Sewa – Selfless Service

Sewa means selfless service and is at the heart of Sikh life. The willingness to serve others helps Sikhs to turn away from self-centredness or being Manmukh. When Guru Nanak was born, there were different religions around him, such as Islam and Hinduism. Guru Nanak believed that God was One, and there are many different ways of approaching God. As Sikhs believe in the Oneness of Humanity, many believe that there are different paths to God, and each individual can find their way, with all paths deserving of respect. The Divine Spark you have explored within this module is believed to be within everyone, regardless of their faith path.

The Langar

The Langar is an example of Sewa, and shows the belief in equality and the oneness of humanity in practice. The Langar was introduced by Guru Nanak because of his belief in the equality of all. The Langar is a free meal, which anybody is welcome to receive. In the Gurdwara, there is usually a kitchen where volunteers will prepare and cook the food for the Langar. This food is always vegetarian, which means that all people of all faiths and none are able to eat.

The film below was put together to highlight the importance of the Langar:

The video here is of the Langar Outreach Project, which shows the work of Sikhs in London supporting their local community:

The Earth

As Sikhs believe Waheguru created all living things on earth, and earth itself, one way Sikhs offer service is through caring for the planet and all living things.

EcoSikh is a movement dedicated to responding to the threats of climate change, working around the world to mobilise a commitment to looking after Waheguru’s creation. You can read more about EcoSikh on their website here: https://ecosikh.org

The video below is an example of one of the many projects EcoSikh embark on. This video shows the planting of sacred micro forests, known as Guru Nanak Sacred Forests:

In the video below, Jaskiran Kaur Bhogal discusses her understanding on the environment from her own Sikh Faith.

Reflection 

What does selfless service mean to you?

Do you carry out selfless service in your own life? How so?

What are your thoughts on the Langar? Have you every visited the Langar?

Sikhism

Sikh Understandings of God

The Punjabi work Sikh means ‘Learner.’ Sikhs believe in One God, Waheguru, and they follow the teachings of the ten human Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib who reveal the teachings of God.

The first Guru, Guru Nanak, wrote a poem called the Mool Mantar which describes the nature of God. It opens with the Ik Onkar which is a symbol in Sikhism which declares God is One. You can listen to, and see the translation of, the Mool Mantar in the video below.

The Atma

There is one reality or essence which is in everything, this essence sustains life and keeps everything going, this is Waheguru.

Sikhs believe that humans have a ‘divine spark’ within them, like a piece of Waheguru that has become separated and this is realised in the atma, or the soul. Sikhs believe that the aim in life is for this divine spark, or soul, to be reunited with Waheguru. This reunion is called mukti, and is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. When a soul achieves mukti, they are liberated from the cycle of reincarnation and are reunited with Waheguru.

As a result of this divine spark, Sikhs believe in the Oneness of humanity. This is the belief that all human beings are created equal, all human beings have the divine spark within them, and have the potential to be reunited with Waheguru.

Because of this belief, Sikhs will endeavour to treat all people equally for all have the divine spark within them.

Reflection 

What does ‘divine spark’ within mean to you?

What does the world ‘equality’ mean to you and how is it present in your own life?

The Sikh Gurus

There are ten human Gurus in Sikhism, the word Guru means those who hold wisdom and knowledge, who guide others to this wisdom. The first Guru of Sikhism was Guru Nanak, who had a mystical experience whilst bathing in a river who then dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of Waheguru. Sikhs believe that during this experience in the river, Guru Nanak achieved mukti and was made Guru by Waheguru.

Following the death of Guru Nanak, he appointned Lehna (a devoted follower) as the next Guru, he became known as Guru Angad. After Guru Nanak, there were 9 more human Gurus all who dedicated their lives to spreading the teachings of Waheguru and Guru Nanak. The final human Guru was Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh announced he would be the last human Guru, and appointed the Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh Holy Scripture – his successor.

The Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs. The first five to be initited into this community were known as the Panj Piare. These five indivdiuals gave up their previous jobs and dedicated their lives to Waheguru, working alongside Guru Gobind Singh for equality and justice.

