This is the twenty-ninth installment of AJP's Spiritual Asia series, which explores the religious traditions, philosophical ideas and moral foundations that have shaped Asia's civilizations. In this concluding chapter of our three-part journey through Japanese Shinto, we examine how a faith rooted in reverence for nature was transformed into an instrument of the modern state, and how it later returned to everyday life.
Asia is a continent of religion and spirituality. Countless faiths that reshaped human civilization were born on this land, and different schools of thought competed with one another even as they exchanged influence, giving rise to new civilizations in the process.
Hinduism and Jainism, along with Buddhism, both rooted in India's Vedic tradition, explored the liberation of the inner self. Zoroastrianism, born in Persia, laid out an ethics of good and evil. Confucianism and Taoism in China sought the order between humanity and nature. Japan's Shinto tradition celebrated the sacredness of nature and community. Korea's Daejongyo tradition carried forward the idea that heaven, earth, and humanity become one within God. Then, in the late fifteenth century, in the Punjab region of northwestern India, a new spirituality emerged out of an age of division and conflict, one that placed harmony, service, and courage above all else. That was Sikhism.
Sikhism was not simply another religion. It was a response to the wounds of its time. India in that era was caught in a long cycle of confrontation between Hinduism and Islam, while the caste system suppressed human dignity. Religion had become less a force that united people than a line that divided them, and faith too often favored exclusion over love. It was in this reality that the awakening of one man opened a new chapter in history.
Guru Nanak, born in 1469 in the Punjab region, drew attention from an early age for his uncommon spirituality and deep reflection. He studied Hindu scripture and engaged with Islamic mystics, spending his life exploring the true nature of religion. His conclusion was simple yet profound. God is one, and humanity is one. Truth remains the same across religions, and every human being carries the same dignity.
Guru Nanak taught, in essence, that there is no Hindu and no Muslim, only human beings in search of truth. This was not a rejection of any particular faith. It meant that what matters more than the name of a religion is how a person lives rightly before God. He placed honest labor, love for one's neighbor, humility, and service at the center of faith, ahead of ritual and form.
The name Sikh comes from the Sanskrit word shishya, meaning disciple or one who learns. A Sikh, then, is someone who spends a lifetime learning and practicing truth. The name itself carries a philosophy, that faith is not a fixed doctrine but a life of daily learning, reflection, and growth.
Through long pilgrimages, Guru Nanak traveled across India as well as parts of Central Asia and the Middle East, encountering a wide range of religions and cultures. Wherever he went, he carried the same message. God does not belong to any single people or religion, and all human beings stand equal before one creator. This universalism is one reason Sikhism continues to be respected in countries around the world today.
Sikh faith is often summarized in three principles of practice. The first is a life lived in constant remembrance of the creator. The second is a life of honest, hard work. The third is a willingness to share what one has with others. Prayer, labor, and giving are not separate in Sikhism. Work becomes an act of faith, service becomes worship, and sharing becomes a spiritual practice in itself.
Sikhism holds human dignity above almost everything else. Discrimination based on birth, caste, wealth, or gender was seen as a violation of the creator's will. Out of this conviction grew a tradition within Sikh communities of eating together, serving together, and worshipping together, regardless of status. Given the rigid caste hierarchy of Indian society at the time, this was a genuinely revolutionary declaration.
That spirit finds its most vivid expression in a tradition that continues today, the Langar, a community kitchen where anyone can eat for free. The wealthy and the poor, those of high standing and those of low standing, people of any religion, all sit together and share the same meal. Sikhism did not simply preach human equality in words. It practiced it at the dining table. A single bowl of food, Sikhism has long shown, can be one of the most powerful sermons against discrimination.
This is also why the world continues to take notice of Sikhism today. Sikh teaching never confined faith to the walls of a temple. Working honestly in daily life, serving one's community, and giving one's time to those in need were considered the highest forms of religious practice. Faith was not a path away from the world but a force that made the world warmer.
It is precisely here that Sikhism offers a lesson modern civilization may need to relearn. In an age when competition has grown fiercer even as community has weakened, and technology has advanced even as human relationships have grown thinner, Sikhism poses a different question. Not how much have you gained, but how much have you shared, as the true measure of a person's worth.
After Guru Nanak's death, Sikhism grew from the teaching of one man into the faith of a community. Rather than passing leadership through bloodline or family, Sikhism established a tradition in which spiritual and moral standing determined who would lead the community. In all, ten Gurus carried Sikhism forward and built up its institutions over roughly 240 years.
Guru Angad, the second Guru, refined the Gurmukhi script, the writing system still used today, laying the foundation for recording Sikh scripture and thought systematically. A writing system was more than a tool for record keeping. It was a vessel of culture that preserved the community's identity.
Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, sharpened the critique of caste discrimination and formally institutionalized the Langar tradition of communal eating. Nobles and farmers, the wealthy and the poor, sitting in the same line and eating the same food, was a quiet revolution within Indian society at the time. The declaration that all people are equal before God was carried out not in speech but at the table.
Under the fourth Guru, Ram Das, and the fifth, Guru Arjan, Sikhism grew into a more established community. Guru Arjan in particular completed construction of the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest site, and compiled the hymns of the Gurus along with the teachings of various saints into the faith's first scripture. This became the foundation of what would later develop into the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Guru Granth Sahib is not simply a scripture. Sikhs regard it as the final and eternal Guru. It represents a declaration that the community's teacher would be truth itself, rather than any human leader. The scripture includes not only the hymns of the Gurus but also the poetry and spiritual writings of Hindu and Muslim saints. This reflects Sikhism's spirit of inclusion, the belief that truth is not the exclusive property of any single religion.
Sikhism entered a new phase after the sixth Guru, Hargobind. A struggle to protect religious freedom had become unavoidable. Amid the political upheaval of northern India at the time, Sikh communities faced persecution, and defending their faith required not only spiritual strength but the courage to protect the community itself. From this period, Sikhism developed the distinctive ideal of the Saint-Soldier. The sword, in this philosophy, was not a weapon of conquest but a final responsibility to protect the vulnerable and defend justice.
This ideal reached its full form under the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. In 1699, he established the Khalsa community, sharpening Sikh identity further. Khalsa means a pure community, referring to a community of faith devoted to justice, service, and courage.
The symbol of the Khalsa community is the world-famous set of five articles of faith, known as the Five Ks.
The first, Kesh, is the practice of never cutting one's hair. It reflects respect for the creator's will in shaping human beings exactly as they were made.
The second, Kangha, is a wooden comb. It symbolizes an orderly life and self-discipline, a reminder that faith must show itself not only in the heart but in the order of daily life.
The third, Kara, is an iron bracelet worn on the wrist. Its circular shape represents a God without beginning or end, and it also serves as a constant reminder to examine one's own actions through conscience.
The fourth, Kirpan, is a small sword. Often mistaken for a weapon, its true meaning is a responsibility to protect the vulnerable and act for justice. It is a sword meant for protection rather than attack, for justice rather than domination, and it carries the essence of Sikh philosophy.
The fifth, Kachera, is a specific style of undergarment symbolizing restraint, purity, and self-control. Embedded in it is the philosophy that human freedom lies not in following one's desires without limit but in governing oneself.
These five symbols are not merely items of dress. They form an ethical commitment that shapes the entirety of a Sikh's life. From head to wrist, they function as living reminders across the whole body that faith must be practiced.
For this reason, Sikhism does not confine faith to a place of worship. Working hard, living honestly, and readily serving those in need are considered the greatest forms of worship. Sharing food at the Langar, volunteering at disaster sites, and giving one's time to the community are all seen as ways of serving God.
This is also why Sikh communities around the world are so often among the first to arrive at disaster zones, war zones, and pandemic response efforts with free meals and relief work. They understand service not as charity but as a religious obligation. They believe that God can be met not only through prayer but also in a warm bowl of food handed to a hungry neighbor.
Sikhism, in this way, never separates belief from action. Faith must be proven through life, and courage only has value when it protects those without power. Service is not condescension but a practice of love that restores human dignity. The history of Sikhism, then, is not a history of the sword, but a history of a faith and a service stronger than the sword.
The spirit of Sikhism has spread far beyond Punjab, reaching more than 150 countries around the world today. The number of Sikhs is small compared to the world's major religions, but the trust, service, and diligence shown by Sikh communities have earned high regard across the globe. From the United Kingdom and Canada to the United States, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, Sikh communities have followed the same pattern wherever they settle. They build a temple first, and then open a Langar, a shared kitchen. The pairing of a place of worship with a free community kitchen has become a distinctive feature of Sikh culture.
At the Langar, no one asks about religion, nationality, or race. Everyone sits at the same table, shares the same food, and treats one another as brothers and sisters. This tradition is not simple charity. It is a profession of the Sikh belief that all human beings are equal. Offering a warm meal to someone who is hungry is an act of worship, and reaching out to help a neighbor in need becomes one of the holiest forms of prayer.
This spirit of service shines even brighter today at disaster sites around the world. When major floods, earthquakes, epidemics, or wars strike, Sikh volunteers set up mobile kitchens, provide free meals to large numbers of people, and take an active role in medical and relief efforts. They do not think of this as extraordinary charity. They accept it as an ordinary responsibility that comes with being a person of faith. There is even a saying that to understand Sikhism, one should look first at the table of the Langar before reading its doctrine.
Sikhism teaches that labor is a sacred duty. Guru Nanak placed great emphasis on a life of honest, hard work. One of Sikhism's central teachings, Kirat Karni, calls on believers to earn their living through righteous labor. Wealth gained through dishonest means can never be a blessing, and only the fruit of one's own honest effort can strengthen a community.
Labor alone, however, is not enough. Sikhism also emphasizes another core principle, Vand Chhakna, the teaching that one must share what one has earned with family, neighbors, and community. Human beings cannot live in isolation, and true abundance is completed only through a life of sharing. The growing emphasis today on social responsibility and a culture of giving ultimately connects back to this same spirit of community.
Successful Sikh business figures around the world are respected not simply because they have accumulated wealth. It is because of a long-standing tradition of running businesses on honest labor and trust, while practicing donation and service for the sake of society. To them, a business is not only a vehicle for profit but also another place to serve the community. This philosophy still offers meaningful insight in an era that emphasizes corporate social responsibility and sustainable management.
South Korean society, too, faces criticism that rapid growth has intensified competition while weakening a sense of community. Success is never achieved through individual effort alone. It becomes possible on a foundation of social trust and cooperation. Sikhism places greater value on success achieved together than success reached alone. This philosophy carries real resonance for a South Korean society grappling with deepening polarization and conflict today.
The traditional Korean ideal of hongik ingan, meaning to broadly benefit the human world, carries a similar spirit at its core. Yu Yeong-mo, the philosopher known by his pen name Daseok, also viewed life as one great whole, emphasizing a way of living in which humanity, nature, and neighbors give life to one another. The spirit of service and sharing found in Sikhism connects deeply with this strand of Korean spirituality. Different cultures and different eras still point, in the end, toward the same direction, a spirituality aimed at giving life to people and benefiting community.
Today, the world is changing rapidly under the force of generative AI and the broader digital revolution. Yet no matter how far technology advances, the strength that holds a community together still comes from the human heart. The Sikh values of trust, service, honest labor, and sharing grow only more meaningful as the times change. Civilization endures not because of powerful technology but because there are always people willing to reach out a hand for one another.
In this sense, Sikhism is more than a religion. It is a philosophy of civilization that sustains community. Faith is not something that ends within the walls of a temple. It is completed only when practiced in the workplace, the marketplace, the school, the home, and beside a neighbor in need. What is stronger than the sword is not force but justice, and what is stronger than justice is love and service, a truth Sikhism has proven through more than 500 years of its own history.
*The author is a senior columnist of AJP.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
