The Five K Of Sikh Symbolism

Religious Sikhs get up in the morning before dawn, take a bath, and then start praying. A Sikh is required to attend the Gurdwara as a part of their daily routine or often as possible. A religious Sikh is baptised known as “Amrit Shak”. Being Amrit Shak, you need to follow the meaning of the five K’s. The five K’s symbolize Sikhs who are dedicating themselves to the Guru. The five K’s are five physical symbols worn by Sikhs who are Amrit Shak. The five K's are Kesh, Kara, Kanga, Kaccha, and Kirpan. Kesh represents not to cut any part of your body hair. You are not allowed to cut your hair because

In the reading “Journey by the Inner Light”, the author Meeta Kaur begins her story by discussing the routine of her hair baths and the importance of her long hair. As a child, Kaur didn't quite understand why she needed to take care of her long hair nor did she question why every woman in her family had long thick hair. When Kaur was in middle school, her mother allowed her to take a trip to India where she was able to learn more about her roots and culture. On the trip, Kaur began to read a bunch of comic books which helped her gain knowledge about her hair. She learned that her hair was referred to as kesh and that her kesh represents an external identity. Although Kaur was amazed with all the information she acquired about her culture, she still had trouble committing to the ways of a Sikh woman. As Kaur gets older, she becomes more Americanized as she is surrounded by people who have different values from that of her own culture. This begins to interfere with her daily lifestyle as she starts to question her own culture and that of American culture. Kaur notices how young girls at her University have unique hairstyles and she just wanted to be able to do the same with her own hair. At this point in her life, Kaur decided that she just wanted to fit in with American society and so she decided to cut her hair short. This caused a lot of problems with Kaur and her family. Not only was Kaur’s mother upset but she was also hurt and disappointed that Kaur cut her hair

   In Herman Hess's, Siddhartha, Siddhartha's constant growth and spiritual evolution is elucidated through the symbolism of the snake, the bird and the river.

What does it mean to be different? For many individuals being different can symbolize a problem that can ultimately challenge the decisions, as well as the way of life of others. Prior to attending the event that talked about what it means to be a Sikh in America I was very closed minded and judgmental, when I read the title of the event I instantly thought turban and covering from head to toes. However attending the event helped me understand that there is more to this community than just the image itself. The film that was presented in the presentation is important because it makes an invisible community more visible to the world, but at the same time diminishes the ignorance and misunderstanding that exists among individuals due to a lack

My purpose to write this essay on Hinduism and sikhism is because the two religions Sikhism and Hinduism is believed to be very similar if not same and the temples is told be almost identical this is ignorance of some people. The two religion have different gods and they represent their gods differently in the place of worship so my question is “how do hinduism and Sikhism represent gods in their places of worship” Which allows me to talk about that they are similar and different and there's individuality in the religion and aren't the same and representing gods in temple is always very important for every religion not just these two.

It’s very important to be sensitive to their spiritual needs as well as their significance five K’s (forms of religious symbols or articles of faith) which they choose to wear all the times during their hospitalization. The five K’s are Kesh (long uncut hair), Kanga (wooden comb), a steel bracelet known as Kara, their underwear known as kachhehra and their cermoneal sword called as kirpenn. Health care professionals should inform the Sikh patient and their families the importance of to remove their five K’s during hospitalization or prior to any procedure and should hand it to their family or kept in safe with personal belongings ("Sikh patient’s protocol," 2001).

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

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.

In this essay I am going compare and contrast the rituals/ practices parts of sikhism and judaism. As we discussed in class, Sikhism is Monotheistic religion that was found in Punjab Pakistan in 1469 AD by Guru Nanak Dv Ji. The worship place for this religion is the Gurdwara. In my site visit to the Gurdwara I learned that this place open 24 hour and anyone may enter it no matter their faith, caste or skin color. I also learned that There are daily prayers and the three pillars of sikhism are to remember god at all time, to live your life honestly/with integrity and to share what you have with those less fortunate. In addition, Every day Sikhs worship the one God at their homes, even with or without a Gurdwara service. As we learned in class that in sikhism statues and pictures are not allowed. Furthermore, there is no prophets in Sikhism, only direct relation with god without mediator. The three jewels in Sikhism are Naam Japna,Kirat Karni and Vand chakna (Living Religions page . Additionally, Skishis do not drink intoxicating drinks and most of them are vegetarian. Also, sikhs wear the 5 KS which are Kangha,Kara,Kachera,Kirpan and Kesh. According to the book Living Religion in Skisham , Men should wear turbans and

These men were targeted inside the U.S. borders because they wore turbans and grew out their beards. They grow out their hair as a symbol of respect towards God. The turban represents piety, honor, and courage. Individuals that were not of this faith look at this as a representation of Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden wore a turban and grew out his beard as well but not because he was of the Sikh faith. The Sikh faith forms the fifth largest religion in the world. These men were seen as potential terrorists and were beaten, killed, called profanities, and excluded from eating at restaurants, renting apartments, and participating in the entertainment industry after the attacks of 9/11. Sikh men were afraid to walk streets and leave their homes in a free country out of fear and anxiety. Later, many Sikh men made the decision to clear the image of the Sikh faith among Americans and not live in fear by participating and helping in their local communities. (Arora, 2013)

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.

A festival is a celebration of life. Festival is harmonious, rich, varied and colorful. A festival is a celebration which breaks the tedium of life. They bring peace and joy to the multitudes. Festival provide as symbol to the cultural, social and domestic life of the people. There are different kinds of festivals celebrated around this world. There are festivals based on legends or persons believed to be blessed with supernatural powers. It is a belief that by praying legends you get the gratuity of wishes and avoiding off troubles. Another kind of festival celebrated is Religious festivals. Religious festivals are celebrated with

In the Sikh culture, the clothing worn is a cultural symbol of faith (G. Rings). Jess's father wears the turban and a beard to express his faith, and her mother wears