Sikhism

Sikhism, founded upon the teachings of Guru Nanak and the ten successive Sikh Gurus in fifteenth century Punjab, is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world. This system of religious philosophy and expression has traditionally been known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, meaning "instruction".

The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in waheguru, or the Universal God. Sikhism advocates pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation upon the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that we can interpret God as the Universe itself. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and are over 23 million in number across the world. Most Sikhs live in Punjab in India and, until India's partition, millions lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab.

Philosophy and Teachings

The origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. Nanak disapproved of many religious beliefs and practices of his time. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and sex. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is shapeless, timeless, and sightless. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and hukam (will or order). When God willed, the entire cosmos was formed. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, the human perception of reality.

Pursuing Salvation and Khalsa

Nanak's teachings are founded not on a destination of heaven or hell, but upon a spiritual union with God which results in salvation. The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an also attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth—a concept which is known as reincarnation.
Māyā, defined as illusion or "unreality", is one of the core deviations of the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions that give us only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference for the unreality of the world, but of the world's values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust, known as the Five Evils, are believed to be especially pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation is remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.

The Ten Gurus and Religious Authority

The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, which means teacher, guide, or mentor. All the traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by ten specific gurus from 1499 to 1708. Each guru reinforced and added to the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Nanak was the first guru and appointed a disciple as his successor. Gobind Singh was the final guru that is in human form. Before his death, Gobind Singh decreed that the Gurū Granth Sāhib would be the final and perpetual guru for the Sikhs. The Sikhs believe Nanak's spirit was passed from one guru to the next, " just as the light of one lamp, which lights another and does not diminish ", and is also mentioned throughout their holy book.
After Nanak's passing, the most important phase in the development of Sikhism occured with the third successor, Amar Das. Nanak's teachings emphasised pursuit of salvation; Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers having initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparable to a diocese) system of clerical supervision.