Guru Nanak was the first of the ten Gurus revered by the Sikhs. During his lifetime he not only directly realized the truth but also tirelessly spread the knowledge about the absolute reality and the path that leads to it.
Guru Nanak was a sage who, having known the truth and experienced total self-satisfaction, still did not consider his life fulfilled until he had set others, too, on the path of truth and made them aware of the ever-existing, all-pervasive reality which is the true essence of every being.
With the passage of time, like all things in this ever-changing world, there is a regular decline in righteousness, and knowledge of the truth is lost. When knowledge of the truth is lost, even though people may be religious, they are not spiritual. Many a time it has happened that the truth which is the essence of religion is forgotten, and people become trapped in the outward practices of rites and rituals. Considering these rites and rituals to be the true end of religion, they mechanically go through the motions, never discovering, or even seeking to discover, something deeper and more significant—something which helps in the unfolding and evolution of their personality.
In every age when orthodoxy increases and the pundits and the priests involve the blind followers of the religion in the outward practices of worship but fail to reveal to them the essential truth, at all such times a saint arises to show people the path of truth. The 15th century A.D. was one such period when the masses were steeped in orthodoxy and the kings of Northern India were fighting among themselves. The Moghuls attacked the country and became the rulers of India. They then tried to convert the locals by force.
It was at this crucial time in the history of India that Guru Nanak took birth. He searched for the truth during his very childhood and discovered it during his youth. Not satisfied with only his salvation, however, he moved from place to place imparting his knowledge to one and all. He went as far as Mecca and Jerusalem, demonstrating that there are no boundaries to truth; that is there in all religions but does not belong exclusively to any one religion.
Truth is the essence of all religions. It is when people do not recognize this fact that they become fanatics and start fighting with one another in the name of religion. The religion of truth is only one and the basis of it is love and devotion.
The essence of all religions is love and is what Guru Nanak taught, “Fill your hearts with love, stop fighting with each other. Fighting is not the basis of any religion. On the surface, religions may appear different, but the truth that is the basis of all religions is one and can be known only through love. Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Allah, all are names of that one God. Therefore, worship that one God with devotion. Love all and come to know that truth which is one. This alone is the goal of human life.”
The teachings of Guru Nanak are found in the Guru Granth (Sikh holy book for teaching scriptures) along with the works and compositions of many other sages. The Guru Granth begins with the Mool Mantra which is chanted by even the little children in devoted Sikhs, Punjabi, and Sindhi homes is also considered as the invocation which is chanted before reciting, studying the compositions of Guru Nanak.
Mantras are words of deep significance, which serve to protect the person who chants them and reflects upon their meaning. They are minute word-capsules or phrase-capsules filled with immense knowledge.
In the term Mool Mantra, Mool means root. Every tree has roots without which it cannot exist. The tree is sustained and nourished through these roots. They constitute the very foundation of the tree from which it grows and expands. In the same way, Mool Mantra is the mantra, a phrase in which lies the very essence of the scriptures. Mool Mantra was revealed to Guru Nanak in his meditation and was the invocation praising the Lord before starting the Guru Granth.
Guru Nanak was a merchant of humble origins and yet he redefined the traditions of religion. His objective was to bring forth a resurgence between man and God, entirely free of caste, creed, or stipulation. No man-made shrine or structure acts as an arbitrator, and where no priest intervenes between God and man in his journey beyond the realms of earth. Here, the seeker can perform the final surrender; to worship not an image, but become one with the almighty; releasing them from his prison of bondage and liberating him to the pinnacle of peaceful existence.
One does not have to be extraordinary to understand the knowledge given in the Guru Granth. In the annals of any civilization, it is rare to find the word of God given in its entire essence in such a simple and powerful manner. The words spoken here are both profound and practical, a sacred passage, a place for crossing over, where the divine touches on the dejected and human, where man and God can join together as one.
Guru Nanak endeavors to explain the true significance of the practicing religion and reveal this essential knowledge of the truth which is universal. In this moment of time, from his inquiry and meditation, Guru Nanak has revealed to us the nature of the infinite truth which is beyond the comprehension of the intellect, where all opposites are pacified, the suffering silenced, the ego non-existent and only his glory to be felt. This direct realization of God, the infinite truth, in all its beauty and resplendence, said to be indescribable in a word, where many a sage and saint have stayed in its ecstasy and become silent upon its discovery; yet from this super consciousness, out of his love and compassion, Guru Nanak came back to worldly consciousness and found words, literature, and expressions by which to communicate this truth to man. This composition is beyond praise. It is the most effortless expression of the self; it is a revelation of the ultimate reality.
Remember, this was not a religion, at least not then. Religion was to follow. Such is the magnitude and consequence of his words. A devotee may disappoint God, but God has never failed his devotee. Since humanity came into being, there has never been any individual who has sought and trusted fully in God and come away disappointed or denied. It is Guru Nanak’s gift of truth to the world, so that we may feel what he felt and rejoice in what he had found as bliss. No matter to whom it is given, to have received, it is your blessedness. Hold this treasure and crown yourself with eternal golden glory.
Guru Nanak was the first Guru (teacher) of the Sikhs (disciples) and realized the Mool Mantra intuitively through intense meditation. He did not claim to be an incarnation of God or even a prophet and was considered by his disciples as an illumined soul.
Guru Nanak was from an early age, evidenced a questioning and inquiring mind. He soon mastered the Vedas and Sanskrit and was enrolled in a Madrassa to study Persian and Arabic languages. Picking up both languages quickly. By the age of 16, Nanak had mastered multiple religious texts and was writing what many believed were divinely inspired compositions.
When it was time for Guru Nanak to be invested with the Dvija, a twice-born thread ceremony (Dvija ceremony is premised on the belief that a person is first born physically and at a later date is born for a second time spiritually, usually when he undergoes the ritual of passage that initiates him into a school for Vedic studies), he refused to take part in the ritual. The sacred thread ceremony is like a Hindu baptism marking the passage to maturity for boys of the upper caste to greater religious awareness and responsibility. Nanak’s refusal indicated a rejection of the caste system and meaningless rituals unnecessary for spiritual living.
At 18 years of age, Nanak was married and had two sons. The family, accompanied by Mardana, a Muslim childhood friend of Nanak, then moved to the town of Sultanpur Lodi where he took the job of an accountant in charge of the stores of the local governor. This sequence of events indicated that the life of a householder with family and a responsible job was not detrimental to spiritual living and religion was not a barrier to friendships.
Guru Nanak worked during the days, but during the early mornings and late nights, he meditated and sang hymns accompanied by Mardana on a stringed guitar. During three days of intensive meditation in a nearby forest, Guru Nanak realized a calling to dedicate himself completely to the service of humanity.
The moment he returned from the forest, the very first sentence which he uttered then was, “There is no Hindu, no Muslim.”
Spiritual God unites humanity
God’s consciousness signifies the total manifestation of God, a single being, immanent both in the created world and within the human spirit. Meditation must be strictly inward, and all external aids such as idols, temples, mosques, scriptures, and set prayers are explicitly rejected.
For several years Nanak worked in a granary until his religious vocation drew him away from both family and employment, and, in the tradition of Indian religious mendicants, he embarked on a lengthy journey, traveling to the Muslim and Hindu religious centers of India and even to places beyond India’s borders including Mecca and Jerusalem. He visited head centers of all religions and had discourses with head priests of various sects of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Parsees, and Muslims. He spoke in the temples and mosques, and at various pilgrimage sites.
Wherever he went, Guru Nanak spoke out against empty religious rituals, pilgrimages, the caste system, the sacrifice of widows; of depending on books to learn the true religion, and of all the other tenets that were to define his teachings. Never did he ask his listeners to follow him. He asked the Muslims to be true Muslims and the Hindus to be true Hindus. No conversions were necessary.
In these journeys, he preached the new concept of God, as expressed in the Mool Mantra. Guru Nanak taught people that the one God dwells in every one of his creations and that all human beings can have direct access to God without the need for any rituals or priests. Setting up a unique spiritual, social and political platform based on equality and fraternal love, Guru Nanak attacked the citadel of the caste system and condemned the theocracy of Mughal rulers. He described the dangers of egotism, falsehood, and hypocrisy, and called upon the people to engage in worship through God-consciousness meditation. He rejected the path of renunciation, emphasizing a householder’s (family) life based on honest conduct, selfless service, and constant devotion and remembrance of God’s consciousness.
Guru Nanak promoted the equality of all mankind and upheld the causes of the downtrodden and the poor, seeking to improve the respect of women by spreading this message, “From a woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to a woman, he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to a woman, he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, a woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.”
In so doing, he promoted women’s rights and equality—a first for the 15th century!
After the last of his great journeys, Guru Nanak tried a new experiment—he asked a wealthy follower to donate a large tract of land. Here he built a town, calling it Kartarpur, on the banks of the Ravi River where he taught for another fifteen years. Followers from all over came to settle in Kartarpur to listen, and sing, and be with him.
During this time, although his followers remained Hindu, Muslim, or of the religion to which they were born, they became known as the guru’s disciples or Sikhs. It was here his followers began to refer to him as a teacher, or guru.
The Guru told his followers that they were to be householders and could not live apart from the world—there were to be no priests or hermits. Here is where Guru Nanak instituted the common meal, requiring the rich and poor, Hindu and Muslim, high caste and low caste, to sit together while eating. All worked together, all owned the town.
In the year 1539, knowing that his end was drawing near, Guru Nanak, after having tested his own two sons and some followers over the years, installed Bhai Lehna (Guru Angad) as the successor Guru.
