Sikhism- An Introduction Page 5

  In evaluating the role of Guru Nanak it is necessary to return to the words in which he described his calling. He said that he had been given the nectar of God’s Name so that he could offer it to any who would drink it. Those who drank it would achieve peace and joy. He went on:

  Your minstrel spreads your glory by singing your word. Through adoring the truth, Nanak says, we attain to the all-highest. (AG 150)

  Mysticism, social reform and political revolution might all be associated with Guru Nanak, yet he is best understood as God’s messenger or Guru to the Kal Yug, the age of darkness in which God’s name and the spiritual liberation which it could give had been forgotten.

  The word ‘Sikh’ means disciple. For many years it did not refer to men and women who belonged to a distinct religion but to people who followed the teaching that Guru Nanak and his nine successors gave.

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  THINGS TO REMEMBER

  If you can discuss Sikh origins with Sikhs or read Sikh interpretations you may be given several interpretations, some of which may differ from those given in this chapter. You are not dealing with right or wrong but the views of believers and of outsiders. It is essential for religious studies students to appreciate this – not only with regard to Sikhism.

  Like all historical figures Guru Nanak was influenced by his background. Often, however, believers give this background little place.

  The religious biographies of Guru Nanak disclose a child who had nothing to learn from Hindu or Muslim scholars. It is important to understand the purpose of these affirmations.

  The Gurus were primarily spiritual teachers or divine messengers, but their other concerns such as the status of women, justice, the poor, caste and pollution, should not be ignored.

  ‘Sikh’ means disciple, one who has embarked upon a journey rather than a person who has arrived.

  The Punjab still remains Sikhism’s homeland.

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  3

  Initiation

  In this chapter you will learn:

  how one becomes an amritdhari Sikh

  about Khalsa symbolism

  about the ethics of the Khalsa community.

  Most permanent groups of people, political, social or religious, devise some form of membership ritual. It may only be a membership card (after being nominated and upon paying the requisite fee) from the secretary, with a handshake being the only ritual act. It may be more elaborate, as when someone joins a uniformed organization and makes promises after passing various tests. The ceremony and the membership to which it leads gives coherence, identity and a degree of certainty to members – a feeling of belonging.

  Sikh initiation is the only true rite of passage in the Sikh religion. It is an act of personal commitment. Ceremonies, which will be examined later, such as naming and marriage, are not of the same kind either in terms of necessity or seriousness.

  In the early days of Guru Nanak’s preaching, a Sikh was merely a woman or man who responded to his message and became a learner or disciple of the path that he taught. Eventually, it came to have a more distinct meaning, especially when the Gurus began to wean their followers away from the beliefs and practices of Hinduism in particular. At some point, as happens commonly in guru cults, a form of initiation was introduced. Those who wished to become full members drank from a bowl of water that had been poured over the Guru’s feet. They would commit themselves to a certain spiritual and moral discipline which would include rising early in the morning to recite prescribed hymns and meditating on others in the evening, earning a living by honest toil, and serving the community. Eventually, the time to change the form of initiation came, though the core of the spiritual and ethical discipline remained largely unaffected.

  Vaisakhi 1699

  At the Vaisakhi assembly of 1699 when the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, summoned Sikhs to join him at a town called Anandpur, the first Sikh initiation ceremony of the kind used today took place. The Guru had decided to stamp his unrivalled authority upon the Panth once and for all.

  Vaisakhi does not mark the transition of the Sikhs from a pacifist religious group to an armed community. There is no actual evidence that pacifism has ever been a Sikh teaching. In fact some Sikhs were already armed. Guru Hargobind had employed mercenaries and in 1609 had built a fort in Amritsar. From 1680 Guru Gobind Singh was already training his followers in the use of arms. In that year he introduced a new rally which was called Hola Mohalla to coincide with the Hindu festival of Holi. This assembly was used to practise manoeuvres and for combat training. He had also fought battles and built fortresses, including the one called Keshgarh at Anandpur, to which the Sikhs were now summoned.

  Vaisakhi 1699 was the culmination of a process, the formalizing of existing practices. The main reason for the events of Vaisakhi 1699, however, seems to have been that the Guru had decided to confront and defeat the challenge of a powerful group, the masands. These were administrators used by the Gurus since the time of Guru Amar Das to look after the widespread Sikh Panth. One of their duties was the collection of offerings. Many, though not all, had become corrupt and some rivalled the Guru for control of the Sikh community.

  Guru Gobind Singh dramatically called upon Sikhs to be willing to follow him, even to the point of death. He did so by asking them, sword in his hand, who would die for him. At first no one came forward, but eventually a Sikh volunteered and was led into a tent. The Guru emerged soon afterwards with what appeared to be blood on his sword. Four more times he issued his challenge and each time the same process happened until, after the last had been taken into the tent, all five Sikhs emerged alive with their Guru.

