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Modern Skills 100 level Created by AI

AI Foundations

Prof. Sikh Archive

A practical, plain-English introduction to using today's AI tools well and responsibly — the assistants, image tools, model choices, and the new 'connectors' that let AI act for you.

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Language 100 level Created by AI

Gurmukhi & the Grammar of Gurbani

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

This course teaches how the Gurmukhi script and the grammar of Gurbani work together to unlock the correct meaning of the sacred word. Students learn the thirty-five letters, the vowel signs (ਲਗਾਂ ਮਾਤ੍ਰਾਂ), and the additional marks, and then study how a final vowel sign on a noun or verb changes meaning. The…

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Philosophy 100 level Created by AI

Foundations of Sikh Philosophy

Prof. Dr. Darshan Singh

A rigorous yet accessible academic survey of the central ideas of the Sikh worldview, moving from the One Reality of ੴ (One Reality) through the lived ethics of remembrance, equality, selfless service, and liberation. The course reads each idea both as a teaching of the Gurus and as it is treated in modern…

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Music 100 level Created by AI

Introduction to Gurmat Sangeet

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

A beginner-friendly survey of Gurmat Sangeet, the classical tradition of Sikh sacred music. This course explores the practice of Kirtan and its central place in Sikh worship, the system of Raags that organizes Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, an overview of the thirty-one main Raags, the traditional instruments and the…

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History 100 level Created by AI

Foundations of Sikh History

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

An introductory survey of Sikh history from the birth of Guru Nanak Sahib in 1469 through the era of the Ten Gurus, the founding of the Khalsa, the eighteenth-century struggle, the Sikh Empire, and the colonial and modern periods. The course teaches not only events and dates but also the historical method of the…

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Theology 100 level Created by AI

Introduction to Gurmat (Sikh Theology)

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

A rigorous yet accessible introduction to Gurmat, the theology of the Guru's teachings, covering the nature of the Divine, the Shabad Guru, the path of devotion, grace and effort, ethics and equality, and the meaning of liberation.

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Spirituality 100 level Created by AI

Foundations of Sikh Spirituality

Prof. Sant Waryam Singh Ratwara Sahib

An introduction to the lived spiritual practice of Sikhi. This course moves beyond history and doctrine to explore how a Sikh actually walks the spiritual path day by day: remembering the Divine through Naam, keeping the daily discipline of Nitnem, rising in the ambrosial hours of Amrit Vela, finding nourishment in…

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Modern Skills 100 level Created by AI

AI Foundations: Understanding Artificial Intelligence

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-language introduction to artificial intelligence for everyone. This course explains what AI really is and is not, traces its journey from early rule-based systems to today's large language models, and unpacks the core ideas of data, training, models, and neural networks without any math. You will learn how…

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Language 100 level Created by AI

Reading Gurmukhi: The Script

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

A gentle beginner's introduction to the Gurmukhi script, the writing system in which the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and much Punjabi literature are recorded. This course traces the script's history and its association with Guru Angad Dev Ji, walks through the Painti (the thirty-five base letters) grouped by how they are…

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History 120 level Created by AI

Guru Nanak Dev Ji: Life and Teachings

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course studies the life and message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh faith, in an academic but accessible way. It traces his birth at Nankana Sahib, the spiritual awakening at Sultanpur Lodhi, the four Udasis or great journeys, his central teachings on the One Creator, honest work,…

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Theology 120 level Created by AI

Introduction to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

A college-level introduction to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal living Guru of the Sikhs. The course examines how the scripture was compiled by Guru Arjan Dev Ji and completed under Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the community of voices it gathers (Gurus, Bhagats, and Bhatts), its arrangement by Raag, its script and…

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Spirituality 120 level Created by AI

Sikh Festivals and the Calendar

Prof. Pal Singh Purewal

An introduction to the Sikh sacred calendar and its principal observances. This course explains what a Gurpurab is, surveys the major birth and martyrdom anniversaries of the Gurus, and explores the meaning of Vaisakhi, Bandi Chhor Divas, and other days of remembrance. It also describes how these occasions are…

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Theology 130 level Created by AI

The Five Ks and Sikh Identity

Prof. Bhai Chaupa Singh

An academic introduction to the Panj Kakaar (the Five Ks) and the formed Sikh identity of the Khalsa, taught in the voice of the Rehat tradition associated with Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhibber, author of one of the earliest Rehatnamas (codes of conduct). The course studies each of the five articles of faith…

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Theology 150 level Created by AI

Gurmat Katha

Prof. Giani Sant Singh Maskeen

This course studies the art of ਕਥਾ (oral discourse) and the core Gurmat themes that shaped the teaching of Giani Sant Singh Maskeen, one of the best-known Sikh expositors of the twentieth century. Rather than reproducing his words, the course examines his method: how he opened a line of Gurbani, built a moral…

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Arts 150 level Created by AI

Sikh Art & Architecture

Prof. Patwant Singh

An introductory survey of the visual and built heritage of the Sikh tradition. Students explore the design and meaning of the gurdwara, the history and architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, the art of illuminated manuscripts of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh school of painting and fresco work, arms and material…

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History 150 level Created by AI

The Lives of the Ten Gurus

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course surveys the lives, teachings, and contributions of the ten human Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and the conferral of eternal Guruship upon ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ. It pays special attention to how the devotional chronicles of Kavi (Bhai) Santokh Singh, above all his Sri Gur…

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Language 150 level Created by AI

Conversational Punjabi I

Prof. Sikh Archive

A beginner-friendly introduction to spoken Punjabi for everyday life. You will learn warm greetings and courtesies, build simple sentences with pronouns and present-tense verbs, count and tell time, talk about family and common objects, ask questions, and handle practical situations like ordering food, finding…

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Spirituality 150 level Created by AI

Nitnem: The Daily Spiritual Practice

Prof. Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara

Nitnem is the daily discipline of reciting and contemplating Gurbani that anchors a Sikh's spiritual life. This course explains what Nitnem is, the rhythm of the Sikh day and the Banis traditionally associated with morning, evening, and night, the meaning and benefits of steady practice, and how recitation…

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Theology 150 level Created by AI

Understanding the Mool Mantar

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

An academic, term-by-term study of the Mool Mantar, the foundational statement that opens Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Ang 1. The course explains each phrase in plain English, situates it within classical and modern Sikh scholarship, and shows how these few words frame the whole of Gurbani and shape Sikh life.…

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History 150 level Created by AI

Guru Amar Das Ji: Equality and Reform

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Amar Das Ji (1479-1574), the Third Guru of the Sikhs, led the community from 1552 to 1574. This course studies his life and his lasting reforms. He built the town of Goindwal and its famous Baoli Sahib, and he made the rule that every visitor, of any rank, must first sit together and eat in the langar before…

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History 150 level Created by AI

Guru Angad Dev Ji: The Second Master

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course studies the life and contributions of Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504-1552), the Second Master of the Sikhs. Born Bhai Lehna, he met Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Kartarpur and was chosen as successor in 1539, over Guru Nanak's own sons, because of his humility and devoted service. As Guru he settled at Khadur Sahib,…

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History 150 level Created by AI

Guru Har Krishan Ji: The Child Guru's Seva

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Har Krishan Ji (1656-1664) was the Eighth Guru of the Sikhs and became Guru as a young child, around the age of five, in 1661. This course studies his short but luminous life: his early succession after Guru Har Rai Ji, his journey to Delhi at the call of the Mughal court, and his remembered service to the…

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History 150 level Created by AI

Guru Har Rai Ji: Compassion and Care

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Har Rai Ji (1630-1661) was the seventh Sikh Guru, serving the community from 1644 to 1661. A grandson of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, he is remembered above all for his deep compassion and gentleness toward every living creature. This course studies his life and leadership: how he kept the Sikh community strong…

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Comparative & Interfaith 150 level Created by AI

Sikhi Among the World's Faiths: An Introduction to Comparative Study

Prof. Sikh Archive

This course introduces how to study Sikhi in conversation with other religious traditions in a way that is fair, careful, and respectful. We learn what comparison is good for and where it goes wrong, and we practice a simple but honest method that avoids two common mistakes: pretending every faith secretly teaches…

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Ethics 150 level Created by AI

Foundations of Sikh Ethics: Living the Gurmat Vision

Prof. Sikh Archive

This course introduces the moral vision of Gurmat (the Guru's way) in plain English. It explains how Sikh ethics grows out of devotion to the One (Ik Onkar) rather than from a list of rules. You will learn the three pillars of daily Sikh life: remembering God (ਨਾਮ ਜਪਣਾ), earning an honest living (ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰਣੀ), and…

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Rehat & Maryada 150 level Created by AI

Foundations of Rehat: An Introduction to the Sikh Way of Discipline

Prof. W.H. McLeod

This course introduces ਰਹਿਤ (Rehat), the disciplined Sikh way of living, and ਮਰਯਾਦਾ (maryada), the agreed code or protocol that gives that living a shared shape. In plain English, but at a graduate depth, it explains why discipline exists to serve devotion rather than to replace it, how Rehat differs from ordinary…

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Economics 150 level Created by AI

The Honest Rupee: A Sikh View of Wealth and Work

Prof. Sikh Archive

Sets up the whole section: work, wealth, sharing and contentment are spiritual matters in Gurmat, not separate from faith.

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Parenting 150 level Created by AI

First Teachers: A Gurmat Foundation for Raising Children in Sikhi

Prof. Sikh Archive

An overview of the section and the Gurmat reasons for taking parenting seriously as a spiritual practice.

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Politics 150 level Created by AI

Sikhi and the Political: An Introduction to Sikh Political Thought

Prof. Sirdar Kapur Singh

A plain-English introduction to the idea that Sikhi is not a withdrawn, otherworldly religion but a tradition that joins the spiritual and the worldly. Drawing on Sirdar Kapur Singh's writings, the course explains how Sikh thought holds spiritual freedom and a just social order together, why this matters for…

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Sociology 150 level Created by AI

Faith into Community: An Introduction to the Sociology of Sikhi

Prof. Sikh Archive

Sets up the course: faith is lived with others, and sociology gives us tools to see how that works.

