presentation on the teaching of Kabir and Guru Nanak
Answers
Answer:
Kabir was one of the chief exponents of the Bhakti movement in the medieval period. His early life is shrouded in mystery.
According to a prevailing legend he was the son of a Brahmin widow who had left him by the side of a tank in Benares.
A Muslim weaver Niru and his wife Nima picked up the baby and brought him up. Thus Kabir spent his early life in the house of his Muslim parents.
Kabir | Harmonium
Explanation:
Another saint-preacher of the time was Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He was a contemporary of Kabir. He was born in a Khatri family at Talwandi (Nankana Sahib) in the district of Seikhpura in West Punjab, now in Pakistan.
He was sent to school at the age of seven to learn Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian. Different types of miraculous stories are associated with the astonishing wisdom of child Nanak.
His father was an accountant and it was presumed that he would be a good
But he did not show any interest in studies and tried different professions of agriculture, cattle-tending and shop-keeping, but without any success. For some time he was appointed the Keeper of Sultan Daulat Khan Lodi’s storehouse of charities.
Nanak got married at the age of nineteen and had two sons. Because of his indifference to worldly affairs he left royal service and thus got an opportunity to mix with saints and sages freely. At the age of thirty he left his home and led the life of an ascetic. He wandered over many lands and visited many holy places to gather spiritual experience.
On his return, he set up his hermitage at Kartarpur on the bank of the river Ravi and started preaching his own philosophy. He became a preacher but at the same time led the life of a householder. He composed hymns which he sang with the accompaniment of a musical instrument called ‘rabab’ preaching harmony among people of all communities. He died at the age of sixty nine in 1538 A.D. and had nominated his favorite disciple Anagad as his successor.
Teachings of Nanak:
Nanak had played a very dominant role in the Bhakti movement of medieval India. Both Sufism and Bhakti had contributed to the development of Nanak’s religious philosophy. So his teachings were composite by nature comprising of the noblest principles of Hinduism and Islam. At the same time he discarded the retrograde elements of both religions.
Thus, for Nanak, God is one and formless. Through love, devotion and purity of heart one can attain the grace of God. God is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the Universe. He is Almighty and Omnipresent. He is merciful to all, even to the sinner.
So he advised all his disciples to completely surrender to God:
Nanak maketh one application
Soul and body are all in thy power
Thou art near, thou art distant
and thou art midway
Thou seest and hearest, by thy power didst
Thou create the world
Whatever order pleaseth thee
saith Nanak, that is acceptable.
Nanak believed in the presence of a soul in every human being. Good actions of a man help the soul to merge with the Eternal soul that is God. Evil actions increase the burden of sin for which the soul cannot rise high and remains in darkness. So each individual must do good and be virtuous to get eternal liberation from the bondage of the world.
Here is a catalogue of do’s and don’ts:
Practise humanity, renounce pride
Restrain the mind, remember God
Be honest, Watchful
Restrain the five evils of passion
Be content.
Like all Sufi saints Nanak was in favour of accepting a guru who would guide the individual in all his conduct. In his own words, “Without guru, nobody can attain God. Under the guru’s instruction, God’s word is heard and knowledge is acquired.” So the presence of a guru is essential for every man for his own spiritual emancipation.
Nanak was very practical in his outlook. He wanted to bring an end to the conflict among various religions. That is why he vehemently rejected the caste system, authority of the Vedas and the Quran and idolatry or image-worship. He never laid any emphasis upon renunciation of the world. Rather he stressed upon upholding moral values and rejection of religious hypocrisy, falsehood, selfishness and violence.
Nanak had both Hindu as well as Muslim disciples. His catholicity of spirit and loving approach aimed at bridging the gap between the two communities by establishing harmony between them. He endeavored towards this end till his death in 1538