On the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji, it is pertinent to recall His teachings of love, peace, equality and brotherhood.
Guru Nanak says God is omnipresent ( sarav viapak ) in all creations and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. He stresses that God must be seen from “the inward eye,” or the “heart” of a human being: devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. He emphasises the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application leads to communication between God and human beings.
Maya, defined as illusion or “unreality,” is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only elusive satisfaction. However, Guru Nanak emphasises Maya as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values.
In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust — known as the Five Evils — are believed to be pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only through intensive devotion.
Guru Nanak has also asked His followers to empower women. Not only did He emphasise on His ideals, He Himself followed them vigorously.
When Guru Nanak left for His heavenly abode, nine other Gurus embraced His teachings and worked to spread His message.
Surjit Singh Flora
