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Guru Granth Sahib
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ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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Was Guru Nanak God?
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<blockquote data-quote="kaur-1" data-source="post: 47009" data-attributes="member: 3025"><p>From what I gather, Guru Nanak Dayv ji a human(not God) had God like attributes, so pure that to us he was the image of God. If you see what I mean. </p><p></p><p>We the human only have a tiniest divine spark-jyot <em>(and most of us on earth arent even conscious of this divine spark) </em> of God but the Guru's were on a different level to us. </p><p></p><p>I also found this enlightening word doc today in:</p><p><a href="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/menu/youth.htm" target="_blank">Sikhism for Youth</a> a good read for beginners like me even though I am not exactly a youth!.</p><p></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Sikhism for Youth</strong> </p><p><a href="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/SourceBook/Source%20Bk%20on%20Sikhism.doc" target="_blank"><strong>Source Book on Sikhism - Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi</strong></a></p><p> <a href="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/ConceptBook/Concepts%20in%20Sikhism.doc" target="_blank">Concepts in Sikhism - Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi </a></p><p></p><p><em></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Excerpt:</span></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></em><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">GURU (W. Owen Cole), </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Black">a spiritual guide or preceptor. The term, long used in the Indian religious tradition, has a special connotation in the Sikh system. The Sikh faith itself signifies discipleship, the word <em>sikh</em> (<em>sisya</em> in Sanskrit and <em>sissa</em> or <em>sekha</em> in Pali) meaning pupil or learner. The concept of Guru, the teacher or enlightener, is thus central to Sikhism. The Guru, according to Sikh belief, is the vital link in man’s spiritual progress. He is the teacher who shows the way. He is not an intercessor, but exemplar and guide. He is no <em>avatar</em> or God’s incarnation, but it is through him that God instructs men. He is the perfectly realized soul; at the same time, he is capable of leading the believers to the highest state of spiritual enlightenment. The Guru has been called the ladder, the rowboat by means of which one reaches God. He is the revealer of God’s word. Through him God’s word, <em>sabda</em>, enters human history. The Guru is the voice of God, the Divine self-revelation. Man turns to the Guru for instruction because of his wisdom and his moral piety. He indicates the path to liberation. It is the Guru who brings the love and nature of God to the believer. </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Black">It is he who brings that grace of God by which <em>haumai</em> or egoity</span></span><span style="color: Black"><strong><span style="font-size: 12px"> is mastered. The Guru is witness to God’s love of His creation. He is God’s <em>hakam</em>, i.e. Will, made concrete.</span></strong></span> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">A special figure is employed to describe the transference of the Guruship in the Sikh tradition. This figure helps us understand the true nature of Guru. The Guruship passes from one Guru to the other as one candle lights another. Thus the real Guru is God, for He is the source of all light. It is clear that the Guru is not to be confused with the human form (the unlit body). In the Sikh faith which originated in Guru Nanak’s revelation, Ten Gurus held the office. In Sikhism the word Guru is used only for the ten spiritual prophets—Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, and for none other. Now this office of Guru is fulfilled by the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sacred Book, which was so apotheosized by Guru Gobind Singh. </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Various connotations of <em>guru</em> have been given based on different etymological interpretations. One generally accepted in Sikhism is that derived from the syllable <em>gu</em> standing for darkness and <em>ru</em> for its removal. Thus <em>guru</em> is he who banishes the darkness of ignorance. According to Sikh belief, guidance of the <em>guru</em> is essential for one’s spiritual enlightenment.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">No particular text dealing with the concept of <em>guru</em> is found in the Sikh Scripture, though scattered references abound. They are often figurative and symbolic but are fully expressive of the pre-eminence accorded to the <em>guru</em>. He has been called a <em>tirtha</em>, place of holy pilgrimage, i.e. purifier; a <em>khevat</em>, the boatman who rows one across the ocean of worldliness; a <em>sarovar</em>, a lake where swans, i.e. holy saints, dwell and pick up pearls of sacred wisdom for food; a <em>samund</em>, ocean which is churned for the gems, for his <em>bani</em>, or inspired word, is itself deep like the ocean and its wisdom can be brought out only after long meditation; a <em>dipak</em>, lamp which lights up the three worlds. In another comparison the Guru is called <em>pilak</em>, elephant controller, as he restrains the mind that is like a mad, romping elephant. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">He is called <em>data</em>, donor of wisdom; <em>amritsar</em>, the pool of ambrosia of the Name; a <em>basith</em>, one joining the seeker in union with God; <em>joti</em>, the light which illuminates the world. Other comparisons are <em>anjan</em>, collyrium, which sharpens the sight— a metaphor for the spiritual vision; <em>sahjai</em> <em>da khet</em>, the field of equipoise or equanimity; <em>paharua</em>, the watchman who drives away the five thieves, i.e. the five evils. He is <em>sura</em>, the hero whose sword of <em>jnana</em> or knowledge rends the veil of darkness and overcomes ignorance and wickedness, <em>paras</em>, philosopher’s stone which turns base metals into gold, for he transforms ordinary men into holy saints. There are numerous more comparisons.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The first stanza of <em>Bhavan Akhari</em>, one of Guru Arjan’s compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib, is a paean of glorification in honour of the Guru (Gurudev) in exalted classical style. Gurudev, i.e. the divinely inspired Master, is the mother, father; he is the Master and the Lord Supreme. He is friend, relative, brother. He confers on the seeker the name of the Supreme Being, i.e. the <em>mantra</em>, which is infallible. <em>Gurudev</em> is the touchstone which surpasses all <em>paras</em>. <em>Gurudev</em> is sacred <em>tirath</em> of the ambrosia of immortality, a bath wherein is a bath in <em>jnana</em>. <em>Gurudev</em> is the banisher of sins; he makes the impure pure. <em>Gurudev</em> has existed from beginning of the beginning, from the beginning of the ages and has lasted through all the <em>yugas</em>; i.e. his light is eternal. His teachings of the Name alone can save humanity (GG, 250).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The guidance of the <em>guru</em> is absolutely essential; no spiritual gain can accrue without the guru’s guidance. The view has been constantly reiterated in the Guru Granth Sahib:</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Were there to rise a hundred moons, and a thousand suns besides,</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Without the <em>guru</em>, it will still be pitch darkness (GG, 463).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">None other than the <em>guru</em> can give enlightenment,</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Nor can happiness without him enter the heart (GG, 650).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">“None has ever realized God, none at all, without the <em>guru’s</em> guidance,” declares Guru Nanak (GG, 466). Using figurative language, it is pointed out that no blind man can find the path without the <em>guru</em>, as nobody can reach the housetop without the stairs and no one can cross the river without a boat. As says Guru Amar Das, he who remains without the Guru’s guidance is the rejected one (GG, 435).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">What is gained if the <em>guru’s</em> compassion and guidance are available is thus elaborated:</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the holy preceptor’s grace is faith perfected;</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the holy preceptor’s grace is grief cancelled,</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the holy preceptor’s grace is suffering annulled;</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the holy preceptor’s grace is love of God enjoyed; </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the holy preceptor’s grace is union with God attained (GG, 149).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The <em>guru</em> cleanses the seeker’s mind of the impurity and brings it to contemplating on the Name. He breaks the shackles of the disciple who turns away from the excitements of the senses. He seeks his welfare and cherishes him as the beloved of his heart. A touch of him erases all blemishes of conduct. The bard Nall refers to the transforming power of the <em>guru</em> thus in symbolic language: “From base metal I became gold by hearing the words of the Guru. Poison was turned into nectar as one uttered the Name revealed by the Guru. From iron a diamond I became by the Guru’s grace. From stone one becomes a diamond in light of the <em>jnana</em> manifested by the Guru. The Guru transformed common timber into fragrant sandalwood and banished all pain and misery. By worshipping the feet of the Guru, the foolish and the evil became angels—the noblest of men” (GG, 1399).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">God, who is “without form, colour or feature,” is yet self-communicating. “Through the True Word (<em>sada</em>) is He revealed,” as says Guru Nanak (GG, 597). Further:</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Within every heart is hid the Lord;</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">In all hearts and bodies is his light. </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By the <em>guru’s</em> instruction</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Are the adamantine doors opened.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Here <em>sabda</em> and <em>guru</em> are juxtaposed. Often they become one word, <em>sabdaguru</em>, identifying <em>sabda</em> with the <em>guru</em>.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The <em>sabda</em> <em>guru</em> is the profound teacher;</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Without the <em>sabda</em> the world remains in perplexity (GG, 635). </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Set your mind on the <em>gursabda</em></span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Which is over and above everything else (GG, 904).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Through the <em>sabda</em> one recognizes the adorable Lord</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Through the word of the <em>guru</em> (<em>gurvak</em>)</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Is he imbued with the truth (GG. 55).</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"><em>Sabda</em> is the same as the <em>guru</em>, says Guru Ram Das. “<em>Bani</em> (the <em>guru’s</em> utterance or word) is the <em>guru</em> and the <em>guru</em> is <em>bani</em>; in <em>bani</em> are contained all the elixirs” (GG, 982). <em>Sabda</em>, ever present, is articulated through the human medium, the <em>guru</em>, so ordained by the Supreme Being. The historical Gurus of the Sikh faith are believed to have uttered the truth vouchsafed to them by God. “As I received the word from the Lord, so do I deliver it,” says Guru Nanak (GG, 722). Guru Arjan: “I know not what to say; I utter only the word I receive from God” (GG, 763). And Guru Rim Das: “Own ye the Sikhs the <em>bani</em> of the <em>guru</em> as truth and truth alone, for the Creator Himself makes him utter it” (GG, 308).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">God, thus, is the primal Guru of the whole creation. This is how Guru Nanak discloses the identity of his own Guru. One of his compositions, the <em>Sidha</em> <em>Gosti</em>, is in the form of a discourse with a group of <em>yogis</em>. Therein a <em>yogi</em> puts the question to him, “Who is your Guru? Whose disciple are you?” (GG, 942). To which Guru Nanak replies:</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"><em>Sabda</em> is my Guru, and the meditating mind the disciple.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">By dwelling on Him I remain detached.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Nanak, God, the cherisher of the world through the ages, is my Guru (GG, 943).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Elsewhere Guru Nanak and his successors affirm that the <em>Satiguru</em> is God.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The light of the pure Lord, the essence of everything, is all-pervading.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">He is the infinite, transcendent Lord, the Supreme God</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Him Nanak has obtained as his <em>Guru</em> (GG. 599). </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Accredited is the personality of the bright Guru, God</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Who is brimful of all might.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Nanak, the Guru is the transcendent Lord Master.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">He, the ever present, is the Guru (GG, 802).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">According to Sikh belief there is no difference in spirit between such a <em>guru</em> and God. “The <em>guru</em> is God and God is the Guru; there is no distinction between the two” says Guru Ram Das (GG, 442). “God hath placed Himself within the <em>guru</em>, which He explicitly explaineth” (GG, 466). “Acknowledge the Transcendent God and the <em>guru</em> as one “ (GG, 864). The real personality of a human being is the <em>atman</em>, the physical body is only a temporary dwelling place for the <em>atman</em> which is eternal and is a spark from the Eternal Flame, the Supreme <em>Atman</em> or God. “O my self, you are an embodiment of God’s Light; know your true origin” (GG, 441). Being encased in the physical frame, this <em>atman</em> becomes so involved in the temptations of the physical world that it forgets its reality and loses contact with the Flame of its origin, whereas the <em>atman</em> of the <em>Guru</em> remains ever in tune with that Supreme Light from which it has sparked off. It is thus that God is accepted as residing within the <em>guru</em>. It is in this sense that there is no distinction seen between the <em>guru</em> and God. <em>Guru</em> or <em>satiguru</em> is thus a word with a double meaning in the Guru Granth Sahib. It may refer to God or to His chosen prophet.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The true <em>Guru</em> is easily distinguished. “The true <em>guru</em> is one who has realized the Supreme Being and whose association saves the disciple” (GG, 286). “The true <em>guru</em> is one in whose heart dwells the Name Divine” (GG, 287). “He by meeting whom the mind is filled with bliss is the true <em>guru</em>. He ends the duality of the mind and leads (the disciple) to the ultimate state of realization” (GG, 168). “Praise, praise be to the true <em>guru</em> who demolishes the fort of dubiety; wondrous, wondrous the true <em>guru</em> who unites the seeker with the Lord” (GG 522). The <em>guru</em> is ordained as such for the liberation of mankind. He transmits the message of God to men and performs acts of grace to save them. The <em>guru</em> is sent by God, but he is not God’s incarnation. “Singed be the tongue which says that the Lord takes birth” (GG, 1136). He is <em>ajuni</em> (unborn); He is <em>saibhan</em> (self-existent). Highest tribute and adoration are reserved for the <em>guru</em>. Devotion to the <em>guru</em> is deemed to be the quintessential quality of a religious man. The pain of separation from the <em>guru</em> and the joy of meeting with him find expression in poetry of deep intensity, as in Guru Arjan’s hymn in Rag Majh (GG, 96-97). </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Guru Nanak was suspicious of human preceptors, <em>pandits</em>, <em>gurus</em> and <em>pirs</em>. They are generally denounced as blind guides, self-styled and traders upon ignorance and superstition. He warns against them: </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Never fall at the feet of one</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Who calls himself <em>guru</em> and <em>pir,</em> and goes begging.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">He who eats what he earns</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">And from his own hands gives some in charity,</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">He alone knows the true way of life (GG, 1245). </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The disciple whose <em>guru</em> is blind will not attain the goal (GG, 58). Taking up this thought the third Guru said:</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The disciples whose <em>guru</em> is blind perform only blind deeds. </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">They follow their own wayward will,</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">And ever utter the grossest lies (GG, 951).</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">When Guru Nanak speaks of his <em>guru</em> or <em>satiguru</em>, it is not such teachers that he has in mind. The true <em>guru</em> is the means of the self-revelation of God. He makes the concealed and ineffable God known. He symbolizes the supreme act of God’s grace in revealing Himself as Truth, as the Name, as the Word. The true <em>guru</em> comes to unite all people of the world and to unite them to the Supreme Being. A false <em>guru</em> creates schisms, divisions and prejudices. The true <em>guru</em> as manifested in the history of the Sikh faith comes to suppress the forces of evil and to rally the forces of good. He comes to resuscitate the values of true religion, <em>dharma</em>.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The Sikh faith developed under the guidance of ten successive Gurus from 1469 to 1708. Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru, appointed no personal successor, but bequeathed the guruship to the Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy Word or <em>sabda</em> had always been referred by the Gurus as well as by their disciples as of Divine origin. The Guru was the revealer of the Word. The Word was identified with the Guru when Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed the Holy Book Guru before he passed away. Bards Balvand and Satta theorize that of their three aspects—<em>joti</em>, i.e. light, <em>jugati</em>, way or procedure, and <em>kaia</em>, i.e. body—it is only <em>kaia</em>, the body, that changes as succession passed from one historical Guru of the Sikh faith to the next. <em>Joti</em> and <em>jugati</em> remained the same. As sang the bards: “<em>Joti oha jugati sai sahi kaia pheri palatiai</em>” (GG, 966). From their verse emerges this concept of three aspects of the guruship.