A Sikh viewpoint of Yoga

Spirituality Religion
#1

Lately there has been a lot of discussion about Yoga and Hinduism. I feel that in order to broaden the base of the these thoughts I should introduce you to a different perspective about yoga.
This perspective is given by Guru Nanak(1469-1539), the first Guru of Sikh religion. Sikh religion is a major religion of India. There have been 10 Gurus of Sikhism. Guru Grantha Sahib is the holy book of Sikhs which for the sikhs (as ordained by the last Guru before his death) is not simply a book but the real living Guru for the Sikhs for all times to come.

I would not go into detail of who Guru Nanak was. You may please follow these links for this purpose:
sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Nanak

Here I reproduce a shabad(a holy poem) of Guru Nanak on what true yoga is:
First text is in Gurmukhi script and Punjabi language which is followed by english translation

ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਘਰੁ ੭
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਖਿੰਥਾ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਡੰਡੈ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਭਸਮ ਚੜਾਈਐ ॥
ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਮੁੰਦੀ ਮੂੰਡਿ ਮੁਡਾਇਐ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਸਿੰਙੀ ਵਾਈਐ ॥
ਅੰਜਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨਿ ਰਹੀਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਇਵ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੧॥
ਗਲੀ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥
ਏਕ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਕਰਿ ਸਮਸਰਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਜੋਗੀ ਕਹੀਐ ਸੋਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਮੜੀ ਮਸਾਣੀ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਤਾੜੀ ਲਾਈਐ ॥
ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਦੇਸਿ ਦਿਸੰਤਰਿ ਭਵਿਐ ਜੋਗੁ ਨ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨਾਈਐ ॥
ਅੰਜਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨਿ ਰਹੀਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਇਵ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੨॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੈ ਤਾ ਸਹਸਾ ਤੂਟੈ ਧਾਵਤੁ ਵਰਜਿ ਰਹਾਈਐ ॥
ਨਿਝਰੁ ਝਰੈ ਸਹਜ ਧੁਨਿ ਲਾਗੈ ਘਰ ਹੀ ਪਰਚਾ ਪਾਈਐ ॥
ਅੰਜਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨਿ ਰਹੀਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਇਵ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੩॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀਵਤਿਆ ਮਰਿ ਰਹੀਐ ਐਸਾ ਜੋਗੁ ਕਮਾਈਐ ॥
ਵਾਜੇ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਸਿੰਙੀ ਵਾਜੈ ਤਉ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਈਐ ॥
ਅੰਜਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਰੰਜਨਿ ਰਹੀਐ ਜੋਗ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਤਉ ਪਾਈਐ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥

SOOHEE, FIRST MEHL, SEVENTH HOUSE:

ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:

Yoga is not the patched coat,
Yoga is not the walking stick.
Yoga is not smearing the body with ashes.
Yoga is not the ear-rings, and not the shaven head.
Yoga is not the blowing of the horn.
Remaining unblemished in the midst of the filth of the world

  • this is the way to attain Yoga. || 1 ||
    By mere words, Yoga is not attained.
    One who looks upon all with a single eye,
    and knows them to be one and the same - he alone is known as a Yogi. || 1 || Pause ||
    Yoga is not wandering to the tombs of the dead;
    Yoga is not sitting in trances.
    Yoga is not wandering through foreign lands;
    Yoga is not bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage.
    Remaining unblemished in the midst of the filth of the world
  • this is the way to attain Yoga. || 2 ||
    Meeting with the True Guru, doubt is dispelled, and the wandering mind is restrained.
    Nectar rains down, celestial music resounds, and deep within, wisdom is obtained.
    Remaining unblemished in the midst of the filth of the world
  • this is the way to attain Yoga. || 3 ||
    O Nanak, remain dead while yet alive - practice such a Yoga.
    When the horn is blown without being blown,
    then you shall attain the state of fearless dignity.
    Remaining unblemished in the midst of the filth of the world
  • this is the way to attain Yoga. || 4 || 1 || 8 ||

At this point of time I write no more. If a discussion ensues I shall try add more.

#2

Hi Lostontheway,

Thank you for this beautiful poem, and for sharing your perspective of yoga as a Sikh.

May I ask, does the Guru hold more importance for Sikhs than it does for Hindus? I noticed you referred to the ‘True Guru’, what exactly do you mean by ‘true’? In other words, is the Guru seen as more than just a spiritual teacher?

#3

Reading this was a beautiful way to start my day! Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem with us. I’d like to hear more!

