The Faith
The beliefs, practices, and values of Sikhi — the evergreen foundations beneath the history. Like everything on this site, each topic is cited.
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Foundations & Philosophy
The core beliefs of Sikhi — the oneness of God, the equality of all people, and a life of devotion, honest work and service.
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Ik Onkar — One God
The foundational Sikh belief in one universal, formless, timeless Creator, expressed in the opening words of the Guru Granth Sahib.
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The Guru Granth Sahib
The Sikh scripture and, since 1708, the eternal Guru — a collection of sacred hymns compiled by the Gurus themselves.
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Festivals & Gurpurabs
The days the Sikh community marks together — the anniversaries of the Gurus, and festivals rooted in Sikh history.
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Ceremonies & Rites of Passage
The ceremonies that mark a Sikh life — naming, initiation, marriage and death — all centred on the Guru Granth Sahib.
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The Rehat Maryada
The Sikh code of conduct — the shared discipline of belief and practice, approved by the SGPC in 1945.
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Women in Sikhism
Equality between women and men is written into Sikh teaching from the beginning — in principle and in the community's institutions.
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Naam Simran
Remembrance of the divine Name — the central spiritual practice of Sikhism, and the one the Gurus return to more than any other. Not a technique for altered states, but a way of living with attention.
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The Five Ks
The five articles an initiated Sikh wears at all times — uncut hair, comb, steel bracelet, undergarment and sword. They are the most visible thing about Sikh identity and the least casually understood.
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The Dasam Granth
A large second scripture associated with Guru Gobind Singh, containing compositions used daily by every Sikh — and others whose authorship has been argued over for two centuries. The most contested text in the tradition.