Sikh Attitude Towards Jyotish(Astrology)

[gurmukhsodhi]

The title says all.

[chatanga]

it has no place in Gurmat marg or in Kalyug.

Having said that, loads of Sikhs espec. from India swear by it.

[OhTwadi]

it has no place in Gurmat marg or in Kalyug

Can you please explain the part in bold? Dhanwaad.

[dalsingh101]

I always thought this vaar of Bhai Gurdas clearly spelled out the correct attitude to take towards such things myself.

http://searchgurbani.com/bhai_gurdas_vaaran/vaar/5/pauri/8/line/3

[chatanga]

Can you please explain the part in bold? Dhanwaad.

Astrology was basically the study of Brahmans, who considered certain stars in certain places to be auspicious, and so set weddings etc to these occassions. If you watch Om Namah Shiva, or Ramayana, etc the brahamans would advise the kings that such and such stars were meeting and now is the time to get your children married etc, or now is the time to give alms etc.

But this has no place in kalyug, in kalyug one does not have to wait for auspicious times according to astrology, nor consult astrologers on when to do it. well for Sikhs anyway.

[Singh559]

No, it's not real and more importantly is against Sikhi.

[VanHelsingh]

Its such a widespread practice in Panjab (for setting wedding dates, etc) its not even funny.

I'm not sure whether people consult astrologers outside of India. I'm guessing they do but I've never heard anyone openly admit to it.

[chatanga]

Its such a widespread practice in Panjab (for setting wedding dates, etc) its not even funny.

throughout India mate, and wherevr there are Hindu communities. eg indonesia, malaysia, fiji, bangala desh, uk.

[VanHelsingh]

throughout India mate, and wherevr there are Hindu communities. eg indonesia, malaysia, fiji, bangala desh, uk.

Yeah for sure. I was focusing more on our Panjabi people who've been told not to believe in such practices.

[West London Singh]

Whether we like it or not the fact is because of the endemic 'fake fortune telling' activities of the bhatra sangat there is a large group of people in this world that associate charlatan fortune telling / astrology / palm reading with the Sikhs. This is a shame because there was a time when soomeone thought of a Sikh, they thought of an honourable warrior. I have been shocked and saddened over the last few years how many people I met from around the world have thought 'gypsy fake fortune teller' when I mentioned the word 'Sikh'. I remember reading an historical account of London from the 1920's. The book talked about the Sikhs from Aldgate, who would go to Picadilly Circus and try and scam tourists. I remember reading about how the tourist guides in Hong Kong try and warn tourists to stay away from the 'Sikhs' who try and read your palm, because they are all con-artists. I can't remember the amount of times I have read things on the internet from across the globe.....where people warn each other to stay well clear of the 'theiving' sikhs....pressuring them to have their palm read. Its a daily occurence in places such as Bangkok and Manilla etc. Here's just a small selection of what people are saying about us sikhs.

http://normanmonkey.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/sikh-your-fortune/

http://www.bangladesh.com/forums/personals/14766-sikh-fortune-tellers.html

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/indian-fortune-teller-scam-c308673.html

http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/spirituality-consciousness-awareness/20390-sikh-fortune-teller.html

http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/psychic-paranormal/1432-approached-fortune-teller.html

http://arwinglanding.net/forum/index.php?topic=12013.0

http://www.seatofourpants.com/2009/10/02/unexplainable-indian-fortune-teller-experience-check/

The point is....just like the way we feel about the Romanian gypsy's on the London underground scamming us out of money.....There are alot of people that think of us Sikhs in exactly the same way because of their experience with us. A bhatra sikh can claim all day long how its been a long held tradition for them to do these activities but its all of us that suffer the loss in reputation as a result. The reality though, is that nothing much has changed in the last 150 years. If you read Denzil Ibbetson's enclycopedia on the races and 'castes' of Punjab from the late 1800's...under the heading of 'Sikhs'....it is interesting to read his account on the roots and culture of the bhatra sikhs. Ibbetson....all those many years ago....said they make their living by tricking or conning people out of money with false astrology and palm reading. If there's one thing we learn from history it is the fact that we learn nothing from history. We will never learn because we will never change this fact. We will never change it because we will never mention it. We will never mention because we're scared to death of being accused of 'casteism'.