Sikhism
The story of Sikhism starts, for all intents and purposes, with Guru ̄ Na ̄nak.
There were a number of influences that informed the life and thought of
Na ̄nak. That background included a significant presence of Su ̄fı ̄sm and
bhaktiin Panja ̄b (literally, “the five rivers”). As mentioned earlier, there was
a series of gurus who preceded Na ̄nak. They included Jayadeva, who
emphasized recitation of the name of god in a way that is reminiscent
of both the vaidikarecitation of sound and the Islamic recitation of the
Qu‘ra ̄n. The sound itself was understood to represent the divine and the
cosmos. Another saint, Ra ̄ma ̄nanda, sought a religious orientation free of
“legalism” and caste. “Legalism” was the unnecessary following of disciplines
thought to be extraneous to “true” religion. Vegetarianism, for example, was
thought to be a form of legalism. Rather, religion was a matter of internal
reform. Something of this attitude was found in Kabı ̄r (1440–1518), who was
apparently raised by Muslims and influenced by Hindus. Kabı ̄r rejected the
use of icons and rituals that were not deemed central to attaining religious
fulfillment. Scripture was useful only insofar as it was combined with the
inner experience of “truth.” He wrote in the vernacular in a way that made
his monotheism attractive to a broad range of people.
Na ̄nak (1469–1539) followed in the spirit of these antecedents. He was
born Hindu but raised in contact with Muslims. A storekeeper, he decided
he wanted to find some answers to the questions troubling him; he left his
home and spent time as a wandering minstrel. The tradition insists he had
a life-changing vision one day while bathing. In his vision, Na ̄nak saw him-
self in paradise (as if in a temple) and heard the word of the one God
(ek o ̄mka ̄r); the metaphor of listening and hearing the name of the divine
became central to his thought.^42 His life was reoriented, and he became a
guru ̄, establishing the community of Sikhs.
Guru ̄ Na ̄nak’s religious ideas were drawn from many sources. God was one
(ek); he was unseen, sovereign, and transcendent (in a manner consistent
with orthodox Islam). But God was also accessible in ways both Su ̄fı ̄ and
bhaktipoets had sung: God was to be celebrated and relished; He made
himself manifest in a personal way. Human beings were made for submission
to God. Yet ma ̄ya ̄, like avidya ̄, hid the reality of God. One must move beyond
appearances and book knowledge to wisdom and acting according to the
truth. That truth could be discerned by reciting the names of the one God.
The aim of life was to discover and serve God, the omnipotent and the
immanent, He who infused the world. With the free will given to humans,
one was to discern the flow of God’s purpose in the cosmos.
Na ̄nak established a system of guru ̄succession. The guru ̄was a perfected
exemplar who teaches, passes on the tradition, and gives leadership to the
community.
Developments in the Late Medieval Period 155