Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538), considered to be the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari- an accountant of land revenue in the government. Guru's mother was Mata Tripta and he had one older sister, Bibi Nanki. His parents, Kalu Mehta and Matta Tripat, were Hindus of the Khatri caste. From the very childhood, Bibi Nanki saw in him the Light of God but she did not reveal this secret to anyone. She is known as the first disciple of Guru Nanak. Even as a ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538), considered to be the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore (in what is present day Pakistan). His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari- an accountant of land revenue in the government. Nanak's mother was Mata Tripta and he had one older sister, Bibi Nanki. His parents, Kalu Mehta and Matta Tripat, were Hindus of the Khatri caste. From the very childhood, Bibi Nanki saw in him the Light of God but she did not reveal this secret to anyone. She is known as the firs ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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Practicing Sikhs are bound to wear five Kakaars, or articles of faith, known as The Five Ks, at all times. It is done either out of respect for the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of sense of duty or from understanding of their function and purpose and relevance in daily life. It is important to note that The Five Ks are not merely present for symbolic purposes. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could a ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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A Sikh known as Yogi Bhajan brought the Sikh way of life to many young people in the Western hemisphere. In addition to Indian-born Sikhs, there are now thousands of individuals of Western origin who were not born as Sikhs, but have embraced the Sikh way of life and live and teach all over the world. Currently, there are about 23 million Sikhs in the world, making it the fifth largest religion in the world. Approximately 19 million Sikhs live in India with the majority living in the state of Punjab. Large populations of Sikhs can be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and United States. They also comprise ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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A baptised Sikh becomes a member of the Khalsa or the "Pure Ones". When a Sikh joins the Khalsa, he/she is supposed to have devoted their life to the Guru, and is expected not to desist from sacrificing anything and everything in a struggle for a just and righteous cause. The word "Khalsa" has two literal meanings. It comes from Persian. One literal meaning is "Pure" and the other meaning is "belonging to the king". When the word "Khalsa" is used for a Sikh, it implies belonging to the King, where the King is God himself. To become a Khalsa, a Sikh must surrender themselve ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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Practicing Sikhs are bound to wear five Kakaars, or articles of faith, known as The Five Ks, at all times. It is done either out of respect for the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of sense of duty or from understanding of their function and purpose and relevance in daily life. It is important to note that The Five Ks are not merely present for symbolic purposes. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own spirituality and to others' sp ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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A baptised Sikh becomes a member of the Khalsa or the "Pure Ones". When a Sikh joins the Khalsa, he/she is supposed to have devoted their life to the Guru, and is expected not to desist from sacrificing anything and everything in a struggle for a just and righteous cause. The word "Khalsa" has two literal meanings. It comes from Persian. One literal meaning is "Pure" and the other meaning is "belonging to the king". When the word "Khalsa" is used for a Sikh, it implies belonging to the King, where the King is God himself. To become a ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. The word Sikh is derived from its Sanskrit root 'śiṣya' (शिष्य) which means "disciple" or "learner", or from the Pāli word 'sikkhā' (सिक्खा). In the Punjabi language the word Sikh also means humble follower. So a Sikh is a disciple of the Ten Gurus and a follower of the teachings in Sikhism's holy scriptures who they regard as a living guru, the Guru Granth Sahib. Most Sikhs are of Punjabi background and live in the state of Punjab, India, but the Sikh community stretches out to over ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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The Sikh religious philosophy can be divided into the following five sections: Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles. Main article: Sikhism primary beliefs and principles Sikhism advocates the belief in (Ek Onkar) who is omnipresent and has infinite qualities. This aspect has been repeated on numerous occasions in the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs do not have a gender for God nor do they believe God takes a human form. All human bein ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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The documentation on Sant Thakar Singh's life is mainly limited to the few details he communicated about himself during his talks and public appearances. A biography composed of stories about the Master was collected by Wendy Heid in 1994, and it touches the central points from the perspective of the inner, spiritual aspirations. It has few points of contact with concrete people, places, or times. Sant Thakar Singh corrected and edited this work, however, and it was subsequently reprinted in 2000 and again in 2005, so the facts presented are ...

