Idol worship: "They, who say the stone is God; in vain is their service.”

“IDOL WORSHIP

PART 1. INTRODUCTION

Sikhism believes in One immortal formless God, the God of all people regardless of religion or race. God is self-illumined, without fear, sans enmity. Truth is God's name.

PART 2. THE STONE GODS

The Guru Granth Sahib rejects any worship of physical items such as stone idols, animals or plants. The worship of images, tombs or sacred stones is also rejected.

"They, who say the stone is God; in vain is their service. He, who falls at the feet of the stone; vain goes his labour. My Lord ever speaks. The Lord gives gifts to all the living beings. The Lord is within, but the blind one knows not. Deluded by doubt, he is caught in a noose. The stone speaks not, nor gives anything. In vain are the ceremonies of the idolater, and fruitless his service.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Arjan Dev, P.1160)

"The idol gives not the hungry and saves not the dying.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Nanak, P.1240)

PART 3. THE HINDU IDOLS

Although Guru Nanak's parents were Hindus, he rejected the theory of the Hindu stone gods. Since most of the Sikhs are originally from India it has been difficult to rid themselves of this concept.

"The Hindus have forgotten the Primal Lord and are going the wrong way. As Narad instructed so worship they idols. They are blind, dumb and the blindest of the blind. The ignorant fools take stones and worship them. Those stones when they themselves sink, how shall they ferry thee across?” (Guru Granth Sahib, Nanak,P.556)

PART 4. PLUCKING LEAVES FOR STONE GODS

The idol worshiper plucks leaves from flowers and then they throw them over the stone idols. The verses below show that plucking the leaves kills life for a useless cause.

"Thou tearest off the leaves, O lady gardener but in every leaf there is life. The stone (idol) for which thou pluckest the leaves, that stone is life-less. In this, thou art mistaken, O lady gardener. The True Guru is the living Lord.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Kabir, P.479)

"The blind ignorant ones stray in doubt and so deluded, deluded they pluck flowers for worship. They worship the lifeless stones and adore tombs. Their service all goes in vain.” (Guru Granth Sahib, Ram Das, P.1264

PART 5. CONCLUSION

The worship of idols in any form does not free the mind to doing services of just cause. The rewards are none to them, the reward achieved in their lives are of consequence and not the result of idol worship. People always need some sort of hope when their minds are not yet enlightened. The philosophy of The Guru Granth Sahib takes one to a higher plane of thinking to rid the mind of rituals.”

www.compusmart.ab.ca/suki/idol.htm

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