The Source Book On Sikhism

Chapter Thirty

Humanizing and Uplifting: Guru Granth Sahib -

Living Guru of the Sikhs

Dr. S.S. Sodhi

A humanizing happy life has become elusive for the modernized person. Feelings of self worth, faith in the Omnipotent and Omniscient; unborn Creator; Saviour; kind, just Benefactor can be achieved by internalising the Guru’s word and hoping for His Grace. Through His hukm, His love and glory, the purpose of life becomes crystal clear and as a by-product, we start getting career satisfaction, developing insights and start using tools of practical wisdom. The Guru’s grace produces in human beings intensive elation, high level of well-being and higher and altered states of consciousness, awakened intelligence and re-appreciating of life through amazement. Internalizing the Guru’s work makes a person return to humanity and humility. The Guru allows us to be free, to be ourselves, and to have worldly satisfaction, peace of mind and joy (anand).

The Guru expects us to challenge the status quo, take risks, follow the JAGO principle by replacing:

a. Jealousy J

b. Anger A

c. Greed with G

d. Other-orientedness O

The bani of Guru Granth Sahib urges us to inculcate positive thoughts, positive expectations and to reach positive results. For the Guru’s Sikh, the cup is always half full, not half empty. The Guru’s followers are the givers, and believe in the saying, “Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves”.

The Guru’s Sikh is intrinsically motivated. His compulsions take the form of altruism. He has no difficulty in connecting with the needy, oppressed and less fortunate by prioritising his time over the self.

The Guru’s Sikh is never consumed by anger or resentment. The Guru tells us never to wallow in self-pity and depression. Charhdi kala is the way. The Guru expects us to lead the life of a householder and give unconditional love to all. The Guru expects us to make responsible commitments and challenge our abilities in his sewa.

Excessive self-preservation and self-enhancement according to the Guru’s bani produce myopic neurosis and a very selfish view of life.

The Guru expects his Sikhs to “decentre”, so as to develop increased awareness, empathy and divergent perception in interpersonal relations. The bani teaches us to be flexible and to “reframe” our life, according to His hukm.

The Guru does not want us to give up the world because of its randomness. By using adaptive strategic, the Guru expects us to find out how the world works and how to change it while living in harmony with it.

The Guru’s Khalsa fight oppression wherever they see it; if you do not - you become a participant yourself, which is totally against the teachings of Sikhism. If life is a game, the Guru’s Sikhs will be players. If life is a parade, the Guru urges us to march and not be silent spectators. The Guru’s Sikhs bring devotion and dedication to life. He toils with the conviction that every dehumanising condition does pass if challenged, and one’s deepest despairs vanish over time. Joyous struggle using inner resources makes Sikhs look at events as possibilities.

A Guru’s Sikh firmly believes that the present life is not a dress rehearsal; this is it! The Guru urges us to live nicely once, then, once is enough!

Dhur ki Bani urges Sikhs to be optimistic; stay energized, almost feeling immortal for the Guru’s work; develop inner peace, calmness, steadiness, adaptivity; and stay connected to Him with spiritual faith. It is a known fact that strength derived out of faith gives Super-energy - a “quantum leap” comes from repetition of Naam and singing His bani in the company of the sangat.

A Sikh always lights a candle rather than cursing darkness. A Sikh does not worry about us-them-me-it, but cognitively connects with people at a universal level.

A Sikh believes that the body is the temple where the soul lives. Punishing it does not produce nirvanic forces. Nirvanic forces are produced by controlling ego, pride, vanity, greed, jealousy, wealth, ill-will, cruelty, hypocrisy, backbiting, dishonesty, and selfishness.

II

In Part II is given the actual quotations from Guru Granth Sahib from which Part I has been developed.

GRACE

- The world is like an ocean that can be crossed with the grace of the Guru.

-Guru Nanak Dev, Shalokas.

- Whoever wins His Grace merges in Naam.

- Guru Amar Das, Sri Rag.

- By the Guru’s grace, one mind is attuned to Naam,

And one is awakened from the number of ages.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Gauri Rag.

- O my mind, the person whom the Guru enlightens,

He remains a householder without being attached,

He leads a life of truth, of right actions and controlled desires.

- Guru Amar Das, Sri Rag.

- With mind intent upon one Lord who is within and without and by the Guru’s grace,

the fire of desires shall be extinguished.

-Guru Nanak Dev, Ramkali Rag.

- They on whom the Master casts His glances of Grace,

Toil with patience at their craft as smiths,

Chastity of though, speech and deed is their furnace,

Understanding is the anvil on which they shape it out;

Divine word serves as hammer for those toilers at life.

With the fire of sufferings and bellows of God’s fear,

They make the heart of love,

The vessel in which melts the gold of Naam,

True is this mint where man casts and recasts his being,

In the image of God.

- Guru Nanak Dev, Japji.

- Blessed is the heart that touched by Grace vibrates with Naam.

- Guru Amar Das, Ramkali Rag.

- Action may earn you a birth, but emancipation is obtained by His Grace.

- Guru Nanak Dev, Japji.

THE GURU

- If a hundred moons were to come out, and a thousand suns to rise;

In spite of all this illumination, all would be pitch-dark without the Guru.

- Guru Angad Dev, Asa Rag.

- As the Guru has become my mediator, my ignorance, superstition

and pain have all vanished.

- Guru Arjun Dev, Prabhati Rag.

- Everybody else is subject to error, only the Guru and God are flawless.

- Guru Nanak Dev, Sri Rag.

- Nanak, the Guru has destroyed all my superstitions and shortcomings and I have become one with Him.

- Guru Arjun Dev, Asa Rag.

- My hunger has appeased, my desires are fulfilled, all fears and worries are forgotten, for, on my forehead is the

hand of the perfect Guru.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Gauri Rag.

- The Guru and God are one. He is the divine Master, pervadeth all and is everywhere.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Sri Rag.

- Come ye, all disciples, O dear ones of the Guru; sing the true word and sing

the word of the Guru which is the foremost of all the words.

-Guru Amar Das, Ramkali Rag.

- Nanak has obtained Naam of the destroyer of the fear, and through the

work of the Guru has obtained happiness and bliss.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Maru Rag.

- O Lalo, as comes the Divine Word to me so do I utter.

-Guru Nanak Dev.

- The word is the Guru and the Guru is

the word the Guru’s word is full of life-giving bliss.

Whosoever shall obey, what the word

commands, he shall get salvation.

-Guru Ram Das, Natnarayan Rag.

- Nanak, they attach themselves to the enlightener who produces

transcendental music in their souls.

- Dye they mind in the guru’s word and

they tongue in the love of God.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Sri Rag.

EGO

- When a man abideth in ego, he wanders about like a madman – a stranger to himself.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Gauri Rag.

- Man’s ego, self assertions are like a veil that obstructs the vision.

-Guru Arjun Dev, Solak Rag.

- Where ego is, Thou art not.

Where Thou art within me then I am not.

-Guru Nanak Dev, Maru Rag.

- The bride and bridegroom live

together with a partition of ego between them.

-Guru Ram Das, Malhar Rag.

- Whoever think high of themselves and low of others, I saw them going to hell

because of their thoughts, words and deeds.

-Kabir, Maru Rag.

- By remembering Him,

Kashatrya, Brahmana, Sudra and

Vaishiya, all can get salvation.