Understanding Sikhism
...originated in the Punjab in Northwest India. A Sikh believes implicitly in the teachings of the ten Gurus, of the ten Gurus, three in particular, Nanak, Arjan and Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh realized the imperative necessity of raising the morale of the Sikhs by giving them a distinct individuality. The Gurus asked worshippers to follow five (5) rules of conduct; not to cut the hair, abstain from smoking tobacco and consuming alcoholic drinks, to avoid eating kosher meat, and refrain from adultery. Finally, Guru Gobind Singh declared the line of personal Gurus to an end, and installed the Granth Sahib as the Guru, the symbolic representation of the ten (10) Gurus. Guru Gobind Singh was a versatile scholar. His writings are available under the title Dasam Granth or the book of the Tenth Guru. His life was one long struggle against the Mughals and their allies.
There are so many intricacies into the study of Sikhism, fortunately I had the pleasure of meeting and subsequently interviewing a member of Gurdwara Singh Sabha of Dallas; the gentleman that I interviewed is named Biduit Roy. Upon entering the Gurdwara, my first impression was awe. The elegant tapestries and beautifully etched glass portraits of the Gurus gave the Temple the atmosphere of serenity. We entered the Temple and immediately took off our shoes at sat on the floor. I pre-screened the ten (10) questions I had prepared for Roy as to not ask any questions that he might find offensive. He was very informative and thrilled to share information about his “most sacred” religion (Roy, 2007). He was not born into Sikhism, as a young man, he was seeking a higher purpose in life which lead him to the study Sikhism.
My first question was how his chosen religion had impacted his life. His answer was very poetic, “A Sikh is not he who knows all about the principles and philosophy of Sikhism,...
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