SIKHISM BELIEFS: GOD, KARMA, DUTIES AND JUSTICE

SIKH BELIEFS

20120502-A_young_boy_practising Gatka SIkh_martial_art.jpg
A young boy practising Gatka,
the SIkh martial art The basic beliefs of Sikhism are relatively simple. Sikhs believes in a single God, in the authority of the Ten Gurus and in the truth of the Granth Sahib (Adi Granth), the Sikh sacred scripture. Sikhs believe that the purpose of religion is to establish a close and loving relationship with God, primarily through prayer and meditation. Meditation involves quiet reflection or focusing on a single point. The Sikh God is a singular entity that permeates the universe and cannot be depicted in any form, such as a painting or sculpture. Sikhs believe in the Hindu concepts of samsara, or the endlessly repeated cycle of birth, life, and death; karma, or the concept that the sum of a person's accumulated good and bad actions determines how he or she lives a future life; and reincarnation, or rebirth following death. [Source: “World Religions Reference Library”, Thomson Gale, 2007]

The Sikh god is both transcendent and immanent. The ten human Sikh Gurus intimately understood the message of thus god and communicated it to humanity. This message is contained within the scripture, the Adi Granth, in which the spirit of the divine mystically dwells. Often Sikhism is understood as either a sect of Hinduism or of Islam, but it is neither. It is a unique religious tradition which shares some similarities with both of the above-mentioned traditions. [Source: Louis E. Fenech, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]

According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: Sikhs also believe in the transmigration of the soul and the doctrine of karma. Humanity is caught in the never-ending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and must meditate upon the Nam, that aspect of the divine which is present everywhere in the universe, through a discipline called nam simran (remembering the Name of God) to ultimately break the cycle and merge into the divine.

God in Sikhism

The principal belief of Sikhism is that there is only one God, and that this God is the same as the God of other religions. This belief is stated clearly in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh sacred scripture: "There is only one Supreme Lord; there is no other." Sikhs believe God is the creator of the universe and is without qualities or differentiation in himself. God is generally known as or Akal Purakh (“The Timeless Being”). Satiguru (“the True Guru”), Vahiguru (“the Wonderful Lord”), or Waheguru ("The Wonderful Lord") in the Punjabi language but is also called Ek (or “Ik”) Onkar ("True God"), Satnaam ("True Name"), Hari, Raam, and Pritam.

The God of the Sikhs is indefinite, infinite, or endless, and can be described through an infinite number of names and qualities.The Granth Sahib explains: "He formed the planets, the solar system, and the nether regions, and brought what was hidden to manifestation [existence]. When He so willed, He created the world. Without any supporting power, He sustained the universe." To know God, Sikhs are urged to remember Him always and to meditate or focus on His qualities: "Those contented souls who meditate on the Lord with single-minded love, meet the True Lord." [Source: “World Religions Reference Library”, Thomson Gale, 2007]

God, is the Creator of the universe and all things in it. Everything in the universe is God's creation. Humans alone in the universe have the ability to enter into a voluntary relationship of love with God. However, human attachment to the physical world (maya) leads to reincarnation. The only way to break from the cycle of reincarnation and achieve liberation (mukti) is to become God-conscious and God-filled (gurmukh), which can only be achieved by following the path set out by the Gurus and the scriptures. [Source: D. O. Lodrick, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life”, Cengage Learning, 2009 *]

The Soul, Reincarnation and Death in Sikhism

Another primary belief of Sikhism is that every creature has a soul and that this soul is eternal and its goal is liberation from the body. Sikhs believe in the basic Hindu concepts of reincarnation, samsara, and karma, which are also shared by Buddhists. Salvation and Sikh enlightenment are reached by attaining harmony with god and rejecting the unreal attachments of the world. Reaching harmony takes discipline. It is not reached through rites and pilgrimages but through internal worship. Sikhs believe in reincarnation but believe the cycle ends when one is born a man.

Sikhs believe the universe (samsar) is not sinful in its origin but is covered with impurities; it is not suffering, but a transitory opportunity for the soul to recognize its true nature and break the cycle of rebirth. The unregenerate person is dominated by self-interest and remains immersed in illusion (maya ), leading to bad karma. Meanwhile, God desires that his creatures escape and achieve enlightenment (nirvana) by recognizing his order in the universe. He does this by manifesting his grace as a holy word, attainable through recognition and recitation of God's holy name (nam). [Source: Library of Congress]

In Hinduism samsara (Sanskrit for migration) refers to the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth — reincarnation. Reincarnation is the transmigration of the soul from one life form to another. Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs all seek to escape samsara. Hindus and Sikhs believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives (samsara) and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived (karma). Death is the last phase of samsara before rebirth.

