Sikh Practices Flashcards
What does gurdwara mean?
door to the guru
what is mool mantar
basic statement of sikh beliefs
amritdhari
sikhs who have been intiated into the khalsa
sahajdhari
sikhs who has not been intiated into the khalsa , a “slow adapter”
khalsa
community of intiated sikhs
amrit
mixture of water and sugar, used in the intiation ceremony to join the khalsa
sangat
company of sikhs meeting in the presence of the GGS, holy congregation
What do Sikhs do before enteriing the Gurdwara?
- Cover hair
- Remove shoes
- Wash hands
- make offering in the golak
- bow before GGS to show their acceptance of the teachings
What is Nishan Sahib?
- Every gurdwara must have flag hanging outside
- made of blue/black khanda on yellow/orange background
What is the golak?
Treasure box where ppl donate - -> to langar –> form of vand chakna
What is the khanda made of?
- Chakra (circle) - stands for Gods infinity, transcendent, cycle of samsara
- Khanda (double-edged sword) - gods power of justice and mercy, creation and destruction, immanent and transcendent, creative power of god
- 2 kirpans (swords of mercy) - syand for miri piri
Rumalla
decroated cloth to cover GGS for respect
Granthi
reads Gurmukhi and fans the book
Takt
Throne for GGS, raised platform
behind it is the granthi
chauri
fan for the book - sign of kingship in middle east/ india - shows royaly and respect to high status
Palki
dome structure over GGS
manj sahib
bench with cloth where GGS is on
Kirtan
lyrics from GGS, ragis play this
Karah Parshad
sweat dough flour - a blessing and equality from same bowl
Sachkhand
GGS room, bed ritual to and from bed to takht
roles of gurdwara in society
wedding services, funeral services, fund schools, hold private akhand paths, toddler/martial arts classes
Ardas
prayer
Benefits to prayer
- Reduces haumai (ego) -> God is greater than you
- Teaches one humility, compassion and fearlessness
- Reduce fear, increase love
- gives inner strength
- connect with sangat if done with many ppl
- connect with god
- links mind with the “pure ones” from human history
Mala
prayer beads, nam japna, 108 beads, repeat waheguru
Gutka
alt for GGS as there are many rules for having GGS
prayer book
quote disagreeing that you need to do sewa to be a good sikh
Guru Arjan - “The praising of his name is the highest of all practices”
What happens after kirtain?
followrd by a katha, which a granthi explains the meaning of the shabads
Quote about nam japna
“the True Guru shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lords name”
quote about erasing haumai
“All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased”
Quote about singing in Sikhism and how there is no set way to pray
“he is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up”
Quote about keeping God in your mind
"”One who meditates on my Lord, Har, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food - that Gursikh becomes pleasing to the Guru’s Mind”
Quote about how intention matters and no pilgrimage is compulsory
“If someone has deception in his heart, what good is it for gim to go on pilgrimage to Mecca? GGS
Importance of amritsar
- Spiritual and cultural centre of Sikhism
- Amrit Sarovar (pool of nectar)
- Founded in 1577, by Ram Das (4th)
- Largest and most important city in Punjab
- Guru Arjan builds Harmandir Sahib (golden temple)
- Focus = golden temple and its complext of adjacent buildings called the Akal Takt located around the tank
Why is the Golden Temple important?
- Provides Sikhs a place that they could identify as their own and helped distance them from Hinduism
- Has memorial plagues that remind them about historical events and ppl
- Akal Takt - political centre of sikh though - represents miri piri that spiritual and wordly duties must be balanced
- symbolic value - memorial like - for ppl who has lost loved ones during operation blue star
- 4 entrances NESW - everyone is welcome
- LARGEST langar - sewa
- foundation of GT was laid down by Muslim saint - shows all for humanity, all welcome
- water surrounding GT amrit sarovar - healing proporties
- stairs into complex go down - religion serves humanity
- akaal takt surrounding GT - seat of political power = miri piri - balance
What is Harmandir Sahib
golden temple
What is the Temple in Kartapur?
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartapur
Why is the Gurdwara Darbur Sahib important?
- Where GN preached Golden Three Fold Path
- Where he chose 2nd guru
- built on the historic site where GN settled and assembled the Sikh community after his travels and lives 18 yrs till his death
- Set up langar for hindus and muslims to eat together
- Spiritual centre - residence of GN
Sikh pilgrimage destinations
- Golden temple
- takt sri patna sahib
- takht sri hazur sahib
- Takt sri damdama sahib
Why are some sikhs against pilgrimage?
- Commercialisation - tourist destination for commercial exploitation rather than being spiritually motivated
- Misguided priorities - some might prioritise pilgramages over addressing social issues or practing core principles in sikhism like sewa
- Exclusivity - not all can afford
- Nam japna and sewa on top
- GN said God is everywhere and no place is more holy/important than an other
Pilgrimages in sikhism facts
- GN said God is everywhere and no place is more holy/important than an other
- Visits associated with gurus lives = yatras - allow spiritual connection with where gurus once were
Yatras
visits associated with the gurus’ lives
Quote about telling stored of ancestors
“The stories of one’s ancestors make the children good children”
Quote for the takt
“Throne of the Guru”
Sikh Festivals
- Vaisakhi
- Diwali/ Bandi chor diwas
- Gurpurb
What is Vaisakhi?
Sikh new year marking creation of the Khalsa
What is Diwali/ Bandi Chor Diwas?
