Gurmat and Celebrating Birthdays

What does Gurmat and Gurmukhs on the Forum say abt celebrating the Birthdays ?

Bhul Chuk Maaf !!

ok, clearly i'm not a gurmukh, but this seems like a common sense thing to me. don't have a big party at a restaurant. do have langar and keertan. what's the big deal?

Thanks Bhenji - How abt Cutting cakes etc at home ?

Bhul Chuk Maaf !!

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How abt Cutting cakes etc at home ?

Pull the tin footi kirpan and cut the cake man! why worry so much><

gursewak jee, even though you asked for Gurmukhs to respond, I am going to share my lowly thoughts anyway so please excuse me.

I don't think the Gurmukhs are too interested in celebrating birthdays, they are probably more interested in celebrating Gurpurbs like Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Jee's prakash tomorrow. Obviously it may be a good time to thank Guru Jee for this human birth, but one can only really celebrate if we've achieved what we came here to do.

I think some people these days are busy indulging in celebrating their birthdays, anniversaries etc and they may even do this in the form of a Paath or Keertan smagam but yet they forget all about Gurpurbs and other important historical days which should be celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Gursikhs. How often have we seen a home keertan program for a Gurpurb? The puratan Singhs (even many today) didn't even know when they born, and probably didn't even care.

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1kaur
what's the big deal?

I don't know, is there one lol?

Maybe my views are too hardline on this and subject to change, and I wouldn't make statements like birthday celebration is manmat or tell anyone how to celebrate etc. I am all for enjoyment and fun now and then.

no! cutting cakes is antigurmat. you must pull of chunks with your fingers. be sure to wash your hands first, though.

WaheGuruJiKaKhalsa ll WaheGuruJiKiFateh ll

what an excellent topic at the right time of the year.

WaheGuruJiKaKhalsa ll WaheGuruJiKiFateh ll

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How often have we seen a home keertan program for a Gurpurb?

when you live in a small town without a gurdwara, you see them all the time.

when you live in a place with a larger sangat, i'd assume that gurpurabs are usually celebrated at gurdwara sahib?

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh Sangat Ji,

I have joined this forum just yesterday with this same question in mind. A quick search got me here but I see it was raised back in 2010 but since I still didn't get the proper answer I would like to revive this topic.

Question is not whether we should cut a cake or distribute food or decorate our house. Question is: Whether a Gursikh shall even consider it an event to celebrate. It is a happy occasion for a Gursikh? What does Gurbani say when a person grows older?

Bhul Chuk di Khima

Daas Dilraj Singh

Sangat Ji,

Any suggestions on this?

Daas Dilraj Singh

Vahiguroo is always young, always celebrating as those who remain devoted to Him Jio?

bhul chuk muaf meri matt toree

Its an interesting thing , the way western sikhs want everythinh clear cut. In Punjab, people have a more open approach. Well, here are my two cents.

Of course every indulgence such as birthday parties is part of the illusion, maya! One thinks its a happy occassion, but its not! How can we not recall the famous panktis by Kabir Sahib over here?

ਜਨਨੀ ਜਾਨਤ ਸੁਤੁ ਬਡਾ ਹੋਤੁ ਹੈ ਇਤਨਾ ਕੁ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਜਿ ਦਿਨ ਦਿਨ ਅਵਧ ਘਟਤੁ ਹੈ ॥

So of course we need to recall and remember that avadhi, duration, the time window, is running out.

But, then sometimes we have to make some mayavadi concessions. If your children are young , you might have a little gathering for them. Let them play and have a bit of innocent fun. Otherwise they might feel they are missing out on things.

But then Of course make sure you go to gurdwara and do ardass and serve parshaad at home. Bring Guru and Gurbani into the occassion.
In the end we have to remember that we are nearing our death and we are losing the game. So as elders we should know this all the time. If we have to do something for young kids, just temper it with Guru and Gurbani.
Lastly, I think if you are a grown up and you think of yourself as a Sikh, and you get all excited about your birthday, then you have missed the basic understanding of maya by a mile. What is so great about having lost another year to futility?
True celebration are in memory of those who achieved tbe target. Whats so great about us, bishta ke jant?

ks ji, Dhanwaad for your reply. But the question is not about Guru Sahibaan's Birthday celebration. Moreover, we shouldn't even say Birthday for Guru sahibaans, we should call it "Prakash Purab". Janam and Maran are for normal Human Beings, Guru Sahib tan Parmatma di Jot si and so they were out from Janam Maran de ger. The question was regarding the birthday celebration for ourselves.

