Research Paper On Sikhism

Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world and surprisingly, not many people have heard of it. Just like Buddhism, Sikhism can be confused with a way of life just as much as a religion. There are approximately 20 million Sikhs in the world today and around 250,000 Sikhs in the United States. Sikhism originated in Punjab, India and is derived from Hindu and Muslim teachings (Sikhism). Sikhs do not have caste systems or many Gods like Hinduism. Similarly, Sikhism does not practice the superiority of men over women found is Islamic beliefs. The founder was known as Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak was raised Hindu but one day in his early thirties, he went down to the stream to take a bath and did not emerge. He was reported to have drowned. Three days later, he re-emerged, said to be in Holy Communion with God (Sikhism), with a divine trance and relinquished all his belongings to the …show more content…
This is one of the main beliefs of Sikhism. What is meant when he spoke those first words is that there is only one God, and this god is in every religion. Individual’s perception of this God may be different but all in all, it is the same God. For Sikhs, God is in everyone and everything including themselves and the only way to reach God is to look inside one’s self. This is a genderless and shapeless God. Another belief is that, “The goal of human life is to break the cycle of birth's and deaths and merge with God. This can be accomplished by following the teachings of the Guru, meditation on the Holy Name and performance of acts of service and charity” (Sikhism, n/a). Sikhism gives mass interest in community service. It is very important to them to serve the needy and help because one truly wants to. The Sikh temples are called gurdwaras and they offer Langar (large eating room). This food is for anyone of any religion. The gurdwaras also house many people who are less