Sikhism
By Al Cheng
The History
This is the symbol for Sikhism
Sikhism was founded in the Punjab area of India by Guru Nanak (1469-1539) in the fifteenth century. Guru in Sanskrit means a teacher, an honored person, a religious person, or a saint. There were ten Gurus in the history of Sikhism, with the last being Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). In Sikhism, a Guru is like a god, there were only ten "Enlightened Masters" that founded the religion of Sikhism.
The beliefs of Sikhs
- There is only one god, in which God is referred to by Guru Nanak as Sat Nam, but some other names include Ram, Gobind, Hari, and Waheguru.
- God does not have any form or gender.
- Everyone can have direct access to God.
- Before God, every single person is equal, there is total equality in Sikh culture.
- Before reaching the form of human, a soul will go through a cycle of birth and death, or reincarnation.
The Five Vices
Sikhs believe that the Five Vices will make themselves selfish and only care about yourself. So, Sikhs try to avoid getting the Five Vices. It would create a division between them and God.
The Five Vices are:
The Five Vices are:
- Lust
- Covetousness and Greed
- Attachment to things in this world
- Anger
- Pride
Traveler's Description
Being the 5th largest religion with over 20 million people worldwide worshiping this religion, you can see Sikhism almost all around the world. Below is a map of the places in which Sikhism exists, along with the approximate amount of Sikhs in the area.
Sources
Sikhs.org. 2012/5/3 <http://www.sikhs.org/>
Sikhism. 2012/5/3 <http://www.world-faiths.com/sikhism/sikhism.htm>
Sikhs.org. 2012/5/3 <http://www.sikhs.org/10gurus.htm>
BBC Religions. 2009/9/24. 2012/5/3 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml>
Sikhism. 2012/5/3 <http://www.world-faiths.com/sikhism/sikhism.htm>
Sikhs.org. 2012/5/3 <http://www.sikhs.org/10gurus.htm>
BBC Religions. 2009/9/24. 2012/5/3 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml>