| Sikh Missionary Society:
Sikhism:
Principles
Guru Nanak Dev Ji says,
“The first is truthfulness, second the honest
earning and third charity in God’s name. The fourth is pure intent and
mind, and the fifth is the Lord’s admiration and praise.”
pihlw scu hlwl duie qIjw KYr
Kudwie ]
cauQI nIAiq rwis mnu pMjvI
isPiq snwie ]
(141)
Sikhism is a way of life and form of thought attaching
importance to optimistic, dynamic and happy life with prescribed code of
conduct. It is a way to conduct and govern true life all the times and
at all the places in every behaviour according to the Word of God. The
Sikh Gurus required of a Sikh to be wise, intelligent, understanding, erudite,
generous, incapable of doing wrong, closed to weakness, humble, content,
shy and grateful as God endowed him with flawless soul. Sikhism stands
for human liberty, equality, fraternity, universalism, freedom of
conscience, social justice, ethical living, gender equality, and Charhdi
Kala or dynamic power. It believes in love, selfless service, human dignity,
self respect, Simran and Sarbat Da Bhala.
Guru Nanak Dev founded the Sikh religion by establishing
universal elements in it. Sikhism stands on the cardinal principles
of earning one’s bread by honest labor, sharing the earnings with the needy
willingly and with pleasure, meditating on the Name of One God, singing
His praises and by doing noble deeds.
The principles of Kirt Karna (honest labor), Wand
Chhakna (sharing the earnings) and Nam Japna (Meditation on
the Name of God) must be studied as a community and applied accordingly
in life.
Sikhism stands for human liberty, equality and fraternity.
It believes in universal brotherhood, universal peace and prosperity with
commitment for selfless service to the entire human race. The Sikh prayer
all over the world is not confined to a single community, a nation or a
country. It is for well-being of entire human race. It is universal and
all embracing. It is not confined to a single caste, colour, creed, country
or a gender. It does not know the man made barriers or cruel diversities
but believes in:-
-Universal brotherhood of mankind.
“The One Light is the light in all bodies.”
eykw joiq joiq hY srIrw ]
(125)
“The One Light is all pervading, only a few know
it.”
sB eykw joiq jwxY jy koeI ]
(120)
-Universal peace and prosperity i.e. in mind, heart, family,
community and everywhere globally.
The Sikh scriptures speak more of happiness (Sukh-Peace
of mind) and attainment of unity with Supreme Soul as one of the
goals of life, rather than peace (Shanti) by suppressing, antagonising
and eliminating others. Why is this? Happiness is active, peace is passive;
happiness is the presence of justice based on truth, peace just the absence
of conflict; happiness requires justice which depends on courage and righteousness,
peace can be obtained through force, suppression and brutal oppression;
happiness is inclusive as it beams outwards, peace is exclusive as we shut
borders and sweep things under the carpet; Life is happy, but it is not
peaceful - there will always be three opinions when there are two people,
so the search for peace may well be a journey of repression internally
and externally.
There are many examples of where the search for peace
went wrong. Emperor Aurangzeb in India sought peace of mind through
imposing his religious belief on other people, cutting out what to him
seemed confusion, competing visions, and lies. People have sought peace
by excluding and eliminating the great reformers from events, but the brightness
of saintly people, the Gate Way, dazzles those who have not covered their
eyes. Governments seek peace by branding and then killing those who oppose
them, by subverting them. Sikhism believes in mental happiness, peace,
and prosperity of human race. Sikhism preaches human liberty, equality
and fraternity. it believes , "Let us not seek peace in the next thousand
years by silencing others forcibly, but creating atmosphere of happiness
for all human beings over this globe". Sikhism stands for:-
-Universal welfare of entire human race
-Selfless service to human race irrespective of caste,
colour, creed, gender or country.
More
about Concepts and Principles
Sikhism is a way of life. It is a God given gift. It is
the name of living a truthful life according to the Word of God. Sikhism
believes in One God Who is Creator, Sustainer and Degenerator of this universe.
He is Eternal and Self Existent.
Sikhism believes in the concept of doing honest labour,
sharing the earnings with needy and doing meditation on the Name of God
Who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient.
Sikhism stands infallible for the concept of human
liberty, equality and fraternity. This concept gave birth to a new thought
against privileged hierarchy of elite. From this thought erupted the immense
consequences of civil liberties against human oppression in the world.
It gave birth to new changes that the sovereignty rested with the
people and that the government is merely agent of the people and for the
people.
Although social and economic liberty play essential part
in maintenance of materialistic needs of a humanbeing but spiritual liberty
is of top notch importance in spiritual concepts of Sikhism. This the reason
that spiritual attitude is given top priority over anything else in Sikhism.
Thus Sikhism, if tested on these concepts and principles,
stands a best test. It comes on the top in the history of the world religions.
Golden
Principles and concepts of Sikhism
1. Kirt Karna
Honest earning of bread with dignity and labor. To earn
one's livelihood through creative, productive and honest labour.
2. Wand Chhakna
To share the fruits of earnings with the needy. Sharing
with and caring for the needy and sick. Help those people who cannot help
themselves.
3. Nam Japna
Meditation on the Divine Name with love and devotion.
To be in tune with the Infinite through meditation on the Divine qualities
so that the believer becomes filled with His Name.
4. Some of the concepts and beliefs of Sikhism:
-
Concept of One God, monotheism, unity of God
-
Concept of Creation theory
-
Concept of doing honest labor with sweat on brow
-
Concept of Wand Ke Chhakna (Share earnings)
-
Concept of Daswandh (Giving one-tenth of the earnings and
contribution towards charity)
-
Concept of Nam Simran (Contemplation on the Name of God)
-
Concept of Amrit (Nectar initiation)
-
Concept of Bani and Bana (Look of outer and inner values)
-
Concept of co-operative and corporate living
-
Concept of selfless Seva (Selfless Service)
-
Concept of Sarbat Da Bhala (Well-being of all)
-
Concept of Degh and Tegh
-
Concept of Miri and Piri (Temporal & Spiritual power)
-
Concept of Sangat and Pangat
-
Concept of universal peace and prosperity
-
Concept of democracy
-
Concept of liberty, equality and fraternity
-
Concept of sacrifice
-
Concept of universal brotherhood, peace and prosperity
-
Concept of householder’s life
-
Concept of Maya
-
Concept of Charhdi Kala (Optimism & high spirit)
-
Concept of Bhana (Will of God)
-
Concept of healthy mind in a healthy body
-
Concept of Guru
-
Concept of equality of woman
-
Concept of immortality of soul
-
Concept of transmigration, etc.
-
Concept of Karma (Actions and deeds)
Some
cardinal principles of Sikh faith can be grouped as under:
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