In terms of numbers of followers, it ranks as the ninth largest religion in the world, with followers numbering between 25 and 28 million. Therefore making this into the most universal religious text. Another important concept of sikhism is community service and equality of human beings. Sikhism is said to have split out of hinduism, due to its refusal to the caste system prevalent in hinduism. The sikh scripture is a book called the guru granth sahib the tenth guru, guru gobind singh declared that there would be no other living gurus but instead sikhs could look to their holy scriptures for guidance, so the holy book became the guru teacher. The book teaches that outward rituals and indulgence in the worldly pleasure only bring us pain. The sikh gurus teachers, contemporaries of luther and calvin, were reformers who rejected the caste system and much of the apparatus of hindu ritual and legalism.
Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent god who revealed himself to abraham, moses, and the hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with scriptures and rabbinic traditions. It is simply impossible to list all varieties of religion 1 as we as a species have created an almost infinite variety of religious and transcendental ideas. It is a collection of teachings and writings by guru nanak and other gurus as well as. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Hinduism four holy books written in sanskrit the religion of buddhism is primarily practiced in all of thes buddhism. In the face of the rigid indian system of caste and class, sikhs offer adherents a casteless and egalitarian social structure. Truth is his name, he is the creator of everything, and he is fearless, without hatred, beyond time, beyond birth, selfexistent, and he is obtained through the gurus grace the moolroot mantra of sikhism. Sikhs who have been through the amrit ceremony of initiation become amritdhari or initiated sikhs, take new names, and wear the 5 ks. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. The sikh holy book guru granth sahib is the perpetual guru, there is no place in sikhism for a living guru today. During the 18 th century, there were a number of attempts to prepare an accurate portrayal of sikh.
The sikh religion is a monotheistic faith that is one of the youngest of the worlds major religions. This book contains the teachings of all gurus, and hass been identically printed since the first copy, containing the same amount of pages, same words, and same paper size to preserve it. Holy place, nankana sahib, where the founder of the sikh religion, guru nanak. This article looks at sikh beliefs about god, karma, death and rebirth. The guru granth sahib is a collection of teachings and writings by guru nanak and other gurus as well as sikh, hindu and muslim saints.
The majority of sikh customs are associated with the khalsa, the body of initiated sikhs to which most adult sikhs belong. Sikhism beliefs that all humans are equal and so are men and women. This is a very important principle that permeates all sikh beliefs, behaviors, and rituals. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world. Virtues are qualities essential to endear the self to the divine. The religion is historically known for the tradition of langars, or community kitchens. The understanding of the scriptures within a religion is often imperative to the. Items in lower case italics are classes of religion and not actual religions. Sikh religion started in india by guru nanak 14691539 ad who was born in punjab. The compositions of his successors are also contained in the book, as are. Within the broad umbrella of christianity, beliefs can vary widely as each denomination subscribes to its own set of doctrines and practices. Buddhists believe in karma, or that people create th. Sikhs have rejected the caste system of the hindu religion. Focusing particularly on the modern period, it provides a valuable introduction to contemporary sikh beliefs, devotional activity, and sacred space.
Sikhism is essentially a monotheistic religion and for that reason it has more in common with islam then either hinduism or buddhism, however, as we will discover, there are glaring differences in the concept of god and in the basic belief system. For buddhists the tripitaka, or three baskets are the primary teachings. God shows people through holy books, and by the examples of. Sikhism broke from hinduism due, in part, to its rejection of the caste system. Belief system in which multiple deities are revered as creators and arbiters of all that exists in the universe. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata, and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation, etc. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion, and the basic sikh belief is represented in the phrase ik onkar meaning one god. Sikhism believes that there is only one supreme power, ikonkar. This holy book would become an official part of the sikh religion later on in the. The mool mantar, the first hymn composed by guru nanak, is recited daily by many sikhs. The hymns included range from the omnipresence of nature and basic day to day lessons. They share this belief with followers of other indian religious traditions such as. They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of god. Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus.
Sikhs believe that one can find god by activities that are done every day. The religion of the gurus fisher digital publications st. Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of god. It is a collection of nearly 6000 hymns of the sikh gurus religious leaders. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras. However, god shows people through holy books, and by the examples of. The sikh scriptures emphasize the following virtues wisdom, truthfulness, justice. Sikhism the 5th largest religion in the world was established by guru nanak, born in 1469, and. Judaism, monotheistic religion developed among the ancient hebrews. The first belief is that there is just one god, who is not only the creator, but also the bringer of death.
