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About Sikhism

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The word Sikh means student/disciple. Sikhs are monotheistic, referring to God as "Waheguru". Like Hindus they believe in Karma, Samsara, and maksha. Sikhism was founded in Northwestern India. Sikhism is followed by over 23 million and is ranked as the world's fifth largest religion.The first word in the Sikh scripture is "Sat", which translates to truth because Sikhism is based on truthful living.Sikhism is one of the youngest of the world religions, it is barely five hundred years old. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469. Guru Nanak spread a simple message of "Ek Ong Kar" which means we are all one. He aligned with no religion, and respected all religions. He expressed the reality that there is one God and many paths, and the Name of God is Truth, "Sat Nam". The Khanda which is shown in the image above is the Symbol of the Sikhs. The symbol derives its name from the double-edged sword (also called a Khanda) which appears at the center of the logo. This double-edged sword is a metaphor of Divine Knowledge, its sharp edges cleaving Truth from Falsehood. The circle around the Khanda is the Chakar. The Chakar being a circle without a beginning or and end symbolizes the perfection of God who is eternal. The Chakar is surrounded by two curved swords called Kirpans. These two swords symbolize the twin concepts of Meeri and Peeri - Temporal and Spiritual authority introduced by Guru Hargobind. They emphasize the equal emphasis that a Sikh must place on spiritual aspirations as well as to society.

Places of worship

Any place where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept is considered to be a place of worship for Sikhs and it is usually called a Gurdwara. It is called the Gurdwara which means "Gateway to the Guru". A Gurdwara has four doors which symbolizes that people from all four points of the compass ross is welcomed. Gurdwaras don't have anythings like statues or painting most of the time because they only want to worship on God. All the attention is focused on the Guru Granth Sahib because it is to be given the respect as if it was a human Guru. Like Christians and Catholics, Sikhs also like to have their services on Sundays. The services are based on the writings in the Guru Granth Sahib. Chants and prayers are also said. When the Guru Granth Sahib is not being used, it is kept under a expensive cloth. The service often ends in a shared meal just like how we all ate togethor when we attended our trip to the Sikh Temple.

Facts

  •  Sikhism was founded in Northwestern India

 

  • The word Sikh means student/deciple

 

  • Sikhism is followed by over 23 million and is ranked as the world’s fifth largest religion

 

  • Sikhism is a monotheistic religion which means they believe in only one God

 

  • Sikhs can pray at any time of the day and anywhere they choose

 

  • Sikhism advocates equality for men and women of every race and religion.

 

  •  Sikh men and women cover their heads when not at home as a sign of respect to their Gurus and others.

 

  • The Sikh turban symbolizes a lot of things such as discipline, integrity, humility, and spirituality.

 

  • Sikhs have lived in North America for over 100 years.

 

  • Over one million people who are Sikhs live in the United States and Canada.

 

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