Paper Presentation Dt: 23rd Sept.

2019

Advanced Institute for Research on Religion and Culture (ARRC)

Subject: Ecology and Indian Religious Tradition

Topic: Examine Sikh Religious Traditions and explore resources on environmental

concerns

Name: Pradeep K. Sunny Facilitator: Prof. Dr. T. Swami Raju

Introduction

Sikhism is a way of life or self-discipline coupled with a belief in the unity of God, equality of
human beings, faith in the Guru’s word and love for everybody. The stepping stone for a Sikh is
to accept the existence of God and worship Him and Him alone with his tongue, his mind and his
actions. A Sikh puts more trust in God than in his relatives or his possessions and acts in God’s
name. And talking about Sikhism principles and beliefs it also talks about ecology and
environmental concerns. Now we are going to see briefly about the Sikh religious tradition and
resources on environmental concerns.

1. Sikhism: Brief Introduction

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion which was widely spread throughout the Punjab and other
parts of the World. Harban Singh mentions that the word Sikh was derived from the Sanskrit
word Shishya or Sissa which means a disciple or learner or pupil or a person who is under the
training of religion. 1 The term Sikh became to utilize in the Punjabi communities, since they
were the followers of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak is the founder of this religion; he was born in
14692 CE at Talwandi3 and died in 1539 CE.4 Nanak begun to teach ‘there is no Hindu, no
Musalman’, this proclamation Nanak launches his religious mission. Hereafter, Nanak travels
one place to another place to proclaim that there is only one true God and opposes the myth,
magic, caste system, and the rituals that can harms environment such as in the ritual polluting
river, cutting the tree and making images. 5 In this way Sikhism was more widely separated on
the surface of this global, the teachings and the concepts were unable to stop, though the world
was in the midst of chaos.6 The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth (First Scripture), more

1
Harbans Singh, The Heritage of the Sikhs (Delhi: Rajkamal Electric Press, 1994), 1.
2
Guninder Kaur Singh, Sikhism An Introduction (London: I. B. TARURIS, 2011), 1.
3
Before the partition of India and Pakistan, the place was belongs to the northern parts of India but after the
partition it is presently situated in Pakistan.
4
Gregory M. Reichberg, ed., Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2014), 672.
5
Gurbachan Singh, The Sikhs: Faith, Philosophy and Flok (New Delhi: Tiger Books International PLC, 1998), 12-
14.
6
Muslim and Hindu was another problem during those days, because they were confine only on their rites and faith.
In order to defend their own customs they goes against to each other, which leads them to kill each other and

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commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs do not regard this as their “holy book” but
as their perpetual and current “guru”, guide or master.7

1.1.Beliefs, Teachings, and Practice

The beliefs and teachings of Sikhism are quite normal and reasonable from the sociological and
environmental perspective. Stephen Bigger states that Sikh focus only on one God, equality, and
any religion are right if it is helping a person to get closer to God, purity, service, prayer, Guru,
baptism, no image worship, no priest, hardworking and liberation. 8 It is visibly clear that their
teaching and beliefs are in support of the ecosystem and environmental concern. Therefore, the
teachings and the belief never includes any elements which is harmful to nature and the
surroundings. On account of this fact, it indicates that they are in conscious of Gurus’ teachings
for the justice in every creature of God.

2. Gurus understanding on Ecology

Sikh Gurus were very much alert about eco-friendly, since they believe, the creation of God
should take care by human being, because it is the creation of God. Some of the Gurus who have
practiced and tried to uplift the eco- friendly methods will be explored. As Shri Nanak Dev Ji
(one of the gurus) said:

Make your body the field, good actions the seed and irrigate it with the water of the name of
Sarang Pani (holder of the earth- God). Make your mind the cultivator, germinate Har (God) in
9
your heart, like this obtain the dignity of emancipation.

