God sends His messengers into the world from time to time to guide humanity. Such a messenger was Guru Nanak. He regarded himself as a humble servant of God called upon to remove the ignorance, superstition and evil practices of his contemporaries. He went to different parts of the world to preach his message, not with a view to start a new religion, but rather to tell the people how they could be better followers of the religion they already professed. His aim was the spiritual transformation of man. His teaching contained also the best elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam. Just as a bouquet is a bunch of flowers and yet has a separate entity, in the same way, Sikhism came to be regarded as a distinct faith. This view is supported by Macauliffe, Dorothy Field, Duncan Greenlees, S. G. Champion and Dorothy Short and Prof. A.E. Suthers". Guru Nanak affirmed that his revelation come directly from God. He had a direct vision of the Truth. The very first sentence that he uttered after three days' divine contemplation was: "I am neither a Hindu nor a Muslim". Undoubtedly, the Ten Gurus spoke to the people around them, including Hindus and Muslims. Naturally, they had to persuade the people to get rid of their superstitions and wrong notions in a language which they followed. That is why Sanskrit, Desi, Persian and Arabic words occur in their compositions. The fact that Hindu Bhagats and Muslim Fukirs gave express-ion to certain common concepts, as for instance, the absurdity of religious ritual, the hatred of idolatry, castelessness and the equality of man and woman, does not make the Guru's gospel any the less original. Even in the days of the Second Guru who popularised the Gurmukhi script, Sikhism came to be regarded as a distinct faith, deferring radically both from Hinduism and Islam. Undoubtedly, it is Indian in origin and yet a new revelation. The Sikhs have their own scriptures, their sacred city and their Founder and line of Gurus. Besides, the distinct ceremonies at the time of birth, baptism, marriage and death make it a distinct religion.
In understanding any religion, we must make a distinction between ends and means. Forms, symbols and precepts are only means and not an end in themselves. The novice or the pilgrim may be held in the beginning by these forms and precepts. But the goal is God-vision or merger in the Infinite, which is outside and beyond the rosary, Path or Pilgrimage. Moreover, religion is nothing if it does not lead to the building of character of the individual. Service of humanity through good deeds is enjoined by Sikh religion as a step towards the realisation of God. Sikhism like other great religions believes in monotheism, submission to His will, equality of man and woman. It, however, rejects the path of renunciation (Tyaga) or austerities (Yoga), the authority of the Vedas and the Hindu caste system. It emphasises the leading of a house-holder's life (Grasta), unattached to gross materialism, the doing of works of service (Sewa), and joining Kirtan and the company of the blessed-Satsang.
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