Sikhism Research Paper

The Sikh people do not practice many examples of outward, external worship i especially those that may be troubling. They do practice one outward tradition, though, the wearing of the Five K's. The symbolism behind the five K's remains the focus of their practice. This tradition remains acceptable because it points the Sikh people to their worship, and reinforces the ethics of their religion. The five K's are consistent reminders of God and their devotion to Him. These five symbols include the Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachera and Kirpan. The five K's is a tradition that dates back centuries and remain an important part of the Sikh tradition. The pieces help the people reflect on their religion, and focus on righteous living. They view wearing the five K's as a practice necessary for achieving union with God and displaying their devotion. Sikh people do not have to wear all 5 of the K's. Some may wear all of them, and some may only wear one. Many will try to wear as many as possible, although the practicality of the five K's has varied over time. The Kesh is uncut, or natural hair that is not styled. The Kesh is a style for both men and women. Usually, a turban or another fabric cloth that covers a topknot guards the hair. Sikh people recognize their creation by God, and aim to remain as natural as they were made. They believe one should not interfere with their God given form. This supports their belief that everyone is a creation of God, and acknowledges his creations should remain. The Kangha is a small comb that is worn to keep the hair neat. It is more of a practical piece rather than symbolic. The Kangha is mostly a tool that allows the Sikh people to wear their hair naturally and acknowledge their natural appearance and being. The Kara is an iron or steel bracelet that is worn by the Sikh people. It is worn always on the right wrist. The Kara represents both community and unity. The sense of community the Kara brings, is that of the Sikh people. When wearing the Kara, the people believe they are all unified as a singular community. It is an important aspect of the religion to serve each other and remain a unified body. The Kara represents a constant contact and unity with God, and a tool of

The main focus of Buddhism is that the faith centers on correct understanding of human nature and ultimate reality, The Buddha was also called the Enlightened One, he taught that the way to eliminate suffering begins with understanding the true nature of the world. He rejected speculation about such matters as God, the nature of the universe, and the afyterlife, urging his folloers to focus instead on the Four Noble Truths by which they can free themselves from suffering. “We do not believe that this world is created and ruled by God.” The disbelief in God does not make Buddhism an atheistic religion. The Buddha rejected the concept of the atman, or soul. In

For decades without end, members of the Sikh faith have suffered countless injustices at the hands of their fellow countrymen. The Sikh religion was started in India during the fifteenth century by the first guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Sikh were a peace loving people who spread messages of freedom and equality. They even went as far as too risk their lives to help out other religions. Despite all this in the past century the decedents of the very people the Sikhs sacrificed and continue to sacrifice themselves to save have turned their back on them. India reduced Sikh's to second class citizens, and didn't even consider them as a proper religion. During the independence movements Sikh's were the ones who contributed the most, despite

Religion plays a crucial role in the daily lives of millions of people. This is even more evident in India. Hinduism and Sikhism are two very prominent religions in this nation (Pinkham, 1967). These two religions are closely linked but also have many distinct practices. Issues of the position of women in society, attitudes towards the caste system, and methods of worship are critical aspects of both religions. Among the many distinct practices that are shared between the religions of Hinduism and Sikhism is the status of women. In Hinduism, women can attain a certain status in that they can either become a nun or

The attacks on Sikhs was pre-planned and the Congress party was to use state’s resources to simplify the massacre. Delhi Transportation corporation buses were used to take

1. Non-attachment - Believe that human form bonds with family, possessions such as homes and money, land etc. Jains believe that these attachments can control people. Practice to limit these possession and not possible to eliminate them.

Indigenous religions exist in every climate around the world and exhibit a wide range of differences in their stories, language, customs, and views of the afterlife. Within indigenous communities, religion, social behavior, art, and music are so intertwined that their religion is a significant part of their culture and virtually inseparable from it. These religions originally developed and thrived in isolation from one another and are some of the earliest examples of religious practice and belief. The modern world; however, has taken its toll on these groups and many of their stories, customs, and beliefs have been lost to, or replaced by, those brought in as a result of popular culture and the missionary work of Christians and Muslims.

Those who are raised within one religious tradition may find it difficult to understand the traditions of another religion. It is not until one is educated in the basics of the other major world religions, that it is possible to see the many similarities between them. Just as there are many similarities between the countries culturally, the major religions share more things than they are different. In viewing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism with an open mind, it is easy to see the differences, similarities and ideals that make these religions as widespread as they are.

Afzal’s death further infuriated the Kashmiri people. Yet again not only were curfews put in place by the police, but violators executed. At this point, the Kasmiri people have been subjected to 20 years of military occupation. Strides had been made – in 2014 India was going to give Kashmir and Jammu back some of their rights by allowing elections. Executing Afzal Guru seemed to reverse all of their efforts.

Calling the massacre a riot completely mischaracterizes the violence and hid what actually occurred (Noor). A riot implies the actions that took place were unplanned and unorganized chaos. That is far from the truth. There is no doubt an attempt was made to “destroy the Sikh’s as a group” (Singh, Parvinder). They used the “method of burning by kerosene,” and the targeting of Sikh children as well as Sikh men, and “subjecting women to rape” (ibid). Instead of owning up to what they did, the government remains disinterested with the Sikh people. The Indian government does not even have the decency to address the genocide by its actual name. The people in the Indian government want what is best for themselves. Once finally forced to address the genocide in 2000, the government of India announced “for the backing and help of influential and resourceful persons, killing of Sikhs so swiftly and in large numbers could not have happened” (Walia). The government calls the genocide a communal riot, which incorrectly defines the problem, and because of this, the genocide has not received an appropriate response. The Indian government, as well as the international community, has not come to terms that a crime against humanity has occurred, not a riot. The Sikh people deserve justice. They have attempted to create movements to receive their deserved justice, but none of the movements have given them closure. The Sikh people want answers as to why the Indian government will not admit their flaws and continue to avoid the

What is religion? There is much debate to the exact definition of religion but according to the book Introduction to World Religions, “It is commonly used to refer to those beliefs, behaviors, and social institutions that have something to do with speculations on any, and all of the following: the origin, end and significance of the universe; what happens after death; the existence and wishes of powerful, non-human beings such as spirits, ancestors, angels, demons, and gods; and the manner in which all of this shapes human behavior”(Partridge,10). Sikhism first came about hundreds and hundreds of years ago in a community where religious beliefs were split between Hinduism and Islam.

Both Jainism and Sikhism have arisen as alternatives to Hinduism within India. As Molloy highlights, they both share a belief in karma with Hinduism, but both reject the polytheistic and ritualistic elements of Hinduism. Despite these similarities, Jainism and Sikhism are different in their emphasis. The founder of Jainism was named Mahavira. He was the twenty fourth, in a succession of saints, called tirthankaras. Mahavira was born into an aristocratic family, and much of his life is shrouded in legend, but all version of his life story agree, that at the age of 30 he embraced the wandering life of an aesthetic holy man. His is said to have endured much pain, and sacrifice at his own hands, and at the hands of others. During this

Unlike other religions, Sikh faith is not dogmatic; it is a distinct and unique religion. The Sikh Scripture is true "Religion of Self" where everyone has a personal relationship with God. It does not place any emphasis on pilgrimage, praying in a particular direction, praying on a particular day, fasting, meaningless rituals, idol worship, superstition, body mutilation, asceticism or celibacy.

An event that has relation to war today is the tension in the northern region of India, Punjab, where the Sikh holy book was ripped up and thrown. Many Sikhs gathered in a peaceful protest, trying to bring to justice the people who were responsible, but the police ended up shooting and killing two peaceful protestors. Simran Jeet Singh, is one of the authors, who writes on this topic. He takes up this topic, because it represents part of the unjust that happened to Sikhs in 1984 where they were killed and murdered in the thousands by the Indian government. Singh says, “I was born in the United States in the summer of 1984, during the height of the anti- Sikh violence in Punjab” (Singh 1). He goes on to say how he feels the pain of his Sikh brothers and sisters who were killed in the year 1984, for their religious beliefs. Background about Singh shows us the importance of mediated narratives, as they show that Singh is trying to raise awareness about the issues going on in Punjab in an attempt to try to avoid the destruction that happened in 1984. Another one of these authors is Nirmala Ganapathy, who is part of The Straits Times. She takes up the same interest as Singh, as she works to raise awareness on the issues affecting her homeland of India. She writes about why Sikhs have been blocking major roads in India and the influence this has. Her curiosity is what has

“India was drawn into a bloody conflict between East and West Pakistan, with some 10 million Pakistanis seeking refuge in India ().” At this time, Muslims were in charged. Annihilation of gudwaras and neighborhoods to shut down riots. The one gurdwara that was still standing in Amritsar was the Golden Temple. In the middle of the region is the Golden Temple called Harmandir Sahib. Some Sikhs started following religious militant group and the leader of the group led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. “His followers were accused of amassing weapons in the Sikh temple and starting a major armed uprising (Mayo, BBC documentary:1984).” In the early 1970’s, Operation Blue Star began and India announced a state of emergency in order to assume dictator powers by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sikhs at this time were getting beaten, imprisoned, raped and murdered by the Indian State. Operation Blue Star was to stop religious militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from his Khalistan Movement. The Khalistan Movement was to stop states’ war against the Sikhs. “The Khalistan Movement led to a period of continuing political chaos in the Punjab, sparked dramatic