You Do Not Have to go to a Gurdwara to Be a Good Sikh

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“You do not have to go to a Gurdwara to be a good Sikh”

The Gurdwara is a Sikh place of worship where the Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh scriptures are kept; the Guru Granth Sahib acts as the Guru which means that any building that contains this is effectively a Gurdwara. Followers of the religion also congregate here to worship and partake in activities such as teaching, learning or serving/helping others.

Sikhs believe in karma; actions performed by human beings. The Sikh teaching is that what you do in this life will directly affect your samsara (circle of life), and that the quality of each life depends on the behaviour of a person in a previous life. A part of karma is sewa; service to fellow individuals, this builds good karma. Sikhs believe that samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, life and death and that mukti is the spiritual liberation from the cycle.

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To reach mukti, the person must be gurmukh. This is a person centres themselves around God, following the ways and teachings of the Guru’s, and not temptations or desires. A Sikh must understand, experience, and put their focus and attention on God. God cannot be entirely understood by humans but however can be experienced through means such as love and worship. Therefore, regardless of where it takes place, prayer can lead you to mukti. Reaching mukti also means you are gurmukh as you are following God’s and the Guru’s ways, and because being gurmukh is the only way to be ...

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