Generalities

• 500 year old monotheistic religion: one supreme reality.

  • God has never taken human form; only way to find God through any religion.

• 6th largest religion; 20 million followers.

• Ik Onkar: one supreme reality

• The newest religion founded in Northwest India in the Punjab region.

• Sikh: disciple.

• Vancouver: Canada’s largest Sikh population.

Guru Nanak: founder of Sikhism

• Guru Nanak: lived from 1469 - 1538.

• Born into a warrior caste.

• Married at 16 and had 2 sons.

• Disciple of Hindu and Muslim mystics.

• At 30 years old, left to form a new religion; had a vision of God and became prophet of new religion to bridge the gap between Islam and Hinduism.

Important Gurus

2. Angar Dev: created the written form of Punjabi; the language of Sikhs and their hymns.

3. Amar Das: built Langar community kitchens.

4. Ram Das: built Amiritsar, the Sikh holy city.

5. Arjun Dev: built the Golden Temple in Amirsar; creates the Adi Granth, consisting of poems, Sikh wisdom. First Sikh martyr at the hands of monguls.

   1. Golden Temple: surrounded by water and a gate → sacred water with healing powers. People face in prayers.

   2. People attend pilgrimage to represent oneness of humanity.

   3. The Adi Granth is held up on a pillow.

6. Har Gobind: train Sikhs in martial arts to defend themselves against murderers.

7. Har Raj: opened hospitals and provided medicine.

8. Har Krishan: died at 8, cared for the sick.

9. Tegh Bahadur: combatted religious persecution, became the 2nd martyr.

10. Gobind Singh: completes the Adi Granth; initiated the Sikh Khalsa inciting military defense brotherhoods. Last human guru, died in 1708.

11. Guru Grant Sahib: the Adi Granth, in its completed form.

Khalsa

Baptism of the sword: members of this brotherhood (the Khalsa Panth) are required to wear the 5Ks at all times as a sign of their baptism.

1. Kesh: long, uncut hair and beard → men wear turbans and the patkha.

2. Kangha: comb to keep hair clean and presentable; representing physical and spiritual free movement.

3. Kachha: shorts worn by soldiers to symbolize restraint and discipline.

4. Kara: steel bracelet worn on the right wrist; to think of God and one’s duty and commitment.

5. Kirpan: a defensive sword representing God’s power and the Sikh duty to protect the weak and persecuted.

Salvation

• Samsara ←→ Karma ←→Mutki → to see beyond the teachings in centre.

• Atma (soul): comes from the Waheguru, the divine spark, Waheguru within them.

• Death is to not be feared, rather overcoming ego is the point of life.

Ten Tenets

1. Monotheism: One God the Creator, he is timeless, unincarnated, eternal.

   1. names: Sat Nam (true name), Waheguru (great guru)

2. Prayer or Ardas: rember God

   1. Reciting prayers 5 times a day to stay connected with God.

   2. There is only one God: the opening words to morning prayer → the Mul Mantra

   3. Generally faces east for prayer towards the Golden Temple.

3. Equality and Human Dignity

   1. Reject India’s caste system

   2. Believe that all humans are equal no matter race, culture, gender or religion.

4. Service to God and Society

   1. Take care of the community, poor; act against injustice in life.

5. Ethical living

   1. God lives within each human heart (Nam: indwelling of God)

   2. Avoid immoral acts of pride, lust, greed, anger or attachment.

   3. Call Sihks to be truthful, humble and content; occupation considered.

6. Baptism

   1. Amrit Ceremony: initiation into the brotherhood or Khalsa Panth using water at the Gudara.

7. Five K’s: the 5 articles of Sikh faith.

8. Code of Conduct: Rahit Maryada

   1. Includes daily worship and honoring values of truth, kindness, satisfaction and love.

9. Four Commandments

   1. No alcohol/tobacco/intoxicants that cloud the mind.

   2. No cutting of hair.

   3. No consumption of sacrificial meat → no Halal or Kosher meats.

   4. No adultery.

10. Community Service

    1. Participate in community worship and service (Sewa: self-less service)

    2. Langar: community kitchen where a meal is shared.

11. Vices of Sikhism:

    1. lust, greed, anger, attachment, pride (human condition)

    2. Barriers: illusion (maya), ego, self-centredness.

Three Foundations of Sikhism

• Meditating on Waheguru’s name

• Earn an honest living

• Give to charity and help others.

Gurdwara

• Sikh centres for prayer and religious observance. The sacred scripture is the focus of the space; no statues or images are present in the main hall.

  • Sikhs visit whenever they want; alone or with family.

  • They do not regard any specific day as a holy day, but worship services are usually held on Sunday.

  • All visitors must remove their shoes and cover their heads as a sign of respect.

  • Doomed spires.

• Grandthi: person who performs daily prayer service.

• Parshad: sweet, pudding-like dessert made of flour, water, butter and sugar.

• Domed spires.

• No statues or images in the main hall.

• A canopy and pillow cover the Adi Granth.

Turban and Patka

• Turbans: symbols of equality, humility, dignity and devotion to the teachings of Guru Grant Sahib — respect for creation; “crown”

• Patka: a small scarf, worn by young Sikhs and in certain physical activity. Children transition around 13 - 14 years old.

• Khanda: double edged sword in the middle of the Khanda represents divine knowledge, cleaves through falsehood.

• Chakar: circle representing the oneness of God and the Kara bracelet.

• Kirpans: curved swords representing miri and piri (the secular and spiritual aspects) and the importance for someone to place equality between spirituality and societal obligations.

Story of the Turban

• Sikhs are the targets of discrimination as a result of 9/11 and other racist prenotions.

  • Mugal, India: religious division present, in God’s eyes, no Hindus or Muslims, all one people.

• Gobin Singh: defiance with turban: visibility of Sikhs, the 9th guru assassinated. Recognized for principles, equality and distinction.

• Turban can come in any shape, colour or size: turban tying ceremony done by mum’s brother. Sikhs die with the turban on.

• British Indian army: fought in WW1 and WW2; defiance providing sufficient security, encouraged wearing the Turban.

• Mahinder Singh Puji: plane crashed, dragged out, Turban provided protection. Respect given, allowed into Gone with the Wind.

• Post WW2, attitudes changed with immigration to Britain and the partition of India in 1947 into India and Pakistan.

  • Many immigrants went into textiles industry; many did not allow turbans to be worn.

• Hardeep Singh: discriminated against. In 1957, wanted to become bus conductor, pushed back against anti-turban rules.

  • Jolly threatened to burn himself to death and die for the turban. Disgraced community; meanwhile in Manchester, diplomacy was found.

• Turban wearing motorcyclists had to wear helmets; became legal to wear turban while riding in 1976.

• 1978: no turbans could be worn in a private school; taken to court.

  • Mandla case recognizes Sikh people as a race.

• Sikh man enters House of Lords.

• In France, secularist laws banning religious symbols resulted in protest.

Branches of Sikhism

• Singhs / Kaur: baptized, initiated in the commonwealth.

  • Singh: means lion.

  • Kaur: princess

• Keshdharis: uncut hair, wears turbans, not baptized.

• Sahajdharis: cut hair, does not wear turbans but accepts the beliefs of Sikhism.

Branches based on theological understanding of Sikhs.