Ten gurus name: Sikh Gurus — Ten Sikh Gurus — List of Sikh Gurus
Posted onTen Sikh Gurus – Sikh Dharma International
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Nanak is the first Sikh Guru. He lived for 70 years. He was born in Talwandi, Pakistan and left his physical body in Kartapur Ravi, Pakistan. His father’s name was Mehta Kalyan Chand, but was known as Kalu Ji. His mother’s name was Mata Tripta Ji. His wife’s name was Mata Sulakhni Ji. He had two sons. His elder son was Baba Sri Chand Ji and his second son was Baba Lakshmi Das Ji.
Born into a Hindu family, Guru Nanak rejected the notion of divisions between people based on religion. He taught the Oneness of the Creator and the fundamental brotherhood and sisterhood of all. He stated that the experience of the Divine dwelled within every person, so there was no difference between people based on caste, creed, gender or nationality. His simple but profound philosophy rested on recognizing the fundamental Divinity of all people. When lived in an awareness of the Divine Light within all, human life could become a profound experience of love, truth, patience, peace and contentment
Guru Nanak achieved his state of enlightenment, or realization, sometime around the age of 30. After disappearing into a river and meditating in the water for three days, Guru Nanak emerged having had a powerful vision of the nature of reality, Divinity and human existence. He recorded that vision in a song – known as Japji Sahib – the Song of the Soul. With Japji Sahib, humanity has a rare picture of what a Master experienced at the moment of his enlightenment described in his own words.
Japji Sahib became the foundation of this new spiritual tradition. After his enlightenment, Guru Nanak spent 15 years traveling through India, Asia and Persia. He brought people together of all traditions and sang Divine songs in praise of the Creator, the Creation and the journey of the spirit through time and space. During this time, he also collected songs from other mystics that resonated with his own visions and experience of the Divine. After his travels, he settled down and lived as a farmer, continuing to teach those who came to learn from him.
Additional Articles About Guru Nanak:
- Guru Nanak Brought the Revolution by Siri Singh Sahib Ji
- In the Age of Aquarius, Be the North Star
- Article About the Mool Mantra from Japji Sahib
- Read more about Guru Nanak Here
Sikh Art by Bhagat Singh Bedi – www. sikhiart.com
Guru Angad is the second Sikh Guru. He was born in Sarai Matta, India. His father’s name was Pheru Mall Ji and his mother was Daya Kaur Ji. He married Mata Khivi. They had two sons Dassu Ji and Dattu Ji and two daughters Bibi Amro Ji and Bibi Anokhi Ji.
Guru Angad continued sharing the teachings of Guru Nanak. He also entered states of mystical vision and wrote songs from his own experience. To help the community learn to sing these songs, Guru Angad standardized the Gurmukhi script. Gurmukhi means “from the mouth of the Guru.” With very easy and clear rules of pronunciation, the Gurmukhi script allowed people to pronounce the songs of Guru Nanak, Guru Angad and the songs of the mystics from other lands and languages that Guru Nanak had collected. In some ways, it could be said that Gurmukhi was the world’s first tape-recorder – for it was an alphabet devised to re-create sound – regardless of the particular language a song was written in.
Under Guru Angad’s instruction, his wife Mata Khivi further developed langar– or the community meal. In India, people of different castes or social classes did not eat meals together. Guru Nanak began a tradition of having people of all castes sit together and eat together – as a way to create community among people and break the false divisions of social class. Mata Khivi was instrumental in seeing that this tradition of eating together flourished into an institution during the second Guru’s reign.
Read more about Guru Angad Here
Sikh Art by Bhagat Singh Bedi – www.sikhiart.com
Guru Amar Das is the third Sikh Guru. He was born in Basarke, India. His father’s name was Tej Bhan Ji and his mother was Mata Lakhmi Ji. His wife was Mata Mansa Devi Ji. They had two sons and two daughters. His sons were Mohan Ji and Mohri Ji and his daughters were Bibi Dani Ji and Bibi Bhani Ji.
By the time that Guru Amar Das become Guru, he was already an old man. He continued to share and expand the teachings of the Gurus. He also had mystical experiences and shared those experiences through song. He composed the Anand Sahib, the Song of Bliss, which is one of the five daily prayers for someone who has taken Amrit. He wrote many other compositions, as well.
Guru Amar Das founded langar, or community meals, in many places. He also trained ministers to support and share the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. During his lifetime, he specially trained and commissioned 52 female ministers and 22 male ministers to go into particular regions and serve. He taught humility, service, dedication, equality, honor and respect to women.
Read more about Guru Amar Das Here
Sikh Art by Bhagat Singh Bedi – www.sikhiart.com
Guru Ram Das is the fourth Sikh Guru. He was born in Lahore, Pakistan. His father’s name was Hardas Ji Sodhi and his mother was Mata Daya Kaur Ji. He married the daughter of Guru Amar Das, Bibi Bhani Ji.
Like the preceding Sikh Gurus, Guru Ram Das had mystical visions and wrote songs explaining the nature of the Divine and the human experience. Among his compositions is the Lavaan – the Sikh wedding ceremony – which he composed on his own wedding day to Bibi Bhani. He also wrote four songs known as the Engagement Shabads as well as many other compositions.
Guru Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar and began the process of building the Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) which is the most sacred temple for Sikhs around the world. He undertook the excavation of the tank of water which surrounds the Temple. The water is legendary for its healing powers. He created the Harimandir Sahib so that it would have four doors – one on each side of the building – meaning that is was open to people of every caste, background, language and religion.
Guru Ram Das also encouraged people to start small businesses. He helped establish Amritsar as the religious center for the Sikhs.
Read the article Hail Guru Ram Das and Heal the World by Siri Singh Sahib Ji. Click here.
Watch a beautiful video story about the miracle of Guru Ram Das, who is known as the Lord of Miracles here.
Read more about Guru Ram Das Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Arjan is the fifth Sikh Guru. He was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das. He was born in Goindwal, India. He breathed his last in Lahore, Pakistan where the Gurdwara of Dehra Sahib was established. His mother was Mata Bhani Ji. His wife was Mata Ganga Ji, They had only one son, Hargobind, who became Guru Hargobind Sahib.
