What puts people off becoming Sikhs

[namespace]

13 hours ago, Big_Tera said:

Anyone know what are the reasons why people who maybe interested in Sikhism. They may like the major core principles of the faith such as. Equality for men and women. Not discriminating against against non believers. ect. 

But what may then put off these same people from becoming Sikh?

 

VEGETARIANISM

[BhForce]

13 minutes ago, namespace said:

 

VEGETARIANISM

OK, so you think there are hordes of people, hundreds of millions, ready to become Sikhs, take Amrit, wake up at 1am in the morning, do 3 hours of simran, 1 hour of nitnem, 1 hour of Sukhmani Sahib, then listen to Asa di Vaar, and then in the evening do Rehras, listen to Arti, keertan, and katha of Suraj Prakash, do Kirtan Sohila at night, daily do Sehaj Paath and practice keertan, and on the weekends help feed the poor and practice gatka ...

But the only one thing preventing the Sikh panth from becoming hundreds of millions strong is they can't eat meat?

[namespace]

Yes

[BhForce]

5 minutes ago, namespace said:

Yes

Be serious and post something real, with some real arguments, man.

"Yes", as in there are hundreds of millions of people ready to become Sikhs (real, practicing Sikhs, not just those that go to weddings and funerals)? What proof do you have of that? None, of course.

[TigerForce1]

I’ve never really met anyone who has enquired about Sikhi and been put off by it.  They generally agree with our teachings as being beneficial for all of society.  

The bit that most people struggle with is taking the time out to study Sikhi to get a broad understanding of the faith.  Let’s be real you cannot sell Sikhi to someone in a 10 minute Parchar session like the Christian Preacher or Muslim Dawa man.  It’s not as simple as pray 5 times, accept Mohammed as the messenger and do Hajj and all sins are washed away with a one way ticket to Heaven.  The same goes as Christianity,  believe in Jesus as the son of God, visit Church on Sunday and you will not burn in hell.  It’s easy for lazy and dim people to flock to faiths that reward heaven in exchange for conversion.

Sikhi on the other is nothing but the Truth and shows people a path that requires discipline in regards to what you eat, wear, think, do, meditate, selfless service, studying of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.  With all this you are still not guaranteed and easy way to Mukhti as you need to connect to Waheguru in order to cross the ocean.  This is way too much hard work for people wanting quick rewards just for subscribing to a new faith.  

The Truth is what Sikhi is and the road to seeking Truth can be a long one and not many people are cut out to do the leg work.

Maybe this is why we are in small numbers because we understand something that the others do not.  We are on our individual paths seeking the truth and there are no shortcuts and rewards to selling our faith to others.  

[MrDoaba]

Quote

 It’s not as simple as pray 5 times, accept Mohammed as the messenger and do Hajj and all sins are washed away with a one way ticket to Heaven.  The same goes as Christianity,  believe in Jesus as the son of God, visit Church on Sunday and you will not burn in hell.  It’s easy for lazy and dim people to flock to faiths that reward heaven in exchange for conversion.

This is pretty much what the Singh Sabha/SGPC did/does. They tried to box Sikhi, westernise it, Christianise it. It quite evident even today how Sikhi is viewed with an Abrahamic framework. While I don't disagree Sikhi has some basic universal rules, I strongly disagree that it can or should be boxed; this tries to take away the depth and beant nature of Dharam and creates a rigidity that is the antithesis of Sikh/Dharmic interpretation, thinking, and practise as well as the pluralism which has always existed. The reformist and revisonist sochni started by them has been detrimental to Sikhi, and today we pay a heavy price.

There are hordes of Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike who speak about and view Sikhi in wholly Abrahmic terms. People are literally told what to believe, the do's and don'ts..like a rule book, like the 10 Commandments or a version of Sharia & Fiqh...it goes on and on. An insidious and poisonous mindset. Dharam cannot be interpreted by, or confined to western or Abrahamic philosophy/standards/theology/theism.

