is Sikhism a religion or cult or any panth?

In response to your question, the undersigned wants to bring to your kind notice that Guru Granth Sahib teaches spirituality not religion. Its teachings are universal and are not limited to Sikhs. A person called Sikh is a student all through his life. A misconception has got created that a child born in a Sikh family is a Sikh. Please read the following:

1. “Sikh” is a “Seeker of Truth” and “Sikhi” stands for:-

(i) Oneness of Humanity;

(ii) No discrimination owing to gender, race, caste, creed, or color;

(iii) No empty rituals & worthless religious practices;

(iv) No life after death theories. Rather, it stands for spiritual salvation/emancipation, during the life time itself, by getting rid of vices.

2. Guru Granth Sahib starts with Jap Baani of First Guru Person, Guru Nanak Sahib, and the Baani starts with, what is called Mool Mantar, which defines the attributes of the One God (Akalpurakh), with whom a person can become one, with the help of Shabad Guru:-

ੴ (Ik Onkar) (One Universal Creator God);
ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ (Sat Naam) (The Name Is Truth);
ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ (Karta Purakh) (Creative Being Personified);
ਨਿਰਭਉ (Nirbhau) (No Fear);
ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ (Nirvair) (No Enmity or Hatred),
ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ (Akal Moorat) (Image of the undying);
ਅਜੂਨੀ (Ajuni) (Beyond Birth);
ਸੈਭੰ (Saibhang) (Self-existstant);
ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ (Gur Parsad) (By Guru’s Grace).

Therefore, the First Guru Person, Guru Nanak Sahib, himself had made it very clear, in the very beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, that there is one creator God and He is not in human form but resides everywhere and in every living being.

3. In his discussion with Yogis, the First Guru Person, Guru Nanak Sahib had made it very clear that his Guru was Shabad when he said ‘Shabad Guru Surat Dhun Chela’.

4. Further, Sikhi:-

(i) teaches to live life in the present, as per Hukam of Akalpurakh (Divine Law) and become a righteous/virtuous person (Gurmukh), as per teachings of ever living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib;

(ii) teaches to earn an honest living, remain connected with Akalpurakh all the time and share his honest earning, with poor and needy;

(iii) expects a person to be compassionate, kind, tolerant and to love all i e. he is to reach the mental state of seeing Akalpurakh in everyone and hence having friends only and no enemies;

(iv) expects a person to serve the humanity, without any distinction of caste, creed and religion.

5. Guru Granth Sahib teaches a person to get rid of vices, become a righteous/virtuous person (Gurmukh). The goal of becoming a righteous/virtuous person was laid down by the First Guru Person Guru Nanak Sahib, in the first Pauri (stanza) of Jap Baani itself, when he said:-

Kiv Sachiara hoiey, Kiv Kude Tute Pal,
Hukam Rajai Chalna, Nanak likhya Naal.

6. Once a person/Sikh achieves the goal of becoming a righteous/virtuous person and becomes one with Akalpurakh and Shabad Guru, who are spiritually embodiment of each other, he will live a disciplined life and achieve the stage of spiritual equipoise and spiritual bliss. The final goal is to achieve spiritual emancipation/ salvation (enlightenment) in this life itself since there is no concept of salvation/ emancipation, after death in Sikhism.In other words, there is no concept of reincarnation, after death, which is a concept of Hinduism.

7. Imbibing the above teachings, of Guru Granth Sahib, is what is called Sikhi.

8. From what is stated above, you can very well see that Sikhi has nothing to with rituals (Karamkands) and is nothing but carrying personal values, each and every moment of life, which one can carry while living anywhere in the world.