sikhism document

8/10/2019 Sikhism Document

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Sikhism

Sikhism, today, is the fth largest religion in the world with

some twenty-three million adherents. It emerged only about fve

hundred years ago; and, so, is the youngest o the largest

religions o the world.

The Foundations of Sikhism:

Guru Nanak (1469-1539)

Guru Nanak (. !"#$-!%&$' may be regarded as the ounder

o Sikhism, but there were reormers beore Nanak who

rolaimed a similar message, most notably a man named )abir(!""*-!%!+', who undoubtedly inuened Nanak. Nanaks title,

Guru,/ in other Indian religions has more the onnotation o

teaher/ or sage,/ but in Sikhism, the title also means leader./

Guru Nanaks ollows were alled Sikhs (the 0un1ab word or

disiles/'.


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Nanak was born at village o 2alwandi (west India', about

thirty miles rom 3ahore (in resent-day 0akistan'. 2he area was

art o the 0un1ab region o India, an area now divided by the

border between India and 0akistan. 2he area had been ruled by4uslim leaders sine the eleventh entury. In the early si5teenth

entury, the 4ongols established an Islami emire known as the

4ughal 6mire. 7nder the 4ughal emerors many Indians

onverted to Islam; the greater ma1ority, however, remained

8indu or ratied another religion, suh as 9ainism.


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Nanaks arents were 8indus o a merantile aste loally

known as )hatri ()shatriya'. Nanaks ather was a village

aountant and armer, ranking omaratively low on theeonomi sale. Nanak is ortrayed as a reoious youth, a

oet, given so to religious seulation that he was worthless as a

herdsman or a store-keeer. 8e was married at the age o twelve

and would eventually have two sons. Nanak:s brother-in-law

roured Nanak a government aounting 1ob at the distrit


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aital o Sultanur. Nanak sent the evenings engaged in

religious disussion and singing with a grou o riends who

inluded 4ardana, a 4uslim musiian who beame an insearable

omanion.

ne day, when he was about thirty years old, Nanak went to

bathe in a river and disaeared. 8e reaeared three days later,

and ater one additional day o silene, Nanak rolaimed that he

had e5eriened a theohany, a vision o God ( ?rink this bowl,: 8e

ommanded. :It is not milk as it may seem; this is

netar. It will give thee ower o rayer, love o

worshi, truth and ontentment.: Nanak drank the

netar and was overome. 8e made another

obeisane. 2he =lmighty then blessed him. :I release

thee rom the yle o birth, death and rebirth; he that

sets his eyes on you with aith will be saved. 8e thathears your words with onvition will be saved; he that

alls on you or suour will be heled by 4e; he that

you orgive will be orgiven by 4e. I grant thee

salvation. Nanak, go bak to the evil world and teah

men and women to ray, to give in harity and live

leanly. ?o good to the world and redeem it in the age

o sin.

Nanak delared, 2here is neither 8indu nor 4uslim, so whose

ath shall I ollow@ I shall ollow Gods ath. God is neither 8indu

nor 4uslim, and the ath whih I ollow is Gods./ Aith the

omany o 4ardana, Guru Nanak embarked uon a missionary

1ourney, reahing urity and advoating the reoniliation o


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religious aiths. =s 4ardana layed a rebe (a stringed

instrument that looks something like a violin', Nanak would also

sing.

Bor his dress Nanak devised a ombination o 8indu and

4uslim garb. 8e wore a 8indu lower garment (dhoti', and bore a

saCron mark on his orehead (in the manner o 8indus'. Dut he

hose the kind o head overing assoiated with 4uslim hermits.

Nanak and 4ardana traveled to the hie laes o 8induilgrimage, inluding 8ardwar, ?elhi, Denares, the 2emle o

9aganatha, and holy laes in the 8imalaya 4ountains. 2hey

traveled to Sri 3anka, 2ibet, )abul, Daghdad, 4edina, and 4ea.


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Dak in the 0un1ab, Nanak established a new town, )artarur

(


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as one is absorbed into 2rue Name. 2hrough living ones lie in

devotion to 2rue Name, one may merge with 2rue Name and end

all suCering. 2he soul 1oins with God like a dro o water merges

with the oean, realiing God and obtaining eternal eae.

