(((( Sikhism Uncovered ))))

[sikhphilosophy]

I was reading some articles from a prominent Sikh Writer, S. Gurbaksh Singh... Makes an informative reading... I would like to share some of the articles... and then debate.
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Sikhism Founded

Sikhism is a Universal world Faith… a message for all men. This is amply illustrated in the writings of the Gurus. Sikhs must cease to think of their faith as just another good religion and must begin to think of Sikhism being the religion for this New Age.

This apt description of Sikhism was stated by the Rev. H.L. Bradshaw of the U.S.A. in the Sikh Review, Calcutta. Many others have made similar observations about the Sikh faith, some of which are cited in this book, Chapter IV.

The holy scriptures in which the Sikhs believe is known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It has the distinction of having been written by the Gurus themselves, whereas in the cases of many other religions, the sacred books were compiled long after the prophets had left this world. The Sikh scriptures have come to us in their original form. Each sentence has been authenticated by the Guru. As the Guru Granth Sahib is written in the language of the people of northwestern India, most of the hymns in a general way are easily understood by the people of that region. Of course, since the hymns are written as poetry of great depth, scholarship is often called upon to interpret the contents.

[I, Brian]

The trouble with Universal World Faiths is that they do seem to be rather exclusive at some point - some tradition or scripture must be observed, and thus bind the person to exclusivity.

As for a message having been originally written, or copied, edited, redaction, and appended to - is one truly more spiritually true than another for the process that it was written in? Surely it is the wisdom of the message itself that decides the truth of the matter - regardless at how that wisdom was arrived at?

Pushing the discussion.

[samabudhi]

The Brahma Kumaris tend to think like this too. Interesting. They're also from North West India.

[sikhphilosophy]

Dear samabudhi,

May be Brahma Kumaris think like that way but the real question is: Do you agree or not... truth is prevailing everywhere, need is to realise it and spread it.

Regards

[sikhphilosophy]

Origin of Religions


The scientists believe that earlier humans lived like wild animals. They roamed the forests for food and inhabited along the banks of rivers and lakes to meet their basic need for water. They ate the leaves, roots, and fruits of trees and plants. They also consumed raw meat. Homo sapiens, the name given to the current species of human beings, is said to be in their fourth evolutionary stage. The fossils reveal that hundreds of thousands of years ago the oldest species walked on fours and lived in trees. The first species which walked on twos has been named Homo erectus.

With the development of the brain, there came an improvement in thinking power of human beings. They began to observe natural phenomena and interpret them. It was obvious to them that their comforts were highly dependent upon nature: rain, sun, wind, snow, etc. Accordingly, people believed that there were ‘super powers’ who controlled their lives and that they were beyond reach of the ordinary human beings. Some of these powers made living comfortable while others did the opposite. This led to a belief in many gods, favorable or unfavorable towards mankind. In due course, people concluded that there must exist the god of all the gods, the ultimate god; today we call Him God.

The evolutionary process gave humans the knowledge of the three R’s. Having acquired some faculties specific only to them, they perceived that a human was not just another animal. Humans were definitely distinct from animals, even though their biological habits were similar. A line was thus drawn between animals and humans. This idea of distinguishing humans from animals gave birth to the philosophy that there must be ‘some purpose’ to the human life. Those ‘persons’ who attempted to answer this riddle of life were considered holy men and prophets. Religion was thus born. The ‘animal human’ changed into a ‘divine human’ with a spiritual goal in life. Many holy men answered this question and many religions took birth. It was universally agreed by such ‘wise men’ that one is a human being only if one lives to achieve the ‘goal of life’, otherwise a human is just another ‘animal’.

Most of the religions are founded on the faith that there is God, Who alone is the Generator, the Operator and the Destroyer of this universe. The basic and fundamental characteristics of God mentioned by prophets of different religions are very similar. They differ, however, in the methods of worshipping and realizing God. The major differences lie in the rituals. This can be expected because of the differences in culture and period of time in which these religions took birth and evolved.

[sikhphilosophy]

Religion, the source of moral and social values

Human beings are called social animals. As a natural instinct, people want to live together in a society. One has, therefore, to know the proper and correct behavior towards other members of society. Much before man formed regular governing institutions, called governments, religions gave the necessary guidance for the social and political behavior of the people. Earlier, what was right or wrong (good or bad) was decided by religious tenets, which later on formed the basis for our legal laws.
Religion offers a great advantage to society. It provides justification for the belief that a man should be honest and sincere and not a thief or a robber. Most religions tell us that all men are created by God, the Father. Being children of the same Father we are all equal like brothers and sisters. This philosophy, therefore, generates mutual goodwill and love among human beings.

Religion establishes what is necessary for a society to live in peace and prosperity. Society wants people to be honest, sincere, and affectionate towards each other. One is not expected to be a smuggler, a robber, a liar, or a cheat. Society expects that one should neither think nor do anything that is antisocial. All such values are extensions of the religious tenets.

The government laws, having been set by man, are less respected. They are, therefore, more likely to be ignored than the religious directions which are believed to have come from God. Religious commands are considered to be holy orders, and are, therefore, more respected than man-made laws.

In addition to these positive directions, religion provides a strong deterrent to evil thought. It asserts that ultimately we are accountable for all of our actions. Whereas we will surely be rewarded for our good deeds, we will have to suffer for all our bad acts. It is emphasized that man can cheat man but not the omnipresent and omniscient God. It is therefore desirable that society develop a faith in God for its own good.