary of Question:	Religion
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Thursday, 8/23/2001 1:36 PM MDT

Hi,

The only thing I want to know is what is the difference between a Hindu and a Sikh as we all kow that sikhism originated from Hinduism and as a matter of fact all the Sikh Gurus were Hindus. So why is that parents are agianst Hindu-Sikh marriages. I know its diificult question but any help will be greatly apprecited.

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal.

Your thesis is incorrect. Sikhism did NOT 'originate' from Hinduism. Sikhism has some common themes to Hinduism, but it is not a sect or offshoot of Hinduism, as you postulate. That is like saying that Islam is an offshoot of Christianity because many of Islam's prophets are found in the Christian bible. If you want details on Hinduism vs Sikhism, go to a library or go online and search it out in an (online or hard copy) encyclopedia, for starters.

A thorough reading of Guru Nanak's Japji and study of it will tell you that Guru Nanak was NOT himself a Hindu. In fact, he rejected Hinduism, Brahminism, and the "six systems of philosophy". He rejected every system current to India in his time, and said that the only way to KNOW God is to meditate on His Name, that all other rituals, thinking, study of Vedas/Shastras/Smritis, ascetic practices, pilgrimages to the 68 holy places, etc., would not grant one union with God. So, the Gurus that came after Guru Nanak were not Hindu, they were Sikh. There is much in Hindu beliefs that was, in effect, thrown out by the Sikh gurus. So if a Sikh marries a Hindu, then a Sikh will want to practice and teach the children the Sikh way, and the Hindu will want to practice and teach the children the Hindu way, and the result is the children are given contradictory messages. Another result is that a child grows up practicing Hinduism (or vice versa), but THINKS s/he is practicing Sikhi. This then confuses in people's minds w
hat Sikhi is and how it is practiced (or vice versa for Hinduism).

As for Sikh/Hindu marriages, this Forum believes that we should not advise two people who love each other not to marry just because of their different religions, period. Practically speaking, it is easier to be fully Sikh or fully Hindu in a marriage by being married to someone of the same faith.

As for why Sikh parents are against Hindu/Sikh marriages, one look at Sikh history and it is easy to understand that for many Sikhs marrying a Hindu is equivalent to betraying the Sikh family and the sacrifices of our Sikh predecessors to live as Sikhs in the face of persecution.

Guru raka,
-DKK