The word sikh in the punjabi language means disciple, sikhs are the disciples of god who follow. Sikhs are monotheists, meaning that they believe in one god, the almighty creator, who is allpervading, incomprehensible, and unattainable. The holy book contains writings of the sikh gurus, muslim fakirs and hindu saints. Sikhism as a religious movement developed at the beginning of the 16th century in northwest india. A sikh is a person who believes in one god and teachings of the ten gurus, enshrined in the guru granth sahib, the sikh holy book. A comparison of sikhism and hinduism 30 words 6 pages. Sikhism is an independent religion that emerged in the environment of hinduism and islam. Sikhism does not support pilgrimage to holy sites because according to sikhism, god is everywhere and not in any certain place. The book has a total of 1,430 pages and contains around 5,864 verses. The hymns included range from the omnipresence of nature and basic day to day lessons. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of god at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice and denounces superstitions and blind rituals.
His creation is neither a projection nor a dream, but a reality. Last human guru 16661708, announced the guru granth sahib as successor, introduced the five ks and military rule in sikhism guru granth sahib holy book, sikh holy book. The emphasis is on a leading a worldly, successful life as a householder and a contributing member of society, but with the mind attuned to an awareness of god. This is regarded as the second holiest book of the sikhs and is called the dasam granth the book of the tenth guru. It is one of the youngest of the major world religions and the worlds fifth largest organized religion. Mar 17, 2015 the most important holidays in sikhism are gurpurbs, festivals marking the birthday or martyrdom of a guru.
Sikhism is a practical religion and sikhs are a pragmatic people. Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of guru nanak, the first guru 14691539, and the nine sikh gurus that succeeded him. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. In sikhism, spiritual acts are positive experiences with affects felt on earth and after death, rather than sacrifices made in order to collect a reward that is waiting until after death. Differences similarities christianity versus sikhism comparison chart. The 10th guru finalised the sikh holy scripture sri guru granth sahib and declared it the last or final 11th guru. The guru granth sahib is a collection of the sikh gurus writings that was compiled by the 5th sikh guru. The followers are called sikhs, and their holy book is the guru granth sahib. The granth was compiled three years after the gurus death and it was mata sundri, the widow of the guru, who asked bhai mani singh, a contemporary of the guru, to collect all the hymns composed by the guru and prepare a granth of the guru. The bani is the preceptor and the preceptor is the bani, all the nectars are present in the bani. Coming from the pluralist tradition of sikhism where the holy book contains not only. Sep 24, 2009 sikhism doesnt ask people to turn away from ordinary life to get closer to god.
The sri guru granth sahib also known as adi granth is more than a holy book for the sikhs. They are universal men who free our minds from bigotry and superstitions, dogmas and rituals, and emphasize the simplicity of the religion. Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of god at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. It is the holy book of the sikhs, consisting of a vast collection of hymns and sacred wisdom from several hindu scriptures and the writings of sikh gurus while we do not clearly know the true meaning of sikh, sikhism, which is an english word, is derived from the teachings of its ten gurus. Here is a pamphlet you can print and distribute to your friends who want to know more about sikhism. Chaur is a punjabi word which refers to the tuft at the end a lions tail when raised to wave high over its head, or a yaks tail waved as a fly whisk. It is the repository of all sikh spiritual heritage, written in punjabi by the gurus who led sikhism in the early days of the religion, beginning in late 1400s. The main purpose of life, according to sikhism, is to become one with the god. Additionally, he or she must take amrit, the sikh baptism. Approaching god in love, meditating and singing gods name in hymns of love and praise to reach inner union with god. Sikhism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The sri gur granth sahib is the holy book for sikhs, as guru gobind singh teached us.
What sikhism believe about the creation of the earth is that god created the sun and the moon. If the faithful follows the bani of the preceptor, the preceptor himself helps him in the realisation of his. The fundamental principles of the sikh religion are also inscribed in the holy book, the guru granth sahib. The idea is perhaps familiar to the christians also, since st. His followers were called sikhs, meaning disciples, students, seekers of truth in time, he was succeeded by a further nine enlightened gurus, ending with guru gobind singh 16661708 but sikhism is little known outside india and its diaspora dispersed communities, even though sikhism is the fifth largest of all global religions. It was called adi granth until guru gobind singh, the tenth and final guru in human form, conferred on it the title of the guru in 1708, after which it was called sri guru granth. Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 gurus enshrined in the sikh holy book and living guru, sri guru granth sahib. This book contains all the prayers and hymns that were chanted by all the sikh gurus. The main holy book in sikhism is the guru granth sahib. A comparison of sikhism and hinduism what is religion. Sikhism and the belief of god and worship 1575 words. Guru granth sahib ji is the central religious scripture of sikhism, regarded by sikhs as the final.
