549 years ago a great miracle occurred. A divine master called Nanak came into this world.
By his teachings and his actions Guru Nanak awoke humanity to the realisation that each individual could reach the Divine, just by the power of love.
Guru Nanak ji's teachings make life peaceful, simple and happy. All one needs is to be truthful and loving. How difficult can it be to truly love that one Creator, and His creation? He who manifests himself in numerous forms, and known by countless names.
One does not have to find God, one can only prepare oneself. With the Guru's teachings we can receive the Divine.
While meditating on the Creator, Nanak ji spent his life working, travelling, and sharing with humanity everything. He spent all of his time in the company of Sadhus, Saints, and noble souls.
One day, Nanak ji the chosen one, had an encounter with God. Nanak ji described God as 'Waha-Guru' (Wonderful Guru), 'Sat Naam' (His name and nature is 'Truth'.)
He was transformed from Nanak the holy man into Nanak the Guru. In Sanskrit the words 'Gu' means darkness and 'Ru' means light. (The one who leads us from darkness into the light).
A true Guru does not instruct nor give the truth, for the truth cannot be given, only realised. The Guru helps the seeker to discover and imbibe and be one with the eternal and infinite Truth. Those who walk on this path of a universal sister and brotherhood of all souls are called the 'Sikhs', meaning 'seekers' or 'disciples'. The spirit of this path is called 'Sikhism'.
Unfettered by philosophical debates, complicated rituals, and instructions of priests, transcending fear and wants, Sikhism could be simply explained as a loving, user friendly pathway for spiritual realisation.
To be one with God, none can match the beauty, simplicity, ease of understanding, universally applicability of Guru Nanak ji's teachings. Its so powerful, and yet so simple that, one could even describe it as 'Simple path of spirituality, with the help of a Guru'.
Guru Nanak ji's teachings makes life peaceful, simpler and happier. All one needs is to be truthful and loving. How difficult is to truthful and loving?
I pray that the one God manifested in everyone and everything, called by numerous names, and found by many paths bestow upon us all brothers and sisters wisdom, love and peace.
I congratulate us all, on the anniversary of this auspicious day.
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Sikh Philosophy
Seeking to be one with God is not spirituality. Shedding attachments with everything that we have gathered in this human life, for they are temporary, is spirituality.
Spirituality is the inherent desire of all souls.
Guru Nanak ji's message was delivered in great simplicity in the spoken languages of the day so everyone could understand it. They are sung as 'kirtan' melodious hymns and starting with the Guru have been delivered almost everywhere, in open fields, under trees, by the water's edge, at the foot of mountains, in village squares and in homes etc.
A true Sikh is easy to identify. He or she will be a global citizen, helpful, compassionate and completely fearless.
Guru Nanak ji's message:
- We are born so we must live, but how to live, is the choice we make.
- We must work for a living, and care for and nourish all those for whom we are responsible.
- This mortal body acquires youth, beauty, wealth, position, and relationships, gifted to us by creation so that we may live well. Our existence is temporary as is everything else. So live and use all that is gifted to us, but not getting attached to what is temporary or transitional.
- Seek only that which is permanent, and that is the Creator.
- When we the little lights merge with the ocean of light, then we will awaken to the realisation that God is within us and we within God.
- We then become Divine.
To love God is to love Creation and to love everyone.
by Gurvinder Singh