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">God is the source of all light or consciousness. God kindles that light, in the chosen human body, the Guru; in the <em>joti</em>-aspect the Guru is the most enlightened human being, he is in direct communion with God. He communicates the message of God to mankind. He transmits His light to the world. Without the <em>guru</em>, darkness prevails. Says Guru Nanak, “The light of the <em>guru</em> alone dispels darkness” (GG, 463); “The <em>guru</em> is that lamp which illuminates the three worlds” (GG, 137). Balvand and Satta in their hymn in the Guru Granth Sahib affirm that the historical Gurus of the Sikhs shared the same <em>joti</em> (light). The <em>joti</em> got transferred to the successor’s body. Thus, right from 1469, the year of the birth of Guru Nanak, to 1708, the year of the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh, it was one continuing <em>joti</em> manifesting itself in the Ten Gurus.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">This awareness of one light acting through the successive Gurus was so permeating among the Sikhs that Mobid Zulfiqar Ardastani (d. 1670) wrote in his Persian work <em>Dabistan-i-Mazahib</em>, “The Sikhs say that when Nanak left his body, he absorbed himself in Guru Angad who was his most devoted disciple, and that Guru Angad was Nanak himself. After that, at the time of his death, Guru Angad entered into the body of Amar Das. He in the same manner occupied a place in the body of Ram Das who in the same way got united with Arjan. They say that whoever does not acknowledge Guru Arjan to be the very self of Baba Nanak becomes a nonbeliever.”</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Guru Gobind Singh, last of the Gurus, himself wrote in his poetical autobiography called <em>Bachitra Natak</em>, “Nanak assumed the body of Angad. . . Afterwards, Nanak was called Amar Das, as one lamp is lit from another. . . The holy Nanak was revered as Angad, Angad was recognized as Amar Das. And Amar Das became Ram Das. . . When Ram Das was blended with the Divine, he gave the Guruship to Arjan. Arjan appointed Hargobind in his place and Hargobind gave his seat to Har Rai. Har Krishan, his son, then became Guru. After him came Tegh Bahadur.”</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">Balvand and Satta further proclaim that the Gurus indicated the same <em>jugati</em> or the method and way of life. The ministry of Guru Nanak combining <em>joti</em> and <em>jugati</em>, took care of both the worlds, the spiritual and the temporal. It was the ministry of <em>deg</em> (charity), and <em>tegh</em> (power), of <em>miri</em> (temporal authority) and <em>piri</em> (spiritual power). According to the bard, Nanak founded sovereignty on the firm rock of truth. . . <em>Nanaku raju chalaia sachu kotu</em> <em>satani niv dai</em> (GG, 966). As Nanak transferred the <em>joti</em> (light) to Lahina who became Guru Angad, he unfurled the umbrella over his head—<em>lahane dharionu chhatu siri</em>, i.e. he invested Lahina with the authority to carry on with the practice he had introduced. The Gurus preached devotion, <em>bhakti</em> or <em>nam</em> (meditation on the Divine Name), recitation of <em>bani</em>, the sacred texts, and <em>kirtan</em>, i.e. singing of the Lord’s glory in <em>sangat</em> or holy assembly. Along with <em>nam</em>, they inculcated the values of <em>kirat</em>, labouring with one’s hands, and <em>vand chhakna</em>, sharing with others the fruit of one’s exertions. The Gurus had carved a clear way for the disciples.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The Guru’s <em>kaia</em> or body was the repository of God’s light. It was the medium for the articulation of <em>sabda</em>, Word Divine, or God’s message. So it was worthy of reverence. The historical Guru was the focal point of the <em>sangat</em> and the living example of truths he had brought to light. He himself lived up to the teachings he imparted to his disciples.</span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">The <em>sangat</em> turned into Khalsa in the time of Guru Gobind Singh who introduced <em>khande di pahul</em>, i.e. baptism of the double-edged steel sword. With the formation of the Khalsa, the concept of the <em>Guru Panth</em> formalized. By becoming the sixth person to receive <em>amrit</em> at the hands of the Panj Piare, the Five Beloved, who formed the nucleus of the Khalsa Panth, Guru Gobind Singh testified to his own membership of the Panth, and to having merged himself with it and endowed it with the charisma of his own personality. The <em>bani</em>, always revered by the Sikhs as well as by the Gurus as Word Divine, was however above all. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">This was something which even the Gurus themselves could not change. It was this superiority which Guru Gobind Singh acknowledged in 1708 when he invested Scripture as Guru. The idea of the Guru Panth lives on in the Khalsa. But the Khalsa itself could not alter the fundamental tenets of the Sikh faith as enunciated in the <em>bani</em>. The Guru Granth Sahib was, in the presence of the Khalsa, proclaimed Guru. The finality of the pronouncement remains a cherished truth for the Sikhs and the Holy Book has since been the perpetual authority, spiritual as well as historical, for them. No living person, however holy or revered, can now have for them the title or status of Guru. For Sikhs the Guru is the teacher, the prophet under direct commission from God—the Ten who have been and the Guru Granth Sahib which is their continuing visible manifestation.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue"></span></span></p><p> <p style="text-align: center"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">BIBLIOGRAPHY</span></span></p> </p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">1. <em> Sabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib</em>. Amritsar, 1959 </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">2. Jodh Singh, Bhai, <em>Gurmati Nirnaya. </em>Amritsar, 1932 </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">3. Darshan Singh, <em>Guru Granth Bani vich Guru da Sankalap</em>. Patiala, 1976 </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">4. Kapur Singh<em>, Parasaraprasna</em>. Amritsar, 1989 </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">5. Sher Singh, <em>Philosophy of Sikhism</em>. Amritsar, 1980 </span></span></p><p> <span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">6. Cole, W. O., <em>The Guru in Sikhism</em>. London, 1982 </span></span></p><p> <p style="text-align: center"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: Blue">W. O. C."