Dear aad0002 ji
Thanks for such warm words to make me feel so welcome here.
Can you please tell me about following things, which I find not easy to understand:
1. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji wanted to eradicate all the caste divsions and make a class less society. Same was preached by all other guru sahibaanz too! Everybody is supposed to be equal, same is the logic why everybody must partake langar by being seated on ground, no matter rich or poor. So, why is it then that a true class less society still is not extant? Why is a sikh still a believer in such a 'partial and prejudiced' system and adds a surname afet Singh ? Kaur to display that he is jatt, ramgarhia, Khatri? Will this thing ever disappear? Isn't a class less society one of the main foundations of sikhism? Then, why the people think they are sikhs just because they follow the outward symbols but fail at the very basic point? In my opinion, a patit sikh (one who has shorn of his hair) is better than such a hypocrite. No offense please, I do not mean I say one should cut the kesh. On the contrary, I have always exhorted all my sikh friends to maintain their outward appearance.
2. Another query is that, hindus were (and I sincerely pray, will be once again) the largest segment which embraced sikhism and many sikhs today can find their roots in hindu households. maybe 10 generations back, may more, may be less. So, since caste system was such a part and participle of hindu way of life the {censored} and bits are seen even nowadays. And then again, some jobs were always associated with some castes e.g., farming with jatts, machining/engineering/ masonary with dhimans/ramgarhias, shopkeeping/business with banias and so on....; My question is why we have people in sikhism fold who came from manifolds of almost everybody except brahmins and banias? What is the real reason?
3. I have seen some people here referring to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji as God. It does not seem proper, Is it okay to do so? AFAIK, he never said he was God.
4. Does 'Waheguru' refer to the Supreme, or to the Guru Ji?
5. Why the practice of raising a son as sikh not seen nowadays in hindu families?
6. What is the annual growth of sikhism in %age? Is it only achieved by virtue of births in a sikh family OR are there people happily embracing sikhism as a way of life? (Islam is the largest growing religion today, much of it due to people who convert too.) Does SGPC keep a record of this? What is the purpose of the Dharam Prachar done by them? Whom is it aimed at-people who are sikhs but do not practice their religion OR at people who want to come to the fold of this great dharam?
7. Is Sehajdhari sikh concept okay in today's world scenario? Is it okay to follow sikhism in true spirit than just maintaining an outward appearance?
8. I was once asked by a gurudwara sewadar at Paonta Sahib to cover my head while going to a washroom(toilets) in gurudwara! He was a recent convert to sikhism, and was a bihari. What is the reason for this misplaced interpretation of sikhism. (Of course, the washrooms were in a separate building than the main gurudwara. Am I really supposed to cover my head in a place meant to excrete. Surely, a washroom is not a holy place.)
I am a sincere seeker of knowledge and would like to make myself a better person by interacting on this great place.
It is not my intention to disturb or agonise any community or person in particular. I am here to learn, that's it.
Regards.
Prashant Dhiman.
Prashant ji (Dhimaan)
Please feel welcome here. Your praise of SPN sounds like music to the ear. Those were some very kind and thoughtful words.
Coming from a family that part Sikh and part Hindu is a pattern that tends to be overlooked and underestimated in terms of how widespread it is. It goes back centuries as you yourself are hinting at. The practice of raising one son as a Sikh was tradition in the Punjab during the time of the Gurus.
I think you would enjoy the book East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab, by Gurnam Singh. He talks about this and other Hindu/Sikh relationships. For example, in most of the traditional villages the school teacher was likely to be a Hindu or a Muslim. In the villages, the local deras, once Hindu, were later converted to gurdwaras. However among untouchable castes, the gurdwaras retained many Hindu traditions. A very complicated and complex story.
Please make yourself at home. Please participate in the discussions.
