Sikhism

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The word “Sikh” is derived from the Sanskrit “shishya” or (in the English translation) disciple. While most scholars see Sikhism as a blend of Hinduism and Islam, Sikhs consider their religion to be God’s own unique revelation to their primary prophet, Guru Nanak. At the same time, it is clear that Nanak saw Hindus and Muslims as equally faithful, and that his goal was to bring to humanity the message that devotion to God is the point; the means of expressing that devotion is secondary.

The Gurus

The first of ten Gurus, “the purest, the saintliest and the noblest of all,” Nanak (1469-1539) was a mystery to both his family and the larger community. For example:

• Raised a Hindu, Nanak studied those scriptures and also read the Quran at a young age.
• As a boy he preferred meditating to playing with other boys his age.
• He asked teachers about the mystic meaning of their lessons (generally getting no answer) and once asked a doctor whether it was possible to cure disease of the soul.

Born into a high-caste family in what was then the Indian state of Punjab, Nanak’s father was an accountant for the government. Nanak had one older sister, Bibi Nanki, who was his first disciple. Always far more interested in the spiritual life than in worldly pursuits, he was quite a trial to his business-minded father. Given the chance to try his hand at buying and selling goods for profit, he gave away all the money. Later, after his marriage, he did successfully and efficiently manage a granary for a time. He left that position to embark on his divine mission. Like other prophets, he apparently disappeared into the wilderness for several days (in his case, into a river, although some believe he bathed and then went into a forest), where he had a vision in which God informed him of his life’s work.

Sikh tradition states that Nanak was born a guru, since his first Divine message was given when he was only seven years old. He traveled widely as an adult, drawing large crowds eager to hear him speak. He seems to have had a reputation for calling people out on their hypocrisy, in a way that not only caused them to change their ways but often made them decide to become his disciple.

Nanak was followed by ten other Gurus, who each conferred the Guruship on their successor and each of whom was believed to embody the Divine Light. The 11th one, Guru Granth Sahib, was installed in 1708 and declared to be the “Last Guru for ever.”

Sikh Tenets

Sikhism’s basic precepts include:

• The existence of God is a fact, not a hypothesis.
• Human life has a purpose and a goal: to merge with God.
• We are made up of body, mind, and soul. Our job during this life is to integrate and perfect these aspects of ourselves.
• Each of us is responsible for our own actions. We cannot avoid the consequences of our actions --- except through divine grace.
• We are to be committed to the welfare of all, because service to God is service to His creation.

Beyond these, there is advice echoing the Christian admonition to “pray without ceasing.” The fourth Guru, Ramdas, wrote that a Sikh should “… hold the Name in his heart all through … the day. The one who repeats the Name with his every breath is a most dear disciple of the Guru.” Presumably this would aid one in meeting other commandments: to discipline the mind, to “struggle against the five vices … [of] lust, anger, greed, attachment, and pride,” and to live ethically. The latter instruction includes “decent work which is neither immoral nor antisocial. [One must] be creative and productive … to labour and not be a parasite.” All of this is an effort to conquer our personal ego, which stands between us and God.

Sikhism incorporates many detailed instructions regarding daily life, some of which echo Christianity’s Ten Commandments:

- Do not steal, nor exploit the poor.
- Do not covet another’s wealth.
- Do not commit adultery.
- Do not kill.

The use of alcohol and other drugs is, of course, prohibited. Other instructions dictate daily Sikh religious practices and forbid practices from other religions.

Sikhism and the Theosophical Movement

Early leaders of the Theosophical Society, including Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, and A. P. Sinnett, were well acquainted with Sikhs. Some practitioners of Sikhism may have been admitted as members of the TS, but their names are not known. However, Sikh Salig Ram became a subscriber of The Theosophist as early as 1882. He was mentioned in Mahatma Letter No. 31,dated around November, 1881. Master Morya called Salig Ram "a truly good man" with tendencies toward mediumship and "misdirected mysticism."

In 1926, a Sikh Fellow of the Theosophical Society, Hukm Chand Kumar published a book, Guru Nanak as an Occultist through the Blavatsky Press in Hyderabad. He had been vice principal of the Sindh National College that was associated with the Theosophical Educational Trust. He dedicated the volume to Dr. Annie Besant.

Additional resources

Articles

• Sikhism in Theosophy World.
• Nesbitt, Eleanor. "Helena Blavatsky, Dorothy Field and Annie Besant: Theosophy’s role in introducing Sikhism to the West" Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory 16 no. 3 (2020): 227-243. Published online December 13,2019. Abstract at TandFonline.

Books

• Kumar, Hukm Chand. Guru Nanak as an Occultist, or The Philosophy of the Japji. Hyderabad: BLaatsky Press, 1926. 62 pages.