# Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee At Home. Right Or Wrong ?



## care4sikhi (Jun 25, 2004)

I know this is a bit off the topic but I wanted to ask this. 

My Grandmum told me that she has Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee at home which is good, but the problem is that its locked up in a cupboard, and no one is showing Guru jee any respect the house is full with Drink and meat. 

I think Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee as been locked up for a few years now, when I heard this I did not know what to do, I when home and gave my mum a warning that if they do not take Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee to the local Gurdwara this week, I have to do some thing by force. 

I told them that they should ask Waheguru jee to forgive them. I will call them today. 

How should I go by this.


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## care4sikhi (Jun 25, 2004)

*Fundamentalism and Sikhism*

I read this elsewhere...



> Fundamentalism is akin to orthodoxy that is intrinsically prejudicial, parochial, dogmatic and adamantly averse to any changes social, scientific or religious. Driven by orthodoxy the Hindu neo-nationalism drove Buddhism out of India and stunted Jainism's growth. Christian Powers embarked upon crusades under papal sanctions against Muslims in 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The Muslims have been waging recurrent jihads ever since the inception of Islam. Many polygamous male dominated Muslim theocratic states have been enforcing Islamic code in which men can have four wives and women are denied education and career opportunities. The medieval Roman Catholic judicial system conducted inquisitions for discovery, examination and punishment of individuals and political groups with total disregard for the individual rights, for the ultimate purpose of enforcing orthodoxy.
> 
> Ironically a fringe element of Sikhs tends to treat the noble concept of Khalsa Panth like such fundamentalism, which in today's vocabulary is synonymous with militancy, fanaticism, radicalism even terrorism.


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## Amarpal (Jul 6, 2004)

Dear Khalsa Jee (care4sikhi)

In your posting, there are three aspects on which I write here.

i)	The copy of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, which remains locked in a cupboard.

Khalsa Jee, we respect the knowledge that is contained in Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Knowledge, as you know, is intangible; the book, which contains it, is tangible. As we are in body form we physically express our reverence to that knowledge by showing our respect to Siri Guru Granth Sahib. 

As you know every night Siri Guru Granth Sahib is kept in a secure place. This secure place in a home is mostly a cupboard. It is unfortunate that in your Grandmum’s house no body is reading and so not benefiting from the knowledge contained in Siri Guru Granth Sahib. However keeping it in cupboard by no way means any disrespect to Siri Guru Granth Sahib; even if you give it to Gurdwara, it is going to be kept there also in a secure place only. Do not be perturbed on this ground.

ii) Meat

	You have mentioned about meat. If we look back, after birth the first nourishment, which each one of us had was non-vegetarian – the mother’s milk. In this way there is no one in the world who can call itself pure vegetarian. People drink milk, consume honey and eat curd and call themselves vegetarian. In curd (made from milk which comes from animal) there are live bacteria that are multiplying every moment, how can curd be called vegetarian; the individuals are eating bacteria (in a way animals) who are alive. No way they are vegetarian. 

Unlike plants, nature has not given we humans the systems that will make food within our own body. For our nourishment we terminate life of either some plant or some animal; we depend on others, in this way we are parasites. Whenever we eat, we destroy something in nature.

Now take the food that we humans get from plant kingdom or animal kingdom. A grain seed or an egg, both have suspended life in them, given the proper environment life will spring out of them. If one eats rice, the life of a plant is terminated; if one eats egg life of a bird is terminated; the end result is same – some potential life is terminated. In other words, I am saying that plant seeds and eggs are same both have potential life, which has not yet manifested in its natural form. In my view, eating seeds or egg is one and the same as far as life is concerned. By eating one form and not the other one does not become sinner or divine. In this paragraph I have talked about the products, consumed by we humans, which have potential to bring a life into this world, life has not yet sprung out.

Now I discuss the issue of meat. It is a product coming from a living entity i.e. life is there before the animal was killed. In a way it is cruel. But imagine, can there be greater cruelty than depriving a calf of its mother’s milk and taking it away for human consumption, killing bees to extract honey to be taken by so called vegetarians, which the bees had collected and made for themselves? All this is cruelty, no matter who does it – vegetarians or non-vegetarians. 

