Roundtable
The Roundtable Open Forum: Round Four
EDITOR
The Rules of the forum are posted here on the right, and need to be followed strictly by all participants.
The following is this week's (Nov 25 - Dec 1, 2009) topic for discussion, which should focus on the questions posed therein:
IDOL WORSHIP
THE FACTS
1 Idolatory and the worship of a pantheon of gods and goddesses is the mainstay of Hinduism.
We as Sikhs respect the right of Hindus to their beliefs, even if we do not subscribe to them. In fact, Sikhs have done yeoman service through the centuries in protecting the rights of others to their own system of beliefs ... including the Hindus.
2 On the other hand, Sikhs are expressly and vehemently prohibited by our Gurus from any form of idolatory or worship of ANY gods or goddesses. Not even the Gurus are to be worshipped. The ONLY focal point in Sikhi is God, the ‘Lord' of all creation.
Hundreds of verses throughout the Guru Granth drive in the message for Sikhs:
"They who call idols their gods, Their service is of no avail to the Lord!" [GGS, 1160:5]
"He who runs after gods and goddesses, He rideth a donkey; Yeah, his life is in vain." [GGS, 874:13]
"God is the sum of all gods and all goddesses, and much more ..." [GGS, 1082:13]
3 There are no ifs and buts for the Sikh: while we respect the rights of others to believe whatever they want, WE do not lend custom or commerce to practices which are abhorrent to our values.
4 Recently, idols of ganesh and saraswati have appeared in Sikh homes, businesses and offices - initially as exotic art, then as cultural pieces. Now, it has become an epidemic ... with wholesale subscription to superstitions, such as - that a ganesh idol brings prosperity, a saraswati idol brings learning, etc.
5 The presence of such idols and the practice of these superstitions cannot go hand-in-hand with Sikhi. One cannot call oneself a Sikh and yet delve in these practices.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- How prevalent is this practice in Sikh households and workplaces?
- What is the cause behind this phenomenon? Where is the energy coming from, vis-à-vis this infiltration?
- What can be done about it?
- Is there any danger posed by such practices - to the future of the Sikh community?
- What if these things begin to appear in gurdwaras? Is there a mechanism in place to deal with such practices which are obnoxious and repugnant to Sikh values?
- What can each one of us do to stem this?
November 25, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 5:34 AM.
While we hope for a wide ranging and free exchange of views, please keep in mind that none of us are here to judge another - Sikh or non-Sikh. We aim to clarify our own thinking - the goals and the process. While doing so, we ask you not to neglect an intimately, indeed inseparably, related question: Do you see an idolization of the Guru Granth occurring fairly commonly in our gurdwaras and homes in direct contravention of the teaching within? "It is not the sight of the Guru Granth that is liberating but engagement with the Word therein." Ultimately for the practices that we have, whether in home or gurdwara, the buck stops with us.
2: Malkiat Singh (Gurgaon, India), November 25, 2009, 8:09 AM.
There are few things I can think of which are more obscene than the sight of a devi's or devta's moorti (idol of a god or goddess) in a Sikh home or workplace. It's amazing the extent to which some of us have degraded ourselves!
3: Ashish Narayan (Kanpur, India), November 25, 2009, 8:18 AM.
I am a Hindu, but I do not practice idolatory ... I don't think it has anyhing to do with real Hinduism. And I agree: for a Sikh to put up a moorti in his or her environment is akin to stepping back five centuries, and letting go of all the spiritual and social progress Sikhism has brought about to date. It would be a tragedy of historical proportions if this practice becomes entrenched.
4: Amardeep Kaur (Sydney, Australia), November 25, 2009, 9:24 AM.
Hmmm ... a few years back on a trip to India, my baby brother became intrigued by a small glass figure of Ganesh on one of our sight-seeing expeditions. We let him have the statue, as it clearly provided him with much delight, curiosity and fodder for imagination. The statue led to questions about different religions and Sikhi, and he began to appreciate that this version of God was not necessary in alignment with our faith. The one condition for purchase was that he had to treat the figurine with some form of respect as it meant something to lots of other people, and he agreed and seemed to appreciate this idea. Was it wrong for us to let him have it? The figurine is now an item on one of my bookshelves. It is a beautiful form of craftsmanship, and every time I see it, it brings a smile to my face, reminding me of the moments of delight it brought to the child's face, and some important lessons he learnt that day. Is it wrong of me to keep it? I totally agree that idol worship is completly against our faith. In many Sikh households, I see figures of goddesses and gods being worshipped and it does have me wondering. I however, also see photos of the Gurus being worshipped, and not only in households, but in some gurdwaras as well ... [EDITOR: There's nothing whatsoever wrong in your having the figurine. What is wrong is having one for the purpose of bringing good luck, and expecting it will. And then, putting flowers in front of it, or touching it in reverence everytime you walk by, etc., etc. Treating Gurus' photos thus is equally wrong. But I don't know of any Sikh household or gurdwara which puts up photos thinking or hoping that by doing so, it'll bring learning or wealth to your door! It's all in the intent!]
