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Sketch of Guru Nanak, above - by Bobby Sandhu. Homepage and thumbnail image - detail from painting by Sobha Singh.

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Talwandi
Living Sikhi - Lesson Two

by VERONICA SIDHU


 

TALWANDI

[Stories from Sikh History, Henkunt Press, pp 7-8]

 

LESSON OBJECTIVES

1   Introduce the concept of God and religion

2   To learn about the founder of the Sikh religion and the names of his family and place of birth

3   To learn some basic vocabulary of Sikhs - Guru Granth Sahib, Gurdwara, Guru, Simran

Teacher, please begin each class with simran, remembering God. Tell students to think about our loving, father /mother/ teacher/ God while repeating these special words. "Sat naam, Sat naam, Sat naam ji, Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru ji."

Discuss homework briefly - the children's observation of nature.

 

We are going to learn about a great teacher, Guru Nanaki, the founder of the Sikh religion. "Guru" means "teacher". Nanak was once a child just like you, born in a town called Talwandi in Punjab. He was born into a family with the Hindu religion. (Read pages 7-8 aloud to students.)

Nanak had a mother and a father. What were their names? (Pause for answer). He most probably called her Mata ji and his father, Pita ji. If you were born in Germany, your mother might be called Mutter, not mother. If you were born in Italy, your mother might be called Mama, your father, Papa.

God is called by different names depending on where people are born and what religion they might practice. Religion is the way people worship God. God may be called a different name in every religion, but God is the same God, just like "mother" is the same whether you call her "Mata" or "Mama".

In the Sikh religion, we call God "Waheguru" which means "The Wonderful Teacher". A "Sikh" means a "student". So the Sikhs are "Students of the Wonderful Teacher", God, "Waheguru". People all over the world know that God loves them even more than their mother and father loves them. Wherever people gather, they want to thank and worship God, because God is so good. He has made the whole universe, the whole earth and all of nature. God has given us the spark of his own life.

Sikhs may worship God anywhere, because God is everywhere. Our special place of worship where we meet together is called a "gurdwara", or "God's Door". Sikhs read from a holy book called the "Guru Granth Sahib" and think about God when they do simran, remembering God by repeating special words.

Homework: Complete and memorize the questions and answers on the study guide.

 

Teachers: Please coordinate this lesson with the kirtan teacher, so that the children will learn this:

Shabad: Tu mera pita tu hai(n) mera mata 

 

Parents: Please work with your children on the following study guide:

 

STUDY GUIDE: TALWANDI

1    Who was the founder of the Sikh Religion? Year of his birth? 

2    In what place was he born? What country is it in today? 

3    Name Nanak's father and mother. 

4    What does the word "Sikh" mean in English?

5    What name do Sikhs use for God? 

6    What does it mean?

7    Why do we worship God? 

8    What is the name of the special place where Sikhs worship God?

9    What is the name of the Sikhs' holy book?

10.  What do we call remembering God and what special words do we use?

 

April 23, 2010

 

 

 


Conversation about this article

1: N. Singh (Canada), April 23, 2010, 10:43 AM.

Veronica: this is truly amazing! You have a gift ... May Waheguru bless you for all the work you are doing. THANK YOU.

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Living Sikhi - Lesson Two"









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