Sikhism: Living the Sikh Life | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)

Sikhism: Living the Sikh Life

  • 104 questions
  • 8 subtopics
  • Sikhism, one religion of seven
  • Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3

Sikhism: Living the Sikh Life is examined in whichever of the three papers Sikhism is studied for, because this section is the same in all three areas of study.

It covers features of the gurdwara, the role of the gurdwara and the Harmandir Sahib, the history and purpose of langar, Nam Japna: meditating on the name of God, Sikh prayer in the home, the akhand path, gurpurbs and Sikh commemorations and Sikh birth, naming and Amrit ceremonies.

Sample questions from Sikhism: Living the Sikh Life

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

  1. Features of the gurdwara

    What do Rahit Maryada Chapters 5 and 6 deal with?

    Show the answer
    Chapter 5 says only Gurbani and approved Sikh compositions are sung as kirtan. Chapter 6 explains taking the hukam from a randomly opened page.
  2. The role of the gurdwara and the Harmandir Sahib

    What other activities take place in a gurdwara, and why?

    Show the answer
    Gurdwaras host weddings, naming ceremonies and funeral prayers so that the sangat shares each stage of life. Many also run Gurmukhi and kirtan classes.
  3. The history and purpose of langar

    Who composed the hymn about the langar on Ang 967?

    Show the answer
    The court minstrel Balwand composed it, in the Ramkali ki Vaar he wrote with Satta. The hymn praises Guru Angad and the Guru's kitchen.
  4. Nam Japna: meditating on the name of God

    What does Ang 1142 teach about meditating on God's name?

    Show the answer
    Ang 1142 teaches that repeating God's name removes sins and suffering. The Name is described as a better pilgrimage than bathing at sacred rivers.
  5. Sikh prayer in the home

    What is Ardas?

    Show the answer
    Ardas is a formal prayer of petition and remembrance, said standing. Ardas recalls the Gurus and martyrs and asks God's blessing on all.
  6. The akhand path

    How does an akhand path begin?

    Show the answer
    The akhand path begins with karah prashad being prepared and Ardas said. A hukam is then taken from the Guru Granth Sahib.
  7. Gurpurbs and Sikh commemorations

    Why do Sikhs differ over the date of Guru Nanak's birthday?

    Show the answer
    Tradition celebrates it in the autumn month of Kartik. Some historians and the original Nanakshahi calendar place Guru Nanak's birth in April, in Vaisakh.
  8. Sikh birth, naming and Amrit ceremonies

    What does Rahit Maryada Chapter 11 teach about a birth?

    Show the answer
    Chapter 11 rejects the idea that a birth makes a family ritually impure. A boy's name is given Singh and a girl's Kaur.

The 8 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic What it covers Questions
Features of the gurdwara Rahit Maryada Chapters 4 to 6 on entry and behaviour, the takht, chanani and chaur around the Guru Granth Sahib, the four doors, the Nishan Sahib, and the langar hall. 14
The role of the gurdwara and the Harmandir Sahib Ang 1391 on the Guru's door, a gurdwara service and karah prashad, the building of the Harmandir Sahib and the 1604 installation, why it sits low, the Akal Takht, and Ang 4 on pilgrimage. 13
The history and purpose of langar Who started it, Guru Angad and Mata Khivi, Ang 967 and the hymn's author, Guru Amar Das's rule, sitting in rows, vegetarian food, langar as sewa, and the Harmandir Sahib's kitchen today. 12
Nam Japna: meditating on the name of God Waheguru and simran, Ang 1142, amrit vela, Nam Japna in the gurdwara and with a mala, how practice differs, why it must be sincere, and its effect on daily conduct. 12
Sikh prayer in the home Ang 305 on the daily routine, Nitnem and the morning, evening and night prayers, Ardas and sarbat da bhala, arranging a home for prayer, and comparisons with Christian prayer at home. 13
The akhand path How it is carried out, Rahit Maryada Chapter 7 on the reading and what it forbids, how it begins and ends, when it is held, its history, the sahaj path, and criticisms of practice. 12
Gurpurbs and Sikh commemorations Guru Nanak's birth and the dispute over its date, Vaisakhi 1699 and the Khalsa in Gurbilas Patshahi 10, Bandi Chhor Divas, the martyrdoms of Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur, and differing views today. 14
Sikh birth, naming and Amrit ceremonies The hukamnama and choosing a name, Rahit Maryada Chapter 11 on birth, Singh and Kaur, what happens at Amrit Sanskar and what Chapter 13 requires, the five Ks and four kurahits, and Khalsa differences. 14
Sikhism: Living the Sikh Life is 104 of the 5,266 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

  1. Step 1 · Closed book

    Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.

  2. Step 2 · Open book

    Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.

  3. Step 3 · Closed book again

    Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.

Nearby topics

All 56 topics Guide overview

Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B Active Recall Guide

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