Sikhism: Main Teachings on Ecology and the

Environment

What does the God teach?

Sikhism is strictly monotheistic and believes that there is only One God. Guru Nanak
stress the idea of God's oneness; that the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer is One.
Sikhism stresses the importance of doing good actions rather than merely carrying
out rituals.
We realize from this point that they believe in action such as caring for the
environment.
There is no creation story in the Sikh tradition. Guru Nanak states that as no-one was
present when creation occurred, no-one can know exactly what took place:
Rather than focusing on when creation started, the Sikh Gurus teach the importance
of helping to ensure that creation is sustained. Since all aspects of creation are linked,
humans must respect all of creation.
They believe that Human beings are stewards of God's creation.

In Sikh beliefs, a concern for the environment is part of an approach to life and nature.
As all creation has the same origin and end, humans must be aware of their place in
creation and their relationship with the rest of creation. Humans should pass through
life with love, compassion, and justice. Becoming one and being in harmony with God
means that humans try to live in harmony with all of God's creation.
The message is written in the whole of creation; look at it with open eyes and see the
truth of God, for creation is the visible message of God.
Sikhs believe that most of us misunderstand the universe. We think that it exists on its
own, when it really exists because God wills it to exist and is a portrait of God’s own
nature.

What does the Founder teach?

Guru Nanak Dev is the founder of Sikhism. Sikhism was founded in 1469 by Guru
Nanak in the region Indian of Punjab. Guru Nanak and his nine successors shaped the
core beliefs of the religion during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Sikhs focus their lives around their relationship with God and being a part of the Sikh
community. The Sikh ideal combines action and belief. To live a good life a person
should do good deeds as well as meditating on God.
Sikhism is a unique faith which has aspects of Islam: monotheism and iconoclasm, and
Hinduism: reincarnation, karma and nirvana. However, Sikhism is distinct from
Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh Gurus (teachers), contemporaries of Luther and Calvin,
were reformers who rejected the caste system and much of the apparatus of Hindu
ritual and legalism. They promoted religious tolerance and the equality of women.
The founding Guru, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538), is noted for the saying
"There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim."
The founder of Sikhism teaches that;
 There is only one God
 God is without form, or gender
 Everyone has direct access to God
 Everyone is equal before God
 A good life is lived as part of a community, by living honestly and caring for
others.

Sikhs don't think it pleases God if people pay no attention to others and simply devote

themselves slavishly to religion.

Sikhism doesn’t ask people to turn away from ordinary life to get closer to God. In
fact, it demands that they use ordinary life as a way to get closer to God.
A Sikh serves God by serving (seva) other people every day. By devoting their lives to
service, they get rid of their own ego and pride.
Many Sikhs carry out chores in the Gurdwara as their service to the community. These
range from working in the kitchen to cleaning the floor. The Langar, or free food
kitchen, is a community act of service.

Sikhs also regard caring for the poor or sick as an important duty of service.
Sikhs believe that all living things are interlinked and connected to God. Therefore,
they believe that plants and animals are precious and should be treated accordingly.
They follow the founders teaches in many ways but one way they follow the teachings
of the founder is through organisations such as EcoSikh. EcoSikh’s mission "connects
Sikh values, beliefs, and institutions to the most important environmental issues
facing our world. We draw on the rich tradition of the Sikh Gurus and the Khalsa
Panth to shape the behavior and outlook of Sikhs and the world, ensuring that our
deep reverence for all creation remains a central part of the Sikh way of life.”

What does the Sacred Text say?

The main Holy book in Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib. This book contains the
teachings of all Gurus. It has been identically printed since the first copy, containing
the same number of pages, same words, and same paper size to preserve it.
The Granth is considered the living embodiment of the Gurus, the “eleventh guru”.
They are treated with the greatest respect. This is the reason for the honorific titles
that make up the full name of the book. There are protocols to be observed and
followed while reading the Granth. A Sikh reader suggests the following: "Out of
respect, it is advised that before you do read the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, that you cover
your hair." This is normally with a turban or a piece of cloth provided by the
gurdwara.