Guru Nanak:s Japji (


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8ow shall man beome true beore God@ 8ow shall the

veil o alsehood be rent@

Dy walking, Nanak, aording to the will o the

Eommander as reordained.

Dy 8is order bodies are rodued; 8is order annot be

desribed.

Dy 8is order souls are inused into them; by 8is order

greatness is obtained.

Dy 8is order men are high or low; by 8is order they

obtain reordained ain or leasure.

Dy 8is order some obtain their reward; by 8is order

others must ever wander in transmigration.=ll are sub1et to 8is order; none is e5emt rom it.

8e who understandeth God:s order, Nanak, is never

guilty o egoism.

Aho an sing 8is ower@ Aho hath ower to sing it@

Aho an sing 8is gits or know his signs@ Aho an sing

8is attributes, 8is greatness and 8is deeds@

Aho an sing 8is knowledge whose study is arduous@Aho an sing 8im, who ashioneth the body and again

destroyeth it@

Aho an sing 8im, who taketh away lie and again

restoreth it@

Aho an sing 8im, who aeareth to be ar, but is

known to be near@

Aho an sing 8im, who is all-seeing and omniresent.

In desribing 8im there would be never end.4illions o men give millions uon millions o

desritions o 8im, but they ail to desribe 8im.

2he Giver giveth; the reeiver groweth weary o

reeiving.


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In every age man subsisteth by 8is bounty.

2he Eommander by 8is order hath laid out the way o

the world.

Nanak, God the unonerned is hay.

2rue is the 3ord, true is 8is name; it is uttered withendless love.

0eole ray and beg, :Give us, give us:; the Giver giveth

8is gits.

2hen what an we oCer 8im whereby his ourt may be

seen@

Ahat words shall we utter with our lis, on hearing

whih 8e may love us@

=t the ambrosial hour o morning meditate on the trueName and God:s greatness.

2he )ind ne will give us a robe o honour, and by 8is

avour we shall reah the gate o salvation.

Nanak, we shall thus know that God is altogether true.

8e is not established, nor is 8e reated.

2he ure one e5isteth by 8imsel.2hey who worshied 8im have obtained honour.

Nanak, sing 8is raises who is the 2reasury o

e5ellenes.

Sing and hear and ut 8is love into your hearts.

2hus shall your sorrows be removed, and you shall be

absorbed in 8im who is the abode o hainess.

7nder the Guru:s instrution God:s word is heard; under

the Guru:s instrution knowledge is aOuired;under the Guru:s instrution man learns that God

is everywhere ontained.

2he Guru is Siv; the Guru is Kisnu and Drahma; the

Guru is 0arvatl, 3aksmi and Saraswati.


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I I knew 8im, should I not desribe 8im@ 8e annot be

desribed by words.

4y Guru hath e5lained one thing to me, that there is

but one Destower on all living beings; may I not

orget 8im>

The !a"or #i$isions of Sikhism

2oday, Sikhism may be divided into three divisions. 2he best

known and most oulous o these three divisions is the Singhs or

3ions./ In addition to the Singhs, there are the 7dasis and the

Saha1dharis.

The Sinhs

Nanak taught aifsm or non-violent resistane. 7on the

death o Nanak, the leadershi o the new movement was taken

over by =ngad, who served as Guru until E.6. !%%H. Nanak and

=ngad were the frst two in a series o ten gurus who led Sikhism

until the eighteenth entury. 2he frst our o the ten gurus o

Sikhism tended to ollow the aif teahings o Nanak. Aith thedemise o the fth guru, =r1an ?ev (!%+!-!#*#', Sikhism

underwent signifant hanges.

Guru =r1an is resonsible or omiling a signifant ortion

o the sriture o Sikhism, the =di Granth, and he is also

resonsible or introduing militany within Sikhism. Detween the

time o Nanak and that o =r1an, Sikhism had e5anded to the

oint that it was reognied as a threat by 4uslim authorities.

2he ormer 4uslim 4ughal emeror, =kbar, had been

tolerant, i not riendly, toward Sikhism, but =kbars son, 9ahangir

(r. !#*%-!#H' insisted that Sikhism be inororated into Islam or

terminated. 9ahangir instruted Guru =r1an to remove rom the


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=di Granth anything that onited with the teahings o Islam.