Every speeches of the Guru can be found that Guru compares with the environment figure which
clinches the sense of protecting and to be friendly with ecology. It is explicitly mentioned in the
fifth Guru Arjan Dev, mentions in his Shabad 10, the creator presents in everything as just like,
“Fire is contain in all firewood and butter is contain in all milk, so God’s Light is contained in
the high and the low; the Lord is in the hearts of all beings.” 11 This shows that hurting and
polluting environment is equal to hurting God and polluting the properties of God. The only One
God, who has created the world and the universe, is purely belonging to the brand of Him alone.
It is the result that the qualities of Creator have been possessed in each distinct creation of God.
Therefore, the entire human must be aware of protecting the environment which is the part and
parcel of God’s creation. They must be preserved, protected and nourished, which may bring

hatred were filled for these two communities. Out of these chaos arena Nanak became to claim, there is no Hindu
and there is no Mussalman and during those days the teachings of Nanak were separated in many parts of India.
7
C. H. Loehlin, The Sikhs and Their Scripture (Lucknow: Polishing House, 1964), 31.
8
Stephen Bigger, Introduction to Sikhism (New Delhi: No publication, 2004), 8- 9.
9
Nanak Singh Nishter, Selections from Guru Granth Sahib (Hyderabad: International Sikh Centre for Interfaith
Relation, 2001), 17.
10
Shabad is to refer to a hymn or paragraph or sections of the Holy Text that appears in their several Holy Books of
Sikh.
11
Shri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), 617.

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harmony among the God, human and rest of the creation. Further, it also can be noticed from the
seventh guru.

The Seventh Guru have practiced the scripture into action, he planted the trees, which bears the
fruits, flowers in all over the areas of Kiratpur Sahib 12 which was located near the garden and
parks. This has shaped the healthy environment that comes birds, bees’ monkeys and human to
live together in peaceful environment. 13 This itself demonstrates that the concern toward the
ecosystem. In addition to it, Guru Nanak encourages his followers to continue to practice and
protect the environment, as it is written in Shri Guru Granth Sahib,

“So praise the True Lord; the Lord is the Master over all. No one is equal to Him; am I of any
account? Air, water, earth and sky — the Lord has made these His home and temple.” 14

It is not the matter of how human thinks and tried to survive but survive with normal live and be
friendly with environment or eco-system, because it is the temple of God. Which need to be
taken care with appropriate measure for its protection, as the Gurugranth Saheb says about the
accountability of the environment.15

3. Vision of Environment in Sikhism

The Gurus explains that the ecosystem, the pure environment, the atmosphere, the air is a vital
force as the Guru, Water is the progenitor as the Father, and the Earth is the Great Mother of us.
Shri Guru Granth Sahib advocates to respect our natural resources like water, earth, and air,
which provide the basic and necessary elements of life as well as they are sacred also. The Sikh
Gurus considered our Earth to be used, respected, loved as well as it is a nurturer, a guide and a
servant. Our Sikh Gurus believed that human being have an intrinsic sensitivity and awareness of
the nature and that five elements i.e. water, air, earth, forests, and biodiversity make our society
worth loving and sustainable.

The Sikh Gurus emphasis human responsibility towards the phenomena of the material world
that is why three main essential elements of life, i.e. Air, Water and Earth are given importance
again and again in Sikh scripture. The pollution of our environment and ecological disturbance is
strictly prohibited by Sikh Gurus through the principles and they advocated for dire necessity to
be taken to ensure no devastation on our Mother Earth while doing our daily chores in life. The
Shri Guru Granth Sahib proclaims that our purpose is to get a heavenly position and for it we
must live in harmony with Nature especially the earth and with Almighty’s creation.

