I think by discussing some topics saying if sikhs can do this or that,means we are limiting the mankind. We have already so many limitations on us that by adding more on us, we become more and more artificial and less natural human beings. limitations like caste, creed, nationality, then rich or poor, blacks or whites, yellows or browns...
Are we not silly? God created souls, same in essence like Him; then who are we to do the opposite and limit His creations? Or is it that, there are differnt gods for different people? Because the bani is very clear: Sabna Jeea ka iko Daata, so me visar na jae.
It does not matter, if the limited human beings try to prove that different cultures, countries, or religions have different gods, it is their agyanta, their ignorance, lack of knowledge of truth...Because the Lord is only one,(Iko Onkar Satnam) like one sun for the whole mankind, He is one creator for that exists, seen or unseen ( Karta Purukh) He has no colour, shape or size; He has no language, neither words, He has no fear or enemies (Nirbhav, Nirver), He has no begining or end( Akal Murat) He is beyond birth or death ( Ajoonee Sembhav); He can not be understood by any amount of thinking ( Sochay soch na hovaee)... These are some few lines of His inmense Glory, His inmense Majesty, His utmost beauty...So why say there is one God for sikhs another for hindus or jews, or muslims... are we not murakhs and manmukhs by doing so and going against nature?
Definetely yes. Or do we think with our petty and dirty mind that He favours only sikhs or he speaks punjabi only, or do we think that when we shall go in His presence we are going to see a large number of people like our faiths, with our wrong ideas and baseless fantasies, like the way we dress or talk or shape our bodies with hair, beards or moustaches, etc... We have to grow in maturity, expand our vision of the reality, and accept the nature as it is. The lord is like the water, it quenches the thirst of any man of any country caste or creed, no matter from where he may be, anybody who drinks it gets his thirst quenched. In the same way, anybody who approches Him with sincerity, love and devotion, gets his ignorance or agyanta removed and gets His true knowledge, then, he sees Him in everybody and everything, without any distinction, and sees Him at all times.
We should respect the traditions and customs in the dharma, country or comunity one is born, but we should not be bound or chained by them, our true home is Satlok, our true Father is Satnam, apart from Him, nobody is ours, neither parents, brothers, friends... neither the piece of land for which we are ready to cut each others throats, and destroy each other because of our ego, our limitations...and still we say it is in God´s name... can there be more stupids than us?
Once we leave this world, nobody is going to ask what is your religion? how many children have you brought up? how much wealth have you gathered? what is your graduation? What have you done for your people or land or country? what is your economis status? Nothing of this sort. Only your karmas will go with you. And your love and devotion for the Akal Purukh.
That is why it is said in the Bani: Jin prem kiyo tin hee Prabh payo. It does not say dress in this way, or speak so and so language, or go here for this pilgrimage or do that ritual or ceremony. It also says more clearly: Sahib ke Darbar mein kewal bhakti aur pyar. Means, in His court only those who have love and devotion for Him in their hearts, only they are going to be allowed in.
Our Gurus when they came they tried to remove the class and differences systems by the people of those times, they said all are equal in the Lord´s eyes. Even the genders do not exist in the spiritual realms. Nothing at all like that. No language, no white or black or anything of that sort. Please let us bear that clearly on our minds, and let nobody make fools of us. Why should we say, are sikhs allowed this or that? Is there not only one God as said before? By saying so we consciously or unconsciously say that my God is superior to yours or mine is better than yours, things kike that cloud our chit and we ourselves invite troubles and fights and wars and confussions.
If He is tried to be found outside, He is not going to be found in anyway, no matter where and how we go, in that way we make diversity and we get lost in those turbulences. But if we try to find Him in His true living temple, which is this human body or Nar Naryan Deh, then there is only one way, and it does not matter where you come from, it is the only way and same for all, then all differences among us are vanquished, and everybody thus reaches his goal. But outwardly there are many ways and all lead to nowhere.
Then why to put more layers and more chains on us? As Christ said, the highest law that I give you is: love thy Lord with all the heart, and your neighbour like yourself. If only we could put this simple thing into practice, many misunderstanings could be avoided. No matter what anybody may say or behave, it is solely for his advantage or his against, each and everyone is responsible for his acts or karmas, there is a divine judge waiting for evrybody( Kal Purukh).
Nobody should be forced to believe or disbelieve in Him. Or even if someone speaks ill of Him, we are nobody to cut his throat, or fight with him. Or do we think, that if anybody insults the Lord, His glory or power is going to diminish? If anybody tries to spit the Sun, what will happen? His spit is going to fall on him. We should not think that the Lord is our property, we should look to ourselves only, if we love Him or not, the rest is not our business, He knows best how to handle His creation, He is far more wise, than we petty little beings.
For example let us think a little bit... who was Guru Arjun Dev? Was He not the almighty Lord Himself? And what He did differs totally than what an ordinary human being would do. when He was sat on the hot plates, if He wished, He could turn those plates in flowers... He could just by one glance turn in ashes those who were infliccting pain on Him. But instead He said: tera bhana meetha laage. Even when Christ was crucified and nailed, He could do whatever He wished, but He said: let thy will be done. And we, how do we react? Our eyes turn red, we become ready to cut the throat and kill anybody who does not think like us or according to us we think he is a wrong doer, and then still we say we believe in God, and do it in His Name. It is better to be a non believer than that believer full of krodh or anger.
No matter where one comes from, if any path says or teaches that ruhaniyat or spirituality is universal for all human beings, is correct, other wise, namaste from far away . Sikh means also, one who learns( sikhiya ), but learns what? The ones who learn Gurmat. That makes the ultimate difference, either one is a manmukh (one whose face is towards world and maya and mind) or either one is a Gurmukh ( one whose face is towards the Real, the Eternal, Wahiguru Akal Purukh).
Names or words do not matter, what does matter is the power behind it and reffered too, and in this case, we refer to Sat Purush, Pari Puran Parmatma. Human life or form is got by only His grace. The wheel of births and deaths is a big one= chaurasi lakh = 8.400.000 spices of lives. And is got only for one purpose, to realize Him and get freed from the pains and sufferings of this ephimeral, transitory, perishable creation where only darkness prevades, we have a golden oportunity to jump from here to the land of light, true happiness, knowledge and love, and freedom. Because that is what exists only in the house of our true Father.
It is for us to decide if we want to stay here in this world and planes ( physicall,astral and causal ) full of misery. Or get back to Sach Khand, our true inmortal and eternal home, becasus if He is an Ocean, we are the drops, and unless we go back and merge in Him, we are restless and prisoners in this alien land ( And, Pind and Brahmand), all these are subject to Parlay and Maha Parlay. We have to secure our beings, by merging back in our Father, Parbraham Parmeshwar, Satnam, Alakh, Agam , Anami Purukh, Deen Dayal, Wahiguru... my God.... inmense is your sweetness.
As it is said: Jis vakhar ko lain toon aaya, Ram Nam Santan Ghar paaya. Means: The purpose for what you have come into this world is to gather the true dhan, true wealth of His Name, which is to be found by His grace alone, as gurprasad, as gurmat. May the Lord bless everyone.