Sikh Philosophy - Other Observations

Other Observations

1. One God: - There is only one God who has infinite qualities and names and is the Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer. God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, without fear or hatred, self-sustained and eternal; was in existence before Creation and will exist forever.
2. Reincarnation, karma and salvation: – Every creature has a soul. Upon death, the soul is passed from one body to another until liberation. The journey of the soul is governed by the deeds and actions that we perform during our lives.
3. Remember God: Love God. Only by keeping the Creator in your mind at all times will you make progress in your spiritual evolution.
4. Humanity (brotherhood): All human beings are equal. We are sons and daughters of Waheguru, the Almighty.
5. Uphold moral values: Defend, protect and fight for the rights of all creatures, in particular your fellow human beings.
6. Personal sacrifice: Be prepared to give your life for all supreme principles. See the life of Guru Teg Bahadur.
7. Many paths lead to God: Members of all religions have the same right to liberty as Sikhs and salvation is non-exclusive. Sikhism believes that anyone can have a relationship with God regardless of their religion.
8. Positive attitude toward life: "Chardi Kala" – Always have a positive, optimistic and buoyant view of life. God is there – He will be your help.
9. Disciplined life: Upon baptism, a Sikh must wear the 5Ks and perform strict recital of the five prayers Banis.
10. No special worship days: Sikhs do not believe that any particular day is holier than any other.
11. Conquer the five thieves: It is every Sikh's duty to defeat these five thieves: Pride (a’Hankar), Anger (Kr’odh), Greed (Lob’H), Attachment (Mo’H), and Lust (K’haam). Known collectively as P.A.G.A.L.
12. Attack with Five Weapons: Contentment (Santokh), Charity (Dan), Kindness (Daya ), Positive Energy (Chardi Kala), Humility (Nimarta).
13. Having premarital or extramarital sexual relations: Sikhs are encouraged to be faithful to their spouse. All forms of adultery are discouraged.
14. All are welcome: Members of all religions can visit Sikh temples (“Gurdwaras”), while observing local rules: cover head, no shoes, no smoking or intoxication.
15. Multi-level approach: Sikhism recognizes the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving your target as a disciple of the faith. For example, "Sahajdhari" (slow adopters) are Sikhs who have not donned the full 5Ks but are still Sikhs regardless.

Note: The Punjabi language does not have a gender for God. Unfortunately, when translating, the real meaning cannot be properly conveyed without using "Him," "His," "He," "Brotherhood," "Him or Her," et cetera; furthermore, this distorts the meaning by giving the impression that God is masculine, which is not the message in the original script. The reader must allow for this every time these words are used. It is often the case that rather than taking a gender definition, God is simply conveyed as "Omnipotent Being" rather than God, thus converying the correct perceptual image.