Professor Darshan Singh

Well folks, looks like another deep split is opening up in Sikhism. This time over the issue of Dasam Granth and whether all or part of it was authored by Guru Gobind Singh Jee. Professor Darshan Singh apparently does not believe that all the compositions of the Dasam Granth were written by Guru Gobind Singh Jee. This has created an almighty furore within the Sikh community. The pro Dasam Granth faction want the professor to be ex-communicated from the Sikh religion.

What the vampire finds highly hypocritical is the fact that we have the Akhand Kirtani Jatha who dispute the Guru Granth Sahib Jee. They believe the final section, the Raag Mala, was inserted by someone else and should therefore not be considered to be part of the Guru Granth Sahib Jee. However no one is hauling them up before the Akal Takht or calling for their excommunication from Sikhism. It seems that there as usual is a rule for one person and another rule for someone else.

What is worse? Those that criticise the writings of Guru Granth Sahib Jee or the Dasam Granth?

Sikh Channel

The Sikh Channel on Sky 840 has been for some time attempting to achieve a target of 10,000 direct debits of £1 per week. Considering there are around three quarters of a million Sikhs in the UK this should not be a difficult task. However are there 750,000 Sikhs in the UK?

The Sikh extremist interpretation of the definition of a Sikh is the one that keeps the kesh/hair. Others are not Sikhs. This interpretation, also promoted by the SGPC, has been legally accepted in India. The programme contents of the Sikh Channel also seem to promote this view. Preachers who come on the show back this interpretation.

Is it surprising that the monay (those withe shorn hair) feel alienated and not a part of Sikhism? Is it therefore surprising that the Sikh Channel is finding it difficult to reach their target figure? Considering that the majority of the population who consider themselves as Sikh are monay, the extremist interpretation of Sikhism will only cause difficulty for the Sikh Channel.

The Guru Granth Sahib Jee does not state that hair is fundamental and the Sikh Channel should be brave enough to promote this viewpoint rather than interpretations derived from other texts.

The Amrit Concept.

The meaning of Amrit is being distorted in Sikhism.

Guru Granth Sahib Ji refers to Amrit as Naam (name). However nowadays i hear preachers refering to the Amrit of Guru Granth Sahib Ji as 'khanda bhate da amrit' - the amrit of the panj pyare. Preachers are also stating that without taking 'khande bhate da amrit', one will not be accepted by God. One needs to ask them did none of the bhagats, such as Sheikh Farid who was born 200 years before Guru Nanak, reach God? Or Prahlad? Guru Granth Sahib Ji states, that the Lord himself saved Prahlad.

Prahlad is refered to in the Puranic texts of Hinduism that were written thousands of years prior to Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and thus prior to 'khande bhate da amrit'. The story of Prahlad has been inserted into the Guru Granth Sahib Ji to show that 'nothing matters but the name of God'. Devotion and fatih in God alone will lead one to God.

Is Guru Granth Sahib Jee right or some extremist preachers?
Is our Guru the Granth or some rehitnamas?