if you were spiritual, your question would be: how do i pray to God. how do it proceed further. it is all with humility to know something. simply saying that i am spiritual does not make one spiritual. In the west where you live the code of conduct which were born with and lost with time is called the spirituality. In the east the spirituality is the trial and process and practice with love and devotion to unit with the master is called spirituality.
i was not humorous because the way you put your question indicated that you are thinking the way the westerns think. that is what felt and that is why i was harsh to answer your question. sorry for any wrong feelings if i created as such
great post ji,
Cleaning shoes at gurdwara...to gain knowledge? i've never heard of this...
cleaning shoes is a sure way to kill ones ego and propel you closer to waheguru like nothing else...
cleaning shoes whilst friends and family look on you like "what the hell is he doing"...and you battle your own mind (ego) which tells you "you're embarassaing yourself, stop cleaning shoes...your better than that, everyones looking at you"
Chaz Singh ji,
cool, thanks for telling me about this! It's like a coat check.Guru Fateh.
I have no idea how much you know about the Jori Ghar in the Gurdwaras in India including Harmander Sahib in Amritsar. This is a special place unlike in the west where people put their shoes on the shelves by themselves.
The sevadaars take special pride in India where a ticket is given to the person who leaves the shoes there. Many of these sevadaars wipe and clean the shoes. It is a normal and a noble practice and a very important one.
cool, thanks for telling me about this! It's like a coat check.
different people have different views about touching some one's feet.
the intelligence is in the brain, that makes a person proud. now look at the water; the heavy things go down to the bottom. look at the wind; the heavy things fall to the ground. let us say that the knowledge also follows that system. that means there is some divine knowledge in the feet or around the feet of a divine person. firstly one who bends down to touch some one's feet loses his pride, means it is a act of humility. there are four functions to become divine, humble, devotion and love but the biggest of all is the guru. touching the feet of some one with divine knowledge brings in humility as well as they say attains some knowledge depending up the devotion of the person who touches some one's feet. as they say the spirituality is only learnt through above process. it cannot be taught but guided. last for a sikh to raise a question about touching someone's feet is some thing like western influence or rich. The rich does not miss God. he does not need to because his need s are fulfilled. only people who pray or miss God are those either poor who does not get to eat or some one with previously earned credits.
You get your coat back too from a coat check...at the end of the evening when you leave, anyhow.Not really. One gets the shoes back that have been cleaned/polished.
last for a sikh to raise a question about touching someone's feet is some thing like western influence or rich. The rich does not miss God. he does not need to because his need s are fulfilled. only people who pray or miss God are those either poor who does not get to eat or some one with previously earned credits.
Additionally, I'm not sure I've seen Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji describe that spiritual knowledge or wisdom is literally contained in the feet of people. Where does this notion come from? It sounds like pseudoscience, and an attempt to justify an otherwise random physical ritual. If one understands the real reason for such an action, then a pseudoscientific justification is irrelevant. The idea of giving respect to Saints, acknowledging their level of humility and making yourself humble is all the justification required.
Page 410
this s for the scholar who objects to touching guru’s feet
ਆਸਾਵਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥Edited to add full shabad. -Ishna
Āsāvarī mėhlā 5.
Aasaavaree, Fifth Mehl:
ਮਿਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਸੁ ਗਾਈਐ ਹਾਂ ॥
Mil har jas gā▫ī▫ai hāʼn.
Meeting together, let us sing the Praises of the Lord,
ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਹਾਂ ॥
Param paḏ pā▫ī▫ai hāʼn.
and attain the supreme state.
ਉਆ ਰਸ ਜੋ ਬਿਧੇ ਹਾਂ ॥
U▫ā ras jo biḏẖe hāʼn.
Those who obtain that sublime essence,
ਤਾ ਕਉ ਸਗਲ ਸਿਧੇ ਹਾਂ ॥
Ŧā ka▫o sagal siḏẖe hāʼn.
obtain all of the spiritual powers of the Siddhas.
ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਜਾਗਿਆ ਹਾਂ ॥
An▫ḏin jāgi▫ā hāʼn.
They remain awake and aware night and day;
ਨਾਨਕ ਬਡਭਾਗਿਆ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Nānak badbẖāgi▫ā mere manā. ||1|| rahā▫o.
Nanak, they are blessed by great good fortune, O my mind. ||1||Pause||
ਸੰਤ ਪਗ ਧੋਈਐ ਹਾਂ ॥
Sanṯ pag ḏẖo▫ī▫ai hāʼn.
Let us wash the feet of the Saints;
ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਖੋਈਐ ਹਾਂ ॥
Ḏurmaṯ kẖo▫ī▫ai hāʼn.
our evil-mindedness shall be cleansed.
ਦਾਸਹ ਰੇਨੁ ਹੋਇ ਹਾਂ ॥
Ḏāsah ren ho▫e hāʼn.
Becoming the dust of the feet of the Lord's slaves,
ਬਿਆਪੈ ਦੁਖੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ਹਾਂ ॥
Bi▫āpai ḏukẖ na ko▫e hāʼn.
one shall not be afflicted with pain.
ਭਗਤਾਂ ਸਰਨਿ ਪਰੁ ਹਾਂ ॥
Bẖagṯāʼn saran par hāʼn.
Taking to the Sanctuary of His devotees,
ਜਨਮਿ ਨ ਕਦੇ ਮਰੁ ਹਾਂ ॥
Janam na kaḏe mar hāʼn.
he is no longer subject to birth and death.
ਅਸਥਿਰੁ ਸੇ ਭਏ ਹਾਂ ॥
Asthir se bẖa▫e hāʼn.
They alone become eternal,
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਜਪਿ ਲਏ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨਾ ॥੧॥
Har har jinĥ jap la▫e mere manā. ||1||
who chant the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, O my mind. ||1||
ਸਾਜਨੁ ਮੀਤੁ ਤੂੰ ਹਾਂ ॥
Sājan mīṯ ṯūʼn hāʼn.
You are my Friend, my Best Friend.
ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇ ਮੂੰ ਹਾਂ ॥
Nām driṛ▫ā▫e mūʼn hāʼn.
Please, implant the Naam, the Name of the Lord, within me.
ਤਿਸੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਹਿ ਕੋਇ ਹਾਂ ॥
Ŧis bin nāhi ko▫e hāʼn.
Without Him, there is not any other.
ਮਨਹਿ ਅਰਾਧਿ ਸੋਇ ਹਾਂ ॥
Manėh arāḏẖ so▫e hāʼn.
Within my mind, I worship Him in adoration.
ਨਿਮਖ ਨ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਹਾਂ ॥
Nimakẖ na vīsrai hāʼn.
I do not forget Him, even for an instant.
ਤਿਸੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਿਉ ਸਰੈ ਹਾਂ ॥
Ŧis bin ki▫o sarai hāʼn.
How can I live without Him?
ਗੁਰ ਕਉ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੁ ਜਾਉ ਹਾਂ ॥
Gur ka▫o kurbān jā▫o hāʼn.
I am a sacrifice to the Guru.
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਪੇ ਨਾਉ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨਾ ॥੨॥੫॥੧੬੧॥
Nānak jape nā▫o mere manā. ||2||5||161||
Nanak, chant the Name, O my mind. ||2||5||161||
You get your coat back too from a coat check...at the end of the evening when you leave, anyhow.
Aah I didn't quite realize that was what you meant!But you do not get it back dry cleaned. You get it back the way you dropped it, with stains.
This is not the case in Jhori Ghar where your shoes are cleaned and polished before handing over back to you.
Did you read what I wrote earlier? I don't mind touching feet. I don't have hang ups about feet actually unlike some people I come across. As I don't have a problem with coat checks either.Wow. Much ado about nothing. We are all seekers. We have touched feet AND declined to touch feet in our paths. It is a path and it is yours. If you find coat checks a bother then don't coat check. Just jump in the cold shower without testing waters first. Some like it that way.