SERVING THE GURU?

It is good to have faith but we all know that it is not good to have blind faith. We also know that the rituals are a useless exercise. That is why Sikh Gurus brought a sea change in religious beliefs. Guru Nanak started his sermons with word IK ONKAR defining ONE GOD (WAHEGURU) for all mankind of the world. Guru Nanak created altogether a new philosophy condemning the rituals and worship of stones/statues. He and the Gurus who followed him directed followers to understand SHABAD GURU. The understanding only comes if a devoted Sikh reads and understands Gurbani and applies the teachings of Gurbani to change/ transform himself/herself to become a better person adopting the ways advised in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.But it is sad state of affairs that some Sikhs are so ignorant that they follow Brahminical rituals and start worshiping Guru Granth instead of reading and understanding the teachings. It is good to show respect and keep Guru Granth in clean and pious environment Instead they put Guru Granth during summers under fans/Acs and during winters, wrap the Granth in warm Rumallas and put heaters as if the Shabad Guru in fact feels cold and heat. Especially when such a practice is adopted in Gurdwaras the devotees try to enact the same way and such a practice spreads turning in to Brahminical rituals. The emphasis/preference is to worship following rituals, not to read and understand Gurbani.On the other hand we all pray every day in Gurdwaras “Jo prabh ko milbo chahe khoj shabad mein leh” Now what is this ‘khoj’ in shabad? It simply implies that every Sikh must read Gurbani, understand and apply to get rid of five vices to become a true Sikh. One cannot become a true Sikh simply by following blind faith or carrying out such useless rituals. How can we call these rituals a true religion which takes us away from teachings of the Gurus who sacrificed for the values they left with their Sikhs as Hymns in Guru Granth?Any Sikh who calls himself a Sikh is not a Sikh if he/she does not read Gurbani, does not understand and apply its teachings in life to change for the better. Numerous Hymns can be quoted from Guru Granth to support these thoughts!!!