Main
Principles
Fasting: Sikhism does not regard tasting as an act of
religious merit. Fasting, in order to overcome disease or
abnor-mality, is perfectly Icghnitaic. But fasting a^aii austerity and
ritual is hateful. Guru Nanak Sahib says, "Penance, fasting,
austerity, alms-giving are mferior to truth; right action is superior
to them all " To affirm that spirituality depends on the quality
or quantity of food is absurd. One must take normal food. If a man
cannot take it, there is something wrong with him. But to fast for the
sake of fasting is futile.
Maya: Maya has been defined in various ways. According to
some, this world is Maya an illusion. According to Sikhisrn, the
universe being the creation of the Supreme Being, is the temple of
Divinity. It is as embodiment of His Eternal Truth. The world is
subject to the Divine Will ; it has no independent existence of its
own. In that sense, it is unreal or illusory; it is subject to decay :
''The universe is insubs-tantial as a shadow, fleeting like a dream,
short-lived as a bubble," as compared wkh the Creator, the
Eternal Truth, The Guru writes :
In a thousand water'pots
There is one sky reflected,
When the water-pots burst,
The sky remains as before.
Man is caught with the infatuation of desire. This lure of
worldliness makes him regard worldly things as [he goat of human life.
The concept of education in Siklhism: Sikhism includes a
comprehensive system of self-education. The function of education is
to prepare the aesthetic and emotional back-ground in which the
individual may pet an opportunity for self-growth. Besides this,
Dharma must inspire all the instruction and atmosphere in educational
institutions.
It is the knowledge of the Hand. the knowledge of the Head and the
knowledge of the Heart. The education of the Hand means the
realization of the dignity of labour and the readiness of the
individual to earn his living with manual work. It also includes the
service of humanity with the hand. Guru Nanak Sahib says :
Those who earn their living
By the sweat of their brows,
And give it to the needy
Are the people who know,
The path of Truth and Virtue.
Education does not imply the acquisition of powers to rule over
others or to exploit their simplicity or backwardness for selfish
ends.
Make knowledge your merchandise,
Truth the horses you take to sell,
Tie up virtues as your travelling expenses,
Think not in your heart of the morrow,
When you reach the land of your love,
You shall obtain endless joy.
Guru Nanak Sahib gave a practical demonstration of this system of
education by training his successor Sri Guru Angad Sahib. It was the
training of the disciple through discipline. Man is to merge with the
higher self, with Beauty. Truth and Goodness. This makes education
both creative and purposeful.
Union with God: The feeling of unity of the individual with
the Universal on the psychic plane is called liv. The man of God does
not renounce the world. He lives in it and performs all his duties as
a householder. But he does not feel attached to worldly desire. The
apparent attachment of the mind with the world is lost; the mind
remains in constant communion with Divinity. Such a man meditates or
does good naturally and automatically. In tune with the infinite, the
individual soul feels no pain or sorrw.
Union of Soul With God: Guru Arjan Sahib has mentioned five
aspects of the actual experience of the union of the individual soul
with the Universal Soul. Firstly, the darkness of ignorance disappears
and the indi-vidual realises the wonder of God's universe. Secondly,
there is an inner illumination, a kind of revelation - an
enlightenment, not of the intellect but of mystic exaltation. Thirdly,
the individual gains equipoise, a state of indefinable peace and
confidence, coming from the loss of the ego. This sense of
tranquillity-shanti-is due to the identification of the self with
Divinity. Fourthly, the individual begins to love the entire humanity
and is filled with a great longing for the service of his fellow-men.
Fifthly, the individual realises everything as emanating from God. His
soul which had emanated from God is united with the Ultimate Source.
The True Yogi: A true yogi is not one who leaves his family
and home, and wanders all over the country. A true yogi finds
renunciation in the house itself. -He does not regard llie house as
his own but of the Lord, He renounces egoism. The true yogi is a
friend of all : he is a servant of servants. He fixes his mind on Goit
and remains desireless in the world.'" He remains indifferent to
sorrow and happiness. He is free from cares, because he loves the only
one God.
Guru Nanak Sahib rebuked the yogis for going to the houses of laity
for begging. He denounced parasitism and recommended renunciation of
desire and attachment in the midst of temporal life through the
discipline of the Name.
The Concept of Woman: The Gurus held woman in high esteem. So
with the rise of Sikhism, woman gained in dignity and social position.
Some ancient scriptures denounced woman as unworthy of teaching or
religious exercises. Woman was regarded as evil and unclean. Guru
Nanak Sahib challenged this view: Why should we treat woman with
contempt and cruelty? A woman is not to be condemned on the ground of
her sex. Guru Granth Sahib says:
Of a woman we are conceived,
Of a woman we are born,
To a woman we are betrothed and married,
It is a woman who is a friend and partner of life,
It is a woman who keeps the race going,
Why should we consider women cursed and condemned,
When from woman are born leaders and rulers.
(Rag Asa, I)
Religious gatherings and Kirtan were thrown open to women; they could
participate on equal terms with men in temporal and secular
observances. Bhai Gurdas ji, the veteran Sikh theologian affirmed: "
Woman is man's other half, and as such, helps him in attaining to
salvation." Guru Hargobind Sahib called woman " the
conscience of man." Khande di Pahul(Amrit) is obligatory both for
man and woman. The rules of conduct and the sphere of religious duties
are identical both for man and woman. In religious meetings, men and
women sing and lecture like equals. Guru Amardas Sahib condemned the
practice of widow-burning (Sati): He said, "They are not
satis who burn themselves with the dead bodies of their husbands.
Those are real Satis who die of the mere shock of separation from
their husbands." Thus the equality of sexes is emphasised in
Sikhism.
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