Religious Ethics and Moral Values
This domain tests how Sikh ethics are reasoned and applied: virtues and vices, sewa, honest work, sharing, equality and the rejection of ritualism and caste. Expect scenario items that ask what a Sikh should do and why.
Ethical core
- Five virtues to cultivate: Sat (truth), Santokh (contentment), Daya (compassion), Nimrata (humility) and Pyar (love).
- Five thieves to resist: kam (lust), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (ego).
- Sewa has three forms: tan (physical service), man (mental or intellectual service) and dhan (material giving). Langar and pangat put equality into practice.
- Kirat Karni requires honest labour without exploitation; Vand Chakna requires sharing with those in need.
- Sikh ethics rejects caste discrimination, superstition, intoxicants and empty ritual, and affirms the equality of women and respect for other faiths.
Worked example
A shopkeeper is handed too much change by a customer. What does Sikh ethics require? Reasoning: keeping the money would violate Sat (truthfulness) and Kirat Karni (honest earnings); lobh (greed) is one of the five thieves. Vand Chakna does not justify keeping what belongs to another, because sharing must come from rightfully earned wealth. The shopkeeper should return the excess change and explain the mistake.
Traps that cost marks
- Reducing sewa to donating money and ignoring tan and man.
- Treating nimrata as weakness rather than egolessness.
- Reading the five thieves as literal demons instead of inner tendencies.
- Claiming Sikhism permits caste in gurdwara seating or langar.
- Saying good deeds mechanically earn liberation; Sikh teaching stresses grace and Naam.