Guru Arjan completed the work of his father by finishing the construction of the Harimandir Sahib.
Guru Arjan also undertook the tremendous task of creating the Adi Granth, which became the predecessor to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Recognizing that the Shabad Guru was the base of the Sikh practice, Guru Arjan created a compilation of sacred songs that included the songs of the previous Sikh Gurus, songs from Hindu and Sufi mystics, and his own sacred writings. As a master, Guru Arjan could hear whether a song was in the sound current of the Shabad – and those songs that clearly came from the Universal Teachings were incorporated into the work. Guru Arjan viewed the Adi Granth as holding the eternal, universal wisdom of the Shabad Guru. While working on the Adi Granth, he would keep the Adi Granth on his bed and himself sleep next to it on the floor – like a servant. The Adi Granth exemplified the Sikh Gurus’ teachings that the Word, itself, is the Teacher – not a human person.
During this period of time, the community that surrounded Guru Arjan thrived and became very prosperous. Through a series of political intrigues, the sovereignty of Guru Arjan and his people were challenged by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. To protect the independence of the community, Guru Arjan allowed himself to be tortured for five days and five nights. He was chained to a hot metal plate while his captors poured burning sand on his body. Guru Arjan smiled the entire time, for he saw the hand of the Divine behind it all. He saw the One Creator playing every part in the torture and recognized his Union with the Creator. After five days and nights, Guru Arjan was permitted to bathe in a nearby river. Guru Arjan dove into the water and dissolved into Light. His physical body was never seen again.
Additional Articles About Guru Arjan:
- Guru Arjan on the Hotplate
- The Power of the Narayan Shabad
- Read more about Guru Arjan Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Hargobind is the sixth Sikh Guru. He was born in Wadali, India and breathed his last at Kiratpur, India. His father was Guru Arjan and his mother was Mata Ganga Ji. His wives were Mata Damodri Ji, Mata Nanaki Ji, and Mata Mahan Devi Ji. He had five sons and a daughter.
After the death of Guru Arjan, the Sikh community went through a profound change. For 100 years, they had developed a deep meditative tradition founded in peace and tolerance. After the sacrifice of his father, however, Guru Hargobind recognized the need for the community to be able to defend itself. This started the martial practice of the Sikhs. Guru Hargobind became a powerful warrior and trained the Sikhs to fight.
The Sikh martial tradition, however, stayed rooted in the principles of peace and tolerance taught by the first Sikh Gurus. The Sikh warrior would only defend – never attack. In the coming centuries, in the midst of relentless religious persecution, the Sikhs would be called upon to protect the rights of all people to practice their religion freely. The Sikh warriors never started a fight. They never took the property of others. They never used force as a means to enslave people. The Sikh warriors used their strength to defend themselves against unjust attacks, and to defend those who could not defend themselves.
Guru Hargobind created the martial art of the Sikhs – called Gatka. He also built the Akal Takhat, or the Throne of the Undying One, next to the Harimandir Sahib. The throne was a statement that the Sikh community was sovereign in its spiritual identity, and was self-governing in its social/political identity. This principle came to be known as Miri Piri. It was a direct statement to the ruling Emperor of the time that the Sikhs considered no one to have higher authority in their lives than God and Guru.
Guru Hargobind fought many battles in his life to protect the fundamental human rights of the people living at that time.
Read more about Guru Hargobind Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Har Rai is the seventh Sikh Guru. He was the grandson of Guru Hargobind. He is known as the “tender-hearted” Guru. He was born in Kiratpur, India. His father was Guruditta Ji (son of Guru Hargobind Ji) and his mother was Mata Nihal Kaur Ji. His wife was Mata Kishan Kaur Ji, also known as Mata Sulakhni Ji.
After the battles and wars of Guru Hargobind’s time, the 7th Sikh Guru ushered in a time of healing and peace. As a child, when walking with his grandfather, Har Rai’s robes brushed a rose bush and all of the petals fell off one of the roses. Har Rai wept at what he had done. Guru Hargobind instructed the boy that he should never fight in battle. When Guru Hargobind passed the mantle of the Guruship to Guru Har Rai, he told him to never fight, but to take a security guard of 2500 people with him wherever he travelled so that he would always be protected.
Guru Har Rai was an amazing herbalist and healer. He was famous for his use of natural medicine, and kept a beautiful herbal garden from which he made his remedies. He was also quite good at hunting, but never killed any animals. Instead, he would capture the animals, then bring them back to the town and place them in a zoo for the community to enjoy.
Read more about Guru Har Rai Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab. com
Guru Har Krishan is the eighth Sikh Guru. He became Guru at the age of five and breathed his last at the age of 8 in New Delhi, India, where the Gurdwara of Bangala Sahib has been established. He was born at Kiratpur, India. His father was Guru Har Rai and his mother was Mata Kishan Kaur.
When the Guruship passed to a young child of 5, there were some in the community who could not believe that a little boy could lead them. One such person, Lal Chand, challenged Guru Har Krishan to debate the meaning of scripture. In response, Guru Har Krishan requested that Lal Chand go and find someone to speak on the Guru’s behalf. Lal Chand searched the town and brought a deaf, mute and illiterate water-carrier, Chhaju Ram, to speak on the Guru’s behalf. Guru Har Krishan touched the head of the water carrier with his shoe. Suddenly Chhaju Ram became awakened – and proceeded to give a simple but profoundly moving discourse on the meaning of scripture. Lal Chand begged for forgiveness from Guru Har Krishan and the community fully accepted the child’s ability to lead the community.
There was an epidemic of smallpox in Delhi. Guru Har Krishan went to the place where the outbreak had occurred and through his blessing, a spring of sacred water appeared that could heal the people of the illness. He took on the suffering and sickness of the area, taking on smallpox himself – giving his life to help save the lives of others.
