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Living Sikhism ( This is the article that you can use)In 1999, Sikhs around the world jubilantly celebrated the three-hundredth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh’s creation of the Khalsa. In the process, many people proclaimed the idealistic and universalist nature of the Gurus’ mission.The Sikh Gurus’ Vision of an Ideal Societyby Dharam SinghDharam Singh, who teaches at Punjabi University in Patiala and specializes in Guru Gobind Singh’s social philosophy, asserts that the Sikh Gurus’ mission included measures designed to develop an ideal classless society.Besides caste which is peculiar to Indian society, the economic factor is equally responsible for stratification of society into different classes all over the world. In such a set-up, the affluent and the haves generally adopt an oppressive and exploitative attitude towards the poor and the have-nots: this is equally true in the case of individuals as well as nations. This gulf between the two classes widens further as a result of the pace of social, material progress being different for these different classes. Since the economic factor comes to determine human social relations, man [sic] becomes unduly more unmindful of moral and ethical values in this struggle for economic betterment. Sikhism, however, believes in the universal brotherhood of mankind, and therefore holds everyone an equal claimant to the natural resources provided them by the universal Father. Any attempt to deny one’s share in that heritage would amount to sacrilege against God. The ethics of the kingdom of God as taught in the Sikh scripture are the ethics of a classless society.An important socio-religious directive for the Sikhs is to earmark a tithe13of their income for philanthropic purposes. Every Sikh, when he visits a gurdwara14 to pay obeisance to the Guru Granth Sahib, offers some cash. There is no lower or higher limit on this offer and, in fact, it is not even obligatory if one is not in a position to offer any. This offer of cash, though made with religious faithfulness, is not to please the Guru or God: it is an individual’s modest contribution towards general, communal purposes. …Besides caste and class, religion is another very potent factor which divides mankind into diverse groups of different religious denomination. At the time Sikhism was born and during the period of its ascendancy, persecution of man in the name of religion was quite common. The Sikh Gurus felt it an insult to the divine essence in man, and declared that all human beings, irrespective of their religious denominations, are one. Guru Gobind Singh in his Akal Ustat refers to the diversity of religions followed by people of the world, and declares emphatically that followers of diverse religions are one. Religious labels are temporary and wither away with the 13Tithe—a proportion, originally a tenth.14Gurdwara—a Sikh temple.Anthology Liv Rel 3E.indb 32906/07/2011 22:42330SIKHISMbodily vesture whereas it is the worth of deeds done by man that is the criterion of judgment both in this world and the Divine Court. Guru Amar Das confers equal validity on all religions in helping man realize the ultimate end of life. The role of religion is not that of scissors that tears asunder but that of a needle that sews together the torn fabric of human society. …The concept of the equality of mankind includes the womenfolk as well. Woman occupies a subordinate position in the patriarchal society, but her position becomes worse in the poor societies, especially in India where she suffers oppression as a woman and as a member of the oppressed caste or class. The Indian woman of Guru Nanak’s time was a victim of this sexist discrimination and oppression, and was completely denied an independent personality of her own. Infanticide, child marriage, malnutrition and sati15were some of the evils resulting from this Weltanschauung.16 Sikhism makes no distinction between man and woman, and considers both as the equal manifestation of the Divine. Man and woman are equal but distinct because of the functional distinction they have in the historical order. Even if none of the Gurus was a woman, there is no inferiority for woman in the orthodox Sikh ecclesiology. Guru Nanak was perhaps the first personage in the religious history of mankind to raise his voice against her discrimination.The Sikh Gurus not only provided ideational basis in their hymns for the socio-religious rehabilitation of women but also undertook and advised to undertake some widespread and practical steps in this direction. As a result of this, she came to occupy a place equal to man and play an active role in the socio-religious life. That the women were quite active as missionaries of Sikh faith during the Guru-period is confirmed by a hukumnama17 issued by Guru Tegh Bahadur to the sangat18 of Patna wherein he refers among others to one Bebe Peri Bai. The role played by Mai Bhago19 during the pontificate of Guru Gobind Singh is common knowledge. Sikh tradition, supported by the Rahitnama20 literature, lays injunctions against female infanticide, purdah21 and sati. It also permits widow remarriage for her rehabilitation in social life. The Rahitnamas denounce any kind of marginalization of woman. Chastity and fidelity, two important constituents of the sanctity of the family life as well as of social relations, are no more the virtues expected of woman alone: they apply to women as much as they apply to men and even to the rulers. … The Sikhs in their daily supplication (ardas) seek the welfare of all—sarbat da bhala. …There is no priestly class as such in Sikhism and anybody can lead the congregation. … In the appointment of leaders of congregation, caste, class 15Sati, suttee—the Hindu custom of a widow’s self-immolation on her husband’s funeral