ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURMAT </TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="GURMAT"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279GURMAT (<i>gur-mat, mat</i>, Sanskrit <i>mati</i>, i.e. counsel or tenets of the Gur&#363 more specifically the religious principles laid down by the Gur&#363) is a term which may in its essential sense be taken to be synonymous with Sikhism itself. It covers doctrinal, prescriptive and directional aspects of Sikh faith and praxis. Besides the basic theological structure, doctrine and tenets derived from the teachings of Gur&#363 N&#257nak and his nine successors, it refers to the whole Sikh way of life both in its individual and social expressions evolved over the centuries. Guidance received by Sikhs in their day-to-day affairs from institutions established by the Gur&#363s and by the community nurtured upon their teachings will also fall within the frame of <i>gurmat</i>. In any exigency, the decision to be taken by the followers must conform to <i>gurmat</i> in its ideological and/or conventional assumptions.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The 'gur&#363' in <i>gur-mat</i> means the Ten Gur&#363s of the Sikh faith as well as <i>gur-b&#257&#7751&#299</i>, i. e. their inspired utterances recorded in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. The instruction (<i>mat</i>) of the Gur&#363 implies the teaching imparted through this holy word, and the example set by the Ten Gur&#363s in person. Direction derived from these sources is a Sikh's ultimate norm in shaping the course of his life, both in its sacred and secular aspects. The spiritual path he is called upon to pursue should be oriented towards obtaining release, i.e. freedom from the dread bondage of repeated births and deaths, and standards of religious and personal conduct he must conform to in order to relate to his community and to society as a whole are all collectively subsumed in the concept of <i>gurmat</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Theologically, <i>gurmat</i> encompasses a strictly monotheistic belief. Faith in the Transcendent Being as the Supreme, indivisible reality without attributes is the first principle. The attributive-immanent nature of the Supreme Being is also accepted in Sikhism which posits power to create as one of the cardinal attributes of the Absolute or God of its conception. The Creator brought into being the universe by his <i>hukam</i> or Will, without any intermediaries. Man, as the pinnacle of creation, is born with a divine spark; his liberation lies in the recognition of his own spiritual essence and immanence of the Divine in the cosmic order. Fulfilment comes with the curbing of one's <i>haumai</i> or ego and cultivation of the discipline of <i>n&#257m</i>, i.e. absorption in God's name, and of the humanitarian values of <i>sev&#257</i>, selfless service to fellow men, love and tolerance.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The way of life prescribed by <i>gurmat</i> postulates faith in the teachings of <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, perception of the Divine Will as the supreme law and honest performance of one's duties as a householder, an essential obligation. The first act suggested is prayer -- prayer in the form of recitation by the individual of <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, thus participation in corporate service, or silent contemplation on the holy Word in one's solitude. <i>Kirat karn&#299, va&#7751&#7693 chhak&#7751&#257 te n&#257m jap&#7751&#257</i> is the formula which succinctly sums up what is required of a Sikh: he must work to earn his living, share with others the fruit of his exertion, and practise remembrance of God's Name. <i>Gurmat</i> has evolved a tradition of observances and ceremonies for the Sikhs, mostly centred around the Holy Book, Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. <i>Gurmat</i> recognizes no priestly class as such. Any of the Sikhs admitted to the <i>sa&#7749gat</i> may lead any of the services. He may lead prayers, perform the wedding ceremony known as Anand K&#257raj, and recite from the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. The rites of passage, viz. ceremonies connected with the birth of a child, initiation, marriage and death, all take place in the presence of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. They conclude with an <i>ard&#257s</i> and the distribution of sacramental <i>ka&#7771&#257hpras&#257d</i>. The recital of six stanzas from the <i>Anand</i> (lit. bliss) is well-nigh mandatory for all occasions, whether of joy or sorrow, wedding or death.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On the ethical plane, <i>gurmat</i> prescribes a code of duties and moral virtues, coupled with the distinctive appearance made obligatory for the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. A Sikh becomes a full member of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 brotherhood after he has received the rites of initiation and the vows that go with it. Violation of any part of the code (particularly the four prohibitions) of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 is treated as disregard of <i>gurmat</i> and renders the offender guilty of apostasy. The tribunal of Sr&#299 Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t at Amritsar has traditionally been regarded as Supreme in religious, social and secular affairs of the Sikhs and has the authority to issue edicts for providing guidance to the Panth as a whole and to excommunicate any individual who has acted contrary to its interests or who has been found guilty of attempting to overturn any established Sikh religious convention.