Sullivan, Religions of the World (Fortress Press, 2013)

Teaching Tips Religions of the World Chapter 5 – Strategies

This class could start out with an engaging exchange on the stereotypes that some Eastern religions are often graced with, especially in the West. The instructor would need to be aware that in the class there will likely be practitioners of the Sikh faith. A good way to open up this exchange would be to have people react to a series of pictures and symbols of Sikhism.

Prior to introducing those symbols the instructor might need to set some ground rules.

Part One: Set-up Before attempting this activity, the group should engage in both a ground rules discussion and an ice breaker. The nature of this exercise is to engage in an open discussion about the use of stereotypes and therefore attention must be paid to the personal experiences brought forth. Sensitivity and the ability to curb the passing of blame and guilt that might infiltrate the conversation are essential.

It might be helpful to have sheets of paper prepared with certain emotions written on them, eg, anger, fear, distain, hate, love, warmth and indifference. These papers could be taped to different places on the wall.

The instructor might start by saying “in our class today I want us to have some honest moments. I am going to show you some images to which I want you to react instinctively. It is important that you be honest with yourself, so share the feelings that are conjured up by the sight of these symbols. I am also asking you to suspend all judgments, just share your feelings. You will need to be mindful that your fellow classmates might find these symbols moving and meaningful so be sensitive to them also.”

We want to carry out this exercise with the utmost respect.

Part Two- Identification and Brainstorming

Students are asked to react and brainstorm about the pictures they see. As they see a particular picture have them walk to the emotion they feel. After all the pictures are shown students are then asked to go back to their seats and brainstorming and reflection can begin. Some such symbols could be; A person wearing a , the kach, the kirpan, the kara and the khanga. Students could be asked to share the thoughts that immediately come to mind when they see those images

Part Three: Questions for reflection

1) How did this experience make you feel? Sullivan, Religions of the World (Fortress Press, 2013)

2) What did you learn about yourself with this experience? 3) What did you learn about your classmates from this experience? 4) How do you feel when you are stereotyped?

The Transition: Today we will be looking at Sikhism. It is one of those religions, like , that is often perceived as violent, primarily because of the visible symbols that they carry.

Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrn6YucQ-wY

Gaining a better understanding of Sikhism was produced by the Chicago Police Department. It gives a good overview of Sikhism in terms of key practices and belief. It is enriched with interviews from practitioners of the Sikh faith. It is a good cultural sensitivity training video. For Western students, this video is particularly helpful since it addresses some of the common cultural stereotypes that are associated with an external view of Sikhism. www.pow.reonline.org.uk/sikhism_video.htm

This video gives an orientation to Sikh worship at the . It follows Ranvir Singh a congregant of the Sri Gudu Sabha Gurdwara as he tours the worship area. It gives insights on the various elements of Sikh’s rituals and beliefs. The student will also enjoy some actual worship music and chants from the Sikh faith. The video is produced by Religion Online. In this video students should be able to identify and describe key elements of the Sikh faith and practice. http://www.mrsikhnet.com/2007/04/20/bbc-documentary-sikhs-part-1

This is a documentary on Sikhism produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The video covers the , the life of Nanak and some of the key Gurus and leaders in the Sikh religion. The student will again learn much about the beliefs and rituals of Sikhism.

Websites

http://www.srigurugranthsahib.org/

This site provides helpful resources on the Sikh faith. It is a bank of articles, videos, poetry, and art. The student will find great articles on important concepts in Sikhism on martyrdom, surrender, the , the Sikh’s sacred uniform and the ego or the self. Videos focusing on the subject of humilit y, the life of Gobind Singh- the Sikh who Sullivan, Religions of the World (Fortress Press, 2013)

established the Khalsa and happiness are just some of the subject matters covered by these videos.

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sikhism/sikhlinks.asp

The Hindu website provides a number of helpful links on different aspects of Sikhism. Anything from its history to an analysis of Sikh’s teachings and philosophy can be found. This site also provides helpful information on other Religions that developed in the Hindu subcontinent, such as and . http://www.artofpunjab.com/

This site introduces the student to some of the breathtaking art of Sikhism. The student will find works of Kanwar Singh, the beautiful panting of ’s Master and Disciple, Ji, Devi Ji’s work on the Birth of the Adi Granth among others.

Articles

http://www.realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1193703788&ucat=5

Real Sikhism is vested with helpful articles on The Five Articles of Faith, Sikhism and Anthropology, the vices human beings should overcome and a number of others. One of the important features of this site is the fact that it addresses the concerns of relative to Terrorism. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/sikhism

Times of is a resource that gives contemporary news stories of Sikhism in India. It moves the Sikh religion from something pinned to ancient history to its relevance today. On this site the student will find information about women’s issues, entertainment, business, spirituality and even sports.