Flourishing religion dates back 500 years

Sikhism is an East Indian religion that began 500 years ago in Punjab, India, and today flourishes with 20,000 followers throughout the world, including a growing congregation in Solano County.

Emblems of Faith Khanda A symbol of the Sikhs, the Khanda derives its name from the double-edged sword found in the center of the symbol. The sword is a metaphor of divine knowledge. The circle around the Khanda is the Chakar, symbolizing that God is eternal. The two curved swords surrounding the Chakar are kirpans, ceremonial swords and one of the five articles of the Sikh faith. Nishan Sahib The flag that waves above every Sikh gurdwara. It is triangular in shape and has the Khanda emblem. Ik Onkar Words that often appear on Sikh property. The words are the first two in the Guru Granth Sahib and mean, "There is only one God." Sikh Gurus Guru Nanak Dev 1469 - 1539 Guru Angad Dev 1504 - 1552 Guru Amar Das 1479 - 1574 Guru Ram Das 1534 - 1581 Guru Arjan Dev 1563 - 1606 Guru Hargobind 1595 - 1644 Guru Har Rai 1630 - 1661 Guru Harkrishan 1656 - 1664 Guru Tegh Bahadur 1621 - 1675 Guru Gobind Singh 1666 - 1798

Inside their temples, Sikhs keep their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, a 1,430-page tome that contains the sacred writings of Guru Nanak Dev and four of his nine successive Gurus, as well as historical religious sages who lived during a span of five centuries.

"Guru" means master, and "granth" means wisdom, explained Vacaville resident Parmjit Singh, 48, a lecturer at the El Sobrante temple, or gurdwara.

"They (the authors) were chosen from different parts of Asia, and different religions, from different castes, from different spheres of life," Singh said. "The only criteria of that was they would love one god and work for humanity."

The writing of the Guru Granth began with Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. He collected the writings of a Muslim poet from the 11th century.

"He collected hymns of Farid and Kabir, who lived in the 11th century," Singh said. "It was completed in the 1604. It's all in poetry. Any questions you ask, the answer is there, any question about life, how to live a good life."

Guru Nanak said he saw God and was filled with a divine light that inspired the writings. He passed on that guiding light and collection of writings to the second, third, fourth and fifth Gurus, who completed, edited and installed the holy book at Amritsar, Punjab, the home of the Sikh's sacred Golden Temple, explained Singh.

"God is one, God is fearless and without hate, and he does not come in the cycle of death and birth," Singh said. "He's neither female nor male, he cannot be seen from human eyes. With eyes of faith, you can see him, with eyes of love, you can see."

At the Fairfield temple, two antique swords sheathed in royal blue velvet with steel handles are placed at dueling angles in front of the book. The sword is a symbol of wisdom that merges with a Sikh's identity as a saint and a soldier, said Singh, an orthodox Sikh-American and authority on the Sikh religion.

The placement of the swords is symbolic of the swords used in the Sikhs' past religious clashes against enemies of humanity, at the same time symbolic of the separation of truth from untruth, Singh said.

Sikhs believe that those who do not follow the teachings of the Guru will go to another life, maybe millions of times, until they reach the level of spirituality set forth in the Guru Granth, he explained.

Each life is a rare chance to become one with God, and realize God in this life, he said. "Otherwise, if you slip, you will go through the cycle again."

The only way to achieve purity is through what is know as the "Khalsa" baptism, a ceremony initiating a Sikh into a life where they are expected to live up to the teachings of the Guru, Singh said.

There are many Sikhs who have not been baptized because being Khalsa can be difficult for some, Singh said.

A Sikh who has been baptized in the Khalsa brotherhood must adhere to the five articles of the Sikh faith:

• Kesh, or the wearing of unshorn hair, a symbol of spirituality;

• Kangha, or comb, carried to symbolize cleanliness

• Kara, a steel bracelet worn on the right arm as a reminder of restraint, defense and remembrance of God at all times;

• Kaccha, or the wearing of undergarments as a symbol moral character and insurance of briskness of movement when in battle.

• Kirpan, or the wearing of the ceremonial sword, a emblem of power, dignity and instrument of offense and defense.

The "Khalsa" baptism was founded by Guru Gobind Singh, who died in 1708. He was the last of the 10 gurus, deciding that there would be no Guru succeeding him and the Guru Granth would become the "living" Guru.

He also ruled that all Sikh men take the middle or last name of Singh, which means lion in Punjabi, and all Sikh women take the name Kaur, which means princess.

"One of the ultimate (aims) of Khalsa is to merge with God, with the blessings of the Guru," explained Parmjit Singh.

Barbara Smith can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.