5: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 9:38 AM.
As I.J. Singh mentioned: many Sikhs treat Guru Granth as an idol. They want to see the Guru Granth by taking off the rumaalas, without reading and understanding its verses. We stop our cars outside the gurdwara for few minutes and bow our head and are gone.
6: Avinash Kaur (Florida, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 10:14 AM.
By passing on the Guruship to Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh ji wanted to prevent Sikhs from going astray in following charlatans (sants, babas, etc.), AND from delving in idol worship. Paying respect to the Guru Granth, in itself, is not idol worship ... but treating it like an object and not reading and imbibing it makes it so. The key was in education - our Gurus wanted us to be lettered so that we could go to the source and 'drink' from it. The problem today, as always, is that those in our community who have shunned education now fall prey to these wierd practices. Many hide behind wealth, as if that gives them an aura of knowledge and wisdom, but it is they who find no dichotomy in setting up these stones in their homes. Secondly, those with low self-esteem - they have lost confidence in their own abilities - seek talismans to prop them up and give them the feeling that it is the statues that are their guardian angels. Whatever the reason, it is not a pretty sight - Sikhs stooping this low, I mean!
7: Baljinder Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 10:39 AM.
I have seen statues of ganesh and paintings of hanuman in some Sikh households I have been to. It kind of annoyed me, but I didn't make a big scene because I was a guest in their house after all. I did ask them why they have these things in their house when they call themselves Sikhs. They said that they don't worship these statues, but they just have them for decoration. One particular family said that their son had painted hanuman for an art competition. Even if they don't worship such things, I still feel that it is wrong to have them in the house because it is a slippery slope that can lead to more blasphemous things. It also sends a wrong message to the kids, because if they grow up around such things, then they may begin to associate themselves with these idols.
8: R.S. Minhas (New York, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 12:32 PM.
My mother came from a Hindu family and accepted Sikhism. She learnt Punjabi after marriage, and made an effort to bring us up by taking care of our kesh, and Sikh ways (compared to some of my friends who had BOTH parents that were born Sikh). Many of my relatives practice Hinduism (they were born into it). So there is influence all around. I see no reason be be disrespectful towards idols that may be God for someone. If someone gifts me something out of love, I have kept it. [EDITOR: If someone gifts it to you, treat it like a gift. Don't elevate it into a devi/ devta. Being respectful to others' beliefs does not include subscribing to them, if they are abhorrent to your value system. Your mother's dedication to Sikhi is laudable. And your situation is indeed one that has its complications. But, there are no ifs and buts about it - you cannot be a Sikh and practice idol worship. Period.]
9: Ravel Singh (Normandy, France ), November 25, 2009, 1:13 PM.
Baljinder ji: It all depends on how keen we are to have our children grow up in Sikhi. We have no dearth of our own heroes - and they are real, compared to others that are mythological or cartoon characters. We need to introduce our children to our heroes early. If we do that, other influences then do not threaten the core. If we are wishy-washy in passing on our own heritage, the children are going to grow up with a wishy-washy value system. Hanuman and ganesh - one is a monkey with human characteristics, the other a human with an elephant's head - are not much of a replacement for the riches of our own history and heritage ... but they are wonderful and harmless entertainment, if we have laid the foundations right.
10: Leena (California, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 1:27 PM.
How about the statue of "Buddha". I have never seen statues of Hindu gods in any Sikh homes I know but most of them do have statue of Buddha in one form or another - mainly for purpose of decoration. Even I have one. I think for decoration, it is nice to keep a Buddha statue in your garden or living room. I do remember from my childhood, when I used to visit my grandparents who had a large family mix of Hindus and Sikhs, at home you often saw some pictures or statues of Lakhshmi. Also, in those days, when they used to do Akhand Paath in that region (both Hindus and Sikh families used to do Akhand Paaths), it was started with some form of aarti and later that was stopped because of some hukamnama that was issued. So, I believe if Sikhs are educated and told the right way, they will follow. But most of the time, they do this unknowingly because no one ever checked them. So, we must educate them.
