Glimpses of Sikhism ੴ ਸਤਿ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਤਿ॥ ☬ ਿੇਗ ਿੇਗ ਫਤਿਹ ☬ Glimpses of Sikhism DR Jagraj Singh A Sikh University USA publication Copyright Dr. Jagraj Singh 1 Glimpses of Sikhism Glimpses of Sikhism Contents Page Preface 4 Chapter 1 What is Sikhism? 10 Chapter 2 God in Sikhism 45 Chapter3 Theory of creation / Cosmology / Genesis according to Sikhism 66 Nature and Divine discipline according to Sikhism Process of human development according to Gurbani / Sikhism Various stages of human life according to Gurbani / Sikhism Behaviour of man during various stages of life Goal of human life according to Gurmat / Sikhism How long could be our life span? What is death?-Death of life as per Gurbani? Death of universe World and worldly life Chapter 4 Basic postulate of Sikhism 80 Invocation of Sikhism Chapter 5 Scriptures of Sikhism 82 Copyright Dr. Jagraj Singh 2 Glimpses of Sikhism Gurdwara—Sikh place of worship 84 Punjabi language and Gurmukhi script of the Sikhs and Sikhism Chapter 6 Sikhs are not Hindus 85 Sikh identity and Hindu Muslim hostility towards the Sikhs and Sikhism 92 The exodus 93 Infiltration of Brahmanism into Sikhism 94 Birth of Singh Sabha and social separation of the Sikhs and Hindus 96 Legal separation of the Sikhs and Hindus Chapter 7 Ethics of Sikhism 101 Sexual morality in Sikhism Chapter 8 Rejection of Caste system of Hinduism by Sikhism 103 Chapter 9 Rejection of various concepts of Hinduism by Sikhism 109 Chapter 10 Rejection of authority of scriptures of Hinduism by Sikhism 119 Chapter 11 Rejection of Sacraments of Hinduism by Sikhism 121 Chapter 12 Rejection of Yoga (Yogic philosophy of Hinduism by Sikhism 129 Chapter 13 Rejection of mythology of Hinduism by Sikhism 132 Copyright Dr. Jagraj Singh 3 Glimpses of Sikhism Chapter 14 Un-Sikh and anti-Sikh practices of Hinduism and their rejection in Sikhism 134 Chapter 16 Sikhism versus Hinduism 136 Chapter 17 Sikhism versus other religious systems 140 Glossary of commonly used terms in Sikhism 145 Bibliography 151 Glossary of commonly used terms in Sikhism 145 Bibliography 151 Preface It is universally agreed upon now that man evolved in Africa and gradually spread over the entire globe. According to Dr. H.D Sankalia, the renowned anthropologist, “It is more or less established that at the end of First Glacial Period and into the beginning of the second Ice Age, Early Man entered the foothills of the Northwest Punjab, in the area traversed by Soan, Haro and other rivers within the Indus-Jhelum Doab. Early man spread into the area comprised by Rawalpindi and Attock districts of the Punjab, and the Jammu and Kashmir States”. Recent Genomic studies reveal that these people arrived in India from Central Asia (Kazakstan area) by travelling south of the rugged and mountainous Pamir Knot, some 30,000 years ago. Early humans lived here as gatherers and hunters, who gradually developed into a great civilization—The Harappan civilization, now known as “The Indus Valley Civilization”, which is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. The natives here farmed the lands and were called “Jatts—j~t”, which is the oldest named tribe in India whose name is found even in Mahabharta. About four thousand years ago the people of Indus valley in the Indian subcontinent had reached a very high level of civilization and spirituality when people of an Aryan tribe who rode horses, worshiped fire, reared cattle, ate beef and spoke an Indo-European language which originated on the steppes of Eurasia entered into the Indus valley from Asia Minor (Seistan- Persia-modern Iran) region, through the passes in the Koh Hindu Kush mountains as graziers of cattle and settled in the in northern Punjab in the Kashmir region around Taxila, which is now Pakistan. In the Rig Veda we see the Aryans settling down in the Indus valley and worshipping all the powers of nature such as air (Vayu), water (Varuna), sun (Surya), moon (Soma) and fire Copyright Dr. Jagraj Singh 4 Glimpses of Sikhism (Agni). The native practitioners of spirituality in the Indus valley called themselves Jogis or Siddhas, who believed in One Supreme Eternal Reality, whom they called Brahma and they had a script called Brahmi / Siddhmatrica. Some of Aryans learnt spirituality from the Punjabi Jogis / Siddhas. The Aryans, having knowledge of Brahma (God), designated themselves as Brahmans and became priests, the custodians of the religion and spirituality. They called their religion Sanatanmat / Sanatandharma, which literally meant ancient religion, which is now popularly called Hinduism. It is here that they developed a slang of local Punjabi dialect, ‘Sehaskriti’ and called it ‘Brahm Bhasha’, literally meaning language of God for their worship purposes, but subsequently it was named Sanskrit. Brahmans made it their religious language, which was neither spoken