What is Sikhi
- Supreet
- Sep 11, 2018
- 7 min read
What is Sikhi?
Vaheguru Ji ka Khalsa Vaheguru ji ki Fateh! (The Khalsa belongs to God, and all victory belongs to God~Sikh Greeting)
Although I am not the best person to explain what Sikhi is as I am learning everyday myself, I can share a few things that Guru Ji and other Sikhs have taught me. Sikhi is more of a faith a journey a pathway then a religion. We believe in one god (more of an energy) that is present in all living and non living beings, who can be met through something called the tenth gate which is an energy center at the top of our heads. When we meditate, begin to serve others and get rid of our anger, greed, lust. ego and attachment, we become one with this energy and an exemplary blissful state resides within us. However it is extremely difficult to meet god without a true guru; a teacher. The definition of "Guru" is enlightener (gu-darkness ru-light). The guru is like the moon which reflects the light of the sun which cannot be seen all the time. There are 11 Sikh gurus. The first being Guru Nanak Dev ji who was sent by god, to help human kind meet their true divine selves and be released from their egos. Thus Guru Ji began to spread the message that there is one god which resides in everyone, religion is like different roads to the same destination. Everyone is one; there is no good or bad. The gurus light travelled through 10 different bodies until Guru Gobind Singh ji placed all of the Gurus teachings and from saints of other religions as well into Guru Granth Sahib ji,who is the eternal living guru in poetry form for the Sikhs.
Sikhs are individuals who follow the gurus' teachings and implement them into their lives. The main beliefs in Sikhi are:
to share with others and serve them
earn honestly
and say god's name.
Sikhi believes in experiencing god not just believing in god. Otherwise it is just blind faith. We believe that our soul has been separated from god because of our ego always saying 'I', 'this is my story' 'I need this, I want that', that we become separated from our true identity. The soul yearns to experience god to become one again. God can be found through love for god.
"Sach kahun sun leho sabhai. Jin prem kiyo thin hi prabh payo"
"I say the truth may everyone listen, only those who love god will meet him"
(Guru Gobind Singh ji, Tav Prasad Savaiye)
However in order to love god we must learn to love ourselves. Like to love the scent of the flower we must love the flower. We believe that anyone can chant god's name to attain supreme bliss, anyone of any race, religion, and caste. That is why in gurdwaras (the gurus door-temple) there is a meditation room and a free kitchen. In the meditation room hymns from the sacred Guru Granth Sahib ji are sung , and many topics are discussed which resonate around the teachings of the guru. The free kitchen also known as 'langar' is vegetarian food free for all to sit together and eat. It was started by guru Nanak dev ji when he used the money given by his father for trade instead to feed saints with no clothes and no food. He gave food to people do all castes and religions. At the time people who were Muslim or Hindus or of different castes believed they were higher or lower than others and thus did not sit together. The idea of sitting on the floor together is that human kind is on there is no high or low so it gets rid of discrimination. Langar fights Hunger!
The gurus didn’t just give teachings, they lived them themselves. For instance, the 6th guru s father was killed by the Mughal emperors at the time, however he did not hold a grudge against all Muslims, as a true Muslim is one who stays true to his religion. He even built a mosque for the poor Muslims on the city. The 9th guru was beheaded in Delhi to save the Hindu religion. What happened was that the Hindu Brahmins (saints) and the Hindus were being forcefully converted by the Mughal emperors. They came to the guru asking for help then the 10th guru the 9th gurus son said that who is better to give a sacrifice then his own father. So the 9th guru told the Brahmins to tell the Mughal emperor that they would only convert if they can convert the Sikhs and their guru. Three sikhs went to Delhi with the Sikh guru and were tortured in front of the guru to “scare” him. Bhai Dayala Singh Ji was burned in a boiling bot, and Bhai Sati Das ji and Bhai Mati Das Ji were burned in cotton and the other one was sawed in half, yet none of them let out a sign of discomfort and remained in a state of tranquility. The guru did not convert and was beheaded, and the religion was saved. The Gurus do not discriminate and are here to help the whole world. Moving forward everyone is welcome to follow the teachings of the guru and have the freedom to follow their own religion at the same time. However in order to be a true Sikh we must follow the Gurus' teachings and follow them in our daily lives.
Identity of Sikhs:
Sikhs have two wings of meditation and service. One cannot work without the other. You may see that many Sikhs have distinct outer appearances which we have explained in our 5 articles of faith infographic. However we shall explain where this outer appearance came from. Again referring back to the 9th Guru;s time when he had to go to Delhi then Sikhs did not have a disparate identity or appearance and everyone looked the same. When the Mughal emperor asked if there were anymore Sikhs in Delhi watching at the time none rose except for the three that were tortured. However there were around 500 Sikhs I believe at the time in the crowd. Then the 10th Guru said that he would make such a distinct appearance for the Sikh that you can notice one from miles away. This unique outward appearance is also like a uniform. Whenever someone needs help they will see a Sikh walking down the street and can ask them for help! The outward appearance is prominent however it is also crucial to have it tied with the inner appearance as well.
"Bahro Nirmal, Jeeo Maile tinhe janam jeoa haariya.
Bahro Nirmal, Jeeo Nirmal, Satgur dhee karnee kamanai."
"One who is pure from the outside yet dirty on the inside loses this life gamble.
The one who is pure form inside and outside, lives by the True Guru's teachings and earns them."
(Guru Amar Daas Ji, Anand Sahib)
The Sikhs are based on forgiveness, royalty, compassion,service, truth, righteousness, love, contentment and humility. The Khalsa is born from these very attributes. The Khalsa are initiated sikhs. Khalsa meaning pure. The Khalsa is also an army which in the past and now have been protecting individuals and communities across the world from danger. The Khalsa is ready to put their lives down to save others from harm. The Khalsa can be recognized from their outward appearance as well. The Khalsa was created by Guru Gobind Singh ji when he was asking his sikhs for heads. 5 sikhs offered their heads and blows of a sword were being heard from his tent many were afraid and thought the guru had gone crazy. However the five volunteers had arrived perfectly safe wearing beautiful clothes and were named the 'Panj Pyaare:the five beloved ones'. The guru explained that there is no difference between the Guru and the Panj Pyare and they are to also look to the five beloved ones for guidance. The Panj Pyaare also give Amrit ( ambrosial nectar, sugar water made with prayers) which is the process of become an initiated Sikh who will wear the five k’s (hold the outer appearance) as well as follow the gurus instructions strictly. They will wake up during Amrit Vela: the ambrosial hours before dawn and will chant gods name, to get rid of their ego. They will do their nitnem (daily prayers) consisting of 5 morning prayers: Japji sahib (Prayer of Knowledge), Jaap Sahib (Prayer of Royalty), Tav Prasad Savaiye (Prayer of Detachment), Chaupai Sahib (Prayer of Humility), and Anand sahib (prayer of bliss) with Ardaas (humble request). One evening prayer (Rehraas Sahib with Ardaas) and before bed 'Kirtan Sohila' (Protection Song prayer). They will give 10% of their salary towards charity, anyone in need or religious purposes. They will serve humanity with love, without discrimination.
Conclusion: now this explanation could go on forever as Sikhi is a very deep concept. However as an overall review, Sikhi is a path of love and liberation from worldly sorrows. Through meditation and service, Sikhs and the world can learn to deal with their daily complications and become in a steady state of mind of bliss. Sikhi is the 5th largest religion in the world today. With the gurus blessings, Sikhs continue to carry own amazing seva (selfless service) such as Khalsa Aid(helping areas with famine, wildfires,etc...) , Basics of Sikhi, Sikhnet, Gurmat Bibek, Nanak Naam, and so many more! We hope you learned some more about sikhi! Below are a few fun facts about Sikhi!
Fun facts:
-Guru Granth Sahib ji, the 11th guru of the Sikhs is divided by poetry and song not by chapters, each hymn is sung in a different time providing bliss
There are 24 million Sikhs in the world today
Women hold a great importance in Sikhi. the Gurus encouraged gender equality way before it existed. Since guru Nanak Dev ji's time (1400s). In fact, Guru Amar Das ji (the third Sikh guru) forbid the practice of women covering their faces with veils and of 'Sati' where women would burn themselves in their husbands funeral pyre as they were no longer considered “worthy”. The guru also appointed 52 women as Sikh preachers!Each of the gurus represent a positive attribute:
Guru Nanak Dev ji-humility
Guru Angad Dev ji-obedience
Guru Amar Das ji-equality
Guru Ram Das ji-service
Guru Arjan Dev ji-self-sacrifice
Guru Hargobind rai ji-mercy
Guru Harkrishan ji-purity
Guru Tegh Bahadur ji-tranquility
Guru Gobind Singh ji- royal courage
Sri Harimandar Sahib ji,(also known as the Golden Temple) is one of the Sikhs holiest shrines. It has four doors in four directions displaying that god is in all directions and anyone of any caste, religion, race, and gender is welcome there. The steps to go to the temple are also downwards showing that we must become humble to reach god. The temple is covered with 750 kgs of pure gold starting form the second level and the interior of the temple holds exquisite designs. The foundation of the temple was placed by a Muslim pir (saint) Mian Mir. It was founded by the fourth Guru Ram Das ji. Everyday around 100 000 people are fed at the langar hall for free. The number heightens during special occasions and holidays! You can also get a free train ticket to Amritsar (city of nectar and bliss) which is all charity work.
Comentários