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Did you know that the Koran describes Allah as Mother? Or that The Bhagavad Gita gave us the philosophy of the "Middle Way"? That's just two of the many things I've learned from reading sacred texts.
There are so many misunderstandings about religion, and often the quickest route to a good grasp of what a given religion is all about is simply to go straight to its sacred texts. After all, religious believers themselves, whatever their intentions, can often be very bad representatives for their faith. First there's the problem that the voice you hear is often just the loudest or the most passionate, and these are often the voices of extremeists. Then there's the fact that the media love a good extremist because it makes a news story, whereas an ordinary peaceable citizen who happens to be, say, a Buddhist, isn't so exciting. Furthermore, those believers who are most keen to talk to you about their faith often have the agenda of trying to convert you, which makes really understanding mmore difficult, not less.

But not if they're a Sikh. In Sikhism, proselytising is not the done thing. A good Sikh will tell you to return to our own spiritual tradition for answers. Their religious text, the Guru Granth Sahib, was written over several centuries by a succession of gurus, one of whom gave his life to defend the right of Hindus to practise their faith under the rule of the muslim Moghuls. It is also one of the hardest to read, because it is written in several different languages, by muslims, sikhs and hindus.
Which brings me onto translations. There are good and bad translations, and a good guide can make a huge difference. The chapters of the Koran are not in chronological order, so it helps to have a guide. Imagine reading the Bible with no knowledge of the faith. Who'd ever get past Leviticus?

Learn more about this author, Matt Carmichael.
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