Compassion and humility were the hallmarks of the great enlightened master and founder of Sikhism. Born in 1469 in Punjab, India, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji traveled far and wide by foot, making long trips from as far as Mecca to present-day Myanmar, to share his simple message: Do honest work, meditate, and share with others. The peaceful and loving path of Sikhism has appealed to many devotees around the world. In global communities, many Sikh practitioners continue with their noble spiritual lineage of vegetarianism, meaning an animal free diet.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s wisdom and teachings, along with the gurus who succeeded him and those of other saints and masters, are embodied in the holy text of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Currently housed in the most sanctified Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the poetic, divine compositions form the basis for the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs. We present to you today an excerpt of the enlightened teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji from the Holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Thank you, wise viewers, for your company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Coming up next is Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. May you always be immersed in the mercy and love from Heaven.

We appreciate your charitable presence for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants is coming up next, right after Noteworthy News. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television. Wishing you a refreshing shower of wisdom and loving kindness from our Creator.

ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:

The body of the five elements is dyed in the Fear of the True One; the mind is filled with the True Light. O Nanak, your demerits shall be forgotten; the Guru shall preserve your honor.

O Nanak, the Boat of Truth will ferry you across; contemplate the Guru. Some come, and some go; they are totally filled with egotism. Through stubborn-mindedness, the intellect is drowned; one who becomes Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) and truthful is saved. Without the Guru, how can anyone swim across to find peace? As it pleases You, Lord, You save me. There is no other for me at all.

In front of me, I see the jungle burning; behind me, I see green plants sprouting. We shall merge into the One from whom we came. The True One is pervading each and every heart. He Himself unites us in Union with Himself; the True Mansion of His Presence is close at hand. With each and every breath, I dwell upon You; I shall never forget You. The more the Lord and Master dwells within the mind, the more the Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar.

Mind and body are Yours; You are my Master. Please rid me of my pride, and let me merge with You. The One who formed this universe created the creation of the three worlds. The Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) knows the Divine Light, while the foolish self-willed manmukh (one who follows his or her desires) gropes around in the darkness. One who sees that Light within each and every heart understands the Essence of the Guru's Teachings. Those who understand are Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings); recognize and applaud them. They meet and merge with the True One. They become the Radiant Manifestation of the Excellence of the True One. O Nanak, they are contented with the Naam, the Name of the Lord. They offer their bodies and souls to God.

Listen, O my mind, my friend, my darling: now is the time to meet the Lord. As long as there is youth and breath, give this body to Him. Without virtue, it is useless; the body shall crumble into a pile of dust. O my mind, earn the profit, before you return home. The Gurmukh (Truth seeker) praises the Naam (the Name of the Lord), and the fire of egotism is extinguished.

Again and again, we hear and tell stories; we read and write and understand loads of knowledge, but still, desires increase day and night, and the disease of egotism fills us with corruption. That Carefree Lord cannot be appraised; His Real Value is known only through the Wisdom of the Guru's Teachings. Even if someone has hundreds of thousands of clever mental tricks, and the love and company of hundreds of thousands of people – still, without the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, he will not feel satisfied.

Without the Name, all suffer in sorrow. Chanting the Name of the Lord, O my soul, you shall be emancipated; as Gurmukh (Truth seeker), you shall come to understand your own self. I have sold my body and mind to the Guru, and I have given my mind and head as well. I was seeking and searching for Him throughout the three worlds; then, as Gurmukh (Truth seeker), I sought and found Him. The True Guru has united me in Union, O Nanak, with that God.

I have no anxiety about dying, and no hope of living. You are the Cherisher of all beings; You keep the account of our breaths and morsels of food. You abide within the Gurmukh (Truth seeker). As it pleases You, You decide our allotment. O my soul, chant the Name of the Lord; the mind will be pleased and appeased.

The raging fire within is extinguished; the Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) obtains spiritual wisdom. Know the state of your inner being; meet with the Guru and get rid of your skepticism. To reach your True Home after you die, you must conquer death while you are still alive. The beautiful, Unstruck Sound of the Shabad (Essence of God) is obtained, contemplating the Guru. The Unstruck Melody of Gurbani (Guru’s word) is obtained, and egotism is eliminated. I am forever a sacrifice to those who serve their True Guru. They are dressed in robes of honor in the Court of the Lord; the Name of the Lord is on their lips. Wherever I look, I see the Lord pervading there, in the union of Shiva and Shakti, of consciousness and matter.