</span></span></p> </p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kaur-1, post: 47009, member: 3025"] From what I gather, Guru Nanak Dayv ji a human(not God) had God like attributes, so pure that to us he was the image of God. If you see what I mean. We the human only have a tiniest divine spark-jyot [I](and most of us on earth arent even conscious of this divine spark) [/I] of God but the Guru's were on a different level to us. I also found this enlightening word doc today in: [URL="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/menu/youth.htm"]Sikhism for Youth[/URL] a good read for beginners like me even though I am not exactly a youth!. [B] Sikhism for Youth[/B] [URL="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/SourceBook/Source%20Bk%20on%20Sikhism.doc"][B]Source Book on Sikhism - Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi[/B][/URL] [URL="http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/ConceptBook/Concepts%20in%20Sikhism.doc"]Concepts in Sikhism - Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi [/URL] [I] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Excerpt: [/COLOR][/SIZE][/I][B][SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]GURU (W. Owen Cole), [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=3][COLOR=Black]a spiritual guide or preceptor. The term, long used in the Indian religious tradition, has a special connotation in the Sikh system. The Sikh faith itself signifies discipleship, the word [I]sikh[/I] ([I]sisya[/I] in Sanskrit and [I]sissa[/I] or [I]sekha[/I] in Pali) meaning pupil or learner. The concept of Guru, the teacher or enlightener, is thus central to Sikhism. The Guru, according to Sikh belief, is the vital link in man’s spiritual progress. He is the teacher who shows the way. He is not an intercessor, but exemplar and guide. He is no [I]avatar[/I] or God’s incarnation, but it is through him that God instructs men. He is the perfectly realized soul; at the same time, he is capable of leading the believers to the highest state of spiritual enlightenment. The Guru has been called the ladder, the rowboat by means of which one reaches God. He is the revealer of God’s word. Through him God’s word, [I]sabda[/I], enters human history. The Guru is the voice of God, the Divine self-revelation. Man turns to the Guru for instruction because of his wisdom and his moral piety. He indicates the path to liberation. It is the Guru who brings the love and nature of God to the believer. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][SIZE=3][COLOR=Black]It is he who brings that grace of God by which [I]haumai[/I] or egoity[/COLOR][/SIZE][COLOR=Black][B][SIZE=3] is mastered. The Guru is witness to God’s love of His creation. He is God’s [I]hakam[/I], i.e. Will, made concrete.[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]A special figure is employed to describe the transference of the Guruship in the Sikh tradition. This figure helps us understand the true nature of Guru. The Guruship passes from one Guru to the other as one candle lights another. Thus the real Guru is God, for He is the source of all light. It is clear that the Guru is not to be confused with the human form (the unlit body). In the Sikh faith which originated in Guru Nanak’s revelation, Ten Gurus held the office. In Sikhism the word Guru is used only for the ten spiritual prophets—Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, and for none other. Now this office of Guru is fulfilled by the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sacred Book, which was so apotheosized by Guru Gobind Singh. [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Various connotations of [I]guru[/I] have been given based on different etymological interpretations. One generally accepted in Sikhism is that derived from the syllable [I]gu[/I] standing for darkness and [I]ru[/I] for its removal. Thus [I]guru[/I] is he who banishes the darkness of ignorance. According to Sikh belief, guidance of the [I]guru[/I] is essential for one’s spiritual enlightenment.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]No particular text dealing with the concept of [I]guru[/I] is found in the Sikh Scripture, though scattered references abound. They are often figurative and symbolic but are fully expressive of the pre-eminence accorded to the [I]guru[/I]. He has been called a [I]tirtha[/I], place of holy pilgrimage, i.e. purifier; a [I]khevat[/I], the boatman who rows one across the ocean of worldliness; a [I]sarovar[/I], a lake where swans, i.e. holy saints, dwell and pick up pearls of sacred wisdom for food; a [I]samund[/I], ocean which is churned for the gems, for his [I]bani[/I], or inspired word, is itself deep like the ocean and its wisdom can be brought out only after long meditation; a [I]dipak[/I], lamp which lights up the three worlds. In another comparison the Guru is called [I]pilak[/I], elephant controller, as he restrains the mind that is like a mad, romping elephant. [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]He is called [I]data[/I], donor of wisdom; [I]amritsar[/I], the pool of ambrosia of the Name; a [I]basith[/I], one joining the seeker in union with God; [I]joti[/I], the light which illuminates the world. Other comparisons are [I]anjan[/I], collyrium, which sharpens the sight— a metaphor for the spiritual vision; [I]sahjai[/I] [I]da khet[/I], the field of equipoise or equanimity; [I]paharua[/I], the watchman who drives away the five thieves, i.e. the five evils. He is [I]sura[/I], the hero whose sword of [I]jnana[/I] or knowledge rends the veil of darkness and overcomes ignorance and wickedness, [I]paras[/I], philosopher’s stone which turns base metals into gold, for he transforms ordinary men into holy saints. There are numerous more comparisons.