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Nanak The Guru
Living Sikhi - Lesson Twelve

by VERONICA SIDHU


 

NANAK THE GURU

 

Lesson Objectives:

1   To review the names and importance of the three women we know were in Guru Nanak's life.

2   To discern what is important in the story of how Nanak came to be known as Guru Nanak.

3   To know where to look for the meaning of the story.

 

Teachers, ask the students to say the Sikh greeting with you; then fold hands and do simran with the students.

Going around the room, ask each student to tell the class one good quality they found in themselves. When everyone is finished, ask the students to close their eyes and think of their own mothers, sisters and brothers as if they were sitting in front of them. Mentally thank them for all the love they have given you. Then ask, are we loving to them like Mata Tripta and Bibi Nanaki were to Nanak?  Do we help our family like Bibi Nanaki and Mata Sulakhni did? Do we realize that only God really supports us to be good and God really supports them? This is what Nanak realized before he went on his mission.

A "mission" is a special assignment. It means that the person on a mission is sent to do something important. God sent Nanak on a mission. I'm going to send YOU on a mission today to discern what is important in this very short story.

Read All Men Are Brothers, starting with page 42 to the end of the first paragraph of 43.

The authors of this book say that the householder named Nanak spent very quiet time under a tree (2 days). Some other writers say he went into the river for a bath and did not re-emerge for three days. To people who write history, these details may be important. But let's discern what is really important in this story to those of us who are learning Sikhi.

What do you think is important in this story? Pause for answers. Right! It is important that Nanak chose to be very quiet and still, away from all people, worries, noise and distractions.

Right! It is important to know that Nanak went where no one could see him. If someone would have seen him, then we would know for sure exactly where he was during the time he was missing.

Right! What he said was very important. "There is no Hindu, there is no Musalman!" Let's listen most carefully to what he has to say. These words are very puzzling to everyone who heard them then, and even to many grown ups who hear them today. Obviously there were men and women who were Hindus and Muslims, the two major religions in Punjab at that time. Almost everyone belonged to either of these religions. So why would Nanak say such an outrageous thing?

The authors of the book give us one explanation that we will read now. But there is another one that gives us a clue to where the young man called Nanak went when he became our first Teacher, a man with a great mission, Guru Nanak Dev ji.

Read the rest of the story (pp 43-46).

There is no doubt that Nanak had now become a great Teacher. How did he get the courage to leave his nice job and then to challenge the religious leaders of his former boss? To know this and what he actually meant by the puzzling words he said when he returned, we have to read what else he says about it. His very words are contained in the great meditation poem called the Japji Sahib. Next week we will begin studying those words. They are just like a map. The map tells us how to get to a place. Nanak went to that place and when he returned, he was Guru Nanak Dev ji, a teacher for the whole world, now and forever.

Please ask your parents to help you with this important homework assignment:

Memorize the Mool Mantar in Punjabi:

Ik Onkar  - God is One

Sat Naam, Karta purakh - Truth is the Name. Creator

Nirbhau, Nirvair - Without fear, Without hate.

Akal moorat, Ajauni - Never dies, Never born.

Saibhang, Gurprasad - Self-realized. By Grace do we realize God.

Jap - Meditate (on this).

Aad such, Jugaad such - True from the beginning. Tue throughout the ages.

Hai bhee such -  True now

Nanak hosee bhee such -  True for all time to come.

 

Shabad: Jo maagay thakur upney tae sohe sohe deyvai

 

July 2, 2010

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Living Sikhi - Lesson Twelve"









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