I would like ONLY our Sikh friends in this forum to help me with my understanding, or lack thereof, of our almost identical/slightly diverging spiritual paths. If my thought process is flawed at any point, it was by no means meant to show any disrespect, and I would like to be corrected on that.

As per my understanding of the Sikh practices,

1. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the Guru.
2. The Guru (in the form of) Guru Granth Sahib is given a place of honor, which is decorated with flowers and symbols; and the scripture covered with nice/expensive pieces of cloth.
3. Everyone prostates before this Holy book which represents the Guru.
4. Hymns are read/sung from this Holy book and the Pathi explains their meaning.
5. A food plate is kept by the side for the blessing of the Guru, which is mixed with the rest of the food to make it Langar.

In Hinduism,

1. The devotees prostrates before a deity, which represents God Himself.
2. God (in the form of deity) is given a place of honor on the alter and is decorated with tilak, nice outfits and flowers.
3. Hymns are read from Bhagwad Gita and their meaning explained in the form of a Pravachan.
4. Food offered to and blessed by the Lord is mixed with the rest of the food to make it Prasadam.


In one case I am supposed to believe that some ordinary paper with hymns printed on it becomes sacred and represents the Guru; while in the other case, clay or marble or a piece of wood formed into a deity represents God Himself.

In one case devotees prostrate before the Book representing the Guru; in the other case they do it before the deity representing the Lord Himself.

In both cases, they read/sing hymns which essentially define their dharma.

Both eat the food sanctified by the presence of divinity in their middle.

In both cases people are exercising their beliefs in front of a Guru or a Deity.

Why the acrimony?

On a different note,
Regarding the caste system in Hinduism, Boota Singh has been cabinet minister in many central governments in India because he represented the Dalits and the Sikhs. And the people working in the crematoriums in Punjab are served food outside of the main dining area of a Gurdwara. We do have Dalits among Sikhs too. It is something culturally rooted amongst people of all religions there.

We have so many varnas and social groupings in Hinduism. If one were to check the matrimonial section of any Sunday paper in Punjab or Delhi, one would see the various groupings that the prospective Sikh brides/grooms belong to, and the request that suitable matching families from those groupings only need apply.

Why can’t we just accept the fact that we have two sets of books in two different languages meant to meet the spiritual needs of people based on their religious affiliation? Why do the beliefs/practices of one have to be shown as better than the other? Why can't we accept that some of our common deficiencies are culturally rooted. Most of all, why must each group pick apart what they consider to be deficiencies of the other and gloat over them?