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The first stanza of [I]Bhavan Akhari[/I], one of Guru Arjan’s compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib, is a paean of glorification in honour of the Guru (Gurudev) in exalted classical style. Gurudev, i.e. the divinely inspired Master, is the mother, father; he is the Master and the Lord Supreme. He is friend, relative, brother. He confers on the seeker the name of the Supreme Being, i.e. the [I]mantra[/I], which is infallible. [I]Gurudev[/I] is the touchstone which surpasses all [I]paras[/I]. [I]Gurudev[/I] is sacred [I]tirath[/I] of the ambrosia of immortality, a bath wherein is a bath in [I]jnana[/I]. [I]Gurudev[/I] is the banisher of sins; he makes the impure pure. [I]Gurudev[/I] has existed from beginning of the beginning, from the beginning of the ages and has lasted through all the [I]yugas[/I]; i.e. his light is eternal. His teachings of the Name alone can save humanity (GG, 250).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The guidance of the [I]guru[/I] is absolutely essential; no spiritual gain can accrue without the guru’s guidance. The view has been constantly reiterated in the Guru Granth Sahib:[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Were there to rise a hundred moons, and a thousand suns besides,[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Without the [I]guru[/I], it will still be pitch darkness (GG, 463).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]None other than the [I]guru[/I] can give enlightenment,[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Nor can happiness without him enter the heart (GG, 650).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]“None has ever realized God, none at all, without the [I]guru’s[/I] guidance,” declares Guru Nanak (GG, 466). Using figurative language, it is pointed out that no blind man can find the path without the [I]guru[/I], as nobody can reach the housetop without the stairs and no one can cross the river without a boat. As says Guru Amar Das, he who remains without the Guru’s guidance is the rejected one (GG, 435).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]What is gained if the [I]guru’s[/I] compassion and guidance are available is thus elaborated:[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the holy preceptor’s grace is faith perfected;[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the holy preceptor’s grace is grief cancelled,[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the holy preceptor’s grace is suffering annulled;[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the holy preceptor’s grace is love of God enjoyed; [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the holy preceptor’s grace is union with God attained (GG, 149).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The [I]guru[/I] cleanses the seeker’s mind of the impurity and brings it to contemplating on the Name. He breaks the shackles of the disciple who turns away from the excitements of the senses. He seeks his welfare and cherishes him as the beloved of his heart. A touch of him erases all blemishes of conduct. The bard Nall refers to the transforming power of the [I]guru[/I] thus in symbolic language: “From base metal I became gold by hearing the words of the Guru. Poison was turned into nectar as one uttered the Name revealed by the Guru. From iron a diamond I became by the Guru’s grace. From stone one becomes a diamond in light of the [I]jnana[/I] manifested by the Guru. The Guru transformed common timber into fragrant sandalwood and banished all pain and misery. By worshipping the feet of the Guru, the foolish and the evil became angels—the noblest of men” (GG, 1399).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]God, who is “without form, colour or feature,” is yet self-communicating. “Through the True Word ([I]sada[/I]) is He revealed,” as says Guru Nanak (GG, 597). Further:[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Within every heart is hid the Lord;[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]In all hearts and bodies is his light. [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By the [I]guru’s[/I] instruction[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Are the adamantine doors opened.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Here [I]sabda[/I] and [I]guru[/I] are juxtaposed. Often they become one word, [I]sabdaguru[/I], identifying [I]sabda[/I] with the [I]guru[/I].[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The [I]sabda[/I] [I]guru[/I] is the profound teacher;[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Without the [I]sabda[/I] the world remains in perplexity (GG, 635). [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Set your mind on the [I]gursabda[/I][/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Which is over and above everything else (GG, 904).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Through the [I]sabda[/I] one recognizes the adorable Lord[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Through the word of the [I]guru[/I] ([I]gurvak[/I])[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Is he imbued with the truth (GG. 55).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue][I]Sabda[/I] is the same as the [I]guru[/I], says Guru Ram Das. “[I]Bani[/I] (the [I]guru’s[/I] utterance or word) is the [I]guru[/I] and the [I]guru[/I] is [I]bani[/I]; in [I]bani[/I] are contained all the elixirs” (GG, 982). [I]Sabda[/I], ever present, is articulated through the human medium, the [I]guru[/I], so ordained by the Supreme Being. The historical Gurus of the Sikh faith are believed to have uttered the truth vouchsafed to them by God. “As I received the word from the Lord, so do I deliver it,” says Guru Nanak (GG, 722). Guru Arjan: “I know not what to say; I utter only the word I receive from God” (GG, 763). And Guru Rim Das: “Own ye the Sikhs the [I]bani[/I] of the [I]guru[/I] as truth and truth alone, for the Creator Himself makes him utter it” (GG, 308).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]God, thus, is the primal Guru of the whole creation. This is how Guru Nanak discloses the identity of his own Guru. One of his compositions, the [I]Sidha[/I] [I]Gosti[/I], is in the form of a discourse with a group of [I]yogis[/I]. Therein a [I]yogi[/I] puts the question to him, “Who is your Guru? Whose disciple are you?” (GG, 942). To which Guru Nanak replies:[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue][I]Sabda[/I] is my Guru, and the meditating mind the disciple.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]By dwelling on Him I remain detached.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Nanak, God, the cherisher of the world through the ages, is my Guru (GG, 943).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Elsewhere Guru Nanak and his successors affirm that the [I]Satiguru[/I] is God.