The Guru’s Teachings: From Sikhism’s Holy Scripture – Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Part 1 of 2

We now invite you to listen to the insightful teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (vegetarian), through excerpts from the sacred scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

“The True Lord and Master has come to dwell within my mind; my Lord and Master has become Merciful. Meeting with the Perfect True Guru, all my worldly entanglements have ended. O my True Guru, I am a sacrifice to You. I am a sacrifice to the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. By the Pleasure of Your Will, You have blessed me with the Ambrosial Naam, the Name of the Lord.

Those who have served You with love are truly wise. Those who have the Treasure of the Naam [the Name of the Lord] within emancipate others as well as themselves. There is no other Giver as great as the Guru, who has given the gift of the soul.”

“Act according to the Instructions of the True Guru; this is the true philosophy. Without being attuned to the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, all attachment to Maya is just dust. O my friend, reflect upon the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. In the Saadh Sangat, He dwells within the mind, and one’s works are brought to perfect fruition.”

“O Saints, O Siblings of Destiny, listen: release comes only through the True Name. Worship the Feet of the Guru. Let the Name of the Lord be your sacred shrine of pilgrimage. Hereafter, you shall be honored in the Court of the Lord; there, even the homeless find a home.”

“O Siblings of Destiny, service to the True Guru alone is True. When the True Guru is pleased, we obtain the Perfect, Unseen, Unknowable Lord.

I am a sacrifice to the True Guru, who has bestowed the True Name. Night and day, I praise the True One; I sing the Glorious Praises of the True One. True is the food, and true are the clothes, of those who chant the True Name of the True One. With each breath and morsel of food, do not forget the Guru, the Embodiment of Fulfillment. None is seen to be as great as the Guru. Meditate on Him twenty-four hours a day. As He casts His Glance of Grace, we obtain the True Name, the Treasure of Excellence. The Guru and the Transcendent Lord are one and the same, pervading and permeating amongst all. Those who have such pre-ordained destiny, meditate on the Naam. Nanak seeks the Sanctuary of the Guru, who does not die, or come and go in reincarnation.”