I have vivid memory of a similar picture of Guru Nanak Dev Ji was prominently displayed in our living room in Panipat.
Prakash (Birth) Place of Birth Parents
Sister
Guru Ke Mahal
(wife)
Sahibzade (Sons) First Sermon
Main Banis
Vars
Total Hymns
: : :
20th October, 1469 (some scholars believe it to be on 15th April, 1469)
Rai Bhoi ki Talwandi (now called Nankana Sahib) in Pakistan
Father : Mehta Kalian Chand Ji (Mehta Kalu ji)
Mother : Mata Tripta Ji
Bebe Nanaki Ji
Mata Sulakhni Ji (D/o Baba Mool Chand Ji and Mata Chando Rani Ji) to whom he married in 1487AD.
(i) BabaSriChandJi
(ii) Baba Lakhmi Das Ji
"Na Ko Hindu Na Musalman"
(Neither there is any Hindu nor Muslim i.e. all are Human beings - the children of One-God.)
Japuji Sahib, Asa di Var, Barah Maha Tukhari, Sidh Goshat, Pehre, Alahnian, Kuchaji, Suchaji, Pati, Thiti, Arti, (Dakhni), Ramkali, Dakhni Oankar
3 - In Majh, Asa & Malhar Ragas
973 Hymns recited in 19 Ragas
7th September, 1539 at Kartarpur on the
banks of River Ravi (now in Narowal
Distt. of Pakistan)
Jyoti Jyot Samana :
(Date & Place of Death)
Brief description of the life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
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: :
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Special Contribution
1) He founded the Sikh Religion.
2) He started the Institutions of Sangat (holly fellowship), Pangat & Langar (Community meal) symbolized brotherhood, equality & humbleness.
3) Established Dharamsals (the abode of Dharma) for doing Sangat, Pangat & Meditation and Sewa or Voluntary Physical labour in the service of the Community.
4) Collected the Banis of Bhagats (Saint Poets) and gave it the shape of a Pothi (Holy Book).
5) Started the practice of choosing the leader (his successor) from Sangat on the basis of qualities rather than from his own sons. He transmitted to him not only his responsibilities but also his divine light as well
6) Founded the city of Kartarpur (Abode of Akal-Purkh) on the banks of river Ravi (now in Pakistan).
7) While in Kartarpur, started the practice (daily regimen) of reciting Japuji Sahib and doing Kirtan (congregational recitation) of Asa di Var in the morning, recitation of Sodar & singing of Arti in the evening and recitation of Sohila bani before going to bed.
8) Kirtan was designed to draw the assembly (Sangat) into gentle & collective contemplation on God's name in the composed his hymns in Punjabi - the common language of people, among whom he was born than in Sanskrit - called the language of gods & goddesses which was very difficult to understand. From a spoken language he turned it into a
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subtle medium of self-revelation.
9) Composed his Bani in Ragas - there by making use of music for a noble cause ie for public welfare than for leisure & pleasure of cruel & dishonest kings.
10) Alongside of his responsibilities as a Spiritual guide, he tilled his farm to provide for himself and his family & share it with others.
11) Undertook four long missionary journeys (Udasis) to enter into healthy dialogue (Samvad) with scholars of contemporary religions i.e. Hinduism, Islam, Budhism and Jainism & with Sidhs and Yogis etc. to reveal truth and to preach the message of God i.e. fatherhood of God & brotherhood of man to them. He travelled on foot for about 23 years in even & arduous terrains and covered a distance of over 22000 kms. He travelled extensively through-out the Indian sub-continent. Apart from India he visited Sri Lanka, Mecca, Medina (Saudi Arabia), Baghdad (Iraq), Iran and Afghanistan & Tibet as well. In the course of these missionary tours he met a vast variety of people. He shared the hospitality of humble homes & he rested sometimes under bare skies. He went to small unknown villages and he visited the seats of the mighty. He mixed with simple and unlettered men and he discoursed with the learned. He attended fairs and festivals, temples & mosques, hermitarise and khanaguhs. He spoke with individuals engaged in their daily trades and he preached to multitudes conveniently reached at ancient centres of pilarimage. He met them to burst their myths & false beliefs to show them the path of truth and thereby spread the message of God. Besides the scholars, he also met robbers, thugs, thieves,
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rich & poor people, magicians, Pirs, Faqirs & mendicants etc. and reformed all of them. He used whatever method was needed i.e. gentle persuasion, humour, sarcasm & even admonition to get his point across. He commanded them to abstain from illegal gratification by fleecing the poor, ignorant & innocent people as God can never be happy with such blasphemous activities.
