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Flip to reveal answersWhat does the guide say the five Ks express?
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All 8 Flashcards — Ethics in practice
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Question
What does the guide say the five Ks express?
Answer
An outward expression of some ethical beliefs — most clearly the kirpan, from kirpa (grace) and ana (honour), symbolising a Sikh's duty to protect the weak and vulnerable.
Question
What is dharam yudh, and what is it for?
Answer
Righteous war theory, developed by Guru Gobind Singh to LIMIT both when war is permitted and conduct during war. Its purpose is restraint.
Question
Compare the four in-depth traditions on righteous war.
Answer
Hinduism: dharma yuddha in the Bhagavad Gita. Christianity: just-war theory. Sikhism: dharam yudh, framed as a limit. Buddhism: no equivalent at all.
Question
Why is Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom cited in this context?
Answer
He is remembered as having died defending the religious freedom of Hindus rather than Sikhs — showing what protection of the vulnerable means, and connecting to the teaching that God may be found in other faiths.
Question
Name the visible expressions of Sikh ethics.
Answer
The five Ks worn; langar, where everyone eats the same food seated together; sewa, performed by everyone; kirat karni, honest earning; and vand ke chakna, sharing what is earned.
Question
What does the guide say about Sikh equality in practice?
Answer
That Sikhs believe in equality of humanity regardless of birth, gender or religion, but caste and gender issues do arise — and it asks about the degree to which the teaching is manifest.
Question
What three parts does a strong answer on Sikh equality have?
Answer
The teaching at full strength; the gap the guide itself names; and the fact that Sikhs are the ones pointing at the gap, citing the Guru Granth Sahib against the practice.
Question
What is the weakness of treating the five Ks as Sikh ethics?
Answer
A symbol can be worn without the conduct it stands for, and they are worn by initiated Khalsa Sikhs — so they describe a committed core rather than the whole panth.
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Topic 4.5 hub
Ethics and moral conduct
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