Khalsa Sikhs take on the same last name, Singh for men and Kaur for women, to further emphasise the equality that exists between all humans. Khalsa Sikhs wear five key items which show commitment to their faith and their commitment to defending equality and justice.

• Kesh – uncut hair
• Kangha – a wooden comb
• Kara – simple bracelet
• Kachera – cotton underwear worn under clothes
• Kirpan – a small sword

Research 

Each of these five articles of faith represent a specific aspect of Sikh belief. Spend some time researching each of them.

The Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib is the Sikh holy scripture and is often referred to as the eternal Guru. Sikhs turn to the Guru Granth Sahib for guidance. The Guru Granth Sahib is treated with incredible respect, the same way a human Guru would be. A granthi is an individual who reads from, and looks after, the Guru Granth Sahib.

The video below offers an insight to a Gurdwara in London.

Reflection 

Where do you find your own guidance in life, who, or what, do you turn to?

Karma, Rebirth and Mukti

As explored in Sikh understanding of God, Sikhs believe that humans have a ‘divine spark’ within them, like a piece of Waheguru that has become separated and this is realised in the atma, or the soul. The goal of life is to become reunited with Waheguru, and Sikhs believe that anyone can be reunited with Waheguru providing they follow the right path. Reunion with Waheguru is Called Mukti or liberation. This is when a person’s atma, or soul, is free from being reborn again.

Sikhs believe in Reincarnation, or rebirth. When a person dies, their atma is reborn into another body. Over the period of their life, Sikhs believe they accumulate good karma and bad karma, and this karma will determine what happens to their atma after the physical death of the body. Positive actions lead to good karma, whereas negative actions lead to bad karma, and what happens in one life will directly impact the next life. As Sikhs believe all living things have an atma, an atma can be reborn into a human body or an animal body depending on an individual’s karma. To be reborn into an animal body is to move further away from achieving Mukti, and to be reborn into a human body is to be one step closer to achieving Mukti.

To achieve Mukti and be reunited with Waheguru, a person must remove anything that stands in the way of getting closer to Waheguru, and many believe there are several stages to go through to achieve Mukti.

The stages of liberation, or the five khands, are the five stages humans can pass through that will eventually lead to Waheguru. Providing a person is Gurmukh, passing through these stages will allow them achieve Mukti. However, there are barriers along the way that will prevent a person from achieving Mukti.

The Five Khands:

• Piety: all humans are born into this stage, allowing them to meet with Waheguru through commitment and devotion.
• Knowledge: once a person devotes themselves to Waheguru, they gain the knowledge to keep learning and become aware of how little they actually know in the vastness of the universe. This helps an individual to be humble, spiritually aware and open to Waheguru.
• Effort: individuals should make the effort to ‘tune in’ to Waheguru, developing their mind as far as they possibly can.
• Grace: when Waheguru takes part in the development of an individual’s life, spiritual growth and strength occurs. Grace is a blessing from Waheguru.
• Truth: this final stage is finding Waheguru in completeness, this stage cannot be described, only experienced.

The Five Evils:

Being manmukh prevents a person from achieving Mukti. One thing that prevents a person from spiritual growth is the illusion that the impermanent things in life and worldly attachments are treated as permanent and valuable. This prevents individuals from seeing the truth, and Waheguru is truth.

• Anger: a lack of self-control, causing a person to act without balance.
• Lust: uncontrolled lust is seen as weakness and acting without balance.
• Greed: a desire to possess more than one needs, this ignores the principles of equality and justice, which centres life on the material instead of the spiritual.
• Worldly Attachment: connected with greed, placing emphasis on physical possessions which leads a person’s priorities away from Waheguru.
• Pride: pride leads people away from humility and the belief in the equality of all, making people feel they are more important than others, which in turn may lead to jealousy or rivalry. This is sometimes called false pride, as being proud of an achievement a person worked for is different to being proud of something a person was given, or being proud of material wealth.

Watch the video below, where Sikhs in the UK discuss what their faith means to them:

You can watch the whole documentary here:

Reflection

Is the belief in the quality of all important to you?

How do the five khands and the five evils sit with you?

Do any stick out to you as important? Why might this be?

Sikhism

Sikh Understandings of God

The Punjabi work Sikh means ‘Learner.’ Sikhs believe in One God, Waheguru, and they follow the teachings of the ten human Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib who reveal the teachings of God.

The first Guru, Guru Nanak, wrote a poem called the Mool Mantar which describes the nature of God. It opens with the Ik Onkar which is a symbol in Sikhism which declares God is One. You can listen to, and see the translation of, the Mool Mantar in the video below.

The Atma

There is one reality or essence which is in everything, this essence sustains life and keeps everything going, this is Waheguru.

Sikhs believe that humans have a ‘divine spark’ within them, like a piece of Waheguru that has become separated and this is realised in the atma, or the soul. Sikhs believe that the aim in life is for this divine spark, or soul, to be reunited with Waheguru. This reunion is called mukti, and is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. When a soul achieves mukti, they are liberated from the cycle of reincarnation and are reunited with Waheguru.

As a result of this divine spark, Sikhs believe in the Oneness of humanity. This is the belief that all human beings are created equal, all human beings have the divine spark within them, and have the potential to be reunited with Waheguru.

Because of this belief, Sikhs will endeavour to treat all people equally for all have the divine spark within them.

Reflection 

What does ‘divine spark’ within mean to you?

What does the world ‘equality’ mean to you and how is it present in your own life?

The Sikh Gurus

There are ten human Gurus in Sikhism, the word Guru means those who hold wisdom and knowledge, who guide others to this wisdom. The first Guru of Sikhism was Guru Nanak, who had a mystical experience whilst bathing in a river who then dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of Waheguru. Sikhs believe that during this experience in the river, Guru Nanak achieved mukti and was made Guru by Waheguru.

Following the death of Guru Nanak, he appointned Lehna (a devoted follower) as the next Guru, he became known as Guru Angad. After Guru Nanak, there were 9 more human Gurus all who dedicated their lives to spreading the teachings of Waheguru and Guru Nanak. The final human Guru was Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh announced he would be the last human Guru, and appointed the Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh Holy Scripture – his successor.

The Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, a community of Sikhs. The first five to be initited into this community were known as the Panj Piare. These five indivdiuals gave up their previous jobs and dedicated their lives to Waheguru, working alongside Guru Gobind Singh for equality and justice.

Khalsa Sikhs take on the same last name, Singh for men and Kaur for women, to further emphasise the equality that exists between all humans. Khalsa Sikhs wear five key items which show commitment to their faith and their commitment to defending equality and justice.

• Kesh – uncut hair
• Kangha – a wooden comb
• Kara – simple bracelet
• Kachera – cotton underwear worn under clothes
• Kirpan – a small sword

Research 

Each of these five articles of faith represent a specific aspect of Sikh belief. Spend some time researching each of them.

The Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib is the Sikh holy scripture and is often referred to as the eternal Guru. Sikhs turn to the Guru Granth Sahib for guidance. The Guru Granth Sahib is treated with incredible respect, the same way a human Guru would be. A granthi is an individual who reads from, and looks after, the Guru Granth Sahib.

The video below offers an insight to a Gurdwara in London.

Reflection 

Where do you find your own guidance in life, who, or what, do you turn to?

Karma, Rebirth and Mukti

As explored in Sikh understanding of God, Sikhs believe that humans have a ‘divine spark’ within them, like a piece of Waheguru that has become separated and this is realised in the atma, or the soul. The goal of life is to become reunited with Waheguru, and Sikhs believe that anyone can be reunited with Waheguru providing they follow the right path. Reunion with Waheguru is Called Mukti or liberation. This is when a person’s atma, or soul, is free from being reborn again.

Sikhs believe in Reincarnation, or rebirth. When a person dies, their atma is reborn into another body. Over the period of their life, Sikhs believe they accumulate good karma and bad karma, and this karma will determine what happens to their atma after the physical death of the body. Positive actions lead to good karma, whereas negative actions lead to bad karma, and what happens in one life will directly impact the next life. As Sikhs believe all living things have an atma, an atma can be reborn into a human body or an animal body depending on an individual’s karma. To be reborn into an animal body is to move further away from achieving Mukti, and to be reborn into a human body is to be one step closer to achieving Mukti.

