INTRODUCTION TO SIKHISM

A way of life and philosophy well ahead of its time when it was founded over 500 years ago, The Sikh religion today has a following of over 20 million people worldwide. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Who and What is a Sikh?

The word 'Sikh' in the Punjabi language means 'disciple', Sikhs are the disciples of God who follow the writings and teachings of the Ten Sikh Gurus. The wisdom of these teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib are practical and universal in their appeal to all mankind.

"I observe neither Hindu fasting nor the ritual of the Muslim Ramadan month; Him I serve who at the last shall save. The Lord of universe of the Hindus, Gosain and Allah to me are one; From Hindus and Muslims have I broken free. I perform neither Kaaba pilgrimage nor at bathing spots worship; One sole Lord I serve, and no other. I perform neither the Hindu worship nor the Muslim prayer; To the Sole Formless Lord in my heart I bow. We neither are Hindus nor Muslims; Our body and life belong to the One Supreme Being who alone is both Ram and Allah for us." (Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Granth Sahib, Raga Bhairon pg. 1136)

"Any human being who faithfully believes in: (i) One Immortal Being, (ii) Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, (iii) The Guru Granth Sahib, (iv) The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and, (v) the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion is a Sikh." (Reht Maryada, Sikh Code of Conduct)

Philosophy and Beliefs

There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.

The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. The goal of our life is to lead an exemplary existence so that one may merge with God. Sikhs should remember God at all times and practice living a virtuous and truthful life while maintaining a balance between their spiritual obligations and temporal obligations.

The true path to achieving salvation and merging with God does not require renunciation of the world or celibacy, but living the life of a householder, earning a honest living and avoiding worldly temptations and sins.

Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of the dead, idol worship etc.

Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God. It teaches the full equality of men and women. Women can participate in any religious function or perform any Sikh ceremony or lead the congregation in prayer.

A Sikh is any person whose faith consists of belief in One God, the ten Sikh Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib and other scriptures and teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Additionally, he or she must believe in the necessity and importance of `Amrit’, the Sikh baptism.

God and the Sikhs:

According to the Sikh belief, God is all omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. The sun, moon/s, wind, fire, water, vegetation and all other things which exist are His witnesses. A Sikh must worship only the abstract form of God. The worship of images or any other object is strictly forbidden.

God is both the creator and the destroyer. He is beyond birth and death. He is both merciful and compassionate. He is beyond fear and enmity. He is self illuminated. He is the Master of all the treasures. All our possessions are a result of His grace.

The Sikhs call God as Waheguru, meaning the most wonderful Master.

The belief of the Sikhs in Waheguru is similar to that of Judaism, Christianity and Islam i.e., God is the greatest power, He is supreme, He is the king of kings, He pervades everywhere, He knows the inner thoughts of everyone, He is the giver, He existed before the start of the time, He existed when the time was started, He exists now and He will exist forever.

Relationship with God:

The Sikh Gurus called Waheguru as Master and themselves as his servants. In some hymns they called Him as Father, Mother, Friend and Brother as well¹. Like Jesus Christ, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, in one of his hymns, called himself as God’s son².

Universality:

Sikhism does not believe in asceticism, celibacy or living alone at mountains or in caves or in forests in the search of Truth and God. It also rejects the orders of monasteries. For a Sikh the true life is the life of a householder. Living in a family environment and by serving the community both Truth and God can be realised. Thus it rejects the order of monks (Buddhism and Jainism) and nuns (Christianity).

The Sikh teachings are based on the principles of Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of humankind.

Sikhism rejects the concept of chosen people (as in Judaism) and caste system (as in Hinduism); it also rejects the concept of entering `Nirvana’ without the blessings of God (as in Buddhism and Jainism).

 In a Sikh temple people of all the faiths are welcome. The Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib also has in it the hymns composed by both Hindu and Muslim saints of various denominations.

The Making of the Khalsa
Guru Gobind Singh was the last Guru of the Sikhs in human form. He created the Khalsa, a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood devoted to purity of thought and action. He gave the Khalsa a distinctive external form to remind them of their commitment, and to help them maintain an elevated state of consciousness. Every Sikh baptized as Khalsa vows to wear the Five "K's":

Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a turban, the crown of spirituality.

Katchera - specially made cotton underwear as a reminder of the commitment to purity.                  

Kara - a steel circle, worn on the wrist, signifying bondage to Truth and freedom from every other

entanglement.

Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is committed to righteously defend the fine

line of the Truth.


Khalsa also vows to refrain from any sexual relationships outside of marriage, and to refrain from taking meat, tobacco, alcohol, and all other intoxicants.

Then Guru Gobind Singh infused his own being into the Khalsa, declaring that the Khalsa was now the Guru in all temporal matters. For spiritual matters, the Guruship was given to the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib", a compilation of sacred writings by those who have experienced Truth. For Sikhs, "Siri Guru Granth Sahib" is the living embodiment of the Guru, and is regarded with the utmost reverence and respect wherever it is found. Sikhs all over the world took to the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib" as their living Guru, as the source of spiritual instruction and guidance.
 

The first five baptised Sikhs, called the beloved ones, were also from both lower and upper Hindu castes. They were the first Khalsa, the pure ones:

1. Bhai Daya Singh, aged 30, a Khatri from Lahore (Punjab)
2. Bhai Dharam Singh, aged 33, a Jat from Delhi
3. Bhai Mohkam Singh, aged 36, a washerman from Dwarka (Gujrat)
4. Bhai Sahib Singh, aged 37, a barber from Bidar (Karnatak)
5. Bhai Himmat Singh, aged 39, a water carrier from Puri (Orissa)

 Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth prophet of the Sikhs, urged his followers to drop caste symbols after their names and instead write a common surname: Singh, meaning lion, for men and Kaur, meaning princess for women.

THE PROPHETS

The Founder (1469-1539)

1. The Sikhs had ten prophets called the Gurus. The time-period of the history of the Gurus ranged from 1469 A.D , when Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikhism was born, to 1708 A.D, when the last prophet, Guru Gobind Singh left this mortal world for his heavenly abode (239 years).

.Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion was born in a Hindu family of Kshatriya caste. He revolted against that order when he was only 13 years old. God spoke to him when he was 38. He was taken to God’s abode where God gave him Two Commandments known as `Moolmantar’ and `Sloak’. They read:

MOOLMANTAR:

SLOAK:

Guru Nanak was appointed as God’s latest prophet and was asked to spread the name of God and the rules of both divinity and morality.

Guru Nanak travelled as far as Tibet in the north, Sri Lanka in the south, Mecca in the west and Dhaka in the east to deliver God’s message. He was welcomed wherever he went. He met both kings and robbers, gave them the message of God and reformed them. He is the only prophet in the world who did not meet any violent opposition and was not harmed by the enemies. In fact he had no enemies. (compare him with: Moses and the Pharaos; Jesus and the Jewish clergy and the Romans; Ram and Ravan; Krishen and Kans; Mohammed and the Meccan pagans).

Guru Nanak was revered by both the Hindus and the Muslims. He was received with respect and folded hands by Babar, the Muslim Emperor of India and Shivnabh, the Hindu King of Sri Lanka; he was honoured by the clergy of both the Hindus and the Muslims.

Guru Nanak was a family man, was married and had two sons. While living with his father he looked after the family fields and the cattle; staying with his sister, Babe Nanki, he worked as a store keeper with the local ruler; and for the last 17 years of his life, he tilled his own fields at Kartarpur, a town founded by him. There are 41 Sikh shrines founded in his memory.

For 14 years, from 1507-1510 he travelled around the then known world and spread the message of God. In history, he is the most travelled of all the known prophets. (Jesus travelled in the central plains of Palestine; Mohammed travlled from Mecca to Medina and back to Mecca; Moses travelled from Egypt to outskirts of Palestine; Ram travelled from Ayodhaya to Sri Lanka; Krishna travelled from Mathura to Dwarka).

Guru Nanak died at the age of 70. His 974 hymns are recorded in the Sikh holy book.

THE PROPHETS

2nd Guru - 10th Guru

2. Guru Angad (1504-1552) was the second Guru of the Sikhs. He was a disciple of Guru Nanak and was chosen as his successor after being put to a great many tests. He became Guru at the age of 35 and his pontificate lasted for 13 years. He rationalised the Panjabi language and gave to it a new grammar. He also encouraged his followers to look after their health. He gave them instructions to have a balanced diet and regular exercises. He built many wrestling arenas and encouraged his followers to participate in wrestling competitions.. Like Guru Nanak, he founded a new town and named it Khadur. There are 2 Gudwaras built in his memory, and there are in Guru Granth Sahib, 65 hymns composed by him. He died at the age of 48.

3. Guru Amardas (1479 - 1574) became the third Guru at the age of 73. For twelve years he personally served Guru Angad. He walked daily for 5 miles to fetch water for the Guru’s bath. He was chosen from amongst many by Guru Angad as his successor. His pontificate lasted for 17 years. He inculcated amongst his followers, the spirit of Service to humankind and to God.. Like both Guru Nanak and Guru Angad he was a very simple man. There are 4 Gurdwaras related to his memory and there are, in Guru Granth Sahib, 907 hymns composed by him. He died at the age of 90.

4. Guru Ramdas (1534-1581) became Guru when he was 40. His pontificate lasted for only 7 years. He was a son-in-law of Guru Amardas. He re-organised the Sikh Church and founded the city of Amritsar.He died at the age of 47. There are 3 Gurdwaras built in his memory and there are 679 of his hymns recorded in Guru Granth Sahib.

5. Guru Arjan (1563-1606) became Guru at the young age of 18. He was the youngest son of Guru Ramdas, He built the Golden Temple and compiled the Sikh holy book. He also founded the city of Taran Taran. He is the first martyr of the Sikh history. He died at the age of 43, There are 12 Gurdwaras built in his memory and there are 2,218 of his hymns recorded in Guru Granth Sahib.

6. Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) became Guru at the age of 11. He was the only son of Guru Arjan. His pontificate was longest amongst all the Gurus, it lasted for 38 years. He was the first Guru to fight with the Mughals against their injustice and tyranny. . He wore two swords, symbolising Miri and Piri, royalty and saintliness. He organised early morning Sikh choirs. He founded the city of Kiratpur³. There are 16 Gudwaras built in his memory. He travelled upto Kashmir in the north to spread the message of the house of Nanak. He died at the age of 49. He did not write any hymns.

7. Guru Harrai (1630-1661) was a grandson of Guru Hargobind. He became Guru at the age of 14 and remained Guru for 17 years. He built many clinics for both sick human beings and animals/birds. He was expert in Aryuvedic medicine. Most of the time he lived in Nahan and preached the divine message over there. There are 3 Gurdwaras dedicated to his memory. He died at the age of 31. He did not write any hymns.

8. Guru Harkrishen (1656 - 1664) was the youngest son of Guru Harrai. He became Guru at the tender age of 5 and died at the age of 8. Thus his pontificate lasted for only 3 years. He took over the sufferings of the people of Delhi over himself and saved them from effects of smallpox epidemic (compare this sacrifice with the Christian saying, "Jesus died for our sins"). He instructed his followers to build schools for religious education. There are 4 Gurdwaras related to him. He did not write any hymns. Most of the modern Sikh Schools are named after him.

9. Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675) was a grand uncle of Guru Harkrishan. He became Guru at the age of 43 and remained Guru until the age of 54. He travelled towards east of India up to Dhaka to spread the message of the house of Nanak. He offered himself for martyrdom for saving the Hindu religion. He gave his life but saved the annihilation of Hindu religion by the then Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb. He was beheaded in Delhi at a place known as `Chandni Chowk’ He founded the city of Anandpur. There are 16 Gurdwaras built in his memory and there are 115 hymns recorded under his name in Guru Granth Sahib.

10. Guru Gobind Singh (1666 - 1708) became Guru at the age of 9. He was the only son of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Like his grand-father Guru Hargobind, he also had to resort to sword to protect the young Sikh nation from an onslaught of the Mughals. He initiated a new baptism and called it `Amrit’ . He created the order of Khalsa (Saint-soldiers) and prescribed the compulsion of wearing the 5 Ks. He wrote hymns which were later collected by one of his followers, Bhai Mani Singh, at the orders of his widow Mata Sundri. He declared the mission of Guru Nanak completed. He passed on the spiritual authority of the Sikhs to the Sikh holy book, and called it Guru Granth Sahib. He passed on the temporal authority of the Sikh to the Khalsa. He died at the age of 42. His hymns are preserved in the Granth called Dasam Granth. He was the last prophet (Guru) of the Sikhs.

Before his death in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh declared that the Sikhs no longer needed a living and appointed his spiritual successor as Sri Guru Granth Sahib, his physical successor as the Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh felt that all the wisdom needed by Sikhs for spiritual guidance in their daily lives could be found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is unique in the world of religious scriptures because not only is it accorded the status of being the spiritual head of the Sikh religion, but besides the poetry of the Gurus, it also contains the writings of saints of other faiths whose thoughts were consistent with those of the Sikh Gurus.

Sikhism does not have priests, which were abolished by Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru felt that they had become corrupt and full of ego. Sikhs only have custodians of the Guru Granth Sahib (granthi), and any Sikh is free to read the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) or in their home. All people of all religions are welcome to the Gurdwara. A free community kitchen can be found at every Gurdwara which serves meals to all people of all faiths. Guru Nanak first started this institution which outline the basic Sikh principles of service, humility and equality.

The most significant historical religious center for the Sikhs is Harmiandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) at Amritsar in the state of Punjab in northern India. It is the inspirational and historical center of Sikhism but is not a mandatory place of pilgrimage or worship. All places where Sri Guru Granth Sahib are installed are considered equally holy for Sikhs.

THE THEORY OF ONE SPIRIT

The Sikhs believe that all the ten Gurus had the same spirit. This is one of the fundamental beliefs of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh had recorded in one of his hymns that though after Nanak came Angad and then Amardas and then Ramdas, Arjan, Hargobind, Harrai, Harkrishen and Tegh Bahadur, but they all had the same spirit. They looked different for they had different bodies but their spirit, the inner self, was the same.

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