Sikhism

==Philosophy and teachings==
{{Main|Ik Onkar}}
Sikhism is classified as an [[Indian religion]] or [[Dharma|Dharmic]] religion along with [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Jainism]].<ref name="Reichberg2014p672" group="lower-roman">"As an Indian religion, Sikhism affirms transmigration, the continued rebirth after death". {{cite book |last=Brekke |first=Torkel |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=t3CFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA672 |via=Google Books |title=Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-139-95204-0 |editor1-first=G. M. |editor1-last=Reichberg |editor2-first=H. |editor2-last=Syse |page=672}}</ref><ref group="lower-roman">"Sikhism, Indian religion founded in the Punjab in the late 15th century." (McLeod 2019/1998).</ref><ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/classification-of-religions "Classification of Religions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707224218/https://www.britannica.com/topic/classification-of-religions |date=7 July 2015 }}, ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] Online''.</ref>

The basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of [[Guru Nanak]] and his successors.<ref>Singh, Patwant (2000). ''The Sikhs''. New York: [[Alfred A. Knopf]]. p. 17. {{ISBN|0-375-40728-6}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 3, 2022 |title=When is Guru Nanak Jayanti? Check date and all you need to know |publisher=CNBC TV-18 |url=cnbctv18.com/india/when-is-guru-nanak-jayanti-check-date-and-all-you-need-to-know-15064101.htm |access-date=21 September 2023}}</ref> Sikh ethics emphasize the congruence between spiritual development and everyday moral conduct. Its founder, Guru Nanak summarized, this perspective as: "Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living."<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|234}} Sikhism lays emphasis on ''Ėk nūr te sab jag upjiā'', 'From the one light, the entire universe welled up.'<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dokras|first=Uday|year=2021|title=The Art & Architecture of THE GOLDEN TEMPLE COMPLEX, AMRITSAR|url=https://www.academia.edu/44900217|website=Academia|publisher=Indo Nordic Author's Collective|access-date=September 20, 2023|archive-date=20 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120212545/https://www.academia.edu/44900217|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Teachings===
Sikhism is a [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] and [[Panentheism|panentheistic]] religion: There exists only one God, and that God is simultaneously within and all-encompassing. That God is symbolized as ''[[Ik Onkar]]'' in the [[Gurmukhi]] script of [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rose |first=Tudor|date=2015|title=Agree to Differ|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Mg91CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA97 |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |page=97 |isbn=978-92-3-100090-4}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ataglance/glance.shtml Sikhism at a glance |Religions: Sikhism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902132011/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ataglance/glance.shtml |date=2 September 2017 }}." BBC (2014).</ref> In Sikhism, the overall concept of God is ''[[Waheguru]]'' {{gloss|mode=def|wondrous Teacher}}; the ''Waheguru'' is considered to be ''[[nirankar]]'' ('shapeless'), ''akal'' ('[[Temporality|timeless]]'), ''karta purakh'' ('[[Creator deity|the creator]]'), and ''agam agochar'' ('[[Divine incomprehensibility|incomprehensible]] and invisible').<ref>{{cite web |title=There is One God |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Spiritual/2018-09-01/There-is-One-God/409124 |last1=The Hans India |date=1 September 2018 |work=[[The Hans India]] |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710164237/https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Spiritual/2018-09-01/There-is-One-God/409124 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a literal sense, God has no [[Gender of God in Sikhism|gender]] in Sikhism, but, metaphorically, God is presented as masculine and God's power as feminine. For example, God is repeatedly referred to by the name ''akaal purkh'' ('beyond time and space') and ''[[nirankar]]'' ('without form') by the tenth guru, Gobind Singh Ji; he also refers to God as his father, and God's creative power as his mother. Similarly, another example is that the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib says that all humans are soul-brides who long to unite with their husband Lord.<ref>{{cite book |last=Guru Nanak Dev Ji |author-link=Guru Nanak |url=http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=17&english=t&id=719#l719 |title=Gurū Granth Sāhib |page=17 |quote=If you long for your Husband Lord, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood. |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503145503/http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=17&english=t&id=719#l719 |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, the gurus also wrote in the Guru Granth Sahib that there are many worlds on which the transcendental God has created life.<ref>{{cite book |last=Guru Nanak Dev Ji |author-link=Guru Nanak |url=http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=15&punjabi=t&id=632#l632 |title=Gurū Granth Sāhib |page=15 |quote=You are the One True Lord and Master of all the other beings, of so many worlds. |access-date=15 June 2006 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092220/http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=15&punjabi=t&id=632#l632 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Sikh scripture begins with God as ''[[Ik Onkar]]'' ({{Lang-pa|ੴ|label=none}}), the 'formless one',<ref name="singhaikonkar">{{cite book |last=Singha |first=H. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Hemkunt |date=2000 |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |pages=20–21, 103 |access-date=3 October 2017 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811005235/https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (2014). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA234 The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies]''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-969930-8}}.</ref>{{Rp|227}} understood in the Sikh tradition as monotheistic unity of God.<ref>{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions |last=Doniger |first=Wendy |date=1999 |publisher=Merriam-Webster |page=500 |url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780877790440 |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0-87779-044-0}}</ref> ''Ik onkar'' (sometimes capitalized) is more loosely rendered 'the one supreme reality', 'the one creator', 'the all-pervading [[Para Brahman|spirit]]', and other ways of expressing a diffused but unified and singular sense of God and creation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mayled |first=John |title=Sikhism |publisher=Heinemann |date=2002 |isbn=978-0-435-33627-1 |page=16 |url= https://archive.org/details/sikhism0000mayl_l1v5/page/16 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

