Brief Introduction

SIKHISM – A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
by Rajinder Singh ‘Arshi’

Religion

Chamber’s dictionary defines religion as a “belief in, recognition of, or awakened sense of a higher unseen controlling power or powers with the emotion and morality connected therewith; rites or worship; any system of such belief

or worship; monastic life; monastic order”.

This is quite a wide definition of the word. However, the definition could be widened further by defining religion as a way of life based on certain principles and tenets. This renders the definition extremely wide, since it does not qualify the terms “principles” and “tenets”. This would enable a person to lead a life based on self-established or self-determined set of principles. Therefore, in a sense such a person may claim he too has a religion. Perhaps he has a point to make, in that one cannot and must not separate religion from practical living, it

Is, and must be an integral part of one’s life.

Religion must not be seen as a distinct part of one’s life or conduct. It must be part and parcel of one’s practical, day to day existence. To have compassion for one’s fellow human beings is a noble principle. To help creating a just and caring society is a noble aim. This must be God’s way. Life based on such principles must be a life based on true religion. Forgive me for qualifying the term religion by inserting the word “true” before it. I have considered it necessary, since it is vital to narrow down the meaning of “religion”, which is rather a difficult task considering the term has been abused and exploited by people to serve their own ends and not to serve the interests of humanity in general.
Religion misrepresented
Many atrocities and injustices, the world over are committed in the name of religion. It was this type of bigotry and hypocrisy accompanied with tyranny and cruelty which in the Fifteenth Century led to Guru Nanak proclaiming that the two major religions as practised in those times were certainly not serving God and that the pandits and the mullahs were simply distorting the teachings of the prophets to serve their own interests and ambitions, and to perpetuate their own superiority and dominance over mankind.
K. Ishwarn of York University, Ontario states that, historically Sikhism can be seen as a response to the challenge of Hindu-Muslim conflict in the Indian sub-continent, arising from the tyranny of the Mogul invaders. Sher Singh Sher, a Sikh scholar supports this view when he asserts that Sikhism was an outcome of the socio-religious conditions and the suppression of the common people or working communities of India by Brahmanical Hinduism, a view shared by numerous other scholars and theologians representing the major religions of the world.

Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in 1469 at Talvandi, a small village forty miles from Lahore, which is now in Pakistan. Guru Nanak lived for seventy years, out of which he passed thirty in domestic life, twenty two in travels in India and abroad visiting places of pilgrimage and seeking the company

of scholars, saints and men of God. Guru Nanak’s travels took him as far as Assam in the East, Ceylon in the South, Mecca in the West and Tibet in the North. He spent the last eighteen years of his life on earth at Kartarpur as a practical farmer, serving the people and spreading his message of the Unity of Good and Fraternity of Mankind. In 1593, Guru Nanak shedded his earthly chola (existence) and ascended to merge into Holy Spirit of the Supreme Being.

The True Bargain (Sacha Sauda)

Guru Nanak experienced unusual mystic premonitions very early in life. As a child he showed little interest in formal education and in the activities pursued by children of his age. Instead he sought to meditate, and sought heavenly bliss in the company of itinerant sadhus and saints. He was very young when his father,

Mehta Kalyan Chand, extremely worried by his son’s lack of interest in worldly affairs decided to set him up in business. He gave Guru Nanak twenty rupees (a large sum of money in those days) and asked him to go a to nearby town and purchase goods for resale, reminding him that he must try and strike as best a bargain as possible.

On the way to the commercial centre, Guru Ji came across a group of sadhus who had been meditating for days without food or basic essentials of survival. Immediately, he thought what better bargain can there be other than fulfilling the needs of the hungry sadhus, surely there can be no better way of striking a true bargain other than that of feeding God’s true devotees. Accompanied by his friend Bala, Guru Nanak bought the necessary provisions, clothes and blankets and returned to the sadhus’ connclave. The two friends then, with utmost devotion and humility, cooked the food and fed the hungry sadhus, alsohonouring them with clothes and blankets.

At that point Guru Ji’s main concern was for the welfare of the sadhus, little did he worry about the trouble which he would land himself in on returning home empty-handed. At a very early age Guru Nanak demonstrated that he was the champion of the underdog. He had deep concern for the downtrodden, which he

expressed eloquently whenever the occasion arose. For example, on witnessing Babar’s tyrannical slaughter of the Hindu people, he spoke fearlessly against him. With similar courage and fearlessness, he challenged the Hindu caste system, underlining his belief in monotheism and equality of mankind.
He admonished the Hindu ascetics for neglecting their duty and wasting their lives in forests, instead of seeking God within and facing up to the excesses of evil-doers. He spoke up for the social status of women. Above all sweet speech and humility, he remarked, were the hallmarks of true living, qualities promoted later on by his successors.
Guru Angad Dev
Bhai Lehna was chosen by Guru Nanak as his successor, and was re-named Angad, a part of Nanak, (literally ‘angad’ means “limb of Guru”). It was Guru Angad who created the Panjabi script (Gurmakhi) and also developed the institution of ‘langar’ (people’s kitchen).

