Can a Sikh recite the Bhagavad Gita for meditation? Is it prohibited for a Sikh to go to an ashram?
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Sikhs can go to ashram and recite Gita but meditation is done only on Gurbani and God’s name. No other book can be equated with Guru Granth Sahib – Gur Ishar, Gur Gorakh Barma, Gur Parbati Mai(Japuji). Every thing for us is Guru.
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A Sikh by definition is a disciple, to “sikhna” , that is to learn. In this way all people in the world are “sikhs” since we all pursue some form of knowledge be it in the sciences, business, etc. However according to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib the true Sikh is the person who makes his sustenance divine knowledge, in other words he/she that is a student of divine knowledge. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists etc. can all be sikhs of divine knowledge. The 10 Gurus in human form and the 11th Guru do not say that a man must convert to any specific religion in order to attain salvation, rather the person should strive to follow his/her religion they were brought up in to the highest degree. There is no restriction prohibiting Sikhs to read or contemplate the Bhagavad Gita. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib stresses the importance of obtaining divine knowledge since it is only through understanding that a person’s nature will change and thus replace his negative qualities with divine ones. The Bhagavad Gita’s purpose is exactly the same as all the other holy books of the world that is to “cleanse the filth of the mind” . However, just like school textbooks, merely ‘skimming’ through it and reading without understanding what is being read will not have any effect on you. In response to your 2nd question: Sikhs again are not prohibited to attending an ashram. God is both immanent and transcendent meaning that God is pervading everywhere in all the universe. Thus, if you seek God then why go to an ashram when God is everywhere..even inside you!? If you go to granthsahib.com and go to page 1350 about 1/4 the way down you will see an interesting line that will confirm this. It says ” Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.” -SGGS
The answer was long I hope it is satisfactory.
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