Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith, was born in the month of Kartik (October/November), and his birthday is known as Guru Nanak Jayanti. He was born in 1469 A.D. at Tolevandi some 30 miles from Lahore. The anniversaries of Sikh Guru’s are known as Gurpurabs (festivals) and are celebrated with devotion and dedication. The son of a Kshatriya (warrior) family, he studied Hinduism and Islam. He got married but then he abandoned his family and became an ascetic. Wandering for many years he came under the influence of both Hindus and Muslims (especially Sufi). The Muslim teacher Kabir (died in 1398) made a deep impression on Guru Nanak. He began preaching, “There is no Hindu, there is no Mussulman”. Free sweets and langar or community lunches are also offered to everyone irrespective of religious faith. Men, women, and children, participate in this karseva as service to the community, cook food and distribute it in the ‘Guru ka Langar’, with the traditional ‘Karah Prasad’. Sikhs also visit gurdwaras where special programs are arranged and kirtans (religious songs) are sung. Houses and gurdwaras are lit up to add to the festivities. Guru Nanak Dev’s life served as a beacon light for his age. He was a great seer, saint and mystic. He was a prolific poet and a unique singer of God’s laudation. A prophet of peace, love, truth and renaissance, he was centuries ahead of his times. His universal message is as fresh and true even today as it was in the past and Sikhs all over the world, practice what Guru Nanak Dev preached, to reaffirm their beliefs in the teachingsof their founder. GOLDEN TEMPLE हुकमि रजाई चलणा नानक लिखिआ नालि Chant And Meditate: ਆਦਿ ਸਚੁ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਸਚੁ ॥ आदि सचु जुगादि सचु ॥ aad sach jugaad sach. True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages. ਹੈ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੋਸੀ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ॥੧॥ है भी सचु नानक होसी भी सचु ॥१॥ hai bhee sach naanak hosee bhee sach. ||1|| True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True. ||1|| ਸੋਚੈ ਸੋਚਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸੋਚੀ ਲਖ ਵਾਰ ॥ सोचै सोचि न होवई जे सोची लख वार ॥ sochai soch na hova-ee jay sochee lakh vaar. By thinking, He cannot be reduced to thought, even by thinking hundreds of thousands of times. ਚੁਪੈ ਚੁਪ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਲਾਇ ਰਹਾ ਲਿਵ ਤਾਰ ॥ चुपै चुप न होवई जे लाइ रहा लिव तार ॥ chupai chup na hova-ee jay laa-ay rahaa liv taar. By remaining silent, inner silence is not obtained, even by remaining lovingly absorbed deep within. ਭੁਖਿਆ ਭੁਖ ਨ ਉਤਰੀ ਜੇ ਬੰਨਾ ਪੁਰੀਆ ਭਾਰ ॥ भुखिआ भुख न उतरी जे बंना पुरीआ भार ॥ bhukhi-aa bhukh na utree jay bannaa puree-aa bhaar. The hunger of the hungry is not appeased, even by piling up loads of worldly goods. ਸਹਸ ਸਿਆਣਪਾ ਲਖ ਹੋਹਿ ਤ ਇਕਨ ਚਲੈ ਨਾਲਿ॥ सहस सिआणपा लख होहि त इक न चलै नालि ॥ sahas si-aanpaa lakh hohi ta ik na chalai naal. Hundreds of thousands of clever tricks, but not even one of them will go along with you in the end. ਕਿਵ ਸਚਿਆਰਾ ਹੋਈਐ ਕਿਵ ਕੂੜੈ ਤੁਟੈਪਾਲਿ॥ किव सचिआरा होईऐ किव कूड़ै तुटै पालि ॥ kiv sachi-aaraa ho-ee-ai kiv koorhai tutai paal. So how can you become truthful? And how can the veil of illusion be torn away? ਹੁਕਮਿ ਰਜਾਈ ਚਲਣਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾਲਿ॥੧॥ हुकमि रजाई चलणा नानक लिखिआ नालि ॥१॥ hukam rajaa-ee chalnaa naanak likhi-aa naal. ||1|| O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will. ||1|| Guru Nanak was a reformer. He attacked the vicious tentacles of corruptions in society. He strongly protested against formalism and ritualism. He carried the message of peace and of love to everybody. He was very liberal in his views. He did not observe the rules of caste. He tried his level best to remove the superstitions of the people. He preached purity, justice, goodness and the love of God. He introduced the singing of God’s praise, along with music, as a means of linking the soul of man with God.  Guru Nanak had great reverence for women. He allowed them to join all religious gatherings and conferences and to sing the praises of God. He gave them their full share in religious functions.  To him, there are no barriers of race, class, caste, creed or color which check the progress of any in reaching the goal. He realized the great truth of the brotherhood of religions. He preached the universal brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God to all people. Guru Nanak points out that the road to the abode of God is long and arduous. There are no short cuts for rich people. Everyone must undergo the same discipline. All human beings must live according to the will of the Lord without grumbling or murmuring. The best way to find God is to make His will your own. Be in tune with the Infinite. The first stage in making the divine will one’s own is attained through prayer for divine grace or favor. Guru Nanak attaches very great importance to prayer. He says that nothing can be achieved by man without divine favor. He says: “Approach God with perfect humility. Throw yourself on His mercy. Give up pride, show and egoism. Beg for His kindness and favor. Do not think of your own merits, abilities, faculties and capacities. Be prepared to die in the pursuit of His love and union with Him”. The beautiful composition of mystic poems uttered by Nanak is contained in ‘Japji’. It is sung by every Sikh at daybreak. In ‘Japji’, Guru Nanak has given a vivid description of the stages through which man must pass in order to reach the final resting place or abode of eternal bliss. There are five stages or Khandas. The first is called Dharm Khand or “The Realm of Duty”. Everyone must tread the path of righteousness. Everyone will be judged according to his actions. The next stage is Gyan Khand or “The Realm of Knowledge” where the spirit of divine knowledge reigns. The aspirant does his duty with intense faith and sincerity. He has the knowledge now, that only by doing his duty in a perfect manner, he can reach the abode of bliss or the goal of life. The third stage is Sharam Khand. This is “The Realm of Ecstasy”. There is the spiritual rapture here. There is beauty. The Dharma has become a part of one’s own nature. It has become an ingrained habit. It is no more a mere matter of duty or knowledge. The fourth stage is Karam Khand or “The Realm of Power”. The God of power rules over this realm. The aspirant acquires power. He becomes a mighty hero. He becomes invincible. The fear of death vanishes. The fifth or the final stage is Sach Khand or “The Realm of Truth”. The formless One reigns here. Here the aspirant becomes one with God. He has attained Godhead. He has transmuted himself into Divinity. He has attained the goal of his life. He has found out his permanent resting place. Now ends the arduous journey of the soul. Nanak has given a beautiful summary of his teachings in one of his hymnsas follows:— Love the saints of every faith: Put away thy pride. Remember the essence of religion Is meekness and sympathy, Not fine clothes, Not the Yogi’s garb and ashes, Not the blowing of the horns, Not the shaven head, Not long prayers, Not recitations and torturings, Not the ascetic way, But a life of goodness and purity, Amid the world’s temptations. “Vahe Guru” is the Guru Mantra for the followers of Guru Nanak.  The Granth Sahib : Guru Nanak invented the Gurumukhi characters by simplifying the Sanskrit characters. The holy Granth of the Sikhs is in Gurumukhi. It is worshipped by the Sikhs and the Sindhis. Every Gurudwara has a Granth Sahib. The holy Granth, popularly known as Adi Granth, contains the hymns of the first five Gurus. They were all collected, arranged and formed into one volume called Guru Granth Sahib by the fifth Guru. It contains a few selections from the hymns of Kabir and other contemporary Vaishnavite saints. Later on, the hymns of the ninth Guru were incorporated in the holy Granth by the tenth Guru. The compositions of Guru Nanak are very extensive. The Granth Sahib begins with the following: “There is but one God whose name is true—the Creator”. It contains a code of high morals. Purity of life, obedience to Guru, mercy, charity, temperance, justice, straightforwardness, truthfulness, sacrifice, service, love and abstinence from animal food are among the virtues on which great emphasis is laid; while lust, anger, pride, hatred, egoism, greed, selfishness, cruelty, backbiting and falsehood are vehemently condemned YOU MAY VISIT & FWD TO YOUR FRIENDS PLEASE GO THROUGH THE POSTS  ramajayam.rediffiland.com ramajayamgomati.blogspot.com