Sikhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sikhism - Essay ExampleSome Sikhs believe their religion to be a purified Hinduism, but most consider it to be a direct revelation from God, with no connection to any other religion (Robinson, 2005). Whatever be its origins, Sikhism has emerged as a religion in its own right, with its unique history, beliefs, prayers, practices and concept of God.The word Sikh in Punjabi is defined as disciple and connotes a disciple of God. Guru is a Sanskrit word for teacher. In Sikhism, the Gurus are considered to be Enlightened Masters. The Reht Maryada, the official Sikh Code of Conduct, defines a Sikh as any man or womanhood who believes in One Immortal Being, the ten Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib- the holy book of the Sikhs, the teachings of the Gurus and the baptism introduced by the tenth Guru and does not owe allegiance to any other religion. The history of Sikhism is mirror in the life of its Gurus. The first Guru was Guru Nanak Dev (1469 1539), who founded the Sikh religion. He was born into a Hindu family. He attained enlightenment at the age of thirty, while bathe in the river Bain and proclaimed the immortal words, There is no Hindu, no Muslim. He traveled extensively through the Indian subcontinent and the Persian Gulf, spreading his message of one, accredited God through the medium of hymns and stories that would reach the common people. He was followed by Guru Angad Dev (1504 1552), who popularized the Gurmukhi script among the Sikhs and advocated a casteless society. He was succeeded by Guru Amar Das (1479 1574), who institutionalized the supererogatory Sikh communal kitchen, or langar, opposed the subjugation of women through the purdah and sati and supported widow remarriage. Through trained apostles, called Masands, he spread Sikhism throughout the country. The fourth part Master was Guru Ram Das (1534 1581), who founded the holy city of