Guru Granth Sahib

The holy book of Sikhism, a collection of nearly 6,000 hymns by the first five and the ninth Sikh gurus, but also including the writings of some Hindus and Muslims. It is regarded as a living guru and treated with the respect that this implies.

Guru Gobind Singh instructed Sikhs to look upon it as their guide, a symbolic representation of all the gurus. The original copy of the Guru Granth Sahib is kept in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which was built especially to house it. When the Guru Granth Sahib is moved, it must be accompanied by five Khalsa Sikhs who correspond to the attendants who would accompany an honoured person. The Guru Granth Sahib is taken into a separate room at night; it must always be approached with respect and with clean hands.

The Guru Granth Sahib teaches that there is one God and that all people are equal. It accepts the concepts of reincarnation and the laws of karma. It prohibits the use of intoxicants and rejects both idol worship and formal priesthood. It promotes the ideas of kiral karna (right conduct), vand chakna (sharing), and seva (selfless service) – Sikhs should give their money or, more importantly, their time and effort, to those in need.