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Sant Thakar Singh, Sant Thakar Singh - Biography, Sant Thakar Singh - Early years, Sant Thakar Singh - Initiation, Sant Thakar Singh - Period of discipleship, Sant Thakar Singh - Selfless service and devotional work, Sant Thakar Singh - Guruship, Sant Thakar Singh - Illness and death, Sant Thakar Singh - Successor, Sant Thakar Singh - Teachings, Sant Thakar Singh - The Basic Proposition of Spirituality: We Are Souls Not Bodies, Sant Thakar Singh - The Requirement of Personal Experience In Spiritual Matters, Sant Thakar Singh - Soul Is The Prisoner Of Mind And Matter, Sant Thakar Singh - The Purpose Of Human Life, Sant Thakar Singh - Karma And The Revolving Powers, Sant Thakar Singh - The Nature of Suffering, Sant Thakar Singh - The Functional Role of the Living Master, Sant Thakar Singh - The Key Concept Of The Sound Current: Shabd Naam or Word, Sant Thakar Singh - Love versus Attachment, Sant Thakar Singh - Controversies, Sant Thakar Singh - Childhood Meditation, Sant Thakar Singh - Land Purchase In Oregon, Sant Thakar Singh - Work With The Mentally Ill, Sant Thakar Singh - Biographical References

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The Sikh religious philosophy can be divided into the following five sections: Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles. Main articles: Sikhism primary beliefs and principles, and [[]], and [[]], See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 to a Khatri family in central Punjab. After four epic journeys (north to Tibet, south to Sri Lanka, east to Bengal and west to Mecca and Baghdad) Guru Nanak preached to Hindus and others, and in the process attracted a following of "Sikhs," or disciples. Religion, he taught, was a way to unite people, but in practice he found that it set men against one another. He particularly regretted the antagonism between Hindus and Muslims as well as certain ritualistic practices that distracted peop ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

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The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the Sikhs. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the meaning of the word to an even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original usage, and apply it to an understanding of imparted knowledge through any medium. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able Guru disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhism are of belief in one God and in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined i ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

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According to the Deval Smriti there can be eleven kinds of gurus and according to Nama Chintamani there are ten types. According to his function gurus are categorized as rishi acharyam upadhya kulapati mantravetta Vaishnava traditions usually categorize gurus as: vartma-pradarshaka guru (any person who first shows one the path) shiksha guru diksha guru sannyasa guru (who initiates one into sannyasa order) caittya guru ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

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The word guru means teacher in Sanskrit, as well as in other languages derived from Sanskrit, such as Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati. The word originated in a Hindu context and holds a special place in Hinduism, signifying both the sacred place of knowledge (jnana) and the imparter of knowledge. The word comes from the Sanskrit root "gru", an adjective literally meaning "heavy, weighty" as in "heavy with knowledge" [1], "heavy with ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

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Unlike the personal life of the Master, about which very little has been documented, the teachings of Sant Thakar Singh are an open book. Indeed, the documentation of the Master's teachings is both extensive and multi-media in character. We have books, circular letters, video, and audio tapes spanning almost 30 years. Sant Thakar Singh - The Basic Proposition of Spirituality: We Are Souls Not Bodies. If we are to eat, we are to eat for God. If we are to have a body, it is only for finding God. If we ...

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Sant Thakar Singh, Sant Thakar Singh - Biography, Sant Thakar Singh - Early years, Sant Thakar Singh - Initiation, Sant Thakar Singh - Period of discipleship, Sant Thakar Singh - Selfless service and devotional work, Sant Thakar Singh - Guruship, Sant Thakar Singh - Illness and death, Sant Thakar Singh - Successor, Sant Thakar Singh - Teachings, Sant Thakar Singh - The Basic Proposition of Spirituality: We Are Souls Not Bodies, Sant Thakar Singh - The Requirement of Personal Experience In Spiritual Matters, Sant Thakar Singh - Soul Is The Prisoner Of Mind And Matter, Sant Thakar Singh - The Purpose Of Human Life, Sant Thakar Singh - Karma And The Revolving Powers, Sant Thakar Singh - The Nature of Suffering, Sant Thakar Singh - The Functional Role of the Living Master, Sant Thakar Singh - The Key Concept Of The Sound Current: Shabd Naam or Word, Sant Thakar Singh - Love versus Attachment, Sant Thakar Singh - Controversies, Sant Thakar Singh - Childhood Meditation, Sant Thakar Singh - Land Purchase In Oregon, Sant Thakar Singh - Work With The Mentally Ill, Sant Thakar Singh - Biographical References

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The guru's blessing is the last of the four foundations in Vajrayana Buddhism. In this foundation, the disciple can continue in their experiential path on the way to the true nature of reality. The disciple regards the guru as the embodiment of Buddha, or a Bodhisattva, and he or she shows devotion and great appreciation toward the guru as such. In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the teacher is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of inspiration on the path to Enlightenment. In the Tibetan tradition, ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

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The word parampara (Sanskrit परमपरा) denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. The Hinduism dictionary defines parampara is "the line of spiritual gurus in authentic succession of initiation; the chain of mystical power and authorized continuity, passed from guru to guru." In Sanskrit, the word literally means: Uninterrupted series of succession. Parampara is also known as Guru (teacher) Shishya (disciple) parampara or guru parampara, where the knowledge ...

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Guru, Guru - Etymology, Guru - Guru in Hinduism, Guru - Guru in Buddhism, Guru - Guru in Sikhism, Guru - Types of gurus, Guru - Succession and lineage parampara, Guru - Guru in a Western culture context, Guru - Gurus in the West, Guru - Assessment and criticism, Guru - Notable scandals and controversies, Guru - Bibliography

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Sant Thakar Singh - Childhood Meditation. In the mid-1980's Sant Thakar Singh issued a number of circular letters on family life and child rearing. These circulars are unfortunately quite hard to find as they were never formally collected into a book. They were not popular, nor were they followed to any great extent even by near devotees; and 20 years have passed. However, the substance of the circulars (w ...

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Sant Thakar Singh, Sant Thakar Singh - Biography, Sant Thakar Singh - Early years, Sant Thakar Singh - Initiation, Sant Thakar Singh - Period of discipleship, Sant Thakar Singh - Selfless service and devotional work, Sant Thakar Singh - Guruship, Sant Thakar Singh - Illness and death, Sant Thakar Singh - Successor, Sant Thakar Singh - Teachings, Sant Thakar Singh - The Basic Proposition of Spirituality: We Are Souls Not Bodies, Sant Thakar Singh - The Requirement of Personal Experience In Spiritual Matters, Sant Thakar Singh - Soul Is The Prisoner Of Mind And Matter, Sant Thakar Singh - The Purpose Of Human Life, Sant Thakar Singh - Karma And The Revolving Powers, Sant Thakar Singh - The Nature of Suffering, Sant Thakar Singh - The Functional Role of the Living Master, Sant Thakar Singh - The Key Concept Of The Sound Current: Shabd Naam or Word, Sant Thakar Singh - Love versus Attachment, Sant Thakar Singh - Controversies, Sant Thakar Singh - Childhood Meditation, Sant Thakar Singh - Land Purchase In Oregon, Sant Thakar Singh - Work With The Mentally Ill, Sant Thakar Singh - Biographical References

Read more here: » Sant Thakar Singh: Encyclopedia II - Sant Thakar Singh - Controversies

InterFaith - Sikhism: Interfaith Religion. One religion, which was founded on principles of interfaith, is Sikhism, whose founders have since 1469 defined and preached the rule of interfaith dialogue and interfaith respect. A Sikh by definition must respect and accept all other world religions. The SGGS says on page 142: “Without the Lord’s Name, life is worthless. Through doubt, the people are being destroyed. One who recognizes that all spiritual paths lead to the One shall be emancipatedSee also:

InterFaith, InterFaith - The InterFaith movement in different religions, InterFaith - Sikhism: Interfaith Religion, InterFaith - Christianity, InterFaith - Islam, InterFaith - Hinduism, InterFaith - Buddhism, InterFaith - Judaism, InterFaith - Network of International Interfaith Organisations, InterFaith - External link

Read more here: » InterFaith: Encyclopedia II - InterFaith - The InterFaith movement in different religions

InterFaith - Religious Science: Interfaith Religion. InterFaith - Baha'i: Interfaith Religion. InterFaith - Sikhism: Interfaith Religion. One religion, which was founded on principles of interfaith, is Sikhism, whose founders have since 1469 defined and preached the rule of interfaith dialogue and interfaith res ...

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InterFaith, InterFaith - The InterFaith movement in different religions, InterFaith - Religious Science: Interfaith Religion, InterFaith - Baha'i: Interfaith Religion, InterFaith - Sikhism: Interfaith Religion, InterFaith - Christianity, InterFaith - Islam, InterFaith - Hinduism, InterFaith - Buddhism, InterFaith - Judaism, InterFaith - Network of International Interfaith Organisations

Read more here: » InterFaith: Encyclopedia II - InterFaith - The InterFaith movement in different religions