All this has done is created a watered down, bland Sikhi with a check-list of what makes one a Sikh rather that creating true Sharda Bhaavna Khoji Gursikhs, and actual Jigyasus...people who actually use their Guru-given Buddhi. It has also given rise to the kind of mindless debates Abrahmic faiths have with each other and amongst themselves...not to forget the retarded missionaries et al. And of course we have the terrible English translations which have led to a exclusively literal, flat interpretation of Sikhi, again with people approaching it like an Abrahamic text...we can't really blame them when it's been made to sound like one.

I don't necessarily agree with the OP's points but he makes a mention of Buddhism...he has a point; Sikhi is in an odd position when it comes to westerners...they are either attracted to Sikhi for it seems like a simplified Abrahamic faith, or they are put off for the very same reason. I feel they do not always get a true sense of Sikhi like they may with the other Dharmic faiths. Albeit, this is changing thanks to some of todays prachaaraks and the strengthening of Sampardaic Sikhi; a more open-minded, varied and colourful Sikhi...the pre-colonial, pre-Singh Sabha reform Sikhi...true Sikhi.

Singh Sabha/SGPC Sikhism isn't the standard, isn't the basic framework, and certainly isn't the blissful unifying saviour reform of Sikhi Sidhant it's made out to be. It's an ideology, a school of thought, and a terrible, destructive one at that. Their legacy is a bunch of paranoid Hinduphobic, Indicphobic, and actually Sikhiphobic individuals who water down, twist and malign Sikhi to suit their delusional agenda. The sheer irony...they cannot see they are headed in totally the same direction of what they so fear but are just taking a different route.

May the ridiculous idea of "One Panthic Rehat Maryada" die a swift death. There can never be one because there simply isn't one type of Sikh and there never was! "One Granth, One Panth"...? No thanks, we have at least two which are central to the Sikh Panth, yet some Sikhs cannot seem to comprehend this and instead jump on the sensationalist bandwagon in the name of "Ekta". What they don't realise is there was far more Ekta in the days of old and the cause of disunity is due to what they are in fact promoting.

We need to fix up.

 

Dhan Guru Nanak!

Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji! Dhan Mata Sahib Devan Ji!

Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji!

Dhan Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji!

 

Gurbar Akaal!

[dallysingh101]

3 hours ago, MrDoaba said:

This is pretty much what the Singh Sabha/SGPC did/does. They tried to box Sikhi, westernise it, Christianise it. It quite evident even today how Sikhi is viewed with an Abrahamic framework. While I don't disagree Sikhi has some basic universal rules, I strongly disagree that it can or should be boxed; this tries to take away the depth and beant nature of Dharam and creates a rigidity that is the antithesis of Sikh/Dharmic interpretation, thinking, and practise as well as the pluralism which has always existed. The reformist and revisonist sochni started by them has been detrimental to Sikhi, and today we pay a heavy price.

There are hordes of Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike who speak about and view Sikhi in wholly Abrahmic terms. People are literally told what to believe, the do's and don'ts..like a rule book, like the 10 Commandments or a version of Sharia & Fiqh...it goes on and on. An insidious and poisonous mindset. Dharam cannot be interpreted by, or confined to western or Abrahamic philosophy/standards/theology/theism.

All this has done is created a watered down, bland Sikhi with a check-list of what makes one a Sikh rather that creating true Sharda Bhaavna Khoji Gursikhs, and actual Jigyasus...people who actually use their Guru-given Buddhi. It has also given rise to the kind of mindless debates Abrahmic faiths have with each other and amongst themselves...not to forget the retarded missionaries et al. And of course we have the terrible English translations which have led to a exclusively literal, flat interpretation of Sikhi, again with people approaching it like an Abrahamic text...we can't really blame them when it's been made to sound like one.

I don't necessarily agree with the OP's points but he makes a mention of Buddhism...he has a point; Sikhi is in an odd position when it comes to westerners...they are either attracted to Sikhi for it seems like a simplified Abrahamic faith, or they are put off for the very same reason. I feel they do not always get a true sense of Sikhi like they may with the other Dharmic faiths. Albeit, this is changing thanks to some of todays prachaaraks and the strengthening of Sampardaic Sikhi; a more open-minded, varied and colourful Sikhi...the pre-colonial, pre-Singh Sabha reform Sikhi...true Sikhi.