Bhul Chuk di Khima

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Question is not whether we should cut a cake or distribute food or decorate our house. Question is: Whether a Gursikh shall even consider it an event to celebrate. It is a happy occasion for a Gursikh? What does Gurbani say when a person grows older?

Dilraj Singh Jeeo,

For a Manmukh, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about one's own birthday. A huge number of wishes by phone calls, messages, etc. momentarily give the person a feeling of being the centre of attention. It is nothing but a feed to one's own Haumai which gives a good feeling. Celebration activities would involve partying, dancing, eating Abhakh Khaana and all sorts of Manmukh Karams.

On the other hand, for a Gursikh, one's own birthday is certainly not an event to celebrate or to be excited about. It is all the more reason to remind oneself that year by year, month by month, day by day, the body is withering away, death is approaching near. We think that our age is increasing. Instead, our age, our time in this world is constantly decreasing.

ਅਉਧ ਘਟੈ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰੈਣਾਰੇ ॥ ਮਨ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਕਾਜ ਸਵਾਰੇ ॥1॥

Parents also celebrate birthdays of their children with great excitement and happiness. The mother feels elated "my child is 'x' years old today!" She doesn't realise that her child's age written by Vaheguru is decreasing day by day.

ਜਨਨੀ ਜਾਨਤ ਸੁਤੁ ਬਡਾ ਹੋਤੁ ਹੈ ਇਤਨਾਕੁ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਜਿ ਦਿਨ ਦਿਨ ਅਵਧ ਘਟਤੁ ਹੈ ॥

There is another beautiful Shabad by Bhagat Kabir Ji in Dhanaasari Raag in this regard.

ਦਿਨ ਤੇ ਪਹਰ ਪਹਰ ਤੇ ਘਰੀਆਂ ਆਵ ਘਟੈ ਤਨੁ ਛੀਜੈ ॥
ਕਾਲੁ ਅਹੇਰੀ ਫਿਰੈ ਬਧਿਕ ਜਿਉ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਵਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਕੀਜੈ ॥੧॥
ਸੋ ਦਿਨੁ ਆਵਨ ਲਾਗਾ ॥ ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਭਾਈ ਸੁਤ ਬਿਨਤਾ ਕਹਹੁ ਕੋਊ ਹੈ ਕਾ ਕਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਜਬ ਲਗੁ ਜੋਤਿ ਕਾਇਆ ਮਹਿ ਬਰਤੈ ਆਪਾ ਪਸੂ ਨ ਬੂਝੈ ॥
ਲਾਲਚ ਕਰੈ ਜੀਵਨ ਪਦ ਕਾਰਨ ਲੋਚਨ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਸੂਝੈ ॥੨॥
ਕਹਤ ਕਬੀਰ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ ਛੋਡਹੁ ਮਨ ਕੇ ਭਰਮਾ ॥
ਕੇਵਲ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ ਪਰਹੁ ਏਕ ਕੀ ਸਰਨਾਂ ॥੩॥

What else is there to say? Guru Sahib's message is clear.

Apart from this, if we want to observe any event of Sukh-Dukh, we should do Naam Simran, Gurbani Paath & Kirtan, go to Gurudwara Sahib, Join Sangat or invite Sangat to our home and do Seva of Gursikhs. Anything else would be unsuitable for a Gursikh.

Birthday (or Birth-Date) should be a reminder to us that we are not out of "Aava-Gaman" yet.

Is it sensible to celebrate Aava-Gaman? Actually, we should be ashamed of our past deeds that we are still stuck in Aava-Gaman.

bhul chuk muaf DilrajK Jio_/\_
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Mohkam Singh Ji, Thank You for the beautiful explanation!

All my doubts are clear now.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh