The nature of human life in SikhismKey messages and respect for the Guru Granth Sahib

Equality and key messages in the Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib gives Sikhs guidance on how to live their lives. It teaches them about the oneness of humanity. Within the Guru Granth Sahib, the hymns and poems express the importance of the equality of all humans. They also highlight the belief in monotheism and the importance of Waheguru.

The key messages of the Guru Granth Sahib are:

• Everyone in the world is equal.
• There should be equality between men and women.
• There is only one God of all religions.
• Sikhs should live and speak truthfully.
• Sikhs must avoid the five vices, which are anger, greed, lust, pride and attachment to material possessions.
• Sikhs should live according to God’s Hukam. This means Sikhs should accept that the world is created because of God’s will and that everything in the world happens because of Waheguru. This will lead to contentment.
• Sikhs should practise the virtues, which are truth and truthful living, compassion and patience, love, humility and self-control, contentment, and wisdom and courage.

Respect for the Guru Granth Sahib

As the Guru Granth Sahib is considered the Eternal Guru, Sikhs believe it should be treated the same way any of the human Gurus would have been treated. This means it should be treated with the utmost respect.

Ways respect for the Guru Granth Sahib must be shown include:

• Sikhs wear head coverings inside the gurdwara and in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Sikhs remove their shoes and wash their hands before entering the gurdwara.
• The Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takht which is a raised platform. This is under the manji, which is a bed for the Guru Granth Sahib to be placed on. Above this there is the palki, which is a domed structure that covers the area that holds the Guru Granth Sahib. This is covered by the chanani, which is a canopy made from decorated cloth known as the rumalla.
• The sangat sit on the floor in the darbar sahib (prayer hall) to ensure their heads are not higher than the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Sikhs make offerings to the Guru Granth Sahib when they enter the prayer hall.
• Sikhs never turn their backs on the Guru Granth Sahib.
• A granthi is an appointed reader of the Guru Granth Sahib. When the Guru Granth Sahib is being read, a chauri, which is a special fan made from yak hair, is waved above it.
• The Guru Granth Sahib is placed in a separate room at night and put to bed.

This treatment of the Guru Granth Sahib is compulsory. Therefore, most Sikhs do not own a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib because showing it the necessary respect is difficult. For example, it is not possible for many Sikhs to have a room that can be dedicated to the Guru Granth Sahib.

However, many Sikhs own copies of the Dasam Granth, which is a compilation of Guru Gobind Singh’s poems, or the Japji Sahib, which is a compilation of prayers from the Guru Granth Sahib.