I confront this slowly populating text box realizing that my introduction to Sikhism was not much of an introduction to Sikhism. Let’s try again. This post is largely informed by my own experience of Sikhism, both having grown up with it and having studied it for the past year and a half.
This is the basic creed of Sikhism, the Mool Mantar (from SikhiWiki, http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Mool_Mantar):
Transliteration/translation:
Ik oa(n)kaar (There is only one God) sath naam (His name is truth) karathaa purakh (the creator) nirabho (without fear) niravair (without hate) akaal moorath (beyond time) ajoonee (beyond birth) saibha(n) (self-existent) gur prasaadh (by the grace of the creator).
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. Its adherents follow the sacred word, or bani, as taught by the Guru Granth Sahib, or Sikh holy book. The Guru Granth teaches that the path to God is achieved by devotion to the naam, or name of God (Waheguru, or “great teacher”) and the teachings laid out by the 10 living Gurus. Sikhs believe in reincarnation, following the belief that good deeds will transfer the soul into a higher being in the next life. The end of this cycle is unification with God, achieved through devotion to the teachings of the Gurus. The basic tenants of the faith are charity, humility, respect, love, and openness.
The main hall of the Gurdwara Sahib of Chicago, the gurdwara I have been attending for a year and a half. The congregation here is only 200 people, compared to the 2000 in the gurdwara in Palatine, 40 or so minutes northwest of Chicago.
These principles carry into the everyday practice of Sikhism. Charity is shown in the form of selfless service to the gurdwara (seva), which takes the form of cooking food for the free meals served at temples (langar) and the serving of said meals — blessings come to those who serve. Charity also exists as bakshish, which are donations given to the gurdwara upon bowing at the holy book. Bakshish money helps cover the running expenses of the gurdwara. Humility and respect govern the temple’s social order. The center of every temple is the Guru Granth Sahib, and everyone who enters a gurdwara must remove their shoes and cover their heads (every gurdwara has a basket or bin full of handkerchiefs so that everyone can be covered). Within the gurdwara, respect is paid first and foremost to the Guru Granth Sahib and next to elders and spiritual elite of the congregation. Love and openness are extended toward all those who enter, regardless of faith and religion, and the congregation makes every effort to ensure that newcomers and unfamiliar faces are taken care of. The path to God, lastly, is realized through love. Without a kind and loving heart, one cannot reach salvation through unity with God.
If anyone reading has additional questions, feel free to drop a comment! I will respond to the best of my ability in an astonishingly timely manner.