ABSTRACT
Sikhism refers to the way of life of those who call themselves Sikh, the way of life that embraces equality for all human beings and disapproves every form of discrimination on the basis of caste, race, and gender. Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of Northwestern India during a time of Muslim–Hindu confrontation when a broadly aligned association of religious teachers known as the Sants were seeking to reconcile these two opposed cultural formations. The distinctive nature of Sikhism can be traced to the thought of Guru Nanak which is embodied in his hymns that are part of the Adi Granth, amplified in the lives and works of his nine successors, and explained in the interpretations of Sikh scholars. Sikhs are strongly encouraged to adopt the life of a householder. Self-realization is best achieved as a member of a family and not through withdrawal from society to become a monk or a recluse.
