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Practices
The Gurdwara
("Door to the Guru") is the Sikh temple which houses the Sacred
scripture and serves as the place for communal worship. There are no images of
God and the space is rather simple and austere. All devotion is focused within
the worshipper.
Worship consists primarily
of Kirtan, the singing of hymns from the Adi
Granth. Anyone (male or female) can lead these devotionals which can go
on indefinitely. Passages are chosen at random.
In India, Sikh temples are
open morning to night and people can enter at any time to listen to the hymns
The Guru Granth Sahib
(Adi Granth), the sacred scripture, is given the only place of honor in the
Gurdwara. Everyone sits on the floor below the holy book. Someone (anyone) will
sit before the book waving a fan or whisk to keep the book clean.
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A Granthi may serve
as caretaker of the Gurdwara and the Guru Granth Sahib but there is no priest or
other spiritual leader who stands as spiritual leader over the people. The
Granthi is learned in the scripture but does not perform any special ritual
functions. Leadership of a Sikh community is democratic, may include both men
and women of any background. Anyone may become a Granthi (no Brahmin
requirements as in Hinduism). |
Langar,
the communal meal, is served daily at the Gurdwaras but especially following
worship. All people sit on the ground so no one is seated higher than anyone
else (all are equal)
Ceremonies: (follow
links for details)
Daily Living:
Personal prayer and
meditation on the "Holy Name" of God, morning and evening, are also
part of daily practice of a Sikh.
Living an honest life
and being a hard worker are constant values the Sikh tries to guide his or her
life by. There is no monastic life in Sikhism - they are part of this world and
society as living examples of social harmony and brotherhood.
Defending
righteousness, working and fighting for justice and defense of the weak
and persecuted.
In conclusion:
Sikhism stands for religious and social equality and simple, unadorned devotion
to the one true God (which Sikhs recognize goes by different names in different
religions).
This ends the lectures on Sikhism
Test
your knowledge with some practice quizzes
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