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[ISingh]

Send an email to your friends and coworkers about Guru Granth Sahib

Dear Khalsa ji,

We request that while celebrating the 400th anniversary of the compilation of Guru Granth Sahib we should create more awareness about our faith and our Guru. This will be an opportune time to introduce the universal teachings of Guru Granth Sahib to our non- Sikh friends and co-workers. Universally applicable quotations are given below. You can send a personalized note to accompany this information to your acquaintances. We feel that It will create a positive image of our community and our beliefs. Please feel free to use it to your own needs.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rajwant Singh

Sikh Council on Religion and Education

301 529 0674

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September 1, 2004 marks the 400th anniversary of the compilation of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scriptures. It contains a universal message for all. It contains tips for spiritual development, inner harmony, and peace in life. These scriptures were compiled and installed in the Golden Temple, Amritsar, India, in 1604.

Below are some quotes from Guru Granth Sahib.

Gems for Life from Guru Granth Sahib (GGS)

Inner Search

Spiritual Wisdom comes from inner search and it diminishes with arguments and competition – Guru Nanak, GGS

The only way to God is to be conscious of God’s presence within and developing innocence in your own life. Burning yourself with jealously and worrying brings extreme sadness. It affects one’s thoughts, words, and deeds. – Guru Nanak, GGS p 1091

Those who gua

rd their mind (against negative thoughts and stay focused in God), become angels. They become manifestation of love and affection and God keeps account of their goodness. - Guru Nanak, GGS, p1090

When you taste the ultimate nectar of God’s love and God’s presence in your heart, all vice and negativity becomes dust in your life. – Guru Nanak, GGS

When I become Yours O Lord, I see the whole world I see as mine.

When ego departs in me, You manifest and I see everything connected with You. - Guru Nanak, GGS

One who realises the visible as merged in the formless.

And finds poise in the truth of God's invisible power-

Such a one shall not be subject to the cycle of births.

-Guru Granth Sahib, page 414

God is within

O my mind, know your essence

You embody the very light of the Lord. -Guru Amardas, GGS p, 441

And if the Lord resides within,

It is a folly to look for Him without. -Guru Nanak, GGS, p 722

Find Him inside your heart, O Friend,

What will you gain by roaming about in wilderness,

Except for trampling the thorns under your feet? - Saint Farid, GGS, p 1378

The Supreme Essence pervading the universe,

is the same as is present within our body. -Saint Pipa, GGS, p 695

Feeling the pain of separation from God is the highest state(to live in),

A body that never tastes pang of separation is like a dead ground -Saint Farid, GGS, p1379

O my self, love God as fish loves water. - Guru Nanak Sri Raag Astpadia, GGS.

Best practice of religion

Of all religions

The best religion is

To utter the Name of God with adoration

and to do good deeds and virtuous acts.

Of all rites

The best rite

Is to cleanse one's mind

In the company of the holy peo

ple.

Of all the deeds

The best deed

Is to meditate on the Name of God

And praise it forever.

Of all speeches

The best speech

Is to utter the name of God and

Then reflect on God with others.

Of all the places

The most sacred place,

Nanak says,

'Is the heart in which God dwells.' -Guru Arjan, GGS, p266

Justice

Good and bad deeds shall be narrated before the God of justice

Some will be brought in closer to God

Others pushed away accounting for their actions.

Those who have prayed, toiled appropriately

Will leave with radiant faces

Many more will be emancipated with them, says Nanak. -GGS, p 8

By serving the One who is peace

Let's pray to that Sovereign.

Why do you do evil deeds

When you know you will reap what you sow?

Do no wrong, be farsighted

Play such a game that you do not lose the game of life

And serve in such a way that brings merit. -GGS, p 474

What's in the mind comes forth

Spoken words are of little use -

Sowing poison and demanding nectar

What type of justice if this? -GGS, p 474

God and I are one

Kabir, a vast ocean is this body

difficult to fathom its depth;

one who dies* while living

and plunges within

earns the rarest of jewels. -Saint Kabir, GGS

*dies – killing one’s ego

Catch your shabd*

your origin and essence;

the ocean will then

merge with the drop

The part will contain the whole,

like the seed that holds within it

a mighty tree

Such is the nature of shabd,

like a magnet it pulls the soul. -Saint Kabir, GGS

*Shabd - Primal "Word" or "Name of God"

I have found something,

Something rare have I found;

Its value no one can accesss.

I dwell in it, it dwells in me,

we are one, like water

mixed with water.

He who knows it,

will never die;

He who knows it not,

dies again and ag

ain. -Saint Kabir, GGS

Householder's life

In laughing, playing, eating and dressing well

While doing all these, one can still attain salvation and enlightenment. - Guru Arjan, GGS, p 552

Those who remain awake in life, attain God,

they kill their ego in light of shabd,

While living a householder's life they remain detached,

They contemplate upon the true wisdom. - Guru Arjan, GGS

Service for others

If you serve others in your life, you get the honor of respect at God's Abode - Guru Nanak, GGS,p 25

Acts of kindness and inner enthusiasm to serve others results in minds' immersion in God, - Guru Nanak,p 224

True Education makes one a benevolent person. - GGS, p 356

Forgiveness

Beloved God embraces the one who wears the ornament of forgiveness. -Guru Nanak, GGS, p 359

Nurture truth, caring mind, contentment, and forgiveness while seeking the shelter of God

-Guru Nanak, GGS p1030

Those who develop Forgiveness, compassion, and contentment in their life,

No disease touches them and neither do they feel the pain of death. –Guru Nanak, p 223

Life Style

It is useless to ask for happiness all the time,

Because happiness and sadness is outer wears of each person's life. - Guru Nanak, Vaar Manjh, GGS

Digging deep foundations, the walls are constructed, but in the end, the buildings return to heaps of dust.

People gather and hoard their possessions, and give nothing to anyone else -

the poor fools think that everything is theirs.

Riches do not remain with anyone - not even the golden palaces of Sri Lanka.

Listen, you foolish and ignorant mind

- only His Will prevails. - Guru Nanak, Gauri Chetee, GGS

Those with worldly wealth are really poor(if they do not remember God);

Those who have God in their heart, are rich with all nobel qualities. - Guru Nanak, GGS p,1287

>

Worthless is the life that is led

Only to eat and swell the belly. -Guru Nanak, GGS p.790

Treat others well

Do good to bad person

Do not succumb to anger

Your body will not become ill

Everything comes in your lap -Saint Farid, GGS

Do not cause fear to anyone

Do not be fearful of anyone

Whoever lives such a life,

Is truly the wise one. -Guru Tegh Bahadur, GGS, p,1427

Every heart is a precious gem

Utter not bitter words, and cause pain to anyone

If you long for God

Do no break anyone's heart. -Saint Farid (Sufi Saint), GGS,p 1384

O Friend, if you posses fine intellect,

Do not blacken the record of anyone (by looking for their mistakes)

Bow your head, and look for the shortcomings within. - Saint Farid, GGS, p1378

Let truth be the strict norm of all you think and do,

so that your pain and anxiety may go and all-felicity come to you,

Always cognise the near presence of God, through the practice of the Name,

Avoid hurt or injury to any sentient being so that peace may come to your mind,

Be humble by helping and serving those afflicted with misery and want so as to achieve God-consciousness

Nanak testifies that God is the exalter of the fallen and lowly. - GGS, page 322

Nature and Environment

The Creator created himself......

And created all creation in which he is manifest.

You Yourself the bumble-bee, flower, fruit and the tree.

You Yourself the water, desert, ocean and the pond.

You Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes.

Your form can not be known. -GGS, p 1016)

Love and Humility

He is attained not by cleverness, learning and feats of intellect;

Through love, humility and devotion may He be attained -Guru Nanak, p436

True Hero and Warrior

The true Hero and warrior is the

one who kill the evil of their own ego -Guru Amardas, GGS, p 86

Those who conquer their self( controlling the senses), conquer the world -Guru Nanak, GGS

Those who have colored their life with God's love,

are known as the true heroes in this world. Guru Arjan, GGS

The true Hero is the one who fights for the poor and defenseless,

they sacrifice themselves for this cause and never leave the battleground. - Saint Kabir, GGS, p

The God-conscious and enlightened person is animated with an intense desire to do good in this world." -GGS, page 273

Prayers

Blessed is that season when I remember You.

Sublime is that work which is done for You.

Blessed is that heart in which You dwell, O Giver of all.

You are the Universal Father of all, O my Lord and Master.

Your innumerable gifts and treasures are inexhaustible

They are contented and live in bliss, upon whom You shower Your Grace and Your gifts; they become Your devotees, Lord.

All place their hopes in You; You dwell deep within each and every heart.

All share in Your Grace; none are beyond You.

You Yourself liberate the Your own devotees who love you;

You Yourself consign the self-willed to wander in in the cycle of life and death.

Nanak offers himself to you, Lord; The entire universe is Your creation and Your play.

-Guru Arjan, GGS p

The world is in flames

O Lord! Please save it by showering Your Grace

Embrace and lift everyone

through which ever door they come to You. Guru Amardas, GGS, p 853

Nanak* - Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. His name is used in the hymns to show that it is a revelation to Nanak. The name Nanak is also used by his successors in their hymns to indicate the continuation of the same revelation.

400th Anniversary of the Sikh Scriptures - Guru Granth Sahib

Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in the 15th century (Guru translates as "enlightener"). His phil

osophy was centered in belief in one God, who is creator and sustainer of all, and attainable by everyone. He taught that seekers of true faith must grow spiritually through introspection and meditation on the Name of God. This spiritual foundation manifests in a life of humility, service, and love of all creation, which is the basis of Sikh philosophy. Guru Nanak and his successors composed their own divinely revealed hymns, which were compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjun, in 1604. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, later accorded the scriptures with the status of a living Guru, thereby making it the revered and eternal spiritual guide of the Sikhs.

Ecumenical in nature, Guru Granth Sahib also contains the actual revelations of many enlightened saints from various other backgrounds, such as Hindu and Muslim, who saw God beyond the narrow restrictions of the institutions of their times. Some of these hymns were written by so-called "untouchables", who were shunned by society. However, their philosophy was in harmony with the spirit of Sikhism. It is perhaps the only scripture in the world that incorporates and sanctifies texts of people who did not subscribe to the same faith.

The entire Guru Granth Sahib is composed in poetry and is set to Indian classical music. Kirtan, or singing of these hymns, is an integral part of the Sikh prayer service started by Guru Nanak 500 hundred years ago. These hymns were composed in many Asian languages, mainly Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Hindi, and Punjabi. The compositions are set in rhymed couplets. They are printed in "Gurmukhi" script, an alphabet adapted by the second Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Angad, for the Punjabi language.

The governing theme of the Guru Granth Sahib encourages each human being to seek one's true self-the Divine spark within- to have unison with God. It also speaks to almost every facet of human existence - social, political, economic and spiritual. It fosters compassion and service for people who are poor or suffering, and

promotes s ocial and gender equality. It also enjoins full participation in family and community life. In short, Guru Granth Sahib envisions the creation of a just social and economic order, and peaceful co-existence.

[Mehtab Singh]

wow!

thanks