Sikhism

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in Punjab, India in the 15th century. It is the fifth largest religion in the world.

Sikhism is classified as an Indian religion or Dharmic religion along with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. The basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. Sikh ethics emphasize the congruence between spiritual development and everyday moral conduct.

Sikh in Punjabi means “learner,” and those who joined the Sikh community, or Panth (“Path”), were people who sought spiritual guidance. Sikhs claim that their tradition has always been separate from Hinduism. Nevertheless, many Western scholars argue that in its earliest stage Sikhism was a movement within the Hindu tradition; Nanak, they point out, was raised a Hindu and eventually belonged to the Sant tradition of northern India, a movement associated with the great poet and mystic Kabir (1440–1518). The Sants, most of whom were poor, dispossessed, and illiterate, composed hymns of great beauty expressing their experience of the divine, which they saw in all things. Their tradition drew heavily on the Vaishnava bhakti (the devotional movement within the Hindu tradition that worships the god Vishnu), though there were important differences between the two. Like the followers of bhakti, the Sants believed that devotion to God is essential to liberation from the cycle of rebirth in which all human beings are trapped; unlike the followers of bhakti, however, the Sants maintained that God is nirgun (“without form”) and not sagun (“with form”). For the Sants, God can be neither incarnated nor represented in concrete terms.

Teachings:

  • Equality: Sikhs believe in equality for all people, regardless of caste, color, gender, nationality, or religion. 
  • Social justice: Sikhs believe in social justice and service to humanity. 
  • Devotion: Sikhs believe in devotion to God and remembering God at all times. 
  • Truthfulness: Sikhs believe in living a truthful life. 
  • Compassion: Sikhs believe in practicing compassion, humility, and generosity in everyday life. 
  • Tolerance: Sikhs believe in tolerance for other religions. 
  • Denunciation of superstitions: Sikhs believe in denouncing superstitions and blind rituals. 

Practices:

  • Meditation: Sikhs meditate on the name and attributes of God. 
  • Service: Sikhs believe in serving the Sikh community and the final guru, the holy book. 
  • Turban: The turban is a symbol of the Sikh faith. 
  • No hair cutting: Sikhs do not cut their hair because they believe God gifted them the way they are. 

Holy book: 

  • The Sikh holy book is the Guru Granth Sahib. It contains the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and some contemporary Hindu and Muslim saints.
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