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June 2020
Q1.1: Which one of the following is the meaning of the term ‘mukti’?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Being self-centred B Freedom in life C Liberation from rebirth D Rebirth
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Liberation from rebirth
Q1.2: Give two reasons why the Sangat (religious community) is important for Sikhs.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Oversees the running of the gurdwara / provides spiritual support and guidance / can provide temporal leadership to the community / gives a sense of belonging / many references in Guru Granth Sahib say that being part of the Sangat makes mukti easier / many references in Guru Granth Sahib encourage membership of the Sangat / many references in the Guru Granth Sahib say that being part of the Sangat makes it easier to be gurmukh / provides support and learning / offers opportunities for sewa / to celebrate key events in religious and personal life, e.g. wedding,
Q1.3: Explain two ways in which belief in the idea of equality shown in the life of Guru
Nanak influences Sikhs today.
Answer:
influence on individuals, communities and societies To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. Responses might be put in the negative, eg ‘Sikhs might not…’ or the positive, eg ‘Sikhs • Guru Nanak created the langar / told everyone to eat when they had worshipped / made it vegetarian so that no one would be excluded / showing Sikh equality. • Guru Nanak created the rules for Sikhism / all Sikhs follow these today / the Rahit Maryada is based on them /showing Sikh equality. • s a young man, he helped others regardless of their gender or status / eg the poor woman at his uncle’s stall / so Sikhs should not discriminate against anyone, but should offer help to all in need. • When he returned from going missing in the river, his first pronouncement was that there were no separate religions / ‘There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim’ / so Sikhs should not discriminate against those of other religions. • When travelling on his teaching journeys, he spoke to any and all, listening to them as equals / his travelling companion, Mardana, was Muslim / travelled to places to learn about all religions / so Sikhs should be open to learn about other religions, and not discriminate against them. • Rejected gender inequality – ‘Man is born of woman and woman of man’ (Adi Granth 879) / ‘It is from woman that we are conceived and born. Woman is our lifelong friend who keeps the race going. Why should we despise one who gave birth to great men?’ (Adi Granth 473) / said that God was hidden within every person, male or female / so Sikhs should not practise gender discrimination in any way, and should welcome both genders to be involved in all aspects of religious leadership and practice. • Rejected the notion of ritual purity and impurity which is strong in Hinduism / saying that there could be nothing totally pure / ‘If the principle of impurity is admitted, then impurity is everywhere...It cannot be removed (through ritual), only washed off by knowledge of God.’ / so Sikhs should not engage in Hindu practices regarding purity or impurity, including caste. • Rejected wealth as a status symbol / eg rejecting Malak Bhago’s feast for simple food with a carpenter, Bhai Lallo / squeezed blood from Malak Bhago’s bread, milk from Bhai Lallo / so Sikhs should not be boastful about wealth / should not discriminate or reject those of lesser wealth. • Rejected the caste system – ‘Caste is preposterous…Only the One (God) gives support to all’ (Adi Granth 150) / because it says that people’s caste will affect their ability to achieve moksha/mukti, whereas he said this was open to anyone who lived in the right way / so Sikhs should not observe any form of caste system, including not supporting it in other faiths. • Set up Kartarpur in 1520, based on the principles of equality / all ate together, the same food (vegetarian) at the same level in the langar, which was set up so that any person could eat / so Sikhs should not discriminate, and should observe the langar and its rules by eating at it and with • Guru Nanak’s central teaching was that there was One God to whom everyone prayed / hence equality of all creation / so Sikhs should show respect for and give value to the life of every other person / so they should fight for justice / so they should protect life / etc.
Q1.4: Explain two Sikh teachings about sewa.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Sikh belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Sikh belief and teaching – 1 mark • Sewa is selfless service to others / there is no limit to what can be done as sewa / so all can perform sewa, regardless of their status/context/wealth etc. • Links belief and conduct, so an essential part of being a Sikh. • Guru Nanak said that love is the fundamental key to good mental health and good social behaviour, when it is based on giving rather than receiving / any act of sewa is an act of love. • Any act of sewa shows belief in equality / as it is selfless giving, so it is done for anyone. • Sewa leads a person away from haumai / as it involves thinking of others (not thinking of self) / so sewa leads to being Gurmukh / closer to God. • Three kinds of sewa – Tan – body – physical effort to help someone / Dhann – money – financial gifts to help others / Man – mind – sincerity of action when helping others, doing it for the sake of helping, not for any reward. • Langar is a good way to perform sewa / as it involves all three forms / can be done by anyone / reflects belief in ‘divine spark in all’ / and in equality of all / Guru Nanak ‘Keep the langar open’ • Guru Nanak – ‘Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living’. • Bhai Gurdas – ‘The hands of the Gurmukh are blessed, for they toil in the service of God and the sangat…Ego and pride have been lost through serving others’. • Rahit Maryada – ‘Gurdwaras are laboratories for teaching the practice of sewa…the real field is the world abroad, sewa recognises no barriers of religion, caste or race. It must be offered to all’. • Guru Nanak – ‘He alone, O Nanak, knows the way who eats out of what he earns by his honest labour and yet shares part of it with others / ie service to others brings blessings from God onto • Guru Nanak – ‘one who performs selfless service without desire for reward will certainly attain • Guru Granth Sahib – ‘three things are necessary to attain mukti, do sewa, follow the Guru’s teachings and meditate on the name of God’ / sewa is one of three key aspects of being a Sikh,
Q1.5: ‘For Sikhs in the modern world, it is too difficult to be gurmukh (God-centred) all
the time.’ Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Sikh teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
[SPaG 3 marks]
Extra space
Q2 Sikhism: Practices
Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [SPaG 3 marks] significance and influence understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information.
