Examining the life and history of the times of 1st, 5th and 10th Gurus of Sikhs shows when and how a new religion evolves, how it becomes a great path to spirituality and what circumstances turn someone off to adopt a radical view point.
When an existing religion becomes so corrupted that instead of leading people to the path of spirituality, it promotes the practices that financially enrich and socially empower the protectors of a religion; it creates doubt in the minds of the thinkers who can't justify the existing religion serving the masses for greater good. This is how Guru Nanak started searching for the answers to the existing unjust conditions created by the political as well as religious powers.
When one truly seeks the answers without accepting any barriers of society or their own limiting beliefs, the answers are provided by the Universe / Creator / God. When the enlightenment is experienced, it makes the person very charismatic and power to perform so called miracles through the newly found psychic powers that are as powerful as the enlightenment experience itself. One benefit of such powers for Guru Nanak was that he impressed the rulers and masses alike and this allowed him to impart his message without the threat of being executed for going against the existing practice.
Upto the 5th Guru, Arjan Dev, path of Spirituality regardless of the religion was the goal. The following three examples are clear indication of this.
Famous Mughal King, Akbar, came to 3rd Gurus congregation and accepted to have langar / food with the commons while sitting on the floor; portraying the doctrine that a King and a commoner are same in the court of God.
4th Guru, Guru Ramdas designed Harmandir Sahib http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/golden_temple_amritsar.html
And chose a Muslim Saint to place the foundation stone of the sacred building that was to have four door depicting that people of all religions are welcome here.
When an existing religion becomes so corrupted that instead of leading people to the path of spirituality, it promotes the practices that financially enrich and socially empower the protectors of a religion; it creates doubt in the minds of the thinkers who can't justify the existing religion serving the masses for greater good. This is how Guru Nanak started searching for the answers to the existing unjust conditions created by the political as well as religious powers.
When one truly seeks the answers without accepting any barriers of society or their own limiting beliefs, the answers are provided by the Universe / Creator / God. When the enlightenment is experienced, it makes the person very charismatic and power to perform so called miracles through the newly found psychic powers that are as powerful as the enlightenment experience itself. One benefit of such powers for Guru Nanak was that he impressed the rulers and masses alike and this allowed him to impart his message without the threat of being executed for going against the existing practice.
Upto the 5th Guru, Arjan Dev, path of Spirituality regardless of the religion was the goal. The following three examples are clear indication of this.
Famous Mughal King, Akbar, came to 3rd Gurus congregation and accepted to have langar / food with the commons while sitting on the floor; portraying the doctrine that a King and a commoner are same in the court of God.
4th Guru, Guru Ramdas designed Harmandir Sahib http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/golden_temple_amritsar.html
And chose a Muslim Saint to place the foundation stone of the sacred building that was to have four door depicting that people of all religions are welcome here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment