Brochures introducing Sikhism

Author:  Dr Kanwaljit Kaur-Singh

God the maker has moulded one mass of clay
Into vessels of diverse shapes’.
(Guru Granth Sahib 1349)
Again Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru writes,
‘Recognise there is only one race and that is of all humanity’.
Equality of Women
From the beginning, Sikhism gave women equality with men in all of the religion’s affairs. Men and women attend services as equal members of the congregation. Both conduct services. They work side by side in preparig and serving krah Prashad and langar. They share equal responsibilities in all the social and cultural activities of the gurdwara. Sikh women and men participate on equal terms as presidents, secretaries and members of gurdwaras and Sikh organisations.
At the time of Guru Nanak, other religions in India treated women as inferior to men. The Guru condemned society’s low opinion of women and said:
“In a woman we are conceived, from woman we are born.
It is with woman we are bethrothed and married. It is woman that we befriend, it is a woman who keeps the race going.
Why should we call her inferior, who gives birth to great rulers?
From a woman a woman is born
None is born without a woman.”
(Guru Granth Sahib, page 473)
Service to Humanity
This involves giving money, or giving time, or using one’s skills or expertise to help others. It involves helping everyone, not only other Sikhs. The idea of sewa has led gurdwaras in India, East Africa, and other countries where Sikhs have been settled for some time, top open hospitals where free treatment is given to anyone who cannot afford to pay. Free accommodation is also provided. To discourage people from taking advantage of these things in a lazy way, everyone is reminded to participate in sewa, even if it is simply doing jobs in the langar.
********************************* Published by:

Network of Sikh Organisations UK
Tel: 020 8540 4148
020 8544 8037
Website: www.nsouk.co.uk
Email: sikhmessenger@aol.com


SIKH FAITH

SIKH TEACHINGS
Basic Facts
Series - 1

Belief
Sikhism was started by Guru Nanak in India in the state of Punjab in 1469 CE. Nine living Gurus followed him who taught and practiced the Sikh teachings in their daily lives. The Gurus wanted to show that though the high ideals taught by the Gurus are difficult to live by they are wholly practicable. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru declared that Sikhs should follow the Sikh scripture as they would a living Guru.
To-day Sikhs live all over the world. Male Sikhs are easily recognised by their turbans and beards and Sikh females by their un-cut hair, left loose or tied neatly in a bun at the back of the head. Sikh men and women wear five symbols, which can be called the uniform of their faith. Names of these symbols begin with the letter K in the Punjabi language so they are called 5 Ks
These outward symbols make Sikhs stand out in a crowd and link them to the principles of their faith. These being:
• The oneness of God,
Tolerance towards other religions,
• The oneness of humanity,
• Equality of women,
• Service to humanity.
Belief in one God
Sikhs are taught that,
‘There is but one God who is the ultimate reality, and is the Creator of all that exists.
God is without fear and without enmity, is not born and does not die to be born again.
God is beyond time and immortal. God is self illumined and is by grace revealed’.
(Guru Granth Sahib 1)
Sikhs believe in one God, who is neither a male nor a female but is imageless, formless, does not take birth and never dies, is present every where, and is the creator of the universe.
Tolerance towards other religions
Sikhs believe that God is not exclusive to any one religion. Different religions are different paths leading to the same Reality, and no religion has a monopoly of truth. This does not mean that that all religions are the same or that are equally relevant for all. They are different routes for people to choose from, and Sikh Gurus emphasized the right of people to choose their own path through life.
Sikhs are taught to respect other people's views and show tolerance towards those who do not agree to our point of view. Guru Nanak and the following nine Gurus practised these teachings to show their importance in life. The English meaning of the word tolerance is too weak to fully express Sikh belief in this area. For Sikhs, tolerance is a readiness to lay down one's own life for the sake of others as shown by Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, who was martyred for defending the right of others. When the Hindus were being forcibly converted into Islam by the Mughal Rulers in India, Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his life defending their right to worship in the manner of their choice
Oneness of humanity- Equality
As there is one God who has created the universe, it clearly follows that all human beings belong to one family of God. Guru Nanak, in his first sermon said, ‘Na koi Hindu na koi Musalman’- meaning there is neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, but only human beings. Similarly in God’s eyes, there are neither Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs nor any other religious grouping. God is not interested in the labels but in the conduct of people. Guru writes:
‘From the divine light the whole creation sprang.
Why then should we divide human beings into high or low.