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Science 150 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Science: A Harmonious View

Prof. Sikh Archive

An introduction to how the Sikh tradition relates to modern science. Gurmat invites us to observe and reflect on creation (kudrat), and Sikh thought never developed a "creation versus science" war. This course explains why, distinguishes the kinds of questions spirituality and empirical inquiry each answer, and…

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Reference & Lexicography 150 level Created by AI

A Glossary of Key Sikh Terms

Prof. Sikh Archive

A learner's glossary of the most important Sikh terms, grouped by theme and defined in plain English at graduate depth. The course works as a reference: each lesson is built around a table that pairs the Gurmukhi term with a clear, mainstream definition. It covers the Divine (Ik Onkar, Waheguru, Huk

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Modern Skills 150 level Created by AI

AI Literacy: Using AI Wisely and Responsibly

Prof. Sikh Archive

AI Literacy: Using AI Wisely and Responsibly

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Financial Literacy 150 level Created by AI

Money Basics: Budgeting, Checking & Savings

Prof. Sikh Archive

Money Basics: Budgeting, Checking & Savings

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Gardening 150 level Created by AI

Gardening Basics: Getting Started

Prof. Sikh Archive

Gardening Basics: Getting Started

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Mental Health 150 level Created by AI

Understanding Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Prof. Sikh Archive

Understanding Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

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History 180 level Created by AI

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Birth of the Khalsa

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course studies the life of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru, and the founding of the Khalsa. It follows his birth in 1666, the martyrdom of his father, the founding of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi 1699, the first Amrit Sanchar and the Panj Pyare, the sacrifice of the Sahibzade, and the 1708 conferral of eternal…

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Language 180 level Created by AI

Reading Gurbani by Its Endings: Giani Harbans Singh's Simple Grammar

Prof. Giani Harbans Singh

This course introduces the approach to Gurbani grammar set out in Giani Harbans Singh's ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਸਰਲ ਵਿਆਕਰਣ (Gurbani Saral Viyakaran, 'Simple Gurbani Grammar'). The central idea is that the small vowel-signs and word-endings of Gurbani are not decoration: they carry meaning. A word can change its sense depending on…

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Literature 200 level Created by AI

Modern Sikh Literature with Bhai Vir Singh

Prof. Bhai Vir Singh

A university-level survey of the life, works, and lasting influence of Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957), the writer often called the father of modern Punjabi literature (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਾਹਿਤ). The course studies how his fiction, poetry, prose, and scholarship grew out of the Singh Sabha (ਸਿੰਘ ਸਭਾ) renewal and reshaped Sikh…

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Spirituality 200 level Created by AI

Naam & Spiritual Discipline

Prof. Bhai Randhir Singh

An academic study of Naam Simran as a disciplined daily practice, examining the role of Shabad and Surat, the place of concentration and breath, the necessity of divine grace (Kirpa), and the example of sustained Naam-abhyaas in the life and writings of Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961).

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History 200 level Created by AI

The Khalsa & the Eighteenth Century

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

This course studies the most formative century of Sikh history. It begins with the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 and ends as the Sikhs approached sovereign statehood. In these decades the community took on a clear identity with its own ideals and institutions. It survived years of persecution…

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Theology 200 level Created by AI

Reading Japji Sahib

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

An academic study of Japji Sahib, the foundational composition of Guru Nanak Dev Ji that opens Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Ang 1. This course examines the structure and themes of the bani rather than reproducing or paraphrasing its lines: the Mool Mantar and its naming of the Divine; the critique of empty ritual;…

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Philosophy 200 level Created by AI

Sikh Ethics & the Householder Life

Prof. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha

An academic study of the moral vision of Sikhi, organized around the ideal of the householder, the engaged grihast who pursues spiritual life within family, work, and society rather than through withdrawal from the world. The course examines the three pillars of Sikh living, the ethics of honest labor, the inner…

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Literature 200 level Created by AI

A Survey of Sikh Literature

Prof. Pyara Singh Padam

This course offers a guided academic survey of the Sikh literary tradition from its origins to the present day. Students learn to read, situate, and analyze the major works as literature and as cultural record rather than reproducing the sacred and classical texts themselves. The sweep runs from the poetic…

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Music 200 level Created by AI

Raag in Gurbani

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

An introduction to the role of Raag, the classical melodic framework of South Asian music, within Gurbani and the worship tradition of the Sikhs. This course explains what a Raag is, how Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is organized by Raag, the emotional character associated with the principal Raags, and how melody is…

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Language 200 level Created by AI

Learning Punjabi Through Gurbani

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

An intermediate course that builds Punjabi vocabulary and reading comprehension through the language of Gurbani. You will learn high-frequency devotional words and their meanings, see how the older Sant Bhasha register differs from everyday modern Punjabi, grasp core grammar concepts at a conceptual level, and…

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Arts 200 level Created by AI

Sikh Sacred Architecture: The Gurdwara & Harmandir Sahib

Prof. Patwant Singh

An exploration of Sikh sacred architecture, from the meaning and function of the Gurdwara to the celebrated Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar. This course examines the core spaces of a Gurdwara, the symbolism woven into its design, the rise of a recognizable Sikh architectural style, and how built form expresses the…

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Modern Skills 200 level Created by AI

Working with AI: Prompting & Large Language Models

Prof. Sikh Archive

A practical, vendor-agnostic guide to getting reliable, useful work out of large language models. You will build an intuition for how these systems generate text, learn to write prompts that clearly communicate task, context, constraints, and format, and pick up core techniques such as role framing, worked…

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Theology 200 level Created by AI

The Concept of Naam in Sikhi

Prof. Bhai Randhir Singh

An expanded academic study of ਨਾਮ (the Divine Name), one of the most central ideas in Sikh theology. The course moves from definition to lived practice: it examines what Naam means beyond an ordinary label, how the disciplines of ਸਿਮਰਨ (loving remembrance) and Naam Japna operate, and how Naam relates to ਸ਼ਬਦ (the…

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Spirituality 200 level Created by AI

Sikh Life Ceremonies and Rites

Prof. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha

A reverent survey of the ceremonies that mark a Sikh life from birth to death, grounded in the mainstream Sikh Rehat Maryada. The course examines the naming ceremony (Naam Karan), initiation into the Khalsa (Amrit Sanchar), the Sikh wedding (Anand Karaj) and the meaning of the four Laavan, and the funeral rites…

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History 200 level Created by AI

Women in Sikhi: Equality and History

Prof. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh

An exploration of the principle of gender equality in Sikh teaching, its theological foundations in Gurbani, and the lives of notable Sikh women across history. The course examines women's roles in Sangat, Seva, and leadership, their equal access to initiation, and honestly considers the gap between Sikh ideals and…

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Theology 200 level Created by AI

Understanding Teekas: How Gurbani Has Been Explained

Prof. Pyara Singh Padam

This overview course introduces the tradition of the teeka (commentary or exegesis) and shows how commentaries have helped Sikhs read and understand Gurbani for more than a century. It explains what a teeka is and why a learner often needs help with older vocabulary, grammar, and context. It surveys the main…

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History 200 level Created by AI

Guru Ram Das Ji: Founder of Amritsar

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Ram Das Ji (1534-1581) was the fourth of the ten Sikh Gurus and led the community from 1574 to 1581. Born in Lahore as Bhai Jetha, he is remembered for founding the settlement of Ramdaspur, which later grew into the city of Amritsar, and for beginning the excavation of its great sarovar (sacred pool). He…

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History 200 level Created by AI

Baba Deep Singh Ji and the Art of Telling Sikh History: Studying Dr. Ajit Singh Alaukh's Illustrated Story Work

Prof. Dr. Ajit Singh Alaukh

This course studies the life, scholarship, and martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh Ji, an 18th-century Sikh scholar-warrior linked to Damdama Sahib, and how an author such as Dr. Ajit Singh Alaukh retells that history for younger readers through illustrated stories. We focus on the author and the craft of the retelling,…

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Ethics 200 level Created by AI

The Five Thieves and the Virtues That Overcome Them

Prof. Sant Waryam Singh Ratwara Sahib

Sikh teaching names five inner forces that quietly rob a person of peace and clear thinking: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and pride. The tradition calls them the panj chor, the five thieves, or the panj vikar. This course studies what each one is, how they feed each other, and how they all grow from a single…

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Rehat & Maryada 200 level Created by AI

The Five Ks and Khalsa Identity: Bana, Discipline, and the Saint-Soldier

Prof. W.H. McLeod

This course explains the five articles of faith worn by initiated Sikhs, known together as the Panj Kakar or Five Ks: kesh (uncut hair), kangha (the wooden comb), kara (the steel bracelet), kachhera (the cotton undergarment), and kirpan (the sword). In plain English we look at what each article means, where it…

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Economics 200 level Created by AI

Kirat Karni: The Craft and Dignity of Honest Labour

Prof. Sikh Archive

A graduate-level but plainly written course on Kirat Karni, the Sikh principle that earning an honest living by one's own effort is a spiritual duty, not merely an economic necessity. The course explains why the Gurus dignified all honest work, what 'haq halaal' (rightful earning) means as an ethic against fraud…

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Parenting 200 level Created by AI

Naam Karan: Welcoming a Child into the Guru's Family

Prof. Sikh Archive

A clear, graduate-level guide to the Sikh naming ceremony. Learn how a family takes a hukam from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, chooses a name from the first letter of that hukam, and adds Singh or Kaur, all as an act of gratitude, seva, and belonging to the Guru's Panth.

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Parenting 200 level Created by AI

Raising the Guru's Children: Teaching Gurbani and Nitnem at Home

Prof. Sikh Archive

Why love comes before memorization, and how to read your child's age and stage before teaching anything.

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Sociology 200 level Created by AI

Sangat and Pangat: Craft, Community, and Equality

Prof. Sikh Archive

A sociology course about the two practices that hold a Sikh community together: ਸੰਗਤ (the gathered congregation) and ਪੰਗਤ (sitting in a single row to eat the shared meal of langar as equals). Using plain English and a sociological lens, the course asks how shared worship and a shared meal can dissolve the rankings…

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Apologetics 200 level Created by AI

The Sikh Foundation: The Case for Sikhi

Prof. Sikh Archive

Sikhi was taught by ten Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak and ending with Guru Gobind Singh.

