A Complete Introduction by Dr. H.S. Singha Former Chairman CBSE and Satwant Kaur A-78 Naralna Indl. Area^ Phase-1, New Delhi-110028 © Hemkunt Press 1994 First Published 1994 ISBN 81-7010-245-6 Hemkunt Books on Sikhism The Story of Guru Nanak The Story of Guru Goblnd Singh Biography of Guru Nanak The Story of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Being a Sikh Stories from the Sikh History Book I-VII Sikh Studies Stories about the Sikh Gurus I- Stories about the Sikh Heroes Sikhism-A Complete Introduction Japji Hymns from Guru Granth Sahib Hymns from the Dasam Granth Introduction to Sikhism Mini Encyclopaedia of Sikhism The Sikh Religion and the Sikh People Philosophy, Facts and Fundamentals of Sikh Religion PREFACE It is quite paradoxical but true that religions which should generate love many times become a cause of hatred; religions which should promote peace in the world have resulted in most of the killings and war in history; and religions which should unify society have ended up in dividing humanity. This curious riddle is because a particular religion is not clearly understood by the followers of other religions and is sometimes misinterpreted by its own followers. We believe that all religions are basically good and paths to the same ultimate goal. They must be clearly understood, appreciated and, more than anything else, tolerated, for a man has a right to go to “heaven" in his own way. We do not believe in the complete negation of religion. As Einstein has said even science without religion is lame. This book is aimed as a comprehensive introduction to Sikhism both for the Sikhs and non-Sikhs. It is a treatise on truth about Sikhism. It covers the historical evolution of the religion; the contributions made by the Sikh Gurus and other famous personages in giving it the shape it has; a catalogue of religious centres of the Sikhs and well-known historical gurdwaras; Sikh theology; Sikh ethics; their practices and customs and important Sikh festivals. We do understand that the age we live in is not the least knowing and, therefore, not the easiest to be satisfied with details about a religion. We have, therefore, attempted to have a balance between too little and too much. We have also tried to be as objective as possible. Subjective interpretations have been avoided by depending heavily on what the Guru Granth Sahib or the Dasam Granth have to say on a subject. References in abundance are given in the text at the appropriate places using the abbreviation GGS for the Guru Granth Sahib and DG for the Dasam Granth. We do not pretend to write this book for scholars of Sikhism, persons of large thought and keen insight-but rather for the students of Sikhism both young and old. We hope that it will be the culmination of knowledge about Sikhism for young students who would have received mental snapshots through authors’ “Stories about the Sikh Gurus: Vol I-III” and “Stories about the Sikh Heroes.’’ It can also be the first formal introduction to a study of Sikhism for adults who may have picked up many notions about it from the neighbourhood or culture they live in but are keen to have authentic information. Someone has defined religion as “a daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable’’. We’ll feel more than satisfied if we succeed in conveying correctly the Sikh explanation of the unknowable to our readers. Needless to say that comments and suggestions for improvement will be most welcome. H. S. Singha September, 1994. Satwant Kaur i CONTENTS Page 1. Evolution of Sikhism / ? f8 • • • • 1 2. The Sikh Gurus 32 - * - ' .... 19 3. Famous Sikh Personages .... 38 4. Religious Centres and Gurdwaras .... 51 5. Sikh Theology 7^ .... 71 6. Sikh Ethics .... 88 7. Sikh Traditions and Customs .... 106 8. The Sikh Psyche .... 123 9. Sikh Festivals and Celebrations .... 131 Index .... 136 EVOLUTION OF SIKHISM Introduction A Sikh is a man or woman who believes in the One Immortal Being, the ten Gurus, the Adi Granth, the word and teachings of all ten Gurus, the Tenth Guru’s amrit and who does not believe in any other religion. The word Sikh is derived from the Pali Sikha or Sanskrit Sisya meaning disciple. Sikhism is the name given to the religion and faith of the Sikhs. The Sikhs constitute a vibrant community in India. According to the 1991 census there were 16.5 million Sikhs, 1.95% of the total population of India. The great majority of them live in villages and are engaged in agriculture, business, industry or professional services. Some Sikhs have also settled in Malaysia, Singapore, East Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. The total poulation of the Sikh diaspora may be as