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

I am like a fish out of water,

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

How did you get to be a leftist?

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

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!

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

Can supporters of gun control explain the purpose behind a gun registry?

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

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

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

What is the best technique for inserting a tampon into one’s anus?

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

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.

Have you ever been forced into bestiality?

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

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

Why do people who were very kind and loving once become cold-hearted?

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

There is any scientific evidence that we live in a sphere. Why do others say that we lives in a flat Earth but there is no evidence that they have proven the existence of a flat earth?

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

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

What is one small habit that has transformed your life in unexpected ways?

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

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.

Red Sox rookie addresses alleged false claims about father’s background - Boston Herald

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

He accepted even women (Sursuri and Padywati) as disciples. Bhagat Pipa and Dhanna were Rajput and Jat who were also his disciples.

Is it possible for humans to determine their past life as an animal? Is there a scientific method to prove this?

ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

Sain (a barber)

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

I broke up with my boyfriend because he wasn’t transparent about his past, it hurts me and he doesn’t care. I told him in the beginning of our relationship that it was a deal breaker for me what do I do?

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

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

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

What should every American know before traveling to the UK?

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

Bhagat Kabir ji / Raag Sriraag / / Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 92

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

What is your favorite underrated movie and why? What makes it underrated? How did you find it?

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

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

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

Why is Reagan seen as the best president in the USA when he literally destroyed the American economy with trickle down system and was strongly against worker unions?

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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…

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

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

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

then who is there to know what happens without?

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

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

ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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.

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.

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

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

Kabir (a weaver)

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

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

NOW…

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

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.

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

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

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

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

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

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

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

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

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

With inadequate devotion, how can anyone swim across? ||4||

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

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

Now here in this verse

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

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

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

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.

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.

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

CONCLUSION:

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

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

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||

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

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

I am a sacrifice to You, O my True Guru.

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

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.

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

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.

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

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.

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.

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ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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.

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

Again we see that the originator of this Sant Sampraday himself talks about Brahman even in Gurbani.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

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

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

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

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.

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

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

The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is heaven. ||4||10||

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

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

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

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?

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.

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

He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

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

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

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

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

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating.

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

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

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

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

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

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

How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?