To achieve Mukti and be reunited with Waheguru, a person must remove anything that stands in the way of getting closer to Waheguru, and many believe there are several stages to go through to achieve Mukti.

The stages of liberation, or the five khands, are the five stages humans can pass through that will eventually lead to Waheguru. Providing a person is Gurmukh, passing through these stages will allow them achieve Mukti. However, there are barriers along the way that will prevent a person from achieving Mukti.

The Five Khands:

• Piety: all humans are born into this stage, allowing them to meet with Waheguru through commitment and devotion.
• Knowledge: once a person devotes themselves to Waheguru, they gain the knowledge to keep learning and become aware of how little they actually know in the vastness of the universe. This helps an individual to be humble, spiritually aware and open to Waheguru.
• Effort: individuals should make the effort to ‘tune in’ to Waheguru, developing their mind as far as they possibly can.
• Grace: when Waheguru takes part in the development of an individual’s life, spiritual growth and strength occurs. Grace is a blessing from Waheguru.
• Truth: this final stage is finding Waheguru in completeness, this stage cannot be described, only experienced.

The Five Evils:

Being manmukh prevents a person from achieving Mukti. One thing that prevents a person from spiritual growth is the illusion that the impermanent things in life and worldly attachments are treated as permanent and valuable. This prevents individuals from seeing the truth, and Waheguru is truth.

• Anger: a lack of self-control, causing a person to act without balance.
• Lust: uncontrolled lust is seen as weakness and acting without balance.
• Greed: a desire to possess more than one needs, this ignores the principles of equality and justice, which centres life on the material instead of the spiritual.
• Worldly Attachment: connected with greed, placing emphasis on physical possessions which leads a person’s priorities away from Waheguru.
• Pride: pride leads people away from humility and the belief in the equality of all, making people feel they are more important than others, which in turn may lead to jealousy or rivalry. This is sometimes called false pride, as being proud of an achievement a person worked for is different to being proud of something a person was given, or being proud of material wealth.

Watch the video below, where Sikhs in the UK discuss what their faith means to them:

You can watch the whole documentary here:

Reflection

Is the belief in the quality of all important to you?

How do the five khands and the five evils sit with you?

Do any stick out to you as important? Why might this be?

Sewa – Selfless Service

Sewa means selfless service and is at the heart of Sikh life. The willingness to serve others helps Sikhs to turn away from self-centredness or being Manmukh. When Guru Nanak was born, there were different religions around him, such as Islam and Hinduism. Guru Nanak believed that God was One, and there are many different ways of approaching God. As Sikhs believe in the Oneness of Humanity, many believe that there are different paths to God, and each individual can find their way, with all paths deserving of respect. The Divine Spark you have explored within this module is believed to be within everyone, regardless of their faith path.

The Langar

The Langar is an example of Sewa, and shows the belief in equality and the oneness of humanity in practice. The Langar was introduced by Guru Nanak because of his belief in the equality of all. The Langar is a free meal, which anybody is welcome to receive. In the Gurdwara, there is usually a kitchen where volunteers will prepare and cook the food for the Langar. This food is always vegetarian, which means that all people of all faiths and none are able to eat.

The film below was put together to highlight the importance of the Langar:

The video here is of the Langar Outreach Project, which shows the work of Sikhs in London supporting their local community:

The Earth

As Sikhs believe Waheguru created all living things on earth, and earth itself, one way Sikhs offer service is through caring for the planet and all living things.

EcoSikh is a movement dedicated to responding to the threats of climate change, working around the world to mobilise a commitment to looking after Waheguru’s creation. You can read more about EcoSikh on their website here: https://ecosikh.org

The video below is an example of one of the many projects EcoSikh embark on. This video shows the planting of sacred micro forests, known as Guru Nanak Sacred Forests:

In the video below, Jaskiran Kaur Bhogal discusses her understanding on the environment from her own Sikh Faith.

Reflection 

What does selfless service mean to you?

Do you carry out selfless service in your own life? How so?

What are your thoughts on the Langar? Have you every visited the Langar?