Is It OK To See Guru Granth Sahib Ji As Living Guru? (Considering It A Book Of Teachings)

[notanotherloginplease]

I know many of you will feel it a disrespect asking such question.
Apologies for that in advance. It is not my intention at all. Peace.


I know we should respect the teachings and book and I feel myself obliged for that but I feel some people just exaggerate things too much.

 

[Inderjeet Kaur]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Ask any question you like. That's what this forum is for. If it's too far afield, we'll let you know.

I have always regarded Siri Guru Grath Sahib ji as my living Guru and will continue to do so. I cannot and do not want to imagine it otherwise. I feel sort of bad for you if you have not experienced this. It's up to you, of course, butI suggest that you not close your mind to this possibility.

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

I know many of you will feel it a disrespect asking such question.
Apologies for that in advance. It is not my intention at all. Peace.


I know we should respect the teachings and book and I feel myself obliged for that but I feel some people just exaggerate things too much.

notanotherloginplease ji,

Guru Fateh.

Before I pitch in with my `2 cent worth about the subject, I would like you to share your thoughts first with us.

1. Please describe/explain to us about your views what does SGGS, our only Guru mean to you and how would you define it in your own words?

2. What do you understand by Shabad Guru? Please elaborate.

Your two threads show that you are giving us quizzes which is OK in a classroom but not the right approach in my opinion here, unless the queries are for the further understanding of what one has in mind.

Only by sharing our thoughts in a productive interaction rather than quizzes, we will be able to learn faster and better and as a result we will give the thread more life where others can also pitch in.

In this forum, we tend to explain our position first and then ask questions based on that.

Thanks & regards

Tejwant Singh

 

[ActsOfGod]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Is it just another book of teachings, though? How do you know for sure what exactly it is?

Think about this. Sikhs all over the world disagree on just about everything, except for one thing. Every single Sikh in the world acknowledges and accepts Guru Granth Sahib without question.

So ask yourself, why is that?

Also consider this: Back in the day, wayyyy back then, when Sikhi was just in it's infancy, the Sikhs were fighting for their very survival. There were only a handful of them to begin with, and they were facing extinction. They would do Ardas in the battlefield, and the Ardas consisted of a supplication to the Creator Lord to preserve the panth, so that the panth may survive and flourish. Then they would go out, in groups of five, to engage the enemy which numbered in the tens of thousands. An enemy that was bent on their destruction and total annihilation.

So if someone is in that situation, WHY would anyone in their right minds stick around just so that they could be killed? The key question is WHY? Why did so many shaheeds lay down their lives back then just to preserve "another book of teachings"? After all, there are a lot of really great books of teachings in the world, but you don't see people giving their own lives to preserve the sanctity of these books. So why do you think the Sikhs in the past did that?

Another question for you: is there anything that you would lay down your life for? If so, what is it? Service to country? Romantic love? Love for your family, or parents? What makes that thing so special?

Just some things to think about ...

AoG

 

[notanotherloginplease]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

notanotherloginplease ji,

Guru Fateh.

Before I pitch in with my `2 cent worth about the subject, I would like you to share your thoughts first with us.

1. Please describe/explain to us about your views what does Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our only Guru mean to you and how would you define it in your own words?

2. What do you understand by Shabad Guru? Please elaborate.

Your two threads show that you are giving us quizzes which is OK in a classroom but not the right approach in my opinion here, unless the queries are for the further understanding of what one has in mind.

Only by sharing our thoughts in a productive interaction rather than quizzes, we will be able to learn faster and better and as a result we will give the thread more life where others can also pitch in.

In this forum, we tend to explain our position first and then ask questions based on that.

Thanks & regards

Tejwant Singh

1. Please describe/explain to us about your views what does Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, our only Guru mean to you and how would you define it in your own words?

I consider Guru granth sahib as our 11th guru since my childhood. But as I kept growing my mind started to think rationally and now I think it as a book with teachings of our gurus. The gurbani written in it has power to break all chains and take us back to the father but same power if misunderstood is of no use. For e.g. having a recipe book and reading about its recipes cannot let us taste food and fill ourselves.


2. What do you understand by Shabad Guru? Please elaborate.
Shabad guru is power within us which helps us to realize God.


My situation wasn't worth explanation so I just asked straight question. Sincere apologies if I have broken any rules of this forum unintentionally. Thanks.

 

[notanotherloginplease]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Is it just another book of teachings, though? How do you know for sure what exactly it is?

Think about this. Sikhs all over the world disagree on just about everything, except for one thing. Every single Sikh in the world acknowledges and accepts Guru Granth Sahib without question.

So ask yourself, why is that?