  Conjecture often focuses upon what had actually happened to the five men. Speculation is futile and can be risky. To say that the Guru killed a goat, as has sometimes been suggested in books, is to upset vegetarian Sikhs of whom there are many. It also detracts from the main point, which is that the Guru was establishing his authority. With hindsight it can be seen that his action was also preparing his followers for the new situation of unrest and upheaval in Punjab that lay ahead after his death.

  The Guru put water in a metal bowl, his wife, Mata Sahib Kaur, added crystallized sugar (patashas), and he mixed them with a two-edged sword and used the amrit (as this sweetened water is called) to initiate the five men who had offered their lives. They then initiated the Guru and his wife. Guru Gobind Singh then called for other Sikhs to come forward and receive initiation; many thousands did but some turned away, perhaps because they disapproved of force or were afraid, but mostly because it was clear that the Guru was creating a community in which any remaining considerations of caste and pollution had to be set aside. Initiates were going to receive amrit that had been prepared in part by a woman from one bowl and from the hands of men who came from a variety of zats. Daya Ram, the first Sikh to offer himself, was a kshatriya; Dharam Das was a Jat; Mukham Chand was an untouchable washerman; Himmat was a potter and Sahib Chand was a barber. At the point of initiation, those who came forward at Vaisakhi 1699 were confronted with their attitude to caste. Most brahmins, it is said, left the gathering.

  The initiates were told that they were now members of a family, the Khalsa, which means the ‘pure ones’ and the ‘Guru’s own’. It was a term used by the Mughals to refer to land that was the personal possession of the sovereign, in the way that Sandringham and Balmoral belong to the British royal family and not to the nation as some other palaces do.

  The first five Khalsa members were called the panj piare, the five beloved ones. Khalsa members were to wear five items of dress, which in Punjabi begin with the letter ‘K’ and are therefore known as the five Ks, or panj kakkar. These are:

  kesh: uncut hair, including body hair. Regular washing should ensure that hair is clean, even waist-length head hair. Cleanliness is an important Sikh virtue. It should be remembered that all Sikhs should take a daily bath.

  kangha: comb that keeps the hair tidy.

  kara: a thin iron wristlet
worn on the right forearm, though left-handed Sikhs have been known to wear it on their left arm. Occasionally, someone may be seen wearing a gold kara but this defeats the purpose of the five Ks, which are meant to be symbols not ornaments.

  kirpan: a sword with a single cutting edge. It might be over a metre long, as is the one carried by panj piare on all ceremonial occasions. Some Sikhs wear a very small one which is embedded in the kangha but many Sikhs disapprove of this and wear a short kirpan some 15 centimetres long. In Britain they will often wear it under a shirt or blouse on the left side of the body. This is done so as not to offend non-Sikhs who might regard it as an offensive weapon. The British government links it with the Scots’ skean-dhu. Guru Gobind Singh taught that the kirpan was a defensive weapon, to be drawn only as a last resort. Should you ask a Sikh to show you a drawn kirpan the request might well be met with a polite refusal. As a friend said when I took some students to a gurdwara, ‘Sorry, Owen, but if it is drawn it should taste blood. You are my friend, I’m not going to stab you, and I’m too squeamish to prick my own finger!’ Occasionally, there are fights in gurdwaras, as Sikhs must concede, and kirpans are sometimes used. If police are called, the law takes its course and Sikhs do not try to defend the actions of their members. The community is also likely to discipline such Sikhs. The kirpan should never be called a dagger, which is a weapon of deceit used by assassins!

  kaccha: short trousers or pants tied with a drawstring. In India, and possibly other hot countries, Sikh men may be seen working the land wearing a pair of kaccha. Elsewhere they are worn as an undergarment.

  turban: men who are members of the Khalsa must also wear the turban as the Gurus did but it is not one of the five Ks. Women need not – it is sufficient for them to cover their heads with a scarf. Some women do wear a turban, however, especially the American Gora Sikhs. The purpose of the turban is not primarily to keep the hair tidy or free from dust, though it does fulfil this function. With one exception, its colour and shape has no particular significance. Namdharis (see Chapter 14) wear a white turban that lies flat across the forehead. Elderly Sikhs often wear white too, as do many young Sikhs who came to Britain from East Africa in the 1970s. The pattka, sometimes called a keshki, which Sikh sportsmen often wear, is not a substitute for a turban. This needs to be understood, especially by educationalists who do not like Sikh children wearing a turban in school. A child who has become an initiated Sikh, or who belongs to a family of initiated (amritdhari) Sikhs, must wear a turban as soon as he is able to tie one. This usually happens about the time of a boy’s tenth birthday (Figure 3.1). There is actually a turban-tying ceremony within the family to celebrate the event. This can mean a boy leaves school on Friday with his hair in a topknot (jura) and returns with the turban on the following Monday – to the consternation of teachers! With better communication, such family events could be regarded as opportunities rather than threats. (Sikh families might welcome teachers to this and to other domestic events.)

