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

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭ ਦੇਖੇ ਜੋਇ ॥

Kabir (a weaver)

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.

Have you ever been forced to dress like a girl?

From Guru Granth Sahib ji - Ang 1195

I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils.

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

Your left and right brain hear language differently − a neuroscientist explains how - The Conversation

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

ਘਸਿ ਚੰਦਨ ਚੋਆ ਬਹੁ ਸੁਗੰਧ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਜ ਸਿਵ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਜਾਨੈ ॥

Do you think trump realizes that if he significantly decreases the size of CIA, that there is a higher chance of him being assassinated?

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

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.

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ ਘਰੁ ੧

What are the major security challenges facing India, both domestically and internationally, and how does the government address them?

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

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

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

Screen time and physical activity habits linked to adolescent stress and depression - PsyPost

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

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!

ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥

What was your best experience of having your navel touched?

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

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

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6.23)

An Invisible Force Has Been Eating Away at Mars for Centuries… and NASA Finally Caught It - The Daily Galaxy

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

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

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

Why do men prefer women below the age of 30?

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…

Says Kabeer, this is what I say:

Wherever I go, I find water and stones.

Corbin Burnes To Undergo Tommy John Surgery - MLB Trade Rumors

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

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.

Astronomers are stunned after the quiet development of the largest telescope ever built in China. - Farmingdale Observer

Ravidas (a chamar shoemaker)

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

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

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

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ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥

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

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

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

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

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

Now here in this verse

NOW…

ਓਛੀ ਭਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੇ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੀ ॥੪॥

Gauree, Kabeer Jee, Panch-Padas:

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

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

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

ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥੨॥

Sadhna (a Muslim butcher) and

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਜਿਉ ਜਲ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭਇਓ ਮੀਨਾ ॥

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

Says Kabeer, unto whom should I tell this?

ਊਹਾਂ ਤਉ ਜਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਈਹਾਂ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥੨॥

Sant Kabir was staunchly against cow slaughter.

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

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

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

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

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਕਹੀਐ ਕਾਹਿ ॥

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

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥

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.

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

ਨਾ ਹਮ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਨ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ॥

I am like a fish out of water,

Says Kabeer, the Guru and Ganaysha and Shiva all know

ਏਕੋ ਸੇਵੀ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ॥੨॥

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.

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

ਏਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਲੇ ਰਿਦੈ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਉ ॥੩॥

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.

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.

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

Let's look at the views of Sant Kabir

ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥

ਮਰਨੁ ਭਇਆ ਮਗਹਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਸੀ ॥੩॥

I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puraanas.

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਉ ਤਪ ਕਾ ਹੀਨਾ ॥੧॥

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

ਕਬੀਰ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਨਾਮ ਨ ਰੋਸੁ ॥

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥

ਗੁਰ ਪੀਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਖੁਦਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੫॥੩॥

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.

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

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.

ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥

Kaashi and Magahar - I consider them the same.

ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੀ ਆਸ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ

ਜਿਨਿ ਸਕਲ ਬਿਕਲ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਮੋਰ ॥

ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਉ ਨ ਤੀਰਥ ਪੂਜਾ ॥

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

ਏਕ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨ ਭਈ ਉਮੰਗ ॥

CONCLUSION:

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤੋਰ ॥

ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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

ਤੂ ਪੂਰਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਸਮਾਨ ॥

Sain (a barber)

Raamaanand Jee, First House:

ਕਾਸੀ ਮਗਹਰ ਸਮ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥

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

ਸੋ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

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

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

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

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

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਕੀਆ ਵਖਾਨਾ ॥

Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender, class or caste and they included even people from humble origins like

The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

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.

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

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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.

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen

You have cut through all my confusion and doubt.

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

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ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਉ ਨ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਉ ॥

One day, a desire welled up in my mind.

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

———————————————————————————————————————

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

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

You are totally pervading and permeating in all.

ਕੈਸੇ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਬ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

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.

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

I wasted my whole life in the city of Shiva;

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

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੈ ਆਹਿ ॥੪॥੧੦॥

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

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

Ramarchan Paddati gives more info about his teachings.

ਅਲਹ ਰਾਮ ਕੇ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਪਰਾਨ ॥੪॥

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

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.

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

Meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. ||5||3||

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

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

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

ਤਬ ਲਗੁ ਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਚਰਨ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੩॥

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

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

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

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

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

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

ਗਉੜੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ ਪੰਚਪਦੇ ॥

ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਰਸ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਕਾਸੀ ॥

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

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

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

ਕਤ ਜਾਈਐ ਰੇ ਘਰ ਲਾਗੋ ਰੰਗੁ ॥

ਮੁਆ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਰਮਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮੈ ॥੫॥੧੫॥

then who is there to know what happens without?