SIKHISM - is an of Hinduism. Read this site http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Sikhism/... AND WNW.sikhnet.com
SIKHISM -
To understand Sikhism you have to understand Hinduism. Hinduism is not Christianity and Islam which are codified religions, and have a book and a prophet. Hinduism has originated from various rituals tribal customs and social life over the centuries. Hinduism has 1000?s of Gods and Goddesses and various diverse thoughts.
Predominant amongst these thoughts is a way of life called Sanatan Dharma which more than 60% of the Hindus follow, and this is generally mistaken as Hinduism, and the other thoughts are treated as offshoots of Hinduism. The real truth is that Hinduism means Sanatan Dharma AND all the other thoughts. Sikhism is but one of these thoughts.
Firstly, the British with their policy of divide and rule, and secondly, political turmoil and hatred between Hindus and Sikhs has put the idea of a separate identity in the mind of us Sikhs. Many of my co-coreligionists will say ? but we have different ideas as compared to Hinduism. Sure - I agree that we are different in ways but there are 50 ? 100 major different thoughts within Hinduism and we are BUT one of them.
Do you understand ? Whereas fundamentalist Sikhs we say that we are 1 amongst 7 great world religions the fact is that there are actually 4 great religions. One - Christianity has various branches - Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Adventist, etc. Second ? Islam has various branches - Shia, Sunni, Ahmediya etc. There is Judaism and finally Hinduism ( which is a collection of various beautiful thoughts like Buddhism, Sanatana Dharma, Sikhism, Jainism, Arya Samajists, Vaishnav, Shaivaites Manbhum, Santhal etc )
So Sikhism is born out of Hinduism. Guru Nanak was born a Hindu, he was a traveling holy man who followed a custom of Sant Mat ( or Saint Tradition ) quite popular amongst saints those days. It was a thought he inculcated in his believers and told them to learn it. His believers were called Sikhs as Sikh means ? ?to learn? We had 9 more Gurus. Yes Guru Nanak also took some minor feedback from Islam but that is the nature of Hinduism ? to absorb from everyone.
EDIT
Don?t listen to that Sikh fanatic Steel Boy. All religions are equally ridulous. I don?t know about mad elephants outside Hindu Mandirs ( sounds a bit far fetched ? does it not ) but I know of plenty mad Hindus and Sikhs alike who will drink from the polluted cholera infested waters of the Ganga or stagnant fungi infected waters of Gurdwara tanks and consider it holy.
As regarding his second para of Sikhs not believing in caste, pilgrimage, fasting, etc read this link below ? I have given details of Sikh rules ? Sikh Rehat Maryada ? but that is theory and see how 99% of us Sikhs break every theory.
Because basically we have a common background and it is human nature for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains to eventually intermingle their beliefs in practice.
If you come across, a mad elephant and you are near a Hindu Mandir, You better die from crushing of it than to enter into Hindu temple. This is what Jainism says about Hindus and Hindus consider Janis are Hindu. For Hinduism who does not believe in Vedas is an atheist and deserves worst fate. Buddhists and Jainism do not believe in Any God and How they are considered as Offshoot of Hindus.
Sikhism ridicules idol ism or creation of any Parallel gods. No believe in Vedas or any Hindu book but Own Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib. No recognition to Brahman as priest or higher caste. No fasting. No holy days or bad days. No believe in fortune telling. Sikhs believe in reincarnation and Karma are unique and not same as Hindus. Ridiculing of pilgrimage. No believe in Sutak or sud hi or purification. No believe in Janjhu or Janaeu or sacred thread. Believe only in one formless God. Thus it is also different than Abrahamical religions. No recognition to Hindu Avatars or God coming in Human form. No believe in Heaven and Hell and Satan and evil spirits.
Sikhs do not believe in Koran or bible either. Sikhi is a unique. It does share concepts with every religions.
Sikhism ? youngest Indian religion ? is a separate religion in its own right. It has concepts like Karma, Moksa, Atman, similar to its sister Indian religions. Checkout this site on wkippedtp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_religion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism_and_Hinduism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism_and_Jainism
Hindutva and right-wing fanatics, to prove false supremacy, claim Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism are offshoots of Hinduism. Jainism and Buddhism are a continuation of Sramana tradition which is Prue-vedic and Prue-aryan. Infact the philosophical concepts of Karma, Jnana, samsara and Moksa are all borrowed by vedics from sramanas. So say the scholars.
Hi Devondra ;
I am a Sikh myself & I can say with 100 % confidence in my Gurus that Sikhism is neither close to diatomic religion ( Hinduism , Jainism ) or to AbramoICCnes ( Islam , Christianity ) , but rather its a religion & an all together new philosophy on its own ;
The Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib mentions Islamic names for god like " Allah , jihad , gosain , malik " & many Hindu names like " Ram , krishna , prabhu , thakur , dev , vitthal " ;
Today many people are misconceived that Sikhism is a mixture of Hinduism & islam which is ABSOLUTELY FALSE ;
Today many fundamentalist Hindu parties are trying to prove that Sikhism is sect of hinduism , My Question to those fundamentalist is that If Sikhism is sect of hinduism , then why did Guru Nanak refused to wear Janeu ( hindu sacred thread ) , He was born in hindu family but was not a Hindu , Similarly he was not a muslim ;
However proving that Sikhism is not hinduism ( which is true ) doesnt means that Sikhs have begun to hate Hindus , Its just that Sikhs need to have a seperate identity of their own , in which I dont see anything wrong !! Do you !!???
However Sikhism does has some beliefs that are also there in Hinduism & Islam ;
In sikhism Idol worship is absolutely forbidden ; Worshipping an Idol for a Sikh is as sinful as it is for a muslim ; Also Sikhs believe in ONE GOD , associating any deity with god is considered sinful , Sikhism also believes In karma & reincarnation of souls ,
However Sikhism also says that god doesnt takes the human form on earth ( avatar )as hindus believe ,
Infact The fifth sikh guru says " May that Mouth be cursed that says the lord takes form , he is above the cycle of birth & death" ; The beginning verse of Guru Granth Sahib says this qualities of God :
" One universal God present in all , creative being personified , without fear , without hatred , the image of the timeless , beyond birth & death , self - existent , by the grace of true guru "
So Sikhism is apart from Both dharmic & abrahmic religions ,
Though on many places you will see it classified with "dharmic ones "
Is Sikhism more similar to the Abrahamic religions or to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jain