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Message of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Guru Nanak's teachings are common for all the human beings. His main aim was to show the path of truth to the mankind. Through his hymns he gave a clarion call to the masses as well as olite about equality fraternity, respect for each other's faith as also eradication of divisions based on caste & creed. He propagated the message of love, Universal brotherhood & sharing the fruits of ones hard & honest labour. He propagated a new philosophy of truth based on the concept of dialogue (Samvad). He spreaded his massage through his long missionary journeys (Udasis). He attacked sterile ceremonial forms but never any religion. He conveyed his message in poetic form.
1)
God is one : His attributes
"Ik Onkar SatNam Karta Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair
Akal Murat Ajuni Saibhang GurParsad."
This is his first hymn which became the pre-amble (Mool Mantar) of the first Sikh prayer, the Japuji, which constitutes the core of his doctrine. It means:
There is but one God. His name is true and eternal. He is the creator of all the things. He is all pervasive ie He is present in all His creations. He is without fear & without enmity. He is beyond time (timeless). He is Unborn and Self-existent. He is the Enlightener. He can be realized by His grace alone.
He further said that God was in the beginning; He was in all ages. The True One is, was, and shall forever be.
God is both Nirgun (without attributes), absolute unmanifest and Sargun (with attributes) and manifest. His attributes manifest themselves in His creation. Infinite and
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formless, He is Immanent - ie inherent within all forms & yet remains Transcendent. As per puratan Janamsakhi when the two disciples Saido & Siha jat asked Guru Nanak how the bottomless ocean would be crossed, the Guru told them to repent this mool mantar'. In whose mouth this Salok will be and who will continue reading it and as many people after him will herrit, they will all cross the ocean unhindered.
2) "Bin Satgur kine na payio bin Satgur kine na payia
There is need of a Guru to attain union with God. No one has ever realised God and none at all will without Guru's guidance says Guru Nanak. God does not take birth. He is a perfectly realised Soul. Guru is not the incarnation of God. He is a ladder, the row boat by means of which one can realise God. Guru is a messenger of God. Guru conveys the message of God to the mankind through Gurbani. God can be realised by leading a truthful life & through remembrance of His Name, with the help of Guru (spiritual preceptor, enlightner, prophet) alone. It is the Guru who helps the disciples to understand God & to love Him. It is the Guru who shows the path of Truth. He stressed that disciples must have total faith & trust in the Guru and follow his teachings, listen to his advice, but never make the mistake of worshipping him. It is the Guru who can, without delay, make angels out of men. Even if a hundred moons rise & a thousand suns appear, even with such light there would be pitch darkness without the Guru. Guru cleanses the seeker's mind, from impurity, ends duality and brings it to contemplating on the Divine Name. Guru transmits God's divine Light to the world. Guru is the lamp which illuminates the three worlds (SGGS, p.137).
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3) Na ko Hindu na Musalman (All Human beings are equal)
God is neither a Hindu nor a Muslim. He is the father of all human beings. Both men & women are His children. They are all equal. No one is Inferior or Superior. All distinctions or divisions made on the basis of caste, creed, colour, race, gender etc. are man-made. These are all meaningless. Two ways are made out. But is not One God the master of all - Hindus & Muslims. He said "Sabh mah jyot jyot hai soi" (SGGS, p. 13) (Amongst all is the Light - God is that Light) He created equality in the society. He gave the message of equality and brotherhood to the mankind.
4) All men and women are equal and women are inferior in no way (Equality of women)
Guru Nanak admonished the people for denying the respect & status to woman. He said, woman was as much a part of God as a man & is the progenitor of even the greatest of men in the world. According to Prof. Puran Singh, "The whole of Guru Granth is the voice of a wedded woman pinning in love for the beautiful. Her nobleness in Guru Granth is infinite & her freedom is of the highest. Both man & woman as sexes are forgotten in her vonce. Guru Nanak perceived that there can be in enduring democratic culture unless grounded in unreserved recognition of full equality of woman with man.
