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Sikhism is not a sect of Hinduism. Sikhism IS Hinduism.
In order to understand that one need to understand hinduism. So what is Hinduism ??
Hinduism is not a religion and neither is Sikhism. The idea of religion itself is a western concept ?? In the Indian tradition, there were atheistic and materialistic schools of thought, like Lokayukta of Charvaka, Buddha, all of which get lumped under `Hinduism'. Obviously, if we take the Abrahmic idea of religion, atheistic religion is absurd. You can't really be a 'Christian atheist' or a `Muslim atheist'. Not so long ago you would be hung for heresy.
Indian civilization is a much broader concept than narrow restrictive dogmas that define religions. Thats precisely why the Constitution does not recognise Hinduism as a religion because it's not. It's a process. It is neither a set of beliefs nor a set of textbooks or anything to follow. It does not assert that final emanicipation is possible through its means and not through any other. It is only a means to an end and all means, which ultimately lead to the end are approved too. Hinduism is just an easy name given (by some academics who love to define and record) as a blanket label to the mass of vibrating humanity living in Indian sub-continent.
Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews.
Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran.
Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true.
Hinduism has this enormous capacity of taking everything in its embrace: you can be an idol worshipper, you can be an idol breaker; you can believe in one god, you can believe in a thousand gods; you can have a caste system, you can deny the caste system; you can be an agnostic, atheist, or whatever else you like, and remain a Hindu. What can you do about it? It is this power of absorption of Hinduism, that it is even willing to recognize Prophet Mohammed as an Avatar of Vishnu, that poses the real challenge to other religions. Hinduism’s accommodation of different spiritual approaches is a problem for separatists of all hues.
(This is yet another instance of how Hindus are "damned if they do, damned if they don’t". Had they been intolerant, this would of course be held against them, but even when they are found to be tolerant and accommodating, it is still interpreted as an evil design. When Hinduism integrates new elements, it is not proof of broad-mindedness, but of a strategy of swallowing the minorities. In the case of Sikhism, at any rate, the boa metaphor does not really fit the case: Sikhism has sprung from Hinduism, and it is not as if the two were strangers who met one day and then the one decided to swallow up the other. But it may be said that in the 19th century, Hinduism was reabsorbing Sikhism, and that it may yet complete this process in the future.)
Scepticism is an integral part of Hindu civilization and its nice to know people like you keeping the tradition alive. The disbelief, doubts, and atheism of ancient India is summed up in the following lines from the Savradarshana Samgraha :
"There is no heaven, no final liberation, nor any soul in another world,
Nor do the actions of the four castes, etc., produce any real effect.
The Agnihotra, the three Vedas, the ascetic's three staves, and smearing one's self with ashes,
Were made by Nature as the livelihood or those destitute of knowledge and manliness."
Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question.
The Scriptures :
The Veda's are 'A-Purusha'. meaning 'authorless'. Not they automatically got written but by apurusha they mean that no single entity or power or community can lay claim to them as belonging to them.
The four Veda's are followed by the ten Upanishads which are followed by various literature(coz thats what they are) like Manu-Smrirti, Vishnu-Purana's, Vedanta-Sutra's(4,500 pages), Vimanika-Shastra, Sankhya-Shastra, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, and yes the Charvaka's. The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali. The Dhammapada, Aranga-Sutra, The Guru Granth-Sahib and the Dasam-Granth.
None of the above scripture is to be considered as final. People who believe in what they believe in must also know that the Veda's etc. had emphasized that the ideas and philosophy was merely a discovery about a reality that had always been there. The authors who-ever they were were not bringing any new covenants from any God. The history of our religion or culture or the way it is looked at is not necessary for the principles we believe in to work. In fact, even Krishna or even the Buddha and Nanak stated that they was neither the first nor the last to have achieved the state of enlightenment. they also asserted that they were not God nor sent by any God as a prophet, and whatever they discovered was available to every human to discover for himself. Like the Law of Gravity.
Hinduism tolerated Tantra and Charvaka philosophy. Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism.
Charvaka philosophy was founded by Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India. According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism......
The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions is what the hallmark of Hinduism is. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two, duality) philosophy is discussed and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual.
There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what Voltaire wrote.
The Gita never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not.
"Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti".
(There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways).
- - -The Rig Veda - - -
The Hindu Concept of God :
Hindus believe in One and Only God Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti-Neti (not this-not that) method.
During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis said there is only One God, Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms.
Regarding idol worship there isn't really any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol, image, or symbol.All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact.
The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now, everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard in China.
I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God. God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in spirituality.
Concept of salvation :
Hindu salvation concept is different from Semitic(Judaist, Christian, Islamic) salvation concept. Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Atman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains salvation.
Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book.
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All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts.
I have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come.
The greatness of Hinduism can be summerized in few words. "Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for. And that precisely is what Sikhism stands for.
