Namaste,

I often tell people I was not born Hindu, but I was born Sikh. I then have to qualify my statement by saying, "But then again, Sikhism really is just another form of Hinduism anyway" However, I find that many Sikhs do not accept this. I once had a very brief debate with the president of the Sikh society at my university. Ironically, both the Sikh societies and Hindu societies were having an event and I was intending to go the Hindu society. I accidentally ended up meeting the Sikh society people, and mistook them to be the Hindu society! After a while, I realized I had actually come to the wrong society, when I said to a Sikh member assuming he was a member of the Hindu society, "There really is not that much difference between Sikhism and Hinduism is there" He lashed back, "No, there is a lot of difference, were a completely different religion"

What differences? The only differences I can observe is that the rituals, the symbols and the styles in Sikhism are different, but the substance is exactly the same: Same core beliefs(Dharma, Karma, Reincarnation, Moksha, Atman, Brahman) Same core practices(Kirtan, Yoga, Puja(book instead of idol) Seva) Same structure, morality and order(Guru parmpara, yama and niyamas)

Some Sikhs counter all of this by saying Sikhism is different because the founder Guru Nanak was the first in India to reject idol worship in favor of naam japa and kirtan, to create a monotheistic super-personal god, to reject the caste system, to promote equality of men and women etc. However, my research has shown me Sikhism was just another branch of the Bhakti movement, and many notable philosophers and saints like Naam Dev etc had already done the same.

Thus, if we actually really look at the facts, Sikhism is basically just another branch of the Bhakti movement within Hinduism. Its status as a separate and independent religion is highly dubious.