Read more about Guru Har Krishan Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Teg Bahadur is the ninth Sikh Guru. He was born in Amritsar, India and breathed his last in Delhi, India. He was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind. His mother was Mata Nanki Ji. His wife was Mata Gujri Ji. He was the grandson of Guru Arjan Dev and his son was Gobind Rai who later became Guru Gobind Singh.
From the time of his youth, Guru Teg Bahadur had a deeply meditative nature. He spent many years before becoming the Guru in meditation. His wife participated with him in his rigorous meditative practices. Like the first five Sikh Gurus, Guru Teg Bahadur had mystical experiences of the Shabad and shared his experiences through song. Like Guru Nanak, he travelled far and wide – establishing new communities and nurturing existing communities that hadn’t been visited by any of the Sikh Gurus since the time of Guru Nanak.
The end of his life was a tremendous testament to the Sikh commitment of inter-faith tolerance and the right of each individual to follow his or her own religious path freely. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had begun a vicious campaign of conversion – where the Hindu leaders were asked to accept Islam or suffer inhumane torture and death. A group of Hindu leaders came to Guru Teg Bahadur and asked them to intercede on their behalf with Aurangzeb. Knowing it meant his own death, Guru Teg Bahadur agreed. He made an offer to the Emperor – that if the Emperor could convert him, all of the Hindu leaders would accept Islam. But if the Emperor could not convert him, then the Hindus would be left in peace.
Guru Teg Bahadur, along with three of his Sikhs – Bhai Matti Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala, willingly allowed themselves to be locked in Aurangzeb’s prison and subjected to truly horrific torture. The three Sikhs died. Guru Teg Bahadur’s torture, however, continued. The Emperor would ask the Guru for some sign that he was a holy many – some miracle. But Guru Teg Bahadur refused to perform any miracles and refused to convert. Instead, he would ask his torturers, “Why are we spending our time together this way? We could be meditating and praying together, instead.” Eventually, the Emperor realized that his prisoner would not convert. Rather than freeing Guru Teg Bahadur, he ordered the Guru’s head to be chopped off.
Before agreeing to go to prison, Guru Teg Bahadur had written a note to the Emperor to be delivered to the Emperor after the Guru’s death. When the note was delivered, Guru Teg Bahadur had written very simply. “This, then, is the greatest miracle. That I gave my head, but not my faith. ”
Read more about Guru Teg Bahadur Here
Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com
Guru Gobind Rai, who later became Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth Sikh Guru. He lived for 42 years. He was born in Patna, India and he breathed his last in Nanded, India, where the Gurdwara of Hazoor Sahib is established. His father was Guru Teg Bahadur and his mother was Mata Gujri. His wives were Mata Jeeto, Mata Sundari and Mata Sahib Kaur. He had four sons, Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh.
Young Gobind Rai, the son of Guru Teg Bahadur, was only 9 years old at the time of his father’s confinement, torture and death. The experience impacted him very deeply. In the coming years, the Sikhs would be called on again and again to fight Aurangzeb’s forces and protect the people from religious bigotry and persecution.
In order to create a society of people willing to lay down their lives to protect the dignity and divinity of all humanity, Guru Gobind Rai through the guidance of the Creator gave the Sikhs Amrit. For the full story of how the Amrit Ceremony developed in the Sikh tradition, please read The First Baisakhi. Guru Gobind Rai took Amrit from the hands of his own Sikhs and was reborn as Guru Gobind Singh. The Order of the Khalsa was established – a group of men and women dedicated to living in equality and peace, but willing to fight and lay down their lives to protect themselves and others from injustice and tyranny.
In the battles that followed, Guru Gobind Singh’s two eldest sons died in the fight. The two younger sons were captured by a Governor in league with Aurangzeb. The younger sons were bricked alive inside a wall and died.
Yet despite losing his children, Guru Gobind Singh stayed surrendered to the Will of the Divine. He said that his children had come to him from the Creator. And that he understood it was time to send them back home. When a few of his Sikhs attempted to gather the bodies of his two eldest sons on the battlefield, Guru Gobind Singh asked them what they were doing. They replied that they wanted to give his sons a proper funeral. Guru Gobind Singh told them that they should then stop and pick up all of the bodies – for all of the boys and men lying dead on the battlefield were equally his sons.
During Guru Gobind Singh’s life, the Adi Granth compiled by his great-grandfather Guru Arjan was lost. Guru Gobind Singh set up his camp and dictated the entire Adi Granth from memory. He also included in it the songs of his father, Guru Teg Bahadur. The result was the creation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
At the end of his life, in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh passed the mantle of the Guruship to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This ended the time of the physical Gurus of the Sikhs. And began the reign of the Shabad Guru, itself, as the Spiritual Light and Guide for the Sikh community.
Additional Articles about Guru Gobind Singh:
- Guru Gobind Singh’s Birth: by Siri Singh Sahib Ji
- Order of the Khalsa
- Read more about Guru Gobind Singh Here
Sikh Guru Name List |
Here on this page we have provided you names of all Sikh Gurus list chronologically. With Their names and images we have provided their parents name, Date of their Birth, Date of their guruship, Date of their death, age at the time of their death.
After the list few important details about them is also mentioned.
