Guru Granth Sahib on pilgrimage and fasting: Difference between revisions
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* '''''"Neecha andar neech jaat neechee hu ati neech, Nanak tin ky sang Saath vadian so kia rees...."'''''(''this lowest of the low cast Nanak prefer to be with the Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses....sweet nothing I care for the high & mighty''). | * '''''"Neecha andar neech jaat neechee hu ati neech, Nanak tin ky sang Saath vadian so kia rees...."'''''(''this lowest of the low cast Nanak prefer to be with the Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses....sweet nothing I care for the high & mighty''). | ||
* '''''"Khalik Khlk, Khalk my Khalik....." '''''( ''GOD lives in the heart of every human being. That is where GOD wrote [[SatGurBani]] to begin with, even before birth. Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses | * '''''"Khalik Khlk, Khalk my Khalik....." '''''( ''GOD lives in the heart of every human being. That is where GOD wrote [[SatGurBani]] to begin with, even before birth. Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses are the TRUE reflection of GOD & GOD's will guiding us [[Sikhs]] to be always with them & against [[FALSEHOOD]]...)" | ||
The {{g11}} warns us - | The {{g11}} warns us - | ||
Revision as of 04:01, 20 July 2007
People go on pilgrimage for a variety of reasons / excuses /pretexts. some of them are :-
- A mere ritual, branded as religious formality by anti-Humanity elements.
- To flex socio-political muscle & show of strength to their adversaries.
- Social projection of one's False Image as that of a poised & saintly WoMan
- Just for the Sake of some for Fun , Change / holidays.
- Washing off the Sins.
- There is nothig else to do
- Promotion of Sales of the products branded as holy & socio-commercially associting them with one or more of the mythological references / cultures /history.
all such notions themseves have been certified as sins, wastage of time, resources , & propagation of FALSEHOOD. Nanak sums up all these in one Tuk...
- Bhariyy mat papa ky sang oh Dhopyy navyy ky rang......( All these mythological, ritualistic, irrational & subjective beliefs are sins. This filth of mind need to be washed & flushed off through repeated bathing... (listening to, singing, learning & writing the quintescence of Gurbani in ones mind with the resove to lifelong Walk on this path Shown by SatGurBani).... in the ocean of GOD's Language. SatGurBani washes the filth of these sins exactly the way soap washes clothes which get soiled with urine & exceata.
Sikhism is against pilgrimages and fasts, what ever may be the socio- political / religious / traditional / cultural justifications which may be extended by any one. Sikh Gurus visited these places as Historians and / Explorares to profess & demonstrate the skill of walking on the only TRUE Path to 'TRUTH god'.
The Guiding faith for Sikh Gurus to undertake such missionary & never ending projects stands out loud & clear from the folloing Gurbani tuks (lines)
- "Neecha andar neech jaat neechee hu ati neech, Nanak tin ky sang Saath vadian so kia rees...."(this lowest of the low cast Nanak prefer to be with the Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses....sweet nothing I care for the high & mighty).
- "Khalik Khlk, Khalk my Khalik....." ( GOD lives in the heart of every human being. That is where GOD wrote SatGurBani to begin with, even before birth. Lowest of the low, humble, meekest of the meek & exploited masses are the TRUE reflection of GOD & GOD's will guiding us Sikhs to be always with them & against FALSEHOOD...)"
The Sri Guru Granth Sahib warns us -
- "The more one wanders at sacred shrines of pilgrimage, the more one talks uselessly." (sggs page 467) - so ,
- "Kabeer, the woman who gives up meditation on the Lord, and observes the ritual fast of Ahoi, shall be reincarnated as a donkey, to carry heavy burdens. ((108))" (sggs page 1370)
a Sikh must discard pilgrimages, and penance which are part of FALSEHOOD
- Sikhism outright rejects fasting. SatGurBani debars all human beings from engaging in rituals of any sort whatsoever. "Fasting, daily rituals, and austere self-discipline - those who keep the practice of these, are rewarded with less than a shell."
- (sggs page 216). So a TRUE Sikhs will never ever undertaken a fast of any kind. The Vedic culture of Fasting for the well being of the husband is totally rejected by the Sikh Guru -
| “ | No pilgrim-spot is equal to the Guru... The Guru is the river in whose water(Name),the filth of sin and evil thoughts, are washed off." |
” |
| sggs page 1329 |
Pilgrimage
The futility of wandering to the so-called sacred places is amply illustrated by the life of Guru Amar Das. Before he became Guru, he went on pilgrimages twenty times, without benefit.
He saw the light only when he finally met Guru Angad. (see Sakhi) The Gurus tried to remove the notion of the efficacy of pilgrimage. Guru Nanak says: "I would like to go to pilgrimage only if it pleases God." Elsewhere, he says: "My places of pilgrimage are to study 'The Word', and contemplating its divine knowledge within me."
Guru Gobind Singh was very emphatic about the futility of pilgrimage. According to him, without God's Name, such visits have not the slightest significance. Kabir sought God in the temple of his mind. He therefore, migrated from Benaras, a well-known sacred city, to Magahar, a traditionally cursed town.
