WE ALL HUMANS ARE EQUALLY THE CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR LORD AND SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS - THE GIST OF SIKH TEACHINGS - RECOGNIZE HUMAN RACE AS ONE, MANIFESTATION OF THE CREATOR LORD (Guru Gobind Singh in Sri Akal Ustat)
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, the Gurus and the Saints repeatedly teach us that all living beings and creatures are created by the Creator Lord Himself, Who is our Real Parent, and we all are His children, being Brothers and Sisters to each other. Again it is the Creator Lord Who places each of the creature in particular situation in society as planned by Him to play the assigned respective part. He provides nurishment to all creatures, both good and bad alike to sustain themselves; and as it pleases Him, He assigns tasks to one and all to accomplish in their respective life time; all things are His Doings, as He alone is the Cause of all causes, makes ceatures to act as He likes. He alone is Real DOER (Karta Purkh). No one is outside the pale of His Authority and control. All beings and creatures are His; He belongs to all. So whom can we call bad, since there is no other? The Command of the One Lord is pervading throughout. Good and Evil are created under the Command of the Lord Himself, to Glorify the Value of Goodness.
Sri Kabir Jee teaches us as under -
"First, Allah created the Light; then, by His Creative Power, He made all mortal beings. From the One Light, the entire universe welled up. So who is good, and who is bad? 1.
O people, O Siblings of Destiny, do not wander deluded by doubt. The Creation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in the Creation, totally pervading and permeating all places. 1. Pause.
The clay is the same, but the Fashioner has fashioned it in various ways. There is nothing wrong with the pot of clay - there is nothing wrong with the Potter. 2 .
The One True Lord abides in all; by His making, everything is made. Whoever realizes the Hukam of His Command, knows the One Lord. He alone is said to be the Lord's slave. 3 .
The Lord Allah is Unseen; He cannot be seen. The Guru (God abiding in all in the form of Light or JOT) has blessed Kabir with this type of sweets (to eat, but cannot explain the sweetness). Says Kabir, my anxiety and fear have been taken away; I see the Immaculate Lord pervading everywhere. 4 . 3 .""
(Rag Parbhati, page 1349 Sri Guru Granth Sahib)
The following explanation will help us to understand clearly the above mentioned Teachings.
God is Formless and All Pervading Spirit. He is All Wisdom and creative. His Will is His Word, through which He manifests Himself. His Word or Will or Command is His Personality. His Word is the True Enlightner or Sat Guru, present in all.
For countless ages there was nothing in existence, except the Eternal God. There was no space, no earth, no sky, no universes, no creatures, no air, no water, etc. Infinite God was absorbed in Himself. He was contemplating on values. When He Willed to manifest those values and witness them, He created countless universes, by utterance of a WORD or SABAD. The WORD uttered by God became the Cause of all the creation. The Gurus also state that His WORD turned into LIGHT (JOT), which created everything. HIS WORD and SOUL (His LIGHT in All) also mean the same thing. The Light (JOT) thus shed by God spread with unimaginable speed like the rays of Sun, created the Matter of Five Elements, Space, Air, Heat or Energy, Water, and Mud (called earth), and from them the universes and the living beings. Guru Nanak in Sri Rag tells us that God first created Air, and from Air was created Water and from Water the Mud (called earth). His WORD created the universes, supports them and sustains them. God's WORD is the Cause and Creation is its Effect. His WORD is the Seed of the entire creation. Whatever is in the Seed, the Effect manifests the same thing. So from His WORD emerges His Qualities, which we call them by different Names. So the WORD or Will or Command or His Name is the same thing. He is known from His WORD or Name, and the creatures re-unite with Him by loving His WORD or Name. The Gurus also state that His WORD turned into LIGHT (JOT), which created everything. HIS WORD and SOUL (His LIGHT in All) also mean the same thing. Soul or His Light or His WORD are the same thing.
