Part 2

Key Concepts

1) Adi Granth: The Adi Granth is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the compiled teachings of the Sikh Gurus and many pieces of other religions including Hinduism and Islam. It is a guide on how to achieve unity with god and the spiritual world. The last living Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, chose the Adi Granth as his successor to guru-ship. This means that there will never be another living Guru, and the Adi Granth is now known as The Guru Granth Sahib.

This is interesting to someone analyzing the religion because it appears that they are personifying this book, however, Guru is anybody or anything that is very knowledgeable, and passes this knowledge on to others. The Guru Granth Sahib is basically a book of wisdom coming from the founders of many religions on how to attain spiritual connections with God. It explains moral principles and expounds on the natural order of things in Sikhism. There are many quotes to guide individuals on beliefs.

2) Nirguna: This is a concept borrow from Hinduism (something that happens frequently in Sikhism) that signifies that which is without physical form and divine. It is a representation of the Brahman, which in Hinduism is roughly translated to the soul or spirit. In Sikhism, however, it can be another name for God under the belief that God is one and formless, present in everything. Again, Sikhs attempt to attain spiritual connection with God, who is considered in a way to be everything. There is really no specific definition of this word, along with many others, in Sikhism because it pulls heavily from other religions, and sometimes interprets them just slightly differently. Essentially, connection with the Nirguna is what is sought in the Sikh religion.

3) Hukum: The Hukum literally means order, and is representative of God’s will or order in Sikhism. It is his commandment and his influence in the world. It is the reason for everything that has been, is, or will be including emotions like joy and sorrow, grief and adversity. It is not entirely understandable until unity is achieved. This is comparative to Gods will in many Western religions, but in Sikhism one can eventually come to understand and be part of this through unity with God. This concept is hard to explain in words, but it can be that which the Sikhs are trying to understand through meditation and the ultimate level of mukti.

4) Naam: Naam is closely related to Shabad/Bani. These three words have very similar, and interconnected meanings. Shabad and Bani translate to mean the word of God, whereas Naam means ‘the name.’ Naam has a very complicated meaning ad definition. One website says that “It is through the constant and sincere repetition and remembrance of the Name that God reveals Himself to the human being.” I am not sure if this means that literally repeating the word can bring spiritual connection with God, or if it implies that to find his name is to understand him and all the world subsequently. I looked further to find that a discussion on sikhphilosophy.org explained it as a word to describe the limitless and boundless, similar to the concept of infinity. The repetition and meditation on the naam brings the individual closer to God ad understanding of the universe.

5) Shabad/Bani: Shabad and Bani translate to mean the word of God. This has a meaning similar to naam in that one repeats naam to become closer to God, and one hears Shabad to become closer to God. One book explains that there is something deeper than a simple mechanical repetition of the task that frees the individual from their karma. The Adi Granth says that by listening to the Bani, one becomes equal to Shiva and Brahma. The individual can gain such wisdom from the action that it is truly incomprehensible, and indescribable, but can be sensed and felt during the observance. It is important to distinguish this from a ritual because it clearly brings more spiritual closeness and truth than a ritual, which is repeated simply for the purpose of being a ritual.

6) Guru: Sikhism dictates that a human with immense knowledge and spiritual connectedness is a Guru. Gurus are the gateway to God and escape from the samsara. A Guru shows and sheds light on the path to spiritualization and the connection between physical and spiritual. It is said that Gurus are able to light fires of great joy amongst his disciples and help them see life’s greatness. The first Guru, Nanak transformed Sikhism into a prominent faith. Guruship is traditionally passed along through lineage; however, a Guru can select anybody as their successor. This is what led to the Adi Granth being selected as the final Guru. The Adi Granth contains the teachings of many Gurus and religious leaders, making it universally wise, understandable, and compelling, the traits of a Guru.

7) Samsara: Samsara is a concept found in many Eastern religions. It appears in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and others including Sikhism. It is a cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth that is perpetuated throughout time until the organism achieves connectivity with God and spiritual mindfulness and self-realization. The goal of human life is to achieve a higher state of unity with God in the next life through ones actions in this life until eventually one attains a state of divinity. When a soul, human spark, or Brahman in Hinduism escapes from the cycle of samsara, it is known as mukti.

8) Karma: Karma is another concept that appears in many eastern religions. The basic belief is that an individual will always feel the consequences of their actions. It is parallel to a law of nature in that one can never escape that their actions will decide their future not only in this life, but also their “spiritual density” in the next. Karma is added and subtracted from the sum of total karma that an individual has built up, a tally determining ones state of unity in the next life, and eventually leading to an end in the perpetual cycle of samsara. This is different from the karma n Hinduism in that Hindus believe karma originates from Ishvara, the supreme personal God, and is distributed as to his will. It is not a simple cause and effect relationship of nature as in Hinduism, but is a type of spiritual justice system.

9) Langar: The Sikh faith bases many of it’s beliefs off of Hinduism, but one piece of Hinduism that it rejects is the caste system. In Hinduism, people are born into a certain spiritual caste based on their level of karma and their actions in past lives. Those whose past lives reflect divine belief and worship are born into a higher social place, whereas those who act ungodly and against the religious beliefs are placed in a lower social status. The Sikhs rejected the caste system and used Langar as an attempt to free society of the caste system that promoted social disparity. The Sikhs would give out free meals and encourage everyone eating to accept all others as their peers. They focused on the fact that everybody was created equal. This is also pertinent to one of the Three Pillars of Sikhism, which encourage followers to donate ten percent of their time and money to charity; and many Sikhs choose Langar.

10) Gurdwara: Gurdwara means “doorway to God,” and is the Sikh temple, and primary (physical) place of worship. The Gurdwara holds a Guru Granth Sahib, or multiple, and is basically a place for Sikhs to congregate and learn. There are a few rules, but relatively not many. The only rules are that everybody must take off their shoes and cover their head when entering the Gurdwara. This is out of respect for God. Visitors are always welcome, no matter what faith they belong to. Followers of Sikhism sit cross-legged on the floor of the grand hall with separated men and women. The larger temples also house the Langar hall, where the Langar meal is served. In Sikhism, unlike other religions, devotees do feel a need for a church or temple to worship and pray or meditate. They can and should always be meditating, and the temple is more of a place to gather. Some are great and beautiful, but others not. This has no importance for one can attain a state of unity with God anywhere, whether it be in the Golden Temple or in the home. Therefore, Sikhs do not place high importance on the physical building.