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Music 200 level Created by AI

The Raagi's Craft: Kirtan Maryada and the Discipline of Singing Gurbani

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

A graduate-level study of the discipline and etiquette of ਕੀਰਤਨ (kirtan), the sung devotion at the heart of Sikh worship. The course explains, in plain English, why the Sikh Rehat Maryada limits kirtan in the congregation to Gurbani and a short list of approved compositions, what this means for the

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Modern Skills 200 level Created by AI

AI, LLMs & AGI: What They Really Are

Prof. Sikh Archive

A calm, hype-free explanation of modern AI for everyone. What people actually mean by 'AI', how large language models (LLMs) really work under the hood, why they sound confident even when wrong, the difference between narrow and general intelligence, and the honest debate about whether 'AGI' is near

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Modern Skills 200 level Created by AI

The Craft of Prompt Engineering: Getting the Best from AI

Prof. Sikh Archive

A practical, plain-English guide to writing prompts that get great results from AI — clear instructions, context and examples, reasoning and constraints, fixing common failures, and adapting to chat, coding, and image tools.

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Financial Literacy 200 level Created by AI

Credit Scores, Credit Cards, and Debit Cards: A Plain-English Guide

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English course on how credit works: what a credit score is and what moves it, how credit cards and debit cards differ, what interest and APR really cost you, how to use credit responsibly, why paying only the minimum is a trap, and how to protect yourself from fraud. General educational cont

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Financial Literacy 200 level Created by AI

Getting Out of Debt: A Plain-English Guide

Prof. Sikh Archive

A simple, plain-English course on understanding debt and getting free of it: the difference between good and bad debt, how interest compounds against you, two proven payoff methods (the debt snowball and the debt avalanche), the well-known 7 Baby Steps framework popularized by Dave Ramsey, and pract

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Financial Literacy 200 level Created by AI

The Saver's Path: Building Savings and Emergency Funds

Prof. Sikh Archive

The Saver's Path: Building Savings and Emergency Funds

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Gardening 200 level Created by AI

Know Your Climate and Hardiness Zone

Prof. Sikh Archive

Know Your Climate and Hardiness Zone

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Gardening 200 level Created by AI

Indoor Plants: Keeping Houseplants Alive (Indoor vs Outdoor)

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English beginner's guide to growing happy houseplants: why some plants suit indoors and others belong outdoors, how to pick easy starter plants, read light, water without over- or under-doing it, get humidity and drainage right, repot, and fix common problems like yellow leaves and fungus gn

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Gardening 200 level Created by AI

What to Plant and When: A Region-and-Season Planting Guide

Prof. Sikh Archive

What to Plant and When: A Region-and-Season Planting Guide

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Gardening 200 level Created by AI

Watering Wisely: Right Amount for Every Plant and Climate

Prof. Sikh Archive

Watering Wisely: Right Amount for Every Plant and Climate

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Mental Health 200 level Created by AI

Building Confidence and Self-Worth

Prof. Sikh Archive

A practical, plain-English course on building real confidence and steady self-worth. You will learn the difference between confidence and ego (haumai), how to value yourself without depending on others' approval, how to face fear and take action, how to grow real skill through practice, and how to u

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Mental Health 200 level Created by AI

Chardi Kala: Building a Positive and Meaningful Life

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English course on building a positive, meaningful life. It brings together everyday wisdom from positive psychology research, gratitude, a sense of purpose, healthy daily habits, supportive relationships and community (sangat), and the joy of serving others (seva). It connects all of this to

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Mental Health 200 level Created by AI

From Self-Hate to Self-Compassion: Treating Yourself With the Dignity Gurmat Says You Already Have

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English course on moving from a harsh inner critic toward self-compassion. We look at where self-hate comes from, the real difference between healthy accountability and self-attack, evidence-based practices from researchers like Kristin Neff, and the Gurmat teaching that the Divine light (jo

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Mental Health 200 level Created by AI

Working with Difficult Emotions

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, practical course on understanding and handling hard feelings. Learn to name emotions, tell the difference between feeling and reacting, work with anger, fear, grief, and anxiety, and use simple evidence-based tools like labelling, grounding, journaling, and talking to someone. We al

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Literature 250 level Created by AI

The Sikh Encyclopedic Tradition

Prof. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha

This course introduces the encyclopedic and lexicographical legacy of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, centered on his monumental reference work the ਮਹਾਨ ਕੋਸ਼. Students learn how this dictionary-encyclopedia was built, how it explains the vocabulary of ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ, and how to use it alongside his other works to study Sikh terms,…

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History 250 level Created by AI

The Sikh Religion in English Scholarship

Prof. Max Arthur Macauliffe

How Sikhi was presented to the English-speaking world through Max Arthur Macauliffe's six-volume study, The Sikh Religion (1909) — its making in partnership with Sikh scholars, its strengths and limits, and its lasting place in Sikh studies.

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History 250 level Created by AI

The Sikh Empire: Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Prof. Bhai Sohan Singh Sital

A university-level survey of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), framed through the historical writing of the dhadi and historian Bhai Sohan Singh Sital, author of works such as Sikh Mislan and Sikh Raj Kivein Gaya. The course traces the rise of Ranjit Singh from a Sukerchakia misl chief to…

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Philosophy 250 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Comparative Religion

Prof. W.H. McLeod

An undergraduate survey that situates Sikhi within the academic study of religion, examining its distinctive theology of one formless Reality (Ik Onkar) alongside the wider family of human religious traditions. Following the comparative and religious-studies approach associated with W. H. McLeod, the course…

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Literature 250 level Created by AI

Bhai Gurdas: The First Interpreter of Gurbani

Prof. Bhai Gurdas

An academic study of Bhai Gurdas (c.1551-1636), the scribe of the Adi Granth and the earliest systematic interpreter of Sikh teaching. This course examines his life and proximity to the Gurus, his two great bodies of work, the Vaaran and the Kabitt Savaiye, and the reasons his writing is celebrated as the Gurbani…

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Ethics 250 level Created by AI

Seva & Sarbat da Bhala: Service in Sikhi

Prof. Sant Seva Singh Rampur Khera

An in-depth study of seva (selfless service) as a foundational practice of the Sikh way of life and of sarbat da bhala (the welfare of all) as its guiding ethical horizon. The course examines what seva means, its three classical forms of tan, man, and dhan, the institution of langar as service made permanent, the…

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History 250 level Created by AI

The Global Sikh Diaspora

Prof. W.H. McLeod

An academic survey of Sikh migration and settlement across the world, from the late nineteenth century to the present. The course follows the movement of Sikhs within the British Empire to East Africa and Southeast Asia, the early twentieth-century pioneers who reached the Pacific coast of North America, the…

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Arts 250 level Created by AI

Sikh Painting & Manuscript Art

Prof. W.G. Archer

A respectful survey of the visual art traditions of the Sikh world, from illuminated manuscripts and decorated copies of scripture to the painting workshops that flourished under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The course traces how Sikh painting drew on, and departed from, the Pahari and Mughal schools; examines the gilded…

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Politics 250 level Created by AI

Miri-Piri: The Spiritual and the Temporal

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

A close study of the Sikh teaching that the spiritual and the worldly belong together: the two swords of Guru Hargobind Ji, the Akal Takht, the saint-soldier ideal, and what just power (Halimi Raj, Deg Teg) means in Sikh life.

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Literature 250 level Created by AI

Reading Sikh Festivals and Daily Life: The Descriptive Accounts of Abinash Mahapatra

Prof. Abinash Mahapatra

This course studies a small body of descriptive writing attributed to Abinash Mahapatra, including "An Account of Baisakhi" and related accounts of Sikh festivals and everyday life. Rather than treating these texts as theology, we read them as descriptive sources: eyewitness-style records of what people did, wore,…

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Spirituality 250 level Created by AI

The Devoted Life: Bhai Raghbir Singh Bir on Bandgi, Naam, and Trust in the Guru

Prof. Bhai Raghbir Singh Bir

This course studies the spiritual teaching of Bhai Raghbir Singh Bir, a twentieth-century Sikh writer known for clear, warm, and accessible reflections on the inner life of a Sikh. Drawing on his work Bandginama and his long association with the magazine Atam Vigyan, the course explores how he describes a life of…

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Theology 250 level Created by AI

Opening the Word: Dr. Surinder Singh Kohli and Gurbani in English

Prof. Bhai Surinder Singh Kohli

This course studies the work of Dr. Surinder Singh Kohli, a leading academic interpreter who carried the message of Sikh scripture into clear English. Rather than reproducing his texts, the course examines how his multi-volume series Guru Granth Sahib Speaks and his other English studies of Gurbani opened the…

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Literature 250 level Created by AI

The Singh Sabha Novels of Bhai Vir Singh

Prof. Bhai Vir Singh

Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) is often called the father of modern Punjabi literature. Writing during the Singh Sabha movement, he used the new form of the novel to teach Sikh values, defend Sikh identity, and inspire courage and reform. This course studies his four major prose works in the SikhLibrary collection:…

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Spirituality 250 level Created by AI

Becoming Sachiara: Discourses of Sant Waryam Singh Ji

Prof. Sant Waryam Singh Ratwara Sahib

This course introduces the practical spiritual teachings of Sant Waryam Singh Ji of Ratwara Sahib, centred on the opening question of Japji Sahib: how does one become a sachiara, a truthful and God-centred person? Drawing on his recorded discourse-works such as Kiv Sachiara Hoiyai (parts 1-3), Agam Agochar Da Marg,…

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History 250 level Created by AI

Guru Arjan Dev Ji: The Scripture and the First Martyrdom

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606), the fifth Sikh Guru, guided the community from 1581 to 1606. His era shaped Sikhi in lasting ways. He completed the Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) at Amritsar and gave it doors on all four sides as a sign of openness to all people. He compiled the Adi Granth in 1604, gathering…

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History 250 level Created by AI

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji: Miri-Piri and the Akal Takht

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji (1595-1644), the Sixth Nanak, became Guru in 1606 following the martyrdom of his father, Guru Arjan Dev Ji. This course studies how he gave the Sikh community a balanced direction by joining spiritual life with worldly responsibility. He wore two swords, one for Miri (temporal authority) and…

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History 250 level Created by AI

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji: Shield of Conscience

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course studies the life, travels, teaching, and martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621-1675), the Ninth Guru of the Sikhs. He became Guru in 1665, journeyed across northern and eastern India, and founded the town that grew into Anandpur. In 1675 he was executed in Delhi under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb…

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Philosophy 250 level Created by AI