Louis E. Fenech, wrote in the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “Life and death are regarded as natural processes, and just as each day that dawns must set, so must all people depart. For Sikhs death is not to be mourned but rather contemplated, and the departed life is remembered with the reading and singing of the scripture. Sikhs believe that one who lives a good life and constantly remembers God will not be reborn. Instead he or she will "enter" what Guru Nanak refers to as Sach Khand, the True Realm, the end of one's spiritual journey. To explain beyond this, claims the first Guru, is "harder than steel." [Source: Louis E. Fenech, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]

Karma in Sikhism

Karma refers to the accumulated impact of a person's actions on his or her future life: A person who builds up good karma will be reborn in a future life as a higher creature and eventually reach spiritual perfection and union with God. A person who accumulates bad karma by committing evil deeds is reborn as a lower creature, such as a plant or an insect. This idea is expressed in the Adi Granth this way: "Virtue and vice do not come by mere words; actions repeated, over and over again, are engraved [written] on the soul."[Source: “World Religions Reference Library”, Thomson Gale, 2007]

On karma, Pashaura Singh wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: The principle is logical and inexorable, but karma is also understood as a predisposition that safeguards the notion of free choice. In Sikh doctrine, however, the notion of karma underwent a radical change. For the Gurus the law of karma was not inexorable. In the context of the Guru Nanak's theology, karma is subject to the higher principle of the "divine order" (hukam). The divine order is an "all-embracing principle" that is the sum total of all divinely instituted laws in the cosmos. It is a revelation of the divine nature. Indeed, the law of karma is replaced by Akal Purakh's hukam, which is no longer an impersonal causal phenomenon but falls within the sphere of Akal Purakh's omnipotence and justice: "The divine name can wash away millions of sins in a moment" (Adi Granth, p. 1,283). In fact, the primacy of divine grace over the law of karma is always maintained in Sikh teachings, and divine grace even breaks the chain of adverse karma. [Source: Pashaura Singh, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]

Teachings of Guru Nanak, the Founder of Sikhism

Sikhism was founded by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469–1539) who was born the Punjab in what is now Pakistan. At an early age, he was disillusioned by the social inequities and religious hypocrisies he observed around him. He believed that a single divine force created the entire world and resided within it. In his belief, God was not separate from the world and watching from a distance, but fully present in every aspect of creation. He therefore asserted that all people are equally divine and deserve to be treated as such.[Source: Simran Jeet Singh, Henry R. Luce Post-Doctoral Fellow in Religion in International Affairs Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York University, The Conversation, April 17, 2021]

The distinctive nature of Sikhism can may be traced to Guru Nanak himself. The first of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism, he was a mystic, poet and practical man who declared his independence from other thought forms of his day and who ideas and religious expression were , embodied in his hymns that are part of the Adi Granth and built upon by the nine Guru who followed him.

Guru Nanal proclaimed monotheism, the provisional nature of organized religion, and direct realization of God through religious exercises and meditation. He embraced the concepts a classless society and the equality of women, opposed idolatry and the caste system and said there was no need for priests or ceremonial rituals. He worshiped at both Hindu and Muslim holy places and is even said to have gone on pilgrimage to Mecca. [Sources: Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., Columbia University Press; D. O. Lodrick, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life”, Cengage Learning, 2009]

At the heart of his message was a philosophy of universal love, devotion to God, the singularity of the ultimate reality, the consequent unity of humanity. and the equality of all men and women before God. Nanak promoted religious tolerance. His most famous saying was: “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim.” He perceived God as sat, as truth and being.

Ik Oankar

According to Furu Nanak’s doctrine, there is but one True God (Ik Onkar), a transcendent and almighty Creator. Everything on earth is determined by the will of God (hukam). God can be approached from the interior of one's heart, without the need for elaborate rituals and ceremonies. Arvind-Pal S. Mandair wrote in the “Encyclopedia of India”: For devout Sikhs the most succinct expression of Nanak's thought is encapsulated in the syllable ik oankar, which appears at the very beginning of Nanak's Japji Sahib (the first and most authoritative hymn in the Adi Granth), and which is often translated in conformity to the rationalized idiom of monotheism as "One God Exists," though it is more accurately translated as "The One Absolute, Manifested through Primal Word-Sound." According to Guru Nanak, the Absolute is nondual (One). From the conceptual standpoint of the human ego, however, the Absolute is perceived dualistically in terms of either/or distinctions, such as nirgun/sargun (without qualities/with qualities; formless/form), or in terms of the difference between God and man. [Source: Arvind-Pal S. Mandair, “Encyclopedia of India”, Thomson Gale, 2006]