The three qualities hold the body in bondage; whoever comes into the world is subject to their play. Those who separate themselves from the Lord wander lost in misery. The self-willed manmukhs (those who follow their own desires) do not attain union with Him. If the mind becomes balanced and detached, and comes to dwell in its own true home, imbued with the Fear of God, then it enjoys the essence of supreme spiritual wisdom; it shall never feel hunger again. O Nanak, conquer and subdue this mind; meet with the Lord, and you shall never again suffer in pain.

This foolish mind is greedy; through greed, it becomes even more attached to greed. The evil-minded shaaktas, the faithless cynics, are not attuned to the Shabad (Essence of God); they come and go in reincarnation. One who meets with the Holy True Guru finds the Treasure of Excellence. O mind, renounce your egotistical pride. Serve the Lord, the Guru, the Sacred Pool, and you shall be honored in the Court of the Lord.

Chant the Name of the Lord day and night; become Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings), and know the Wealth of the Lord. All comforts and peace, and the Essence of the Lord, are enjoyed by acquiring spiritual wisdom in the Society of the Saints. Day and night, continually serve the Lord God; the True Guru has given the Naam (the Name of the Lord).

Those who slander the Guru shall burn in their own fire. They wander lost and confused, deceived by doubt, suffering in terrible pain. The Messenger of Death shall beat them to a pulp. The self-willed manmukhs (those who follow their own desires) find no peace, while the Gurmukhs (those who follow the Guru’s teachings) are wondrously joyful. In this world, people are engrossed in false pursuits, but in the world hereafter, only the account of your true actions is accepted. The Guru serves the Lord, His Intimate Friend. The Guru's actions are supremely exalted. O Nanak, never forget the Naam, the Name of the Lord; the True Lord shall bless you with His Mark of Grace.

Forgetting the Beloved, even for a moment, the mind is afflicted with terrible diseases. How can honor be attained in His Court, if the Lord does not dwell in the mind? Meeting with the Guru, peace is found. The fire is extinguished in His Glorious Praises. O mind, enshrine the Praises of the Lord, day and night. One who does not forget the Naam (the Name of the Lord), for a moment or even an instant – how rare is such a person in this world!

When one's light merges into the Light, and one's intuitive consciousness is joined with the Intuitive Consciousness, then one's cruel and violent instincts and egotism depart, and skepticism and sorrow are taken away. The Lord abides within the mind of the Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings), who merges in the Lord's Union, through the Guru. If I surrender my body like a bride, the Enjoyer will enjoy me.

The Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) puts out the four fires, with the Water of the Lord's Name. The lotus blossoms deep within the heart, and filled with Ambrosial Nectar, one is satisfied. O Nanak, make the True Guru your friend; going to His Court, you shall obtain the True Lord.

Meditate on the Lord, Har, Har, O my beloved; follow the Guru's Teachings, and speak of the Lord. Apply the Touchstone of Truth to your mind, and see if it comes up to its full weight. No one has found the worth of the ruby of the heart; its value cannot be estimated. O Siblings of Destiny, the Diamond of the Lord is within the Guru. The True Guru is found in the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation. Day and night, praise the Word of His Shabad (Essence of God).

The True Merchandise, Wealth and Capital are obtained through the Radiant Light of the Guru. Just as fire is extinguished by pouring on water, desire becomes the slave of the Lord's slaves. The Messenger of Death will not touch you; in this way, you shall cross over the terrifying world-ocean, carrying others across with you. The Gurmukhs (those who follow the Guru’s teachings) do not like falsehood. They are imbued with Truth; they love only Truth.

The shaaktas, the faithless cynics, do not like the Truth; false are the foundations of the false. Imbued with Truth, you shall meet the Guru. The true ones are absorbed into the True Lord. Within the mind are emeralds and rubies, the Jewel of the Naam (Essence of God), treasures and diamonds. The Naam is the True Merchandise and Wealth; in each and every heart, His Presence is deep and profound. O Nanak, the Gurmukh (one who follow the Guru’s teachings) finds the Diamond of the Lord, by His Kindness and Compassion.

