|
When Guru Nanak Dev Ji had his first communion
with God, God blessed him and sent him to this world to spread His
message, the first words uttered by Guru Sahib Ji was “There
is no Hindu, there is no Mussalmaan,” from the outset Guru
Sahib Ji distanced himself from these faiths as both were lacking.
Many times in Guru Sahib Jis bani the mussalmaan is admonished and chastised for his bigoted nature. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born into a Hindu family but rejected its rituals and customs, Guru Ji was blessed with two sons, Sri Chand Ji and Lakhmi Das Ji, hardly muslim names, his father was Mehta Kalu and mother was Mata Tripta Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji enjoyed the company of holy persons, be they Hindu or muslim this did not matter because Guru Ji recognised the divine spirit present in all. He did not dress like a muslim as some people try to portray , Guru sahib Ji dressed as a holy man, which meant a chola of khuddar (rough low grade material) and a pair of wooden sandals or Kharama. On his travels Guru Sahib Ji did travel eastwards, but never to a Hajj. Guru Ji had previously travelled to Hardward, Benaras, Varanasi, and other places of Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage, this hardly makes him a Hindu or a Buddhist, wherever he went he put people on the True path of God. As for Mecca, Guru Sahib Ji slept deliberately with his feet towards the Kaaba. When challenged by the local Imam, Guru Ji replied “point my feet where God is not.” Upon moving Guru Ji’s around so that his feet faced the other way the Imam found to his surprise that Guru Ji’s feet were still pointing towards the Kaaba. He did it again and again the feet were pointing to the Kaaba, thus showing that God resided everywhere and that is was our foolish and bigoted minds that saw him in one place or set of people. Hardly the actions of a Muslim. On Guru Ji’s travels through Bhagdad his companion Mardana would play the rabab and Guru Sahib Ji would sing about the infiniteness of God and His Creation, wherein occurred the following expression: “ there are numerous patals (earths) and innumerable akashs (sky).” |
when some Muslim who was listening to it realised what was being sung (the Qu'ran mentions only seven earths and seven skies) he reported the blasphemy to the Sajjdanashin of the Shrine of Pir Dastagir, Abdul Qadir Jilani. Meanwhile an agitated crowd gathered on the spot. The people were on the verge of throwing stones when they heard the Guru’s divine invocation. The people in remorse went to their Pir and told him of the presence of a holy man.The Pir, having reached the place, enquired from Mardana who the holy man was. He was told that he was Nanak who had rejected all others except one God who was all pervading on earth, sky and in all four directions. Guru Nanak Dev Ji had many discourses with the holy men and they were convinced that Guru Ji was truly and man of God. Before his departure Guru Ji was presented with a chola (robe) as a token of respect and the high regard the holy men held Him, on which verses in Arabic were inscribed. This chola lies preserved in the Gurdwara at Dera Baba Nanak, in Pakistan. The chola was given to Guru Sahib Ji by his devotees in Bagdhad and Guru Sahib Ji took it in the spirit in which it was given, no more. Pir Babhol, a Sufi saint was also deeply influenced by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. So this notion that the robe and its inscriptions hold any more significance is just incorrect. Upon Guru Ji’s travels Guru Nanak kept a pothi (small book) in which were written down all shabads composed by him, these were kept safe and handed down to the subsequent Gurus. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was well educated and conversant in Hindi, Persian, Fasri and Sanskrit, he was no illiterate, and the words of Guru Nanak Dev Ji can be relied upon to be 100% accurate as the message of the Almighty. Guru Ji never carried the Koran or a prayer mat, why would he? He had rejected Islam from the outset. When at Mecca the local Imam asked Guru Sahib Ji to do kalma with him. As the Imam started his kalma Guru Ji did not, and stood to one side. Upon finishing, the Imam in his fury asked Guru Ji the meaning of this, Guru Ji said to him “what is the use of meaningless ritual when your mind was someplace else trying to work out how to get the best price for your horses.” The Imam was shamed. |
| The
