All One Must Know About Sikh Faith

By Colonel Daljeet Singh Cheema

Sikhism is the youngest of the major religions of the world and is also the most modern in its practice. Founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the faith is about truthfulness, earning livelihood through honest means, sharing with those whose needs are more than ours and worshipping One God; and its aim is to promote equality, love, peace, and compassion. Yet, it has not been understood and interpreted in its correct perspective though the world of today needs this message more than ever before. The book is for anyone who seeks truth and wants to know the Sikh Faith, particularly for the youth who seems to be lost while searching for it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abhishek Publications
• Release date: Jun 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9789356522305

Book preview

RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL CLIMATE BEFORE GURU NANAK CAME

ON THE SCENE

Religious and social climate in India today seems no different than what it was more than five centuries ago when Guru Nanak (1469- 1539), the universal Guru of love and compassion, came on the scene. Political and social conditions in Punjab were despicable; poverty, vulnerability and rejection were part and parcel of a common man’s fate, whether Hindu or Muslim. People were superstitious, believed in miracles, magic and charm etc, women didn’t have any respect in society and they were treated as slaves condemned to Purdah for life- time and Sati after the death of their husbands. Hinduism and Islam were the two religions followed by people. Caste system was prevalent amongst Hindus and their condition was deplorable under the Mughal rulers. Muslims were also divided on caste basis; Amirs and Sardars were of high class and enjoyed all privileges and ordinary Muslims suffered at their hands. Many unnecessary and unfair rites and rituals that common people could ill-afford, were practiced by both the religions and were promoted by priests, both Pandits and Quazis in the name of religion. Guru Nanak himself wrote this about the prevalent climate, "This dark is like a dragon word; the kings are butchers, Righteousness has taken wings and flown away." (SGGS-page 145) And, The judges administer justice only when their palms are greased.(SGGS-page 350)

It is believed reforms in Hinduism, the oldest religion of the world, were started by Alvar and the Adyar saints of South India, in the form of Bhakti movement. The basic theme of teaching of the Bhakats was that God was one and the best way to serve Him was through absolute submission. In North India, the cult of Bhakti was spread by Ramananda who welcomed low- caste Hindus and Muslims to become his followers. Kabir, a Muslim who described himself as ‘the child of Ram and Allah’ was his disciple and helped

him spread his message amongst Hindus and Muslims. As Hinduism gave place to the Bhakti movement, Islam moved towards Sufism. Sheikh Farid of the Chishti order was the most famous Sufi name in Punjab. Unfortunately, Bhagats did not practice what they preached; they continued to worship stone idols of one or the other reincarnation of Shiva or Vishnu and in the name of equality accepted lower classes as their followers. What was needed was a man who walked the talk and practiced what he preached; as such the ground for someone of the stature of Guru Nanak to appear on the social scene and change it was fertile. Unlike Bhagats, Guru Nanak was the only person of his time who founded a religion in 1500, had his Bani written, and set up Sangats to propagate his message of Oneness of God, equality and universal brotherhood. Thus came in to being Sikhism, the most modern of all the religions.

A FAITH IS BORN

GURU NANAK (15 APRIL 1469-22   SEPTEMBER 1539)

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Nearly five and a half centuries ago, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, was born to Kalyan (Kalu) Chand Bedi and Tripta in the early hours of the morning on 15 April, 1469, according to the Indian calendar at Rai Bhoen di Talwandi, a village now in Sheikhupura district in Pakistan, located 65 kilometers west of Lahore. He was born in a Hindu Bedi-Kshatriya-famiy; ‘Bedi’ means the one who is knowledgeable of Vedas. The Gurus’s birthday is traditionally celebrated on the full-moon night of Kartik that falls in October/November. His father was a prominent person of the village being a patwari, a revenue official.

NANAK –THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD

As per the custom of the day, Kalu Bedi consulted the village pandit, Hardyal, on the horoscope of his newly born son. Pandit Hardyal felicitated the family and said, "He will sit under a canopy. Both Hindus and Turks will rever him......he will worship and acknowledge none but One Formless Lord and teach others to do so.....Every creature he will consider as God’s creation. O Kalu, this will be my grief that I may not live to see the glory that will be his. Who knows how long will I live?" He called the child Nanak and told prophesied that just as his name was common to both Hindus and Muslims, he would never distinguish between the two communities.

