The birth of Guru Nanak Ji, the founding guru of Sikhism is magnificently celebrated all over the world not just by Sikhs but also by followers of his teachings.
Born into a Hindu family, Guru Nanak did not follow the Hindu rituals and questioned the reasoning behind their existence. Guru Nanak Ji’s rebellious and curious mind leads him to study various scriptures and language and later found Sikhism.
The meaning of “WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!” means, Khalsa-the Sikhs of the Guru, belong to Waheguru-the Lord God, and the victory also belongs to Waheguru.
Guruji spoke about the idea of ‘one god’, universal brotherhood, love humility, simplicity, equality, and tolerance. He wanted all to realize that they need to keep god in central of their thoughts and be humanitarian to attain spiritual growth. Moreover, he also said that all are equal in god’s eyes and sunned discrimination against race, gender, and religion.
Guru Nanak’s teachings have been effective in nurturing social values of equality, humility, sharing, cooperation, and comradeship. Guru Nanak gave 3 pillars of Sikhism as:
Naam Japna:
Naam Japna is the practice to repeat the name of God. When someone recites the name of God, he is in direct communication with god. This means that we are all to meditate on god’s name and attain peace and growth.
Kirat Karni:
Kirat Karni is earing one’s livelihood with honesty and to live an honorable life. This means to carry out work which is beneficial to others. Such practices of helpfulness aid individual and societal well-being. It also helps develop gratefulness and demolish feelings of guilt or shame.
Vand Chakhna:
Vand Chakhna means to share with others what you have. This is well constituted on the basis or langar and sharing one-tenth of one’s earnings with the community. This is where the concept of community for Sikhs is core. It is called Sadh Sangat – the community of the holy. We can find counsel, help, blessings, and support from the community we are part of.
With the help of these principles, a person is well on the path to realize the potential and purpose of his life.
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