The Living Guru

Dear Children,

I have already told you the life story of Guru Nanak. 

Guru Nanak believed that the best way to find God is through a Guru. A Guru is a guide, a teacher. Just like we need a teacher to teach us the various subjects in school, in the same way we need an instructor to explain to us, how to live life in a truthful and good manner.

Do you know who the greatest Guru, is for a child?  Parents!

Are they not always telling us to speak the truth and to be polite and to be kind?

Guru Nanak was the 1st Guru of the Sikhs and Guru Gobind Singh the 10th one. The disciples of Guru Gobind Singh were very sad when the Guru was about to leave the body, (you know children, for great personalities, we never say, that they 'die' because they continue to live in Heaven in a brand new body)…So, as I was saying, the disciples were very sad and they asked the Guru, Who would guide them to find God, when Guru Gobind Singh was gone? 

Guru Gobind Singh replied that the Great Book of the Sikhs: The Guru Granth Sahib, would become like a Living Guru for the disciples. The Guru said that whenever they were troubled, or they missed him, they could open and read the Guru Granth Sahib, and the answer would be revealed to them. 

The Guru Granth Sahib (The Guru in the book form) has since been regarded as the Living Guru, for the Sikhs.

When Krishna was about to leave the body, his friend Udho was very unhappy. Udho told Krishna that he would miss the physical presence of Krishna very very much.

Krishna told his dear friend Udho that He would continue to live in the form of the Great Hindu Book: 'The Srimad Bhaagvad'

I have sent you stories from the Shrimad Bhaagvad. You read them, right? If you would like to read them again. Click here.  And read the stories of: Atmadev, Bhakti, Krishna and the children of Vraj, Dhruv, Gajendra, Krishna and Yashoda Ma, Krishna is born, Krishna steals hearts. All of them are various stories from the Shrimad Bhaagvad. When you read them, you will feel love for God and the presence of Krishna.

Listen Deeply To The Gurbani For Bliss

 Jagmohan Singh

 The Guru Granth Sahib is held sacred by all who believe in its teachings. Sikhism is for universal brotherhood, founded by Guru Nanak and nurtured by the next nine Gurus. The word Guru is used for one who can take one from Gu or darkness to Ru or light, to the light of knowledge to eliminate the darkness of ignorance.
   To emphasise the concept of universal brotherhood, Guru Nanak portrayed himself as “neither a Hindu nor a Mussalmaan”. The word Sikh in Punjabi is from the verb ‘sikhnaa’, which means ‘to learn’. In a sense, each one of us is a learner throughout our lives. The Guru Granth Sahib contains messages of the Gurus and others available directly in their own verses.
   The fifth Guru Arjan collected and systematically organised the baani composed by the first five Gurus, 15 saints or Bhagats, 11 other learned writers or Bhats and three Sikhs in 31 different ragas and compiled them into the Granth Sahib. Guru Arjan dictated the text of the holy Granth to Bhai Gurdas to prepare the first master copy. This Granth is also called as ‘Pothi Sahib’. He organised its first ‘parkaash’ in the Harimandar Sahib at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on August 16, 1604, and nominated an old Sikh from Guru Nanak’s time, Bhai Budhaji, as the first Granthi.
   The final version of the Granth Sahib was prepared by the tenth Guru Gobind Singh at Damdama Sahib and this was transcribed by Bhai Mani Singh. It included the baani composed by the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur. Bowing before this holy Granth at Nanded he exhorted all Sikhs to accept the Granth as the Guru henceforth, on October 6, 1708.
   Most of the Granth is in the prevalent and widely understood Sant Bhasha. A part of the text is in other languages including Sanskrit and Persian. The second Guru Angad had modified the prevalent Lande script into what got to be described as Gurmukhi — from the mouth of the Guru — script, in which most of the present volumes are today. The Sacred Book is broadly organised into: 1) Mool Mantra, 2) Japji, Sodar Rehras, Sohila, 3) Baanis of the Gurus, saints, bhats and the Sikhs, chronologically under different ragas and 4) Two shabads — Mundavani or praise of the Amrit Naam and Tera keeta or thanks to Sat Guru. At the very end, Raagmala is incorporated.
   The Granth enumerates the traits of the One Eternal Entity or Akaal Purakh, the One Supreme Soul or Paramaatma, in a variety of ways — starting with His traits in the Mool Mantra. It assures that all are His children. No one is a born sinner. Any one who loves Him can realise Him in his present life in human form. His will prevails. Heaven and Hell are here around us, and we are in either of them, through our deeds. All days are the same, there are no specific auspicious days.
   The Granth shows ways to remember His traits through a large collection of soothing hymns for His praise and worship. Its teachings and introspection for living this life through different activities and events, that may provide excitements or depressions, worries or relaxations, joys or sorrows. It engenders awareness and spiritual growth through realisation of one’s weaknesses, and through strength of prayer.
   The Guru Granth Sahib is a treasure to draw from, for anyone who wishes to, for living his life in a blissful manner and to fulfil his aspirations and to be at peace with self amidst temptations and struggles of various kinds.
   ‘300 Saal Guru de Naal’ — Tricentenary celebrations of the Consecration of the Guru Granth Sahib at Nanded.