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Summary of Question:Is Spirit of Sikhism Dying ?
Category:General Sikhism
Date Posted:Thursday, 4/15/1999 12:31 AM MDT

Why Sikhism came into existence? From the birth I've been taught that it came into existence because our Guru's thought that the existing practices of then Hinduism were false. There was need for change and there was need to evolve from the malpractices (such as wearing janau , idol worship etc.).It basically emerged because there was need to graduate from the existing stagnated beliefs.Even from fist to tenth guru there was tremendous change in beliefs of Sikhism( Esp. from saint to soldier).

If all this is true then isn't Sikhism represents the continuous change- change for betterment of quality of life. If this is also true, don't you think Sikhism is dying now because it is no longer evolving ? Don't you think so that we're also doing same what the Hindus of old times were doing ? Aren't we just blindly following what's been written in the holy book some 350 years back ? Does the condition now and what was 300 year back are same ? If they are not then why the practices are same ? From first to tenth guru Sikhism believed in ever evolving dynamic reality, but after the tenth guru we started thinking that the reality then was the 'real' reality. We took away the dynamicity of reality and made it static, or stagnant.
The question is: Do you think that for keeping the true spirit of Sikhism alive, major changes are required in beliefs and faiths of Sikhs ? Do we need to read the holy book again and again without trying to understand it once ? If we understand it- Do we need to read it again and again ? Do we need to keep long hair even when there are pleasures of life we cannot enjoy easily (Swimming, Cool breeze etc.)coz' of long hais and turban? Do we still need 5K's ?
Please respond to these questions in detail. I want to be person of integrity and don't want any conflicts between what I think and what I follow. So I want to know what I follow. I've no reason to hide my identity. I'm turban tying Sikh of 24 years working in glamorous environment of top software development company in India. You can also personally mail me at "[email protected] ".
Sat-Sri-Akal
-TS

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REPLY-1 Re: Guru Granth Sahib
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I will attempt to reply to your question relating to Guru Granth Sahib. Some other Moderator will respond to you regarding the 5Ks.

I do appreciate your desire for dynamic change. It is the spirit that makes innovations happen. Scientists have it. Researchers have to have it.

But does it mean that EVERYTHING has to keep evolving?

God made us with a set number of body parts. If the theory that EVERYTHING has to be continuously evolving, then by now we should have had many more body parts instead of just the 2 ears, 2 eyes and 2 hands etc. that we started out with.

If God in HIS Greater Wisdom can make a mold, and stick to it because it works, don't you think we should take that as an example, and accept that CERTAIN things are fixed in nature?

Guru Gobind Singh Ji asked us to accept Guru Granth Sahib as our present and forever Guru - AS IS. If we make any changes to it, then IT IS NOT THE SAME.
The teachings in Guru Granth Sahib are TIMELESS. It contains the Truth as it was. Truth as it is. And Truth as it shall remain. There is nothing in it that needs to be adjusted to the 'current times'.

As regards reading of Guru Granth Sahib more than once, if a person can remember all the 1430 pages by heart and can recall at will, then ofcourse, that person does not have to read again and again, because they will be able to do an instant recall. But for the rest of us, daily reading re-inforces us in our beliefs and the Teachings of our Guru. I studied trignometry in high school and remembered the geometry theorms by heart. But now, several decades later, I have difficulty even spelling the words correctly. Why? Out of practice, out of life. If we desire to FOLLOW the teachings of Gurbani, AS WE MUST, then we need to read often, understand what we read, and attempt to put that learning into our daily living. After a while, you will begin to feel a joy in reading and listening to Gurbani, and will feel incomplete if some day you cannot partake of that quencher of all thirsts.

Respectfully

Jasjit



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. . Re: Is Spirit of Sikhism Dying ? -a second reply (04/16/1999)
. . Re: Is Spirit of Sikhism Dying ? (05/06/1999)
Is Spirit of Sikhism Dying ? (04/15/1999)
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