Hinduism and Sikhism

The historical interaction between Sikhism and Hinduism occurred because both were founded on the Indian Subcontinent and have the majority of their followers there.

Contents

Hindus and Sikhism in Punjab

In the days of Mughal oppression, which intensified in the 18th century as the Sikhs openly defied Mughal leadership both local and upward, many Hindu families would offer their firstborn sons to join the Khalsa Army to aid in this cause.[1] There are examples of Hindu and Sikh shrines being located in close proximity, and Hindus seem to hold the Sikh Golden Temple site in high regard.[2][3]

History of similarities and differences

Nanak, was born in a Khatri family. However, he declared that all are equal in the eyes of God in his famous proclamation "I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim."[4] A unity between Hindus and Muslims under the teachings and revelations of the Guru. The Guru had some familiar and common beliefs as in Hindu concepts like Karma, Dharma, Reincarnation, and meditating on God's name to break the cycle of birth

Before Guru Nanak's death, he instructed his disciple Guru Angad Dev to carry on the teachings of his religion as Guru Angad had shown selflessness, compassion and endless service and was in tuned with the teachings of his Master, Guru Nanak. Sri Chand, one of his sons, founded the Udasi order. Various orders have arisen since the beginning of Sikhism, such as the Radhasoamis and the Nirankaris. It is debatable whether these religions constitute offshoots of Sikhism or merely differing Sikh philosophies. The Khalsa, ordained by Guru Gobind Singh, is regarded by many Sikhs as being the completion of the development of the Sikh religion.

Guru Tegh Bahadur

In 1675 Aurangzeb caused the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He had gone to Aurangzeb on behalf of Kashmiri Pandits, who requested him to plead against their forceful conversion. Aurangzeb asked Guru Tegh Bahadur to convert and had him executed after he refused to convert to Islam.[5] According to Kushwant Singh, when "Guru Tegh Bahadur was summoned to Delhi, he went as a protector of the Kashmiri Hindu community and encourage them to stand against the increasing oppression of the Mughals. He was executed in the year 1675. His son who succeeded him as Guru later described his father's martyrdom as in the cause of the humanity. Guru Tegh Bahadar undertook the supreme sacrifice for the protection of the most fundamental of human rights - the right of a person to freely practice his or her religion without interference or hindrance. This is why Guru Tegh Bahadur is also known as (Tegh Bahadur, Hind Di Chadar" (Tegh Bahadur, Protector of Hindus). Many Sikhs view Guru Tegh Bahadur as "Insaaf Di Kand"(blockade of injustice), stopping the injust conversions to islam.

Guru Tegh Bahadur is also honored by Hindus and the Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day is also observed by many Hindus.[6]

Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Also called "Sher-e-Punjab" ("The Lion of the Punjab") (1780–1839) was a Sikh emperor and the founder of Sikh Empire.Ranjit Singh crowned himself as the ruler of Punjab and willed the Koh-i-noor back to its original location at Jagannath Temple in Orissa while on his deathbed in 1839. [7][8] The spire and the dome of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi are plated with 1000 kg of gold donated by him in 1835.[9]

19th century

The Sikh scholar Harjot Oberoi has argued that in the nineteenth century, the Singh Sabha movement began to view the non-monolithic world view of Sikhism with suspicion, hostility, and a narrower view.[10]

Similarities

Here are some of the similarities between Hinduism and Sikhism:

Mutual views

In the Hindu and Sikh traditions, there is a distinction between religion and culture, and ethical decisions are grounded in both religious beliefs and cultural values. Both Hindu and Sikh ethics are primarily duty based. Traditional teachings deal with the duties of individuals and families to maintain a lifestyle conducive to physical, mental and spiritual health. These traditions share a culture and world view that includes ideas of karma and rebirth, collective versus individual identity, and a strong emphasis on spiritual purity.[4]

The notion of dharma, karma, prasad, moksha and a belief in rebirth are very important for many Hindus and Sikhs as they make ethical decisions surrounding birth and death. Unlike the linear view of life taken in Abrahamic religions, for Hindus and Sikhs life, birth and death are repeated, for each person, in a continuous cycle. What a person does in each life influences the circumstances and predispositions experienced in future lives. In essence, every action or thought, whether noble or sinful, has consequences that are carried forward into the next life. When a similar situation is encountered, memories of past lives arise in the consciousness as an impulse to perform actions or think thoughts similar to the earlier ones. This impulse does not necessarily compel the person to repeat the act or thought. As proclaimed in the Guru Granth Sahib:

Mortals obtain a human body as a result of good deeds but he reaches the gate of salvation with God's kind grace. (Guru Nanak, Japji).

Common Sikh views of Hinduism

The references to Hindu deities in the Guru Granth Sahib are for the most part metaphorical, not literal. This is illustrated in a quote on page 1374, among others:

Kabeer, it does make a difference, how you chant the Lord's Name, 'Raam'. This is something to consider.

Everyone uses the same word for the son of Dasrath and the Wondrous Lord. Kabeer, use the word 'Raam', only to speak of the All-pervading Lord. You must make that distinction. One 'Raam' is pervading everywhere, while the other is contained only in himself. (1374)

References to Vedas

The Guru Granth Sahib refers to Hindu scripture frequently, not as an endorsement but often referring to their lack of scope regarding God. However, they are not explicitly denounced, either; the Granth encourages openmindedness of all belief systems:

Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.(1350)

Sikhism does not have belief in Heaven/Hell system, inequality of caste and gender and held the Vedas responsible for these fallacies in the contemporary society, the quote below from second Sikh Guru mentions the same view:

— "ਕਥਾ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਬੇਦੀ ਆਣੀ ਪਾਪੁ ਪੁੰਨੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ ਦੇ ਦੇ ਲੈਣਾ ਲੈ ਲੈ ਦੇਣਾ ਨਰਕਿ ਸੁਰਗਿ ਅਵਤਾਰ ॥"
"The Vedas bring forth stories and legends, and thoughts of vice and virtue.What is given, they receive, and what is received, they give. They are reincarnated in heaven and hell"

[5]

In regards to their shortcomings:

The references above to not knowing the limits of God are a reference to the Sikh perception that the existence of demigods or devas puts a limit on the absolute power of God .

The Guru Granth Sahib
—Bhairao, Fifth Mehl - I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers... Guru Arjan Dev Page 1078 - Even the Vedas do not know the Guru's Glory. They narrate only a tiny bit of what is heard

Differences

Guru Nanak and other Sikh Gurus rejected many tenets of Brahmanical Hinduism, such as:

— Page 747, Line 18 - One may read all the books of the Vedas, the Simritees and the Shaastras, but they alone will not bring liberation.

The majority accept that the two belief systems have been separate from the beginning of Sikhism.[16] Sikhs believe that the Gurus were receiving the beliefs and practices from God as the Gurus constantly stated that they were not part of the Hindu or Muslim religions. One belief in Sikhism that is commonly cited in support of this is the belief in equality between men and women, regardless of background or race.

Khushwant Singh has written that despite innovations, "this new community, the [Sikh] Khalsa Panth, remained an integral part of the Hindu social and religious system."[17], however Hew Mcleod believes that claims of this nature "can, in large measure, be dismissed".[18]

Cultural differences

I have broken with the Hindu and the Muslim, I will not worship with the Hindu nor like the Muslim go to Mecca, I shall serve God and no other. I will not pray to idols nor say the Muslim prayer. I shall put my heart at the feet of the One Supreme Being, For we are neither Hindus nor Mussalmans.

— Guru Arjun

Many social anthropologists have historically categorized Sikhs as a separate ethno-religious group, with its own distinct identity shaped by Mughal conflict, communalism, and a worldview including the events of 1984.[19] In the Sikh diaspora, Sikhs see themselves completely distinct from Hindus (but this is not an issue per se with Punjabi Hindus who share a cultural and ethnic bond with Punjabi Sikhs), and have an ethnic identity of 'Punjabi Sikh,' which is often their most salient identity, even for those who are first-generation immigrant.[20]

According to a 1960 book by P. Thomas, Hindu-Sikh intermarriage is rare.[21] However, a 2000 book by R C Dogra says that there has always been inter-marriage between the Hindu and the Sikh communities.[22] Douglas Charing etal., writing in 2004, state that "caste is a more important factor than religion in so far as Hindu-Sikh relationships are concerned".[23] William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi (1993) write that for many Sikhs, intermarriage between Hindus and Sikhs of same community is preferable to a Sikh marriage between different ones.[24]

