Learning Goals

🏶 I will be able to identify the 4 W’s on

Sikhism (The who [are the Sikhs], what [do
they believe], where [did Sikhism
originate] and when [did the faith begin])
🏶 I will be able to identify the house of
worship for the Sikhs and the name of
their sacred scripture.
🏶 I will be able to explain some of the basic
beliefs and traditions of Sikhism.
Sikhism Introduction
🏶 Sikhism is the youngest of the world's four
great monotheistic religions. It was
founded in the 15th Century by Guru
Nanak.
🏶 There are 18-20 million Sikhs in the world,
and 80% of them live in the Punjab state
in Northwest India, where the faith began.
🏶 The word "Sikh" is Punjabi for "disciple"
and Sikhs are disciples of the Gurus.
🏶 Sikh men and women are particularly easy
to identify because bapitized Sikhs could
have a full beard, and wear their hair
uncut and contained in a turban.
🏶 The Sikh place of worship is called a
Gurdwara or temple.
🏶 Sikhism does not have priests, but most
gurdwaras will have a Granthi. A Granthi
is a learned Sikh who is skilled in reading
the scriptures, however, a Granthi has no
special religious status.
🏶 The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi
Granth, often called the Guru Granth
Sahib (holy book).
🏶 Sikhs believe that the words of these
scriptures are the present day embodiment
of the Sikh Guru and they treat the book
with the respect and devotion that they
would have given to a human Guru.
🏶 Sikhism does not actively look for converts,
but it is thoroughly welcoming to those who
do want to convert.
Basic Sikh Teachings
🏶 The essence of being a Sikh is that one lives
one's life according to the teachings of the
Sikh Gurus, devotes time to meditating on God
and the scriptures, and does things to benefit
other people.

🏶 Sikhs believe that there is a single, all-powerful

God, who created the universe and everything
in it. This is referred to as “Ik Onkar.”

🏶 Sikhism emphasizes social and gender

equality, and stresses the importance of
behaving altruistically.
 Being a Sikh: Traditions and
Beliefs

🏶 Equality: Everyone is
equal in God's eyes;
whatever their caste,
creed, or gender.

🏶 God is accessible
without priests:
Everyone can be
directly in touch with
God. There are no
clergy in Sikhism.
 Being a Sikh: Traditions and
Beliefs
🏶 Accept other faiths: Sikhs
do not believe that any
religion has a monopoly on
the truth. They do not regard
Sikhism as the only way to
God.

🏶 Live in the world: One

should live a responsible life
as part of the community.
Withdrawing from the world
or becoming an ascetic are
not as worthwhile.

🏶 No ritual for its own sake:

Empty ritual is meaningless
and should be avoided.
 Being a Sikh: Traditions and
Beliefs
🏶 Devotion can take the
form of action as well as
prayer: Personal devotion
includes Nam simran
(meditation on and
awareness of God) and
Sewa (community service).
🏶 A good world is just and
fair to all: Social justice is
to be supported. The use of
force as a last resort is
justified to uphold it.
🏶 Death is not the end:
Death is seen as the
transition to a life where
the joy of being in the
presence of God can be
fully realized.
 Your Turn…
🏶 Complete the Sikh Beliefs worksheet
 Learning Goals
🏶 By the end of the lesson, I will identify and
explain the different parts of the Khanda
emblem, the Nishan Sahib and the Ik
Onkar symbol.
🏶 By the end of the lesson, I will gain a
broader understanding of the concept of
God in Sikhism.
🏶 I will be able to identify the 10 Gurus and
critically analyse each Gurus contributions
to the faith.
 Religious Emblems
Khanda
🏶 The Khanda is the
symbol of the Sikhs, as
the Cross is to
Christians or the Star of
David is to Jews. It
reflects some of the
fundamental concepts
of Sikhism.
 Khanda

🏶 The symbol derives its name from the

double-edged sword (also called a
Khanda) which appears at the center of
the symbol. This double-edged sword is a
metaphor of Divine Knowledge, its sharp
edges cleaving Truth from Falsehood.
🏶 The circle around the Khanda is the
Chakar. The Chakar being a circle without
a beginning or and end symbolizes the
perfection of God who is eternal.
 Khanda

🏶 The Chakar is surrounded by two curved

swords called Kirpans. These two swords
symbolize the twin concepts of Meeri and
Peeri - Temporal and Spiritual authority
introduced by Guru Hargobind.
🏶 They emphasize the equal stance that a
Sikh must place on spiritual aspirations as
well as obligations to society.
 Nishan Sahib
🏶 Nishan Sahib is the name
given to the flag which is seen
flying outside every Sikh
Gurdwara (Temple).

🏶 It is a triangular piece of ochre

or saffron coloured cloth with
the Khanda emblem in the
middle.

🏶 The flagpost also has a khanda

or spear on top and is usually
covered with the same cloth as
the flag.

🏶 The use of the Nishan Sahib

was first introduced by Guru
Hargobind.
 Ik Onkar
🏶 The first two words in the Guru Granth
Sahib & one of the cornerstones of Sikhism.
🏶 "There is Only One God.”

🏶 They appear at the beginning of the Mul

Mantra written by Guru Nanak describing
the qualities of God.
 Sikhs and God
🏶 Sikhs believe that there is only one God.

🏶 God created the universe, and the universe depends on God's will for
its continued existence

🏶 God has always existed and always will exist

🏶 God needs nothing else in order to continue to exist

🏶 God has no shape

🏶 God has no gender

🏶 God has never taken and will never take human form on earth.

🏶 The essence of God is truth.

🏶 God is without hatred or fear.

God reaches out to humanity through the word, which is conveyed by the
Gurus, or teachers, and which is laid down in the form of shabads, or
hymns, which form the backbone of Sikh worship.
 The Sikh Gurus
A guru is a teacher...

🏶 There were ten human or living Gurus, or teachers in Sikhism.

🏶 The Gurus were human beings, not Gods, nor were they
incarnations of God (God taking human form).

🏶 The Gurus are never worshiped, although Sikhs hold the Gurus in
high esteem, and pictures of them are often seen in Sikh places of
worship and homes.
 The Golden Chain
🏶 The foundation of Sikhism was laid
down by Guru Nanak.
🏶 Guru Nanak infused his own consciousness
into a disciple, who then became Guru,
subsequently passing the light onto the
next Guru, and so on.
🏶 The word "Guru" is derived from the root
words "Gu", which means darkness or
ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or
knowledge
🏶 The Guru is the experience of Truth (God).
 Each one of the ten
Gurus represents a
divine attribute:
🏶 Guru Nanak –
Founder/Humility

🏶 Guru Angad – Obedience

🏶 Guru Amar Das — Equality

🏶 Guru Ram Das – Service

🏶 Guru Arjan Dev - Self-Sacrifice

🏶 Guru Hargobind – Justice

🏶 Guru Har Rai – Mercy

🏶 Guru Harkrishan – Purity

🏶 Guru Tegh Bahadur –

Tranquility

🏶 Guru Gobind Singh - Courage

 The last Guru:
🏶 The Guru Granth Sahib and the Panth Guru
Gobind Singh decided that there would be no
further human Gurus after his death.

🏶 He declared that the Guruship would be

shared between the Sikh Holy Scriptures,
called The Guru Granth Sahib (or Adi Granth),
and the community of Sikhs, called the Panth.

🏶 Nowadays the scripture is generally regarded

as the Guru, and the role of the community is
to safeguard the status of the scripture.
 Your Turn…
🏶 Complete the 10 Guru Profiles Circuit.
The Sikh Scriptures
🏶 The holy book installed in every Sikh
gurdwara is known as the Adi Granth, or Guru
Granth Sahib.
🏶 Sikhs believe the words to be divinely
inspired, but not actually the words of God.
🏶 The book is the focus of communal
ceremonies including naming ceremonies and
weddings as well as private devotion, making
the Sikhs a people of the book at least as
much as any other world religion.
The Sikh Scriptures
🏶
The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the form of poetry and contains
hymns, or shabads, which form the backbone of Sikh communal worship.

🏶 Not only does the Guru Granth Sahib contain writings of some of the Sikh
Gurus, but also texts by Hindus and Muslims.

🏶 The Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi, the script used to write
Punjabi. Although its language is not easy to understand for many Sikhs
today, modernising or translating it for devotional purposes is generally
seen as inappropriate.

🏶 In a gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib is put on a special platform under

a canopy. Worshippers bow or prostrate themselves before it as they
enter the temple, and leave offerings next to it. Shoes must not be worn
in its presence, and as a mark of respect no-one turns his or her back to
it.
 The Khalsa
🏶 The Khalsa is the central grouping of
orthodox Sikhs. It consists of men and
women who have been initiated into the
Khalsa in the appropriate ceremony.
The Khalsa was founded by the 10th and
last living guru, Guru Gobind Singh in
1699.
The Khalsa was founded to unite the
Sikhs, and distinguish them from the
followers of other faiths. It gave Sikhism a
committed group of men and women who
would:

🏶 Devoutly follow the Sikh principles laid

down in the teachings of the Gurus.

🏶 Wear the physical signs of the Khalsa, the

"5 Ks", so that everyone could see that
they were Sikhs.

🏶 Be ready to take up arms to defend the

oppressed.

🏶 Ignore the unjust caste system that

governed much of Indian life.
 The Story of the
🏶
Khalsa
The Story of the Khalsa The Khalsa was founded
by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib (which is
in the modern Indian state of Punjab) on the day
of the Spring harvest festival, Vaisakhi, in 1699.

The story of the founding of the Khalsa is one of

the great stories of any religion, and well worth
telling here….

…Spring 1699…Punjab, India…

Guru Gobind Singh invited Sikhs from all over

India to attend a special meeting at the Spring
festival. The meeting was held in front of a tent.
 The Story of the
🏶
Khalsa
After morning prayers, the
Guru went inside the tent for a
long time. When he came out
he had the appearance of a
soldier ready for a great battle,
The Guru raised his sword and
told the multitude that the
blade was hungry for the blood
of a Sikh.

🏶 He asked for a volunteer to

prove their loyalty to the Sikh
faith by being beheaded. He
asked three times.

🏶 At the third time of asking Bhai

Daya Ram, a Sikh from Lahore
volunteered to die. The Guru
dragged him into the tent, and
then those outside heard the
sound of a blow and saw blood
trickling out of the tent.
 The Story of the
🏶 Khalsa
The Guru came back out with his
sword dripping blood, and demanded
another sacrificial volunteer.
Eventually he got one, Bhai Dharm
Das, who was dragged into the tent.

🏶 Once again, a blow was heard, and

blood flowed from the tent. This
happened 3 more times, until 5 Sikhs
had volunteered to give their heads
and their lives for their faith, and had
been dragged into the tent for
execution.

🏶 The crowd around the tent was

appalled by what was going on. Many
were so frightened that they ran
away.

🏶 But after the fifth "execution" the

Guru reappeared dressed in yellow,
and with his sword back in its sheath.
And with him were 5 Sikhs dressed
just like him. They were the 5 who
had volunteered to die.
 The Story of the
🏶 Khalsa
The Guru explained that he had
been testing the Sikhs, and had
now found 5 Sikhs who had
proved their total devotion to the
faith of the Guru.
🏶 These, Guru Gobind Singh
declared, were his Five Beloved
Ones who would henceforth lead
the Sikh community.
🏶 They became the first initiates
into the new Khalsa, and many
others followed.
🏶 The initiates were encouraged to
take new surnames - Singh, or
Lion, for men, and Kaur, or
Princess, for women. These names
expressed cohesion within the
Khalsa and replaced an earlier
naming system, which revealed
each person's caste, a concept
rejected by the Sikh Gurus.
 The Khalsa Today
🏶 The Khalsa are a minority among the Sikhs, but
their concept of Sikh ethics and identity has had
a decisive influence on the faith as a whole.
Khalsa Sikhs show their commitment by wearing
five religious symbols, known as the Five Ks:

🏶
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.
🏶 Khalsa also vows to refrain from any
sexual relationships outside of marriage,
and to refrain from taking meat, tobacco,
alcohol, and all other intoxicants.
🏶 The turban is NOT one of the 5Ks but is
used by Sikh’s (both men and women) to
cover their uncut hair. It forces them to
stand out in a crowd and makes their
commitment visible to the world around
them.
🏶 The code of the Khalsa: Members of the
Khalsa follow a code of conduct, which amongst
other things says that they must not smoke, eat
meat from ritual slaughter, or commit adultery.
They are required to recite and meditate on a
set of prayers every morning and night.
🏶 Initiation into the Khalsa: New members are
initiated in a ceremony in the presence of the
holy scriptures, which involves amrit (nectar
that has been stirred with a Sikh sword) being
poured into the candidates' hands for them to
drink and sprinkled on their eyes and hair. The
ceremony is presided over by five people
representing the Five Beloved Ones.
What is a Gurdwara?
🏶 During the times of the early Gurus, Sikh places of worship were
referred to as dharamsalas. They were a place where Sikhs
could gather to hear the Guru speak or sing hymns. As the Sikh
population continued to grow Guru Hargobind introduced the
word Gurdwara, meaning the gateway through which the Guru
could be reached. Thereafter all Sikh places of worship came to
be known as Gurdwaras.

🏶 Any place where the Guru Granth Sahib is installed and treated
with due respect can be referred to as a Gurdwara, whether it is
a room in ones house of a separate building.

🏶 Three main functions are carried out in all public Gurdwaras.

One is Kirtan which is the singing of hymns from the Guru
Granth Sahib, another is Katha which is reading of the Guru
Granth Sahib and explanations. The third main function which is
carried out at every Gurdwara is the Langar, free community
kitchen for all visitors of all religions. Along with these main
functions Gurdwaras around the world also serve the Sikh
community in many other ways including, libraries of Sikh
literature, schools to teach children Gurmukhi and the Sikh
scriptures and charitable work in the community on behalf of
Sikhs.
 Gurdwara Protocols
🏶 When entering the Gurdwara one
is expected to remove the shoes
and cover ones bare head as signs
of respect towards the sovereignty
of the Guru Granth Sahib.
🏶 Hands are washed and in some
Gurdwaras there are also feet
washes.
🏶 Approaching the Guru Granth
Sahib one is expected to bow down
and touch the floor as a sign of
further respect towards the Eternal
Sikh Guru.
🏶 Offerings of cash are usually made
at this time to help carry the
expenses of running the Gurdwara
and community work carried out
by the Gurdwara. These offerings
are voluntary and not compulsory.
 Gurdwara Protocols
🏶 All people irrespective of their status sit on
the floor as a sign of equality as opposed to
chairs and the Guru Granth Sahib is always
installed on a higher level.

🏶 One may enter or leave the congregation

at any time. Men and women do not
generally sit together but on separate sides
of the room, both at an equal distance from
the Guru Granth Sahib.

🏶 All people are expected to stand facing the

Guru Granth Sahib when the Ardas
(common prayer) is read out.

🏶 Gurdwaras are open to all people of all

religions and are generally open 24 hours a
day. Some Gurdwaras also provide
temporary accommodations for visitors or
pilgrims.

