Institute for Understanding Sikhism
The Research Journal Institute for Understanding Sikhism
The Research Journal

JOURNAL ARTICLES

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

Satguru Revealed: Exploring the Aad Guru Granth Sahib and the Connection to Jesus

Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

The term "Satguru" (ਸਤਿਗੁਰ) appears approximately 2,577 times in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib, reflecting its profound significance in Sikh theology. Etymologically, "Satguru" (ਸਤਿਗੁਰ) is the combination of "Sat" (ਸਤਿ), meaning "truth" or "eternal existence," and "Guru" (ਗੁਰ), meaning "light" or "enlightenment" found in the Commencing Verse, commonly but erroneously referred to as the Mool Mantra or Manglacharan. This paper explores the meanings and implications of "Satguru" within the Aad Guru Granth Sahib. It examines the assigning of the title Satguru to Jesus and its implications on Sikh theology.

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

HEAVEN AND HELL - GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Avtar Singh Dhaliwal, MD

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

Heaven and Hell are two concepts in most religions that believe in the afterlife. They believe God judges the deeds of people, assigns heavenly awesome rewards for the good, and hellish punishment for the evil doers. These concepts revealed by religious prophets have been narrated in their holy scriptures. However, the Aad Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS), the sacred scripture of the Sikhs, does not conform to places like heaven or hell. Instead, it emphasizes that everybody faces the consequences of good and bad deeds during life on Earth. In Sikhism, humans have direct contact with the Supreme Entity and realize Its attributes to live righteously. As the old saying goes, “As you sow, so shall you reap”. These concepts to control good moral behavior are considered imaginative philosophy developed by the religious mentors for serving the self by creating a carrot and stick technique for gullible populations. Most religions believe in the metaphysical aspect of these concepts, whereas Sikhism considers it all earthly consequences of deeds performed during life. This paper will discuss the origin of these concepts, imaginative locations, inhabitants, selection criteria, and the imaginative physical form of heaven and hell.

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

SYSTEM OF REFERENCING BANI FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURE OF THE SIKHS

Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

It has been noticed that many Sikh researchers are using different systems of referencing Bani from the Sacred Scripture of the Sikhs in their general and research papers. Therefore, Chahal (1999) developed a referencing system for Understanding Sikhism: The Research Journal. The Institute for Understanding Sikhism has been using this system of referencing Bani in their research papers in the Understanding Sikhism: The Research Journal and in other journals since 1999. Although some Sikh researchers have adopted our “System of Referencing Bani from the Sacred Scripture of the Sikhs,” developed in 1999, many Sikh and non-Sikh researchers still use different referencing systems. This paper modifies the previous system of referencing Bani by Chahal (1999) to develop a systematic and standardized method of referencing Bani for papers for The Sikh Review and other journals.

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

EXPLORING SIKHISM: FAITH VALUES AND HERITAGE

Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD

BOOK REVIEW

Authors:
Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal and Dr. Devinder Pal Singh

Reviewed by:
Prof. Devinder Singh Chahal

Publishers:
Center for Understanding Sikhism, Mississauga, ON, Canada
and
Academy of Guru Granth Studies, Arlington, Taxes, USA

ISBN: 9798280993464
First Edition: 2025

Price: Rs 695; Paperback US$14.99 Hardcover US$16.99

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

POLLUTED MIND AND HOW TO CLEAN IT? ਮਸਕਤਿ or ਮਸ ਕਤਿ?

Avtar Singh Dhaliwal, MD

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

The Bani in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib frequently references the polluted mind as a reflection of human intentions, which can lead the mind to become burnt and reduced to blackened ashes (ਕਾਲਖ). The human mind, influenced by the three Gunas (ਰੱਜੋ, ਤਮੋ, ਸਤੋ)- Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva of Maya become polluted in daily life. All humans, except prophets and exalted individuals, are liable to be heavily affected by worldly indulgences. Understandably, humans are prone to errors and make mistakes every day. The results of these errors accumulate over the lifespan of the individual and pollute the mind, impacting the consciousness, causing stress, anxiety, depression, and multiple other mental disorders. However, with the help of Bani blackening soot (ਮਸ) of the mind can be cleansed (ਕਤਿ), and not only does the person become liberated himself/herself, but it also liberates many others. This paper will attempt to discuss various sources that pollute the mind and how to purify it, while promoting the pronunciation of the term ਮਸਕਤਿ (maskat), not as ਮਸ਼ੱਕਤ (mushakat), but as ਮਸ ਕਤਿ (mas kat).

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

MARTYRS WHO SHAPED CIVILIZATIONS A Multi-Religious Perspective

Dr. Devinder Pal Singh

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

Martyrdom has been a decisive moral force in human history, shaping religious consciousness, political ideals, and cultural identities across civilizations. This article offers a comparative, multireligious examination of six exemplary martyrdoms: Jesus Christ in early Christianity, Imam Hussain ibn Ali at Karbala in Islam, Socrates in classical philosophy, Joan of Arc in medieval Christendom, Guru Arjun in early Sikhism, and Guru Tegh Bahadur in seventeenth-century India in Sikhism. Through an interdisciplinary approach drawing on theology, history, philosophy, and primary sacred texts, the study analyzes how these deaths served as ethical turning points, catalyzing transformative movements grounded in conscience, resistance, and truth. Each martyrdom is presented with expanded historical detail and fully referenced primary quotations, ranging from the Gospels and Plato to the Aad Guru Granth Sahib and Persian sources. The article argues that, in its purest form, martyrdom is not merely the death of a righteous individual but the birth of a new moral horizon for a community. Despite the immense diversity of these traditions, the martyr stands as a universal archetype of ethical fidelity that transcends coercive power. Ultimately, the study reveals how these six martyrdoms continue to inform contemporary discourses on justice, human rights, spiritual autonomy, and collective memory.

2025, Volume: 27, Number: 1

GURU TEG BAHADUR JI’S MARTYRDOM: The Real Message And The Efforts To Obscure It

Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD

FEATURE ARTICLE:
ABSTRACT

The motivation for the supreme martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, his message for the entirety of mankind, and the philosophical underpinnings of the unprecedented sacrifice are found within the writings of the ninth Guru as recorded within the Aad Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS). This has however, not stopped a whole gamut of individuals, institutions and the ruling elite from making efforts to obscure, corrupt or hijack the truth of the event, its motivation and its philosophical foundations for a whole host of reasons. Four sources of such efforts are identified in this brief essay. The earliest attempts at such corruption can be discerned in the classical Sikh historical literature, which serves as the primary source. The second source is Sikh clergy, institutions, intellectuals, and leadership that propagate the corrupted narratives unthinkingly and uncritically, failing to apply the touchstone of Gurbani in their analysis. The third source comprises the Hindutva-led movements within India, whose primary aim is the co-option of Sikhi and Sikh Gurus. The general Sikh population, large proportions of whom have broken away from reading, critical thinking, and the ability to analyze information objectively and form reasoned judgments, cannot be without blame and hence comprises the fourth source.