COMPONENT 3 A Study of a World Faith

Option 6: Sikhism

1 hour exam

25%

Reference to relevant sources of wisdom and authority are expected, including scripture and/or sacred texts.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of beliefs, teachings and practices within a world faith.

Areas of Study • Ceremonies • Festivals • The Sangat • Amritsar

Area of Study: God

Areas of Study • The Nature of God • God as Creator • God’s relationship with human

life

Area of Study: Central Concepts

Area of Study: Sikh Lifestyle

Area of Study: Central Practices

Areas of Study • The Oneness of Humanity • Gurmukh • The Afterlife • Sewa • The Sangat

Areas of Study • The Gurdwara • Worship

What is the purpose of life?

Learning Objectives

To consider SIKH beliefs about life after death.

To reflect on the concept of reincarnation.

Reincarnation - What’s the big idea?

The Sikh life cycle

Reincarnation Re’ means ‘again’

‘in’ means ‘in’ (!)

‘carn’ means ‘flesh’

Meaning, ‘again in flesh’.

Sikhs believe that a ‘Spark of the Divine’ is in everyone. The human soul is a part of God.

Sikhs believe that a ‘Spark of the Divine’ JOT is in everyone. The human soul is a part of God.

The soul is not a material thing .. It cannot decompose or rot !

The soul is the inner presence of God … so like God, it is IMMORTAL.

Death is just the beginning of another life.

After death the soul appears before God who decides it’s future. Reincarnation or Mukti.

Key words

Karma

Key Word Definitions

The belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

The principle that people are rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to their deeds in the previous incarnation.

God’s kindness which is FREELY given.

FREEDOM .. Your soul has broken out of the reincarnation cycle and is reunited with God.

Do you believe that every one of us has lived many lives before? Use the scale 1 – 5 and write your number on a piece of paper.

1 2 3 4 5

Very unlikely

Rather unlikely

Possible Quite likely

Very likely

This of the soul is known as

Sikhs believe that each human has an which passes through a long cycle of existence occupying different bodies and experiencing repeated births, deaths and rebirths.

Reincarnation - What’s the big idea?

“By acting under the influence of self centeredness, man causes himself to be born repeatedly. If he understands self centeredness he can find the door of liberation” GGS

What’s the big idea?

Manmukh Gurmukh

ManMukh means being self centred

THE MATERIAL WORLD

Manmukh

“He shall wander from womb to womb in a cycle of birth .. So long as man is in love with the ILLUSIONARY goods of the world.” Guru Arjan

THE MATERIAL WORLD

Reincarnation

Rebirth might sound like a good thing but actually, Sikhs believe that going around and around in the cycle of life is keeping humans souls trapped in the material world away from the spiritual one .

Re’ means ‘again’

‘in’ means ‘in’ (!)

‘carn’ means ‘flesh’

Meaning, ‘again in flesh’.

“one who seeks pleasure wanders from birth to birth, not caring about God’s will” Guru Nanak

What’s the big idea?

Manmukh

THE SPIRITUAL WORLD

GurMukh means being God centred

Gurmukh

THE SPIRITUAL WORLD

Nam Jappo … meditate upon God’s name. “Without the name of God there is no release.”

Gurmukh

Gurmukh

Sikhs believe this is a law of the universe just like the law of gravity.

Karma means action

Refers to the law of cause and effect i.e. actions and their consequences…

Karma

Karma is the sum of a persons actions in this and previous lives, which decides their fate in their future existence.

Whether a person lives a gurmukh (god-centred) or manmukh (self-centred) life determines their future.

Karma is a Sanskrit word and a concept of eastern religions meaning 'action, effect, destiny.'

What is Karma?

If your actions are good you will get a good rebirth into pleasant circumstances; if they are bad you will get a bad one…

Karma The law: Every single action has an affect on something else.

Karma decides where you come back and what you come back as.

“Man’s life proceeds as his accumulated actions determine it. He receives joy or sorrow in accordance with what his past deeds have earned.”

Guru Granth Sahib

“The body is a field of karma in this age; whatever you plant, you shall harvest. Says

Nanak, the devotees look beautiful in the court of the Lord; the self willed Manmukhs wander

forever in reincarnation”

Guru Granth Sahib 78

Sikhs believe that you do NOT have to go through all 8,400,000 lives!

There are 8,400,000 forms of life! Human life is the highest form as humans can make moral choices. ONLY HUMAN life can attain MUKTI.

