In the Overview Essay, Dr. Rajwant Singh speaks of the vision of the founder of the Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak–a vision in which we are all spiritual beings “who have realized God. To these spiritual beings the earth and the universe are sacred; all life is unity, and their mission is the spiritualization of all.” He goes on relate that in Guru Nanak's philosophy “the reality that humans create around themselves is a reflection of their inner state. The current instability of the natural system of the earth–the external environment of human beings, is only a reflection of the instability and pain within humans. The increasing barrenness of the earth’s terrain is a reflection of the emptiness within humans.” Though the Sikh tradition seeks union with God, it does not withdraw from the world, as “the world, like all creation, is a manifestation of God. Every creature in this world, every plant, every form is a manifestation of the Creator. Each is part of God and God is within each element of creation. God is the cause of all and She is the primary connection between all existence.”
Overview Essay
“Environmental Theology in Sikhism” and “Sikhism and Caring for the Environment in Practice” by Dr. Rajwant Singh provide an excellent introduction to the topic of Sikhism and Ecology. Dr. Singh is the founder and President of EcoSikh, co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), Communications Director of the Sikh Human Development Foundation, and Secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation. |
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Advisory Group Members |
Bibliography
A small selection of titles related to Sikhism and the environment is located here. Gratitude to EcoSikh for these resources. |
Statements
Statements and quotes on the environment from the Sikh community can be found here. |
Here you'll find further information on EcoSikh, the leading organization on the intersection of Sikhism and ecology, and some of their related projects. |
Sacred Texts Here you'll find quotes from Guru Nanak and other Gurus of the Sikh tradition, related to Earth, nature, and the environment. |
Multimedia
Located here are multimedia offerings of interest, relating to the intersection of Sikhism and ecology.
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Ecojustice
This page contains lists of resources related to Sikhism and Ecojustice, organized by category (books, articles, etc). To see all of the Ecojustice resources on the Forum site, go to our new religiously-engaged Ecojustice hub. |
Links A brief listing of links for additional exploration is located here.
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Header photo: The Golden Palace or Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, India