Ahen Guru =r1an reused, 9ahangir had =r1an imrisoned and

gave him to hoie o death or onversion to Islam. 9ahangir

tortured =r1an, ouring burning sand on him while he was seated

on a hot iron late and immersing him in simmering hot water.=r1an held frm and, fnally, was drowned in the Favi Fiver.

Deore his demise, =r1an instruted his young son, 8ar

Gobind, who would beome the si5th guru (!#*#-!#"%', to sit

ully armed on the throne./ 2he Sikhs were heneorth more

aggressive and militant in the maintenane o their aith.

In !#%, the 4ughal 4uslim emeror, =urangeb (r. !#%+-!*', beheaded the ninth Sikh Guru, 2egh Dahadur, in ront o

thousands o setators. 6meror =urangebs goal was to

eliminate both Sikhs and 8indus.

Guru 2egh Dahadurs young son, Gobind, beame the tenth

guru. Gobind reared the Sikhs or sel-deense and war. In

!#$$, at a New Pears estival (Daisakhi', Guru Gobind ounded a

Sikh military brotherhood alled the )halsa. Guru Gobind alledor men who were willing to die or the Sikh ause. ne man

ame orward, and Gobind esorted him into his tent. Gobind

soon emerged rom his tent with a bloody sword and asked or

another man o onvition. =ter the fth man roved his aith,

Gobind emerged rom the tent with all fve men, still alive.

Gobind had aarently sarifed a goat rather than the men. In a

ritual that ame to be known as batism by the sword,/ Gobind

added netar to water in a steel bowl and mi5ed the twoingredients with a double-edged sword (kirpan'. 8e invited the

fve men to drink the water, and he then srinkled the water over

the hair and eyes. Gobind then asked the fve men to batie him

in the same manner and invited all those resent to 1oin this


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olletive o )halsa (ure/ ones o God'. Gobind onerred uon

all the initiates a new surname, Singh or 3ion./

2he Singhs beame an elite lass o adet warriors who were

distinguished by the fve )s/Q (!. kes, (H. kangha, (&. kachk, (".kara, and (%. kirpan. 2he kesreers to the long hair they wear on

their heads and aes. 2he kanghareers to the omb they wear

in their hair. 2he kachkreers to the short trousers they wear.

2he karareers to a steel braelet they wear on their wrists. 2he

kirpanreers to a short steel sword or dagger with whih they are

armed. 2hese members o the )halsa may stem rom any aste

or soial level. 2hey must abstain rom wine, tobao, or any

other stimulant, and they must adhere to other rules o ondutthat are selled out in a ode alled the Fahit (a defnitive edition

o whih, the Sikh Fahit 4aryada, was ublished in !$%*'.

2he urose o the )halsa was to end the erseution o the

4uslim 4ughal government and establish an arm o Sikhism to

e5eute divine 1ustie on earth./ 4embers o the )halsa

believed they would fnd immediate esae rom samsara i they

were to die while fghting in a 1ust ause. Guru Gobind, who nowarries the surname o Singh, led the Sikhs in a series o battles

against the 4ughal 6mire. = 4ughal governor had Guru Gobind

Singh assassinated in !*+. Deore he died, Gobind Singh

instruted the Sikhs that the =di Granth should be regarded as

their Guru rom that time orward.

In !+*, under the leadershi o Fan1it Singh, the Singhs

established Sikh rule over the 0un1ab, setting u the aital at3ahore. In the early nineteenth entury, Dritish olonialists,

having already onOuered most o the old 4ughal 6mire, turned

their attention to the 0un1ab. 2he Dritish met stubborn resistane

and aOuired great reset or the Sikh military, but the Sikhs


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were eventually overome (!+"#' and inororated into the

Dritish 6mire in !+"$.

2he Sikhs 1oined the Indian fght or indeendene, hoing

that when the Dritish let, they would be able to reate a searatenation or themselves, a nation to be alled )halistan. Ahen the

Dritish dearted, however, the 7nited Nations, in !$", eleted to

artition India into 8indu (India' and 4uslim sates (0akistan and

Dangladesh'. 2he artition between India and 0akistan ran

through the histori 0un1ab region. 2he larger ortion o the

0un1ab, inluding several imortant Sikh sites, was loated in the

new nation o 0akistan, but most Sikhs reloated to the 0un1ab in

India.