Chanakya Niti: Statecraft and Ethics

Prof. Sant Jagjit Singh Harkhowal

Chanakya Niti is a classical collection of niti (ethical-political) aphorisms attributed to Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, the ancient strategist linked to the rise of the Maurya empire. In the South Asian manuscript tradition this body of worldly-wisdom verses was sometimes gathered alongside spiritual works,…

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Philosophy 250 level Created by AI

Vichar Mala: A Garland of Reflections

Prof. Lala Sri Ram

Vichar Mala ("a garland or string of reflections") is one of the five non-Gurbani granths gathered in the Panj Granthavali, a small collection of philosophical and reflective compositions. This course studies the text as a practice of structured contemplation, or vichaar: the disciplined turning over of a thought…

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History 250 level Created by AI

A Sikh Life Remembered: Bhai Rama Singh Ji and the Value of Autobiography for Sikh History

Prof. Bhai Rama Singh UK

This course studies the Autobiography of Bhai Rama Singh Ji as a primary source and asks a simple question: what does one person's own story add to Sikh history? We treat the memoir as a first-person window onto a lived Sikh life and onto the Sikh experience in the diaspora, especially the United Kingdom. Students…

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History 250 level Created by AI

Shaheedi in the Sikh Tradition: Martyrs, Memory, and the Ethics of Sacrifice

Prof. Dr. Gurcharan Singh Alaukh

This course studies the Sikh idea of shaheedi (martyrdom) as both a historical record and a living moral tradition. Working from Dr. Gurcharan Singh Alaukh's collection of martyrdom narratives, Shaheedi Gathavan, we trace how Sikhs have remembered those who gave their lives for faith and justice from the time of…

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Literature 250 level Created by AI

The White Robe: Giani Jaswant Singh on Purity of Conduct and the Inner Life

Prof. Giani Jaswant Singh

This course studies the devotional and ethical writing of Giani Jaswant Singh, focusing on his work Chita Chola, whose title means "the white robe." The white robe is a plain but powerful image: just as a white garment shows every stain, a sincere life shows every fault of the heart. Through this image the author…

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Spirituality 250 level Created by AI

The Witnessing Mind: Swami Rama on Meditation and Joyful Living, Studied Alongside Sikh Practice

Prof. Swami Rama

This is a comparative contemplative-studies course. It examines the meditation teachings of Swami Rama (1925 to 1996), a Himalayan yoga master and founder of the Himalayan Institute, as set out in works held in the SikhLibrary collection: Samadhi: The Highest State of Wisdom, Science of Meditation, The Art of…

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Comparative & Interfaith 250 level Created by AI

Bhagat Bani: The Saints of the Guru Granth Sahib

Prof. Pashaura Singh

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji holds not only the compositions of the Sikh Gurus but also the voices of saints from outside the Sikh fold — Hindu and Muslim devotees, kings and weavers, cobblers and farmers. This course studies who these Bhagats were, why the Gurus enshrined their words as scripture, and what this…

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Ethics 250 level Created by AI

Honest Work and Shared Wealth: The Sikh Ethics of Kirat, Dasvandh, and Generosity

Prof. Sikh Archive

This course looks at how Sikh teaching answers everyday questions about work and money. How should we earn a living? How much should we keep, and how much should we share? Why does the Sikh tradition treat honest labour as a spiritual act, not just a way to pay bills? Using plain English, we explore the core ideas…

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Rehat & Maryada 250 level Created by AI

Amrit Sanchar: Initiation and the Vows of the Khalsa

Prof. W.H. McLeod

A clear, graduate-level introduction to the Amrit Sanchar, the Sikh rite of initiation into the Khalsa. The course traces the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur on Vaisakhi 1699, the calling of the Panj Pyare, and the Khande di Pahul ceremony in which sweetened water is stirred with a…

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Economics 250 level Created by AI

Dasvandh & the Economics of Giving

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, graduate-depth study of dasvandh, the Sikh practice of setting aside a tenth of one's earnings for the common good. The course traces its roots in the Guru period, explains how the masand system gathered and moved resources across a scattered community, weighs charity against structural giving, and…

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Economics 250 level Created by AI

The Langar Economy

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English look at ਲੰਗਰ as an economic model: a kitchen that feeds anyone, free, every day. We study how a gift-based, non-market institution funded by the sangat and by seva manages to feed millions, why it survives without prices, what it does in disaster relief today, and what it teaches about abundance,…

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Parenting 250 level Created by AI

Raising Gurmukhs: Sikh Values at Home

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, graduate-depth guide for parents who want to grow Gurmat character in their children — seva, honesty, humility, gratitude, sharing, kindness, and the daily work of managing anger and ego — taught through ordinary family life and personal example rather than lectures.

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Sociology 250 level Created by AI

Craft, Caste & Its Rejection

Prof. J.S. Grewal

A plain-English but graduate-depth look at how the Sikh Gurus rejected caste (jati), built langar and sangat as institutions that act it out in daily life, and an honest sociological accounting of where caste has nonetheless persisted among Sikhs.

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Science 250 level Created by AI

Countless Worlds: Cosmology in Gurbani

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, graduate-level reading of the vast cosmology pictured in Gurbani: countless realms, suns, moons, and worlds; the unknowable scale of creation; and how this vision sits beside (not inside) modern astronomy, without claiming Gurbani predicts science.

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Science 250 level Created by AI

Air, Water, Earth: Ecology and the Science of Nature in Gurbani

Prof. Sikh Archive

Sikhi reads nature as the living face of the Creator. This course connects the famous closing line of Japji Sahib — air is the Guru, water the father, the earth the great mother — to modern environmental science: ecosystems, interdependence, and the Sikh basis for climate responsibility.

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Apologetics 250 level Created by AI

Comparative & General Questions

Prof. Sikh Archive

If you compare the world's religions side by side, a strange pattern shows up.

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Apologetics 250 level Created by AI

Understanding Conversion Tactics

Prof. Sikh Archive

People inviting you to their faith is a normal part of religious life, and a confident person does not need to be afraid of an honest invitation.

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Arts 250 level Created by AI

The Craft of the Gurdwara: The Architecture of the Sikh Sacred Space

Prof. Patwant Singh

A graduate-level study of how the gurdwara took shape as a building. Working from Patwant Singh's writing, the course reads the gurdwara not as a fixed style but as a form that grew out of what Sikhs actually do together: gather as sangat, eat from a shared langar, and sit before the parkash of Sri

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Arts 250 level Created by AI

The Craft of Modern and Diaspora Sikh Art

Prof. Patwant Singh

A graduate survey of Sikh visual art from the colonial period to the present, told in plain English. We trace the rise of the Sobha Singh school of devotional Guru portraits, the mass culture of calendar art, the work of contemporary diaspora painters, the new world of Sikh comics and graphic novels

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Music 250 level Created by AI

The Raags of Sri Guru Granth Sahib: How the Scripture Sings

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

The Raags of Sri Guru Granth Sahib: How the Scripture Sings

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Music 250 level Created by AI

The Craft of Taal: Rhythm in Gurmat Sangeet

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

A graduate-level study of rhythm in Sikh devotional music. This course explains taal, the rhythmic cycle that gives kirtan its time and shape, in plain English. It covers the role of the percussion instruments the jori, the tabla, and the pakhawaj, the taals most commonly used to sing Gurbani, and t

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Reference & Lexicography 250 level Created by AI

The Sikh Reference Shelf: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Gazetteers

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, graduate-level guide to the great reference works of Sikh studies — Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh, Harbans Singh's four-volume Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, the dictionaries of Gurbani, the colonial gazetteers, and the field's bibliographies. You will learn what each tool does best

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Modern Skills 250 level Created by AI

Run AI on Your Own Computer: A Plain-English Guide to Local Models

Prof. Sikh Archive

Run AI on Your Own Computer: A Plain-English Guide to Local Models

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Financial Literacy 250 level Created by AI

Investing Basics: Assets vs Liabilities

Prof. Sikh Archive

Investing Basics: Assets vs Liabilities

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Gardening 250 level Created by AI

Healthy Soil: Compost & Amendments

Prof. Sikh Archive

Healthy soil is the real foundation of a healthy garden. This course explains, in plain English, what soil is made of, how to tell what kind you have, and how to make it better. You will learn the four main soil types (sand, silt, clay, and loam), how texture affects drainage, what soil pH means and

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Gardening 250 level Created by AI

Invasive Plants and Species: Understanding and Managing Them

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English guide to invasive plants and species: what makes a species invasive (and how that differs from simply being non-native), why invasives harm ecosystems, well-known problem plants, how to identify and remove them safely, native alternatives to plant instead, and why you should always c

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Mental Health 250 level Created by AI

Understanding and Healing from Trauma

Prof. Sikh Archive

A gentle, careful introduction to what trauma is, how the body holds stress, and why our reactions are normal responses to abnormal events. We look at the idea of healing at the root rather than only the surface, name the evidence-based therapies that trained professionals use, and explore the quiet

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History 275 level Created by AI

Reading Dorothy Field: An Early Western Introduction to Sikhi

Prof. Dorothy Field

This course studies Dorothy Field's 1914 book The Religion of the Sikhs, one of the earliest short English-language introductions to Sikhi written by a Western author. We look at what the book covered, where it sits among other early English accounts such as Max Arthur Macauliffe's The Sikh Religion (1909), and how…

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History 280 level Created by AI

Reading the Janamsakhis: Devotional Life-Narrative and the Memory of Guru Nanak

Prof. Baba Ganesha Singh Bedi

This course studies the janamsakhi tradition, the devotional life-accounts of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, taking the manuscript known as the Guru Nanak Surjode Janam Sakhi as a point of entry. Students learn what a janamsakhi is, how it narrates the Guru's life through episodes called sakhis, and why it belongs to a…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Gurbani Exegesis with Prof. Sahib Singh

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

An author-as-professor course about Prof. Sahib Singh (1892-1977), among the most influential interpreters of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The course studies who he was, the grammar-based method he built for reading Gurbani, his ten-volume Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darpan, his companion Gurbani Viakaran, his study of the…

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History 300 level Created by AI

Sikh Historical Chronicles with Giani Gian Singh

Prof. Giani Gian Singh

An upper-division study of the life, methods, and legacy of Giani Gian Singh (1822-1921), one of the most influential traditional Sikh historians. The course examines his major chronicles, the techniques and sources of pre-modern Sikh historiography, and the critical reading skills a modern student needs to weigh…

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Philosophy 300 level Created by AI

Haumai, the Self, and Liberation

Prof. Giani Sant Singh Maskeen

An upper-division study of one of the central problems in Sikh philosophy: Haumai, the deep-rooted sense of a separate, self-asserting 'I' that the Gurus identify as the root of human bondage. Drawing on the reverent expository tradition of katha exemplified by Giani Sant Singh Maskeen (1934-2005), a renowned…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

Bhai Vir Singh: Father of Modern Punjabi Literature

Prof. Bhai Vir Singh

An author-as-professor course examining the life, work, and enduring legacy of Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957), the writer widely honored as the father of modern Punjabi literature. The course traces his role in the Singh Sabha renaissance, surveys his major works across novels, epic and lyric poetry, and scriptural…

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Reference & Lexicography 300 level Created by AI

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha: The Great Encyclopedist

Prof. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha

An advanced survey of the life, scholarship, and lasting influence of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (1861-1938), the towering lexicographer of the Singh Sabha era. This course examines his masterwork, the Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh, his widely read tract Ham Hindu Nahin, his lexicographical method, his collaboration…

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History 300 level Created by AI

Max Arthur Macauliffe and 'The Sikh Religion'

Prof. Max Arthur Macauliffe

An advanced study of Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841-1913), the British civil servant who left his career to devote his life to Sikh studies, and his six-volume work 'The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors' (1909). This course examines who Macauliffe was, how he came to the project, how he worked…

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History 300 level Created by AI

Builders of the Khalsa Raj: The Biographical History of Baba Prem Singh Hoti Mardan

Prof. Baba Prem Singh Hoti Mardan

This course studies the biographical history written by Baba Prem Singh Hoti Mardan, an early twentieth-century chronicler of the Sikh kingdom. Working in Punjabi prose, he wrote life-accounts of the sardars, generals, and leaders who built and served the Khalsa Raj of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The course reads his…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

Bhai Hira Singh Dard: Letters, Journalism, and the Writing of Sikh History

Prof. Bhai Hira Singh Dard

This course studies the life-in-letters of Giani Hira Singh Dard (1889-1965), a Punjabi poet, journalist, and editor who came of age during the Gurdwara Reform (Akali) movement. We read him as a maker of modern Punjabi prose and verse, as the founding editor of the monthly Phulwari and an assistant editor of the…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Reading the Dasam Granth: The Textual Scholarship of Dr. Kamalroop Singh

Prof. Dr. Kamalroop Singh

This course introduces students to the academic study of the Dasam Granth (ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ) through the scholarship of Dr. Kamalroop Singh, a contemporary researcher known for his work on Sikh manuscripts and the writings attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. Students learn what the Dasam Granth is, how scholars examine its…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Defending Gurmat: The Doctrinal Writings of Sodhi Teja Singh

Prof. Sodhi Teja Singh

This course studies the doctrinal and apologetic writings of the Sikh author Sodhi Teja Singh, whose works set out to explain and defend Gurmat, the way of life taught by the Guru. Reading his Gurmat exposition alongside his argumentative texts such as Gur-Shabad-Sidhi, students learn how he answers questions about…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

The Kuka Movement in Punjabi Letters: Swaran Singh Virk's Literary History of Namdhari Reform

Prof. Swaran Singh Virk

This course studies the nineteenth-century Kuka (Namdhari) movement of Punjab as it is reflected in Punjabi literature, and it examines Swaran Singh Virk's literary-historical survey of that body of writing in his study Kuka Lehar Da Panjabi Sahit ('The Punjabi Literature of the Kuka Movement'). The Namdhari…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Reading Akal Ustat: Mehta's Vision of the Divine

Prof. Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta

An advanced study of Dr. Gurcharan Singh Mehta's commentary and philosophical reflection, Akal Ustat Paath Vyakhya Atey Vichar Darshan, which expounds Akal Ustat, a composition attributed to Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Dasam Granth. The course follows Mehta's method of close reading and his account of how the text…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Santhya and Rehat in the Damdami Taksal Tradition

Prof. Giani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranwale

This course studies two pillars of teaching associated with Giani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranwale, an early head of the Damdami Taksal: santhya, the careful and correct oral reading of Gurbani, and rehat, the Sikh code of conduct. Students learn how the Taksal preserves the pronunciation, pause, and meaning of Sri…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

Reading Bhai Gurdas Ji's Kabitt Savaiye Through Giani Mal Singh's Steek

Prof. Giani Mal Singh Darbar Sahib

This course studies the Kabitt Savaiye of Bhai Gurdas Ji through the lens of the steek (line-by-line commentary) attributed to Giani Mal Singh of Darbar Sahib. Bhai Gurdas Ji is honored within the Sikh tradition as a foundational poet whose Punjabi Varan and Braj-language Kabitt Savaiye illuminate Gurbani. The…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

Poetic Figures in Gurbani: Reading Alankaar with Giani Pritam Singh Likhari

Prof. Giani Pritam Singh Likhari

This course studies the art of poetic figures, or ਅਲੰਕਾਰ, as they appear in Gurbani, following the traditional study method preserved in the Damdami Taksal lineage. Drawing on the author's writing on ਅਲੰਕਾਰ, students learn how the Gurus use comparison, image, and sound to carry deep meaning. We focus on simile…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Reading Japji Sahib with the Udasi Lens: Harnam Daas Udasi's Sateek Tradition

Prof. Harnam Daas Udasi

This upper-level seminar studies the practice of sateek (verse-by-verse commentary) as applied to Japji Sahib, the opening composition of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib found at Ang 1. Working from the Udasi exegetical tradition associated with Harnam Daas Udasi's commentarial method, students learn how Udasi expositors…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Explaining Gurbani: The Steek Tradition of Sant Jagjit Singh Harkhowal

Prof. Sant Jagjit Singh Harkhowal

This advanced course studies the way Sant Jagjit Singh Harkhowal explains Gurbani in his body of steeks (text-with-commentary works) preserved in the collection. It treats his method as a worked example of the wider Sikh exegetical tradition: how a teacher takes a bani, gives word-by-word meaning, then opens out…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Reading Jaap Sahib with the Nirmala Tradition: Sant Kartar Singh's Arth Prabodh

Prof. Sant Kartar Singh Nirmala

This course studies Jaap Sahib, a morning composition (bani) attributed to Guru Gobind Singh Ji within the Dasam Granth, through the lens of the Nirmala commentary (tika) tradition and the exegetical work titled 'Jaap Sahib Arth Prabodh.' Students learn how Nirmala scholars read the bani, how they explain its names…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Crossing the Worldly Ocean: Liberation in the Nirmala Commentary Tradition

Prof. Sant Nihal Singh Nirmala

This course studies the idea of liberation as the crossing of the worldly ocean (ਭਵ ਸਾਗਰ) as it is taught within the Nirmala commentary tradition of Sikh learning. Taking the metaphor of a 'bridge over the ocean of existence' (Bhav Sagar Setu) as its organizing image, the course examines how Nirmala scholars read…

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Spirituality 300 level Created by AI

Seva and Devotion in the Sevapanthi Tradition: Reflective Readings

Prof. Sant Surjit Singh Sevapanthi

This course studies the Sevapanthi tradition within Sikhi, a path that places selfless service (seva) and loving devotion (bhagti) at the centre of spiritual life. We read in the spirit of the tradition's reflective writings, such as the Vichar Bhandar and the commentary tradition known as Vichar Mala Steek, which…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Bani Steeks with Bhagat Jaswant Singh (Daudar)

Prof. Bhagat Jaswant Singh Daudar

This course studies the steek (commentary) and arth (meaning) tradition through the published Punjabi works of Bhagat Jaswant Singh (Daudar). His writings give line-by-line explanations of selected banis from Sri Guru Granth Sahib and offer practical guidance on correct reading, including vishraam (where to pause).…

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History 300 level Created by AI

Bhai Randhir Singh: Faith and Freedom

Prof. Bhai Randhir Singh

Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961) was a Sikh devotee and freedom fighter whose life joined deep religious devotion with resistance to British colonial rule. Educated in the colonial system yet drawn back to Sikh practice, he embraced the discipline of Naam (meditation on the divine Name) and strict Rehat (the Sikh…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

The Poetry of Bhai Vir Singh

Prof. Bhai Vir Singh

Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) is widely honored as the father of modern Punjabi literature. This course studies him as a pioneering poet who carried Punjabi verse beyond its older devotional and heroic molds into a fresh lyric form shaped by personal feeling, close observation of nature, and the soul's longing for the…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Japji Sahib: A Puratan Teeka with Sant Waryam Singh Ji

Prof. Sant Waryam Singh Ratwara Sahib

This course studies Japji Sahib, the opening bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, through the lens of the puratan (traditional) teeka by Sant Waryam Singh Ji of Ratwara Sahib. A teeka is a line-by-line exposition that opens up the meaning of bani for ordinary readers. Rather than reproducing the bani at length, the…

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Spirituality 300 level Created by AI

Bhavrasamrit: The Nectar of Devotion

Prof. Giani Bishan Singh

This course studies Bhavrasamrit (ਭਾਵ ਰਸ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ), one of the five non-Gurbani texts gathered under the Panj Granthavali tradition, as explained in the teeka (commentary) by Giani Bishan Singh in the SikhLibrary collection. The work belongs to the world of bhakti aesthetics: it treats ਭਾਵ (bhav, devotional feeling)…

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Philosophy 300 level Created by AI

Sarukatavali: A Granthavali Reflection

Prof. Mahant Amir Singh Mukatsar

This course studies the Sarukatavali (also written Sarkutavali), one of the five non-Gurbani granths grouped under the Panj Granthavali tradition. The text is a reflective and philosophical work, and in the SikhLibrary collection it is preserved as a steek (commentary) titled 'Sarkutavli Steek' by Mahant Amir Singh…

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Philosophy 300 level Created by AI

The Saint-Soldier and the True Guru: Reading Giani Nahar Singh's Sant Sipahi Satguru

Prof. Giani Nahar Singh

This course studies the ideal of the saint-soldier (ਸੰਤ-ਸਿਪਾਹੀ) and the meaning of the True Guru (ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ) as they appear in Giani Nahar Singh Ji's short devotional tract Sant Sipahi Satguru. Written by the Giani of Gujarwal and republished by the Pyare Jio Trust of Canada in 2021, the tract reads Guru Gobind Singh…

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Literature 300 level Created by AI

Reading the Hanuman Natak: Hirdey Ram Bhalla and the World of Braj Court Poetry

Prof. Hirdey Ram

This course studies the Hanuman Natak, a Braj-language poetic work attributed to Hirdey Ram Bhalla, and treats it as a piece of classical literature rather than scripture. We learn who Hirdey Ram was as a court-connected poet in the literary world around the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, what kind of text the…

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Spirituality 300 level Created by AI

Amar Vastu: Sant Jodh Singh Rishikesh on the One Imperishable Treasure

Prof. Sant Jodh Singh Rishikesh

This course studies the devotional teaching of Sant Jodh Singh Rishikesh as it appears in his work known as Amar Vastu, meaning 'the imperishable thing' or 'the eternal treasure.' Written in plain English but aimed at graduate-level readers, the course looks at one central idea: that everything we can see, own, or…

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Spirituality 300 level Created by AI

The Gift of Naam: Sant Makhan Singh and the Longing of the Heart

Prof. Sant Makhan Singh

This course studies the devotional vision found in Sant Makhan Singh's prayer-work 'Har Dejai Naam Piari Jio' (a heartfelt asking for the beloved Naam), which comes out of the Sato Gali / Taksal teaching line. In plain English, but at graduate depth, we look at how his work treats the longing for Naam and the gift…

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History 300 level Created by AI

Hands That Serve: The Sevapanthi Tradition of Seva in Sikh History

Prof. Sant Seva Singh Sevapanthi

This course studies the Sevapanthi tradition within Sikhism, a stream of devotional life that places selfless service (ਸੇਵਾ) at the center of faith. The tradition traces its inspiration to Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, who is remembered for carrying water to all the wounded on the battlefield without asking which side they…

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Reference & Lexicography 300 level Created by AI

Bhai Desa Singh and His Rehatnama: A Sikh Code of Conduct in Context

Prof. Bhai Desa Singh

This course studies Bhai Desa Singh and the short text attributed to him, the Rehatnama, one of several historical Sikh codes of conduct that try to describe how a member of the Khalsa should live. Working in simple English at a graduate level, the course explains what a rehatnama is, what kind of conduct these…

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Reference & Lexicography 300 level Created by AI

Unlocking Gurbani Vocabulary: Giani Kirpal Singh and the Craft of a Gurbani Word-Meaning Kosh

Prof. Giani Kirpal Singh

This course studies the work of Giani Kirpal Singh as a reference author, focusing on his Gurbani word-meaning kosh, the Sam Arth Kosh. A kosh (ਕੋਸ਼) is a dictionary or lexicon. A Gurbani kosh collects difficult words from the scripture and explains their meanings (ਅਰਥ), often by listing synonyms and showing how a…

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Theology 300 level Created by AI

Sant Hari Singh Randhawa and the Panch Granthavali Steek: Reading a Commentary on a Gathered Collection

Prof. Sant Hari Singh Randhawa

A graduate-level study of Sant Hari Singh Randhawa's Panch Granthavali Steek, a commentary on the Panj Granthavali collection. The course explains, in plain English, what a 'panch granthavali' gathers, why several short granths are bound together, and how a steek (running commentary) opens such a collection for a…

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Spirituality 300 level Created by AI

The Power of Bhajan-Bandgi: Devotional Remembrance in the Work of Subedar Baghel Singh

Prof. Subedar Baghel Singh

This course studies the devotional teaching found in Subedar Baghel Singh's work 'Bhajan Bandgi da Partap' (the glory and power of devotional remembrance and prayer). In simple English, but at graduate depth, it explains how the author presents bhajan-bandgi: the daily practice of remembering God's Name (Naam) and…

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Comparative & Interfaith 300 level Created by AI

Bhagat Farid and the Sufi Current: Sufism in Sikhi and the Voice in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Prof. Pashaura Singh

This course studies the meeting point of Sikhi and Sufism, the mystical tradition within Islam. Its anchor is the presence of the bani of Bhagat Farid (Sheikh Farid) inside Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the only Sufi voice given a place in the Guru's own scripture. We look at the shared spiritual ground between the two…

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Comparative & Interfaith 300 level Created by AI

Sarbat da Bhala: The Sikh Foundations of Interfaith Dialogue

Prof. Sikh Archive

This course explains, in plain language, why dialogue and respect across faiths sit at the heart of the Sikh tradition. Sikhi teaches that there is one Creator and that all people are children of that one Father, so no community is foreign or lesser. We study the prayer for the welfare of all, Sarbat da Bhala, and…

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Comparative & Interfaith 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi and the Bhakti Movement: Shared Roots and a Distinct Path

Prof. Bhai Surinder Singh Kohli

A comparative course on Sikhi and the wider Bhakti (devotional) movement of medieval northern India. Drawing on the comparative scholarship of Bhai Surinder Singh Kohli, it studies the devotional vocabulary that Sikhi shares with the Sant and Bhakti traditions, the one God, the practice of Naam, and divine grace,…

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Ethics 300 level Created by AI

Equality and Justice in Sikhi: Caste, Dignity, and Gender

Prof. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh

This course studies one of the boldest ethical claims in Sikh thought: that every human being shares equal worth before the One. We trace how the Gurus rejected caste (ਜਾਤਿ) and ritual hierarchy, and how they built equality into daily life through shared seating (ਪੰਗਤ), the gathered community (ਸੰਗਤ), and the free…

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Rehat & Maryada 300 level Created by AI

The Early Rehatnamas: Reading the Puratan Codes of Khalsa Conduct

Prof. Pyara Singh Padam

This course is about the early Sikh codes of conduct known as the puratan rehatnamas, and about how scholars study them. It does not reproduce the texts themselves. Instead it explains what a rehatnama is, surveys the major early codes commonly attributed to figures such as Bhai Nand Lal, Bhai Desa Singh, Bhai…

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Rehat & Maryada 300 level Created by AI

The Sikh Rehat Maryada: The Modern Panthic Code of Conduct

Prof. W.H. McLeod

This course studies the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the single agreed code of conduct for Sikhs produced under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and first published in 1945 after many years of careful discussion. We look at what the code standardises: who counts as a Sikh, daily personal discipline…

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Economics 300 level Created by AI

Craft, Cooperation, Sarbat da Bhala & a Just Economy

Prof. Sikh Archive

A graduate-level study, in plain English, of what Sikh teaching has to say about how an economy should work. We start from the daily Sikh prayer for the welfare of all, sarbat da bhala, and ask what it means for honest work, fair wages, cooperation instead of exploitation, and care for the poor. Then we use those…

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Economics 300 level Created by AI

Craft, Wealth, Greed & Contentment: The Inner Economics of Gurmat

Prof. Sikh Archive

Gurmat does not separate the marketplace from the soul. This lesson sets up the course by treating money, work, and desire as inner questions before they are financial ones.

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Parenting 300 level Created by AI

Craft, Identity & Confidence: Kes, Dastaar & Belonging

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English starting point: what kes and the dastaar mean, and why they are treated as a gift rather than a burden.

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Parenting 300 level Created by AI

Parenting Through Adolescence: Guiding Sikh Teenagers in the Modern World

Prof. Sikh Archive

A calm, practical guide for parents of Sikh teenagers. It treats adolescence not as a crisis to be managed but as a journey to be walked alongside. Drawing on Gurmat values — humility, honesty, sangat, and Naam — it offers grounded ways to keep connection and trust, talk openly about peer pressure, relationships,…

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Politics 300 level Created by AI

Justice, Tyranny, and the Sikh Response

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

A graduate-level, plain-English course on the Sikh tradition of standing against injustice. It studies the historical martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675 as a sacrifice for others' freedom of conscience, the ethic of dharam (righteous duty) in public life, the high bar Sikh tradition sets before resistance to…

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Politics 300 level Created by AI

Sovereignty and the Khalsa

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

This course is a historical and doctrinal study of the Sikh idea of sovereignty. It asks what Sikhs have meant by the words ਰਾਜ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ, the Khalsa shall rule, and how that claim sits beside the older Gurbani idea of ਹਲੇਮੀ ਰਾਜ, a humble and just rule. We examine the belief that sovereignty belongs not to a…

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Politics 300 level Created by AI

From Misls to the Sarkar-i-Khalsa: Sikh Statecraft, 1716–1849

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

How Sikhs actually governed — the misl confederacies of the eighteenth century, the Dal Khalsa, and the Sarkar-i-Khalsa under Maharaja Ranjit Singh: justice, revenue, religious pluralism, and the lessons and limits of that statecraft.

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Sociology 300 level Created by AI

Gender, Family & the Householder in Sikh Society

Prof. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh

A graduate-level sociological study of the family, marriage, kinship, and gender in Sikh life, written in plain English. The course treats the householder life (grihast) as the Sikh social norm rather than an inferior alternative to renunciation; examines the dignity and theological equality of women in Gur…

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Sociology 300 level Created by AI

The Sikh Diaspora: Migration, Community, and Identity Abroad

Prof. Verne A. Dusenbery

A sociological study of how Sikhs became a global community. The course traces the main waves of migration to Britain, North America, East Africa, and beyond; the building of gurdwaras as anchors of settled life; and the work of keeping a visible identity (kes and dastaar) alive in new societies. It pays close…

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Sociology 300 level Created by AI

Organising the Panth: The Gurdwara, the SGPC, and Sikh Collective Authority

Prof. J.S. Grewal

Introduces the gurdwara as a social institution and the central place where Sikh community life is organised.