Guru Amar Das
He became Guru at the age of seventy three. He established twenty two manjis (dioceses – the circuit or extent of a bishop’s jurisdiction) in different parts of India. He further developed the concept of the common kitchen, so much so that he would not grant an audience unless the person had food from the common kitchen, the objective of this exercise was to create a sense of equality and brotherhood amongst people and to break up the evil shackles of the caste system. Even, Akbar the contemporary mogul emperor, had to comply; himself a believer in secularism and fair play, he commended the system.
Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das became a devotee of the House of Nanak at a very early age. His devotion and humble dedication to the cause of Sikhism, and for what it stood, impressed Guru Amar Das so much, that he gave the hand of his daughter Bhani in marriage to his disciple Ram Das. Recognising the selfless service of his daughter and son-in-law, Guru Amar Das Ji installed Ram Das as the Fourth Guru of the Sikhs.

His greatest achievements include the foundation of Amritsar, the Holiest shrine of the Sikhs. He devised appropriate guidelines and ethics for marriage and other social functions of the Sikhs.

Guru Arjan Dev
Guru Ram Das nominated his youngest son Arjan to succeed him. He continued the work of the construction of the Holy Tank, and adjoining buildings, and invited Sayed Mia Mir, a revered Muslim saint, to lay the foundation stone of Harmandar (the Temple of the Lord). Guru Arjan Dev composed numerous hymns and compiled the Adi Granth (later installed as Guru), which not only contained the teachings of his predecessors but also those of the saints of different castes, including Muslims and sudras.
Guru Ji’s popularity amongst both Hindus and Muslims was seen as threat by the then emperor Jahangir, who encouraged and influenced by Guru’s enemies ordered his execution.

Guru Har Gobind
Har Gobind, the only son of Guru Arjan Dev, succeeded him in 1606. Upon his father’s earlier consul, Guru Har Gobind instilled the spirit of self-protection and self-defence amongst his disciples. He wore two swords, one on the right representing meeri (temporal power) and the other on the left symbolising

peeri (spiritual power). Guru Arjan’s rivals not contented with his execution now persisted in inciting emperor Jehangir against the Sixth Nanak, as a result of which Guru Har Gobind was engaged in several battles with the Mogul troops.

Guru Har Rai
Guru Har Gobind’s grandson, Har Rai attained Guruship at the age of fourteen.

Guru Har Rai was distinctively a compassionate and peace-loving person. He taught the Sikhs to meditate on the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and develop a disciplined life, an opportunity not offered by the turbulent times of the previous Guru.

Guru Har Krishan
He became Guru at the tender age of five and ascended to merge into the Holy Spirit when only eight. The Eighth Nanak showed maturity and courage well beyond his tender years and proved that one can achieve Unification with God (sahaj avastha, mokash) at a very early age. In order to teach a learned but

egoistic Brahmin a lesson in humility, Guru Har Krishan blessed a deaf and dumb person to translate most eloquently sections of Geeta, the Gospel of Shri Vasudev Krishna.

Guru Teg Bahadur
Guru Har Krishan, when departing, had instructed the Sikhs that their next Guru to be was at Baba Bakala, hinting at Guru Tegh Bahadur. Guru Teg Bahadur based himself at Anandpur Sahib and travelled widely on missions of mercy and charity.
Popularly referred to as Hind di Chadar (saviour of people’s honour), he laid down his life to protect the right of the Hindus to practise their beliefs without the interference of, and persecution by, the ruling authorities.

Guru Gobind Singh
The only child of Guru Teg Bahadur and Mata Gujri, Gobind Rai, as he was named at birth, became Guru in 1675 at the age of nine. When it came to cremate the body of his father Guru Teg Bahadur, Sikhs and Hindus alike had cringed and would not come forward to claim the body of the Ninth Guru from the Mogul executioners in fear of reprisal and persecution. Upon hearing this Guru Gobind Singh resolved there and then that he would create such a Sikh that will be unable to conceal his identity even when amongst a crowd of thousands, hence the creation of the Khalsa and the symbols and discipline that go with it.

A short article of this kind is not sufficient to even begin with the exploits and achievements of this prolific personality. Sufficient to say, therefore, that not many in the entire history of mankind have done as much to end tyranny and

oppression, to uphold justice, to uproot evil, and to champion the cause of the underdog. He sacrificed his all for the people, including the lives of his father, mother, his four sons and finally his own life. He bestowed Guruship upon Guru Granth Sahib and thus ended the lineage of the living Gurus.

Guru Granth Sahib
The Adi Granth (the First Book) embodies the Sacred Scriptures of the Sikhs. It personifies the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. The Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh, ordained the Adi Granth to be the next and the final Guru of the Sikhs, The Adi Granth, therefore, became the respected and revered ‘Holy Guru Granth Sahib’. Guru gobind singh proclaimed that the authority of the Sikh Gurus shall vest in the Guru Granth Sahib, which should be given the respect, loyalty and authority accorded to Guru Nanak and the nine Gurus who followed him.

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