All men & women are the creation of God. God is the father of both of them and they are His children. Both are equal before Him. They are spiritually equal. He honoured women by describing them as Bati Sulakhni (blessed with
thirty two virtues) and the ornament of the home. He said
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"So kio manda akhiai jit jameh rajan" (SGGS, p. 473) (why revile a woman from whom are born kings, gods, godesses, saints, philosophers & scholars etc.).
From woman, woman is born, without woman, there would be no one at all. To a woman, man is born, to woman man is conceived, to woman he is engaged & married. Through woman, future generations come. To woman man is bound. All relationships are because of woman. Every one seeks support & help of women in one way or other. He condemned the myth that women are inferior to men in any way.
5) God is realised while leading a householder's life (Grehsat Jiwan) - Spiritual attainment in household
Guru Nanak discounted the houseless state and insisted that salvation was won in the world itself -amid its laughter, sport, fineries & food.
Hasandia khelandia painandia khavandia viche hovai mukat.
(SGGS, p. 522)
"He firmly supported marriage & family. In the home alone could man fully realize his destiny. In the world one should conduct himself like a lotus flower which remains in the pond un coached by its impurities. Living thus in the, midst of wife and children one would", said Guru Nanak "gain emancipation". By a life of service in this world alone will one become entitled to a place of honour in the divine Court of Lord.
Vich dunia sev kamaiai to dargah baisan paiai.
(SGGS, p. 26)
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Guru Nanak said, "One could realise God while leading a householder's life, if one's mind was in right place." "Nanak ghar hi baithia sah milai je niat ras karei". (SGGS, p. 1383) For this, one need not leave his family and go to forests, mountains or deserts for meditation. To run from the problems or challenges of life is an act of cowardice. Wandering without a family life is like churning water from which nothing will ever come out. The basic principles of Sikhism i.e. "Kirat Karo, Naam Japo and Vand Chhako" can be practiced only in a householder's life. Guru Nanak married and had children. He practised married life and demonstrated that married life is not a hindrance tospiritualattainmentinanyway.Hesaiditwas not necessary for one to tear one's coat & take a religious grab. Men who live in their homes & work in the ordinary costumes can find the Lord if they fix their hearts on Him.
6) Ih manas janam dulambh hai nam bina birtha sabh jae
Guru Nanak said that it was so difficult to obtain the human incarnation and without Lord's Name (Naam) it was all futile and useless. It is difficult to obtain human body. It does not just come over & over again. This body is the temple of the Lord in which the jewel of spiritual wisdom is revealed. One should make best use of the human body by contemplatingonGod'sNametorealise Himinthislife.He who imbibes not the Name will regret his coming into the world like a crow flying to a deserted house (SGGS, p. 58). He said "of little worth is the cow without milk, the bird without wings, the vegetables without water & the king with salaam (who is acknowledged by no-body.
7) Tirath navan jao tirath naam hai 9
Guru Nanak said "I take bath at sacred shrine of pilgrimage. That sacred shrine of pilgrimage is Naam the Name of Lord. My sacred shrine of pilgrimage is spiritual wisdom within and contemplation on the word of the Shabad."
He said what is the use of bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage when the filth of the stubborn mind is within the mind. Within Oneself one can find the Lord through infinite love for the Guru. Without contemplating on the word of the Shabad no one can emancipate himself from the vices of this mortal world. Some of the filth is washed off by these baths but one accumulates twice as much. Like a gourd they may be washed off on the outside but on the inside, they are still filled with poison of ego and other vices. The holy men are blessed even without bathing at sacred shrines of pilgrimage while a thief remains a thief, no matter how much he bathes.
"Bahar dhoti toomari andar vis nikore Sadh bhale an-natian chor s chora chor"
(SGGS, p. 789)
8) Showing miracles is against the divine Command of God
According to Guru Nanak, to show miracles is a curse. When Guru Nanak was asked by Sidhs to perform a miracle, he said, "he knows no miracle. He does not possess any miracle other than the Name of the Lord." In Sikhism, the performance of miracles is a taboo and is considered as creating an obstruction in the planned work or regimen of God. It is considered to be the disobedience of the Raza (Divine Will) & Hukam (Divine Command) of God. Performance of miracles is the result of ego. The ego & Lord or His Name can not abide together. He advised his disciples
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to shun ego & remain absorbed in the Name of the Lord. A true faqir should never do this. Guru Nanak said "Aap nath nathi sabh ja ki ridh sidh avra saad." (SGGS, p. 6) God is the Supreme master of all, Wealth and miraculous Spiritual powers, and all other external tastes and pleasures are all like beeds on a string.
Further God's name is the wealth of nine treasures. Prosperity and Super-natural powers are all His slaves.
"Nau nidh naam nidhaan ridh sidh ta ki daasi"
(SGGS, p. 1397)
God is the giver of all things & nobody could comprehend Him by His Power of miracles. He discountenanced miracles as a means of spreading his message. He declared that these supernatural or miraculous Powers did not belong to the Spiritual way of life. They were extraneous matters are togather.
9) Pakhand mail n chukai bhai antar mail vikari
Guru Nanak rejected all Sacraments, Ritualism, Formalism, Symbolism & Rites. He also rejected Renunciation, Austerities and Penances as means to attain union with God. He considered empty customs, and ritualism & institutions such as caste as the symbols of contemporary decadance. He disappered of idolatary, polytheism and attendent sacerdotalism. They all lead to ego. He enjoined all his followers to lead the life of a householder. (Grehsat Jeevan). He said that Karam Kaands & rituals are of no use. They are reckoned as hypocrisy. Contemplations, austerities, fasts, yajnas (havans) etc. are all hypocrisy. Except the remembrance of the divine Name of God, all other activities
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are useless. Of all the religious or righteous actions, the most sublime is the religion of God. It is above & beyond all rituals & occult practices. It is through the practice of rituals & Karam Kaands, separation from God takes place. It is only through God's grace that one can meet Him. Karam Kaands (ritualistic chores) are actually ties (bandhans). Ritualist procedures require counting i.e. number of times particular mantras are to be chanted and at which time & place. These are all bandhans (ties). Guru Nanak said that human mind was tied up in many such ties (bandhans) "Kete bandhan jeo ke" (SGGS, p. 62)
Guru Nanak said meditation on Lord's Name is the real task that the seekers should perform. Those who believe in God's Name, do not recognise any ritualististic chores or mantras. They do not practice superstitious religious rituals, various ceremonial rites & worships. He taught them to find merit in the love of God rather than in empty religiosity. To gain the Divine one need not disown the world. In dicovering harmony between the two lay the way to attainment. The body would perish, but the other boat, the soul could be saved by living in the world in the spirit of a true seeker.
10) Be truthful & break the wall of falsehood
Of all the species, human being is the crown creation of God. It is the most privileged. God has bestowed superiority on man and made all other species as the water-bearers of man. God has established hegemony of man over earth. Human body is the abode of God and also of the human soul. But there is a wall of falsehood in between them. This wall or veil is to be broken or lifted by knowing the self.
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Gods & godesses seek human body. Human birth is most appropriate to attain Moksh (Liberation or Emancipation). It is a rare chance before Jiv-atma (embodied Soul) to seek union with Parm-atma (Supreme Soul). It is Haumai (ego) which bedims the divine spark in man & hampers his understanding of the primal-reality. Haumai creates five passions; lust, anger, greed, attachment & ego. It creates a wall around man's understanding and separates him from God & leads him to spiritual blindness. His attachment to Maya manifested in three models, i.e. Rajas (activity) Tamas (inertia) & Satva (Rhythm) makes him manmukh (self centered), self willed, unresponsive to Guru's instructions. It is only accepting & following his Divine Will (Raza) & Divine Command (Hukam), which is pre- written with the man, that he can become truthful. He said "Sachah urai sabh ko upar sach achar" (SGGS, p. 62) (Truth is higher than every thing but higher still is truthful living. For this life of truth, love & service there were no substitutes. Outward forms, formulas, incantations image- worship, esoteric observations, charities & pilgrimages did not avail. Giving of charities out of ill-gotten money is not acceptable. So were the renunciation, austerities and penances rejected. Some worship stones, some go to visit places of pilgrimage and some take their abode in the forests. They roam they falter. No one can become pure until mind is rid of contamination. Truth is not achieved by mere performance of prescribed acts. Bathing in sacred pools will not help if one has not shed ones ego. Nor will the sacred mark on the brow or the 'janeu' profit. Useless is worship
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without faith, restraints without truth & janeu without self control. One may wash and bathe and run the mark of your caste across your forehead. Yet purity will not be attained without pure conduct (SGGS, p. 903)
11) Respect the Environment & Remain in harmony with the Nature
In his famous salok "Pavan Guru Pani Pita Mata Dhart Mahat", (SGGS, p. 9) Guru Nanak has equated Pavan (air) with Guru, Pani (water) with Father (Pita) & Dharti (earth) with mother which all deserve respect. He said the air we breathe is the elixir of life and is no less than our spiritual Guru. Through this salok he has advised his disciples to take care of and respect the numerous bounties and endowments of Nature and remain in harmony with the nature always. We should love nature & ever remain grateful to God for the immeasurable boons of nature upon humanity.
