Sikhi, more commonly known as Sikhism in the western world, is a monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of modern day India and Pakistan in the fifteenth century by Guru Nanak. Sikhi is one of the youngest religions in the world and as such it has not had the opportunity and fortune to develop and work through certain aspects of theology, at least to the same extent as many older religions such as Christianity, and Islam [1]. Nevertheless, one can immediately see the fundamentals of the religion, even if various other aspects are currently debated.

As stated previously, Sikhi is monotheistic but it is also panentheistic. As such, some people have tried to deny Sikhi a place amongst other monotheistic religions, as in panentheism God is both separate from, and within every single creation. There is no doubt, however, of Sikhi’s monotheism. The very first sentence of their holy text the Guru Granth Sahib is as follows:

“One Universal Creator God, The Name Is Truth Creative Being Personified No Fear No Hatred Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru’s Grace~” –mool mantar, Ang 1

This verse is even more indisputable in the original script as the word “one” is actually listed as a numeral. This single sentence is called the mool mantar or root mantra because it is fundamental to the theology of Sikhi, and as such you will see it repeated often throughout the text.

Like other religions, Sikhi was brought to the world through divine revelation, however unlike other religions it was not through the mouthpiece of a prophet. Rather, the person who taught God’s— Waheguru in Sikhi—path is known as the Guru. Because of the panentheistic view, the Guru is more or less God made manifest, although not in the sense of avatars in Hinduism. An analogy from Jagraj Singh from Basics of Sikhi is that Waheguru is the ocean, the Guru is a wave, and we are all water droplets separated from the ocean of God.

Guru Nanak describes this idea when he says:

“Amongst all is the Light-You are that Light. “By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all. “Through the Guru’s Teachings, the Light shines forth.” -Guru Nanak, Ang 13

It can be seen then that the light of Waheguru is within everyone and is radiating, but it is only through following the teachings of the Guru that we can cause this light to shine out in such abundance that it is seen by everyone!

In Sikhi there was ten human Gurus in total, spanning from Guru Nanak dev ji to Guru Gobind Singh ji. Before the death of each Guru he would pass the Guruship onto to the next Guru, thus creating an unbroken chain of succession based not on relations but on merit. This raises a most important aspect of Sikhi, which is that before the eyes of God all humans are equal. Guru Nanak’s first words when awaking from his blissful moment of truth was,

“Na koi hindu, na musulman “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim.” -Guru Nanak

All ten of the Gurus taught and promoted the same universal equality before God. Everything that we as individuals call ourselves, be it “man” or “woman”, “brahmin” or “untouchable”, “Punjabi” or “Baluchi”, or “Hindu” or “Muslim”, are all fabrications of illusion which do not exist when we are put in front of Waheguru.

All of these teachings which create the sant ka marag or Path of Saints, are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy text is revelation either written or checked by the Gurus themselves. It is not a book of history, rules or regulations, but a collection of profound wisdom in the form of divine poetry. When you go to a Gurdwara, a Sikh holy temple, you will find these verses being sung according to the mood in which they were meant to be sung.

The Path of Saints can be summarized by its goal and three main principles. The goal of life is to attain moksha or nirvan which is liberation from the fetterings of this world in the form of a return to the Universal Creator much like drops of water fall into the ocean to return to a greater whole. The Path of Saints is not the only way to get there but it is the most complete according to the Gurus and it is open to all regardless of their background. Its three main principles are kirat karni (rightful living), vand shakna (sharing of wealth), naam japna (meditation on the Name of God). As such you can find langar (free food/kitchen) and protection at any Gurdwara. One simple message taught by the Gurus was Degh Tegh (food and freedom!).

What is notable is that the Gurus not only promoted this path of unity before God but they also died to uphold the freedom of others. Most notably the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan was arrested and executed for refusing to convert to Islam under the Mughal emperor Jahangir, and the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his life in exchange for the Mughal emperor’s promise to leave the Hindus alone. However, all of the Gurus helped others and the young, eight year old Guru, Guru Har Krishan died to disease when helping care for the sick during a plague. Furthermore Guru Har Gobind built the poor Muslims around him a mosque despite the Mughals having executed his predecessor.

In modern history the most notable, and saddening event to befall the Sikhs is the little spoken of 1984 genocide. You may also hear it called the Delhi genocide in various contexts. In brief, an attack on the holiest temple of the Sikhs commenced a year of watershedding events which resulted in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the death of over three thousand Sikhs in Delhi alone due to pogroms propagated through police complicity. This story is much too complex to put in a paragraph, but I will be writing a piece on it very soon. If you are interested in reading an excellent history of the genocide then refer to the further reading section.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Sikhi. Please comment below or share your thoughts on Twitter @lotusflowerpath. If you found yourself learning a lot from this piece then please share with your friends. Most importantly, subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of posts! You can unsubscribe at anytime!

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-G.L.

Want to learn more?

For a complete look at the Guru Granth Sahib, that is the Sikh holy text, click here.

For an understanding on how to read Guru Granth Sahib, click here.

To grasp a basic understanding of the 1984 Genocide in Delhi read When a Tree Shook Delhi written by Manoj Mitta and H.S. Phoolka, available here in ebook.

Need videos on a variety of topics about Sikhi, from the lives of the Gurus to interesting debates? Check out Basics of Sikhi here.

Want a forum to discuss Sikhi in all of its various aspects? Try heading over to r/Sikh here.

Literature cited:

[1] Numen Book Series : Re-imagining South Asian Religions : Essays in Honour of Professors Harold G. Coward and Ronald W. Neufeldt (1). (2012). Leiden, NL: Brill. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com Page 27