Name of Sikh Gurus |
Sikh Gurus |
His Father’s Name |
His Mother’s Name |
Date of birth |
Become Guru on |
Date of death |
Age at death |
|
Guru Nanak Dev |
Mehta Kalu |
Mata Tripta |
15 April 1469 |
22 September 1539 |
||||
Guru Angad |
Baba Pheru |
Mata Ramo |
31 March 1504 |
7 September 1539 |
29 March 1552 |
|||
Guru Amar Das |
Tej Bhan Bhalla |
Bakht Kaur |
5 May 1479 |
26 March 1552 |
1 September 1574 |
|||
Guru Ram Das |
Baba Hari Das |
Mata Daya Vati |
24 September 1534 |
1 September 1574 |
1 September 1581 |
|||
Guru Arjan |
Ram Das |
Mata Bhani |
15 April 1563 |
1 September 1581 |
30 May 1606 |
|||
Guru Har Gobind |
Arjun Dev |
Mata Ganga |
19 June 1595 |
25 May 1606 |
28 February 1644 |
|||
Guru Har Rai |
Baba Gurditta |
Mata Nihal Kaur |
16 January 1630 |
3 March 1644 |
6 October 1661 |
|||
Guru Har Krishan |
Hari Rai |
Mata Krishan Kaur |
7 July 1656 |
6 October 1661 |
30 March 1664 |
|||
Guru Tegh Bahadur |
Hari Gobind |
Mata Nanki |
1 April 1621 |
20 March 1665 |
11 November 1675 |
|||
Guru Gobind Singh |
Teg Bahadur |
Mata Gujri |
1 April 1621 |
11 November 1675 |
11 November 1675 |
|||
Guru Granth Sahib |
7 October 1708 |
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10 Gurus of Sikh: Their Names, Teachings, History
- Deepak Kamboj
- Oct 25th, 2010
- 209 Views
In this article, we will briefly discuss about all the ten Gurus of Sikhism, focusing on their names, teachings, and history. Beginning with Guru Nanak and the founding of Sikhism, we’ll discuss their succession, ending with the tenth leader, Guru Gobind Singh. All ten Sikh gurus were born in Hinduism.
What Are the Sikh Gurus?
Founded in the Punjabi region of India over 500 years ago, one would think the Sikh religion would have more than ten Gurus, who are holy leaders and teachers. Sikhism developed in an area where contact between Muslims and Hindus occurred frequently with periods of cooperation and conflict. Sikhism, while sharing some traits with each, is a completely separate religion that follows a single god but believes that all religions follow this god in their own way. Let’s look at how each Guru helped shape Sikhism.
Sikhism is classified as an Indian religion along with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
The basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. Sikh ethics emphasize the congruence between spiritual development and everyday moral conduct. Its founder Guru Nanak summarized this perspective as: «Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living.» Sikhism lays emphasis on Ėk nūr te sab jag upjiā, ‘From the one light, the entire universe welled up.'[citation needed]
Concept of God
Some sources call Sikhism a monotheistic religion, while others call it a monistic and panentheistic religion. According to Nesbitt (2005), English renderings of Sikhism as a monotheistic religion «tend misleadingly to reinforce a Semitic understanding of monotheism, rather than Guru Nanak’s mystical awareness of the one that is expressed through the many. However, what is not in doubt is the emphasis on ‘one’.»
In Sikhism, the overall concept of God is Waheguru (‘wondrous Teacher’) considered to be nirankar (‘shapeless’), akal (‘timeless’), karta purakh (‘the creator’), and agam agochar (‘incomprehensible and invisible’).
God has no gender in Sikhism, though translations may present it as masculine. It is also akaal purkh (‘beyond time and space’) and nirankar (‘without form’). In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which it has created life.
The Sikh scripture begins with God as ik onkar (ੴ), the ‘formless one’, understood in the Sikh tradition as monotheistic unity of God. Ik onkar (sometimes capitalized) is more loosely rendered ‘the one supreme reality’, ‘the one creator’, ‘the all-pervading spirit’, and other ways of expressing a diffused but unified and singular sense of God and creation.
The traditional Mul Mantar goes from ik onkar until Nanak hosee bhee sach.[clarification needed] The opening line of the Guru Granth Sahib and each subsequent raga, mentions ik onkar:
Mul Mantar of Sikhism
ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ॥
ikk ōankār sat(i)-nām(u) karatā purakh(u) nirabha’u niravair(u) akāl(a) mūrat(i) ajūnī saibhan gur(a) prasād(i).
«There is one supreme being, the eternal reality, the creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the true Guru.»
— Guru Granth Sahib (17th c.), p. 1
Prakash (Gurmukhi: ਪਰਕਾਸ਼) is a Punjabi word meaning «light, radiance, awakening, enlightenment» and is also the name given to the ceremony for the «act of bringing the Sri Guru Granth Sahib from the Sachkhand to the Darbar hall». This is normally done at about dawn time every day at all Sikh Gurdwaras.
The Guru Granth Sahib is a large volume and usually stored overnight in one location called the Sachkhand and is like a special bedroom. However, during the day, the Guru Granth Sahib is seated on a raised stage (Palki Sahib) as the focal point in a congregation or Gurdwara. When being brought to the open court it is carried on ones head to symbolize that it is above human ego. This is done while chanting of sacred Mantars. The prakash process is completed by taking a hukam.
Joti Jot (Meaning: immersed in the Eternal Light). The Guru’s and holy Sikh scriptures teach that if someone is immortal (or attained immortality during the course of their life), when they leave this existence they have not died. They have rejoined with God. As someone who is immortal cannot die. This special condition is given the word Joti Jot.
Khalsa initiation
The 5 Ks date from the creation of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
The Guru introduced them for several reasons:
- Adopting these common symbols would identify members of the Khalsa
- Because all members of the Khalsa wear the 5 Ks the members of the community are more strongly bound together
- Each K has a particular significance
The meaning of the 5 Ks
A simple, plain circular steel braceletKara — a steel bracelet
The 5 Ks taken together symbolise that the Sikh who wears them has dedicated themselves to a life of devotion and submission to the Guru.
The 5 Ks are 5 physical symbols worn by Sikhs who have been initiated into the Khalsa.
The five Ks are:
- Kesh (uncut hair)
- Kara (a steel bracelet)
- Kanga (a wooden comb)
- Kaccha — also spelt, Kachh, Kachera (cotton underwear)
- Kirpan (steel sword)
Who Were the Sikh Gurus?