The fire of doubt is not extinguished, even by wandering through foreign lands and countries. If inner filth is not removed, one's life is cursed, and one's clothes are cursed. There is no other way to perform devotional worship, except through the Teachings of the True Guru. O mind, become Gurmukh (one who follow the Guru’s teachings), and extinguish the fire within. Let the Words of the Guru abide within your mind; let egotism and desires die.

The jewel of the mind is priceless; through the Name of the Lord, honor is obtained. Join the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, and find the Lord. The Gurmukh (one who follows the Guru’s teachings) embraces love for the Lord. Give up your selfishness, and you shall find peace; like water mingling with water, you shall merge in absorption.

Those who have not contemplated the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, are unworthy; they come and go in reincarnation. One who has not met with the True Guru, the Primal Being, is bothered and bewildered in the terrifying world-ocean. This jewel of the soul is priceless, and yet it is being squandered like this, in exchange for a mere shell. Those who joyfully meet with the True Guru are perfectly fulfilled and wise. Meeting with the Guru, they cross over the terrifying world-ocean. In the Court of the Lord, they are honored and approved. O Nanak, their faces are radiant; the Music of the Shabad, the Word of God, wells up within them.

Make your deals, dealers, and take care of your merchandise. Buy that object which will go along with you. In the next world, the All-knowing Merchant will take this object and care for it. O Siblings of Destiny, chant the Lord's Name, and focus your consciousness on Him. Take the Merchandise of the Lord's Praises with you.

Your Husband Lord shall see this and approve. Those who do not have the Assets of Truth – how can they find peace? By dealing their deals of falsehood, their minds and bodies become false. They suffer in terrible agony; they continually cry out in pain. |The counterfeit coins are not put into the Treasury; they do not obtain the Blessed Vision of the Lord-Guru. The false ones have no social status or honor. No one succeeds through falsehood. Practicing falsehood again and again, people come and go in reincarnation, and forfeit their honor. O Nanak, instruct your mind through the Word of the Guru's Shabad (Essence of God), and praise the Lord. Those who are imbued with the love of the Name of the Lord are not loaded down by doubt. Those who chant the Name of the Lord earn great profits; the Fearless Lord abides within their minds.

Wealth, the beauty of youth and flowers are guests for only a few days. Like the leaves of the water-lily, they wither and fade and finally die. Be happy, dear beloved, as long as your youth is fresh and delightful. But your days are few – you have grown weary, and now your body has grown old.

My playful friends have gone to sleep in the graveyard. In my double-mindedness, I shall have to go as well. I cry in a feeble voice.

|Prays Nanak, please hear my prayer: You are the pool, and You are the soul-swan. You are the lotus flower of the day and You are the water-lily of the night. You Yourself behold them, and blossom forth in bliss.

Make this body the field, and plant the seed of good actions. Water it with the Name of the Lord, who holds all the world in His Hands. Let your mind be the farmer; the Lord shall sprout in your heart, and you shall attain the state of Nirvana (Eternal Bliss). You fool! Why are you so proud of Maya (illusion)? Father, children, spouse, mother and all relatives – they shall not be your helpers in the end.

So weed out evil, wickedness and corruption; leave these behind, and let your soul meditate on God. When chanting, austere meditation and self-discipline become your protectors, then the lotus blossoms forth, and the honey trickles out. Bring the twenty-seven elements of the body under your control, and throughout the three stages of life, remember death. See the Infinite Lord in the ten directions, and in all the variety of nature. Says Nanak, in this way, the One Lord shall carry you across. ||

Make good deeds the soil, and let the Word of the Shabad (Essence of God) be the seed; irrigate it continually with the water of Truth. Become such a farmer, and faith will sprout. This brings knowledge of heaven and hell, you fool! Do not think that your Husband Lord can be obtained by mere words. You are wasting this life in the pride of wealth and the splendor of beauty.

The defect of the body which leads to sin is the mud puddle, and this mind is the frog, which does not appreciate the lotus flower at all. The bumble bee is the teacher who continually teaches the lesson. But how can one understand, unless one is made to understand? This speaking and listening is like the song of the wind, for those whose minds are colored by the love of Maya (illusion).