nor understood by common mass of people. Around 1000 BC, the Aryans produced scriptures in Brahm Bhasha and named them Vedas, literally meaning books of knowledge, which were memorized verbally and passed on from generation to generation orally. Around 500 BC Rishi Panini wrote Sanskrit grammar, Ashtadhiay in Taxilla in the hills of the Punjab (The Penguin history of Early India from orgins to AD 1300, Romila Thapar, p, 163). The script used was Siddhmatrica, renamed by the Aryans as Sharda. The Vedas gave birth to Vedic culture, which gave birth to caste system in India. Manu the Hindu law giver wrote Manu Simriti around 600 BC. Subsequently they created more religious scriptures--Shastras, Simrities, Purans and so on and reinterpreted the message of religious texts to their advantage. The words Bip and Bipar mean Brahman, whereas Bipran means Brahmans and Bipran kee reet means Brahmanical culture / ways / ideology. Since those times, the Aryan Brahmans, as custodians of spirituality and religion in the Indian subcontinent have been holding central control of religious practices in Hinduism. Hindu scriptures created by Brahmans themselves, gave them high headedness of highest order and they reinterpreted the message of religious texts to their own advantage. They reserved the right to education for only themselves. Only they were entitled to access to knowledge written in Vedas, Shastras, Simrities, Purans and so on. The Brahmans only could perform prayers (Poojas) and could worship gods and goddesses for the benefit of all people. Their authority was unquestionable. Even the kings could not rule out their verdicts. Once a person was born as Brahman, this was enough for him to enjoy the status of Brahman. Whatever he learnt from his father was adequate to make him qualified for all his duties his ancestors were performing. The Brahmans reserved the right to learn Sanskrit, the language of Vedas and other scriptures, and learning the special Mantras for various occasions in a Hindu household. They designed occasions for birth, naming ceremonies, initiation ceremony (Janeu Sanskar), mundan ceremonies, shub mahoorats for opening new business set up, lagan ceremonies, special ceremonies for pregnant women (god bharai), mirtak Sanskar (Funeral ceremony) for example. With the passage of time this unquestionable lot was stupefied with greed and power. They divided the society into four Varnas (Jatis ie, castes) and life into four Ashrams (stages). They were protectorates of religious institutions. They made rules for entry to the places of worship. They denied this fundamental right to worship to a very significant majority of so called Ashoots (untouchables). They spread the virus of hatred in the minds of other upper castes in the society. These deprived people were forced to do all menial jobs for the benefit of upper classes in the society. In return they were neither paid for any work they did for them nor were they rewarded in any way. Hatred and abuse were the only rewards given to several generations throughout India. Brahmins on the contrary were treated like gods. Their visits to residences were considered as divine blessing on the family. The Hindu routine of life was guided and controlled by this highly placed class of Brahmans. Some of the injunctions of Manu the Hindu law giver as Copyright Dr. Jagraj Singh 5 Glimpses of Sikhism laid down in his Manu Simriti are given here: • During the days of distress and destitution, the members of a caste can engage in the work of lower caste, but under no circumstances is he to undertake the work of the higher caste. (Chapter X/99-100) • The Shudra is forbidden to study, the Vedas, the Shastras aand the scriptures (Chapter x/127-128) • It is reprehensible for a Brahman to study the Vedas before a Shudra (Chapter IV/99) • The Shudra should be fed the left overs of his master’s food and clothed with his tattered and discarded dress (Chapter X/25). • The Shudra is not allowed to amass wealth (Chapter x/129). • If a Shudra abuses a man of higher caste, his tongue should be cut off (Chapter viii). • If a Shudra sits near a Brahmin on the same floor, the flesh of his bottoms should be sheared off (Chapter viii/281). • If a Shudra talks of religious matters to a Brahman, molten lead or boiling oil be poured in his mouth and ears (Chapter viii/272) • The atonement for the killing of a Shudra is the same as that for killing of a cat or a dog or a frog or a lizard or any other animal. The Shudras were treated like dogs and cattle. They could not rise higher up in the scale and do the work of Kashatriyas. If per chance a Shudra attained some worthwhile stature in political arena, he could under no circumstances be admitted to a higher caste. No amount of wealth or personal status of political nature or courage or scholasticism could raise a Shudra to a higher caste.