On the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (first of the ten Sikh Gurus), here are some of the pictures I took this year during Nagar Kirtan and Miri Piri Day.
On this day and going forward let’s focus on some of Nanak's teachings which are understood to be practiced in three ways:
Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others, to give to charity, helping those with less or who are in need.
Kirat Karō: Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud. Guru Nanak emphasized that one must carry honesty throughout their life and to achieve their goals in an honest manner.
Nām Japō: Meditating on God's name to control the five weaknesses of the human personality (ego, greed, attachment, anger, and lust) and bring harmony and peace into one's personality.
Moreover, Guru Nanak stood up for gender equality at a time in India where women’s rights were poorly respected.
• ‘‘from woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to the woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without women, there would be no one at all”
– Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Ang, 473).
– Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Ang, 473).
Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed in the equality of everyone. He was blatantly refusing to follow patriarchy which was so dominant at that time. He believed it was important to treat women with respect and to view them as equals to men and give them all the opportunities that men get.
Finally, Guru Nanak provided many teachings that Sikhs routinely follow in their everyday lives, such as langar. The concept of langar, or free kitchen was intended to maintain the equity among all individuals, and not discriminating on religion, rank, shading, statement of faith, age, sex or economic well being.
