Sikhism Research Paper

1996 Words4 Pages

Sikhism

Patrick Luongo
12/18/15
Humanities
Tom Harrington
Table of contents

1. Deities
2. Creation Myths
3. Rites Of Passage
4. Sacred Texts
5. Holidays
6. Prayer & Worship
7. Death & the Afterlife
8. Sacred Places and places of worship
8. History & geography
9. Final & Intro

Chapter 1

Sikhs believe in a single, formless God, with many names, who can be known through meditation. his concept is similar to Islam whose followers believe in a single God who has 99 names. The Mool Mantar, the first hymn composed …show more content…

At birth - When a baby is born a special prayer is read and a drop of Amrit (holy water) is placed on the baby's tongue. At a ceremony at the Gurdwara, the name of the baby is chosen by opening the Guru Granth Sahib at random: the name must begin with the first letter of first word of the Hukamnama on the left hand side of the page. Singh Lion, a reminder to be courageous, is added to boys' names while Kaur Princess, to stress dignity, is added to girls' names.
At puberty - When a person is aged between 14 and 16, an initiation ceremony called the Dastaar Bandi (wearing of the first turban) takes place. Young Sikhs are allowed to join the Khalsa. Khalsa Sikhs observe the Five Ks. A special solution of sugar and water, known as Amrit, is prepared in an iron bowl whilst the five Banis (special prayers) are recited by five Sikhs in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. During the ceremony the Amrit is blessed and sprinkled on the hair and eyes, a prayer is said and a meal is eaten …show more content…

Sikhism is a unique faith which has aspects of Islamic: monotheism and iconoclasm, and Hinduism: reincarnation, karma and nirvana. However Sikhism is distinct from Hinduism and Islam. 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. They promoted religious tolerance and the equality of women. The founding Guru, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538), is noted for the saying "There is no Hindu, there is no

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