Besakhi - the Sikh Perspective
It is well known fact that Guru Amar Das had extensively travelled to
the places of the pilgrimage, both before and after the attainment of
the Gurudom. He came across thousands of people, as well, who were,
proceeding on such sojourns. They had to travel hundreds of miles
through arduous circumstance; some never reached their destinations
and some never returned home to see their loved ones. There is no
dearth of stories of innocent people being exploited and plundered by
the so-called priests at such `tirath asthans'. The pilgrims were
harassed and expropriated by the officials of Mughal Sarkar's Tax
(Jaziya) Collectors. On top of all that Guru Amar Das observed
thousands dying of cholera and other diseases by having dip in and
drinking the polluted and contaminated water.
Guru Amar Das wanted people to be emancipated of such miseries. His
ever-innovative mind thought of providing people with facilities to
attain peace and solitude, and such places he wanted easily
approachable with clean environments. The erection of the Baoli at
Goindwal Sahib was the first in this venture.
Guru Amar Das laid stress on the fitness of the human body. With this
in mind he arranged and flourished the wrestling and very often
sponsored periodic meets.
Baisakhi had been celebrated in the Punjab, probably, since the advent
of Aryans. Such bouts were held there but unfortunately, during
jubilation, people indulged in the undignified joviality too. The Guru
had already perceived this when one day his devoted Sikh, Bhai Paro,
suggested that once a year they should assign one day for the people
to come to have Gu...
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.... The discriminatory class distinction,
promoted by Brahmins and Mullahs, was equally responsible for the
degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the
caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living
examples of his dream; both the high and low castes were amalgamated
into one. Among those Panj Pyares, there was one Khatri--shopkeeper,
one Jat--agriculturist, one Chhimba--washer-man, one Kahar--water-carrier,
and a Nai--barber. He designated the surname of Singh--lion to every
Sikh and himself became Guru Gobind Singh.
With an indiscreet identity Guru Gobind Singh put all the Sikhs on one
platform of Courage, Sacrifice, and Equality. Thus the Sikh Religion
was placed under the protection of SIKH NATION and endowed the
distinction of KHALSA PANTH on Baisakhi day, March 30, 1699.
According to the Romans, people are sent to the River of Forgetfulness so they can reincarnate into another life. However, those who have acted badly in their lives do not have the option of reincarnation reincarnation, and, instead, must stay in perdition forever. The Blackfeet Indians believed in a ghost camp afterlife where all the dead went In the reading it did never say if good or bad people live there or if all dead people go there or only some; in this story there isn’t much information discussing the afterlife so I don’t really understand everything about what they thought would happen to you after death. The third myth is about what the Mantu think about the afterlife. In neither of the stories it really discusses much about it, the first myth the Man who would shoot Iruwa just talks about how the sun gods guard the underworld nothing more. In the second myth the girl who Wanted New Teeth all it talks about regarding the afterlife is that the chief, Imana brought back the woman’s children. One of the most interesting things in it was the egyptian mythology. It says once before entering the
Finding a way in life can be difficult. Following that way can be even more difficult, especially when it goes against someone's origin. In Acts of Faith, Eboo Patel tells his story of what it was like to struggle through finding himself. Patel asks the question of "How can I create a society of religious pluralism?" throughout the book, and raises implications about what our children are being taught in different societies throughout the world.
What kind of Muslims were in Central Asia before the Soviet Union? Were they integrated in the Muslim world or were they on the sidelines of the mainstream events? How much did they contribute to Muslim heritage? How hard was it for the soviet houses of culture to influence the Muslims of Central Asia? This paper attempts to explore these questions and these aspects of the history of Central Asia.
The book “Neither Man nor Women” is an ethnography about the Hijras of India published in 1990. Serena Nanda, author of the book, is a professor of Anthropology in City University of New York. When beginning her fieldwork in the study of the Hijras, she only had brief information about the Hijras since there was not much written about them before. Nanda knew she would encounter conflict in communicating with the Indian community and that she would need translators. In the city she settled in, Bastipore, which is located in south central India, there were three spoken languages. She states in the introduction that the translation process was “time consuming, but [she] felt it was necessary to make sure that [she] had correctly understood the subtleties and complexities in such conversations and to increase the reliability of [her] data” (xix). I can understand why it was so imperative to have a translator, especially because she wanted to provide readers with valid information of such unique group of people. Her organization of the book contained chapters with different informative topics about the Hijras. A few of the different sections consisted of: defining Hijras, an overview of the roles they played in society, description of their rituals and spirituality, the operation process, work, personal interviews of individual Hijras. The way she selected to organize the book is acceptable and easy to follow through. As a result of Nanda’s fieldwork, she was able to accumulate comprehension of the Hijras of India and give readers a glimpse of their lifestyle in great detail.
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
Arjuna gives up now, he will be full of shame, and a man who has given up
Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with countless Gods and Deities, that is now the third most followed religion in the world, after Christianity and Islam. The word “hindu” originated from the Sanskrit word “Sindhu” which is a historical name of the longest river in Asia, northwest of India. Hinduism is unique, the only religion without a founder, no one scripture, and it is without a specific set of rules and expectations. It is often described as being a way of life, unlike other religions, and is said to be an assortment of different religious, philosophical ideas, and cultural practices that began in India. While it doesn’t have specific teachings, it does have sacred texts, the Sanatana Dharma, otherwise known as “The Eternal Teaching”.
Hinduism is often viewed as a particularly tolerant religion. The lack of a single omniscient God, absence of a prophet, and the open worship of what may look like many Gods may tell a tale of open worship, individuality within religion, and a peaceful, tolerant way of life. Without further examining what Hinduism entails, this may seem like the perfect religion. When the impression of superiority is looked at with a little skepticism, the pretty picture is marred by the deep scratches of discrimination, sexism, and elitism.
Sikh Teaching on Wealth and Poverty Thedefinition of wealth is a large amount of money and valuable material possessions or the state of being rich. The definition of poverty is the condition of being without adequate food or money. Sikhs believe in Kirat Karna. This is to earn a living by honest means. Kirat Karna places on Sikhs obligation to earn a living by honest means.
Hinduism is easily the oldest major world religion that is still in use today. It has not only survived countless attacks but has also thrived and has changed little to none in the last 2500-3000 years. "The Aryans are said to have entered India through the fabled Khyber Pass, around 1500 BC. They intermingled with the local populace, and assimilated themselves into the social framework. The Aryans did not have a script, but they developed a rich tradition. They composed the hymns of the four vedas, the great philosophic poems that are at the heart of Hindu thought" (The Aryans and the Vedic Age, 2004, par. 2).
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most famous, and definitely the most widely-read, ethical text of ancient India. As an episode in India's great epic, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita now ranks as one of the three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism; the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Though this work contains much theology, its kernel is ethical and its teaching is set in the context of an ethical problem. The teaching of The Bhagavad Gita is summed up in the maxim "your business is with the deed and not with the result." When Arjuna, the third son of king Pandu (dynasty name: Pandavas) is about to begin a war that became inevitable once his one hundred cousins belonging to the Kaurava dynasty refused to return even a few villages to the five Pandava brothers after their return from enforced exile, he looks at his cousins, uncles and friends standing on the other side of the battlefield and wonders whether he is morally prepared and justified in killing his blood relations even though it was he, along with his brother Bhima, who had courageously prepared for this war. Arjuna is certain that he would be victorious in this war since he has Lord Krishna (one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) on his side. He is able to visualize the scene at the end of the battle; the dead bodies of his cousins lying on the battlefield, motionless and incapable of vengeance. It is then that he looses his nerve to fight.
In the Middle East around the seventh century, a new religion was founded. This religion, Islam, according to Patheos.com, has since then earned a very prestigious place in the world as it accounts for over 1,500,000 followers (Islam Origins, Islam History, Islam Beliefs). It is the second largest monotheistic religion in the world, right after Christianity. The Prophet Muhammad is said to be the creator of this practice after claiming that Allah, the creator of the world, had spoken to him. There is no other Prophet, and, therefore, teachings of Muhammad the Prophet, whom acquired his teachings from revelations he received from Allah. Islam later fragmented into two branches called the Sunnis and the Shias. Each has their own beliefs on how Allah would want for them to carry out their lives. These branches are divided mainly by geographical factors.
The worship of Allah is principal in a Muslim’s mind at all time. There are also five formal acts of worship which help strengthen a the faith and obedience of a Muslim. They are frequently called the “Five Pillars of Islam”. The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework and guidelines of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith, prayer, supporting the needy, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the once in a lifetime trip to Makkah for those who are able to do so. These Five Pillars are the thing Muslim’s do to please God and to keep themselves well and happy in this lifetime and for the future ones to come. It was Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, who was reported to have said, “Islam is based upon five pillars”.
In recent modern times, the Islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism worldwide concerning terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women. All these issues have existed in most religions throughout time, but the treatment of women is different in which most other cultures and religions have minimized the issues and Islam, under its attempts to also end it, has failed to create a society in which the treatment of women is equal to that of men. The treatment of women, beginning from the time when they are born, to the time of their marriage, to the moment of their death, has not been equal to that of men despite the actions taken to end the injustice.
McLeod, W. H. (2003). Sikhs of the Khalsa: A history of the Khalsa rahit. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.