“A person limited to mere conceptuality is manmukh (ego-centered individual) and therefore unfree, ignorant, limited by a self-generating consciousness. For Guru Nanak, the Absolute cannot be conceptualized or obtained through rituals (sochai soch na hovi), through mere silencing of the mind (chupai chup na hovi), or by satisfying one's cravings (bhukhian bhuk na uttari). The Absolute can only be realized through experience. As such, the nonduality of the Absolute is conceptually inseparable from the notion of freedom (mukti) found in the classic mystical themes of separation and fusion between lover and beloved. To realize the One, the individual must be grounded in a state of existence that relinquishes the individuality of the self, so that what remains when ego is abandoned — the man (heart/mind/soul) — emerges as the lover and is able to merge with the Other (its Beloved). In this state, one instinctively avoids relating to the One in terms of subject and object. Such a realized individual (gurmukh) no longer represents the Absolute to himself, since the conscious distinction between self and other, I and not-I, lover and beloved, disappears, leaving an ecstatic and purely spontaneous form of existence (sahaj). |~|

“In Sikh tradition, the figure of the gurmukh and the spontaneous freedom associated with it are seen as an intensely creative form of existence that is "oriented toward the guru" and aligned with the divine order (hukam) yet released from the mechanism of individuation (haumai). The transition from duality to nonduality (or, stated otherwise, the transition from manmukh to gurmukh) turns on the efficacy of naam (the Name), which is both the object of love and the means of loving attachment to the beloved. Being the point of contact between transcendence (God) and immanence (world), naam is the medium by which the ego loses itself in human communication with others, that is, the medium par excellence for experiencing the condition of nonduality. In Nanak's hymns, naam is not a particular word or mantra, but is both written within and yet comprises the vibration of the cosmos. Being the link between mystic interiority and worldly action, naam is appropriated by the gurmukh through the practice of simaran (constant remembrance or repetition of the Name) — a form of meditation in which the One simultaneously becomes the focus of an individual's awareness (surati) and his motivation to perform righteous action (karam kamahe). However, naam cannot be obtained voluntarily. Its attainment depends on grace or the favorable glance of the Guru (kirpa/nadar), receiving which the individual can change his predestined nature (likhia nal) into the spontaneous being of the gurmukh, which no longer generates sa skaras (the soul passed from one life to another). Sikhs therefore hold a belief in the transmigration of souls, which come and go (avan jan) until one is liberated from the bonds of the ego. From the standpoint of the gurmukh, the conceptual duality between religion and politics, mysticism and violence, and so on, becomes superfluous, as is evident in the lived experience of the Sikh Gurus, for whom there was no contradiction between mystical experience and the life of a soldier or householder. |~|

Hinduism, Islam and the Evolution of Sikhism Under the Ten Gurus

Sikhism's founder Sri Guru Nanak preached that inner beliefs were more important than external forms of worship. He rejected many of the beliefs and practices of the Hindus that he saw around him and viewed some Muslim practices as the intolerant. He opposed the caste system of Hindus and idol worship. He adopted the monotheism (belief in one supreme god) of Islam and emphasized the brotherhood of all humankind. [Source: World Religions Reference Library, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Despite all this Sikhism and Hinduism share many similarities and many Hindus consider Sikhism to be a branch of Hinduism and even insist some of their children are raised as Sikhs. Sikhism embraces the Hindu concepts of karma, rebirth and prasad. Sikhs believe an individual passes through five stages beginning with 1) manmukh (an evildoer who puts and emphasis on materials an indulges in five deadly pleasures similar to the Christian deadly sins) and ending with 4) gurumukh (being absorbed into the Guru) 5) sackand (utter bliss, beyond rebirth).

According to “The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions”:“Sikhism began in the context of the Muslim–Hindu confrontation in N. India, when some such as Kabir were seeking to reconcile the truths in these religions. It was a time also of vivid and moving devotion to God (bhakti), all of which (especially the Vaiṣ avites) was influential on Guru Nanak. [Source: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, Oxford University Press 1997]

Guru Nadak did not attempt to merge Hinduism and Islam, but simply insisted on the worship of the True Name (Nam), God who can be found within and does not require the rituals and doctrinal controversies of existing religions. God does not become present in the world (in contrast to Hindu understandings of avatara), but makes his will and his way known. In discerning this, meditation (nam simaran) on Sabda (‘sound’) is of paramount importance, especially through repetition of the Name, or on the hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib.

