Sikhism is one of the youngest “religions” in the world. One can put the world religion in quotation marks because Sikhism is a way of living, not a religion. Sikhism started in the year 1469 and was brought to this world by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The word Guru means “Light that dispels all darkness”. There has only been one Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who has taken a form of ten bodies. It is important to know that God and Guru are not two separate things. The goal in human life is to merge with Him. This is possible if we follow the teachings of the Guru. In this article one will be able to understand VERY FEW of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teaching.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught us of three basic guidelines. They are ‘Naam Japna’, ‘Kirat Karni’ and ‘Vand Chakna’. Naam Japna is the meditation of God through reciting, chanting, singing and constance remembrance of God’s Name (Waheguru) and virtues. Kirat Karni is when one honestly earns by one’s physical and mental efforts. This means one should not cheat for a living, but work for it. Vand Chakna is to share one’s wealth with the community or Sadh Sangaat (the company of the pure and holy). This spirit of sharing and giving is an important message from Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji along with the other two basic guidelines.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji also contributed in the equality of humans, and more specifically, the equality of women. During and before the times of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, there was slavery, caste systems, and race discrimination. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji preached against it all and said, “The brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis conquer your own minds and conquer the world.” By conquering our minds, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji said we would be able to eliminate these evil practices. In 1499, the world offered low to no status or respect to women. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji sought to improve the way women were treated by saying, “From women, man is born; within women man is conceived; to women he is engaged and married. Women becomes his friend; through women the future generations come. When his women dies, he seeks another women; to women he is bound. So why call her bad? From her kings are born. From women, women is born; without women, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman” (from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, ang 473). In doing so they promotes women’s rights.
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