Religion Calendar

[Gauracandra 1]

Birthday of Guru Nanak

 

On our calendar, November 19 is the birthday of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion. Sikhs worldwide celebrate by singing hymns and offering prayers. As Guru Nanak Day approaches, Sikhs often hold a continuous reading of the entire Sikh scriptures. Sikhism originated with Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469. He stressed hard work, charity, and constant mindfulness of god. Today there are nearly 20 million Sikhs worldwide, most in India. About 500,000 live in North America.

[theist 1]

Gauracandra,

 

Am I correct in thinking the Shiks to be personalists who also place much importance on God's name? Do they also use beads? Any other similarities?

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

They are personalists who worship an inconceivable formless God, something like Allah. But His name is Govinda, Rama, etc.

 

They also sometimes use japa malas in their worship.

 

Their main worship is to the holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.

[theist 1]

JNdas,

 

I don't quite get that. Do they just reject material forms for God with no real conception beyond that or do they have a conception of the Brahman effulgence which they relate to as personal?

 

Can you elaborate a bit?

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

They reject any material form for God, but don't have positive information about His spiritual qualities.

 

They don't worship deities, as they consider these to be idols (material forms), but instead worship the holy scripture, which they call as Guru Granth Sahib. In that book, His divine names are sometimes glorified (Rama, Govinda, etc.).

 

[Guest guest]

from what you say sikhism is a form of inpersonalism as oppossed to personalism.

[theist 1]

Sounds like they are influenced by Islam a bit.

[Guest guest]

Haribol. Srila Prabhupada regarded Guru Nanak as authoritive and a worshipper of the Supreme Lord.

 

Impersonalism is regarding the absolute truth as formless and without identity, nor separate from any other entity. Sikhs worship the person God, but His form is conceived as inconceivable. Our line also regards that way, we accept acintya beda beda tattwa, which is inconceivable oneness and simultaneous difference.

 

Hare krsna, ys, mahak

[Guest guest]

"acintya beda beda tattwa, which is inconceivable oneness and simultaneous difference"

 

In my opinion, this point has nothing to do with the Supreme Lord as personal/impersonal. Its to do with our relationship as the soul with the Lord in terms of being part and parcel of Him ,but He remaining independent of the soul.

 

Its like a drop of water (soul/atma) merging into the ocean (God). The drop of water doesnt then become the ocean (ie doesnt become God, but is simultaneously one but different. The ocean is independent of the drop of water.

 

But if ultimately Sikhism may follow it still considers God to not have a form (nirakar) where Vainava philosophy accepts the sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.

 

Jai Shree Krishna!!!

[Guest guest]

why is it ekadashi's certain pornima vary in calender ie swiminarayan and isckon

 

 

[Gauracandra 1]

Its my understanding that the founder of the Sikhs sought to reconcile these differences, and was told by Govinda that he was neither, he was Sikh. And thus was born their religion. Apparently in some biographies of Guru Nanak it is mentioned that he and Sri Caitanya met, and held kirtan together. It is my understanding that the Sikhs have always been protectors of the Vaisnavas.