Sikhism primary beliefs and principles
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"Ek Onkaar" - One God
- There is only ONE God who has infinite qualities and names; S/He* is the same for all religions; God is Creator & Sustainer -All that you see around you is God's Creation; S/He* is everywhere, and in everything; S/He is fearless and with no Enemies; Only God is without birth or death and S/He* has and will exist forever.Below are quotations from Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) which reinforce the summaries outlined above:
a). There is One God - from page 45:
- There is only the One Supreme Lord God; there is no other.
- Soul and body are all Yours; whatever pleases You, shall happen.
- Through the Perfect Guru, one becomes perfect; O Nanak, meditate on the True One. ||4||9||79||
and the original verses are:
- paarbarahm parabh ayk hai doojaa naahee ko-ay.
- jee-o pind sabh tis kaa jo tis bhaavai so ho-ay.
- gur poorai pooraa bha-i-aa jap naanak sachaa so-ay. ||4||9||79||
For the Original text please follow: SriGranth.org (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1) and enter the page number.
b). God the creator ? from page 1036:
- He formed the planets, solar systems and nether regions, and brought what was hidden to manifestation||15|| ?..
- When He so willed, He created the world.
- Without any supporting power, He sustained the universe.
Re-incarnation, Karma & Salvation
Sikhs believe that every creature has a Soul; on death, the Soul is passed from one body to another until Liberation. The journey of the Soul is governed by the deeds and actions that we perform during our lives. If we perform good deeds and actions and remember the Creator, we attain a better life. On the contrary, if we carry out evil actions and sinful deeds, we will be incarnated in “lower” life forms – plants, insects, animals, etc. The person who has evolved to spiritual perfection attains salvation – union with God.
The following lines from SGGS explain how our deeds and actions (or Karma) have an impact on the future of the soul and reincarnation:
- On Page 4 – Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=4&english=t&id=181)
- “Virtue and vice do not come by mere words; actions repeated, over and over again, are engraved on the soul. You shall harvest what you plant. O Nanak, by the Hukam of God’s Command, we come and go in reincarnation.”
- On Page 31 – Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=31&english=t&id=13041)
- “The soul-bride in love with duality goes around the wheel of reincarnation, through 8.4 million incarnations. Without the Guru, she finds no sleep, and she passes her life-night in pain. Without the Shabad, she does not find her Husband Lord, and her life wastes away in vain.”
- On Page 19 – Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=19&english=t&id=784)
- “The blind have forgotten the Naam, the Name of the Lord. The self-willed manmukhs (ego centred person) are in utter darkness. Their comings and goings in reincarnation do not end; through death and rebirth, they are wasting away. ||3||”
- On Page 4 – Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=13&english=t&id=585)
- “Purchase only that for which you have come into the world, and through the Guru, the Lord shall dwell within your mind. Within the home of your own inner being, you shall obtain the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence with intuitive ease. You shall not be consigned again to the wheel of reincarnation. ||3||.”
Remember God
Love God but also have fear of Him/Her* as well. Only by keeping the Creator in your mind at all times, will you make progress in your spiritual evolution. The Sikh Guru ask the devotees to mediate with single mindedness; dispel doubt; remain focused; subdue their ego; thus glory will be obtained.The following line from SGGS elaborate on the importance of remembering the Almighty Lord:
- On Page 18 – see Text in Red from line 761 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=18&id=761)
- Those contented souls who meditate on the Lord with single-minded love, meet the True Lord.
- On Page 23 – see Text in Red at line 945 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=23&id=945)
- Those who are imbued with the love of the Name of the Lord are not loaded down by doubt.
- On Page 128– see Text in Red at line 5239 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=128&id=5239)
- The pure swans, with love and affection, dwell in the Ocean of the Lord, and subdue their ego.
- On Page 130 – see Text in Red at line 5297 (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=130&id=5297)
- The Gurmukh remains forever imbued with the Lord’s Love. Meeting the True Lord, glory is obtained. ||6||
Humanhood (Brotherhood*)
Sikhs believe that all humans are equal. “We are sons and daughters of Waheguru, the Almighty”. Sikhs have to treat all peoples of the world on an equal footing. No gender, racial, social, etc discrimination is allowed. This is the message of Guru Nanak as taught by the 10 Sikh Masters during the period 1469 to 1708.The following lines from SGGS explain about the importance of treating every person as an equal:
- On Page 446 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=446&english=t&id=20189)
- “They look upon all with equality, and recognize the Supreme Soul, the Lord, pervading among all. Those who sing the Praises of the Lord, Har, Har, obtain the supreme status; they are the most exalted and acclaimed people. ||2||”
- On Page 599 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=599&english=t&id=26044)
- “He is within - see Him outside as well; there is no one, other than Him. As Gurmukh, look upon all with the single eye of equality; in each and every heart, the Divine Light is contained. ||2||”
- On Page 96 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=96&english=t&id=3826)
- “There is only one breath; all are made of the same clay; the light within all is the same. The One Light pervades all the many and various beings. This Light intermingles with them, but it is not diluted or obscured. By Guru’s Grace, I have come to see the One. I am a sacrifice to the True Guru. ||3||”
Uphold Moral Values
Defend, safeguard and fight for the rights of all creatures and in particular your fellow beings.
