Defining Sikhism

                                                

                 Sometimes I am amazed, especially in this age of information, at how people have not yet heard of Sikhism. Whenever I ask others about this religion, largely practiced by Panjabi immigrants and second-generationers in a wide range of countries and of course in Panjab in northern India, I generally get blank stares. Ask a typical American on the streets and I am confident that very very few would be able to tell you anything about Sikhism. When I ask my uber-Western-oriented family about Sikhs, they know enough to be able to point out that Sikh men wear turbans (and for some reason they never mention the beards, maybe because the turban is more distinctive), but beyond that they have no idea as to what they believe, what their history is, or how they live. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, many Sikhs in America were persecuted because they were thought to be Muslims by their American attackers (one account I read included a Sikh man who was tauntingly called Osama by white youth and was almost run over by a car). And  I was shocked when one of my intellectual friends, a very well-read young man not much older than me, had absolutely no idea what Sikhism was. I feel as though I need to do some introductory work to prepare my American readers and readers elsewhere to this religion.

                Sikhism is a religion that originated in the Panjab in the 15th century, founded by a former Brahmin-caste Hindu named Nanak, around the time that there was more and more strife growing between Hindus and the Muslim conquerors. Nanak rejected many of the conventional ideas of Hinduism, including caste and polytheism, and established worship of Vaheguru, the one omnipresent God. Despite throwing away some of what Hinduism had to offer, Nanak kept some other common Hindu beliefs, such as dharma/karma, and the belief in the transmigration of souls. Nanak recorded many of the doctrines of Sikhism in his writings, the most venerated one today being the Guru Granth Sahib. Among many of his ardent beliefs were the beliefs that all men are created equal (the establishment of a langar or free kitchen in Sikh gurdwaras to this day  was meant to  preserve this view, since Hindus would not dare to stoop to the level of eating with a person of a lower caste) and the belief in courage, which would later be solidified by the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh. In the beginning, Nanak had many persecutors, both Hindus and Muslims, each side of whom had elements in his belief. But his beliefs did not end at his death; in fact, Nanak was the first of the ten gurus of the faith, and he holds a special place in the minds of Sikhs today. As just mentioned, Nanak was followed by nine other gurus, who survived the terror of persecution by Hindus and Muslims (mainly Muslims, who held the position of power in those days), and the last, most notable guru, Guru Gobind Singh, is the one who probably takes the most credit for the making the Sikh faith what it is today. Determined to keep the Sikh faith alive through the trials set to his followers by the Mughal emperors, Guru Gobind Singh in 1699  set up a tent and asked his followers if there was anyone among them who was willing to die for the sake of the guru. Five times Guru Gobind Singh asked this, five times a follower responded, and five times the staid Guru Gobind Singh emerged from the tent with a sword dripping with blood. It turned out that he had not killed any of those who had responded, but five goats that he had kept for this purpose, and the five who had responded, now garlanded and dressed in saffron robes, were given the title of the Panjpiyaare (the Five Beloved), who became the first initiates in to the Khalsa, the society of the guru's own. Not long after this, Guru Gobind Singh established the five K's, which the Khalsa all adopted as outward signs and which all baptised Sikhs today still hold to: Kara, the iron bangle worn on the wrist (symbolizing dedication to Vaheguru), Kesh, the wearing of unshorn hair (which is the reason Sikh men have beards and wear the turban, symbolizing the natural appearance of saintlihood), Kangha, the comb kept in a topknot (symbolizing cleanliness), Kachcha, shorts worn underneath everyday clothes (symbolizing chastity), and the Kirpan, or sword (symbolizing dignity and courage). 

                Sikhism today is strong in the Panjab region of North India and around the world, with a following of about 23 million, and life continues as usual for Sikhs who follow the practices of the ten gurus. A Sikh temple is called a gurdwara, and in it there are no idols but only the Guru Granth Sahib itself, which follows after Guru Gobind Singh said, that after the line of the ten gurus there shall be only one guru, the Guru Granth Sahib itself.  A worship service in a gurdwara features men and women (sitting on separate sides) who cover their heads in reverance to Vaheguru, and raagis, or devotional singers, who sing the praises of Vaheguru on tabla and harmonium.

                An attempt at explaining Sikhism today by many catching onto Nanak's twisting of Hinduism into a completely different set of teachings is often offered by non-Sikhs, who say that Sikhism is a blend of elements of Hinduism (such as the aforementioned dharma/karma beliefs and reincarnation) and Islam (monotheism and a view of all men as strictly equal). While this is useful in trying to describe what Sikhs believe, and maybe even in trying to understand history, Sikhs do not believe (according to the bold print type in my copy of Sikh Religion from the Sikh Missionary Center) that their religion is a "blend or a reproduction of earlier religions but it is a new revelation altogether." (p3).

                This is just a brief overview of Sikhism. As with any religion, there is a great deal of complexity in views and certain sects, but this is just an introduction to the basic of the religion for any of my Western readers. I hope that this has helped in teaching about Sikhism.