Sikhism

Origins• Founder: mystic poet Nanak (1470-1540)• Called by God to become a renunciant at 30 • At 50, three day rapture and revelation from God

– “This is no Hindu; There is no Muslim.”• India was being ruled by the Mughals, a Muslim

Empire. There were tensions between Mughals and Hindus of India.

• Nanak taught that there was one all-powerful, loving God.

• Nanak believed that God called him to be a guru or teacher.

Beliefs

• Monotheism – One god by many names – Brahma, Rama, Hari, or Allah; you just cannot confine him to any one name

• Sikhs call him Lord Sat Nam, the True or Absolute Name

• Repetition of his name is as good as pilgrimage to Mecca or Benares

• In submission to it, lies freedom

Growth of Sikhism

• Sikh means disciple• Nanak continued to wander as an itinerant

poet surrounded by disciples. • He was the first guru. There were 9 more

after him.• 8 million believers today• Minority religion in India but the majority

population of the Indian State of Punjab (65% are Sikh)

Scriptures and Practices

• Holy Granth – sacred scriptures, a collection of poems of Nanak, Kabir, and others (kept in the Golden Temple in Amritsar – Sikhism’s holiest shrine)

• Communal worship – hymns, prayer, scripture reading, sermons, and sharing of food together (communion rite at end of worship and communal dinners afterwards)

Warrior Tradition• Tenth guru Gobind Rai (1666-1708) began the

Khalsa, a special military wing of the Sikhs in 1699

• Sikhs were being persecuted by the Mughal emperor Aurangzib

• Rai asked for five volunteers willing to give their lives – this began a military traditions

• Not cutting hair, covered by turban, a comb, a steel bracelet, a special pair of undershorts, and a kirpan, double-edged dagger

• Took the name Singh – “lion”

1984 Genocide

• Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi) by two of her Sikh bodyguards

• Response to when Indian troops stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar (Sikhism’s holiest shrine)

Jainism

Background

• Mahavira (c.540-468) “Great Hero” – founder, was a wandering mystic

• Experienced full liberation (moksha) and wanted to teach others the way to it

• Followers believe he was the last of the Tirthankaras (“Crossing-Makers”)

• Tirthankaras are celebrated as jinas (victors) over their human bodies

Great Struggle• Jains view the struggle not against a

human enemy but over oneself

• One’s own material nature can be defeated by perseverance in asceticism (self-denial)

• Jivas (souls or particles of life) exist in all things – gods, humans, animals, plants, even stones, dust, and air

• Jivas are trapped in the material shells because of karma

Karma Traps Souls

• Jains believe all karma – good or bad – traps souls in the cycle of rebirth (reincarnation)

• The only solution is to become an ascetic and break down the karmic shell (your body) until your soul can reach liberation

Nonviolence Toward All Things• Extreme form of nonviolence called

ahimsa– Strict vegetarians– Put screens over lamps and light bulbs to

prevent bugs from burning themselves– Wear handkerchiefs over mouths and noses

in areas where there are lots of bugs so as not to inhale and kill them

– Sweep the sidewalk in front of them with a delicate broom to make sure they do not step on creatures

Path to Liberation

• Laity (or everyday Jains) live in a way so as not to put any more burden on the souls hoping to be reborn a monk

• Monks attempt to make strong effort toward moksha by practicing ahimsa and great asceticism

Respect for Living Things

• Jain temples often have adjacent buildings for abandoned animals and sick birds

• Influenced Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King (use of nonviolence during protest)