July—December 2005, Vol. 7, No.

2 page 37

SIKH ETHICAL TEACHINGS

Dr W Owen Cole Ph D
134, Worcester Road, Chichester PO19 5ED, England
Email WOCOLE@[Link]
ABSTRACT

In this essay mention is made of some of the traditional areas of Sikh ethical concern but
attention is focused more on modern issues. It is my contention that religions and spiritual
movements came into existence to remind human beings of an eternal dimension that was
the goal of life, it may be called liberation or salvation, and of ethical concerns that should be
the principles directing and controlling their lives during their earthly existence. In this twenty
first century of the Common Era Gurdwaras, churches, mandirs, mosques, and other places
of worship witness daily to spirituality but the communities that participate in worship often fail
to address themselves to the pressing global ethical issues of our times. Can we extrapolate
from the teachings of the Aad Guru Granth Sahib, Qur’an, or Bible, how God would have us
live today? If we cannot are the scriptures that inspired our ancestors dead letters, if we can
discover a living message for today, we should proclaim it for our children need it. We are
living in challenging times, as never before: it is my hope that readers will use the pages of
this journal to join in a discussion of modern ethical issues for the benefit of Sikhs and
members of other faiths.

INTRODUCTION Adopting the teachings of the Guru, the individual is

Sikhism is a profoundly ethical religion. The Gurus had called a Sikh.’ A century earlier Guru Nanak had
no place for forms of spirituality, which emphasized
warned against the corrosiveness of lust and anger:
enlightenment and liberation (mukti), without social
responsibility. This is why they could be so severe on kwmu k®oDu kwieAw kau gwlY ]
those who practised austerity in their personal quest but
did not give alms or serve others. The path they trod was ijau kMcn sohwgw FwlY ]
one of selfishness and they themselves were filled with AGGS, M 1, p 932 [1].
haumai (self - centeredness). To be a disciple of the As borax melts gold, so lust and anger consume the
Guru one had to be Gurmukh (one whose face is turned body.
towards God). Bhai Gurdas described such a person as
More comprehensively, he warns against the destructive
one from whom God, the Guru, ‘eradicates his lust, anger
fires that can be doused through the practice of Nam
and resistance and has his greed, infatuation and ego Simran:
erased. (The five cardinal evils, according to Sikh
teaching are, kam (lust), lobh (covetousness), moh jIAry rwm jpq mnu mwnu ]
(attachment), krodh (wrath), and ahankar (pride).
AMqir lwgI jil buJI pwieAw gurmuiK igAwnu ]1]
Instead the Guru makes him practise truth, contentment,
kindness, dharma, which is (Nam), charity (Dan), and AGGS, M 1, p 21.
ablution (Ishnan). Extinguish the four fires of cruelty, greed, anger, and

Author’s Note: This article has been prompted by Dr Jodh Singh’s article ‘Ethics of the Sikhs’ [5]. A more detailed
account of Sikh Ethics is to be found in chapter nine of my book [3]. It is my hope that readers will use the pages of
this research journal, Understanding Sikhism, to join in a discussion of modern ethical issues for the benefit of Sikhs
and members of other faiths. Caste, ritual purity and pollution, and the place of women, are not discussed in this
article, not because they are unimportant or irrelevant to the life of the Panth in the twenty first century, but because
they are covered in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib [1] and I want to concentrate on modern issues, those which should
be concerning us all globally. Too often, in my experience, they are matters on which we turn our backs and offer no
answers. If people of faith ignore them we may be left with governments influenced only by expediency, and
congregations and members of most or all religions who have to grope in the dark, lacking guidance themselves and
being unable to offer help to the next generation.
page 38 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal

lust, in the water of Nam, which is obtained by the the Muslim manner, (Sikh Rehit Maryada, p.38) [7].
Guru. Khalsa members may eat only jatka meat that is meat from
an animal, which has been killed with one blow of a knife
As we frequently encounter reference to condemned or similar implement. Many Sikhs are vegetarian but the
evils is accompanied by the Guru-proclaimed remedy, reason for this might be family tradition. In Gurdwaras
Nam. langar is invariably a vegetarian meal so that no one may
be offended. This is a significant feature of the religion.
The basis of Sikh teaching lies in the oneness of God Whereas in some traditions non-members are excluded
and humanity. Theology has an intensely practical from certain religious meals, in Sikhism, on the contrary,
purpose, the spiritual release of the soul from rebirth. these are open to everyone. Such people as high caste
In a discourse with a group of yogis it is clear that Hindus may refuse to eat alongside someone of a lower
Guru Nanak was intent on bringing his adversaries to caste or partake of food prepared and served by such Sikhs
accept his teaching on liberation rather than enter into but it is they who exclude themselves, not the sangat.
a philosophical debate, which might have obscured his This is, however, very rare in the Diaspora.
message with sophistry.
According to the janam sakhis (biographies) Guru Nanak
Sikhism takes the world seriously. In it one finds God, ate venison on at least one occasion. The Bala - based
or more precisely, one is found by God. Guru Nanak janam sakhis describe him as eating goat. In verses on
did not point his followers towards material success, pages 1289 and 1290 of the Aad Guru Granth
but to responding to the material world seriously, that Sahib he addresses the issue as follows:
is altruistically. He taught:
Gwil Kwie ikCu hQhu dyie ] nwnk rwhu pCwxih syie ]1] mwsu mwsu kir mUrKu JgVy igAwnu iDAwnu nhI jwxY ]
AGGS, M 1, p 1245. AGGS, M 1, p 1289.
They alone have found the right way, who earn Fools quarrel over flesh, and know neither God nor
through toil and share their earnings with others. meditation.

The consequences of such living could extend beyond Here we may perceive his reason for raising the issue.
this present life: There were those in the Hindu community who avoided
nwnk AgY so imlY ij Kty Gwly dyie ]2 meat eating because of their ideas of pollution. Muslims
AGGS, M 1, p 472. would avoid the pig because of the teachings of the Qu’ran
One receives hereafter only what one gives here out of
and they too associated it with pollution. Guru Nanak had
honest earnings.
no time for such disputations and actions, any more than
he had regarding burial or cremation. It was so easy to
An interesting and touching statement says:
quibble over such matters and fail to realise what he
jYsy goieil goielI qYsy sMswrw ]
considered to be most important - becoming brahmgiani
kUVu kmwvih AwdmI bWDih Gr bwrw ]1] or Gurmukh that is one who has direct experience of God.
AGGS, M 1, p 418. He does not let his case rest there, however. A little further
As the herdsman is to the pasture for a short time so is on he speaks in a way, which might shock some of his
the mortal in the world. listeners:

The Indian husbandman works hard, probably caring mwq ipqw kI rkqu inpMny mCI mwsu n KWhI ]
for animals, which belong to someone else. Similarly
iesqRI purKY jW inis mylw EQY mMDu kmwhI ]
human beings should be devoted servants of God, but
they are mistaken if they think that they have any mwshu inMmy mwshu jMmy hm mwsY ky BWfy ]
permanence here. igAwnu iDAwnu kCu sUJY nwhI cquru khwvY pWfy ]
bwhr kw mwsu mMdw suAwmI Gr kw mwsu cMgyrw ]
SIKH TEACHINGS jIA jMq siB mwshu hoey jIie lieAw vwsyrw ]3]
ABKu BKih BKu qij Cofih AMDu gurU ijn kyrw ]
i) Vegetarianism
The avoidance of meat and other blood products, and mwshu inMmy mwshu jMmy hm mwsY ky BWfy ]
blood itself, whether it be from a carcass or a igAwnu iDAwnu kCu sUJY nwhI cquru khwvY pWfy ]
menstruating woman, is related to the issue of purity AGGS, M 1, p 1290
and pollution. In the Panth vegetarianism may be They are produced from the blood of their mother and
regarded as having an ethical dimension. Khalsa father, yet they do not eat fish or flesh. When a man and a
members are forbidden to eat animals slaughtered in woman meet at night they co-habit with flesh. From flesh
 July—December 2005, Vol. 7, No.2 page 39

we are conceived, from flesh we are born, we are vessels alcohol and immorality:
of flesh. All creatures have sprung from flesh and the soul
has taken its abode in flesh. kil klvwlI kwmu mdu mnUAw pIvxhwru ]
k®oD ktorI moih BrI pIlwvw AhMkwru ]
He continues: mjls kUVy lb kI pI pI hoie KuAwru ]
mwsu purwxI mwsu kqybI chu juig mwsu kmwxw ]
AGGS, M 1*, p 553.
jij kwij vIAwih suhwvY EQY mwsu smwxw ] Wine causes mortals to commit vice.
iesqRI purK inpjih mwshu pwiqswh sulqwnW ] (*Editorial Note: * Guru Nanak is addressing Mardana.
AGGS, M 1, p 1290. But some theologians think that this Sabd is by
Flesh is allowed in the Puranas, flesh is allowed in the Mardana.)
Muslim scriptures, and flesh has been used in the four
ages (kalpas, or periods of history since the creation). iii) The Sikh Householder
Flesh adorns sacred festivals and marriage functions, and Guru Nanak utterly rejected the varnashramadharma
flesh is associated with them. Men, women, kings and ideal. For him there was one varna, humanity, which
emperors spring from flesh. included women and men; there was one ashrama, the
householder stage of life; there was one dharma,
An explanation for Guru Nanak’s rejection of obligatory upon everyone, the worship of God and the
service of humanity. A passage in disapproval of
vegetarianism may lie in his hostility to notions of ritual renunciators, wandering mendicants, yogis, men of
pollution. What was simpler than accepting a meat meal learning, ascetics and celibates, all of whom are
to demonstrate this? destined to wander in transmigration, has these words of
commendation for the devout family person:
Since his time meat eating has been a matter of personal
or family preference. No one would eat beef, the cow
being a sacred animal to Hindus, the majority community. pMifq pwDy joiesI inq pVHih purwxw ]
Occasionally, in times of active sectarian hostility AMqir vsqu n jwxn@I Git bRhmu lukwxw ]4]
Muslims have slaughtered cows and thrown their ieik qpsI bn mih qpu krih inq qIrQ vwsw ]
carcasses into temples, just as dead pigs may be used to Awpu n cInih qwmsI kwhy Bey audwsw ]5]
desecrate mosques, but the cow is usually respected even ieik ibMdu jqn kir rwKdy sy jqI khwvih ]
by groups who do not share beliefs about its sanctity.
Namdhari Sikhs believe in a living Guru who has been ibnu gur sbd n CUthI BRim Awvih jwvih ]6]
president of the World Vegetarian Association. All his ieik igrhI syvk swiDkw gurmqI lwgy ]
followers are vegetarian. nwmu dwnu iesnwnu idRVu hir Bgiq su jwgy ]7]
gur qy dru Gru jwxIAY so jwie is\wxY ]
ii) Drugs
nwnk nwmu n vIsrY swcy mnu mwnY ]8]14]
God’s light (jot) has been placed within human beings. AGGS, M 1, p 419.
Therefore the body must be treated with respect. Pandits, teachers and astrologers are forever reading
the Puranas, They do not know that which is within.
This is taken as far as the rejection of circumcision, and, Brahman is contained in the heart. Penitents perform
by many Sikhs, the refusal to cut the hair, including body austerities in the forest and some even live at
hair. Not surprisingly then, the Khalsa Code of Conduct, pilgrimage places, unenlightened they do not
forbids the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, except understand themselves. For what purpose have they
for medicinal purposes. Some members of the Panth, who become ascetics? Some by effort succeed in restraining
have not been initiated into the Khalsa, do drink alcohol. their semen. They are called celibates. After truth, and
are attached to the Guru’s teaching. They hold fast to
Guru Nanak made a few references to drug taking. He told
his disciples that those who deal in the Nectar of Truth Nam, Dan and Ishnan, and remain awake in God’s
have no need of alcohol: meditation.
AMimRq kw vwpwrI hovY ikAw mid CUCY Bwau Dry ]2]
AGGS, M 1, p 360. In supporting the householder way of life, that of a
Compared with God’s Amrit, worldly wines were husband and wife, their children and other members of
the extended family, it might be argued that the Guru
tasteless.
was making a virtue of necessity; that most of his
audience, if not all, had no alternative but to toil to live,
His companion, Mardana, saw a correlation between
and to eke out a poor existence at that. He was,
page 40 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal
however, doing more than face an unpleasant reality; He only is a householder who checks his passions and begs
he was affirming that the householder, (gristhi/ from God meditation, hard work, and selfrestraint. The
grihasta) life is ordained by God. It makes for social householder who with his body, gives all he can to the
unity and coherence; it should, as the Guru envisaged poor, is a pure as the river Ganges.
it, find a place of equal status for man and woman,
husband and wife. Guru Nanak did not define what were acceptable
occupations for Sikhs to follow; most would seem to have
It may be true also of other Indian originating religious been workers of the land or Khatri businessmen. There
tradition but it is certainly part of the Sikh way of life were, however, also craftsmen in metal, cloth makers, and
that young people should marry. One has frequently carpenters. One way of making a living, which is
spoken with Sikh students about what they intend to considered a legitimate practice among some castes seems
do after graduation, to be told by almost all of them to be rejected from Guru Nanak’s day, is that of begging.
that their parents are looking for a suitable match.
Guru Nanak had nothing but scorn for the yogi beggars:
An unemployed, highly qualified Sikh divorcee was
asked whether she might contemplate going back to Gir Gir mwgq lwj n lwgY ]1]
India where she would easily have obtained a chair in AGGS, M 1, p 903.
her chosen discipline. She replied, ‘Not until I’m too O yogi! You feel no shame in begging from door to door.

old for my parents to look for another husband for me’. The work ethic is a strong aspect of the religion and seems
Obviously there are Sikhs who never marry but the to be endorsed by the passages quoted above.
ideal norm is that partners should be found for women
and men. Against the tendency to renounce the world The householder life did not, in itself, ensure spiritual
Guru Nanak taught: liberation. Guru Nanak gave this warning:

hwtI bwtI nId n AwvY, pr Gir icqu n fuolweI ] bMDn mwq ipqw sMswir ] bMDn suq kMinAw Aru nwir ]2]
ibnu nwvY mnu tyk n itkeI, nwnk BUK n jweI ] bMDn krm Drm hau kIAw ] bMDn puqu klqu min bIAw ]3]
hwtu ptxu Gru gurU idKwieAw, shjy scu vwpwro ] bMDn ikrKI krih ikrswn ] haumY fMnu shY rwjw mMgY dwn ]4]
KMifq indRw Alp AhwrM, nwnk qqu bIcwro ]8] bMDn saudw AxvIcwrI ] iqpiq nwhI mwieAw moh pswrI ]5]
AGGS, M 1, p 939. bMDn swh sMcih Dnu jwie ] ibnu hir Bgiq n pveI Qwie ]6]
Remain in towns and near the main high roads, but be bMDn bydu bwdu AhMkwr ] bMDin ibnsY moh ivkwr ]7]
alert. Do not covet your neighbour’s possessions. nwnk rwm nwm srxweI ] siqguir rwKy bMDu n pweI ]
Without Nam we cannot attain inner peace or still our AGGS, M 1, p 416.
inner hunger. The Guru has shown me that the real life Entanglements are mother, father, and the world.
of the city, the real life of its shops, is the inner life. Entanglements are sons, daughters and wife.
We must be traders in truth, moderate in our eating Entanglements are religious ceremonies performed
and sleeping. That is true yoga. through pride. Entanglements are sons, wife, and another’s
As the above passage states, there is such a thing as love in the mind.’ ….., and so the list continues to include
householder ethics - moderation in all things is how it worldly love and the wealth which bankers amass, and the
might be expressed. The overemphasis on material Vedas and religious discussions.
possessions will only lead to the neglect of Nam. Finally, Guru Nanak says: "He whom the True Guru saves
Elsewhere he amplifies what it means to live the is free from entanglements."
gristhi life:
While it seems clear that the way of life, which is
so igrhI jo ingRhu krY ] favoured, is that of the householder, it is a means to an end
jpu qpu sMjmu BIiKAw krY ] rather than the final goal. It is all too easy for the daily
concerns of family members to lead to the neglect of Nam
puMn dwn kw kry srIru ]
Simran, Dan, and Ishnan. This, presumably, is why
so igrhI gMgw kw nIru ] begging is unacceptable. The Buddhist mendicant may be
bolY eIsru siq srUpu ] providing an opportunity for the layperson to perform a
prm qMq mih ryK n rUpu ]2] good deed, but normally begging is an act of self-
AGGS, M 1, p 952. centredness.
 July—December 2005, Vol. 7, No.2 page 41

iv) Sewa (Service) and Langar (Eating without any collection box, though that Sikhs do, it should be
Social or Religious Discrimination) something practical which involves women, men, and
Sikhism endorses and teaches a way of life committed to children, in acts of service. In the Guru’s day not many
the service of one’s fellow human beings. This might be Sikhs may have had money to donate to good causes,
said to be characteristic of many inhabitants of the but he realised that it is in doing that awareness of the
subcontinent but it is built into the way of life of Sikhs unity of humanity is achieved. Attached to many
and, in the author’s experience, is unhesitatingly and Gurdwaras are dispensaries or even hospitals, and eye
unstintingly given. Besides being an individual response clinics where people give their services free. Specialist
surgeons give time to perform operations. Other Sikhs
to the Gurus’ teachings, it takes on a corporate aspect in will cook or clean. It is often in langar that children
the form of sewa and langar. begin the practice of sewa.

Sewa. The teaching that God’s light is in everyone was The most famous example of sewa is Bhai Khanayah,
(his name is spelled in various ways), who lived in the
implemented in a practical way by sewa and the
time of Guru Gobind Singh. He cared for wounded men
institution of langar. Sewa is service directed to the whole
on the battlefield by giving them water whether they
of humanity. To care for one’s own family or other Sikhs were Sikhs or Mughals. He was taken to the Guru and
was not enough. As God’s provision had no bounds so charged with helping the enemy. He denied this and
claimed that he saw God in everyone. The Guru, greatly
sewa should be unlimited. The Gurus asserted:
moved, commended him and encouraged him not only
to give water to the needy but also dress their wounds.
jyqy jIA qyqy siB qyry ivxu syvw Plu iksY nwhI ] From his work developed a movement of sewapanthis
AGGS, M 1, p 354. that still exists.
All living beings are your creatures; none can obtain any
reward without rendering service (sewa). Langar, or Guru ka langar, is a term found in the
Guru’s writings and there is a reference to Mata Khivi
Sewa was not a mere act of temporal concern. It had serving langar (AGGS, Bhatt, p 967). It has been
eternal significance: suggested that its origin may lie in Sufi Islam but to
defend the uniqueness of the founder, the Sikhs often
ivic dunIAw syv kmweIAY ] qw drgh bYsxu pweIAY ] dispute and reject the suggestion. The concept is
khu nwnk bwh lufweIAY ]4]33] fundamental to his teaching and may be seen as the
AGGS, M 1, p 26. corollary of sewa. ‘Langar’ means ‘eating together
If we want a seat in God’s court we should dedicate without discrimination’, or ‘free kitchen’, and that is a
ourselves to the service of people in this world. place where anyone may come to be fed. It fits in
perfectly with the first Guru’s teachings on sewa.
Plu qyvyho pweIAY jyvyhI kwr kmweIAY ]
AGGS, M 1, p 468. Today, and the tradition the practice is based on goes
We shall be rewarded according to the deeds we perform. back a long way, langar is characterised by three things:
pangat, eating in lines sitting on the ground, facing one
This is considered to have the same meaning. The phrase another; a vegetarian meal so that no one need feel
‘Nam, Dan, Ishnan’ was a persistent reminder of the threatened by the diet provided, and the donation of
food by members of the sangat (Congregation).
responsibility to serve others, to perform ‘Dan’. It may be
worth repeating a verse quoted earlier after all sewa is one Responsibility for langar, some giving food, others
of the most important and cherished characteristics of the preparing and cooking it, while others serve and wash
Sikh faith: up - or, where it is served on leaf plates, clear away the
debris is the point where langar and sewa converge.
Gwil Kwie ikCu hQhu dyie ] nwnk rwhu pCwxih syie ]1] This combination may be hinted at in pauri 19 of the
AGGS, M 1, p 1245. twenty seventh Var by Bhai Gurdas:
One who eats what has been earned through honest ‘The Sikh of the Guru, falling at his feet, forswears ego
labour and from the hand gives some in charity, alone and the desires of the mind. He fetches water, fans the
knows the true way of life. congregation, grinds flour and does all manual jobs. He
cleanses and spreads the sheets while putting fire in the
Sewa, however, has never been putting money in a
page 42 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal
hearth. He adopts contentment as a dead person does. hukmI hukim clwey ivgsY nwnk iliKAw pweIAY ]7]12]
He gets fruit by living near the Guru as the silk-cotton AGGS, M 1, p 418.
tree does by being near the sandal wood tree. Sikhs When they heard of the invasion of emperor Babur
loving the Guru make their wisdom complete’. millions of religious leaders failed to halt him. ...No
(A recent translator and commentator on the writings of Mughal became blind and no one wrought any
Bhai Gurdas follow the phrase ‘grinds flour’ with a miracle……The Mughals aimed and fired their guns and
the Pathans attacked with their elephants. Those whose
parenthesis ‘for langar’. The silk-cotton tree growing
letter has been torn in God’s Court must die, my
near a sandal wood tree imbibes the tree’s fragrance.) brothers…The Creator acts and causes others to act. To
whom should we complain? Weal and woe are according
Social Justice: The image, which many outsiders have to your will. To whom should one go to lament? The
of Sikhs, is one of military prowess or militancy. This is
commander is pleased issuing God’s commands. Nanak
not the place to discuss the battles fought by Guru
Gobind Singh or the eighteen-century struggle for the mortal obtains what is destined for him’.
survival, which resulted in the empire of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. Even less should we comment on the troubles of In the Janam Sakhi the importance of the material, which
the nineteen eighties which have so influenced the Sikh centres upon Babur and Saidpur is the light, which it
psyche. What, however, must be said is that social
justice has always been important. The B40 Janam Sakhi throws upon the Guru’s concern for justice. The invading
suggests that Guru Nanak witnessed the sacking of emperor is told:
Saidpur by the armies of Babur and contains the story of “If you desire mercy (from God), release the prisoners.’
a meeting with the emperor [4, p-70]. A Gurdwara near Babur then clothed the captives and sets them free.” [4,
the city of Eminabad, which stands on the site of the old p-78].
town, commemorates the place where Guru and
conqueror met [4]. Whatever one’s view of the Whatever the historical basis of this narrative, and Bhai
historicity of the meeting, the Aad Guru Granth Sahib Gurdas too mentions a meeting (Var 26, Pauri 21), it is
does contain material known as the Babur Bani, (pages interpreted as a concern for human rights and social
justice. When, in 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur was
417 – 418 of AGGS). In these verses a terrible portrait is
martyred for responding to an appeal from a group of
painted, of women being raped by soldiers who did not Kashmiri Brahmins that he should ask the emperor of the
bother to discriminate between Hindus and Muslims who time, Aurangzeb, to allow them religious freedom, he
were in their path: was following in a path deemed to be blazed by
Guru Nanak. Specific passages from the Aad Guru
ieknw vKq KuAweIAih iekn@w pUjw jwie ] Granth Sahib are cited in affirmation of God’s concern
AGGS, M 1, p 417. for justice, for example:
Some lost their five times of prayer, some the time of
puja.
scY dY dIbwix, kUiV n jweIAY ]
The Babur Bani has to do with the fate of the sufferers JUTo JUTu vKwix, su mhlu KuAweIAY ]
being determined by God: AGGS, M 2, p 146.
No one can enter the Court of Truth through falsehood.
kotI hU pIr vrij rhwey jw mIru suixAw DwieAw ] By telling nothing but lies the Mansion is lost.
Qwn mukwm jly ibj mMdr muiC muiC kuier rulwieAw ]
ivxu scy, drbwru kUiV n pweIAY ]
koeI muglu n hoAw AMDw iknY n prcw lwieAw ]4]
kUVy lwlic lig, mhlu KuAweIAY ]
mugl pTwxw BeI lVweI rx mih qyg vgweI ]
En@I qupk qwix clweI En@I hsiq icVweI ] AGGS. M 2, p 147.
Without the True One, the false do not attain the Divine
ijn@ kI cIrI drgh pwtI iqn@w mrxw BweI ]5] Court, Being attached to avarice, the Mansion is lost.
iek ihMdvwxI Avr qurkwxI BitAwxI TkurwxI ]
iekn@w pyrx isr Kur pwty iekn@w vwsu mswxI ] ieik Koty ieik Kry, Awpy prKxuhwr ]
ijn@ ky bMky GrI n AwieAw iqn@ ikau rYix ivhwxI ]6] Kry KjwnY pweIAih, Koty stIAih bwhr vwir ]
Awpy kry krwey krqw iks no AwiK suxweIAY ] AGGS, M 1, p 143.
duKu suKu qyrY BwxY hovY iks QY jwie rUAweIAY ] Everyone gathers in God’s Court where one pen records
 July—December 2005, Vol. 7, No.2 page 43
all deeds. There, accounts are examined and evil doers have had a small standing army but it belongs to his
shall be crushed like seeds in an oil press. grandson, Guru Gobind Singh to have made the
decisive decision and founded the Khalsa community.
The scene in both verses is that of a court of justice. The When he summoned them to assemble at Anandpur in
simile in the second one is powerful, being taken from an 1699 he ordered them to come armed.
aspect everyday with which most country dwellers would
be familiar. In a verse denouncing hypocrisy he says: There are no grounds for claiming that Sikhism was
ever a pacifist movement but it did affirm the essential
gaU ibrwhmx kau kru lwvhu gobir qrxu n jweI ] spirituality of all humanity and Guru Gobind Singh felt
DoqI itkw qY jpmwlI Dwnu mlyCW KweI ] the need to justify going to war, especially against his
nominal liege lord, the Emperor. In a letter called
AMqir pUjw pVih kqybw sMjmu qurkw BweI ]
Zafarnama the Guru justified his actions and out of it
CofIly pwKMfw ] comes a Sikh just war theory. A couplet from it reads:
nwim lieAY jwih qrMdw ]1] ‘When all efforts to restore peace prove useless and no
AGGS, M 1, p 471. words avail,
You charge taxes for the cow and the Brahmin… You
wear a mark on your forehead (tilak), and carry a jap Lawful is the flash of steel, it is right to draw the sword.’
mala but eat the food of the maleccha (unclean, non-
Hindu). In your home you perform puja, outside you read The five conditions of a righteous war (dharam yudh)
the kitaba (the scriptures of Islam), and adopt an Islamic are:
life style. Abandon hypocrisy. By practising Nam you will 1 It should be a last resort when all other means have
swim across. failed, (as expressed in Zafarnama).
2 It should be waged without enmity or the desire for
One feels that here the Guru is not only being critical of revenge. (Here one might be reminded to the
those who suit their religiosity to the prevailing political desireless action, nishkamakarma, which Arjuna
situation, he is also concerned with oppression and the use was called upon to pursue by Krishna in the
of religion to despoil the poor by such things as taxing the Bhagavad Gita.
animals on which they relied for sustenance. 3 Territory should not be annexed but returned when
hostilities have ended. Captured property should be
The ethical dimension is explicit as in many other given back. Looting and the taking of booty are
passages, which attack religious duplicity, especially forbidden.
regarding caste. Double standards of conduct, religious or 4 The army should comprise only soldiers committed
social, suggest the reality of duality, something, which the to the cause. There should be no use of mercenaries.
Gurus always denied. Their message was that in place of It should act in a disciplined manner. The Rahit
the four varnas there was one, that of humanity. Instead of Namas of the Guru, codes of conduct, such as no use
four ashramas or stages of life, through which men (only) of tobacco or alcohol, or the molesting of their
progressed, there was again one, that of the householder. adversaries women folk, should be adhered to
The dharmas of the various zats were replaced by one, the strictly.
universal calling to worship God through Nam, and to 5 Minimum forces should be used, only sufficient to
perform sewa. achieve the objective. This done hostilities should
cease.
v) War and Peace
Guru Nanak clearly denounced the rapine that These rules have always guided Sikhs in their military
actions during the Mughal period, in the days of the
accompanied Babur’s invasion of North India. Sometimes
Sikh Empire, and when they took part in the struggle for
Sikh writers have claimed that he was a pacifist and that an independent India. A Sikh soldier must be a sant-
one of the developments of Sikhism was from a pacifist
Panth to a militant Khalsa. This is perhaps too simple. sipahi, a ‘saint-soldier’, with the word ‘sant’ coming first
Evidence for Sikh pacifism is lacking. in order. The Sikh reputation for courage should never
be allowed to overshadow the importance of spiritual
Ahimsa, non-violence, an important concept among many principles. Though Sikhs have often been regarded as a
Hindus is not a part of Sikh teaching, though the warrior nation, especially by the British, many Sikhs
Namdhari Sikh movement is largely pacifist. For the early have adopted a policy of non-violence in the pursuit of
Gurus taking a peace-war stance would scarcely have justice, as the Christian missionary, C F Andrews
been possible. The Panth was too small to attract attention observed [4]. In 1921 during the Gurdwara Reform
or to have much political voice. Guru Hargobind may Movement when Sikhs were claiming the control of
 page 44 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal

Gurdwaras from private owners who had been granted Punjabi communities for a childless couple to adopt,
possession by the British, Sikh reformers staged a non- albeit unofficially, nieces or nephews. This solution,
violent protest at the Guru Ka Bagh Gurdwara near however, is becoming increasingly impracticable as the
Amritsar. They were met by force from policemen led by size of families falls as the result of family planning.
two English officers. The Sikhs faced them silently, their
hands placed together in prayer. One Englishman felled a ix) Transplant Surgery
Sikh using his brass tipped lathi. The demonstrator It has long been the custom for Sikh medical teams to go
scrambled to his feet only to be knocked down again. The from the towns into the villages to treat people who are
same treatment was meted out to the other Sikhs by the uncared for. Citing the examples of Guru Arjan and
officers or their men. This unique example of non- Guru Tegh Bahadur Sikh humanitarians have
violence was followed by the Hindus, and Muslims for encouraged families to donate the organs of dead
ending British rule. When these regulations are considered members, sacrificing their lives as the martyr Gurus did
in the context of normal acts of war in the subcontinent or for the needs of others.
elsewhere for that matter, their human concern is
remarkable. x) Genetic Engineering
Sikhs believe that human life begins at conception.
vi) Ecology There is a view among many Sikhs that altering the
Ecology is a feature of ethics only now coming into genetic makeup of a foetus is interfering with nature.
prominence. In 2001 it was the subject of a conference in Sikhs have great respect for the natural form and believe
Chandigarh and the Satguru of the Namdhari Sikhs has it should not be tampered with. If a couple knows that
long been concerned about caring for the planet. there is a risk of passing on a genetic disorder they
should use contraceptive means to avoid it. Some
So was the great humanitarian who established the consultants, however, think that this scientific
Pingalwara in Amritsar to care for the sick and homeless knowledge is God given and should be used to benefit
who were often rejected by their families, Bhagat Puran humanity. (Editorial Note: For more information on
Singh. He wrote tracts against government policies of Bioethics in Sikhism see Chahal [2])
deforestation and refused to accept state aid for his
institution while such practices continued. The subject, xi) Khalsa Ethics
however, is one that can be contentious. Punjabi farmers, The Khalsa had at least two distinctive aspects to it.
in their successful efforts to produce high yields have First, it was intended to recover the authority of the
used methods that have polluted river systems and had Guru. During recent years the Masands had been
other harmful effects upon the population. increasing their influence. Established to assist the Gurus
in organising the Panth they had become venal and
vii) Amniocentesis independent. Secondly, there was a need to regulate such
One of the uses of the modern medical procedures known armed power that existed. Therefore, when in 1699 Guru
as amniocentesis is that of discovering the sex of the Gobind Singh created the Khalsa he gave it a distinctive
foetus. Some Sikhs, and other groups, have followed the code of ethics and provided a just war doctrine.
test by abortion should the child in the womb be female.
This, of course, is contrary to the teachings of the Gurus Most notable was the requirement to wear the symbolic
regarding female infanticide. Another consequence of the uniform of the Khalsa, the five Ks at all times. The
practice is a decline in the number of females in the turban was not one of these but male members were
population. In the 2001 census there were 874 women per instructed to keep it. Meat might be eaten but not if it
thousand men, in 1991 the ratio was 893 to a thousand, had been slaughtered according to Muslim custom. It
according to figures quoted on Sikh websites. Of course must be killed by being beheaded with one sword blow.
there are no statistics of the incidence of abortion among Taking drugs was strictly forbidden, as was the
different religious groups. Not all will be Sikhs but some consumption of alcohol and smoking tobacco.
certainly are. However, female infanticide is denounced in Adultery was also condemned.
the Sikh Rehit Maryada [7].
A Khalsa Sikh should only marry another Khalsa
viii) IVF member. This was a sensible instruction; since they
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Artificial Insemination, of a should rise early in the morning, in the hour before dawn
woman with the sperm of a man who is not her husband is and during the day recite the five Bani specified. One
morally wrong. It can lead to all kinds of suspicion and can scarcely imagine the family conflicts that would
place considerable stress upon a marriage, resulting, often arise had one of the partners cut the hair and not
in divorce, something that brings great stigma onto a wife, respected the five Ks or turban.
especially. Perhaps for centuries it has been the custom in (Continued on page 32)
page 32 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal

(Continued from page 44) be taken not to humiliate the member. Taking alcohol,
dyeing the hair, are examples of tankhas.
Particularly interesting is the rule concerning widow
remarriage and care for daughters: xii) Raj Karega Khalsa, ‘the Khalsa will rule no enemy
‘If a woman’s husband has died, she may, if she so shall remain. All who endure suffering and privation
wishes, find a match suitable for her, and remarry. shall be brought to the safety of the Guru’s protection’,
…..The remarriage may be solemnised in the same the famous Sikh acclamation pronounced by the whole
way as the Anand marriage.’ (The Anand marriage is sangat at the conclusion of Ardas, is capable of a
number of interpretations. It has often been seen as the
one conducted in the presence of the Aad Guru Granth
battle cry of the Khalsa army. It can also be understood
Sahib, strictly speaking the only form of marriage,
as an affirmation that one day Sikhs will be supreme.
which Sikhs recognise).
There is also the potential for an ethical interpretation;
the conduct that Khalsa members are required to
It also decrees: ‘A Sikh should not kill his daughter nor embrace will become that of the whole Panth, and
maintain any relations with a killer of a daughter’ humanity. The reign of the Khalsa is, in effect, the
universal reign of God, a time when all humankind will
(Sikh Rehit Maryada). Dowries and forced marriages
live in safety and bliss.
were specifically condemned.
REFERENCES
It can be seen that the Khalsa ethical code found in the 1. AGGS = Aad Guru Granth Sahib. 1983 (reprint).
Rahit Maryada has influenced Sikh ethics in general. Publishers: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee,
However, for the Khalsa member the obligations are Amritsar. (M = Mahla, i.e., succession number of the Sikh
enforced by the Khalsa community. Failure to observe Gurus to the House of Nanak, p = Page of the AGGS. M is
them incurs various penalties. Serious lapses, such as replaced with the name of Bhagat or Bhatt with their Bani.)
cutting the hair, or taking drugs, kurahits, would result 2. Chahal, D. S. 2004. Sikh Perspectives on Bioethics. In:
in the offender being called an apostate, patit. Other Annals of Bioethics: Religious Perspectives in Bioethics,
members would have nothing to do with them socially, eds. John F. Peppin, Mark J. Cherry, and Ana Iltis. Taylor
though they should be encouraged to continue to & Francis. The Netherlands, Leiden, London, New York.
3. Cole, W. O. 2004. Sikh Ethics. In: Understanding Sikhism.
worship in the Gurdwara and take karah W. O. Cole. Dunedin Academic Press, Edinburgh. ISBN 1-
parshad. No one has a right to exclude anyone else 903765-15-3.
from the possibility of being influenced by God’s 4. McLeod W H 1980; B40 Janam Sakhi, Guru Nanak Dev
University, Amritsar.
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5. Singh, Jodh. 2005. Ethics of the Sikhs. Understanding
Sikhism Res. J. 7 (1): 35-38.
Should a patit repent they may be readmitted to the 6. Singh, Mohinder. 1997. (Edition). The Akali Movement.
Khalsa by full initiation, but the Khalsa Panth would National Institute of Punjab Studies, New Delhi, p.147, and
need to be assured of their sincerity. Minor offences, Appendix IV, pp.199 – 205.
known as tankhas, are punished by a requirement for
7. Sikh Rehit Maryada. (in Punjabi and English). Published by
the offender to clean the shoes of the sangat for
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar.
example, or washing up after langar. Great care should

Future Life
Awgwhw kU qRwiG ipCw Pyir n muhfVw ]
nwnk isiJ ievyhw vwr bhuiV n hovI jnmVw ]1]
AGGS, M 5, p 1096.
Nanak says:
"Think about the future, look not on the past.
Make the present life a great success
Because there is no birth again."