Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the Punjab, which straddles modern India and Pakistan, in the 16th century. There are some 20 million Sikhs and most of them still live in the Punjab, although many now live in countries around the world.

After Guru Nanak, there came nine more Gurus who added to the teachings of Sikhism. Sikhs are monotheistic, that is they worship a single God, and their central beliefs are focused on the religious state of the individual. The Sikhs regard their God as neither male nor female.

The Sikh place of worship is a Gurdwara, their sacred scripture is the Guru Granth Sahib (despite being a book it has the status of a guru), and Sikhs collectively call themselves the Khalsa.

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The Mool Mantra

This was the first religious prayer created by Guru Nanak and is the first entry in the holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. It encompasses the main Sikh precepts including the belief there is only one God. Reciting it is a central religious duty for Sikhs.

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The five vices

Sikh teaching identifies five vices. Avoiding them is the first step to religious freedom. They are lust, envy and greed, materialism, anger and pride.

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The five virtues

Sikhs believe that to get close to God, believers need to practice the five virtues. These are:

– Sat, truthfulness.

– Santokh, contentment.

– Daya, compassion.

– Nimrata, humility.

– Pyar, love of God.

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The five stages of liberation

Sikhs believe that going through the five stages of liberation will bring them to God. The five stages are:

– Dharma Khand, good deeds.

– Gian Khand, knowledge.

– Saram Khand, spirituality.

– Karam Khand, grace.

– Sach Khand, truth.

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The Guru Granth Sahib

Although this is a text, it is given the title of Guru, normally reserved for humans. It was originally called the Adi Granth but the 10th and final Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) made the book his successor, giving it Guru status.

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