Q'uran holds no significance for a Sikh. Fasting holds no relevance to a Sikh. Circumcision mutilation holds no relevance to a Sikh. Sikhs do not go in for ritual slaughter of innocent animals. Sikhs do not face in any particular direction, east or west, when praying. Sikhs do not hold any significance in ritual shaving of the head. Sikhs do not hold any significance in throwing stones at a pillar. |
The
word "al-Taqiyaa" means: "Concealing
or disguising one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions,
and strategies." In Arabic the translation is "hypocrisy
in the pursuit of a greater purpose." And this word "al
Taqqiyaa" gives its followers religious authorisation
to tell lies even if it contradicts what is stated in the Q'uran
and Hadiths if it means one can bring someone into the fold. So,
when reading or debating please be aware of this tactic. |
Guru Nanak Dev Ji separated Vedantic philosophy from religion, and declared it to be a mere gymnastics of the mind. Guru Ji showed that religion is less a matter of intellect and more a matter of spirit. The practice of Yoga may do very well for emptying the mind of desires, but it only gives a negative result. Guru Nanak Dev Ji substituted music, the singing of God's praises (Shabad Kirtan), for meaningless rituals as a means of linking the soul of humans with God.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji also helped greatly improve existing spiritual rules of conduct. There are two sorts of duties: (1) what we ought to do and (2) what we ought not to do. World religions had very early recognized the latter. "Thou shall NOT kill and Thou shall NOT do this or that.....this was all that was understood by the word Dharma or duty. This emphasis on the negative side of virtue led to the adoption of asceticism in the east as the highest ideal of life, which ultimately means the negation of all manly duty. Guru Nanak Dev Ji preached a higher truth. To him love was active service, and his disciples soon profited from this teaching. There is no higher record of service in history than that shown by the Sikhs, who were taught to annihilate the thought of self and utilize all their energy in the service of God and humility. No one loved God and humanity more than Guru Nanak Dev Ji. By the Guru's grace, may we all be blessed to carry Guru Nanak Dev Ji's mission into the future.
| Guru
Nanak Dev Ji he was blessed with two sons, born around 1491 and
1494, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. Baba Sri Chand was a very spiritual
person and Guru Nanak Dev Ji could see that he had chosen a path
of quiet contemplation on the Almighty and did not care much for
worldly affairs this played a part in the Guruship being passed
on to Bhai Lehna Ji. This is not to say that Baba Sri Chand abandoned
Sikhism. In fact the Gurus right up to the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind
Sahib Ji showed the utmost respect for Baba Sri Chand Ji. On one
visit Baba Sri Chand asked Guru Hargobind Sahib for something to
link him and his followers to the Sikh Panth for eternity. Guru
Hargobind in his divine wisdom then gave Sri Chand his son Baba
Gurditta, who is revered as the successor of Baba Sri Chands order.
Thus, Baba Sri Chand did not reject Sikhi. |
It
is sometimes stated that Guru Nanak Dev Ji abandoned his family
on his long Udassis (journeys). This is not true. Guru Nanak Dev
Ji was a devoted father and husband and cared and provided for his
family. Guru Sahib Ji was married when he was about fifteen years
old as was the custom of the times. By the time of the first udassi
Guru Sahib Ji was around thirty years old and his two sons were
around ten years old. So the early years were spent looking after
and providing for the family, when the call came form God to spread
His name across the lands Guru Sahib Ji placed his family in the
care of his parents and extended family, also his elder sister Nanaki
Ji and husband who lived in nearby Sultanpur were instructed to
keep an eye on Mata Tripta Ji and the two little ones. So, in no
why did Guru Sahib Ji neglect his duties as a householder. In fact
Guru Sahib Ji showed practically how to juggle the duel roles of
worldly and family affairs. |
|
God is everywhere. He is within each and every
one of us, he is in the animals and the plants. He is in the sea
and in the very air that we breathe. Like a fish cannot live without
water, we cannot live without God. God did not create this world
and then step back from it, He is actively involved in everything
that we do.
