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 Whenever any of us think about who Guru Nanak actually was, or what his life must have practically felt like, I believe that we each picture the virtues we treasure the most, and imagine him that way.
In her series of books, Journey with the Gurus, Inni Kaur Dhingra has crafted an image of Guru Nanak as egalitarian, wise, patient, kind and spiritually rational. This Guru Nanak is approachable, like a caring elder brother, who wants to teach us and help us find our way out of superstition and ritualism. But he is not fanatical, and will wait for us to realize the true lessons in our own time.
Inni Kaur has recently published Volume Three of her series, Journey with the Gurus. In Volume Three, the reader follows Guru Nanak and Mardana to the coastal town of Puri, where they meet a Brahmin who fakes spiritual ecstasy in order to encourage donations from the local people. They continue to Kurukshetra on the day of a solar eclipse, and try to help the towns people break free of their fear and rigid ritualism around such heavenly events. They later find themselves in Lahore, and encounter a very wealthy businessman who spends a fortune honoring the death anniversary of his father. These and so many more of Guru Nanak's adventures are retold by Inni Kaur in Volume Three with a compassionate and engaging tone.
 It staggers the mind to imagine one man traveling so far by foot, confronting the bigotry, sexism, deceit and ritualism of his day. Guru Nanak created a quiet revolution touching one heart at a time. Through these tales, the reader finds herself taking this journey with Guru Nanak. Understanding the cultural context of the time, and how Guruji's words freed the minds of those with whom he came in contact. These stories give us a vision of Guru Nanak as practical and down to earth, even while sharing a truly Divine message of Ik Oankar and the Oneness behind the creation.
Some people who enjoy the miracle stories associated with Guru Nanak will miss their presence here. However, what Inni Kaur does so brilliantly is to keep the reader focused on the core message of kindness and Oneness that Guru Nanak taught.
Journey with the Gurus Volume Three is also a gorgeous book. Each page radiates with light, and the illustrations are exquisite. One is not only enchanted with the stories, but with the full page color drawings that accompany each story, as well.
Even though these books are written for children, people of all ages can read them and feel saturated with the loving wisdom that transformed the society of Guru Nanak's time. It is the legacy of that wisdom, compassion and Oneness that comes through each story Inni Kaur recounts.
In a world where young people can become absorbed in the online world, there is something precious about having a book that an adult can read with a child. Journey with the Gurus offers a wonderful way to transfer the knowledge and stories of Guru Nanak into the hearts and minds of the next generation. With Volume Three, Inni Kaur has made another vibrant contribution to the world of Sikh children's literature.
Please visit www.journeywiththegurus.com to learn more. | 
