Worship, Work, and Charity
Like every global religion, Sikhism is continually in contact with people of other traditions. In this chapter, we have seen how Guru Nanak inspired followers who were both Muslims and Hindus.
Although the common notion that Sikhism somehow resulted from the mixing of Islam and Hinduism is not an accurate one, clearly Guru Nanak and Sikhs after him helped to bridge differences among these two major religions of India. Sikhism has generally maintained peaceful relations with other religions and with other peoples, both in their homeland and abroad. Indeed, Sikhs have a well-deserved reputation for reaching out to achieve social justice and helping to improve their communities. From its beginnings, Sikhism has been on the side of religious freedom and justice for oppressed people. Justice is carried out partly through the regular donation of one-tenth of one’s income to charitable causes.Three guiding principles of Sikh life are worship, work, and charity, as embodied in the popular Punjabi proverb, namjapo, kirat karo, vand chhako: "Repeat the divine Name, work, and give a share [of your earnings to the less fortunate].”— An outsider need only pay a visit to a Sikh gurdwara and witness the worship and afterward partake of the carefully prepared food in the langar to experience these guiding principles in action.
Sikhism and the Natural World
The Sikh emphasis on monotheism, on one God who created all things, human beings and the natural world alike, leads naturally to concern for the environment. In fact, caring for the natural world is one means of living in accordance with hukam, the divine order that allows for God to be immanent in creation. Not to treat the environment properly, as stewards of God’s creation, is to succumb to haumai, self-centeredness. God is Creator, and yet Sikhism does not set forth a creation story. It emphasizes instead the task of sustaining creation, and of achieving harmony with the natural world—and thereby, with God.
To attempt to use nature for selfish advantage is, again, to succumb to haumai.One among various Sikh organizations that promotes environmentalism is EcoSikh; its vision statement captures Sikhism’s ecological ideals:
We honor our Gurus’ wisdom by believing that all humans have an intrinsic sensitivity to the natural world, and that a sustainable, more just society is possible, where water, air, land, forests, and biodiversity remain vibrant, living systems for our generation and future generations.19
Bandana Kaur, an EcoSikh Ambassador, has written eloquently about the ideal of harmony of God and creation:
The Divine permeates all life, and is inherent in the manifest creation around us, from the wind that blows across land and skies, to the water that flows through rivers and seas, to the forests and fields that humans rely on for food and shelter, as well as all the creatures of land and sea that depend on the earth for sustenance. The Sikh Gurus teach that there is no duality between that which makes a flower grow and the petals we are able to touch and sense with our fingers.—
A variety of specific actions are prescribed and being carried out in the name of Sikh environmentalism. As we might expect, given the traditional and enduring lifestyle of most Sikhs in their homeland of the Punjab, to some extent they are focused on agriculture. Actions include sharing and recycling natural resources, and in general limiting as much as possible the use of resources. Regarding the natural world as sacred and as a manifestation of hukam means not to pollute or in other ways destroy it.