Guru Nanak’s spiritual living program
Spiritual Living is not about hearing voices from God, but it is about changing the nature of the human mind, and anyone can achieve a direct experience and spiritual perfection at any time. Guru Nanak emphasized that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.
Guru Nanak taught that the spiritual life and the secular householder’s life are intertwined. The everyday world is part of an infinite reality, where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world. Guru Nanak described living an active, creative, and practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self-control, and purity.
Teachings of Guru Nanak
Nanak’s teachings are understood to be practiced in three ways:
Share & Consume: Share with others, help those who are in need, so you may eat together.
Work Honestly: Earn an honest living, without exploitation or fraud.
Meditate with God Consciousness: To feel his presence and control the five thieves and five virtues of the human personality.
The five thieves are the five major weaknesses of the human personality, at variance with its spiritual essence, and are known as thieves because they steal a person’s inherent common sense.
These five thieves are lust, wrath, greed, attachment, and ego or excessive pride.
Lust (Passion) meaning deep extensive desire, uncontrolled longing, concupiscence, sensuality, or lasciviousness. In common usage, the term stands for excessive passion for sexual pleasure without the responsibility of consequences.
Wrath (Hatred) is the direct progeny of desire. The latter, when thwarted or jilted, produces the former. It expresses itself in several forms, from silent sullenness to hysterical tantrums and violence.
Greed (Accumulation beyond need) is a strong desire for worldly possessions and a constant focus on possessing material items, especially the urge to possess what rightfully belongs to others. It makes an individual selfish and self-centered. A person can become blind with greed in an effort to control the desire for unlimited worldly possessions.
Attachment (Addiction) generally means love of and attachment to worldly things and relations. The term frequently interpreted both as infatuation for or clinging to the illusory world of the senses and as an illusion of worldly love and attachment.
Ego (Pride) means ego or excessive pride due to one’s possessions, material wealth, spirituality, beauty, talents, physical strength, intelligence, authoritative powers, charity work, etc. It gives an individual the feeling that he is superior to others and therefore they are at a lower level than he is. It leads to envy, feelings of enmity, and restlessness among people.
The Five Virtues are fundamental qualities that one should develop in order to reunite or merge with God. These positive human qualities were truth, compassion, contentment, humility, and love.
Truthful living means practicing righteousness, honesty, justice, impartiality, and fair play.
Compassion involves considering another’s difficulty or sorrow as one’s own and helping to relieve it as far as possible. Compassion also includes the overlooking of imperfections and mistakes of others, for to err is human. Be kind to all beings, this being more meritorious than sacred shrine pilgrimages and the giving of charity.
Contentment is freedom from ambition, envy, greed, and jealousy. Without contentment, it is impossible to acquire peace of mind.
Humility is being steeped in benevolence or humbleness.
Love (Unity) being filled with the love of God. Let the fear of God be your feet, and let his love be your hands; let his understanding be your eyes.
Practice truth, contentment, and kindness; this is the most excellent way of life. One who is so blessed by the formless Lord God renounces selfishness and becomes the dust of all.
The primary aim is to subdue these five inner vices and render them inactive. The actions of one’s mind (and by extension, one’s body) should be above, beyond, and without interference from these five inner evils. It is our duty not to become subject to these five lusts of the mind. Live life with a positive attitude or spirit; accepting one God, engaging in community service, and practicing the five virtues. By taking these positive steps, the five thieves are gradually overcome and rendered powerless. Adopting this daily routine and discipline, one’s actions become pure and rewarding. Through this process, any negativity and erroneous thinking in a person’s heart and mind are removed.
The fundamental beliefs Nanak articulated include faith and meditation on God—the one creator; unity of all humankind, engaging in selfless service, striving for social justice for the benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder’s life. Nanak practiced what he preached and showed a spiritual way to God available to all humanity, to unite people of all religions and belief systems to live and let live forever.
Mool Mantra—the spiritual path to God
The essence of Nanak’s spiritual path is that you can connect and harmonize directly with God without pundits, priests, pilgrimages, holy books, rituals, temples, churches, or mosques.
The following practices and restrictions are of no consequence—
- Whether you are a householder with family and children or celibate renunciate
- Male, female or lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) orientation
- Whether you are a vegetarian or eat beef or pork
- Whether you are cremated or buried
- Whether you are circumcised or not
- Whether you are white, yellow, brown, or Black
- Whatever your economic class or caste
- You do not have to engage in violence, killing, and death, or converting others as a ticket to heaven
- There is no day of judgment after death for delayed gratification
- No punishment in heaven or hell nor reincarnation to next life.
Nanak’s solution to unite and facilitate cooperation among people of all beliefs was to start common community kitchens where everyone without exclusion could share a meal together, break bread and participate in selfless service to the benefit of all humanity. Service to man is service to God. It is the first step on the spiritual path to God.