12) Nanak Phikai boliai tan man phika hoi
Guru Nanak said "By speaking insipid words the body & mind become insipid. The insipid person is discarded in the court of the Lord and his face is spat upon. He is called a fool and is beaten with shoes in punishment. There is no love left in him. Who-so-ever spoke insipid words to Guru Nanak, he won him over with his sweet & polite words. He said, "Mithat Nivin Nanaka gun changiaia tat." (SGGS, p. 470) (In sweetness & humility lies the essence of all vitues ofhumanlife.) Whensomethingisplacedonthebalancing scale and weighed, the side which descends is heavier. Humility should come naturally with increase in knowledge & attributes. Guru Nanak said, "Man is mortal and he has to
suffer the consequences of his utterance in this life only. So
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one should not speak insipid words & villy others.
13) Truly Learned is one who engages himself in the service
of others
Guru Nanak said, Truly learned is not one who know the letters of the alphabet, but he who arrives at true understanding through these. Such a one shall not be liable to render any accounts. He who unravels divine knowledge is the real pandit. The One Lord who created the world is the Lord of all that exists. Fortunate is their advert into the world who love & serve Him. Ignorant is the mind that forgets Him. When one is able to square his account only then he can be adjudged learned. Comfort peruades the hearts of those whose minds are attached to God's feet. They whose minds are so attached are saved - and obtain happiness by His grace. Guru reckoned him as truly learned who engaged himself in service of others.
14) Religious Tolerance - True Muslim & True Hindu
Guru Nanak called upon Muslims to be true Muslims & Hindus to be true Hindus. Real Muslim is one who is soft hearted. The real Qazi is one who stays away from evil deeds. The real Muslim is one who takes to his heart the tenets of his faith and purges himself of all pride. He pursues the path shown by the founder of his creed and extinguishes anxiety about life & death. He accepts the will of God as supreme. He has faith in the Creator & Surrenders himself to the Almighty. When he has established his goodwill for all, he will be called a real Muslim. A real Hindu is one who live wise is kind & truthful and instructs his own mind and contemplates God. Both Hindus and Muslims are good if
they are true to their religion.
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15) Religious Charities
Guru Nanak had a clear precept regarding religious charities. He said the charities given by the rich cen were not religious as they amass their wealth at the cost of others. Truly religious was the charities made by the poor who earn their simple bread by honest labour and willingly share it with others.
16) Blessings of Saints can be sought by request not by compulsion
Guru Nanak said, grapes can not be grown on thorny "kikar trees" nor honey can be extracted from poisons "akk plants". No one can expect compulsion to bring forth benediction. It can be sought with utmost humility only.
17) Sinners can hope for God's grace & forgiveness
Guru Nanak said, "A sinner can hope for God's grace & forgiveness if he confesses his sin & repents for that." He should own his sin & pray before Guru for pardon. He must give away all his possessions in God's name which he had collected by impious means.
18) Eating flash - a sin or not
Guru Nanak said, "It is not easy to tell who sins - he who eats flesh or excludes flesh from his diet. They who forswear flesh & hold their noses when near it might have no qualms about devoiring their fellowmen under cover of darkness. Those uninstructed in the truth eat what they should not and eat not what they should. He said, "There is no use quarelling over eating or not eating flesh." He said, "First the mortal is conceived in flesh and then he dwells in flesh. When he comes alive, his mouth takes flesh, his bones, skin
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& body are flesh. He comes out of wembs of flesh and takes mouthful of flesh at the breast. His mouth is flesh, his tongue is flesh, his breath is in the flesh. He grows up and is married and brings his wife of flesh into his home. Flesh is produced from flesh, all relatives are made of flesh. When the mortal meats the True Guru, and realises the Hukam (divine command) of God, then he understands the reality of life & gets reformed. Releasing himself the mortal does not find release. Through empty words one is ruined.
