Sikhism

I started writing this as the judgement for Vickrum Digwa for the murder of Henry Nowak reverberates around the UK. Digwa murdered Nowak without justification with a traditional dagger. I had been looking into the core tenets of Sikhism before this. Anyway, below in italics are the core tenets of the Sikh religion; if there are any errors or omissions, please let me know. And I have added my thoughts to each tenet.

Like all religions, there is a diversity of thought within the religion, and one interpretation does not fit all. The usual caveats apply.

1. Belief in One God (Ik Onkar)

• “Strictly monotheistic,” but Sikh theology is somewhat philosophically nuanced. Ik Onkar means “One Reality” or “One Creator,” emphasizing unity underlying existence.
• God is formless (nirankar), timeless, unborn, beyond gender, and immanent (present in creation) as well as transcendent.
• God is to be ‘worshipped’ through prayer, meditation, ethical living and service to others.

Monotheistic, I don’t really care. I suppose this is in juxtaposition to the religion’s much larger neighbour, Hinduism, which is an interesting step. While it might be argued that religions have philosophical aspects, Hindu and Sikh philosophies overlap. Also, Sikhism seems to share some influences from the Islamic culture of the Punjab. Ik Onkar, while different from Brahman, there seems to be an echo in the underlying unity. And of course, if worship includes the act of living ethically and in service to others, I can’t complain. Prayer and meditation I can do without, but if meditation includes thinking, contemplating, and studying reality, I am all in favour.

So, at first glance, Sikhism, as a theology, seems to be on the right track.

2. Equality of All Humans

• All people are spiritually equal regardless of race, caste, gender, or social status.
• Sikhism rejects discrimination and the caste system.
• This is practiced through traditions like langar (community meals open to everyone)

This sounds reasonable enough. Rejecting discrimination and the caste system is something we might definitely aim for. This has parallels with its Islamic influences. Spiritually equal, though, seems a little strange. A Sikh might argue that someone lacking belief might not be as spiritually developed. I suppose an atheist might think Sikhs are spiritually overdeveloped, so all is good. Community meals open to everyone are a nice touch. Interestingly, the meals are vegetarian, so they are ‘open’ to everyone. Though I would be expected to wear some sort of head covering?

Equality is not something we can opt out of.

3. Seva (Selfless Service)

• Sikhs are encouraged to serve others without expecting reward.
• Helping humanity is seen as a way of serving God.
• Seva is humble service done without selfishness or ego (haumai).

Depending on one’s objectives, ‘helping humanity’ can be a good way to stabilize society. I have no problem here. Now, the ‘serving God’ bit, this I don’t understand. What is the purpose of serving God? Is not helping humanity its own fulfillment? Plus, today, there are service organizations like Rotary that serve the ‘big picture’, and there are food banks dotted all over our landscape. Food banks treat the symptoms, and larger service clubs try to alleviate the root causes.

Incidentally, one of Rotary’s mottoes is Service above self.

4. Naam Japna (Remembering God)

• Continuous remembrance of God through meditation, prayer, reflection, and reciting of God’s name (“Waheguru”).
• This helps develop spiritual awareness and inner peace.

There is a devotional aspect to the Sikh belief. Frankly, there is an aspect here that bothers me. Meditation and reflection are great if we want to understand how our existence ticks. But, a big but, a continuous rectital of a position, I think, will lead to self-programming. This may well lead to an inner peace, but is that all we are after? Will thinking about God all the time lead to a belief in God?

5. Kirat Karni (Honest Living)

• Earn a living through honest work and ethical conduct.
• Avoid exploitation and dishonesty.

My first cynical thought was, “Does being a politician count as honest work?” But in terms of work, yeah, sure, being truthful and working to some ‘meaningful’ end is a sensible aspiration. Is earning a salary a meaningful end? Of course, ethical (and its big brother, moral) behaviour is a little bit in the eye of the beholder, assuming they exist beyond a definition. I worked in the mining industry for some forty-odd years. In the eyes of some, mining is exploitive at the resource and human levels, yet we would not be reading this without the mining industry. For me, Kirat Karni would need fleshing out a little.

Although the langar meals are vegetarian, there is no prerequisite to be vegetarian. The only restriction was that the slaughter and food should not be ritualized, for example, halal or kosher.

6. Vand Chakna (Sharing with Others)

• Share wealth, time, and resources with those in need.
• Encourages generosity and community responsibility.

Yep, Rotary and many other service clubs do this. Government in the form of taxes also do this. But I suspect Vand Chakna is aiming at a more immediate personal level.

7. Guru Granth Sahib as Spiritual Guide

• The Sikh holy scripture is considered the eternal Guru.
• It provides guidance on spiritual life, ethics, and devotion.

The Guru Granth Sahib basically highlights much of what is already written here. The scripture can be seen as more than just a book, but more as “the final and eternal teacher”. Sound familiar? Conquering the ego is an important aspect of being Sikh. My alleged ego is a big part of who I am, how I perceive myself and no doubt as to how others perceive me. Without my ego, I would not be me. And of course, when we are counselled to quieten our egos, Joseph Campbell reminds us who exactly is quietening our ego? Of course, believing in a greater divine will dampen the ego. But then so will a cloudless, dark night and understanding that the milkyway is one of almost countless galaxies.