11: Tejwant (U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 2:45 PM.
When we 'matha tek' in front of Guru Granth Sahib, either at home or in the gurdwara, the gesture itself is our commitment to study the Guru Granth and practice its teachings so that we can breed goodness within and share with others. If the latter does not take place, then the ritual of 'matha tek' becomes nothing but idol worship.
12: Nischal Kaur (New Jersey, U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 4:22 PM.
It is my personal and firmly held belief that the presence of any idols - ganesh, saraswati, laxmi, etc. - in a Sikh home or workplace brings bad luck. A couple of years ago, on a visit to India, I was staying with one of my brothers and quickly discovered, to my horror, that he and another brother, both had ganeshes sitting at the very entrance of their homes. As well, they sported a host of such little, painted things on an alcove in their joint business premises. I raised hell. They claimed it did no harm, but were there merely as omens for good luck. I thought a lot about it, and finally confronted them over dinner that evening. I pointed out that our other two brothers, and a sister - each of these families were at least as affluent as these two brothers. Yet, none of the three had resorted to any of these goofy practices. True, my two errant brothers were wealthy too ... but on careful aanalysis, painful though it was, we found that these two households were always stricken with illness and mishap. Moreover, the children in the other three households happened to be far more educated and settled. It was neither here nor there, I pointed out, and certainly not a scientific study. But two things were clear: first, that these bits of painted stone had no bearing on bringing better luck, prosperity, health or wisdom. Secondly, if anything, one could prove on the facts that they actually were bad omens and were taking the homes down. They responded to logic and took the offensive things down and threw them in the garbage that very night. Permanently, I'm told! Since then, all the families continue to live ordinary lives, subject to the usual vagaries and ups-and-downs of life, I'm proud to report.
13: Amitoj (U.S.A.), November 25, 2009, 10:34 PM.
I have never seen idols in my house growing up and I will for sure not have any in my house as well. In India, I had Hindu friends and they had lakshmi/ganesh idols (many of them) in the entire house, but we were still friends and I never brought those idols to my house. I understood that we do not bow or pray to idols, period. There is no argument about it. However, we need to make a distinction between religious idols and artwork. Art can be used and it is used to depict religious symbolism. So someone drawing a hanuman or sculpting a laughing Buddha is okay as it is an artist at work. Idol worship in our religion is prohibited because people start praying to the idol and expect miracles to happen, instead of using their own hands and heads to make their lives.
14: Kulpreet Singh (London, United Kingdom), November 26, 2009, 12:26 PM.
The issue for me is about my values as a Sikh vs. the respect I need to have for others and their views. If someone gives me a ganesha or another idol, I will take it respectfully and treat it respectfully. Like some of the others who have commented before me, I normally keep these on a bookshelf which ensures they are kept clean, dont fall into someone's feet but havent been accorded any special status. And yes, I tell my kids what these are and the value they hold for others. The challenge I have faced before is this: As a Sikh, I respect someone else's faith and their traditions/ values. But what do you do if you become an unwitting participant in idol workship. Making it real, let me illustrate with a scenario. Lets say, I have a good friend who's a Hindu and believes in all the rituals/ traditions associated with Hinduism. He invites me to his home for a puja/ havan, etc. Do I say no because I don't want to be a participant in idol worship, or do I go and then visibly stay out of all rituals or do I go and participate in the rituals? Faced with this in the past, I have tended to go for the middle option of going but not participating in any of the rituals. Don't know how my friends felt as I never asked them about it.
15: T. Sher Singh (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), November 26, 2009, 4:26 PM.
There is nothing wrong with keeping such objects as art and artifacts. And yes, we should not do anything disrespectful to any of them, merely because they emanate from another system of beliefs. I have surrounded myself at home and work with little knick-knacks I have collected from around the world. Most of them relate to forms of worship from other religions. They rub shoulders with other art and artifacts and I make sure I never do anything with them which I would never do with a Sikh object ... even though the latter too do not get any special reverence. However, I do not place flowers or garlands on or beside any of them, I do not bow before them, and I do not expect any windfall of wealth, health, prosperity, good luck, enlightenment, or grace ... merely because of the presence of these objects. Sikhism is a faith based on common sense and moderation. If we think things out calmly and dispassionately ... the answers to such questions become obvious. It appears that you too, Kulpreet, have already arrived on your own at the same conclusions!