The traditional ''[[Mul Mantar]]'' goes from ''ik onkar'' until ''Nanak hosee bhee sach.'' The opening line of the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' and each subsequent ''[[raga]]'', mentions ''ik onkar'':<ref name="pashauramulmantar2">{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aiwpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT101 |title=The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|date=2003 |isbn=978-0-19-908773-0|pages=101–02}}</ref>

{{blockquote
|text=
{{fs interlinear|lang=pa
|{ੴ} ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥
|{ikk ōankār} sat<small>(i)</small> nām<small>(u)</small> karatā purakh<small>(u)</small> nirabha'u niravair<small>(u)</small> akāl<small>(a)</small> mūrat<small>(i)</small> ajūnī saibhan gur<small>(a)</small> prasād<small>(i)</small>
|"There is one supreme being, the eternal reality, the creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the true Guru."}}
|author=''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' (17th c.), p. 1}}

===Worldly Illusion===
[[File:Akalees Emily Eden PDL.jpg|thumb|upright|A sketch made in 1844 by [[Emily Eden]] of the "Akalees or Immortals". Digitized by the [[Panjab Digital Library]].]]
''[[Maya (illusion)|Māyā]]'', defined as a temporary illusion or "[[Derealization|unreality]]", is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: where worldly attractions give only illusory temporary satisfaction and pain that distracts from the process of the devotion of God. However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of [[Ahankar|ego]], [[Krodh|anger]], [[Lobh|greed]], [[Moh|attachment]], and [[Kam|lust]], known as the ''pānj chor'' ('[[Five Thieves]]'), are believed to be particularly distracting and hurtful. Sikhs believe the world is currently in a state of ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' ('age of darkness') because the world is led astray by the love of and attachment to ''māyā''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Nirmal |title=Searches in Sikhism |date=2008 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-367-7 |page=68}}</ref> The fate of people vulnerable to the five thieves is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7|page=253}}</ref>

===Timeless Truth===
[[File:Sikh.man.at.the.Golden.Temple.jpg|thumb|An [[Nihang singh|Akali-Nihang Sikh Warrior]] at [[Harmandir Sahib]], also called the [[Golden Temple]]]]
[[File:Kattar Dhal Talwar.png|thumb|The original Sikh Symbol, or flag called the Nishan Sahib]]

According to Guru Nanak, the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with ''Akal'' ('The Timeless One'). However, [[egotism]] is the biggest barrier in making this connection. Using the Guru's teaching remembrance of ''[[Nām Japō|nām]]'' (the divine Name of the Lord)<ref name="Pruthi 2004 204">{{cite book |last=Pruthi |first=Raj |title=Sikhism and Indian Civilization |date=2004 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7141-879-4 |page=204}}</ref><ref name="NaamSimran" /> leads to the end of egotism. Guru Nanak designated the word ''Guru'' ('teacher')<ref>Some disagree with this viewpoint, and state that ''guru'' in Sikhism is "not a teacher or a guide", but "God's own manifestation"; see: {{cite book |first1=Bhagat |last1=Singh |first2=G. P. |last2=Singh |title=Japji |date=2002 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |page=9 |quote=In Sikh religion the word 'Guru' does not denote a teacher, or an expert or a guide in human body. When God manifested his attributes in person, that person was called 'Guru Nanak'}}</ref> to mean the voice of "the spirit": the source of knowledge and the guide to salvation.<ref name="p254">{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971|title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7|pages=254–256}}</ref> As ''ik onkar'' is [[Panentheism|universally immanent]], ''Guru'' is indistinguishable from ''Akal'' and are one and the same.<ref name=singh2013 /> One connects with ''Guru'' only with accumulation of selfless search of truth.<ref name=dhillon1999>{{cite journal|last=Dhillon|first=Bikram Singh|title=Who is a Sikh? Definitions of Sikhism|journal=Understanding Sikhism – the Research Journal|date=January–June 1999|volume=1|issue=1|pages=33–36, 27|url=http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/1999/j0101p33.pdf|access-date=29 November 2013|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203070314/http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/1999/j0101p33.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately the seeker realises that it is the consciousness within the body which is the seeker/follower of the Word that is the true ''Guru''. The human body is just a means to achieve the reunion with Truth.<ref name=singh2013>{{cite journal |last=Singh |first=R.K. Janmeja (Meji) |title=Gurbani's Guidance and the Sikh's 'Destination' |journal=The Sikh Review |date=August 2013 |volume=61 |series=8 |issue=716 |pages=27–35 |url= http://www.hemkunt2.org/PDF/The%20Sikh%20Review,%20August%202013.pdf#page=24 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001421/http://www.hemkunt2.org/PDF/The%20Sikh%20Review%2C%20August%202013.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=29 November 2013 }}</ref> Once truth starts to shine in a person's heart, the essence of current and past holy books of all religions is understood by the person.<ref name=dhillon2004>{{cite journal |last=Dhillon|first=Sukhraj Singh|title=Universality of the Sikh Philosophy: An Analysis |journal=The Sikh Review|date=May 2004|url= http://www.sikhreview.org/pdf/may2004/pdf-files/philo1.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131204023745/http://www.sikhreview.org/pdf/may2004/pdf-files/philo1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2013 |access-date=29 November 2013}}</ref>

===Liberation===
Guru Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with the ''Akal'', which results in [[salvation]] or ''[[Jivanmukta|jivanmukti]]'' ('enlightenment/liberation within one's lifetime'),<ref>{{cite book |last=Takhar |first=Opinderjit |title=Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs |date=2005 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Burlington, Vermont |isbn=978-0-7546-5202-1 |page=143}}</ref> a concept also found in [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Grewal">{{cite book |last=Grewal |first=J. S. |url= https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew/page/25 |title=The Sikhs of the Punjab |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |date=1998 |isbn=978-0-521-63764-0 |pages=25–36}}</ref> [[Guru Gobind Singh]] makes it clear that human birth is obtained with great fortune, therefore one needs to be able to make the most of this life.<ref name=chahal2011>{{cite journal |last=Chahal |first=Amarjit Singh |title=Concept of Reincarnation in Guru Nanak's Philosophy |journal=Understanding Sikhism: The Research Journal |date=December 2011 |volume=13 |issue=1–2 |pages=52–59 |url=http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2011/j1312p52.pdf |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203115118/http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2011/j1312p52.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sikhs accept [[reincarnation]] and [[karma]] concepts found in [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Jainism]], but do not necessarily infer a [[Metaphysics|metaphysical]] [[soteriology]] akin to those found in those other religions.{{clarify|date=November 2020|reason=Make sense of that in plain English; 99.999% of our readers do not have philosophy degrees.}}<ref name=chahal2011 /><ref>{{cite book |last=Wilkinson|first=Philip|title=Religions|date=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-0-7566-3348-6|pages=209, 214–215}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=House |first=H. Wayne |title=Resurrection, Reincarnation, and Humanness |journal=Bibliotheca Sacra |date=April 1991 |volume=148 |issue=590 |url=http://www.hwhouse.com/images/Resurrection,_Reincarnation,_and_Humanness.pdf |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203040501/http://www.hwhouse.com/images/Resurrection,_Reincarnation,_and_Humanness.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, in Sikhism, both karma and liberation "is modified by the concept of God's grace" (''nadar, mehar, kirpa, karam'', etc.).<ref name="Grewal" /> Guru Nanak states that "the body takes birth because of karma, but salvation is attained through grace."<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=H. S. |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Hemkunt Press |date=2000 |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=80}}</ref> To get closer to God, Sikhs: avoid the evils of ''maya''; keep the everlasting truth in mind; practice ''[[Shabad (hymn)|shabad]] [[kirtan]]'' (musical recitation of hymns); [[meditate]] on ''[[Nām Japō|naam]]''; and serve humanity. Sikhs believe that being in the company of the ''[[satsang]]'' (association with ''sat'', 'true', people) or ''sadh [[Sangat (term)|sangat]]'' is one of the key ways to achieve liberation from the cycles of reincarnation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kapoor |first=Sukhbir |title=Guru Granth Sahib: An Advanced Study |volume=I |date=2005 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-317-2 |page=188}}</ref>