The Guru Granth Sahib teaches that Sikhs show respect and responsibility towards
creation and bear in mind the needs of future generations, as well as their own
current needs.
The Guru Granth Sahib says that the purpose of human life is to achieve a happy state
in harmony with everything around them including other people
Air is the Guru, Water the Father, and the Earth is the Great Mother.
As described in the Guru Granth Sahib, the ecological basis of Sikh tradition rests in
the understanding that the Creator (‘Qadir’) and the Creation (‘Qudrat’) are One.
Throughout Guru Granth Sahib, birds and trees especially are used to describe the
metaphoric relationship between a disciple and the Divine.
“Nights, seasons, wind, water, fire and nether worlds…in the midst of these He set the
earth as His temple so that humankind may learn and practice righteous living.
Therein he created limitless diverse species with own living modes…”
(GGS p. 7 )
The Gurus taught humans to be aware of and respect the dignity in all life, whether
human or not. Such a respect for life can only be fostered where one can first
recognize the Divine spark within oneself, see it in others, cherish it, nurture and fulfill
it.
"This little shrine of the human body!
This great opportunity of life!
The object is to meet the Beloved, thy Master!
(Guru Granth Sahib)

How is it taught through Sikhism in the modern age?

Sikh’s strongly believe in the preservation of plants and habitats. Along the Himalayan
mountains earlier this winter, seventy new medical plants were sown. On the third
week of March every year, “Sikh Vatavaran Diwas” (Environment Day) takes place
and is hosted by several Sikhs.
This year, a total of 1,500 grassroots projects were set up during the environmental
celebrations by Sikhs across six continents to protect our planet. This ranged from tree
plantings to sapling distributions, water conservation projects to solar energy
installations, organic farming workshops to nature marches through streets and
villages. All these celebrations are inspired by Sikh teachings that recognize the Divine
force as Nature. Humans are meant to follow what God would want and that is
respect to all living things and for everyone and everything to be treated equally.
Several Sikh organizations have been set up to highlight the focus on environmental
responsibilities. This is taught in the Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book of Sikhism). An
example is EcoSikh. They believe the sky, the earth, the trees, and the water - all are
the Creation of the Lord.
Sikh Green Team is based in the Canadian town of New Westminster. The Sikh Green
team is a group of energetic, mostly young volunteers who help gurdwaras recycle
during nagar kirtans and reduce the waste by separating recyclables, composts and
garbage.

Hacienda de Guru Ram Das is an impressive Sikh project in the Rio Grande Valley,
New Mexico. Since 2008 their Community Sustainability Project has been creating "a
culture of sustainable living in Northern New Mexico by initiating sustainability
projects, harvesting and donating resources for our communities, creating
educational programs, and networking with other sustainable communities and
projects."
Sikh’s believe that all God’s creations are linked. Humans should serve a blissful life
with all of God’s creations as one. Sikhs believe that human beings spend their time in
a cycle of birth, life, and rebirth. They share this belief with followers of other Indian
religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Sikh’s teach us that you
are fulfilling your life greatly if you always keep God in your heart and mind.

In Sikhism, only lacto-vegetarian food is served in the Sikh temple. Sikh’s can eat
Jhatka meat because the animal is killed instantaneously and doesn’t suffer. In
Sikhism, it is a sin to drink alcohol if you are not baptized or consume drugs ever.
Sikh’s teach us to live this way because it is healthier and preventing your from being
exposed to toxic chemicals.

“What was that time, and what was that moment? What was that day, and what
was that date? What was that season, and what was that month, when the
Universe was created? The Pandits, the religious scholars, cannot find that time,
even if it is written in the Puraanas. That time is not known to the Qazis, who study
the Koran. The day and the date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the month or
the season. Only that which created creation-only that knows”.

The work by an organisation inspired by Sikhism:

EcoSikh is an organization that connects Sikh values and beliefs to environmental
issues facing our world today. It is a five-year plan crafted by SCORE, Sikh Council on
Religion and Education (SCORE). It's a five-year "greening" plan, which includes a
long-term commitment to transform Gurdwaras and schools into ecologically sound
buildings in terms of energy and the types of building material used and having
environmental education into Sikh education curricular.

They honor their Gurus by believing all humans have sensitivity towards the natural
world and that a more sustainable society is possible. Ecosikh celebrated the 550th
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. They established the first ever Guru Nanak Sacred
forest in Bathinda. In 2010 Head of the Akal Takhat made a public statement saying
that caring for the environment is the "moral and religious duty" of a Sikh. This is a
welcome declaration of going green.
The leadership of Sikhism is now required to meet challenge of climate change. The
importance of Air, Water and Earth to life are emphasized over and over again in the
Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The earth is referred to as the mother and as such requires
respect. Great care needs to be taken to ensure that no damage occurs to it while the
Sikh is going about their daily life. The pollution of these 3 elements is against the
principles laid down by the Gurus.

Having created this universe and the world, God directs them. All actions take place
within God's Order. God alone knows how and why. God, however, not only directs
this vast and massive theater, but also watches over with support.