“Under the first four Gurus, there was no conflict with the surrounding majority religions, but marks of identity were further developed — e.g. Sikh days in the religious calendar. Under Ram Das, ‘the tank of nectar’, Amritsar, was built, leading to the Harimandir (Golden Temple), the centre of Sikh identity. Always more at ease in general with Hindus, Sikhs found tensions with Muslims and the Mughal emperors increasing; this led to the forming of the khalsa under the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh.

Central Doctrines and Cosmology of Sikhism

Pashaura Singh wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: ““The nature of ultimate reality in Sikh doctrine is succinctly expressed in the Mul Mantar (seed formula), the preamble to the Sikh scripture. The basic theological statement reads as follows: "There is one Supreme Being ['1' Oankar], the Eternal Reality, the Creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the Guru. The Eternal One, from the beginning, through all time, present now, the Everlasting Reality" (Adi Granth, p. 1). [Source: Pashaura Singh, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]

“With regard to the creation of the world, there is Guru Nanak's cosmology hymn in Maru Raga (Adi Granth, pp. 1035–36). He maintained that the universe "comes into being by the divine order" (Adi Granth, p. 1). Guru Nanak said further, "From the True One came air and from air came water; from water he created the three worlds and infused in every heart his own light" (Adi Granth, p. 19). He employed the well-known Indic ideas of creation through the five basic elements of air, water, ether, fire, and earth: "The Eternal One created nights, the days of the week, and the seasons of the year. With them came wind and water, fire and the regions established below. Amidst them all was set the earth, wherein the Maker meditates. Wondrous the creatures there created, boundless variety, countless their names. All must be judged for the deeds they perform, by a faultless judge in a perfect court" (Adi Granth, p. 7). As the creation of Akal Purakh, the physical universe is real but subject to constant change. For Guru Nanak the world was divinely inspired. It is a place that provides human beings with an opportunity to perform their duty and to achieve union with Akal Purakh. Thus, actions performed in earthly existence are important, for "all of us carry the fruits of our deeds" (Adi Granth, p. 4). |~|

“Guru Nanak employed the following key terms to describe the nature of divine revelation in its totality:nam (the divine name), shabad (divine word), and guru (divine preceptor). The nam reflects the manifestation of the divine presence everywhere, yet because of their haumai, or self-centeredness, humans fail to perceive it. The Punjabi term haumai (I, I) signifies the powerful impulse to succumb to personal gratification, so that a person is separated from Akal Purakh and thus continues to suffer within the cycle of rebirth (sansar). Akal Purakh, however, looks graciously upon the suffering of people. He reveals himself through the Guru by uttering the shabad (divine word) that communicates a sufficient understanding of the nam (divine name) to those who are able to hear it. The shabad is the actual "utterance," and in "hearing" it one awakens to the reality of the divine name, immanent in all that lies around and within.

Role of Gurus in Sikhism

The role of the guru, who is the manifestation of God in the world, is to teach the means for prayer through the Guru Granth Sahib and the community of believers. The guru in this system, and by extension the Guru Granth Sahib , are coexistent with the divine and play a decisive role in saving the world. [Source: Library of Congress] A guru, from Guru Nanak’s point of view, is someone who reveals the divine. The role of the guru is to apply the eyeliner of knowledge (gyan anjan) to enhance vision so one can see the transcendent One (Guru Granth 610).[Source: Guru Arjan and the Crystallization of Sikh, “Encyclopedia of Religion”, Thomson Gale, 2005]

The belief system propounded by the gurus of Sikhism has its origins in the philosophy and devotions of Hinduism and Islam, but the formulation of Sikhism is unique. Sikhism originated from the religious experience, piety, and culture of its founder, Guru Nanak (1469-1539). It developed in response to three main factors: 1) the ideology based on religious and cultural innovations of Guru Nanak and his nine successors, 2) the rural base of Punjabi society, and 3) the historical period of Punjab. The historical development of Sikhism resulted from the mutual interaction between ideology and environment. [Source: “Pashaura Singh, “International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family”, The Gale Group Inc., 2003]

During the period of the Ten Gurus in the 16th and 17th centuries, three significant events occurred in the evolution of Sikhism. 1) The first event was the establishment of the first Sikh community at Kartarpur in West Punjab during the last two decades of Guru Nanak's life. To ensure its survival, Guru Nanak formally appointed a successor before he passed away in 1539. Thus, a lineage was established, and a legitimate succession was maintained from the appointment of the second Guru, Angad (1504–1552), to the death of Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs. 2) The second event was the compilation of the canonical scripture, the Adi Granth (AG), in 1604 by the fifth Guru, Arjan (1563–1606). It provided a framework for shaping the Sikh community.