===Power and Devotion (Miri and Piri)===
{{Main|Miri piri}}
'''Miri-Piri''' is a doctrine that has been practiced in Sikh religion since the seventeenth century. The doctrine of the "Mir" (social and political aspects of life) and the "Pir" (guides to spiritual aspect of life) was revealed by the first Guru of Sikhism, [[Guru Nanak]], but propounded by the sixth Guru of Sikhism, [[Guru Hargobind]],<ref name="Marty">{{cite book |last=Marty |first=Martin E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doCmVaOnh_wC |title=Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance |date=1996 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-50884-9 |page=278 |author-link=Martin E. Marty}}</ref> on 12 June 1606.<ref name="jas">{{cite book |author1=Singh, Dr Jasraj |title=A Complete Guide to Sikhism |publisher=Unistar Books |isbn=9788171427543 |page=182 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFm9_Jc1ykcC&dq=miri+piri&pg=PA182 |date=2009 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404133041/https://books.google.com/books?id=rFm9_Jc1ykcC&dq=miri+piri&pg=PA182 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="grove">{{cite book |author1=Grover, William |title=Making Lahore Modern: Constructing and Imaging a Colonial City |publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn=9781452913384 |page=211 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6NRcKIZ2Y00C&dq=miri+piri&pg=PA211 |date=2008 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404133045/https://books.google.com/books?id=6NRcKIZ2Y00C&dq=miri+piri&pg=PA211 |url-status=live }}</ref> After the martyrdom of [[Guru Arjan|his father]], Guru Hargobind was elevated to the Guruship and fulfilled the prophecy that was given by the primal figure of Sikh, [[Baba Buddha]], that the guru will possess spiritual and temporal power. [[Guru Hargobind]] introduced the two swords of Miri and Piri symbolizing both worldly (social and political) and spiritual authority.<ref>Jakobsh, D. R. (2012). ''Sikhism''. University of Hawaii Press.</ref><ref name="jas" /> The two [[kirpan]] of Miri and Piri are tied together with a [[Khanda (sword)|khanda]] in center, so the combination of both is considered supreme,  Where action informed or arising out of the spiritual heart completes one's purpose and meaning in the world of action: [[spirituality]].<ref name="jas" /><ref>Singh, D. (1992). ''THE SIKH IDENTITY''. Fundamental Issues, 105.</ref>

[[Guru Nanak]], the first Sikh Guru and the founder of Sikhism, was a [[Bhakti]] saint.<ref name=richard>{{cite journal |first=H. L. |last=Richard |year=2007 |url=http://ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/24_3_PDFs/139-145Richard.pdf |title=Religious Movements in Hindu Social Contexts: A Study of Paradigms for Contextual 'Church' Development |journal=International Journal of Frontier Missiology |volume=24 |issue=3 |page=144 |access-date=11 March 2016 |archive-date=16 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616022633/http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/24_3_PDFs/139-145Richard.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> He taught that the most important form of worship is ''Bhakti'' (devotion to [[Waheguru]]).<ref name="Mayled2002">{{cite book |last=Mayled |first=Jon |url= https://archive.org/details/sikhism0000mayl_l1v5 |title=Sikhism |publisher=Heinemann |date=2002 |isbn=978-0-435-33627-1 |pages=30–31 |url-access=registration}}</ref> [[Guru Arjan]], in the ''[[Sukhmani Sahib]]'', recommended the true religion is one of loving devotion to God.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kohli |first=Surinder Singh |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ED0syBKqafMC |title=The Sikh and Sikhism |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London.--> |location=New Delhi |date=1993 |isbn=978-81-7156-336-4 |pages=74–76}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Nirmal |title=Searches in Sikhism |date=2008 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-367-7 |location=New Delhi |page=122}}</ref> The ''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' includes suggestions on how a Sikh should perform constant Bhakti.<ref name="Mayled2002" /><ref name="sggs305306">{{cite book |translator-last=Khalsa |translator-first=Sant Singh |url=http://www.srigurugranth.org/0305.html |title=Sri Guru Granth Sahib |publisher=SriGranth.org |date=2006 |at=pp. 305–306 (verses 305–16 to 306–2) |access-date=11 March 2016 |archive-date=21 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821171802/http://www.srigurugranth.org/0305.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Jhutti-Johal2011">{{cite book |last=Jagbir |first=Jhutti-Johal |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=91xotkSSyzUC |title=Sikhism Today |publisher=Bloomsbury |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-4411-8140-4 |page=92}}</ref> Some scholars call Sikhism a Bhakti sect of Indian traditions,<ref>Cole, William Owen, and Piara Singh Sambhi (1997). ''A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy''. Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-0-7007-1048-5}}, p. 22.</ref><ref name="davidlorenzen">Lorenzen, David (1995). ''Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action''. Albany: [[State University of New York Press]], {{ISBN|978-0-7914-2025-6}}.</ref> adding that it emphasises "''nirguni Bhakti''", i.e. loving devotion to a divine without qualities or physical form.<ref name=davidlorenzen/>{{Rp|1–3}}<ref name="hardip">Syan, Hardip (2014). P. 178 in ''The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies'', edited by P. Singh and L E. Fenech. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-969930-8}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |date=2011 |chapter=Time and religion-making in modern Sikhism |pages=188–190 |title=Time, History and the Religious Imaginary in South Asia |editor-first=A. |editor-last=Murphy |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-59597-1}}.</ref> While Western scholarship generally places Sikhism as arising primarily within a Hindu Bhakti movement milieu while recognizing some [[Sufism|Sufi Islamic]] influences,<ref>Elsberg, Constance (2003), ''Graceful Women''. [[University of Tennessee Press]]. {{ISBN|978-1-57233-214-0}}. pp. 27–28.</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=William Owen |last2=Sambhi |first2=Piara Singh |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zIC_MgJ5RMUC |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |date=1995 |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4 }}</ref>{{Rp|3, 42–3}} some Indian Sikh scholars disagree and state that Sikhism transcended the environment it emerged from. The basis of the latter analysis is that Bhakti traditions did not clearly disassociate from Vedic texts and their cosmologies and metaphysical worldview, while the Sikh tradition clearly did disassociate from the Vedic tradition.<ref name="Singha">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=nRodBu9seiIC |series="Sikh Studies" series, book 7 |title=Evolution of Sikhism |publisher=Hemkunt Press |date=2009 |location=New Delhi |page=8 |isbn=978-81-7010-245-8}}</ref>

Some Sikh sects outside the [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] region of India, such as those found in [[Maharashtra]] and [[Bihar]], practice ''[[aarti]]'' (the ceremonial use of lamps) during Bhakti observances in a Sikh [[gurdwara]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Karen |last1=Pechilis |first2=Selva J. |last2=Raj |title=South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BsbfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA243 |date=2012 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-136-16323-4 |page=243}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Pashaura |last1=Singh |first2=Michael |last2=Hawley |title=Re-imagining South Asian Religions |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4SLhLakpsNsC&pg=PA42 |date=2012 |publisher=Brill Academic |isbn=978-90-04-24236-4|pages=42–43}}</ref> But, most Sikh gurdwaras forbid ''aarti'' during their Bhakti practices.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|201}}

While emphasizing Bhakti, the Sikh gurus also taught that the spiritual life and secular householder life are intertwined, and not separate. This logically follows from the panentheistic nature of Sikh philosophy.<ref name="Kamala1">{{cite book |last1=Nayar |first1=Kamal Elizabeth |last2=Sandhu |first2=Jaswinder Singh |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WTfKwGV6mBkC |title=The Socially Involved Renunciate – Guru Nanaks Discourse to Nath Yogis |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |location=Albany |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-7914-7950-6 |page=106}}</ref> In Sikh worldview, the everyday world is part of the Infinite Reality, increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world.<ref name="Nikky1">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=UUWIEfAY-mMC |title=Hindu Spirituality: Postclassical and Modern |editor1-first=K. R. |editor1-last=Sundararajan |editor2-first=Bithika |editor2-last=Mukerji |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |first1=Kaur |last1=Singh |first2=Nikky |last2=Guninder |date=30 January 2004 |page=530 |isbn=978-81-208-1937-5}}</ref> Guru Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than the [[metaphysics|metaphysical]] truth.<ref name="Marwha1">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ROtEr_QdB3sC |title=Colors of Truth: Religion, Self and Emotions |publisher=Concept Publishing |last=Marwha |first=Sonali Bhatt |date=2006 |location=New Delhi |page=205 |isbn=978-81-8069-268-0}}</ref>

The 6th Sikh Guru, [[Guru Hargobind]], after [[Guru Arjan]]'s martyrdom, faced with oppression by the Islamic [[Mughal Empire]], affirmed the philosophy that the political/temporal (''Miri'') and spiritual (''Piri'') realms are mutually coexistent.<ref name="Marty1">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=doCmVaOnh_wC |title=Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |first1=E. Marty |last1=Martin |first2=Appleby R. |last2=Scott |date=1996 |pages=277–278 |isbn=978-0-226-50884-9}}</ref><ref name="Gandhi1" /> According to the 9th Sikh Guru, [[Tegh Bahadur]], the ideal Sikh should have both ''[[Shakti]]'' (power that resides in the temporal), and ''[[Bhakti]]'' (spiritual meditative qualities). This was developed into the concept of the "saint soldier" by the 10th Sikh Guru, [[Gobind Singh]].<ref name="Gandhi1">{{cite book |last=Gandhi |first=Surjit Singh |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qw7-kUkHA_0C |title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606–1708 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |date=2008 |isbn=978-81-269-0857-8 |pages=435, 676–77}}</ref>

