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Sikhism

The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs
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The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs

Sikhism (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ) is a religion that developed in an environment heavily influenced by conflict between the Hindu and Muslim religions. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhism are: the belief in one God, and the teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib - the Sikh's 11th and final Guru. Sikhism was influenced by reform movements in Hinduism (e.g. Bhakti, monism, Vedic metaphysics, guru ideal, and bhajans) as well as Sufi Islam. It departs from some of the social traditions and structure of Hinduism and Islam (such as the caste system and purdah, respectively).

The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 to a Khatri family in central Punjab (in what is present day Pakistan). After four epic journeys (north to Tibet, south to Sri Lanka, east to Bengal and west to Mecca and Baghdad) Guru Nanak preached to Hindus, Muslims and others, and in the process attracted a following of Sikhs or disciples. Religion, he taught, was a way to unite people, but in practice he found that it set men against one another. He particularly regretted the antagonism between Hindus and Muslims as well as certain ritualistic practices that distracted people from focusing on God. He wanted to go beyond what was being practiced by either religion and hence a well-known saying of Guru Nanak is, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." Guru Gobind Singh reinforced these words by saying, "Regard the whole human race as equal".

Guru Nanak was opposed to the caste system. His followers referred to him as the guru (teacher). Before his death he designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind (AD 1666–1708) initiated the Sikh ceremony in AD 1699 ; and thus gave a distinctive identity to the Sikhs. The five baptized Sikhs were named Panj Pyare (Five Beloved Ones), who in turn baptized the Guru at his request.

Guru Nanak's doctrinal position is clear, despite the appearance that it is a blend of insights originating from two very different faiths. Sikhism's coherence is attributable to its single central concept – the sovereignty of the One God, the Creator. Guru Nanak called God the "True Name" because he wanted to avoid any limiting terms for God. He taught that the True Name, although manifest in many ways, many places and known by many names, is eternally One, the Sovereign and omnipotent God (the Truth of Love).

Guru Nanak's ascribed to the concept of maya, regarding material objects and realities as expressions of the creator's eternal truth, which tended to erect "a wall of falsehood" around those who live totally in the mundane world of material desires (consumerism). This materialism prevents them from seeing the ultimate reality, as God created matter as a veil, so that only spiritual minds, free of desire, can penetrate it by the grace of the Guru (Gurprasad).

The world is immediately real in the sense that it is made manifest to the senses as maya, but is ultimately unreal in the sense that God alone is ultimate reality. Retaining the Hindu doctrine of the transmigration of souls, together with its corollary, the law of karma, Guru Nanak advised his followers to end the cycle of reincarnation by living a disciplined life – that is, by moderating egoism and sensuous delights, to live in a balanced worldly manner, and by accepting ultimate reality. Thus, by the grace of Guru (Gurprasad) the cycle of re-incarnation can be broken, and the Sikh can remain in the abode of the Love of God.

A Sikh should balance work, worship and charity - and meditate by repeating God's name, Nam japna (to enhance spiritual development). Salvation, Guru Nanak said, does not mean entering paradise after a last judgment, but a union and absorption into God, the true name. Sikhs believe in neither heaven nor hell. They strive for the grace of the Guru during the human journey of the soul.

Political pressure from surrounding Muslim nations forced the Sikhs to defend themselves and by the mid-nineteenth century, the Punjab area straddling modern-day India and Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir was ruled by them. The Sikh's Khalsa Army defeated the invading British army and signed treaties with China.

History of Sikhism

Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. His parents were of Hindu background and belonged to the Khatri subcaste. Even as a boy, Nanak was fascinated by religion, and his desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually led him to leave home. He wandered all over India in the manner of Hindu saints. It was during this period that Nanak met Kabir (1441–1518), a saint revered by both Hindus and Muslims. He made four distinct major journeys, which are called Udasis spanning many thousands of miles.

