C3 L0 Remote learning How did Sikhism begin PDF

Preview

Summary

how did sikhism begin all info needed on how it started and its founder...

Description

C3: U1: L0 – remote learning tasks How did Sikhism begin? Sikhism began in India nearly 550 years ago. Today, it has approximately 25 million followers, knows as Sikhs. The vast majority of Sikhs live in India, which is where the religion began. However, Sikhism has also spread to other countries, including the UK, which is now home to more than 700,000 Sikhs. Nanak’s childhood

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Country India UK USA Canada Malaysia Australia Italy Thailand Pakistan Philippines

Sikhs 19,000,000 707,000 500,000 405,000 100,000 72,000 71,000 70,000 50,000 3,000

The roots of Sikhism date back to a man named Nanak. He was born in 1469 CE into a Hindu family and grew up in an area of India called Punjab. In 1947, Punjab was split between India, which was mostly Sikh and Hindu, and Pakistan, which was mostly Muslim. The village where Nanak was born is now knows as Nankana Sahib and lies near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. After Nanak’s death, several stories were written about his childhood in a book called the Janam Sakhis. Many of theses stories involve miraculous events. For example, one of them tells how one day Nanak’s father asked him to look after his cows. While doing so, Nanak began to meditate, allowing the cows to escape into a neighbour’s field. The neighbour was furious, but when he went to inspect the field he discovered no damage at all. The cows had left no footprints and had not eaten a single blade of grass. Another story tells of how Nanak once fell into a trance while thinking about God. A dangerous snake slid alongside him, but instead of attacking Nanak the snake shielded him from the sun. No one can say for sure whether these stories are accounts of real events, but they show that the early Sikhs who wrote them down regarded Nanak as a very special person. The Janam Sakhis portray Nanak ass an extremely clever child who loved to challenge the religious beliefs and practices of his family and society. Although Nanak was born into a Hindu family, he probably came across other religious at an early age. He would have been particularly aware of Islam, because his father worked as an accountant for the local Muslim authorities.

The Mughal Empire In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, most of India was part of the Mughal Empire. The Mughals were Muslim conquerors from the area that is now Afghanistan. Many Mughal emperors promoted religious tolerance, but some were cruel. Hindus did not like being ruled over by Muslims and were often persecuted by them. Many battles were fought between the Mughals and the Sikhs. In Sikh scripture, Nanak is quoted as saying: The Kings are butchers and cruelty is their knife. Their sense of duty has taken wings and flown.

Nanak’s disappearance in the river According to Sikh tradition, when Nanak was about 30 years old, he had an experience that changed his life. Early one morning he went to the Kali Bein river to was and pray. He left his clothes on the bank and waded into the water – and the he vanished. When Nanak did not return, his family and friends feared that he had drowned. They dredged the river with nets and searched along the banks, but Nanak was nowhere to be seen. Three days later, Nanak reappeared, but he was in a trance and did not speak for a long time. When he did speak, he explained that he had been with God, and had been given a special revelation. Nanak proclaimed: ‘[There is] no Hindu nor Muslim, but only man. So whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God’s path. God is neither Hindu nor Muslim and the path which I shall follow is God’s.’ The meaning of this message was that while there are many different religions – which are often in conflict – there is only one God. Sikhs are therefore monotheists and believe that God loves all people equally, no matter how they worship him. This revelation also taught people the importance of religious equality and freedom. From this moment on, Nanak was given the title Guru, meaning a religious teacher or guide. Nanak was the first of 10 Sikh gurus. Check your understanding by completing the following questions in detail: 1. How many Sikhs are there in the world and where do they live? Approx. 25 million followers, and they are in countries all over the world. 2. When and were did Sikhism begin? India, 550 years ago. 3. What was the Mughal empire?

C3: U1: L0 – remote learning tasks 4. Describe what happened when Nanak was 30 years old. He went to he river to pray but his clothes disappeared and he was missing and when he came back he said there is no Hindu or Muslim there is only man and he will only follow gods path. 5. Why is the early life of Guru Nanak important to Sikhs? Give examples to support your points. How did Nanak spread his message? Guru Nanak’s encounter with God affected him deeply. He was convinced that it was his duty to share the revelation he had received. Over a period of twenty years, Nanak went on four long journeys. He visited holy Buddhist and Hindu sites as well as the Muslim cities and Makkah and Medina in Arabia. On all his spiritual journeys, he spoke to and debated with religious people. For example, when in Medina, he told Muslims that it made no sense to pray facing towards Makkah because God is omnipresent. The miracles of blood and milk During the first of his journeys, Guru Nanak performed a miracle. A man called Lalo heard that Nanak was passing his house. He ran out to meet him and insisted that the Guru stay and eat with him. Lalo was a hard-working carpenter, but he was of a low caste and did not have much money. This meant he was only able to provide Nanak with basic food but he was very generous with what he had. In the same village lived a rich but cruel and corrupt man called Malik Bhago. When Malik heard that the Guru was staying with a poor carpenter, he invited Nanak to join him for a luxurious feast. Nanak took Lalo with him to the wealthy man’s house, but refused to eat anything. Instead, he sat meditating quietly. Annoyed by the Guru’s actions, Malik said: ‘You are dishonouring my high caste by eating dry chapatis in the house of a low-caste carpenter. I am offering you delicious food. Why do you refuse to eat it?’ Nanak took a chapati from Lalo in one hand and a chapati from Malik in the other. As he squeezed them, milk flowed out from Lalo’s, but blood dripped from Malik’s. The people at the feast were shocked. Malik demanded to know what this insult meant. Guru Nanak told Malik that he had gained his food by treating people as slaves and causing suffering, whereas Lalo had earned his food through hard, honest work. ‘The wealth gathered by cruelty towards the poor is like draining their blood,’ Nanak explained. ‘Malik Bhago, you invited me to drink blood, leaving the food that is as pure as milk. How could I accept it?’ This story emphasises one of Guru Nanak’s core teachings: kirat karna (honest labour). Lalo became one of the earliest followers of Sikhism. He is known today as Bhai Lalo. Bhai means ‘brother’ and is a title that Sikhs give to those they respect. The establishment of Kartarpur After spending 20 years travelling, Guru Nanak and the disciples he had gathered on his journeys, set up the firsts permanent Sikh community as a place called Kartarpur, meaning the city or seat of God. Every day, Nanak’s followers prayed and did community work. They cooked food and welcomed anyone who wished to eat with them, regardless of their caste or religion. The death of Guru Nanak Nanak died on 22 September 1539 at the age of 70. Because thee disciples at Kartarpur had been both Muslims and Hindus before converting to Sikhism, they disagreed about what should be done with the Guru’s body. Hindus cremate their dead, while Muslims bury bodies facing in the direction of Makkah. To decide what should be done, they agreed to place flowers on each side of the Guru’s body. The group whose flowers lasted longest would get to choose what they did with Nanak’s body. According to legend, when they followers returned the next morning, the Guru’s body was missing, and both sets of flowers were ass fresh as the moment they had been placed by his side. This story shows how Sikhs believe that Nanak was very special and that he spread his message of equality even in death. Check your understanding by completing the following questions in detail:

C3: U1: L0 – remote learning tasks 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

How many great journeys did Guru Nanak make and where did he go? What message did Nanak give to Muslims? Describe the story of blood and milk in your own words. What might it show about Nanak? Where was the first Sikh community established and what happened there? Why was there a disagreement after Nanak died and what do the legends surrounding his death teach Sikhs?...