10 Cwi Final Sikhism Study Guide

Sikhism Overview - Sikhism founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Northern India, is the fifth-largest religion in the world - Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God - A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself God(s) - Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. In Sikhism, God is formless, eternal, and unobserved - Sikhs believe that prior to creation, all that existed was God and his hukam (will or order). Scriptures: - The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, meaning teacher, guide or mentor. - Two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth Beliefs - Māyā—defined as illusion or "unreality"—is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction. - In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment and lust— known as the Five Evils—are believed to be destructive - Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God - A key practice to be pursued is nām simraṇ: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice - According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife are permitted to divorce. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able to do so in a civil court – but this is not condoned. - Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any means of disposing the body may be employed.