The Sanatan Dharma believes in one God "Brahma" who is so complex and (for lack of a better word) massive that he/it takes on many personages. We need these many aspects of God if we ever want to understand God.
Monotheism did exist in India even before the emergence of Sikhism. Polytheism was the product of priest class and it could not solve the spiritual needs of the masses in general. Consequently, as a reaction to the ill-effects or negative results produced by polytheism, the medieval saints, one by one (like Baba Namdev, Saint Kabir, Saint Ravi Dass, etc.-- the predecessors of Guru Nanak Dev--the founder of Sikhism), had strongly advocated monotheism. However, as they hailed from weaker sections of society (like SC/ST/OBC), the Indian mind, due to influence of feelings of superiority among the higher classes did not find it palatable to accept/follow their teachings. But, on appearance of personalities like Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the similar teachings became very much acceptable and the repeatability of message of monotheism, in the minds of people increased tremendously. All these great spiritual masters expressed themselves both against the Muslim & the Hindu orthodox ideas and they went in favor of service to the humankind.
Polytheism and monotheism is an Abrahmic term is not true for Dharmic religion.s
It was first Hinduism that declared God is One Ekamev Davita.. he is one without second.
The term polytheism is a misnomer and it has been derived to reject some faiths. In Abrahmic religions, God is an entity who CREATES the universe and then sits on Nth floor of sky and watch his subjects suffer.
On the other hand, Hinduism believes God is One and he manifests as a trinity of Brahmaa, Vishnu, Rudra for creation, preservation and destruction of universe.
Thus as per Hinduism God is one and manifests as his whole creation. He is not separate from his universe, unlike other religions.
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh pa nth took the message of Upanishadas that God is one formless, attribute less and put this idea into a common man's language and spread this idea among hindus who were busy in useless rituals, wrong customs and worshipping various gods without understanding the truth behind it.
Hinduism believes in One God whom they call Brahmm, Turiya, Aum etc. and there is no idol or no temple for this ONE GOD. And Sikhism also talks of this ONE GOD
Guru Nanak didn't borrowed anything from Upanishads or Vedas . According to Gurbani , Vedas , and Semitic books try to describe god but cannot describe him . All fail in describing god .
Sikhism is monotheistic because that is the truth . Core Hinduism never says believe in deities . According to Guru Granth Sahib , all these deities are made by god and servants of god . Gurus called themselves also as servants of god . Hinduism might have been monotheistic in far past , but today is undeniably much more polytheistic rather than monotheistic . As far as I know , Aum means "Brahma Vishnu Shiva " ( Trimurti ) . Ek onkar is indivisible . Ek onkar means "one god ". Oankar is the vibration ( dhuni ) that created universe .
read this ( by Guru Nanak himself ) :
http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=929&punjabi=t&id =39781#l39781
@ Sanatan dharm , Just keeping Guru Nanak's pic as avtar doesnt makes you a sikh .
To understand Sikhism you have to understand Hinduism. Hinduism is not Christianity and Islam which are codified religions, and have a book and a prophet. Hinduism has originated from various rituals tribal customs and social life over the centuries. Hinduism has 1000?s of Gods and Goddesses and various diverse thoughts.
Predominant amongst these thoughts is a way of life called Sanatan Dharma which more than 60% of the Hindus follow, and this is generally mistaken as Hinduism, and the other thoughts are treated as offshoots of Hinduism. The real truth is that Hinduism means Sanatan Dharma AND all the other thoughts. Sikhism is but one of these thoughts.
Firstly, the British with their policy of divide and rule, and secondly, political turmoil and hatred between Hindus and Sikhs has put the idea of a separate identity in the mind of us Sikhs. Many of my co-coreligionists will say ? but we have different ideas as compared to Hinduism. Sure - I agree that we are different in ways but there are 50 ? 100 major different thoughts within Hinduism and we are BUT one of them. This paragraph answers your questions - all the Dharmic thoughts are different from each other in one or two unique ways.
Do you understand ? Whereas fundamentalist Sikhs we say that we are 1 amongst 7 great world religions the fact is that there are actually 4 great religions. One - Christianity has various branches - Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Adventist, etc. Second ? Islam has various branches - Shia, Sunni, Ahmediya etc. There is Judaism and finally Hinduism ( which is a collection of various beautiful thoughts like Buddhism, Sanatana Dharma, Sikhism, Jainism, Arya Samajists, Vaishnav, Shaivaites Manbhum, Santhal etc )
So Sikhism is born out of Hinduism. Guru Nanak was born a Hindu, he was a traveling holy man who followed a custom of Sant Mat ( or Saint Tradition ) quite popular amongst saints those days. It was a thought he inculcated in his believers and told them to learn it. His believers were called Sikhs as Sikh means ? ?to learn? We had 9 more Gurus. Yes Guru Nanak also took some minor feedback from Islam but that is the nature of Hinduism ? to absorb from everyone.
Why Sikhism emerged as a monotheistic religion , when all its sister religions are po