Sri Guru Amar Das, 3rd Guru, in Rag Asa, page 429 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, teaches us : "eh mun mut janeh har door hai sada vaikh hadoor. sud sunda sud vaikhda SABAD rehia bharpoor - O my Mind do not think that the Creator Lord is far off from you. He is in you, Who hears, Who sees every thing; in the form of SABDA or SOUL, He is present everywhere and in all." As long as His Light or Soul abides in us, we live. No sooner He takes away His Light from us, we are dead. The WORD uttered by God pervades in all the creation (every creature), and is the cause of all the creation till its dissolution by His Command. God abides in all the creation and in every one, yet remains Aloof from the effect of the Matter, which creates Illusion (Maya). Sri Guru Arjan Dev in Sukhmani Sahib, Astpadi 23.5 states: "sabh kai madh alpato rehai. jo kich karna sai aapai kehai - He lives in every one, yet remains Aloof (Nirlaip)." He does whatever He wants to do.
It is God, Who created all the living beings. Within the human material body He created Five Types of Passions or Instincts; (1) Ego (Selfishness), (2) Lust, (3) Wrath, (4) Greed, and (5) Attachment. Human Mind is the sum total of varied desires, aversions, likes, dislikes, thoughts, emotions, instincts, drives, passions, beliefs, etc. emerging from the varied organs of the Material body. Mind therefore has the material base; while Soul or God's Light has the Divine Formless Base, which exists in all living things, yet remains Aloof as uncontaminated by the ill effects of Material things, just like the rays of Sun's Light remain uncontaminated when falling on debris of filth. Mind or the Stream of Consciousness is a person's pseudo self, derives its existence from the Divine Light present within him for the operational functions of the body; while the Divine in him is his Real Self. There is therefore always seen the conflict in every one's mind between the justification or otherwise of fulfillment of varied types of desires for material things vis-a-vis the Divine Commands; THIS IS TERMED AS THE DUALITY (DWAIT) CREATED IN ALL BY THE LORD. Greed for possession of material things leads him to commit sins, if he unjustly succumbs to the temptations of the mind, and ignores the Divine Commands of Rationality. Human mind is too feeble to combat with the Five Types of Passions created in a person, and invariably succumbs to the temptations, hence the prevalent immorality and crime everywhere. Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru states, "The Animal in humans in Most Powerful as none has been able to conquer these Passions on his own." (Chandi Chritra I). No one can help any one to overcome these powerful instincts or passions, except the Creator Himself, Who created them. These passions or instincts are not totally destructive and immoral, but these have the positive side also, if used under the guidance of God present in us all in the Form of His Light (JOT), we call SOUL. No one can attain union with God, unless he is blessed by Him with the positive side of these Passions or Instincts. Their positive side is -
(1) Ego - the positive side of Ego is the steadfastness to one's Moral convictions and taking pride in His Grace in all humility by living with Him.
(2) Lust - it is love making. Union with Him is attained through Love alone.
(3) Wrath - the positive side of Anger is to involve oneself aggressively in the creative work.
(4) & (5) Greed and Attachment - the devotees of God pray to Him to bless them with the Infinite Treasure of His Remembrance and total attachment to Him. Such devotees become God-like persons on Earth.
Matter serves as a vehicle for the Divine Light to exist as creatures. Material things are necessary for the living beings to sustain themselves. Matter is of Five Elements and has Three Modes or Gunas, the basis of MAYA, The Great ILLUSION. It is the Material Body of creatures, which in turn creates the Five Passions or Instincts. This is all called MAYA or The Great Illusion. As already stated this MAYA has both negative and positive aspects, in that it is both creative and destructive, entirely dependent on one's way of life; whether he is blessed by Him to live with Him present within him or use these passions recklessly for his selfish ends.
THE LORD CREATED UNIVERSE, DUALITY IN CREATURES, CAUSING SEPARATION FROM HIM, FOR APPLICATION OF THE VALUES HE CHERISHED FOR RE-UNION OF CREATURES WITH HIM. - WE CREATURES HAVE TO APPLY MAYA (MATERIAL THINGS) RATIONALLY UNDER GUIDANCE OF THE LORD, BY LIVING WITH THE LORD - CROSS THIS HURDLE OF SEPATION FROM HIM AND ATTAIN RE-UNION, BY HIS GRACE.THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE.