In 1538, Guru Nanak chose Lehna, his disciple as a successor to the Guruship rather than his son. Bhai Lehna was named Guru Angad and became the second guru of the Sikhs. He continued the work started by the Founder. Guru Amar Das became the third Sikh guru in 1552 at the age of 73. Goindwal became an important centre for Sikhism during the Guruship of Guru Amar Das. He continued to preach the principle of equality for women, the prohibition of Sati and the practice of Langar. In 1567, Emperor Akbar sat with the ordinary and poor people of Punjab to have Langar. Guru Amar Das also trained 140 apostles of which 52 were women to manage the rapid expansion of the religion. Before he died in 1574 aged 95, he appointed his son-in-law, Jetha as the fourth Sikh Guru.

Jetha became Guru Ram Das and vigorously undertook his duties as the new guru. He is responsible for the establishment of the city of Ramdaspur later to be named Amritsar. In 1581, Guru Arjan- youngest son of fourth guru - became the Fifth Guru of the Sikhs. In addition to being responsible for the construction of the Golden Temple, he prepared the Sikh Sacred text and his personal addition of some 2,000 plus hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib. In 1604 he installed the Adi Granth for the first time as the Holy Book of the Sikhs. In 1606, for refusing to make changes to the Guru Granth Sahib, he was tortured and killed by the Mughal rulers of the time.

Guru Hargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swords – one for Spiritual reasons and one for temporal (worldly) reasons. From this point onward, the Sikhs became a military force and always had a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Guru Har Rai became Guru followed by Guru Har Krishan, the boy Guru in 1661. Guru Teg Bahadur became Guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675, when he sacrificed his life to save the Kashmiri Hindus who had come to him for help.

In 1675, Aurangzeb publicly executed the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Sikh mythos says that Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed himself to save Sikhs who the Emperor had condemned for failure to convert to Islam. This marked a turning point for Sikhism. His successor, Guru Gobind Singh further militarized his followers (see Khalsa). After Aurangzeb killed four of Gobind Singh's sons, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnama (Notification of Victory).

Shortly before passing away Guru Gobind ordered that Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scripture, would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would vest in the Khalsa Panth – The Sikh Nation. The first Sikh Holy Scripture was compiled and edited by the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan in AD 1604.(Although some of the earlier gurus are also known to have documented their revelations.) This is one of the few scriptures in the world that has been compiled by the founders of a faith during their own life time. The Guru Granth Sahib is particularly unique among sacred texts in that it is written in Gurmukhi script but contains many languages including Punjabi, Sanskrit, Bhojpuri and Persian. Sikhs consider the Guru Granth Sahib the last, perpetual living guru.

The Gurus of Sikhism

The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

Sikhism was established by ten Gurus - teachers or masters - over the period 1469 to 1708. These teachers were enlightened souls whose main purpose in life was the spiritual and moral well-being of the masses. Each master added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting to the creation of the religion of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human form. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he made the Sri Guru Granth Sahib the ultimate and final Sikh Guru.

# Name Guruship on Prakash DOB Date of Demise Aged Father Mother
1 Guru Nanak Dev 15 April 1469 15 April 1469 22 September 1539 69 Mehta Kalu Mata Tripta
2 Guru Angad Dev 7 September 1539 31 March 1504 29 March 1552 48 Baba Pheru Mata Ramo
3 Guru Amar Das 25 March 1552 5 May 1479 1 September 1574 105 Tej Bhan Bhalla Bakht Kaur
4 Guru Ram Das 29 August 1574 24 September 1534 1 September 1581 47 Baba Hari Das Mata Daya Kaur
5 Guru Arjan Dev 28 August 1581 15 April 1563 30 May 1606 43 Guru Ram Das Mata Bhani
6 Guru Hargobind 30 May 1606 19 June 1595 3 March 1644 49 Guru Arjan Mata Ganga
7 Guru Har Rai 28 February 1644 26 February 1630 6 October 1661 31 Baba Gurditta Mata Nihal Kaur
8 Guru Har Krishan 6 October 1661 7 July 1656 30 March 1664 8 Guru Har Rai Mata Krishan Kaur
9 Guru Tegh Bahadur 20 March 1665 1st April 1621 11 November 1675 54 Guru Hargobind Mata Nanki
10 Guru Gobind Singh 11 November 1675 22 December 1666 6 October 1708 42 Guru Tegh Bahadur Mata Gujri

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib

See main article: Guru Granth Sahib
 

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or SGGS for short, is more than a holy book of the Sikh people. The Granth is the eleventh and final Guru of the Sikhs and is held in the highest regard by the Sikhs and is treated just like a living Guru. The SGGS forms the central part of the Sikh place of worship called a gurdwara. The Holy Scripture placed on the dominant platform in the main hall of the gurdwara during the day. It is placed with great respect and dignity upon a throne with beautiful and colorful fabric.

Sikh Religious Philosophy

See main article: Sikh religious philosophy
 

The Sikh religious philosophy can be divided into the following five sections:

Primary Beliefs and Principles

See main article: Sikhism primary beliefs and principles
 

  1. "Ek Onkar" - One God: There is only one God, who has infinite qualities and names; She or he (see note below regarding sex neutrality) is the same for all religions. 'He' has no sex, but is present within all things and all places.
  2. Rise early and meditate: The early morning hours, before the rising of the sun are used for meditation and experiencing union with God.
  3. Earn one's living righteously: One must work hard and honestly and never live off of others, but give to others from the fruits of one's own labor.
  4. Share with others: One's home is always open to all. All are served and all are welcomed. The fruits of one's labors are always shared with others.
  5. Reincarnation, karma and salvation: All creatures have souls that pass to other bodies upon death until liberation is achieved.
  6. Remember God: Love God, but hold the awe of her or him as well.
  7. Humanity (brotherhood): All human beings are equal. We are sons and daughters of Waheguru, the Almighty.
  8. Uphold moral values: Defend, safeguard, and fight for the rights of all creatures, and in particular your fellow beings.
  9. Personal sacrifice: Be prepared to give your life for all supreme principles – see the life of Guru Teg Bahadur.
  10. Many paths lead to God: The Sikhs believe that Salvation can be obtained by non-Sikhs as well.
  11. Positive attitude toward life: “Chardi Kala” – Always have a positive, optimistic, buoyant view of life.
  12. Disciplined life: Upon baptism, Sikhs must wear the 5Ks, strictly recite the 5 prayers (Banis), etc.
  13. No special worship days: Sikhs do not believe that any particular day is holier than any other.
  14. Conquer the five thieves: It is every Sikh's duty to defeat these five thieves: ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust.
  15. Attack with five weapons: Contentment, charity, kindness, positive attitude, humility.

Underlying Values

See main article: Sikhism underlying values
 

The Sikhs must believe in the following values:

  1. Equality: All humans are equal before God.
  2. God's spirit: All creatures have God's spirits and must be properly respected.
  3. Personal right: Every person has a right to life but this right is restricted.
  4. Actions count: Salvation is obtained by one's actions, including good deeds, remembrance of God, etc.
  5. Living a family life: Must live as a family unit to provide and nurture children.
  6. Sharing: It is encouraged to share and give to charity 10 percent of one's net earnings.
  7. Accept God's will: Develop your personality so that you recognize happy events and miserable events as one.
  8. The four fruits of life: Truth, contentment, contemplation and Naam, (in the name of God).

Prohibited Behavior

See main article: Sikhism prohibited behavior
 

  1. Non-logical behavior: Superstitions and rituals not meaningful to Sikhs (pilgrimages, fasting, bathing in rivers, circumcision, worship of graves, idols or pictures, compulsory wearing of the veil for women, etc.).
  2. Material obsession: ("Maya") Accumulation of materials have no meaning in Sikhism. Wealth such as gold, portfolio, stocks, commodities, and properties will all be left here on Earth when you depart. Do not get attached to them.
  3. Sacrifice of creatures: (Sati). Widows throwing themselves in the funeral pyre of their husbands, lamb and calf slaughter to celebrate holy occasions, etc. are forbidden.
  4. Non-family oriented living: A Sikh is not allowed to live as a recluse, beggar, yogi, monk, nun, or celibate.
  5. Worthless talk: Bragging, gossip, lying, etc. are not permitted.
  6. Intoxication: Alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and consumption of other intoxicants is not permitted.
  7. Priestly class: Sikhs do not have to depend on a priest for performing any religious functions.

Technique and Methods

See main article: Sikhism technique and methods
 

  1. Naam Japo: - Free service (Sewa), meditation and prayer (Simran), sacred music (Kirtan).
  2. Kirat Karni: - Honest earnings, labor, etc. while remembering the Lord.
  3. Wand kay Shako: - Share with others in need, free food (langar), donate 10% of income Daasvand, etc.

Other Observations

See main article: Sikhism other observations
 

  1. Not son of God: The Gurus were not in the Christian sense “Sons of God”. Sikhism says we are all the children of God and by deduction, God is our mother/father.
  2. All are welcome: Members of all religions may visit Sikh temples (Gurdwaras), but must observe certain rules: cover your head, remove shoes, no smoking or drinking intoxicants inside, and you must not be under the influence of any drugs, especially alcohol.
  3. Multi-level approach: Sikhism recognizes the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving your target as a disciple of the faith. For example, "Sahajdhari" (slow adopters) are Sikhs who have not donned the full 5Ks but are still Sikhs nevertheless.

Note: The Punjabi language does not have a gender for God. Unfortunately, when translating, the proper meaning cannot be correctly conveyed without using Him/His/He/Brotherhood, S/He etc., but this distorts the meaning by giving the impression that God is masculine, which is not the message in the original script. The reader must correct for this every time these words are used.

Sikhs Today

Today, Sikhs can be found all over India and elsewhere in the world. Sikh men as well as some Sikh women can be identified by their practice of always wearing a turban to cover their long hair. The turban is quite different from the ones worn by the Muslim clergy and should not be confused with them. The surname or more usually the middle name Singh1 (meaning lion) is very common for males, and Kaur (meaning princess) for women. Of course, not all people named Singh or Kaur are necessarily Sikhs.

The Five Ks

See main article: The Five Ks
 

Practicing Sikhs are bound to wear five items, known as The Five Ks, at all times. It is done either out of respect for the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of sense of duty or from understanding of their function and purpose and relevance in daily life. It is important to note that The Five Ks are not merely present for symbolic purposes. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own spirituality and to others' spirituality.

The 5 items are: Kesh (uncut hair), Kanga (small comb), Kara (circular bracelet), Kirpan (small sword) and Kacha (shorts).

Sikhs Around the World

A Sikh known as Yogi Bhajan brought the Sikh way of life to many young people in the Western hemisphere. In addition to Indian-born Sikhs, there are now thousands of individuals of Western origin who were not born as Sikhs, but have embraced the Sikh way of life and live and teach all over the world.

In the late 1970s and 1980s a limited political separatist movement arose in India with the mission to create a separate Sikh state, called Khalistan, in the Punjab area of India and Pakistan.

Currently, there are about 23 million Sikhs in the world, making it the fifth largest world religion. Approximately 19 million Sikhs live in India with the majority living in the state of Punjab ('greater Punjab' extends across the India-Pakistan border but few Sikhs remained in Pakistan due to persecution during the split of India in 1947). Large populations of Sikhs can be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and USA. They also comprise a significant minority in Malaysia and Singapore, where they are sometimes made fun of for their distinctive appearance, but are respected for their drive and high education standards, as they dominate the legal profession.

Following the Indian general election, 2004, Dr Manmohan Singh has become the first Sikh Prime Minister of India. He is also the first non-Hindu Prime Minister of India.

Modern Persecution of and Discrimination Against Sikhs

Punjab, 1947

Between March and August 1947, in the year of the Partition of India, attacks and massacres against Sikhs in the Punjab were carried out by the Muslim League during the Muslim League-Sikh War. [1]

India, 1980s

In India, Sikhs faced persecution following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. This assassination was an act of revenge by her Sikh body guards for the Operation Blue Star of 1984, when a group of Sikh militants following Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale occupied the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a Sikh holy site.

After attempts at negotiation failed, Indira Gandhi ordered the temple cleared by troops. Refusal to depart resulted in a firefight, with 83 army personnel killed and 493 Sikh occupiers killed (including many innocent regular worshipers who were caught in between during this unexpected event), as well as many more wounded. Many Sikhs considered the use of force in their holy place to be an unforgivable insult, and her assassination was claimed to be a response. Supporters of the government move argue that attack was justified since large amounts of ammunition were being stored by Sikh militants within the temple, and guns and shells were supposedly recovered during the army action.

In the aftermath of the assassination, some Sikh communities in New Delhi were attacked by militant members of Gandhi's Congress Party, then under the control of her son Rajiv Gandhi, who would go on to become Prime Minister. Thousands of Sikhs died as a result of this persecution. [2]

United States, 2000s

Hundreds of thousands of Sikh-Americans live in the United States and enjoy respect and religious tolerance. At the same time, many Americans are relatively unaware of the Sikh population in the United States and often mistake Sikhs for practitioners of Islam.

Following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, the Sikh community received nearly 300 reported incidents of threats, vandalism, and violence, including two murders. [3] The attackers mistook the Sikhs for followers of Islam.

The U.S. senate issued a resolution which condemns bigotry against Sikh Americans. The texts of Senate Concurrent Resolution 74 and the introductory statement by Senator Richard Durbin from the October 2 Congressional Record are available here:

U.S. Senate condemns bigotry against Sikhs

France, 2000s

The French state has banned children in schools from wearing 'ostentatious' signs of their religion, since September 2003. While the law is primarily intended to ban the Islamic Hijab from schools, it catches the Sikh Turban also. Four Sikhs were eventually expelled after the first semester under the ban. Whilst French Sikhs number only 5,000-7,000, Sikhs internationally have been making representations to their Governments to put pressure on France to either drop the ban, or make an exemption for Sikhs.

Other Observations

All Welcomed

Members of all religions can visit Sikh temples (gurdwaras = the Guru's door) but are asked to observe the following rules:

Multi-level Approach

See main article: Sikh religious philosophy
 

Sikhism recognizes the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving your target as a disciple of the faith. For example, Sahajdhari (slow adopters) are Sikhs who have not donned the full Five Ks but are still Sikhs nonetheless.

See also

This link will take you to an index of the most important pages on Sikhism, the Sikh pages.

External Links

Audio links

Kirtan links

Nitnem links

1. Japji Sahib

2. Jaap Sahib

3. Anand Sahib

4. Rehras Sahib

5. Kirtan Sohila

6. Tav-Prasad Savaiye

7. Chaupai

Notes

Note 1. Singh, meaning "lion", which is often thought to be the surname outside of India, is actually the middle name for Sikh men, as given by Guru Gobind Singh. A lot of reasons lead this to be used or perceived as a last name e.g.

  1. "Coming from a low caste family which is often easily identifiable by surnames. People drop the last name and use Singh as last name.".... is a common misconception. Since surnames are usually associated with castes, many sikhs prefer to drop their surname in favor of Singh.
  2. Errors on identity papers like passports etc.
  3. Singh was supposed to be the common surname of all Sikhs as a symbol of shattering all caste distinctions.

The equivalent woman's name is Kaur, which means "princess".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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