Dr Ranvir Singh is Head of RE at The Heathland School. He has been involved with ‘interfaith’ issues for many years having given talks at the Next Generation at the Parliament of […]

Sikhs believe that there is One at the heart of the universe, a unity of Being. Oneness is so central that the Sikh scriptures use the number 1, rather than the word. […]

For Sikhs the Ten Gurus are the foundation of Sikhi and the main sources of Sikh inspiration. The Gurus are considered by Sikhs to be spiritually perfect and morally correct. Sikhi began […]

Although the Ten Gurus are regarded by Sikhs as the template for all things spiritual, some Sikhs act as role models to others in specific ways. The Rahit Maryada or code of […]

Sikhs consider that beliefs must translate into action as matter must be energized, maya (the physical world) must be charged with the Name (Being). The phenomenal world should be transformed by the […]

The status of the Guru Granth Sahib is shown by its being placed in the Gurdwara, on a throne (palki) supported by cushions (gaddis) under a canopy (chanani) in the royal court […]

The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script. However, there are words from many languages including Persian and Sanskrit. The Gurus aimed at making mysticism accessible to general masses but […]

The four rites of passage in a Sikh life are birth, amrit or initiation, marriage and death. Following the birth of a baby, a mother takes her child and karah prashad to […]

Since Sikhi has strong historic and present day links with Hinduism and the Punjab region of India, the Hindu calendar is generally used to fix the Sikh festival year. Since people were […]

The stories of significance for Sikh faith are contained within the Guru Granth Sahib and the Janam Sakhis or ‘life stories’ of the Gurus. Without these texts there would be no record […]

Sikh symbols are seen as gateways that point to Reality. An important symbol for Sikhs is the Nishan Sahib – the flag that is flown at every gurdwara. This is made up […]

Sikh aesthetics have focused on music where the hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji are played and sung. Guru Nanak Dev wrote over 900 hymns and in order for these to […]

The Harminder Sahib (Golden Temple) was built at a lower level than the city of Amritsar that was constructed around it, symbolising that religion should serve humanity. Also, it was surrounded by […]

For Sikhs, attending the Gurdwara fulfils a basic human need to worship, to recognize the fire within the wood of our being (Guru Granth Sahib: 606). Sikh sentiments are contained in the […]

Pilgrimage is condemned by the Gurus; the real pilgrimage is to The One who lives in the heart. However, many Sikhs will visit Amritsar in the Punjab and the Harminder Sahib, Golden […]

Practising Sikhs visit the gurdwara often and may wear the 5 K’s of the Khalsa – the kesh (uncut hair), kara (bracelet), kirpan (sword), kachera (breeches) and kangha (comb). Joining the Khalsa […]

For Sikhs, joining the Khalsa and receiving amrit demonstrates the relationship between belief and action. When a Sikh joins the Khalsa they leave behind their previous identity and take the new surnames, […]

The Gurus taught that people should live in families. Nine of the ten human Gurus were married and had families. Sangat or fellowship is also very important as this is regarded as […]

There are Sikhs by belief and Sikhs by birth. A Sikh’s belief is defined in article one of the Sikh Rahit Maryada (Code of Conduct). However, there are people who would identify […]

Sikhs welcome inter-faith dialogue as it can be argued that Guru Nanak Dev was engaged in it hundreds of years ago. The Guru Granth Sahib contains the record of his debate with […]

For Sikhs, religious experience is the only basis for religious claims. Since these are available to everyone, all humans are considered to be equal and there is no place for priests. The […]

Sikhs consider that evil is caused by people and they will be punished for it. It is a result of free will which makes it possible for us to have the chance […]

It is impossible to describe the One. As it says in the Guru Granth Sahib: If it is sayable, it is within the range of the word, If it is unsayable, it […]

The Gurus have no concept of ‘science’ as an independent area of enquiry. The aim of a Sikh life is to be a ‘sachiara’ – truthful or real or authentic – in […]

The core values of Sikhi come from the One. The One is Sach (true, real) and so the aim of life is being sachiara (authentic, truthful, real). The godly, whatever their religious […]

Sikhs use the Gurus and their contemporaries as their role models and as a reference point for action and for guidance on political, social and environmental issues. Regarding the martyrdom of the […]

A Sikh should be focused on the One at all times and places. How Sikhs find the One will depend, in part, on how they approach the One. The Gurus themselves enjoy […]

Sikhs should always strive for life though often this commitment can lead to difficult choices. For Sikhs, voluntary euthanasia would be wrong as life belongs to the One. However, non-voluntary euthanasia might […]

For Sikhs, only sex in marriage is acceptable since marriage is a reflection of commitment that two people feel for one another and sex is an expression of that commitment.

Sikhs believe that a primary purpose of punishment is reparation. For example, Sikhs who breach the Sikh Rahit Maryada (Code of Conduct) should confess their shortcomings and be awarded community service by […]

Several of the Gurus took part in wars. The basic principle is that armed conflict is only acceptable when all peaceful methods have failed. There is no enemy in the combat – […]

For Sikhs, the environment and the forces of nature are regarded as sentient. This means that the wind, water, fire, planets, galaxies, solar systems all praise the One (Guru Granth Sahib Ji: […]

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Kanwar Ranvir Singh, 2012. Religions to Inspire: Sikhism for KS3. London: Hodder and Stoughton.Kaur, A. & Kaur, R., n.d. Bindu’s Wedding. s.l.: s.n.Kaur, M., 1983. The Golden Temple: Past and Present. Amritsar: […]