The word guru in Sikhism also refers to Akal Purkh (God), and God and guru can sometimes be synonymous in Gurbani (Sikh writings). Let’s cover the Sikh Gurus:
Sikhism
Guru Nanak Dev
Date of Birth: 15 April, 1469
Date of Death: 22 September, 1539
Father: Mehta Kalu
Mother: Mata Tripta
Guru Nanak Dev (गुरु नानक देव) was a 1st guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Angad Dev
Date of Birth: 31 March, 1504
Date of Death: 29 March, 1552
Father: Baba Pheru
Mother: Mata Ramo
Guru Angad Dev (गुरू अंगद देव) was a 2nd guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Amar Das
Date of Birth: 5 May, 1479
Date of Death: 1 September, 1574
Father: Tej Bhan Bhalla
Mother: Bakht Kaur
Guru Amar Das (गुरु अमर दास) was a 3rd guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Ram Das
Date of Birth: 24 September, 1534
Date of Death: 1 September, 1581
Father: Baba Hari Das
Mother: Mata Daya Vati
Guru Ram Das (गुरु राम दास) was a 4th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Arjan Dev
Date of Birth: 15 April, 1563
Date of Death: 30 May, 1606
Father: Rām Dās
Mother: Mata Bhani
Guru Arjan Dev (गुरु अर्जन देव) was a 5th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Har Gobind
Date of Birth: 19 June, 1595
Date of Death: 28 February, 1644
Father: Arjun Dēv
Mother: Mata Ganga
Guru Har Gobind (गुरु हरगोबिंद) was a 6th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Har Rai
Date of Birth: 16 January, 1630
Date of Death: 6 October, 1661
Father: Baba Gurditta
Mother: Mata Nihal Kaur
Guru Har Rai (गुरु हर राय) was a 7th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Har Krishan
Date of Birth: 7 July, 1656
Date of Death: 30 March, 1664
Father: Hari Rāi
Mother: Mata Krishan Kaur
Guru Har Krishan (गुरु हर किशन) was a 8th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Tegh Bahadur
Date of Birth: 1 April, 1621
Date of Death: 11 November, 1675
Father: Hari Gōbind
Mother: Mata Nanki
Guru Tegh Bahadur (गुरू तेग़ बहादुर) was a 9th guru of Sikhism.
Sikhism
Guru Gobind Singh
Date of Birth: 22 December, 1666
Date of Death: 7 October, 1708
Father: Tēġ Bahādur
Mother: Mata Gujri
Guru Gobind Singh (गुरु गोबिन्द सिंह) was a 10th guru of Sikhism.
Numbers and 10 Gurus — Grantha.ru
Manifestations of numbers through ten Gurus the word was the embodiment of the essence of certain numbers.
In all this, the very core of life is present, manifesting itself so clearly and obviously,
is so pure that it is difficult to find another such example on planet Earth.
And I’m not saying this is the only example; numbers are present in all things,
and with experience we will learn to recognize them everywhere.
But first we start with inspiring examples and then we expand our study.
It is wonderful if you find a living expression of numbers in the people around you.
— From Shiv Charan’s interview
to the German magazine «Tattva Viveka» in July 2005.
Ten Gurus were incarnated into a physical body, and the eleventh and last for the Sikhs was the manuscript, which is known as Siri Guru Granth Sahib . Each stage of the realization of the development of the soul was most fully expressed in each of the ten Gurus, who for 250 years created the Sikh Dharma.
The eleventh Guru is the Word itself. The Word is the Guru and the Guru is the Word. GURU is composed of two syllables. The first of them — GU, means hidden, dark or mysterious, and the second — RU, means the removal of obstacles to the knowledge of secrets, or, in other words, opens the eyes and sheds light on the hidden sides of consciousness. Evaluating the life of each Guru will help to get an idea of how numbers manifest in people. However, we provide this information only in brief, a detailed description can be found in the books “Let the Numbers Lead You” and “The Teacher of the Age of Aquarius”.
Our goal is to demonstrate the connection of the ten Gurus with numbers and the Ten Subtle Bodies.
1. Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak was the first Guru. He planted the first seed in the soil of human consciousness.
If we analyze the name Nanak , we find that it has several possible meanings. It’s the double negative, the double no, which is necessary to blow the mind. Nak also means a nose, so the name means «noseless»; it is the most complete expression of humility we can feel when we consider the uniqueness of all things.
On is also a nameless name existing in its own non-existence, while
Anak is the division of one into an innumerable multitude.
Guru Nanak’s poetry very well expresses the extreme degree of humility of the first state of consciousness. Again and again he calls himself the lowest of the low, servant of servants, dust of dust, and so on. His life was also full of examples of humility. Many times people considered his actions unreasonable and strange. They mocked to insult him. However, when asking questions, people were always amazed by his answers, which invariably pointed the way to God alone.
“The fruit of humility is unforced joy” (p. 225).
“Humility is my weapon, my double-edged sword” (p.628).
In Guru’s teaching 1 is always the number of God, “one God”, “God’s name is one”, and so on.
The Life of the First Guru is beautifully described in the book Aquarian Teacher and the book Aquarian Guru
2. Guru Angad
Guru Angad was the second Guru and the continuation of the first. Eng means branch, while Hell — the beginning. Guru Angad was a continuation or branch of the original.
Continuation is attachment, and choosing the appropriate attachment is a manifestation of our hunger. Guru Angad is known for his loyalty or devotion to Guru Nanak. His own poetry echoes the work of Guru Nanak, and is not something independent.
Two is the number of duality in the Guru’s teachings, and duality is one of the main causes of our suffering.
3. Guru Amar das
Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, invoked in his poetry the body and its functions in order to know their true meaning in this world. His views on the equality of all found their expression in the seva (service) which he dedicated to the lepers. His deep understanding of the meaning of equality is illustrated by the fact that he raised the position of women in society, whereas previously it was lower than that of a dog. He is known as one who is “hope for the hopeless; protector of the defenseless; the power of the powerless.»
The name Amar Das is made up of Amar , which means to wake up, connect, desire. Das means support; the one who holds; the word also means temporary servant. The primordial soul, expanding, wanders, gets lost and comes into a trance in the material world. However, she retains the ability to awaken and merge with God, even while remaining in this world. Mar also means death, so Amar Das is the servant of one who is above death. Amar also means power, thus Amar Das is one who serves as a support of power, or a servant of an immortal being.
It was Guru Amar Das who created the support structure for the formation of the Sikh community. In addition, he substantiated the need for equality of women and a society without castes.
4. Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru, is known for being able to heal people by his mere presence. Without thinking about himself at all, he could, walking along the road and meeting pilgrims on the way to the temple, cleanse their legs with his long beard. It was Guru Ram Das who began the creation of the community, while the first three Gurus worked more on a personal and individual level. This became a solid foundation for the awakening of the group consciousness. Guru Ram Das began to prepare a lake of nectar known as Amritsar around which the community could gather. Guru Ram Das also introduced the Sikh wedding ceremony and in his poems we often hear the call to get together. And it was Guru Ram Das who called for the jap (repetition) of the mantra SAT NAM.
The name Ram Das consists of Ram , that is, that aspect of God that pervades the entire universe, and Das , the servant of God everywhere.
5. Guru Arjun
Guru Arjun was busy with transformations and construction of the Golden Temple, Harimandir, which became the repository of the manuscript and the place Map Purkh (active principle) — the union of active and passive. The poetry of the Guru forms a connecting thread between the wandering soul and God; the word sacrifices itself again and again, being constantly available to all who turn to it.
The name Arjun has several meanings. In the beginning, we can recall the word Arj , which means a request or a prayer. Arjun also means bridge, and we can see how by creating the manuscript Guru Arjun built a great bridge for us. What sacrifices were required to make it a bridge is illustrated by the fact that Guru Arjun sacrificed his own life and body to strengthen the Sikh Dharma. This sacrifice also became a bridge between what the community was, closed entirely on itself, and what it had to become in order to protect itself from attacks from outside.
6. Guru Har Gobind
Guru Har Gobind, the sixth Guru, had to defend the community from unexpected attacks from outside.
Har is the destructive offspring of God, while Gobind means support, connection or holding together. This was the essence of Guru Har Gobind’s activity. He had to enter into conflicts in order to maintain harmony in the community and harmony between the spiritual and worldly sides of life (known as Miri-Piri). Only the merging of these qualities into a single whole makes it possible to overcome duality.
Doubt is always duality, and thus to overcome it also means to overcome doubts and, as a result, to become fearless. Having maintained stability in the community, Guru Har Gobind completed the second stage. The first stage was the level of the individual, and it was passed by the first three Gurus. The next level of development of the community was completed by the fourth, fifth and sixth Guru. This second level was to be the basis for the third level, which was the universal level realized by the seventh, eighth and ninth Guru.
7. Guru Har Rai
The seventh Guru was not a very prominent figure; he preferred to be a support for his Sikhs and teach forgiveness by his own example, not bearing malice for the attacks that occurred in the days of his predecessor Guru Har Gobind.
The name Har Rai means the royal path to God. If we neglect the colors and shapes of our own views and judgments, we fall under the protection of Har (God), which humiliates our pride and position in society, but grants us the opportunity to move along the path of kings, PARADISE, which has its own color and form.
8. Guru Har Krishan
The eighth Guru was Guru Har Krishan, who defied many diseases at the age of eight and devoted his life to healing others. At the same time, he healed not only members of the Sikh community. Guru Har Krishan ministered to all those in need of healing. His name means the act of cleansing or washing. The entire life of the young Guru was a true act of purification.
9. Guru Tegh Bahadur
Tegh is the sword and the original will of God. Baha means huge or great, and Dur is associated with the terms «duration», «lasting» and «persistent». Dur also includes the concept of “door”, meaning that inexhaustible patience and calm stamina, or steadfast calm is a huge door to the sword; this sword withstands all battles, but it is also a sword that does not rush into battle, withstands all blows, sacrificing itself first, and using that property of consciousness that survives even when everything else dies.
The ninth Guru showed incredible fortitude, both in life and in death. In the beginning, he spent 27 years in meditation, not knowing that it was only a preparation for a great and selfless sacrifice. Then he took his own life in such a way that all people, no matter what religion they profess, should bow before him. The moment he was beheaded, Guru Tegh Bahadur delivered a message to his executioner. That message was, «You can kill the body, but you can’t kill the faith.» It was through faith that the Guru came to know the immortal and therefore unborn essence.
10. Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh, by pointing out that the manuscript is a permanent Guru, provided the Sikh Dharma with a state of self-regulation. He gave the Sikhs the rules to follow when choosing clothes and pointed out what allowed them to preserve the Dharma in the future. He also took an important step from everything to nothing by baptizing five associates (Panj Piare) and then becoming their disciple (chela). Thus, he had the courage to descend from the height of the position of Guru.
Gobind means the unifier (which holds together). This is exactly what Guru Gobind Singh succeeded in giving the Sikhs a single Guru in the form of a scripture.
By adding the name Singh , the Guru reminded us that it takes the qualities of courage and nobility that are associated with a lion to maintain the harmony and discipline that makes an individual a true Sikh. Similarly, women have been given a name that emphasizes qualities that help them to be a whole being, regal and distinguished individuality.
This name is Kaur which means princess.
Those of the Sikhs who were baptized acquired another dimension of their being. They are called Khalsa , which means pure or pure. To be without a single impurity means to be what we are, thanks only to our own qualities, and not at all to some other factors, such as the opinion of other people, wealth, health, position in society, a car and a host of other indicators. People invent them for themselves in this world; but none of these things can be taken with you beyond the gates of death.
11. Siri Guru Granth Sahib
The eleventh Guru is a manuscript called the Guru Granth Sahib.
Granth means both “big book” and “knot”, while Sahib means “lord”. There are words in the book that have great meaning; they act as the eleventh Guru. These words have the ability to untie the knots of our lives, and in return — to tie us to God.
based on Shiv Charan Singh's book "Let the Numbers Lead You"
Sikhism is a religion of warriors
In the period from the 7th to the 12th centuries, numerous Islamic raids on India had a negative impact on the ancient religious culture of the peoples of the northern part of the Hindustan peninsula. However, it was more difficult for invaders to penetrate into the southern part, and ancient religious traditions were much better preserved there. In the Punjab, up to the borders with Kashmir, a new religious trend was widely developed, in which Hindu beliefs were bizarrely combined with elements of Islam.
