Year 8 Sikhism Flashcards
Who is Guru Nanak?
The founder of Sikhism
What does Guru Nanak’s name mean?
God’s teacher
What is a Kesh?
Hair, to remind Sikhs they are made of God and to respect God’s will and purity
What is the story of the shadow of the tree?
He fell asleep under the shadow of a tree. All of the other shadows moved with the sun, but the tree shadow did not, keeping him shaded
What are the five Ks in Sikhism?
Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachera, Kirpan
What is a Kangha?
A comb, to keep the hair and beard tidy
What dies Sikh mean?
Learner
What is a Kachera?
Undershorts, to remind them to be honest
What is Tan?
Physical service, e.g. Working in the Langar Hall
Are Sikhs religious pluralists?
Yes, they believe every religion follows a different path to the same God
What is a Kirpan?
A knife, to symbolise honesty and dignity
What is the Khalsa?
A collective body of all initialised Sikhs
How was the Khalsa formed?
The Guru from 1664 to 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, ruled at a time when Hindus and Sikhs being forced by the Muslim Emperor to convert to Islam.
The Muslim leader was cross with the Guru for speaking out and tried to bribe him to convert, but he refused and was beheaded.
The next and final Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had to fight the Emperor lots. Two of his sons died.
On the day of an important Sikh festival, Vaisakhi, the Guru decided to test the Sikhs if they were ready to defend their faith to the death. He appeared in front of a tent with a large sword and asked who was ready to sacrifice their life for their God and the Guru. One man stepped forward. They disappeared into the tent and the Guru emerged, his sword dripping with blood.
He did this five times. At the end, he emerged from the tent with all five men and announced they were the first members of the Khalsa.
The Guru shared food with thousands of men who had watched. He told them it is important to treat people equally and respect all religions and be prepared to stand up and fight for their beliefs. He asked all Sikhs to wear a uniform of the 5Ks
Where is the Sikh place of worship?
Gurdwara
Name three things found in a Gurdwara
E.g. Nishan Sahib (flag), Langar Hall (a room where anyone can eat to represent equality), Takht (the throne), Chandoa (canopy), Golak (the money box which goes to charity)
