Sacred W ritings

- The sacred writings are solely based on

book called the ¨Guru Granth Sahib¨ who
was the tenth Guru of this religion

Sikhism Origins and History

- After the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind said
that there would no longer be any living
Gurus, and instead Sikhs could look at the
- "Sikh" means "learner" and the people who
sacred writings like the book Guru Granth
have joined this path are people who
Sahib. This holy book became the new
wanted spiritual guidance
Guru
- Sikhism is a major religion that was first
- The holy book is a combination of
born in the northwestern area of India
teachings and writings by Guru Nanak
called the Punjab in the 16th century
and other Gurus from the Hindu and
- Sikhism was founded when Guru Nanak
Muslim religions
started teaching a faith that was very
- This book is always kept on a high
different from the already known religions
platform, under a canopy in any place of
of the time Hinduism and Islam
worship. Sikhs must take off their shoes
- Guru Nanak, one day went through a
anytime there are holy scriptures present
spiritual experience where he says ?there is
and can not turn their backs on them
neither Hindu nor Muslim , so whose path
shall I follow? I shall follow God's path. God
is neither Hindu nor Muslim and the path
which I follow is God's
- here have been 9 other Gurus who have
developed and taken the legacy of Guru
Nanak over the next centuries
- Sikhism stresses the importance of doing
good actions rather than just carrying out
rituals
 Beliefs and Customs
- Sikhism is Monotheistic, only believing in
one God
- They also believe all human beings are
equal and that anyone who shows
inequality is caused by a human beings
actions and not of God
- Therefore, they come to the conclusion
that God made and loves all people
(completely differing from the Hindu caste
system, which categorized people into
groups)
- Sikhs believe there are 2 ways to
communicate with God, firstly by listening
to the Gurbani (special hymns from the
sacred scripture). Secondly, they can
meditate to God and worship God in the
hope of getting release from rebirth
Guru Granth Sahib
- Considered the Supreme Spiritual
Authority and Head of the Sikh religion
- The living Guru of the Sikhs, the book is
held in great reverence by Sikhs and
treated with the utmost respect
- Sikhism rejects idol worship, so the
Guru Granth Sahib is not worshipped as
an idol, but rather emphasis is placed on
respect
The Ten Guru's Rights of Passage
1. Guru Nanak
2. Guru Angad - Birth: when a baby is born, a special
3. Guru Amar Das
prayer must be read and holy water must
4. Guru Ram Das
5. Guru Arjan be placed on the baby's tongue
6. Guru Hargobind - Puberty: starts to obey the 5 ks customs
7. Guru Har Rai
8. Guru Har Krishan
9. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sacred Places
10.Guru Gobind Singh - Gurdwara is a very sacred building where
they all gather to worship
- Gurdwara means ?the door of the Guru?
or "Gods home?
- Sikh usually go to the gurdwara on a
Sunday. Where together they chant, have
prayers sing hymns and perform ?ardaas?
- The service ends in a langar which means
shared meal
- a sacred place could be in their home
The 5 K's since usually sikhs create a room (prayer
The five ks are customs, symbols and faiths room) where the Guru Granth Sahib is
that the sikhs are ordered to do and wear kept
1. Kesh - "Uncut hair", Stating they
cannot cut any body hair as its a sign of
vanity
2. Kangha - A comb that keeps the hair
tidy, cleanliness is very important to
them
3. Kirpan - A sword which symbolizes
freedom and justice
4. Kara - A steel bracket worn on the
wrist, reminding them of strength
5. Kachha - Short pants, mostly known
for times of war
 Holidays and Festivals Spread of Sikhism

- Baisak h - This holiday is to remind - Today there are 20 million Sikhs around the world, most
sikhs of the saint soldiers who were of them still living in Punjab (where the religion
prepared to fight against injustice originated)

- Diw ali- a festival of life that celebrates - A lot of the sikh population is also seen in Canada to
around 400,000 people
the imprisonment and release of Guru
Hargobind
- Holla M ah ola- they celebrate by
watching and partaking in martial arts
parades, which are led by people in
gurdwara