16: Harcharan Singh (Singapore), November 26, 2009, 11:33 PM.
Yes, mainstream Hinduism is replete with idol worship though the Vedas mention only one Supreme God. These manmade practices became more prevalent with people diminishing the supremacy of the one and single Godhead. These practices may have also stemmed from the brahmin caste who created new deities so that people could worship the new deities and thus they, the brahmins, could get more income from the offerings. Ordinary folk with their simple mindedness also decided - because of their blind faith in mythological figures or even ordinary actors from the film industry - to turn these two into new gods and goddesses. In India, people commit suicide because they idolize movie stars who recently died of natural causes. Talk about fanaticism, hero- and idol-worship. Thankfully, Sikhism - which is scientifically based on facts - provided wisdom to the masses. A pity that undeserving Sikhs choose to go back to the foolish beliefs of old times. The Gurus condemned such practices as it left humans powerless to charlatans. Yet, the Gurus condemned the practices, not the people. Basically it is very disrespectful to localize the Supreme God of all mankind into one stone, etc. And the argument that it is the worship and the belief of someone else is just an excuse. I think having idols in the home and believing in them for Sikhs can become a reality if we are not alert and if we compromise on this. That is the reason why the Amrit baptism ceremony was a way for a person to be reborn with new ideas and not to follow the old ways. If we compromise our scientific Sikhi way of looking at things, than we will encourage and bring in wrong practices. So let's be alert and be truthful to the enlightened views of our Gurus.
17: Ravinder Singh Tameja (Westerville, Ohio, U.S.A.), November 28, 2009, 10:27 PM.
A ganesh in a Sikh household is quite acceptable as an object of art but not as an object of worship. And by the way, the same is true of the Guru Granth Sahib - it is not the object of our worship, although it is becoming disturbingly so. Kulpreet Singh from London brings up an interesting point, namely, what should Sikh conduct be in a non-Sikh religious ceremony, especially if it happens at a friend's. That would make for an interesting Roundtable subject.
18: Baljinder Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 29, 2009, 8:02 PM.
Even if you don't worship hindu idols, why do you need to decorate your house with them? Can't we find better things to decorate our houses with? In addition, many hindus I have come across consider Sikhi to be a branch of Hinduism. Therefore, having these idols in our homes does not help us distinguish our separate identity.
19: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 30, 2009, 12:51 PM.
Let's not worry quite so much what hindus do and why they do it. Let's keep the focus on how we need to interpret our own teachings so that they become obvious in our own lives. Some things have an immensely high price but minimal value. Are we confusing the two? What defines a valued object of art after all? Does the pot belly in Buddha have an intrinsically artistic value or do the eight arms on a woman? Is the artistic value somehow tied to the fact that in parts of the world that potbellied figure is revered as is the multi-armed woman? In others words, do idols automatically acquire artistic value and worth? Look at some - the value attached to actors who played the hindu god-king Ram on the acreen, for instance.
20: Zameer Kaur (Pittsburgh, U.S.A.), November 30, 2009, 5:04 PM.
Kulpreet ji: There is nothing wrong in attending the religious ceremonies of other faiths. I, for one, make it a point to go out of my way to attend any I can, whenever I can, as often as I can. I enjoy watching others at worship - people are at their best at prayer, even when their practices are different from or repugnant to ours. But I go as a respectful onlooker and sit in the audience, following the necessary protocol. However, I draw the line at actively participating in the rite or ritual. Therefore, when in a Catholic church, for example, I do not participate in the sacrament, even when offered; or, in a Hindu ceremony, I refuse to put on a tilak or chandan - I politely decline. No one has ever been offended. Once I found myself in an Native Indian situation where the "medicine man" promptly lighted up some tobacco - as is their custom. Because it was an enclosed space, I politely excused myself and left the room. No one minded it, especially when I explained later that tobacco was taboo to me. I have found that as long as we are respectful to them - and insist on also being respectful to our own values - there is never any problem or issue. I should add one thing, though - it is a hindu trait, if I am permitted to generalize (there are always some exceptions), to egg on a person of another faith until he/she breaks his/her own rule. This happens more often than not ... I have learnt to anticipate it and am very firm in saying NO! Ultimately, they go away, after - strangely - admiring your steadfastness. Thought I'd warn you and prepare you for this too, because you'll never come across the generosity in others that Sikhs show in accomodating or even facilitating the religious practices of others.
