Celebrating Parkash Utsav of the

Greatest Teacher Ever Born: Guru Nanak

Gurinder P. Singh

Sikh Gurdwara San Jose

November 16, 2013

1 Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Wecome to Sikh Gurdwara San Jose

3636 Murrillo Avenue, San Jose. CA 95148 2

Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Some Definitions

Sikh: Sanskrit “Shishya” Student

Guru: “Gu” + “Ru” Enlightner,

Teacher or Dispeller of Spiritual

Darkness

Gurdwara: Place of learning and

Worship

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The Sikh Demographics

Punjab

Bay Area Sikh Population estimated at 75000

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Guru Nanak: An Introduction • Guru Nanak started the Sikh

Religious Movement.

Pivotal Theological Belief: One

Supreme God for the whole

creation

o The ultimate truth

o Without fear

o Without hatred

o Timeless

o Beyond birth and death

o Self created and self inspired

o Obtained only by his own Grace

The divine light resides in

everyone. Discovered only

through God’s Grace.

Guru Nanak Dev

(1469-1539) 5 Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Universal Message of Guru Nanak

• As all are created by the same God, they are equal and

deserve the same respect. No one becomes high or low based on

o Religious label

o Race

o Gender

o Caste

o Wealth or social standing

It is only through good or bad deeds that we become high or

low.

• He prescribed three “Golden Rules”: 1. Remember God,

2. Earn through honest labor and 3. Share with the needy.

• He and his successor nine Gurus transformed the exploited

and confused Peasantry of Punjab into a community of

Enlightened, Freedom loving & Self Respecting Saint

Soldiers 6 Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Teachings of the Sikh Gurus

• Individual Conduct

– Remember God

• Accept His Will Gracefully

– Earn living through honest work

– Share with Others

– Stay away from vices of lust, anger, greed, infatuation and vanity

• Social Conduct

– Compassion

• See God in everyone, everywhere and at all the times

– Fulfill your duties to your family and the community

– Seek company of God oriented people

• Political Conduct : Be proactive to ensure – Defense of the weak

– Equality and justice for all

– Liberty and freedom of faith

– Welfare of All

7 Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

The Present Guru

• Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, discontinued the line of Human succession for “Guruship”

• He vested the Granth Sahib with status of Eternal Living Guru i.e. the Guru living as a “Holy Word”

• Guru Granth Sahib contains writings of the Sikh Gurus and several saints of other faiths.

• Its message is truly universal in nature

A copy of Guru Granth Sahib

presides over all functions in

a Gurdwara. It is held in

greatest esteem by the Sikhs

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Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Guru Nanak’s Travels

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Some Stories From Life of Guru Nanak

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1. The True Bargain

2. Throwing Water to West at Haridwar

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… In Summary

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1. Milieu at time of Guru Nanak’s birth was the one in which the

humanity was being crushed by the oppressive rulers; was

confused by the bigotry, division of caste and useless rituals

preached by prevailing religions.

2. He breathed into people a fresh air by connecting them directly

with One God, unifying humanity and elevating a life of honest

work and compassion for the needy to the highest level.

3. He travelled widely, meeting people of different faiths. His

message liberated them from useless rituals and the divisions.

4. He conveyed the message he got directly from the divine

through poetry, sung and accompanied by a simple string

instrument Rabab.

5. He raised his voice against the oppressive rulers and was

imprisoned for this. But he set a great example for his followers.

6. He set up a succession of Sikh Gurus, who then carried his

mission forward and transformed the society. Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

BACKUP

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The Sikh Identity • Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th

Guru, founded the voluntary order of Khalsa

• “Khalsa” means ones belonging to God.

• “Khalsa” undergo a baptismal ceremony and dedicate themselves to live the high virtuous life preached by the Gurus.

• They also wear the five articles of faith.

– Kesh, the unshorn hair

– Kangha, a small wooden comb

– Kara, a steel bracelet

– Kirpan, a steel sword

– Kutcha, specially designed shorts

•The hair is covered with a

turban.

•These articles of faith give

Sikhs a special appearance. 13

Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh

Significance of the Sikh Identity

• The Sikh identity is the physical embodiment of a Sikh's commitment to social justice, equality, and spiritual growth

• It was developed during a time when the rulers in India denied people the freedom of faith. The people were too terrified to oppose this. The people were encouraged to renounce their faith and “blend in”

• The caste system stratified the people of India to the point where unity between people was impossible. The uniform nature of the Sikh appearance resists this stratification and yet its distinct features make blending in with the “crowd” impossible

• The Sikh identity marked the commitment “not to hide, but to standup and fight for the liberty of faith for all”, be “Saint soldiers” dedicated to making the world and our community a better place

14 Copyright © 2013 by Gurinder Pal Singh