The concept of humanity as elaborated by [[Guru Nanak]] refines and negates the "monotheistic concept of self/God", and "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love".<ref name="Mandair1" /> The human's goal, taught the Sikh gurus, is to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I", attain the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life".<ref name="Mandair1">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dzeCy_zL0Q8C |title=Religion and the Specter of the West: Sikhism, India, Postcoloniality and the Politics of Translation |publisher=Columbia University Press |first=Mandair |last=Arvind-Pal Singh |date=2009 |pages=372–373 |isbn=978-0-231-14724-8}}</ref>

===Singing and Music===
Sikhs refer to the hymns of the gurus as ''[[Gurbani]]'' ('Guru's word'). [[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]] [[Kirtan]] is the singing of Gurbani. The entire verses of Guru Granth Sahib are written in a form of poetry and rhyme to be recited in thirty-one Ragas of the Classical Indian Music as specified. However, the exponents of these are rarely to be found amongst the Sikhs who are conversant with all the Ragas in the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak started the Shabad Kirtan tradition and taught that listening to kirtan is a powerful way to achieve tranquility while meditating, and singing of the glories of the Supreme Timeless One (God) with devotion is the most effective way to come in communion with the Supreme Timeless One.<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Joginder |title=Celestial Gems |date=2004 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-345-5 |page=67}}</ref> The three morning prayers for Sikhs consist of Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, and Tav-Prasad Savaiye.<ref name="diaspora">{{cite book |title=Sikhs in the Diaspora: A Modern Guide to the Practice of Sikh Faith |publisher=Sikh Publishing House |last=Bakhshi |first=Surinder Singh |chapter=Chapter 22 – Nitnem |date=2008 |page=133 |isbn=978-0-9560728-0-1}}</ref> [[Khalsa|Baptised Sikhs]] (Amritdharis) rise early and meditate, then recite all the [[Five Banis]] of Nitnem, before breakfast. [[Five Banis]] consists of [[Jap Ji Sahib]], [[Jaap Sahib]], [[Tav-Prasad Savaiye]], [[Chaupai Sahib]], [[Anand Sahib]] and recitation of the banis [[paath]] is followed by [[Ardās]] in which [[Sarbat da Bhala]] principle is taught by Gurus which literally means blessings for everyone, blessings to humankind in good faith without discrimination.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

===Remembrance of the Divine Name===
A key practice by Sikhs is remembrance<ref name="NaamSimran">{{cite book |title=Paths to the Divine: Ancient and Indian |publisher=Council for Research in Values & Philosophy |last=McLean |first=George |date=2008 |page=599 |id={{ASIN|1565182480|country=uk}}}}</ref> of the ''Naam'' (divine name) Waheguru.<ref name="Pruthi 2004 204" /> This contemplation is done through ''[[Nām Japō|Nām Japna]]'' (repetition of the divine name) or ''[[Simran|Naam Simran]]'' (remembrance of the divine Name through recitation).<ref name="NaamSimran" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Doel |first=Sarah |title=Sikh Music: History, Text, and Praxis|date=2008 |isbn=978-0-549-83369-7|page=46}}</ref> The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable has been an ancient established practice in religious traditions in India, however, Sikhism developed ''Naam-simran'' as an important Bhakti practice.<ref name="Dhillon1988">{{cite book |first=Dalbir Singh |last=Dhillon |title=Sikhism, Origin and Development |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=osnkLKPMWykC |date=1988 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |page=229}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cave |first1=David |last2=Norris |first2=Rebecca |title=Religion and the Body: Modern Science and the Construction of Religious Meaning |date=2012 |publisher=Brill Academic |isbn=978-90-04-22111-6 |page=239}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Anna S. |last1=King |first2=J. L. |last2=Brockington |title=The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WhgDL6SwGeQC |date=2005 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-2801-7|pages=322–323}}</ref> Guru Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to [[Dharma]] or the "Divine Order". Nanak described the result of the disciplined application of ''nām simraṇ'' as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is ''[[Sach Khand|Sach Khaṇḍ]]'' (''The Realm of Truth''){{snd}} the final union of the spirit with God.<ref name="p254" />

