Three Core Values of a Sikh

Nam Japa: Rise in the sweet morning hours before the sunrise and meditate on God’s Name. 

“He who calls himself a Sikh must wake up early in the morning before sunrise and meditate on the Divine.” – Guru Ram Das 

During the “ambrosial” hours (first vela), from 4 to 7 a.m., the solar energy is at the correct angle for us to “catch the wave” and ride that solar energy into the day. Get up late, and you’ve missed the wave. To prepare for meditation, taking a cold shower (ishnaan) is recommended. This “hydrotherapy” strengthens the nervous system, stimulates blood circulation, and clears the aura.

Yogi Bhajan also included in the morning spiritual practice (sadhana) the practice of Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness, to balance the body, mind, and breath. Meditating on the One God, chanting God’s Name to clean the mind—and singing with joy—to feel uplifted and divine.

Dharam Di Kirat Kar Ni: Earn your living by working honestly by the “sweat of your brow” to support yourself and your family.

Sikhs strive to speak the truth and deal with everyone honestly, never begging or “wheeling and dealing,” and simply serving and being grateful for the work that God gives them.

Guru Nanak advised his Sikhs to marry and raise a family, to be householders and create cozy homes. A Sikh can be single or married—with children or without. He or she can be a student or practicing a profession. In work life and in social life, Sikhs strive to remember with every breath to be aware of God in their hearts and in the whole creation.

Vand Ke Chakna: Share what you have with others. 

Sikhs aim to live generously and share what they have rather than keeping it all for themselves. Sikhs endeavor to be kind and wish well to everyone, and inspire and elevate others. Sikhs respect the right of each person to practice their faith on whatever path they choose. Sikhs are encouraged to protect the weak and serve their community, and humanity as a whole. Sikhs are urged to welcome everyone into their homes, and feed and serve them with love. Whenever you enter the house of a Sikh, you can be sure to be offered food and drink within a few minutes. Sikhs love to feed people!

 

~This information was originally shared in the books Heroes, Saints and Yogis compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa (available for purchase through the SDI Marketplace) and Guruka Singh Khalsa and Living Reality (1994) by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa.