Religion around the world: Let's learn about Sikhism

Do you know much about Sikhism? I sure don't.

I know Sikh's wear turbans... and I know they are often confused with Muslims... but that's about it. Terrible, right?

So let's learn more about Sikhism, together.

The Basics:

How many people follow Sikhism? Sikhism is the 5th-largest organized religion world-wide, and has approximately 30 million followers. Most of these followers resides within Punjab, India, and the United States has an estimated 336,000 Sikhs.

How old it is? When was it founded? Sikhism was founded in the 16th century in the Punjab area of what is now India and Pakistan. It was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539). "Guru" is the sanskrit word for "teacher," or "master." Nanak was a young boy when he became interested in spiritual matters. He was supposedly fascinated by God and religion, and thoroughly studied Islam and Hinduism. People began to recognize divine qualities in him as a teenager, and around the age of 30, he disappeared for three days. When he reappeared, he declared, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim," and he began to spread his teachings. He went on several journeys spanning thousands of miles, and Sikhism was born. Guru Nanak appointed the next successive guru before he died, and following guru Nanak were a total of 10 successive gurus who all added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous guru.

Does Sikhism have a holy text? The primary source of scripture for Sikhs is the "Guru Granth Sahib" (also called "The First Volume). This text is filled with many teachings of the gurus.

Who or what does Sikhism worship? Sikhism is monotheistic, and the concept of God is timeless, shapeless, and sightless. Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and God's divine order. God willed for the universe to be created, and so it was. 

What does Sikhism require? Sikhism demands that people use ordinary life to become closer to God. Sikhs are to serve God by serving other people, and devote their lives to service to rid themselves of ego and pride.

Where do Sikhs worship? Sikh places of worship are referred to as "Gurdwaras." This may refer to a temple, or to a place in someone's home, in which the sacred text of Sikhism is housed and treated with respect. There are 3 main functions of public Gurdwaras: 1) singing of hymns, 2) teaching and reading of the scriptures, and 3) to offer free community kitchens to visitors from all religions. How cool is that?

The Harmandir Sahib, or "Golden Temple" in Punjab, India - a holy site for Sikhs.

Now, for a few more details....

What do Sikhs believe about God?

• God can be directly accessed by everyone and everyone is equal before God, no matter race, religion, caste, or gender.
• God cannot be understood by the human mind, but God can be experienced through love, worship and meditation.
• God is inside every person, no matter how wicked they appear.

What are the duties of a Sikh? There are three duties to be carried out by Sikhs in order to become closer to God (the ultimate goal of life). These are:

• Pray: Keep God in mind at all times.
• Work: Earn an honest living.
• Give: Give to charity and care for others.

What are the Five Vices? The Five Vices are believed to make people self-centered, and they create distance between ourselves and God. These are:

• Lust
• Covetousness and greed
• Attachment to worldly things
• Anger
• Pride

What happens when we die? Like many religions in Asia, Sikhs believe in a cycle of life, death and rebirth (or "reincarnation"). Karma is a factor in our quality of life, and is affected by how well or how badly we treat others. The only way out of the cycle of rebirth is complete union with God.

Why do Sikhs wear turbans or head coverings? The Sikhs have a practice of keeping their hair uncut - for both men and women. Hair is a symbol of holiness and strength, and is part of God's creation. Keeping hair uncut means that one is willing to accept God's gift as God intended. This is also a way for Sikhs to deny pride in their appearance. Sikh men usually wear turbans to keep their hair clean, to cover their head in respect to God, and as an outward symbol of their faith. They also keep long beards because of the belief that hair should not be cut. Women may also wear turbans to cover their hair, but usually accompany this with a chunni (or long scarf worn over their head), or they may just wear a chunni alone.

If you'd like to learn more about Sikhism, most of this information was gained from the BBC's excellent site on Religions. Hope you learned something new. I certainly did!