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Directional injunctions under <i>gurmat</i> can be issued to individuals or communities by Pañj Pi&#257re, the five elect ones. They will provide solution to problems that arise or problems brought before them. Or, one 'consults' the Gur&#363 by presenting oneself before the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib to obtain in moments of perplexity his (the Gur&#363's) guidance which comes in the form of the <i>&#347abda</i>, i.e. hymn or stanza, that first meets the eye at the top of left-hand page as the Holy Book is opened at random. There are instances also of the community leaders deciding on a course of action through recourse to such consultation. The institution of <i>gurmat&#257</i> (sacred resolution), unanimous decision taken or consensus arrived at in the presence of Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, dates back to the early eighteenth century.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Some of the conventions and customs established to resolve lingering controversies have become part of <i>gurmat</i>. In regard to the wedding ceremony for instance, the custom of <i>anand k&#257raj</i> has gained universal acceptance which was not the case until the beginning of the twentieth century: any other form of the ritual will not have the sanction of <i>gurmat</i> today. As regards meat-eating, <i>gurmat</i> has not given a final verdict, both vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism being concurrently prevalent. The use of intoxicants is, however, clearly prohibited. Casteism and untouchability are ruled out in principle; any vestiges of it such as use of caste-names as surnames are generally considered against <i>gurmat</i>. The 48-hour-long uninterrupted recitation of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, called <i>akha&#7751&#7693 p&#257&#7789h</i>, has over the decades come to be accepted as part of the Sikh way of life.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Gurmat</i> does not approve of renunciation. It insists, on the other hand, on active participation in life. Human existence, according to Sikh belief, affords one a rare opportunity for self-transcendence through cognizing and contemplating on the Name and through deeds of selfless service. One rehearses the qualities of humility, compassion and fraternal love best while living in the world. A householder who works to earn his living and is yet willing to share with others the fruit of his exertion and who cherishes ever God in his heart is, according to <i>gurmat</i>, the ideal man. Even as reverence for the pious and the saintly is regarded desirable, parasitism is forbidden in <i>gurmat</i>. The cultivation of the values of character and of finer tastes in life is commended.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The writings of the Gur&#363s preserved in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib and the Dasam Granth best interpret and elucidate what <i>gurmat</i> is. Some anecdotes recorded in the Janam S&#257kh&#299s also help explain <i>gurmat</i> principles. A systematic exposition of <i>gurmat</i> principles was for the first time undertaken by Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s (d. 1636), who in his <i>V&#257r&#257&#7749</i> expatiated upon terms such as <i>gurmukh</i>, one attuned to the Gur&#363s' teaching, <i>sa&#7749gat</i>, fellowship of the holy, and <i>sev&#257</i>, humble acts of service in the cause of the community and of fellow men in general, besides evolving a framework for the exegetics of <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>. The process of exposition, continued by men of learning such as B&#257b&#257 Miharb&#257n (1581-1640), Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh (d. 1737) and Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh (1787-1843) and by the writers of Rahitn&#257m&#257 literature reached its culmination in the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 movement which produced interpreters of the calibre of Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh (1861-1938), Bh&#257&#299 V&#299r Si&#7749gh (1872-1957) and Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh (1882-1981) .</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> K&#257hn Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Gurmat M&#257rta&#7751&#7693</i>. Amritsar, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Jodh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Gurmat Nir&#7751aya</i>. Ludhiana, 1932<BR> <li class="C1"> Caveeshar, Sard&#363l Si&#7749gh, <i>Sikh Dharam Darshan</i>. Patiala, 1969<BR> <li class="C1"> Nripinder Singh, <i>The Sikh Moral Tradition</i>. Delhi, 1990<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Wazir Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>