|
God
watches over us when we do good and when we do bad. God is also
with us when we perform our bodily functions, why shouldn’t
he be? He created us and the way we are so why would he leave
us? A mother is not disgusted when her child goes to the bathroom,
in fact she cleaned and cared for him for many years with love
and devotion so why would God, the father of all humanity , feel
any different about his children? |
| Var
by Bhai Gurdaas Ji The Lord is the fragrance in flowers, the becoming black bee He is attracted towards flowers. Sap in the mangoes is He and becoming nightingale He enjoys the same. Becoming peacock and the rain bird (babiha) only He identifies the delight in raining of the clouds. He transforms Himself into variegated sweets by becoming milk and water. The same Formless Lord assuming different forms is residing in all the bodies. He is Omnipresent in all substances and activities and gurmukhs bow before all of His such stages. |
|
||
Many
faiths regard God as some far of entity who has created this world
but resides separate from it. They look up to the skies to find
Him, they renounce everything and wonder off into the wilderness
in search of Him, they face a particular direction in the hope of
winning favour with Him. But what they do not realise it the very
thing they are looking for is in fact residing within themselves.
|
Guru
Gobind Singh Ji says in his Akal Ustat :
By Thy Grace. Laghu Niraaj, stanza |
| As
is the reflection in the mirror, He sees in the world His ownself.
|
Since
God resides everywhere, then to Him nothing is sacred and nothing
is unholy, nothing is clean and nothing is dirty, for He resides
in all things. It follows that God is with you when you are doing
good and when you are doing bad. |
Gurmat
is against all blind rituals that have no meaning. The 5 K’s
were given to us by our Guru as our external identity. |
There are many kinds of rituals some may call
these meaningless also : Fasting, facing in a particular direction
when praying, slaughtering an innocent animal in the name of God,
shaving ones head, throwing pebbles at a stone pillar, offering
water to your ancestors and snip snip of the circumcision ( ouch
yaar !)
|
| Guru
Nanak Dev Ji in Siree Raag on Pannaa 75 The Lord's Name is not within your heart, but all sorts of other tastes seem sweet to you. You have no wisdom at all, no meditation, no virtue or self-discipline; in falsehood, you are caught in cycle of birth and death. Pilgrimages, fasts, purification and self-discipline are of no use, nor are rituals, religious ceremonies or empty worship. O Nanak, emancipation comes only by loving devotional worship; through duality, people are engrossed in duality. ||2|| |
| Guru Granth Sahib Ji is a divinely revealed scripture. There are many occasions when this is made clear in Guru Granth Sahib Ji : jaisee
mai aavai khusum kee baanee thaisurraa kuree giaan vae laalo || sathigur
kee baanee sath sath kar jaanuhu gurasikhuhu har kuruthaa aap
muhuhu kudtaaeae || There are many more examples where it is made clear that the bani in Guru Granth Sahib is the word of God. In Guru Granth Sahib Ji, there is also the bani composed through different bhatts (bards) and bhagats who were Sikhs of the Guru and inspired to recite as well. The Bhatts were given initiation by the Guru and although they were a wandering group of minstrels, they ended up staying with the Guru for the rest of their lives, singing his praises. They describe the mystical experiences and sights they've seen and show how amazing and great Guru Nanak is. Let us not forget that the Bhagats were no ordinary men, their spirituality was of the highest order and their Bhagat bani in Guru Granth sahib Ji is not found in any of their own collections. For example, Bhagat Kabir's bani in Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not found in his Beejak or any of his collected works, it is unique to Guru Granth Sahib Ji because it is the word of God. |
The Bani they recited after becoming Sikhs is the one in Guru Granth Sahib Ji and not found in any of their works. The notion that the Gurus ‘borrowed’ from other religious texts in also false. The Gurus bani rejects time and time again all other religious texts, so why would it include passages from them? The belief that Guru Granth Sahib contains any passages from other religious texts or translations of them is totally false. Guru Arjun Dev Ji personally overlooked all aspects of the compilation of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and whose shabads are the most. These were direct revelations from God as was all the bani from all the Gurus and Bhagats. This is very much contrary to some other texts that was compiled many years after the prophet ascended the heavens. In fact the prophet was illiterate so how could he have written down or understood any alleged revelations to him? Actually the Sahib Siri Guru Granth sahib is the only religious composition written by its prophets, i.e. The Guru’s themselves. No
other religion can claim this. The Koran was written not by a
prophet, but 50 years after Mohammed passed away. Mohammed himself
