Sikhism comes from the word “Sikh”- Disciple.
Is a distinct and unique religion, not a sect of Hinduism or Islam.
Guru is made from two words: Gu (dispeller of ignorance) and ru
(bringer of enlightenment).
Gurdwara - House of worship (Sikh Temple).
Waheguru – One of the Name of God/Almighty.
Khalsa - belonging to the divine, Pure.
Guru Granth Sahib ji - The Spiritual Scripture of Sikhs.
Mool Mantar – Basic Tenet(s).
The people who practice Sikhism, or Sikhs, believe in One God, and
the brotherhood and equality of all men and women.
The place of worship of Sikhism is called the
Gurdwara (Goord-vhar-ah).
The holy book of Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
There is but one God.
True is his name.
The Creator, without fear, without enmity.
Timeless, Without birth i.e. unborn and Self illumined
There are 11 Gurus that the teachings of Sikhism are based on.
(Guru means teacher and Sikh means learner.)
Sikhs believe that God can be found within one’s own being, rather
than through places of worship.
The path to God is through earning an honest living, sharing with
the needy and contributing to society, and living a healthy, active
family life.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Guru Angad Dev Ji
Guru Amar Das Ji
Guru Ram Das Ji
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Guru Hargobind Ji
Guru Har Rai Ji
Guru Harkrishan Ji
Guru Tegh Bhadur Ji
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Founded by Guru Nanak, the first Guru, in the 15th century.
Originated, in part, as a response to the Muslim forcible conversion
and oppression of the Hindus during the invasion of the Mughal
Empire in India.
Began as a “saintly” movement by Guru Nanak to find unity and
devotion to God, and promote peace and brotherhood of Hindus
and Muslims.
Over the next 200 years and lives of the next 9 Gurus, it became a
religion of the “saint-soldier,” where Sikhs had a unique appearance
and identity to serve as protectors of the weak and seekers of truth
and justice.
The symbol or emblem of Sikhism is known as the Khanda.
It is made up of: The Khanda - a double edged sword.
The Chakkar, like the Kara it is a circle representing God without
beginning or end and reminding Sikhs to remain within the rule of
God.
Major Festivals: Hola Mohalla - February/March
Holy Place: Nankana Sahib, where the founder
Sacred Text: Guru Granth Sahib
• The basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his
successors. Many sources call Sikhism
a monotheistic religion, while others call it
a monistic and panentheistic religion.
• According to Eleanor Nesbitt, English renderings of Sikhism as a
monotheistic religion "tend misleadingly to reinforce a Semitic
understanding of monotheism, rather than Guru Nanak's mystical
awareness of the one that is expressed through the many.
• However, what is not in doubt is the emphasis on one. In Sikhism,
the concept of "God“
is Waheguru considered Nirankar (shapeless), akal (timeless),
and Alakh Niranjan (invisible).
Sikh ethics emphasize the congruence between spiritual
development and everyday moral conduct. Its founder Guru Nanak
summarized this perspective with "Truth is the highest virtue, but
higher still is truthful living“
The Sikh scripture begins with Ik Onkar, which refers to the
"formless one",and understood in the Sikh tradition as monotheistic
unity of God. Sikhism is classified as an Indian religion along
with Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, given its geographical origin
and its sharing some concepts with them.
The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The teachings of
the Sikh religion were passed down from Guru to Guru and then
written down in a very special book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The
Guru Granth Sahib is used to guide the everyday thoughts and
actions within a Sikh family and the rituals involved.
There is one primary scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth Sāhib. It
is sometimes synonymously referred to as the Ādi Granth.
Chronologically, however, the Ādi Granth – literally, The First Volume,
refers to the version of the scripture created by Guru Arjan in 1604.
The Gurū Granth Sāhib is the final expanded version of the scripture
compiled by Guru Gobind Singh. While the Guru Granth Sahib is an
unquestioned scripture in Sikhism, another important religious text,
the Dasam Granth, does not enjoy universal consensus, and is
considered a secondary scripture by many Sikhs
The Sikh Gurus taught that by constantly remembering the divine
name (naam simran) and through selfless service, or sēvā, the
devotee overcomes egoism (Haumai).
This, it states, is the primary root of five evil impulses and the cycle
of rebirth.
Service in Sikhism takes three forms: "Tan" – physical service;
"Man" – mental service (such as studying to help others); and
"Dhan" – material service.
Sikhism stresses kirat karō: that is "honest work". Sikh teachings
also stress the concept of sharing, or vaṇḍ chakkō, giving to the
needy for the benefit of the community.
Guru Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of
heaven or hell but on a spiritual union with the Akal which results
in salvation or Jivanmukti (liberation whilst alive), a concept also
found in Hinduism.
Guru Gobind Singhmakes it clear that human birth is obtained with
great fortune, therefore one needs to be able to make the most of
this life.
Sikhs believe in reincarnation and karma concepts found in
Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
However, in Sikhism both karma and liberation "is modified by the
concept of God's grace" (nadar, mehar, kirpa, karam etc.).
Guru Nanak states "The body takes birth because of karma, but
salvation is attained through grace".
To get closer to God: Sikhs avoid the evils of Maya, keep the
everlasting truth in mind,
practice Shabad Kirtan, meditate on Naam, and serve humanity.
Sikhs believe that being in the company of
the Satsang or Sadh Sangat is one of the key ways to achieve
liberation from the cycles of reincarnation.
No magic: antidote for evil is to remember God (recite His name).
No rituals.
No superstitions.
No statues or idol worship.
Sikh men and women keep uncut hair.
Dress code given by tenth Guru: Guru Gobind Singh, as a form of
identity and uniqueness. – Sikhs wear the five K‟s: Kesh (unshorn
hair) Kanga (small comb) Kara (iron bangle) Kirpaan (symbolic
sword) Kachera (underpants).
Color of turban is personal preference
Sikhism regards God as the true king, the king of all kings, the one
who dispenses justice through the law of karma, a retributive model
and divine grace.
The term for justice in the Sikh tradition is "Niau".
It is related to the term "dharam" which in Sikhism connotes 'moral
order' and righteousness.
According to the Tenth Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh, states
Pashaura Singh – a professor of Sikh Studies, "one must first try all
the peaceful means of negotiation in the pursuit of justice" and if
these fail then it is legitimate to "draw the sword in defense of
righteousness".
Sikhism considers "an attack on dharam is an attack on justice, on
righteousness, and on the moral order generally" and the dharam
"must be defended at all costs".
The divine name is its antidote for all pain and vices. Forgiveness is
taught as a virtue in Sikhism, yet it also teaches its faithful to shun
those with evil intentions and to pick up the sword to fight injustice
and religious persecution.
Sikhism does not differentiate religious obligations by gender. God
in Sikhism has no gender, and the Sikh scripture does not
discriminate against women, nor bar them from any roles. Women in
Sikhism have led battles and issued hukamnamas.
Spiritual scripture ( Guru Granth Sahib ) mandate women must
be respected and treated as equal to man.
Sikh Gurus rejected the old myth of females being inferior to
men.
Sikh followers are instructed not to associate with those who
discriminate against Women.
Sikh Women can do everything.
Both men and women are considered capable of reaching the
highest levels of spirituality.
The Sikh scriptures use Hindu terminology, with references to
the Vedas, and the names of gods and goddesses in Hindu bhakti
movement traditions, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Parvati,
Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rama, Krishna, but not to worship.
It also refers to the spiritual concepts in Hinduism (Ishvara,
Bhagavan, Brahman) and the concept of God in Islam (Allah) to
assert that these are just "alternate names for the Almighty One".
While the Guru Granth Sahib acknowledges
the Vedas, Puranas and Qur'an.
The Sikhs engage in various regular activities to concentrate the mind
on God and undertake selfless service . These rites and services are:
1. Ardās
2. Dasvand
3. Langar
4. Paath
5. Kara Parshad
6. Kirtan
Maghi
Parkash Utsav Dasveh Patshah
Sikh New Year
Holla Mohalla
Vaisakhi
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Pahila Prakash Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Bandi Chhor Divas
Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
Martydrom Of the Sahibzade
Done By:
H.GOKULAVENDHAN
(17BCE009)
