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Unlock This CourseIn Peace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation you learned that peace is more than the absence of war, and that it includes justice and good relationships. In The United Nations: Keeping the Peace you saw how nations try to keep it. Here we look at what peace means for Sikhs.
Sikhs believe that real peace begins inside a person. Inner peace comes from remembering God (Waheguru) in daily life, through prayer, meditation and hymns. A person who is calm, humble and free from anger and pride is far less likely to hurt anyone. This links to the five thieves and haumai from Maya, Manmukh and Haumai: when pride and anger are controlled, peace grows.
Peace in the world matters because all people share one Creator. Sikh worship ends with a prayer for sarbat da bhala, "the good of all". It asks for the well-being of every person, not only for Sikhs. Peace is part of that: people cannot flourish in fear, hunger or war.
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The spec names Guru Granth Sahib 671:7-8. Sikhs take from the teaching of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, that no one is my enemy and I am no one's enemy, because God is within all. Hatred is a sign that someone has forgotten God, so a Sikh tries to hold no hatred.
Guru Nanak taught that there is one God for all people. If everyone comes from the same Creator, then harming another person is harming a member of one human family. This is why Sikhs are taught to pray for all, not only for themselves.
These teachings do not mean Sikhs ignore wrong. You met the Sikh view of fighting in Sikh Attitudes to Conflict: The Saint-Soldier and Zafarnama 22. Peace is the aim, and force is only a last resort.
For Sikhs, peacemaking is a duty, not an optional extra. The spec asks about Sikh teachings on peacemaking and the importance of justice.
Most Sikhs are not absolute pacifists. Absolute pacifism means refusing to use force in any situation. Many Sikhs believe that when all peaceful means have failed, there is a duty to defend the weak, and so they accept force as a last resort. Alongside this there is a strong Sikh tradition of non-violent witness. Guru Tegh Bahadur is the clearest example. He did not raise a weapon, yet his stand protected other people's freedom of worship.
The spec asks what Sikhs do and why they try to work for peace. The why comes from three beliefs: all people come from one God, all people are equal, and sewa is a duty.
Equality. The spec cites Guru Granth Sahib 599 for the idea of equality. Sikhs teach that all people share the same divine light, so none is higher or lower because of birth, wealth or religion. If everyone is equal, no group has the right to dominate another, and that removes a cause of conflict. The gurdwara shows this in practice: in the langar everyone sits together and eats the same free meal, whatever their faith or background.
Khalsa Aid. The one religious organisation for Sikhism is Khalsa Aid, a charity founded in 1999. It sends help, such as food, water and shelter, to people in war zones and after disasters, and it helps people of all faiths and none. It is sewa put into action. Helping people who have lost everything shows that Sikhs care about all human beings, and it can ease the suffering that makes conflict worse.
Sikhs also work for peace at home, by serving in the community and welcoming visitors of any faith to the gurdwara.
Paper 1 (a) [3 marks, AO1]: Identify three ways a religion can help to make peace.
1. Teaching that people should live peacefully (1). 2. Praying for peace (1). 3. Charities that help people in war zones (1).
Paper 1 (b) [4 marks, AO1]: Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about peace in this religion.
Sikhs teach that inner peace comes from remembering God (1), so a calm person is less likely to be angry or hurt others (1). Sikhs also pray sarbat da bhala, the good of all (1), which means they hope for the well-being of every person, not only Sikhs (1).
Paper 1 (c) [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]: Choose one religion. Explain why Sikhs work for peace today.
Sikhs work for peace because they believe in one God who made all people, so every person belongs to one human family. This means harming others is wrong and helping them is a duty. Sikhs also believe in equality, as taught in the Guru Granth Sahib, so no group is better than another and no group has the right to rule over others. Sewa, selfless service, is a duty for Sikhs, and they put it into practice through charities such as Khalsa Aid, which helps people of all faiths in war and disaster zones. Sikhs also believe peace needs justice, as Guru Tegh Bahadur showed when he gave his life for the freedom of worship of people of another faith. For these reasons, working for peace is part of living as a Sikh.
Paper 1 (d) [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]: "Religious people should always choose peace." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion.
For: Sikhs teach that all people come from one God and pray sarbat da bhala; inner peace and sewa lead to peaceful lives; Guru Tegh Bahadur used non-violent witness; many pacifists and humanists also say talking and law are better than violence.
Against: most Sikhs are not absolute pacifists, because there is a duty to defend the weak when all peaceful means have failed; peace without justice is not real peace; some non-religious people accept force to stop attacks.
Possible conclusion: Sikhs should always try peace first, but "always" ignores the duty to protect others as a last resort. Judge each argument and give a clear final decision.
In a "why" question, join each Sikh action to a belief with the word "because". Naming Khalsa Aid is not enough: say that it puts sewa and equality into practice.