![]() ![]() ![]() Their representations are sold for pennies in the marketplace. Such popular "street art" adorns calendars. Ordinary mortals portray them in tons of movies made every year. In India, Sikhi flourishes in a largely Hindu society in which innumerable gods and goddesses thrive. In that part of the world, mixed cultural practices and attitudes prevail and, in many issues, Sikhi is visibly affected.Ĭlearly, in Sikhi, the flesh of the Guru-Founders is not important the ideas and teachings are paramount and eternal. Sikhi emerged from the cultural realities of Northwest India where two religious cultures - Hinduism and Islam- collided. Last year again, Son of God, a movie on Jesus Christ, sold out entire houses even before its scheduled release. Some of these Biblical sagas topped the Titanic at the box office. Many of us got our early education about the Jews and Judaism from this movie. Moses is considered a prophet by the Jews and the blockbuster "Ten Commandments" that highlighted Moses remains ever popular even after four decades. Hollywood produced many epics on various Biblical characters, including Moses, which helped educate the masses about these historical figures. His followers understand the educational value of such events. On the other hand, Moses has been repeatedly portrayed by actors on stage and film and so has Jesus, with nary a protest. ![]() Mohammed is also said to have ascended to heaven on a horse, hence the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Playing Mohammed in film or on stage might become grounds for a Fatwa or Jihad. There are no pictures, portraits or icons of Mohammed. He is supposed to be virgin-born, and to have ascended to the heavens bodily and spiritually after his crucifixion and resurrection. Just look at how Christianity tries to separate Jesus from the two fundamental experiences that no human being can escape - birth and death. Yet, humans that we are, we look for ways to deny the humanity of our prophets we think that establishes their divinity and heightens their status. Whether we use the word death for the Gurus or prefer one of many euphemisms like passed away, went to a heavenly abode, or merged with God, it is undeniably true that every one of the ten Gurus in physical form went the way of all flesh. Moreover, Sikhi clearly teaches that whatever is born of flesh must die. There is no reliable account left by anyone who was a contemporary of the Gurus. Sikhi is absolutely clear - no one knows what any Guru looked like. There exists no record in words, or sketch of what any Guru looked like. History tells us that that no Founding-Guru of Sikhi - not one of the ten - ever sat for a picture or a painting. NANAK SHAH FAKIR: The Dilemma & the Solution Deepening Your Personal Relationship with the Guru. ![]()
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