A Message on Guru Nanak’s Birthday - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Art of Living Australia

A Message on Guru Nanak’s Birthday - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

3 Nov 2017 Bangalore, India

“The word Sikh means a student (shishya) – one is who is always seeking to evolve.

Click To Tweet

There was a great Saint called Guru Nanak Dev in India more than 500 years back. He was from Punjab. He traveled up to Baghdad, spreading the message of spirituality, of oneness with God, and the importance of devotion. Today, the Sikh community celebrates his birthday and it is a very important day for them. Today is also Kartika Purnima (referring to the full moon day in the Hindu calendar month of Kartika), Dev Diwali, and the day when the propounder of the Jain religion, Lord Mahavira, received enlightenment.

Sikhism had ten Gurus, and Guru Nanak Dev was the first Guru (the founder of Sikhism). The stories of all the ten Gurus of the Sikh tradition are heartwarming and uplifting – they are of sacrifice. The Gurus sacrificed everything they had for the sake of the protection of the good, innocent, and righteous. People were also given the cream of knowledge by the Gurus in simple words.

Click To Tweet This Article

What was Guru Nanak Dev’s message?

Guru Nanak Dev spoke about the nectar of devotion – Bhakti Rasa. Guru Nanak Dev was a devotee totally immersed in Bhakti Yoga (referring to Devotion as one of the limbs of Yoga, and the path to attain the Divine), while Guru Gobind Singh was a Karma Yogi (one who believes in doing one’s duty or Karma as the path to liberation). So, you see a change or a shift from devotion to action. When people were stuck in the outward worldly affairs, Guru Nanak Dev inspired them to go inwards – that was his message.

He said, “Do not get so stuck in worldly affairs that you forget the name of God. Keep chanting the name of God.”

Japji Sahib—the foremost prayer in Sikhism—was composed by Guru Nanak Dev

There is a beautiful prayer in the Guru Granth Sahib, which says, “Ek Onkar (God is One), Satnam (His name is True), Karta-Purakh (He is the Creator), Nirbhau (He is without fear), Nirvair (He is inimical to none), Akal-murat (He never dies), Ajuni Saibhang (He is beyond birth and death), Gurprasaad (He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru), Jap (Repeat his name), Aad Sach (He is True, even before anything was created), Jugaad Sach (He has ever been True), Hai Bhi Sach (He is True now), Nanak Hose Bhi Sach (He will be True in the future).”

The whole world is born from one Omkaar (one Divinity). Everything around us is composed of the vibrations of this one Omkaar alone. And you can know Om only by the grace of the Guru. It is there everywhere, but it can only be understood through the Guru.

Om is the eternal sound that exists in the depth of one’s consciousness. If you go to the ocean and listen carefully to the waves, you will find the same sound – Om. If you go on top of a mountain and listen to the wind blowing, you will hear the sound Om. Before this birth, we were all in Om. After this birth, after we all die, we will merge into that cosmic sound Om. Even now, in the depth of creation, that sound still resonates. Whether Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Taoism, or Shintoism – in all these religions, Omkar (Om chanting) is given much prominence.

Draw inspiration from Guru Nanak Dev's message

Today, on Guru Nanak Dev’s birthday, let us remind ourselves not to let the mind slip into Maya – into this ever-changing relative world. Let us be happy, make others happy, pray, serve, and act to protect dharma.

Subscribe

If you enjoyed reading this content and would like to receive a notification on our future updates, you can subscribe here.

Enter your email address:

 


You can also write to us on webteam.wisdom@artofliving.org for any questions or comments.

Understanding the Chakras and Kundalini Energy

There is consciousness present within our whole body. This divine force or consciousness is called as the Kundalini Shakti. 


In this article Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar further explains Kundalini.

Read More

 

 

 

Read earlier posts

  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    How to Communicate Effectively?

    March 18, 2019
    • Skill in communication makes a huge difference - explains Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar through the story of THE KING and THE ASTROLOGER. A must read!
  • Why You Must Not Judge or Blame

    March 18, 2019
    • We all have this unconscious tendency – we judge ourselves too much or we judge others. We blame ourselves or we blame somebody else. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains why we must not judge or blame.

    Understanding Chakras and Kundalini Energy

    March 7, 2019
    • There is consciousness present within our whole body. This divine force or consciousness is called as the Kundalini Shakti.
      In this article Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar further explains Kundalini.
  • 10 Steps to Improve Communication Skills

    March 7, 2019
    • In this article Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shares 10 steps one can take to develop effective communication at work and in personal relationships.

    7 Steps to Cope with Frustration

    November 23, 2018
    • In life you will have 101 reasons to get frustrated. However it is up to you keep the enthusiasm alive without allowing the frustration to seep in. Here are some pointers to help you keep frustration at bay.

CONNECT WITH SRI SRI

THE SRI SRI APP

Read wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Live Talks.

IPHONE | ANDROID