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Sikh searatists still hoe or the reation o )halistan. In

!$+", Sikh searatists took ontrol o the entral Sikh shrine, the

Golden 2emle o =mritsar, with aarent designs to fght or

indeendene. 2he 0rime 4inister o India, a woman namedIndira Gandhi, sent in the Indian military (eration Dlue Star' to

sOuelh the searatists. ver fve-hundred Sikhs were killed.

Shortly ater, Indira Gandhis Sikh body guards assassinated her.

2he assassination led to many rerisals in whih thousands o


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Sikhs lost their lives. 7nderstandably, tensions between Sikhs

and 8indus ontinue to e5ist.

2oday, many Sikhs never 1oin the )halsa. 4embershi is

stritly voluntary, and being a Sikh is not deendent uon it.2hose who worshi the ne 2rue God, reset the ten gurus, and

honor the Guru Granth are Sikhs. Singh is a ommon name in

India, and not everyone who bears the name o Singh is Sikh.

?ue to the tradition o the )halsa, however, the vast ma1ority o

Sikhs will arry the surname or middle name o Singh.

The %dasis

2he 7dasis omrise a seond division o Sikhism. =s

distinguished rom mainstream Sikhism, the 7dasis onsist o

renuniants or asetis, holy men who ratie elibay, wear

yellow ourse garments (like Duddhist monks', or go naked (like

9ain monks'. 2heir only ossession is a begging bowl, and they

reer to shave their heads and beards. 2his division o Sikhism

has been traed to Srihand, Guru Nanaks older son. 6ven

though Nanak had hosen =ngad as his suessor, Srihandhallenged =ngads osition and reated a rit in the Sikh

ommunity.

The Saha"dharis

2he third division o Sikhism is reresented by the

Saha1dharis (


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Father than siding with either 8induism or Islam regarding

the neessity or validity o eremonialism, Nanak re1eted the

rituals o both religions. In the words o Guru Nanak,

2he 4usalmans raise the Sharia, read it, andreet on itQ Dut God:s servants are they who emloy

themselves in 8is servie in order to behold him. 2he

8indus raise the 0raised ne whose aearane and

orm are inomarable; 2hey bathe in holy streams,

erorm idol-worshi and adoration, use oious

inense o sandal. 2he 9ogis meditate on God the

Ereator, whom they all the 7nseen, Ahose orm is

minute, whose name is the Dright ne, and who is theimage o their bodies. (=sa )i Aar, Slok 4KI, 2he

Sared Aritings o the Aorld:s Great Feligions, ed. S.6.

Brost (New PorkQ 4Graw-8ill, !$"&, . H'

2o be in Gods servie, in other words, is better than engaging in

ritual.

=ording to a story, Nanak was one e1eted rom a 4uslimworshi servie beause he laughed aloud during an imams

sermon. Ahen asked why he was so disresetul, Nanak relied

that he ound the imam to be more onerned with the well being

o his horse than with God. 2his eretion aused Nanak to

burst out with laughter.

Sikhism, then, does not suort an elaborate alendar or lots

o estivals. 2hey may well elebrate 8oli and ?ivali with their8indu neighbors, and they do ommemorate a ew notable events

in their history. Guru Nanaks birthday is elebrated in the all

(November'. Guru =r1ans birthday is elebrated in the winter

(?eember or 9anuary'. 2he ormation o the )halsa under Guru


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Gobind Singh is elebrated on Daisakhi (=ril', and the martyrdom

o Guru =r1an is ommemorated in the summer (9une'.

&ite of assae: ife *+c'e u,ert+ or Status 'e$ation

2he ritual desribed above as batism by the sword,/ is still

ratied by Sikhs. Ahen one beomes mature enough to

omrehend hisJher ommitment, a bowl o sweet water is stirred

by a kiran and srinkled over the initiate as heJshe is instruted

in the truths o ode o the aith. 2he ritual marks one as a

member o the Sikh ommunity. 4ales reeive the name Singh,

and emales reeive the name )aur (riness/'.

&ite of assae: ife *+c'e &itua': #eath

I one remembers that Guru Nanaks lieless body was

resumably assumed into the heavens uon his death, one may

wonder how the Sikhs disose o the dead today. Sikhs, like

8indus and unlike 4uslims, remate their deeased. = lose

relative will light the uneral yre.