It is believed that Sikhism developed in Punjab in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and the word «Sikh» in the Punjabi dialect means «student». The founder of this religion is considered the guru (that is, «mentor») Nanak, who in his youth began to study the main religious books of other religions — Hinduism and Islam. Having studied them, he questioned their traditions and rituals — therefore, he decided to independently acquire the truth and knowledge. As a result, Nanak created his own teaching.
Photo: supercoolpics.com
The future guru of Sikhism was born in 1469 in the small village of Talavandi, on the banks of the Ravi River in the state of Punjab. His father would have been a tax collector, which, most likely, left its mark on the upbringing of young Nanak, who had learned several languages since childhood. The boy not only knew Hindi and Sanskrit, which are spoken by Hindus, but also Farsi and Arabic, which are spoken by Muslims.
When he grew up, he was considered a very educated young man, who had already learned the basics of Hinduism and Islam well. It would seem that this man was destined for an ordinary life, which many people of his class lived: his own house, wife, children … All this soon appeared to him, but at the age of 30, Nanak suddenly left his father’s house and became an ascetic — in fact a vagabond, of which India has always had enough. He went around almost all of India, wandered around other countries, visited many holy places. According to the followers of Sikhism, it was at this time that he talked for a long time with learned people and sages of his time.
Finally, the future Sikh teacher returned home, «burdened» with the knowledge he had received. He soon declared, “There are no Hindus or Muslims. So which way should I go? I will follow the path of God.» And he created his own religious doctrine. According to him, it was supposed to unite Hindus and Muslims, clashes between which happened quite often.
Photo: indiarelax.ru
Nanak publicly declared that the human soul on the path to God should be led by a spiritual teacher — a guru. He was assigned a special role — to teach people honesty and decency, kindness and a sense of duty. And he assigned this mission to himself — at least at the stage of the formation of a new religion.
For the uninitiated in all the subtleties of Sikhism, it is not so easy to understand this teaching, because many other religions preach about the same thing. But Guru Nanak eventually found many supporters and followers, although the first community of his disciples, or Sikhs, appeared only in 1520, when Guru Nanak was almost 50 years old.
Modern Sikhs recognize ten spiritual teachers-gurus. They pay divine homage to the sacred book «Guru Granth» («Book of Teachers»), or «Adi Granth» («Primordial Book»). It contains religious hymns written both by Nanak himself and by his followers at a later time.
Photo: round.glass
Amritsar became the center of Sikhism. Here and today stands the beautiful and magnificent in all respects the Golden Temple — the oldest of all Sikh religious buildings. This building is more like a church than a mosque. And on it lies the invisible seal of the times and … those battles that were fought between the Sikhs and the Hindus for its possession. Built in 1766, it is located on the shore of a sacred lake, it is decorated with gilded copper inscriptions from the texts of sacred manuscripts, which, like priceless treasures, are kept in every Sikh temple.
But no matter how fierce battles flared up near the temple and even inside it, he, like Mecca, managed to survive as a sacred place, which is constantly worshiped by believers. Sikhs do not have a ritual pilgrimage, but most of them have visited the Golden Temple at least once in their lives. But tourists here are not so frequent guests — the struggle for this temple continues to this day, so most travelers prefer to leave the Golden Temple in Amritsar to believers.
Photo: hindustantimes.com
One of the most revered among the Sikhs — almost on a par with Nanak — is the tenth guru Govind Singh, before whom there were practically no innovations in religion at all. It was he who in 1699 founded the Brotherhood of the Pure, or Khalsa, as well as the Khalsa army. All those joining the brotherhood added the name Singh (that is, a lion) to their name and undertook to observe the rule of five «K» — wears long hair and a beard (kesh), trousers of a special cut (kach), a comb (kangha), a short sword (kirpan) and a steel bracelet (kara). By the way, all women added the word «Kaur» (princess) to their name. When the teacher Govind died, the Guru Granth began to be considered the most important «educational» book of the Sikhs. Sometimes the word «Sahib» is added to its name, that is, «lord.»
In the 17th-18th centuries Punjab was an integral part of the Mughal Empire. The fact that there is a large Sikh community on these lands — on the northwestern border — was well known to the monarchs. And this bothered them, so the confrontation was inevitable. And as a result, instead of a peaceful religious community, a paramilitary powerful and powerful organization suddenly appeared — in fact, it was then that the Sikhs acquired that militant spirit that has since become associated with them. Gradually, Sikhism turned into a religion of warriors.
Photo: artisticbook.ru
The most important Sikh festivals are celebrations of the birth or death of one of the ten gurus. Holidays celebrating the birth or martyrdom of one of the mentors are called gurupurb, and all the rest are called mela («fair»). All holidays include «Arhand path» — continuous recitation of «Guru Granth Sahib». Surprisingly, these continuous readings last two days — 48 hours. There are no fixed dates for celebrations — they change from year to year, since Sikhs use the lunar calendar.
So, for example, in December — January, Guru Govind’s birthday is celebrated. And in June — July — the anniversary of the death of Guru Arjun. The latter, by the way, is especially honored for the fact that he brought together all the religious treatises of the teacher Nanak. This book became known as Guru Granth.
But one should not think that Sikhs ignore common Hindu holidays. Far from it — for example, they widely, as in all of India, celebrate the Hindu holiday of Diwali, or the Festival of Lamps, in November. Perhaps this is one of the most spectacular Indian holidays. Sometimes it is celebrated for as long as five days. As a rule, the climax comes on the fourth day, when a lot of lights, lanterns, electric garlands, and lamps are lit in all the houses of the country, on the streets and in temples. Everything around is strewn with myriads of sparkling lights, and the Indians themselves run through the streets, waving sparklers. Everywhere firecrackers explode, and the evening sky is strewn with flashes coming from fireworks — it is strewn with millions of sparkling sparks.
