Sikhism

=**SIKHISM**= Guru Nanak had a bath one morning and disappeared for three years. People looked for him but couldn't find him anywhere. They thought maybe he had drowned but he came back and said "There is no Islam or Hindu.". He talked to God who told him to spend the rest of his life preaching. He didn't agree with the religion he followed at the time (Hindu/Islam) so he took God's advice and started Sikhism. This happened in the 15th century in a part of India called the Punjab. The word Sikh originates from the Punjabi language and means seeker or learner. Sikhs believe in a single God that sees and knows all. God is eternal. They also believe in ten human Gurus. They passed on God's teachings to the people The Sikh symbol shown below, is made up of several parts. The two swords on the outside represent that Sikhs may need to fight for what is true and correct. These swords surround a circle which symbolises God and that God has no begining or end. In the middle of the circle is another sword showing God's power. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is considered the head of the sikh religion making it unlike any religion where a person is the leader. It includes works of its religious founders aswell as writing by people from other faiths, hymns and poetry. It also contains moral and ethical rules about how to develop the soul.

There is no form of punishment in the Sikh religion.

EVENTS AND RITUALS: -When the mother and Child re able to travel they go to Gurdwara to name th child. This process includes opening up the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and reading a ranom hymn. The first letter of the first word of this hymn is the first letter of the childs name. -Death is considered a natural and

any grieving or wailing is frownded upon. Gravestones are also discouraged because the body of the person is seen as the shell and the essence of the person lies in the soul. -Other celebrations and events have to do with the start of the Indian Calendar, Sikh baptism and an entire reading of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

20 million people follow the million worldwide making it the 5th largest religion in the world. There are 26,500 followers of the religion in Australia according to the 2006 census. Sikhism was the first religion to place women as equal to men in God's eyes and encouraged freedom of speech. They were inluded in society, on the battlefield and in religious activities.