Yet we have to live our lives, nature has made us that way; we have to terminate someone’s life to survive. Some premise for doing this should be set. The one I set for my self, I share with you. I am of the opinion that taking from nature that is needed to live a strong healthy life is justified. Consuming more that what is needed just for taste’s sake, or wasting food, or hunting animals for pleasure, all are sins because then one is doing more harm to the nature then what is needed for life. It does not matter whether the food comes from animal kingdom or plant kingdom. The food should be such that it does not hurt my body or my conscience.

True, in Gurdwaras we do not serve meat, because the lunger should be such, which every one can eat. If meat is eaten in your Grandmum’s house there is nothing wrong.

iii) Drinks

	Alcohol is produced in our own body. Whenever one eats rice one feels sleepy; this is because alcohol is produced during the digestive process. It is true that one can get addicted to alcohol and that addiction can spoil ones social or economic life or both. If one is not addicted to alcohol and has good economic life where the individual can afford spending on it without curbing other essential expenditure for the family, I am of the opinion that there is no sin, I repeat the word sin, in drinking. In fact, it is now known that alcohol in the blood stream up to particular level reduces the risk of heart attack. Drinking in moderation helps, one should not get intoxicated or addicted or should not ruin family economics. 

With all this said, I also want to say that I do not drink and will never drink in my life because I had promised my elders never to drink and I am afraid that I may get addicted. When I have the option, I eat products of vegetable origin; when I do not have that option I do not mind eating meat. 

Here in this discussion I am just giving facts and logic related to the issues I had take up to talk about. Naturally it is for the individual (care4sikhi) to decide.

With Love and Respect for all.

Amarpal


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## Admin (Jul 8, 2004)

> iii) Drinks
> 
> Alcohol is produced in our own body. Whenever one eats rice one feels sleepy; this is because alcohol is produced during the digestive process. It is true that one can get addicted to alcohol and that addiction can spoil ones social or economic life or both. If one is not addicted to alcohol and has good economic life where the individual can afford spending on it without curbing other essential expenditure for the family, I am of the opinion that there is no sin, I repeat the word sin, in drinking. In fact, it is now known that alcohol in the blood stream up to particular level reduces the risk of heart attack. Drinking in moderation helps, one should not get intoxicated or addicted or should not ruin family economics.



Sat Sri Akal,

Rationally, I tend to agree with you on most accounts... but What are you views with regard to drinking being one of the Kurehats in Sikh Rehat Marayada. Do you still think that drinking is not bad. 

And, then What about Smoking ? Then according to your analysis, a little bit of smoking should not be bad for a Sikh... Please clarify my confusion.

Regards


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## Amarpal (Jul 12, 2004)

Dear Khalsa Jee (Ideal Singh),



In my posting, I had talked about meat and drinking. I had presented to all of our members the rational that I had to support what I have said. I have read again and again what I have posted; there is no mention about smoking. I could not understand your observation (as stated in your posting) that as per my analysis little smoking should not be bad for Sikhs. I had never said that.



You have raised two issues one about smoking and other about Sikh Rehat Marayada. In this posting I express my views on both.



First I take up the issue of smoking.



Guru Sahib had asked we Sikhs to refrain from consuming/using tobacco in any form. He was fully right. It is injurious to physical and mental health. The nicotine that is present in the tobacco gets passed the blood barrier between the brain and the capillary supplying nutrients that the brain needs to synthesise various neurotransmitters and other chemicals that are essential for its proper operation. There are receptors in the brain that seek this nicotine that gets into the brain. Nicotine when attached to these receptors in the brain gives a high feeling to the individual who smokes or chews tobacco. This feeling of elation in the normal course is given by the other neurotransmitters that are natural part of brain chemistry. Nicotine washes away these natural neurotransmitters making the individual depended on continuous supply of nicotine from outside the brain system. Not only this, as a result of nicotine in the brain the number of receptors keep on increasing making the individual smoke/ chew more and more of tobacco. Tobacco is identified as a contributor toward the possibility of cancer. Sikhism believes in living a life in harmony with nature. Tobacco is not an ingredient that is part of our natural diet. It is an addictive substance, which does only harm to the individual. One cannot compare it with alcohol, which in moderate quantity helps in promoting health; this I have elaborated in my earlier posting. Guru Sahib was fully right to forbid Sikhs from coming into contact with tobacco in any form. It was a right directive and today science supports it; that is why I say Sikh Religion is a modern religion. With this I close on smoking.



