The Khalsa, the Five Ks and Nam Simaran

Overview

Recall questions on the founding in 1699, the amrit ceremony, what each of the five Ks signifies, and the practice of remembrance.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What happens at the amrit ceremony?

   Model answer

   Five initiated Sikhs conduct it before the Guru Granth Sahib, preparing sweetened water in a steel bowl stirred with a double-edged sword while five prayers are recited. The candidate receives the amrit, is instructed in the discipline, and takes the name Singh or Kaur.

2. 2

   What does an initiated Sikh actually undertake?

   Model answer

   To keep the five signs, recite the prescribed daily prayers, give a share of income, serve others, and avoid the four cardinal breaches: cutting the hair, adultery, tobacco and other intoxicants, and meat from an animal killed by ritual bleeding. The undertaking is to a way of life under the Guru's authority rather than to a single ceremony.

3. 3

   Outline the panj kakke and the meaning given to each.

   Model answer

   Kesh, uncut hair, accepting the body as given and marking the Sikh publicly; kangha, the comb, for discipline and cleanliness as against matted-hair asceticism; kara, the steel bracelet, restraining the hand and recalling the bond with the Guru; kachhera, the undershorts, for modesty and readiness; and kirpan, the sword, for the duty to defend the defenceless. They are worn together as a uniform rather than selected singly.

4. 4

   What is the difference between amritdhari, keshdhari and sehajdhari Sikhs?

   Model answer

   Amritdhari Sikhs have taken initiation and are bound by the full discipline; keshdhari Sikhs keep uncut hair and the Sikh appearance without necessarily being initiated; sehajdhari Sikhs follow Sikh teaching and worship without keeping the visible signs. Sikhs disagree over how these categories rank and over who qualifies for purposes such as voting for gurdwara management.

5. 5

   Who is a patit?

   Model answer

   An initiated Sikh who has broken the discipline, most often by cutting the hair. The code of conduct provides for the breach to be admitted before five initiated Sikhs and for a penance and reinitiation, so the status is treated as remediable rather than permanent.

6. 6

   Assess whether initiation should be expected of every Sikh.

   Model answer

   Some argue that it is the norm the Gurus intended and that an uninitiated Sikh is at best incomplete. Others hold it a vocation to be taken up when ready, note that most Sikhs are not initiated, and warn that pressing it turns a serious commitment into a formality. Both sides appeal to the events of 1699.

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