Photo: 29palms.ru
In November, Sikhs celebrate one of their main holidays — the birthday of the founder of the religion, Guru Nanak. The holiday is similar to other Sikh celebrations — the Guru Granth Sahib is invariably read. And the anniversary of this holy book is usually celebrated in August. A solemn ceremony is certainly held — as is the case with most Sikh holidays — the «Akhand Path». First, the book itself is taken to a specially designated place in the temple, or gurdwara, a low table on a dais. People sit on the floor and listen to a reader dressed in white robes and a blue turban. Another reader sits to the left of the first — at any moment he is ready to change him in order to continue reading. One person simply cannot physically read two days in a row without stopping …
In general, the beliefs of the Sikhs are quite simple, although they have a deep meaning: God is inaccessible to human understanding, but he is the only true reality, and everything else is an illusion. God can have many names — they are all sacred. The best way to realize God is through the ritual chanting of these sacred names, the singing of hymns of praise, and meditation under the guidance of a guru.
Business guru: what yogi and mystic Sadhguru teaches Gref and Google
Indian yogi Sadhguru spoke to businessmen in Davos, gave advice at SPIEF and mentored German Gref. Why are top managers of large companies so eager to listen to mysticism in a turban?
Sadhguru (real name Jaggi Vasudev) is a famous Indian yogi. Founder of the Isha Foundation, a charity that runs yoga programs around the world and has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Author of the books «Internal Engineering», «Experience of Enlightenment», «Levels of Enlightenment». Since the mid-2000s, Sadhguru has been active as a motivational speaker and coach at large corporations and Ivy League universities. He lectured Google employees on the development of consciousness, at the World Bank office he taught how to achieve global well-being, at the forum in Davos he taught how to apply ancient wisdom to modern issues, and at the SPIEF 2018 plenary session he explained how to adapt to the future. Sadhguru came to SPIEF at the personal invitation of German Gref, at his invitation the mystic conducted trainings for Sberbank employees.
How did it happen that you, a yogi, became a business coach?
Oh, I don’t consider myself a business coach. I am connected not only with businessmen, although we (Isha Foundation. — Forbes Life ), of course, develop business programs around the world. But we also do yoga classes for life-sentenced prisoners in South Indian prisons, I work with murderers, homeless people and the underprivileged… It doesn’t matter who I work with, the main thing is that I work with people.
At the same time, you are invited by large corporations like Google. What can you teach business people?
The activity of any large organization depends primarily on people. At every level — from top managers to ordinary employees — we deal with people. If you don’t understand how to inspire others and get the most out of them, your business will never operate at its full potential. I often hear that in business one must be careful and not rush. This is said by people who are not interested in finishing the project as soon as possible, because they understand that as soon as they do everything, they will stop being paid. The task of a good top manager is to make sure that people work with maximum efficiency. This is the key to the success of any human activity, including business.
I explain that people don’t like to be led, they like to be involved. They need to feel like an important part of the process. If you can truly engage employees, they will try their best and do everything they can. If they are simply managed, they will constantly count how much they have already done for their salary, and look for an opportunity to finish early.
In companies with the strictest discipline, no one overworks.
But one person can do what 10 people did before him, simply because he is motivated and fully involved in the process.
How do you work with top managers?
Every year we host a four-day business leadership course at our foundation. 200 CEOs come from all over the world, and for four days we dissect the DNA of success. I ask the participants what their values are, how they treat those values, how they feel about their careers — in a word, I find out all aspects of their lives. Understanding the nature of a person, you understand how effective and functional this person is in one aspect or another. We look at the potential, then at the real state of affairs — and draw up a plan of action.
Sadhguru, what can you say about Sberbank? You have already lectured there more than once. You are even called Herman Gref’s personal coach.
No, that’s not entirely true, I’m not teaching him business. I teach Gref and some top managers and clients of the bank internal engineering to achieve balance and personal well-being. It is only about internal transformation. I do not give any business advice on bank management. My main job is internal engineering, switching dimensions in the way of perceiving life. It is important to understand that leaders are made by internal balance and a shrewd mind, and not by some business strategy.
I advise corporations around the world because I’m asked to. But this is far from my main activity.
Yes, I work with some big businessmen individually, but my key task is to help people, not businesses.
Because if people «function» at full capacity, the business will be fine.
And yet, what advice do you give to CEOs who come to you for a leadership course — those who deal with big money, big responsibility, a serious staff of people and constant stress?
The most common problem that all people face, not just leaders — although leaders more often because more is expected of them — is that they start to think that stress is work related. But look at employees whose work does not involve a lot of responsibility, they also experience stress.
Executives stressed because of over-responsibility, employees stressed because their careers are stalled, poor people stressed because they don’t have money, rich people stressed because of taxes, unmarried people stressed because they can’t get married, married, because they are married… And it never ends!
Stress is a common problem for everyone, regardless of boundaries, social status, and so on. And there is one general solution.
It is important to understand that stress is not caused by your work or external factors. Stress is connected with the fact that a person does not know how to control his body, his mind, his energy and his emotions. I teach people that the outside world can be a stimulus or a trigger, but everything you feel happens inside. Happiness and pain, pleasure and sadness are all within you. If you want some events to happen around you, you must set up your internal mechanism.
Bill Gates said that his way of dealing with stress is to go to a secluded place and spend a week in silence and reflection.
I’ll tell you this. If you send a highly disturbed, twitchy person to a very quiet place on top of a mountain and leave him alone, he will not calm down — he will go crazy. Everything comes from within. You can stand in the market square on market day amidst the hustle and bustle and be completely at peace. I am living proof of that! I spend twenty hours a day doing many different things: business lectures, foundation activities, charity projects, negotiations. Just look at my daily schedule to go crazy. And I, it would seem, is the first candidate for stress, burnout and mental disorders, but I will not go crazy, I will not give such pleasure to anyone. Whatever the situation, I believe I will do my best to deal with it. Yes, not everything works out. But in any situation, the most important thing to know is that you did your best.
Please remember one thing. Even 50% success is already a good result.
Well, we’ve dealt with it successfully. How important is money to you?
Very important.
Why?
Because I want to do a lot. Is money important to me personally? No. But for my work they are very important.