The Guru Granth Sahib, while considered close to, if not ‘perfect’ as such, allows for a plurality of interpretations of the text. If this scripture is authoritative, have we not learned anything in the last three hundred years? There is language like a living guru, presumably where the “eternal” comes from. We are supposed to verify it for ourselves by practicinrr appears g the Sikh traditions. Having said this, there does not seem to be a plurality of ways to a Sikh enlightenment.

We are reminded that Sikhism is not an escape from life, but more of an awareness of it. Accept that we are part of a larger order and release control over the outcomes. I should add that the larger order is almost certainly chaotic and that the ‘order’ we perceive are islands of stability in our cosmos.

8. Justice and Compassion

• Sikhs are called to stand against injustice and protect others.
• The ideal Sikh balances spirituality with social responsibility.

Of course, justice and compassion are common to many religions and secular entities.

9. Rebirth and Liberation (Mukti)

• Lberation from illusion and ignorance attained through self-realization and union with God Mukti
• Freedom from rebirth, ego, attachment, suffering Samsara

I simply don’t believe this. Especially not rebirth at the individual level. The soul is a fiction as far as I am concerned. There is no real-world evidence for this scriptural belief. Freedom from ego, attachment and suffering echoes Hindu and Buddhist thought. In and of themselves, these are not bad aspirations.

10. The Five Ks (for initiated Sikhs)
      These are articles of faith symbolizing commitment:

• Kesh (uncut hair)
  • Acceptance of God’s will and creation
  • Respect for the body as given by God
  • Symbol of spirituality
• Kara (steel bracelet)
  • Symbol, eternity, reminder of connection
• Kanga (comb)
  • Cleanliness and discipline (both outward and inward)
  • Reminder that spirituality requires order and care, not neglect
• Kachera (undergarment)
  • Modesty and restraint
• Kirpan (ceremonial sword)
  • Courage/ responsibility, defence of the weak

Like the Sikhs’ avoidance of ritualizing slaughter, I too prefer to avoid ritualizing my beliefs.
1) Kesh   Funnily enough, I shave my head, convenience, cleanliness, and a sort of vanity
2) Kara   I avoid jewelry and symbolism in general … mainly for safety and convenience. Occasionally, wear a Rotary pin.
3) Kanga   Did I say I shave?
4) Kachera   Yes, I wear underpants for cleanliness and comfort. Certainly not for restraint. Containment perhaps.
5) Kirpan   I have a small penknife on my keyring. It is useful at times, opening boxes, etc.

I must admit I am uncomfortable with the five Ks. It’s OK to have rules of thumb to navigate life, but to make them a ritual? To make them a symbol?

11. Karma and Hukam

• We suffer for our bad deeds, and are rewarded for our good deeds Karma
• Everything happens within God’s command Hukam

Sikhs might argue that we are (morally) responsible for our intentions and we are sufficiently free from karma. And yet everything that happens is with God’s command. I think this can be happily described as a form of compatibilism. As people may be aware, I don’t subscribe to the notion of free will.

Closing Meanderings

Overall, as a religion, Sikhism is far from ‘bad’. The three core pillars of the practical foundation of Sikh life can be summarized as:

• Naam Japna – meditate on God
• Kirat Karni – earn honestly
• Vand Chakna – share with others

I can do without the meditate on God bit, but I could substitute pondering about how the universe ticks for God meditation. I don’t think I would be too far off. An honest living is in the eye of the beholder, but that is OK, and I am good with sharing. I do wonder how Sikhs might be guided in situations of stress. As an example, traditional Sikh war ethics include:

• Do not attack the weak or unarmed
• Do not harm civilians or non‑combatants
• Do not destroy places of worship
• Do not take revenge or act out of anger
• Respect surrender and treaties [allaboutsikhs.com]

I, too, am not an obligate pacifist. As guidelines, I think this is not a bad set of rules of thumb. Even unannounced combat is not recommended; firing a warning shot across the boughs (even if it is into a horse) is suggested.

How does Sikhism play out in practice? I am too far removed to give an accurate view. But here is an example that surprised me at the time. In 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. Gandhi had apparently reinstated Beant Singh, as she liked him (against security advice) and perhaps trusted him because he was a Sikh. Gandhi had made a difficult decision, which resulted in a thousand or more deaths at a Sikh temple. The Sikh bodyguards killed Gandhi, and some 8000 Sikhs were killed in subsequent rioting and unrest. Karma in action, I suppose. So it would seem Sikhs are human too.

And this brings me back to Vickrum Digwa. I write this not as a criticism, but more as ‘advice’. There is a little bit of unrest in Southampton because of Nowak’s murder. I bet it turns out that Vickrum has a mental disability. I find it difficult to believe others in the community were not aware of Digwa’s fixation on weaponry. Vickrum’s mother removed the murder weapon. His brother phoned emergency services and lied about Henry Nowak to the police. Vickrum apparently recorded Nowak as he was bleeding to death. Digwa’s brother and his father have been charged with weapons offences. My point here is that despite the Sikh religion, Sikhs remain human. Religion does not make us immune to our foibles.

To add to this sad event, Sikh lobbyists are asking for a national inquiry. My instinct here is that senior Sikhs in the Southampton community should also consider how their community did not adequately support Vickrum and his family. That is not to say Digwa’s family did not live by Sikh doctrine.

Summary
While for me there is much in Sikhism that I do not accept, I recognize, as these types of religious beliefs go, it is one of the better ones. But like pretty much all “isms”, we need to be on guard for our undesirable idiosyncracies.