The origins of Sikhism are remarkably similar to those of Islam. In reaction to the religious and political situation in 15^th-century India, Guru Nanek founded Sikhism based upon principles of community, social justice, and self-discipline (http://photon.bu.edu/~rajwi/sikhism/mansukh-1.html - q7). According to the “official” web site of the Sikh religion, “The goal of human life is to break the cycle of births and deaths and merge with God. This can be accomplished by following the teachings of the Guru, meditation on the Holy Name and performance of acts of service and charity” (http://www.sikhs.org/philos.htm). Sikhism teaches its followers that by devotion to duty, selfless service, prayer, understanding the Gurus’ words, and focusing upon “Nam” (the name of God), one may attain the “highest goals” of cleansing, illumination, and oneness with God (Crim 691). We see, then, that assurance for the Sikh is human-centered; that is, it comes gradually through rigorous observances and self-discipline.

 Self-Doubt and Christ’s Assurance

 Self-doubt for the Sikh may be aroused by the question, “How can you be sure you are doing enough?” Gobind Singh Mansukhani, author of Introduction to Sikhism, explains that “…spiritual effort has to be blessed by Divine favour in order to be successful. This effort requires self-surrender, to His Will. If man works selfishly, in Maya, he suffers; if he works selflessly according to the Will of God he is saved. This self-surrender is a

conscious effort to win divine grace. The self-effort is to bring the Divine Will and individual free will into harmony. That is how the two wills become reconciled. Man’s salvation lies in his own effort to drown his Ego in the Divine Will”

(http://photon.bu.edu/~rajwi/sikhism/mansukh3.html - q43). Can the Sikh be absolutely certain that his efforts are sufficiently selfless to bring his will into harmony with God’s? In Sikhism, there is neither a heaven nor a hell in the Scriptural sense; what are the ultimate consequences of self-doubt for the Sikh?

In Sikhism, as in Hinduism, karma determines one’s status in the next life; thus, for the Sikh, the worst-case scenario is reincarnation as a lower form of life. One thing Christianity can offer to the Sikh that his own religion cannot is immediate release. The Christian must be careful in presenting this, however. In Sikhism, release from the karmic cycle finally results in oneness with God; for the Christian, however, the final result is a fullness of relationship with God, a restoration of the relationship that was broken by sin. The Christian can offer assurance to the Sikh that our “release” has been accomplished through Jesus, and that God desires for us to be in a personal relationship with Him. For the Sikh who doubts whether his motives and actions are sufficient to release him from bondage to the karmic cycle, this assurance can be comforting and liberating.  (TW 4/01)

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