A Comparison of Sikhism and Hinduism What is religion? There is much debate to the exact definition of religion but according to the book Introduction to World Religions, “It is commonly used to refer to those beliefs, behaviors, and social institutions that have something to do with speculations on any, and all of the following: the origin, end and significance of the universe; what happens after death; the existence and wishes of powerful, non-human beings such as spirits, ancestors, angels, demons, and gods; and the manner in which all of this shapes human behavior”(Partridge,10). Sikhism first came about hundreds and hundreds of years ago in a community where religious beliefs were split between Hinduism and Islam. …show more content…
They believe that the world’s diversity is a gift and all religions are derived from one god. Sikhs also believe that god is beyond the qualities of male and female (224). The Sikhism religion preaches equality of all people in the eyes of god. It is very monotheistic opposed to Hinduism which has several schools of thought. Sikhs believe that all things may perish eventually but god will always remain. Sikhs believe that you reap what you sew. If you do something bad then eventually that bad deed will catch up to you and you will pay for it. Such ideas are expressed through karma, much like the Hindu belief in karma, Sikhs belief in many lives after death as a result of the karma in the life you just lived. Sikhs disagree with Hinduism when it comes to karma in that they do not believe that people are defenseless beings. In Sikhism the cycle of life and death is regarded as the ultimate punishment and can only be overcome if they conduct themselves in line with the teachings of the Gurus by being Guru-oriented as opposed to being self-oriented (Kalsi,225). In Hinduism there are many gods that are worshiped and many pictures of these gods which is not accepted in Sikhism. The Gurus in Sikhism are considered to be disciples of god but not god himself therefore is not to be worshiped. They were not to be considered divine but enlightened teachers (“History of Sikhism”,
(Wangu,11). Hindus believe that all their actions and deeds will have some future effect-either this life or in the future. This idea is called the law of Karma. (Wangou,13) The Hindu social structure is divided into four sections, called the caste system. Particular castes have certain duties in the society, and their own set of beliefs regarding diet, contact, employment..etc. One must be responsible to upholding these duties. The family and society is clearly sacred to the Hindus and fulfilling these obligations is a religious duty (Wangu, 12).
Hinduism, Buddhism Jainism, and Sikhism are all Eastern religions with similar philosophical beliefs. In Hinduism you embrace a great diversity of different beliefs, a fact that can be easy confusing to western religions which are accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefully-worded beliefs of statements. In Hinduism you can believe a wide variety of things about God, and the universe. There are some beliefs common to nearly all forms of Hinduism that can be shown, and these common beliefs are generally regarded as boundaries outside which they are considered to be heresy or non-Hindu religion. The
Edward Burnett Tylor was born in 1832 and passed away in the year 1917. He was the founder of modern academic discipline of anthropology. Tylor belonged to a generation of academics and was raised in a religious family. He was a well-educated individual who began his own career in fieldwork in Mexico and ended up receiving and honorary doctorate from Oxford University where he was the keeper of the Museum. He eventually became the first Professor of Anthropology in Britain and later retired in 1909. Tylor had made different opinions on religion. He defined culture as a complex whole that consists of many attributes. Tylor also came up with an evolutionary view. This view was concerning culture and development and the fact that animism was
5. Sikhs believe in reincarnation and karma. This is one of the few fundamental areas that Sikhs adopted from Hinduism.
My purpose to write this essay on Hinduism and sikhism is because the two religions Sikhism and Hinduism is believed to be very similar if not same and the temples is told be almost identical this is ignorance of some people. The two religion have different gods and they represent their gods differently in the place of worship so my question is “how do hinduism and Sikhism represent gods in their places of worship” Which allows me to talk about that they are similar and different and there's individuality in the religion and aren't the same and representing gods in temple is always very important for every religion not just these two.
Every society is based on different religion. Different people follow different types of religion according to their birth or by choice. The major religions of the world are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Each religion is similar and different from one another in terms of festivals, practices and beliefs. Apart from Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are the two most widely practiced religions in the world today. They have their own traditions, beliefs and practices. These two religions are similar to some extent and differ in terms of the God they worship, religious text and the place where they offer their prayers.
Religion plays a crucial role in the daily lives of millions of people. This is even more evident in India. Hinduism and Sikhism are two very prominent religions in this nation (Pinkham, 1967). These two religions are closely linked but also have many distinct practices. Issues of the position of women in society, attitudes towards the caste system, and methods of worship are critical aspects of both religions. Among the many distinct practices that are shared between the religions of Hinduism and Sikhism is the status of women. In Hinduism, women can attain a certain status in that they can either become a nun or
Sikhism focuses on a central monotheistic deity which is integral to all Sikh beliefs. Sikhs believe God is vital to one’s contentment in life. Jains do believe in deities, but don’t believe in a creator. Jains don’t find deities important in their religion as liberation is not achieved through the intervention of gods, but through
Those who are raised within one religious tradition may find it difficult to understand the traditions of another religion. It is not until one is educated in the basics of the other major world religions, that it is possible to see the many similarities between them. Just as there are many similarities between the countries culturally, the major religions share more things than they are different. In viewing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism with an open mind, it is easy to see the differences, similarities and ideals that make these religions as widespread as they are.
In this essay I am going compare and contrast the rituals/ practices parts of sikhism and judaism. As we discussed in class, Sikhism is Monotheistic religion that was found in Punjab Pakistan in 1469 AD by Guru Nanak Dv Ji. The worship place for this religion is the Gurdwara. In my site visit to the Gurdwara I learned that this place open 24 hour and anyone may enter it no matter their faith, caste or skin color. I also learned that There are daily prayers and the three pillars of sikhism are to remember god at all time, to live your life honestly/with integrity and to share what you have with those less fortunate. In addition, Every day Sikhs worship the one God at their homes, even with or without a Gurdwara service. As we learned in class that in sikhism statues and pictures are not allowed. Furthermore, there is no prophets in Sikhism, only direct relation with god without mediator. The three jewels in Sikhism are Naam Japna,Kirat Karni and Vand chakna (Living Religions page . Additionally, Skishis do not drink intoxicating drinks and most of them are vegetarian. Also, sikhs wear the 5 KS which are Kangha,Kara,Kachera,Kirpan and Kesh. According to the book Living Religion in Skisham , Men should wear turbans and
Throughout the world, different nations have different beliefs or religion. Some religions evolve from others, and others are combination of other religions. Religion is a way of life, a lifestyle; it should dictate how you live your life. For instance, in India, Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, a religion were people believe in 300, 000 gods. Even though, Hinduism and Buddhism have different similarities such as believes in god, soul, and rituals, which in some ways connected to each other, both religions believe of what happens after life.
Gura Nanak born in the mid 15th century unlike Mahavira came to a belief in a single God. In addition, he developed the idea that the separation of Muslim and Hinduism into two religions was wrong. As a result of this experience, Nanak like Mahavira sought to spread his teachings by becoming homeless and wandering from place to place. Nanak’s creation was Sikhism, which is a melding of both Hindu and Muslim practices. One practice adopted from Islam, which is in opposition to Jainism is the practice of eating meat. According to Molloy, Nanak believed animals were created for the use of humans. Another emphasis particular to Sikhism is attention toward helping the poor. Nanak
Sikhism focuses on unity with God. Sikhism instructs to be one with God through meditation and simple, ethical and moral lifestyle. While some religions practice animal sacrifice, fasts, pilgrimage, omens and other rituals, Sikhism instructs that there is no need of such ritual because we can meet God with pure love towards Him.
Both of the religions Hinduism and Judaism are similar but different in their own ways. Hinduism worships many gods and goddesses, whereas Judaism is a confirmedly monotheistic religion. In the Hinduism religion the bedrock is the belief that the Vedas is sacred and the caste system decribed in it. “Hinduism is a guide to life, and the goal of which is to reach union with Brahman, the unchanging ultimate reality”(75). The dharma or moral law that need to be followed. There are many gods that were worshiped and each person may worship a different god. Images of the gods in homes or temples were presented where each person can show devotion to their personal gods by singing hymns or offering flowers before the images. The Hindus believe in many things such as that the universe undergoes and endless cycle of creation, believe in karma, that the soul reincarnates, the belief that all life is sacred.
My choice to compare two religions with so many similarities as Islam and Sikhism is mainly based on the fine, but very distinct differences and the interesting fact that they geographically meet in the Punjab Region between India and Pakistan.