The Way of the Guru

• Sikhism is the youngest of the world’s major religions

• Was led by a series of ten Gurus, beginning with the founder Guru Nanak

• The tenth Guru is Guru Gobind Singh, and he declared that upon his death there would be no more human gurus

• As Sikhs line up to greet their guru before sunrise at the Golden Temple, they await the arrival of a book: the scripture they refer to as the Guru Granth (Guru in Book Form)

• Guru Granth is a material object of veneration. What makes a Sikh temple holy is the presence of this book. It offers God’s presence

• A Sikh temple is known as a Gurdwara (“gateway to the guru”

• The official who oversees a gurdwara is a Granthi (a keeper of the book and a reader of the Guru Granth)

• The Gates of the Golden Temple

  • Visitors can enter through the 4 gates; a reminder of the openness of their religion to all Hindu castes and to religions from all four corners of the world

Guru Nanak’s Vision

• He was raised in a Muslim village, and he was a contemplative and a dreamer who liked to wander outdoors with his family’s cattle and thoughts

• He was a member of the Khatri merchant caste

• Referred to God as Ram (as Hindus do) and Hari (as Islams do)

• He lost his old identity as a person wholly distinct from God, and instead gained a new identity and a new mission. He had an uncanny experience - an ascension to the divine abode accompanied by a revelation of the singularity of God, and a call to move out into the world as God’s messenger. God called Nanak into his presence and promised to remain with him

• He revealed the truth on which the Sikh tradition today is based: “^^Ik Oankar ^^- One Being is,” or “God is One”

• Guru Nanak was charged to devote his life to five sacred activities: remembrance of the Word, charity, ablution (ritual washing), service, and prayer. Nanak then recited a song of praise to the divine that is now the opening composition of the Sri Guru Granth

• God gave Nanak a robe of honor and the title of “The Supreme Guru of God”

Sikhism in Today’s World

• ^^The Punjab ^^“Land of Five Rivers,” is the real religious homeland, the birthplace of their founder, and the site of their most sacred shrine

• The Punjab provided the setting for battles between the Kauravas and the Pandavas in the Indian epic the Mahabharata

• A million people died there in Hindu-Muslim-Sikh violence during relocation brought on by the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947

Sikhism 101

How is Sikhism similar to Islam and Hinduism?

• Like Hinduism, Sikhism is tied to a particular people, a particular land, and a particular language. Since Sikhs haven’t traditionally attempted to proselytize, almost all Sikhs are of Punjabi descent. Sikhs share with their Hindu neighbors key practices such as cremation. They also share key concepts: karma, samsara, and moksha, though they interpret these concepts their own way. Sikhs share devotional (bhakti) Hindus an emphasis on chanting the name of the divine and singing praise songs

• However, Sikhism shares similarities with Islam. Sikh tradition is monotheistic. Like Muslims, Sikhs reject the notion that God incarnates in human bodies

Sikhism at a Glance

• Problem: egotism (haumai)

• Solution: union with God in the realm of truth

• Techniques: hard work, service, meditation on the divine name (nam simran)

• Exemplars: Gurus, who possess both temporal and spiritual authority

• Sikhism is a tradition in which “learners” seek to overcome egoism and achieve union with God thru meditation on the divine name and by the guidance of Gurus

God and Guru

• The term Sikh is translated as “learner” or “follower”

• The guru is a teacher and guide. They wrote sacred texts and gathered them in sacred books. They developed rituals, and established the Golden Temple as a sacred center

  • The Guru is “the raft” that transports you “to the Lord’s Name”