These are known as theFive K’s and are as follows:

• uncut hair (Kesh)
• a metal bracelet (Kara)
• a curved sword (Kirpan)
• a wooden comb (Kangha)
• a particular type of cotton underwear (Kachera)

He told me that he was aSikh

 
He also mentioned that is family heritage is from thenorthwesternprovince of India called thePunjab. But he now lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Here are my Five K’s:- Kentucky Fried Chicken, Kit Kat, Ketchup (with chips),Knicker bocker Glory and Kebabs!

It’s the curved sword or dagger that I’m worried about. How does he get that through the airport these days?

The Kirpan is sometimes allowed on domestic flights but still not international ones.

He was a confident quiet man; as well as his unique appearance and way of doing things whetted my appetite to learn more about his religion:Sikhism.

We both had time to spare, waiting in the Abbotsford airport.

The Sikh religion was founded in the early 1500’s byGuru Nanak Dev

Guru Nanak Dev was born into aHindu family in a village named Talwandi; which is today known as Nankana and lies in Pakistan.

Guru Nanak Dev was a curious andintelligent child and from an early age he did not make distinctions on the grounds of religion and made friends with bothMuslim and Hindu children.

He spent much of his time as a child inmeditation and his family were often frustrated with him and felt that he was beinglazy. From an early age Nanak questioned Hinduism and the rituals that go with it.

A slacker teenager with a travelling garage band…

Yes, that must have seemed a stretch, ‘I’m not lazy, I’m meditating!’

He must have been profoundly able to communicate to people’s hearts with his simple musical religious messages.

Exactly. Not ordinary, despite initial appearances.

Nanakwas anexcellent poet who impressed his teachers at school with his compositions; which were deeplyspiritual in nature. His first act ofrebellionagainst the Hindu rituals was to refuse to take part in a particular ceremony.

His second act of rebellion was to give away money from his father’s business to feed those who were hungry. When asked by his father how he had spent the money, Nanak told him not to worry that he had spent the money very well.

Soon Nanak became old enough to marry

 
After anarranged marriage, he started his own family.

However, his mind was set on one thing, and one thing only, and that was to be in touch with God. He also had close ties with a Muslim poet whose work deeply influenced Nanak and formed part of the origins of Sikhism.

Even though Nanak and his Muslim bard were from different religions they had a common love of philosophy combined with a mutual love of God. They meditated together and in this way shared a communion with thecreatorand withcreation. They soon becamedeeply spiritual.

At the age of 30 Nanak Dev attainedspiritualnirvana.

I don’t know what Nirvana actually means.

You know Nirvana, the band … Kurt Cobain and all that

No, it’s not the band Moose.Nirvana is a spiritual state of enlightenment.

Mardana, the Muslim bard and Nanak went out on a mission to explain to the world the truths that they had learned.

Guru Nanak Dev preached that there wasone God and that idolatry and castes were not good. Nanaktraveled widely and visited not only places inIndia. But also the Middle East andChina.

Sikhism is a comparatively young religion at just500 years old. The message preached by Nanak is both simple and profound, he said that everybody isone and that there is onlyoneCreator.

Oh, this goes with a quote I like, ‘We are all one. Only egos, beliefs and fears separate us.’

Guru Nanak Dev’steachingswere prettyradicalbecause at that time, differentcastes lived in India and sectarianism had raised its evil head. There were plenty of religious factions and many people were fanatical about their beliefs.

Nanak refused to associate with any particular religion and his message was very simple:respect every religion. His message carried strength in it’s simplicity and everyone could understand the concept that one God created us all and that there are different paths to Him.

He called his God theTruth orSat Nam.

Sat Nam translates to ‘there is only one constant’ or ‘there is one God.’

I’ve googled this too.Sat means ‘everlasting’ andNam means ‘Name’.

So this means ‘whose name is truth’.

The teachings of Guru Nanak Dev did not fall on deaf ears and soon people from both the Hindu and the Muslim faiths began to follow him. He asked his believers tobow in front of God and to follow thetrue path.

According to Nanak, there were several practices that his followers should adhere to. First of all, they should get up beforesun rise and cleanse their bodies,meditate and recite hymns that would help them purify their minds. After the morning rituals, and throughout the day, his followers should remember the name ofGod with every breath taken.

He also exhorted his followers to workhard, earn a livelihood, be goodfamily members and to practicetruthfulness andhonesty. After working and earning a livelihood his followers shouldshare the fruits of their labor with others less fortunate and always think of others before themselves. He also encouraged his followers to live as a community.

I’ve woken up early several times and I’d just like to say there wereNO worms!

What I found intriguing aboutSikhism is that it is a very independent set of beliefs.

To the uninitiated, it may seem that Sikhism is nothing more than a different form ofHinduism orIslam. Some even imagine it as a  mixture of the two religions.

However, it is absolutely independent and organized. Today, there are more than 26 million people who follow this religion. This makes it the5thlargest religion in the world.

I liked many things about Sikhism.

It is very spiritual, teaching that we are all one and it encourages you to love others. It also encourages peopleto serve rather than expect tobe served. These basic concepts compel you to look for and findunity in life.

Sikhs are also encouraged to live life like warrior saints. They need to be bothspiritually inclined and contributepractically to the general welfare of society by offering to serve the community.

TheGuru Granth Sahib is theBible of Sikhism. This book is unlike other similar books, as it does not say the things that you normally expect from a scripture.   Several Sikh gurus compiled the Book and it contains their writings.

The writings of the Gurus did not encourage followers to think of Sikhism as an exclusive religion. It has a pluralistic view of the world and they talk of differentpaths that can lead followers to the Divine. The only caveat is that followers must follow thepath of love.

Because Sikhism is all about a pluralistic view of the world; it does not encourage any one mission in life and nor does it proselytize. Guru Nanak believed inequality of men and women

One thing that really struck me about Sikhism is that Sikhs are known for standing for truejustice. Thus, Sikhs will stand up for the defenseless and they are alsoagainstany form of political oppression.

Sikhs really are remarkable and unique people

Speaking of justice…Good lawyers know the law: Great lawyers know the judge!

This website contains information about Sikhism — thefifthlargest religion in the world and its founder —Guru Nanak.

Click here to check out the first article aboutTeacher of Divine wisdom and of Guru Nanak… Have Some Knowledge.