Debating the Dasam Granth by Robin Rinehart

[dallysingh101]

5 minutes ago, BhForce said:

A cranky Uncleji might be anti-Dasam, and going on and on about this Charitar or that section of Chandi until his family and relatives get bored, but the pursuing generations will just go right back to matha-teking to Guru Granth Sahib ji, and visiting the "dreaded" Hazur Sahib and reading Chaupai Sahib.

That's similar to my experience, all the demonisation of DG and especially CP I encountered from texts growing up, ultimately just led me to them and made me look at the in more detail when I was old enough to make my own opinion. Sometimes these 'controversies' have that reverse effect. lol

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Interesting. Thanks. 

Isn't the author JS Mann a hardcore anti-Dasam?

 

I don't know, but whilst he might be miles off the mark there, he might be on point here.  

[BhForce]

3 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

I don't know, but whilst he might be miles off the mark there, he might be on point here.  

We should all use this approach. Unfortunately, some of the more hardcore missionaries refuse to so much as dialogue with mainstream Sikhs.

[dallysingh101]

2 minutes ago, BhForce said:

We should all use this approach. Unfortunately, some of the more hardcore missionaries refuse to so much as dialogue with mainstream Sikhs.

Bruce Lee it: "Absorb what is useful and reject was is useless."

 

I think getting caught up in pointless controversies is a rabbit hole. Cultivate your own buddhi so you don't fall for anyone else's misconceptions.  

[BhForce]

5 minutes ago, dallysingh101 said:

That's similar to my experience, all the demonisation of DG and especially CP I encountered from texts growing up, ultimately just led me to them and made me look at the in more detail when I was old enough to make my own opinion. Sometimes these 'controversies' have that reverse effect. lol

We've all been there. You think you're sitting down to a pleasant extended family gathering.

Actually, the crazy Uncleji has a different thing in mind: Ranting that Dasam Granth is pro-drugs and fornication.

In your mind, you're like: "Not this again!"

For the hundredth time, it's a character in the CP who is portrayed as a baddie who is speaking in favor of drugs.

When people make wild claims like that, it just strengthens the thought they are desperately making stuff up to sully the Dasam Bani.

[BhForce]

1 minute ago, dallysingh101 said:

I think getting caught up in pointless controversies is a rabbit hole. Cultivate your own buddhi so you don't fall for anyone else's misconceptions.  

The vast majority of people just look on these controversies like watching a tennis game. Back and forth, back and forth.

And they have no idea what the 2 sides are talking about. They think, Oh, he made a good point. And then, Oh, he made a good rebuttal.

They'll spend a hundred hours listening to debates. But won't spend a hundred hours just reading Guru Granth Sahib ji and Dasam Granth Sahib themselves.

[dallysingh101]

20 minutes ago, BhForce said:

 

When people make wild claims like that, it just strengthens the thought they are desperately making stuff up to sully the Dasam Bani.

It's usually simpler than that. They are plain dumb and just parroting what they've heard from other uninformed sources.

And those sources are usually unwittingly doing exactly what Rhinehart is saying: Framing things from a western, orientalist framework rooted in biblical studies. Even heavyweights like Kahn Singh Nabha wasn't immune, so imagine what chances the average mota dimaag apna would have.  

I never saw anyone do what you described with that 'crazy uncle'. I came across the ideas of 'erotic stories' and 'Hindu stories' etc. from written works. Hell, I might have easily been one of those uncles, without Guru ji's nadar.  

[dallysingh101]

19 minutes ago, BhForce said:

For the hundredth time, it's a character in the CP who is portrayed as a baddie who is speaking in favor of drugs.

I don't think CP is as binary as that, it's not all goodies and baddies. That's it's beauty, it covers grey areas. 

[BhForce]

1 minute ago, dallysingh101 said:

I never saw anyone do what you described with that 'crazy uncle'. I came across the ideas of 'erotic stories' and 'Hindu stories' etc. from written works. Hell, I might have easily been one of those uncles, without Guru ji's nadar.  

Lol.

What usually sets them off is something so simple and innocuous. Like an extended family member is in the hospital and somebody pipes up and says, hey, why don't we do Chaupai Sahib for his rakhia?

This unbalances the Uncleji for a double whammy: First that he thinks Chapai isn't Sri Mukhvaak. Second, the idea of praying to God for intercession in the world upsets him.

Even though Guru Granth Sahib ji talks in innumerable places (even in Rehras) about intercession. Ahem, Prahlad? Namdev ji?

So the Uncleji starts lecturing. And people start glancing at each other as in "What is happening??".

[dallysingh101]

@BhForce

 

If you ever read it, share your opinions on it.