pyre.16Weltanschauung—philosophy, literally “world view” (German).17Hukumnama—spiritual instructions taken from opening the Guru Granth Sahib at random.18Sangat—Sikh congregation.19Mai Bhago—great female warrior and martyr in Sikh history.20Rahitnama—disciplines prescribed for Sikhs.21Purdah—veiling and separation of women.Anthology Liv Rel 3E.indb 33006/07/2011 22:42SIKHISM331and status are given no consideration, and the only criterion of merit is the incumbent’s spiritual and moral state. …In the gurdwara, everybody is welcome irrespective of his social or economic status, and none is favoured or discriminated against on any count. Here the prince and the pauper sit together and pray.When membership of the sangats and the frequency of their visits to the dharamsalas22 increased, it was considered imperative to arrange food for the devotees. The institution of langar or Guru-ka-Langar (free community kitchen) started with a view to meeting this requirement. The institution became popular during the pontificate of Guru Angad Dev. … Guru Amar Das further consolidated the institution and made it mandatory for every visitor, high or low, to partake of food in the langar before seeing the Guru. Each successive Guru contributed to the consolidation of this institution, and today we find langar an integral part of almost every gurdwara or the Sikh place of worship the world over.In the langar, the food is prepared communally, without anybody asking for the caste or class of the volunteer lending a helping hand. Seva23or service in the langar has been accepted as highly meritorious. All the visitors sit in pangat (row) without any distinction of caste, class or creed, and take their food. There is an injunction against providing a special seat or special food for anyone whosoever. The Sikh history stands witness that here princes have sat alongside peasants. This has been a very important step in translating the principle of equality into practice—more so, in a society where rigidity of casteism and sectarianism segregated people from one another. It has also served as a medium of social integration between the king and the commoner, the prince and the peasant. …The desire for seva is born of the feeling of love for others. Love is, as we have said earlier, the natural corollary of the Sikh precept of the universal brotherhood of mankind and universal fatherhood of God. All men, whatever their caste, clan or creed, are the children of God and all are spiritually united to each other and to the Creator-Lord. That is why, like seva, love has also been declared a very potent means of reaching God. …Love for all as equal members of the universal brotherhood of mankind and social service and other altruistic deeds done with humility and with absolutely no selfish motives naturally lead to the establishment of a social order which is marked by justice, communal harmony and peaceful co-existence. These social conditions are all the more needed in the modern social phenomena which are experiencing rapid socio-cultural transformations that do not, however, occur at a uniform pace. Consequently, the economically poor and the socially backward are in the world today at odds with the affluent and the socially and politically advanced. These inequalities cause personal and social insecurity, distrust 22Dharamsala—holy place.23Seva—voluntary service in devotion to God.Anthology Liv Rel 3E.indb 33106/07/2011 22:42332SIKHISMand hatred in personal and social relations and gross violation of human rights and a widespread sense of fear and frustration. … It was to overcome these and such other negative tendencies that the Sikh Gurus preached a distinct metaphysical theory and then made it the vis-a-tergo24 of their vision of an ideal social structure marked by humanitarian outlook.According to the Sikh thought, kirt karna (to earn one’s bread with the sweat of one’s brow), nam japna (remember the Divine Name; … feeling and realizing His presence in all beings and at all places), and wand chhakna(to share with others what one earns through honest means) are the three cardinal values in the Sikh vision of an ideal society.source: Dharam Singh, Sikhism: Norm and Form. Patiala, Punjab, and Delhi: Vision and Venture, 1997, pp. 120–9GLOSSARYGuru A teacher of religious knowledge and spiritual insight, a channel of divine understanding.Guru Granth Sahib The Sikh holy scripture, now regarded as the Guru.Khalsa Sikh warrior-saints pledged to protect people of all religions and castes from oppression.Langar Free community kitchen.HOLY DAYSSikh celebrations usually include continuous reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib over a period of 48 hours, followed by offering of a large communal meal. Dating of holy days has traditionally followed the lunar calendar, but now some organizations are attempting to fix the dates according to the solar calendar.January 14 Maghi, celebration of the martyrdom of 40 Immortals at Muktsar in Guru Gobind Singh’s last battle against the Mughal forces.April 13 or 14 Baisakhi, anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa, often including initiation of new members of the Khalsa with amrit (holy water stirred with a double-edged sword as the Sikh prayers are recited).[June] 4th day of the lunar month of JethMartyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev by heat torture, commemorated by offering of a cooling drink to all passers-by.[October–November] Full moon of the lunar month of Kartik Traditional celebration of Guru Nanak’s birthday (although scholarship has placed the true date at April 15).[November] 5th light part of the lunar month of Maghar Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur.[December–January] 7th light part of the lunar month of Poh Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh.24Vis-a-tergo—(Latin) literally “push from behind