Thanks
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Sikhism is not a sect of Hinduism. Sikhism IS Hinduism.
In order to understand that one need to understand hinduism. So what is Hinduism ??
Hinduism is not a religion and neither is Sikhism. The idea of religion itself is a western concept ?? In the Indian tradition, there were atheistic and materialistic schools of thought, like Lokayukta of Charvaka, Buddha, all of which get lumped under `Hinduism'. Obviously, if we take the Abrahmic idea of religion, atheistic religion is absurd. You can't really be a 'Christian atheist' or a `Muslim atheist'. Not so long ago you would be hung for heresy.
Indian civilization is a much broader concept than narrow restrictive dogmas that define religions. Thats precisely why the Constitution does not recognise Hinduism as a religion because it's not. It's a process. It is neither a set of beliefs nor a set of textbooks or anything to follow. It does not assert that final emanicipation is possible through its means and not through any other. It is only a means to an end and all means, which ultimately lead to the end are approved too. Hinduism is just an easy name given (by some academics who love to define and record) as a blanket label to the mass of vibrating humanity living in Indian sub-continent.
Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews.
Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran.
Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true.
Hinduism has this enormous capacity of taking everything in its embrace: you can be an idol worshipper, you can be an idol breaker; you can believe in one god, you can believe in a thousand gods; you can have a caste system, you can deny the caste system; you can be an agnostic, atheist, or whatever else you like, and remain a Hindu. What can you do about it? It is this power of absorption of Hinduism, that it is even willing to recognize Prophet Mohammed as an Avatar of Vishnu, that poses the real challenge to other religions. Hinduism’s accommodation of different spiritual approaches is a problem for separatists of all hues.
(This is yet another instance of how Hindus are "damned if they do, damned if they don’t". Had they been intolerant, this would of course be held against them, but even when they are found to be tolerant and accommodating, it is still interpreted as an evil design. When Hinduism integrates new elements, it is not proof of broad-mindedness, but of a strategy of swallowing the minorities. In the case of Sikhism, at any rate, the boa metaphor does not really fit the case: Sikhism has sprung from Hinduism, and it is not as if the two were strangers who met one day and then the one decided to swallow up the other. But it may be said that in the 19th century, Hinduism was reabsorbing Sikhism, and that it may yet complete this process in the future.)
Scepticism is an integral part of Hindu civilization and its nice to know people like you keeping the tradition alive. The disbelief, doubts, and atheism of ancient India is summed up in the following lines from the Savradarshana Samgraha :
"There is no heaven, no final liberation, nor any soul in another world,
Nor do the actions of the four castes, etc., produce any real effect.
The Agnihotra, the three Vedas, the ascetic's three staves, and smearing one's self with ashes,
Were made by Nature as the livelihood or those destitute of knowledge and manliness."
Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question.
The Scriptures :
The Veda's are 'A-Purusha'. meaning 'authorless'. Not they automatically got written but by apurusha they mean that no single entity or power or community can lay claim to them as belonging to them.
The four Veda's are followed by the ten Upanishads which are followed by various literature(coz thats what they are) like Manu-Smrirti, Vishnu-Purana's, Vedanta-Sutra's(4,500 pages), Vimanika-Shastra, Sankhya-Shastra, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, and yes the Charvaka's. The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali. The Dhammapada, Aranga-Sutra, The Guru Granth-Sahib and the Dasam-Granth.
None of the above scripture is to be considered as final. People who believe in what they believe in must also know that the Veda's etc. had emphasized that the ideas and philosophy was merely a discovery about a reality that had always been there. The authors who-ever they were were not bringing any new covenants from any God. The history of our religion or culture or the way it is looked at is not necessary for the principles we believe in to work. In fact, even Krishna or even the Buddha and Nanak stated that they was neither the first nor the last to have achieved the state of enlightenment. they also asserted that they were not God nor sent by any God as a prophet, and whatever they discovered was available to every human to discover for himself. Like the Law of Gravity.
Hinduism tolerated Tantra and Charvaka philosophy. Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism.
Charvaka philosophy was founded by Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India. According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism......
The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions is what the hallmark of Hinduism is. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two, duality) philosophy is discussed and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual.
There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what Voltaire wrote.
The Gita never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not.
"Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti".
(There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways).
- - -The Rig Veda - - -
The Hindu Concept of God :
Hindus believe in One and Only God Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti-Neti (not this-not that) method.
During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis said there is only One God, Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms.
Regarding idol worship there isn't really any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol, image, or symbol.All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact.
The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now, everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard in China.
I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God. God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in spirituality.
Concept of salvation :
Hindu salvation concept is different from Semitic(Judaist, Christian, Islamic) salvation concept. Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Atman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains salvation.
Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book.
- -
- -
All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts.
I have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come.
The greatness of Hinduism can be summerized in few words. "Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for. And that precisely is what Sikhism stands for.
Thanks
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like you said abt anna .
