I experienced my first in-depth conversation with a Sikh during my first trip to Singapore in 2001. This was a man with caring eyes, a gentle soul and a compassionate heart. I can still recall his face when I close my eyes. Sikhism was founded during the 1400’s in the Punjab region of India by Guru Nanak. Today there are approximately 35 million Sikhs with the majority still residing in India. A Sikh believes that ‘realization of truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living.’ Sikh teaching emphasizes the principle of equality of all human beings and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender.
Sikhi is a monotheistic religion; God is shapeless, timeless, and sightless (i.e. God is unable to be seen with the physical eye). The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure ‘1’ — this signifies the universality of God. God is omnipresent and has infinite power over everything. Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and God’s ‘will’. When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. God must be seen from the ‘inward eye’ or the ‘heart’ of a human being. God is revealed through deep meditation. God has no gender — God is without form.
There is no final destination of heaven or hell; there is a spiritual union with God that is salvation. One of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation is ‘Maya’ — illusion or ‘unreality.’ Humans are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusory satisfaction. In ‘Maya’ one values worldly distractions rather than God.
Another word for God is Guru (teacher) for God is the source and guide for knowledge and salvation. Knowledge and salvation can only be reached via rigorous and disciplined devotion to God. Our purpose in life is to reconnect with God; this is an inner journey taken through the heart, with the spirit and soul. Our ego is our biggest hindrance when it comes to reconnecting with God and, paradoxically, our healing from this disease also comes through how we use our ego.
Sikhs are called to balance work, worship, and charity and are also called to defend the rights of all creatures, in particular, fellow human beings. Sikhs are encouraged to have an ‘optimistic-resilience’ view of life. All are equal in God’s eyes and hence, men and women share the same rights.
The philosophy of Sikhism is covered in great detail in the Sikh holy book: ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. Detailed guidance is given to followers on how to conduct their lives so that peace and salvation can be obtained. The holy text outlines the positive actions that one must take to make progress in the evolution of the person. One must remember the Creator at all times — it reminds the follower that the ‘soul is on loan from God, who is ever merciful’ and that the follower must dedicate his or her life to all good causes — to help make this life more worthwhile.