Beliefs About Death

Sikhs think of death as a long sleep during which a person's soul rests for a while before beginning a new life. They believe that a person's soul comes from God and will return to live with God at death - depending on karma (the belief that all actions have either a good or bad effect and will effect your next life) and also the grace of God. If believers worship God with all their heart and follows the teachings of the gurus, then God will set them free from the cycle of death and rebirth and their soul will be with God. This is called mukti, or salvation. To reach mukti a Sikh must be gurmukh, or 'filled with God'.

The Funeral Service

When a Sikh dies, people sing hymns and read from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, to comfort the person's family. The body is then washed with a mixture of water and yoghurt, and dressed in a new set of clothes. These clothes include the Five K's, which are important symbols of the Sikh faith. They are the kesh (hair and beard must be kept in the natural state), kanga (a comb for the hair), kara (a ring for the right hand), kirpan (a dagger) and kaccha (a shirt). Men often wear a turban. Then the body is place in a coffin and covered with a plain cloth or shawl.

The funeral procession begins with prayers, then in India the coffin is carried to the funeral pyre (structure of wood where the body is cremated). In Western countries the coffin is taken to a crematorium, often in a hearse (interment is not typical, but is acceptable). A prayer is said for the person's soul, then the pyre is lit by the eldest son, or a close male relative. Additional prayers are said as the fire burns.

Mourning

After the funeral mourners go to the gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) where they listen to readings from the Guru Granth Sahib. The service ends with the Ardas prayer, said at the end of all Sikh services, then everyone shares karah parshad (a sweet made of flour, sugar and water) to show that everyone is equal, an important Sikh belief.

The dead person's ashes are scattered in a river or in the sea. Sikhs do not believe in putting up gravestones / memorials in the person's memory. Over the next 14 days, friends and relations visit the family to offer their sympathy. Every year a ceremony is held to remember the person who died.

The Evening Prayer

The most important prayer at the funeral is the Sohila, or evening prayer, to remind them to serve God and not to be afraid of dying. Part of the prayer reads: 'Know the real reason why you are here. Collect up your treasure under the true Guru's guidance. Make your mind God's home. If God is with you always, you will not be reborn.'

Reference:

(Ganeri, Anita, Journey's End - Death and Mourning, Peter Bedrick Books. New York 1998)