21: R.S. Minhas (New York, U.S.A.), December 01, 2009, 11:11 AM.
I am not an expert in these matters, but the best explanation of idol worship I've heard is that it is a starting point for beginners. Just like a child learning the alphabet associates A for Apple (picture of apple), and B for Bat (a picture), and C for Cat (another picture), etc. A child/ beginner is not in a position to grasp complexities of spiritualism, which can be too remote and esoteric. On the other hand, once a child grows up, but is still stuck at the alphabet level (ritualism), then there is a problem ... This is where Guru Nanak made a difference in the lives of so called "learned" men and showed them higher levels. But, weren't the Bhagats Dhanna and Namdeo idol worshippers? Personally, I feel Sikhism (living it non-ritualistically) immensely challenging, and find myself falling short all the time. For example, Guru Nanak's langar was initially for the poor sadhus - a sacha sauda for the needy, i.e., compassion for other people. How does it compare with the modern langar? (In India, beggars scavenge trash for food outside the langar hall).
22: Amar Singh (Coventry, United Kingdom), December 01, 2009, 1:59 PM.
Dear Mr. Minhas: Just look around you - do you see anybody who's ever grown up and out of idol worship? Using your own analogy, when a child is taught the first words or the tables, we don't stop there. Each year, there has to be progress from one grade to the next. Never happens, I'm afraid, with idol worship, superstitions, rituals, etc. Nanak was a child when he rejected the janaeu! Regarding the Bhagats you've named - if you read and contemplate their bani, you'll note that they've long moved on from the idol to the Creator of All. It is in that very context that all contributors to bani use expressions such as 'Paarbrahm', 'Deh Shiva ...', 'Pritham Bhagauti ...', etc. They refer to God, the only One God, NOT any devis or devtas. Re your criticism of langar, it is a valid one. But, there's nothing wrong with the concept of langar ... it's we who fail and need to learn to do things right. Good points, all, though!
23: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), December 01, 2009, 9:01 PM.
CLOSING WRAP-UP: I guess we are 3-dimensional creatures and that's a reality not easy to escape, whether in thoughts or in deeds. It is hard to wrap our minds around an abstract idea and so we need to embellish it into a 3-dimensional structure. So humans created a God very much in the human image. These are our limitations. What we need to do is to recognize them even while we fight to transcend them. So. let's keep two things in mind that may, at times, be very disparate: the ideal and the reality. The ideal defines where we want to be; reality tells us where we are. By definition then, reality always falls short of the ideal. But as someone (I think it was Carl Shurz) said: "Ideals are like stars. One cannot hold them in the palm of one's hand but they can lead a seafaring man to his destination." Sure, the child starts with an idol but soon grows up to learn differently. That's what we need to do daily. Let's correct the missteps while we remain forgiving of them as well. Ultimately, I need to be less concerned about the failure of others and more impatient of my own back sliding particularly if I know better. I suppose in practices such as idol worship, or any other ritual for that matter, the pertinent questions are: 1) Why am I doing this? 2) What did I get from this act of mine? And, 3) Is there a better way for me to pursue my goal that makes more sense?
24: Dr. Karnail Singh (Bidston, United Kindom), December 02, 2009, 1:15 PM.
O-ooh dear! We have many paintings, statues and artefacts in my home connected with most of the major world religions, together with a collection of what could be described as holy scriptures. We are lucky to have many visitors from to time to time, some from around the world, and only once has anybody commented on the fact that ours being a Sikh household, it was inappropriate of us to have the statue of Mary (mother of Jesus) on display in our living room. I must confess we did not take much note of this at the time. However the forum's discussion brought to home how strong some feel regarding the issue of idols. I for one am humbled to see and handle these wonderful objects and think about the artisans behind them who were motivated and moved to produce them. Surely a garden flower - even a weed - or a beautiful wooden ganesh, is in the end, the work of God, coming through the creative expression of the artist. Am I not right in thinking that some parents give their children names which enable them coincidentally to chant God's name (Satnam Kaur, Hari Singh )? And did not Guru Nanak find the number 13 (considered unlucky for some) to meditate on? I think anything that reminds one of God can't be wrong. So what's the big deal as long as you recognise that there is only one God and not be afraid that your belief in Sikhism and the Guru Granth Sahib can be shaken.