Sikh Beliefs about Peace and Conflict » Sikh Attitudes to Bullying

A Sikh starting point

In Bullying and Cyberbullying you learned that bullying is repeated, deliberate hurting of someone who finds it hard to defend themselves, and that cyberbullying does this online. Here we look at what Sikhism teaches about it. Sikhs have no single rule called "do not bully". Their attitude comes from some core beliefs about people, which all point the same way.

The divine light in everyone

You met jot, the divine light, in Body, Man and Atman: Human Nature in Sikhism. Sikhs believe the light of God is in every person. Bullying treats someone as worthless, but a Sikh believes every person carries something of God. Hurting a person means disrespecting that light.

Sikhs also believe in the oneness of humanity: all people are one human family, because there is one God who made everyone. Sikhs teach that differences of religion, caste, gender, wealth or appearance do not make one person better than another. Bullying usually picks on someone for being different, so it goes against this teaching.

Equality shown in the langar

You learned in Karta Purakh: God the Creator in Sikhism that langar is the free meal served in the gurdwara. Everyone sits on the floor together and eats the same food, whatever their religion, background or wealth. Nobody sits above anyone else. Sikhs see langar as equality in action. It teaches that no one is too low to be included and no one is too important to join in. A person who bullies others to feel powerful goes against what the langar shows.

The saint-soldier and standing up for the weak

In Sikh Attitudes to Conflict: The Saint-Soldier and Zafarnama 22 you learned that a saint-soldier is gentle and devoted to God, but also ready to protect others. Part of the saint-soldier's duty is to protect the weak and stand up to oppression. Bullying is a clear example of the strong picking on the weak. A Sikh who sees bullying should not walk away. Standing up for the person being bullied, or telling someone who can help, follows the saint-soldier's duty. This does not mean fighting. The aim is to protect the person and stop the harm, using the least force needed.

Anger and pride: two of the five thieves

In Maya, Manmukh and Haumai you learned about the five thieves, the five weaknesses that steal a person's peace and goodness. Two of them explain why people bully:

Sikhs believe these thieves can be controlled through remembering God, kind actions and sewa (selfless service). So a Sikh can understand why a person bullies, and still believe that the bully can change.

Sarbat da bhala and a peaceful society

Sarbat da bhala, wishing good for all, is said at the end of Sikh worship. It means a Sikh should want everyone to do well, including the person being bullied and the person bullying. A society where people live without fear is a peaceful one. This matters to Sikhs for these reasons:

• If everyone has the divine light, everyone deserves to feel safe.
• Peace in a community begins with how people treat each other every day.
• Sikhs are taught to work for justice and the good of others, not only themselves.

Working towards a peaceful society is therefore part of Sikh duty. Sikhs do this by treating others fairly, helping those in need and speaking up against unfair treatment.

Sikh teachings on inclusion and solutions to bullying

Sikh teachings on inclusion matter because Sikhs welcome everyone, in the gurdwara and in life, and this gives them practical ways to deal with bullying:

• Include everyone: welcome people who are left out, as the langar does, and treat each person as an equal.
• Stand up for the victim: protect the person being bullied, as the saint-soldier would, by speaking up or getting help.
• Help the bully change: deal with anger and pride through prayer, remembering God and sewa, rather than hatred. Forgiveness and putting things right, from Forgiveness and Restorative Justice in Sikhism, also help.
• Support through the sangat: the community of believers can listen, give advice and show that nobody is alone.

These ideas apply to cyberbullying as well. A Sikh should not send, share or join in unkind messages, because the person on the screen also has the divine light. A Sikh who sees cyberbullying can tell a trusted adult and support the person being targeted, and the ideas in Bullying and Cyberbullying, such as reporting, blocking and keeping screenshots, still apply.

Sikhs who have been bullied

Some Sikhs have themselves been bullied. Sikhs who follow the Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct) keep their hair uncut and many wear a turban, or boys wear a patka, a small head covering. Sikh organisations in the UK and other countries have reported that children and young people who look different in this way have sometimes been teased or bullied for their appearance. Sikhs respond by teaching others what these things mean and by standing together, and they ask people to treat them with the same respect as anyone else. Many Sikhs take this as a reason to speak up for anyone who is bullied for being different.

Common mistakes

Exam-style question

Paper 1 (a) [3 marks, AO1]: Identify three Sikh ideas or practices that teach equality.

Paper 1 (b) [4 marks, AO1]: Choose one religion. Outline two reasons why bullying is wrong in this religion.

Paper 1 (c) [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]: Choose one religion. Explain how this religion teaches its followers to respond to bullying.

Paper 1 (d) [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]: "Religious teachings are the best way to stop bullying." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion.