Lesson video

Hi, my name is Mrs. Afshan.

Today, we are going to learn about the profound legacy of Guru Nanak, who is the first guru and founder of Sikhi and explore Guru Nanak's teachings, which continue to inspire Sikhs today, not just the Sikhs in the UK, but the Sikhs around the world.

The lesson is called The Legacy of Guru Nanak from the unit Sikhs: How Does Guru Nanak Inspire Sikhs Today? The outcome of today's lesson is I can explain how Guru Nanak teachings continue to inspire Sikhs today.

In our lesson today, we'll focus on key concepts like prayer, seva, and equality, and how these ideas shape the lives of Sikhs.

Let's get started.

These are some of the keywords we will be exploring in our lesson today.

The words are gurdwara, which is the Sikh place of worship, meaning door of the guru.

The next word is langar, which is a community kitchen and free meal service provided in gurdwaras.

And finally, seva, which is a selfless service.

Would you like to repeat the words one more time? Have a go.

Great effort.

Well done.

Our lesson today has two cycles.

Let's first look at what is the value of prayer and seva for Sikhs? Guru Nanak was the first guru and founder of the religion of Sikhi.

His teachings have had a lasting impact on millions of people around the world.

His message was about kindness, equality, and selfless service.

What did Guru Nanak teach about prayer? What do you think? Great effort.

Guru Nanak believed that prayer is a way to connect with God and seek guidance.

Brilliant if you thought about this same idea as well.

Guru Nanak also taught that prayer should be done with humility, which is being humble without asking for selfish desires, but for the wellbeing of all.

Guru Nanak also taught that Sikh should keep Waheguru, the Sikh word for God, in their hearts and minds at all times, not just during formal prayer.

Time for a check.

Guru Nanak taught that prayer should be done with, is it pride, or humility, or is it power? What do you think? That's correct, humility.

Guru Nanak taught that prayer should be done with humility, great.

Sikhs pray and worship both at the gurdwara, which is the name of the Sikh temple, and at home.

Like many people prefer to worship at different places, Sikhs pray, both at gurdwara and at home.

Here's an image of a person at the prayer area, the gurdwara, and an image of a prayer area at home.

Let's check if you got that.

Sikhs can only pray at the gurdwara, true or false? False.

Why? What do we know already? We know that Sikhs can pray both at the gurdwara and at home because they are encouraged to remember God and pray in their daily lives wherever they are.

You are correct if you chose false.

Well done.

How do Sikhs pray at a gurdwara? Great.

Let's see.

Sikhs often pray with other people at the gurdwara.

It's a place to worship as community.

They sit on the floor to show respect when listening to the Guru Granth Sahib being read.

Sikhs also sing prayers with music called kirtan, which is not just a worship, but a way to spread the teachings of the gurus.

Here's an image of Sikh people at the gurdwara listening to the Guru Granth Sahib read.

Let's now watch the Guru Granth Sahib being read at the gurdwara by a special person called the Granthi.

Do you know who a Granthi is? Granthi is a religious person who is responsible for reading, reciting, and maintaining the Guru Granth Sahib at the gurdwara.

Are you ready to watch the video? (Granthi singing in foreign language) Let's meet Mandeep.

Mandeep is a British Sikh person and has a Sikh worldview.

He follows teachings of Guru Nanak by visiting the gurdwara with his family.

Sikhs go to gurdwara to pray just like Mandeep, where they pray together to connect with Waheguru and see guidance in their lives.

Mandeep shares how he feels when he prays at the gurdwara.

Mandeep says, "When I pray at the gurdwara, I feel a deep sense of peace and connection to Waheguru.

The sound of the hymns and the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib helped me feel spiritually uplifted and remind me to be humble and devoted in my life." Let's now find out about seva.

Seva is one of the most important teachings in Sikhi.

Seva means selfless service, doing something for others without expecting anything in return.

What a great thought.

Guru Nanak emphasise helping others as a way to live a truthful and meaningful life.

Let's check for understanding.

What is seva for Sikhs? Is seva a ritual prayer performed every day or a celebration of important religious holidays? Or is it a selfless service to others and the community? Have a go.

That's correct.

Seva is a selfless service to others and the community.

You got that right.

Well done.

There are different ways Sikhs can do seva, inspired by the teachings of the gurus.

Let's find out a little bit more.

There is physical seva.

Guru Nanak taught that serving others is a form of serving God.

He started the tradition of langar, where Sikhs prepare, cook, and serve food to people of all backgrounds.

Langar is considered an important part of Sikh life.

This is Ria.

She's also a British Sikh person and has a Sikh worldview.

Rio visits her gurdwara with her family every week.

Let's find out about Ria's experience.

"Every week, I help serve food at langar.

It makes me feel really happy because I'm helping people and everyone is treated equally no matter who they are.

I learned that seva is about helping others with love, without expecting anything in return." Let's find out what are the ways can Sikhs do seva.

We've just looked at physical seva.

Let's now find out about other ways.

Mental seva, saying prayer for the happiness and health of others is mental seva.

It is as important as using your hands and body to help.

Mental seva shows that Sikhs are about everyone, not just themselves.

Let's look at another way to do seva.

This is emotional seva.

It's about using your heart and feelings to serve and care for others, which is an important part of Sikhi.

Emotional Seva is a special way to show love and kindness to people, just like Guru Nanak taught.

Let's check if you've got that with another check for understanding.

Sikhs can only perform seva by working in gurdwaras and serving food to others.

True or false? False because we've learned something about different ways to do sava just now.

Sikhs can perform seva in many ways, including helping the needy, supporting the environment, teaching, and offering emotional support, not just by serving food in gurdwaras.

You are correct if you chose false as you answer.

Well done.

Now it's time for our task.

Here we have Laura.

Laura is learning about Sikh worldviews and wants to understand prayer and seva.

Can you write two sentences to help Laura understand how prayer and seva are connected in Sikhi? Then write another sentence to explain why Sikhs believe that doing both is important in their daily lives.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your sentences.

Are you ready With your answers? Write two sentences to help Laura understand how prayer and seva are connected in Sikhi was the task and also writing another sentence to explain why Sikhs belief that doing both is important in the daily lives.

You might have included these sentences in your answers.

Prayer in helps Sikhi, connect with Waheguru, God, and ask for guidance, strength, and peace.

Seva is the act of helping others selflessly, showing kindness and love without expecting anything in return, which is a way to show devotion to God.

Sikhs believe that by praying and doing seva, they can stay close to Waheguru and build a strong, caring community, which will make world a better place.

We've learned about the value of prayer and seva for Sikhs.

Let's now find out how Guru Nanak's teachings inspire Sikhs today.

Guru Nanak belief in kindness, fairness, and equality for everyone.

One of his key teachings is to never forget the poor.

This means that Sikhs are encouraged to always think about and help those who do not have enough.

Guru Nanak shared food and money with the poor and talked about the importance of compassion for all, regardless of their background.

Time for another check.

Which is one of Guru Nanak's key teachings about the poor? Is it people must always help and care for the poor, or people should ignore the poor, or the poor should help themselves? What do you think? That's correct.

People must always help and care for the poor is one of the Guru Nanak's key teachings.

Great work.

Many Sikhs help the poor today by following the teachings of Guru Nanak who cared a lot about helping others.

In addition to langar and seva, many Sikh groups do charity work like giving food and medicine to people who are poor or sick and helping out during disasters like floods or earthquakes.

Let's discover how Ria's actions are inspired by Guru Nanak.

Ria says, "I've always been inspired by Guru Nanak's teachings, which is to never forget the poor, so every holiday season, I volunteer at the local charity.

I help sort donations, pack food, and serve meals to families in need, knowing that I'm doing something good.

It feels amazing to follow Guru Nanak's example of kindness by helping others and giving back to my community.

Great effort, Ria.

Another important teaching of is Guru Nanak is dasvandh, where Sikhs give 10% of the earnings to help others, especially those who are struggling.

Here's Mandeep who tells us a little bit about dasvandh.

"Guru Nanak taught us the importance of dasvandh, which is giving 10% of what we earn to help others.

Every year, I set aside part of my earnings to donate to a local charity that helps families in need.

It feels really rewarding to follow Guru Nanak's teaching and contribute to something bigger than myself." Time for another check.

Do you remember what the dasvandh is? What is the dasvandh? Is it a type of food served in langar, a special prayer for the poor, or a tradition of giving 10% of earnings to charity? Have a think.

That's correct.

Dasvandh, which can also be read as dasvandh, is a tradition of giving 10% of earnings to charity.

Great work.

Let's now find out a little bit about equality.

Equality in Sikhi religion.

But first, what does equality mean to you? Great thinking.

Sikhi believes in Fairness and respect for all, Guru Nanak taught that everyone is equal in the eyes of God, no matter their gender, cast, or background.

Treating everyone equally helps bring people together and create a stronger, more supportive community, a very important element.

Equality at langar is a great example.

At langar, people work together to serve and eat side by side, showing respect and unity.

Also, men and women sit together to share the same food, showing that no one is better than anyone else.

The turban is a symbol of honour, equality, and dedication to Sikh values.

Have you seen a person wearing a turban? Old men and women wear turbans in Sikhi, showing that everyone is equal and deserving of respect.

Let's check if you got that.

According to Guru Nanak, all people are considered equal regardless of the gender, religion, or background.

True or false? True, that's correct.

It's because according to Guru Nanak, all people are equal in the eyes of God and deserve respect and kindness.

Well done.

Ria shares her views about equality.

"Inspired by Guru Nanak, I believe that everyone is equal, whether they're a boy or a girl.

It means boys and girls should be treated with respect and have the same chances to follow their dreams. When we show respect and treat everyone equally, we make the world a fairer place for all." Do you agree with Ria? Here's our next task.

We have Sofia.

Sofia says, "Many Sikhs are inspired by Guru Nanak's teachings." What reasons would Sofia give? Write three reasons to help Sofia using the terms below to help you.

The terms are kindness, fairness, and dasvandh.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answers.

Are you ready to check your answers? Write three reasons using the terms below.

Kindness, fairness, and dasvandh.

Possible answers are many Sikhs are inspired by Guru Nanak's teaching about kindness, and because of this, they often volunteer and support the communities, making the world a better place.

Guru Nanak also taught fairness, which means treating everyone equally no matter who they are.

And this has helped create a more respectful community.

Also, another important teaching is dasvandh, where Sikhs give a part of what they earn to help those in need, showing how their actions can change the lives of others.

Well done if you wrote those answers using the terms. Great.

Now let's quickly think about what we've learnt in our lesson today.

The lesson was all about the legacy of Guru Nanak.

We've learned about prayer and seva, which are very important aspects of the Sikh faith, and this can be seen at langar.

Sikhs believe that by praying and doing seva, they can stay close to God and build a strong, caring community, which will make the world a better place.

It is important to understand how Guru Nanak's teachings inspire Sikhs to care for the poor and practise equality for all people, including gender equality.

A great legacy for many people around the world to follow.

Well done for learning with me today.

You have been amazing.

This is the end of our lesson, and I will see you in our next lesson, goodbye.