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Sikhism

Sikh History
Sikhism is a syncretistic religion, a combination of Hinduism and ~. The name of the religion means learner. It is often mispronounced 'seek'; the English word 'sick' is much closer to the correct pronunciation.

Its founder was Guru Nanak, (1469-1538) who was born in the Punjab area of what is now Pakistan. At Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He is responsible for the saying "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim II which has since become one of the pillars of Sikhism. Guru Nanak and Panth (his followers) later built the first Sikh temple at Katarpur.

A succession of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. At that time, the functions of the Guru passed to the Panth and to the holy text.
A Sikh state was founded in the early 19th Century .It lasted until the invasion by Great Britain triggered the Sikh Wars (1845-1849). The British successfully gained control over all of India. After independence in 1947, occupied India was partitioned on religious grounds into a mostly Moslem Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. A mass migration of Sikhs from Pakistan to India and a reverse migration of Moslems resulted. The Sikhs have been seeking an independent homeland sil!ce the late 1940's. They totaled 147,440 in the 1991 Canadian census.

Sikh Holy Texts
The tenth Guru, Gobind Rai finished the compilation of hymns and writings into the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This text is read by all Sikhs.

Sikh Beliefs
Beliefs include:
     - Deity: a believe in a single God, who can be known through meditation, as in ~.
     - Reincarnation: From Hinduism, they retained a belief in sam sara (the repetitive cycle of birth,
       life and death), karma (the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds, and reincarnation the belief of a rebirth                     following death.
     - Caste system: Sikhs have rejected the caste system of the Hindu religion.

Sikh Practices Practices include:

     - Prayers: repeated multiple times each day, typically in the morning
     - Worship: Sikhs are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons
     - Temples: There are over 200 Gurdwaras (temples, shrines or holy places) in India alone. The most sacred is at Amritsar .
     - The Five K's: These are practices followed by stricter Sikhs, called Lhalsa saints:
               1. Kesa (long hair, which is never cut)
               2. Kangah (comb),
               3. Kacha ( short pants )
               4. Kachu (metal bracelet)
               5. Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger)

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