guru nanak dev ji's life and teachings in english for essay
Answers
Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism and the first Guru of Sikhs. He is the last in the series of the greatest prophets born upon earth who were instrumental in establishing major world religions through their teachings and revelations. Guru Nanak led a simple but extraordinary life, preaching a straightforward way to find God in one's own heart through inner purity and social responsibility.
He lived in troubled times, when religious practice in the Indian subcontinent was dogged by spiritual and moral crisis and the country was witnessing an intense conflict between Hindus and Muslims, aggravated by the religious zeal of Muslim rulers. It was also the time when Hinduism was undergoing an internal reform through the bhakti movement. Very few people in his life time would have thought that Guru Nanak's teachings would eventually culminate in the formation a new religion and attract millions of followers from various parts of the world.
Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469, in the village of Rau Bhoi di Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, forty miles from Lahore in present-day Pakistan. His father, Kalayan Das Mehta or Kalu Mehta, belonged to a sub caste of the Kshatriyas and worked as a tax collector. His mother was Matta Tripat. The Guru had an older sister called Bibi Nanki. From an early age Guru Nanak showed particular interest in spiritual matters. He became acquainted with the teachings of both Hinduism and Islam and met holy men of both religions. In the process, he developed distaste for the superficial aspects of religious practice, questioning their efficacy and value in achieving God realization. When his elders asked him to wear the sacred thread, usually worn by the upper caste Hindus, he refused, saying that he would instead wear the name of God in his heart as it would never be broken nor tainted with impurities.
It is said that when he was twenty-eight years, he suddenly disappeared and returned after three days, revealing that he had a vision of God in which he was made aware of his mission in life. Declaring himself to be neither a Hindu nor a Muslim, He began preaching that there was only one God, who could be worshipped by any name and reached directly by any one, through abiding faith and devotion. He proclaimed God as the creator on whose command or Hukm moved all things and who being formless and transcendental would not assume any form, nor manifest Himself physically in our world as an embodied being. But, as the true witness, He resided in the heart of every one. So the best way to reach Him was by obtaining His grace through namsmaran or constant remembrance of His name and leading an ethical and selfless life. Guru Nanak criticized caste and gender inequalities, idol worship, superficial observances, sacrificial rituals, religious marks, widow burning, and many other practices which he believed were superstitious and not conducive to liberation. Among other things he acknowledged as valid were the law of karma, rebirth, respect for Guru, importance of righteous conduct etc.
Teachings
Nanakji taught that if God was to be found, he would be found in the inner chambers of human heart. If man is intoxicated enough with the name, memory and thought of God, he would experience Him in his own self. For Nanakji such a person was a true yogi and a true Brahmin, not the one who wore orange robes for appearance sake or some one who was born into a Brahmin caste. Nanak Dev castigated ostentatious display of religiosity and superficial observation of religious conduct. He laid emphasis on inner virtue and adherence to truth, sincerity and honesty in devotion to God. Without these man is devoid of any hope to earn the grace of God.
Explanation:
I hope it will help you....