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The light of the pure Lord, the essence of everything, is all-pervading.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]He is the infinite, transcendent Lord, the Supreme God[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Him Nanak has obtained as his [I]Guru[/I] (GG. 599). [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Accredited is the personality of the bright Guru, God[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Who is brimful of all might.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Nanak, the Guru is the transcendent Lord Master.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]He, the ever present, is the Guru (GG, 802).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]According to Sikh belief there is no difference in spirit between such a [I]guru[/I] and God. “The [I]guru[/I] is God and God is the Guru; there is no distinction between the two” says Guru Ram Das (GG, 442). “God hath placed Himself within the [I]guru[/I], which He explicitly explaineth” (GG, 466). “Acknowledge the Transcendent God and the [I]guru[/I] as one “ (GG, 864). The real personality of a human being is the [I]atman[/I], the physical body is only a temporary dwelling place for the [I]atman[/I] which is eternal and is a spark from the Eternal Flame, the Supreme [I]Atman[/I] or God. “O my self, you are an embodiment of God’s Light; know your true origin” (GG, 441). Being encased in the physical frame, this [I]atman[/I] becomes so involved in the temptations of the physical world that it forgets its reality and loses contact with the Flame of its origin, whereas the [I]atman[/I] of the [I]Guru[/I] remains ever in tune with that Supreme Light from which it has sparked off. It is thus that God is accepted as residing within the [I]guru[/I]. It is in this sense that there is no distinction seen between the [I]guru[/I] and God. [I]Guru[/I] or [I]satiguru[/I] is thus a word with a double meaning in the Guru Granth Sahib. It may refer to God or to His chosen prophet.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The true [I]Guru[/I] is easily distinguished. “The true [I]guru[/I] is one who has realized the Supreme Being and whose association saves the disciple” (GG, 286). “The true [I]guru[/I] is one in whose heart dwells the Name Divine” (GG, 287). “He by meeting whom the mind is filled with bliss is the true [I]guru[/I]. He ends the duality of the mind and leads (the disciple) to the ultimate state of realization” (GG, 168). “Praise, praise be to the true [I]guru[/I] who demolishes the fort of dubiety; wondrous, wondrous the true [I]guru[/I] who unites the seeker with the Lord” (GG 522). The [I]guru[/I] is ordained as such for the liberation of mankind. He transmits the message of God to men and performs acts of grace to save them. The [I]guru[/I] is sent by God, but he is not God’s incarnation. “Singed be the tongue which says that the Lord takes birth” (GG, 1136). He is [I]ajuni[/I] (unborn); He is [I]saibhan[/I] (self-existent). Highest tribute and adoration are reserved for the [I]guru[/I]. Devotion to the [I]guru[/I] is deemed to be the quintessential quality of a religious man. The pain of separation from the [I]guru[/I] and the joy of meeting with him find expression in poetry of deep intensity, as in Guru Arjan’s hymn in Rag Majh (GG, 96-97). [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Guru Nanak was suspicious of human preceptors, [I]pandits[/I], [I]gurus[/I] and [I]pirs[/I]. They are generally denounced as blind guides, self-styled and traders upon ignorance and superstition. He warns against them: [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Never fall at the feet of one[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Who calls himself [I]guru[/I] and [I]pir,[/I] and goes begging.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]He who eats what he earns[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]And from his own hands gives some in charity,[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]He alone knows the true way of life (GG, 1245). [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The disciple whose [I]guru[/I] is blind will not attain the goal (GG, 58). Taking up this thought the third Guru said:[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The disciples whose [I]guru[/I] is blind perform only blind deeds. [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]They follow their own wayward will,[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]And ever utter the grossest lies (GG, 951).[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]When Guru Nanak speaks of his [I]guru[/I] or [I]satiguru[/I], it is not such teachers that he has in mind. The true [I]guru[/I] is the means of the self-revelation of God. He makes the concealed and ineffable God known. He symbolizes the supreme act of God’s grace in revealing Himself as Truth, as the Name, as the Word. The true [I]guru[/I] comes to unite all people of the world and to unite them to the Supreme Being. A false [I]guru[/I] creates schisms, divisions and prejudices. The true [I]guru[/I] as manifested in the history of the Sikh faith comes to suppress the forces of evil and to rally the forces of good. He comes to resuscitate the values of true religion, [I]dharma[/I].[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The Sikh faith developed under the guidance of ten successive Gurus from 1469 to 1708. Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru, appointed no personal successor, but bequeathed the guruship to the Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy Word or [I]sabda[/I] had always been referred by the Gurus as well as by their disciples as of Divine origin. The Guru was the revealer of the Word. The Word was identified with the Guru when Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed the Holy Book Guru before he passed away. Bards Balvand and Satta theorize that of their three aspects—[I]joti[/I], i.e. light, [I]jugati[/I], way or procedure, and [I]kaia[/I], i.e. body—it is only [I]kaia[/I], the body, that changes as succession passed from one historical Guru of the Sikh faith to the next. [I]Joti[/I] and [I]jugati[/I] remained the same. As sang the bards: “[I]Joti oha jugati sai sahi kaia pheri palatiai[/I]” (GG, 966). From their verse emerges this concept of three aspects of the guruship.