Personal Sacrifice
Be prepared to give your life for all supreme principles ? see the life of Guru Teg Bahadur.
Many Paths lead to God
The Sikh Gurus tell us that salvation can be obtained by following various spiritual paths. Therefore, Sikhs do not have a monopoly on Salvation – “Many Spiritual paths lead to God” – Sikhs do not therefore consider themselves as having a monopoly on God or a “superior” right to salvation. The Sikhs do not consider themselves as the “chosen people of God”. However, the Sikh scripture is probably the only known holy book that advances this message of “religious equality” and offers advise for Muslims to be better Muslims and for Hindus to be better Hindus. Christian, Hindus, Muslim, Jews, etc all have the same right to liberty as Sikhs.The following lines from SGGS explain about the importance of treating every spiritual path as an equal and valid path to God and salvation:
- On Page 142 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=142&english=t&id=5799)
- “One who recognizes that all spiritual paths lead to the One shall be emancipated. One who speaks lies shall fall into hell and burn. In all the world, the most blessed and sanctified are those who remain absorbed in Truth. One who eliminates selfishness and conceit is redeemed in the Court of the Lord. ||9||”
- On Page 885 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=885&english=t&id=37584)
- “Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran. Some wear blue robes, and some wear white. ||3|| Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu. Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven. ||4|| Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of God’s Will, knows the secrets of his Lord and Master. ||5||9||”
- On Page 1083 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1083&english=t&id=46288)
- “Practice within your heart the teachings of the Koran and the Bible; restrain the ten sensory organs from straying into evil. Tie up the five demons of desire with faith, charity and contentment, and you shall be acceptable. ||4||”
- On Page 1350 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1350&english=t&id=57499)
- “Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false. You say that the One Lord is in all, so why do you kill chickens? ||1||”
- On Page 464 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=464&english=t&id=20831)
- “By His Power the Vedas and the Puraanas exist, and the Holy Scriptures of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions. By His Power all deliberations exist.”
Positive Attitude to Life
?Chardi Kala? ? Always have a positive, optimistic and buoyant view of life. God is there ? He* will be your help!
Disciplined Life
Upon baptism, must wear the Sikhs Five Ks (5Ks); strict recital of the 5 prayers Banis, etc.
No Special Worship Days
Sikhs do not believe that any particular day is holier than any other.
Conquer the 5 Thieves
It's every Sikh duty to defeat these 5 thieves: Lust (C?ham), Anger (Kr?odh), Greed (Lob?H), Attachment (Mo?H), and Pride (a?Hankar). Within each person live these 5 thieves and it’s the duty of every Sikh to subdue and control the behaviour of these emotions and enemies.The following lines from SGGS explain about the dangers of these negative energies and how they lead to pain and suffering:
- On Page 182 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=182&english=t&id=7641)
- “All of my companions are intoxicated with their sensory pleasures; they do not know how to guard their own home. The five thieves have plundered them; the thugs descend upon the unguarded village.||2||.”
- On Page 600 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=600&english=t&id=26092)
- “Within this body dwell the five thieves: sexual desire, anger, greed, emotional attachment and egotism. They plunder the Nectar, but the self-willed manmukh (ego minded person) does not realize it; no one hears his complaint. The world is blind, and its dealings are blind as well; without the Guru, there is only pitch darkness. ||2||”
- On Page 1201 – Look for Text highlighted in Red (http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1201&english=t&id=51627)
- “All the sins of that humble being are taken away, all the pains are taken away, all diseases are taken away; sexual desire, anger, greed, attachment and egotistical pride are taken away. The Lord drives the five thieves out of such a person of the Lord. ||1|| Chant the Name of the Lord, O Holy Saints of the Lord; meditate on the Lord of the Universe, O Holy people of the Lord. Meditate in thought, word and deed on the Lord, Har, Har. Worship and adore the Lord, O Holy people of the Lord.”
Attack with 5 Weapons
Contentment (Santokh), Charity (Dan), Kindness (Daya ), Chardi Kala (Positive Energy), Humility (Nimarta)
See also Sikhism and Sikh Religious Philosophy