Sikhism

By: Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon; ©1999

Sikhism claims to represent the teachings of the ten historic Sikh Gurus, and to foster universal brotherhood.

Sikhism

Info at a Glance

Name: Sikhism.

Purpose: To foster universal brotherhood.

Founder: Guru Nanak.

Source of authority: The Adi Granth (“the original book”), the Sikh Bible.

Revealed teachings: Guru Nanak was the recipient of visions and claimed divine inspiration, as did many of the principal Sikh Gurus.

Claim: To represent the teachings of the ten historic Sikh Gurus.

Examples of occult potential: General psychic abilities, revelation by the founders.

Key literature: The Adi Granth—compiled writings of most of the Sikh Gurus. Gobind Singh compiled the final version and also wrote the Dasm Granth, the Granth (Book) of the Tenth Guru, which varies in importance among Sikhs.

Attitude toward Christianity: Rejecting.

Quotes:

“To know thyself, is to know God. God is what? God is a totality, and when One knows the totality of one’s personality, one is God” (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, p. 136.)

“But there is only one way and there is only one God and there is only one way to reach Him and there is only one truth to know and there is only one humanity to practice one-pointedness of mind—that is righteousness [righteous consciousness]. Whether you are a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, or anything, it doesn’t make any difference” (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, p. 112).

Doctrinal Summary

God: Ineffable; One.

Jesus: A human teacher.

Salvation: Achieved by works through the guru’s grace.

Man: Inwardly divine.

Sin: Ignorance; one primarily sins against the Nam (holy name of God) or against the gurus.

Satan: A Christian myth.

Scripture: The Adi Granth.

Death: Ultimately inconsequential.

Heaven and Hell: Temporal states or places.