Sikhism began to arise in a time of tension between Muslims and Hindus in India in the 6th century AD. The Mughals had conquered India and brought Islam with them, and some people tried to establish the harmony between the two religions based on the concept that God goes beyond any limits placed on him by any religion (Corduan, 2006). It was in this context that Guru Nanak was born in Punjab, an area of ​​India that is half Muslim and half Hindu and through which external powers made their way in and out of India (Fisher, 2014). Guru Nanak himself had a Hindu father and a Muslim mother, which led him to combine many Hindu and Muslim beliefs and practices, so much so that his slogan became: “There is no Hindu and there is no Muslim” (Corduan, 2006). After immersing himself in water for three days, during which he was brought into the presence of God, Guru Nanak began traveling through India, the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Arabia, mocking certain religious practices both of Hinduism and Islam and encouraging other religions. practices of both Islam and Hinduism (Fisher, 2014). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayWhen Guru Nanak died, he designated his servant as his successor, which the community of those who chose to follow Guru Nanak accepted him as the next guru. Over the next two centuries there were many developments that shaped the Sikh religion. The Sikh community grew and established its headquarters in Amritsar. The Sikh community went through ten gurus, each of whom made important contributions, one of the most important being that of the fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev, who collected the hymns and chants written by all the gurus, including himself, and published this as the "exalted book", the Adi Granth, or the Guru Granth Sahib (Corduan, 2006). Arjan Dev's son Hargobind then began a policy of building a military side of Sikhism, thus placing the focus on peace upon which war and battle were concentrated, which was completed by the tenth guru, Gobind Rai. This policy continued to spur the Sikh community into war, generally collaborating with the British against the Muslim and Hindu majorities. In the midst of all this conflict, Punjab came under heavy attacks as a middle ground between two new states, suffering heavy losses to the Sikhs. This led to independence movements working towards the creation of a new state, Khalistan. Thus, in the overthrow of the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated, many Sikhs were killed, and greater animosity grew between Hindus and Sikhs (Corduan, 2006). With all this involvement in the conflict, there are approximately 27 million Sikhs in the world. Of these 27 million, 83% live in India, of which around 21 million live in Punjab. Outside of India, Sikhs can be found essentially all over the world, typically tending to migrate to Southeast Asia and English-speaking nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Other centers for Sikhism around the world include Italy, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Fiji, New Zealand and Ireland (Oxford Sikhs, 2008). With constant changes and shifts taking place in Sikhism, it is not surprising that there is no priesthood, centralized “church” or religious hierarchy attached to it. However, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh chose five Sikhs who had proven loyal to receive his authority and to become responsible for conducting initiation ceremonies. When Guru Gobind Singh died he also bestowed his spiritual authority on the scriptures and the community, both of which then provided cohesive ideals for the evolution of the Sikh community. In 1925, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee came into existence aselected body to manage sanctuaries in Punjab. Since this was a democratic institution, it became the authoritative voice of the Sikh community for religious and political affairs. Gurdwaras in Sikh communities have their own management committees and each congregation is a democratic community. Each gurdwara has an official Granthi who is responsible for conducting the regular rituals, but since there are no priests, lay people volunteer for the various functions (Riggs, 2006). The definition of God can be found in the opening sentence of Guru Granth Sahib, proclaiming that there is only one God, without equal, who is the Eternal Truth, the Creator, the All-pervading Divine Spirit, fearless, hateless, immortal entity, not born, self-existent, made by its own grace, true before creation, true at the beginning of creation, true now and will be true forever. God is hidden in every heart. God is both impersonal and personal. Impersonal God is formless and beyond human reach, but when He reveals Himself through creation, He becomes personal. God is beyond description and understanding and is radiant and shines with His splendor (Sikh Missionary Centre, 1990). God pervades his creation and is timeless. He is without fear and enmity, does not come in the womb, without fault, without defects, light, good, holy, beautiful, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, the first cause, the essence, beyond knowledge, above all, omnipervasive , eternal , and the parent or father of all (Kohli, 1976). God is understood as the one who “protects His saints and devotees from harm, unless He wishes that their sufferings and martyrdom should serve a higher purpose” (Sikh Missionary Center, 1990). Many saints have prayed for help in the midst of danger and have received help from God. Guru Nanak explains that a sinner without any protection can surrender to God and become pure, being blessed by His grace, this act of redemption of repentant sinners being a enormous characteristic of God. The Sikh Missionary Center explains the purpose of human life very succinctly: The purpose of human life in Sikhism is not to reach heaven or Swarga of the popular Hindu conception, but to seek God and be united with Him. The ultimate goal of the Sikh religion is to merge with the Supreme Soul and thus enjoy Uninterrupted Bliss forever. A Sikh aspires to spiritual union with the Lord – a state of Bliss. Human life is an opportunity to achieve that goal, and if it is missed, a person falls back into the cycle of birth and rebirth. (1990) The Sikh Missionary Center also does much to explain what Guru Nanak had to say about what it takes to achieve salvation. Guru Nanak explains that since human life is obtained only after going through numerous lives, he accumulates impurities from every life he has gone through. Therefore, the human mind cannot merge with God, who is absolutely pure, while it is impure. Thus, when the mind becomes pure through praise and prayer to God, the soul will merge with God (Sikh Missionary Center, 1990). The Adi Granth is the authoritative scripture of Sikhism. It was compiled and edited by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan and consists of 1,430 pages in Gurumukhi script, containing songs of Sikh gurus and 36 Hindu and Muslim saints (Kohli, 1976). It is divided into three main sections: three liturgical prayers, 31 major ragas, or Indian musical patterns, and an epilogue consisting of miscellaneous works that cannot be placed in the central section (Riggs, 2006). The language of these scriptures is Sant-Bhasa, used by medieval saints throughout India, but varies from region to region due to different dialects. Songs can also be found in “Marathi, Persian, and a mixture of Sanskrit, Prakrit and Aphabhramsa wanted Sahaskriti” (Kohli, 1976). Within the Adi Granth, Sikh beliefs can be foundconcerning the conception of God, the attributes of God, the unity of God, the name of God, creation, soul, body, mind and intellect, the need for a true Guru and the doctrines of karma , grace, transmigration, devotion, nirvana, satsang and spiritual states (Kohli, 1976). Other sacred collections, believed to be true but not as authoritative as the Adi Granth, include Dasam Granth, the works of Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal Goya, and a final category, which consists of three distinct genres: the janam-sakhis, the rahit-nama and gur-bilas. The Dasam Granth, or Book of the Tenth Guru, includes the writings of the tenth Guru and some writings of other Gurus and consists of four main types of compositions: devotional texts, autobiographical works, miscellaneous writings, and a collection of mythical tales and folk anecdotes. . Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal Goya were two of the first Sikhs who compiled works approved in the Sikh Code of Conduct for singing in gurdwaras. The janam-sakhis are the birth narratives and contain accounts of the life of Guru Nanak. The rahit-namas are the manuals of the code of conduct and provide information on the evolving nature of the Khalsa code. The final genre is gur-bilas, which is Guru's pleasure and focuses primarily on the mighty deeds of two warrior Gurus, Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh (Riggs, 2006). There are many celebrations taking place in the Sikh religion. There is a celebration for the birth, the day one becomes a guru and the day of death of each of the ten gurus, as well as the first installation of the Adi Granth, his recognition as a guru and, above all, the creation of the Khalsa (Corduan, 2006). Apart from this, other festivals celebrated by Sikhs include Divali and Hola Mahalla. The inauguration of the Khalsa, or Baisakhi, is celebrated as New Year's Day in India, the wheat harvest festival of the Punjabis and the birthday of the community (Riggs, 2006). Baisakhi is celebrated with continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, communal prayer, kirtan, special langar, martial arts performances, skillful swordplay, and the initiation of new Khalsa members (Fisher, 2014). Celebrations of the births and deaths of gurus, also called Gurpurbs, are celebrated with the "uninterrupted reading" of Sikh scriptures by a relay of readers for about 48 hours. Divali is celebrated to mark the release of Guru Hargobind, who had been imprisoned under the Mughal emperor Jahangir, by illuminating the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. Hola Mahalla was introduced by Guru Gobind Singh for the purpose of military exercises and organizing athletic and literary competitions (Riggs, 2006). In addition to larger temples, such as the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi, Sikh temples, or gurdwaras, are generally simple buildings inside and out. They will usually have a domed roof and Sikh insignia will be proudly displayed. Larger gurdwaras will also have shallow pools containing water with purifying value. They simply consist of a carpeted floor, an altar on which the Adi Granth lies during the day under a canopy, and a bed for the Adi Granth at night. Gurdwaras will typically have a kitchen and dining area, and some North American gurdwaras will have tables and chairs, although the typical tradition is to sit on the floor (Corduan, 2006). Within the Sikh faith, there are two main symbols that encapsulate the ideals of the faith. The first symbol is the khanda. This represents the Sikh faith in the outside world. At the center of the symbol is the true khanda, or double-edged sword, with the chakkar, or circular throwing weapon, around it and two kirpans, or ceremonial swords, on each side representing the spiritual and political dimensions of the community Sikh. The second symbol refers to the unity of God, with a symbol that resembles the numberWestern 9, meaning 1, and another symbol meaning “the only one”. Literally understood, this symbol means that God is “the one and only” or “Ekankar” in Punjabi (Corduan, 2006). Other important symbols, found in the Sikh Rahit Maryada, or Sikh Code of Conduct, are the five Ks, or Panj kakke, which must be worn. Riggs explains the five Kesses: unshaven hair, which symbolizes spirituality and holiness; a wooden comb, signifying order and discipline in life; a sword, symbolizing divine grace, dignity and courage; a steel “wrist ring,” signifying responsibility and loyalty to the Guru; and a pair of shorts, symbolizing moral moderation. (Riggs, 2006). These are the outward symbols of the divine word, thus making them clothed in the word of God. This means that their minds are purified and their bodies are ready to fight temptations (Riggs, 2006). Sacred practices in Sikhism include "hours of daily prayer, continuous internal repetition of the name of God, and detachment from negative and worldly states of mind." ” (Fisher, 2014). In addition to this, Sikhs also like to gather for worship to engage in community, communion and to affirm each other. There are prayer services held several times a day, starting very early in the morning, which mainly consist of chanting passages from the Adi Granth with various instruments playing in the background, along with a prominent member of the community behind the altar, waving physical and spiritual impurities from the Adi Granth, ending with all receiving a dessert made from nuts and honey. All this ends with a common meal shared with everyone, regardless of social or economic position” (Fisher, 2014). claims to have the only path to God and does not seek to convert others to its way. Sikhism is committed to protecting the freedom of all religions, but opposes empty rituals. All people must be treated equally the light of God lives in everyone. Sikhism also believes in a series of lives, with karma governing the transmigration of the soul into new bodies (Fisher, 2014). Other important beliefs held in Sikhism include grace, karma, transmigration, bhakti, nirvana, satsung, and spiritual stages. Although there is an emphasis on karma, Sikhs recognize that final union with God can only be achieved through His grace. Karma is both good and bad, good karma is achieved by doing good works and bringing appreciation in this world and in the presence of the Lord and bad karma leading towards unhappiness. Both types of karma are performed according to God's will, and each is destined for certain karmas from the beginning. Whatever one did in a previous life constitutes his present life because the soul is bound by karmas (Kohli, 1967). This leads to the idea of ​​transmigration, the cycle of birth and death, which is caused by the influence of the ego and will not end until one obtains the name of the Lord. There is virtue and sin, heaven and hell, but the bhakta of the Lord has no desire for heaven nor fear of hell, because he is above virtue and sin, and therefore above heaven and hell, and seeks to free yourself from transmigration and remain at the feet of the Lord forever. Bhaktis are those who dedicate themselves to the Lord through listening, singing praises, remembrance, foot worship, offerings, prayer, humility, friendship and self-sacrifice (Kohli, 1967 ). Very few Sikhs attain nirvana, even that of bhakti. Nirvana, also known as the fourth state, is achieved only by those who surpass the first three states: waking experience, dream state and dreamless sleep. Nirvana is achieved only through the grace of the Guru and karma does not help in that..