Considered a monotheistic religion of India, the origins of Sikhism first began in Northwest India and Pakistan.
The religion holds over 26 million followers worldwide. In Sikhism, the all-pervading spirit of truth has become the number one part of the religion. They believe that truth exists in all of creation, and it stands above all fear, all hate and it has a timeless self-existence that reaches beyond.
In this article, we will discuss exactly what being a Sikh entails, and more details regarding the religion.
What Does a Sikh Do?
Knowing through learning and knowledge has become one of the facets of the Sikh religion. Living a moral life and working hard are both deeply held values in Sikhism. Sikhs have been known to make charitable contributions, and unlike some of the Buddhists and Hindus, they don’t believe in removing themselves from society to gain enlightenment. In fact, tradition has them actively engaged in making society better through selfless service and good deeds for the people.
What Scriptures Do They Use?
The Sikhs follow the Guru Granth Sahit scriptures, which is a divine collection of scriptures from the guru. In many ways, you feel like you have taken a spirit voyage when you convert to Sikhism because it becomes a journey of discovery. The religion encourages people to practice humility and compassion for others. Along with that, they meditate on God as much as possible.
The Prophet of Sikhism
Sikhs followers learn from the prophet Guru Nanak Dev Ji. He was the world’s most traveled prophet for proselytism, and during his time, he took on the spirit voyage four different times. In fact, Guru Nanak traveled to all of the greatest religious centers around the world. His message was one full of peace, truth and divine knowledge. This could be one of the reasons that he has been respected in both the Muslim and the Hindu community. The Muslims see prophet Guru Nanak as a Muslim saint. In fact, there’s a painting of him in Mecca having a discourse with the Muslim priests. At the same time, the Hindus respect him because they see him as one of the gurus. Meanwhile, some of the Buddhists see Guru Nanak as similar to the Dalai Lama.
The History of Sikhism
On a historic level, the first sons of India were to be raised as Sikhs even as Hindus. Why did they take this practice? The intention behind raising the firstborn son as a Sikh was so that they could join the Sikh Liberation Army. This army had the intention of protecting the religious freedoms of India. They wanted to stop the Muslims from force converting everyone else into Muslims. Sikh converts were often defending the religious freedom of the country, but because of irreconcilable differences, part of India split off and became Pakistan, which is where the Muslims took refuge. Even today in the Punjab and Sindhi regions, you still have the firstborn son becoming a Sikh.
What Does It Take to Become a Sikh?
How to be a Sikh comes down to a variety of beliefs. First, you believe in the spirit of truth. Many of the Sikh converts became one after they fell in love with the practice of Kundalini yoga. In fact, you have many places around the world like Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile that first got involved in the religion because they fell in love with Sikh yoga.
The Experience of Becoming a Sikh
You have many different yoga camps around that are willing to teach you how to be a Sikh. You will learn some of the things like reading Gurbani, martial arts, healing, music and meditation. You will also learn how to tie a turban, and you will learn the act of selfless service to your fellow man and performing good deeds for people.
How Do Sikhs Conduct Themselves?
When we look at the code of conduct in Sikhism, you have a few principles that you want to follow. The Sikh code of conduct has been referred to as Sikh Reht Maryada. You have different principles and mandates that you follow in this code of conduct. For example, you have guidelines for reading the scriptures, worship, ceremony and important life events. You have three golden rules that you’re supposed to follow at all times with this religion. For example, you’re supposed to selflessly serve other people, earn a living through honest and hard work and remember God in your meditation at all times during the day. When you enter a Gurdwara, which is the Sikh place of worship, you’re to remove your shoes and have your head covered. With every worship service, you have Prashad that gets offered as one of the sweet and sacred foods.
Sikh Yoga
Some within the religion have argued on whether or not the practice of yoga belongs to this religion. Not everyone agrees on the Sikh teachings of this. While some see it as a must for spirituality, others believe that this practice contradicts the Sikh teachings. Still, it has a historical context that some haven’t look deeply enough into, or they refuse to see it.
The Practice of Kesh
When you convert to Sikhism, you have a practice known as kesh where you allow for the hair and beard to grow out. This expresses God’s divine perfection in creation. The hair gets combed twice per day in divine rituals using a kangha, which is basically a wooden comb. Kesh becomes a symbol of one’s devotion to God. It honors God’s gift of hair. In today’s world, the tradition of cutting the hair and beard has been abandoned by some of the Sikh men who want to fit in better with society.
While the Sikh men wear turbans and beards, the Sikh women will sometimes wear a bandana or patka on their head.
A Religion without Proselytizing
Instead of proselytism in Sikhism, the Sikhs hold to a high standard of conduct and lead through example. In Sikhism, they don’t really believe in spreading their beliefs, and instead, they follow a moral standard that causes non-followers to ask questions. Another thing about Sikhism is that they remain one of the more religiously tolerant religions in comparison to some of the others.
Other Things to Know About the Sikh Religion
At the founding of the Sikh religion, it first began in the Punjab region of India during the 15th century. Part of the reason that Sikhism broke away from Hinduism was that of the Hindu caste system, which they didn’t believe in. The gurdwara is the Sikh place of worship where you can learn of the divine rituals. Gurdwara literally translates to “Doorway to God.” Normally, the men and the women will sit apart while in the Gurdwara. Sikhism classifies as the fifth most popular religion in the world, despite there being no proselytizing of the religion. This religion believes in the equality and fair treatment of everyone.
If you’re looking to find spirituality, looking into the beliefs of Sikhism could help you to decide if this is the religion for you. The ceremony for Sikhism happens in the Gurdwara in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. You will see the presence of five initiated Sikhs, and during the ceremony, you will see them recite the hymns from the Sikh religion. During this time, you will also say prayers and the basic tenets of Sikhism will be reaffirmed. In all the ceremonies in Sikhism, they follow a set of guidelines from the scriptures to ensure that they remain in accordance with the religion.