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]God is the source of all light or consciousness. God kindles that light, in the chosen human body, the Guru; in the [I]joti[/I]-aspect the Guru is the most enlightened human being, he is in direct communion with God. He communicates the message of God to mankind. He transmits His light to the world. Without the [I]guru[/I], darkness prevails. Says Guru Nanak, “The light of the [I]guru[/I] alone dispels darkness” (GG, 463); “The [I]guru[/I] is that lamp which illuminates the three worlds” (GG, 137). Balvand and Satta in their hymn in the Guru Granth Sahib affirm that the historical Gurus of the Sikhs shared the same [I]joti[/I] (light). The [I]joti[/I] got transferred to the successor’s body. Thus, right from 1469, the year of the birth of Guru Nanak, to 1708, the year of the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh, it was one continuing [I]joti[/I] manifesting itself in the Ten Gurus.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]This awareness of one light acting through the successive Gurus was so permeating among the Sikhs that Mobid Zulfiqar Ardastani (d. 1670) wrote in his Persian work [I]Dabistan-i-Mazahib[/I], “The Sikhs say that when Nanak left his body, he absorbed himself in Guru Angad who was his most devoted disciple, and that Guru Angad was Nanak himself. After that, at the time of his death, Guru Angad entered into the body of Amar Das. He in the same manner occupied a place in the body of Ram Das who in the same way got united with Arjan. They say that whoever does not acknowledge Guru Arjan to be the very self of Baba Nanak becomes a nonbeliever.”[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Guru Gobind Singh, last of the Gurus, himself wrote in his poetical autobiography called [I]Bachitra Natak[/I], “Nanak assumed the body of Angad. . . Afterwards, Nanak was called Amar Das, as one lamp is lit from another. . . The holy Nanak was revered as Angad, Angad was recognized as Amar Das. And Amar Das became Ram Das. . . When Ram Das was blended with the Divine, he gave the Guruship to Arjan. Arjan appointed Hargobind in his place and Hargobind gave his seat to Har Rai. Har Krishan, his son, then became Guru. After him came Tegh Bahadur.”[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]Balvand and Satta further proclaim that the Gurus indicated the same [I]jugati[/I] or the method and way of life. The ministry of Guru Nanak combining [I]joti[/I] and [I]jugati[/I], took care of both the worlds, the spiritual and the temporal. It was the ministry of [I]deg[/I] (charity), and [I]tegh[/I] (power), of [I]miri[/I] (temporal authority) and [I]piri[/I] (spiritual power). According to the bard, Nanak founded sovereignty on the firm rock of truth. . . [I]Nanaku raju chalaia sachu kotu[/I] [I]satani niv dai[/I] (GG, 966). As Nanak transferred the [I]joti[/I] (light) to Lahina who became Guru Angad, he unfurled the umbrella over his head—[I]lahane dharionu chhatu siri[/I], i.e. he invested Lahina with the authority to carry on with the practice he had introduced. The Gurus preached devotion, [I]bhakti[/I] or [I]nam[/I] (meditation on the Divine Name), recitation of [I]bani[/I], the sacred texts, and [I]kirtan[/I], i.e. singing of the Lord’s glory in [I]sangat[/I] or holy assembly. Along with [I]nam[/I], they inculcated the values of [I]kirat[/I], labouring with one’s hands, and [I]vand chhakna[/I], sharing with others the fruit of one’s exertions. The Gurus had carved a clear way for the disciples.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The Guru’s [I]kaia[/I] or body was the repository of God’s light. It was the medium for the articulation of [I]sabda[/I], Word Divine, or God’s message. So it was worthy of reverence. The historical Guru was the focal point of the [I]sangat[/I] and the living example of truths he had brought to light. He himself lived up to the teachings he imparted to his disciples.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]The [I]sangat[/I] turned into Khalsa in the time of Guru Gobind Singh who introduced [I]khande di pahul[/I], i.e. baptism of the double-edged steel sword. With the formation of the Khalsa, the concept of the [I]Guru Panth[/I] formalized. By becoming the sixth person to receive [I]amrit[/I] at the hands of the Panj Piare, the Five Beloved, who formed the nucleus of the Khalsa Panth, Guru Gobind Singh testified to his own membership of the Panth, and to having merged himself with it and endowed it with the charisma of his own personality. The [I]bani[/I], always revered by the Sikhs as well as by the Gurus as Word Divine, was however above all. [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]This was something which even the Gurus themselves could not change. It was this superiority which Guru Gobind Singh acknowledged in 1708 when he invested Scripture as Guru. The idea of the Guru Panth lives on in the Khalsa. But the Khalsa itself could not alter the fundamental tenets of the Sikh faith as enunciated in the [I]bani[/I]. The Guru Granth Sahib was, in the presence of the Khalsa, proclaimed Guru. The finality of the pronouncement remains a cherished truth for the Sikhs and the Holy Book has since been the perpetual authority, spiritual as well as historical, for them. No living person, however holy or revered, can now have for them the title or status of Guru. For Sikhs the Guru is the teacher, the prophet under direct commission from God—the Ten who have been and the Guru Granth Sahib which is their continuing visible manifestation.[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE] [CENTER][CENTER][SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]BIBLIOGRAPHY[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER] [/CENTER] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]1. [I] Sabadarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib[/I]. Amritsar, 1959 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]2. Jodh Singh, Bhai, [I]Gurmati Nirnaya. [/I]Amritsar, 1932 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]3. Darshan Singh, [I]Guru Granth Bani vich Guru da Sankalap[/I]. Patiala, 1976 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]4. Kapur Singh[I], Parasaraprasna[/I]. Amritsar, 1989 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]5. Sher Singh, [I]Philosophy of Sikhism[/I]. Amritsar, 1980 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]6. Cole, W. O., [I]The Guru in Sikhism[/I]. London, 1982 [/COLOR][/SIZE] [CENTER][CENTER][SIZE=3][COLOR=Blue]W. O. C."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER] [/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
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Was Guru Nanak God?
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