Sikhism
<p ><b>Sikhism</b><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-3" >[note 1]</a></sup> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ˈ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >s</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >iː</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >k</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ɨ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >z</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >əm</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ˈ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >s</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ɪ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >k</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >ɨ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >z</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key" title="Help:IPA for English" >əm</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English" title="Help:IPA for English" >/</a>; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_language" title="Punjabi language" >Punjabi</a>: ਸਿੱਖੀ, <i><b>sikkhī</b></i>, <small>IPA: </small><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Punjabi" title="Wikipedia:IPA for Punjabi" class="mw-redirect" >[ˈsɪkːʰiː]</a>) is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotheistic" title="Monotheistic" class="mw-redirect" >monotheistic</a> religion founded during the 15th century in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_region" title="Punjab region" >Punjab region</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent" title="Indian subcontinent" >Indian subcontinent</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Nanak" title="Guru Nanak" >Guru Nanak</a><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-4" >[3]</a></sup> and developed through the teachings of ten successive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_gurus" title="Sikh gurus" >Sikh Gurus</a> (the eleventh and last Guru being the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_scripture" title="Holy scripture" class="mw-redirect" >holy scripture</a> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Granth_Sahib" title="Guru Granth Sahib" >Guru Granth Sahib</a></i>: a collection of the Sikh Gurus' writings as well as poets of other religions, that was first compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru). It is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups" title="Major religious groups" >fifth-largest</a>organized <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion" title="Religion" >religion</a> in the world, with approximately 30 million adherents.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-5" >[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-6" >[5]</a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_India" title="Punjab, India" >Punjab, India</a>, is the only state in the world with a majority Sikh population.
Adherents of Sikhism are known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh" title="Sikh" >Sikhs</a> (<i>students</i> or <i>disciples</i>). According to Devinder Singh Chahal, "The word 'Sikhi' (commonly known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurmat" title="Gurmat" >Gurmat</a>) gave rise to the modern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicisation" title="Anglicisation" >anglicized</a> word 'Sikhism' for the modern world."<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-7" >[6]</a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurmat" title="Gurmat" >Gurmat</a> means literally 'wisdom of the Guru' in contrast to <i>Manmat</i>, which means self-willed impulses.<sup id="cite_ref-Mcleod_8-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Mcleod-8" >[7]</a></sup>
According to Sewa Singh Kalsi, "The central teaching in Sikhism is the belief in the concept of the oneness of God."<sup id="cite_ref-Singh_Kalsi_2007_24_9-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Singh_Kalsi_2007_24-9" >[8]</a></sup>Sikhism considers spiritual life and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularity" title="Secularity" >secular</a> life to be intertwined.<sup id="cite_ref-Kamala_10-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Kamala-10" >[9]</a></sup> Guru Nanak, the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_gurus" title="Sikh gurus" >Sikh Guru</a> established the system of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langar_(Sikhism)" title="Langar (Sikhism)" >Langar</a> (communal kitchen), in order to demonstrate the need to share and have equality between all people.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-11" >[10]</a></sup>Sikhs also believe that "all religious traditions are equally valid and capable of enlightening their followers".<sup id="cite_ref-Singh_Kalsi_2007_24_9-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Singh_Kalsi_2007_24-9" >[8]</a></sup> In addition to<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Va%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8D_Chakk%C5%8D" title="Vaṇḍ Chakkō" class="mw-redirect" >sharing</a> with others Guru Nanak inspired people to earn an honest living without exploitation and also the need for<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naam_Japna" title="Naam Japna" class="mw-redirect" >remembrance</a> of the divine name (God). Guru Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than a purely contemplative life.<sup id="cite_ref-Marwha_12-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Marwha-12" >[11]</a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Hargobind" title="Guru Hargobind" >Guru Hargobind</a>, the sixth Sikh Guru, established the political/temporal (Miri) and spiritual (Piri) realms to be mutually coexistent.<sup id="cite_ref-Marty_13-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Marty-13" >[12]</a></sup>
According to the ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadhur, the ideal Sikh should have both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti" title="Shakti" >Shakti</a> (power that resides in the temporal), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti" title="Bhakti" >Bhakti</a> (spiritual meditative qualities). Finally the concept of the baptized Saint Soldier of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalsa" title="Khalsa" >Khalsa</a> was formed by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh in 1699 at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandpur_Sahib" title="Anandpur Sahib" >Anandpur Sahib</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Gandhi_14-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Gandhi-14" >[13]</a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh" title="Sikh" >Sikhs</a> are expected to embody the qualities of a "Sant-Sipāhī"—a saint-soldier.<sup id="cite_ref-Chanchreek_2007_142_15-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Chanchreek_2007_142-15" >[14]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Dugga_2001_33_16-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism#cite_note-Dugga_2001_33-16" >[15]</a></sup> Sikhs are expected to have control over the so-called<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Thieves" title="Five Thieves" >Five Thieves</a>, dispelling these by the virtues described in the Guru Granth Sahib.
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