- Jun 1, 2004
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Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Mission by Janmeet Singh
Pyare Sadh Sangat Ji, Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh!!
I would like to share the following: I have previously misinterpreted Guru Nanak Dev Ji's way of dealing with the existing religions of the world as sympathetic. I saw in our great Guru Ji nothing more than a reformer, who carried a message of peace for everybody. I have began to realize, however, that Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was the greatest teacher of the world who brought forward true knowledge and made no compromises in his principles. During my limited study and understanding of the shabads of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, I felt that the Guru Ji found existing religions to be seething masses of moral putrefaction. He detected among their elements rituals and superstition, and he struck at the root of these problems by demanding truth in faith and spirit in worship. Guru Ji cleared away everything that inhibited the relationship between God and human. Guru Ji held out no promises in this world or even in the next world. Guru Ji taught that the idea of life, the measure of salvation, is not happiness or peace of mind. To serve God and be able to love Him is in itself better than happiness, though it may be with wounded feet, bleeding brows, and laden with sorrow.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji separated Vedantic philosophy from religion, and declared it to be a mere gymnastics of the mind. Guru Ji showed me 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. I feel I remain as much removed from the love of God in this stupid nothingness as when I am troubled by various desires. Guru Nanak Dev Ji substituted music, the singing of God's praises (SHABAD KIRTAN), for Yoga 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. But by concentrating all my attention on one side of the matter, I forgot that the other side existed at all. 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. I have not seen a 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 HUMANITY. To me, 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.
Akhar vada bhul chuk maf karni Ji.
Janmeet Singh
http://www.sikhs.org/art10.htm
Pyare Sadh Sangat Ji, Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh!!
I would like to share the following: I have previously misinterpreted Guru Nanak Dev Ji's way of dealing with the existing religions of the world as sympathetic. I saw in our great Guru Ji nothing more than a reformer, who carried a message of peace for everybody. I have began to realize, however, that Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was the greatest teacher of the world who brought forward true knowledge and made no compromises in his principles. During my limited study and understanding of the shabads of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, I felt that the Guru Ji found existing religions to be seething masses of moral putrefaction. He detected among their elements rituals and superstition, and he struck at the root of these problems by demanding truth in faith and spirit in worship. Guru Ji cleared away everything that inhibited the relationship between God and human. Guru Ji held out no promises in this world or even in the next world. Guru Ji taught that the idea of life, the measure of salvation, is not happiness or peace of mind. To serve God and be able to love Him is in itself better than happiness, though it may be with wounded feet, bleeding brows, and laden with sorrow.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji separated Vedantic philosophy from religion, and declared it to be a mere gymnastics of the mind. Guru Ji showed me 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. I feel I remain as much removed from the love of God in this stupid nothingness as when I am troubled by various desires. Guru Nanak Dev Ji substituted music, the singing of God's praises (SHABAD KIRTAN), for Yoga 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. But by concentrating all my attention on one side of the matter, I forgot that the other side existed at all. 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. I have not seen a 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 HUMANITY. To me, 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.
Akhar vada bhul chuk maf karni Ji.
Janmeet Singh
http://www.sikhs.org/art10.htm