many as one million. This 6% of the Sikhs have considerably contributed to the prosperity of the community. Pre-Nanak Times In the 15th century AD, a great wave of reformation had spread over Europe and Asia. In Europe this movement was aimed at reforming the Church and became a force later under Martin Luther (AD 1483-1546) and John Calvin (AD 1509-64). It ultimately led to the break-up of Christians into Catholics and Protestants, the latter term being applied to those Churches which severed connection with Rome at the time of Reformation. Religious under currents were going on in those days in the Indian subcontinent as well. As many as sixty foreign invasions of India took place between the 11th century AD and the birth of Guru Nanak Dev (AD. 1469). Punjab obviously took the brunt of them. More than conquering the country to rule over it, the invaders came to loot and convert the Hindus to Islam. Those who resisted were massacred. The marauders seemed to believe that there was religious sanction for this. They had, therefore, no compunction in committing the worst of crimes against those they called kafirs or pagans. The Hindu philosophy and the Hindu way of life seemed to defeat the proselytizing Muslim priests and bigoted Muslim conquerors who styled themselves ghazis. The society got segmented into Hindus and Muslims who remained completely alienated from each other socially and culturally. The Hindus were divided into various castes; the Muslims had no faith in the caste system. The Hindus believed in many gods; the Muslims worshipped one God. The Hindus burned their dead on the funeral pyre; the Muslims buried them in the belief that they would rise on the day of reckoning. The Hindus were passive and introverted, the Muslimes were aggressive and overbearing. The Muslims looked upon Hindus as kafirs while the Muslims were mlechhas in the eyes of the Hindus. At the same time the essence of religion had been forgotten by Hindus. This was equally true of Muslims who had also degenerated. Guru Nanak has described his times in his own words. “Kaliyuga is a dagger; Kings are butchers; Dharma has taken wings and disappeared; In the black night of falsehood; The moon of truth is nowhere to be seen. I am lost in search. I find no way out of darkness. Afflicted with ego, I wail in sorrow; Says Nanak, how do I attain deliverence.” At the same time well-meaning Hindus and Muslims had 2 started asking questions. The response of Muslims came in the form of the Sufi cult. The Sufi saints tried to resolve through intuition rather than throgh reasoned argument, the conflicts of formal religions dividing the people. Multan and Pak Pattan (now in Pakistan) were the leading Sufi centres. Sheikh Farid (AD 1173-1263) is the most famous Sufi saint of those days. One hundred and thirty-four hymns attributed to him are included in the Adi Granth. The Bhakti Movement in Hinduism was, in a manner, its compromise with Islam. It was a devotional movement among the followers of the god Vishnu and begem in Tamil Nadu and was later introduced to the north by Ramanuja (AD 1017-1137). In the 14th and 15th centuries AD, after prolonged confrontation with Islam, the movement spread across the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Bhaktas maintained that God, though known by many names and beyond comprehension is the one and only one reality; that all else is may a (illusion); and that the best way to approach God is through repitition of His Name singing hymns of praise and meditation under the guidence of a Guru. The cult of Bhakti was popularised by Ramananda and his disciple Kabir. Other Bhaktas who spread the message are: Chaitanya in Bengal, Mira Bai in Rajasthan, Tukaram, Nam Dev, Trilochan and Parmanand in Maharashtra, Vallabh Swami in Andhra Pradesh and Sadhana in Sindh (Pakistan). The writings of some of them are included in the Adi Granth. The Bhakti Movement opposed the Brahmin hegemony and the caste system. Kabir (AD 1440-1518) a medieval mystic poet and religious synthesist whose writings are also included in the Adi Granth was the link between the Hindu Bhakti and Sufism which had gained following among Muslims. Sufis also believed in singing hymns and in meditation under the guidance of a leader. They welcomed non-Muslims in their hospices. In Sikhism we find the merger of the two schools of thought, Bhakti Movement among Hindus and Sufism among Muslims. The new philosophy was so full of vitality that it could transcend both Hindusim and Islam and could% pronounce “There is no Hindu; there is no Muslim.** While Bhakti Movement and Sufism did not last long, Sikhism became a socio-spiritual phenomenon in Punjab.