*a'endrica' eriodic: .orshi/

2he most ommon orm o worshi among the Sikhs is a

daily ratie that onsists o ritual bathing, rayer, and the

reitation o seif hymns rom the =di Granth and the ?asam

Granth. 2he ?asam Granth is a sulemental Sikh sriture

whih onsists o the writings o Guru Gobind Singh and someother oets. Gobind Singh did not add his own writings to the

Granth when he elevated the Granth to the status o absolute

Guru, but later ollowers omiled this material and granted it

anonial status. Some orm o bathing, rayer, and reitation is

e5euted by Sikhs in the morning, at sunset, and beore retiring to


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bed in the evening. 2he 9a1i (one o Nanaks hymns' is among

the morning reitations. =s one may gather rom what is merely

an e5ert o the 9a1i inluded above, the daily raties reOuire

a lot o time (about two hours', and only the most devout arry

out the ull routine on a daily basis.

Sikhs do gather or ongregational worshi. 2hey meet in

temles alled gurdwaras. 2he gurdwaras ontain, as the entral

ob1et o reverene, the =di Granth. Ahen the holy book is

arried, it is arried above the head. =t rest in the gurdwara, it is

laed high uon a ushioned altar and overed by a anoy.

Ahen oened, Guru Granth is anned with a ywhisk. Sikh

devotees will over their heads beore the Granth and never turntheir baks toward it. Inside the gurdwara Sikhs will ray, sing

hymns, and hear sermons. In aord with the Sikh re1etion o

ritualism, there are no riests. 2he servies are led by members

o the ommunity. Burther, there are no aste or se5ual

distintions. 4en and woman o all bakgrounds worshi side by

side. Servies onlude with all those resent ingesting karah

prasad, a mi5ture o our, sugar, and ghee (larifed butter'.

2he ollowing rayer is uttered at the onlusion o Sikh

worshi. 2he rayer, asribed largely to Guru Gobind Singh,

honors the lineage o the gurus (in the frst several lines' and

elebrates the )halsa or the Sikh ommunity.

8aving frst remembered 3ord thy God, all on Guru

Nanak

=nd then on Guru =ngad, =mar ?as and Fam ?asQ4ay they ever rotet us.

2hen all on =r1un and 8ari Gobind and the holy 8ari

Fai,

=nd then on 8ari )rishna, who an disel all one:s

sorrows.


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2hen remember 2egh Dahadur, the ninth Guru, that the

nine treasures may hasten to thy home.

masters be ye ever with us.

4ay the tenth king Guru Gobind Singh be ever on our

side.=nd now turn your thoughts to the Guru Granth Sahib,

the visible embodiment o the Gurus, and say

:Glory be to God.:

MEongregation resondsQ :Aonderul 3ord.:

2he our sons, the fve beloved ones, the orty

saved ones, the martyrs, the true disiles, the

ontemlators o God, and those who remainedsteadast in the 0athQ remember their glorious deeds

and say :Glory be to God.:


2hose who onstantly remembered God:s Name,

shared their earnings, wielded the sword on the

battlefeld, and shared ood in omanionshi, oCered

their heads at the altar o the holy 3aw, were ut ulimb rom limb, were skinned or boiled or sawn alive but

uttered not a sign and did not alter in their aith L

remember their glorious deeds and say :Glory be to

God.:


great )ing, save us rom the fves sins o lust,

wrath, greed, attahment and egoism. God, let usall on 2hee alone, yea, 2hee alone, and let the

remembrane be hainess o all kinds. God,

wherever the members o the holy )halsa are, e5tend

2hy rotetion and mery to them. 3et the Aay be ever

vitoriousQ let the sword be orever our rotetorQ let


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the war-ry o the )halsa resound aross the worldQ

:Glory be to God.:


God, may 2hy Sikhs M


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o the Golden 2emle will insire visits rom most all Sikhs, at

least one during their lietimes.

8armandir Sahib or 2he Golden 2emle is onneted, via a

auseway over the ool, to =kal 2akht (2he 2imeless nes

2hrone/', one o fve thrones/ o authority in Sikhism where Sikh


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leaders made deisions related to aith and ratie. 6very day

Guru Granth is transorted, high above the head on a alanOuin,

bak and orth between 2he Golden 2emle and =kal 2akht. 2he

Granth is arried rom the Golden 2emle to =kal 2akht around ten

olok in the evening and, then, arried bak to the Golden2emle around fve olok in the morning.


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