12
Kiratpur also known as Kiratpur Sahib is a town in Rupnagar district, Punjab, India. The town is the location of
the Gurdwara Patal Puri where Sikhs take ashes of their dead.
13
http://www.ecosikh.org/guru-har-rai-ji-the-environmentalist-of-17th-century/
14
Shri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), 723.
15
http://www.ecosikh.org/guru-har-rai-ji-the-environmentalist-of-17th-century/

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The Shri Guru Granth Sahib philosophizes the innovative ideas, i.e. all God’s creation is equal
and they advocate respecting them like our environment, “Asmaan jimee darkhat aab paidaa-is
khudaa-ay” (The sky, the earth, the trees, and the water - all are the Creation of the Lord). Guru
Nanak stated “The earth is your mother. Respect for ‘mother earth’ is the only solution of these
problems (meaning destruction of forests leading to soil erosion).” The Guru Granth Sahib
stressed the vital importance of healthy environment especially about the biotic components in
the hymn: Pavan paani dharati aakas ghar mandar har bani.

The Shri Guru Granth Sahib states that air, water, earth and sky are His abode and shrine, which
must be protected, conserved, respected and kept eco-friendly. Our God created the universe by
infusing light into the dust and produce the sky, earth, trees, and water and air which are
necessary elements to sustain our living world. The Shri Guru Granth Sahib opines vividly that
our mother Earth guides us to live with patience and love; sky guides to live with equality and
broad-mindedness; air guides mobility; water guides to live with purity and fire guides warmth
and courage. The major element of our environment is Nature which is spiritually a true guide
that enables us to be in contact with our Lord where we may get solace. Gurbani remarks that
everything seen in action is God as almighty has a powerful creative nature. The Sikh scriptures
are enriched with examples of the interdependence of Nature and our Creator Almighty. 16

4. Environment Concerns

Guru Nanak considers this earth as the seat of dharma, and man being at the apex of
development, is urged to be most responsive towards his co-terminus cultures, creative activities
and other species. Man’s sense of religion of course takes him higher from the less developed
world of animals but that also is the reason why man is supposed to be more ethical, benign and
responsible towards others. Nobody is a favourite child in the lap of mother earth. All are equal
for her but as we have been doing for the last few centuries, and, presently also have been
making the precious lives of many species extinct by creating unliveable conditions for them by
clearing the jungles and poaching wantonly, it is not improper and impossible that one day this
planet Earth will become totally annoyed with its inhabitants and will go on without man itself.
Such a greedy and opportunistic attitude of man suggests that man considers earth as a lifeless
‘made-for-man’ object which cannot react at any sort of excess perpetrated upon her. But
looking back at the history of mankind, one may find that such a rude attitude of man towards
earth was not a phenomenon in the earlier times. 17

5. Environmental Theology in Sikhism

5.1.Unity of spirit and matter and interconnectedness of all of creation
In Sikh beliefs, a concern for the environment is part of an integrated approach to life and nature.
As all creation has the same origin and end, humans must have consciousness of their place in
16
http://www.casirj.com/article_pdf?id=3292.pdf
17
https://www.eubios.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/REVNJodhSingh.8312039.pdf

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creation and their relationship with the rest of creation. Humans should conduct themselves
through life with love, compassion and justice. Becoming one and being in harmony with God
implies that humans endeavour to live in harmony with all of God’s creation. 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 fulfil it.18

5.2.The ideal Sikh – one with the intense desire to do Good

The true end of the human beings is in their emergence as God- conscious beings, who remain
aware of the earth and operate in the mundane material world, with the object of transforming
and spiritualizing it into a higher plane of existence. In this spiritual state individuals are
motivated by an intense desire to do good, transforming their surroundings. Through a life based
on the method prescribed by the Gurus humans may achieve a higher spiritual state. Such truly
emancipated, valiant and enlightened spirits (jivanmukta, brahma-gyani) become the true
benefactors of humanity and the world around them. Such an individual would not exploit
another human or sentient being, as each is a manifestation of the eternal and the supreme. In this
God-conscious state they see God in all and everything.

