Out of the world's four great monotheistic religions, Sikhism, which was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (the 1st Guru of the Sikhs) in the 15th century, is the youngest religion in the world. It is barely 500 years old and Sikhs are greatly offended by the distorted belief that Sikhism is a branch of Hinduism. In the world, there are about 18-20 million Sikhs and 80% of them reside in Punjab, a state in Northwest India.
There are 500 000 Sikhs in Britain, 225 000 in Canada and 100 000 in the United States of America. Overall, 2 million Sikhs are spread throughout North America, Western Europe, and Africa. Nearly 80 % of them are active in their faith. All but few attend religious services at Gurdwara (Sikh temple and place of worship) once a week.
The word Sikh means "disciple or learner" in Punjabi and all Sikhs are considered to be disciples of the Guru. Sikh men have full beards and uncut hair, protected by a peaked turban, out of respect for Gods creation, making them easily identifiable.
Sikh priests known as Granthi's, are learned Sikhs who are skilled in reading the scriptures. The Guru Granth Sahib, otherwise known as Adi Granth is the principle Sikh scripture and it is believed by the Sikhs that the words contained in these scriptures are the present day embodiment of Sikh Guru's. The Guru Granth Sahib is treated with respect and devotion that would be bestowed upon a human Guru. Although Sikhism does not actively look for converts, it does welcome them if they volunteer on their own.
The basic philosophy of the Sikh faith, states that Sikhs are truth seekers and bow only before God, and link themselves wholeheartedly to the Guru: the light of truth. The Guru shows its followers how to experience God within themselves, allowing them to go from darkness to light. The first Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, infused his consciousness into his trusted disciple, who then became Guru and passed the light on to the next and so on.
The word "Guru" is derived from the root words "Gu", which means darkness or ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or knowledge. The Guru is the experience of Truth (God).
Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru, was a Soldier-Saint, a writer, a courageous warrior, and a source of Divine wisdom to his Sikhs. "When all other means have failed," he said, "only then is it right to pick up the sword." He was the defender of the poor, the meek, and the oppressed. Guru Gobind Singh was the last Guru of the Sikhs in human form. He created the Khalsa; a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood devoted to purity of thought and action. He gave the Khalsa a distinctive external form to remind them of their commitment, and to help them maintain an elevated state of consciousness. Every Sikh baptized as Khalsa vows to wear the Five "K's":
Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to
sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a
turban, the crown of spirituality.
Kangha - a wooden comb to properly
groom the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.
Katchera - specially made cotton underwear as a reminder of
the commitment to purity.
Kara - a steel circle, worn on the wrist, signifying
bondage to Truth and freedom from every other
entanglement.
Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is
committed to righteously defend the fine line of the
Truth.
Khalsa also vows to refrain from any sexual relationships outside of marriage, and to refrain from taking meat, tobacco, alcohol, and all other intoxicants.
Then Guru Gobind Singh infused his own being into the Khalsa, declaring that the Khalsa was now the Guru in all-temporal matters. For spiritual matters, the Guruship was given to the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib."
Sikh Terms
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