Fasting
Sikhism does not regard fasting as religiously meritorious. God has given us the human body - the temple of the soul - which has to be nourished and cared for. Fasting as an austerity, as a ritual, as a mortification of the body by means of wilful hunger is forbidden in Sikhism. Guru Nanak says: "Penance, fasting, austerity and alms-giving are inferior to 'The Truth'; right action is superior to all."
There are sects which do not eat or drink this or that during the fast. Some people will not eat cereals, but will take other types of food. Such people may be treated as hypocrites. They give up the use of certain type of food, not because they want to, but because they wish to impress others. It feeds their ego and does not earn merit in God's domain. According to Guru Nanak, true fasting is the renunciation of the fruit of one's actions.
A Sikh is encouraged to practise constant temperance and moderation in matters of food. Neither starve nor over-eat; just eat simple and nourishing food: this is the golden rule. . Healthy food but in small quantities(Alap Ahar), just to keep body and soul together and to prevent sleep and sloth, this is recommended for a Sikh. Gluttony is not only socially bad, but also morally reprehensible.
Below are Shabads from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib that give the Sikh guidance on these issues:
Against pilgrimage
| SGGS Page 4 Full Shabad |
| ਤੀਰਥ ਤਪ ਦਇਆ ਦਤ ਦਾਨ ॥ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਪਾਵੈ ਤਿਲ ਕਾ ਮਾਨ ॥ Ŧirath ṯap ḝaiĝ ḝaṯ ḝĝn. Jė ko pĝvai ṯil kĝ mĝn. Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity - |
| SGGS Page 75 Full Shabad |
| ਤੀਰਥ ਵਰਤ ਸਚਿ ਸੰਜਮ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਨਹੀ ਪੂਜਾ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਾਇ ਭਗਤਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ਦਬਿਧਾ ਵਿਆਪੈ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥ Ŧirath varaṯ sucẖ sanjam nĝhī karam ḝẖaram nahī pūjĝ. Nĝnak bẖĝė bẖagaṯ nisṯĝrĝ ḝubiḝẖĝ viĝpai ḝūjĝ. ॥੨॥ Pilgrimages, fasts, purification and self-discipline are of no use, |
| SGGS Page 455 Full Shabad |
| ਬਨ ਬਨ ਫਿਰਤੀ ਖੋਜਤੀ ਹਾਰੀ ਬਹ ਅਵਗਾਹਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਟੇ ਸਾਧ ਜਬ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ Ban ban firṯī kẖojṯī hĝrī baho avgĝhi. Nĝnak bẖėtė sĝḝẖ jab har pĝiĝ man mĝhi. ॥੧॥ |
| SGGS Page 1139 Full Shabad |
| ਹੋਮ ਜਗ ਜਪ ਤਪ ਸਭਿ ਸੰਜਮ ਤਟਿ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਮਿਟਿਆ ਆਪ ਪਝ ਸਰਣਾਈ ਗਰਮਖਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਗਤ ਤਰਾਇਆ ॥੪॥੧॥੧੪॥ Hom jag jap ṯap sabẖ sanjam ṯat ṯirath nahī pĝiĝ. Mitiĝ ĝp paė sarṇĝī gurmukẖ Nĝnak jagaṯ ṯarĝiĝ. ॥4॥1॥14॥ |
Against fasting
| SGGS Page 674 Full Shabad |
| ਪੂਜਾ ਵਰਤ ਤਿਲਕ ਇਸਨਾਨਾ ਪੰਨ ਦਾਨ ਬਹ ਦੈਨ ॥ ਕਹੂੰ ਨ ਭੀਜੈ ਸੰਜਮ ਸਆਮੀ ਬੋਲਹਿ ਮੀਠੇ ਬੈਨ ॥੧॥ Pūjĝ varaṯ ṯilak isnĝnĝ punn ḝĝn baho ḝain. Kahūaʼn na bẖījai sanjam suĝmī boleh mīṯẖė bain. ॥੧॥ Worship, fasting, ceremonial marks on one's forehead, cleansing baths, |
| SGGS Page 324 Full Shabad |
| ਕਿਆ ਜਪ ਕਿਆ ਤਪ ਕਿਆ ਬਰਤ ਪੂਜਾ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਰਿਦੈ ਭਾਉ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੧॥ Kiĝ jap kiĝ ṯap kiĝ baraṯ pūjĝ. Jĝ kai riḝai bẖĝo hai ḝūjĝ. ॥੧॥ What use is chanting, and what use is penance, fasting or devotional worship, |
| SGGS Page 1301 Full Shabad |
| ਜਾਪ ਤਾਪ ਨੇਮ ਸਚਿ ਸੰਜਮ ਨਾਹੀ ਇਨ ਬਿਧੇ ਛਟਕਾਰ ॥ Jĝp ṯĝp nėm sucẖ sanjam nĝhī in biḝẖė cẖẖutkĝr. |
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