Who Founded Sikhism and When?
Sikhism began around 1500 A.D, in the northern part of ancient Panjab, which is now part of Pakistan. It originated with the teachings of Guru Nanak who rejected the philosophies of the Hindu society that he grew up in. Refusing to participate in Hindu rites, he argued against the caste system and preached equality of mankind. Denouncing the worship of demi gods and goddesses, Nanak became a traveling minstrel. Going from village to village, he sang in praise of one God.
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The Origins of Sikh Beliefs
The Life of Guru Nanak
What Do Sikhs Believe About God and Creation?
Sikhs believe in one creator inseparable from creation. Part and participle of one another, the creator exists within creation pervading and permeating every aspect of all that is. The creator watches over and cares for creation. The way to experience God is through creation and by meditating inwardly on the divine characteristic of the manifest self which is in tune with the unmanifest and illimitable, creative infinity known to Sikhs as Ik Onkar.
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God and Creation in Sikhism
Do Sikhs Believe in Prophets and Saints?
The ten founders of Sikhism are considered by Sikhs to have been spiritual masters or saints. Each of them contributed to Sikhism in unique ways. Many of the texts in the Guru Granth advise the seeker of spiritual enlightenment to seek the company of saints. Sikhs consider the scripture of the Granth to be their eternal Guru and therefore the saint, or guide, whose instruction is the means of spiritual salvation. Enlightenment is considered to be an ecstatic state of realization of one’s divine inner connection with the creator and all of creation.
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Saints, Prophets, and Gurus in Sikhism
The Ten Gurus of Sikh History
Do Sikhs Believe in a Bible?
Sikhism’s Holy Scripture is known formally as Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The Granth is a volume of text containing 1420 pages of poetic verse written in 31 musical measures. Guru Granth Sahib is compiled from the writings of Sikh Gurus, Hindus, and Muslims. The Granth Sahib has been formally
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The History of the Guru Granth
How Sikhs Use the Guru Granth in Worship
Do Sikhs Believe in Prayer?
Prayer and meditation are an integral part of Sikhism necessary to reduce the effect of ego and bond the soul with the divine. Both are performed, either silently, or aloud, individually, and in groups. In Sikhism prayer takes the form of selected verses from Sikh scriptures read on daily basis. Meditation is achieved by reciting a word or phrase of scripture repeatedly.
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Prayer and Meditation in Sikhism
Simran, Contempative Meditation
Do Sikhs Believe in Worshipping Idols?
Sikhism teaches a belief in one divine essence having no one particular shape or form, which is manifest in every one of the countless myriads of forms of existence. Sikhism is against worshiping images and icons as a focal point for any aspect of the divine, and does not relate to any hierarchy of demi gods or goddesses.
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Sikhism and Idolatry
Fundamental Teachings of Sikhism
Do Sikhs Believe in Going to Church?
The proper name for the Sikh place of worship is Gurdwara. There is no particular day set aside for Sikh worship services. Meetings and program are scheduled for the convenience of the congregation. Where the membership is large enough, formal Sikh worship services may begin as early as 3 am and continue until about 9 pm. On special occasions services go on all night until day break. The gurdwara is open to all people without regard to caste, creed, or color. Visitors to the gurdwara are required to cover the head and remove shoes, and may have no alcohol of tobacco on their person.
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Sikhism and Communal Worship
All About the Sikh Gurdwara
Before You Visit the Gurdwara
The Sikh Gurdwara Illustrated
Do Sikhs Believe in Being Baptized?
In Sikhism the equivalent to baptism is the Amrit ceremony of rebirth. Sikh initiates drink an elixir prepared from sugar and water stirred with a sword. Initiates agree to give their head and sever ties with their former way of life in a symbolic gesture of surrendering their ego. Initiates adhere to a strict spiritual and secular moral code of conduct which includes wearing four symbols of faith and keeping all hair intact forever more.
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Baptism and Initiation in Sikhism
Amrit, the Immortalizing Nectar
The Amrit Ceremony Illustrated
Do Sikhs Believe in the Devil or Demons?
The Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, makes references to demons mentioned in Vedic legends primarily for illustrative purposes. There is no belief system in Sikhism which focuses on demons or devils. Sikh teachings center on ego and its effect on the soul. Indulging in unbridled egoism may render a soul subject to demonic influences and the realms of darkness which abide within one’s own consciousness.
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Egoism, the Concept of Evil in Sikhism
Sanjog and Vijog, Unity and Duality
What Do Sikhs Believe About the Afterlife?
Transmigration is a common theme in Sikhism. The soul travels through countless lifetimes in a perpetual cycle of birth and death. Each lifetime the soul is subject to the influences of past deeds, and is cast into existences within various realms of consciousness and planes of awareness. In Sikhism the concept of salvationa and immortality is enlightenment and liberation from the effects ego so that transmigration ceases and one merges with the divine.
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Antam, the Final Moment
Sikhism and Salvation