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Science 300 level Created by AI

Creation, Evolution & Hukam

Prof. Sikh Archive

A plain-English, graduate-level reflection on how Sikhi thinks about where the cosmos and life came from. Gurbani does not give a dated, six-day account; it speaks of creation unfolding by ਹੁਕਮ (divine order) over time only the Creator truly knows, and of the soul travelling through many life-forms. We explore why…

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Science 300 level Created by AI

Mind, Consciousness, and the Self: Sikh Thought in Dialogue with Science

Prof. Sikh Archive

A graduate-level course that puts the Sikh understanding of mind and self into conversation with modern science. It examines two key ideas in Gurbani, the restless mind (the mind) and the deeper self (the soul or consciousness), and asks how they relate to what neuroscience now says about the brain. It treats…

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Christian Perspectives

Prof. Sikh Archive

Christianity tells a clear and emotionally powerful story.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Islamic Perspectives

Prof. Sikh Archive

Islam offers a tightly built and consistent theological system.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Hindu Perspectives

Prof. Sikh Archive

Hinduism is an enormous and ancient spiritual landscape with a layered view of God, human purpose, and the universe.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Jewish Perspectives

Prof. Sikh Archive

From a Sikh point of view, Judaism is a deep and lasting witness to the One Divine, and it deserves real respect.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & the Atheist / Secular Challenge

Prof. Sikh Archive

Modern atheism usually rests on scientific materialism: the view that the universe is made only of matter and energy, running on impersonal physical laws.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Sikhi & Buddhist Perspectives

Prof. Sikh Archive

Buddhism started with the awakening of Siddhartha Gautama and offers a sharp and consistent diagnosis of the human situation.

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Apologetics 300 level Created by AI

Internal Sikh Debates: Answering the Critics

Prof. Sikh Archive

Many religions keep their doctrines unified through a top-down structure: a church body, a council, or a single pope who has the final word on what scripture means and how disputes are settled.

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Arts 300 level Created by AI

The Craft of Illuminated Gurbani Manuscripts

Prof. W.G. Archer

A graduate-level study of the illuminated Sikh manuscript: hand-copied and decorated birs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Dasam Granth, ornamented nisaans, and the painted borders that surround the sacred word. The course examines materials and techniques (paper, pigment, gold), the absorbed inf

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Arts 300 level Created by AI

Craft, Frescoes and Mural Art of Sikh Shrines

Prof. Patwant Singh

A graduate-level course on the wall-painting tradition of Sikh shrines, told in plain English. It studies mohrakashi fresco and gach (lime-stucco) work, the painted interiors of Sri Harmandir Sahib and other historic gurdwaras, the themes and motifs the artisans chose, who those artisans were, and w

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Language 300 level Created by AI

Reading Larivaar and Pad-Ched: How Gurbani Is Written and Read

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

A graduate-level study of how Gurbani is set down on the page and how it is correctly read aloud. The course contrasts ਲੜੀਵਾਰ (larivaar), the unbroken running script with no spaces between words, against ਪਦ ਛੇਦ (pad-ched), the modern word-separated text. It examines the interpretive choices and risk

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Language 300 level Created by AI

The Many Tongues of Gurbani: Sant Bhasha

Prof. Prof. Sahib Singh

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji does not speak in one single language. It moves freely between Punjabi, the devotional Braj of the Bhakti poets, Persian and Arabic terms, the heavy Sanskritic register often called Sahaskriti, and many regional dialects. This blended saintly speech is known as Sant Bhasha,

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Music 300 level Created by AI

Shabad Reet: The Traditional Kirtan Compositions

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

A graduate-level study of ਸ਼ਬਦ ਰੀਤ (shabad reet): the traditional, set musical compositions used to sing particular shabads, handed down through teacher-to-student lineages. The course explains what a reet actually is, how the old compositions (pracheen reets) were documented and preserved, and how

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Music 300 level Created by AI

Tanti Saaj: The Stringed Instruments of Gurmat Sangeet

Prof. Bhai Avtar Singh

A graduate-level but plain-English study of the ਤੰਤੀ ਸਾਜ਼ (tanti saaj) — the traditional stringed instruments of Gurmat Sangeet. We trace the rabab linked to Bhai Mardana, the bowed saranda, taus and dilruba, and the percussive jori, asking why the tradition prizes these instruments, how they were n

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Reference & Lexicography 300 level Created by AI

Finding the Verse: Gurbani Concordances, Tuk Indexes, and the Craft of Reference Tools

Prof. Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara

A graduate study of the tools that index and explain Gurbani: tuk and shabad concordances (the Gurbani-locating tradition exemplified by tatkara and tuk-index works), word-meaning kosh, and grammar aids. The course shows in plain English how a reader moves from a half-remembered line to the exact pa

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Reference & Lexicography 300 level Created by AI

A Reader's Guide to the Mahan Kosh

Prof. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha

A practical, plain-English guide to using Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha's ਮਹਾਨ ਕੋਸ਼ (Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh). Students learn what this encyclopedic dictionary of Sikh literature is, how it is organised, how to look up a term step by step, why scholars treat it as a landmark reference, and how to use

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Financial Literacy 300 level Created by AI

Retirement Saving: 401(k)s, IRAs & the Power of Compound Growth

Prof. Sikh Archive

Retirement Saving: 401(k)s, IRAs & the Power of Compound Growth

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Gardening 300 level Created by AI

The Year-Round Sustainable Garden: A Capstone

Prof. Sikh Archive

The Year-Round Sustainable Garden: A Capstone

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Mental Health 300 level Created by AI

The Breath: Deep Breathing for Mind & Body

Prof. Sikh Archive

A practical, evidence-informed course on the breath, weaving together the physiology of slow breathing with contemplative traditions of conscious breath, including Sikh Naam Simran. Learn how to breathe well and why it calms the mind and steadies the body.

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Mental Health 300 level Created by AI

Craft, Mindfulness & the Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh

Prof. Thich Nhat Hanh

A plain-English introduction to mindfulness as taught by the Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022): present-moment awareness, mindful breathing, walking meditation, the idea of 'interbeing', working with strong emotions, and bringing all of this into ordinary daily life. The course describes and p

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Theology 320 level Created by AI

Pandit Tara Singh Narotam: A Nirmala Scholar and His Commentaries

Prof. Pandit Tara Singh Narotam

This course studies the life, scholarly world, and written works of Pandit Tara Singh Narotam, a nineteenth-century ਨਿਰਮਲਾ (Nirmala) scholar who became one of the most respected exegetes within traditional Sikh learning. Students examine how the Nirmala tradition approached the reading and explanation of scripture,…

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Theology 320 level Created by AI

Steek and Shastrarth: The Expository and Argumentative Gurmat Writings of Pandit Kartar Singh Dakha

Prof. Pandit Kartar Singh Dakha

This course studies the expository (steek) and argumentative (shastrarth) Gurmat writings associated with Pandit Kartar Singh Dakha, a traditional Sikh scholar and debater. Students learn how the steek method explains Gurbani word by word and idea by idea, and how polemical exposition defends Gurmat positions…

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Theology 320 level Created by AI

Shield-Words: Baba Gajjan Singh's Teeka of the Brahm Kavach and Bhagauti Astotar in the Tarna Dal Tradition

Prof. Baba Gajjan Singh Tarna Dal

This course studies the work of Baba Gajjan Singh, a scholar in the Tarna Dal Nihang lineage, who wrote a teeka (a word-by-word explanation) of two short devotional compositions: the Brahm Kavach and the Bhagauti Astotar. Both belong to the protective and praise-poetry tradition connected to the Dasam Granth and…

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Theology 320 level Created by AI

Reading the Uthanka: Mahant Sadhu Singh on the Origins, Order, and Reverence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Prof. Mahant Sadhu Singh

This course studies the uthanka tradition through Mahant Sadhu Singh's work "Uthanka Sri Guru Granth Sahib." An uthanka is the traditional account that explains the origin, occasion, and structure of a sacred text before a reader turns to its pages. We learn what an uthanka does, why Sikh tradition uses one to…

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History 320 level Created by AI

Baba Sumer Singh and the Devotional History of the Gurus: Reading 'Sri Gur Pad Prem Parkash'

Prof. Baba Sumer Singh

This course studies Baba Sumer Singh, a nineteenth-century mahant (custodian) of Takht Sri Patna Sahib and a poet-scholar, and his devotional-historical writing about the Sikh Gurus. The central text is his poetic work 'Sri Gur Pad Prem Parkash' ('the loving light at the feet of the Guru'), a verse retelling of the…

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Comparative & Interfaith 320 level Created by AI

Same Words, Different Worlds: Gurmat and the Vedantic & Hindu Traditions

Prof. Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair

Gurmat and the Vedantic and broader Hindu traditions share much of the same religious vocabulary — maya, mukti, karma, the divine within — yet pour very different meaning into those words. This course teaches you to read past the shared terms to the real differences: Sikhi's one personal-yet-formless Creator, its…

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Comparative & Interfaith 320 level Created by AI

Sikhi and Islam: Shared Affirmations and Distinct Paths

Prof. Sikh Archive

Sikhi and Islam both grew in the soil of South Asia and West Asia, and both place the worship of one God at their center. This course compares them with care and respect. We study what they share — belief in one God, the rejection of idols, the equality of all people, the duty of charity, and the constant…

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Ethics 320 level Created by AI

The Saint-Soldier and the Ethics of Just War

Prof. Giani Nahar Singh

This course studies how the Sikh tradition thinks about the use of force. The central question is simple but hard: when, if ever, is it right to fight? The Sikh answer is built on two linked ideas — ਧਰਮ ਯੁੱਧ (a righteous struggle) and the ਸੰਤ-ਸਿਪਾਹੀ (the saint-soldier who is devoted to God and also ready to defend…

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Rehat & Maryada 320 level Created by AI

The Chaupa Singh Rahit-Nama: Early Sikh Conduct and Its Many Layers

Prof. Bhai Chaupa Singh

This course studies one of the longest and most discussed early rahit-namas, the ਚੌਪਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਹਿਤਨਾਮਾ, traditionally linked to Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhibber. We examine what the text teaches about a Sikh's daily conduct, duties to the Guru and the Panth, and social expectations, while keeping a clear separation between…

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Politics 320 level Created by AI

Sikhs and the Modern State: Citizenship, Rights, and the Panth in a Secular Age

Prof. Sirdar Kapur Singh

This course is a calm, balanced survey of how Sikhs live as citizens of modern states. We look at the questions that come up when a faith born in a very different age meets constitutions, courts, parliaments, and the idea of a religion-neutral government. What does citizenship ask of a Sikh, and what may a Sikh…

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Science 320 level Created by AI

Science & Religion: Conflict or Harmony?

Prof. Sikh Archive

A graduate-level, plain-English course on the big-picture relationship between science and religion, read through a Sikh lens. It asks why Sikhi never had a 'Galileo moment' or a public war with science, distinguishes the kind of questions science answers (how the world works) from the kind Gurmat addresses (why…

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Apologetics 320 level Created by AI

Transmission & Historicity: The Verifiable Record

Prof. Sikh Archive

When people ask whether a scripture is authentic, what they are really asking is a question about transmission: how do we know the words we have today are the words that were first written?