===Service and Action===
{{Further|Seva (Indian religions)#Seva in Sikhism}}
The Sikh gurus taught that by constantly remembering the divine name (''[[Simran|naam simran]]'') and through selfless service (''[[Seva (Indian religions)|sēvā]]'') the devotee overcomes egotism (''[[Haumai]]''). This, it states, is the primary root of five evil impulses and the cycle of birth and death.<ref>{{cite book |first1=W. Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vcSRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |date=2005 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-135-79760-7 |pages=9–10}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Michael L. |last=Hadley |title=The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IntWqeMeU_oC&pg=PA202 |date=2001 |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |location=Albany |isbn=978-0-7914-4851-9 |pages=202–203}}</ref>

Service in Sikhism takes three forms: ''Tan'' (physical service, i.e. labor), ''Man'' (mental service, such as dedicating your heart for service of others), and ''Dhan'' (material service, including financial support).<ref>{{cite book |last=Wood |first=Angela |title=Movement and Change |date=1997 |publisher=[[Nelson Thornes]] |location=Cheltenham, England |isbn=978-0-17-437067-3|page=46}}</ref> Sikhism stresses ''[[kirat karō]]'': that is "honest work". Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing, or ''[[vaṇḍ chakkō]]'', giving to the needy for the benefit of the community.<ref>{{cite book |first1=W. Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |title=A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vcSRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |date=2005 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-1-135-79760-7 |pages=31, 59}}</ref>

===Justice and Equality===
Sikhism regards God as the true emperor, the king of all kings, the one who dispenses justice through the law of ''[[karma]]'', a retributive model and divine grace.<ref name="Chanchreek 2007 142" /><ref name="Dugga 2001 33" /><ref name="Justice">{{cite book |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IntWqeMeU_oC&pg=PA199 |via=Google Books |title=The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice |series=SUNY Series in Religious Studies |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |location=Albany |first=Pashaura |last=Singh |editor-last=Hadley |editor-first=Michael L. |chapter=Sikhism and Restorative Justice: Theory and Practice – Pashaura Singh |date=2001 |pages=199–202 |isbn=978-0-7914-4852-6}}</ref>

The term for justice in the Sikh tradition is Niāyā.<ref name="Justice" /> It is related to the term ''dharam'', which in Sikhism connotes 'moral order' and righteousness (derived, but distinct from the etymologically related Hindu concept of [[dharma]]).<ref name="Justice" /> According to the Tenth Sikh Guru, [[Guru Gobind Singh]], states Pashaura Singh (a professor of Sikh studies), "one must first try all the peaceful means of negotiation in the pursuit of justice" and if these fail then it is legitimate to "draw the sword in defense of righteousness".<ref>{{cite book |first=Pashaura |last=Singh |editor-first=John |editor-last=Renard |title=Fighting Words: Religion, Violence, and the Interpretation of Sacred Texts |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fCjVRqPD-HQC |date=2012 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-95408-3 |page=213}}</ref> Sikhism considers "an attack on dharam is an attack on justice, on righteousness, and on the moral order generally" and the dharam "must be defended at all costs".<ref name="Mcleod">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vTJhC_l1gksC |title=The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society (ACLS Lectures on the History of Religions) |publisher=Columbia University Press; Reprint edition |last=Mcleod |first=W. H. |date=1991 |page=56 |isbn=978-0-231-06815-4}}</ref> The divine name is its antidote for pain and vices. Forgiveness is taught as a virtue in Sikhism, yet it also teaches its faithful to shun those with evil intentions and to pick up the sword to fight injustice and religious persecution.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IntWqeMeU_oC&pg=PA202 |title=The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice |series=SUNY Series in Religious Studies |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |location=Albany |first=Pashaura |last=Singh |editor-last=Hadley |editor-first=Michael L. |chapter=Sikhism and Restorative Justice: Theory and Practice |date=2001 |pages=202–207 |isbn=978-0-7914-4852-6}}</ref>

Sikhism does not differentiate religious obligations by sex. God in Sikhism has no sex, and the Sikh scripture does not discriminate against women, nor bar them from any roles.<ref name="McLeod2009p70" /> Women in Sikhism have been in positions of leadership, including leading in wars and issuing orders or [[hukamnama]]s.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |page=65 |last1=Fenech |first1=E. Louis |last2=Mcleod |first2=H. W. |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1|date=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="McLeod2009p70">{{cite book |first=W. H. |last=McLeod |title=The A to Z of Sikhism|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA70 |date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow |isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|pages=70–71}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Louis E. |last1=Fenech |first2=W. H. |last2=McLeod |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |date=2014 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1 |pages=121–122 |access-date=16 May 2016 |archive-date=17 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817161136/https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ten Gurus and Authority===
{{Main|Sikh gurus}}
[[File:Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.jpg|thumb|upright|A rare [[Tanjore painting|Tanjore]]-style painting from the late 19th century depicting the ten Sikh Gurus with [[Bhai Bala]] and [[Bhai Mardana]]]]
The term [[Guru]] comes from the [[Sanskrit]] ''gurū'', meaning teacher, enlightener, guide, or mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by ten Gurus from 1469 to 1708.<ref name="Panjab Publishers">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Darshan |title=Indian Bhakti Tradition and Sikh Gurus |date=1968 |publisher=Panjab Publishers |location=Chandigarh |page=158}}</ref><ref name="Nesbitt2005_a">{{cite book |first=Eleanor |last=Nesbitt |title=Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Ai-rpcY-rrgC&pg=PT22 |date=22 September 2005 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-157806-9 |page=22}}</ref> Each Guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and appointed a disciple as successor. [[Guru Gobind Singh]] was the final Guru in human form. Before his death, Guru Gobind Singh decreed in 1708, that the Gurū Granth Sāhib would be the final and perpetual Guru of the Sikhs.<ref name="granthfinalguru" />