  Figure 3.1 The importance of the turban, even though it is not one of the five Ks, cannot be ignored by anyone who has seen a turban-tying ceremony.

  The symbolism of the panj kakkar

  The Khalsa symbols were primarily functional. The kaccha was more sensible for a warrior to wear than flowing robes or other similar garments of the period. The kara protected the sword arm and the kirpan was a popular weapon, easier to use than the heavier double-edged khanda. The uncut hair and the comb are less easy to explain in terms of practical usefulness. The kesh has always been regarded in the context of keeping the natural God-given human form, as opposed to Muslims who practise male circumcision, and to Hindus who shave the head on certain occasions or allow the hair to grow unkempt in the case of some groups of yogis. The hair with its comb indicates a disciplined spirituality.

  Of the other Ks it is easiest and most convincing to find symbolic meaning in the kara. It reminds Sikhs that God is one. Sometimes they will say it is a handcuff that binds them to God. Frequently they will say that, if they are tempted to do something wrong, as they put out their hand to do it the kara reminds them that they are Sikhs and God’s people; their consciences are pricked and they refrain.

  The kaccha is sometimes said to signify disciplined sexuality and the kirpan readiness to fight in the cause of the oppressed.

  In the present day when the five Ks have, for the most part, lost practical meaning as a military uniform and weapons necessary for protection, it is natural to provide symbolic interpretations to justify their continuing importance and you may come across many meanings beside those mentioned here. They should be accepted with respect. In religion, authentic meaning is often that which the believer gives to something whether or not some scholar endorses it.

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  Insight

  Of course, the real justification for wearing the five Ks is the Khalsa member’s obedience to the Guru’s command.

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  Issues relating to wearing the 5Ks in public

  Occasionally difficulties occur relating to the wearing of the five Ks in public. Solutions begin with (a) understanding the Sikh position; (b) talking with elders of the Sikh community.

  Kirpan Most have to do with wearing the kirpan in school where there may be a rule against carrying knives. Amritdhari Sikhs must wear the kirpan and amritdhari parents may expect their children to keep the five Ks. Most wear a kirpan about 10 cm long under the shirt and trousers where it attracts no attention. Some will hand it over to the custody of the captain of a plane or the headteacher if requested to do so. Some will wear it as a symbol embedded in the comb (kangha). Some will agree to it being sown or riveted into its sheath so that it cannot be drawn, but most would reject this solution.

  The kirpan is not an offensive weapon and attempts should be made to persuade the workforce/school members to accept it as they would any other religious symbols.

  Kaccha Sometimes pupils refuse to remove the kaccha to take a shower after PE. This situation has been resolved by them changing into another pair as they dry themselves.

  Kara The free wristlet could harm another person during games or cause personal injury to a Sikh using machinery, though the latter is unlikely. It may be possible to suggest that it be moved up the arm and held in place by an Elastoplast.

  Turban This should no longer present any difficulty. US and UK law clearly supports the right of Sikhs to wear turbans. Rather than suddenly appearing at work or school wearing a turban for the first time, it might be polite to warn people beforehand, though this shouldn’t really be necessary. Employers and headteachers should comply with the law.

  Necklaces Sikhs may wear a necklace bearing a medallion of Guru Nanak. This is as much a religious symbol as a cross or a star of David and should be treated with equal respect.

  In the end individual Sikhs will make their own decisions regardless of the advice of community leaders. That is Sikh egalitarianism.

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  The ethics of the Khalsa

  More important is the requirement to keep a moral code, for it is not outward appearance that makes a Khalsa Sikh. Guru Gobind Singh commanded the new initiates to consider themselves children of the same parents, himself and his wife, with their home Keshgarh, the fortress at Anandpur where the original ceremony was conducted. Thus, all differences that existed prior to initiation were eliminated. They should pray daily, tithe themselves and always keep the five Ks. They should never remove their hair, they should not eat meat from animals killed and prepared according to Muslim custom, they should not commit adultery, and they should never use tobacco or other drugs.

  Breach of any of these rules would result in the wrongdoer becoming an apostate (patit). He or she could be readmitted to the order by repeating the initiation ceremony, but the sangat would first need to be assured that their penitence was sincere. In theory, a Sikh can repeat the amrit ceremony several times, but a second lapse is likely to be met by rejection of a third request. Th
e patit can still attend the gurdwara and share karah parshad and langar. They will be told to be satisfied with that. Perhaps, some years later, should a lapsed member seem thoroughly repentant, he or she might be allowed initiation a third time.

  There are several minor prohibitions known as tankhas, the breach of which requires an act of penance, rather than re-initiation. The penance, decided by the sangat, might be community service – cleaning the shoes of worshippers in the gurdwara, cleaning the building, washing-up after langar … Interestingly, the penance should be practical – paying a fine would not do – and should not be humiliating, though it might be humbling. The aim is to reform the offender. Examples of tankahs are:

  dyeing the hair or plucking out white hairs!

  seeking a dowry for one’s child as part of a marriage arrangement