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Philosophy 330 level Created by AI

Reading Adhiyatam Prakash: Metaphysics in Mahant Ganesha Singh's Nirmala Scholarship

Prof. Mahant Ganesha Singh

This course studies the spiritual and metaphysical writing of Mahant Ganesha Singh, read through his exposition Adhiyatam Prakash and the wider Nirmala and Udasi scholarly tradition to which such works belong. Students learn how this tradition reads Sikh sacred texts with the vocabulary and methods of Indian…

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Literature 350 level Created by AI

Classical Sikh Poetics

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

An academic introduction to the classical poetic forms used in Sikh literature, studied through the great narrative works of Kavi (Bhai) Santokh Singh. The course examines metre, figures of speech, mood, and the heroic ballad, and asks how poetic form helps shape religious and historical meaning.

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History 350 level Created by AI

The Colonial Era & the Singh Sabha Movement

Prof. Giani Ditt Singh

This upper-level course traces the Sikh experience from the British annexation of Punjab in 1849 through the colonial period and the Singh Sabha renaissance to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925. Students study key reformers, institutions, the Tat Khalsa and Sanatan debates, and the Gurdwara Reform movement, with…

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Literature 350 level Created by AI

Bhai Nand Lal Goya: Poet of the Guru's Court

Prof. Bhai Nand Lal

An in-depth study of Bhai Nand Lal Goya (1633-1713), the celebrated scholar-poet who served in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and is counted among its fifty-two poets. This course examines his life, his major Persian and Punjabi works such as the Divan-i-Goya and Zindagi-nama, the central themes of devotional…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

The Faridkot Teeka: The First Complete Commentary on Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Prof. Giani Badan Singh

This course studies the Faridkot Wala Teeka, widely regarded as the first complete traditional commentary on the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Written by Sant Giani Badan Singh of Dera Sekhwan at the encouragement of Maharaja Bikram Singh of Faridkot, it took about six and a half years and was completed in…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

The Garab Ganjani Teeka: A Commentary on Japji Sahib

Prof. Kavi Santokh Singh

This course studies the Garab Ganjani Teeka, a prose commentary on Japji Sahib written by Kavi (Bhai) Santokh Singh in the Nirmala tradition of Sikh exegesis. Students learn what a teeka is, who Santokh Singh was, why this particular commentary was written, and the interpretive debate it addressed. The course…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

Reading Giani Gurdit Singh: The History and Structure of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Mundavani

Prof. Giani Gurdit Singh

This course studies the scholarly contribution of Giani Gurdit Singh to the understanding of the history, compilation, and internal structure of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, with particular attention to his examination of the Mundavani, the composition that traditionally closes the recitation of the scripture. Working…

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Philosophy 350 level Created by AI

Gurmat Thought with Bhai Randhir Singh

Prof. Bhai Randhir Singh

Bhai Randhir Singh (1878-1961) was a Sikh thinker, freedom fighter, and devotional writer whose books set out a demanding, inward reading of Gurmat. This course studies the main themes that run across his writings in the SikhLibrary collection: bibek (spiritual discernment) as taught in Gurmat Bibek; the…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

Bhai Vir Singh's Gurbani Exegesis (Santhya)

Prof. Bhai Vir Singh

Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) is often called the father of modern Punjabi literature, but he was also one of the great scriptural commentators of the Singh Sabha era. This course studies his careful, word-by-word method of explaining Gurbani, known as santhya. We focus on three of his real exegetical works held in…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

Akali Kaur Singh and the Defence of the Dasam Granth

Prof. Akali Kaur Singh

This course studies the scholar Akali Kaur Singh (1886-1953) and his work about the Dasam Granth, known as Dasam Granth baare. We do not reprint his text. Instead we look at what he wrote, why he wrote it, and the questions he tried to answer. We use plain words but keep the depth of a graduate seminar. You will…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

Reading the Pran Sangali: A Disputed Text and the Scholar Who Studied It

Prof. Dr. Jagjit Singh Kanpuri

This course studies the Pran Sangali, a composition that tradition links to Guru Nanak Dev Ji's travels (udasis), and the careful work Dr. Jagjit Singh Kanpuri did to edit and explain it. We will look at what the text is, the yoga and spiritual ideas inside it, and the long debate among scholars about whether it…

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Literature 350 level Created by AI

Praise of the Ten Gurus: Reading Bhai Nand Lal's Ganj Namah through Giani Gurvinder Singh Nangli's Teeka

Prof. Giani Gurvinder Singh Nangli

This course studies Bhai Nand Lal Ji's Persian poem Ganj Namah ('the Book of Treasure'), a devotional work that praises each of the Ten Gurus in turn. We read it through the modern teeka (explanatory edition) prepared by Giani Gurvinder Singh Nangli, who opens the dense Persian imagery for ordinary readers. In…

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Philosophy 350 level Created by AI

Shabad Guru and Guru Panth: Giani Sher Singh on the Doctrine of Guruship

Prof. Giani Sher Singh

This course studies the Sikh teaching about who or what the Guru is after the line of ten human Gurus ended. It is built around the writing of Giani Sher Singh, especially his work 'Sri Guru Granth te Panth' (Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Panth). The central question is simple to ask but deep to answer: when the…

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Literature 350 level Created by AI

Pandit Gulab Singh Nirmala and the Adhyatam Tradition: A Reader's Guide to Nirmala Spiritual Literature

Prof. Pandit Gulab Singh Nirmala

This course studies the author Pandit Gulab Singh, a leading Nirmala scholar of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and his place in Punjabi devotional writing. It centers on his work in the adhyatam (spiritual-allegorical) style, best known through his retelling associated with the Adhyatam Ramayan. Students…

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Theology 350 level Created by AI

The Meaning of Waheguru: Pandit Ishar Singh Kanshi and the Mantarath Granth

Prof. Pandit Ishar Singh Kanshi

This course studies the meaning and significance of the word ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ (Waheguru), the Gurmantar of the Sikh tradition, through the lens of a single focused work: the Waheguru Mantarath Granth by Pandit Ishar Singh Kanshi. We move slowly and in plain English, but at graduate depth. We ask a deceptively simple…

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Literature 350 level Created by AI

The Ideal Life of Love: Bhai Nand Lal's Zindagi-nama Through a Sampardai Lens

Prof. Sant Kirpal Singh

This course studies Bhai Nand Lal Ji's Persian devotional poem Zindagi-nama as it is opened up by Sant Kirpal Singh's traditional commentary, the Zindagi Nama Sampardai Teeka. In plain English, we ask a simple question: what does it mean to live the ideal life of love for the Guru and the Divine? Bhai Nand Lal, a…

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Rehat & Maryada 350 level Created by AI

The Prem Sumarag: A Sanatan Vision of the Ideal Panth

Prof. W.H. McLeod

The Prem Sumarag Granth (ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸੁਮਾਰਗ) is a Punjabi prose work that lays out a complete picture of how an ideal Sikh society should be ordered — covering daily worship, rites of passage, the role of rulers, family life, and the rules a devout Sikh should keep. This graduate-level course studies the work through W.…

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Parenting 350 level Created by AI

Family as Sangat: Parents as First Teachers

Prof. Sikh Archive

A capstone that ties the parenting track together. It treats the home as a small sangat, builds family routines around Gurbani and seva, and connects the household to grandparents, the wider family, the gurdwara, and the panth. Most of all it reframes parenting as the parent's own spiritual growth while raising the…

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Science 350 level Created by AI

Modern Physics, Time, and Hukam: A Capstone

Prof. Sikh Archive

A closing reflection for students who have finished the other science courses. We look honestly at what modern physics actually says about the beginning of the universe, the vastness of deep time, and the law-like order of nature, and we set that next to the Sikh idea of hukam, the divine order, and Gurbani's frank…

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Apologetics 350 level Created by AI

Sikhi in Dialogue with Plato

Prof. Sikh Archive

Plato's philosophy, one of the foundations of Western thought, splits reality in two.

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Apologetics 350 level Created by AI

Sikhi in Dialogue with Aristotle

Prof. Sikh Archive

Aristotle gave one of humanity's most thoughtful attempts to ground a flourishing human life in reason and good character.

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Apologetics 350 level Created by AI

Sikhi in Dialogue with Nietzsche

Prof. Sikh Archive

Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy is a serious confrontation with the spiritual and moral decline of the West, and a lot of it actually overlaps with Sikhi before the two part ways on the nature of reality itself.

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Apologetics 350 level Created by AI

Sikhi in Dialogue with Kant

Prof. Sikh Archive

Immanuel Kant's philosophy is a major attempt to ground knowledge, ethics, and faith inside the limits of human reason.

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Financial Literacy 350 level Created by AI

The Long Game: Building Generational Wealth

Prof. Sikh Archive

The Long Game: Building Generational Wealth

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History 400 level Created by AI

Documenting Sikh History

Prof. Dr. Ganda Singh

Source-based historiography in the work of Dr. Ganda Singh — archives, evidence, and the discipline of Sikh history.

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Ethics 400 level Created by AI

Applied Sikh Ethics: Gurmat Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas

Prof. Sikh Archive

A capstone course that takes the ethical principles you already learned and puts them to work on real questions facing people today. We do not invent new rules. Instead, we ask how the steady teachings of Gurbani — truth, honest living, service, humility, and care for all creation — help a thoughtful Sikh reason…

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Economics 400 level Created by AI

Capstone: Sikhi and Modern Economic Systems

Prof. Sikh Archive

A 400-level capstone for students who have finished the earlier economics courses. It takes the Gurmat economic values you already know - honest work, sharing, and contentment - and asks how they speak to the big economic systems people live under today: capitalism and markets, socialism and welfare states, ethical…

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Politics 400 level Created by AI

Sikh Political Ethics: Power, Service, and Accountability

Prof. Sirdar Kapur Singh

A capstone course on the ethics of power seen through Gurmat. Having finished the other politics courses, you already know the Sikh story and its institutions. Here we ask the harder, more practical question: what makes the use of power right or wrong? In plain English but with graduate-level care, we treat…

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Sociology 400 level Created by AI

Craft, Social Change, and the Sikh Future

Prof. Harjot Oberoi

A capstone framing: what sociology can and cannot say about religious change, and why the Panth makes a good case study.

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