To live a good life a person should do good deeds as well as meditating on god. Of the 46 books in the catholic version of the old testament, seven books are not sacred in other forms of christianity. The sikh holy book, the guru granth sahib, teaches that there is one god, that men and. A very short introduction by eleanor nesbitt, a history of the sikhs. Sikhs believe in a single, formless god, with many names, who can be known through meditation. Basic beliefs of sikhs sikhs have a lot of beliefs, but there are some basic beliefs that are fundamental to the followers of this religion. The basic tenets of the sikh belief system with scriptural quotes from the gurus. Basic beliefs of sikhs, what is the holy book of the sikhs. He said that, from his time onwards, the holy book would be the living guru for. Naam, the name of god, shabad the word of god and sat sang, the company of the pious and the holy.
While hinduism is considered polytheistic, sikhism is a monotheistic religion. This chart compares sikhism and hinduism on the basis of their philosophy, view of god, religious practices and beliefs, as well as principles and teachings. Dress simple and modest no revealing clothing women do not have to wear veils. Sikhism is based on the religious teachings of ten spiritual leaders bowker. These books, known as the deuterocanonical are tobit, judith, 1 and 2 maccabees, wisdom, sirach and baruch. The guru granth sahib is the sacred scripture of the sikhs, and its bedrock is the body of compositions of guru nanak. Sikhism was founded in the punjab region in india in the 15th century by guru nanak dev. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib. Sikhism is centered around basic tenet that god is one, while he may have numerous names and forms. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world.
The dasam granth is a composition primarily of the tenth guru, guru gobind singh. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by guru nanak, who broke away from hinduism, indias dominant religion. An indian sikh devotee takes a holy bath in the sacred pond of the golden temple, sikh s holiest temple, during the birth anniversary of guru nanak, in amritsar, india, wednesday, nov. Muslims believe in angels, unseen beings who worship god and carry out gods orders throughout the universe. For example, theism is any religion that contains gods, and polytheism is a form of theism. What are the holy texts for buddhism hinduism and sikhism. Both religions originated in the indian subcontinent hinduism about 3,000 years ago and sikhism in the second half of the last millennium. The main teachings of the guru granth sahib is the love of humanity. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. About 2500 years ago, a prince named siddhartha gautama began to question his sheltered, luxurious life in the palace. Sikhism is a unique faith which has aspects of islam.
Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. The following is some of the beliefs and rule they have. The significance as well as translations of various banis of the gurus. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. Animistic religions the belief that inanimate objects, such as hills, trees, rocks, rivers and other elements of the natural landscape, possess souls and can help or hinder human efforts on earth. The sikh scripture, the guru granth sahib, is the only major religious text.
History, authors, as well as a complete english translation. The angel gabriel brought the divine revelation to the prophets. The main holy book in sikhism is the guru granth sahib. It has over 3000 hymns and instructions to lead a good sikh life.
Buddhists look within themselves for the truth and understanding of buddhas teachings. The bani is the preceptor and the preceptor is the bani, all the nectars are present in the bani. Two of the sikh gurusguru arjan 15631605 and guru tegh bahadur 16211675. Sikhs use many names to refer to god, including those from other faiths such as rama or allah. Muslims believe that god revealed holy books or scriptures to a number of gods messengers.
The sikhs do not regard this as their holy book but as their perpetual and. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. The mool mantra key beliefs in sikhism gcse religious studies. Sikhism is a concise and readable survey of the history of sikhism, from its founding in the punjab in the sixteenth century to its spread across the globe today. The religion developed and evolved in times of religious persecution. As a religion, christianity encompasses a wide range of denominations and faith groups. Sikhs believe that any two sikhs make up a congregation, and where as. Hinduism vs sikhism difference and comparison diffen.
The sikhs have two holy books for their guidance and revelation of their underlying beliefs and principles as laid down by the ten gurus. Guru granth sahib the holy book has 1430 pages with divine messages and. Learn about and revise sikh key beliefs with bbc bitesize gcse religious studies. The basic philosophy of sikhism revolves mainly around three concepts. Download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf ebooks. Holy place, nankana sahib, where the founder of the sikh religion, guru nanak dev. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. The principal sikh scripture is the adi granth first scripture, more commonly called the guru granth sahib. The goal of every sikh is to build a close, loving relationship with god. Sikhs ravidassia religion women in sikhism sikhism and sexual orientation in fiction idolatry in sikhism criticism.
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