Editor’s Note : With tricentenary celebrations of Khalsa Panth this year, Dr.M.S.Reehal enlightens us on Sikh religion & philosophy.
Sikhism; Punjabi: sikkhī,founded on the teachings of SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI and nine successive GURUS in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world.This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction."
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in Vāhigurū—represented using the sacred symbol of ēk ōaṅkār, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which, along with the writings of the six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by SHRI GURU GOBIND SINGH JI, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the “Khalsa Panth”.
PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHINGS - The Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred shrine for Sikhs.
Te origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI and his successors. He disapproved of many religious beliefs and practices of his time. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by him in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living".Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and gender. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder. For Sikhs, initiation into the ‘Khalsa’ strengthens their identity and also signifies the Sikh teaching of equality.
According to Sikhism, the goal of life for a person is to progress on a spiritual scale from Manmukh, or "self-centered", to Gurmukh, or "God-centered". Gurmukh implies the qualities of humility, selfless service, adhering to the teachings of and not being a recluse.
GOD - Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is formless, eternal, and unobserved: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite, and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhs believe that prior to creation, all that existed was God and his hukam (will or order).When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception of reality.
While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings, SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being ; devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.God has no gender in Sikhism, though translations may incorrectly present a masculine God. In addition, he wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life. His teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation.The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth — a concept known as reincarnation.
In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment and lust—known as the Five Evils—are believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation. Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God.
A key practice to be pursued is nām simraṇ: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but his interpretation emphasised inward, personal observance. His ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". He described the result of the disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sach khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.
Nanak stressed kirat karō: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a chaṛdī kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing—nd chakkō—through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras (laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sēvā).
Dr. M.S. Reehal, ( 9869071271 )
Sikhism; Punjabi: sikkhī,founded on the teachings of SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI and nine successive GURUS in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world.This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction."
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in Vāhigurū—represented using the sacred symbol of ēk ōaṅkār, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which, along with the writings of the six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by SHRI GURU GOBIND SINGH JI, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the “Khalsa Panth”.
PHILOSOPHY AND TEACHINGS - The Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred shrine for Sikhs.
Te origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI and his successors. He disapproved of many religious beliefs and practices of his time. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by him in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living".Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and gender. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder. For Sikhs, initiation into the ‘Khalsa’ strengthens their identity and also signifies the Sikh teaching of equality.
According to Sikhism, the goal of life for a person is to progress on a spiritual scale from Manmukh, or "self-centered", to Gurmukh, or "God-centered". Gurmukh implies the qualities of humility, selfless service, adhering to the teachings of and not being a recluse.
GOD - Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is formless, eternal, and unobserved: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite, and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhs believe that prior to creation, all that existed was God and his hukam (will or order).When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception of reality.
While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings, SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being ; devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. SHRI GURU NANAK DEV JI emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.God has no gender in Sikhism, though translations may incorrectly present a masculine God. In addition, he wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life. His teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation.The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth — a concept known as reincarnation.
In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment and lust—known as the Five Evils—are believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation. Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God.
A key practice to be pursued is nām simraṇ: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but his interpretation emphasised inward, personal observance. His ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". He described the result of the disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sach khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.
Nanak stressed kirat karō: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a chaṛdī kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing—nd chakkō—through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras (laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sēvā).
Dr. M.S. Reehal, ( 9869071271 )
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