19) Real defilement comes from within & not from outside
Seeing the pilgrims cook their food within circles marked on the ground to keep it from the shadow of a passing low- caste, Guru Nanak said, "Defilement comes from within and not from outside. The real pariahs are the evil thoughts, cruelty, slander and wrath. It avails not one to draw circles around himself if these four were seated beside him. Let these demarcations be of truth, self restraint and good acts and ablutions the remembrance of His name. They alone shall be reckoned holy who land not their steps to Sin. (SGGS. p. 91)
20) The Secret of true Religion is to remain uncontaminated amid wordly temptations
Guru Nanak said, "True religion lies not in Yogi's patched garment nor in his staff. It lies not in besmearing the body with ashes. Religion does not lie in suspending large rings from split years. Nor it lies in shaving the head nor in blowing of horns. To lie uncontaminated amid wordly temptations is to find the secret of Religion." He further said, "Religion lies not in wandering outside to tombs &
places of cremation nor in postures of contemplation.
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Religion lies not in roaming abroad nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. (SGGS, p. 730) Religion lies not in empty words." He believed that it is the external and conventional shell of religion that divides men. Its essence unites.
21) It is not easy to define God's Ways
Guru Nanak advised his followers that He said, It is not easy to define Gods Ways. What for one is a treasure of gold coins may turn out to be a jar of ashes and what for one an impaling stake could be reduced to a thorn. One's deeds make the parchment and the mind is the quill. Thus are good & bad being marked. Man's life is what his acts make it. But limitless is God's grace by which all is transmated. (SGGS, p.990)
22) Men obtain in the next world only what they earned by their deeds here
Guru Nanak burst the false belief that funeral cakes given in the names of elders who had left this mortal world and the tiny lamps lighted to illuminate their paths in the regions beyond benefit them in any way. He said that men obtained in the next world only what they earned by their deeds hers. Nothing offered in their behalf could secure than repose or satisfaction. The rice cakes placed on plotters made of leaf are of no avail. Neither one's wealth go with him nor the victuals ritually offered to Pandit on Sharadh day avail the departed souls. God's name alone redeems. This is the one's support both here and hereafter, behind & in the front. The Brahmans make the rolls for the departed souls & eat them. What lasts & truly saves is the Divine grace. Guru said, "one should give in the name of the Lord & put food in the mouth
of the needy. This is what goes with the one when he leaves
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to this mortal world.
23) Nature's tribute to the creator is superior to any ritualistic oblation offered before images. None can tell of God's bounty
Guru Nanak said that no one can tell about God's bounty. Some miss it while awake, while some are awakened from their sleep by Him and have themselves over-whelmed with gifts. Those who come with a wordly wish, wordly wish alone they secure.
24) Life is a lie & Death is the truth
Guru Nanak said as life is a lie and Death was the truth, no one should blame the sins of one person upon others as among them there may be some good and wise men.
25) How to win the beloved Lord
When asked by Shaikh Ibrahim (Farid II) what is that word, what is that virtue and what is the charm that one may acuire and dress one should wear so that one could win the Beloved, Guru Nanak answered in Baba Farid's slok "Humility is the word, forgiveness the virtue and seeetness of tongue the charm, if one clothes oneself with these three, one shall win the Beloved.
26) Who is superior - the Hindu or the Musalman
When asked by learned divines and pilgrims who had gathered in the holy precincts of Mecca, as who was superior, the Hindu or the Musalman, the Guru answered that without good deeds both would come to grief. In God's court no one was accepted as Hindu or Musalman. Ephemerals like the safflower dye which ran when washed
in water were these marks. Hindus and Muslims slandered
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each other and Ram, as God was called by the former or Rahim, as He was named by the latter was remembered by neither of them. The world in fact followed the devil's path. The Hindu's had neglected the teachings of their boos and Muslims those of their scripture. Both had succumbed to wordly temptations. Brahmans & the Mullahs squabbled endlessly and the truth was passed by. None ever gained liberation thus.
27) Where the poor are owned there will God's grace be manifested
Guru Nanak had a deep sympathy for the common mass of people and a strong feeling of kinship with them. He said, Lowly among the lowliest am I - the lowliest of all. I am with them and to them I belong. I envy not the mighty. He proclaimed, where the poor are owned there will God's grace be manifested. Any imposition on them hurt him & excited his compassion. He protested against the oppression of every kind. He uttered:
Neecha andar neech jaat neechee hoo at neech Nanak tin kai sang saath vadiya sio ki-aa rees Jithai neech samaalee-an tithe nadar teri bakhsees.
