Blog Post 5 - Sikhism: An Introduction

So back in Blog post 2 (religion) I decided that every single year I would make myself the student of a new religion. Please do not confuse this with a follower of the religion, I am simply making myself a student of the teachings of different religions and learning about different beliefs with an open mind and spirit. 

I have decided that this year (since I am a born Mulsim) I will do Islam. I never finished learning how to read arabic, or learning how to pray etc. I wish to complete the learning's of my born religion before learning others. 

However, I caught up with an old friend from high school for a movie (shout out to Devpaal Singh) who does quite a bit of work for the Sikh Youth Association, including running Sikh Youth Camps. I discussed with him my plan to study different religions and wondered if he would teach me a bit about his religion and whether or not I could go on one of the Sikh Youth Camps in 2015. My plan was to really immerse myself in an environment new and alien to me, and make myself familiar and comfortable with it by learning more about my fellow brothers and sisters.

Devpaal said yes, and so I'll dedicate this post to a quick introduction to Sikhism.

The Sikh Symbol

Sikhism was founded over 500 years ago (one of the youngest new world religions) and has over 20 million followers today. It preaches the remembrance of God at all times, living truthfully, equality of all humans, justice and denounces superstition and blind rituals. The teachings of Sikhism come from 10 Gurus enshrined in Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granath Sahib. 

The Ten Gurus each represent a divine attribute:

Guru Nanak - Humility
Guru Angad - Obedience
Guru Amar Das — Equality
Guru Ram Das - Service
Guru Arjan - Self-Sacrifice
Guru Hargobind - Justice
Guru Har Rai - Mercy
Guru Harkrishan - Purity
Guru Tegh Bahadur - Tranquility
Guru Gobind Singh - Royal Courage  

The tenth Guru, the last Guru in human form created the Khalsa. The Khalsa are Sikh men and women who have undergone a Sikh baptism ceremony who wear the five K's to remind them of their commitment and to help them maintain an elevated state of consciousness.

The Five K's:

Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a turban, the crown of spirituality.

Kangha - a wooden comb to properly groom the hair as a symbol of cleanliness. 

Katchera - specially made cotton underwear as a reminder of the commitment to purity. 

Kara - a steel circle, worn on the wrist, signifying bondage to Truth and freedom from every other entanglement. 

Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is committed to righteously defend the fine line of the Truth.



A summary of the Sikh Beliefs:

Philosophy and Beliefs
 There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.

 The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. The goal of our life is to lead an exemplary existence so that one may merge with God. Sikhs should remember God at all times and practice living a virtuous and truthful life while maintaining a balance between their spiritual obligations and temporal obligations.

 The true path to achieving salvation and merging with God does not require renunciation of the world or celibacy, but living the life of a householder, earning a honest living and avoiding worldly temptations and sins.

 Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of the dead, idol worship etc.

 Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God. It teaches the full equality of men and women. Women can participate in any religious function or perform any Sikh ceremony or lead the congregation in prayer.

Hope you enjoyed this short introduction to Sikhism! I will do a more detailed one on Islam this year, and an equally detailed one to Islam on Sikhism next year. I am definitely looking forward to Sikh Camp