was illiterate, so did not write anything. But the kabba and the
Hajj is also a form of big idol worship. The Bible was written
by the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, none of them contemporaries
of Jesus and written at least 50-100 years after Jesus. |
| Guru
Amar Daas Ji in Siree Raag on Pannaa 35 In speaking, in seeing and in words, remain immersed in the Shabad. The Word of the Guru's Bani vibrates throughout the four ages. As Truth, it teaches Truth. Egotism and possessiveness are eliminated, and the True One absorbs them into Himself. Those who remain lovingly absorbed in the True One see the Mansion of His Presence close at hand. ||3|| |
Guru Granth Sahib Ji does not narrate the life story of Guru Nanak Dev Ji , but each and every word is dedicated to the Glory of the Almighty Divine Being only. It is not a reproduction of earlier religions, but the Divine Word (Gurbani) came to the Gurus, and 15 Bhagats, 17 Bards, & 4 devotees (who all shared the same Dharam of Naam & Gurmat), direct from God. Guru Nanak Ji stated that it was not his philosophy, it was not his understanding and it was not his thinking, but the Word was coming to him direct from God and he was simply delivering His message to the world. As he confirms:
| 'O
Lalo, as comes the Divine Word from the Lord to me, So do I narrate
it.' (Raag Tilang Mohalla 1, p-722)
'I have said what Thou commandeth me to say.' (Raag Wadhans Mohalla 1,p-566) This was repeatedly confirmed and emphasized by all the Gurus in their Bani such as: 'From God springs ambrosial Gurbani The exalted Guru narrates and preaches the same to the world.' (Raag Majh Mohalla 3, p-125) 'This Word comes from Him, Who hath created the World.' (Mohalla 4, p-306) 'This Word that hath come from God, It dispelleth all woes and worries.' (Raag Sorath Mohalla 5, p-628) 'I speak but the Will of the Lord, For the Lord's devotee narrateth the Word of the Lord.'(Raag Sorath Mohalla 5, p-629) 'Whatever the Lord hath instructed me, Hear, O my brother.' Raag Tilang Mohalla 9, p-727) The tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji established the same truth that it was God's Word that was being revealed through the Gurus: 'Whatever
the Lord sayeth to me I say the same to the world.' (Guru
Gobind Singh Ji ) |
Guru Granth Sahib Ji is numerically structured which acts as a central locking system. The numerical system ensures that no-one can add their own hymn or Bani into the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The poetic beauty of Guru Granth Sahib ji ensures that no person can add an extra word to the Guru Granth Sahib, which would disrupt the flowing poetry. The Tenth Nanak made five copies of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji which he dictated and signed. One Volume was taken by Ahmed Shah Abdali and the whereabouts is unknown. However the other four Volumes are preserved at the Takhat Sahibaans (Sri Hazoor Sahib, Sri Patna Sahib, Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib, & Sri Kesgharh Sahib).
Max Arthur Macauliffe, an English writer, delivered a speech at Akal Bunga,
Amritsar in 1899:
"There
is another point to the merit of the Sikh religion that the founders of
other religions in this world never wrote even one line with their own
hands. You might have heard that there was a very famous Greek philosopher
called Pythagoras who had many followers, but he never left behind anything
written by him from which we could have known about the principles of
his sect. After him came the second Greek philosopher named Socrates who
was born in 500 B.C. He became a very famous religious leader who claimed
that he was receiving Divine instructions from God within himself, which
persuaded him to do good and prohibited from doing any evil deeds. But
he too never left anything behind written by him which could have shed
light on his philosophy and its principles. Whatever we know about him,
has only come through the writings of his follower, Plato. Besides there
came Mahatma Buddh in India and he never wrote anything with his hands.
Then came Christ who did not write anything himself either. His teachings
are only known through the Bible which was written by others. Then came
Muhammad who was illiterate who also did not write down anything. However
the Sikh Gurus acted quite opposite to all these religious leaders that
they themselves dictated their message of Truth and compiled Guru Granth
Sahib. In this respect the Sikh religion is far ahead than others."
Sikhism
is not in the business of making prophecies, we leave this up
to the charlatans, the conjurers, the tricksters, the Nosrtodamus
type fraudsters. Sikhism is not impressed with prophecies and
miracles to win over new converts. |
The
Guru's insisted that the message should speak for itself. Although
Sikh history is filled with amazing miracles, they were not done
for show purposes or to impress. Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not a
book of prophecies, it is a scripture that leads one to the realisation
of God and inspires love and tolerance. |
|
|
Some information has been added by kind permission of | "WhyIchoseSikhism." |
| Home | Previous |