Spiritualization is a liberation from material compulsions and attractions. It means an awareness

of the Cosmic Order and striving towards the execution of Divine Will. So, the spiritualized
human is creative and constructive. Therefore a Sikh life is a life of harmony with other
individuals with other beings and other forms. For an enlightened individual the world has only
one purpose - to practice spirituality. That is the ultimate objective of all humans. Such a person
is involved in human problems and society and has to prove his or her effectiveness there. Such a
person lives with a mission - and works for the emancipation of all. A true Sikh is for individual
human rights, the environment, and justice for all. 19

6. Ecological Message of Sikhism

The ecological message of Guru Nanak’s and many other similar references in Sri Guru Granth
Sahib can be summarized as follows:

The great earth, with its many life forms, is the “Dharam Khand”, the realm where balanced,
responsible and righteous living should be practiced.

This earth, together with the environment (wind and water) is the “dharamsaal” or “mandir”
(place of worship) where human beings are placed at the head of all life forms. It is the dharam,
the duty, of human beings not to desecrate this temple of God by disturbing the fine balance of
nature by abusing the environment through selfish overuse of resources.

18
http://www.ecosikh.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Environmental-Theology-in-Sikhism.pdf
19
http://www.ecosikh.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Environmental-Theology-in-Sikhism.pdf

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According to Sikh, the purpose of human life is achieved by seeking complete harmony with
Waheguru, the Wondrous Enlightener, the Giver of knowledge, while living the life of a
householder. The Creator Being resides in nature and creates numerous diverse species. The air,
the water and the earth are the givers of life and knowledge, and sustainers of life. The
environment is the teacher, the water and the great mother earth the father and mother, the caring
parents, who look after us.

Therefore, it is also our duty to serve these, our natural “parents” – the earth and the environment
- and not to disturb the nature’s mechanisms developed over millions of years. Diversity must be
preserved and respected according to the “Anekta meh ekta” (unity in diversity) principle of
Sikhs now adopted as a universal maxim.

Every human being has a responsibility to selflessly serve the Lord’s creation and not to
desecrate this temple of God, the great mother earth.20

Evaluation

The Sikh Gurus refer to the earth as ‘Dharamsaal,’ a religious sanctuary where union with the
Divine is attained. Guru Nanak describes that amid the rhythms of Creation, creator established
the changing seasons, air, water, and fire, the earth as the home for humans to realize their
Divinity in this world. The ecological message of Sikhism is highly relevant today. It is time that
this central theme of Sikh teachings, also becomes the main concern of all individuals and
administrations at local, national and global levels

20
Sikhism and Ecological Issues,
https://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/sms/smsarticles/advisorypanel/gurmukhsinghsewauk/sikhismandecologicalis
sues/

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Bibliography

Bigger, Stephen. Introduction to Sikhism. New Delhi: np, 2004.

Loehlin, C. H. The Sikhs and Their Scripture. Lucknow: Polishing House, 1964.

Reichberg, Gregory M, ed. Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions. New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Nishter, Nanak Singh. Selections from Guru Granth Sahib. Hyderabad: International Sikh Centre
for Interfaith Relation, 2001.

Singh, Harbans. The Heritage of the Sikhs. Delhi: Rajkamal Electric Press, 1994.

Singh, Guninder Kaur. Sikhism: An Introduction. London: I. B. TARURIS, 2011.

Singh, Gurbachan. The Sikhs: Faith, Philosophy and Flok. New Delhi: Tiger Books International
PLC, 1998.

Shri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). (Principal Scripture of Sikhism).

Web Sources

http://www.casirj.com/article_pdf?id=3292.pdf (17 August 2019).

http://www.ecosikh.org/guru-har-rai-ji-the-environmentalist-of-17th-century/ (17th August

2019).

https://www.eubios.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/REVNJodhSingh.8312039.pdf (18
August 2019).

http://www.ecosikh.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Environmental-Theology-in-Sikhism.pdf,
(18th August 2019).

Sikhism and Ecological Issues,

https://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/sms/smsarticles/advisorypanel/gurmukhsinghsew
auk/sikhismandecologicalissues/ (18th August 2019).

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