3) The third event occurred under Guru Gobind Singh. In 1699, he founded the Khalsa (pure) institution, which consisted of loyal Sikhs bound by a common identity and discipline. The inauguration of the Khalsa marked the end of the canonical period of the development of Sikhism. The Khalsa requires the Five Ks as its most visible symbols, which include uncut hair, a wrist ring, a short sword, a comb for the topknot, and breeches. Guru Gobind Singh ended the line of personal Gurus before his passing in 1708 and established the Adi Granth as the Eternal Guru for the Sikhs. Afterward, the authority of the Guru was to be vested in the scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, and the corporate community itself.

Sikh Social Beliefs, Duties and Practices

Sikhs are expected to find a place in the world and incorporate God and their religion into their everyday life. There is strong emphasis on participating in a community and engaging in community service, with much of it focused around Sikh temples. Political and social life are mixed with spiritual life. The communal nature of the Sikh religion is illustrated by its institutions and the high value placed on seva (community service). Guru Nanak established dharmsalas (Sikh places of worship) as places of assembly, as opposed to Hindu temples, which are places of worship, and included the langar, a place for communal meals.

Simran Jeet Singh wrote in The Conversation: “To promote this vision of divine oneness and social equality, Guru Nanak created institutions and religious practices. He established community centers and places of worship, wrote his own scriptural compositions and institutionalized a system of leadership (gurus) that would carry forward his vision. The Sikh view thus rejects all social distinctions that produce inequities, including gender, race, religion and caste, the predominant structure for social hierarchy in South Asia. [Source: Simran Jeet Singh, Henry R. Luce Post-Doctoral Fellow in Religion in International Affairs Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York University, The Conversation, April 17, 2021]

Pashaura Singh wrote: “Guru Nanak prescribed the daily routine, along with agricultural activity for sustenance for his followers. He defined the ideal person as a Gurmukh (one oriented toward the Guru), who practiced the threefold discipline of "the divine Name, charity, and purity" (nam-dan-ishnan). Indeed, these three features — nam (relation with the divine), dan (relation with the society), and ishnan (relation with the self) — provided a balanced approach for the development of the individual and the society. They corresponded to the cognitive, the communal, and the personal aspects of the evolving Sikh identity. For Guru Nanak the true spiritual life required that "one should live on what one has earned through hard work and that one should share with others the fruit of one's exertion" (Adi Granth, p. 1,245). In addition, service (seva), self-respect (pati), truthful living (sach achar), humility, sweetness of the tongue, and taking only one's rightful share (haq halal) were regarded as highly prized ethical virtues in pursuit of liberation. At Kartarpur, Guru Nanak gave practical expression to the ideals that had matured during the period of his travels, and he combined a life of disciplined devotion with worldly activities set in the context of normal family life. As part of the Sikh liturgy, Guru Nanak's Japji (Meditation) was recited in the early hours of the morning, and So Dar (That Door) and Arti (Adoration) were sung in the evening. [Source: Pashaura Singh, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]

According to the “Encyclopedia of Religion”: “Seva, voluntary service, was for Nanak an essential condition of moral discipline. Through service to their community, Sikh believers cultivate humility, overcome egotism, and purify their body and mind. Seva may take the form of attending to the holy book, sweeping and dusting Sikh shrines, or preparing and serving food. It also includes helping the larger community by building schools, hospitals, orphanages, and charity homes. |[Source: Guru Arjan and the Crystallization of Sikh, “Encyclopedia of Religion”, Thomson Gale, 2005]

“Langar is both the community meal and the kitchen in which it is prepared. In Guru Nanak's time, the idea of different castes eating together was revolutionary. It has evolved into a central practice of Sikhism. Eating together in a gurdwara complex means a lot to Sikhs, especially in diasporic communities. So long as they cover their heads, non-Sikhs are welcomed too. Langar testifies to the social equality and familyhood of all people. |~|

“Sangat is a sacred gathering of Sikhs. Guru Nanak welcomed everyone who wished to follow his teachings. It is an egalitarian community without priests or ordained ministers. Members of a Sikh congregation sit on the floor as they sing hymns, listen to scriptural readings, and pray together without restrictions of gender, race, creed, or caste. According to Sikh scripture, sangat has transformative powers: "Just as iron rubbed against the philosopher's stone turns into gold, so does dark ignorance transform into brilliant light in company of the good" (Guru Granth 303). |~|

Social Justice in Sikhism

Sikhism is egalitarian. Men and women are of equal status. Women can become priests. Decisions are made by the entire community in an open forum. Everyone is known as sadar (“leader”) and everyone eats together in the community kitchen. Priests and temple managers are elected democratically. There is no ordained priesthood.

Pashaura Singh wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: Guru Nanak advocated the virtue of justice in its legal sense and made it the principal characteristic of the ruler and the administrator. He severely condemned the contemporary Muslim jurists of his time who had become morally corrupt by selling justice and who had no concern for truth: "The qazi tells lies and eats filth" (Adi Granth, p. 662). In those days the qazi took "bribes" in order to deprive people of justice (Adi Granth, p. 951), and in Punjabi culture the phrase "to eat filth" came to refer to "unlawfully earned food." Guru Nanak further proclaimed, "To deprive others of their rights must be avoided as scrupulously as Muslims avoid the pork and the Hindus consider beef as a taboo" (Adi Granth, p. 141). [Source: Pashaura Singh, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, Thomson Gale, 2006]

Here one can see how, on religious grounds, Guru Nanak regarded the violation of human rights as a serious moral offense. The Sikh view of justice is, in fact, based on two principles: first, respect for the rights of others; and, second, the nonexploitation of others. To treat everyone's right as sacred is a necessary constituent of justice. A just person will not exploit others, even if he has the means and opportunity for doing so.

“Guru Gobind Singh advocated the doctrine that, in the pursuit of justice, a person must try all peaceful means of negotiations. Only when all such methods of redress have failed does it become legitimate to draw the sword in defense of righteousness. The following celebrated verse of the Zafarnama ("Letter of Victory"), written to Emperor Aurangzeb, makes this point explicitly: "When all other methods have been explored and all other means have been tried, then may the sword be drawn from the scabbard, then may the sword be used" (verse 22). In this context W.H. McLeod, in his book The Sikhs, has made an important observation: "None of this should suggest that the Panth exists only to breathe fire or wield naked swords." The use of force is allowed in Sikh doctrine, but it is authorized only in defense of justice and then only as a last resort. Moreover, in the face of tyranny, justice can be defended and maintained only through sacrifices. The Zafarnama stresses that no sacrifice is too great for the sake of truth and justice: "It does not matter if my four sons have been killed, the Khalsa is still there at my back" (verse 78). For the Sikhs of the Khalsa the dominant ethical duty is the quest for justice. As McLeod has said in his book Sikhism, "The Khalsa was created to fight injustice, and fighting injustice is still its calling." |~|

“Indeed, Sikhism is dedicated to human rights and resistance against injustice. It strives to eliminate poverty and to offer voluntary help to the less privileged. Its commitment is to the ideal of universal brotherhood, with an altruistic concern for humanity as a whole (sarbat da bhala). In a celebrated passage from the Akal Ustat ("Praise of Immortal One"), Guru Gobind Singh declared that "humankind is one, and that all people belong to a single humanity" (verse 85). Here it is important to underline the Guru's role as a conciliator who tried to persuade the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah to walk the ways of peace.

Even though Guru Gobind Singh had to spend the major part of his life fighting battles that were forced upon him by Hindu hill rajas and Mughal authorities, a longing for peace and fellowship with both Hindus and Muslims may be seen in the following passage from the Akal Ustat: "The temple and the mosque are the same, so are the Hindu worship [puja] and Muslim prayer [namaz]. All people are one, it is through error that they appear different … Allah and Abhekh are the same, the Purana and the Qur'an are the same. They are all alike, all the creation of the One" (verse 86). The above verses emphatically stress the irenic belief that the differences dividing people are in reality meaningless. In fact, all people are fundamentally the same because they all are the creations of the same Supreme Being. To pursue this ideal, Sikhs conclude their morning and evening prayers with the words "Says Nanak: may thy Name and glory be ever triumphant, and in thy will, O Lord, may peace and prosperity come to one and all."

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “World Religions“ edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions“ edited by R.C. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); “Encyclopedia of the World Cultures: Volume 3 South Asia” edited by David Levinson (G.K. Hall & Company, New York, 1994); “The Creators “ by Daniel Boorstin; National Geographic, the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Times of London, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last updated December 2023