Arguments in support
• Too many distractions – wealth, materialism, society’s expectations, social media, etc / many people’s lives are dominated by their job and its demands / so that life is a constant battle for a • Human nature makes it impossible, as the mind is not able to show such discipline / hence even if not misbehaving, a person may not be thinking of God. • At times a person has to just think of themselves, eg if in danger. • People’s natural state is to be manmukh / because they live in this world which prevents them seeing their true selves, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
• Sikhism is about training oneself to be self-disciplined / hence gurmukh. • Living as a Sikh gives constant reminders of God / eg Nam Japna, Nam Simran / hence one is always thinking of God, being gurmukh. • The prize for being gurmukh is great / reunion with God / hence people who understand this will make greater effort to remain gurmukh. • Life is more rewarding for self and others when gurmukh / because motivation for service is • The world is more tolerant/accepting of difference / so non-Sikhs do not make it difficult to practise the Sikh faith / i.e. the historic religious intolerances which prevented or hindered the work toward being Gurmukh are not so great, etc. [Plus SPaG 3 marks] Q2 Sikhism: Practices
Q2.1: Which one of the following is the name of the ceremony in which a Sikh becomes a
member of the Khalsa?
Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Akhand Path B Amrit Sanskar C Guru Granth Sahib D Harimandir Sahib
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: B Amrit Sanskar
Q2.2: Give two religious features inside a gurdwara.
Question 2 continues on the next page
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Palki (canopy) / takht (throne) / romalla (cover) / Guru Granth Sahib / images of religious leaders / praying area / langar / Khanda (symbol of Sikhism), etc. Credit answers which describe these things if not giving correct term.
Q2.3: Explain two contrasting ways in which Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) is celebrated by Sikhs.
Answer:
similarities and differences within and/or between religions and beliefs Contrasting ways come from different bullets • Opportunities for Sikhs to gather are created – gurdwara, procession, fairs, etc / as Guru Amar Das said Sikhs should do this at this time. • Day begins with worship at the gurdwara / Guru Granth Sahib taken from its resting place and washed / hymns sung / five Khalsa Sikhs read five verses of Guru Granth Sahib / amrit distributed to all / karah parshad given out at noon / everyone attends langar. • Flag and cloth which covers flagpole outside gurdwara changed / flagpole washed in yoghurt (purity and cleanliness). • Speeches about the vows taken and the need to keep them / being a devoted Sikh / origins of • Processions through the community headed by members of the Khalsa dressed in blue and orange, often on horseback / singing of hymns as part of this procession / dancing is part of procession / mock sword fights as part of procession. • Might go on pilgrimage to Guru Nanak’s birthplace, Amritsar, etc. • Firework displays held. • In UK, huge festivals open to anyone, eg Handsworth Park, Trafalgar Square – food, funfair, • Amrit Sanskar ceremonies held at this time. • Emphasis on charitable work – giving and working, etc.
Q2.4: Explain two reasons why an Akhand Path is important to Sikhs.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Sikh belief and teaching in your answer.
Answer:
beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Sikh belief and teaching – 1 mark • It is a reading of the word of God continuously / ‘continuously sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, day and night; singing the Lord’s Praises, I cannot find the limits’ (GGS 833). • The reading of the Guru Granth Sahib brings blessings to the listeners / ‘the life-giving word of the Guru is very sweet’ (GGS 113). • The sound is believed to create a power (naad “the essence of all sounds” / thus combining the five elements of air, fire, water, earth, and ether) / sound affects the soul level of humanity / is a service to all beings. • Is dedicated to something, eg a family’s ‘needs’, so is a very personal religious experience / brings the power to raise the level of their souls (naad). • Brings miracles / eg family might be asking for pregnancy. • Brings solace / eg family might be in mourning. • Connects the prayers of the sponsor (person paying for the Akhand Path) to the blessings of the Guru (words of the GGS) / makes those prayers stronger. • Is an opportunity to do sewa / tan – by reading / dhann/dan – by paying for it / man – by believing in its importance and veracity. • Is a traditional activity of Sikhism / brings God’s blessing to an activity or undertaking / done by Sikhs before battle historically. • Makes a person gurmukh – ‘The whole world may undertake the sacred reading of the Guru Granth to sail through the sea of temptations in the human existence’ (Bhai Gurdas), etc.
Q2.5: ‘For Sikhs, the most important worship takes place at the gurdwara.’
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Sikh teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.
Extra space
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Answer:
In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view significance and influence understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information.
Arguments in support
• Congregational prayer there / recommended by Gurus / community is very important in Sikhism not least because of a history of persecution / home of Sangat. • Few Sikhs have a Guru Granth Sahib / this is the only chance to hear the words from anywhere in the GGS / granthi is based at the gurdwara who reads Guru Granth Sahib correctly / and has key role in educating Sikhs on their faith. • Can access people who can explain the words of the GGS at the gurdwara / gives greater meaning to the words. • Gurdwara is fully an atmosphere of worship, making it the best place for worship / surrounded by aids to worship. • Rahit Maryada – ‘Gurdwaras are laboratories for teaching the practice of sewa…the real field is the world abroad, sewa recognises no barriers of religion, caste or race. It must be offered to all’,
Arguments in support of other views
• Worship in the mind and heart is most important / as that is where God is / as that is where true devotion is shown. • First worship of the day takes place at home / sets a person on the right path for the day / pre- empts gurdwara worship / also Nam Japna prayers which are spread through the day but start in the morning at home. • It depends on the person – they might prefer to worship at home or in the natural world (God’s • Home may provide fewer distractions / as everything there is known / no new/different people to catch up with, etc.