Also consider this: Back in the day, wayyyy back then, when Sikhi was just in it's infancy, the Sikhs were fighting for their very survival. There were only a handful of them to begin with, and they were facing extinction. They would do Ardas in the battlefield, and the Ardas consisted of a supplication to the Creator Lord to preserve the panth, so that the panth may survive and flourish. Then they would go out, in groups of five, to engage the enemy which numbered in the tens of thousands. An enemy that was bent on their destruction and total annihilation.

So if someone is in that situation, WHY would anyone in their right minds stick around just so that they could be killed? The key question is WHY? Why did so many shaheeds lay down their lives back then just to preserve "another book of teachings"? After all, there are a lot of really great books of teachings in the world, but you don't see people giving their own lives to preserve the sanctity of these books. So why do you think the Sikhs in the past did that?

Another question for you: is there anything that you would lay down your life for? If so, what is it? Service to country? Romantic love? Love for your family, or parents? What makes that thing so special?

Just some things to think about ...

AoG

Thanks AoG. Too much deviation from the question I asked. Anyways,

I dont know about the mindset of Sikhs 'way back then'. I am talking about NOW. I dont find myself in position to comment on that.

Question about laying down life. Nothing in this world is worth giving our life honestly. Yeah emotionally and hypothetically I can give life for any of the options you gave above. Actually only if its guru's hukum then I will lay down my life happily.

 

[ActsOfGod]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Question about laying down life. Nothing in this world is worth giving our life honestly.

Actually only if its guru's hukum then I will lay down my life happily.

So is it (a) Nothing, or (b) Guru's Hukam?

 

[notanotherloginplease]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

So is it (a) Nothing, or (b) Guru's Hukam?

Ha ha ha.. again AoG ji, we are going too far from actual question here.Why is it so important for you to lay down your life instead of taking care of it and using it for what this has been given to us ?

 

[ActsOfGod]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Ha ha ha.. again AoG ji, we are going too far from actual question here.Why is it so important for you to lay down your life instead of taking care of it and using it for what this has been given to us ?

Well I am trying to answer your actual question by getting you to think about things

So how about this: You implied that we should use our live for what it has been given to us for. In your opinion, why has your life been given to you?

AoG

 

[notanotherloginplease]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Thanks AoG ji. I like te way you teach.

I think life is given to us to realize God and merge back in him.

 

[ActsOfGod]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

Thanks AoG ji. I like te way you teach.

I think life is given to us to realize God and merge back in him.

If that is the purpose of life, how can you best do that? What do you need to be doing right now so that you can realize God and merge back in Him?

AoG

 

[chazSingh]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

I know many of you will feel it a disrespect asking such question.
Apologies for that in advance. It is not my intention at all. Peace.


I know we should respect the teachings and book and I feel myself obliged for that but I feel some people just exaggerate things too much.

When you speak the shabad using your mouth and your breath of life...it is 'alive'

When you live it's teachings, it is 'alive'

When you start to become what it describes....boy is it 'alive'

read Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji's descriptions of having darshan of Waheguru, or experiencing the absolute truth...how much more 'alive' can you be

All is God, all is Guru, so if you become what SGGS Ji is describing it is 100% Alive...

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

When you speak the shabad using your mouth and your breath of life...it is 'alive'

When you live it's teachings, it is 'alive'

When you start to become what it describes....boy is it 'alive'

read Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji's descriptions of having darshan of Waheguru, or experiencing the absolute truth...how much more 'alive' can you be

All is God, all is Guru, so if you become what Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is describing it is 100% Alive...

Thats why SGGS tells us..GURBANI BANNEEYEAH...Become Gurbani !!!
Meaning..LIVE GURBANI...

 

[Inderjeet Kaur]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

I'm not sure how to word this; please indulge me. I think this whole thread is missing the point.

What is Siri Guru Granth Sahib, anyway? A bound book? A living person? Shabad Guru? Something else?

Would it be too hard to understand that

its physical form is that of a book with pages covered in ink and sewn together and bound

AND

at the same time, in the same space,

it is emotionally, intellectually and, most importantly, spiritually, an unchanging, eternal living being completely saturated with Naam,

the tangible embodiment of the love the Creator has for Its creation?

[I've strung that sentence into parts because it's so long and I didn't want anybody to get lost.]

 

[chazSingh]

Re: Is it OK to see Guru Granth Sahib ji as living Guru?(Considering it a book of teachings)

I'm not sure how to word this; please indulge me. I think this whole thread is missing the point.

What is Siri Guru Granth Sahib, anyway? A bound book? A living person? Shabad Guru? Something else?

Would it be too hard to understand that

its physical form is that of a book with pages covered in ink and sewn together and bound

AND

at the same time, in the same space,

it is emotionally, intellectually and, most importantly, spiritually, an unchanging, eternal living being completely saturated with Naam,

the tangible embodiment of the love the Creator has for Its creation?

[I've strung that sentence into parts because it's so long and I didn't want anybody to get lost.]

I used to say to my mum when i was younger...

Mum, everyone goes to the gurdwara and bows to the Guru in book form, they look after the physical book very well...

yet i have the guru on CD form and it gets passed around amongst friends and family and thrown around, scratched...maybe it'll end up in the bin someday...should i not also bow to the CD? or look after it better? whats the difference between the Guru in the Book form and the Guru in CD form...why bow to one and not the other?

Guru is the Bani, and the Bani is the Guru...it doesn't matter what media it is displayed on...whether it is ink on a book, or 0's and 1's on a CD...have love for the Bani...it will transform your life..not the book or the CD

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

FIRST WE HAD THE 10 MASTERS....all living breathing humans...then the Fifth Master edited all their writings and put it together in the form of the AAD GRANTH...and the Tenth Master installed the AAD GRANTH as the GURU GRANTH after adding the Gurbani of his father Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the 9th Master. From then ON the GRANTH is the GURU ever since 1708 and its in BOOK FORM.

1. Book Form is traditional form since 1708.
2. Book Form has been Parkashed on its Traditional Palki and Singhassan Takhat
Throne as we are used to seeing and matha teking.

I am sure the KHALSA has the "Authority" to declare a CD/MP3/DVD/ or Projector screen displaying Gurbani as "the De facto GURU" in Attendance...instead of the traditional SGGS in Book Form...BUT I dont think its going to go this way anytime soon....why FIX something that aint broken ??.

ALL GURBANI is GURBANI requiring equal respect in any form..BUT the GURU in the DARBAR SAHIB is still the same BOOK FORM and it will remain that way. Hukmnamahs will be read...ardasses will be done..mathas will be tekked..paaths will be read from..it will be as usual...Many do in fact even "deny" that the Padd Chedd Bir is the GURU (even in book Form) and insist the REAL GURU is the JOINED LETTERS Continous Form as in the Original AAd Granth. 99.9% of Birs parkash in Gurdwars and homes etc are the Padd chedd Separated words type....and to this group that is the root casue of all our problems because we have DESERTED the REAL GURU !!!:grinningsingh:

 

[arshdeep88]

Why not?
The Bani speaks to you in the present so yes it is the Living Guru,word of each guru speaks to you, makes you ponder about, as long you have an intent to understand ,contemplate and then apply it in your daily life.
Yes there are sometimes you feel that if Guru ji could have been here in the present than we might have been able to ask direct questions from them but that is a beauty of Guru ji and Guru Granth Sahib Ji that Guru ji asking us to find some answers of our questions ourselves ,it asks us to contemplate ,it makes you think, it shows you your hypocrisy in many ways , rather than depending or looking for other so called Gurus many of who in the present time are only Fraud.

Moreover the Bani in Guru Granth Sahib is By true Gurus who led a humble life not only that but lived their life in full accordance to the teachings in the Guru granth sahib Ji itself even if they had to sacrifice their life for it.
The teachings itself is the living GURU so i fail to understand the thread title "Is it OK to see guru Granth Sahib ji as living guru(considering it a book of teachings).With this i must say there should be an intent and undying spirit to be a Disciple too otherwise no matter whatever you search for and do you will fail to see the Guru even if it speaks loud and clear to you.

P.S .Am a very undisciplined and lazy Disciple though.

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Anyway what questions do we want to ask anyway ??...
FIRST THINGS FIRST...the Guru Commands..EK Oankaar....we hardly listen...we look at myriad places. directions....
The Guru commands SAT....we live our lives in ASAT..to the hilt....
The Guru Commands NAAM....we break every rule in the Book..
The Guru Commands Karta...we are Lazy
The Guru Commands Purkh....we behave like spoilt wives (Harry Hailer !!! knows best he he...)
The Guru Commands....and commands...and commands...we RUSH we provide LIP SERVICE....and then we PAY a Half Baked half past six uneducated "XXX" to read the remaining 1429 pages and do the ardass for us ...or we slide a CD/DVD into the Player and "listen"....while our MIND is somewhere else...

And then we turn around and say...OH..If Only The GURU was a MAN....standing by the Traffic Lights...or He was a Man manning the Toll Booth...or He was a Man doing Jockey Service at the 7 star hotel..or He was the bartender..or He was this and he was that..and WE COULD ASK HIM QUESTIONS !!!! DIRECTLY...

A smart Aleck was told to READ THE BOOK..his answer was ..."NO... I will WAIT for the MOVIE to be released...its easier to sit for 90 Minutes MAX....and just...watch why waste time and eyesight reading the Big Book !!! We are behaving the same way...there are LOTS of Sikhs and wanna Be SIKHS waiting for the "SGGS MOVIE" to be released....!!!! That would be more fun than spending an YEAR going thru the 1429 pages Line by Line...who has time to waste like that...Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ???:dark-blue-pargi:eacesignkaur: