Sikhism

 

The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam.

The guiding principle of Sikhism is a belief in one, transcendent, inexpressible and formless divinity, who is manifest everywhere in the world he has created. Guru Nanak used many names for this god, including the names of several Hindu gods and many of the Islamic names which are used to describe the different attributes of Allah. He believed that through meditating on any of these names, the true nature and essence of the godhead could be revealed. To him, all religious differences were merely the result of maya (illusion), and all forms of external religion were useless if the worshipper's heart remained immersed in the material world.Guru Nanak was also an important social reformer. He stressed the pitiful plight of the untouchables and other low Hindu castes by emphasizing the bhakti (devotion) path to enlightenment, in which they, like everyone else, could achieve liberation through devotion to the godhead. To repudiate what Guru Nanak saw as the iniquities of the caste system, he gave every Sikh the surname Singh (meaning lion), and established communal eating places in Sikh temples and communities, in which all his disciples were equal. In fact, this concept of equality is so much stressed in Sikhism that a number of Sikh saints were born untouchables and rose in rank in Sikh faith to become the saint.Guru Nanak's teachings were collected into two books, the Adi Granth (the First Book) and the Granth Sahib (the Book of the Lord) by Angad, the second Sikh guru. Nine Gurus followed Nanak and developed the Sikh faith and community over the next centuries.Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, completed the establishment of Amritsar as the capital of the Sikh world, and compiled the first authorized book of Sikh scripture, the Adi Granth. He was eventually executed for his faith in 1606.

The sixth Guru, Hargobind, started to militarize the community so that they would be able to resist any oppression. The Sikhs fought a number of battles to preserve their faith.

The Moghal Emperor, Aurangzeb, used force to make his subjects accept Islam. He had the ninth Guru, Tegh Bahadur, arrested and executed in 1675 for failing to convert to Islam.

The Khalsa and the Last GuruThe tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, recreated the Sikhs as a military group of men and women called the Khalsa in 1699, with the intention that the Sikhs should for ever be able to defend their faith. He established the Sikh rite of initiation and the 5 Ks which give Sikhs their unique appearance. (More on Khalsa and the 5Ks.)

The tenth guru was also the last. Before his assassination in 1708, Guru Govind decreed that there should be no more gurus and that from then on the guruship and the earthly authority of the godhead should be vested in the Granth Sahib. Sikhs now treat their scriptures as their Guru. Guru Granth Sahib is almost 1400 pages long. It is hand written. A copy of the Guru Granth Sahib is the center piece of all Sikh places of worship called Gurudwara.

Sikhism has 36 saints - 6 of them are Sikhs. 3 were born Muslims. Some were untouchables that grew and rose up in the ranks.

Concept of Guru in Sikhism In Sikhism the term 'Guru' is not used for a teacher or a guide or an expert or even a human body. The word Guru is composed of two terms.

 

GU- means darkness and
RU- means Light.

For Sikhs, Guru is the Light that dispels all darkness. It is called JOT (Divine Light). Guru Nanak, the founder Guru of Sikhism was regarded as the embodiment of Divine Light. The Guru in Sikhism is a perfect Prophet or Messenger of God in whom the Light of God shines fully, visibly and completely. Guru is in union with Divine. Thus he ushers the devotees, the seekers of Truth into a spiritual birth. Through him the Glory of the Lord is transmitted to humanity. On account of his Divine prerogatives, the Guru, though human in form, is Divine in Spirit. God is in the Guru and Guru is in God. Though God is everywhere and in everybody but His traits are illuminated through the Guru. The Jot (Divine Light) that enshrined Guru Nanak's body and the Primal Jot of God are, therefore, one and the same. The guruship and the Jot has been passed from Guru Nanak, the founding Guru of Sikhism, to the Sikh scripture, Grandh Sahib. When Guru Nanak conferred Guruship on Guru Angad, the JOT was passed on and Guru Angad too became the embodiment of Divine Light. In the same way all the nine Gurus were the embodiments of Guru Nanak Jot. The tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh then conferred the Guruship on Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scripture of Sikhs). As a result, Guru Nanak JOT is, enshrined and preserved in Guru Granth Sahib which became the embodiment of Divine Light. It is the Living Guru for ever.

