While christianity is about 2,000 years old, sikhism is a relatively newer religion that originated in the indian subcontinent in the fifteenth century. The main teachings of the guru granth sahib is the love of humanity. Sikhism, an indian religion founded in the punjab in the late 15th century. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by guru nanak, who broke away from hinduism, indias dominant religion. However sikhism is distinct from hinduism and islam. The sikh ultimate reality is without physical form. Sikhism basic beliefs and practices faq learn religions. Eleanor nesbitt highlights the key threads in the fascinating history, from the gurus and the development of the sikh appearance, to martyrdom and militarization in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the diaspora. This introduction assumes no prior knowledge on the part of the reader.
Guru nanak who established sikhism was its first guru. Truth is the highest of all virtues, but higher still is truthful living. This way of life is said to have been stripped of complications, myths, jargon, rituals and exploitation of man by man in the name of religion. Mar 17, 2015 reflecting its religious context, sikhism has elements of hinduism and islam in its beliefs, practices, and traditions. The book teaches that outward rituals and indulgence in the worldly pleasure only bring us pain. The main beliefs and practices i will be explaining are as follows. For example, walking around with a white cap on your head has no meaning on its. Even though sikhism would proclaim divine establishment, sikhism has many similar beliefs and practices with islam and hinduism. The hymns included range from the omnipresence of nature and basic day to day lessons. The sikh religion has various established beliefs and values that are inherent in the basic philosophy of the faith. The verbal repetition of the name of god or a sacred syllable has been an ancient established practice in religious traditions in india, however, sikhism. The sri guru granth sahib also known as adi granth is more than a holy book for the sikhs. The name kirach kiresh, kirich, kirch refers to a relatively rare form of indian sword with a singleedged blade that is straight or with a shallowly concave cutting edge a blade curved slightly forward towards the tip.
The mool mantar, the first hymn composed by guru nanak. A sikhs primary belief is in only one supreme god this sole god is the same for all the peoples of the universe. However, god shows people through holy books, and by the examples of saints, the best ways to get close to him. Sikhism ontario consultants on religious tolerance. The basic philosophy of sikhism revolves mainly around three concepts. There are two granths, or volumes, that stand out above all others in the sikh religion. Service to the final guru the holy book and the sikh community. At sultanpur, in the indian state of uttar pradesh, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and god. This book contains the teachings of all gurus, and hass been identically printed since the first copy, containing the same amount of pages, same words, and same paper size to preserve it. Owen cole author one of the worlds major faiths with more than 20 million adherents, sikhism is a religion which most people, including academics, seem to ignore.
The holy book ofsikhs, shri guru granth sahib, is a collection of bhakti songs, from various poets of the time, from kabir to ravidas to namdeo. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. Guide to discover sikhism sikh literally means learn, as sikhs strive to learn throughout their lives. Owen cole, owen cole, cole owen this is a clear introduction to the history, beliefs, religious practices, and social customs of sikhism. Sikhism was founded by shri guru nanak dev ji, 14691538. He taught beliefs in a strict monotheism, and the brotherhood of humanity. The fundamental principles of sikhism is,there is only one being and truth is its name. The creators of sikhism tried to abolish some of the indian customs such as. The practice of blind rituals, worshiping of idols and inanimate objects, participating in religious fasts, pilgrimage to holy places, offering of food to sadhus religious leaders, or believing in any other such rituals, superstitions or fads. Christianity vs sikhism difference and comparison diffen. Therefore, sikhism s holy scripture known as the siri guru granth sahib, is last in the lineage of the sikh gurus, and can never be replaced. Some of its doctrines, such as certain aspects of its teaching on god, reflect islam more than hinduism, while other doctrines, such as karma, reflect hinduism more than islam.
Its implementation has successfully achieved a high level of uniformity in the religious and social practices of sikhism 3 throughout the world. What are the facts about the beliefs and practices of the sikh religion. The word sikh in the punjabi language means disciple, sikhs are the disciples of god who follow the writings and teachings of the ten sikh gurus. The granth is the central text of sikhism, a religion that emerged in the punjab region of india in the 15th century. Sikhs who are not vegetarian may choose to abstain from eating pork or beef. The adi granth must be present at the gurdwara, and all attending must enter with heads covered and feet bare. However, god shows people through holy books, and by the examples of. Facts, history, beliefs, gurus, traditions, and signs of. However, god shows people through holy books, and by the. Food beliefs sikh dietary practices can vary depending on the individuals beliefs and customs. The sikh holy book, the guru granth sahib, teaches that there is one god, that men and. It has over 3000 hymns and instructions to lead a good sikh life. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib.
He rejected idol worship, and the oppressive hindu concept of caste. The fundamental beliefs of sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture guru granth sahib. Sikhism and hinduism are looked at based on their reasoning, perspective of god, religious practices and convictions, and in addition standards and lessons and hence it is known that sikhism is a monotheistic religion while hinduism is viewed as polytheistic hinduism vs. The sikhism is a monotheistic faith, one of the worlds major religions. Sikhs show their reverence by bowing their foreheads to the floor before the sacred scripture. Sikhism was founded by guru nanak around 500 years ago in a place called the punjab. Primary beliefs and principles sikhiwiki, free sikh. Rns sikhism is the worlds fifthlargest religion, a monotheistic faith founded in the punjab region of india about 500 years ago. This is an area which spans part of india and pakistan in south asia today.