At the age of 5-7, he was sent to Pandha (colloquialism for Upadhya, which means scholar in Sanskrit) Pandit Gopal Das to study. Here, he wrote his first poem which is recorded in Guru Granth Sahib, ".....O foolish heart, why do you forget Him? When you render your account, O brother, Then alone will you be among the educated." Gurudwara Patti Sahib is constructed close to gurudwara Janamsthan.The teacher tried to teach him

accounting and other subjects, though he did not make much progress yet Gopal was impressed with his pupil’s poetic expressions and lofty thoughts. Child Nanak composed the following:

Make your ink by burning up worldly attachments And pounding the ashes to powder;

Let pure mind be your prayer.

Make love your pen, and your heart the writer, And write as your Guru instructs.

Write you His name and His praises.

Write that He is without limit and fathomless. This is the writing, this the account

One ought to learn

This will be one’s true credit Here and hereafter.

(Translation by Roopinder Singh)

Pandha Gopal recommended a Sanskrit teacher for Nanak because of his spiritual inclination. Nanak learnt Sanskrit from Pandit Brijlal, a brilliant scholar for two years. He also learnt Persian and Arabic from Maulvi Qutab-Ud-Din.

As a child, Nanak lived like other children and played with them, but unlike other children, he would share everything which he had with his sister and other children. He also loved to meet holy men, the faqirs, yogis and monks who travelled through his village Talwandi. Yong Nanak’s five –year older sister had a major influence on his life. Nanki was married to Jai Ram, son of Parmanand Palta, a minister, at an early age as was the custom of those days. After marriage, Nanki moved to Sultranpur Lodhi with her husband. Her leaving Nanak was a major development in the Guru’s life as she was Nanak’s confidante, a person from whom he received the greatest understanding and affection, and who was the first person to see that her brother was special and a persona extraordinaire.

GURU NANAK’S MESSAGE

It is simple to understand that all religious reforms or movements    are born out of the existing religions of that time that have lost their original thought or relevance and have degenerated over many years. Sikhism was no exception; it was born out of the existing two regions of 16th century ie Hinduism and Islam. It had something of both and yet it was uniquely different. In fact, being the most modern religion, it had the best from both.

GURU NANAK’S CONCEPT OF GOD AND GURU

When Guru Nanak came on the scene, most of the sacred books of Hindus were written in Sanskrit and those of Islam in Arabic, both were not understood by the common man and priests and maulvis had to interpret and explain them as they understood them.

The Guru’s teachings were in simple Punjabi language which could be understood even by illiterate men and women and such it had mass appeal. The other reason for Guru Nanak’s instantaneous appeal was that he used music as the medium of his teachings. According to Harish Dhillon, author of The Lives and Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, "Nanak built a bridge between Hindus and Muslims, but in so doing he created a new community of people who had their own way of life."

Guru Nanak says that there is one God who is formless, who is not born and cannot die. His other concept is that God is Truth. Since it was difficult for ordinary people to understand this concept of God, the concept of Guru was brought in by him. His teaching was that it was the perfect Guru who could help them understand God and love Him. Guru Nanak never claimed to be God or His messenger. His only claim was that he wanted to teach people how to live simple lives that could bring them closer to God.

The founder of the Sikh faith, the first Guru, Guru Nanak, started sharing his vision of truth and philosophy of Oneness of God (there is no Hindu, no Musalman. All are creatures of God and His creation) in the dharamshals or temporary hostels set -up by his followers for pilgrims visiting the Guru and proclaimed his faith in the year 1500. The sacred Guru Granth Sahib or the Adi Granth was compiled by the fifth Guru Arjan Dev , in around AD 1604 and was first installed in a dharamshala which came to be known as Gurudwara or abode of the Guru. However, it was Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Master, who conferred Guruship on the Holy Scriptures.

Many historians have produced painstakingly meticulous and in-depth work of great dedication, generosity and spirit of Guru Nanak’s exceptional life and  his travels. Sifting and co-relating large volume of information from sketchy secondary sources like limited scholarly work of some saints and historians and biographical accounts,