Those who reflect their mind on God's Light present within them (Sat Guru - True Teacher) by His Grace, about them Sri Guru Arjun Dev in Rag Gauri, page 201 Sri Guru Granth Sahib, states, "He, who is imbued with God's Love, does not burn himself in the fire of Greed, the Maya does not beguile him (makes conquest over his passions). ....." "He who does not meditate on God, accursed are his deeds. Like a crow's beak, his abode is in ordure. ...." (p 239).
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Jee states in Rag Kanra (page 1299 SGGS) -
"I have totally forgotten my jealousy of others, since I found the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. 1. Pause. No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger to me. I get along with everyone. 1. Whatever God does, I accept that as good. This is the Sublime Wisdom I have obtained from the Holy. 2 . The One God is pervading in all Equally, and Nanak is overjoyed when he see's Him in all."
No one can intercede between Man and his Creator. Guru Nanak in Rag Maru, Sohile, page 1048, SGGS states -
"None can do a thing to help any one, nor is any one potent to do it. Whatever He Himself does or causes to be done; that alone comes to pass. He, whom He Himself forgives, is blessed with Bliss and ever abides in the Name. If this body be the earth and the Infinite Name the Seed, then man has trade and dealings with the True Lord alone. Within him grows the True Wealth and it does not exhaust and within him abides the Name."
Man belongs to Infinite God and inherits from Him the Instinct of Infinity. It is, therefore, ever the crave or greediness for acquisition of more and more things and power found in man, as his mind is a bottomless container, never to be satiated or filled, the fact being that all these things created by God, have their limitations. This desire for infinitude proves like fire, increases more and more with every addition of the fuel. Worship of any material things or even Prophets, Avtar, Saint, like Jesus, Krishna, Gurus, etc. will never give peace of mind, as they all had their limitations. Rather such practices create prejudices and conflicts. Since the beginning of time, people have been hating and fighting with each other or their material gains and Power, under the garb of their creeds, gods, goddesses, appearances, tribal and clan prejudices. The most significant cause of the quarrel was their worship of particular Prophets, Avtars, gods and goddesses, rigidity of beliefs in creeds, dogmas and respective theological beliefs. The people of different types of beliefs in their religious leaders would debate and spread hatred for each other. This DEADLY MALADY continues to exist with extreme ferocity in our contemporary life. The religion in general has been made cruel and intolerant and the blood of innocent men, women and children has been shed in the name of God and religion in torrents. IT IS AN ADMITTED FACT THAT MUCH MORE BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED IN THE NAME OF GOD AND RELIGIOUS PREJUDICES ALONE SO FAR, THAN ON ACCOUNT OF ALL OTHER FACTORS COMBINED. Bhai Gurdas, the Sikh Savant, has very aptly said - "sach kinare reh gayaa, kheh mardai baaman maulaanai - Realization of God has totally been left aside by both Hindu and Muslim men of religion, who fight with each other to death for nothing." This equally applies to the followers of all religions, Sikhs too, who fared worst in total ignorance of the Sikh Teachings.
Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru, states in his Composition "Bichitra Natak" that God, before sending the Guru to take birth in this world, told him that all the previous Prophets, Avtar, Seers, etc. sent by Him, did not preach Love of One Reality but created their own sects and made people worship them. This created strife among the followers of various religious groups. Unfortunately the mania and fanaticism caused by religious prejudices, are the worst one can suffer. The Sikh Gurus themselves experienced the effect of worst type of religious bigotry from both Hindus and Muslims in Power, and had to make supreme sacrifices with extreme tortures on the Altar of Eternal Truth they stood for as FIRM AS ROCK. Sikh religious books are the only Scripture, which recognize God the only Reality that exists and the DOER, None Else; what we see is the manifestation of One Life Giver Sikh Gurus have ever addressed themselves in most humblest terms as the lowest of low, and ever sought for His Grace. Worship of Infinite Spirit of One God Alone can only lead to our redemption. No one else can save any one, what to say of others, he himself also, whosoever makes such tall claims.
FROM THE ABOVE EXPLANATION, ENDEAVOUR HAS BEEN MADE TO STATE THAT ALL THE CREATION IS CREATED BY ALL WISE INFINITE CREATOR, WHO ALONE CREATED THE CREATURES IN ALL THEIR VARIED FORMS, CREATED EMOTIONS, PASSIONS, THINKING, BELIEFS, LIKINGS, DISLIKINGS. ETC.; AND ALSO THE LORD EXERCISES CONTROL OVER THEM.- ALL THAT HAPPENS IS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL; THERE IS NO OTHER RIVAL ATHORITY WHO CREATES ANY EVIL THAT APPEARS TO US. IT IS ALL HIS WONDROUS PLAY.
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee (Tenth Nanak) in Sri Akal Ustat teaches us -
"Some people call themselves 'Mundia', some Sanyasi, some yogi and some 'Yati'. Some call themselves Hindu, some Musalman, some Hafzi and others Imamsafi. BUT THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED ONE. The same One Lord Creator, Compassionate Provide of bread, Munificient. HE HAS NO CO-ETERNAL, NO DUALISM - WE MUST NEVER ACCEPT DUALITY. To serve only ONE is our duty. He alone is the Guru (GUIDE) of all. All Mankind be taken as One, Manifestation of His Light (JOT). (85)"
SRI GURU NANAK DEV ON THE EVE OF HIS WIDE MISSIONAY TOURS, RAISED THE SLOGAN "NA KOEI HINDU NA MUSALMAN".
The story of 'Vaeen Stream' is well known in Sikh history. On the morning of 23rd August 1507, Guru Nanak as usual went to 'Black Vaeen Stream' for a bath, which was flooded with water, as those were the rainy days. According to the Old Chronicles, the Guru did not come out of the stream for three days. The attendant who accompanied the Guru to the stream, came back at sunrise and informed everybody about the missing of the Guru. Every one except the Guru's Sister, Bibi Nanaki thought that the Guru had been drowned or had been driven away by the swift water current.
We understand from the writings of Bhai Gurdas that Guru Nanak at this time was fully attuned with God at a secluded place, by crossing the stream, and was pondering over the ways of redemption of the poor people from their social, religious and political tyranny. The Guru came to the conclusion that there was a necessity for great sacrifice on the part of any one who would champion their cause. Further, the liberation movement required evolution of an organized and effective program, for which deep thought was required to be given.
The prevailing conditions were that the religious places where high ideals were to be taught, had been turned into places of miseries,. At all religious places, be they Hindu places of worship or the monasteries of the Yogis or the religious places of Muslims, the so called the protectors of religions and morality were ruthlessly trampling the poor people under their feet.. The Guru had to emancipate the people from the onslaughts of the Brahmins, Yogis, Sadhus, Sayads, Pirs and Fakirs, who perpetrated all excesses in exploiting the people in the name of the respective religion. He had to awaken the fear stricken emasculated poor people from their deep slumber of passivity of bearing the injuries inflicted on them and had to infuse a new spirit in them to raise their protests against this tyranny like brave and courageous men, totally relying on the strength of God Almighty, Who is the Protector of the meek. Both the sons of the Guru, Baba Sri Chand and Baba Lakshmi Das, were yet teen agers. If the Guru was to defend the poor and distressed people, he had to part with his family and keep his two minor sons under others protection. The Guru's wife was young and needed the company of her husband. The Guru would have to experience many difficulties if he were to go out in the service of the people. He would have to travel thousands of miles on foot without any arrangements for his food and shelter. He also realized that he would have to travel through deserts with their burning sands, through dense jungles where there would be the blood-sucking insects, would experience the hazards of the weather without adequate clothes on the body or the bedding, would come across different types of people of varied tongues, would have to deal with clever unscrupulous people and would have to rescue himself from the onslaughts of the ferocious man eaters.
If he had to go out for the service of the people the aforesaid difficulties that he would experience were staring hard at his face. The other side of the picture was that he had a well established house - an obedient wife and a pair of lovely teenager sons, respectable life with easy and honorable employment, as Nawab Daulat Khan was fortunate enough to have found such an honest Modi, whom he liked most. Bhai Gurdas even counted Nawab Daulat Khan Lodi amongst the devout Sikhs of the Guru. The Guru's fame as an honest Modi was being talked about in every house at Sultanpur and all used to hail and revere him. If the Guru chose the way of service to the people, he had to forsake all these comforts and undertake an adventurous and thorny task. The Guru had to take this vital decision - he did take the decision in observance of the behest of his inner voice to serve the troubled humanity at large at the cost of his personal comforts.