Sikh Gurus

1. Guru Nanak Dev
2. Guru Angad Dev
3. Guru Amardas
4. Guru Ramdas
5. Guru Arjan Dev
6. Guru Har Gobind
7. Guru Har Rai
8. Guru HarKrishan
9. Guru Teg Bhadur
10. Guru Gobind Singh
11. Guru Granth Sahib - The Living Guru

Key Beliefs of Sikhism

One God (Ek Onkar)

Sikhism believes in ONE God (Ek Onkar). Sikhs view life as an interconnected whole.


Ek Onkar

Ek Onkar means there is only ONE God.

EK Onkar are the first two words of Guru Granth Sahib and also
Mool Mantar, the Sikh scriptures.Literally, Ek means 'ONE' emphasizing the oneness of God,
which is the basics of Sikhism. 

The Onkar is derived from the Sanskrit word Om which consists of three syllable sounds representing the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Onkar represents GOD in His entirety.

 

Equality for All

All human beings are equal and alike in front of God. Sikhism emphasizes social and sexual equality. Sikh men have last name of "Singh" and the women of "Kaur". Equality of all Mankind regardless of Race, Religion, Background Caste or Creed. All are Equal, All are Loved and Respected.

 

The Three Duties 
The three duties that a Sikh must carry out can be summed up in three words: Pray, Work, and Give. The importance of doing good actions are stressed over merely carrying out rituals.

 

Nam japna: Keeping God in mind at all times.

Nam - the Divine Name

There is nothing in this world which equals the value of the Divine Name. The Lord and His Name are identical. They are one.The whole creation including the elements of Nature are held together by the Power of Nam. All the universes stand projected and are held together by the Power of Nam.Nam is the support of all beings, Nam is the support of the whole universe. Nam unites the devotee with the Lord. Nam cements the bond, the true relationship of the worshipper with the Worshipped.

Nam is the food of the lover of the Divine Name. Hunger does not trouble him. Nam is his eternal companion and he needs no other friends because he is never alone. Nam is his true shelter and he does not, therefore, seek any other shelter. Nam is his existence as he cannot live without Nam. Nam is his honor as he never cares for any worldly honor.

 

Kirt Karna: Earning an honest living. 
Since God is truth, a Sikh seeks to live honestly. Live honestly and work hard  Vand

Chhakna: (sharing one's earnings with others) Giving to charity and caring for others. Be generous to the less fortunate 
Serve others. Central to the Sikh faith is humble and voluntary Service for all in need - not just the poor.

 

Divine postures of a true saint
physically, mentally and spiritually are the same.

He only gives, blesses and elevates.
He is a Daata (Giver), bestows physically, mentally and spiritually.He only gives and never takes.
He never spreads his hand before a mortal being.He truly gives because
He gives himself away.He truly gives because
He is the only one who does not seek any return thereof.He truly gives because
He is to the purpose born.He truly gives because
He gives life eternal to dead souls.He does not withhold His grace
from even the non-deserving. He gives to all alike.He is the True Divine Donor.

Baba Narinder Singh

Sikhism maintains that while " Truth is High, Higher still is Truthful living".

 

Other Beliefs

Belief in the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy book or the "Living Guru". Sikhs do not believe in idols and idol worships or rituals. Belief in Freedom — Sikhism places great emphasis on the individual and freedom of choice for everyone. Love for All — Sikhs pray daily for the well-being of all of humanity. God and the Cycle of LifeSikhs believe that human beings spend their time in a cycle of birth, life, and rebirth. The quality of each particular life depends on the law of Karma. Karma sets the quality of a life according to how well or badly a person behaved in their previous life–you reap what you sow.

The only way out of this cycle is to achieve a total knowledge of and union with God.

