From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sikh practices
Sikh practices
Part of a series on 1. [ism)|Kesh]] – long and uncut hair and a turban
Sikh practices and discipline to protect the hair on the head.
2. Kanga – small comb to be used twice daily to
keep the hair in clean and healthy condition.
Five Banis · Five Ks · Five Evils · Five Virtues · Simran ·
Sewa · Three pillars · Sikh Rehat Maryada 3. Kaccha – underwear in the form of shorts to
exercise self-control.
4. Kara – a steel slave bangle on the dominant arm
Sikh practices are simple, precise and practical guide- to remind the Sikh to always remember the Guru
lines laid out by the Gurus for the practice of the "Sikh before undertaking any action.
way of life". The Gurus emphasise that a Sikh should 5. Kirpan – a short, often dagger-sized sword to
lead a disciplined life engaged in Naam Simran, medi- remind the Sikh that he is to defend against
tation on God’s name, Kirat Karni, living an honest life repression of the weak.
of a house-holder, and Wand kay Shako, sharing what 2. Meditate by reciting his Gurbani and by singing his
one has with the community. This translates into hard Kirtan (music based hymns) and remember Him
work, honest living, love of fellow humans and through always.
them service of the God, the primal power. This way of 3. Wash your mind clean with Sewa, selfless service to
life is said to have been stripped of complications, myths, the community by doing manual work at the
jargon, rituals and exploitation of man by man in the Gurdwara by cleaning the dishes, washing the floors,
name of religion. No benefits are gained by where and to painting the walls; working in Community Centres;
which family the person is born to – All have to under- in old peoples homes, etc.
take the rigours of Simran (meditation) and Sewa (self- 4. Practice Truth at all times: To live by the Gurus
less service) to progress spiritually. The Sri Guru Granth instruction to practice Truth thus: "Those who
Sahib asks the Sikh to "Practice truth, contentment and practice Truth reap the profits, abiding in the Will of
kindness; this is the most excellent way of life. One who God. With the Merchandise of Truth, they meet the
is so blessed by the Formless Lord God renounces selfish- Guru, who does not have a trace of greed. (6)" (SGGS
ness, and becomes the dust of all. (3) ( [SGGS] page 51 (1)) page 59 (2)) and also "O Siblings of Destiny, follow
the Guru’s Teachings and dwell in truth. Practice
Disciplined life truth, and only truth, and merge in the True Word of
the Shabad. ||1||Pause||" (SGGS page 30 (3))
The Sikh is required to undertake the following obser- 5. Be kind and merciful to others: Kindness is a virtue
vances: that the Sikh have been asked to exercise at all
1. Wake up early in the morning. times. The Gurus have shown on many occasion how
2. Bathing and cleansing of the body should be to practise and live a life of kindness and mercy and
performed. have the following message for the keen devotee:
3. Cleanse the mind by spending some time meditating "Become ’Jivan-Mukta’, liberated while yet alive, by
on God. meditating on the Lord of the Universe, O mind, and
4. Engage in family life and address your maintaining faith in Him in your heart. Show , and
responsibilities within the family. realize that the Lord is pervading everywhere; this is
5. Attend to a work or study routine and earn a living the way of life of the enlightened soul, the supreme
by earnest means. swan. ||7||" (SGGS page 508 (4))
6. Undertake to help the less well off with monetary 6. Become a Gurmukh by doing Good deeds: The Sikh
and/or physical help. Gurus repeatedly ask the dedicated Sikh to always do
7. Exercise your responsibilities to the community and good deeds as shown by this verse from the Guru
take active part in the maintenance and safeguard of Granth Sahib - "The Gurmukh practices doing good
the community. deeds; thus he comes to understand this mind. The
mind is like an elephant, drunk with wine. The Guru
Personal regulations is the rod which controls it, and shows it the way.
||2||" (SGGS page 159 (5))
1. Wear the 5Ks
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sikh practices
Community practices External Links
1. Organise Gurdwaras: As a community Sikhs set up • Sikh Practice and History Web Site
local places of worship called Gurdwara. Services are • Fools Who Wrangle Over Flesh
held in the morning and evening including: • Adobe Version of Fools Who Wrangle Over Flesh
1. Asa-di-war kirtan • Professor Gurbax Singh Dhillon - Rehat Maryada
2. Sukhmani sahib paath • Video Showing Jhatka at Hazoor Sahib
3. Akhand Paath • The Myth of Goat Sacrifice and Hazoor Sahib
4. Ardas and Hukamnama • Tenets of Guru Gobind Singh by Baldev Singh
5. Kirtan programs • Sikhism.htm Can Sikhs?
6. Naming Ceremony • Sikh History
7. Marriage Ceremony • Sikh Scholar Views
8. Antam Sanskar
9. Amrit Sanskar, etc.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sikh_practices&oldid=460230385"
Categories:
• Sikh practices
This page was last modified on 12 November 2011 at 02:52. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view
2