They get this state, which is called mukti liberation, through the grace of god. According to sikhism, mans salvation lies not only in his faith, but also in his character and his eagerness to do active good. The main teachings of the guru granth sahib is the love of humanity. Guru gobind singh appeared here, set up his tent, and asked if anyone would be willing to give his head for the faith. Many millions are the fields of creation and galaxies. It was founded by guru nanak dev in 16thcentury india. The sikhs had ten gurus in human form and after the tenth guru it was decided that henceforth the guru granth sahib would become the eleventh guru and would remain so for. This article looks at sikh beliefs about god, karma, death and rebirth.
In fact it demands that they use ordinary life as a way to get closer to god. Nikki singh writes about her experience of jesus as a sikh. The core beliefs of sikhism, articulated in the guru granth sahib, include faith. He being a god of will the entire universe is created, sustained, and moved according to his will and purpose. According to sikh tradition, sikhism was established by guru nanak 14691539.
Sikhs call it shri guru granth sahib ji answer to what is unique about guru granth sahib. The true nature is timeless and without quality and it is beyond duality. Sikhism is a way of life, or selfdiscipline coupled with a belief in the unity of god, equality of man, faith in the gurus word and love for all. Despite its pacifist roots, sikhism has come to be known as militant, which is unfortunate because such militancy stems largely from geographical issues outside of sikh control. The main language used in the scripture is known as sant bha. The guru granth sahib contains predominantly hymns of the following sikh gurus. According to kabir, what was sufficient to free one from the wheel of rebirth. Many sources call sikhism a monotheistic religion, however that understanding comes from viewing the faith through christian belief system. He puts his trust in god alone rather than relatives or possessions. Five men eventually volunteered goats heads were cut off instead of their own heads. There are 3,000 shabads all recorded directly by the sikh gurus in the guru granth sahib. Synopsis sikhism has approximately 25 million followers worldwide, 16 million who reside in the state of punjab which straddles northern india and pakistan, where the religion originated nearly 500 years ago. Sikhism or sikhi is a monotheistic religion that originated in the punjab region of the indian.
The book, about social tensions in a small village in south. The holy book is regarded as the divine revelation and utmost respect is paid to it. They were evolved by nature over millions of years and coexist interdependently in a finely balanced system. Karma sets the quality of a life according to how well or badly a person. Which was made of the seed of david according to the flesh and declared to be the son of god with power. The lord, by his wondrous grace invited us to himself according to his purpose. Sikhism doesnt ask people to turn away from ordinary life to get closer to god. Sikhism in light of the bible faithful word baptist church. There are also adulatory verses for the gurus such as guru nanak fused into some pages, those composed by bards. The five major journeys of guru nanak according to his hagiography. The hymns are arranged according to the musical modes ragas in which.
The sikh scripture, according to this school, was thus a collaborative effort and there. The principal sikh scripture is the adi granth first scripture, more commonly called the guru granth sahib. What text do sikhs follow and where did it come from. First book the sacred scripture of sikhism, a religion of india. This is the burden of so many hymns in the guru granth. The stepping stone for a sikh is to accept one god and worship him with his tongue, his mind and his actions. While christianity is about 2,000 years old, sikhism is a relatively newer religion that originated in the indian subcontinent in the fifteenth century. The sikhs do not regard this as their holy book but as their perpetual and current guru, guide or master. Most sikh holidays are celebrated with a ritual 48hour reading of the entire guru granth sahib, processions see above, preaching, prayer, and congregational worship. What does it mean to be called according to gods purpose. Christianity vs sikhism difference and comparison diffen. During the span of 239 years, the sikh gurus laid down within the sacred scriptures, the principles that outline the way of living that was to be followed. It has over 3000 hymns and instructions to lead a good sikh life. The sikh holy book guru granth sahib is the perpetual guru, there is no place in sikhism for a living guru today.
