Sikh Religion

“There is one universal creator God. the name is truth. Creative Being personified. No fear. No hatred. Image of the undying, beyond birth, self-existent. By Guru's Grace.”  This, as I learned at the forum titled , The Sikh Experience, given by Professor of Eastern Religious Studies Dan Veidlinger, is the Moolmantra, or fundamental  statement of Sikhism. While at this forum I learned quite a bit about the Sikh religion. Sikhism has been around for 1500 years and was founded by the Guru Nanak. It began in India and has since spread to areas of Pakistan. The most well-known area of India where Sikhs dwell is called Punjab and their most holy city is called Amritsar (“city of nectar”). This is where the Golden Temple was built and where the sacred scriptures are located. The Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion on the idea that neither Hinduism nor the Muslim religion was the correct one. I found the Sikh religion to be very interesting because they do not insist that everyone believe what they believe is true.  They believe that it is very important to be respectful and believe in being their “brother’s keeper.” They do not promote ritualism nor do they allow rituals in their temples. Even more interestingly they believe that there is a little of the divine in all of us. The Sikh religion also prides itself on equality, which I found very interesting because, the time it came about and the culture it came about in were very much in favor of the caste system.

I found this forum to be very interesting because I had never heard of this religion and I had no idea that we had a group of Sikh in this area. They seem like a very caring grounded religious group with temples that are always open and their festivals of free feeding. I thought it was interesting that they combined the concepts of two religions and prevailed in places where their practices were condemned. I learned a lot from this forum and have come away with a new perspective.