SIKHISM: A PRIMER

The circle signifies the all-pervasive God and sole beholder

of the universe. The double-edged sword signifies God’s
order of life and death. The crossed scimitars signify God’s
sovereignty over both spiritual and temporal worlds.

ORIGINS
“Sikh” means disciple in Pali dialect. A Sikh is
one who seeks truth—one who studies religion and
philosophy. Sikhism arose in 16th century Punjab, India. In
spite of the religious intolerance and political oppression prevalent in that
region at that time, there were philosophers tuted the Order of Khalsa (pure ones, or saint-
and mystics of diverse traditions who rec- soldiers) in 1699. Spiritual authority was now “love
ognized that their quest for the divine was a enshrined in the Sikh scriptures, temporal au- your
mutual one. thority would rest in the Council of Five Sikhs. neighbor
as
• Sikhism’s founder is Guru Nanak (1469- • After years of political oppression, many Sikh yourself”
1539). “Guru” is Sanskrit for “enlightener”: confederacies were founded in 1765. In 1799,
one who transforms darkness into light. At a Sikh Commonwealth was established in
age 36, Guru Nanak was transformed by a di- Punjab, but was annexed by the British in 1849.
vine revelation. He then traveled through the Since then, Sikhs have struggled to regain sov-
Middle East and Asia, proclaiming a practical ereign status.
faith and a vision of society in which every-
• With some 22 million adherents, Sikhism is
one would strive for the good of all.
now fifth among the six largest world religions.
• The second guru modified the Punjabi al-
phabet into Gurmukhi, script—standard for
Sikhism. The fourth guru made Amritsar
Sikhism’s holy city and site of its Golden BELIEFS
Temple. The fifth guru began to compile its
scriptures. • Sikhs believe that God is One, unbounded
by time and space. God is called Nam (Di-
• Under the sixth guru, two swords became vine Name), Waheguru (Almighty), or Sat
the symbol of spiritual and earthly power. This (Eternal Truth). Sikhs believe in constant re-
guru preached defense against religious per- membrance of God. As creator of the entire
secution. The ninth guru was martyred for his universe, God is distinct from—yet present in—
belief in religious freedom for all. all things and people. This informs the Sikh
• Sikhism’s tenth and last guru in human form principles of equality, eternity, justice, respect
was Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). He insti- for human dignity, and freedom of conscience
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for all—without distinction by creed, color, task of putting the Adi Granth into written
race, gender or social status. form began in 1604 under Guru Arjan Dev.
• The Sikh world view recognizes both cos- It took final form in the late 17th century un-
mic unity (divine Spirit) and physical diver- der Guru Gobind Singh. Traditionally, it is
sity (divine Reality). It believes that, because recorded in Gurmukhi script, which is re-
human nature is controlled lated to Hindi and Punjabi.
by ignorance and vices
• When Guru Gobind
such as lust, pride, covet- Sikhism’s Singh transferred his spiri-
ousness, and anger, hu-
mans are caught in the end- Three Principles tual authority to the Adi
less cycle of birth and re- Granth rather than to a hu-
birth. Release comes only God is the only Doer and man successor, this sacred
by God’s grace, but selfless Giver text became Sikhism’s
service and human effort eleventh Guru—a living
blending courage and dig- Work hard and earn an teacher revered as Divine
nity with humility and com- honest living Light, God’s Word, source
passion can create a favor- of spiritual guidance.
able environment for that Share with those in need Therefore, it is often called
grace. Sri Guru Granth Sahib
• Sikhs believe in reincar- (Lord Holy Book).
nation, immortality of the soul, and the soul’s
eventual return to God. • To read the Adi Granth in its entirety takes
two full days if read in the original
• Sikhs believe in living according to the ex- Gurmukhi, or three if read in English.
ample and teachings of the Gurus. They con-
firm their faith through the rite of initiation • Songbooks for use in worship make use
(“taking amrit ”); which, they believe, elimi- of texts from the Adi Granth. These song
nates any former class or caste distinction and books must be treated respectfully and must
imposes the duty to adhere to the code of con- be kept off the floor when not in use.
duct of the faith.
• Sikhs believe that the body houses the spirit; • The Adi Granth was first translated into En-
thus it must be accorded respect by careful glish by Max Arthur Macauliffe in the early
diet and by maintaining the balance between 1900s. Dr. Gopal Singh and Sardar Manmohan
body, mind, and spirit. They believe that hu- Singh have made recent translations.
manity is created in God’s image, and to cut
one’s hair or to shave would mar this image. • Some Sikhs practice the blessing of a new
• Sikhs believe in the importance of marriage home or business with a reading of the en-
and family. tire Adi Granth. This is a relatively new
custom.