Foundation of Sikh Panth

My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Ram, God . ||4|| .[25]

Differences between Sikhism and specific Hindu traditions

Idol worship

The worship of murtis (icons) is an important part of several Hindu traditions, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism, although some Hindu denominations like Arya Samaj and Satya Mahima Dharma have rejected idol worship. Sikhs do not believe in worship of any sort of physical idol, symbol, picture, or statue. Pictures of Gurus and the book itself are not directly prayed to or revered in place of Sikhism's formless God. Pictures of Gurus are not a requirement in the Gurdwara, and they are often not even displayed in the Darbar Sahib (prayer hall), but by the eating areas and the shoe-removing areas. This shows the low level of spiritual reverence for physical representions of the Gurus, as opposed to prayer (Prayer is not a "verbal idol"). Fanning of the Guru Granth Sahib is a tradition carried over from Punjab to protect the Granth and its reader from airborne debris, as outside worship was common. Only recital of prayers and listening to hymns make up Sikh prayer. As the following quote states:

Aad Guru Granth Sahib - page 637
— "ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇਵਾ ਪੂਜੀਐ ਭਾਈ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਗਉ ਕਿਆ ਦੇਹਿ ॥ ਪਾਹਣੁ ਨੀਰਿ ਪਖਾਲੀਐ ਭਾਈ ਜਲ ਮਹਿ ਬੂਡਹਿ ਤੇਹਿ ॥
O brother, you worship gods and goddesses. What can you ask of them and what can they give to you? O brother, the stones/idols you wash with water sink in water (in other words how could these stones help you cross the ocean of worldly temptations)" [13]

Dietary Requirements

Some Hindu traditions, such as Vaishnavism, emphasize strict vegetarianism.The tenets of Sikhism do not advocate a particular stance on either vegetarianism[27] or the consumption of meat,[28][29][27] but rather leave the decision of diet to the individual.[30] Sikhs who follow sects and groups that have a "Vashnavite" influence (AKJ, GNNSJ, 3HO, Namdhari's etc.)[27][31][32] believe that there is to be strict vegetarianism while the majority, that follow the Official Sikh Code of Conduct (Rehat Maryada[33] ) state the fact that, the only meat that is expressly forbidden for Sikhs to consume is Halal/Kosher (Kutha meat, the meat of animals slowly and ceremoniously killed in sacrificing rituals). Several Gurus such as Guru Hargobind Sahib[34] and Guru Gobind Singh[34] hunted frequently and consumed non-Halal.[35][36] The Guru Granth Sahib states:[37]

The Guru Granth Sahib
—First Mehl:

The fools argue about flesh and meat, but they know nothing about meditation and spiritual wisdom.
What is called meat, and what is called green vegetables? What leads to sin?
It was the habit of the gods to kill the rhinoceros, and make a feast of the burnt offering.
Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitting near it, devour men at night.
They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, but they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom.
O Nanak, what can be said to the blind people? They cannot answer, or even understand what is said.
They alone are blind, who act blindly. They have no eyes in their hearts.

They are produced from the blood of their mothers and fathers, but they do not eat fish or meat.

On the views that eating vegetation would be eating flesh, first Sikh Guru Nanak states:

AGGS, M 1, p 1290.[38]
—

First Mehl:
ਪਾਂਡੇ ਤੂ ਜਾਣੈ ਹੀ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਿਥਹੁ ਮਾਸੁ ਉਪੰਨਾ ॥ ਤੋਇਅਹੁ ਅੰਨੁ ਕਮਾਦੁ ਕਪਾਹਾਂ ਤੋਇਅਹੁ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੁ ਗੰਨਾ ॥

O Pandit, you do not know where did flesh originate! It is water where life originated and it is water that sustains all life. It is water that produces grains, sugarcane, cotton and all forms of life.

On Vegetation, the Guru described it as living and experiencing pain:

Page 143 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

—

First Mehl:
Look, and see how the sugar-cane is cut down. After cutting away its branches, its feet are bound together into bundles,
and then, it is placed between the wooden rollers and crushed.
What punishment is inflicted upon it! Its juice is extracted and placed in the cauldron; as it is heated, it groans and cries out.
And then, the crushed cane is collected and burnt in the fire below.

Nanak: come, people, and see how the sweet sugar-cane is treated!
Page 143 Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji [39]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Many Hindu families brought up one of their sons as a kesadhari Sikh. Khushwant Singh and Kuldip Nayar: Tragedy of Punjab, p.20-21, quoted by V.P. Bhatia: "Secularisation of a Martyrdom", Organiser, 11-11998.
  2. ^ In some cases Hindu and Sikh shrines are both present in the same compound for example at Sadhu Bela [1] and Katas Raj
  3. ^ [2]
  4. ^ Adi Granth Page 1136 ਏਕੁ ਗੁਸਾਈ ਅਲਹੁ ਮੇਰਾ ॥ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਤੁਰਕ ਦੁਹਾਂ ਨੇਬੇਰਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ I have One, who is both Gusain (Hindu Lord) and Allah, who administers both Hindus and Turks. ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥ ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥ I am neither a Hindu or Muslim, but a body made alive by Allah/Ram. ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥ Kabir has said this - meeting with Guru/Pir I have recognized the lord. W.H McLeod believes that the verse is by Kabir and not Nanak.
  5. ^ Vedalankar, Kshitish: Storm in Punjab. Word Publ., Delhi 1985 (1984). (This work contains the full text of Guru Tegh Bahadur's reply to Aurangzeb)
  6. ^ Ram Prakash: Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Patriot by Excellence. Suruchi Prakashan, Delhi 1987., and Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu (2001)
  7. ^ "When Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Punjab died, he bequeathed, by his will, the famous diamond Kohinoor to Lord Jagannath..." Report, 1960-1962, India. Hindu Religious Endowments Commission, pp 164, Govt. of India, Ministry of Law, 1962
  8. ^ "Even two hours earlier of his death he willed the Koh-i-noor diamond to be gifted to Jagannath temple." The rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: nature and relevance, pp 145, Dr. Surindara Pāla Siṅgha, Jasabīra Siṅgha Sābara, Guru Nanak Dev University, Guru Nanak Dev University, 2001
  9. ^ "The Kashi Vishwanath Temple". http://www.evaranasitourism.com/places-to-see-varanasi/kashi-vishwanath-temple.html. 
  10. ^ http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/12752.ctl
  11. ^ The Sikhism Home Page: Sikh Religious Philosophy
  12. ^ Sikh Funerals | http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk/exhibit/ilm/Mourining%20and%20Remembrance/Types%20of%20funerals/Sikh%20Funerals.htm | "Ashes are collected and scattered in running water or on the sea. Sikhs do not hold any river as holy but may deposit the ashes in a place of sentimental value."
  13. ^ a b Singh, Baldev (November, 2007). "Is Guru Nanak Hindu or Muslim?". SikhSpectrum (30) 
  14. ^ Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys Through 28 Nations, Clusters of Nations, and Continents by Martin Jack. Gannon Page 60
  15. ^ Man's religious quest: a reader By Whitfield Foy Page 265
  16. ^ Chahal, Dr. Devindar Singh (Jan-June 2006). "Is Sikhism a Unique Religion or a Vedantic Religion". Understanding Sikhism 8 (1): 3, 4, 5. 
  17. ^ Khushwant Singh and Bipan Chandra: Many Faces of Communalism. CRRID, Chandigarh 1985.
  18. ^ Hew McLeod (1997). Sikhism. New York: Penguin Books. p. 95. ISBN 0-14-025260-6. 
  19. ^ Eames, Edwin and Robby, Robert (1978). "The Wulfranian and the Punjabi Conflict, Identity and Adaptation." Anthropological Quarterly 51:207-219.
  20. ^ Gibson, Margaret A., (1988). Accommodation Without Assimilation: Sikh Immigrants in an American High School. Cornell University Press.
  21. ^ Thomas, P.: Hindu Religion Customs and Manners pub. 1960. pg. 50
  22. ^ R. C. Dogra & Urmila Dogra: Hindu and Sikh wedding ceremonies pub. 2000. Star Publictions. ISBN 9788176500289.
  23. ^ Douglas Charing, W. Owen Cole, William Owen Cole: Six world faiths pub. 2004, page 309. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780826476838.
  24. ^ William Owen Cole, Piara Singh Sambhi: Sikhism and Christianity: a comparative study, Volume 1993, Part 2, pub. 1993. Macmillan. Page 22. ISBN 9780333541067.