Singh Sabha/SGPC Sikhism isn't the standard, isn't the basic framework, and certainly isn't the blissful unifying saviour reform of Sikhi Sidhant it's made out to be. It's an ideology, a school of thought, and a terrible, destructive one at that. Their legacy is a bunch of paranoid Hinduphobic, Indicphobic, and actually Sikhiphobic individuals who water down, twist and malign Sikhi to suit their delusional agenda. The sheer irony...they cannot see they are headed in totally the same direction of what they so fear but are just taking a different route.

May the ridiculous idea of "One Panthic Rehat Maryada" die a swift death. There can never be one because there simply isn't one type of Sikh and there never was! "One Granth, One Panth"...? No thanks, we have at least two which are central to the Sikh Panth, yet some Sikhs cannot seem to comprehend this and instead jump on the sensationalist bandwagon in the name of "Ekta". What they don't realise is there was far more Ekta in the days of old and the cause of disunity is due to what they are in fact promoting.

We need to fix up.

 

Dhan Guru Nanak!

Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji! Dhan Mata Sahib Devan Ji!

Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji!

Dhan Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji!

 

Gurbar Akaal!

Haven't really read anything that's actually touched me in a while (or it feels like that). Beautifully put and uncannily precise in my opinion. 

 

Let's not forget that the SGPC/Singh Sabha 'Sikhism' also represents a covert pro-caste ideology totally at odds with Sikhi too, with its associated impact on attempts at panthic ekta. 

[Singh1989]

Sikhi is a very easy religion. Problem? We make it difficult ourselves. There are far too many "You're not allowed to do this/ that."

From Guru Nanak's teachings, 80% is to do with living in society and 20% is the spiritual path... Don't believe it?? Ok, Sacha Kirth karni, wand k shakna and Naam japna. Notice the first two! Imagine if the whole world was earning an honest living (inc. Politicians) and if everyone shared their money/ food with each other! Wouldn't it be Sachkhand on Earth? Instead "Oh? You're an Amritdhari? You're not allowed this. You're not allowed that. Don't even breath..." Etc.

Then we get in fights from different jathe bandhis to Gurudwara committee. What are we portraying to others? Sikhi is hard when it's not and fights. Why don't we tell others to do Nitnem when Amritvela, earn an honest living and deswand? Do Sangat/ Seva at Gurudwara and not t indulge in Bujjer Kureths?

[harsharan000]

 

In simple words:  either their manmukhta, or their agyanta, though in the end,  these are 2 sides of the same coin.

Then above all, it is a matter of Maharaj´s Kirpa, to those whom He himself calls, through Hukum they come willingly, it is in their karam.

These who come willingly,  as said is more of his kirpa, than any intention of ours, for if He wants so, who van resist His hukum? 

Of course not even Kaal!

To these, Gurbani names them as wadbhagee jeevas.

Does not the Bani say: bhoolay marg jinay batayaa, aisa Gur wadbhagee paaya. 

Here the marg is sikhee, which takes the wadbhagee  jeeva, through Guru Jee  back home.

You see sikhee is a path of love, of devotion, of kirpa from Akal Purukh, whosoever practices and walks on it faithfully, reaches Nijh Ghar, Sach Khand.

Sat Sree Akal.

[mahandulai]

On 10/25/2018 at 6:39 PM, Big_Tera said:

Anyone know what are the reasons why people who maybe interested in Sikhism. They may like the major core principles of the faith such as. Equality for men and women. Not discriminating against against non believers. ect. 

But what may then put off these same people from becoming Sikh? Is the faith and path to hard to follow? Are Sikhs seen as a welcoming bunch of people? Or people who couldnt care less. 

Ie many on the outside see Sikhs as a castist bunch of people. They see we have no unity amongst us. Hence outsiders dont want to a part of something like this. 

Why people are attracted to christianity and  Islam?

They get a sence of belonging. Muslims support and encourage non believers. It gives them a sence of identity. Something to concentrate all their energy on. Something to that gives them direction and guides them in life.It makes them feel powerful. 

Yet What does Sikhism do for people. Why does the message of Sikhi not resonate with people. Such as Christianity, Islam and buddism does?

Are we lacking somewhere? 

what, an, interesting. question.

i. dont know.