Sikhism!

Hello Interfaith!

A few weeks ago Angad Singh, President of the Sikh Students Association, and I talked about Sikhism in our Face to Faith and I thought I'd just include some quick facts here for anyone who missed the discussion.  Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that comes out of fifteenth century northern India- initially as a response to the caste system in India.  The religion was founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the succeeding ten Gurus. On the death of the tenth Guru, our holy scripture the Guru Granth Sahib Ji became the ultimate spiritual authority.  The main tenets of Sikhism are naam japo (remember God/meditate), kirt karo (work hard and honestly), and wand chako (share with/serve your fellow man).  Service is very important and holds greater value than prayer.  For example, each Sikh temple or gurdwara has a langar hall (community kitchen) in which volunteers cook food which they serve to the community.  Interfaith is a large part of Sikhism and passages in the G
uru Granth Sahib come from people of all different castes (according to Hinduism) and creeds including Islam, Sufism, and Hinduism. Sikhs can be easily identified with their turbans, something we choose to wear as a symbol of spiritual strength.  Our turbans caused a lot of confusion post-9/11 as many Sikhs were targeted as terrorists and harassed for this.  However, Sikhism is a distinct religion from Islam and Hinduism and does have its own history, philosophy, beliefs, and practices.  Today Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion with the majority of followers residing in India.  I really enjoyed talking about my faith with you all and please let me know if you have any questions.

Also, I wanted to let you all know of this really great event coming up on November 7. The Hindu Student Organization is organizing a Diwali celebration at Town and Gown and will be providing a free dinner and live entertainment by USC cultural groups.  Diwali, the festival of lights, is a very big holiday in India and is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains alike as it has a lot of cultural significance for Indians. Be sure to rsvp at <http://hsodiwali2010.eventbrite.com/> It's going to be a lot of fun and I really hope to see you all there!