How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both...

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.

So in the same spirit Kabir finds pilgrimages to holy cities futile as his mind is fixated on Rama!

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

Why is porn so addictive?

I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

then who is there to know what happens without?

What happens if a parent refuses to let their child be transgender? What happens if the parent tries their hardest not to allow their child to be trans, like flushing every bottle of their trans child's HRT down the toilet?

Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

What is the experience of wearing a school uniform every day? Do people typically get used to it or dislike it?

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.

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

Does a person with schizophrenia hear voices?

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Now tell me, Lord, what will my condition be?

Why do atheists love to preach against Abrahamic religions and mock God? Even if they do not fear the eternal fire of hell, pious Muslims will certainly not leave them alone and will take brutal revenge until they surrender and repent of their sins.

Where should I go? My home is filled with bliss.

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

How do you know if your husband loves you truly and deeply?

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

My consciousness does not go out wandering. My mind has become crippled. ||1|| Pause ||

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 ॥

He does not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||3||

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

Let’s look at the most used verse by McSikhs to show that Sikhs are neither Hindus nor Muslims.

I left Benares - I had little common sense. ||1|| Pause ||

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤੁ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨੁ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

Kabir, Ravidas and ultimately the NINE SIKH GURUS are a product of this very Sant Sampraday founded by Ramanandacharya!

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,

I went to God's place, and worshipped Him there.

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

Sikhism is a NIRGUN path descending from the Sant Sampraday of Ramanandacharya and traces its ideas to VEDANTA!

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

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.

The Word of the Guru's Shabad eradicates the karma of millions of past actions. ||3||1||

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.

Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.

I serve the One Lord, and not any other. ||2||

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.

How can people understand You, when they are entranced by Maya? ||1|| Pause ||

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

As long as the mind is filled with the desire for heaven,

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

Now that my time to die has come, I have come to dwell at Magahar! ||3||

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

Raamaanand's Lord and Master is the All-pervading Lord God.

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.

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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…

Kabir (a weaver)

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मन इति ।

That God showed me the Guru, within my own mind. ||1||

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

Because in my previous life, I did not practice penance and intense meditation. ||1||

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

Sain (a barber)

Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 325

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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.

We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

At the time of my death, I moved to Magahar. ||2||

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

=======================================================

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

All the men and women of the world are His living forms.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

I would go there, only if the Lord were not here. ||2||

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

Now here in this verse

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

Kabeer: O worthless mortal, do not lose the Naam, the Name of the Lord.

If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,

Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

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.

My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. ||4||

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.

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

CONCLUSION:

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Gauri / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 326

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ is Brahm i.e the Brahman of vedanta but it gets interpreted as an all-pervading lord god.

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

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ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

For many years, I practiced penance and intense meditation at Kaashi;

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

That Kabeer died chanting the Lord's Name. ||5||15||

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

But we have actually seen how much Kabir is also rooted in the Vedantic concept of “supreme realization” but in a non-mainstream path.

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

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.

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

Here ਨਿਰਗੁਣ is Nirgun and not just lord. This is just another example to show that Kabir himself continued in the NIRGUN BHAKTI path.

Let’s see what Gurbani has about Ramanandacharya’s views.

NOW…

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.

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines.

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.

———————————————————————————————————————

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.

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.

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. ||3||

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!

How are Hinduism and Sikhism related, considering they both originated in Punjab, India?

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