The Grace of the Master is bestowed upon those who meditate on Him alone. They are pleasing to His Heart. You may observe the thirty fasts, and say the five prayers each day, but 'Satan' can undo them. Says Nanak, you will have to walk on the Path of Death, so why do you bother to collect wealth and property? He is the Master who has made the world bloom; He makes the Universe blossom forth, fresh and green. He holds the water and the land in bondage. Hail to the Creator Lord!

The True Creator Lord is, and shall always be. He was not born; He shall not die. You may chant your prayers five times each day; you may read the Bible and the Koran. Says Nanak, the grave is calling you, and now your food and drink are finished. The dogs of greed are with me. In the early morning, they continually bark at the wind.

|I have not followed good advice, nor have I done good deeds. I am deformed and horribly disfigured. Your Name alone, Lord, saves the world. This is my hope; this is my support. With my mouth I speak slander, day and night. I spy on the houses of others – I am such a wretched low-life! Unfulfilled sexual desire and unresolved anger dwell in my body, like the outcasts who cremate the dead.

I make plans to trap others, although I appear gentle. I am a robber – I rob the world. I am very clever – I carry loads of sin. I have not appreciated what You have done for me, Lord; I take from others and exploit them. What face shall I show You, Lord? I am a sneak and a thief. Nanak describes the state of the lowly.

There is one awareness among all created beings. None have been created without this awareness. As is their awareness, so is their way. According to the account of our actions, we come and go in reincarnation. Why, O soul, do you try such clever tricks? Taking away and giving back, God does not delay.

All beings belong to You; all beings are Yours. O Lord and Master, how can You become angry with them? Even if You, O Lord and Master, become angry with them, still, You are theirs, and they are Yours. We are foul-mouthed; we spoil everything with our foul words. You weigh us in the balance of Your Glance of Grace. When one's actions are right, the understanding is perfect. Without good deeds, it becomes more and more deficient. Prays Nanak, what is the nature of the spiritual people? They are self-realized; they understand God. By Guru's Grace, they contemplate Him; such spiritual people are honored in His Court.

You are the River, All-knowing and All-seeing. I am just a fish – how can I find Your limit? Wherever I look, You are there. Outside of You, I would burst and die. I do not know of the fisherman, and I do not know of the net. But when the pain comes, then I call upon You.

You are present everywhere. I had thought that You were far away. Whatever I do, I do in Your Presence. You see all my actions, and yet I deny them. I have not worked for You, or Your Name. Whatever You give me, that is what I eat. There is no other door – unto which door should I go? Nanak offers this one prayer: this body and soul are totally Yours. He Himself is near, and He Himself is far away; He Himself is in-between. He Himself beholds, and He Himself listens. By His Creative Power, He created the world. Whatever pleases Him, O Nanak – that Command is acceptable.

Why should the created beings feel pride in their minds? The Gift is in the Hands of the Great Giver. As it pleases Him, He may give, or not give. What can be done by the order of the created beings? He Himself is True; Truth is pleasing to His Will. The spiritually blind are unripe and imperfect, inferior and worthless.

The One who owns the trees of the forest and the plants of the garden – according to their nature, He gives them all their names. The Flower and the Fruit of the Lord's Love are obtained by pre-ordained destiny. As we plant, so we harvest and eat. The wall of the body is temporary, as is the soul-mason within it. The flavor of the intellect is bland and insipid without the Salt. O Nanak, as He wills, He makes things right. Without the Name, no one is approved.

The Undeceiveable is not deceived by deception. He cannot be wounded by any dagger. As our Lord and Master keeps us, so do we exist. The soul of this greedy person is tossed this way and that. Without the oil, how can the lamp be lit?

Let the reading of your prayer book be the oil, and let the Fear of God be the wick for the lamp of this body. Light this lamp with the understanding of Truth. Use this oil to light this lamp. Light it, and meet your Lord and Master.

This body is softened with the Word of the Guru's Bani; you shall find peace, doing seva (selfless service).

All the world continues coming and going in reincarnation. In the midst of this world, do seva, and you shall be given a place of honor in the Court of the Lord. Says Nanak, swing your arms in joy!