The Founding |
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| Nanak was born in 1469 to kshatriya parents in the Punjab. He was schooled in the Vedas and lived a relatively normal life until the age of twenty-nine. While bathing in a nearby stream, he disappeared from view and was given up as drowned. During that disappearance, he was summoned by God and charged with his mission in the following words: "Nanak, I am with thee. Through thee will my name be magnified. . . . Go in the world to pray and to teach mankind how to pray. Be not sullied by he ways of the world. Let your life be one of praise of the 'word' [nam], 'charity' [dan], 'ablution' [ishnan], 'service' [seva], and 'prayer' [simran]." When he reappeared on the fourth day, he uttered the famous words. "There is no Hindu; there is no Muslim." This new revelation from God became the foundation for the missionary work in which he engaged for much of the rest of his life. |
Nanak was born in 1469 to kshatriya parents in the Punjab. His father, a revenue collector, had close contacts with both Hindus and Muslims and Nanak became familiar with the teachings of both the bhakti tradition in Hinduism and the sufi tradition in Islam. Following the life defined for him by his caste, he married at nineteen and was the father of two sons. Later he left his wife and sons and went to the city of Sultanpur to pursue business interests. Around the age of thirty Nanak had a vision of God while meditating in the forest. He was told he had been singled out as a prophet of the true religion. His message was to be, "There is no Muslim and there is no Hindu." Through his teachings he tried to synthesize Hinduism and Islam, taking from the former the idea of reincarnation and from the latter a strict monotheism. Upon his death, authority was vested in the first of ten gurus, teachers, who continued his teachings and the path to salvation that he outlined. |
The Goal |
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| Moksha, or liberation from samsara, is the goal of Sikhism. It consists in becoming one with God by extinguishing individuality and being absorbed in God, the True Name. | |
The Means |
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From the earliest, Sikhism upheld the authority of the gurus, holding them to be the reincarnation of Guru Nanak. Upon the death of the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, the Shri Guru Granth, the sacred text of Sikhism, was installed as the present and final guru. Following Nanak's advice, Sikhs tend to deemphasize ritual or ceremonialism. Sikhism requires total allegiance to the teachings of the gurus. Meditation on the truth [sat] of God and repetition of God's name [nam] and leads |
the Sikh saint to final liberation. For this reason, Sikhism is known as the namamarga. The namamarga is marked by the realization of the truth within the heart (hriday gyan), its expression in prayer (mukh bhakti), and detachment from worldly things (vartan vairag). Pious Sikhs observe five traditions that mark their faith: 1. Kais; (long hair, which is never cut) 2.Kangha (use of a comb) 3.Kacha (wearning short pants) 4.Kara (wearning a metal bracelet) 5.Kirpan (wearning a ceremonial dagger).: |
The Schools |
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The are three main branches of Sikhs and a number of minor variations. The first, the Singh, follow the five traditions noted above. Throughout the later centuries of Sikh history, they have distinguished themselves as great warriors. The second group is called the Udasis. It is basically an order of ascetics and holy men. They are recognized by their shaven heads and their beards and often engage in missionary work. The third branch is the Sahajdharis who reject militarism and prefer to be clean shaven. |
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The Scriptures |
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The major text of the Sikhs is the Adi Granth. It contains verses of hymns and poetry about the name and truth of God compiled by the tenth guru from the composit writings of the gurus as well as religious text from different Muslim and Hindu saints. |
The Janamsakhis contain life stories of Nanak. There is also a group of literature composed by Nanak that includes the Asa-di-Var (The Dawn Hymns) |
Key Terms |
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Nanak guru nam sat gurdwara khalsa langar |
kirtan Japji Golden Temple Five K's Sati Nam maya Panth |
Key Symbol |
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The Khanda -- a double-edged sword stands at the center. It is a metaphor of Divine Knowledge, its sharp edges cleaving Truth from Falsehood. The circle around the sword is the Chakar. Having neither a beginning nor an end, it symbolizes the perfection of God who is eternal. The cirlce is surrounded by two curved swords called Kirpans. They symbolize the twin concepts of Meeri and Peeri - Temporal and Spiritual authority. They suggest that Sikhs have both spiritual and social responsibilities. |
Sacred Places |
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All places of worship or gurdwaras that host the Adi Granth are considered equally sacred by Sikhs. However, the Golden Temple at Amritsar stands first among equals. |
Sikhs also have special reverence for five Takhts (Thrones) which are seats of religious authority. |