Human Body vs. Spirituality

Sikhs suggest that we are here wearing a "human uniform." Our bodies are not what makes us. The real you is your divinity. We should serve divinity in every human beings. We should be watchers. Learn to see the divine in everyone and do good things that manifests the divine in us. We are all spiritual beings having a human experience. The mistake most of the people make is to mistake our body for the real us. Our bodies are designed to maintain itself. The hunger is designed so that we will eat food to maintain our body. The food is given taste so provide an added incentive for us to take it as needed. Now if we mistake eating for spiritual nourishment, we are on the wrong track. We start indulging in eating too much; our over indulgence in taste will prompt us to eat unhealthy foods. We start giving excuses and slowly lose our spirituality.

Experiencing God

Sikh spirituality is centered round the need to understand and experience God, and eventually become one with God. To do this a person must switch the focus of their attention from themselves to God. They get this state, which is called mukti (liberation), through the grace of God. Sikhs believe that God can't be understood properly by human beings, but He can be experienced through love, worship, and contemplation. Sikhs look for God both inside themselves and in the world around them. They do this to help themselves achieve liberation and union with God. Sikhs believe that God is inside every person, no matter how wicked they appear, and so everyone is capable of change. Their aim is to see the divine order that God has given to everything, and through it to understand the nature of God.

Suffering

Pain and death only happen to our bodies. The spiritual being is untouched by the suffering. We should live in a spiritual mode to escape fro the worldly suffering.

One clears oneself from the debt of sins and karmas through suffering. Suffering has a purging effect.

Egolessness and Faith of a divine lover is tested and re-tested at every step. Every step taken forward has to survive the greatest ordeal of agony and suffering. That is the price one has to pay for the most precious and rare jewel of faith. More the body burns in agony and suffering, more intensely the flame of Devotional Faith glows in Atam. Such is the Faith of a Saint, Gurmukh, a True Sikh. Purification through suffering leads one nearer to redemption. 

Baba Narinder Singh

Once the mind gives up its false sense of independent identity and rolls at the Lotus Feet of the Satguru, Bliss becomes an experienced reality.

Guru Granth Sahib

Sikhism endeavors to uplift the human soul from the shackles of Maya (materialism). It aims at a virtuous life which leads to the ultimate realization of a state of Eternal Bliss. The objective of Guru Nanak's Guruship was to give instructions in the True Name, to save humanity from immersing in the ocean of distress and misery arising out of worldly life, and to blend the human souls with their Creator, thus, emancipating them from the cycle of transmigration breaking all barriers and bonds of sufferings. This is the essential character of Sikh faith.

Pure mind is a reflection of inner glory; an Eternal Melody rings within. Nam and Divine Love throb in this holy temple. They reside within.

A pure mind starts reflecting the Atam, it starts reflecting the purity, the splendor and the bliss of the True Spirit, and then by itself becomes the source of Bliss and purity.Atam is true Divine Abode of the mind. It is here that the Divine Presence thrills and fills one with Divine Ecstasy. Established in Atam one gets detached from the perishable body, mind and name complex.

Guru Granth Sahib

 

The law of Karma or fatalism is repugnant to Sikh Religion as it does not reconcile with the merciful trait of the Almighty Lord. There is no such thing in Sikhism as eternal damnation or an everlasting pit of fire created by the revengeful God. Meditation on Nam burns countless sins. Singing the glory of the Lord through the Divine Word, can redeem a repentant sinner and, thus, doctrine of Karma ceases to operate. Sikh doctrine spells out  God's Grace and Compassion.

 

Operating in "I" Mode - Egoism

Karma comes from operating in "I" mode. Most human beings can’t see the true reality of God because they are blinded by their own self-centered pride (Sikhs call it "haumain") and concern for physical things.

 

Remove this impure “I Ego” and you will behold
the whole universe as a pure reflection of God only.

Baba Narinder Singh

 

In order to get release from Karma, we should discipline ourselves to see only the hand of divinity around us or through us.

A Sikh serves God by serving (seva) other people every day. By devoting their lives to service they get rid of their own ego and pride.