Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti is on 06th November 2014, so let us find out a few things about the teachings of this Great Master. Guru Nanak Ji was the founder of the Sikh religion. He was a saint and showed his devotees the way to God. The devotees of Guru Nanak still celebrate his birthday all over the world. It is one of the biggest festivals for the Sikhs anywhere in the world.
Teachings Of The Master
We have discussed the life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in one of our previous articles. In this article we will discuss the teachings of Guru Nanak and how you can learn from his lessons. You do not have to be a Sikh to follow the teachings of Guru Nanak Ji. You just have to understand the meaning of what he taught and the significance of the same and that would be the true respect to the Saint on this Guru Nanak Ji Jayanti.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Guru Granth Saheb Ji
Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught simple things that could be followed by all. He came up with a new language called the Gurumukhi which was a simpler version of Sanskrit. All the teachings of Guru Nanak can be found in the Holy Scripture known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji which is the most important religious book of the Sikhs.
You will find the Guru Granth Sahib Ji in all the Gurudwaras across the world. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji is read regularly by the Sikhs and it is read in all the important occasions like marriage, birth, etc.
Some common qualities that the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji are:
1. Purity of life
2. To do away with selfishness
3. One must be brave and ready to face any situation in life
4. Mercy is a quality that is must in people.
5. Guru Nanak Dev Ji always wanted his devotees to do charity. The best example of this would be the langar. Langar is a free food service that you will find in all Gurudwaras. This food is offered to all people who come into to visit the Gurudwara.
6. Truthfulness is a quality that is given very high importance in the teachings of Guru Nanak Saheb.
7. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji says that lust, anger, pride and backbiting are highly condemned.
8. The Master wanted His devotees to always speak the truth and stay away from false hood.
9. He also taught that justice is a quality that is of most importance in all human beings.
10. He said that people should be straight forward. This can reduce the stress in our lives to a great extent.
11. The Guru Granth Sahib Ji says that there is one god and he is the creator of all that we see around us. Until he wishes nothing can happen in the world. All the religion is ways to go to the same god who is the creator.
12. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that “Wahe Guru” will be the mantra for all the followers of Guru Nanak Ji and Sikhism.
13. Guru Nanak Dev Ji did not believe in superstitions. He wanted his followers to be away from all superstitions.
14. It was Guru Nanak Dev Ji who first allowed women to pursue and teach religion. Before that the women were not allowed to be a part of religion and they had to live a confined life. He considered men and women equally good.
15. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that music has the power to connect the soul of man to the soul of the god. No wonder most of His teachings were in the form of hymns and songs.
16. Sikhism does not have cast system in it. To a true sikh all men were the same no matter what the skin colour or the social and economic background was of the person. The Master said that all humans were the same in the eyes of god. He believed in universal brotherhood.
17. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that there is a will of god that we cannot change. Most of the pain in life is because we do not understand the will of god and we want things that were never meant for us. We should not try too hard and follow the god’s will. He will show us the way and take us to the destination that we must reach.
18. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said that we must throw ourselves to the mercy of the lord and tell him to guide us. Instead of asking him for things we should ask him for the best of what he has in store for us. We must be humble in front of the lord and ask him for his blessings.
19. If you live a life as per the will of the god you can be rest assured that on death you will be unified with the lord and be blessed. You will also experience bliss after death.
20. Guru Nanak Dev Ji composed many mystic poems. One such is the Japji Saheb. It is a spiritual poem that every Sikh recites in the morning. It gives a description of all the stages of life. The Japji Saheb is the summary of all that Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught.
21. The first part of the Japji Saheb is called the Dharm Khand. It means the realm of duty. This stage says that we all must follow the right path and not do the sins that cannot be forgiven. If we do so we will be able to live the right live and will also be rewarded after death.
22. The second stage of the Japji Saheb is the Gyan Khand. This deals with knowledge. This says that we must do all the duty of ours with full faith and sincerity. When a person can do so he will reach a stage of bliss.
23. The third stage in the Japji Saheb is called the Sharam Khand. This means the realm of ecstasy. This says that the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji must be made a part of our lives. So that it becomes a habit. Only then we will be able to make the most of it and our lives will be better and more religious.
24. Fourth stage of the Japji Saheb is the Karam Khand. It is the part which is also called the realm of power. The one who has complete faith in what the God teaches becomes a strong hero as he shows unfailing faith. He becomes so strong that no one can defeat him. This person also loses the fear of death. He knows that post death god will take care of him and guide him.
25. The last stage of the Japji Saheb is the Sach Khand. It also means the realm of truth. This is the stage where god can be found. A devotee who is honest and religious can find oneness with god in this stage. The devotee gets a permanent resting place in this stage. This is the stage where the journey of the soul ends.
We hope that this article on teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji will help you to understand the concept of Sikhism even more. You can practice these points even if you are not a Sikh since the teachings are simple yet so deep and universal. Have a great Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti 2013 and have peace and prosperity in your life.