WRITINGS
• The sacred scripture of Sikhism is the Adi
Granth (First Holy Book): 6000-plus verses
which include the inspired words of Sikh
Gurus, Muslim Sufis and Hindu saints (some
of whom are “Untouchables”).
• Copies of the Adi Granth are always uni-
form in page contents and numbering. The
PRACTICE
• Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak’s three
prominent teachings provide a path to union
with God: that earning an honest living
through hard work, that sharing one’s earn-
ings with the needy, and that acknowledg-
ing God as the only Doer and Giver—all are
necessary.
• Sikh practice includes a rich heritage of • Sikh worship makes use of reverent pos-
distinctive customs. Khande-di-Pahul: the tures, songs praising God, petitions for God’s
pre-dawn rite of full initiation as a Sikh, in blessing, and scripture readings chosen at
which one is sprinkled with amrit (nectar)— random. A sermon on a spiritual, social, or
sweetened water stirred by a two-edged political topic may be given. Anyone—male
sword—and is instructed in the Sikh code of or female—may lead Sikh worship.
conduct by the Panj
Piare (five Beloved • Weekly worship (Fri-
Ones). The Five K’s day evening or Sunday
morning) lasts two
• Initiated Sikhs add a
suffix to their names: Kesha
Kesha: unshorn hair covered hours or more. It con-
with a dashar (men’s turban) cludes with a meal
Singh (lion) for men,
or a chunnis (women’s scarf.) open to the commu-
Kaur (princess) for
nity at large. Daily
women.
Kanga
Kanga: a comb kept in one’s morning and evening
• Initiation makes a worship is shorter.
Sikh a member of the
hair for grooming twice daily.
Prayer may be sung,
Khalsa. Thereafter, Kara
Kara: an iron or stainless-steel sometimes with instru-
one must always wear mental accompani-
bracelet on the right wrist.
the five K’s—five ar- ment.
ticles of faith pre- Kachcha
Kachcha: an undergarment of
scribed by Guru short pants as a reminder to • Because they recog-
Gobind Singh. nize that God may be
be chaste.
• Sikhism demands ab- worshiped in many
stinence from alcohol, Kirpan
Kirpan: a small sword which ways, Sikhs respect all
tobacco, and drugs. It symbolizes the sacred duty to religious expressions,
calls for maintaining a but will not participate
defend the oppressed and to in the rituals and cus-
positive, spiritual state fight the oppressor.
of mind through such toms specific to an-
disciplines as medita- other faith.
tion on the Mool Mantra (a declaration of
the oneness and nature of God), recitation
of five hymns daily, and the constant remem-
brance of God’s name.
ORGANIZATION
• Sikh congregations meet in a Gurdwara
• The local congregation is served by an
(House of the Guru). Many gurdwaras are
elected Board of Trustees and its officers,
open every day. They are centers for social
and educational activities and may also serve and finances itself through donations, offer-
as guest houses for travelers. ings, and pledges.
• A Gurdwara can be a special building, or • Some congregations employ a gyani
a room in any home or building prepared (preacher)—a full-time religious leader who
appropriately for the occasion. Everyone acts as teacher, administrator, leader of ser-
must remove their shoes, and wear a head vices, and interpreter of religious laws. Most
covering when entering. The Adi Granth are trained in Punjab, but there are no univer-
(Sikh scriptures) is the focus. It is placed un- sal requirements. The gyani need not report
der a canopied platform by attendants who to a higher authority, but does maintain a rela-
care for it and serve the congregation prasad tionship to the Jathedar, the world leader of
—a sweet pudding considered to be a gift Sikhism who is based at the World Headquar-
from the Adi Granth. ters in Akhal Takht, Amritsar, Punjab
 SOCIAL ACTION BIBLIOGRAPHY
• The crossed swords of the Sikh symbol • Cole, W. Owen & Piara Singh Sambhi.
indicate the relationship between attention Sikhism, & Christianity: A Comparative
to one’s personal spirituality and one’s obli- Study. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993.
gation to serve the needy and the oppressed.
Sikhism expects humble, selfless service— • O’Connell, Joseph T., et al., eds. Sikh His-
done without motive or compensation, with tory & Religion in the Twentieth Century.
no distinction between friends and enemies. Toronto: University of Toronto Centre for
Sikhism advocates justice, truth, and equal- South Asia Studies, 1988.
ity for all people—regardless of gender, • Sikh Religion. Detroit: Sikh Missionary Cen-
caste, religion, or race. ter, 1990.
• Sikhs pledge a portion of their income to
support charitable actions.
• The langar —the sacred kitchen so char-
acteristic of Sikhism—originated with Guru
Nanak. At a Sikh post-worship meal, all who
attend are seated in a line to avoid any dis-
tinctions, and all who wish to eat are served.

HOLIDAYS
• Sikhs follow a lunar calendar. All holidays
follow a similar pattern of celebration: three
days of worship, with special food distrib-
uted free from the langar.
• The dates for commemorating the birth-
day of each of the ten gurus are distributed
throughout the year. Those of the founder
(Guru Nanak) and of the tenth guru (Guru
Gobind Singh) are especially important.
• Baisaki commemorates the formation of
the Khalsa in 1699.
• Guru Granth Day celebrates the proclama-
tion that the Sikh holy book is the perpetual
living Guru.