How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?
14.06.2025 00:44
Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.
There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!
Actually, this part of the Ang 326 is widely used by McSikhs to show that Sikhism considers Hindu pilgrimages as useless and thus drives home the point again that the “religion” has got NOTHING to do with Hinduism.
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?
Why am I more attracted to black men?
The Sant Sampraday of Sikh panth integrates the warrior spirit of the Nihangs and Khalsa, the service of Seva panth and the renunciation of Udasi/Nirmala saints.
But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
Has Pope Francis signed a document that gay men can now become priests?
Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)
Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,
The divergence of Kabir’s views from Vedanta is seen in the fact that he fully opposed religious symbolism of ALL KINDS and not just IDOLS.
Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
What is your worst experience in life?
I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;
Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.
As mentioned above Guru Arjan Dev was talking from the perspective Sant Kabir whose views we have discussed much earlier here. We know that Sant Kabir continuing in the Ramanandi Sampradaya went further away from the mainstream ritualistic Hinduism and was journeying more towards a SEAMLESS Dharma.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥
Why do some people dislike Gilmore girls?
You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.
Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
For a superficial McSikh who is interested only in separation and not enlightenment the views of Kabir can be easily shown as a denouncement of Hindu practices.
Why do women consider 80% of men as unattractive?
ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥
ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥
then who is there to know what happens without?
Why am I sweating so much when I try to do anything?
Ramanandacharya was a 14th-century Hindu Vaishnava devotional poet saint who amalgamated Advaita with Vaishnava Bhakti. He was the pioneer in validating NIRGUN and SAGUN Bhakti as parallel paths.
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।
From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195
Denver Health sees increase in people getting MMR vaccine - 9News
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.
ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
The views of Kabir are very much in parallel to the Advaita philosophy and it is obvious that as the disciple of Ramanandacharya he will carry forward with his chosen NIRGUN BHAKTI.
I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.
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Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and
Kabir (a weaver)
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||
ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.
Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥
Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.
For him Dharma was beyond everything physical including the desire for heaven because was fully into the NIRGUN . The last verse shows that according to him the company of the enlightened Sadhus is heaven which is again a typical teaching of Sanatana Dharma.
My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||
Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:
Sikhism is fundamentally rooted in BHAKTI tradition and thus ultimately in Sanatana Dharma. There is no doubt about it despite what modern McSikh acrobatics try to claim otherwise
Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||
Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.
Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
Guru Nanak (right) and Bhai Mardana (foreground) with Bhagat Kabir (left). This painting is found in the B-40 Janamsakhi, written and painted in 1733. The painting was made by Alam Chand Raj
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥
So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!
ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥
One day, a desire welled up in my mind.
Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!
I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥
ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥
There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||
How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||
Raamaanand Jee, First House:
Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?
ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
The influence of Kabir is significant on Sikhism. The following Bani from Ang 1136 is attributed to GURU ARJAN DEV but if you observe at the end you can see that he was talking in the spirit of Sant Kabir.
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Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326
For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;
How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?
Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!
There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.
I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||
ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥
I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||
I am like a fish out of water,
You are totally pervading and permeating in all.
The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.
Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like
I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.
I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||
Sain (a barber)
Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.
Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir
Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.
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ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥
ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥
ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥
He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.
He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧
Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.
ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥
Here ਰਾਮੈ is Rama and not just lord. Kabir died chanting the name of Rama DESPITE him not finding any result of penances done in holy cities in his previous birth. Another example to show how much Kabir valued personal devotion to Rama in his own NIRGUN style.
Wherever I go, I find water and stones.
I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.
ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥
Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92
I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.
ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.
ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥
CONCLUSION:
— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen
ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥
ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥
Now here in this verse
All the men and women of the world are His living forms.
ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥
Ramanandacharya’s teachings were centered on pure and personal connection with the God Rama and didn’t believe in any kind of formal ritualism. He used the common vernacular language instead of Sanskrit so that everyone could understand.
The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥
ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥
At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
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I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
NOW…
Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥
Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325
That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||
Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.
My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||
ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥
There is a reason why I mention ROOTED and thus NOT implying that it belongs to one of the numerous sects in Sanatana Dharma like Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Smartism etc…
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥
From where did the word Maya come? Isn’t it a typical Vedantic concept discussed profoundly in Advaita? It definitely isn’t a concept pioneered by Kabir or even his teacher Ramanandacharya! It is ultimately from Sanatana Dharma!
If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,
ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥
ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥
ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥
We can understand that Kabir despite being in favor of formless worship was very much embedded in the Dharmik fold but always preached in the spirit of the transcendental nature of Brahman to the point that HE LOST THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HINDU AND MUSLIM.
ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥
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As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,
Says Kabeer, this is what I say:
We can see that great saints like Kabir and Ravidas etc… descended from the Ramananda sampradaya which is still the largest ascetic order in India.
If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,
Bhakti movement began in South (Tamil Nadu to be precise) and slowly spread to Northern parts of India. This movement was extremely popular because of its simple fundamentals which could be understood by even commonfolk. Vaishnavism, Shaivism etc… were already connecting with commonfolk from a long time and this Bhakti movement reinforced it by making the devotee feel a personal connection with the deity.
These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,
I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||
ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore
That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||
With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||