The Sikhs Essay -- essays research papers fc

In the year 1469 a man namedGuru Nanak was born into a Punjabi-Hindu family. Hisname f snatchor "He who was born at the home of his mothersparents", which was in Talwandi, near Labone ("Sikhs"647). We hold out little just closely Nanaks life but a lot about hisbeliefs from a book called " Adi Granth" or " Granth Sahib",which means holy book. Some of his beliefs were the verityof "karma" and "reincarnation".These are beliefs that ouractions in this life determine how high or low well be in ournext life. The Hindus and Muslims believe it is best toworship, missionize, learn and write the sacred scriptures,and other religious public actions and behaviors. Nanakbelieved that this is wrong. He mat up that the people should beinvolved in inward meditation to the God, Akal Purakh(Nanak was a monotheist, believing in one god). Nanakbelieved that Akal Purakh is the almighty creator andsustainer of the domain and he has no form. If one i s trulydevoted to Akal then Akal whitethorn reveal himself to you in"nam" or the godly name. Since Akal created the solid ground andeverything in it then, the world dissolve be considered anexpression of "nam",(McLeod 5). Akal, to reveal himselfthrough "nam", speaks the "sabad" or divine word, through aloyal believer. This believer acts as the eternal guru, orteacher, speaking in the mystical voice of Akal through the"sabad". A guru can achieve this divine harmony with Akalby the practice of "nam simaran". This can be accomplishedin many an(prenominal) ways. One way is by the ingeminate of a "mantra", aword that expresses the divine reality. Another way is to twaddledevotional songs or even to have got deep mysticalconcentration. Guru Nanak attracted many disciples, or"sikha" (this is where the name Sikh comes from). These"sikhas" were the original Sikhs. Before Guru Nanak died he establish a successor fr om among his disciples to be thesecond guru. This started the chain of the ten Sikh guruswhich lasted 439 years from the birth of Nanak to the deathof Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, in the year 1708, ("Hindusand Sikhs" 11). Nanak institute as his successor Lehna orLahina, who later changed his name to Angad (Angada wasa lesser legendary hero of that time).... ... run away with the guns given to them by the law of nature or join the Sikh militants, ("Throwing Punches" 30) Itis very dangerous for journalists to write about the Sikhs. Inthe past few years. seventeen journalists have been killed bythe Sikhs because they have written unfavorable articlesabout the Sikhs and their terrorist activities, ("ThrowingPunches" 30). A recent Sikh terrorist act involved Sikh"freedom-fighters" stopping a have in Punjab. They boardedthe train and killed forty-seven innocent people,("Forty-seven Killed" A1). Sikhism has changed from thetime of Guru Nanak, whe re it was a peaceful, inward religious beliefto the present where there is much violence by the Sikhs andpride in their violent ways. Bibliography "Forty-seven Killedby Sikh Militants". Wall Street journal 27 Dec. 1991 A1"Hindus and Sikhs". Scholastic Update 10 Mar. 1989 11McLeod, W. H. The Sikhs. N.Y. Columbia UniversityPress, 1986. "Sikhs". cyclopedia Brittanica. 1963 edition."Sikhs Attack Bombay" New York Times 6 Mar. 1992A12 "Throwing Punches in Punjab" The Economist 5 Jan.1991 30