(SGGS, p. 13)
He said Satan rules over where the poor are suppressed and money is wriggled out from their pockets by immortal means.
28) Jaat Janam Neh Poochhiye
GuruNanaksaid PhakarJatiPhakarNauSabhnajiaika
chhau (SGGS, p. 83) i.e. False is caste and false the titled 20
fame. One supreme Lord sustains all. Know men by their worth. Do not ask their caste. There is no caste in the next world. Neither caste nor position will be recognised hereafter. They alone will be pronounced good whose merit is reckoned worthy of honour. Neither caste nor birth will be enquired by God. One must find one's true home i.e. to divine court of God. As acts so will be his caste and his status.
So one should do good deeds and not bother about his/her caste, creed, race, gender or social status.
29) Dread not the death
Live birth, death is by God's will as such it should not be dreaded. He said, "Death would not be called bad if one know how to truly die. Death is the privilege of the brave if it is approved by God.
Maran n manda loka akhiai je koi mar janai. Maran munsa sooria hak hai ji hoi maran parvano.
(SGGS, p. 579)
He advised that death should not be regarded as the unspeakable dread that cripples every moment of life, but the portal by which men enter a new realm of God's wisdom and love.
30) Remain cool & composed in face of opposition
Guru Nanak had noble fear and true love for God. His yearning for the Almighty was often not understood by the people who were drunk in the power of wealth and status or their high castes. They often used derogatory words like ghost & demon etc. for him. Guru Nanak maintained his
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composure in the face of such taunts and insults. He had unshackled his mind from hankering after ephemeral trappings like wealth and position. Guru Nanak said that when one achieves spiritual connect with God, he stops bothering about wealth & position, then the people start labeling such an anlightened person as fool - because between the Lord's devotees and the people of the world there can never be any true alliance:
Bhagta tai saisariaa jor kadai n aaiyia.
(SGGS, p. 145)
and
Koee aakhai bhootna koi kahai baitala. Koee aakhai aadmi Nanak vaichara. Bha-i-aa divaana saah kaa Nanak bauraana. Hau Har bin avar na jaana.
(SGGS, p. 991)
(Some call him a ghost some say he is a demon, crazy Nanak has gone insane after his Lord, the King. I know of none other than the Lord.)
Such an enlightened person is not offended by people's uncharitable or derogatory remarks.
31) It is immortal to usurp the right of others
Guru Nanak had great respect for the human values & dignity. He was a saviour of Human Rights. He raised his voice against injustice & oppression. He said it was immortal to usurp the rights of others. He said,
Hak paraia nanaka us suar us gaa-ay.
Gur peer haamaa taa bhare ja murdaar n khaa-ay.
Gali bhisht na jaa-ee-ai chhutai sach kamaa-ay.
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Maaran paahi haraam meh ho-ay halaal na jaa-ay. Nanak gali kaarhee-ee koorho palai-paa-ay.
(SGGS, p. 141)
(To take what rightfully belongs to another is like a Muslim eating pork or a Hindu eating belf. Our Guru, our spiritual guide stands by us if we do not eat those carcasses. By mere talk people do not earn passage to Heaven. Salvation comes only from the practice of Truth. By adding spices to forbidden foods they are not made acceptable. From false talk only falsehood is obtained. If one contemplate on God's Name and connects with Him, he will never think of usurping rights & wealth or possessions of others. One should not set his eyes on the belongings of others. False talks lead to falsehood. Only speaking nice and kind words can not help us. To attain salvation it is essential to follow the path of truth sincerely. If one contemplates on God's Name and connects with Him, he will never think of usurping the rights & possessions of others.
32) Kirat Karo Naam Japo & Vand Chhako
This is the essence of Guru Nanak's teachings. This is the foundation on which the citadel of Sikhi has been built. The Puratan Janamsakhi has these triple precepts as the basis of an ideal society. This is called the operative principle of Sikh Religion. Family is the basic unit of Sikhism. A man must lead a householder's life. He should be self-dependent and lead a life of dignity & self respect.
Kirat Karo
To be independent & self dependent, one must earn his living by hard & honest labour. One might adopt any profession - forming, trading or so called menial
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professions but one must be honest and truthful. Guru Nanak said; there is no intrinsic merit in professions. All are alike Parasitism in any form of shape is anti-social and anti- religious as well. This precept also ensures that there shall be no exploitation of man by man in any way.
