Sikh Beliefs

Sikh Beliefs

1. The Nature of God

   • Ik Onkar - There is only one God
   • Satnam - Eternal truth is His name
   • Karta Purakh - He is the creator
   • Nirhau - He is without fear
   • Nir Vair - He is without hate
   • Akaal Moorat - Immortal, without form
   • Ajooni - Beyond birth and death
   • Saibhang - He is the enlightener, self-existent
   • Gur Prasad - He can be reached through the mercy and grace of the true Guru
   • Sikh's believe God is beyond human description, has no gender
   • Human words cannot fully describe the greatness of God
   • God can be experienced when he reveals himself to Sikhs; he has no limits, he is immanent in everything, transcendent: beyond everything

2. The Purpose of Life

   • "The Gurmukhs are celebrated in life and death."
   • The purpose is to earn good karma and break the cycle of rebirth to join with God.
   • Gurmukh: God-centred
   • Manmukh: Man-centred
   • Haumai: Too much pride/ego
   • A person should meditate on the name of God and rid themselves of world attachment; greed etc
   • Sikhs feel human life has purpose because they are created by God
   • They are made to become one with God
   • They feel spiritually purified when they devote time to meditating
   • The Gurus taught people that they are made to serve others

3. God As Creator

   • He is omnipotent
   • "You Yourself are the Creator."
   • God is present and beyond his creation (immanent and transcendent)
   • Mool Mantar; Karta Purakh - God is the creator
   • When Guru Nanak pointed his feet towards a holy Muslim shrine in Mecca he said, "Kindly, turn my feet in the direction where God is not."

4. The Oneness of Humanity

   • "Recognise the Lord's light within all."
   • Sikhs believe that God created everyone and s everyone is one/equal
   • This is shown through the Langar
   • Khalsa Sikhs are meant to stand up for those in need and wear the 5 K's as symbols of equality. Take the names 'Kaur' or 'Singh'.

5. The Nature of Human Life

   • "Truth is higher than living; but higher still is truthful living."
   • 5 Virtues: Truth, Compassion and Patience, Humility and Self-control, Love
   • Wisdom and courage are also important

6. Sewa

   • Selfless service
   • Man (mental service), Tan (physical service), Dhan (donations)
   • "In the midst of this world, do seva, and you shall be given a place of honour in the Court of the Lord."
   • Sikh story: Ramesh Seth offered tea as sewa.

7. Life After Death

   • "The body is the field of karma in this age; whatever you plant, you shall harvest."
   • Reincarnation: soul is reborn into another body until it is liberated and joins with God (mukti), there could be 8.4 million reincarnations
   • Karma will determine how many rebirths a person will have
   • Sikh story: A man thought he knew about karma and didnt help a blind man. He thought he deserved to be blind because of his past actions. He was right. He didn't help someone and became blind in his next life. The man who had ignored him began to worry. The blind man said that he had forgotten that there's 'God in all of us.'

8. Sangat

   • "The Sat Sangat, the True Congregation of the True Guru, is the school of the soul where the Glorious Virtues of the Lord are studied."
   • Company/congregation of Sikhs in the presence of the Guru Grant Sahib.
   • Develop religious understanding perform sewa, meditate, akhand path etc