Sikhism - Religion or Way of Life?
Contrary to popular belief Sikhism is not a religion. The definition of Sikhism is not big enough to cover what Sikhism is. The official definition of religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. The purpose of this paper is to take apart the definition of religion and look at piece by piece in the context of Sikhism.
Nature was religion to primitive man. The lightning in the skies and the thunder that followed was man’s knowledge about a power above him. Light and sound were God to primitive man. The moment he looked up into the skies in fear was the moment of birth of God or a power much superior to him in his mind. As vocabulary increased within man’s mind and concepts began to form, so did religion and knowledge about God as the almighty.
Religion is illusory for it exists only in the waking state, but it does not exist during the sleeping state, and man is alive during sleep as much as he is during the waking state. If religion were real, primitive man should have religion without the presence of thoughts. This only means that religion is nothing but thoughts in the mind, as is everything else.
‘A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies’, Sikhism does not explain any of the above. Sikhism doesn’t explain who god is or define what god is or the purpose of God. Sikhism does explain who we are, what we are doing on earth and what are purpose is. Sikhism does not explain the unexplainable; it gives us a better understanding of the things we already know. The purpose as explained by Sikhism is to become the best humans we can be and to remerge with the creator. Sikhism teaches how to live life. That is why the creators of Sikhism were called Gurus or teachers and the followers Sikhs or students.
Every child and adult is given a religion to follow and adhere to so that he or she may lead a happy life - a certain investment to reach heaven. Its importance is emphasised to philosophical proportions. Religion and, thereby, God, if followed to the letter, is believed to ward off evil and protect man from harm. But is he free from hate or anger while he prays or when he is in a place of worship? Is he free of all that is unholy when he does not pray or is not in a place of worship? If God is the creator of the world, who could possibly be creating evil or wrong besides God? It is unthinkable that God would be the creator of good and bad, right and wrong as a reality. It has to be illusory for God is compassionate and loving. So, has religion and philosophy failed to deliver its promises and will it ever succeed? Who can tell?
The Guru’s didn’t teach devotional practices or ritual observances to help their Sikhs find a path to earn gods favor. They taught how to be good human, to work hard, to share, to give and to remember the world does not revolve around you. In fact those are the pillars of Sikhism; “Kirat karni” ( to earn a honest living),” Vand shakana” (to share what you have with others, that aren’t as well off) and “naam japna” (to always remember there is a higher power and it’s not all about you). As time went on the Gurus added more teachings as the times called for them. They taught not to take substances which harm your body or mind. If you take a minute to think about all the damage drugs and alcohol have caused to this earth, you realize the importance of banning drugs and alcohol for everyone. They taught sticking up for the weak; first with your words, actions and then with weapons, if necessary as a last resort. Many of the teachings of the Gurus seem simple, practical and covered by many of the religions that came before Sikhism. That is why Sikhism is not a religion; it doesn’t just teach those things, it makes the Sikhs implement it to become true Sikhs. As the Western Sikhs would say “It teaches one to live happy, health and holy lives….3HO”.
Man is born without a religion and he obtains the religion that exists in the family. Religion is, therefore, more familial than real. Life is energy and energy alone. Energy has no religion, yet man has a religion: how real could it be? Words and meanings are an auditory illusion of sound and so every religion is illusory rather than real. Religion has driven man away from God rather than bringing him to God, and this is exactly what it is meant to do so that religion and philosophy may exist. If men were made to realise that only God exists and not man, religion would collapse.
Morals are a huge part of Sikhism and that is the part of the definition of religion that fits Sikhism. You have to have strong morals to become a Sikh. Sikhism asks you to work on ridding your life of all your bad habits, which takes a lot of patience and strength.
The ego is deceived by the intelligence of Life that it were the doer, speaker and the thinker. This is the root of the sense of separation: the ego‘s claim of doership. Oneness could not be thought, nor spoken, nor done. Oneness reveals itself when the ego sophisticates spontaneously and uncontrollably to become the witness. The ego perceives the world as real and to be shaped, altered and controlled, the witness watches life as an illusion.
This is Peace, and Peace is Life. The Enlightened Being is “Peace in action”, illusory it may be. The Enlightened Being has nothing to defend and therefore could respond compassionately to Life as it is and not as the mind thinks it is. But this is not an act done by the Enlightened Being, it is how Life sophisticates itself in the reflection of the Enlightened Being.
There is not a right way or a wrong way to do things. The right way is the way life flows and the wrong way, too, is the way life should flow so that the right, which may be recognised as right by man, may happen. The wrong is right too, which man does not recognise as being right. Both right and wrong are together and harmonious, while they appear separate in the mind for the drama to go on eternally as disharmonious.
Sikhism does not convert people to this lifestyle, not even the people born into it. Each person has to follow this difficult path of Sikhism at their own pace and when it’s right for them.
[Note: An attempt (in Italics) is made herein above to present "Religion" from a different perspective also. Excerpts are from diffrent articles by Dr. Vijay S. Shankar ]