They share this belief with followers of other indian religious traditions such as hinduism. Sikh practices are simple, unprecise and practical guidelines laid out by the gurus for the. The teachings of these gurus were compiled into a holy book called the guru granth sahib ji, the eleventh guru ofsikhism, by the tenth guru of the religion. Both religions are monotheistic but their rituals and practices are very different. Krishan guru tegh bahadur guru gobind singh guru granth sahib sikh holy book. Once truth starts to shine in a persons heart, the essence of current and past holy books of all religions is understood by the person. These concepts of dharma, karma and moksha are key to hindu beliefs too. The main holy book in sikhism is the guru granth sahib. Like christians believe the bible to be the living word, sikhs believe the guru granth to be the embodiment of the living word. Naam, the name of god, shabad the word of god and sat sang, the company of the pious and the holy. The sikh religion rejects all rituals, superstitions and routine practices like fasting and pilgrimage, animal sacrifice, omens and austerities. Much as sikhs love their religion, sikhism is equally respectful and accepting of other ways of life and beliefs. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Unlike the bible or the bhagavadgita, which are often carried around, dogeared and placed on a shelf with other books, there are strict rules and procedures for handling the adi granth. The religious sikhs dress according to guru gobind singhs order, carrying a sword. The goal of every sikh is to build a close, loving relationship with god. The last guru, guru gobind singh, proclaimed that after him the guru of the sikhs would be the holy book of sikhism, guru granth sahib. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of god at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhs believe in a single, formless god, with many names, who can be known through meditation. The main beliefs and practices of sikhism sikhism essays. Holy place, nankana sahib, where the founder of the sikh religion, guru nanak dev was born.
Jun 30, 2014 to close up this series of articles about hinduism, well turn our focus to the second most important component of religion for hinduism hindu practices and behaviors. Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus. Religious beliefs and practices of the sikhs in rural. The adi granth, as discussed above, is believed by sikhs to be the abode of the eternal guru, and for that reason it is known to all sikhs as the guru. The sikh faith condemns empty rituals and superstitions. Sikhism practices are based on the teachings developed by a succession of ten gurus which are recorded in the scripture of guru granth and in the sikhism code of conduct document. Omkar venerated by hindus, buddhists and jains refers to the divine in sikhism. Sikhism or sikhi is an indian monotheistic religion that originated in the punjab region of the. This book is one of the first to introduce newcomers to sikhism s meanings, beliefs, practices, rituals, and festivals. Discover the sikhs, sikhi and sikhism discover sikhism. A sikh gurdwara includes both the house of worship proper and its associated langar, or communal refectory. Any human being who faithfully believes in i one immortal being, ii ten gurus, from guru nanak dev to guru gobind singh.
Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 gurus enshrined in the sikh holy book and living guru, sri guru granth sahib. After him there were nine more gurus who were the highest religious authority. Sep 24, 2009 this article looks at sikh beliefs about god, karma, death and rebirth. The last book which he and piara singh wrote together was sikhism and christianity. Sikh traditions, beliefs and practices have been continually maintained and observed in historic spiritual centers where the ten gurus held court. Sikhism is a unique faith which has aspects of islam. Learn about the sikh beliefs, practices, reasons for the articles of faith, sikh scripture, sikh emblems, sikh national anthem, gurdwaras, five takhts, sikh ceremonies, sikh festivals, sikh literature, sikh saaj, philosophical, teachings and more. Comparison between hinduism and sikhism free essay example. The fundamental beliefs of sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture guru granth sahib, include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator, divine unity and equality of all humankind, engaging in selfless service, striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder. Every sikh baptized as khalsa should wear the five ks. This article looks at sikh beliefs about god, karma, death and rebirth. The granth is now known as the guru granth sahib, giving their book the title of guru and their final teacher geisler, 1999. However, vegetarian sikhs do consume dairy products.
Sikhism asks a nonsikh to discover and live the essential message and meaning of his or her own religion so that a christian can become a better christian, jew a better jew, hindu a better hindu, while a sikh becomes a better sikh. I have used various sources of information that i have listed at the end of my coursework. Aqa a religious studies sikhism practices flashcards. These ideas have been compiled within the holy book of the sikhs known as the guru granth sahib. In this essay, i will be explaining the main beliefs and practices of sikhism. Sikhs believe in the divine one, the supreme ultimate reality through which the universe was created and continues to exist. Jan 31, 2014 an indian sikh devotee takes a holy bath in the sacred pond of the golden temple, sikh s holiest temple, during the birth anniversary of guru nanak, in amritsar, india, wednesday, nov. Nam simran equality of birth and gender seva khalsa firstly, i will be explaining nam simran.
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