Guru Nanak said, "Mau piu kirat gavaa-in tabar rovan dhehee." (SGGS, p.149) Those who forget the toil of their parents and do not perform hard & honest labour their families cry out in distress. There is no cheer left in their lives and they are doomed to hapless and despondence existence. He said that to take what rightfully belongs to others like a Muslim eating pork or a Hindu eating beef i.e. it is sinful. The Guru and the spiritual guide stands by to only if we do not eat those carcasses. By mere talks people do not earn passage to Heaven. Salvation comes only from practice of Truth. By adding spices to the forbidden foods they don't become acceptable. Nanak say's, from false talks only falsehood is obtained.
Haq para-ia nanaka us suar us gaaye. Gur pir haama ta bhare ja murdaar na khaaye. Gali bhish na jaeveeai chhoote sach kamaye. Maran pah haraam mah hoai halaal na jaaye.
(SGGS, p. 141)
Naam Japo
This precept means one should pursue the discipline of Naam (Divine Name) i.e. contemplate on God's Name i.e. one should never Rose sight of cosmic process and the divine Will permeating every thing of the world. This would ensure one mental equipose and large vision without which one is likely to fall victim to parachialism. By imbibing
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Naam-culture one does not fall victim to Haumai which causes many evil impulses to emerge in the man. God can be remembered even while doing wordly chores. For this one does not have to renounce the world. Guru Nanak said man without Naam is like a cow which does not give milk, bird without wings, vegetation without water and king without supplicants.
Naam is not a mere word to be uttered mechanically. Everyone utters the Name of the Lord but by mere utterances one realizes Him not. When though God's grace the Lord is enshrined in the mind that one gathers the fruit. Further one should lead a life in such a way that it conforms to the standards in consonance with the attributes of God. For this one will have to shed ego-centricity so that one might be able to come near God without any hindrance. To cultivate righteousness, virtue & giving up vice are the warp to realize the essence of God. Further, one should remain in the company of Gurmukhs (Guru-wards) so as to be true and develop love for Naam which in turn sustains one to lead a life of moral rectitude. One should endeavour to one's ability & capability to help others to tread the path of Sewa (altruistic service) through socio-political activities.
Another adjunct of the discipline of Naam is loving devotion to God. Further one should link one to the divine word (Shabad). From this, Guru does not mean mere uttering or singing of the Word, he meant thereby that man's activities should be guided by the meaning of it. Naam, in fact, is a realisation of unicity between man, creation, God, the coming of God's grace within one self shich obliterates the sense of the other and makes one not only be Himself, but be a part and link of God.
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Vand Chhako
This precept means one should share the fruits of one's honest labour with the down trodden, poor & needy persons. Guru Nanak said, "the wealth accumulated here does not go with him upon his dead. Further wealth cannot be accumulated without sin.
Paapa bajhon hovai nahin muia saath na jaaee.
(SGGS, p. 417)
If the fruits of one's labour are used for helping the needy then their blessings can give immeasurable happiness and peace of mind. He further said,
Ghaal khaa-ai kichh hathahu dei Nanak raaha pachhaaneh sei.
(SGGS, p. 1245)
One who does hard & honest labour to make a living & shares what he earns with his fellow (creatures), he knows the path of Divine Lord i.e. he understands the true purpose of human existence.
By sharing the fruits of one's hard & honest labour with others the spirit of selflessness or sacrifice is inculcated & self expands. Giving is the quality of God. In Japu Bani Guru Nanak considers God as the Eternal Giver. Sharing is an essential precept of the doctrine of Guru Nanak.
33) Sarbat da bhala
This precept means that one should Strive for the welfare of the humanity. By following the above said three precepts of Guru Nanak in true letter & spirit a Sikh always yearns for welfare of his fellow beings & other creatures. May all
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prosper is the concluding line of Sikh Ardas in which universal benevolence affirms itself along with self surrender to the Lord's Will as also & His Grace. If one sussenders himself before His Will, then it becomes natural to pray for the well being of all because that inheres in His Will. It is then one can see none as alien or as an adversary. He sees the entire universe populated with his own kin, the desire of the welfare of all spontaneously Wills up from within him.
Parampal Singh Sodhi
Ex. DGM (Punjab and Sind Bank) KG-I/257, Vikaspuri, New Delhi-18. pssodhi54@gmail.com
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