Sikhism other observations

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Other observations of Sikhism include:

1.Not Son of God: The Gurus were not in the Christian sense “Sons of God”. Sikhism says we are all the children of God and by deduction, God is our mother/father.

2. All Welcome: Members of all religions can visit Sikh temples (Gurdwaras) but must observe basic protocols & social courtesies like- cover your head, remove shoes, no smoking or drinking intoxicants.

3. Multi-Level Approach: Sikhism recognises 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 nevertheless.

4. Visits to holy shrines and pilgrimages not encouraged The Sikh Gurus have discouraged the devotees from going on visits to holy sites and pilgrimages as this does not always result in any improvement in the person. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib informs the follower: "Pilgrimages, fasts, purification and self-discipline are of no use, nor are rituals, religious ceremonies or empty worship. O Nanak, emancipation comes only by loving devotional worship; through duality, people are engrossed in duality. ||2||" (SGGS page 75)

Note

The Punjabi language does not have a gender for God. Unfortunately, when translating, the proper meaning cannot be correctly conveyed without using Him/His/He/Brotherhood, S/He etc., depending on the language used for translation. This gives the impression that God is masculine, which is not the message in the original script. The reader must correct for this every time these words are used. That is why one has to be careful when reading certain translations (especially english) of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee.

See also Sikhism and Sikh religious philosophy.


These articles deal with Sikh Beliefs

Primary Beliefs and Principles | Technique and Methods | Religious Philosophy | Prohibited Behaviour | Underlying Values | Basic Tenets of Sikhism