  25. ^ Page 1136
  26. ^ Singh, Patwant (2000). The Sikhs. Knopf. p. 184. ISBN 0375407286. 
  27. ^ a b c A History of the Sikh People by Dr. Gopal Singh, World Sikh University Press, Delhi ISBN 9788170231394 However, it is strange that nowadays in the Community-Kitchen attached to the Sikh temples, and called the Guru's Kitchen (or, Guru-ka-langar) meat-dishes are not served at all. May be, it is on account of its being, perhaps, expensive, or not easy to keep for long. Or, perhaps the Vaishnava tradition is too strong to be shaken off.
  28. ^ "Misconceptions About Eating Meat - Comments of Sikh Scholars," at The Sikhism Home Page
  29. ^ Guru Granth Sahib, An Analytical Study by Surindar Singh Kohli, Singh Bros. Amritsar ISBN :8172050607 The ideas of devotion and service in Vaishnavism have been accepted by Adi Granth, but the insistence of Vaishnavas on vegetarian diet has been rejected.
  30. ^ Randip Singh, Fools Who Wrangle Over Flesh, Sikh Philosophy Network, 7 December 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  31. ^ Sikhs and Sikhism by I.J. Singh, Manohar, Delhi ISBN 9788173040580 Throughout Sikh history, there have been movements or subsects of Sikhism which have espoused vegetarianism. I think there is no basis for such dogma or practice in Sikhism. Certainly Sikhs do not think that a vegetarian's achievements in spirituality are easier or higher. It is surprising to see that vegetarianism is such an important facet of Hindu practice in light of the fact that animal sacrifice was a significant and much valued Hindu Vedic ritual for ages. Guru Nanak in his writings clearly rejected both sides of the arguments - on the virtues of vegetarianism or meat eating - as banal and so much nonsense, nor did he accept the idea that a cow was somehow more sacred than a horse or a chicken. He also refused to be drawn into a contention on the differences between flesh and greens, for instance. History tells us that to impart this message, Nanak cooked meat at an important Hindu festival in Kurukshetra. Having cooked it he certainly did not waste it, but probably served it to his followers and ate himself. History is quite clear that Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh were accomplished and avid hunters. The game was cooked and put to good use, to throw it away would have been an awful waste.
  32. ^ Guru Granth Sahib, An Analytical Study by Surindar Singh Kohli, Singh Bros. Amritsar ISBN 8172050607 The ideas of devotion and service in Vaishnavism have been accepted by Adi Granth, but the insistence of Vaishnavas on vegetarian diet has been rejected.
  33. ^ http://www.sgpc.net/sikhism/sikh-dharma-manual.html The Sikh Code of Conduct
  34. ^ a b ibid
  35. ^ I. J. Singh. Sikhs and Sikhism. Delhi: Manohar. ISBN 9788173040580. 
  36. ^ J.S. Grewal. Sikh History from Persian Sources: Translations of Major Texts. ISBN 978-8185229171. "Many person became his disciples. Nanak believed in the Oneness of God and in the way that it is asserted in Muhammadan theology. He also believed in transmigration of souls. Holding wine and pork to be unlawful, he had [himself] abandoned eating meat. He decreed avoidance of causing harm to animals. It was after his time that meat-eating spread amongst his followers. Arjan Mal, who was one of his lineal successors, found this to be evil. He prohibited people from eating meat, saying 'This is not in accordance with Nanak's wishes.Later, Hargobind, son of Arjan Mal, ate meat and took to hunting. Most of their [the Gurus] followers adopted his practice." 
  37. ^ Page 1289 Guru Granth Sahib
  38. ^ "Sri Guru Granth Sahib". Sri Granth. http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1290&g=1&h=1&r=1&t=1&p=0&k=0. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 
  39. ^ "Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji". pp. 142 to 143. http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=142&english=t&id=5863#l5863. Retrieved 25 November 2009. 

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