The story of all the ten Gurus of the Sikh tradition is so heart-warming and uplifting. It’s one of sacrifice. The gurus sacrificed everything they had for the sake of protection of the good, the innocence, and the righteous. People were given the cream of knowledge in simple, understandable words.

There is a beautiful story about Guru Nanak Dev, the first Guru. When his parents would ask him to go and sell things, he would do so. However, as he would start counting from one, he would get stuck at 13, as 13 is tera in Hindi, and tera also means Yours. So, even while doing work, his mind was always immersed in the Divine. Guru Nanak said, ‘I am yours, I am yours, I am yours.’ Guru Nanak’s life was filled with pure love, wisdom, and valor.

There is a beautiful greeting in the Sikh tradition, Sat Sri Akal – one of the best greetings in the world. Sat means Truth, Sri means Wealth, and Akal means Eternal, i.e., Truth is the real wealth, which is really eternal. The eternal transcendental Divinity is the truth, and that is the real wealth. So, all of you who have done meditation, have gained the real wealth, going into that inner space. That is truth. That is Sat Sri Akal. Jo Bole So Nihal! Sat Sri Akal: One who says it, (Sat Sri Akal) they will exalt. Nihal means Exaltation; you will get uplifted. Saying, ‘Sat Sri Akal’; not only does it fill you with valor, but it also fills you with the spirit of eternal being.

Guru Gobind Singh’s message is so relevant, even today. He said, ‘You should be dynamic, and still be soft in your heart. You should be inwardly spiritual. Be a Sant Sipahi, a saint and a soldier, together.’ He meant that you have to stand up against injustice. You cannot just be a saint and say, ‘Okay, whatever has happened, let it happen!’ You should stand against injustice, and simultaneously, be compassionate within you, like a saint.

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It was Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, who established this rare combination of firmness and softness. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he said, ‘After me, the next Guru is the book, the Granth. All the knowledge is kept in this Granth. This is the Guru; your guiding light.’

Thus, in all the Gurudwaras (places of worship of the Sikh) you will find the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scripture. The wisdom that these scriptures bring out to humanity is invaluable. The story of sixteen different saints and their teachings are compiled in the Guru Granth Sahib.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, it is said, ‘Ek Omkar Sat Naam’, there is only one Om, which is the true name for infinity. Om is the eternal sound that exists in the depth of one’s consciousness. When you go to the ocean and listen carefully to the waves, you will find the same sound “Om”. When you go on top of a mountain and listen to the blowing wind, you will hear the sound “Om”. Before this birth, we were all in “Om”. After this birth, after we all die, we will merge into that cosmic sound “OM”. Even now, in the depth of creation that sound still resonates.

Wishing you all Happy Guru Purab!