SIKHISM

A progressive religion well ahead of its time when it was founded over 500 years ago, The Sikh religion today has a following of over 20 million people worldwide and is ranked as the worlds 5th largest religion. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. 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.

Sikh History:

The founder of Sikhism was Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538) who was born in the Punjab area of what is now Pakistan. At Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He is responsible for the saying "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" which has since become one of the pillars of Sikhism. He taught a strict monotheism, the brotherhood of humanity. He rejected idol worship, and the Hindu concept of caste. Guru Nanak and Panth (his followers) later built the first Sikh temple at Katarpur.

A succession of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. At that time, the functions of the Guru passed to the Panth and to the holy text, considered the 11th Guru.

Mogul emperors ruled a large area of South Asia from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century. They attempted to convert the Sikhs to Islam, but were unsuccessful. It has been said of one of the Sikh Gurus (considered by many Sikhs to have been the last guru) that "Had there been no Guru Gobind Singh, the entire country would have gotten circumcised" i.e. been converted to Islam.

In 1801, the Sikh state of Punjab was founded in Northern India by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. According to a historian Vincent Smith, "The Punjab State was neither a traditional Indian territorial State and monarchy, nor merely a dictatorship of one community over another. There was an element of partnership with other communities."

An invasion by Great Britain triggered the Sikh Wars (1845-1849). The British successfully gained control over all of India. After independence in 1947, occupied India was partitioned on religious grounds into a mostly Muslim Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. A mass migration of Sikhs and Hindus from Pakistan to India and a reverse migration of Muslims resulted, with immense loss of life. Some Sikhs have been seeking an independent homeland since the late 1940's.

The goal of Sikhs is to build a close, loving relationship with God.

Sikhs believe in a single, Formless God, with many names, who can be known through meditation. His concept is similar to Islam whose followers believe in a single God who has 99 names. The Mool Mantar, the first hymn composed by Guru Nanak, is recited daily by many Sikhs. It contains a description of many of the attributes of God: There is only one God; His Name is Truth; He is the Creator; He is without fear; He is without hate; He is beyond time (i.e. is immortal); He is beyond birth and death; He is self-existent. Only he can be worshiped. Rahras, a Sikh evening prayer states: "[O God] since I have fallen at your feet, I do not care for anybody else. I do not follow the religious ways preached by various religions believing in Ram, Mohammed, Puran or Qur'an. The Simritis, Shastras and the Vedas lay down different doctrines. But I do not recognize any of these. O God, I have written these hymns with your grace and kindness. All that has been said is in fact spoken by you."

The holy granth, the Shri Guru Granth, was initially compiled by the fifth guru, Shri Arjan Dev Ji. Subsequently, it was updated to include the writings of the sixth to ninth gurus. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh Ji assembled his writings separately into a number of books, including "Dasam Granth"

The holy granth consists of hymns and writings by the first nine Gurus, along with religious text from different Muslim and Hindu saints like: Kabir Ji, Baba Sheik Farid Ji, Bhagat Namdev, Bhagat Rav Dass Ji, etc. The Shri Guru Granth itself is considered the 11th and final Guru, and the Sikh's holiest religious text. It was made so by Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

One unusual feature of Sikhism is that all Sikh males share the name: "Singh" which means "lion." Women carry the name of "Kaur" which means "princess."

The Five K's: These are clothing practices followed by stricter Sikhs, called Khalsa saints:

1. Kesa (long hair, which is never cut)
2. Kangah (comb)
3. Kacha (short pants)
4. Kara (metal bracelet)
5. Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger.

The Khanda -- the Sikh symbol

It is composed of four items, all traditional Sikh weapons:

• A vertical double edged sword with a broad blade, also called a Khanda
• Two curved swords, called kirpans. They are called miri and piri, after the names given to his personal kirpans by Guru Hargobind Singh Ji.
• A ring called a chakker (aka chakram). It is a very effective weapon, with a range of up to 50 meters (165 feet). This has been popularized in North America by the television series Xena the Warrior Princess.

The Khanda has been interpreted symbolically in many ways. one is:

"The Sikh emblem, Khanda, contains a ring of steel representing the Unity of God, a two edged sword symbolizing God's concern for truth and justice, and two crossed swords curved around the outside to signify God's spiritual power."

The Great Masters of Sikhism

The First Master: Guru Nanak Dev ji (1469 to 1539)
The Second Master: Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504 to 1552)
The Third Master: Guru Amar Das Dev Ji (1479 to 1574)
The Fourth Master: Guru Ram Das Ji (1534 to 1581)
The Fifth Master: Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563 to 1606)
The sixth Master: Guru Hargobind Ji (1595 to 1644)
The Seventh Master: Guru Har Rai Ji (1630 to 1661)
The Eighth Master: Guru Harkrishan Ji (1656 to 1664)
The Ninth Master: Guru Tag Bahadur Ji (1621 to 1675)
The Tenth Master: Guru Gobind singh Ji (1666 to 1708)

“Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh”

Has a two fold meaning. It denotes a special relationship between God and those who dedicate their lives to His love and service. Also it is the expression of a devotee’s faith in the ultimate triumph of Truth over Falsehood. This Sikh salutation means “Khalsa belongs to God and to God alone belongs the Victory”.

The proper salutation for all Sikhs — “Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh” — was introduced by command of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji at the time of the manifestation of Khalsa in 1699.

"Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal"

One of the Sikh Slogans or Jaikaras, this is divided in two parts. The first,”Bole so Nihal” means “whoever utters shall be fulfilled”. The second part “Sat Sri Akal” means “Eternal is The Great Timeless Lord”. Sat Sri Akal shouted in unison, responding to the call — Bole So Nihal is a call to action, or expression of ecstatic joy or an invocation for Divine aid.