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ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਭਈ ਸਗਲੇ ਜੁਗ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕਕੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ
The profoundness, near scientific approximation and clarity of Guru Nanak’s vision, is getting evident and appreciated across the world with every passing day. The impersonal yet visionary nature of his concept of the partially visible but vastly invisible cosmic energy with its universally applicable laws of nature its getting corroborated and validated by the modern ongoing astronomical and quantum physics investigations and discoveries. It is narrowing down the gap between findings of the purely subjective, speculative-cum-contemplative philosophical approaches of some of the Indian spiritual savants including Guru Nanak and the purely objective and scientifically verifiable approach of physicists, both engaged in gauging the extent and magnitude of the ultimately Reality. Apart from Guru Nanak’s vision of existential nature of all pervading cosmic energy, Guru Nanak’s conception of the other attributive dimensions of the God head and his insistence upon the application of these attributes in individual human and social life is also findings wide acceptance across the world. It would be appropriate to narrate briefly the quintessential components of Guru Nanak’s enlightened spiritual vision and their socio-cultural corollaries to be adopted and pracitised both at the individual human, societal and cultural level.
In nutshell, Guru Nanak’s gospel message consists of a firm, unshakable belief and faith in the singularly monotheistic nature of the Divine power perceptible both in its immanent (Sargun) and transcendent (Nirgun) aspects; streamlining of one’s life in accordance with the judicious mix of overriding Divine will and exercise of one’s human rational faculties of discrimination; complete repudiation and non-allegiance to any lesser gods, goddesses and deities and the related rituals and esoteric practices to appease them for the fulfillment of one’s own desires; acceptance of all other spirituo-religious pathways as valid as one’s own chosen pathway for spiritual enlightenment and human emancipation and extend equal respect to all these religious pathways; conscious and willing adoption of a family and householder’s life as a preferred choice over the traditional paths of leading a reclusive life of an ascetic, undertaking fasts and observing other austerities such as remaining celibate, putting greater insistence on outer bodily cleaning than inner mental cleansing, pilgrimages, observation of long spells of silence and practicising yagnas and other esoteric rituals for emancipation and salvation of one’s human soul; consideration of all created human and other species as equally worthy of His love, care and compassion and making no discrimination on the basis of anybody’s birth, caste, social status or religious affiliation; earning of one’s livelihood by one’s on hard work, sharing a part of it with the needy and keeping remembrance of His sacred name in one’s consciousness; being a useful, productive citizen and member of One’s society, country and the world community at large; adoption of all humane and moral values of truthfulness, contentment, tolerance, humility, co-existence and brotherhood and reflect these values in one’s precept, practice and day to day conduct, and finally respect Divine power’s unrestricted benevolent supply of elements of nature such as earth, water, air and open sky as sacred gifts gratis and make efforts to preserve these. What makes Guru Nanak’s message unique and relevant for all times is not only its comprehensive and composite nature but the catholicity of his vision and universalism of its appeal. In the words of Prof G S Talib, “What Guru Nanak sought to accomplish was a regeneration of the decadent Indian people through bringing them back to abiding spiritual and moral values _ the worship of the Supreme Being who is Uncreated and eternal as against the primitivism and polytheism prevalent in the land; to mould the individual life on the principle of the search for emancipation which means spiritual and moral purity; and to bring about a just and equitable social system as against the crying injustice of caste inequalities and passive submission to the tyranny of various kinds from those in power. This spirit of idealism was given by the Guru its ancient name of Dharma, whose pillars are daya (compassion, humanity), purity, humility, contentment, renunciation of worldly objectives and lures, and action in the way of God. Guru Nanak gave voice to the deep agony and suffering of the people and instructed them in the meanings of Dharma as pure and righteous conduct in the individual sphere and the wider context of human relations. To the dumb masses suffering from the tyranny of priest and feudal lords for millennia and then also religious persecution, he brought spiritual light, a sense of human dignity and the faith and courage to create a better world by sacrifice and suffering borne in the way of God. While to the Hindu, the Guru gave an enriched and purified vision of spirituality, to the Muslim, he taught the essence of morality and humanity, as against the bigoted and narrow teachings of the priests of his faith. This vision of people permeated with the spirit of tolerance and brotherliness, and putting away the hatred born of creeds, was a unique nation-building effort in an age of manifold fragmentation of those who inhabited our land.” (Guru Nanak: His Personality and Vision, Delhi, 1969, pp. xvi-xviii)
It this the holistic nature of Guru Nanak’s vision and message which needs to be propagated across the globe on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. As our humble contribution to this effort, we have devoted the Oct-Dec 2019 issue of our quarterly journal Abstracts of Sikh Studies to commemorate this historical event. We have included the articles in this issue, some of which have already been published earlier and archived in our journal along with some new incisive path breaking articles on Guru Nanak’s philosophy. While Sardar Daljit Singh’s analytical article highlights the unique, comprehensive ideology of Guru Nanak which stresses upon the synthesis between the spiritual and empirical and altruistic life of man, Dr Harnam Singh Shan’s and Dr Madanjit Kaur’s equally scholarly articles, highlight the need and desirability of unity of Indian society despite its diversity and peaceful co-existence of various religious and cultural societies at the global level as propounded by Guru Nanak. Dr Bhai Harbans Lal’s article corroborates Guru Nanak’s advocacy of diversity in human societies and the imperative necessity of peaceful and harmonous co-existence through his insightful penetration into the similarly coordinating laws of nature and the essential unity of continents and elements of nature beneath the artificial man-made divisions and partitions of continents. Dr Kharak Singh’s article provides a glimpse into Guru Nanak’s contemporary spiritual and religious scenario and its major spiritual icons among the Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Bahai’s and the overall revival and renaissance among these religions along with Guru Nanak’s own path breaking spiritual religious pathway. Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon’s article provides a historical perspective to the genesis and the process of institutionalizing the major rudimentary components of Sikh religion by laying the foundations of a vibrant new religion by Guru Nanak himself during his last years stay at Kartarpur. While Col Bhupinder Singh’s informative article traces the genealogy of Guru Nanak, Dr Paramvir Singh’s article narrates the history of Kartarpur where Guru Nanak finally settled and laid the foundations of Sikh religion. As always, Dr Gurmail Singh’s article in Punjabi is highly informative, scholarly, well-researched and documented and traces the tradition of preserving, gradual and systematical propagating and explaining the content and import of Gurbani and the continuation and contribution of various sikh seminaries (Taksals) and individual Udasi, Nirmala, Saints right from Guru Nanak’s own time upto the beginning of twentieth century. Finally, it includes the latest path breaking, completely original, scholarly interpretative article by Dr Devinder Singh Chahal on Guru Nanaks’ Bani in the long history of Sikh exegesis. It breaks a fresh ground and departs from the traditional scholars of Sikh exegeses some of whom have been interpreting Gurbani under the influence of Vedantic and Upnishdic traditions, pointing out at the same time some interpolations and distortions which have been incorporated into Gurbani words, Sikh symbols and traditions and emphasizes the urgent need to make both Sikh religion and Sikh practices acceptable to the educated younger Sikh generations and provide them answers which satisfy their reasoning and mental queries by providing a scientific, logical interpretation of Gurbani text as it really is. Coincidently, Sardar Inderjit Singh jaijee’s recently written letter to Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib being included in this issue and similar views expressed by S Tarlochan Singh in the News & Views Section find their echo in Dr Chahal’s article and seem to endorse his observations.
We hope, our perceptive readers will feel benefitted by the contents of this commemorative issue and provide us the necessary response and feedback.
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