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Sikh Dharma (Sikh = student of Truth, Dharma = Path of Righteousness) is a way of life combining freedom of expression and self-discipline:
" Naam Japanaa " chant God’s Name;
" Dharm dee kirat karnee " earn an honest living;
" Vandh chakanaa " share with others.
It is a way of life, a practical practicing reality, rather than a religion or philosophy. The guiding belief and faith of a Sikh is the unity of all things: that the Creator of the Creation is One. This is the opening declaration of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib: Ek Ong Kaar.
Rising in the Amrit Vayla
The Sikh’s first devotional practice is to rise before sunrise, in the Ambrosial hours of the Amrit Vayla, and to bathe or shower in cold water (to cleanse the body and stimulate the nervous system and circulation). Following this, she or he chants and meditates upon God’s Name, (in the Sadh Sangat"the Company of the Holy"if possible) sings God’s Praises and merges her or his consciousness with the Guru. This practice of Naam Simran (meditative remembrance on the Name of the Lord) serves to cleanse the mind of its limiting thoughts, and attunes it to the frequency of the Beloved, God.
Following Ardas, the traditional Sikh prayer, a Hukam"the order of the day"is read from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This passage gives the members of the Sadh Sangat thoughts for the day upon which to reflect, and teachings by which their lives can be guided. In Sikh Dharma, the Word of God presides over every gathering in the form of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. It is held supreme, and it is to this Word of God that the Sikh bows. A Sikh therefore bows only to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and never to any man or woman.
After the hukam from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is read, Prashad (blessed food) is distributed. Guruprashad (also known as called Karah Prasaad. See Appendix), is made according to the recipe of Guru Gobind Singh. This tradition of distribution of Prasaad was first initiated by Guru Nanak, to eliminate the class distinctions among members of his congregation by having everyone served from the same bowl.
In the Gurdwara (the Sikh house of worship""Gur" = Guru, "dwara" = door), or any gathering before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, all participants sit together, the men sitting on one side, and the women on the another. In the Guru kaa Lungar (Guru’s free kitchen and dining hall), all who come eat together without discrimination or segregation by sex.
The Daily Banis
The Sikh recites various daily prayers from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth of Guru Gobind Singh. These Banis serve to impart understanding of life and death, karma, dharma and destiny. They inspire and uplift, and teach us how to live our lives. By repeating the words which the Gurus themselves spoke, the Sikh re"creates, through the vibrations of sound, their state of consciousness (if they are recited with full concentration and devotion, rather than as a ritual performance). The technology of this Naad, this sound current, serves to stimulate the glandular secretions of the glands, affecting the brain (the hypothalamus and the pituitary) and so affects the brain chemistry, and thus consciousness. (See Chapter 4.)
Akhand Paath
There are other ceremonies and observances in which Sikhs participate when the occasion arises. Akand Paath (unbroken recitation of the complete Siri Guru Granth Sahib, taking 48 hours for the original Gurmukhi, or 72 hours in English) is performed on special occasions such as birth, death, marriage, etc. However, no special occasion is required. Sikhs hold regular Akhand Paaths to uplift, inspire and elevate the participants, the community and the world. (See Chapter 8.)
Holidays
Sikhs everywhere celebrate the birthday of all the Sikh Gurus and the martyrdom days of the two Sikh Gurus who sacrificed their lives for human rights and religious freedom: Guru Arjun Dev Ji and Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib. Other important religious celebrations are Baisakhi, when the Khalsa was formed in 1699 and Guru Gadi Day, when Siri Guru Granth Sahib was proclaimed the Living Guru. Celebrations include kirtan darbaars (kirtan = devotional singing, darbaar = court). Sometimes, stories from events in the Guru’s lives are narrated, poems recited and the teachings reiterated. Although the Amrit Parchar, the Sikh baptism, can be performed at any time, it is especially emphasized as a part of the commemorative activities on Baisakhi Day.
Because these special days are based on the Indian calendar, they fall on different dates in the Western calendar. (The exception to this is Baisakhi which falls every year on April 13.) A listing of when the holidays are celebrated each year may be obtained from The Office of the Bhai Sahiba.
Amrit Parchar
The Amrit Parchar is a baptismal ceremony administered to a Sikh when s/he declares that s/he is ready to give his or her entire life to the service of Truth and Righteousness. S/he is initiated into the Khalsa, the Brotherhood of the Pure Ones of God. S/he "surrenders his or her head", ego, to the Guru, and obeys all codes of conduct as God’s servant. (See Chapter 10).
All religious observances and ceremonies are performed for the purpose of joining the individual consciousness with the Universal Consciousness, the Akaal Purakh, the Undying Being. The rich traditions of Sikh worship services are not to be corrupted with ritualistic practices void of meaning. The Guru’s Court is not to be used as a podium for political prejudice, manipulation, or personal gain.
