The Creator

The realisation of the existence of the Creator of this universe has evolved over generations and thousands of years. Even early man had some form of belief in an ultimate being or the creator. This concept has been very nicely depicted by Guru Nanak in the prayer Japji Sahib. In Japji Sahib we find the description of the attributes of God which are:

There is One Universal Creator God. His Name Is True and Everlasting. He is the Creator; He is Fearless; He is without Enmity and Hatred; He is not subject to time; He is beyond Birth; He is Self-Existent; He can be realized through His own grace.

Different people call Him by different names such as, Waheguru, God, Yahweh, Ahura Mazda, Ram, Rahim, Allah, Pritam, Bhagwan, Parmesar and many more. But there is only one God who is the creator of this universe and is omni-present. He is present in all things and yet they do not cover His limitless expanse. God is both in and above the universe and complete knowledge of God is impossible. Only one who is as great as He, can know Him fully. We can only have some glimpses of Him from His creation. The universe is His sport in which He takes delight. By His order, all forms and creatures came into existence. It is the duty of man to study the laws of the nature and to realize His greatness and glory. He is Supreme and has created an infinite number of worlds and constellations.

The Truth

The Truth – “Sach” or Sat is the basic fundamental in Sikhism. The meaning of word "Truth" is different in different contexts. The most important connotation of Truth is God. The Almighty is Truth. Another meaning of Truth is Virtue which includes qualities like honesty, righteousness, justice, compassion, detachment, humility etc. The third meaning of Truth is pure, holy, sacred. The fourth meaning of Truth is that which is correct and proper. The fifth meaning of Truth is eternal happiness of bliss.

But who can give the Truth? God being the source of Truth gives truth (revelation) direct to the holy and the enlightened. Secondly the Satguru or Guru can give Truth to the devotee through his teachings. Thirdly the Sadh Sangat or Holy Congregation can impart an understanding of Truth to the disciple. So God, Guru, or Holy Congregation can grant the gift of Truth to a devotee.

The gift of Truth comes to the deserving. The Sikh must satisfy some requirements to be a candidate for the gift of Truth. He must follow the Guru's teaching: he must do charitable and altruistic deeds; he must submit to the will of God; he must do spiritual cleansing through remembrance of the Holy Name; finally, he must pray for God's grace.

In Sikhism greater than Truth is Truthful living. One must lead a life of Truth. He must speak the Truth, act the Truth and think the Truth. A noble character implies the practice of humility, compassion, meditation and a desire to serve and guide others on the spiritual path. Such a devotee earns the gift of Truth and ultimately merges with the Eternal God like the rain drop merging itself in the ocean.

The Sikhism

Sikhism is one of the youngest world religion. It is a strictly monotheistic faith, preaching the existence of only one God, and teaching universally acceptable ideals of honesty, compassion, humility, piety, social commitment, and above all tolerance for other religions.

The word 'Sikh' is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘shishya’ which means a disciple, a learner, a seeker of truth. A Sikh believes in One God and the teachings of the Ten Gurus, embodied in the Eternal Shabad Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. The Basic beliefs must be followed in Sikhism. Additionally, a Sikh must also partake Amrit, the Sikh Baptism. Every sikh is supposed to follow The Sikh Code of Discipline.

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the beginning of the sixteenth century. The succeeding nine Gurus nurtured, developed and preached his ideas and teachings. The pontificates of the nine successors of Guru nanak were only the extensions of Guru nanak's work. It is significant to note that five of the successors of Guru Nanak also composed under the name 'Nanak' implying thereby that there is no difference between the compositions of the successor and the founder.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru installed,in 1708, Guru Granth Sahib ji as his successor and the permanent Guru of the Sikhs and brought to an end to the line of human Gurus. Earlier, on Baisakhi day of 29th March,1699 The Birth of The Khalsa took place.

The Sikh Gurus provided guidance for about 240 years. They taught the basic values of freedom, brotherhood, charity, obedience, understanding, sympathy, patience, humility, simplicity, and piety, and outlined the path to spirituality in life. The Gurus themselves said that they were human beings and were not to be worshipped as God. They considered themselves to be mere servants of God. Brief History of Sikhism is listed here.