The tenth guru, guru gobind singh, named the sikh scripture guru granth sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human gurus and making the scripture the eternal, religious spiritual guide for sikhs. The 11th sikh guru granth sahib is the everlasting guru. The sikh holy book, the adi granth, took his place as indicated by its alternate name, guru granth. The multiplicity of experience, phenomena and form are just like ripples in a pond. The light has come to clear the darkness about the supreme god, the father of all souls, which we address as immortal and almighty god. The idea of a purpose is rooted in the relative, the subjective, duality. We can get caught up in false reflections, or we can become attuned to the true nature. There is much debate to the exact definition of religion but according to the book introduction to world religions, it is commonly used to refer to those beliefs, behaviors, and social institutions that have something to do with speculations on any, and all of the following. A sikh temple is called a gurdwara meaning the house of guru. The adi granth, while not worshiped, is ascribed divine status. Supreme god in holy book guru granth sahib sikhism. But sikhism has a few important sites, of which, the hari mandir, also known as the golden temple in amritsar in punjab is the most important site and is considered the holiest shrine of sikhism.
Another early variant manuscript is called the guru harsahai pothi, preserved by sodhis. These five men became the first of the sikh order called the khalsa. The most sacred object in sikhism is the guru granth sahib also called the adi. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called. According to guru nanak the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib. Hymns are sang from sikh holy books, contemplation and reflection on the words of the. According to sikh religion what is the purpose of life. But sikhism has a few important sites, of which, the hari mandir, also known as the golden temple in amritsar in punjab is the most important site and is. The most important holidays in sikhism are gurpurbs, festivals marking the birthday or martyrdom of a guru. The purpose of life according to sikhism is to remove the veil of duality the idea that we are separated from god and to become one with the divine in this lifetime.
Thus, the guru granth sahib, in spirit, is more than a holy book for the sikhs, for the sikhs accord the guru granth sahib the same respect and reverence as they did to the human form gurus. According to sikh belief, human nature is rooted in selfcenteredness haumai, as opposed to the divine consciousness gurmat and benevolence parupkari that are ideal. The quran is divided into chapters called surah and verses ayat of differing length and topics. Identify the best way to salvation, according to sikhs. It also contains hymns and verses of thirteen hindu bhakti movement sant poets saints and two muslim saint poets. Supreme god in holy book guru granth sahib sikhism jagat. God is the creator of all, but the purpose of his creation none can fathom. Granth means large tome or book, and sahib denotes its sacred status. The dasam granth is a composition primarily of the tenth guru, guru gobind singh.
The guru granth sahib can be truly called the essence of all religions, since it contains hymns and verses from many sacred books of various religions and sects of hinduism. The word chaur is related as much to the action of brushing, fanning, whisking, or waving high over head as to the object being whisked, waved, fanned, or brushed. Jan 02, 2020 the sikh holy book, the adi granth, took his place as indicated by its alternate name, guru granth. Then to act in his name and gradually reach a stage where, as the. Both religions are monotheistic but their rituals and practices are very different. Sikh holy book is the ultimate authority in sikhism and thus it guide every sikhs to how to live ones life. Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus. Most sikh holidays are celebrated with a ritual 48hour reading of the entire guru granth sahib, processions see above, preaching, prayer, and. The guruhood or prophethood was passed down to 9 other gurus. The secret information about supreme god has been showcased via this article, and the information has been taken from the holy book, shri guru granth sahib sikhism.
This can be accomplished through activities such as naam simran constant remembrance and praise of the one, seva selfless service, and the study of gurbani. Sikhs consider the granth to be a spiritual guide for mankind, and it plays a central role in guiding the sikhs way of life. Sikhism rejects all distinctions based on caste, creed, gender, color, race, or national origin. Jan 27, 2019 chaur is a punjabi word which refers to the tuft at the end a lions tail when raised to wave high over its head, or a yaks tail waved as a fly whisk. Sikhism is a faith whose followers are called sikhs.
The book is addressed as guru, because it is an authoritative spiritual guide. The sikh gurus are the messengers of the timeless akal. The sikhs fought against the great mughals between the 17th and 18th centuries and created their state in the punjab 1765 1849, india. The holy book of the sikhs is known as guru granth sahib. Guru nanak, the founder of sikhism, was born into hinduism and familiar with islam, but disillusioned with both. Guru nanak sahib 14691539, the founder of sikhi sikhism called this system dharam khand in his founding bani or composition, japji sahib, the first holy composition in guru granth sahib. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. It is also divided into sections juz as a 30day reading schedule for ramadan. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. This book contains the teachings of all gurus, and hass been identically printed since the first copy, containing the same amount of pages, same words, and same paper size to preserve it. Its content is the wisdom of allah as received and preached by muhammad. If the faithful follows the bani of the preceptor, the preceptor himself helps him in the realisation of his ideal. Women can participate in any religious function or perform any sikh ceremony or lead the congregation in prayer. Life without virtue runs to waste, says guru nanak.
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