Sikh Rehat Marayada is needed, but has to be a dynamic document, which should be updated periodically based on new scientific knowledge without harming its basic intention or the intent that created this code. 



Intoxication is not acceptable in Sikh Religion; it does not go well with the concept of Saint-Soldier. Saint has to be in full control on the functioning of brain and Solder is not fit for the task if she/he has lost control of her/his mental faculties. Alcohol in moderate quantities does not affect the mental faculties, and within this limit it should be allowed.



With Love and Respect for all.



Amarpal


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## Hardas Singh (Oct 24, 2008)

Drinking is strictly forbidden in Sikhi.

ਸਲੋਕ ਮ: 3 ॥
ਮਾਣਸੁ ਭਰਿਆ ਆਣਿਆ ਮਾਣਸੁ ਭਰਿਆ ਆਇ ॥
ਜਿਤੁ ਪੀਤੈ ਮਤਿ ਦੂਰਿ ਹੋਇ ਬਰਲੁ ਪਵੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਆਇ ॥
ਆਪਣਾ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨ ਪਛਾਣਈ ਖਸਮਹੁ ਧਕੇ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਜਿਤੁ ਪੀਤੈ ਖਸਮੁ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਦਰਗਹ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
ਝੂਠਾ ਮਦੁ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਪੀਚਈ ਜੇ ਕਾ ਪਾਰਿ ਵਸਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਦਰੀ ਸਚੁ ਮਦੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਿਸੁ ਆਇ ॥
ਸਦਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕੈ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਹੈ ਮਹਲੀ ਪਾਵੈ ਥਾਉ ॥1॥
"Salok, Third Mehl: One person brings a full bottle, and another fills his cup. Drinking which, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind; he cannot distinguish between his own and others, and he is pushed away by his Lord and Master; One should strictly avoid this evil alcohol by drinking of which one forgets Waheguru and is punished in His Court. Do not drink the false wine at all, to where it is in your power. O Nanak, with God's Grace a person obtains the True intoxication of the Lord's Name. That person dwells forever in the Love of the Lord Master, Waheguru, and obtains a seat in the Mansion of His Presence. ||1||"
(Ang 554)


ਸੁਰਸਰੀ ਸਲਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਰੁਨੀ ਰੇ ਸੰਤ ਜਨ ਕਰਤ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਨੰ ॥
ਸੁਰਾ ਅਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਨਤ ਅਵਰ ਜਲ ਰੇ ਸੁਰਸਰੀ ਮਿਲਤ ਨਹਿ ਹੋਇ ਆਨੰ ॥1॥
"Gurmukhs, good persons, do not consume alcohol even if it is prepared by using Gangaa-jal (sacred water of the Ganges). This wine, and any other polluted water which mixes with the Ganges, is not separate from it (similarly a person from a lowly background who joins the pure Lord Vaheguru does not remain separate from Him). ||1||"
(Ang 1293)


ਪੂਰਾ ਸਾਚੁ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਸਹਜੇ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਪੀਆਏ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ॥
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕਾ ਵਾਪਾਰੀ ਹੋਵੈ ਕਿਆ ਮਦਿ ਛੂਛੈ ਭਾਉ ਧਰੇ ॥2॥
"(O Yogi!) The Perfect Lord naturally gives the cup of Truth, to the one upon whom Waheguru casts His Glance of Grace. One who trades in this Amrit, the nectar, which gives eternal spiritual life - how could he ever love the alcohol of the world? ||2||"
(Ang 360)


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