organised religion...

[sissy]

hi

i just found this quote and thought it would be intereting to discuss....

'Organised Religion Is The Prop Of A Man Who Has Not Found Himself/God Within"

how much of an 'organised religion' is sikhi?

some think that sikhi shouldn't even be called a religion because it is a way of life...but pehrpas having to pray a certain number of times a day eg rehraas every evening could be conisdered as organised....?

:TH:

[guruji's_student]

fateh

I think thats its an organised religion as praying, as jap ji sahib, rehreas shaib ji, keertan sohila etc!...

.....and also rehet!!

i feel that its an orgainsed religion, but is also a way of life, as in that its all been oraginsed for us but we decide to take it on and make it a way of life for ourselves.

[sher_panjabi]

Rehat Maryada.... Rehat = from word Rehni (way of living).... Maryada = mar means death and yaad = remembrance

Rehat Maryada = Way of liviing whereby we remember death always...

imagine if someone told u today "Bhai Sahib/ Penji... sorry we have discovered you have cancer, you have til the weekend maximum to live...."

How would that effect you? You would wanna make the most of your time... ie. not backbite, not be nasty, love everyone, look over other's shortcoming etc .... this is a Sikh way of life coz we remember death always.

Guru Nanak Sahib was against organised, institutionalised, formal religion.

These are religions which = heirarchy, monopoly on truth, hypocrisy, little or no spirituality, infested with rituals and more rituals.

Sikhi = none of that!

However todays Sikhi we are going back down the line of doing what Guru Nanak Sahib Ji opposed!

- Akhand Paats = ritualistic - paying gyanis to do paat = not spiritual, no benefit, no better than the Brahmans who say "we read the Veds so many times" etc

- "Priests" -- Sikhs have no priesthood but due our inability to bother to learn Gurbaani, learn how to do Parkaash, Sukhaasan and do Guru Sahib's sewa, we rely on Gyanis to do everything! We have made Granthi Singhs a "priesthood" - without them we cant get married, have a funeral or do the Sunday diwaan.

- Heirarchy -- Akaal Takhat Jathedaar = Panth da sewadaar who is supposed to represent the Panth's decisions however its more like one man show and acting more like the Pope...... Gurdwara Committees = without them nothing is allowed and they are wrapped in ego......

- Rituals -- placing water under Guru Ji's throne, Lighting insense thinking its for religious purposes, doing "Aarti" etc..... rituals which have no significance, but creeping into Sikhi!

[Akaali]

sher_panjabi,

Always impressed with your posts!! <_<

[Jass_Kaur]

fateh

I think thats its an organised religion as praying, as jap ji sahib, rehreas shaib ji, keertan sohila etc!...

.....and also rehet!!

i feel that its an orgainsed religion, but is also a way of life, as in that its all been oraginsed for us but we decide to take it on and make it a way of life for ourselves.

92025[/snapback]

WELL SAID!!! very impressed and learned alot aswell <_<

[`KuMi´]

WELL DONE MAN even i can understand it

u should be a kathakar cus of ur knowlage

nuff luv

[Pheena]

- Rituals -- placing water under Guru Ji's throne,  Lighting insense thinking its for religious purposes,  doing "Aarti" etc..... rituals which have no significance, but creeping into Sikhi!

92028[/snapback]

All of what you saidl but the above was right on. To know and Understand the Significanse of the actions known as rituals is utmost important.

Insense has an enormous effect if you are vulnerable to its effects. It is a mere 'aid' for the bhagats in the presence of the Guru. It is definelty not a Necessity. It creates a soothing smell which helps the bhagats in calming his/her mind. The sweetness of the smell is mimicked by the mind and creates pleasent thoughts. Just as you smell a flower and your mind becomes intoxicated with the smell and thoughts of joy arises.

Water under guru ji, i have no idea what the purpose behind it is.

Some can say doing seva of Chor sahib is a ritual because it is inefective in the western worlds as tehre are little to no flies or other insects flying around inside buildings. Not sure what the real purpose of such action is, i was told that it is to keep insects or flies away.

Also sprinkling water before the Guru Sahib when traveling from one place to another to stop the dirt from coming up is also ineffective. As 98% of the ground is paved and what not in the states. I personally don't see a problem with them, but why are these not considered Rituals or are they?

[Ambrosia]

WOW~~ heheh

Sher_Panjabi ; really good post~! I agree!

I think it is crucial that us, as the youth in sikhism right now, need to fully understand the roots and history, and reasoning behind the beginnings of Sikhism so to avoid drifting away from the real essence of what it is. It was meant to be a way of life. But now more of an organised religion.

I think it would be a good idea for each of us to question what we do, seek for the essence of the teachings... maybe write a paragraph or so on what you think brings grace to God, and what the essence of this religion is. Once we have that firmly in our understanding, we can maybe tackle and question what is straying, what has changed from before, and what needs to be adressed...

We are the future, and our children who will learn from us and our actions, are the future future... lets put the responsibility in our hands to keep sikhism as pure as it first started.

any thoughts?

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Chour Sahib's origional intent would have been to keep the flies away, but it also became a mark of a royal leader/King. Same applies to the Manji Sahib and the entire throne of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is the symbolism of a Supreme Authority, and for the Sikhs, that is the Guru Granth Sahib.