Sewa is service given freely to God and to others, performed without payment, reward or any thought of what the giver will gain by it.

What does it mean to say that sewa recognises no barriers?

Service is given to anyone who needs it and accepted from anyone who offers it, whatever their religion, caste, race, sex or wealth, so a stranger and a non-Sikh are served on the same terms as a member of the sangat.

What does the principle of sarbat da bhala require?

It requires Sikhs to seek the welfare of all humanity and not only of their own community, and it is asked for in the closing words of the daily Ardas.

WJEC A-Level Religious Studies 603-0277-X

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Christianity: Key Religious ConceptsChristianity

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Christianity: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesChristianity

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Islam: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesIslam

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Islam: Practices and Religious IdentityIslam

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Judaism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesJudaism

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Buddhism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesBuddhism

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Hinduism: Key Religious ConceptsHinduism

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Hinduism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesHinduism

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Hinduism: Practices and Religious IdentityHinduism

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Sikhism: Religious Figures and Sacred TextsSikhism

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Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral PrinciplesSikhism

Topic overview Sewa and selfless service Kirat karo, naam japo and vand chhako Sant sipahi and dharam yudh Debates on Sikh moral principles

Sikhism: Practices and Religious IdentitySikhism

Topic overview The gurdwara and the expression of Sikh identity Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas Vaisakhi and the birth of the Khalsa Debates on the gurdwara and Sikh festivals

Ethical Thought: Divine Command, Virtue and Egoism

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Aquinas and Natural Law

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Fletcher and Situation Ethics

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Utilitarianism

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Christianity: Historical Developments in Religious Thought

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Christianity: Social Developments in Religious Thought

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Christianity: Movements, Change and Contemporary Issues

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Islam: Historical Developments in Religious Thought

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Islam: Social Developments in Religious Thought

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Islam: Movements, Change and Contemporary Issues

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Judaism: Social Developments in Religious Thought

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Judaism: Movements, Change and Contemporary Issues

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Hinduism: Social Developments in Religious Thought

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Sikhism: Social Developments in Religious Thought

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Sikhism: Movements, Change and Contemporary Issues

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Psychological Challenges and Atheism

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Religious Experience and Miracles

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New Testament: MiraclesNew Testament

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New Testament: The Letters (1 Peter)New Testament

Topic overview Authorship, Silvanus and the readership of 1 Peter The purpose of 1 Peter and its place among the New Testament letters Close study of the set passages of 1 Peter Debates about authorship, submission and suffering in 1 Peter

New Testament: Apocalyptic LiteratureNew Testament

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Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral Principles

4 subtopics
12 things to know
AS Unit 1
Sikhism, one religion of six studied in AS Unit 1

What Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral Principles covers

Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral Principles is examined in AS Unit 1, An Introduction to the Study of Religion — the Sikhism option, studied instead of the other five. It covers sewa and selfless service, kirat karo, naam japo and vand chhako, sant sipahi and dharam yudh and debates on Sikh moral principles.

Where it is assessed

AS Unit 1

An Introduction to the Study of Religion — one religion of six.

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The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Name the three forms of sewa and give an example of each.

Key term

How does the langar embody sewa?

Key term

State the three principles that govern daily Sikh life.

Key term

Why must the three principles be practised together?

Key term

Give the case that sewa remains fully practical for Sikhs today.

Key term

Give the case that kirat karo is the more important of the two social virtues.

Key term

Explain the philosophical meaning of sant sipahi.

Key term

What duties belong to the sant in the saint-soldier ideal?

Key term

Why is the state of mind of the server so important in sewa?

Key term

Give the alternative transliterations of kirat karo, naam japo and vand chhako

Key term

What is meant by dharam in the phrase dharam yudh?

Key term

Give the case that other teachings matter more than sewa.

Take Sikhism: Religious Life and Moral Principles further

The same content, four other ways.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Define sewa.
Model answer
Sewa is service given freely to God and to others, performed without payment, reward or any thought of what the giver will gain by it.
2
Name the three forms of sewa and give an example of each.
Model answer
Tan is physical service such as cooking langar or cleaning shoes; man is mental service such as teaching or giving one's skills; dhan is material service such as donating money or food.
3
Why is the state of mind of the server so important in sewa?
Model answer
Sewa is meant to dissolve haumai, so service performed for praise, status or gratitude feeds the ego it is supposed to destroy and gains the server nothing spiritually.
4
What does it mean to say that sewa recognises no barriers?
Model answer
Service is given to anyone who needs it and accepted from anyone who offers it, whatever their religion, caste, race, sex or wealth, so a stranger and a non-Sikh are served on the same terms as a member of the sangat.
5
How does the langar embody sewa?
Model answer
The meal is cooked, served and cleared by volunteers, given free to everyone who comes, and eaten by all sitting together on the floor, so service, sharing and equality are practised in a single act.
6
What does the principle of sarbat da bhala require?
Model answer
It requires Sikhs to seek the welfare of all humanity and not only of their own community, and it is asked for in the closing words of the daily Ardas.

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Christianity: Religious Figures and Sacred Texts

Christianity: Key Religious Concepts

Christianity: Religious Life and Moral Principles

Christianity: Practices and Religious Identity

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