Karma

“By the karma of past actions, the robe of this physical body is

obtained. By His grace the gate of liberation is

found.” Guru Granth Sahib 2

Liberation / freedom – from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. MUKTI is …

Though many accept this might not happen for their next incarnation they aim to build up positive karma in the hope of a good rebirth that might be a little closer to mukti.

MUKTI is …

The Goal – of Sikhs is to eventually achieve mukti.

Key words

Karma

Key Word Definitions

The belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

The principle that people are rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to their deeds in the previous incarnation.

God’s kindness which is FREELY given.

FREEDOM .. Your soul has broken out of the reincarnation cycle and is reunited with God.

REINCARNATION IS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS

KARMA RELATES TO ACTIONS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES.

IS THE LIBERATION OF THE SOUL, THROUGH GOD’S GRACE.

In a nut shell

COMPONENT 3 A Study of a World Faith

Option 6: Sikhism

1 hour exam

25%

Reference to relevant sources of wisdom and authority are expected, including scripture and/or sacred texts.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of beliefs, teachings and practices within a world faith.

Areas of Study • Ceremonies • Festivals • The Sangat • Amritsar

Area of Study: God

Areas of Study • The Nature of God • God as Creator • God’s relationship with human

life

Area of Study: Central Concepts

Area of Study: Sikh Lifestyle

Area of Study: Central Practices

Areas of Study • The Oneness of Humanity • Gurmukh • The Afterlife • Sewa • The Sangat

Areas of Study • The Gurdwara • Worship

Reincarnation - What’s the big idea?

The Sikh life cycle

1. Reincarnation

2. Spark of the Divine

3. Jot

4. Soul

5. Immortal

6. Mortal

7. Body 8. Mukti

9. Manmukh

10.Gurmukh

11.Nam Jappo

12.Sewa

13.‘action – effect – destiny’

14. Man – centred

15. God – centred

16. Atma

17. Parmatma

18. Grace

19. Karma

20. Transmigration

3. If you thought that this life was only one of many, do you think it would make life less important or more important? Why?

2. How does a belief in reincarnation affect the way Sikhs view the good things and bad things that happen to them in life?

1. What would be the worst thing you could be reborn as and why?

Answer these questions Exercise 1

Draw a diagram to illustrate the idea of reincarnation. You must use the following vocab! Reincarnation Mukti Gurmukh Manmukh Karma Sewa Grace Soul

Exercise 2

Copy these quotations about reincarnation and explain what they mean. Exercise 3

“The body is a field of karma in this age; whatever you plant, you shall harvest. Says

Nanak, the devotees look beautiful in the court of the Lord; the self willed Manmukhs wander

forever in reincarnation”

Guru Granth Sahib 78

“By the karma of past actions, the robe of this physical body is obtained. By His grace the gate of

liberation is found.” Guru Granth Sahib 2

5 Sikh Vices aka 5 Evils aka 5 thieves The common evils found in mankind far exceed this number, but a group of five of them came to be identified because of the major obstruction they are believed to cause to man's pursuit of the moral and spiritual path.

Lobh (Greed)

Kam (Lust, extreme desire)

Moh (snare of worldly illusion)

Ahankar / Haumai (ego)

Krodh (uncontrolled anger).

5 Sikh Vices aka 5 Evils aka 5 thieves The common evils found in mankind far exceed this number, but a group of five of them came to be identified because of the major obstruction they are believed to cause to man's pursuit of the moral and spiritual path.

Guru Granth Sahib: 226

The self-willed Manmukh is lured by another

man's wife.

The noose is around his neck, and he is

entangled in petty conflicts.

…

One who dies in stubbornness shall not be

approved, even though he may wear

religious robes and smear his body all over

with ashes.

…

Union with God is not obtained by

arguments and egotism.

But by offering your mind, the comfort of the

Naam is obtained.

In the love of duality and ignorance, you

shall suffer.

Without money, you cannot buy anything in

the store.

Without a boat, you cannot cross over the

ocean.

Without serving the Guru, everything is lost.

5 Sikh Virtues Sat (Truth),

Santokh (Contentment),

Daya (Compassion),

Nimrata (Humility)

Pyare (Love).

Mukti Karma Manmukh Gurmukh 5 Vices 5 Virtues

Explain why a Sikh might try to live a

gurmukh life. (8 marks)

1. Reincarnation

2. Spark of the Divine

3. Jot

4. Soul

5. Immortal

6. Mortal

7. Body 8. Mukti

9. Manmukh

10.Gurmukh

11.Nam Jappo

12.Sewa

13.‘action – effect – destiny’