Guru Nanak stated that his Guru is God who is the same from the beginning of time to the end of time.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469–1606 C.E |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |last1=Gandhi |first1=Surjit Singh |date=1 February 2008 |page=265 |isbn=978-81-269-0857-8}}</ref> Nanak said to be a God's slave and servant, but maintained that he was only a guide and teacher.<ref name=ksingh116>{{cite book |first=Khushwant |last=Singh |title=Hymns of Guru Nanak |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=W3jXHMDwOb4C&pg=PA116 |date=1969 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-1161-3 |page=116}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469–1606 C.E. |publisher=Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London--> |location=New Delhi |last=Gandhi |first=Surjit Singh |date=2007 |page=265 |isbn=978-81-269-0859-2}}</ref> Nanak stated that the human Guru is mortal, who is to be respected and loved but not worshipped.<ref name=ksingh116/> When Guru, or [[Satguru]] (The True Guru) is used in ''Gurbani'' it is often referring to the highest expression of truthfulness.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Darshan |title=Indian Bhakti Tradition and Sikh Gurus |date=1968 |publisher=Panjab Publishers |location=Chandigarh |page=148}}</ref>

[[Guru Angad]] succeeded Guru Nanak. Later, an important phase in the development of Sikhism came with the third successor, Guru Amar Das. Guru Nanak's teachings emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Guru Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the ''manji'' (comparable to a [[diocese]]) system of clerical supervision.<ref name="p254" />

[[Guru Amar Das]]'s successor and son-in-law [[Guru Ram Das]] founded the city of [[Amritsar]], which is home of the [[Harimandir Sahib]] and regarded widely as the holiest city for all Sikhs. [[Guru Arjan]] was arrested by [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] authorities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious community he was developing.<ref>{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present |publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7 |page=255}}</ref> His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and political organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attacks of Mughal forces.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

[[File:Interior of Akal Takht.jpg|thumb|The interior of the [[Akal Takht]]]]The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion to react as a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, [[Guru Har Gobind|Guru Hargobind]], was responsible for the creation of the concept of [[Akal Takht]] (''throne of the timeless one''), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhism and sits opposite the [[Harmandir Sahib]]. The Akal Takht is located in the city of Amritsar. The leader is appointed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Pabandhak Committee (SPGC). The ''[[Sarbat Khalsa|Sarbat Ḵẖālsā]]'' (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) historically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as [[Vaisakhi]] or [[Hola Mohalla]] and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation. A ''[[Gurmata|gurmatā]]'' (literally, 'guru's intention') is an order passed by the Sarbat Ḵẖālsā in the presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib. A ''gurmatā'' may only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.sgpc.net/sikhism/tankah.asp |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20020606154817/http://sgpc.net/sikhism/tankah.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 June 2002 |title=Sikh Reht Maryada&nbsp;– Method of Adopting Gurmatta |access-date=9 June 2006 }}</ref> The term ''[[Hukamnama|hukamnāmā]]'' (literally, 'edict' or 'royal order') is often used interchangeably with the term ''gurmatā''. However, a ''hukamnāmā'' formally refers to a hymn from the ''Gurū Granth Sāhib'' which is given order to Sikhs.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

[[File:SikhGurus-LifeSpans-GurushipSpans.jpg|thumb|center|upright=3.65|alt=Graph showing Life Spans and Guruship Spans of Sikh Gurus|Approximate Life Spans and Guruship Spans of the 10 Sikh Gurus]]

The word ''guru'' in Sikhism also refers to ''Akal Purkh'' (God), and God and ''guru'' can sometimes be synonymous in ''[[Gurbani]]'' (Sikh writings).<ref name="Panjab Publishers" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Raj |first1=Selva |title=South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today |date=2013 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-44851-2 |page=232}}</ref>