#4

[QUOTE=lostontheway;36554]Remaining unblemished in the midst of the filth of the world

  • this is the way to attain Yoga.[/QUOTE]

This is a powerful statement. It is a core value shared by many of the world’s cultures, traditions, and religions. And possibly one of the most difficult to achieve and maintain.

What is a blemish? What is the filth of the world? How do you become cleansed, and what do you have to give up to achieve that (is Newtonian theory applicable in that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction)?

#5

[QUOTE=omamana;36562]
May I ask, does the Guru hold more importance for Sikhs than it does for Hindus? I noticed you referred to the ‘True Guru’, what exactly do you mean by ‘true’? In other words, is the Guru seen as more than just a spiritual teacher?[/QUOTE]

I think it will be appropriate to point out the basic path of Sikhism.
The path of a Sikh (literal meaning of the word ‘Sikh’ is a learner, from the sanskrit word Shiksha or teaching) is path of bhakti(love and devotion). The method is of Naam Jaap (recitation of True Name with every breath waking and sleeping) and of Keertan (singing of hymns in praise of the Creator).

This path of Bhakti is essentially same as found in Hinduism. In fact let me also point out that Sri Guru Grantha Sahib (the living Guru, holy book containing all the verses of the Gurus) also contains compositions of 15 Hindu Bhaktas like Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Ravidass, Bhagat Namdev etc.

Guru Nanak raised his voice against the outer ritualism and superstitions found in the society of the time. This included his holding dialogues with both Hindu Pundits as well as Muslim clerics/mullahs etc. These references are abundantly found in holy songs compiled in Sri Guru Grantha Sahib.

Now I come to basic definition of who a True Guru is. Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru in his long composition Sukhmani (Pearl of Sukh/bliss) says thus:

SHALOK:
The one who knows the True Lord God, is called the True Guru.
In His Company, the Sikh is saved, O Nanak, singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. || 1 ||

ASHTAPADEE:
The True Guru cherishes His Sikh.
The Guru is always merciful to His servant.
The Guru washes away the filth of the evil intellect of His Sikh.
Through the Guru’s Teachings, he chants the Lord’s Name.
The True Guru cuts away the bonds of His Sikh.
The Sikh of the Guru abstains from evil deeds.
The True Guru gives His Sikh the wealth of the Naam.
The Sikh of the Guru is very fortunate.
The True Guru arranges this world and the next for His Sikh.
O Nanak, with the fullness of His heart, the True Guru mends His Sikh. || 1 ||
That selfless servant, who lives in the Guru’s household,
is to obey the Guru’s Commands with all his mind.
He is not to call attention to himself in any way.
He is to meditate constantly within his heart on the Name of the Lord.
One who sells his mind to the True Guru - that humble servant’s affairs are resolved.
One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, shall attain his Lord and Master.
(Page 286)

So it can be said that the seat of True Guru is the highest, in fact even higher than God himself. Please understand this carefully because to a western mind it might be difficult to comprehend how something can be higher than the Creator of everything Himself. Kabir says:

Guru and Govind (a Name for Lord God) both stand in front of me,
Whose feet should I touch first?
I sacrifice myself onto my Guru, who merged me into Govind

As per the Sikh thought Guru is that aspect or power of the divine which becomes the channel for meeting the Timeless Being. In this sense there has always been only one Guru Power since the creation. Guru Nanak was manifestation of the same eternal power. This power is also known as Jot (flame) in Sikhism. This Jot was passed onto the subsequent 9 Gurus.

Parallel to this let me add another dimension to this concept. Even though Guru Nanak was a human being of flesh and blood, his physical body was NOT the Guru. The actual Jot resides in Naam (the true Name) which Guru bestows upon his Sikh. Therefore it is Naam which is the actual Guru.

The holy poems sung by Guru Nanak (he used to sing extemporaneously and a muslim devotee, Mardana used to accompany him on a Rabab, a musical instrument) are an extension and manifestation of the same Naam/Jot. Therefore the 10 physical bodies were actually never a Guru. The True Name and the holy verses were the actual Guru right from the beginning.

The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh before his death ordained that there would be no physical Guru after him and that Guru Grantha Sahib (the holy book which contains hymns of all the Gurus as well as many other Bhaktas) would be Guru for all times to come.

Therefore for a Sikh today Guru Grantha Sahib is the only Guru.

I might also add that in common parlance the word Guru may also be used for a teacher, but it is implied that it does not mean the True Guru or the Spiritual Guru.

#6

As an afterthought please let me say that my sharing Sikh thought should not be construed as me promoting Sikhism.
I felt that issue of yoga is being debated as being exclusive to Hinduism. I just want to widen that base of this issue. Yoga is not restricted to Hinduism. Sikhs also practice yoga. And quite obviously Christ was a yogi too because he merged himself with the divine. For what is yoga? is it not conjoining of the self with the divine?

#7

Thanks for the beautiful poem.

For most of us, Yoga and Hinduism owe their origin to Vedas and the Vedic period. But while Yoga remained a universal thought that belonged to the whole of humanity; Hinduism became a powerful religion that defines the values, beliefs and the culture of certain people. It is also true that much of the philosophical postulates of Yoga are closer to many principles followed by the Hindus; but the two aren’t the same.

But a few individuals are trrying to prove exactly that and your poem couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Thanks again.

#8

I was born a Sikh dear friend. I went to the Gudwara(sikh temple) with my parents and I never was taught any Yoga and nor did I see any Gyani at the temple ever doing Yoga. The typical day at the temple involved going upstairs in the temple and bowing before the Guru Granth Sahib(a book) and then sitting down and listening to the Gurubani(spoken words of the Guru Granth sahib) which is the language of Gurumakhi(originally it use to Sanskrit) that barely anybody understood. We just stood there on the pretence that what we were hearing was divine words being spoken, even though more than half of the people there had no idea what was being said. Afterwards we would go downstairs for Langar(food) and there people would gossip and socialise, nobody would be talking about god, spirituality or Yoga lol. This was the typical day at the Sikh temple. As I grew older, I began to lose interest in Sikhism and what seemed to be blind rituals. I started talking personally to one of the Gyani’s at the temple to maybe get something deeper, but I got nothing. Other than he was a very nice man and I enjoyed his company. As I grew older I started to realise just how many hypocrites pervaded Sikhism. They would go to the temple, and then in the evening go out drinking, smoking and eating meat. In fact most Sikh men were alcoholics. When I realised that even some so-called Gyani’s were also indulging in this I lost faith in Sikhism. I realised this religion could not give me anything. Never in the 30 years that I have been going to the Gudwara on and off have I been shown how to do Yoga and do meditation or seen anybody do it.

I dropped Sikhism completely around the age of 18-19 and became atheist. Atheism was not all great either, but at least it kept be grounded in facts. I was gradually becoming Hindu from the age of 25. Later I revisited Sikhism by reading English translations of the Guru Granth Sahib online and getting a book of the Japji Sahib and practicing the Moolmantra and reading on the history of Sikhism. I then realised Sikhism was nothing more than a sect of Hinduism. It was a part of the large Bhakti movement in India which saw the establishment of many sects in Hinduism. However, somewhere along the way, the Sikhs consolidated this sect as a religion. I learned that in earlier times even the great Gudwara of Amritsar(Golden temple) had Hindu idols within it.

I recognise there has been a huge corruption in Sikhism that began around the times of the later gurus when a guru would be selected within the family itself. Originally the guruship was passed down from one Guru to the disciple(like in all Hindu tradition). Then at the times of Guru Gobind Singh this entire tradition was stopped and the Guru Granth Sahib was declared as the last and only guru. Since then Sikh people have been worshipping a book. This is incredibly unfortunate. Had the guru tradition not been stopped we would still have great gurus today.

There is no doubt about it though that Guru Nanak was an enlightened master. Even we Hindus recognsie this. I can see why there should be conflict between Hindus and Muslims and and Hindus and Christians, because after all they are foreign religions with opposite doctrines. However, there should be no conflict between a Hindu and Sikh, as we share very much the same spirituality. It is very unfortunate that there are Sikh separatists.

#9

[QUOTE=lostontheway;36607]As an afterthought please let me say that my sharing Sikh thought should not be construed as me promoting Sikhism.
I felt that issue of yoga is being debated as being exclusive to Hinduism. I just want to widen that base of this issue. Yoga is not restricted to Hinduism. Sikhs also practice yoga. And quite obviously Christ was a yogi too because he merged himself with the divine. For what is yoga? is it not conjoining of the self with the divine?[/QUOTE]

The very first mention and description of Yoga is within the Vedas and Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita, the most holy scripture of Hindus teaches Yoga and you say it is not exclusive to Hinduism? Yes it is definitely true that Sikhism adops Yoga, in fact it adops almost everything from Hinduism(enough to muddy the waters on its status as a separate religion) In Sikhism the goal of life is the same to become liberated from the cycle of birth and date and attain union with the supreme consciousness(paramatma) So yes this is definitely Yoga. The Hindus and Sikhs agree with each other.

