Basic Of Sikhism

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Guru Nanak felt that spiritual development should not be crushed by outward symbols and forms. To bind the soul to the wheels of a socio-religious machinery is a type of spiritual slavery. Freedom of the soul is vital for its adjustments to the needs of life and the complexity of social organization. Constant adaptation is necessary for the achievement of harmony, between the individual and the Supreme Being. Man's nature is extremely complex and it is suicidal to chain it to a rigid groove or pattern.
Guru Nanak discarded all the prevalent superstations of traditional forms of worship and symbols. He pointed out the absurdity of idolatry, hypocrisy, caste exclusiveness and pilgrimage. He challenged the use of intoxicants and narcotics, and the practice of Sati and infacticide. At the same time, he advocated the maintenance of ethical values in daily life: justice, truth, honesty, humility, fearlessness and gratitude. These qualities make a man a true citizen of the world.
The universality of Guru Nanak's teachings makes an individual approach possible. Guru Amar Das says:
"God! Save by Your Grace this world which is in flames.Save it by whatever way it can be saved." (A.G. p853)

 

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A great stress is given on Nam Simran in Sikhism. A Sikh is required to lead a virtuous, pure and pious life. This virtue can be attained by always remembering and repeating name of God with full concentration, breath by breath. Nam will create love and affection for all those who are created by God. It is strongly believed that a pious person would be compassionate and contended. He will aspire to serve the needy. He will have no enmity with any one as he knows that God lives in every human being. Hurting of humanity would hurt God. So serve His Creation to serve God and remember Name of God day and night. The mortal can attain God by living in Him, by dying in Him and in loving Him
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The Sikh Faith​

‘Sikhi,’ wrongly termed ‘Sikhism’
The Sikh religion is the newest - about 535 years old today in 2004. It came into being with the birth of Guru Nanak Dev in 1469 AD. In the Sikh world, the Guru means a Sikh Prophet or the Master. Father of Guru Nanak Dev was Kalyan Das, popularly called Mehta Kalu, and mother was Mata (Mother) Tripta. He was born at the village Talwandi (Nankana Sahib), now in the undivided Punjab, the great Northern state of India.

The Gurus
Guru Nanak was followed by nine Gurus, and the last, Guru Gobind Singh, died in 1708. Their followers are called Sikhs. The word means “disciple,” a seeker - an apprentice, a student. Today, they are about twenty-two millions, and make the fifth largest nation in the world. Their homeland is the State of Punjab, in India, but they are nearly all over the country (India) and the world.
This new religion was the result of an action against ignorance and superstitions. It was reinforced by the desire of the people to get rid of oppression, discrimination and cruelty. The lust, greed, ego etc. of the rich and powerful were beyond toleration.
Downtrodden
The Gurus kept uplifting the downtrodden for 239 years, from the birth of Guru Nanak to the death of Guru Gobind Singh. They united the people to one God, and revived in them the realization of their duties and rights. They taught equality of all human beings, and liberated them from discrimination against caste, creed, class, sex, color, faith, and of the geographical regions. They liberated the people from superstitions, unfounded taboos, meaningless customs, and useless rites.
The Sikh Belief
A Sikh believes in one God and prays only to Him, has faith in Ten Gurus, and follows the dictates of Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book the Guru). This Book has 1430, pages - fixed by the Sikh world in the recent past. It has the Hymns not only of the Sikh Gurus, but of the saints from other faiths and of different castes, too. The last Guru, Gobind Singh, declared the Holy Book to be the Guru of the Sikhs after him and no more a human Master for them. The Sikhs consider Guru Granth Sahib - Gurbani (the Word) their Living Guru.

 

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Khalsa
The Tenth Master established “Order of the Khalsa.” Khalsa means the Guru’s own i.e. his special, loved one: the pure one. This order was to uplift the masses to fight for their rights, to struggle for freedom including that of their faith, to stand up against oppression, discrimination, cruelty, and to lead the people for selfless service combined with universal love, help to the needy and protection to the weak. The people properly initiated into the Sikh faith were also called Khalsa. The Khalsa keep their hair unshorn, head covered, and observe other dictates of the order. The men tie turbans and usually a long cloth is worn by the women to cover their heads. The use of caps, hats etc. is not permitted in the Sikh world.
Amrit
The people are initiated into the Sikh faith by a special ceremony of drinking “Amrit” - the Holy Drink. The Khalsa’s (properly initiated Sikh’s) name should end in “Singh” for males, and “Kaur” for females, as it is usual for the Sikhs in general. Singh means a lion, and Kaur is a princess. The regular salutation of the Sikhs is “Satsri Akal”- Hail the Lord! However, more formal one is, “Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh” - the Khalsa belongs to God, Glory to Him.

 

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Sikh Prayer
The Sikhs recite their set prayers in the morning, evening and at bedtime. They bow to the Holy Book and recite it with reverence. They believe that the Hymns composed by the Gurus, and given in Guru Granth Sahib were revealed to them by God.
Besides, the individual i.e. personal meditation on God, they perform “Kirtan” - sing His praise, and meditate on Him in the congregation. They hold their gatherings usually on weekends in the presence of the Holy Book in their place of worship called “Gurdwara”- residence of the Guru. Sometimes, they get-together to pray at their homes, too. Their every ceremony is performed in the presence of their Holy Book. Their gatherings mostly end in “Langar” - common (community) food - sitting together and eating. It may be prepared singly, jointly, at home or at the Gurdwara. This is a free service.

 

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Waheguru
The Sikhs call God “Waheguru”- Wondrous One i.e. the Wonderful God. ‘Wahe’ means an appreciation in wonder. ‘Guru’ means the eliminator of ignorance. The central theme of their teaching is known as “Mool-Mantar.- the Basic i.e. Root-Formula.” This is - “There is only One God, He is all pervading, the supreme Truth, the only Creator, all powerful and without discrimination, above the time and space, not bound by the birth and death, self-created. And this realization comes through His own Grace.”
Invocation
[
1the act of calling on God, a god, a saint, the Muses, etc. for blessing, help, inspiration, support, or the like
2 a) a formal prayer used in invoking, as at the beginning of a church service b) a formal plea for aid from a Muse, god, etc., at the beginning of an epic or similar poem ]

Every “Ardas” - Invocation or supplication by the Sikhs, is mainly a very brief repetition of their history, and begs for His mercy. It ends with “O Lord, be merciful to all, and bless everyone with a high morale!”

 

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Amrit : At what Age
Amrit or Khande Ki Pohul is the Sikh baptism. It is carried out by drinking of holy water (prepared while reciting hymns) given by five baptized Sikhs to the person being baptized. There is no formal age for becoming a baptized Sikh. Amrit is a very beautiful practice. It can be carried on any time when a Sikh thinks he or she is ready.

 

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Contd..........
A Sikh must earn an honest living and always interact with honesty and good ethical standards.
Sikhs must also remember God.

This is done through the recitation of seven daily prayers.
Five prayers are recited in the morning as a reminder of God’s role in life and are meant to be the first thoughts of the day dedicated to God. One prayer is recited in the evening and one is subsequently recited at night to be the last thoughts in ones mind before sleep. In this way God is constantly a conscious part of a Sikh’s day.
One may ask, why should one recite the same hymn everyday? The basic reason is that the hymns provide guidance to worship God and tells one to live truly and honestly. Reciting the hymns does not let one dwindle and always keeps one focused on his/her goals. Every morning the hymns ring the bell in mind and reminds one of his duties.

and It is my Beautiful Sikhi................

 

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Along with these scriptures Sikhs are told to meditate on God while doing any work and whenever they are free.
Some Sikhs get up at 3 in the morning and start worshiping God while everyone is asleep, so that there would be no distractions.

Amritdhari (or baptized Sikhs) are not to cut their hair, consume any alcohol or drugs. This is to always be conscious about one's self and keep God in the heart and mind. Sikhs are to meditate on One God only and never to do idol worship. The Amrit bearer has five symbols or articles of faith, which he or she is always to keep with them. These five symbols are Hair (covered), Comb, Steel bracelet, under shorts and a small sword. The sword is emblem of courage and self-defense. It symbolizes dignity and self-reliance, the capacity and readiness to always defend the weak and the oppressed. It helps sustain one’s martial spirit and the determination to sacrifice oneself in order to defend the truth. A Sikh is a devotee first and to protect his devotion, a Sikh is a warrior too. A real Sikh will never let weapons take the precedence over his spiritual values and devotion. A real Sikh will always help the one in need and fight for him regardless of the person's caste, color or religion. When all other means of self-protection fail, the Sikh can use his sword to protect himself and others. A Sikh will never use his sword to attack anyone.
[ I wonder If this is the case now. Today we keep only as an insignia of the sword.....I am not sure Of Rehat.Pl check]

Finally, a Sikh is to always share with others. In the spirit of defending the truth, a Sikh is also to help those in any other type of need and share his or her own bounty with those who may be less fortunate.
end and From here Starts a new chapter........................

 

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Concept of Guru in Sikhism
In Sikhism the term 'Guru' is not used for a teacher or a guide or an expert or even a human body. The word Guru is composed of two terms.
GU- means darkness and
RU- means Light.

For Sikhs, Guru is the Light that dispels all darkness. It is called JOT (Divine Light). Guru Nanak, the founder Guru of Sikhism was regarded as the embodiment of Divine Light.
The Guru in Sikhism is a perfect Prophet or Messenger of God in whom the Light of God shines fully, visibly and completely. Guru is in union with Divine. Thus he ushers the devotees, the seekers of Truth into a spiritual birth. Through him the Glory of the Lord is transmitted to humanity. On account of his Divine prerogatives, the Guru, though human in form, is Divine in Spirit.

 

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God is in the Guru and Guru is in God.

Though God is everywhere and in everybody but His traits are illuminated through the Guru.

The Jot (Divine Light) that enshrined Guru Nanak's body and the Primal Jot of God are, therefore, one and the same.
The guruship and the Jot has been passed from Guru Nanak, the founding Guru of Sikhism, to the Sikh scripture, Grandh Sahib.

When Guru Nanak conferred Guruship on Guru Angad, the JOT was passed on and Guru Angad too became the embodiment of Divine Light. In the same way all the nine Gurus were the embodiments of Guru Nanak Jot. The tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh then conferred the Guruship on Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scripture of Sikhs).

As a result, Guru Nanak JOT is, enshrined and preserved in Guru Granth Sahib which became the embodiment of Divine Light.


It is the Living Guru for ever.

 

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Sikhism believes in ONE God (Ek Onkar). Sikhs view life as an interconnected whole.


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Ek Onkar[/FONT]​

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Ek Onkar means there is only ONE God.​

EK Onkar are the first two words of Guru Granth Sahib and also
Mool Mantar, the Sikh scriptures.
Literally, Ek means 'ONE' emphasizing the oneness of God,
which is the basics of Sikhism.
The Onkar is derived from the Sanskrit word Om which consists of three syllable sounds representing the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Onkar represents GOD in His entirety.[/FONT]​

Spirituality, Sikhism, Key Beliefs of Sikhism

 

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Nam japna: Keeping God in mind at all times.

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Nam - the Divine Name​

There is nothing in this world which equals the value of the Divine Name. The Lord and His Name are identical. They are one.
The whole creation including the elements of Nature are held together by the Power of Nam. All the universes stand projected and are held together by the Power of Nam.
Nam is the support of all beings, Nam is the support of the whole universe. Nam unites the devotee with the Lord. Nam cements the bond, the true relationship of the worshipper with the Worshipped.
Nam is the food of the lover of the Divine Name. Hunger does not trouble him. Nam is his eternal companion and he needs no other friends because he is never alone. Nam is his true shelter and he does not, therefore, seek any other shelter. Nam is his existence as he cannot live without Nam. Nam is his honor as he never cares for any worldly honor.[/FONT]
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Other Beliefs
Belief in the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy book or the "Living Guru".
Sikhs do not believe in idols and idol worships or rituals.
Belief in Freedom — Sikhism places great emphasis on the individual and freedom of choice for everyone. Love for All — Sikhs pray daily for the well-being of all of humanity

 

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God and the Cycle of Life
Sikhs believe that human beings spend their time in a cycle of birth, life, and rebirth.
The quality of each particular life depends on the law of Karma. Karma sets the quality of a life according to how well or badly a person behaved in their previous life–you reap what you sow.

The only way out of this cycle is to achieve a total knowledge of and union with God.

