Sikhism, one of the major spiritual-philosophical traditions of India,
is often missing from discussions of cross-cultural philosophy. In this
introduction, Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, an internationally acknowledged
expert in Sikh studies, provides the first rigorous engagement in the
West with Sikh philosophy.
Sensitive both to the historical formation of Sikh thought, and to the
decolonial context in which he writes, Mandair examines some of the key
concepts of Sikh philosophy and how they inform its vision of life. He
asks what Sikh philosophical concepts tell us about the nature of
reality, the relationship between mind/self/ego, and whether it is
possible to discern broad contours of a Sikh logic, epistemology and
ontology. Additionally, the book looks at how these concepts address
broader themes such as the body, health and well-being, creation and
cosmology, death and rebirth, the nature of action and intention,
bioethics and, a theme that undergirds every chapter, spirituality. Each
chapter concludes with a set of bullet points highlighting the key
concepts discussed, a set of questions for further discussion and
teachings points to aid discussion.
Through this much-needed introduction we understand the place of Sikh
Philosophy within modern Sikh studies and why the philosophical quest
became marginalized in contemporary Sikh studies. Most importantly, we
recognize the importance of looking beyond the well-trodden terrain of
Hindu and Buddhist thinkers and involving Sikh philosophical thought in
the emergent field of world philosophies.
