There are more than25 million Sikhson the satellite , making Sikhism the fifth - largest faith in the human beings , yet many westerners are sorely ignorant of this monotheistic , centuries - old religious belief with roots in South Asia . Chances are that if you ’ve witness a man or char in the United States get into a turban , they are Sikh — notMuslimorHindu — and part of the gallant community of roughly500,000 Sikh Americans .
The wordSikh(pronounced with a inadequate " i " like " sick " ) means " prentice , " and Sikhs consult to their religion asSikhior the " path of learning . " This path , as instruct by a succession of 10 sort out gurus and written in the Guru Granth Sahib ( Sikh scripture ) , focuses on cultivating selfless sexual love toward all of God ’s wight through service and supplication .
God, Gurus and Equality
Sikhi is not a combination or offset of any other religion . It is a distinct religious faith establish in 1469 by a man identify Guru Nanak , who taught that there was one God , that all live existence contained a divine spark of this space being , and that all people were therefore adequate and equally deserving of dear . Guru Nanak was acquit in the Punjab part of South Asia , now split between advanced - day India and Pakistan , and his message of full equality was in part a basal rejection of the caste system , which viewed entire socio-economic class of citizenry as " untouchable . "
To a Sikh , theguruis a " ghostly teacher . " Guru Nanak was the first of 10 living gurus or enlightened teacher who were prompt by God to unveil the path of Sikhi to the world . Before the passing of the 10th guru in 1708 , the interminable and perpetual guruship wasbestowed to the Guru Granth Sahib , a solicitation of writingsfrom the 10 gurus plus teachers from other faiths , and to the Guru Khalsa Panth , the community of initiated Sikhs . Sikh now reckon the Guru Granth Sahib and the Guru Khalsa Panth together as the " living and perpetual Guru . "
" The Guru Granth Sahib is an embodiment of the Guru ’s pedagogy and therefore an incarnation of the Guru , " order Pritpal Kaur , teaching theater director for theSikh Coalition , a Sikh advocacy and outreach constitution . " That ’s why it ’s treated with the awe and respect of a living guru . "
If a Sikh family has the Guru Granth Sahib in their abode , for exercise , it ’s give its own elbow room . And at Sikh position of adoration , known asgurdwaras , the Guru Granth Sahib is place on a crapper and devotees bow down to the scripture out of respect , says Kaur .
Seva, the Sikh Practice of Selfless Service
While the gurus and Sikh Holy Writ discuss reincarnation and the " afterlife , " Sikhs are primarily focused on the here and now — what they can do in their daily lives to love and serve others , and to be spectral warrior for social justice and equality , says Kaur . The Sikh practice session of altruistic Robert William Service , calledseva , is fundamental to the religion .
For instance , one of the oldest and most hold dear tradition in Sikhi is calledlangar , preparing and serving destitute meal for the public . In India , most Sikh gurdwaras are open 24/7 and dish up vegetarian meal to a continuous stream of people from all walks of life . The solid food is prepared by Tennessean and , truthful to Sikh principles of equality , everyone is welcome — and seated together on the story to erase course distinctions . Gurdwaras in the U.S. also practicelangar , but may serve food during specific hours , says Kaur .
Simran Jeet Singh , awriter and scholarnamed by Time magazine publisher as one of16 people fighting for a more adequate America , say that service is a great path to search beyond oneself and experience that connection with God and fellow organism .
" Sevalines up really beautifully with one of the gist Sikh teachings , which is that we suffer in this life because we are disconnected from our own divinity , " say Singh . " The disjuncture occurs because of our self-importance . Seva can become a casual practice that helps erase the ego , and in that elbow room really start up feeling the selfless making love that is our ultimate destination . "
Turbans and Other Articles of Faith
The turban is one of the most seeable outward article of faith of Sikhism . For those who have formally joined the community of Sikh beginner , called thekhalsa , it becomes a required spiritual prerequisite as an article of religion . In a ceremonial occasion calledAmrit Sanchar , private Sikhs formally pull to living by the guru ’s teachings , including spiritual practice , study and societal justice . ( Womenmay wear off turban too , but more often they wear a farsighted scarf joint called achunni . )
" It ’s like a apparitional wedding to God , " says Kaur . " And along with the commitment comes a character of uniform as well . "
Along with the turban , initiated Sikhs show their commitment to God by maintainingfive additional " article of faith , " that they will don including :
Taken together these items are known as theFive Ks .
" It ’s up to the individual and their personal journey [ as to when to be initiated ] , " says Kaur . " Some Sikhs wish to make a commitment as early as 7 or 8 years honest-to-goodness , and others do it in their 70s or LXXX . Some never end up making a courtly commitment , but they ’re still part of the Sikh community and are n’t gauge . "
Being a Turbaned Sikh in America After 9/11
The first Sikhs immigrate to the United States in the late 19th century and settle in California and other west coast community . While turbaned Sikhs have been frequent butt for xenophobic and racist attacks in America , the situation got far worse after the Sept. 11 attacks , when the turbaned Sikh identity come to be conflated with the stereotype of a " Muslim terrorist . " On Sept. 15 , 2001,Balbir Singh Sodhi , a Sikh gasoline place owner in Arizona , became the first American killed in a post-9/11 hate criminal offence . In 2012 , a white supremacistkilled six worshippersat a Sikh temple in Wisconsin . And four Sikhs wereamong the eight pour down at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis in April 2021 .
Singh , the author , grew up as one of the only turbaned Sikhs in his Texas residential district and was in high shoal when the Sept. 11 attack happened . He and his family experience backlash from racists during this sentence . He knows that even today wearing the toque make him a potential prey for hate , but it only strengthen his resolve to live out his Sikh value , which include fighting for DoJ for all faith , include his Muslim brothers and sisters .
" As I wrap my turban every day , I think about what it have in mind to me : our principles , our history , and especially my commitment to justice and wholeness , " says Singh . " I see my pillbox as a public statement : ' Here ’s who I am . You know what I ’m about , and feel costless to hold me accountable to that . ' "
Rather than being something to fear , turban should be learn as an outward sign of the zodiac of love and service , add Kaur . " If you need assistance and you see somebody in a turban , you should bleed toward them , not off from them , " she says .