🏶 In the Langar all sit on the floor and food is

cooked and served by volunteers, this food
is available at all times. Only vegetarian
food is served so that no person may be
offended and all people of all religions can
sit together to share a common meal
irrespective of any dietary restrictions.
 The Golden Temple:
Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar
🏶 The Harimandir Sahib (meaning Temple of God) is also commonly known as
the Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib (Divine Court). It is situated in the city of
Amritsar in Punjab. The Golden Temple is a living symbol of the spiritual and
historical traditions of the Sikhs. It is a source of inspiration for all Sikhs and
their chief place of pilgrimage. The temple with it's glistening gold covered
exterior stands in the middle of a square tank with each side about 150m
with an 18m path on all four sides. A 60m causeway traverses the pool to
reach the Temple itself which is 12m square and rests on a 20m square
platform in the middle of The Pool of Nectar. The Harimandir Sahib has
entrances and doors on all four sides. Guru Arjun Dev exclaimed; "My faith is
for the people of all castes and all creeds from whichever direction they
come and to whichever direction they bow."
 The Five Holy Takhts:
Sri Akal Takht

Akal Takht literally means Eternal Throne. It is

part of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
The Akal Takht is situated on the other end of
the causeway connected to the Harmandir
Sahib. It's foundation was laid by Guru
Hargobind. It was here that he was ceremonially
installed as Guru in 1606. The building of the
Akal Takht opposite the Golden Temple has a
special meaning. While the Golden Temple
stands for spiritual guidance the Akal Takht
symbolizes the dispensing of justice and
temporal activity. During the day the Guru
Granth Sahib is kept in the Golden Temple, while
at night it is kept in the Akal Takht. Traditionally
all Sikh warriors sought blessings here before
going to battle. During the 18th century while
Sikhs were fighting a guerrilla war in the forests
they used to gather at the Akal Takht on special
occasions such as Baisakhi and Diwali. Here the
community used to have general meetings and
approve resolutions. The Akal Takht was the
oldest of the Five Takhts, but it was destroyed by
the Indian Army during its military invasion in
1984. It's reconstruction is almost complete.
 The Five Holy Takhts:
Takht Sri Damdama
Sahib
🏶 Damdama Sahib is
situated in the village of
Talwandi Sabo near
Bhatinda. This is where
Guru Gobind Singh
stayed for nearly a year
and compiled the final
edition of the Guru
Granth Sahib known as
the Damdama Sahib Bir
in 1705
 The Five Holy Takhts:
Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib
🏶 Keshgarh Sahib is situated
at Anandpur. It is
considered the birthplace
of the Khalsa. The Khalsa
order was founded here
by Guru Gobind Singh in
1699. Some of the
weapons of Guru Gobind
Singh are displayed here.
The most precious of
these is the actual Khanda
(double edged sword)
used by Guru Gobind
Singh to prepare the amrit
(sweet water) used in the
first Khalsa initiation
ceremony.
 The Five Holy Takhts:
Takht Sri Hazur Sahib
🏶 Hazur Sahib is on the banks of Godavari in
Maharashtra. This is where Guru Gobind Singh
left this world. The inner room of the temple is
called Angitha Sahib and is built over the place
where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in
1708.
 The Five Holy Takhts:
Takht Sri Patna Sahib
🏶 Patna Sahib is situated in Patna the capital of
Bihar. It was here that Guru Gobind Singh was
born in 1666 and spent his early years before
moving to Anandpur. Besides being the
birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, Patna was also
honoured by visits from Guru Nanak as well as
Guru Tegh Bahadur.
 Places Of Worship Activity
Instructions: In a one page write-up, discuss your
personal view on places of worship. Consider the
following questions in your discussion. 15 marks
🏶 Do you have a place of worship? Where is this
place and does it have a name?
🏶 What rituals take place during your worship?
🏶 What type of protocols take place at “your” place
of worship?
🏶 How often do you take part in religious worship?
🏶 Besides this course, who or what else has taught
you about religious worship?
🏶 In our society, we have distinct places of worship.
What impact does this have on our society as a
whole?