The Guru crossed back the stream on the morning of August 25, 1507, and made the graveyard outside Sultanpur as his abode. The news of the Guru's survival spread like a wild fire and every one including Nawab Daulat Khan came rushing to the grave yard. The Guru told Nawab Daulat Khan that he had decided not to serve in Modi Khana any longer from thereafter. He had also decided to go far and wide to spread the Divine Mission of Universal Brotherhood of Mankind. Mankind had been divided and the people were separated from each other on the basis of status, religion, creed, caste, color, ethnic considerations and race. Guru Nanak during the preceding three years had endeared himself to every one in Sultanpur. The people were grief stricken to hear that their dear Modi and the Great Benefactor was to leave them. On his arrival at the Grave Yard from Black Vaeen Stream the first utterance that the Guru made was that "The People were neither Hindus nor Musalman." - Na koei Hindu, na Musalman or any other religious denomination. They were humans created by God, and in every one GOD equally abided. God alone looks after each of His cratures and all are responsible to God alone. Being all created by the Creator Lord, they all were HIS children, and should love each other as Brothers and Sisters and not figh on any religious or other grounds..
The Guru laid emphasis that the external labels of religion, caste, creed color, etc. should not divide them as God's Spirit abides in all equally, which is the very source of all life. Those religious teaching are relevant, which connects the humans with their Source, God, while any divisive sectarian labels and rituals of any religion should not be accepted as they create prejudices and religious fanaticisms. When one is connected with the Infinite Creator Lord of all, his vision transcends all limitations and becomes one with Infinite Creator of All, and sees the Creator Lord in all equally. All hatred against any one is vanished.
SRI GURU NANAK DEV JEE AND THE SUCCESSOR NINE GURUS MADE MATCHLESS SACRFICES IN PREACHING THE DIVINE MESSAGE OF ONENESS OF THE CREATOR AND ONENESS OF THE CREATION TO THE SUFFERING HUMANITY PERPETUALLY ENGAGED IN CONFLICTS ON ACCOUNT OF VARIED PREJUDICES. THEY ESTABLISHED THE SANE SOCIETY OF KHALSA, DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE CREATOR LORD. GURU GOBIND SINGH GAVE THE SALUTATION OF - "WAHEGURU JEE KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JEE KI FATEH" ( KHALSA THE PURE ONE IS THE CREATION OF THE WONDEROUS CREATOR LORD, AND THE LORD IS EVER THE VICTOR.) NONE ELSE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED IN BETWEEN THE LORD AND MAN.
BOTH HINDUS AND MUSLIMS IN POWER AND VESTED WITH AUTHORITY, SAW THE POWER VANISHING FROM THEM, CREATED HEAVOC FOR THE GURUS TO GET THEM ELIMINATED. THE GURUS AND SIKHS BORE THEIR EXCESSES WITH GREAT FORTITUDE AND MADE SUPREME SACRFICES, AND NEVER RETALIATED IN REVENGE. BUT WHEN THE AGGRESSORS BEGAN TO MAKE ARMED ATTACKS ON GURUS TO TOTALLY DO AWAY WITH SIKHISM, THE GURUS AND SIKHS RESISTED SUCH ATTACKS IN SELF DEFENSE ONLY, INVARIABLY REPULSED THE ATTACKS, BUT NEVER OCCUPIED AN INCH OF AGGRESSORS' TERRITORY, OR TOOK ANY PRISONER OR EVER RETALIATED IN REVENGE. THE SIKHS WERE TAUGHT TO SERVE THE WOUNDED ON BATTLEFIELD WITH WATER AND FIRST AID, WITHOUT DISTINCTION BETWEEN MAN AND MAN (WOUNDED AGRESSORS WERE EQUALLY SERVED).
LOVE ALL AND SEE THE CREATOR LORD IN ALL; HATRED OF ANY ONE TANTAMOUNTS TO HATRED OF THE CREATOR LORD, IS THE MESSAGE OF SIKHISM. OUR FAITH IN THE CREATOR LORD SHOULD EVER STAND FIRM AS ROCK.