The Guru's Way: Exploring Diversity Among British Khalsa Sikhs

This article will examine some of the diversity within the Khalsa tradition. Although Sikhs are regularly described as being ‘orthodox’ or ‘non-orthodox’ depending on whether or not they have undergone the amrit initiation ceremony, research into the religious lives of young British Sikhs found much diversity within the British Khalsa tradition. This diversity is based primarily around different maryadas or ‘codes of conduct’ each of which emphasise particular ideas and practices. Rather than comparing these maryadas to a supposed ‘norm’, maryada specific practices and notions of religious authority will be examined in order to understand how the ideas presented in these maryadas impact on ideas of Sikh identity, dietary requirements, gender equality and scriptural authority.