However, Christianity does not teach the same at all. In Christianity you are taught that the goal of life is to go to heaven after this life, an actual place like Earth, where there are gardens, rivers and people to serve you. There god sits on a throne in his palace and Jesus sits by his side. This is based on good judgement by god, else you will go to hell, an actual place like Earth, where there is fire and brimstone, volcanos. The Muslims believe the same and in their heaven you get 72,000 virgins and nubile boys to serve mens desires(is heaven a brothel?)

Does this sound the same as what Hinduism and Sikhism teaches? No. They are the absolute opposite. The dharma family of religions and Abrahamic family of religions are as different as chalk and cheese is.

#10

However, Christianity does not teach the same at all. In Christianity you are taught that the

goal of life is to go to heaven after this life, an actual place like Earth, where there are gardens, rivers and people to serve you. There god sits on a throne in his palace and Jesus sits by his side. This is based on good judgement by god, else you will go to hell, an actual place like Earth, where there is fire and brimstone, volcanos. The Muslims believe the same and in their heaven you get 72,000 virgins and nubile boys to serve mens desires(is heaven a brothel?)

Oh Surya, you are now showing how little you know of Christianity. I was raised Catholic. How you described heaven IS NOT the heaven of Christians. This is silliness! What you have stated in your above post has been taken way out of context. It is not meant literally. Oh my…

#11

[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;36609]Thanks for the beautiful poem.

For most of us, Yoga and Hinduism owe their origin to Vedas and the Vedic period. But while Yoga remained a universal thought that belonged to the whole of humanity; Hinduism became a powerful religion that defines the values, beliefs and the culture of certain people. It is also true that much of the philosophical postulates of Yoga are closer to many principles followed by the Hindus; but the two aren’t the same.

But a few individuals are trrying to prove exactly that and your poem couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

This is veritable nonsense and it shows absolutely you know nothing about the history of Hinduism? What is Hinduism? It was the name given to the common religion being practiced in the Indian subcontinent by the British. It was given because they all shared very similar beliefs

  1. Karma and Reincarnation
  2. Practiced some form of Yoga(Mainly Bhakti)
  3. Accepted the authority of the Vedas
  4. Taught the same Samkhya-Yoga-Vedanta philosophy

This was what was identified as Hinduism by the British. This is what all Hindus know as the Vedic religion. The knowledge religion.

Hinduism never was an organized religion and it has never had any clergy or religious authority. It is the name given to the central Vedic religion that underpins every Indian tradition(Shaktism, Shivaism, Smartism, Vaishnavism).

The Vedas are what define Hinduism. However, more precisely it is the Upanishads and the darsanas. As the Upanishads and the darsanas are what fully develop the Vedic philosophy and practice. The Vedic risis practiced Yoga which in their time was called tapasya and this is how they discovered the truths of dharma.

Hinduism is the oldest religion on this planet. It is hilarious to use these false dichotomies you and other people ignorant of its histroy are using, “Yoga and Hinduism”, “Vedas and Hinduism” Hinduism dates 10,000 years old from what we know about current history. The oldest form of Hinduism we can find is in the Indus valley civilisation.

#12

One who looks upon all with a single eye,
and knows them to be one and the same - he alone is known as a Yogi

I enjoyed this poem very much.
The quoted section reminds me of an experience I had recently.
When I’m going about my day, if I am mindful I can observe my mind making judgements about people around me. Being critical of the greed of rich men or vanity of celebrities. As much as I try these judgements always sneak in to my mind.
The other day I saw absolutely clearly that everyone was exactly the same and having exactly the same experience of birth and death.
That as there are those far more along the path of enlightenment than I similarly there are those more enmeshed in vanities and lusts to distract themselves from their death.
It was so clear, I didn’t just know it I felt it in my heart and I was at peace with all men and all things.
Of course it passed and now I have a memory of it but not the feeling!

#13

@Surya Deva
When I mention teachings of Sikhism, I do not base them upon what common people from Sikh community do( many from the sikh community might be the worst of the humans, but thats the case with every community) . I base them upon the teachings enshrined in Shri Guru Grantha Sahib. So if you met meat-eaters and alcoholics, well they were not following the Sikh teachings, simple.

The language of Guru Grantha Sahib is not Gurmukhi. Gurmukhi is the script in which Gurbani has been written. The language of Guru Grantha Sahib is predominantly Punjabi of those times but vocabulary and phraseology of many other languages is also found. All the ancient texts are not readily understandable today as languages change over the ages. But if one understands Punjabi well enough Gurbani is not that difficult to understand. And there is no dearth of books either.

It is unfortunate that you could not find anything worthwhile in the Gurdwara you went to. One would think it would have been easy to access some library and read some good books and get knowledge first hand.

This is not the place for me to argue whether Sikhism is a sect of Hinduism or a separate religion.

Finally, a Yogi is the one who tries to slay the five demons:
Kama(lust), Krodha (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh(attachment), Ahamkara(ego)

I advise you to be patient, loving and humble. Just as water does not flow towards the high ground so the divine grace of God does not reach the heart which is arrogant.

If not the Sikh Gurus I hope you heed Saint Kabir’s verses, who most scholars agree was a Hindu bhakta:

Kabeer, let yourself be a pebble on the path;
abandon your egotistical pride.
Such a humble slave shall meet the Lord God. || 146 ||

Kabeer, what good would it be, to be a pebble?
It would only hurt the traveller on the path.
Your slave, O Lord, is like the dust of the earth. || 147 ||

Kabeer, what then, if one could become dust?
It is blown up by the wind, and sticks to the body.
The humble servant of the Lord should be like water, which cleans everything. || 148 ||

Kabeer, what then, if one could become water? It becomes cold, then hot.
The humble servant of the Lord should be just like the Lord. || 149 ||

But my friend, everything starts from humility.

Peace

#14

Namaste Lostontheway,

I also think it is unfair to generalize a religion by the actions of the common people, a religion should be defined by its teachings. However, this is exactly what Sikh people are guilty of when they generalize the religion of Hinduism based on the actions of poor, illiterate villagers and their superstitions. The West are also guilty of generalizing Hinduism based on this. However, if we Hindus do the same, then it is bad. Wah!

You will find that the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib and the teachings of the Vedas are the same. However, why is it then that I have branched out from Sikhism? The main reason is that Sikhism is purely bhakti and devotional and lacks a scientific component. In order to understand the science of Yoga and meditation I had to go back to the source religion - Hinduism. There is no other religion on this planet which has written so much on Yoga and meditation. Nowhere else will you find highly developed sciences dealing with chakras, prana, karma, koshas, lokas. Reading just the Yogasutras is worth more than the entire library of Abrahamic scriptures.

There is no other religion other than Hinduism which give you such a detailed and comprehensive picture of reality. All other religions pale to insignificance before it.

#15

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;36615]However, Christianity does not teach the same at all. In Christianity you are taught that the

Oh Surya, you are now showing how little you know of Christianity. I was raised Catholic. How you described heaven IS NOT the heaven of Christians. This is silliness! What you have stated in your above post has been taken way out of context. It is not meant literally. Oh my…[/QUOTE]

Yes it is, I have been told by actual Christians this is it. You are perhaps an “isolated example” :wink:

#16

Heaven is a destination place of the faithful. (faith, there’s that word again!) It is not a physical place but a spiritual place. It is outside the boundaries of human understanding. What the biblical authors tried to do was help us to understand in human terms what heaven is as it is a place of pure joy and freedom from suffering. I believe much of how heaven and hell is viewed is taken from Dante’s Inferno and Michaelangelo’s The Last Judgement.

This is all beside the point. The poem is beautiful and shows the universality of Yoga.

#17

Heaven is a physical place in Christian belief that you go to in your body. Hence all the hoo-haa about judgement day and the resurrection of our body.

This is not at all identical with the Hindu belief that all heavens and hells are just different levels of the mental planes and exist nowhere else but within the mind itself. They are projections.

#18

And you know this how? Because some christians told you?

There are christians out there who could better address this. I left catholicism 35 years ago. But my memory of sunday school classes was that the soul goes to heaven. Your spirit. Your body is merely a house for the soul.

#19

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;36613]
However, Christianity does not teach the same at all. In Christianity you are taught that the goal of life is to go to heaven after this life, an actual place like Earth, where there are gardens, rivers and people to serve you. There god sits on a throne in his palace and Jesus sits by his side. This is based on good judgement by god, else you will go to hell, an actual place like Earth, where there is fire and brimstone, volcanos. The Muslims believe the same and in their heaven you get 72,000 virgins and nubile boys to serve mens desires(is heaven a brothel?)[/QUOTE]

I raised Catholic up til the age of 18. That meant Catholic gradeschool, middle school, and highschool with weekly attendance at Church. Never once was I ever taught that heaven and hell are actual places like Earth. And I can say with clarity that I never once was told that there will be servants for me.

#20

Thank you WakingUp! It means I’m not crazy! LOL!