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Overview of Sikhism There are 20 million Sikhs in the world, most living in India. Sikhism is a popular religion in Britain with about half a million Sikhs living in the UK. Sikh men are easily identified by their beards and turbans, which are an outward sign of their religious identity. Belief and Life The most important thing in Sikhism is the internal religious state of the individual. Sikhs avoid superstitious behaviour, and pilgrimages, statues, buildings, and "blind" rituals. Sikhs think religion should be practiced by living in the world and coping with life's everyday problems. They don't approve of retreating from the world to be a monk or a hermit. The Bare Essentials of Sikhism Founded in the 15th century CE Founded in the Punjab district of what is now India and Pakistan Most of the world's 20 million Sikhs still live in the Punjab Founded by Guru Nanak Present day Sikhism is still based on Guru Nanak's teachings and those of the 9 Sikh gurus who followed him Key Beliefs Sikhism is a monotheistic religion (which means a religion with only one God) Sikhism emphasises social and sexual equality Sikhism stresses the importance of doing good actions rather than merely carrying out rituals Sikhs believe that the way to lead a good life is to: Keep God in heart and mind at all times Live honestly and work hard Treat everyone equally Be generous to the less fortunate Serve others The Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara Gurdwara is a punjabi word meaning gateway to the Guru The Sikh scripture is a book called the Guru Granth Sahib The tenth Sikh Guru decreed that after his death the spiritual guide of the Sikhs would be the teachings contained in that book, so it now has the status of a Guru, and Sikhs show it the respect they would give to a human Guru The community of men and women who have been initiated into the Sikh faith is the Khalsa. The Khalsa celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1999 Guru Gobind Singh decreed that where Sikhs could not find answers in the Guru Granth Sahib, they should decide issues as a community, based on the principles of their scripture. |
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| Sikhism |
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