Chapter 14 - Pocket Guide to World Religions

(Originally written February 25, 2007 in Book 14)

Pocket Guide to World Religions
Win Corduan

Chapter 14 - Sikhism

Name

Sikhism comes from the Punjab word "Sikh" which means "a disciple".

A Sikh is a disciple of the Guru Nanak, a 16th century guru.

Numbers and Distribution

There are 23 million Sikhs in the world, most of whom live in the Indian state of Punjab.

There as many as 250,000 Sikhs in North America.

Symbols

There are two unique symbols of Sikhism.

The Khanda represents the Sikh faith to the outside world. Khanda means "double-edged sword"

The Chakkar is a circular throwing weapon.

The Khanda and the chakkar together symbolizes the unity of God and his all-pervasive presence.

The Kirpans are the two swords on the side standing for the spiritual and political dimensions of the Sikh community.

There is also the symbol that means "one and only one" called the "Ekankar".

History

Sikhism began as an attempted healing of Muslims and Hindus in 16th century India.

Guru Nanak (1469-1538) had a Hindu father and Muslim mother. He taught that, "There is no Hindu and there is no Muslim" (Corduan, 129).

 Nanak's followers saw him as a teacher of reconciliation and as the embodiment of divine light.

Conflict between the Sikhs and Muslims erupted and Sikhism changed from a community aiming at peace and unity into a virtual army.

There were 10 gurus during the first 2 centuries of Sikhism.

The 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev collected the hymns and chants of all the gurus and the Granth Sahib, written by Nanak.

The Granth Sahib means "exalted book" and is the holy book of Sikhism.

Arjan Dev was the first martyr of Sikhism. He was boiled in a vat of water by the Muslim ruler.

Hargobind, Arjan Dev's son, established the military side of Sikhism.

Gabind Singh, the 10th Guru, declared himself the last guru and that the Granth would be the only source of God's embodiment from then on.

The Sikhs allied themselves against the Muslims and Hindus with the British, but fought against the British in the "Sikh war" of 1846.

When India and Pakistan became their own colonies in 1947, the Sikh area of Punjab was fought over by both sides.

In 1984, a group of Sikhs took over its own Golden Temple in Amritsar, the original headquarters of Sikhism. Prime Minister Indira Ghandi sent troops to liberate the temple. After much bloodshed, Indira prevailed, but she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards a few months later.

Scriptures

The holy book of Sikhism is the Granth.

The Granth is recognized as most whole in the form of Arjan Dev's collection.

The Granth is the embodiment of God.

Major Beliefs

Nanak sought to find spiritual truth behind the external forms of Islam and Hinduism.

He took Hinduism's belief in Karma and reincarnation and meshed it with Islam's belief in one true God. He stated that God should not be represented by idols.

He taught that we escaped the continuous reincarnation cycles by living a life of divine virtues and becoming one with God.

Nanak believed that God ought not be limited by what one specific religion teaches about him.

Subgroups

There is one major subgroup which virtually every one belongs to. The Khalsa, the military order begun by the 6th guru, Guru Hargobind.

Worship practices

There is a simple prayer service of chanting the Granth.

At the end of the chant everyone gets a sweet made of nuts and honey.

At this point everyone gets together for a meal. Everyone sits on the floor together eating the same food, symbolizing the equality of all human beings.

Religious Buildings

A Sikh temple is called a gurdwara. A gurdwara is usually a plain building on the inside and out. But the biggest ones, like the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Dehli are huge and highly ornate.

A gurdwara is usually domed and has the Sikh symbol displayed prominently.

A gurdwara has an altar for the Granth and a bed for the Granth to sleep in.

Non-Sikhs are welcome at the gurdwaras but they must wash their hands and feet and cover their heads.

A gurdwara must have a kitchen and a dining area for the important communal meal.

Home Practices

Devout Sikhs recite lengthy prayers every day, sometimes several times a day.

Homes and cars are often decorated with pictures of gurus, especially Guru Nanak. These pictures are not venerated because of Sikhism's anti-idolatry stance.

Clothing

Members of the Khalsa have 5 distinct features:
1) Long, uncut hair and beard-covered
2) A wooden comb inserted into the hair (Kanga)
3) An iron bracelet (Kara)
4) Shorts (Kachara)
5) A sword (Kirpan)

Diet

Fasting is forbidden because it is seen as a false piety

Calendar

Sikhs have many celebrations. The ten gurus' birthdays, the days of becoming a guru, and their days of death.

Until 1998, Sikhism observed a lunar calendar beginning with the birth of Guru Nanak in 1469. It switched to a solar year in 1998, but maintained New Year's as March 14. On March 14, 2005, the Sikh year 537 began.

Community is emphasized in Sikhism.