 

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Human Body vs. Spirituality

Sikhs suggest that we are here wearing a "human uniform." Our bodies are not what makes us. The real you is your divinity.
We should serve divinity in every human beings. We should be watchers. Learn to see the divine in everyone and do good things that manifests the divine in us.
We are all spiritual beings having a human experience.
The mistake most of the people make is to mistake our body for the real us.
Our bodies are designed to maintain itself. The hunger is designed so that we will eat food to maintain our body. The food is given taste so provide an added incentive for us to take it as needed. Now if we mistake eating for spiritual nourishment, we are on the wrong track. We start indulging in eating too much; our over indulgence in taste will prompt us to eat unhealthy foods. We start giving excuses and slowly lose our spirituality.

 

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Experiencing God
Sikh spirituality is centered round the need to understand and experience God, and eventually become one with God.
To do this a person must switch the focus of their attention from themselves to God. They get this state, which is called mukti (liberation), through the grace of God.
Sikhs believe that God can't be understood properly by human beings, but He can be experienced through love, worship, and contemplation.
Sikhs look for God both inside themselves and in the world around them. They do this to help themselves achieve liberation and union with God. Sikhs believe that God is inside every person, no matter how wicked they appear, and so everyone is capable of change. Their aim is to see the divine order that God has given to everything, and through it to understand the nature of God.

 

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Suffering
Pain and death only happen to our bodies. The spiritual being is untouched by the suffering. We should live in a spiritual mode to escape fro the worldly suffering.

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One clears oneself from the debt of sins and karmas through suffering. Suffering has a purging effect.
Egolessness and Faith of a divine lover is tested and re-tested at every step. Every step taken forward has to survive the greatest ordeal of agony and suffering. That is the price one has to pay for the most precious and rare jewel of faith. More the body burns in agony and suffering, more intensely the flame of Devotional Faith glows in Atam. Such is the Faith of a Saint, Gurmukh, a True Sikh.
Purification through suffering leads one nearer to redemption.
Baba Narinder Singh
Once the mind gives up its false sense of independent identity and rolls at the Lotus Feet of the Satguru, Bliss becomes an experienced reality.

Guru Granth Sahib[/FONT]​

 

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Sikhism endeavors to uplift the human soul from the shackles of Maya (materialism). It aims at a virtuous life which leads to the ultimate realization of a state of Eternal Bliss. The objective of Guru Nanak's Guruship was to give instructions in the True Name, to save humanity from immersing in the ocean of distress and misery arising out of worldly life, and to blend the human souls with their Creator, thus, emancipating them from the cycle of transmigration breaking all barriers and bonds of sufferings. This is the essential character of Sikh faith.

[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]Pure mind is a reflection of inner glory; an Eternal Melody rings within. Nam and Divine Love throb in this holy temple. They reside within. A pure mind starts reflecting the Atam, it starts reflecting the purity, the splendor and the bliss of the True Spirit, and then by itself becomes the source of Bliss and purity.[/FONT]​

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Atam is true Divine Abode of the mind. It is here that the Divine Presence thrills and fills one with Divine Ecstasy. Established in Atam one gets detached from the perishable body, mind and name complex.​

Guru Granth Sahib​

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[FONT=trebuchet ms,arial,helvetica]The law of Karma or fatalism is repugnant to Sikh Religion as it does not reconcile with the merciful trait of the Almighty Lord. There is no such thing in Sikhism as eternal damnation or an everlasting pit of fire created by the revengeful God. Meditation on Nam burns countless sins. Singing the glory of the Lord through the Divine Word, can redeem a repentant sinner and, thus, doctrine of Karma ceases to operate. Sikh doctrine spells out God's Grace and Compassion.


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contd...............
Operating in "I" Mode - Egoism
Karma comes from operating in "I" mode.

Most human beings can’t see the true reality of God because they are blinded by their own self-centered pride (Sikhs call it "haumain") and concern for physical things.

Remove this impure “I Ego” and you will behold​

the whole universe as a pure reflection of God only.

Baba Narinder Singh​

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In order to get release from Karma, we should discipline ourselves to see only the hand of divinity around us or through us. A Sikh serves God by serving (seva) other people every day. By devoting their lives to service they get rid of their own ego and pride.Spirituality, Sikhism, Key Beliefs of Sikhism