Day of the release of Guru Hargobind and 52 Hindu princes from prison
What is Gurpurb?
Birth and death anniversaries of the gurus
What happened in Bandi Chor Diwas? What does it mean?
- Means: Prisoner release day
- Guru Hargobind and 52 Hindu princes imprisoned in the town of Gwalior but Mughals
- All arrested for political reasons
- Jahanggir invesitgated charges against Hargobind and beleived they were false
- Released Guru
- Guru refused to leave unless princes released too
- Jahangir condition: as many as could hold gurus clothes they can leave
- Guru ordered cloak with 52 long tassels
- all freed
- His return to the Golden Temple, Sikhs welcomed on the day of Diwali
Important of Bandi Chor Diwas
- Equality - freedom of religion
- Humanity - justice, bravery
Vaisakhi story
- Spring Harvest Festival
- Guru Gobind Singh called a meeting
- Asked crowd: Who is willing to die for God and Guru
- 5 men step forward and go into tent
- Crowd think they have been killed
- They reappear as the Panj Piare (5 beloved ones)
- The first members of the Khalse (army of God/soldier saints)
Why is vaisakhi important?
- Equality - everyone can join
- Loyalty/dedication
- Selflessness
- bravery
- devotion
Why is Guru Nanaks Birthday celebrated?
- River experience
- Mool mantar
- 1st guru
- spreading of sikh ideas
- Kartapur - first sangat
Whys is Guru Arjan’s Martyrdom celebrated? And quote
- Died for their faith
- “I bear all this torture to set an example to the Teachers of the True Name , that they may not lose patience”
Why is the martrydom of Tegh Badhur important?
- Sikhs have a duty to defend the religious freedom of all
- strengthens belief
- sikhism may not exist if guru converted
- reminds sikhs of gurus devotion
Tegh Bahadur quote
“I believe in the right of others to practice their faith peacefully”
How are gurpurbs celebrated?
- UK, if on a friday = nearest sunday, focusses at gurdwara and akhand path
- India = on the day itself, Mela = fair
- India = water bottles, remind of dehydration faced by gurus when tortured
How is vaisakhi celebrated?
- Change nishan sahib
- people join the khalsa
- akhand path
- nagar kirtan (street procession)
- Melas (fairs)
How is diwali celebrated?
- Fireworks - good over evil
- akhand path
- campaigning for political prisoners
nagar kirtan
street procession
mela
fair
akhand path
continous reading of the ggs start to end 48 hrs
Khalsa
initiated Sikh community
Initiation
to allow smn in to a group by a special ceremony
Taking amrit/ amrit sanskar
Sikh ceremony of initiation when asikh officialy becomes a member of the khalsa
What happens during the amrit sanskar?
- Panj piare present, sangat present
- GGS present “eternal living guru”
- Person will wear 5 K’s
- Water + Sugar + prayers = amrit (holy water)
- Amrit sprinkled on eyes + forehead of initiate
- initiate will recite mool mantar
- initiate will make a vow to follow Rahit Maryada (code of conduct)
Why is the amrit ceremony important
- devotion
- vow to follow
- wear 5 ks
- follow gobind singh
- transition from sahajdhari (unitiated ) to amritdhari (intiated)
Rahit Maryada
code of conduct
sahajdhari vs amritdhari
unitiated vs initiated
5 Ks explain what they are
- Kara = steal bracelet, reminder of God
- Kachera = undergarment, reminder of chastity, smat
- Kesh = uncut hair “blessing from God”, long hair symbol of spirituality
- Kangha = comb, hygeine, discipline
- Kirpan = dagger and knife, self defense and defend innocent, social justice
Why is the surname Kaur and Singh important?
- It removes the caste system = equality
- follows Guru Gobind Singh
- Singh = lion emphasises strength and bravery
- Kaur = princess - elevates status of women, seen as royalty
What is Naam Karan?
Sikh naming ceremony
Process of Naam Karan
- When pregnant, she will recite prayers thanking God for the baby
- Baby born = mool mantar whisphered into baby’s ear
- Fam and parents go to gurdwara within 40 days of birth
- Fam brings a gift to the curdwara eg rumalla, food for langar, money for donation
- Granthi opens GGS at random and reads passage to the sangat
- Parents choose a name using first letter of the first word from random passage
- Granthi will give child the surname of Kaur or Singh
- Karah Prashad is distributed to everyone, shared from same bowl = equality
Why is the Naam Karan randomly selected ?
Hukam = will of God in everything, including birth of baby
importance of khalsa
What did Bhai Nand Lal, poet laureate of Guru Gobind Singh’s royal court poet say about Khalsa?
- “Khalsa is the one who conquers the 5 evils”
- “Khalsa is the one who fights the war daily against internal and external enemies”
- “Khalsa is the one who is always ready with weapons Khalsa is the on who destroys all evil”
Sahajdhari vs Amritdhari lives
Sahajdhari
* Wears kara and keeps long hair only
* prays occasionally
* drinks alcohol
* has gutka at home
* buys lottery tickets
Amritdhari
* Pray 3 a day
* GGS at home
* all 5 Ks
* Takes surname Kaur and Singh
Rules and guidelines of the Khalsa
- men and women can join
- at least 16
- worship only 1 god
- musnt eat halal/kosher/ritually slaughtered meat
- no alcohol/tobacco
- no gambling
- not believe in superstition/magic
- wear 5 Ks
What does the GGS say about drinking wine?
“Drinking wine, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind”
