Religious Philosophy

The Sikh Religious Philosophy can be divided into 5 Sections:
==Primary Beliefs & Principles==
#One God: - There is only ONE God who has infinite qualities and names; S/He* is the same for all religions; 
#Re-incarnation, Karma & Salvation: – Every creature has a Soul; on death, the Soul is passed from one body to another until Liberation.
#Remember God: Love God but have fear of Him* as well.
#“Humanhood” (Brotherhood*): All human beings are equal. We are sons and daughters of Waheguru, the Almighty.
#Uphold Moral Values: Defend, safeguard and fight for the rights of all creatures and in particular your fellow beings. 
#.	Personal Sacrifice: Be prepared to give your life for all supreme principles – see the life of Guru Teg Bahadur.
#Many Paths lead to God: – Sikhs are not Special: The Sikhs are not the chosen people of God – By just calling yourself a Sikh does not bring you salvation.
#Positive Attitude to Life: “Chardi Kala” – Always have a positive and obtemistic view of life.
#Disciplined Life: Upon baptism, must wear the 5Ks; strict recital of the 5 prayers Banis, etc.
#No Special Worship Days: Sikhs do not believe that any particular day is holier than any other.
#Conquer the 5 Thieves: It every Sikhs duty to defeat these 5 thieves
#Attack with 5 Weapons: Compassion (Daya), Truth (Sat), Contentment (Santokh), Humility (Nimrata) and Love (Pyar)
For more on this section select Primary Beliefs and Principles
==Underlying Values==
The Sikhs must believe in the following Values:
#Equality: All humans are equal before God – No discrimination is allowed on the basis of Caste, Race, Sex, Creed, Origin, colour, education, status, wealth, etc.
#God's Spirit: All Creatures have God's spirits and must be properly respected. Show love for all living things. Mistreatment of any living creature is tabooed and forbidden.
#Personal Right: Every person has a right to life but this right is restricted and has attached certain duties – Simple Living is essential.
#Actions Count: Salvation is obtained by one's actions – Good deeds, remembrance of God – Naam Simran, Kirtan, etc.
#Living a Family Life: Must live as a family unit (householder) to provide and nurture children for the perpetual benefit of creation.
#Sharing: It is encouraged to share and give to charity 10 percent of one's net earnings.
#Accept God's Will: Develop your personality so that you recognise happy event and miserable events as one – the Will of God causes them.
#The 4 Fruits of Life: Truth, Contentment, Contemplation and Naam, (in the Name of God)
For more information on this section select Sikhism Underlying Values
==Prohibited Behavior==
#Non-Logical Behavior: Superstitions; rituals, which have no meaning, pilgrimages, fasting and bathing in rivers; gambling; circumcision; worship of graves, idols, pictures; compulsory wearing of the veil for women; etc.; 
#Material Obsession: (“Maya”) Accumulation of materials have no meaning in Sikhism. Wealth, Gold, Portfolio, Stocks, Commodities, properties will all be left here on Earth when you depart. Do not get attached to them.
#Sacrifice of Creatures: Sati – widows throwing themselves in the funeral pyre of their husbands; lamb and calf slaughter to celebrate holy occasions; etc.
#Non-Family Oriented Living: A Sikh is not allowed to live a recluse, beggar, yogi, monk, Nun, celibacy, etc.
#Worthless Talk: bragging, gossip, lying, etc. are not permitted.
#Intoxication: Drinking alcohol; Drugs; Smoking tobacco; consumption of other intoxicants; etc.
#No priestly Class: Sikhs do not have to depend on a priest fro any of the functions that need to be performed.
For more information on this section select Sikhism Prohibited Behaviour
==Technique and Methods==
# Naam: Japo – Meditation & Prayer, Free Service Sewa, Simran, Sacred Music Kirtan
# Kirat Karni: - Honest, Earnings, labour, etc. while remembering the Lord
# Wand kay Shako: - Share with Others who are deserving, Free Food langar, 10% Donation Daasvand, etc.
For more information select Sikhism Technique and Methods
==Other Observations==
#Not Son of God: The Gurus were not in the Christian sense “Sons of God”. Sikhism says we are all Gods kids and S/He* is our Father/Mother.
#All Welcomed: Members of All religions can visit Sikh temples (“Gurdwaras”) but please observe the local rules – Cover Head, No shoes, No Smoking when going in to the Main Hall.
#Multi-Level Approach: Sikhism recognises the concept of a Multi-level approach to achieving your target as a disciple of the faith. For example, “Sahajdhari” (slow adopters) are Sikhs who have not donned the full 5Ks but are still Sikhs nevertheless.
For more information on this section select Sikhism Other Observations
 ‘*’ = the Punjabi language does not have a gender for God. Unfortunately, when translating, the proper meaning cannot be properly conveyed without using Him/His/He/Brotherhood, S/He, etc. but this distorts the meaning by giving the impression that God is masculine – which is not the message in the original script. The reader must correct for this every time these words are used.
Category:Sikhism
Category:Glossary of Sikh Terms
Category:Sikh belief